8/4 Cooking Party

Our professor for our presentation class, Tomoko-sensei, wanted to have a "food party" and asked if we would like to cook food to share with everyone. So the day prior, I went out to buy and prepare some things. I had actually made a deal with an American professor named Tom Desi, where he gave me some chili seasoning.

In the morning, instead of class we met up in the kitchen classroom. We were all able to make whatever we wanted. I was early and one of the first there. Because I had bought my ingredients the day prior, I was already to go. So by 11 am I had already finished my chili con carne. Luckily I was able to source everything I needed in Japan, and since I had that one professor's seasoning and one that was mailed to me from my mom, it was smooth sailing.

I was done before anyone else, and as the others gradually started I went around to help. I took out my phone and put on some J-pop for us to jam out to while working. Go made some mapo tofu, another student named Shou who literally made some flat bread. Anna was there and she made a type of Hungarian fried pork(?) that was really good. One of the volunteers for our class, a lady whose name I will need to look up. She tried the chili and found it really spicy. It was funny because my Chinese classmates and I did not think it was spicy at all. We started mixing things around, so I put some noodles into my chili and that turned out to be really good.

I actually messaged my professor Tokuoka-sensei that we had food and so if he and the seminar class (which I was skipping) wanted to come try some chili. It was funny when I saw their heads pop into the room and took them to grab a bowl. Rin informed me that apparently chili con carne (chiri konkan) is a staple school food in Japan. So it turned out that I wasn't that original. I also brought in Desi-sensei, the American professor who lent me the seasoning and I tried to get a pizza for, and his coworker came over to try some of the food. We were having a party.

Then I broke out the banana pudding I had prepared the day prior (which I brought from the US!) and placed it on Filipino graham cracker squares that I was lucky enough to buy. I had so much pudding that everyone had seconds for the squares, and I was even able to go give some to the international office staff.

People gradually trickled out until there was just us who were cleaning up. I did as much as I could to help and we were out of there. It turned out that there was some sort of international student aimed event in Dogo, and since I had free time I decided to head over. When I got there it was the very end, but I was able to talk with some people and see nice Tanabata decorations. I got a ride in a Japanese prius, where the driver was on the wrong side.

When I got back, I laid out all of my signed memory books and took a picture.