Haggen-Dazs Shop

This post is about Haggen-Dazs Shop. In Japan, there had been some Haggen-Dazs shops, but I have recently heard that there were no longer any on-site shops in Japan. Of course we can buy their ice at a supermarket, though.  Inspired by the news, I decided to drop by the shop at Pentagon City Shopping Mall. I have actually not visited it yet.

Haagen-Dazs Shop

Since it was my first visit, I wondered which one should I chose.  I chose Gelato, a new line-up,  the Italian word for ice cream.  Gelato is made with milk, cream, various sugars, and flavoring such as fresh fruit and nut purees. I chose dark cherry flavor, which included fruits.

With respect to cups, there are some size options: small, medium and large cups.　I chose the regular one.　There were several flavors and topping to create customers' own ice cream creation.

Gelato

It was more expensive than I thought.

Uptown Ethiopian Fusion Cuisine

I tried Ethiopian cuisine for the first time in my life last year and this post is about it.

Please note that the information which I write down here might be changed because I went there last year. 

It was an interesting experience.  I cannot come up with an Ethiopian restaurant in Tokyo.   Probably, we should have at least one or two…

Ethiopian Coffee

Pret A Manger

I tried the cafe in front of the Furragut West Metro station.

Pret's Greek Falafel Wrap

I ate "Greek Falafel Wrap."  It was tasty.

BTW, I had no time to go to the beauty salon last month. I'm thinking about getting a haircut this week.

Priority Mail International

"Priority Mail International"
https://www.usps.com/ship/priority-mail-international.htm

Priority Mail International® service is a way to send mail and packages up to 70 lbs to over 180 countries.

It deliveries your mail in 6 to 10 business days.

Also, it includes tracking information with our Track & Confirm tool.

But I missed the description that tracking & confirmation service is "Not available for Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelopes or Small Flat Rate Priced Boxes."

Ahh..., where is my package right now??

Potbelly Sandwich

Today I would like to write about "Potbelly", a popular sandwich chain in the United States.　There are several stores in D.C. as well.

I like the toasty warm sandwich on the Potbelly Sandwich Shop. Every sandwich on menu is made to order. 

[How to Order]
First, choose between multigrain wheat or regular bread. Then, choose size from Originals ("regular" size) or Bigs (30% bigger). Either one can be ordered on "Thin Cut" bread (1/3 less bread).

Their toppings include: add Mayo, Mustard, Hot Peppers, Lettuce, Onion, Tomato, Pickle, Oil and Italian seasoning - or don't. It's up to you to make your sandwich the way you like it.


My preference is  Wreck, which contains salami, roast beef, turkey, ham & Swiss cheese.  

I'm sure this cafe will be a hit in Japan!

Hay fever?

It was cool today. It poured and thundered at night. I wonder if it'll be a nice day tomorrow.

I have a stuffy nose recently. I wonder if I have hay fever. Also, my eyes get tired easily these days.  I wonder if it's because I'm always on my PC. Furthermore, I have a canker sore in my mouth.

Maybe I should pay better attention to what I eat.

Momorama Sushi

This post is about "Momorama Sushi." Despite its name, which literally means peach mountain in Japan, Momoyama is operated by Koreans. Many residents in Japan may be suspicious of Korean-run Japanese restaurants; but in fact, there are many Japanese restaurants operated by Koreans in the United States; and some of them are good.

I went there with my friends in the evening.The place of Momoyama is a bit tricky to find if you don't know where to look. The service was excellent.  It was fast and friendly.

We ordered Sushi and sake. As for the sushi itself, it looked fine.  The pieces of fish were proportionally sized for the rice, not too big as you sometimes find in non-Japanese run sushi bars.  The rice, however, was not good.  It was not warm (as it should be when the sushi is freshly made), and it was too al dente.  I had mixed feeling – some were fresh, but some did not taste fresh.

231 2nd St NW
(between N C St & N Constitution Ave)
Washington, DC 20001

Domo-kun

What?

