Today, I went to the Salt Room in Las Vegas, located just 20 minutes from my home. The business has been open since 2014 and has excellent reviews from the many clients who have tried halotherapy, facial masks, massages, yoga, and other services. This was my third visit and I plan to attend a few more times to see if there is any improvement in my sinusitis and the mucus in my throat. The Salt Room is a pleasant place with crushed salt on the floor and beautiful hues of orange on the walls. There is room for eight reclining chairs and the session lasts for about 45 minutes.
Reclining chairs in Salt Room
Salt therapy has been used in Eastern Europe for a number of years. A physician noticed that men who worked in salt mines did not have as many respiratory illnesses as the general population. It was surmised that the hammering, chiseling, and grinding of the salt sent minute particles into the air and created an aerosol spray that the men inhaled. Salt therapy is catching on in the United States and other western countries. I hope it works for me.
I’ve been complimented on my writing since elementary school, taken college classes on writing, and attended writers’ conferences. Professors have ended a final lecture with the suggestion, “Don’t keep your writing in a drawer,” and one professor said something like, “You’ve taken in words throughout your life, give some back.”
What a novel idea to declutter the files and drawers filled with paper in my home and post past work in my blog! I’ll throw out the hard copy with a note to myself, DP, for drawer pull meaning that I may have written a piece over 30 years ago. If there is a date available I’ll include it. I hope that some readers find my work enjoyable.
I made nikujagatoday, a favorite meat and potatoes dish in Japan. I only learned about this dish when my friend, Nari, in Japan told me about it. I found several recipes but googled “simple nikujaga recipe” and got one I really like. I am more confident of my cooking now so I freely adapt recipes to what I have on hand. The Japanese love to include color in their dishes and I knew that the snow peas were for garnish so I left them out since I didn’t have any on hand. I used onions, potatoes, strip style beef, and carrots. I used sake but forgot to add mirin, and instead of sugar, used honey. It was delicious and I plan to make it more often.
Recently, someone obtained my personal information and
attempted to open accounts with IKEA, Walmart, Costco Travel, Dell Financial
Services, Overstock, and Citibank among others. I received credit cards from
Citibank with one of the cards in my name and a second one in a different name. That’s when I knew something was wrong, and when
I called Citibank, I was immediately conferenced in with one of the credit
companies.
I was told that I had to personally call each of the businesses
to get my application inquiries deleted.
I made some calls and was invariably on hold to 30 to 45 minutes before
I could explain my situation. The
original call to Citibank took 45 minutes and when I called Comenity Bank, I
was on hold for 30 minutes. Citibank
sent me a packet containing a Credit Monitoring Authorization, Affidavit
of Fraud, Identify Theft Worksheet, and tips to guard against identity theft.
I’m not one to give up easily when finding solutions and explanations, but if I have to wait on each call to a business entity for 30 to 45 minutes, I’m being robbed of precious moments. In my 30s I would have told my family, neighbors, and coworkers and complained bitterly to the police. Now in my 70s, I’ve been scammed and talked into parting with my money by businesses and individuals more often than I care to admit. My doggedness in calling all the businesses fizzled out and I have decided to be more diligent in changing passwords and trusting the major credit reporting agencies to monitor my accounts for seven years.
My neighbor asked what kind of beverages the Japanese drink so I asked my friends this evening. Nari says he and his wife drink black coffee. He takes a thermos of cold tea to work. I asked if companies have a break room where they provide complimentary coffee and tea to their employees. He said that he has been an IT contract employee for various companies for 38 years and only one company gave its employees free beverages. The employees, mainly bachelors, go to vending machines to purchase their drinks. Others, who have families, skip the machines and bring their own drinks.
