Pretzels!

Over the summer my brother showed me how to make soft pretzels, and I finally gave it a go myself.  I love working with dough, kneading and working it.  Pretzels are just as fun as a loaf of bread, and a lot less work too.  It took about 15 minutes of prep time, followed by about thirty minutes for the rise time, and finally about ten minutes per try to cook in the oven.  The result:

The one on the right is for Liam, without salt of course.  The little man surprised me by taking to croissants a little while back, so I thought I’d make him a small pretzel and see if he’d like it.  Life father like son!  He ate about three-quarters of it, believe it or not, and he might have had at the whole thing except that pretzels being pretzels, they get harder once they cool down.

I am really enjoying having an oven.  I’ve cooked up pizzas just like I did in Hachioji, but I think due to the size of the oven and the amount of heat , the crust comes out so much better than what I could do with the small range oven in Hachioji.  I need to start working on a few bread loaves sooner or later.

After warm pretzels, some play time, and a warm bath, any one would sleep like this.

The Fall of the Wall and Zeiss

This week the world is remembering and once again celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. The BBC World Service has been broadcasting various reports over the week, and last night there was a wonderful piece about Carl Zeiss AG.  The BBC has made the podcast available so download and give it a listen!

Carl Zeiss is one of the premier lens makers in the world.  One can find Carl Zeiss lenses almost anywhere, even in modern Nokia mobile phones.  The audio report covers the history of the company, how it became a global name in optics, and how the company was split into two because of the iron curtain.  It was interesting to learn that the American and Russians, in their push to capture Germany, were strategically planning which towns they wanted to take based on the companies located there and their technologies.

The most interesting part, in my opinion, is the interview with a former Zeiss president who was in change when the wall came down.  While he was happy that Germany would be reunited, he realized the challenges of trying to unify the company once again.  After meetings with the Jena Zeiss, the company in Eastern Germany, he realized that Jena Zeiss had the following problems:

• low productivity
• 60,0000 vs. 18,000 workers, yet with the same turnover
• no knowledge of balance sheets or PNL (profit and loss)
• no knowledge of marketing and selling products
• no business strategies

While it must have been hard to reunite the company, can you imagine how the leaders of Jena Zeiss and its workers must have felt?  They were from a world where the government gave them orders on what and how much to produce.  They were then thrown into a world that they had no clue about, and their skills were not needed by a capitalist organization trying to compete in the beginning of the global economy.

It is hard to believe just twenty years ago Germany was still split in two.  The challenge of reuniting not only the country at the governmental level, but also in the marketplace, must have been extremely challenging and trying.  Someday the challenge may surface again in Korea, and hopefully the Germans will be able to share what they learned in the reunification process.

Dimensional analysis

I decided to start using the mini-gym in the company building.  I ran on the treadmill for thirty minutes today, and I had planned to take it easy and set the speed to 5.0.  After warming up and breaking into a run, after just ninety-second my legs were tightening and I was started to feel a little beat.  ”I’m incredibly out of shape,” I thought to myself.  I did not realize until later that I had set the speed to 5.0 without thinking of the units.  5.0 km/h is a brisk walk or comfortable jogging pace.  5 mph, or 8.0 km/h, while a good workout rate for jogging, is not the best idea to start off with when you haven’t run in almost a year.

I can just hear my my electromagnetics professor spouting off on units and dimensional analysis in his thick Nairobi accent.  I foresee sore legs tomorrow…

The Best Pho in Southeast Virginia

The works: beef pho with tripe, brisket and flank

Though chicken pho, Pho Ga, is very tasty and delicious, my favorite is beef pho.  I’ve tried pho in various parts of the mid-Atlantic, but my favorite shop is Pho 79 in Virginia Beach.  For around $7.00 you get a regular-sized bowl of pho, as pictured above, and for a dollar or two more you can get the larger size, which seems to be quite popular with growing teenage boys.  There are other Vietnamese foods on menu, such as spring rolls, rice vermicelli dishes, and seafood dishes.  They have a fabulous peanut brown sauce for dipping spring rolls.  I wish I knew the Vietnamese name of the sauce!

