Japanese people are always quick to commend the foreigner for his proficiency with chopsticks. And while those remarks are certainly more polite than honest, I thought that after all these years I was doing okay . Well, today after lunch at a Japanese restaurant I ended up with rice in my hair (no idea how it got there). And for dinner the staff at the Chinese restaurant brought me a fork after watching the struggle (?) with my noodles.

Company Year End Party, 10 courses.

Also, check out this video on how to eat sushi.

Breakfast

Half of a cake made from apple and sweet potato (the whole cake was 714 yen). Jasmine tea.

Lunch

The second half of the apple cake.

Afternoon

Three Cissy-made waffles with baked-in banana slices.

Dinner

Cissy cooked chicken filets (spiced with some herbs and lemons) and green paprica (combined material cost around 300 yen). A piece of chocolate pie (100 yen). Some sour jelly gums.

Night

During the 9 o'clock movie (The Faculty, viciously cut for time, I hate TV) a pack of potato chips (120g, 180 yen)

Our strawberry-flavored milk drink is the smooth and tasty way to freshen up your day.

Koiwai Farmed Since 1891

Breakfast

A glass of (you can guess it by now) grapefruit juice. Later a pack of strawberry milk (250ml, 90 yen, see above).

Lunch

Spaghetti with potatoes from Hokkaido, sausages and basil. Two (small) glasses of Coke. Salad. A piece of layer cheese cake and a cup of orange pekoe tea (all together 814 yen). A Japanese sweet bean bun (anman).

Afternoon

Kaiten (rotation) sushi: three plates of tuna, two plates of egg, with green tea (together 525 yen)

Dinner

Jasmine tea. Half a sweet potato cake (the whole cake was 1050 yen). A strawberry yoghurt (Danone, 85g, 207 yen for a pack of four).

Viking is another good example of Japanese English. It does not denote a pirate from among the Northmen, who plundered the coasts of Europe in the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuries. The term is used for an all-you-can eat buffet (which you can hence plunder at will, so a Viking would probably enjoy it, too)

Breakfast

Three mandarin oranges and a glass of grapefruit juice. A sandwich (just cheese, ham was out, my fault).

Lunch

A lot of food and fruits and juice at the Oslo (1150 yen, 31st floor, great view). The Oslo being a Scandinavian restaurant makes viking a good choice of words, actually.

Afternoon

Two Xylitol, one Werther's Original and a similar Meiji Chocolate candy.

Dinner

Two xiao long bao and eight shaomai (both are kinds of Chinese dumplings, filled with meat, together 840 yen). Two glasses of grapefruit juice.

Today was rather irregular, since I worked overnight yesterday (Oracle server hardware upgrade) and slept through most of today.

Breakfast

Half a pack of boiled pork wieners. Cooked them myself (yeah!), no side dishes.

Afternoon

The second half of the wieners (the whole pack had 291g and cost 298 yen). Four mandarin oranges.

Shakey's Pizza quickly be came known as the world's greatest pizza. But we wanted to grow beyond a beer and pizza joint. We were determined to become what we are today. A fun family restaurant with a varied menu. but we still prepare our own dough fresh every day and use only the finest of ingredients. Shakey's does serve the world's greatest pizza.

Breakfast

Two mandarin oranges and a glass of grapefruit juice.

Lunch

A sandwich and some mint chocolates.

Afternoon

Mint chocolate from England, several Kit Kats, a pork sausage on a stick (am-pm, 105 yen), a milk drink called Nissin Pirkle(500ml, 105 yen)

Dinner

Half a pizza (ham and pineapple) and a glass of Coke at Shakey's (1218 yen)

I am feeling Heisenberg effects here. I am kind of tempted to eat unusual and interesting things for the sake of this report. On the other hand, I am also tempted to eat as normal as possible, which would also cause some distortion. I will try to ignore this.

Breakfast

A glass of grapefruit juice. A sandwich.

Lunch

A chicken filet with some vegetables and fried potatoes (cold and few), miso soup, a bowl of rice and a cup of oolong tea (all from the office cafeteria for 400 yen). A can of Tropicana mixed fruit juice (peach, orange, grapes, strawberry, 280g, 100 yen).

Afternoon

One litre of milk (207 yen). Some Bahlsen cookies and Katjes fruit gum pilfered from co-worker's desks (interesting that Japanese shop German for sweets). One Giant Pocky.

Dinner

Three mandarin oranges and a waffle.

If I was told I had to choose the cuisine of one country and eat only that for the rest of my life, I'd choose Japanese.

Douglas Adams, in an interview with The Observer, March 1995

While I feel that I cannot concur with Mr. Adams here, it turned out that I could also not adequately answer the many questions tossed at me during our recent return to Germany, as to what I eat every day, what I like most, if it is expensive, if it is enough. To be better prepared in the future, I will record all that goes down for one week.

Breakfast

A glass of grapefruit juice and two Cissy-made waffles.

Lunch

Two Cissy-made sandwiches (ham, cheese). A bowl of beef strips on rice with raw egg (gyudon), a cup of miso soup, a potato salad (all from Yoshinoya for together 500 yen). Two Xylitol mints.

Afternoon

A pack of strawberry milk (250ml, 90 yen). A Kit-Kat (99 yen)

Dinner

A small bottle of mandarin orange juice (350ml, 150 yen). An apple and two more waffles.