If You Can't Join Them, Then BEAT Them

The end of last year I bought 2 batches of beads that were shipped from China.  Normally I avoid any product from China but these beads were something I had been looking for.  Supposedly they shipped right away but it took over 3 weeks to arrive.  

And when they did finally get here, they were not anything I could use.  I had to make the decision to try and communicate with them in China,  to send them back or to just keep them and try to resell them.  

Another sore spot that I hear alot about is drop shipping.  Many buyers have been burned by drop ship companies and alot of sellers have suffered even more. 

So that got me to thinking about my eBay listings.  eBay allows us to add Custom Item Specifics so I thought that I can let folks know that we are in the US and  and ship all our items ourselves.  

How do I do it specifically?  I use 2 blank Custom Item Specifics slots.  In 1 I put "In Stock" and then in the adjoining slot "Ships Immediately from CO, USA"

The 2nd line says "Pay Before 12N Mt Time" and adjoining "Sent same business day".

Both these custom boxes show up at the top of the listing and are searchable and they are something a potential buyer sees first in the item description. Hopefully both these little details will help buyers make a decision favorable to one of my listings. .

View From Godaido Island

More links for ways to help Japan - check out Bento4Japan. For myself, I couldn't agree more with this sentence taken from the site stating that "We had derived so much enjoyment from the Japanese culture and food, it is only right that we give something back to the country that had given us so much".

Also, Bird of Kano-man blog had informed me in his comment earlier about a Matsushima refugee's diary that we can all read and get updated on what's happening there.

Update : here's a link on Todd's How To Help Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami Survivors. Check it out. Also check out his Blog4Japan ( #blog4japan on Twitter) and help spread the word around on how we all can help the survivors.

Now, for Godaido Island.

Just some shots taken on Godaido Island, Matsushima in Miyagi which we visited in 2010.

Omikuji - scrolled up or folded, and unrolling the piece of paper reveals the fortune written on it. I'll put up a post on Omikuji in a few days' time, so do visit again if you want to know more about them. ^^

Souvenir shops.

Remember this temple from my earlier post?

And the view from the island is awesome. Hope the lovely view here can be enjoyed again soon by all.

Even with the crowd visiting the island and Godaido temple, you can feel serene enjoying the scenery here.

And oh! Another update on how to contibute towards the relief effort to Japan. Eat at Sushi-Tei. Or are you afraid to eat Japanese food now, for fear of radiation? I know few of my friends were thinking that way.

At The Rail Station : Matsushima

Why the continuous posts of the same place lately? Read my reasoning here.

Also, read this interesting article over at This Japanese Life; On Watching the News in Japan. That said, let's not forget the heroes that  risked their own lives to avert a nuclear meltdown and also the victims that are still trying to cope with their lives after the tragedy.

OK, now back to Matsushima.

Two stations you can stop at to get to Matsushima Bay.

Matsushima Station on the JR Tohoku main line.

Located 2km away from Matsushima Bay, be prepared to walk a bit if you decide to use this line to get to the bay area.

A train on the track that we spotted a few hundred metres walking from Matsushima Station. We turned right and walked on.

The closest station would be Matsushima-Kaigan Station. The track, elevated behind the station.

To get to Matsushima-Kaigan Station, get on the JR Senseki Line from Sendai Station.

As a coastal site, Matsushima has been severely affected. A state of emergency was declared and any travel to the region should be avoided at the moment. But I hope that once everything turns back to normal, visitors would start returning to visit this place. The shops, the restaurants, the inns and hotels, not to mention the ferries and boats need people in/on them.

The Vermilion Bridge Of Fukuurajima

I posted about Fukuurajima's little shrine in my earlier post. Now, to access the Fukuura Island, one has to cross a 252m vermilion bridge.

If you are wondering why I'm putting up this post at a time like this, read my reasoning here and don't argue with my logic.

Anyway, more shout-out on links about helping out the good people of Northern Japan from Blue Shoe's Just Another Day in Japan, and here's the links for your easy access:
Tofugu's Ways To Help Japan (That Are Better Than Donating Money)
Jason Kelly's Socks for Japan
Second Harvest - food/supplies from those in Japan or monetary donations for those wishing to help from outside Japan
You can also get involve with Hope Letters to give a word of encouragement to the affected people
Check out Man Up For Japan Faceook page
Encourage and help restore the spirits of the people in Japan by participating the Project Hitori Jyanai (You are not alone)
and more links can be found over at Japan Subculture Research Center.

