Yukata ~pajama ver.~

ok, so this cloth is called Yukata.. but it is more like pajama style.. there is other kind of Yukata too for more like going out (not going to bed) and they look nicer and more colourful.

and she is my cousin's daughter.. isn't she cute!? (ok, she smiled too hard as you can see.) haha

Cell phone strap

I bought Green Tea plastic bottle (500ml) yesterday, and it was with it... Isn't it cute! Oh, the black part is even "a pen". It is cute AND handy.

Tochigi trip No.2

When I was there, my uncle & aunt took me to this park which is owned by Tochigi prefecture. This park is huge.. if you walk around, you can easily spend over 40 mins. I have seen a lot of people running around.. it was very nice surrounded by trees. I will update more pics of this park but here is the PLAN VIEW! (Oooh, I haven't used this word for a month!!! I almost forgot about it.) and North allow is not facing up! Whats up, Japanese landscape architects!? (well, this site is pretty long site.. so I guess they didn't have choice to put north up.. otherwise this sign will be hard to see. hehe)

Next picture was taken around the center bottom part (there are parkings which are yellow collor), if you can see No.130 (130 cars parking), that is the area. Those trees are mostly Quercus serrata which is narrow and thin. I liked this area so I took pic of it. There are some stone benches and tables.. which I don't think people would use it because they were too low!




This Paeonia suffruticosa garden stands next to Quercus forest. So if you come from the the parking, you go through Quercus gate, then see this beautiful Paeonia garden. It is very eye catcher. Next to this garden, there is a rose garden, but they weren't blooming so I didn't take photos. It would be beautiful if they were blooming though!



Last pic of this area.. of course, water feature. It is kind of interesting one though.. it has sprushing part and water fall part.. kind of confusing, and it looks ugly from my opinion..but.. still water feature.. I don't understand though.. WHY did they put green colour around the water feature!? IT LOOKS UGLY!!!!!

Japanese invading plant

I don't know how many of you would remember this weed...
but it is mentioned in the studio first semester.

Reynoutria japonica

I just looked up and it is it! You don't need to memorize this latin name but just for some reference. hehe

It is called Itadori in Japanese.. and you know we eat everything.. we do eat this weed too! ha!
http://www.i-kochi.or.jp/prv/kunio/itadori/index.html

Anyway, here are some pics.. they are growing so fast.. now they are a bit taller even. Websites say they grow about 2m high! I think Japan will be covered by this plant sometime.

This is my cousin chopping this weed.. she gave up to pull them out because they are all connected under ground! I told or warned her they are going to grow like crazy. (she and her hus band just moved that place and got a house, but that area is covered by this plant.. scary.)

Tochigi trip No.1

Last week, I visited my aunt's in Tochigi-prefecture which stands north part of Kanto prairie (about 2 and half hours from my house, maybe 1 and half hour from Tokyo).

It was nice and relaxing trip with good food, I mean it. GOOD FOOD.

First pic of this trip.. here you go, Japanese traditional landscape.
Rice Field

If you see this kind of landscape, we consider it is "inaka(country side)", but it is still close from big cities, so pretty much mixed. I know there are more "inaka" area in Japan if you go north part of Japan or south.

oh by the way, I think I brought Vancouver's cloudy rainny weather to Japan.. this month, we have only gotten 50% of sun light compare to average May!!! Damn clouds!

Gone for a week

So now I am back from a trip to Tochigi and Gunma prefecture where my aunt and cousin live.
It was so much fun and I can't write it one time, so I should break it down to write about it.
Today, I just need to do rehabilitation, so I will start writing it tomorrow.

You know now that I am fine and still alive!!!!

speaking of alive, by the way, I watched news the other day, and it said,
"This is the 8th year that over 30,000 people suicide a year."

I think Japan is scary!!!

We need healing gardens everywhere instead of too-much-functioned-cell phones.

PIC: They are the recycle cans on a train platform.

Green: News paper, magagine
Blue: Cans, bottles, and plastic bottles
Red (Pink): burnable trash

You can see through trashcans as well, just in case someone would put some dangerous thing in them. I think it is a good idea.

Makudonarudo

Currently Japan is in a big holiday which might be the longest holiday in a whole year called "Golden Week." (this year it is from April 29th - May 7th if they get 1st and 2nd of May off.) This holiday is actually built(?) by small holiday such as Green day/Showa emperor's birthday-4/29, Constitution day-5/3, Green day~Citizen's day off-5/4, Boy's day-5/5 (Girl's day is 3/3 by the way), and weekends. Golden week sounds very very nice but I don't like it because of my town.

Kamakura is a very popular town to visit as I mentioned to some people before.. This town is very old (I mean it has a long history!) so streets are very narrow and curvy. However, those people visit here then streets are always PACKED by cars and people and it is just hard to get out from my town.. Sometimes it takes 1 hour to get Kamakura station from my house by bus (usually it takes only 15 mins) I have to get out this town if I want to go shopping or seeing my friends..

so I have been in my house since I came back and playing video games. hehehe

Anyway, I got out my town with complainning as you can imagine. (May 2nd since it was still normal day for many people unless they take day off.) I tried to eat something, but everywhere was crowded that night. SO I decided to go to McDonald's! ha!

I ordered Shrimp-fillet burger value set. It was new menue and actually it was pretty good. Of course, my drink was Ice-green tea. hmmmm healthy! (at least I think it is healthy.)

oh oh, there aren't THANK YOU trash box in McDonald's in Japan yet. I guess it is hard to do it since we have to seperate trashes when we use it.. (plastic, ice cube/drink, paper)


P.S.I am going to aunt's house for a week.. they don't have internet service so I can't update my blog for a while, but I will take pictures there so I will update those next next week!

Earthquakes

blah, since I came back here, there were already 2 of level 4 earthquakes here in my town!!!
and on the day I came back here.. it was 28C, now it is back to like 18C.

Isn't it crazy!? I THINK SO!

I haven't updates my pics yet.. it means I haven't been outside much. I have been coughing so much, and not that good condition.

oh, I bought a cell phone yesterday. It is made by CASIO.
It usually costs over 14,800 yen, which is about US/CND $130-140 (original price was $300),
but I got it 600 yen ($6)!!
Good job for myself!

So here... a bit about this cell phone.

W41CA (CASIO)
2.6 inch Wide screen, QVGA (240x400)
49x103x22 (mm)
2.1 mega pix with AF
Music & video player (have to buy songs from its phone company)
PC website viewer
PC document viewer (Microsoft Excel, Word, Power Point, and PDF can be shown on its screen)
Pre-paid credit card with security lock (you can pay train, convenience store with it, just scan it on machines)
Chat system
FM radio
GPS

etc etc

I don't think I am going to all those functions!

but anyway.. I will enjoy it for 3 months.

JaPaN

ok, so it is 10:20pm.. which is 6:20am in Vancouver. Since I left there yesterday or since I woke up yesterday 5am, I haven't slept yet. :( Over 24 hours, I didn't sleep sleep... I tried to sleep on the plane, but there was a kid crying or screaming all the time... somehow Yutaka slept next to me.. HOW? lol

Anyway.. so I tried to fix my jetlag.. so I am going to bed now... My brain just doesn't work enough..

Tomorrow, I am going to buy a cell phone, and my life in Japan will just start after that.