Multi-Tasking

Initially I questioned the propriety of taking this picture. But then I thought WWED, (What Would Eve Do?) and realized that there was only one possible answer: point and shoot. Amazingly, the flash did not elicit so much as a flicker of an eye lid or a twitch of that texting-happy thumb. I hope she did not miss her stop.

Michigan Cherry Pie

This is a picture of the cherry pie that I should have bought when I was in northern Michigan over the summer. While I definitely make a tidier lattice, I probably could not top that tart cherry filling. My father always loved cherry pie. And I am a great champion of seasonal and regional delicacies. Though the proprietor offered me a fork, I decided to take a pass on the pie and bought a few Red Haven peaches from her instead.

Urban Archeology in Juban

In Japan most buildings have a relatively short shelf life. But those that survive often have a long memory. Take this boarded up building on a corner in Azabu Juban. Today it is overlooked, passed without so much as a glance and probably not long for this world. About five years ago, it was briefly reborn as a tofu "soft cream" shop. But the frozen confection was vile and after a sweet summer of glory, it quietly closed and the corner parcel slipped back into oblivion.


In its heyday, the shop must have serviced the neighborhood's tonsorial needs, judging from the sad looking barber pole above and the weathered, blue-and-red awning below (I doubt the corrugated metal is original). The now shuttered, curving glass show window suggests a more dignified past. Perhaps that kind lady who is still whipping up white bread at the St. Moritz Bakery (another relic up the street) knows the full history.


Whether in Japan or the US, we just don't build elegant windows like this anymore. Construction costs, aesthetics and design abilities have changed. I suppose you could say we don't live like this anymore either. Barbers have been replaced by stylists and here in Juban everyday shops are an endangered species. I am not a hopeless nostalgic but I enjoy urban archeology.

Crow Eats Sandwich

Like Tokyo's above-ground telephone poles, I stopped noticing the city's crows years ago. But ever since visiting friends called our attention to the intelligence of these big, black birds, I have been quietly observing and acquiring a new appreciation of them. If you read the recent issue of Time magazine whose cover story proclaimed that many animals appear to be smarter than we thought (something I have suspected for a long time), you will know that crows have many talents and are surprisingly dexterous, especially considering their physical equipment. My firsthand experience this morning further supports this finding.


So there we were, in front of the 24-hour grocer, Food Magazine. Pippi was sniffing up a storm and I was stalled in an early-morning stupor having woken up only a short time ago. But when a sharp, staccato pecking noise interrupted my reverie, I looked up to see this crow vigorously and systematically attacking a small box with its beak. The tenacious bird appeared to be taking a two-pronged approach: poke a hole in cellophane window and/or lift open the box cover. My photos do not really do the scene justice. Would that I had gone into video mode.


It was not until I approached the crow at work that the contents of the box revealed themselves: a dainty ham sandwich adorned with lettuce, tomato and mayo. This is a crow with a sophisticated palette! When we neared, the crow ascended to a tree nearby where he/she could keep an eye on the bounty. After snapping some pictures, we walked away and left the crow to finish breakfast.

Dog Watering

The Minato Ward City Azabu Regional City Office never disappoints! Look what I found this morning in Arisugawa Park while watering Pippi! Admittedly it is a bit inappropriate to allow dogs to drink from the fountains (but it sure is cute!). Fortunately Pippi prefers the spigot below or, better yet, the basin catching the run off.

Separated at Birth?

Turns out my sister has a green thumb. Who knew??? This is one of several white eggplants my sister grew on her terrace atop a tall apartment building in the middle of a major US city. Isn't it absolutely perfect? In addition to lots of lettuce and arugula that preceded my visit, conventional purple eggplants, green peppers, zucchini (nice flowers) and a bumper crop of tomatoes were also nurtured (and eaten) by the urban gardener. My sister is definitely a woman of many talents!



Imagine our surprise when we chanced upon the above display in the egg section at one of the many Whole Foods in the vicinity of my sister's home. Chicken, duck, quail and now ... ostrich! Eggplant and egg separated at birth or connected in name only???

Kirinya Curry

For years I intended to try the take-out curry from the tiny shop in Azabu Juban with the yellow awning and the signboard shaped like a giraffe, hence the name (kirin = 'giraffe' in Japanese). Inside the proprietor-chef, a shy, slender man dressed in culinary whites, takes his food preparation very seriously.


Colorful jars of spices line the white walls shielding the kitchen from view (I am sure it is spotless). But through the house-shaped opening the curry king can be seen slaving over a hot stove. The menu, complete with color photos of all the options (there are only abut 7 or 8), sits on the counter but it is also posted on the plate glass window (photos included). In Japan, you can always tell a good restaurant by its plastic food: high quality reproductions portend good eats. If the same principle applies to photos, then we were in for a treat.


Finally, I tested my hypothesis last week. I ordered two different curries, bean and vegetable, plus spare ribs for the carnivore. Both curries were very good but the bean version was exceptionally tasty -- exactly as I had imagined it would be. The mixture of chickpeas, yellow lentils, kidney beans and a few green peas was not mushy, the sauce was a little thick but not too spicy (nor too bland) and the color scheme delivered visually. Perfect with fluffy, fresh-cooked koshihikari rice. Now I am planning to become a regular. Don't you just love it when this happens?