Recent Posts
July 17th, 2009 in Uncategorized by Bo Cox
finally I found friends in Tokyo
it is not so easy, because I work a lot and I am rather shy
also long time I felt rather depressed and so lonely
my misterious boss and my feelings, my unability to follow Japanese ways easily
all was so difficult
now i have friends
so great!
one of them is a girl from Scandinavia who I met during my work
she is a bit strange, distant maybe but I felt she is a good person in reality
just not so opened for strangers
looks like she enjoy her life in Tokyo and she is pretty independent
I like her style and her taste for food
she can cook well and she said she is working as a chef, even if she is well educated and has master degree
she is teaching me how to cook in Japanese and Scandinavian way
also she is my companion when I want to eat out…she knows many not expensive restaurants and bars
because she writes about them
actually she is helping me a lot in my work too
she is much more tough than i am
my boss knows her too but I don’t think he likes her and her sharp tongue haha…
i hope she can be my real friend…
she is always very kind for me and never talk to me in her normal sharp way
maybe she fells sorry that I am so weak?
anyway
I am glad i know her
my other friend is Japanese guy who study English very intense way
I am his partner in English conversations
he is very smart and determined to be good at English, actually to be the best
I think he can do this, because he has very strong will and works a lot
he also has his web site about studying English
I asked him if he can help me in studying Japanese…and he said yes
he is so funny sometimes
It is so good to have friendly people near me
I feel much better now
tomorrow I will go with my chef friend to some izakaya to celebrate
she didn’t mention what are we going to celebrate but it will be fun, I am sure
Add new tag, chef, English, friend, izakaya, Japanese, language, Scandinavian, study
July 7th, 2009 in Uncategorized by Bo Cox
I really like Tokyo metro trains. Not only them, but Tokyo trains in general.
Cars are so clean, well designed and look like new.
No nasty graffitis, no empty cans around, no chweing gum on my seat.
And so safe! Even when I commute late I have no fear. This is so comfortable feeling.
The other thing are like are sounds. I can hear very characteristic, nice music every time I am at metro stations. It makes me smile and reminds me about one of my favourite movies, Cafe Lumiere.
It is film about trains, music and indpendent, young Japanese people who are a bit lonely, but do not feel too bad because of that.
They are like me.
I am lonely too, but I used to it and I even like my quiet world.
I would be perfectly happy in Tokyo if I never met my boss.
Tokyo trains are good place to think about him.
I can seat in peace after peak hours, because then each car is packed with people and hard to move.
My work gives me a lot of freedom in case of choosing my comuting hours, so I always try to take a train after 9 am and before 5 pm.
There are stations I particulary like like Akihabara, Ochanomizu or Tokyo station.
I like Ochanomizu because of its cute name abd because it is located near river.
Tea water…sounds nice and funny.
Tokyo metro is very efficient and trains are almost never late.
Always on time, doors always opened near positions showed on platforms.
I can watch interesting, funny or cute looking commercials inside of cars, on stations’ walls, in tunnels.
Tokyo trains are stylish and clean,reliable and efficient same like Japanese people.
Akihabara, Cafe Lumiere, movie, Ochanomizu, stations, Tokyo metro, Tokyo station, trains
July 6th, 2009 in Uncategorized by Bo Cox
I do like Japanese food a lot. That is why I try to write about and try many dishes.
My job may seems very nice and in general it is nice.
I eat in many restaurants in Tokyo, enjoy food, take pictures, make notes.
Sometimes my misterious boss is my companion and then it is a bit stressful because I must show class using chopsticks and showing excelent eating manners.
If I do smalest mstake, I am informed about that immediatley in not too pleasant way.
My boss is simply trying to make me civilized woman who follows Japanese ways.
I can eat gracefuly already and using hashi is not a big problem for me, but eating with my boss is different story. He makes me shy and I can not focus on eating much, even if dishes are best imaginable.
Japanese food is so good for me.
In LOndon I had problems, because food was no good and I gain weight.
In Tokyo I eat normal way, I do not need any special diet. I just eat moderate 3 meals a day, all Japanese ones.
