sweet as sweet can be

i was feeling like today should be a baking day. it's grey, and chilly, thus a perfect day to have the oven on. so, i made a batch of vanilla cupcakes using a 1-2-3-4 cake recipe with matcha buttercream frosting. delicious, and sweet; and now i have a stomach-ache like you wouldn't believe. ah, the joys of overindulgence.

this is why i enjoy buying baked goods; all you need to do is buy one, satisfy a craving, and not get a sugar spike and crash by trying to eat all dozen or so of what you've made. or maybe i need to learn how to share, bring some to work, or have more friends who live close by. but, i do enjoy baking, and eating yummy things. and i do try to cut the recipe in half when the recipe would allow.

cats and ravens, but no fox

as this was my last day in kyoto, i did some new things and revisited some old favorites. needless to say, enjoying matcha soft serve at malebranche in kyoto station, slurping my favorite bowl of ramen at ippudo, and listening to the lovely incense at lisn were the old favorites.

as for the new; i walked amongst the torii gates at fushimi inari-taisha, found where all the cats of kyoto hang out, and browsed a used book store i pass whenever i ride the bus to kokusaikaikan station.

inari was incredible; amongst the forest and hills were paths of torii gates, lined up like dominoes, their orange red hue a striking contrast to the cool greens and mellow browns of the landscape. every now and then a stone shrine dotted the path, some in groups and some solitary, most accompanied by fox guardians and miniature torii gates.

while following the path, i came across a single meowing cat, gave it a pet and continued on amongst the raven cries. then several minutes later another tabby cat walked solitarily by, not really craving attention (perhaps it was on a mission?). as i continued onwards i came to a fork in the path and turned right, happening upon several more kitties basking in the dappled sun coming through the trees. i make note of this, as one of the things i noticed in kyoto is a particular scarcity of cats. this can mean one of two things; cats are well taken care of and are not abandoned to roam feral in the streets, or they are, but not anywhere i've gone. i can't imagine that they aren't popular pets here in japan.

today was a particularly blustery day, and though it did not rain, and the sun was out, i stayed cold for the better part of it. i admired many coats and cloaks in fuji-daimeru, and wished that i might acquire one; but that would be foolish, as it isn't really needed in mood swing savannah.

a trip to uji

this morning i was quite excited to go to uji, the green tea capital of japan. somehow i thought it was in the country, surrounded by fields of tea, and quaint, with little shops and quit streets, and that the moment i stepped off the train i would be overwhelmed by the smell of green tea in the air.

i don't know what i was thinking or where i got this image from, for reality is strikingly different. while riding on the train there i never really felt like i left the city, and though i saw some small fields of tea growing between the houses it was rather underwhelming, and once there the only thing i smelled in the air was car exhaust.

this isn't to say that some parts of uji that i saw weren't beautiful; for i found that walking along one side of the river was peaceful and rather pretty, and while facing away from the city and into the surrounding hills the view was very picturesque.

the matcha sweets i ate while in uji were either delicious or so-so, and so too was the tea i drank. so, overall, i'm at a loss as to what i think of uji. but one thing is certain, the matcha that comes from this area is the best tasting stuff i know of.

um...food?

well, what have i been eating? as that seems to be a general theme when visiting other countries, i'll tell you. mostly, throughout the week, oishii nihon ryuri, prepared in the cafeteria at school. i've eaten udon, battered squash, beans, various mushrooms made into soups, seaweed, lots and lots of cooked fish, soups, rice, and so many other things which can be labeled home-style japanese cooking for which i have no name.

i make most of the classic japanese food choices while out and about kyoto on the weekends; sushi with miso soup, cold soba, ramen (oh delicious fresh ramen, steamy hot giant bowl of ramen, how i will miss you), pan, mochi, matcha anything. kyoto is known as quite the foodie capital, so there are many options. as for trying a nice variety of foods, somehow, i haven't gotten very far past ramen, as it has become my ichiban suki food here in japan. i've got eight free days left, so perhaps, i will try many more things (but i can't guarantee anything, as i really do love ramen).

small landscapes

just checking in. there really is a lot of neat moss and lichen growing here, i pass by some interesting miniature landscapes on my way to the bus. they're very neat, and so strange. i plan on visiting kokedera moss temple, on an upcoming weekend, which has over 200 different species. it makes sense, though, all this moss, because the humidity here is definitely making itself known.

i freak out a little when i have to take photos; because, for the most part, my forte lays elsewhere. but i'm beginning to think that maybe i should just photograph interesting bits, and miniature details, things that appeal to me, rather than what i think would please others.

some photos i take are for academic purposes; to gather information in visual form. others, are to remember, or to post here. i'm very horrible when it comes to including people in my photos; i don't like my picture taken, so i try not to capture other people. which can make my photo album look kind of lonely. well, anyways, memory creates a certain fondness for someone when there isn't any photo to look at.

food update:

still foaming at the mouth when i think of all that matcha goodness that is so close. so far, i've had a milky matcha iced drink with tapioca this last weekend, haagen daz matcha ice cream paired with toast and blueberry jam one day for breakfast, a matcha kit-kat, matcha infused pan, matcha baked goods, matcha birthday cake, matcha soft serve ice cream, and matcha tea. so much matcha, but so little time to hunt down all that goodness! must make better headway this weekend.