So..... what exactly have I been up to? (Part 1)

So... because I was unable to log on the internet for so long Im just going to run through what I've been doing over the past week since I've been in Japan through pictures. Yes, pictures say a thousand words and I have many many many of them. My american friend Chrystian is just as much of a picture whore as I am so here the 'thousand words' begin.


Japanese people really love cherry blossoms and Hanami (which literally means the viewing of cherry blossoms and the parties under them). In the past 3 days I have been to 3 Hanami parties. A lunch, and two dinners. And why not, the cherry blossoms really are the most beautiful things to look at. And really enjoyable to eat and drink under ;). But i;ve got to add that the cherry blossomign season is very important to japanese as well because of the religious singinficance (shintoism and buddhism) and also because of how it makes them feel. My friend Takano explain it beautifully; he said that when the cherry blossoms bloom, japanese people feel a sense of joy but they know it is momentary. In a week or two the cherry blossoms begin to drop to the ground, and the petals fall until eventually the trees are bare. It is with this cycle of life that Japanese hold important; treasuring the beauty of something so momentary from the first sign of bloom and watching it slowly fade away. They find a sense of renewal, of hope and of joy with the cherry blossoms and that is why Hanami is so enjoyable and why they hold the cherry blossoms so dear to their hearts. Beautiful.

Hanami Lunch with the Kurono Club-

Jo and I biked for 20 minutes to Gifu park for lunch under the cherry blossoms. The boys were all hung over so it was just the two of us joining the club for lunch. We explored and took many pictures under the trees, had a picnic and I even one a giant geisha doll prize complete with glass box. I might be lucky hey? There were so many people trying to win it and i closed my eyes, threw the hoop and there I won it! Take a peek in my photos. Sugoii!


Hanami dinner party at Ichiya jyo-

Here it was Jo, Scotty, Takano (our guide) and two chinese students who went to enjoy hanami. Here we ate too much food; takoyake, cool doramon cookies, curry and drake warm sake and byo australian wine from who else but me. Great night!!


Hanami dinner party with the Ryugaku Love club-

This time all the sweedes, americans and aussies came as well as 10 japanese kids. We had a ball eating wayyy too much junk food, talking and laughing under the trees. The cherry blossoms are decorated so beautifully, every lantern is hung perfectly and as you sit under the trees with your friends, you begin to learn to appreciate what exactly it is about Hanami and cherry blossoms that impacts so much on the Japanese. We scored a great place next to the water at the base of a hill and it was just so beautiful- everyone was just so happy and serene.



Gifu Matsuri at Inabadori ji-

Jo and I decided to test our limited japanese by going to gifu matsuri by ourselves. We had to ask not only how to get there but which bus to take, for how long and how we would get home. So for your information and my limited memory, to ask a bus driver to tell us to get off the bus when we get to inabadori ji is, 'gifu daigaku kara, inabadori ji ni norite hanashite kudasai'. Jo and I had a ball though. The floats lining the streets were amazing. There were drummers, giant lanterns, dolls on the floats throwing paper as blessings into the crowd. Simply amazing stuff. And the people were so happy as well- all the float bearers and singers were laughing and dancing around- the happiness was just contagious :)

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