The Sushi Ladies Luncheon

I went to a five and a half hour luncheon yesterday and came home exhausted!  It wasn’t all the eating that made me tired, although considering how much was consumed it should have made me tired.  It’s very tiring and difficult to try to keep up with what is going on all the time when there are seven people talking in three languages – Japanese, Chinese, and English.  Even when it’s in English I’m not really sure what is being said.  Sato San said to me in English “My husband’s wife is from Kyoto.”  I was puzzled and said, “Aren’t you your husband’s wife?”  Everyone laughed. She meant her son’s wife.  I did have a very good time and the food was delicious.

We started with some wonderful Chinese flower tea.

Our hostess, Mrs. Sato, had the rice already cooked and vinegared (is that a word?). I think the instruction was mostly for my benefit. The rough side of the nori (seaweed) goes to the inside and the rice is to be spread out with three fingers, not smashed into the nori with the whole hand. Once my three fingers got into the rice, it was very difficult to take pictures. (Who am I kidding – I was in rice almost to my elbows). There were all different kinds of fillings for the makisushi.

One of the ladies made this professionally for several years.  I was very impressed with the way she rolled water on the knife to keep the rice from sticking to it as she sliced it.

We made some fancy tulip slices with salmon for the flower and spinach for the leaves.  Mine didn’t look just like the cookbook, but I was pleased with it.

After the making came the eating and eating and drinking of more tea and talking --- all afternoon. 

They all knew about my taking hula because one of the luncheon ladies is the one who introduced me to the class.  I had to tell them about the full extent of my six class hula knowledge. I told them about what body parts are supposed to move and which ones aren’t.  I told them about the problems with my skirt working its way up and about how you are supposed to smile the whole time.  I have a hard time remembering to smile when I am concentrating on staying low, keeping my arm at 45 degrees, moving the hips, not moving the shoulders, going in the correct direction and not poking anyone in the eye when I happen to get mixed up and go in the wrong direction, all while my skirt keeps creeping higher. They thought one solution to the elastic waist skirt riding up might be to pin it to my underwear! Underwear can only go so high and if the skirt is attached, it might stay put. 

The ladies want me to come to their New Year’s get together next month for karaoke! (They haven’t heard me sing.)