Hiroshima Food!

I feel like I enjoyed the food enough to write a short post on it or better yet just post some photos!  :P

Tsukimen- awesome cold noodles usually served with cabbage next to a spicy sesame and miso like dipping sauce. When I was looking at the menu I instantly noticed that there are 30 degrees of hotness you can choose from. Not knowing how spicy each level was I was like...ummm 5. FYI 5 is like nothing. I tried my friend's 15 still alright. Next time 25... teehe. 

Hiroshima specializes in oysters you can get this in an assortment of dishes but we decided to order it on a bed of sauteed spinach. I can't remember why spinach is so rare here but damn it is yummy! 

Of course you can't go to Hiroshima without hitting up an okonomiyaki restaurant. This is a 'pancake' that is layered with many things and squeezed down to size. There is a pile of cabbage, pork slices, an egg and a piece of dough that one can say is the shape setter of the whole deal. Before WWII it was just made like a dough and eaten very much like a pancake but with sauce on top. (the sauce is savory btw) Only after the war was the noodles and even rice was thrown into the mixture, now with how popular it has become you can put any kinds of toppings on it. ex cheese, mochi, shrimp, veggies, etc. 

I threw in this picture because this was homemade food from my friend's mom just outside of Hiroshima. Lovely food and real matcha, my fav! 

age-momiji! Momiji is shaped like a maple leaf and is originally filled with sweet bean called anko, which I love. Only here on the island of Miyajima where they serve it deep fried with tea. I wouldn't eat it often but it was good! Again there are many falvours that you could get inside like custard cream. 

A close up of a negi (green onion) rice and soba okonomiyaki. Don't forget you can get Udon in it instead.

Happy drooling. Time to eat. Itadakimasu!!  いただきます!!!

A Day in Hiroshima

Hiroshima castle, this is where we got to dress up as Samurai's and do a mini photoshoots. We found out that we were both born in the wrong era and I myself should have been a samurai. (I love katanas!) 

The beautiful city of Hiroshima, I love how many little rivers there are in this place. So many but this was the best one I could capture on 'digital' film. 

The place where the bomb exploded on August 6 1945 at 8:15am 600m above this building which is now the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. A very sobering place to visit. The museum next door is only 50 yen. Prepare tissues. 

Later on we went down the street with all the illuminations. It was lovely here and they had many themes, Disney, Halloween, Christmas and even pirate ships. It was a bust out all the lights we have festival. 

Yup like the ramen museum there is an Okonomi-mura a place filled to the tits with Okonomiyaki restaurants. Everything looks good and I can't tell the difference from one place to another. I was just floored by how cheerful and persuasive each stall was. 

Miyajima, Japan

My roommate and I doing that Asian photo-op thing. You know that thing that Asian people do. 

Climbing a bit to the top, I was tired and I tried really hard to make a time laps video that was worth watching but failed. Until next time. 

Beautiful Autumn Leaves!

Seriously beautiful and I can't believe it took me over a year to make it here. Totally worth it. 

Me at sunset it is quite important that I get a couple photos of me in front of it, who knows when I'll be back. Though this is the place that I want to get married at. This is a fact next mission find a soul-mate. haha

I'm getting really good at putting the right amount of filter on my photos. >.<

En route to Hiroshima

I had to put this picture up several times and send it to everyone because it still makes my mouth water. 

天丼 大好きだよ。

Wait where was I, oh yes! 

I got all ambious about traveling a little after spending time in inaka working. So we bought bus tickets to Hiroshima on a whim when I got back into Tokyo. It's a 12 hour bus ride but you leave at night and arrive in the morning. It costed us ¥5500 for each ticket, each way which isn't bad. I did learn about a bus ticket that only foreigners can buy and it gives you the option to ride around for 3 days for  ¥10,000 a great deal. Though there is still a part of me that really wants to buy the JR pass since that is the Shinkansen and I have a love affair with bullet trains. 

Like the bus to Osaka it stops at the convini/toilet breaks since there doesn't seem to be one on the bus. The one at at 2:15am was perfect. I wish I didn't have such a hard time sleeping on buses but that is part of life. I'll grab a monster when arrive :P

Being a little Asian girl in Asia

I woke up with this link in my inbox from a fellow friend  'Asian's living in Japan' today and I was instantly inspired to write a post about my experience in Asia. This girl writes about how it feels to be a foreigner with an Asian face and her experiences on what she faced during her time in Japan.

