In Making Udon Noodles from Scratch, I showed how dough was flattened out like a pizza crust, folded over, and carefully cut into long strips to be boiled into udon noodles. While in Tokyo earlier this year, we came across a different method of preparing the noodles at a shop named for the this style of noodle preparation: Tosho-men (刀削麺).
This style, from the Shanxi region of China, literally means “knife-cut noodles”.
As with the Japanese preparation style, the chef starts with a hunk of dough...
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — 1/50 sec, f/4.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
It's Time to Make the Noodles
He then stands some distance from a big pot of boiling water, and starts hacking away at whirlwind speed, sending long strips of dough flying through the air toward (and usually into) the pot.
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 31 mm — 1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Flying Noodles of Fury
It's hoped that a finger or two don't also make the trip.
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — 1/125 sec, f/4, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Multiple Noodles In Transit
This method seems easier to me than the normal Japanese method, at least until the blob of dough gets small enough to reveal the chef's fingers. However, the results are less uniform (and less long), which is perhaps why the Japanese favor their method.
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/160 sec, f/5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
My World is Spinning Out of Control
and I love it!
During last month's trip to Amami Ooshima (a southern-Japan island in the East China Sea), the big attraction for Anthony at our hotel was a swing. Out behind the gift shop was a spooky-style tree with three swings hanging from it, and a bunch of netting above to allow kids to climb its expansive branches in safety.
Spooky Tree and Swings
His favorite by far was the orange buoy, which he sat on while I pushed or swung him around.
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/250 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100, fill flash — map & image data — nearby photos
Holding on for Dear Life
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/640 sec, f/4.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/160 sec, f/5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/1000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Exposure Was a Challenge
especially during the few times the sun peeked out
( Lightroom's “fill light” helped when I forgot to use fill flash )
Of course, focus and composition were also a challenge, doing everything with one hand while pushing him with the other, all the while having a cold.
Having a nice view helped.
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/2500 sec, f/7.1, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
View from the Swings
Besides the swing that climbing on the rocks, Anthony also really enjoyed playing with other kids who happened to be staying at the same time....
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — 1/60 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Silly Times with New Friends
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/320 sec, f/5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Saying “Bye”
The day we left, we went to say “bye” to the boys he'd been playing with, and found them by the swings getting ready for some snorkeling. His way of saying “bye” was to get pushed super high on the swing, saying “watch!”. Kids are the same all over.
The big huge spooky tree with the swings seemed perfect for climbing, but, quite surprisingly, Anthony had very little interest. He tried it once, and returned to the swings.
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — 1/180 sec, f/5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Tentative
About to Expire
Anthony's US passport is about to expire, so we need to renew it at the US Consulate in Osaka. Hopefully the trip goes better than last time I had to go there.
We've got all the paperwork ready, but for a while had trouble finding his birth certificate. Eventually, I had to make contingency plans and check to see how to get a copy (from the State of California), and was shocked to find that it takes, on average, three months to get one!
However, that's nothing compared to how long it takes to get a simple copy of a marriage certificate:
I'd never believe these ridiculous wait times for simple copies of documents already in the State's computers, except that it's right there on the California Department of Public Health web site, a screen capture of which is at right.
Wow, our tax dollars at work.
Luckily, we found our copy and so we should be all set.
We're on a roll.... Fumie and I both renewed our driver's licences yesterday in a smooth but time-consuming wasted day.
Here's a picture of seven-month-old Anthony during a breezy moment at home, not long after getting his current passport.
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/350 sec, f/1.6, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lighter than Air
After a stupendous moment in the sun, the common white cherry blossom has all but evaporated from Kyoto, but there are still plenty of other varieties of cherry tree (and other tree, I suppose) in full bloom or just starting to blossom. The weeping crimson at the old imperial palace are one example, but there are plenty more, such as this tree full of fluffy pink I came across on the way home from Mass on Sunday. They were so nice, I had to return with my camera...
I like how in the photo above you can see all the various stages: bud, unfolding blossom, and fully-expanded blossom. These reminded me somewhat of the late-blooming blossoms from 10 Gallons of Blossoms on a 5-Gallon Branch, but these were more delicate and airy, less bunched.
The green of a neighboring willow tree made for pretty contrast...
... especially where some blossoms poked through the curtain of green....
I wondered how they compared to the aforementioned “10 Gallons” blossoms, so I stopped by on my way back to check them out. They were much further behind the curve, probably hitting full bloom some time in a week or two...
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/125 sec, f/5, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Much More Yet to Come
(such as this)
While there, I noticed Aotan, the great blue heron that's trained the owners of a local building to feed him (as seen in Lunch with a Great Blue Heron), waiting at his normal spot...
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/4, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Awaiting Lunch
The first floor of this building is the Reina de Reina Mexican restaurant, which is unlike any Mexican restaurant in America in that its food is excellent. Really, really top notch. Fumie took me there the other day for my birthday, and just as it was when I was there before, the food was absolutely superb. If you have a chance to visit this area, I highly recommend it.
If you do, be sure to say “hi” to Aotan.
A few moments after taking this picture, a couple and their three young kids exited the restaurant, and not knowing there was a huge gray bird just outside the door (and not expecting there was a huge gray bird just outside the door), all parties – human and fowl – were somewhat startled. The humans reacted by taking a step back, while the bird reacted by flying to the roof one floor above.
They stared at each other for a while before the humans went on their way...