It wouldn't be spring in Japan without...

CHERRY BLOSSOMS!!

This year, I am ashamed to admit that I let my responsibilities at work get the better of me, meaning that I lost track of time and missed Sakura season at its peak. Thankfully, I was able to take a day and go back to Shinjuku Gyo-en for my annual "hanami" (blossom-viewing). I was disappointed to see that many of the trees were nearly done blooming and were instead shedding petals everywhere, but I still enjoyed the visit.




Photos:

• Top left: the petals covering the ground near the entrance looked like snow. All afternoon, I was brushing them off myself--it was a breezy day!
  
• Top right: close up
  
• Bottom left: view from the window of the Chinese tea house
  
• Bottom right: This photo cannot do it true justice: the blue sky that day was by far the best I've seen during a visit to this garden. *Almost* equally as spectacular as the pink. :)

Back from a three-month hiatus...

I have finally finished my stint of working 6-day weeks (every week since last September). My hope is to now have more of a life, which will potentially translate into more blog posts. But for now, here's another "catch-up" session:

My mom came for a visit during the second week of March. Here's a little of what we did.

• Left: we made a trip to Hakone (see pix here of my last visit), and took the ropeway car down the mountain. Gave me the absolute best views I've had of Mt.Fuji yet!
• Right: also during the ropeway ride, we passed over an area where they mine for sulfur. Not a pretty smell, but I think it's interesting to look at.

• Left: we visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices, an extremely tall building in Shinjuku with an elevator that takes guests up near the top for some pretty spectacular views of the city. The garden in the center is Yoyogi Park.
• Right: after the government building we made our way over to Shinjuku Gyo-en. I go here every year during cherry blossom season...it's gorgeous! (Check my archives from spring 2007 and spring 2008 if you want to see photos.) This time we were a little too early for the blossoms, but it's still a nice looking garden.

• Left: On Sunday, we went to Yoyogi Park to see the dancing Elvises. (No, not dancing elves...) Every Sunday these men, all done-up in their best rockabilly attire, come out and get stared at by tourists. They have also been known to dance, although my mom and I had to leave before that part of the festivities had begun. :( Also, if you look on the far left, the second guy in, you'll see what I deem to be the biggest possible Elvis hair ever. He must be the king of all the Japanese Elvises...pun intended.
• Right: Unlike the last time I came here on a Sunday, this time the Elvises brought their entourage of girls in poodle-skirts with them.

• Left: took a moment at one of the train stations to get a snapshot of the newest item at McDonalds all across Japan. By the way, it's only available on the breakfast menu.
• Right: my mom's last night here, we had dinner with a few of my favorite students!

The Duck's Nest

As part of a project at my school, my students are preparing a presentation on Sugamo, which is an area of Tokyo with a famous shopping street. This area is known for being popular particularly among the elderly. Consequently, there are a lot of drug stores and shops selling everything from hot water bottles to traditional snack foods and...red underwear. (More on that later.) One of the students in my class is also a professional photographer, so she gracefully volunteered her time and talents and came with us to take some pictures. The first two images here are from her. Take a look:

• Left: In Maruji, one of the shops famous for selling the red underwear. Red underwear is supposed to be lucky and also keep you warmer (but why or how is beyond me...). This is me trying to show my excitement about my first trip to the shop.
• Right: Some of my students were even more excited than I was...

• Left: One of the traditional snacks available in Sugamo is grasshoppers. It took me a few minutes, but I eventually worked up enough nerve to try it. But a VERY small piece only. All of the other students in my group had tried it before and really enjoy it. My opinion: not as bad as I was afraid it would be, but not a particular texture that I care to ever have in my mouth again.
• Right: (Most of) my students outside Maruji. I think it's safe to say that a good time was had by all. Even Elmo. :)

Another autumn in Tokyo

I'm long overdue for an update! Here are some photos of events over the last month:


Last year I went back to the States for Thanksgiving, but this year I returned to my tradition from my first year in Tokyo and hosted a Thanksgiving dinner party at my house in Haneda. As luck would have it, nearly all my guests had to cancel the night before. I was still able to celebrate with my host family, though.

• Left: Since I am not a great cook, a large portion of the meal was purchased at Costco. (I couldn't have made a pumpkin pie that good myself, anyways...). I did, however, make "smashed" potatoes entirely on my own for the first time, though.
• Right: After dinner we all played a rousing game of Skip-bo.

• Left: The head teacher at my school is leaving and this past Saturday I joined him and about 20 of our students for a Farewell party in Ginza. (One of my students called it a "welfare" party by accident!) Here is a shot of the dinner that was held in an izakaya, which is a traditional type of Japanese restaurant.
• Right: Another year of Christmas lights near Roppongi Hills (see this post for last year's lights). I go to this spot every year, and every year it's still beautiful.