Mine is similar but I have a little couple idiosyncratic occurrences I would like to remember if I decide to come back to Asia for another long term stint.

I have been in and out of Asia for the past 5 years whether that be in China or Japan. I started in China and that was a rough path all on its own. On top of all the cultural differences but being Chinese Canadian who only speaks Cantonese and not Mandarin imagine if I didn't speak Cantonese either...it didn't play any part where I was anyways.

When I was in North China I faced Chinese people instantly assuming that I was Chinese and that I would play the translator. I wasn't offended by this. (I am Chinese) Though...consistently arguing with little old ladies about prices who wouldn't try to adhere to my foreignness. They hand me a piece of paper expecting me to write kanji for them.

The same mind numbing recycled conversations in taxis for the duration of my time in China. (over a year)

Q: Where are you from? Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam....
A: Canada.
Q: Why is your Chinese so bad? Are you slow?
A: I am born in Canada.
Q: Didn't your parents teach you Chinese?
A: I speak Cantonese.
R: I don't speak Cantonese. OR What's Cantonese?
Q: So where are you really from?
A: *insert annoyed grumblings*

On the flip-side, I don't have to face the 'please take a picture with us' because of the colour of my eyes and skin. Or get random English words yelled in my direction.

I suffered the same culture shock with glazed over eyes wearing rose coloured glasses of a foreigner in Japan. Except, from the moment I stepped off of the plane I was instantly transformed into a Japanese person. Interesting, I wish I had read about this in the 'What to expect' pamphlet.

I was expected to speak Japanese fluently and translate at every dinner table I have ever sat down at.(though my friends are all wonderful Japanese/Chinese speakers!) I blend into a crowd better than any invisible super villain. What should I use my powers for, for evil of course. :P

Luckily for me as a native English speaker it wasn't as difficult to for me to find a job in Japan unlike China. Where in they wanted to pay me less money than my fellow Caucasian colleagues... >.< When I showed up at certain schools in Japan or sat down with students for the first time they would instantly greet me in Japanese and compliment me on my English. This isn't really something I complain about because it doesn't really offend me but explaining how I am a Gaijin or Waiguo ren gets quite tiring. 

Lastly for me if I want to date anyone I am pretty much out of luck. I am too western for any local Asian and they are looking for either the tradition type or something more exotic. Foreign guys want to date local girls (yellow fever isn't on my side) I fit into the majority and if they had wanted a westernized girl they would have found one at home. Anyhoo, my dating pool has shrunk significantly. Though I come from a city of a million and have lived in Asian cities that are half the population of Canada. Sadly my ratio to find anyone to date is next to nil.

I'm going to take my chopstick skills to Europe.

Jenny, over and out. 

Working Holiday Visa for Canadians!

Here is a lovely chart that I have been using over the years, I have been lucky to take advantage of some of these and I realized that I have 7 more years of travel left in before I have to actually think about settling down. This is perfect, 7 years is enough time for me to sort out what I really want to do with my life and where I might want to situate myself.

If you are Canadian and are bored of the winter, take advantage of this! I always teach my students about working holiday visa.

Cheers. Happy Monday.

Return to Japan ~.~

As I flew back 'home' to the place I really thought my heart wanted to settle in. I sat wondering to myself how much I would really miss Japan. Funny that I would think that as I am flying into a country instead of flying out. Mind you this is the only country that I have flew in and out of, 3 times to be precise.

I realize that it won't be my last and I will be back when it becomes that time time where I am craving that Japanese culture once again. (probably March next year :P for hanami)

I was in Tokyo for 3 days and instantly I was hit with this calm that I always get after I land. With that I was also reminded of the lonely streets on a chilly night (since Taiwan was so warm) From there I walked back to my old stomping grounds to revisit friends. Though I was only gone for 6 weeks I was over come with nostalgia.

Next thing I knew I was off to Shizuoka for work. An English camp for 2 weeks and that would be the last of my work for a good while.

I don't know exactly what is going to happen next but I am bouncing with excitement which is a very refreshing feeling for me. Without the drabs of everyday expectations from where I should be at my age.

