Status report

[cjsmith]

Less than 24 hours in the country and I've already bought food I couldn't eat and had to throw away. I was lucky to go that long, really. I'm in Japan, for goodness' sake, and I can't eat fish or seafood. I'm lucky I can eat at all. Mochi = wonderful, and hey, since I did come here with Rob, I'm in McDonald's twice a day. Haute cuisine it isn't, but it's got calories in it!

We didn't see a blade of grass out of place at Narita. Maybe the crash was on the opposite side of the field.

The train system defeats me. I can do the subways, but transfer me to something else and I'm useless. Fortunately Rob has a better instinct for those.

Ueno Park is starting to bloom, and it looks like it's going to be STUNNING in about a week.

It's nifty having a teapot in the hotel room.

Mikie wants us to sing. This is going to be a disaster. We tried to tell her what the dancers do when we sing. ("You're not going to do any more of those... are you?") She was undeterred. Yikes.

My feet hurt. Surprise.

Comments

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Try to get to an okonimiyaki or ramen place. There should be plenty of options not involving fish, shellfish, or mollusks. And remember: karaoke is all about spirit, not talent. My Kiwi buddy was absolutely atrocious at singing, but man, he put his heart into it, and people loved it.

[densaer.livejournal.com]

I was able to remain a vegetarian in Japan. Of course, some of that involved nattoo (fermented soybeans), so that may not be an appetizing solution. I had one of the people at the hotel write a note that I'd give to the greeters at restaurants, who would mostly shake their heads at me and I'd have to go elsewhere.

I found a few Indian restaurants in Tokyo (Akasuka), which helped :)

[erikred.livejournal.com]

When my middle brother (vegan) visited my youngest brother in Japan, he was finally able to get by on okonomiyaki (http://www.japan-guide.com/r/e100.html). You can forgo the cheese, meat, squid, etc. by saying "yasai dake" (vegetables only); if you just can't eat seafood, tell them "ika wa dame desu." Replace "ika" with "sakana" (fish) and "tako" (octopus) as necessary.

Mmm, natto: I love that stuff. If you ever get a chance to have natto onigiri, do so.

[densaer.livejournal.com]

When I called down and asked for natto, the hotel restaurant had to send someone into the local neighborhood to get some... and they kept asking me if I was sure I wanted it? Did I know what I was ordering?

The props from the guy who finally brought it up (with a bottle of sake, natch) was priceless. Of course, when I finally got to eating it (in private!) it was...quite the experience. I had it, but not sure I'd do it again :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

"dame" = ? This sounds like a very useful phrase!

[erikred.livejournal.com]

"dame" literally means "no way, Jose, no how." It's softened by adding "desu" at the end. (Makes it more polite.)

Best bet: put on an apologetic smile, cross your hands like an X, and say " wa dame desu." They'll understand what you mean, especially if you point. And bow. And act apologetic.

Enjoy!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ooo, thank you. I'd been going with "taberaremasen", "cannot eat". "Dame" is shorter. :)

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Good on you for tackling the longer "taberaremasen!" That's politer (and better) Japanese... though it lacks the oomph of a good old-fashioned "dame desu."

Let me know when you need some curse words! :)

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Doh! LJ ate my placeholder.

That should read "<something> wa dame desu."

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, for me there are two problems: 1) that the food place *have* options I can eat, and 2) that I can *identify* them. I'm sure I've passed up many places I could eat, simply because I couldn't tell. The handwritten note thing sounds fabulous.