Hiroko's Hitokoto

Papa went to line up to get those cakes this morning while we were at taiko practice. Thank you, papa!

He started climbing wall while waiting for a bus.   Video here .

 ぜんざい Zenzai, sweet red bean with rice cake. Description from website: We start to serve Zenzai (a kind of sweet soup of azuki bean) of Aichi prefecture that is Chef's home town. The Azuki bean from "Ohkuramochi", a super popular Japanese style confectionery store in Tokoname, is home made paste of 100% of Hokkaido Tokachi azuki bean. The glutinous rice is also from Aichi prefecture. The organic and low agrochemical brown rice that is kept carefully in a low temperature warehouse is polished just one day before being in market. It's not only tasty food but also safe food that brings us nutrition. This idea is same as NAARSIAWA's philosophy. 成澤シェフの出身地、愛知県のぜんざいのご提供が始まります。 常滑の超人気和菓子店「大蔵餅」さんから届いた小豆は「北海道十勝産小豆」100％使用による自家製餡。 餅米も愛知の無農薬米および低農薬米を玄米のまま、低温倉庫で大切に保管したものを製品にする前日に精米しています。おいしいだけではなく、安心して食べられるものを、食べることで体の滋養につながるものを・・・との考えは、まさにNARISAWAと一緒です。　　 大蔵餅さんHP / http://ohkuramochi.jp/  きりたんぽ汁, KIRITANPO soup, Akita pref. speciality. Mo meditating at pond.

Chocolate danish from Dean & Deluca, Midtown.

Volunteering for tea ceremony at my son's kindergarten. Surprisingly kids liked green tea, and some even requested another cup. I got to have mine, too after they were gone, in a quiet room. Ah, the joy of beautiful tea. 今日は息子の幼稚園のお茶会をお手伝い。美味しいという園児も多く、お代わりしたいと言う子もチラホラ。私も一服頂きました。いいお茶は美味しいわ〜。

Ton went to Nishimachi International School in the morning as part of an exchange program between her elementary school and Nishimachi. I was peaking from the outside, and didn't quite get what they were doing, though, she could briefly meet her old class mates on her way back to school.

実家からもらってきた蕗の薹、天ぷらにしました。春の香り。Butterbur sprout tempura, a flavor of spring.

 Came back from my home town by highway bus early in the morning, went to this French bakery for breakfast before taiko practice by myself. Tables were all taken, had to wait about 20 min, but I got my seat at a counter all by myself. Free refill coffee which helped me going later in the day. Awesome bread, variety of jams came in a tray, these were too sweet I had ham and cheese sandwich for interval.   Jams, preserves, and white chocolate spread for Petit Dejeuner at Viron. Bread of your choice.

Photos here . Papa bought this kit in Seattle on his business trip, and we finally had chance to try it. Smoked chocolate added some kicks to it.

Photos here . Ton bought DIY chocolate of Apollo , and they tried it along with extra milk chocolate. They had fun!

Friends from hometown invited me to join a small party, and I made an effort and joined it last night. Like any other local shopping streets, the most of the shops were gone or shut for indefinite period, very sad looking compare to what I remembered from my earlier days. We gathered at a family run sushi restaurant, catching up with really old faces, how much weight they gained, who got sick, how old their kids were, what's happening with schools we used to go, etc. Wondering how many times we would be able to meet up again... Fun time flies really fast, we said good by to everyone, and I drove my friend's car back since she had quite drinks and I didn't at all (well, I simply can't). I hadn't driven for more than 10 years, and it took me a few times to figure out how to unlock the hand break, open/close window, change the light angle, etc., but I made it back home OK! Oh, driving was fun even I had to drive really dark streets in a middle of rice padd...

Dinner with ex colleagues at a Malay food restaurant in Ogikubo. Dishes were not on a menu and I couldn't really catch name of each dish, but whatever those were, those were pretty good an spicy. Photos here .

Playing at Arisugawa park with partners in crime, Takeru and Ryuei.

  Left school a bit early to take bus to Sanrio Puroland for kindergarten's school trip. He apparently fell asleep on a bus on the way back and didn't weak up for quite some time... Looks like he had fun!

He was watching a shopping TV, which was about a non-stick frying pan. He was very serious, comments on every sales points of the product, and started taking a note, wrote down the phone number. Off course he called the number but somehow it was not working, or maybe it was not a right number. Anyhow, it was very interesting to see a 5 years old liking a TV shopping.

Papa went to line up for cakes at Mornington Crescent and got some goodies such as this chocolate cupcake. Happy Valentine's Day!

Wondering around the show room with Mo, and he got these free chocolates as it was Valentine’s Day.

Photos here .

New super heroes called Nin Nin Ja.

 He says left side with a cherry picker is his house. It's Myron Jiji on a motorcycle, and me on his head!

National Foundation today and no school/work, we decided to go to Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum again, with papa this time. We all enjoyed visiting houses there and Ghibli special exhibition. Photos here .

He invited both Mo and Ton to join his birthday party after school at a party room in his apartment building. Kids were very excited and happy playing together. His mother arranged a birthday cake from Toshi Yoroizuka , and beautiful dinner from MOMOE . I had to leave in a middle for taiko practice, and papa came to took over kids after me. After I came back home from the practice, they were still at the party... They came home even after I went to bed, almost midnight...! Photos here .

And he explains it in a short video .

Very late lunch after 3 hours taiko practice.

New cafe, originally from Brooklyn, opened about 3 weeks ago in Shibuya, and we decided to check out before taiko practice. Pretty big place, giant breads, etc. Will try "eggslut" next time.