Back in U.S.A!! (Japanese Food Talk)

Satsuki

Well, I am officially home, after near 24 hours of travel. My year of study-abroad in Japan is at an end.

I found it surprisingly hard to say goodbye to my host family. Considering how emo I was all year and how all I could think of were my real parents and American friends, realizing that I would be parting from the people who took care of me this year nearly brought me to tears. But as I am their 18th host student they took it all in stride. I am now bound by Japanese House-Wife Mother Law (some of you know the power behind that) to write, since they don't do emails.

I am a general basketcase about traveling, but this time was special as I was travelling alone and on a changed flight date. Needless to say, I barely got any sleep the night before. AND, despite my best efforts at boxing and shipping, I still barely had enough room in my suitcase and carry-on for all my things. It was VERY over the weight-limit. But thank god for Japanese service, the check-in lady at the airport let me buy a box that I shoved all my heaviest things in and that went on the plane along with my suitcase. 10 bucks for a box versus A SIX HUNDRED DOLLAR FEE. I think I got the better deal.

The plane ride itself was . . . .. long. I was travelling by myself so there was nobody to talk to, and despite having an aisle seat I was very cramped since the lady behind me was 6 1/2 feet tall with long legs so I didn't have the heart to push my seat back, but the lady in front of me had no qualm about it. And despite the need for sleep I didn't really sleep, I just kept flipping back and forth between Nanny McPhee and Narnia on the little tv set.

When we got to San Francisco I got to experience the travel anxiety all over again since I had to get my bags, go through customs, re-check my bags, and make my connection flight. Getting my bags was so stupid, they never looked through them, they just made me fill out a card asking if I had brought any meat, vegetables, or seeds with me. Thankfully I managed to make it with plenty of time before boarding for the next flight.

The flight from San Fran to Boston actually ended up less comfortable than the first, since I was seated between these two guys. One being this Asian guy who kept sneezing, the other being a, shall we say, portly gentleman, so I was very cramped. But I managed to get a few hours of sleep in.

But it all worked. I got home. I am revelling in the American idiocy of it all. I'm sure that will wear off eventually, but for now I'm enjoying now being bowed and scraped to in the stores. And for the love of god, REAL PIZZA AND BURGERS AND MILK!!!

I'll post my year in review later. Now it's bedtime to get rid of this Jetlag.

Buuhan1

Haha, welcome back man. Welcome back. ^^

PIZZA AND BURGERS! USA! USA! USA!

Greg

Welcome back! I have no sympathy for long rides though. Not any more at least. My last flight back was 13 hours with an untreated and undiagnosed yeast infection sitting in one spot not trying to scratch my 'self' to death.

Then there was 2002 when at my connection in Detroit my flight was cancelled and I had no money so couldn't eat any food until the next afternoon.

So relish flights that find you home in one piece.

Hehe, I made a funny.

NeoShweaty

i remember i was sad when i got home after a month, i couldnt imagine how i would feel after a year.

How about this: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7997440351334855659&q=otaku

Buuhan1

Hold up….are you sure its been a year?

I haven't even been here a year and I KNOW I remember you making a topic around December 2005 about how you were going to Japan to stay with a host family...

Kaya-chan

Hey, I don't know you but I look forward to reading about your study abroad trip, as I'm planning to go to Japan on the JET program (to be an assistant language teacher) in a few years. Gotta graduate college first. lol Hope to hear more soon.

Greg

Good luck Kaya. I'll be waiting for you ^_~

NeoShweaty

when do you both graduate? maybe we can all go together

Carly

Good grief do I ever hear you on the burgers, Satsuki. I hadn't even been three days in Japan before I started having mad cheeseburger cravings :laugh:

Nevertheless I am sure as hell going to go back someday.

Bounty1Berry

I should open a 24-hour mexican takeaway in Tokyo.

I'd probably miss pork burritos more than burgers, cos I actually like those papery, meat-free things fast food houses call burgers.

Kaya-chan

@gilrules2000:

when do you both graduate? maybe we can all go together

assumes you were speaking to me As of right now, May of 2009. If I can do anything about taking some summer courses, it'll be December of 2008. In fact this is my last week of freshman year. Woo't!

NeoShweaty

damn, maybe in your second year. I graduate in '10

Buuhan1

@gilrules2000:

damn, maybe in your second year. I graduate in '10

This is completely off topic but you said something that has always have had my wondering.

When 2010 come along will they go with '10 or '010? Cause you figure once it gets to a point like in 80 years and its '86 (by then I doubt anyone will be confussed) if its 1986 or 2086.

Yea, they will probably just start from scratch and go '10, '20, '30. After all we are doing zeros now.

