December 15, 2006 - page 3



My birthday party was a lot more low-key. We went to a friend’s apartment and sat around a small table cooking batch after batch of takoyaki (octopus balls), talking and watching TV and listening to music. It was pretty good time, although Gerard and I discovered that trying to explain football to people who have never seen it before is probably one of the more confusing things we’ve tried to do. (I don’t think we ever

really got past the comparison to rugby). Food tends to be the center of many a social gathering here. From yakiniku (grilled meat on a hotplate) to nabe (large pots of stew to which you continuously add vegetables and meats), sitting around the pot and chatting while cooking and eating is a relaxing and oishii way to pass the evening. I think I’ll definitely want to bring this tradition home with me. This month has definitely been tanoshii.