On Sunday I joined some friends in Gifu Park for a Cherry Blossom Viewing [Hanami] party. The weather was really nice, and there were a lot of people there. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves, especially the guys who ended up in the pond...
The next day I took my wife, kids and hangover to look at the cherry blossoms at Kasamatsu Minato Park, which you can see in this picture.
Have you been to see the cherry blossoms yet?
I managed to write & send a couple of postcards when I went to Ise & Toba. I sent this one to my school. Why did I do that? Well, one reason is that I am trying to encourage my students to write postcards to our school whenever they travel overseas (in English of course!).
Another reason is that I just enjoy writing & sending postcards.
Do you have Teragoya`s address? Please send us a postcard sometime!
On Saturday I taught a student who has a glass-blowing studio in a small town north-west of Gifu City called Ibi.
I went riding around there a few years ago, & afterwards did this woodblock print (10x16cm). I wonder if he recognises this place?
If you have the chance, I recommend a visit - it`s peaceful & scenic, with a nice river. You can get there by train from Ogaki (it`s the last station on the line).
On Sunday we visited the town of Ise, beside the famous Ise Shrine. It`s a nice place - there are lots of traditional-style shops & buildings, as you can see*. There is also a shop that I really like which sells woodblock prints [hanga] and woodblock print style postcards [ehagaki]. Other shops sell various kinds of traditional food, souvenirs & goods.
Unfortunately, on Sundays there are also a lot of people & cars - it took a long time to park our car!
If I go to Ise again, I`ll try to go on a weekday (Monday to Friday).
[*click on the image to enlarge]
This is another toy car I saw at Osu Kannon markets. I didn`t buy it - I just took a photo.
I really wonder what `Let`s to horse!` means. Maybe:
- Let`s ride a horse!
- Let`s ride two horses!
- Let`s horse around! (horse around = be silly)
- Let`s go to a place that has horses!
- Horses to let! (to let = rental)
Hmm. It`s a bad English mystery.
On the 18th & 28th of every month, there is an outdoor market in front of Osu Kannon Temple in Nagoya. By chance, last Sunday (my day off) was the 18th, so I went there with my son to take a look.
Most of the stuff on sale is old or antique. It`s interesting - some things look like junk, but they`re valuable. Other items may look valuable, but actually they`re junk. Then there are things like this toy car that I bought - it looks like junk, and... well, it IS junk! But I don`t mind. When I saw it, it really caught my eye, and Owen liked the opening doors ("Look - now it`s an aeroplane!").
And one day, when I`ve forgotten where I bought all my kids` toys, I think I`ll still remember where I bought this car.
This is the golden syrup I used for my Anzac biscuits. I bought it at Kaldi store. Check out the picture on the label.
It`s a dead lion.
With flies buzzing around it.
Nice.
UPDATE: My mother (in comments) says they are bees, not flies, & explains the reason.
This is an easy recipe for Anzac biscuits. If you want a more difficult one, just ask your wife or mother to give you advice while you cook.
Ingredients:
125g butter
150g plain flour
90g oatmeal
65g desiccated/shredded coconut
150g sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup (or honey is okay)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1. Melt butter with golden syrup, then mix all ingredients together
3. Make balls, about 5cm diameter
4. Put on tray, put in oven
5. Cook at 150 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes
Easy!
If you`re not Japanese, you probably don`t know about `White Day`. In Japan, girls often give chocolate to guys on Valentine`s Day, then guys can give chocolate or cookies/biscuits to girls on March 14, White Day.
I made these biscuits for my workmates. They`re called ANZAC biscuits. I`ll post the recipe soon.
Today my wife & I went to see `Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows` at the cinema. We haven`t been to the movies for ages (ages = a long time). In fact, I think the last movie we went to was the first Sherlock Holmes movie! Anyway, like the first one, it was very entertaining.
The lead actor, Robert Downey Junior, is very good, although his character, like many things in the movie version, is quite different from in the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Have you read any of them? I`ve read them all - they`re great!
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