Golden week- mid meat break..

Sadly all things must come to an end... and NO I don't mean this blog don't get your hopes up yet. I mean golden week, well kind off we have two days of school and then back to holidaying it up. I also presume this accounts for the weather as the clear skies have given way for a down pour just in time for me to cycle to school hurrrarrr... During my first lesson with the 3rd graders (who have just returned from their school trip to Tokyo) I had a trio of boys declare they were "kidnapped by black people!" Now its very difficult to actually tell someone off in another language but I think I've managed it (use of a frown and loud voice helps) so hopefully I won't be hearing that again, sadly I don't think its the last time I'm going to have to that conversation....

Anyway I haven't put any pictures on the computer of the last few days yet so you'll just have to wait for those a bit longer ohh you lucky lucky people. Yesterday me and T.O.H went to (the only) newly discovered local restaurant. Where we found they are purveyors of the finest cuts of animal organs hmmmmmm the kindly lady did give us free raw liver to try (again hmmmmm) and we had some nice cuts of heart, chicken bits, and vegetables. Whilst T.O.H had stomach meat (and we all say ewwwww at the same time) one of the few foods served in Japan that I have never...EVER been able to eat. I should also say that amusingly enough the menu listed the heart, chicken stomach meat as "Hormones selection" actually I'm not sure if its that funny.

It did get us talking about the different approaches to food and its perception. In England we were both taught that almost all food must be cooked properly and thoroughly before being eaten. I still hold that I'd rather have my food cooked (and well cooked at that) especially as when I was a youngster (fresh faced and full of freckles) I contracted rather bad food poisoning which lead onto years of controlled diets, hospital visits and other things I'm too polite to mention. Anyway it seems that other countries perception of English food is of over cooked, over boiled and over baked, why is it that English food often has such a bad reputation abroad?
Living abroad, and certainly in a rice based society has made me respect certain foods that I think we take for granted in England, everyday things like fish and chips, pies and Sunday roasts are all things people in England would probably sneer at but don't seem to realise how particular they are the England (yes I am aware they make these things abroad but I mean as a certain taste). Over here if you speak to Americans who have lived in England they always talk about English sweets and in particular Cadbury's cream eggs whilst Japanese people who have been to England talk about the availability and niceness of British meat.
I think one major reason why English food is overlooked is that like England itself English food is an amalgamation (or should that be assimilation? wordsmiths please help!) of many different cultures. How many people forget that England is founded on people coming to this island brining their tastes, spices and wonders from around the world, mingling together to form one rich tapestry.

I'm not saying that English food is the greatest food...EVER, or that Japanese or any other foreign food is terrible, I've eaten my fair shair of bad English resturant meals and great foods in other countries to testify to that, mearly that English food is often dismissed unfairly.

So if your reading this whilst tucking into your dinner don't forget that there's someone in Japan missing his fish and chips...

Anyway please feel free to comment on suggestions for your favourite English food or whether you agree or disagree with what I said.