A different perspective to my Ito holiday pics

Put things in a different perspective...

After watching the disturbing images of the recent tsunami and earthquake in Sendai, Japan on NHK world, it does really put things in a different perspective.

As a Singaporean, I have never seen a tsunami warning sign before till recently, honestly I am rather clueless what to do during a tsunami or an earthquake. Not to mention a Ritcher 8.9 earthquake and 10m-high tsunami? Just numbers to me? But to the victims or survivors, it's a matter of life and death. The Sendai earthquake is a notch lower than the Ritcher 9.2 horrific earthquake in Banda Aceh (2004) but it is equally destructive as seen on the news. The Sendai earthquake is the largest earthquake to hit Japan and the fifth largest in the world since recording began but thankfully not the deadliest. A very frightening thought.

wikipedia

Not just an interesting sign anymore. It's life or death.

Seafood in Ito City 伊東

Fresh seafood is plentiful in Ito 伊東

Part II of my Ito 伊東, shizuoka trip. The food part. Being such a greedy gal, first thing on my mind when I reached a destination after checking in was to look for food. How do we know which restaurant serves good food?

By our sense of smell, long queues snaking round corners, luck or we will ask the hotel/hostel/ryokan's staff for their recommendations. Don't be shy.

We were famished after we checked in at K's House Ito Onsen. The four onigiris, japanese rice balls I ate earlier for breakfast at the train station just wasn't satisfying for me. I was hungry after the 2+ hours train journey from Tokyo. Yup, I ate four...that's a lot for a girl.

Gomiya is a family restaurant in Ito 伊東 that came highly recommended by the hostel's staff. We walked past the restaurant on the way to the hostel from JR Ito station. The grilled fish aroma wafting out of the restaurant was really enticing. The aroma, coupled with the people queuing in the cold stopped me in my tracks then.

Here we were again.

R 's queuing. If there's a queue, we will queue.

Menu. Appetizers, sashimi, various kinds of
seafood set meals, donburi and alcohol.
Don't worry, they have a picture menu
if you can't read this menu

Beautiful Ito

Hmmm, recently, I lost interest in my blog, I rather dive into other interests of mine. Sounds like blogging fatigue if there is such a term. But nonetheless, am back. One post before I attempt to roast a chicken. I saw Nigella's roast bacon brandy chicken on cable. Delicious. That's what we are eating for dinner later.

At Ito Orange Beach, a volcanic black sand beach

Tokyo! Since it's the NATAS fair week, lots of travel bargains, Not that I am travelling, but let's talk about Tokyo.

Tokyo had steadily became our favourite city after Melbourne. I shall attempt a summary of what I experienced, observed in the city, its countryside, what we ate and where we went. Yes, always expecting an intense walking marathon, I brought my trusty deep heat rub to ease my achy leg muscles and a very healthy appetite.

Ito Marine Town

Today's dinner and others

Today's dinner. Dumplings soup.

Lately, I have not been cooking or photographing the food I cooked. I guessed it's just too much spring cleaning. Seriously, I can't believe I have so much belongings and I am ashamed to say I am a hoarder. But here are some of the food I cooked and remembered to photographed before I ate them.

My fav spinach, wolfberries and dried scallops dish

My vegetable and hummus wrap with lots of chilli

Sauteed pumpkin and baby corn.

Bimbibap with lots of vegetables. The ugly fried egg
is the result my decision on giving up non-stick pans
for health reasons.

Tofumisu. Instead of Mascarpone cheese, I used silken tofu
and white chocolate. Subtle taste of tofu with the rum-soaked
sponge fingers. Desserts nightly, it's not that sinful afterall.

How to have worry-free hols if you have plants

This post is long overdue. Friends have asked how I keep my plants alive when I go on holiday. My holidays usually last between 11 –14 days. It is a long time for the plants to go without water and constant care if you have not arranged for 'babysitting' from friends/neighbours.

Some will deposit their plants with like-minded gardener friends or get neighbours to water them if they are accessible along the corridor or pass them the house keys. Or the brave will cross their fingers and hope that God will water the plants when they are away. Yep, hoping that rain water will splatter onto their beloved plants when it rains. Never, ever resort to such behavior if you have a sheltered balcony, they will die and you are evil. I decided against getting friends/relatives to come by to water them as it is too much a hassle.

This is what I do:

The balcony in its wired-up mess
the night before I left for hols.

The Power of the Korean Wave

Was in Tokyo over Christmas. On a nice Sunday morning, we decided to head for the quiet of Yoyogi Park before we hit the shops near Omodesando dori. An hour of peace and quiet in a big open green surrounding is good for facing the massive crowds at the malls. Yoyogi Park is usually crowded with people having a picnic or having their own street performance.

We didn't see this

Or people lazing on the grass

Instead we were faced with massive crowds when we exited from the JR Harajuku station. This station is usually very crowded on any given day because of the proximity of Harajuku and omodesando dori's shops but on that day, it was unusually crowded.

A crowd that consist mostly of young women which I pointed out to R. All heading towards the entrance of Yoyogi Park or so we thought. But with all the din we were hearing and announcements over speakers in the distance, we were clearly mistaken. Then we spotted this across the street at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

Queues. Hordes of people.

People, and more people crossing the 3-directional bridge.

Seriously, the bridge was vibrating under the weight
of all the people marching towards their destination.
I did wonder about the loading limit of the bridge

 

Young girls, women in their 20s -30s,
you can feel their excitement.

They are gone?

Had been a few days since I came back from the year-end holiday. I just realised the ants are gone. Gone. Public enemy no.1 in my balcony garden and home is gone! Had not been bitten or seen an ant for the past few days in my balcony.

Did the neem oil really work or was it the tea tree oil, or the baygon? Or was it because I sent my two pots of rosemary and basil to my mum's place while I was away? The herbs were the ants' favourite haunt...

Will look harder tomorrow morning when it is brighter. Maybe they are hiding? As what my 5 year-old nephew says when you can't find certain things, yes, maybe they are hiding, waiting to spring their latest attack on my unsuspecting toes.