Per Request "Keep 'em coming"

Many of you have said recently, "post more pictures", so here are a few to check out. These are taken while visiting Tokyo. These photos are taken at Asakusa.

A FUN weekend in Tokyo

Wowee! I had an action packed 4-day weekend! From my first Kabuki show, to Shrines, Zen artist exhibits, the Gibli museum, the Blue Man group, meeting up with friends, to Picasso and Klee exhibits... it was a fun whirlwind of a weekend in Tokyo.Pictured above is a "Blue Man" from the show on Saturday night. He posed for pictures with throngs of Japanese fans completely in character, that is, expressionless. I hung out for a while just watching and when groups cleared away, I went in for a shot.

I whispered "so, where are you from?" And he looked at me with that alien, expressionless face and broke into a little smile and said, "Iowa." "VT," I responded. Then he gave me a big smile and told me that another cast member was from Vermont. Yow-ee, what are the chances?!
The above picture is from the Gibli Museum. Check out Hayato Miyazaki films if you can, they're great! (Miyazaki is the man who started the company).Pictured above is the Meiji Shrine just outside of Harajuku. It's lovely, with extensive parks, museums and places to pray. You almost forget that you're in a big city, until you catch a glimpse of a skyscraper in the distance. The contrasts between traditional Japan and modern Japan is something that continues to fascinate me.
These two shots are from Asakusa. Pictured below are walkways leading up to a gorgeous Buddhist temple. The walkway was lined with stalls and vendors selling all sorts of Japanese crafts, goods and gadgets. Above is a shot inside one of these stalls. The masks reminded me of a mask collection that hung in my house as a little girl. ;)

A Snowy Day

Today is January 9th and it is the first heavy snow that I've experienced in Kanazawa. This region is known for its harsh winters and heavy snow (thus all of the tree supports). Even though the winters are wet and very slushy, some flowers survive and the ducks do not fly South!

The following pictures are of tree supports throughout Kenrokuen gardens.

The picture below is of a famous foot bridge in Kenrokuen.

(Below) A glass roof covered in snow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This new year was much more spiritual then the New Year celebrations in the states, which was a very nice change for me. The pictures below are taken at a large and lovely Buddhist temple called Natadera. There are winding paths through the woods into the surrounding hills and there are various places to pray (some of which are built within caves). In short, it was beautiful.

A little holiday fun

Well, the fact of the matter is, I love the holidays. It's always been one of my favorite times of the year because I get to spend time with friends and family prepping for parties and celebrations. This year, I tried to infuse some of my holiday enthusiasm into my co-workers and friends. Some of the pictures below are in preparation for a Christmas party I had. I put people to work making snowflakes for decorations. Sometimes, simple crafts are the best!
Here's the Christmas cake I picked up from a fabulous French pastry shop.
To get in the holiday spirit, a friend and I watched a concert put on by our students. They were excellent!



There is an after school English conversation group and we had a little Christmas party complete with cookie decorating (above) and caroling (below).

Stay tuned for shots of the New Year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

New Term

Yes, it is that time. A new term begins tomorrow, which invariably means I will not be posting for a little while... stay tuned... even for a couple of weeks/months!

Saipan-Sunsets

These are various shots taken from the beach and from the sunset sail.





This next sequence was taken on the flight back to Japan :( A few more days on the island would have been fantastic. Especially when the weather in Kanazawa is cold, rainy and just all around dreary.