Archive for the ‘Session 2’ Category
和醸良酒-or-Happy Brewing Session 3!
One night during Session 2, Daimon-san brought us all to a nearby restaurant for a very nice dinner. It was actually our second visit there, and this time we sat down in the tatami room in the back. From where I was sitting, I could look up and see the framed calligraphy in the photograph below. The last character on the left especially caught my eye.
I’m pretty sure those kanji are read Wajyouryoushu. But, what does that mean? Probably something important for all of us who join the kurabito for our short stay on the MISBP. If I had to really hack the translation kanji by kanji, it might go something like this:
和 [wa] Harmony
醸 [jyou] Brewing
良 [ryou] Good
酒 [shu] Sake
There must be a much more elegant way to phrase this, but how about “Good sake from happy brewers”? I think it goes well beyond just happy though. Beau and others have already commented on the flow in the kura. And translating wa as “happiness” just isn’t right. “Contented” feels good but reminds me of a certain California dairy campaign that just isn’t dignified. “Peaceful” belies the amount of hard work involved.
If the MISBP motto is “The Best Way To Learn Sake Is To Make Sake” then maybe we can turn it around to also say that “The best way to make good sake is to know good sake”? “Love good sake”? I’m grasping at straws here, so I’ll leave it to the next crew to ask Daimon-san how he can best explain those kanji for you. Have fun, happy brewing, and wish I was back!
MISBP Alumni Facebook group page
I set up an “alumni” page on Facebook – please join, will be a convenient way to organise efforts and, hopefully, alumni events!
Meetup anybody?
Near the end of the week at the brewery, Daimon-san asked about the Tokyo Sake Meetup. I don’t mean to be too self-promotional here, but since we just announced our next event, I thought I’d explain a little bit. Meetup is a website that makes it easy to coordinate events and announce them. It works like many social networking sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn, but has the added advantage of a good RSVP system that makes it worth the small monthly charge.
Et-chan and I had been attending many nihonshu events, classes, and tastings in Japanese, but there were few opportunities for newbies or people who preferred their sake intake in English. So, Et-chan (I just help out as much as I can) decided to create the Tokyo Sake Meetup to take everything we’ve learned and try to share the enjoyment of nihonshu with people in or around Tokyo in a bilingual setting. Since 2007, we’ve held 16 events for lots of old and new sake fans. It is just a lot of fun to turn people on to the many, many ways to enjoy sake. There are more than 100 people on our membership list but we usually have a small turnout of 8-20 people for an event. One nice point is that there is always a fun mix of people from Japan and those from around the world living in or near Tokyo. Slowly, but surely, we’re spreading the word about our favorite beverage.
Please sign up and you’ll get all of the sake information and events we put out there. I know most of you aren’t in Tokyo, but you never know when you might want to visit, right? We love to have people from out of town. Can’t make it to Tokyo? There are also Sake Meetups in Chicago, New York, the Twin Cities, and Vancouver. I hope we’ll see some new ones in California, Philly, and Singapore soon. Hint! Hint! A Kansai Sake Meetup seems to be a must. If you know someone who can get it started, I think we all know a brewery they could visit.
Things the MISBP interns need–or, not
Since we seem to be in a list mode here on the blog lately, I guess I’ll try to tie together a few thoughts for future Interns. I’m sure I have forgotten something, so I might come back with a reflexive comment to myself. Please, add your own thoughts and pretty soon we’ll have a regular FAQ list for next year’s group.
Things I was very glad I brought with me
Things I didn’t really need after all
Things I wish I had brought
What did you forget? What did I forget? What should the next session bring along? I know there is something. Fire away with your comments.
Daily Commentary
Apart from Über-creative haiku, I’ve been posting daily pictures and commentary at:
5 Reasons why I like Team Mukune
Margaux. Mei Lin. Peter. Rick. Ted.
What a great group of people! We’ve worked hard but have also had a lot of fun getting to know each other. Sometimes, the sake otaku leads a lonely existence, so it’s wonderful to be around like-minded people. I have no doubt that our connection has been real, friendships have been formed, forged through our work, and will be refreshed many times in the future.
5 reasons why I like Rice
Posted by: Ting Mei Lin in Session 2 on March 14th, 2009
Raining Rice
In no particular sequence!
First : I love them with my meals. Its a staple food!! Sushi, Mochi, Ochazuke/Ojiya, ……
Second : A chance of a lifetime. Now u can play with rice. (While Making Koji – warning for new comers, wear alot less. Bikini top will be good – ITS HOT IN THERE!!)
Third : While working on cooling the rice through a houreiki (the stage before its poured into the tank for moromi making) be surprised by how smooth your hands can be after that. Another effective way is to bathe yourself in them – Junmaishu!
Fourth : Raining Rice. Have you ever heard the sound of rice? Listen to it! (Moromi Making stage where rice is mixed with moto and water)
Fifth : Many varieties, many surprises! SAKE!! YUM!!
p/s Speaking for myself, I wish I am more familiar with the Japanese terms and more, before attending this internship. So to the newbies, do read up before you attend this session. You don’ t want to miss the moment.
The Rice’s Tale
Posted by: rikkusumisu in Session 2 on March 13th, 2009
Imagine if you will, a journey through time and space that begins with an intensive abrasion of your skin. While still smarting, you’re jet-sprayed, dunked, and held under water until you’ve shed whatever residue remained from the abrasion. “Whew! Glad that’s over with,” you think as you lie down and rest for the night.
