Coffee and Rice

Despite enduring my new coffee-soaked Pacific Northwest lifestyle, I feel as if I've been transported to a bustling, multi-colored urban center in Japan. The film we watched and the literature we read have given me wonderful insight on Japanese culture as a whole, not only the nation's food culture. Tampopo delivered an entertaining and enlightening experience: the fascinating way the Japanese view certain foods, the absurdity of specific cultural references that don't quite translate correctly in to Western society, and, overall, a well-executed and beautiful film. It's almost as if I've been familiar with Japanese culture my whole life, not just since yesterday. To know how much of their culture views food gives me a more realistic and human picture of Japan.

The Bento boxes provided a distinct flavor with which to associate my new feelings towards Japan. I'm glad we were able to physically create something and apply our classroom experience with the real world. My friends and I have also discovered a restaurant in the area which serves noodles! We ate that for lunch today, curious as to what they were like. It was a pleasant experience.

All Over Creation and the class itself have forced me to constantly examine what I've been eating. I feel I've been making wiser choices.