佐世保

A side trip from Huis Ten Bosch is Sasebo, the western-most part of Japan accessible by rail. So what's famous about Sasebo? The burgers. It seem strange but the fact that a HUGE american base is located in this city might shed light on things.



Stuffing our faces with the famous Sasebo burger. Look at me Izzy! I'm eating!



More burgers



Sasebo is a really small city, so most of its attractions are within walking distance from the main train station. Yep. Was a perfect ending to the long day i spent in faux-Netherlands

ハウステンボス

Guess where I am.



Well, maybe you need a closer look at the background



Scratching your head now I see...



Hasn't that punk went back to Nippon already, you say



Yea....



Nice right....?



Ok. A hint. This IS Japan



Just not a very japanesy part of Japan.



Any clues yet? By the way, those are real tulips in full bloom



The guys, with a huge dutch clog. (spot Cheryl)



This is Huis Ten Bosch, a replica of a Dutch town, by Western-mad Japan. My ang mor friends find Asia exotic. For us its the reverse. Isn't this mindboggling. The Japanese love Europe so much they built it in their own backyard. Well, its the tulip matsuri right now, and the tulips are in full bloom, so here we are :) Its a fantastic place I tell you!

ただいま

Back in Japan after 2 weeks in Singapore. 2 weeks was really too short. I really wished I could spend more time with the loved ones back home, but I had to return. Sigh. Guys, I guess I will see you again in August... Sorry to those whom I wasn't able to meet, the schedule was really very tight :( Had to go back to Japan before the 26th :(



Anyway, there are precious few Singaporeans in Fukuoka, so every one of them counts. Had a farewell dinner for Saksama in Kashiihama before he left. Yep, Sak, go back Singapore have to cheong sua liao, ki wo tsukete yo! Yep, the next few days were hectic as I was showing Cheryl around Fukuoka, eating ramen and sightseeing. Yep, its good to be back, back in the swing of things, but I really forgot most of my Japanese already, over the span of 2 weeks. This is bad.

動物

This wraps up the Hokkaido series of posts. Theme for today is: HOKKAIDO WILDLIFE

Like Northern Winter Foxes





And fishes that live under the glaciers of the Sea off Northern Hokkaido





And GIANT GIANT crabs with limbs the length of one's arm



Then again, wildlife is wildlife, and wildlife is also food



Itadakimasu!

阿寒湖

Morning! We are at lake Akan which has frozen over so we're snowmobiling! Kakkoi!
(Was scolded by the snowmobile uncle because I was doing some dangerous curves on the ice, and conveniently pretended I didnt understand Japanese, hurhurhur )

氷と火

A traditional Ainu festival in the minus 8 degree night. Warm wine + Ice Cutting + Festivities + Firelighting + Fireworks. Wonderful experience by the frozen Lake Akan in NorthEast Hokkaido

Ainu Forelighting Ceremony

アイヌ

The Ainu are the indigineous people of Hokkaido and Northern Japan
I know coming to the Ainu village is somewhat like visiting Geylang Serai's Malay Village (ie.not authentic), but well at least its a showcase





What comes to my mind when people talk about the past treatment of the Ainu? So many unpleasant things.... the baggage of being a law student

氷滝

Hokkaido Snowscapes:

Waterfalls that freeze over



and more snow

寒かった

Hokkaido Ice Festival
(Naturally formed, Illuminated by night)









ice, ice, ice

Schedule

For anyone who wants to know where I am exactly until school starts:

Spring Break 2006

7/3 – 10/3 Hokkaido trip

11/3 - 11/3 Tree-planting trip, Uminonakamichi

12/3 – 25/3 Singapore trip

26/3 – 27/3 Kurokawa Onsen; Aso-san

28/3 – 29/3 Fukuoka, Hosting Cheryl

30/3 -- 30/3 Huis Ten Bosch

31/3 – 1/4 Fukuoka Hanami

2/4 -- Ayumi Concert, Fukuoka

2/4 – 5/4 Kyoto

6/4 -- Nara

7/4 – 8/4 Osaka

10/4 -- Kobe

11/4 -- End of Spring Break ☹, Term II starts


I said goodbye to my favorite English student today, who would be going to Australia long term. My best friends in my block level would have left when I'm back from Singapore. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Q & A

The holidays have officially started for me because I am finally done! Now i can return this book and never see it again



Which begs the million-dollar question.

Q: Why did James take 3 weeks to write the last 3500 word report?

(a) James has not been paying attention in class and has to figure out from scratch what to write

(b) James has been partying too much

(c) James is a hard-core procrastinator who will never get anything done until 24 hours before the deadline

(d) All of the above, plus the fact that James is lazy

No prizes for the correct answer.

On another note, getting rid of long hair ( i haven't cut it since i arrived, a freaking 6 months) is as easy as going to QB, and pointing to a picture saying "Kono you ni kite kudasai" (please cut it like this). No guarantees that you would look good though.



HOLIDAYS! Why am i celebrating, I have been living my life as if it has been a holiday since february when classes ended. Damn you term papers.

ひな祭り

今日は三月三日、ひな祭りだ。

Yep, 3rd day of the 3rd month. Hina Matsuri, also known as "Girls Festival". This is celebrated because the parents want their girls to grow up strong and healthy. During hina matsuri girls wear kimonos and they eat hina-arale, drink ama-sake, a rice wine that has no alcohol in it (what? no alcohol?). On this day parents of the girls get a doll shrine, as shown below *whoa*



Well, apparantly, the cost of one of these doll shrines is enough to feed yours truly for A MONTH here. I say its Japanese consumerism. Look what we get bombareded at everyday when we enter the supermarket:



Well, a country with people willing to spend S$50 on an average melon can afford to spoil itself. Nice towering monolith full of goods: ready packed and pink and reflective of spring? (think: sakura) Buy, buy, buy, its a good way to spend yourself out of a recession. So, hows everyone back home with their prosperity packages? I see something like this in the supermarket, I spend 0.5 seconds going "Whoa, sia la!" then I walk on to look for discounted bentos. muhaha. >:D

梅

いよいよ冬が終わりそうだね。春のシンボルがもちろん「桜」だけど、早春は「梅の花」だ。只今、梅がちらほら咲き初めたから、太宰府へ行きたいけれども、最近がいつも雨が降っていたので、行かないんだ。ちょっと残念と思う。下の写真は留学生会館で撮っていた。





::Taken below my block::

Before the Sakura comes the Ume, plum blossoms that herald the coming of an early spring. If that is the case, why is it so cold today?!