The atmosphere is very simple–tables and chairs in a large open area, TV in the corner with a news station, and the owners sitting towards the back trimming vegetables and preparing springs rolls and what not.  The walls have some simple art with Chinese floating-world paintings of the bucolic Vietnamese countryside, as well as maps of Vietnam.  All in all it is a nice relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a simple meal like a bowl of pho.

Pho 79
4816 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23462

Reflections on a lazy sunday morning

We’ve been in Charleston about seven weeks now and I’ve been working for six weeks.  I suppose one might say we have settled in now.  It has been five months since we left Japan, yet it feels like it was another lifetime.  I have my pictures of the daily scenes from that life, but it all seems so distant and removed.  I’ve read in the blogs of other expatriates that returning to one’s home country is a difficult experience.  I agree.  The expatriate has a life-changing experience, but it is one that he cannot share.  As cliché as it sounds, it is largely an internal experience. But life moves along.

Yes, we do get alligators up this way, thought not in the numbers that one might find in Florida.

I have noticed a very interesting cultural trait of the people of North and South Carolina, and even perhaps Georgia…or maybe the entire Southeast.  Everywhere you go people are wearing bright-orange shirts with a tiger footprint on the shirt, the logo for Clemson University, or something similar for their favorite institution of higher learning.  On the rear window of cars there are various stickers, ranging from the animal footprint in orange, to bold text spanning the length of the window stating “UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA” or “FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY”.  Automobile license plates are available at extra cost from the state governments with a university’s logo beside the license number.  There are vehicles with small flags attached to the side of the cars with a university’s colors and logo.   It would seem that this need to promote one’s institution of higher learning is the ultimate form of pride.  Were those four years in college so good?  It is fascinating to me.  For a region that has a strong individualist culture, the desire to be recognized as part of an in-group is still very strong.

So the weather here in coastal South Carolina is…schizophrenic.  One day it will be sixteen degrees and you’ll be fooled into believing that autumn has arrived.  Yesterday it was twenty-eight degrees and feeling like late summer, minus the humidity though.  Having spent all of my life in regions with very distinct seasons, I find myself missing the yellow leaves lying on the sidewalks of Hachioji or Nerima, the dried-up and post-harvest rice paddies in Sakado, the yards blanketed in fallen leaves and the crisp aroma of the autumn air in coastal Virginia…these are the images that spring to my memory when I think of Autumn.  I sometimes find myself looking at pictures of Montréal and rural Massachusetts and I’m struck by the beauty of the season.  I cannot imagine what it would have been like to have grown up in Singapore or Port au Prince, or Chennai, where there is no season like Autumn.  The only way I can tell it is autumn here in Charleston is that the tips of the palm trees are fading from green to yellow.

I do miss public transportation in some ways.  Oh how I despised riding Tokyo metro from Nerima ward to Kasumigaseki!  With the trains packed to the door, the heaters blasting hot air, and the stench of one hundred men in their winter coats and dark suits sweating all at the same time with that dead tired look in their eyes…I don’t know how they tolerate it for 40+ years.  Yet I loved the Tobu Tojo line ride from Kawagoe to Sakado, watching the small urban area slowly transform to a rural setting with a clear view of Mt. Fuji during autumn and winter.  I did not mind the bus journey from Keio Hachioji station to my former company’s location in the middle of the Hachioji suburbs, watching the seasons from the window of the bus and enjoying the feel of a part of Tokyo still left in the 1960s.  And I read so much on my commutes here and there!

Moving to the automobile lifestyle is quite an adjustment.  My commute is a short, sweet twenty minutes, so I mostly listen to the radio.  Since I’m not so into music, I try to catch the world news. Charleston is so removed from the global world, and has a completely different feeling from Washington DC or Tokyo.  If you don’t follow the news or read foreign papers, you might even forget there is a world outside of South Carolina. I currently have a 90-day trial for XM satellite radio which I am enjoying, but I don’t think I’ll go with the service for the $10 monthly charge.  I enjoy the BBC World News Service, but I can listen to the BBC world report or NPR on the Internet when I get home, or I can try to catch public radio news when the local channel isn’t broadcasting audio books or classical music.

