A Far-East Adventure

Today, well, I'm not sure what got into me - it could have been the bipolar weather, now that I think of it...
I went on my idea of a perfect date today, or it would have been the perfect date, if I had somebody to spend it with. However, since my heart is in Texas, I decided to relive that happiness in my own way.


I began by paying my respects at the local WWI and WWII veterans memorial, reading the engraved titles and names in the marble monument. Then I walked up the hill to the municipal library to check out the current art exhibits. Today's find were exquisite miniatures of Japanese traditional cultural dress, armor and architecture. The textiles were rich brocades and silks, sewn masterfully to create those famous textures and silhouettes of the porcelain figurines who wore them, posed in different attitudes.  The painting on bamboo strips of a fancy house was ornate and colorful to the last detail.
The gallery exhibit featured oil pastel work by a local artist who used images of terrestrial landscapes from satellite photographs for his inspiration. They were quite fascinating and pleasing to the eye - he breathed life and color into volcanoes, depressions, lakes, mountains and other prominent geographical features from around the world.

Another new exhibit down the main walkway featured photographs hanging on a constructed wire frame, depicting the aftermath of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo 20 years ago. The title of the exhibit was Pinatubo@20 - featuring the work of at least a dozen Filipino photographers. The destruction I saw in those pictures was devastating; miles and miles of ash and debris swept through the landscape and swallowed basically a whole town.

I stopped by the permanent fixtures - sculptural bouquets of blown glass ornaments - as somewhat of a tradition of visiting my favorite spot. The shiny, twisty glass reminds me of pulled sugar formations (must be all that Food Network we watch at the house) and Venetian canals.

Lastly, there were framed pieces created by local artists from the nearby adult school as well as middle and high schools in the area. My favorites were a teapot mirrored in a shiny table, a pair of elephants (mother and child), a small wave breaking on the shore, and some cheery lilies.  There was also a watercolor of evergreen trees with clouds in the background which spoke to me. All in all, a successful art show - I was quite satisfied.

I took a walk down to a nearby fountain and watched the koi fish swim in a pool beneath a waterfall thundering over huge boulders. Japanese seemed to be the theme of the day, so I headed for a local sushi  restaurant, Niko Niko Sushi.  When I arrived, I realized that half of their non-sushi menu was Korean food! So much the better, in my opinion.

Outside the restaurant in a food court was a seemingly nondescript fountain with water running down the sides - the real attraction consisted of colored lights and a mysterious mist which would hiss forth every so often, diffused by the lights into blues and greens. Later the fountain became a towering geyser of sorts, all lit up from the center with changing hues. What a transformation! But a good appetizer, nonetheless.

Inside the restaurant, I noticed the basic colors of black and red against a yellow-tinged cream base. Candle holders lined the wall atop a black marble shelf beneath a framed abstract print of a tree. A leaf-shaped metal decoration suspended fan-like ornaments of round shell at the entrance to the hallway which led to the kitchen, the doorway of which was decorated with a cloth curtain dip-dyed rustically in navy blue and red stripes.  A young man named Peter seated me at a little square table and brought me water, laying down a bowl of edamame in the pod and a bowl for dipping sauce (which I could mix to my preference out of wasabi and soy sauce). He also brought a sectioned condiment dish with pickled ginger in one half and a scoop of green wasabi in the other.  All the waiters were young, male, and presumably trilingual (I overheard them speaking in Korean together, though they spoke to the sushi chef in Japanese).  The menu, a large laminated card slightly larger than a placemat, was overwhelming, with its colorful photos of all the possible sushi rolls, and other dishes on the reverse. A card at my right hand displayed the beverage menu, including brown rice green tea (which I plan to order upon my return).

At Peter's recommendation, I ordered the Ultimate Albacore Roll: sesame mustard sauce with fried white onions piled on top of a roll stuffed with spicy tuna and cucumber and draped with a tender cut of albacore.  Kudos to Peter! It was delicious. Messy, of course, since my small mouth can barely fit around a piece of sushi (thank God for chopsticks and their scissor-like capabilities!)... but so worth it! Naturally, I was intimidated by sitting alone in a sushi restaurant stuffing my face in front of three cute Asian guys and the watchful eyes of the sushi chef, who was no doubt ticking off my etiquette infringements by the minute.  So I decided not to indulge in a scoop of green tea ice cream, but I did skip next door to Golden Spoon and secure myself a tiny bowl of Kahlua-flavored soft-serve. The perks of food courts - everything is in one place. Unfortunately, by the time I emerged from the establishment, the gas fireplace outdoors had been extinguished, so I dutifully gave myself a brain-freeze with spoonfuls of ice cream while standing in the mist from the mysterious fountain.
To keep the blood moving in my veins, I began walking again, making the circuit of eateries and coffeshops. I also sneaked a couple sniffs at B&BW since its sweet scents and the warmth of a storefront drew me in on the second loop.

Not a bad way to spend the perfect date, eh? If only he were here. He's just going to have to be jealous that I ate sushi without him. After all, life's too short to die - seriously.