For those in Malaysia, Jusco is setting up a Malaysian AEON foundation donation drive where you can bank-in your donation to their Maybank account.

And if you feel you need to lend a physical helping hand, plea by Japan Ambassador to Malaysia; Masahiko Horie should be taken in consideration. Those intending to give aid  (individually or through organisations) should be done systematically and properly with regards to the nation's sovereignity. Latch on NGOs and agencies that already have a good network in the dissater zone. Don't go harbouring any idea of scattering money in the disaster area yourself or be a hero there.

Also, I totally urged those outside "Japan to read Shoud I Cancel My Trip To Japan?" post by David. I fully agree with his sentiment.

OK, remember me mentioning Fukuurajima and the vermilion bridge at the start of this post? Back to that. Access to the bridge and the island is not free though! It's a tolled bridge, 200yen for adults and 100yen for school-going children.

And the tickets are bought here using these machines. You then pass the tickets to the nice lady manning the cafe there.

Then, you are set to cross the bridge and reach Fukuura Island (Fukuurajima). Woohoo!

It was lovely strolling on the bridge. We were apprehensive about crossing it earlier, seeing that we were there at noon, fearing the sun would be too much for us to handle. But walking on the bridge and with the help of the sea breeze, we didn't feel the heat that much.

Walking on the bridge was fun, but it wasn't as much fun when there are gaggles of tour groups walking behind us, that I can say! It kinda spoilt the "romantic" mood of strolling there and enjoying the ocean view. XD

The bridge seen from the Island.

Anyway, read TEPCO's press realease too if you are interested.

A Nuclear Reactor Explained by Poop and Farts: Nuclear Reactor Boy's Tummy Ache

And have you seen the video of a dog in Japan stays by the side of its ailing friend in the rubble? I was crying bucket loads watching it.

WOW: Feasting on Filipino Food!

salad greens with all the trimmings
at Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay

Filipino food is not well known, unlike Thai or Vietnamese.  Our cuisine has native Malay, Chinese, and Spanish (we were a colony for 300 years), and American (we were a colony for 50 years) influences but does not really incorporate a lot of spices like our Asian neighbors do. Bill keeps on joking that we are truly compatible since Scottish food is the same. But, having been back in Manila for almost 2 weeks now, I have gained a few pounds because of our great familiar food!

turon, sweet potato bits, and chocolate cake

Our dear friend Ann’s birthday celebration was at Sonya’s Garden, a famous b&b, garden, and restaurant in Tagaytay, the literally cool town on the ridge of the world’s ‘smallest volcano within a volcano’ crater (Taal Lake) about an hour from Makati. They produce all the vegetables and fruits used in the meals served: greens with six dressings, pasta with two sauces, and for dessert, caramelized sweet potato bits and turon (bananas and jack fruit in lumpia shells and caramelized in brown sugar).

sinigang sinangag at top and
crispy dinuguan in the middle

The road from Tagaytay to Makati led us to a local chain of restaurants called Kanin Club where rice (kanin) is served in utterly unique ways. A favorite is sinigang sinangag, an oxymoron. The first word means sour soup and the second means fried with lots of garlic; in other words, fried soup! The rice is first boiled with sour soup and then fried so the rice tastes like the soup with all its condiments. They also had crispy dinuguan which literally means bloodied. It is usually pork sautéed in garlic and onions then stewed with pork blood, vinegar and chilis. Their version used chicharons or crispy pork cracklings!

chicken binacol

Then a reunion with friends at a local hotel chain, Legend Villas, was a feast of Filipino dishes, laid out on a sumptuous buffet table.  I stuffed myself with chicken binacol, a legendary thin soup made from chicken, pepper leaves, green papaya, garlic, onion, and lots of ginger and pepper! But, I tried to leave room for the other dishes I have long waited for (my cooking does not approximate the real thing!). I feasted on Spanish kare-kare: meat with a thick sauce of ground peanuts and toasted rice and lots green beans, bokchoy, eggplant and banana hearts.