Speaking of automobiles, we had to purchase one after moving out of my parent’s place.  We shopped around looking at Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda and even some American makes on the Internet only.  Though I wanted something like a sporty-looking sedan, we realized that with Liam we needed something bigger so we can haul around his stroller and still have room for luggage and what not.  In the end we went with Toyota’s entry-level sport utility vehicle, the RAV4.  It is simple, like with most Japanese vehicles, but we particularly liked how user-friendly the vehicle is.  The height of the vehicle is just right for loading a baby in the car; it is not on a truck axle like most SUVs.  It also has a smaller gasoline tank and is more fuel efficient than many other makes we looked at.  That was a big factor for me because after taking into account the monthly payment and auto insurance, I didn’t want a a huge monthly gasoline bill.

Our dear investment and my first major “life” purchase

We just have one car right now so Chie has to drive me to work and pick me up in the evenings.  I’ve looked up the bus routes and there is no bus servicing the area I live in unfortunately.  Next year I hope we can add a second vehicle, hopefully a used vehicle that I can use for mostly commuting.  I never really thought about it, but immigrating to the USA is really a challenging task for those not financially well off with a lot of money in the bank already.  *Most* middle-class people in the USA often get assistance from their parents in arranging their first vehicle, or while they’re young they work and save their money and purchase a car while living with their parents (i.e. no rent).  My point is that by the time two people decide to move in together and start a family, they both have two vehicles already and are usually in a stable position.  Imagine being an fresh-off-the-boat emigrant from India or Brazil, and having to start from scratch with a family to support yet having nothing but a rental contract for an apartment.  It is easy to see why big cities with public transport are attractive, even if the taxes and cost of living are higher.  I have a new found respect for immigrants who move to a new place and try to start over.

Well, I hope that autumn arrives with the brisk air soon…

A Walk about Charleston

The weekend before last weekend was quite hot with high humidity.  This past weekend was the opposite, with a cool breeze and mid-autumn temperatures.  No doubt, I was in paradise!  Nothing better in autumn than a good walkabout, eh?

This bridge links Charleston to Mt. Pleasant, and while Mt. Pleasant is a nice, upscale suburban area, I must say I prefer the liveliness and action of downtown Charleston.  I really do love cities, no matter how small they are…

And old river boat fixed up for tourism….believe it or not, Charleston’s biggest industry is tourism.  Outside of tourism there are a few major corporations, along with the US Air Force and the US Navy Nuclear Submarine Training School

Another million dollar estate on East Bay St.–many of the properties we saw in Charleston were up for sale…I suppose the past year has not been to kind to those who invest in real estate for pure profit

I love this photo, it reminds me of all of those UK films and TV shows I used to watch while growing up.  Not London, no, but some small city in the UK…with Charleston’s ties to Colonial America, it is not a far stretch of the imagination!

A pilot ship for when the big ships come into harbor

A judicial center — Charleston is littered with boutique law firms and small court houses, and I can only assume that once upon a time Charleston was once an important law center in the Eastern USA.  I don’t know if it is today…it is rather geographically isolated and left out of the 21st century.

Really, the street was not properly balanced!  What can you expect in a place like this with colonial sidewalks?    In historical Charleston, the houses line the streets, and the garden courtyards are hid from public view, with a small entrance like this on the street to tease the passer-by.

This building was for sale actually…if you have a cool million waiting to be spent.  Be forewarned though, if you buy it, tourists and Charleston wannabes like myself will take pictures frequently!

This guy was rocking out on his banjo, but sadly, no one was dropping him a buck or two.  It is a well known fact that banjo players suffer from guitar discrimination…

Along East Bay St…

Storm clouds are about…time to say goodbye to the dear city…

Is there really a Royal Norwegian Consulate in Charleston????  Maybe that is why the cruise ships will start launching from Charleston next year…

Kenyan Tea Markets

NPR had a fascinating report on tea markets in Kenya on the radio this morning.  Follow that link if you’d like to listen the report or just read the article.  The audio report, however, has more information than the summarized article provides.  I was quite surprised to find out that Egypt and Pakistan were the largest tea consumers in the world.  Of course, this is for heavily fermented and roasted teas, not your Oolong or green teas.

The bartering system for bidding on tea is really interesting.

