I spotted this while walking home from school a few weeks ago. It's painted on the ground in front of a small dog salon near my apartment. I guess inspiration can be found anywhere.
24 March 2010
Food for Thought
I spotted this while walking home from school a few weeks ago. It's painted on the ground in front of a small dog salon near my apartment. I guess inspiration can be found anywhere.
05 March 2010
Happy Girls’ Day!
On March 3rd families in Japan celebrate Hinamatsuri, the Japanese Doll Festival commonly referred to as 'Girls’ Day'.
Girls’ Day is a day for families to celebrate girls and wish them health and happiness. Families place fancy "hina" dolls on platforms covered in red carpet in their homes to celebrate this special day. These dolls represent the imperial court of the Heian period, including the Emperor, Empress, and other court members.
There is a tradition that says if the dolls are not put away immediately after Girls’ Day, then the girl who lives in the house won’t get married or will get married really late. Yikes!
I was lucky because my Japanese teacher prepared a few popular Hinamatsuri dishes for me on the Tuesday night before Girls' Day. She made "chirashizushi," which is basically a colorful sushi plate, including mushrooms, finely shredded omelet, shrimp, green vegetables, etc. I also tried "sakuramochi," which means "cherry blossom rice cake." The rice cake part was pale pink pale and it was filled with azuki bean paste, and covered in a salty leaf. Both were beautiful and delicious!
However, I have to admit that I was actually a little disappointed on Girls’ Day. I had been looking forward to eating Baskin Robbins' "Hinamatsuri special" with one of my friends that evening. Pictures of the special sundae that I had seen showed multiple scoops of ice cream topped with two doll-like candy figures of a boy and girl surrounded by candy flowers. When we got to Baskin Robbins on March 3rd, I was shocked and sad to discover that they were sold out. Perhaps the girls who work there were afraid to keep the dolls out too late...and I don’t blame them.
Girls’ Day is a day for families to celebrate girls and wish them health and happiness. Families place fancy "hina" dolls on platforms covered in red carpet in their homes to celebrate this special day. These dolls represent the imperial court of the Heian period, including the Emperor, Empress, and other court members.
There is a tradition that says if the dolls are not put away immediately after Girls’ Day, then the girl who lives in the house won’t get married or will get married really late. Yikes!
I was lucky because my Japanese teacher prepared a few popular Hinamatsuri dishes for me on the Tuesday night before Girls' Day. She made "chirashizushi," which is basically a colorful sushi plate, including mushrooms, finely shredded omelet, shrimp, green vegetables, etc. I also tried "sakuramochi," which means "cherry blossom rice cake." The rice cake part was pale pink pale and it was filled with azuki bean paste, and covered in a salty leaf. Both were beautiful and delicious!
However, I have to admit that I was actually a little disappointed on Girls’ Day. I had been looking forward to eating Baskin Robbins' "Hinamatsuri special" with one of my friends that evening. Pictures of the special sundae that I had seen showed multiple scoops of ice cream topped with two doll-like candy figures of a boy and girl surrounded by candy flowers. When we got to Baskin Robbins on March 3rd, I was shocked and sad to discover that they were sold out. Perhaps the girls who work there were afraid to keep the dolls out too late...and I don’t blame them.
http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/events/2010/02/11/hina-matsuri-japanese-dolls-from-the-tsuji-family/
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