Introduction

Hello, my name is Daniel Riley and you've reached the site of a blog I wrote during my time as an exchange student in Nagoya, Japan. In the wake of the triple disasters of earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear incident, I have decided to repurpose the site as an aggretation of resources for those interested in helping the survivors of these disasters. Those interested in reading about my time in Japan can still do so in the Archives. Thank you for reading, I hope you find a way to support the people of Japan in this time of need.

- Dan

17 November 2009

Eating healthy

A new week, a new blog, a new confession.
This is it, folks. I've been in denial too long. I know, I know, you're probably wondering, "What could this possibly be? What has he been hiding?" Well folks, I've just quit. Going cold turkey from this day on. Yes, gone are the days when I would indulge one, two, three, or even four times a day. I just needed something quick to get by. Those of you who know me here will perhaps be shocked, awed, and perhaps a few of you even will be totally indifferent. Just remember, I'm staying strong, and so can you.

OK... deep breath...

I'm quitting conbinis(Convenience stores)

Whew, that was tough.

Now, some of you might be wondering, "Why is this such a big deal?" Why is it such a big deal? I am a college student. This means that in order to be able to pay rent, Internet, and utilities, I can only afford to be sustained on the most inexpensive fare available. Occasionally I will indulge myself and have a hearty breakfast of air and sunshine, but I am on a budget, so I have to keep these big expenses to a minimum. So, up until now, I've been largely subsisting on orange juice, onigiri(rice rolls), and cheap o-cha(Green tea). That all changed the other day when I discovered La Place(It's french! maybe), an organic grocery store right by the Ohmeikan.


This discovery means I no longer have an excuse for eating unhealthy, but delicious food. Granted Japan has immensely stringent food policies, and the food on the whole is much more healthy then what is common in the states, but that doesn't mean that a cup-o-ramen is as good for me as, say, whole wheat noodles with organic seaweed.

And so ends a chapter in my adventures in Nagoya, but first I need to say a few farewells.

 Oh FamilyMart, you were so convenient. All I had to do was hop on my bike from the ECIS building and gravity would carry me down the hill straight into your embrace. We had our good times, it's true, like that time I forgot my wallet back at Ohmeikan, and the girl at the counter smiled understandingly as I dashed out the door. When I had returned she had heated up my meal and had written her name and number on the receipt(unfortunately she wrote it in Kanji). FamilyMart, I will miss you.


 Circle K, if that is indeed your name, I never really got to know you. Our one encounter was brief but sweet, I bought some chocolate. You were always just around the corner from the campus, literally, but now it is too late for us to get to know each other better. We might have had something special if it wasn't for the fact that your food would slowly kill me.


 Lawson Station! I will always remember you, mostly because I pass by you every single day on the way to class. We had so many memories, from walking to you in the tail end of a typhoon to the dismay and continuing deep resentment of your proprietor, to the eternal struggle for survival outside your door in the little sea of bikes. You will always hold a special place in my heart, and my liver, and other assorted organs. Petrochemicals never forget.

Finally we come to the hardest goodbye of all.

Fried chicken, I'm leaving you for another source of protein.

 Don't look at me with those...bread crumbs. We both knew it was never meant to be.

****
Japanese Time! Japanese Word of the Day!
English: Food
Japanese: たべもの
Pronunciation: Tah-beh-moh-no
****

Best Wishes,
Dan