Working Holiday

I am thinking very seriously about taking next semester off, and using it to take a working holiday in Tokyo. I really want to apply for a working holiday visa, and then take the initiative to just do it, but I'm scared.
I can't even get a job in my home town, how am I supposed to apply for jobs in Tokyo?
I need a fresh start, and I think this would be great for me, but how practical is it?
What happens if I just use up my life savings doing this, and never end up finding work?

If you've ever taken a working holiday somewhere, especially in Japan, I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Yaki Gyoza

Today, I feel like I want to make gyoza...I really miss being able to go to a cheap ramen shop in Japan and get some of my favourite foods all in one place. The crispiest fried gyoza is definitely up there on the favourites list. Here, in Canada, almost no restaurants actually serve half-decent gyoza, and it's usually pretty sogged-out and just nasty. If I don't feel to tired after work today, I'll attempt to make the best gyoza I can, since I found wrappers in my freezer this morning!
I needed a recipe, and found this video HAHA
http://www.boreme.com/posting.php?id=23551


On another note, here's a picture of some sushi nails I did :P I screwed up the maki though haha

Convenience Store-Style Onigiri

When I go to Japan, I always eat onigiri from the convenience stores, but I'm really picky so there are only a few varieties that I'll actually eat. Most stores have the same types, but some have a few that might only be available in that store. My all-time favourite onigiri is wafuu tuna mayo, Japanese-style tuna mayo. The rice itself is flavoured with dashi soup stock, and the inside is like the filling you'd have in a tuna sandwich, only with a sweetish soy sauce flavor added. The best one I've had so far, comes from 7-11s all over Japan. Also, unlike on a regular onigiri, the seaweed is already stuck onto the rice, so it's not crispy, but the flavor of it blends very well with the rice and is majidelicious.

Here's a recipe for it I found on cookpad.com!
http://cookpad.com/recipe/1001317

It is all in Japanese, but if anyone is interested in making it, I can post a translation for you :)

Cold Udon Recipe (NaitoKo's Way)

The warm weather shall soon be upon us!! Well, it is for some people, but the world knows how Canada is...Less than warm at times, and also slow to get on the summer bandwagon. Anyways, summer weather calls for summer foods, and one of my favourites is cold udon/soba. In a restaurant or nicer setting, such a dish would be served on a bamboo at called a zaru, but if you want to make it at home, who needs it?

Here's my recipe for cold summer udon!

You will need:
Japanese soy sauce, about 3 tbs
Mirin, also about 3tbs
Dashi (Konbu or Katsuo flavours), about 1 1/2 cup
A package of udon, frozen or dry
Green onions, chopped to your liking

Add caption

Wasabi/shredded nori/goma/poached egg etc, Also to your liking


Start by making your dipping sauce/soup. Boil about 1 1/2 cup of water and add the mix for your konbu/katsuo dashi soup stock, or if you have already made soup stock boil that.

When your soup starts boiling, add your tablespoons of mirin and soy sauce. If you feel like you'd like a stronger, saltier soup, add another tbs of soy sauce. Taste your soup, and remove from heat so it cools while your noodles cook.

Cook your udon according to package directions, then rinse with cold water until chilled. Also, add a few ice cubes to your soup stock to chill it.

Udon cooking

Soy sauce and mirin

Chop up and prepare your garnishes as your like.












Lastly, serve up your chilled noodles and soup, topped up with your favourite toppings in your favourite bowl! Most people serve their soup as a dipping sauce and actually dip their soba or udon in it, but you of course don't have to. It's your meal after all, ne?

