Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Wednesday In Japan. . . Omiyage

Omiyage
Small gifts that you give to family and friends in Japan when you visit or come back from a trip.
Every time I travel to Japan I take a suitcase full of small gifts.  Some items that have been requested, special foods, clothing, kitchen items books and movies.
Or... when son goes to see his brother two six packs + of some special micro brewed beer.


Son brought back some great gifts, left to right
Awamori (Okinawa Shochu),  Umeshu  (Plum wine),  Ume Niguri (Plum unfiltered sake)
Yuzushu (Yuzu wine)

I think this is the most beautiful label and soft color of the wine.
is just amazing !

Gifts from my son's wonderful Mother in Law.
Yuze Ponze, Red Chile  flakes in fish sauce and Pickled Daikon radish.

Great paper napkins with Origiri (rice balls) and a (empty) Perssiom Cider drink bottle.
What a interesting label.


Umeboshi (plum) tea from my son's Mother in Law

When you take one plum and put in on hot water it opens up like a flower.
When I try it later I will take some photos.
More gifts photos to come an later posts.
........................

Two comments asked about the flowering cactus from Mondays post.


Echinposis Oxyonia,  Easter Lily Cactus


Joe,  asked about the small cactus.
Yes, it is a very large bloom that comes from a small clumping cactus.
The blooms are about 6 + inches round, the stem is about 6 to 8 inches tall.
They bloom May to June,  at sunrise and last a day.


Here are some photos from last year.


Denise asked how do I grow them ?  well, I don't do anything.
Cactus+Arizona= good !
Sun, splash of water, and some cactus food in summer and that's about it, neglect  helps.
But...
The pack rats have been eating this cactus and I have been moving it around, trying to find a place it likes and away from the *^&#$;%*#^*  pack rats !
So the blooms are not as nice as former years.

................
Here is your pretty for the day.


Photos taken from my pool of the wispy clouds that look like a Jellyfish.
I should have gotten out, I was doing my exercises and really didn't want to stop.
I guess I should have, since the clouds where so ethereal, it was an impossible cloud to focus on.


The wind was really whipping the clouds around that afternoon.

umeboshi. . . parsnip
music. . . Cloud Age Symphony,  Okino Shuntaro
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9 comments:

  1. The flowers and the sky are lovely.

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

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  2. Beautiful skies Parsnip and how I love those cactus flowers =
    I can't imagine growing them anywhere in the UK. Love to the
    square ones.

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  3. Those bottles are little works of art in themselves are they not?

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  4. OMG! The cactus flowers and the alien jellyfish. I think I see an angel in the last one. Truly you are an artist!

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  5. Plum wine?

    The skies look beautiful!

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  6. We had some three sided cactus in the ground in San Diego that grew over ten feet long and wrapped over our lath house. It had numerous gorgeous blooms but they opened after dark and were shriveled up by morning, using night moths for pollination. No cactus in our yard here, I'll have to try some pots like you have.

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  7. I love all things plum and even the empty bottles are a delight.
    What gorgeous cacti flowers.

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