Day 39.

Today was a lazy day for me, or maybe i just need some time off for relaxation. Even though i had proper days off and i didn’t feel tired at all back in Sasayama where i wwoofed, i just need to do nothing for a while. Osaka wasn’t my main goal on my tiny “vacation” between Sasayama and Omaezaki, so i’m taking this time to chill and just enjoy the time, because from monday it’s gonna get busy again - i’m going to Kyoto. I already took some time to read all kinda tourist information and made a list of places i wanna visit. And there’s shitload of spots i wanna go to, so i have to be ready mentally and physically to run through the whole city!! I wish i could stay there longer, but for the first time 2 days are gonna be enough. I’ll set some priorities, in case my list becomes really too long.

It’s strange to be at civilized home after Sasayama, so i still have to get used to this kinda life. Even though my wwoofing there didn’t take that long, it had a strong impact on me. I’m spending couple of days on my own right now and almost the whole week in Tokyo in September, so i just bought a pack of rice, so i could save up some money and just eat simply (like i’m used to already...). And the funny part was, that i subconsciously took pack of brown rice, so every time i cook them now i have Sasayama, our house, every one standing before my eyes. I still get tired early in the evening, even though i started sleeping longer. It’s gonna take a while for me, to go back to normal life and normal rhythm and to be honest - i don’t know if i want to have lots of so called normal life anymore. Another buzz was when i went to the supermarket and wanted to take plenty of vegetables, they were not just expensive (which i have forgotten at all - our fields don’t charge us), but they were totally colourless. I bought a pack of tomatoes however, because i needed some vegetables, but the taste was like paper, the colour of those tomatoes couldn’t possibly be called “red” and the smell is just a hint of the real tomato.

Today however i went for a stroll in a city and my plan was just to visit the park, but it ended in 4 hours exploration, wandering and making pictures, eating a really nice pudding and finding 100 Yen Shop, and cheap Sushi place. And i even didn’t get lost!! Not once! I’m totally proud of myself. It was interesting just to wander around, since i’m in Osaka for the first time, so everything’s new, everything’s catching my eye. So far, for me it’s a city of differences. I’m being reminded again and again how different Japan is from Europe, but even in one city itself you clearly see the differences between neighborhoods. You see almost shattered houses and 10 meters further you find a new block house. You approach the river side and it’s almost like resort’s area - quiet, lost of space, spots where you can just lie down and enjoy the sun, parks. You go back to the main street, which takes you tops 5 minutes and you’re back in city’s chaos, mess and noise.

So on my way back i stumbled on that 100 Yen shop as mentioned above and i was immediately overjoyed! That’s definitely my weak spot... I really had to control myself and bought just some stuff, that i really need, i will use and so it’s not too much. I even didn’t cross 2000 Yen limit, so it’s good. It’s a really good one, so if you’re in Osaka, go to Akagawa’s 100 Yen shop, it’s near Kema, Miyakojima, Shirokita park, Riverside. They also have some food, which is quite convenient, especially bread and jam - those are way more expensive in a regular supermarket. In the evening they sometimes have discounts, so you get tofu or yoghurt really cheap. That’s another tip for those who want to save some money while being in Japan.

I also found a tasty and cheap sort of ice cream, so believe me, even though i’m a big fan of Hagen Diazs, you don’t have to buy that all the time to enjoy ice cream.

Try this one if you have the chance (it’s just 98 Yen!!!):

Dekkaruche (i went for strawberry/blueberry today)

Osaka:

Milly's Chicken Marinade

Well, since couple of people praised my marinade and one of my friends asked for the recipe, i decided to simply put it online, so more people could profit from it! I also personally think that this marinade indeed turned out very well which is a nice thing, since i'm bad with meat.

I used to be vegetarian almost all my life, but then i had to start eating meat when i turned 18 because of some medical problems. So i started eating chicken and turkey. Nothing more thought... Even when i'm asked whether i eat poultry, i say no, because well, if i say yes - i lie, since i hate any other meat than chicken and turkey. For instance, duck doesn't smell nice, doesn't look nice and is totally fat.

Anyway, lets go back to the topic of this post. It's difficult to write it down into a recipe while not doing it and it sure is difficult to write how much do you need of this and that, since i just follow my instincts. But i will try!

Milly's Chicken Marinade:

500g crushed tomatoes (it really has to be like a puree)

2-3 TS original mayonaise (don't take the salad mayo!)

1 TS lemon juice (concentrated one, not the one you can actually drink) or you can press half of lemon by yourself, which would be even better

2-3 big onions

1 garlic head

black pepper, salt

2 TS honey

basil OR (!) oregano, don't mix them together, you should go for either of them

It's not difficult to prepare it, just pour the tomato puree into a big bowl, add mayo and stir it well. Cut onions in really fine cubes and crush garlic, add both to the bowl. Then, add pepper, salt and lemon juice, stir it well again. Then the magic ingredient - honey - comes to the game. Add it to the bowl and stir the mixture, until honey dissolves completely. Add lots of basil OR oregano as the last step.

There you go! You're ready to put chicken in it.

It is quick to prepare and it doesn't require much time to marinade. 1 hour already does the trick. However, it can stand up to 24 hours in the fridge. Don't overdo though, since there's a lot of onions in this marinade and the more time goes by, the more bitter it might get. (if you marinade it for more than 24 hours).

TIP: It's best if you marinade the chicken in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge at least for 1 hour.