Getting more familiar....

Last night Tomo (he’s a guy that just got his PhD from the University of Illinois and we worked together on similar projects – now he’s an assistant professor here at he University of Tokyo) came to Komagome with me to help me scope out all of the restaurants and figure out how to order at the more intimidating (read: no English) places. I feel a lot more confident about it now. We ate at a place that is just up the hill from where I live. I was really good – kind of western as fall as the interior of the restaurant – more tables and more spacious than other places I had seen. It had a lot of variety, from salads to sushi to “bar” food. I think I’ll go there a lot in the future. It was reasonable and I can eat in a comfortable setting not far from home.

Tonight I had some success cooking at the apartment. It’s been hit and miss on the outcomes. I have to adjust my thinking on what I can cook. With only one burner, one pot, very limited space (i.e. no place to do a lot of chopping) and limited ingredients (mainly seasoning) I have to simplify what I try to make. I’m going to stick with pasta and rice dishes that I can just make all in one pot.

Research is frustrating. I’ve hit a road block. I won’t bore you with the details. I don’t see a solution that doesn’t involve a lot of help from others. That’s never an ideal situation. Especially when those with the needed expertise are in Illinois. And, as the saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” I’m just not their priority and I’m not there to meet with them face-to-face. I know it will get resolved but the main pressure is that I need to get some results prior to the conference I am going to in China, which is coming fast! I’m not in panic mode yet but that’s because I still have hope. On the flip side, I’m really looking forward to the trip to China. After that, Nathan comes to see me and then three weeks later I go home. Not that I’m counting the days yet but I am excited for Nathan to visit me.