I love Japanese goods, as you all know, so this past weekend, my husband and I took the kids out for Indian buffet lunch and then a trip to the Asian grocery store. This particular store that we go to is mainly Chinese but has a very good selection of Japanese goods. I regularly buy candy, tea, odd drinks, ramen, soba, somen, udon, miso, bonito, tofu, and anything else that piques my interest. The kids think the place is a lot of fun too, the fish counter having a giant tank full of live fish all ready to go. I wonder if they properly understand that those fish get eaten? Who knows.
There are lots of things I love about going to this store, but I think what I like most of all is picking up a package and reading the Japanese. My kanji is VERY rusty but I can still read and remember quite a bit of the language. I really miss going to classes and speaking Japanese on a regular basis. It's one of the main reasons why I decided to make the books I write based on a Japanese culture. Even if I don't get to travel to Japan any time soon or visit my favorite stores and spots in New York City, I get to live in that Japanese space in my head.
And let's face it, when you're developing a wide-reaching story, one that spans many books over many years, you spend a lot of time in your head. It should at least be a place that's comfortable and fun, right?
Speaking of which, I've been getting the itch to get back on track with my main story again. I've been writing this Book 2.5 which takes place outside of Sanaa's sphere and it's been fun and informative (of my entire story) but I miss spending time with her. Time to get a first draft of Book 2.5 done so I can go back and work on revisions and Book 3!