• Left: Down the street from Roppongi Hills is another major shopping area, called Tokyo Midtown. These trucks are always parked outside selling things to shoppers (the first one sells souvenirs and the other one sells snacks), and the signs on the trucks never fail to make me laugh!
• Right: Once again, the lawn at Tokyo Midtown was beautifully lit. You can't tell from the picture but the lights here were actually changing colors and shapes and they even included advertisements for the sponsors!

Beer and bento boxes

I love this poster because he looks seriously angry that someone just tried to steal his beer...so he's hiding behind those other cans of beer.

And this is my new bento box (like Japanese tupperware for lunches). It's got my name on it! Also, the extra bonus is that you get to see what my underpants would look like if I was a cartoon. :)

ONE HUNDRED! (Hyaku, cento, cien)

Yes, I've made it to 100 posts on this blog! I wish I had a bigger way to celebrate, but for now I'll leave you with a few recent photos instead.

• Top: Last week I had my 1 year anniversary living with my host family. We went out to dinner and then drove to Odaiba. Odaiba is the largest of some man-made islands in Tokyo bay, originally created for defensive purposes during the 19th century. It was re-vamped in the 1990s into the high-end shopping/leisure/entertainment district that it is now. This was actually my first visit; someday I'll hopefully make it back during daylight hours, but as you can see from the photo, the night views of the Tokyo skyline are pretty much spectacular.

• Left: There's a bookstore located a couple floors below my school that has been known to host celebrities as they make their way through Tokyo (Michael Jackson is supposed to be among them). A couple of weeks ago, we noticed lines and lines of people standing around. I went downstairs to see what was going on, and all I could make out was that they were paying $30 for tickets to see something scheduled for the following Monday. Later, one of our Japanese staff went to find out the rest of the details and it turns out that these guys were all waiting around for tickets to shake hands with a famous Japanese actress, whose name I can't remember. (I had wondered why there were no women in line...). Sure enough, three days later the photo above was all you could see on the downstairs patio outside the store. I have to also draw your attention to the fact that this image is another testament to the Japanese proficiency at making lines. No ropes/cones/store staff, etc. This is an entire country of people who are programmed to make these perfectly straight lines and then stand in them waiting patiently...
• Right: This is my co-worker Eddie demonstrating how to eat mini cinnamon rolls from McDonalds when you live in Japan. I love chopsticks! (See this post if you want a look at one more example of chopstick usage.)

And now, I'd also like to take this monumental 100th post to introduce a new series:

"A Nap in Japan: Japanese people can (and do) sleep anywhere"

Most of the photos, you'll find, have been taken on trains, although if you stay tuned to future posts you'll see some other creative locales. I've been gathering this collection since a few weeks after I got here, two years ago. It's about time I shared some of these gems with the world. The pictures that follow are among the biggest reasons why I find Japanese people so darn entertaining.

• Left: I took this photo on my way home from Kyu-shogatsu (Chinese New Year) last February. These guys were on their way home from a group fishing trip.
• Right: This guy was probably just on his way home from a night on the town.

My birthday and the beach

• Left: At midnight on my birthday Hiroko had a mini party for me, complete with presents and sparkling juice. The only thing she didn't have was actual birthday candles, so she and Yota brought out the scented candles from the bathroom...
• Right: I was soooo excited for the presents!

• Left: Laura, me and Taka at the Mexican restaurant where we went after I finished work on my birthday. This place isn't near as embarrassing as restaurants in America when you have your birthday--they don't sing to you. (Phew!) They did take our photo and make a really nice card with it that everybody could sign, and the also gave me some of the best vanilla ice cream I've ever eaten.
• Right: Melba and Ferdie, the other two party-goers. Ferdie and I used to work together every Saturday.

• Left: A couple of weeks ago, Hiroko asked me to take a walk with her. We walked over the bridge (seen below) into Kanagawa prefecture and then along the river. In the center of this picture is the place along the riverside where I sometimes go and sit at night to watch the planes take off from Haneda airport. I live somewhere in that clump of buildings, but more to the left of what is shown in the photo.
  
• Right: After an hour of walking we arrived at...a beach! It was tiny, but also empty. Just me and Hiroko and 2 or 3 retired guys. In the distance is the airport.

• Left: Another view of the beach. Someday I should try to come back and have a picnic.
• Right: On the way back we saw some after-school baseball practice. Ahhh, the joys of living in Tokyo. There's so little land that they have to practice under the bridge...