And I can see that I lost weight, by physical condition is much better and my skin is brighter.
Even my boss noticed that…
I do not expect he will like me more, but maybe he will stop to be malicious?
I love sushi, but this is so typical. I like most of Japanese dishes and i am so glad I can eat lots of raw fish and exotic vegetables.
I have never tried yama imo before, and it is so delicious. Strange and sticky white flesh goes so well with raw tuna placed on rice.
I am sure that when I speak Japanese better, I will be able to find more and more interesting restaurants and bars and dishes I have never dreamed about.
All I try is interesting and so tasty.Maybe except natto which I can eat, but I am not that much crazy about.
It is such a fun to buy food in big supermarket near my flat. Sometimes I buy things only because i have seen them in magazine or TV. It is kind of every day discovery and it is fun.
I have few Japanese friends who really like me and they help me explore Japanese cuisine.
It is so nice to know that some Japanese like me same as I like them in general.
I do like these people a lot. Their manners, style, character and food are best for me.
Naturaly, i can see faults, but like every person in love, I can forget about them.
I will go to sleep soon and in morning I will eat breakfast in Yoshinoya.
It is my Tokyo habit to eat out as often as I can, even breakfasts.
Only during weekends I make experiments and try to cook in Japanese way by myself.
My book shelf is packed with Japanese cook books…in English mostly, of course.
eating, Japanese food, Japanese friends, meals, restaurants, Tokyo, yama imo
June 26th, 2009 in Uncategorized by Bo Cox
I had long break in writng. I could not talk to anybody or write anything. In these days life is a bit more difficult and I had to manage many things. I was not happy at all. Maybe because or rainy season, maybe because my object of desire came back to his old girl friend?
My only joy now is Tokyo itself. I do my job, I try to be professional and focused, look good and be reasonable.
I know it takes lot of time, but finally I started to adjust to my job and to new responsibilities.
I may be too soft, but my stay in Tokyo made me different. I know that Japan is the place I want to be, but I must become strong and develop my skills. It is my ambition now to speak Japanese well, so all free time I spend studying. I watch Japanese TV, listen to the radio, listen how people talk.
They do not know I can already understand a lot from their conversations.
Sometimes it is very funny, sometimes not at all.
Even if I feel lonely, I am happy because I can be in Tokyo.
This is strange bound between me and this town, me and this country.
I am not just another foreigner who work here.
This place is part of me, it is symbiosis.
June 6th, 2009 in Uncategorized by Bo Cox
During weekends I can rest a bit, from stress and from work. Take long bath is small Japanese style bath tube and sleep long enough. Actually I do like to walk around Tokyo and explore new places, explore areas I have never seen before and look for some nice places to eat. I do like Japanese food, Japanese sweets. They are so delicious and look so lovely. Unfortunately I do not have too much money to spend, so I can’t visit most fancy places. But still, I could try lots of very tasty and not so expensive things. My friends know many restaurants in Tokyo, so they give me informations where I can go. This is so nice. Once I went to eat with my amazing boss. We went to Marunouchi Building, to restaurant called Numazu Uogashizushi. Sounds very difficult, such name… I ate excelent sushi and drunk plum wine mixed with soda on rocks. It is an excelent thing.
This weekend I was walking around my neighbourhood. There are many nice shops and resteurants in place called Hiroo. I ate nice lunch and bought French bread and butter. I like to eat French bread with butter and honey for supper. It’s calming me down. I learn how to cook some Japanese dishes and speak Japanese, but I must find some friends to prctice with them.
Eating out in Tokyo
Tokyo Japan
June 5th, 2009 in Uncategorized by Bo Cox
I will not write about any undecent things. My Tokyo nights are far from shocking or wild. I like to walk around Tokyo when it becomes dark. Unlike many other cities in world, Tokyo is still very safe town. I can walk alone even in the middle of night and no one disturb my peace. This is so comfortable and I like this feeling.