 



I found Domo-kun!  Domo-kun is the official mascot of Japan's NHK television station.  The popularity of Domo-kun is high outside of Japan.  Character goods that are sold in the United States are fancy and different from those in Japan's domestic market. It's interesting.

Tosca

The other day, I went to the Italian restaurant, "Tosca."

We went there lunch time. It has course of $ 35, as well as a la carte.
We ordered lunch course. The portion was big for me, but it tasted very delicious.

Garganelli

Stinging nettle Garganelli with Amatriciana ragu, farm fresh herbs and Provolone cheese
The texture was my favorite one.

Branzino Spagnolo

Roasted Spanish sea bass with spring garlic sauce, fava beans, oven dried chery tomatoes and fresh herb olive oil.
The fish was baked crispy, and the sauce was also delicious.

Tiramisu

Chef's modernized Tiramisu
It was creamy and delicious.

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

I went to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park yesterday.  The nearest metro station is Redline's Woodley Park/Zoo.

Entrance of the Zoo

No charge for entrance.

Asia Trail

Asian Small-Clawed Otter

Asian Small-Clawed Otters.
They were so cute!

The next is the Giant Panda!

Giant Panda

Panda is so popular.

Eating, eating, eating ...

Pringles' vending machine. I've never seen pringles vending machine.

 
It was interesting. I was really excited.

The Zoo covers 163 acres and it takes several hours to see all of the animals and exhibits.  To make your walk around the Zoo more enjoyable, wear comfortable shoes and clothing, as the Zoo is set on hilly terrain and some paths are steep.   

Daikaya

"Daikaya"- a new Sapporo ramen style restaurant opened in Chinatown, Washington D.C.  I went there with my friends in the evening. The shop was such a crowded one, and we had to wait for around 20 minutes.

Miso Ramen

I ordered Miso Ramen and added a boiled egg. The soup was leaning on the salty side, but still it was very delicious. The price is average in the United States.The space was clean and modern. The staff was friendly.　I left the restaurant with satisfaction.

Peak bloom of the cherry blossom at the Tidal Basin

This time, I write about cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin.

D.C.'s cherry blossoms reached the peak at the beginning of this week.  It was still cold at the previous weekend, and the flowers were not in bloom almost. During these a few days, however, it became warmer, and cherry blossoms got finally flourished at a stretch.

The Tidal Basin is a man-made inlet adjacent to the Potomac River in Washington, DC. It was created in 1897 as a means for draining the Washington Channel after high tide.  Visitors are drawn to the area during cherry blossom season.

Approximately 3,750 cherry trees are situated on the Tidal Basin. Most of the trees are Yoshino Cherry.

I got to the Tidal Basin by taking Metro to the Smithsonian Station. From the station, I walked for around 10 minutes.

Curbside Cupcakes

Today I would like to introduce "Curbside Cupcakes."

According to their website, Curbside Cupcakes is Washington DC’s first mobile cupcakery.  They first hit the road in November, 2009 and they now have three trucks bringing the “Cupcake Bliss” to Washington DC, Arlington, & Montgomery County.  They also have a delivery service. I personally never encountered its truck, but a new shop has opened at Pentagon City. So, I finally tried it.

There are several cute sweets.

 

Since this was my first attempt, I bought a Chocolate cake. In my opinion, chocolate is one of the safest flavors for me in the United States.

This is it. The taste is not bad. But I prefer softer cream. Maybe, it's my fault because I am not used to eating butter cream...

 

Hana Japanese Market

This is a supermarket which offers Japanese food.

 This is the only Japanese food shop in D.C.  The size is small, but there are kinds of goods.  All of them are Japanese food. The price is standard in the United States, considering the cost of importing.  They are selling, including but not limited to:      
Japanese vegetables;      
Fresh eggs that can be eaten raw;      
Rice including brown rice;      
Rice balls;      
Japanese bread;      
Oden ingredients; and      
Natto.  

By the way, some people might wonder why I noted onigiri. But I cannot buy rice balls at supermarkets and convenience stores in D.C., not like in Japan.  There are more kinds of natto at Hana than ordinary supermarkets in Japan.     

