Fun with Furoshiki Cloth

If you are looking for eco-friendly ways to wrap presents, carry your lunch or tote your purchases, check out furoshiki cloths.This is a creative and fun way to carry a wide variety of objects.

Furoshiki: the Japanese wrapping cloth

Furoshiki wrapping cloth has been around since the Nara Period (circa 710 AD). Back then, it was used for carrying valuables.

I first discovered it after watching, you've guessed it, anime. The Japanese students in various anime wrap their bento lunches with this Japanese wrapping cloth.

Furoshiki cloth can be used to wrap presents, carry groceries or your wallet. This photo shows the multitude of ways that this wrapping technique can be used:

Furoshiki Wrapping Technique

This is the first video I ever watched on Japanese gift wrapping: 

In Eco Wrapping Samurai's video, he shows a skeptical crowd how to make bags to carry groceries, plants and even his gear at the end of the day:

This last video that I found was filmed at Kakefuda Kyoto Shop:

Where to buy Furoshiki

If you are lucky enough to have a Japanese store where you live, you can find furoshiki cloths there. The rest of us, however, must look online.

The following is a list of North American stores that I know sell them:

• Amazon

• Daiso Canada

• J-List

• Shirokiya

This is a short list. If you know of any other stores that sell furoshiki cloths, please share.

One of these days, I will make my own. I just didn't have time to make any cloth to wrap Christmas presents. There's always next year!

My Winter Break 2013 Reading List

Christmas Break. Now, that my final concert review for 2013 has been put to bed and playing at Christmas services has been completed, I can breathe a sigh of relief and relax for a few days.

Aside from spending time with family and friends, I do hope to make a dent in my book reading list. I’d love to add more, but I think I’ll just start with these.

Here is my musician’s Christmas reading list with links to my affiliates:

• The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green (with W. Timothy Gallwey)

• Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, 3rd edition by Peter Block

• Consulting Fees: A Guide For Independent Consultants (Consultant Journal Guides) by Andrea Coutu

• Higgledy Piggledy Jazz by Elena V. Cobb

• blue riverby Elena Cobb

• Complete Works for Solo Keyboard by Jean-Philippe Rameau

• Collected Studies for Piano, op. 100, 105, 109by J.F. Burgmüller

The nice thing about adding a bunch of music scores to my reading list is that I can practice my sight-reading. I can also leisurely pick a couple of pieces to work on for 2014.

I am not sure if I am going to get through all of the books. If I can get through half of them over the Christmas Break, I’ll be happy. I can always save the rest of my musician’s reading list for my Reading Week.

Petcam Video: Canuck Winters from the Dog's POV

Now that Maestro's canine arthritis and I.V.D.D. appears to be stabilizing, he has started to use his Mr. Petcam a bit more. We have some friends and family who have never seen snow before, so he happily puts up with the Petcam to show off Canadian winter. I think it's mainly because he likes the attention he gets when wearing it:

This is Maestro's first Winter 2013 video with his petcam. It was taken on Friday, December 13, 2013:

One friend from Australia is completely fascinated by how crunchy the snow sounds when we walk on it.

This is a video in which Maestro shows off a typical day of errands. If you can stomach the motion, he shows his pre-acupuncture arthritic gait (listen for the uneven rhythm). Towards the end, he shows off his post-treatment gait, which is a bit more fluid:

Maestro had barely a limp (if at all) after his treatment. Last week, Dr. Mark from the Bridlewood Vet Clinic said that the arthritic pain is under control and that now, we are just managing the stiffness with his canine acupuncture, angelica-mastic medication and his laser therapy. A nice Christmas present for the guy.

Brr! It was cold that day (-18 degrees Celsius). Not as cold as it was earlier this month. With the petcam, the snow looks more intimidating from a small dog's POV.

My Tabletop Games Wish List: 2013 edition

Some of my friends are coming over during the Christmas Break and we're going to do some serious tabletop gaming. It will be a great way to catch up with each other, challenge our minds and to just have fun. It's no surprise that some of the people on my Christmas shopping list are receiving tabletop games for Christmas. I had to think long and hard about the games they enjoy. I even had to call in my friend Sharwhiz for some recommendations.

While shopping, and exploring, my Tabletop Games Wish List has steadily grown. Here are 12 board games, card games and dice games that are on my Wish List:

1. Lost Cities

2. 7 Wonders expansions: 7 Wonders Leaders and 7 Wonders Cities

3. Pandemic expansions: On The Brink and In The Lab

4. Castle Panic

5. Tigris and Euphrates - Double Scenario Edition

6. Tikal

7. Agricola All Creatures, Big and Small

8. Flash Point Fire Rescue 2nd Edition

9. Martian Dice

10. Rio Grande Games ACH Space Alert

Of these, I think I've only played two: Castle Panic and Martian Dice. For some reason, I can't remember if I've tried Lost Cities. I don't think so as I'm sure I would have remembered going an archaeological expedition.

The Monster Onslaught: Castle Panic

Castle Panic is a co-operative game for one to six players. The objective is simple: survive the onslaught of monsters coming to trash the castle. If all the towers are knocked down, you're dead.

It's a card and dice game. You roll the dice to determine the monsters' entry point. There are four rings around the castle. The monsters enter your land through the Forest and cannot be attacked from there. Once they step into the Archers' ring, only they can attack. Next are the Knights and Swordsmen. The Barbarian and Hero are exceptions to the rule.

During your turn, you can draw or discard cards, exchange cards with your team mates, attack the monsters, repair walls and add fortifications. Your turn ends by drawing new monster tiles and then moving ALL monsters up one ring closer to your castle. If you wind up with a Boss, it gets ugly.

Kidnapping Earth Specimens in Martian Dice

I understand that Martian Dice is a lot like Zombie Dice. I can't get over my distate for zombies, so I am just happy that there is this cute martian version.

You and your opponents are Martians. This dice game is recommended for two to five players.

Your mission is to abduct human, chicken and cow specimens in a three-roll turn. Watch out for those big bad tanks. If you roll the same number or more Martian death rays, you successfully make off with your specimens. However, if you roll more tanks than death rays, the humans manage to fend you off.  The first Martian team to hit 25 points wins.

Game Expansions Squared

You will notice that I have expansion sets for two games listed: 7 Wonders and Pandemic. As you can see, I do own the base sets:

How about you? What tabletop games are on your wish list?

Snow Day Activities and Reflections

After attending Otafest Aurora last weekend, I went to visit with family in High River and to pick up Maestro. The roads were fine at the time, but everyone knew that a storm was on its way.

Sunday night, we watched the snowstorm roll in. The swirling wind hid the landscape from view.

By morning, I was faced with either braving the treacherous roads back into the city (and the roads were equally horrendous in Calgary) or declare a Snow Day and reschedule music lessons to a non-blizzard day. I chose the latter.

What does one do with a Snow Day? The following is a short list of snow activities for adults that I came up with:

• read

• clean the house

• reorganize a room, drawer, closet

• cooking or baking

• call or write family or friends

• play a game

• office work

• sleep

• spend time with family

• hobby

• watch a TV show or movie

• pray/meditate

• start your Christmas cards and letters

• put up the Christmas tree

For my Snow Day, I wound up interviewing attendees so I could complete my reviews of Otafest on Examiner.com and my J-Blog. I also did a bit of tabletop gaming, trying out Castle Panic and Ticket to Ride. It was also a good day to take lots of naps, too. It was a great day.

Have I left anything out? What are some snow day activities that you have tried (or would like to try)?