It has been awhile since I have been able to be ready to move on from a place that I very happily called home.

There are a lot of things that I will remember and reminisce about Japan after I leave, the friends I have made here most of all. I know that I will miss each of them dearly and keep wishing that I had more time with them.

Japan will always have a place in my heart and has made an indent in my soul that only it can fill. The wonderful food, culture and places I have yet to see. I know that Japan isn't going anywhere and a lot of my friends no longer reside here but I will be back Japan. I'll be back.

Farewell Taipei...

It's all about the places you visit and the internal changes occurring within. The people you meet along the way are the embellishments to a prolific journey. 

It was like yesterday I stepped off the plane in Taiwan without an itinerary to my sojourn. I checked into the hostel knowing I would stay for 3 days and was instantly introduced to two American girls (the nurses) by the lovely Taiwanese Rice. That evening we visited an Anthony Bordian recommended restaurant and I said goodbye to them shortly after. 

In my dorm there was a born to be a world traveler, a Chinese girl from Shenzhen (banker) and a Japanese boy on a stop over before his year long adventure in OZ ; where exploration and language practice took place for all of us for the upcoming days.


New and amazing people started trickling in by the day. I was quickly blessed to meet more memorable Canadian girls on long term travels, the boy from Holland (Which I believe had a very similar childhood to my own 'Cantonese family' though we lived in alternative countries) and a German solider which I will meet again next year if not sooner. They have all come and gone. There were many more but names are irrelevant here and I know I can not list them all. Know that my conversations with you were all precursors to my next brilliant chapter of the wandering vagabond.Next thing I knew I was offered a position at the very hostel I stayed at. This wonderful event felt like the mother-ship calling home. A suitable job that I could effortlessly obtain being my garrulous self whilst still plodding along. 

I was planning on traveling Taiwan from west to east or vice versa but ended up meeting my destined foodie partner. (You know who you are Ms. Air traffic controller) We ate our way through night markets, street side stalls, bakeries along the route to our daily destinations and made sure that we had our fill of bubble tea. 

Bittersweet goodbyes were uttered once again before I made my fake straight face gesture towards the accelerating airport bus. 


Eccentric Brits, lovely long term traveling Americans (p-a-r-t-y hard) female/males, a boy from Hong Kong I couldn't stop giving a hard time to, story telling pirates/surfer from The land down under and a Canadian birthday girl that I'll make sure to keep in touch with about my future endeavors. ;)I followed up on a couple reunions, one of them being with the best Taiwanese girls ever. I met them in Japan when I first arrived in Tokyo. Also working for accommodations :P On top of that I even had a fellow Edmontonian drop in from HK/China to make this a full blown reunion. Even had an unknown random Calgarian joined us. 

After an epic Halloween dressed up as the Tardis from doctor who, with a vigilante Scotsman it was time to say goodbye again to a whole new wonderful set of individuals.

I wrote this in honor of all the above mentioned paragons. They not only made my trip to Taiwan more than perfect, they actually made me fall in love. With the hostel, the neighborhood, the city, the country and most of all created a time slot in my memory that will forever make the corner of my lips curl upwards.

On that note I tip my invisible hat.

Much love Jenny Tam 

Yangmingshan Volcano

Yangmingshan, I don't know why but on several occasions on this trip it took me more than one try to make it to a particular destination. This was one of them, last time I was here which was only a couple days before this date, I couldn't find the dormant volcano. 

Again, I mistook the National Park as a simple 'park' and that it would be quite simple to navigate. Alas, I am proven wrong. 

This time Kevin looked up exactly which bus we needed to catch after arriving at the Yangmingshan station. There is another bus station after riding the RedI5 (NOT the RedI15!) you have to hop on the 108. 

Now I quickly noticed that the map for the 108 stops are not in English and would be hella hard for one who doesn't read Chinese to figure out. There would have been no way that I would have found out which stop to jump off at without having some sort of translator. Either way it was stop number 7 if anyone is interested in knowing. 

I took a mini video, as you can see I'm wearing a jacket. It is the beginning of November and it was 16 degrees which is quite cold for Taiwan. (well during this time of year) I have been wearing shorts for months. So bring a jumper.