Nari’s ESL selection today was about studies that demonstrated that eating a large breakfast and a small dinner helped boost the process of burning calories and lowering blood sugar. The same number of calories but eaten in a different order produced promising results for losing weight. I think I’ll try that — tomorrow — as I ordered take-out from a Japanese restaurant this evening. The dish is called chirashi sushi and it was delicious, but made me feel very full, so I know this would not qualify as a small dinner.
Chirashi sushi
His questions today were about “couldn’t get off the phone fast enough” and “tying up loose ends.” I was glad I could help him.
I had known for some time about fugu, or puffer fish, for its neurotoxins and its ability to kill within 17 minutes. I probably learned about it from a program about how poisonous this fish is. The Japanese have eaten it as a delicacy for years and it has only become popular in the United States in the last 30-40 years. Chefs have to train for about three years to obtain a license to work with the fish, being careful to cut away all the areas where the toxins are located. I may have seen it again in a movie about the yakuza, when rival gang members all fell on the floor at the same time after ingesting the poisonous fish. There is no antidote for it; treatment consists of induced vomiting and a stomach lavage. If you survive 24 hours, there’s a good chance you will make a complete recovery.
I wanted to try it, and what better place than in Japan where certification standards are high and the fish are fresh. I had heard that Japanese chefs prepare the fish to be sold in the United States. They freeze and deliver it to various locations by commercial aircraft. When I visited Japan some time ago, I saw a place on Dotonbori Street in Namba, Osaka that specialized in fugu and decided to try it. It was served sashimi style, cut paper thin, and arranged on a platter. It had a smooth and delicate taste and was served with wasabi and soy sauce on the side. I don’t recall it being very expensive.
Holland America
Eurodam Cruise, January 4 – January 15, 2020
11-Day Panama Canal Sunfarer
Saturday, January
4, 2020. I arrived in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida to board Holland America’s Eurodam.
Sunday, January 5, 2020. Half Moon Cay Island, Bahamas. I enjoyed the beautiful turquoise water and white sandy beaches. The island is owned by Holland America.
Eurodam from Half Moon Cay Island
Once back on the ship, I attended a lecture called “Deep
Blue Sea” about turtles, messages in bottles, and a treasure hunter. In the evening, I enjoyed the wonderful songs
and music of B.B. King.
Monday, January 6,
2020. At sea. I attended lunch for singles and solo
travelers and met Linda, a retired prosecutor, Mary from Minnesota who had
adopted Korean children, a doctor from Belgium and her sister, and Warren, a
PBX technician from Toronto.
Tuesday, January 7,
2020. Oranjestsad, Aruba. I
learned that locals speak Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, and English.
Ambrosia
The blue horses caught my eye and a plaque said “Paardenbaai (Horse Bay).” The stallion Ambrosio is depicted in the first photo. The bay was ideal for bringing horses to the island and a brisk horse trading business took place for three centuries. The blue color of the horses represents the Caribbean Ocean. The horses were pushed off the ships by seamen and forced to swim to shore toward a strategically placed lead horse. The art project of eight horses in the downtown area celebrating this part of Aruban history was started in 2015 and completed in 2019.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020. Willemstad, Curaçao. The story is that nineteenth century Governor-General Albert Kikkert suffered from migraine headaches which he attributed to the sun’s reflection on the white buildings of Willemstad. He issued a decree that all buildings were to be painted anything but white. We were greeted by colorful pastels as we entered the port.
After crossing the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge that was originally built in 1888 and periodically renovated, I came across a locks of love mesh sculpture by Carlos Blaaker now covered with symbolic padlocks.
Thursday, January
9, 2020. At sea.
Friday, January 10, 2020. Cartagena, Colombia. The port city was founded in 1533. The discovery of gold and emeralds soon made the city vulnerable to attacks by pirates, and the king ordered a thick wall erected to protect inhabitants and the streets made narrow and crooked. A five-minute walk from the pier took me to a small village obviously created for tourists. There was an aviary, a shop, and several restaurants. I was able to purchase an hour’s worth of Wi-Fi for $3 and caught up on emails and sent a few messages.