But early the following morning before you know what’s happening, you’re in the hottest Turkish bath you’ve never dreamed of. Ouch! With great relief you’re allowed to cool off while being transported somewhere by conveyor belt. Suddenly, without warning, you’re sucked into a hose and flying at warp speed until…splash! You’ve been shot into a tank of yeasty smelling liquid.
Such is the sakamai“s tale.
Ｎｏｔ ｔｒｕｌｙ ａ Ｆｅｒｒａｒｉ
Ｔｈｅ ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅ Ｉ ａｃｑｕｉｒｅｄ ａｔ ｔｈｉｓ ｂｒｅｗｅｒｙ ｃａｎｎｏｔ ｂｅ ｏｖｅｒｓｔａｔｅｄ． Ｄａｉｍｏｎ Ｂｒｅｗｅｒｙ ｉｓ ａ ｓｍａｌｌ ｓｃａｌｅ ｐｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ ｆａｃｉｌｉｔｙ ｉｎ ｗｈｉｃｈ ｉｔ ｉｓ ｒｅｌａｔｉｖｅｌｙ ｅａｓｙ ｔｏ ｇｅｔ ａ ｓｅｎｓｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｗｈｏｌｅ ｓａｋｅ ｐｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ ｐｒｏｃｅｓｓ ｆｒｏｍ Ａ ｔｏ Ｚ．
Ａｌｓｏ ｔｈｅ ｄｉｖｅｒｓｉｔｙ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｓｅｌｅｃｔｉｏｎ ｏｆ ｉｎｔｅｒｎｓ ａｄｄｓ ａ synergy ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ ｐｒｏｃｅｓｓ． Ｅｖｅｒｙｏｎｅ ｈａｓ ａ ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｔ ｂａｃｋｇｒｏｕｎｄ， ｐｒｏｆｆｅｓｓｉｏｎ ａｎｄ ｄｅｇｒｅｅ ｏｆ ｂｒｅｗｉｎｇ ｋｎｏｗｌｅｄｇｅ， ｂｕｔ ａｌｌ ｈａｖｅ ａ ｃｏｍｍｏｎ ｒｅａｓｏｎ ｏｆ ｗｈｙ ｗｅ ａｒｅ ｗｉｌｌｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｔａｋｅ ｏｕｒ ｔｉｍｅ ｏｆｆ ｔｏ ｐａｒｔｉｃｉｐａｔｅ ｉｎ ｔｈｉｓ ｉｎｔｅｒｎｓｈｉｐ： ｉｔ ｉｓ ｏｕｒ ｌｏｖｅ ｆｏｒ ｓａｋｅ．
Ｂｕｔ ｄｏｎ‘ｔ ｂｅ ｆｏｏｌｅｄ ｂｙ ｔｈｅ ｓｍａｌｌ ｓｉｚｅ ｏｆ ｔｈｉｓ ｂｒｅｗｅｒｙ； ｉｔ ｉｓ ｎｏｔ ｙｏｕｒ ｕｓｕａｌ Ｍｏｍ ａｎｄ Ｐｏｐ ｂｕｓｉｎｅｓｓ． Ａｌｔｈｏｕｇｈ ｔｈｅ ｓａｋｅ ｍａｋｉｎｇ ｐｒｏｃｅｓｓ ｈｅｒｅ ｉｓ ｖｅｒｙ ｍｕｃｈ ｄｏｎｅ ｉｎ ｓｍａｌｌ scale ａｖｏｉｄｉｎｇ ｃｏｎｖｅｎｉｅｎｔ ｓｈｏｒｔｃｕｔｓ， ｔｈｅ ｑｕａｌｉｔｙ ｃｏｎｔｒｏｌ ｐｒｏｃｅｓｓ ｏｎ ｔｈｅ ｏｔｈｅｒ ｈａｎｄ ｈａｓ ｇａｉｎｅｄ ｔｈｅ ｂｅｎｅｆｉｔ ｏｆ ｈｅａｖｙ ｉｎｖｅｓｔｍｅｎｔｓ ｉｎ ｃｏｍｐｕｔｅｒｓ／ｅｌｅｃｔｒｏｎｉｃ ｅｑｕｉｍｐｍｅｎｔｓ ｆｏｒ ｍｅａｓｕｒｅｍｅｎｔ ａｎｄ ｃｏｎｔｒｏｌ ｐｕｒｐｏｓｅ ｓｕｃｈ ａｓ ｔｅｍｐｅｒａｔｕｒｅ ａｎｄ ｈｕｍｉｄｉｔｙ． Ｗｈａｔ ｉｓ ｎｉｃｋｎａｍｅｄ ａ ‘Ｆｅｒｒａｒｉ‘ ｄｕｅ ｔｏ ｉｔｓ ｃｏｓｔ ｉｓ ａｃｔｕａｌｌｙ ｍｉｓｓｌｅａｄｉｎｇ． Ｉｔ ｉｓ ａ ｗｉｓｅ ｉｎｖｅｓｔｍｅｎｔ ｔｈａｔ ａｌｌｏｗｓ ｈｉｇｈｅｒ ｑｕａｌｉｔｙ ｃｏｎｔｒｏｌ ａｎｄ ｃｏｎｓｉｓｔｅｎｃｙ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｆｉｎａｌ ｐｒｏｄｕｃｔ．