Photos from Tokyo, May 2012

I know I've blogged about my trip to Tokyo early this month when I was there and posted some pictures, but I've now uploaded all of them into a public album on photobucket if anyone would like to see them, haha. If you have any questions about them, feel free to ask :)

www.photobucket.com\cnaitotokyo2012

On another note, I love Japanese TV. It's hilarious, and they air a lot of things that just wouldn't fly anywhere else. A friend sent me a link last night to an episode of Arashi no Shukudai-kun (download it here http://dvampyrlestat.livejournal.com/46838.html), which is of course a variety show hosted by Japanese boy-band, Arashi, which I was never a huge fan of, for no reason in particular, but I don't mind seeing them on TV. Anyways, the reason she sent me the link was because she remembered their special guest that episode was Daigo Naito of BREAKERZ. In short, he's a rock star, who happens to share my last name, and whose grandpa was once the prime minister of Japan. Also, he's smokin' hot. So, if I just go ahead and marry him, we don't have to deal with the name changie thing. LOL. Anyways, the show is just some funny Japanese nonsense hosted by Arashi and Daigo, and it`s making me want to watch some more recent shows that Arashi has, so I'll check out www.dramacrazy.net because I think I saw some links to one lately.

Speaking of Arashi, I just started watching Masaki Aiba's new drama, Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri. Aiba plays a young detective with the police who unfortunately is afraid of blood and talking to women. He also takes home a stray calico who turns into Matsuko Deluxe and helps him solve his crimes. If you don't know who Matsuko Deluxe is, check out gakifiles.blogspot.ca, and watch some of Downtown's batsu games, more specifically the most recent Airport one. It's hilarious, especially if you're doS like me LOL.

Jetlaggy-lag

I am still jetlagged so badly! Nothing interesting has been happening, so no posts, really. I've just been awake all night and asleep during the day...Well actually, one kind of exciting thing happened today. I had been planning to send some noodles to The Ramen Rater because I was sure I could find something he's never tried before while I was in Japan, so I put a package together and had my dad send it when he went shopping in the states yesterday, and low and behold, he received them today!
http://ramenrater.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/a-donation-from-japan/

I have really been meaning to participate in his Show Your Noodles segment each week, but my noodles have been so ugly lately lol. Delicious, just ugly. If you get a chance, visit his blog and send him your instant noodle creation pictures!

First Day of Golden Week

It was a bad idea to try and go to Harajuku on the first day of Golden Week. It was the most crowded I have ever seen it, ever! I could barely even fit into any of the stores because they were brimming with people, and lots of kids with their parents as well. I DID manage to force myself into the idol shops though *troll face*

My God. We made it.

Mom and I arrived in Tokyo yesterday! It's just such a crazy "vacation", coming to Japan. Our flight was great though, even though it was delayed for an hour or so. I've never flown Air Canada before, always JAL, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, the plane was practically empty! There were so many seats available, mom was able to sleep on all three seats behind me, and watch TV wherever she wanted haha.
Speaking of which, the selection of things to watch was actually really awesome on this flight. I had brought my laptop and the entire stretch of Saikou no Jinsei no Owarikata, so I could just watch Yamapi for 10 hours, but I only managed to watch one episode. I don't know, but I just feel like it didn't suck me in. That says a lot for it being a show with Yamapi in it. Well, death is depressing for some I guess.

 One of my meals on Air Canada. Pretty basic Japanese style meal. I give it 3/5

 Sweet yummy coffee!

 Traffic :/

 Room key for mine and Cindy's little bunk room :3

It is actually so hot here right now! Well, for the Japanese, I guess it's not hot. To Canadians who live with the polar bears and igloos (according to the rest of the world), this is summer! I feel stupid for bringing even one sweater :/. Last night, we were to tired to eat anything real, so we just have some convenience store snacks.  Calpis with 3% alcohol. Legit. For those of you who don't know what Calpis is, it is in fact, not piss, but greatness. There's just no way to describe it if you've never had it. Like a sports drink kind of maybe? Or a light yogurt drink? I don't know. Anyway, Calpis Sour, 4/5 only because the alcohol contect is soooo tiny. Hahaha.

In all, our trip was A BIT hellish, since we kind of walked the wrong way, mom was tired, and some old man and obasan had to give us directions. See, when I'm with mom, tons of people jump to help us! When I'm with dad, no one helps us lol. Well, I guess it's natural for that to happen to me half of the time *laughs*.