Flamingoes at the Aviary
On the ship, I attended a lecture on the Panama Canal, a Microsoft class on OneNote, and a documentary about the Panama Canal.
Saturday, January
11, 2020. Panama Canal. President Theodore Roosevelt, civil engineer
John Frank Stevens, and chief sanitation officer William C. Gorgas were
instrumental in making the Panama Canal a reality in 1914. The canal represents American expertise in
project management and engineering. An
expansion project improving the capacity of the Panama Canal was started in
2007 and completed in June 2016.
The formidable obstacles that awaited workers, such as
malaria, yellow fever, landslides, and a high mortality rate, made the history
of the canal all the more amazing. John
Stevens realized the importance of infrastructure and constructed housing,
hospitals, and sanitation systems for the safety and comfort of the workers. Colonel William C. Gorgas was in charge of
sanitation and understood the connection between the prevalent diseases and
mosquitoes. Malaria was all but
eradicated in a few years after implementation of his ideas such as fumigation,
installation of netting, and drainage of standing water. After the resignation of Stevens in 1907,
George Washington Goethals, a military engineer, was hired to oversee the
completion of the Panama Canal.
I learned that Panama Geisha coffee is selling for $800 per
pound!
My stateroom was on the main deck and while going through the canal, my room was about two feet from the walls of the canal. I watched the locks open on the stateroom TV with a view from the bridge.
Tugboat will guide the ship
Sunday, January 12, 2020. Puerto Limón, Costa Rica (cancelled). I had signed up for a pontoon ride through the Tortuguero Canals in the rainforest but was disappointed when the captain informed us that it was too dangerous to disembark. He mentioned a 16-foot swell, mooring lines that would be stressed, and an unstable gangway. The seas were rough that day and many passengers and crew members were sick.
Monday, January
13, 2020. At sea.
Tuesday, January
14, 2020. At sea.
Wednesday, January
15, 2020. Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida. I signed up for an excursion to
the Everglades since my flight didn’t depart until 4 p.m. We went to the Sawgrass Recreation Center,
boarded airboats and were treated to a ride through the Everglades. Our guide informed us of conservation efforts
and restoration plans. He also told us
about the Burmese pythons, probably brought in as pets but released into the
Everglades when they became too big. At
full maturity, they can weigh 200 pounds and grow to 23 feet in length. Because pythons have no natural predators,
they are multiplying rapidly and are causing problems for the native ecosystem.
We saw different types of birds and female and male alligators. I held a baby alligator in the reptile exhibit and tasted alligator tail tacos at a permanent food truck located at the center. The alligator tail bites were lightly grilled and tasted like chicken.
We also stopped at a Seminole nature park and walked at leisure on the paths before heading to the airport.
Home. I am glad that I didn’t have knee problems during the cruise, US currency was accepted in all ports, and I visited places I would otherwise not have seen. A screw from the hinge of my glasses had fallen out, and a woman from Guest Services was kind enough to tape it for me. An employee of the optical department at Costco repaired it for me after I returned home.
I learned so much from the lectures and the sightseeing experiences and met some incredible people. I listened to a lecture about Caribbean rum and the Bacardi family and their famous rum. I found a recipe for chocolate rum balls, so I am enjoying them as I reflect on my trip. It’s good to be home!
I had my second MRI of my neck within a year or so and it was a pleasant experience, in large part because the technician was so kind. He supported my back, knees, and neck with dense foam cushions that made me feel comfortable. He inserted ear plugs, placed mufflers over them, and covered me with a blanket. He invited me to ask any questions I had, and since I’ve had this procedure before, I had very few questions. Once in the machine, I heard lots of racket that sounded like jack hammers and construction noises. The machine was paused to insert a contrast dye that the doctor had ordered, gladonium. They will send the CD and report to the doctor, but I’m in no hurry to learn more.
