Little fish, Big pond - Tokyo

Mini Babymoon in Shinjuku

2011-03-29T21:17:00.006+09:00

There's a little piece of Bali in the middle of Tokyo.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Our complimentary welcome drinks.

And two massage chairs... I love this place!

A day around Shinjuku

2011-02-26T20:35:00.004+09:00

It's rare that you get to see the faces of these monks. Usually they just stand there with their faces hidden under their big hats. Apparently this one had something to say.

The Old and the New.

This retro looking cop car caught my attention, and the boy band advertising truck cruising around Shinjuku gives you a bit of an idea of what Japan is like. It is a land of contradictions. I love it!

38th Birthday

2010-10-15T21:26:00.006+09:00

Talking to Paw.

I was down south in Miyazaki visiting Shojiro. Paw called in the morning to sing to me.

Visited the beach.

And ran into some kittens!!

They made me happy.

Power Spot

2010-10-03T12:25:00.006+09:00

This small shrine tucked back in a cave is known as a power spot.

The area is scattered with little piles of stacked rocks.

So I had to stack up some myself.

Orange

2010-10-03T12:17:00.003+09:00

I spotted this matching butterfly and cosmos flower while hiking with
Sho at Takachiho in Miyazaki.

It was a beautiful day, as you can see.

Rushing around Tokyo

2010-06-27T10:45:00.003+09:00

I saw this guy in a frozen rush in Shinjuku.

Of course, I had to join him.

Amsterdam

2010-06-07T00:23:00.002+09:00

Thought I'd start sharing some travel pics.

Ann Frank's house

The Chuo line

2010-05-23T00:52:00.001+09:00

The 70s are BACK!

2010-05-08T01:25:00.007+09:00

Sho and I attended our friend's 40th birthday party and had a blast! The party was a 70s themed party. What do you think? Do we look groovy?

I do believe I was rocking the 70s shades and pleather jacket.

Sho looked pretty sweet in the afro too!

Big News!

2010-04-29T20:39:00.001+09:00

Shojiro asked me to marry him. I said "yes".

Junior College Graduation

2010-04-16T00:55:00.005+09:00

Here are some of my students at their graduation reception. Aren't they cute?

This was my Oral Communication class. We tried to do a little jumping,

but I didn't have my good came with me.

Here's their jump. Not bad for heels and formalwear.

Here's my favorite pic of the day. This is a perfect example of Japanese girls and dessert time!!! Mmmmm......it was yummy.

Tokyo Tower

2010-04-11T12:10:00.001+09:00

They are currently building a new tower called the Sky Tree, but I'm a fan of the original Tokyo Tower. Isn't it pretty? I love how it's red color turns orange when it's lit up at night.

Maw does Tokyo!!

2010-04-06T23:08:00.002+09:00

Isn't she so pretty??

Cherry Blossoms Viewing Time

2010-04-06T20:39:00.011+09:00

In Kichijoji Park

The Samurai

2010-04-06T20:11:00.001+09:00

I spotted this samurai carrying a case of beer in Kichijoji Park.

Cherry Blossoms with Maw!

2010-04-03T15:35:00.003+09:00

We were really lucky that Maw got to see some blossoms while she was in Tokyo. We went to Shinjuku park and this is Maw with a cherry blossom beard.

Not all of the trees were in full bloom, but we managed to find a few.

And this tree had pink blossoms and red blossoms!! It was gorgeous!!

Childhood memories

2010-03-18T03:44:00.006+09:00

Hey Y'all! Let's go walking in the creek!

I spent most of my time between 11 and 14 stomping around in the creek on my parent's property. Isn't it gorgeous?!?!? I hadn't seen water in it in a long time, but this trip home it was full. I couldn't resist going for a little trip down memory creek.

I introduced my sister's foster kids to the joy of creek stomping-cold feet, muddy butt, and all. They loved it!

Lillian, Martin, and Nicholas had a blast! And so did I.

Takaragawa Onsen in Gunma

2010-01-27T23:19:00.010+09:00

was very cold and snowy! Here's where we stayed.
Our room was on the 1st floor.

The hot springs were amazing!! There were 4 outside baths, and 3 of them
were mixed for both men and women.

Women wore towels, but they were short towels. I kept bending over and showing Shojiro how short mine was. Ha! He told me to be more "lady like," but that is difficult for me sometime.

Of course, we jumped!

The food was really good too! Here Shojiro is eating bear soup.
That's right, BEAR!! It tasted like tough beef not chicken.

This was a grilled river fish. Sho kept calling it a "liver fish." Ha! I just love Japanese 'l's and 'r's. They can be so entertaining.

Cheers!! Kanpai!!

Trees

2009-12-21T00:31:00.002+09:00

are BIG in California!!

Sea Lions

2009-12-06T11:09:00.004+09:00

on Pier 39 at the famous Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Apparently these creatures started hopping up on the docks in 1989. I guess no one ever made them move.

Aren't they cute?

Californication!

2009-12-04T20:30:00.004+09:00

Lost my shoes during this jump over looking the Bay Area of San Francisco and Oakland.

Making it to California meant that my world trip was coming to an end. We visited San Francisco, Oakland, and Walnut Creek. Did lots of jumping there because we were having the "San Fran Jump Off" competition with my Australian friend Debs.

PS. We WON!!!

More California pics to follow!

