Blogwonky

With Yuko in Japan, I decided to cook Gyoza myself tonight. I also cooked rice (not shown).

It was a culinary triumph!

Gyoza Cooked by Noswonky

Today we went to the Korean supermarket at Eastwood to stock up on food in an effort to keep up with the consumption of the boy. In particular, we wanted to buy the ingredients to make gyoza…

Korean Shop

On the way back, we stopped at Harris Technology to buy 500GB of storage for Kazuki. He’s been taking photos and video and needs the extra storage…

Yuko hands Kazuki 500GB

In the evening, we got Kazuki to earn his dinner – by cooking it…

Kazuki cooks gyoza

It was time for the boy to meet some fauna. Strangely for a Japanese tourist, he chose to eschew the Australian wildlife and go for the African…

Applying deadly chemicals

Funny hat - long neck

Meeting the lizard - It was very docile

Checking wingspan

Then... pizza

It was time for another team lunch! This time we went here.

When our food arrive, we looked at it in amazement…

I ate a very nice piece of trout…

While I ate, a crazy dude tried to stare me down, but I ignored him…

At this time of year there is a different ship in port almost every day. Today, it was the Queen Victoria. This is probably the biggest ship which can fit at the terminal…

After work I met Yuko at Firefly. There was a display of Japanese Taiko drumming in the plaza, although the performers were not Japanese. They demonstrated a high level of skill as a large crowd gathered to watch.

Meanwhile, we decided to try Firefly’s pizza. It comes in a rectangular shape.

We also drank beer. It was very nice indeed.

Today we had our monthly team lunch. You can’t beat a free lunch…

We went to a pizza restaurant, so I ate pizza…

During lunch, one of my colleagues threatened me with violent death. Fortunately I survived…

It was free meat day. You can’t beat free meat!

There was one mutant sausage of extraordinary length, which I grabbed…

Mutant Sausage with hand for size reference

Meanwhile, Yuko went to pick up the huge quantity of pickled plums which she has had on order for weeks. She was worried that they would not arrive before she leaves for Japan, but they did, and she picked them up today. She asked me to buy 1kg of salt to put them in, where they will sit for a long time – maturing…

Yuko gawks at her pickled plums

Plums

This morning we went over to Kieko’s house to attend one of her Studio Keiko Sushi classes. Keiko wanted some pictures taken for promotional purposes and normally Yuko would be the photographer. But on this occasion Yuko was a student in the class, so she gave me the cameras and I took the pictures.

Keiko demonstrates the making of Nigiri Sushi

There were four student in the class including Yuko. I didn’t participate directly other than in helping to eat the sushi at the end.

Keiko demonstrated the standard sushi roll (below), the ‘inside out’ roll and nigiri sushi making. The students demonstrated great skill too. Yuko was nervous being the only Japanese student as she felt pressure to do better that the others.

Rolling Sushi

The class went from 10 am until 1pm, which included eating the sushi and dessert. The student all seemed to enjoy the class.

The students displayed some of their work…

It was very exciting indeed.

Keiko Sears

In the evening we went to Keiko’s house for a Sushi Party. There were a lot of people in a small space and there was much merriment. Most of the people there were from Edwin’s karate class so I was careful not to instigate any brawls…

Yuko was there with the task of photographing the sushi demonstration which began soon after we arrived. Keiko demonstrated the making of sushi, and then made it available for eating. There was also a barbecue in progress in the back yard. This event may serve as good practice for Keiko who is travelling to the UK soon where she may become a celebrity sushi chef on the BBC.

Yuko, Keiko and her assistant

After work I met Yuko in the city and we walked over to the exhibition centre at Darling Harbour for the Fine Food Australia exhibition.

Despite the show being restricted to ‘trade only’, we were able to get access as employees of Studio Keiko. Yuko is an ‘Assistant’ and I am a ‘Marketing Manager.

Moments after entering the exhibition hall, Yuko was reprimanded by a security guard who told her that photographs were not allowed in the hall. Despite this, we both continued to take pictures.

We soon found our friend Keiko, who is working with the soy sauce maker Yamasa.

Keiko (left) demonstrates the wonders of Yamasa Soy Sauce

Keiko also had some of her artistic sushi on display. It was very exciting indeed…