CosmicDebris

Welcome back Satsuki! I remember when you were about to leave.
I don't eat burgers or pizza, but I think I'd probably miss good Italian and Mexican food. :laugh: Here in SoCal Baja style stuff is really staple. I love my fish tacos.

DeadJustice

Well, we may not be familiar with one another, but welcome back to America.

I remember jet lag from when I went to Germany, its strange getting sleepy in the middle of the day.

SuperJew

I get back to America in 23 days, after spending (what will be) 9 months in the State of Israel. It's been a pretty f'ing cool experience, to say the least, but I'm ready to see my family again.

AWB

Welcome back home, man. I can't wait to hear about your year in review.
@CosmicDebris:

I don't eat burgers or pizza, but I think I'd probably miss good Italian and Mexican food. :laugh: Here in SoCal Baja style stuff is really staple.

Same around here. Everytime any of my neighbors exit their house carrying food, it's Baja style stuff.

oceanizer

I remember I felt the road is a lot wider in the States after coming back from 1 month of Japan stay. Only one month! Did you feel that?

NeoShweaty

that's cause the streets are narrower and more packed in japan. Especially in the big cities. You can't walk anywhere in tokyo without bumping into people cause the streets are packed

Carly

Oh pfft, of course you can. :laugh: But everything's stuffed tight over there, I'll agree. Even the cute little squished cars are adorable though

Satsuki

Yes, I am definitely feeling the wider roads things, as well as all the greenery. It's nice to get out of a concrete metropolis.

I will write up a year-in-review thing when I get the time. But again today I have no time. So later.

captain usopp

Fish Taco….never heard of it, but I want one. And never been to Japan...why don't they have real burgers and pizza?

Buuhan1

You know what? I was wondering that very same thing! Unless animes have been lying to me all these years Japan has burgers and pizza.

Satsuki

Japan technically does have burgers and pizza, but not like the REAL stuff back home. Their burgers tend to me ridiculously small, and often without the bun, and I'm not even gonna get into what they consider normal pizza toppings.

The first pizza I had when I got home was a feta cheese and garlic pizza. Couldn't talk to anybody close-up for a while, but DAMN it was good.

NeoShweaty

how about mosburger? that isnt that bad. The mcdonalds there is really good. I went there to get food with my hoststay firiend and we finished and then proceeded to get more. I guess if you havent had it in a while, it is really good. The conbini also have burgers but i didnt care for them. My friend did but he liked the jerky there too

Buuhan1

Yea yea! Japan has McDonalds. So they have normal burgers.

Majek

@Satsuki:

Japan technically does have burgers and pizza, but not like the REAL stuff back home. Their burgers tend to me ridiculously small, and often without the bun, and I'm not even gonna get into what they consider normal pizza toppings.

The first pizza I had when I got home was a feta cheese and garlic pizza. Couldn't talk to anybody close-up for a while, but DAMN it was good.

Yeah who cares about talking when you can enjoy good food. thumbs up for your taste fro good food

Carly

The one time I tried to get a cheeseburger outside of a McD's in Japan, it ended up being a tofu cheeseburger.

Ne'er more.

Greg

My experience with burgers in JP.

Mos Burger is probably the greatest burger chain in the world. What other burger joint delivers a chili cheese burger with jalapenos to your door?

Fast Kitchen aka 'Fukking' insert laughter not only has killer burgers but an insane variety of fries and fry dip.

Lotteria serves it's purpose well as the poor-man's burger joint and although isn't incredibly tasty, is nice when in a rush.

Freshness Burger indeed has the freshest ingredients I've ever tasted in a burger and it doesn't seem possible to call it fast food.

McD's Teriyaki Burger is a gift from Heaven.

Wendy's Classic Triple is bigger in Japan than it is in the US.

And of course, if you're looking to sink your teeth into a giant slab of meatloaf with artery-clogging cheese for less than a 1000 Yen, what better place than Bikkuri Donkey.

Pizza however….-_- I've yet to find a chain that has decent pizza.

Satsuki

Aw, man! Fa-king! My friends and I laughed for over and hour over that!

and Bikkuri Donkey . . . when I first saw it I thought it was some Chuck. E. Cheese-like restaurant for kids. Turns out I was wrong.

I admit that fast-food in Japan is way better than fast-food in America, but the kind of burger I wanted was a hulking half-pounder. The kind you get in steak houses. WITH a bun, thank you!

Carly

I should've gone for the teriyaki burger over there. No… I got a happy set instead (and one hell of a strange look from the girl at the counter) :laugh:

Whenever my penpals from the Japanese university stop by for the day I always always take 'em out to a pizza parlor for lunch so they can see just what the heck they're missing over there. They like it a ton except they think the pepperoni is too karai (which it is; I don't take 'em to Pizza Hut for cryin' out loud) :laugh:

Satsuki

I LOVE Pizza Hut!

