Bento!

Bento is one of my greatest loves <3 I own quite a few, less than ten though, I think... I have lots of accessories and love everything bento <3 I started a facebook group a couple years ago to share my pictures and maybe convince other people to be interested and it has grown to hundreds of people. Even better, I've made some great friends and get to see their wonderful lunches everyday ^_^

Bento is a common sight in manga and anime and j-dramas. It's especially common in shoujo because receiving a homemade bento from the girl you like is a magical moment. Making bento is a great way to show someone you love them. It's also a good way to socialize and meet people through your lunch. I used to make bento everyday and my husband would get comments on them at work ^_^ I love this and think it's fantastic!

It's also a really good way to learn some new Japanese foods without it being too intimidating. I've learned to make my own gyoza; I've even done it enough times that I don't need a recipe anymore, I can just figure it out on my own. I have a great love for onigiri, since I ate my first conbini (convenience store) onigiri on the way to Miyajima. I've never forgotten that wonderful riceball... It was filled with a "shrimp salad," sort of like a tuna salad. It was so good <3

Lastly, bento is actually mentioned in the ALT handbook thinger! It suggests making a bento to have with your students ^_^ I think this is a great suggestion and I just can't wait to get into JET and sit during lunch with my students and eat bento. This may seem like a weird dream, but I really want to be able to form a relationship with my students and I don't know that students get the chance in the US to relate with their teachers like that. I never would have sat with my teachers and eaten lunch; it's kind of unthinkable and creepy. But, with a bento, in Japan, I think my students would be impressed and maybe show me their lunches!

I love bento to the point that my friend Staci-chin (as I like to call her) is going to Japan through JET in August and I had to buy her a starting set for making bento! I'm really looking forward to her getting to use it in Japan. I just hope I didn't get her addicted like so many of us are... I fear that I will go Japan and spend all my money on cute bento stuff and not on important things or saving ^^;