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sechan19This morning I had to go to school early for an orientation for students placed with host families on how to behave; this after having had us placed with them for the better part of a week. [shrug]. As a result, I had a rushed breakfast and a rumbling tummy by 11:50 when orientation ended. And with my small group conversation session set for 12:30 - 1:15 (and my regular session set for 1:30 on) there wasn't much time for a real lunch either.
As an antidote to this conundrum, a group of us high-tailed it to the nearest 100-Yen store. These stores are pretty much like dollar stores in the US. Different places specialize in different things, but most of them offer a smattering of food stuffs and drinks, stationary, cleaning products, and personal hygiene items among other things.
In the cold case there were prepackaged sushis and rice bowls. A strange nigiri-type sushi caught my eye. Flattened, red-colored rice was wrapped in nori seaweed, and I could just distinguish a lump of something in the middle. What could this something be? Fish? Chicken? Egg? And the rice? Why was the rice red and not white?
I had to know the answer to these questions, and so, even though my friends thought I was out of my mind, I snagged one. I also grabbed an apple and bottle of water just in case. It turned out to be spiced rice (hence the red-color from the pepper sauce) with a little dollop of grilled, spiced pork. Yum!
Sometimes it pays to be adventurous.
EDIT: I spoke with my host mother this evening, and she explained that the food I’d eaten is called onigiri - a common Japanese snack available in a variety of styles and flavors. I may have to get a bit more adventurous in the coming days.
As an antidote to this conundrum, a group of us high-tailed it to the nearest 100-Yen store. These stores are pretty much like dollar stores in the US. Different places specialize in different things, but most of them offer a smattering of food stuffs and drinks, stationary, cleaning products, and personal hygiene items among other things.
In the cold case there were prepackaged sushis and rice bowls. A strange nigiri-type sushi caught my eye. Flattened, red-colored rice was wrapped in nori seaweed, and I could just distinguish a lump of something in the middle. What could this something be? Fish? Chicken? Egg? And the rice? Why was the rice red and not white?
I had to know the answer to these questions, and so, even though my friends thought I was out of my mind, I snagged one. I also grabbed an apple and bottle of water just in case. It turned out to be spiced rice (hence the red-color from the pepper sauce) with a little dollop of grilled, spiced pork. Yum!
Sometimes it pays to be adventurous.
EDIT: I spoke with my host mother this evening, and she explained that the food I’d eaten is called onigiri - a common Japanese snack available in a variety of styles and flavors. I may have to get a bit more adventurous in the coming days.