Hana Market   
2000 17th St, NW  Washington, DC 20009  
Tel: (202) 939-8854  
Open 7 days a week　  
10:00am - 8:00pm　

Peak bloom of the cherry blossom

According to the National Park Service (NPS), it has updated the peak bloom prediction of the cherry blossom trees for April 6-8.
Peak bloom is defined as the period when 70 percent of the blossoms on the Yoshino Cherry trees are open; however, the blooming period can last up to 14 days.

Kindle...

I am wondering if I can use free 3G access to Kindle store outside the U.S.
Recently I received a message from Amazon that they charge a fee for the usage outside the States.
If it is real, then, this is disappointing because it is different from what I have heard from Amazon Japan. I need to confirm the exact situation.

Air charges passengers by their weight

Air Samoa is the first airline which started to charge passengers by weight.

It says its pricing policy that it implemented is the fairest way to charge for a ticket.

Is it good for people to be motivated? Anyway, I must keep dieting to avoid additional charge.

Tax Return

I dispatched the document to IRS for tax return at the USPS. I am wondering why I must submit the document even though I have no earning here. This is different from Japanese practice.

Pink Cupcakes

I found an interesting set of cupcakes at a supermarket.
The color is pink!! And why do they have big flowers?
It's like an American-style, indeed.
For a typical Japanese, it is challenging to try this kind of stuff.

Tax Filing

General

The IRS requires that F1 and J1 status holders file a form 8843 regarding the preceding year (2012) and possibly other forms if one earned money in 2012, or received a scholarship from an entity other than the school in 2012.  

The deadline for mailing  the form is April 15, 2013.

Even if you did not earn any money in 2012 F1 and J1 status holders are required to file IRS form 8843.

Form 8843 and instructions can be found on this link:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8843.pdf

Send to this address:
Internal Revenue Service Center
Austin, TX 73301-0215

Resources

There's a lot of information on the IRS site for foreign students and scholars:
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Foreign-Students-
and-Scholars

THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICES (IRS) <http://www.irs.gov/>
General Tax Information Toll-free number: 1-800-829-1040
Local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers <http://www.irs.gov/localcontacts>

Refunds: 1-800-829-4477 or 1-215-516-2000 (not toll free)

IRS Walk in assistance - 500 N. Capitol St. NW Washington, DC 20221
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  (202) 874-6748

This is an important message to all international students who were in the United States during any part of the calendar year 2012 [January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012]

US tax regulations require all non-resident alien students, their dependents who were temporarily in the United States under an F &  J visa status in 2012 to file at least one kind of tax form with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) this tax season, whether or not you have earned income.  

If you were present in the United States for even one day in the year 2012, you must submit a tax return.  

Guidelines:

Everyone has to file Form 8843.

Internal Revenue Service Center
Austin, TX 73301-0215

AND If you have earned any income in the U.S. [other than bank account interest] during 2012, you must also file the 1040NR, [or Form 1040NR-EZ] and, if required, any local jurisdiction tax form [see end of this post for tax guidelines for our local jurisdictions]. 

See Publication 901, "US Tax Treaties," for information about whether your country has tax agreements with the U.S.  

In some cases the treaty will explain that certain types of income are taxed only in the person'' country of legal residence (home country).

The due date for filing a 2012 return and paying any tax due is April 15, 2013.

Most students are in the non-resident aliens category and should not need assistance in completing the required IRS forms. 
[See  below for a few comments on completing the IRS Form 8843.]

A few of you who have been in the United States for a number of years may be considered resident aliens for tax purposes.  

If you think this might apply to you, you should check pages 4 -8 of the IRS publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens.  

Resident aliens should file Form 1040EZ, 1040A, or 1040.

Other forms

Student with earned income and scholarship/with treaty benefits-   Form 1040NR-EZ

Married claiming spouse and child - Form 1040NR

Student with scholarship income/no tax treaty - Form 1040NR-EZ and Attachment to 1042-S

Mailing

You should make a photocopy of the form before you mail it and keep the copy with the "Return Receipt Requested" receipt that you obtain at the US post office when you mail it in.  

The IRS will not send you a copy.