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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

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Monday, September 06, 2010

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

On Labor Day weekend things really change when no one in your family goes to school anymore. No race to get school supplies or issues with registration (Wooh, I can do without that part!) or bus schedules, etc.
As a matter of fact, slowly one loses slowly the whole feel of school semesters. The only way I bump into that atmosphere if I happen to want to come up to my kids to stay, because in their families EVERYONE is in school, kids and parents! 
It's great , because when we stop learning, we'll go backwards.




Not that the following has to do with school, but maybe with learning.
Last time I was at Trader Joe (almost a health food store), I picked these up.  California rolls (sushi) with brown rice! I'm elated, because I have long ago traded white for brown rice. So much more nutritious!


A number of years ago I saw how a Korean friend (parent of one of my kid's friends) made these sushi rolls.
She had a mat made out of small wooden round slats.  The mat looked like a number of small wooden knitting needles next to each other - sorry, forgot to ask her the name of this mat). 
She put the outer layer of seaweed on (the black stuff), then she put a layer or rice on, rolled up the mat, so it would flatten the rice. 
All the next layers were done the same way. At the end she had a long roll, that she cut up in one inch pieces, and voila, sushi rolls! 
She told me that the blackened seaweed was often given to pregnant women because of the high content of estrogen in it (she is a nurse).


Not to go into any political discussion, but if you wonder why a Korean woman could make sushi (Japanese) rolls. Can't remember the exact details and dates, but Korea has several times been occupied by China. China has been occupied by Japan, so these cultures have things in common.


So what are you doing on Labor Day? I'm eating these sushi rolls for lunch. Enjoy your Labor day! It goes without saying that some coffee drink is also on the menu. Maybe even some dessert!



9 comments:

Jo said...

I was amazed to learn just how similar Korean and Japanese cultures are, and believe it or not, Korea has had more of an influence on Japanese culture than vice versa -- from ages long past. Interesting, hey?

That sushi looks good...! Enjoy...! :-)

Sam Liu said...

I love sushi, one my favourite food types. Sadly, there is no such holiday in England, so it's just been a normal day. But I'm glad you've had fun, wishing you all the best :)

Scriptor Senex said...

It's not Labor Day over here so I don't eel guilty about doing very little today. Wouldn't mind sharing your sushi rolls tough!

Irene said...

Korea was under Japanese rule for 35 years starting in 1905.

EG CameraGirl said...

Labour Day is cold and rainy here. It turned out to be a good day to go through some of my archived photos. :)

Jeannette StG said...

JO,
The sushi was yummy!It's funny that I'm still learning about these cultures since I was born in Indonesia - glad for my kids who have a much wider horizon culturally than I have:)

Sam,
I made this holiday also a normal day this year, because we just had been traveling around for 2 weeks, and tomorrow, I'm going again for a few days.
In America they often go to the beach or parks and BBQ on a day like this.

Scriptor,
I am not feeling guilty either for making this an errand and packing day :)
Hubby is working because he just took off last 14 days and tomorrow again for a few days (in the US, we can't take long vacations like in W-Eur. since in many jobs vacation days are not paid, and the social welfare systems have big loop holes).

Nora,
You are amazing - you looked that up for me? Thanks! (you didn't have that memorized, I hope? ) I was never was good in jaartallen! And now my kids expect me to know the history of the US too!

Doowmée said...

Hi Jeannette, thank you for your passage. Yes, this is one of my paintings, a little altered to the computer.
Your sushi they look delicious. I confess prefer Chinese cuisine, Vietnamese and Thai to Japanese, but I still like very much.
Here the rain coming, I'm gonna have to disconnect. Lightning has burned my phone, internet and PC last year, so I'm very cautious.
Cheers
Doowmée

Irene said...

No Jeannette, I knew Japan occupied Korea, I just didn't know when. I had to look that up. I'm not always sure of my dates. Japan occupied portions of China too, but I don't have the dates for that out of my head, probably at roughly the same time. It had expansion drift.

Jeannette StG said...

Doowmee,
Sushi is the only Japanese food I know:) Chinese food, next to Indonesian, I know the best. Since my son lives in China, I know now how Chinese food is supposed to taste! Love Thai dishes too, especially Pad Thai.
Yes, take care of your computer! Have a great weekend, friend!

Irene,
Yes, I was really surprised when I discovered that Asian countries occupied other Asian countries - Here I was, thinking for a long time that only the Western European countries ruled over others!!