Tsunami Fundraiser, Part 2

Last week's fundraising event for Japan was another success. It a yard sale, along with food stalls selling a variety of items.

We woke early and made a number of dishes for the bentos we sold. It was a labor-intensive three hours, making me feel empathy for the chefs and kitchen staff everywhere who do such work everyday. The work also reminded me of the bento factory at the heart of the novel "Out", by Kirino Natsuo.

Dozens of eggs to make dozens of portions of tamago yaki.

Tiny sausages cut just right turn into little octopi.

The factory at work.

50 bentos in all.

Completed and sealed for sale.

The yard sale was indoors, essential with the daytime temperatures reaching the mid-30s (90s F) and 90% humidity. Our bentos surely would have gone bad in the heat.

H selling bentos, and helping another person make somen.

Japanese Studies students selling drinks.

Posters with information about the earthquake and tsunami.

All told, the event helped raise nearly $10,000 to children orphaned by the disaster.