A trader who wants to raise a bid can simply say, “Up,” or he can back away by saying, “Out.” Someone who wants to claim the highest bid tells the auctioneer to “Knock it, sir,” and then the gavel falls.

I wonder if this is the traditional way in which commodities were traded in the British Empire?  I also had no idea that Kenya was a major tea producer.  In my mind I had countries like India, China and Indonesia, or even some South American nations.

As one who generally prefers tea to coffee, I liked the Muchura’s response regarding coffee:

“I’ve never liked coffee, so I don’t drink coffee. It’s bitter, very bitter, and very thick in the mouth,” Muchura says. “Tea is light and sweet if it’s made properly, and you don’t need milk, you don’t need sugar.”

When it’s pointed out that many people like to drink their coffee black, he laughs and says, “Yes, that’s when it’s even worse.”

Failure at Eco-friendliness

One of the things I admire about Japan is the extensive recycling system in the greater Tokyo area.  At times it was annoying having to painfully separate all of the garbage into components, but I did so knowing it was for a good cause.

Having moved into the new place and purchased quite a bit of furniture, we have a lot of cardboard boxes that I was not sure how to handle.  Fortunately, the fascilities manager told us that there was a recycling area near the tennis compound a couple blocks away.  After having broken down all of the boxes, we loaded them in the car and pulled up at the recycling area.  Sure enough, there was a container the size of a truck trailer sitting there with “CARDBOARD” written on the side.  Much to our surprise, however, the trailer was packed full and there was no way to put our cardboard in the container.  The container was filled to the brim with cardboard and the top was not open to allow us to try to add our cardboard.

We had to drive back to our apartment complex and dispose of the cardboard in the regular waste container, meaning it will probably end up in a landfill somewhere.  What a disappointment!  I suppose a truck comes once every year or so and hauls away the recycling containers.  Minus points for the city of Charleston and recycling…

Settling In

The move to Charleston is now complete–well, mostly.  We’ve moved all of our belongings, we’ve set up the kitchen and the master bathroom, and now we just need to slowly start setting up the rest of the house.  Today I had my telephone and Fiber-Internet connection switched on, and I’m back in business with the blog now.  Despite a few surprises on the first day, the unit is settling, the water no longer smells like a sulfur dissension system, and I have not been attacked by an alligator–yet.

Unlike Hachioji, Charleston always has a gentle breeze from the sea blowing through making even mid-day more bearable than I thought.  That said, Charleston being essentially a swamp, there is a salt-water smell to the area, especially during low-tide.  I suppose I’ll get used to it soon enough.  There is a jogging/walking trail running along the river bank and along the harbor, and I’m really looking forward getting some exercise and not having to stop for traffic lights!  They apartment complex also has a shared fitness room and I hope to get some time in there as well.  On the downside, as I was warned, the mosquitos are terrible and very aggressive.  I noticed a lot of young men wear long pants and shoes rather than shorts and sandals in the summer, and I believe the mosquitos might be the reason.

Oddly enough, I find myself missing Tokyo somewhat.  I don’t miss the suburbs at all with the awful commutes during rush hours like a sardine packed into a can.  I do miss the heart of the city though.  I miss the urban feel, the late hours of all the watering holes and restaurants, as well as the things you can find just strolling around a street block you’ve never taken before…I miss that the most.  I somewhat regret that I was never able to live in Tokyo, in the heart of the beast.  But then again I really couldn’t have afforded it.

Then again, who knows what paths will come before me.  For now, I’m going to enjoy the almost tropical climate, the palm trees, easy access to the sea, and the slow pace of life here.  I’m going to improve my professional skills and try to make it in the global competitive arena.  I’m going to enjoy this for awhile and try not to push myself to be reaching for the next thing.  Maybe I can even work on a graduate degree of some sort?  I’m in a good place all across the board, and I count my blessings for it.  Maybe I can even do some travel too.  I’m dying to see London, Brazil and Denmark, and at least Europe and South America aren’t are far as they once were!

More to come soon…!

Another big-industry political machine falls

Looks like NHK is reporting that the DPJ took the majority in the lower house of the Diet.  Hopefully DPJ will be able to bring about the change that the people of Japan are hoping for.