In nights Tokyo become more colourful, lively. Lots of neons and illuminated signboards transform sometimes ugly streets and they start to be beautiful. It is visible especially in Shinjuku, which is not particulary pretty during day, but looks great in night time.
Suprmarkets and convenient stores are opened 24 hours, so during my night walks I can drop there to buy some drink or fruit. Some areas are very quiet, like Harajuku. In day time it is busy shopping area, but in nights it is quiet like a village. And dark. There are not too many lights there. No lights and almost no people. Japanese who live there simply sleep to be ready for new day of work and shopping.
I work a lot and spend all week days indoors. But nights are mine and I can go for a walk to relax and think. Think about my strict, lovely boss who think I am silly white woman. Perhaps he is right. I didn’t use to world of big business so I feel a bit lost, more than a bit. During my night walks I try to put my thoughts together and make the plan, plan for new day which shall be better than last one. But often it is not better at all. I am working here almost 2 months and still I can not udjust to my boss ways. It causes my constant headache and my bosses anger.
The place I live is also quiet in night time. I like to wear flip flops and go outside in black pajamas, which doesn’t look lika pajamas at all. I like to go to near buy convenience store to buy can of umeshu and drink it sitting on bench. Night is my friend and I can hide in it, rest, just be. I heard here are night coffee shops in Tokyo. Cool! I must find one and next friday spend all night reading books and drinking one coffee after another.
And now second part of my night life…slep time. I am so tired.
Add new tag, Harajuku, neons, safe, Shinjuku, time, Tokyo nights
May 15th, 2009 in Uncategorized by Bo Cox
It is Friday evening so I should go out somewhere, but I will rather not go out.
Still I have problems with my project and seems like it is worse than before. Tokyo offers so many great oportunities to have fun and enjoy great places. But last time I went out for dinner was week ago, on Sunday. And it was very modest dinner.
I have been in many very nice Japanese restaurants to check food quality and atmosphere of place. I went even to Park Hyatt Hotel to dine in New York Grill restaurant. It was really good dinner and I had really good time.
They serve beef there as well as sea food and poultry. I ate Japanese beef.
This is really special experience, beef from Kobe. You should try one day. I am not beef eater in general, but sometimes it is good to try things we normally not eat.
I enjoyed fantastic view from 52 floor of hotel building and fantastic roasted beef with lots of vegetables.
You can say I have great job. Yes I have, but sometimes duty is more pleasant than my real life.
Anyway. Tonight I will stay in my room and eat take away sushi.
But good sushi from place called Chiyoda Sushi, located in Marunouchi Building. Pretty posh place.
Sushi and gree tea for Bo. Not that bad…
KObe beef, Marunouchi Building, Park Hyatt Hotel, sushi, Tokyo
April 27th, 2009 in Uncategorized by Bo Cox
My name is Bo and I am woman. Truth is that Bo is my nick name. But is this so important?
I came to Tokyo two weeks ago. And during this time I lost few kilos and my usual tendency to make jokes. It is because I am here in Tokyo with mission to acomplish and I have just 6 weeks to do this. It is my duty (and should be also pleasure) to study and write about Japanese cuisine and life in general. But basically about food.
Topic seems very pleasant, I must admit, but my unability to follow Japanese ways put me in troubles already. If some of you read novel of Amelie Nothomb “Fear and Tembling”, then all will be perfectly clear.
I, stubborn and arogant foreigner, must face highly disciplined and skillful, extremely intelligent and efficient Japanse man who is my superior. I admire him and like a lot, actually I am in love with him, but still disapointing by my clamzyness, lack of skills and slow work. I admit- the guilt is mine. All mine…
Japanese are amazing people and my adoration for my Japanese boss is understandable as he is in same time genius and also extremely attractive man. And he can prepare great meals, fantastic dishes worth to be presented to king. Whatever they touch, Japanese transform everything in art. Japan it is a very sensual world. But also very disciplined and controlled by rules.
I wish I can adjust. I wish I can make my boss proud of me… or , to be more realistic, to not be disapointed by me.
Add new tag, Amelie Nothomb, Japan, Japanese, Japanese cuisine, Tokyo
