A Scotsman living in Japan
No one likes the thought of bad breath. Nor do we like those with bad breath to get in our faces. It is a sure fire way to kill a romantic situation. So what are the steps we can take to ensure that we are not the ones with this problem?
Of course brushing our teeth, using a good toothpaste is the base of any dental hygiene regime. This can be followed with flossing with dental floss or tape then topped off by rinsing our mouth out with a good mouth wash, e.g. Listerine. There is a further step that once you start you will be sure to continue. If you buy a tongue cleaner you will be amazed at the amount of gunk that you can scrape off your tongue. This is a huge part of the cause of bad breath. The tongue is a breeding ground for bacteria and even fungus! However when you use a tongue scraper, you have an effective way to clean your tongue and freshen your mouth.
There are a variety of different types of tongue cleaners. Some are made of metal while others are made from plastic. It is recognized that those made from metals such as stainless steel and copper provide better results than their plastic counterparts. Partly this is to do with the fact that plastic models can actually be more damaging to your tongue. Surprisingly, metal is softer. Also metal tongue scrapers such as the Dr. Tung's Tongue Cleaner ensure that bacteria cannot build up on the tool itself. This model is possibly the most popular one on the market today. Another good feature about metal tongue scrapers is that they are flexible so therefore can be bent to fit a variety of mouth sizes and shapes.
11.07.2010. 01:18
Living in Japan I am spoilt for choice regarding which rice cooker to use. I went to the shop yesterday to have a look and found loads of different brands, some that I expected like Zojirushi and Tiger and others that I did not, including Hitachi and Toshiba. Anyway, there were absolutely loads. I was looking for a 3 cup rice cooker. This is the smallest you can get but is big enough to feed four or five people if you cook 3 cups of rice at once.
I was surprised to find a Zojirushi Induction Heating machine, the NP-GD05, for about $150. After returning home I looked on the Japanese Amazon site and found it for even less! This model is not available in the U.S. or Canada. I think the closest model sold in these countries is the NP-GBC05 but this model costs over $200. This just goes to show that some of the best rice cookers can be found for really good prices...if you live in Japan!
In my opinion, if you want the best rice cooker then your best option is to buy a Zojirushi. Ever since I came to Japan eight years ago I have had one of their machines. So admittedly I cannot compare them against their competitors but I am very satisfied with the way they work and the quality of the rice that they produce. That is why I am thinking of buying a new one. To be honest, I don't actually need it. My existing machine still works fine but is actually a mid-sized rice cooker. A small one would take up slightly less space and be perfect for my requirements. Japanese rice cookers are great electronic devices that help you to make rice that tastes amazing.
10.07.2010. 21:28
Zojirushi are a Japanese electronics manufacturing company who are particularly famous for their rice cookers. They make a wide range of other kitchen appliances too. The Zojirushi CV-DSC40 VE Hybrid Water Boiler and Warmer is one of them. This device acts like a kettle with extra features. Kettles simply boil water. This is great if we want to make a cup of tea or coffee there and then. But this Zojirushi machine does more than just boil water, it can keep it warm for a long time too. This is very useful if you like to have a lot of hot drinks throughout the day. Also for people with small babies who drink milk formula it provides a constant supply of hot water for use.
People who buy a Zojirushi CV-DSC40 can replace their existing kettle with this more modern appliance. Water dispenses easily by pressing a button on the top. These sorts of water warmers usually have a lock function to prevent accidental dispensing. This is useful for inquisitive children. There are many places to get a Zojirushi CV-DSC40 online. The best thing to do is to compare prices from a few different shops to find out who offers the best deal.
This hot water boiler and warmer has a range of features that make it an attractive purchase. It looks really good. The outer surface of the machine is stainless steel. It looks sleek and stylish. Further, the CV-DSC40 is easy to clean. All we have to do is clean it with a wet cloth. You may worry that a machine that keeps water hot may use a lot of electricity. However Zojirushi have taken steps to ensure that power usage is kept low. The VE in the appliance name stands for Vacuum Electric. So in addition to the electrical power it uses to heat the water, it has special insulation that keeps heat loss down. This of course helps to keep the temperature of the water high. Once it has boiled the water, there are three different heat settings that we can use to keep the water warm. We simply have to select which setting to use depending on how hot we want to keep the water inside.
There are a variety of reasons to buy a Zojirushi CV-DSC40. Is it the sort of thing that would be of use to you?
30.06.2010. 04:43
One of Asia’s greatest assets is bamboo. Until recently people in the West were unaware of the massive environmental benefits to be had from replacing products made traditionally from hardwood with products made from bamboo. It is a sad fact that at the current rate of logging the world’s great forests will be entirely cut down in 40 years. One of the major reasons for the high demand for hardwood is that it is allergen free and looks great when used to make such things as furniture and flooring. Bamboo is also allergen free. And when it is made into strand woven bamboo it is harder and more durable than most hardwoods.
The great thing about bamboo is its phenomenal rate of growth. It is the fastest growing plant on the planet. Bamboo reaches maturity between 5 and 7 years. Compare this with a hardwood tree that takes between 50 and 130 years to reach maturity. For this reason bamboo can be considered a renewable resource whereas hardwood trees cannot be considered in the same category. Furthermore, bamboo is good for the soil. After the nuclear holocaust in Japan bamboo was heavily planted to clean the soil of radioactivity. Still today in Japan bamboo is extensively planted to prevent landslides during the rainy season. Another environmental benefit of bamboo is that it can be grown organically without the use of pesticides because bamboo contains a ‘kun’ substance that naturally fights pathogens and pests.
Strand woven bamboo is made by cutting bamboo into strips and boiling the strips to remove sugars that attract termites. The strips are then subjected to high pressure and heat with a low VOC adhesive. The result is a hard and dense plank of bamboo that resembles lumber yard timber. This plank of strand woven bamboo is then milled into flooring planks.
The resulting strand woven bamboo flooring has a golden color (natural) or a rich brown color (carbonized) or a striped pattern (mixture of natural and carbonized bamboo) that has a beautiful close grain like hardwood oak flooring. Strand woven bamboo flooring with an aluminum oxide finish is very hard. Finished strand woven bamboo flooring has a Janka Hardness Rating of about 2,500 pounds force making it harder than oak, ash, maple, walnut, mesquite and many other traditional hardwood flooring materials. With proper maintenance strand woven bamboo can be expected to last a life time even in heavy traffic situations.
For all these reasons strand woven bamboo flooring is the environmentally friendly alternative to hardwood flooring. It has all the benefits of hardwood flooring in terms of being allergen free, long lasting, hard and natural; yet, it is made from a renewable resource and in many cases costs less than hardwood flooring.
Strand woven bamboo flooring is one of the key reasons why bamboo is such a great and versatile material. Bamboo is a key player in the on-going struggle to find environmentally friendly solutions to the pressing consumer demands of the world.
15.06.2010. 08:46