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The wind would have blown the "Parachute chicks" away so everyone, including me, held on tight and made them fly anyway- while running! Did I say, including me?! You bet! I had just as much fun as the kids did! Especially watching their smiles!

They arrived, some scared. Not knowing what to expect. Color eggs?? You could tell many didn't even know what that meant. Crayon on the egg first? Why? But when the eggs came out of the colored water all bright with their crayon drawings, their faces lit right up! They understood that they created something very special- their first Easter Egg!!

Then, of course, they knew what the English words "pot luck picnic" meant really quick! Yummy, Yummy!! They got the idea real quick for the "parachute chicks".....but what is an Easter egg hunt?!! When they saw all the eggs laying all over the ground and were told they got to have two eggs, they figured it out! But again, not having done it before, many had to be shown that inside their egg was another surprise!

By the time it came to sing "Good-bye" they didn't want to go! I even saw a few tears! What? It's over!! No! Many stayed to enjoy the park!

This was my first Easter Picnic at GEM. I have to say, I had just as much fun as the kids! What a wonderful way to enjoy each other outside the classroom. A perfect way to get to know another side of each other. A way to have fun while exchanging cultural ideas! I've had fun in Japan going to festivals and special places in order to learn the culture, so it is nice to share a little of ours!

Thank you GEM for making this happen!!

  

Over the weekend I went to get a haircut for the first time in Japan. It was really nice! They made sure that they were doing what I wanted and asked if I was okay with what they wanted to do before they did it. During the shampooing they put a cloth over my face which surprised me, they don't do that in the U.S., but it was relaxing.

The person who was cutting my hair was really kind and did a great job of cutting and styling while making conversation in English and Japanese. After the hair cut was over, I even got a free drink. The experience was really wonderful and I will definitely go back. If you want to visit the hair salon, it is called Soko, and is in Kanonji. They even serve food, so you can get lunch before or after your cut!

  

One of my favorite dinners I made back in America was a London broil. For those who don't know what that it, its a very lean cut of steak that holds lots of flavor and juices when it is best served rare to medium rare. And I'm going to share with you my recipe to make this at home on a skillet without the need to broil.

First you buy the meat at a local deli. Typically I go by 1/2lb of meat per person so I would buy a 1lb of London broil from my local deli. The next step is to make the marinade. This is what makes the steak juicy and and flavorful.

What you will need is
- 4 garlic cloves finely sliced
- 1 tsp of salt (5 mL)
- 1/4 cup of dry red wine (60mL)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (60mL)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (15mL)
- 1 tsp of honey (5mL)

1. Place all the ingredients and the steak into a large zip lock bag and seal it. Place the bag into the fridge for 4 to 24 hours. Once the steak as been left in the marinade for at least 4 hours remove it and pat it dry with a paper towel.
2. Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C)
3. Heat oil in the skillet and sear the steak to give it a nice brown crust. This will take about 3 min per side.
4. Move the steak to a backing pan (or leave it in the skillet if you used an iron skillet) and place it in the oven until the internal temperature is between 125°F-132°F (51°C - 55°C).
5. Remove and let it rest for 8 mins then slice thinly with the grain and serve.

I love to serve the steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus and pour the extra juice from the pan or skillet over them.