Episode 10: In Which Jessica Makes Melon Pan and Falls Hopelessly In Love

Today was a fantabulous day! It's the kind of day in which nothing can go wrong and everything can go right. ...no wait...I take that back. Something did go wrong, but we won't dwell on that yet. =P

This week has been kind of quiet. I went to Shelia's house on Wednesday to watch Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge with her. That's a mouthful right? Yeah, well basically it's a hilarious new drama airing in Japan and we watch it everytime a new release comes out. So far we've done it...twice. Hey! there's only 3 episodes! But episode 4 should be airing right about now...bwahahahha!

Everytime I go to Shelia's I eat something delicious. Last time it was mochi, this time it was coconut milk with tapioca pearls! mmmm! But I don't go over to her house just to eat her food, I promise!

Anyhow, today was Thursday, that means that I only have class until 10. After class I went to the bookstore, picked up some stuff to send to Kaori chan (Nagase shimai, one of my mission companions) and sat down to write a letter. I wrote it without my electronic dictionary which means the letter gave me a HUGE headache trying to remember all the kanji I needed to write, but it was good for me right?

After eating my super healthy lunch consisting of a mexican pizza, soft taco, maple doughnut and lemon bar, I was ready to head home. I was tempted to go to the library to look around for a bit but I had things that NEEDED to be done at home. More about those things later.

Upon my return home my mind was made up, I was going to utilize this incredibly large block of time to make MELON PAN!

For those who don't know, Melon pan is a bread in Japan. It's a little roundy bun type bread with a cookie like topping. It has criss cross lines that make it look like a melon, hence the name.

I found a recipe online a long time ago but it's about a 3 hour process so I've yet to make it. Today was the day I was going to make melon pan or die trying. Luckily, I didn't have to die, not making melon pan at least. It was pretty fun, I like making yeast breads, especially punching them down when they rise!

The bread turned out ok. Not QUITE like it is in Japan...and I couldn' t figure out how to put the lines on them...but they tasted good. My roommates quickly polished off the entire plate, luckily I saved a couple for my friends and ate a few myself. The recipe will take a little doctoring and I learned a better way to apply the cookie topping so I'll probably be making it again sometime and plan to improve it each time. My next step is learning how to make those lines cuz I just couldn't do it! But they look like bread so I take that as a good sign. At least...they kinda look like bread...lumpy bread.

I'm still very pleased that they were not just edible, but edible enough that they disappeared in like 15 minutes! We'll see what my friends who have been to Japan before say about it tomorrow...

While I was waiting for the bread to rise I did exactly what I had been waiting all day to do! I watched Tokyo Dogs! I seriously love that drama...I don't know how I do it but even though I know these Japanese dramas are cheesy I fall completely in love with them!

This time around I roped Rebekah into watching it with me also, just a bit. I'm so glad she laughed at all the right places...including me as I writhed on the floor in agony because they could never DIRECTLY confess their love ooooooh no. They had to do it in a beat around the bush kind of way.


But then, as if that angst wasn't enough for my poor body, the season ended. And ended BADLY might I add. OK actually it was a good ending and made me and Rebekah laugh. But then it made me cry because NOW I have to wait for season 2!!! And Season 2 isn't even announced yet...WILL there be a season 2?! I have to know what happens!!! AUUUUUUUUGH!

So those of you who know me well are probably thinking "great, Jessica is obsessed with Asian Dramas again" And it's not my fault! OK it is my fault, but this time it's bad cuz I'm not only in love with the drama, I'm in love with the ACTOR! *sigh*

Oguri Shun is SO good looking and could possibly be detrimental to my dating life up here at BYU. OK I wouldn't go that far but I spent about half an hour in Rebekah's room recounting to her just HOW good looking he was. (Oguri Shun also played Hanazawa Rui in Hana Yori Dango and I loved him then...but THIS Oguri Shun had short hair and well it was a COMPLETELY different story this time around) Then I just...I just...KYUN to shita'd every time he was on screen in that last episode. Yes, I just threw in a Japanese word...there are just no English words to describe that feeling. Why don't we use onomatopoeia's in regular everyday English? hmmmmmm?

for those who would like to know KYUN is the sound of your heart tightening. It usually happens when you see a cute puppy or...Oguri Shun. It's usually equated with the english "so cute I could die" or other such sentences.

Anyhow, I was sitting here KYUNing all over the place and Rebekah was just laughing at me. I suppose it was pretty funny...but there you have it, I'm hopelessly in love.

HA! You thought I was going to be hopelessly in love with a cute RM or something huh!? no...just a Japanese guy I'll NEVER meet.

In other news, Tomorrow I'm going to see "A Thousand Paper Cranes" with Rebekah! And no, it's not and asian drama...its a play up at BYU. It IS about a Japanese girl, but I'm sure everyone has heard at least once in their lives the story of Sadako and the thousand paper cranes. (no, not Sadako and the Ring). If you haven't, you should google it. I read the book when I was in third grade and I haven't forgotten the story since. I'm way excited! Plus its a play! What's not to like about a play!?!

I'm excited for the weekend! are you!?!