Let there be internet ;)

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So sorry for the recent draught in blogs!! Dawn and I just got the internet connected in our apartment!!! Yeah, so blogs should be a bit more frequent now 😊.

So much has happened since I last wrote, trying to figure out where to start is very intimidating. Every day here feels like a month worth of things to write about.

I think for the sake of my sanity and yours I will just start with today and let the many details of the last month come out as I begin writing more freqently.

I just got back from work a little while ago and had some Japanese yams, an apple and some sekihan (rice and beans) for dinner. Outside my wiwndow music is blaring from the Cherry Blossom Festival that is going on in Shizuoka right now. The cherry blossoms just began blooming this past week and they are beautiful, like explosions of pink and white! This country goes crazy about the cherry blossoms. They only bloom for a little over one week, so everyone is out in the park sitting under the trees picnicing and drinking beer (hanami). The streets are all blocked off with all kinds of crazy processions and dancers (reminds me of Semana Santa in Spain). I have to take a detour on my usual bike route home from work because of the street closures. Besides an excuse to drink and relax under the trees, they are also supposed to symbolize life and serve as a reminder to how short life is and how important it is to enjoy the beauty that it offers 😉.

The weather in Shizuoka has changed almost over night. Just last week it still felt a bit like winter, but today the sun was blazing and it was hot and humid. The weather changes a lot even during the course of the day though. Yesterday I woke up at about 6:30 to go for a run and ended up getting drenched by rain and hearing thunder and seeing lightning, but by the time I was ready to get on my bike and ride to work, the sun was shining.

Other than work I have been continuing to get settled and beginning to travel a bit when I can. I went to Yokohama to visit some family friends a few weeks ago. And next week I will be going to Tokyo to meet up with my first visitor -- Joe!!

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Photos

Cherry Blossoms
The blue mat is set out for people to have a hanami (picnic).

Cute Japanesey Scene
At foot massage park ;)

Mini Las Vegas light show
Off one of the main streets in Shizuoka, if you come visit me I'll take you ;)

Lanterns at Sumpu Park
These pink lanterns are all over the main streets of Shizuoka in honor of Cherry Blossoms.