What a difference one person has made in my life. He said he was studying to advance to the next level of his profession. I wish him well and thank him for giving me a feeling of being valued that will be remembered for a long time.
We are so blessed with Skype! I communicate with my cousin, Yuriko, and her husband, Nobutaka, via Skype once a week. They live in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki, Japan. My friend, Nari, helps translate from English to Japanese and he lives in Nishinomiya, Japan.
We occasionally speak about politics and world events, but our time is usually filled with talk about food, the weather, and our daily activities. After our conversation has ended, I call Nari back so I can help him with his English fluency. He reads an ESL article he has selected, I correct his pronunciation, and he has two questions he asks, usually about American idioms. The idioms are great fun because many originated in English and American farm culture, such as “putting the cart before the horse,” and some are obsolete and I have to look them up and tell him not to bother to memorize that one!
This week, he asked if I knew about Nogami bread, a luxury bread that costs $8.00 per loaf. I had not heard of it until I looked it up on the net and discovered that a 50-year-old baker in Osaka developed an irresistible tasting bread that people line up for, and he now has over 127 stores. We discussed how the Japanese seem to favor white bread and white rice over the healthier wheat bread and brown rice. We agreed that as far as rice, brown rice is associated with starving farmers of yesteryear and poverty, something an affluent society would rather not eat. I plan to visit Japan one more time next year, but tasting Nogami bread is not on my bucket list. I found a terrific blog post about the luxury bread here: https://iamafoodblog.com/tokyos-famous-nogami-shokupan-people-are-lining-up-for-hours-for-this-fluffy-white-bread/
It is no secret that life is hard for the Japanese. Starting in preschool, they are taught to be polite and considerate of others. There are countless rules of etiquette that must be learned and practiced. Competition for admission to elite high schools and colleges is fierce and stressful. The parents are stressed, mothers feel guilty if their children do not succeed, and when they do, they exercise their bragging rights with bursting pride. Once employed in a company, there is the stress of learning the corporate culture that stipulates that an employee must work long hours and get the job done, no matter the personal sacrifices. When the boss wants to go out for drinks, the employee cannot refuse. Lunch is usually half an hour but they take 15 minutes, aware of coworkers’ watchful eyes on their return. Fifty-eight percent of women are not interested in marriage or childbirth, and hugs were programmed out of the culture centuries ago. They bow and exercise their passion in private.
Against such a backdrop, Japan is the ideal venue for researchers to study the benefits of leisurely walks in the forest. There are abundant trees within a short distance from urban centers. The Japanese love nature and go for picnics to observe cherry blossoms, they have moon viewing parties, and get excited over glimpses of Mount Fuji. These activities make them receptive to participating in physical programs that slow down the frenetic pace of life in Japan.
Starting in the 1980s, Japanese researchers began studying the effects of taking leisurely walks in the forest. The researchers documented empirical evidence. They found that the natural killer cells, or NK cells, which are the body’s natural defense against cancer cells, had increased after a typical one- to two-hour walk in the forest. The other benefits included an improved a sense of well-being, reduction of stress, and a feeling of rejuvenation with improved sleep. In 1982, the forestry minister coined the term shinrin-yoku which translates to forest bathing.
From 2004 to 2012, the Japanese government spent nearly 4 million dollars on extensive research, and 48 paths were certified based on increased numbers of NK cells after a walk. Organizations were formed to create guidelines, disseminate information, and certify forest therapy guides. The programs are promoted as preventive measures. The guides lead small groups through the paths and participants take in the majesty of the trees, the life forces found in a verdant environment, and activities such as meditation and yoga.
Forest bathing has become a worldwide movement with organizations established to certify forest paths and train therapy guides. With so many documented benefits, forest bathing is a pleasant and therapeutic pastime worth considering.
Livni, Ephrat, Trees Please, Quartz, 2016, October 12, https://qz.com/804022/health-benefits-japanese-forest-bathing/
