If you read last week's post, you know I severely sprained my ankle on a morning walk while looking up at fighting squirrels, so that post was about looking where you're walking. Then, I remembered this song, which I feel is telling me what NOT to do when I go for my next walk. (Ankle update: still sore but already so much better, I'm walking without a cane and am thinking about doing a half hour walk this weekend!)

Last weekend was painfully reminded of this Japanese proverb which means "Watch your step as you walk."

I was happily walking along on a local trail at 7:30am on Saturday morning, enjoying the sunrise and looking forward to a fun day, when I was distracted by squirrels loudly fighting in a tree. I looked up, stumbled off the path, and my foreseeable future had just drastically changed.

I vividly remember getting a book about origami when I was in my early teens and spending hours and hours folding fantastical shapes out of the most beautiful paper I had ever seen. I could never have imagined though that origami would be used in space!

I love puzzles (as you can see from the photo collage!), and I wanted to share what I recently learned about Kumiki puzzles, also known as "interlocking wooden puzzles". These are traditional Japanese puzzles that date back to the late 1800s.

When people think of Japanese food, they often envision sushi and ramen. While these dishes are of course popular in Japan, they are not necessarily the everyday fare that Japanese people consume at home. In fact, nimono (煮物), or simmered dishes, are a staple of home cooking in Japan.

You all know I love studying Japanese, but this obsession with counters has got me stumped. I mean, just watch the video link (thank you hubby for digging that one up!) and you'll know what I mean. Why does the counter for a bowl of ramen change 3 times during its 15 minute life from making to consuming! Mindboggling 😅