Saturday, June 21, 2008

Washing in the Rain and Cute Breads

I've got a neighbor--really nice guy, except he does weird things. He washes his car every single day. Every. Single. Day.

Rain or shine.



It was pouring this day. Pouring. Still he washes.


That's been on my mind.

And another thing, while I can't buy heavy, dark breads or baguettes that aren't as soft as Wonder bread, I can get bread that is totally Kawaii!!

Panda.

And a Soot Sprite (makkuro kurosuke) from Totoro.

Sorry, it had to be done.


And we learn that the panda has a large dollop of custard for a brain.



While the Soot Sprite has black cream in his noggin.


Yum. Yum.

Speaking of yum yum...

15 comments:

Mary Witzl said...

Waa -- makkurokurosuke kawaisoo!

We've been away from Japan too long! I wish I had back the time I wasted just looking for wholemeal bread in Japan and trying to find wholemeal grain after I finally got a bread machine. (Do you patronize Tengu there? Or FBC? We did.) But my kids loved those cute little pastries and often lament not having them now.

That guy washing his car every day is hilarious! He'd be horrified to see ours. We went almost two years without washing the last one.

Kappa no He said...

Oh, I'm like you. I am always trying to fine wholemeal grains, rye and wheat. I don't use Tengu or FBC as much as I should though.

Oh, I get it all the time from him about our cars. We hardly ever wash them. And you should hear the discussions we get in about my tree. It has branches and leaves and he insists I must cut them all off. I said, but I want to live in a "mori". He says, it is better to live in a "hayashi". Touche'!

Brian said...

I have no idea what mori or hayashi mean but if it's a dude giving you advice while he's washing his car in the rain, you might want to take it with a grain of salt...

That is the coolest looking bread ever. If I was a kid, I would have wanted one of those every day. Of course, that was also a time when I would ball up pieces of Wonder Bread and eat them like dough and think it was the Best Thing Ever.

Brian said...

O.K. Now, I just watched the YouTube video and I am totally baffled. What was with the wild, volcano meal they were serving? I believe that would be Another thing I would have wanted every day when I was a kid.

Yep, bread shaped like animal heads and volcano foods.

Kappa no He said...

The funny thing about the "mori" and "hayashi" is that they mean forest. But one is a character made up of three trees (mori) while the other is a character made up of two trees (hayashi). In effect, he was telling me that mine needed to be neater, less wild. He also washes his dog (a boxer) with a great big scrub brush. Oh! And today while there was a break in the rain, I caught him wiping down one of his trees with a rag!! I cross my heart!!

The video was of a ramen shop. The man must be insane as well. But it totally looks fun/dangerous. I wonder if it tastes any good.

Hilary said...

You HAVE to get a video of him wiping a tree. I think your neighbour might also have custard for a brain. ;)

Kappa no He said...

Good one Hilary! He does scare me. He's very...bossy. I'll keep the camera out.

Pat said...

So how does that volcano dish work? Did the chef pour fire on it before it "blew" or what? Inquiring minds want to know!

Kappa no He said...

Hello Pat! I haven't been on here the last few days. Sorry I didn't get to answer you sooner. It looks like he heats up some cooking oil super hot so that when he pours it into the soup of the ramen it ignites. He says it makes all those green onions more fragrant and tasty. I just can't believe there hasn't been an accident yet.

Frank Baron said...

Those breads sure look an awful lot like cakes/desserts to me....

Kappa no He said...

It is the strangest combination...non-sweet bread covered in chocolate and stuffed with custard.

Gina said...

Those have got to be the *cutest* breads in all of Japan! I just loved the soot sprite!!! : )

And holy smokes about your neighbor! He really washes his car every single day huh? Rain or shine. Holy cow! Ha ha ha. Any chance you can get him to start washing yours as well? Ha ha ha, j/k. wink, wink! : )

And I love that you mentioned Wonder bread! I use to love Wonder bread too! So soft! Yumm. I bought my son a Wonder bread sandwich plastic holder/keeper. It must have been like a dollar or 2 at most. But it brought back memories and I would once in a while send him to yochien with that holding his sandwich. No one in Japan (at our school) knew what it was. : ( Sniff, sniff. Ha ha ha. : )

Kappa no He said...

What an amazing idea! I often wonder if he looks at my cars and shakes his head in disgust. I should bring it up! He could wipe down my tree too.

Did you see the news today about how bread is getting so expensive everyone in Japan is eating rice again? I have one of those sandwhich holders too. Wonder where it went??

Gina said...

Good morning! : ) I think my 2 neighbor ladies definitely look at my car in disgust too. Ha ha ha. Boy next doors' mom and grandma each wash their cars once a week, they do it all by hand. Inside and out. But in our family hubby washes the car. He usually goes through those automatic fast jobs or once every great while he'll wash it at home. And....we have to dust the insides something horrible. It is a dusty mess. : ( I imagine my neighbors think, that I should be washing our car, ha ha ha. (shakes head)

Yes, about the bread prices. : (

Unknown said...

Ow, the panda! Don't think I could eat bread that has a face, LOL. But the non-sweet surrounded by custard or sweet filling sounds a lot like the Hispanic dessert rolls available around here.