Halo-Halo Bar

Vegetable ukoy, pork barbecue, beef salpicado, poached fish, Filipino salad, etc. were also there but I wanted to save space for dessert which was a complete Halo-Halo (literally, mix-mix) bar. No one visiting the Philippines should miss this. Back in the US we even bought an ice shaver and ingredients for Bill! A bowl of beans in syrup, caramelized sweet potato and banana cubes, cubes of coconut gel and gelatin, and toasted puffed rice are topped with shaved ice and milk. Then we add special toppings of leche flan (egg custard), sweet purple yam, and even ice cream!

street kiosk among office buildings

Salcedo Saturday food market

Contrast these to $1 a dish street food available at sidewalk kiosks along the busy streets where blue-collar workers queue for quick lunches and a Saturday market at the Salcedo Park in the middle of high-rise condos where local (and international) cuisine can be had for a song on Saturdays courtesy of enterprising residents. But I should mention the large selection of seasonal tropical fruits I have missed most: mabolo, chesa, makopa, kaimito, chico, santol, duhat, sinigwelas, mangoes, papayas, pineapple, star apple, coconuts, durian, guayabano, and many varieties of bananas.

coconuts, durian, and guayabano

I do not know why Filipino food has not become famous. Could it be that Filipinos are just not more entrepreneurial rather than the cuisine being too bland? Here’s what Bill, my Caucasian husband and guest blogger, says:  ‘I must admit that many of the fruits that Carol mentioned are not as appealing to me as a good orange, peach, nectarine, or apple.  However the mangoes are better than those usually available in the states, but I find little difference in the pineapples, bananas, papayas. But you should all have some of the Taiwanese mangoes which taste just as good as Philippine mangoes but are at least as big as big papayas!

kaimitos, mangoes, chesas, santols
chicos, macopas, and guavas

Perhaps the best reason that Filipino food hasn’t taken off in the US is the fact that the business aspects of the product/market mix have not been explored enough. Most appeal to a Filipino niche looking for their comfort food. Even if I have acquired the taste for them, most Americans would not like them. Marketing and presentation are critical.  Just as many Mexican restaurants have become “gringo-ized”, Filipino restaurants would need to modify (Americanize) in order to become truly established in the US.

24x7 hot pan de sal

Besides, Fiiipinos easily fit into the American scene, because of language and the long exposure to Americans.  It also seems that they all like to cook!  Whenever there is a gathering there is food, lots of food, so why go to restaurants?  But those Spanish-influenced dishes like salpicado, mechado, caldereta, cocido, and afritada are similar to our pot roasts and beef stew (with slightly different flavors) so they can become favorites, along with the standard  adobo (meat stewed in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onions, and bay leaves) and pancit (rice noodles, chicken, and vegetables ).

So, I also feasted on Filipino Food, including the ubiquitous pan de sal (sweet dinner rolls, mainstay of Filipino breakfasts and snacks) sold freshly baked at ubiquitous Pan de Manila shops 24x7! 

Fukuurajima Shrine

First - a shout-out to Todd Wassel's site - Todd's Wanderings; which I stumbled upon reading David of Ogijima's post earlier. Click on Todd's link above if you are interested in participating, donating or helping to pass the message along for raising much needed funds for the recovery of Northern Japan.

Second -Tazawako Tourism Association puts up a post of Akita Prefecture accepting donations to the disaster-affected areas in Iwate Prefecture. Click the link to get more info on how to donate.

Before my post on Monday, I had mulled over whether I should continue my posts on Japan. I didn't want to put any disaster photos up here because, well... I wasn't even near the affected area and there are plenty of first-hand accounts you can read elsewhere. Maybe it's rather callous of me, but swamping myself and others with bad news continuously isn't going to help much. I just felt there are other ways to show our concern and sympathy for the good people of Northern Japan.

So, anyway - my view is; life needs to go on and this is my second post about a place that was affected by the earthquake last Friday which we visited last year. Another shrine after my post on Godaido Island Temple. Sometimes, we need spiritual strength  and guidance to  go through adversities like this.

A shrine on Fukuurajima Island.

I tried finding more information about this little shrine but came up with nothing. So, if anyone has any info, I'd be so glad if you can share with us. ^^

The Island can be accessed by a vermilion-lacquered bridge extending 256 meters. Fukuurajima, one of the many islands of Matsushima is an island of a natural botanical garden with many wild plants that growing there. There is a superstition that if you cross the vermilion bridge with your lover, you will soon break up.