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- Bangladesh Festival 2008
- Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line
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- 15th Annual Dragon Boat Race
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Yoyogi Park tends to have some kind of festival going on every weekend, often celebrating a country or culture. Last weekend was Bangladesh Festival 2008, and by chance in the neighborhood I decided to stop by and take a look.
It was pretty typical of the festivals held here, with food, a few small stalls selling goods, information booths and some kind of performance on the large concrete stage. The main highlight for me is always the food, and these events never really fail to dissapoint in their selection of fairly cheap street food, though the lines are often long and much of the food the same. Bangali food was predictably similar to Indian food, with curries and samosa and the like. There were some things I had never seen before, but the crowds were mighty and I was full after one bowl of chickpea curry and naan.
I did pick up an interesting dessert made from cashews, however, and nibbled on it while checking out the goods for sale, which also predictably consisted of a selection of sari and gold bangles.
It would be great if these events had some kind of hands-on activities, or something to actually experience instead of just consume. But they are community-run activities, and just the atmosphere alone makes it worth taking a peek a few times a month to see what country has invaded the park recently.
Tokyo’s 13th subway line, the Fukutoshin Line (????) opened on Saturday with much fanfare after several long years of construction.
Still working on it, but I’d just like to draw attention to another blog I’ve started, sort of as a writing project:
Just what the world needs, another food blog!
Saturday saw me at the Yokohama Dragon Boat Race, to check out the day’s teams slide through the waters at Yamashita Koen. The heats themselves were over in a few short breaths, and I was surprised to see just how fast they moved, although a few teams did seem to have some trouble with coordination. The boats were painted with dragon scales, of course, in colorful yellows, reds and greens. It made for a beautiful, sort of exotic picture, though it would have been nicer to get a bit of a closer look.
The event is an annual competition sponsored by the Hong Kong Economics and Trade Office to promote relations between the two countries. A great idea (I’d love to go to Hong Kong!) but it would have been nice to see a few more Hong Kong-themed attractions and information areas.
I was finishing up a translation Wednesday evening when one of the editorial staff invited me to a reception at Mercer Cafe in Ebisu.
The cafe was modern and stylish but not too upscale, and we took our places in one of the large cushy bench seats, ordered drinks and dug into their buffet-style offerings.
A large number of the other attendees didn’t look like they were from the media, but all received an explanation fron the “organizer” and “producer” regarding their inspiration for the space, and the new establishment they have planned for next month. The theme of both restaurants is “elegant food in a casual atmosphere,” and the idea apparently came about after one of the guys was struck with inspiration looking at diners in New York. It does have a “Soho” feel to it, especially the new place, but the interpretation of “diner” could be a little off. And while no one outright wants to eat bad food, I might be of the type that would sway towards food (and price) that matches the ‘atmosphere.’
Even for my wayward complaints, the food was very good and the desserts absolutely delicious. I’m still dreaming of that apple crumble… (it’s hiding under the hummus in the photo above!