And pepperoni is not too karai!!

Carly

I took 'em to a parlor where the pepperoni is very VERY karai, trust me. But it's good that way, wouldn't you say ? I don't like pizza without a kick. :laugh:

CosmicDebris

What is karai, spicy?

If you're ever in the Orange County, CA area and you want good pizza, go to Nick's. Yummy!
And Wahoo's Fish Taco…I'm surprised at how much it has branched out. The very first one opened up in 1988...right on the street where I live.

I sometimes wonder how long it would take me to start getting tired of Japanese food if I went to Japan.
The names of some of those Japanese fast food places are interesting. XD

Majek

Mmmm pepperoni. with a bit of dried chilli and lots of peppe on top of that and some vinegar or tabasco. now that's a grea Pizza. Now i want some :sad:

Mr. Prince

Glad to have you back Satsuki.

Satsuki

@CosmicDebris:

What is karai, spicy?

I sometimes wonder how long it would take me to start getting tired of Japanese food if I went to Japan.
The names of some of those Japanese fast food places are interesting. XD

Yes, karai means spicy.

And yes, while I am a lover of Asian food, I did occasionally get tired of it. Not so much my host mother's cooking, since home cooked food is always good, but I started to get sick of ramen, udon, soba, curry rice, donburi, all the common food. There were some days where I just wanted some goddamn PEANUT BUTTER.

And I am very sorry Japan, but you STILL lose to China in the culinary arts. Especially in sweet bean paste. Think up something other than raw fish for your "pretty food." (although you do a very good job at making artistic sweets)

Carly

I'm truthfully not a big fan of anko… especially not with mochi. I dunno why; I think it's just too much of a sweet overload (and this is coming from ME, who blows through a pack of starburst like nothing ! And speaking of Starburst, my god is Hi-Chew addictive. I bought out an entire combini of Hi-Chew in Atami xD). Dango though, I LOVE dango.

For me, I didn't get sick of Japanese food per se just so much as I got sick of having nothing to eat BUT Japanese food. You'd think you'd have more options at a 7-11, but no :laugh: And oooh boy you haven't lived until you go to breakfast and find your food staring back at you. Damn fish.
(Which isn't a typical thing; I was staying at a hot spring resort in Atami when that happened, but the point stands)

Hot springs and public baths... heheh. If anything, Japan will make you lose all modesty pretty damn quick when you've got to take a bath with about twenty naked old ladies at once. :laugh:

CosmicDebris

Do they not sell peanut butter in Japan? :blink:

Sure sounds like an interesting experience, though.

Majek

Peanut butter is the worst food on the planet anyway. Thank god i don't have to see it in the stores here :laugh:

CosmicDebris

You're not human! Peanut butter is manna from heaven!

Majek

Well you can have your manna , i'm gonna stick to the inhuman one:
Nutella

:biggrin:

Satsuki

NUTELLA!? Blasphemer!

NeoShweaty

what about your review of the trip? i want to know this info because in a few years it will be relevant to me!

Greg

About Japanese peanut butter aka peanut cream spread…yeah, I'm a huge fan of USA peanut butter, but their cream spread is amazing for my taste buds. It was a daily ritual to go to Lawson and get the Daily Yamazaki pre-prepped sandwiches. You know, the ones without bread ears? THEY'RE SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!

Carly

I have to say, bread crust was something I didn't expect that I wouldn't see over there :laugh: But those sandwiches are top. I really dig the tuna-tomato from Vie de France personally :9

CosmicDebris

If I ever go to Japan, I'm emailing everyone here who lived there to get tips on all the good places to get food. :3

Carly

Vie de France for wicked awesome bread/sandwiches all the way ! They're sort-of kind of like a Panera Bread but with MELON AND CHOCOLATE MMMMM. I don't recall if I ate at one in Tokyo but I know for sure they're all over the place in the Kansai area.

But that's the only one I've got that no one else has mentioned yet, so ehh. :laugh:

NeoShweaty

all you have to do is wonder the streets and find the small shops. They have the best food. Like the ramen shops….i wish i had some of that now

Satsuki

My year-in-review will come in time. I have to give it some considerable thought, to see if I gained as much as I lost or vice versa.

@Carly:

Vie de France for wicked awesome bread/sandwiches all the way ! They're sort-of kind of like a Panera Bread but with MELON AND CHOCOLATE MMMMM. I don't recall if I ate at one in Tokyo but I know for sure they're all over the place in the Kansai area.

But that's the only one I've got that no one else has mentioned yet, so ehh. :laugh:

Vie de France RUINED my diet, okay! Goddamn delicious bakery that had the nerve to be in the train station nearest my house (Katsura eki on Hankyu line)! DAMN THEM!!!