蛸やきのパーティー　Ｔａｋｏｙａｋｉ　Ｐａｒｔｙ
The third Monday of July is Marine Day in Japan, which is a national holiday considered a day of gratitude for the blessings of the oceans. I celebrated by going to my friend`s house to make takoyaki.  Takoyaki tastes similiar to a hush puppy except that they are filled with octopus, green onions, and other little ingredients of choice like ginger, sausages, cheese, and dried tiny shrimps.  Takoyaki is made in a special pan with round forms, so they come out in a spherical shape. The pan has a heating element attached underneath so you can cook them right there at the dinner table with everyone. To make them you first pour batter into the pan, then add your fillings, and top with more batter. As they are cooking you turn them with a toothpick, producing the round shape.  After they are ready they are topped with a special sauce, bonito (fish) flakes, and sometimes mayonnaise. An expert takoyaki-eater told me that the only way to eat takoyaki is with mayonnaise! Takoyaki is delicious and fun to cook.  Along with the takoyaki we ate Japanese potato salad, avocado and tomato salad, and donuts for dessert.

We had a great afternoon of eating and talking.  My friend and her husband both grew up in the Kansai area of Japan, so they taught me some of the differences between Kansai (Kyoto) and Kanto (Tokyo) dialects.  It is my goal to be able to speak both of these dialects of Japanese!
They also surprised me with a birthday present, a beautiful Japanese fan. This is a very useful gift right now particularly since it is hot and humid every day.  Fans are actually still commonly carried and used by the Japanese, even though many westerners have the image that fans are only a traditional part of Japanese culture. I was completely surprised and so grateful for this beautiful present!