The Weekend

I had a laid-back weekend. I got a new bookshelf for my room and set it up. I think it balances out the wall that my bed is on better. It needs to be filled now though--working on that. I also got a new pillow, so I put one of the other pillow cases I made on it and my daybed is looking good. I love the marimekko fabric (pink poppies and the dark blue print with the apples). It definitely brightens my room. I'm still waiting for bed risers to complete the daybed, as well as maybe one or two more pillows. ;) I also made a picture by cutting out letters from scraps of paper and origami paper to write out "It always seems impossible until it's done," which is a quote I like by Nelson Mandela, and a felt wall decal that looks cute peeking out from behind my bookcase.

I did a bunch of cooking on Sunday to prepare for next week's lunches. I made some tofu and chicken--both turned out well. The trick I learned for cooking tofu is that you have to wrap it in a paper towel and microwave first to get rid of the water inside. Then when you fry it, it won't be all wet. I fried chicken with this seasoning I got and added fresh lemon and some sesame seeds. The trick I learned for making crispy and juicy chicken "nuggets" without deep frying them is to cover the frying pan so the chicken kind of steams while it cooks.

Today is April 1, and I saw some cherry blossoms beginning to bloom. No matter how cold it is or how long winter lasts, there is something truly magical about cherry blossom season in Japan. Yes, it comes with allergy season attached and rain, but the days that are nice are wonderful. I went for a short walk/jog around this river by my house. It has a bunch of cherry blossom trees lined up along it, so it will be very nice once they bloom all the way. There was an old man sitting out and barbecuing. That's the thing about Japan--you'll see totally random things all the time. I mean, the road along the river is concrete. And the trees he was sitting under just had branches with small buds. And it was cold. But there he was, just sitting on some tarp he laid out with a portable grill, probably waiting for his other Oji-chan friends to join him. I really like my neighborhood and I'm glad to live here.

I have a lot of creative energy lately, so I think I might start drawing again. I hope this phase doesn't end soon.

Tried a new original design

Working on my daybed

Felt wall decal and new picture

Fried chicken with lemon and sesame

Seared tofu with Japanese flavors