Hirakata Park (Skating)

Suki Nabe & Skating in Hirakata Koen

This is how u eat staemboat in Japan. They cook the meat and

stir it with egg before put it into the mouth.

Nabe is Steamboat, called by Japanese people.

Their soup is mainly "soyu" like our soya source so the taste is very strong.

Here are the menu

This is a restaurant in Hirakatashi. The name is "Asian Days".

We are having the "Tabehodai" which is the buffet style : eat all u can with 1900yen.

Today is Tsubasa birthday, here are the present from us to him.

It is the "Relakuma" small bear cup, underwear & malaysia souvenir.

They are cleaning the the water

This is the Hirakata Koen Skating Park.

There are lot of people as now is the winter seasons.

Here we are, 2 Hong Kong Jin & 2 Malaysia Jin.

Me, Eric, Tsubasa, Andy : Here are the guys...

The park with all the entertainment machines

Here are our group photo in front of a colourful ferry wheel.

The scene is really amazing........

The Pink Castle...

3 of us, DoReMi.....

They actually have three different type of the roller in the park. This is one of the shortest one while the trail of another two roller coaster are longer than this one.

This is the most special thing in the loen, the huge and colourful ferry wheel.

It just look like a circlr rainbow...

Japanese Cooking Lesson (Hirakata Civic Hall)

Today cooking........

Today is my Japanese Cooking Lesson in Hirakata Civic Hall organized by the Hirakata Foundation for Culture and International Exchange. The lesson is only for foreign people, so I meet people from China, Indonesia, England, America and finally an old woman from Brazil. It can be call as an International cooking Class.

So, today we are going to cook a few dishes as below. The theme for today is Bento (lunch box). This is the culture of Japan where people prepare & bring bento to school and work. The menu is nice :

1.Spinach Salad with Tofu and White Miso Dressing

2.Tempura (Fried of mixed vegetable)

3.Rolled Omelette

4.Wiener Sausage (In octopus shape)

5.Salt-Grilled Salmon

6.Onigiri (Rice ball) The most difficult dishes is Spinach Salad and Tempura.

However, at last we make it out quite successfully. My team has a Japanese sensei and 4 student. (1 Malaysian, 2 American, 1 England). We have a lot of great time and funny stuff together during the 4 hour cooking and eating period.

Here are the secret recipe for the Spinach Salad and Tempura:

A. Spinach Salad

Ingredient: Tofu 200g, parched sesame 3 tsp, white miso 40g, mirin 2tsp, sugar 2tsp, carrot 30g, salt 1/3tsp, konyaku 1/3piece.

1. Boil and cut spanish into 1cm length.

2. cut konyaku into 1cm length and frt it for 3min.

3. cut the carrot into 1cm length.

4. break tofu into pieces, boil them and let it cold.

5. mix the tofu with sasame paste, some sugar and little oil.

6. stir the mixture and mix it with konyaku, spanish and carrot.

7. Lastly stir the mixture untill they are mixed and smooth.

B. Tempura (Vege)

Ingredient: wheat flour 200ml, 1 egg, cold water 1 cup, potato 100g, carrot 50g, onion 50g, burdock 50g, trefoil leaves 30g, salt 2tsp.

1. cut the potato, carrot, onion, burdock and trefoil leaves into strips 4 or 5cm.

2. the burdock shall be put it water for 10 min to make is soft.

3. mixed 1 egg and small cup of water.

4. stir the mixture gently and add in 1/2tsp sugar and 1/2tsp salt.

5. stir the mixture and mix it with all the vegetables

6. stir the mixture till they mixed and smooth.

7. scope the mixture in a 6x6cm size and fry it in 200 degree celcius hot oil.

8. take the tissue to absorb the oil of the tempura after it is fried.

Here are the recipes of the traditional Japanese cuisine, hope u will like it.......

Kuzaha Onsen (Hot Spring)

This is the front gate of the Kuzuha Onsen

Here are inside the Onsen, in front of the counter

Hara are Me, Jess & Carol

In order for you to enter the onsen, you need to but the entrance ticket from the vending machine. Besides, you can also buy the tower, soap, Yokata (Japanese people Cloth) and more thing from the vending machine.

They even have a canteen outside the onsen which you can have some foods after you finish enjoying your onsen.

Because today is weekend, there are lot of people there

There are fruits sales outside the onsen

The fruits is so attempting, we plan to buy some

Here are me & my Banana..

Photo of me with Sabrina & Carol

Onsen experiences near Kuzaha Station.

We walk there from seminar house. Since now is the winter, there are a lot of the "ume" flower along the way, it is really beautiful.

We need to buy ticket from the vending machine to enter the onsen. Onsen here is separate for boy and gal. As I entering the changing room, I am shock seeing the people around me naked. Right, this is Japan culture; all the people are naked in the onsen area. Initially, I felt a bit of uncomfortable but as everyone around me is the same then I care no more and prepare to enjoy my onsen.

Inside the onsen area there are a lot different onsen. The first one I tried is a moderate onsen as it is not too hot, then I went to a red onsen which is more hot compare to the previous one. After trying both, I went for a outdoor onsen. It is a beautiful pool as the design is like you are in the waterfall. I spend quite a long time in that onsen as I like it very much.

After that, I went off and take a rest at the sitting area. During that time, I notice that most of the people are old people and young children. There are just only a few of the teenager like me. However, it did not matter as I do enjoy myself. Then I went to the other pool in the outside area. It is the white colour pool which you can enjoy TV show while you are inside the pool. The people are quite relaxing.

Another onsen is the dark chocolate colour which has strong odour. I saw a packet of chocolate colour pack at the source of the water, maybe it is something like tea pack that used for onsen. Finally, there is a last facility at the outdoor onsen area. It was the steam bath. It is kind like a small hole for you to enter and it keep releasing the steam in the small cave room. I did not stay long, it take me maybe 6 min for the steam bath. Before I leave, I manage to try another onsen which is the cold onsen. The water will really make you freezing cold. Lastly, I went for the sauna, it is some sort like a hot movie teather as people enjoy TV show and sauna together.

It can be said as a good experience to try onsen in Japan. You will have lot of wonderful experience for sure. I think I will visit the onsen again soon.