Pounding and Playing (Day #2)

Today we were invited over to Johnny and Shelby's friends house to pound some mochi for the New Year. It was great and really yummy!! They prepaired the rice and we got to take turns pounding the rice into a sticky "dough" using a malate and a stone bowl. Usually a man will pound it and the women will turn it. You get into a rythm and are able to pound quickly without getting your fingers smashed. We were informed that their are competicians where people see who can pound it the fastest.

After we pounded it we were able to eat it. We first filled our mochi with sweet beans and strawberries (my favorite) and then we filled them with a varitety of different tastes. It was fantastic (although the texture wasn't Clay's favorite).

After we said our "thank yous" and "goodbyes" we headed off to the park. This wasn't just any park...it was the most kick A park ever!!! Shelby's friend Maria and her children joined us for a fun filled day! There was an amazing rolling slide, bushes with hidden trails, a zip line, a unicycle track, an adult playground and a year round sledding hill.

It was basically an awesome day filled with culture and fun!

{chels}