Postcard home If you don’t like noodles, don’t go to Japan. I love noodles and have just returned from a month in Japan. I didn’t keep a record, but must have had at least 28 bowls of noodles. The big defining issue about noodles is “soba or udon?” It’s like the “wholemeal or white” bread question. As I’m sure everyone knows, udon noodles are made from wheat and are thick, white, a bit sticky, and rather tasteless, whereas soba noodles, made from buckwheat, are brownish, thin and have a pleasant grainy taste. I’m a soba noodle fan. Another important issue is “to slurp or not to slurp”. People say it is fine to slurp, but in fact very few do, and if you sit elbow to elbow in a tiny noodle house next to a slurper, you will understand why that practice might be dying out. An easier question to answer, because you will already have fixed views on the matter is “to add the raw egg or not”. I don’t like raw egg, but it was early days and I wanted to try every-
thing. Also, I reasoned that it might cook in the very hot broth. It didn’t, and the result was to coat the noodles with slimy egg white. Noodle shops are not places to linger. They are tiny, and cooking and eating is intense and swift. The wait staff and cooks
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constantly call to each other in loud sing-song. The kitchen nooks are tiny pandemoniums of clattering pans and clouds of steam. The diners scroll on their smart phones, suck up their noodles and are gone in minutes. The photo was taken in the
Iron Ramen, one of nine ramen shops in the extraordinary and huge Kyoto railway station. The very serious man wielding the noodle dipper has won international prizes for his ramen, apparently. Janet Taverner, Kiama
Cambodia calls Sarah Young, Kiama’s 2018 Young Citizen of the Year is heading to Cambodia again in November, this time leading a team of 20 volunteers. The group will be helping to provide aid in the province of Battembang through the respected Challenges Abroad organisation. She’s hoping that other young people from the area will join her group for a shared experience. “Rather than go on a traditional schoolies, they could come along and have a break that really makes a difference,” she says, while noting the trip is open to 18-25 year olds. Sarah has travelled to Cambodia three times, and has a real passion for the country and its people. As a third year Bachelor of Primary education student at Wollongong University, she has been particularly struck by the plight of Cambodia’s children and has had opportunity to reflect on the vastly different educational support children here in Australia receive. Her team will be working with selected local nongovernment organisation championing the most needy and neglected areas. More specifically, Sarah and her team will be working to help improve education quality in the local community whilst supporting the development of The Future Sense Foundation. Sarah says “This program will provide an incredible volunteer experience, and I’m looking forward to making new friendships with those who join me. It is a great way to boost your confidence, while learning more about yourself and the world in which we live.” Details: The fully inclusive cost is $2250 per person. To find out more contact Sarah at s_young44@hotmail.com or on 0422 115 028.
See Nikki for details: 02 4230 7500 nikki@onefitness247.com Page 12 ♦ The Bugle 9 June 2018