Oktoberfest!!

2009-10-18T22:21:00.003+09:00

Jumping with German beer. Yippee!

My most avid blog readers

2009-10-18T18:55:00.004+09:00

are Eto San, Mayumi, and Yoshi!

Thanks!! Here is their good-bye jump for me!!

I taught them English conversation every Saturday morning for about a year. I really enjoyed teaching them and hated to say good-bye, but now I really enjoy my work-free Saturdays.

Miss you all!!!

Little Fish, Little Pond - Fish Therapy!!

2009-10-01T22:49:00.009+09:00

I found another 1000 yen treat that involved animals this weekend. Only this time, there were no fluffy kitty cats to pet and play with, instead there were lots of tiny fish to eat my flesh!! Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. They actually nibbled and sucked on my feet removing dead skin.

Sounds gross, huh? It wasn't. It was fun!! It was a bit scary at first, but just ended up tickling in the end.

They're called doctor fish or "garra rufa" and apparently they were originally used in Turkish baths. It is said that they have to ability cure many skin diseases.

Can you tell we're faking it? I was a thespian in college and attained many great acting skills so maybe you can't.

37 ! !

2009-09-30T23:10:00.002+09:00

This is what it looks like.

I'm heading out for my birthday dinner with Shojiro and forcing him to take my picture on the train. He hates doing that. I love it!

THE refrigerator!!

2009-09-30T22:22:00.019+09:00

Ta daaa...... Here it is!!! My new super-duper fancy fridge!! It makes me so happy. Now that I own such a large, shiny, family-size home appliance, I finally feel grown-up. Well, just a little. I still like jumping and that doesn't seem very grown-up like, now does it? Yay!!

And just because Carolyn Algie asked what it looked like inside and what all those drawers were for, you get to take a little peek inside. This is for YOU Carolyn.

The top is the regular fridge part. There are big
shelves in the door so it really holds a lot.

The two drawers under that are the ice drawer on the left (there's an automatic ice maker!!) and the deeeeeep freeze on the right. Apparently I can put hot stuff in there and freeze it really fast. Haven't tried it yet.

Next comes the vegetable drawer. It's deeeeeep!

The freezer is on the bottom. Can you see my ice trays that are shaped like fish? I also have stars. Cute, huh? Frozen fish ice cubes anyone?

Cool Cruiser in Koenji

2009-09-30T20:06:00.002+09:00

This is the kind of bikes people ride in MY neighborhood. Whatcha think? I'm dying to see the owner ride it.

Argh.....

2009-09-12T22:50:00.005+09:00

I ran into a pirate at the Koenji Awa Odori.

Of course, I got my pic with him.

Cat Cafe

2009-09-09T22:32:00.010+09:00

You can pay by the hour to play with a bunch of cats, and I did!!! I paid 1000 yen (roughly $10) to hang out in a room full of cats for an hour. Along with buddying up with fluffy felines and taking their pictures, I also got one "free" drink.

Here's a "Neko Nabe." I guess it English it would be called a "Cat Pot" or maybe a "Pot of Cat".

Image Change

2009-09-08T23:33:00.001+09:00

How do you like my new glasses?

Summer Vacation Lunch

2009-08-04T20:09:00.003+09:00

I am officially on summer vacation now so I finally have time to cook and clean. Here's the lunch I whipped up today. I made up a chicken recipe that turned out pretty well. It was very garlicy, gingery, and cuminy with a some of Jay's homegrown carrots thrown in for color. I had tofu on the side, as you can see. But the best part of the whole meal was that I ate it on my NEW kitchen table!! Yay! Doesn't it look gorgeous?

Rainbow in Nakano

2009-08-04T20:06:00.002+09:00

Isn't this gorgeous? I guess the rainy season is good for something.

Apple Mansion

2009-08-04T20:03:00.000+09:00

Here's my new apartment from the outside. I'm on the top floor. There's a nice view and a good breeze. It is slowly starting to come together.

Blackberries

2009-08-04T19:50:00.004+09:00

I've been checking out my new neighborhood and was very surprised to find blackberries. I love blackberries!! My whole family used to go blackberry picking every summer. The reward of our efforts always ended up in a hot cobbler and sometimes jam. Mmmmm...... These blackberries are really close to my house, and I've snagged a few already, but don't think I should take any more. They sure are tempting though.

Yamagata reunion

2009-07-01T15:31:00.004+09:00

Here's me and my Yamagata ladies!! We met up in Takasaki this weekend. Esther came down from Yamagata, I came from Tokyo, and Sinead came all the way from Canada. We all met and lived in Yamagata city in 1999. Wow, that was 10 years ago!! Saying "time flies" is such a cliche, but it is soooo true.

My new view

2009-07-01T14:58:00.007+09:00

Here are a few shots of the sunset from MY new kitchen window. Isn't it gorgeous? The photo quality is not too great, but I hope to see a lot more of these in my future.

I LOVE ORANGE!!!!

I moved to the Koenji area of Tokyo. Actually my apartment is right between Koenji and Nakano. I'm within walking distance of both stations. The area is cute with lots of restaurants, bars, thrift stores, and tiny shops selling lots of unusual things that you never knew you needed until you see them. It's time to go exploring in my new neighborhood!!

Finally..........

2009-07-01T14:40:00.004+09:00

I moved into a new apartment. Yay!!! I'm so excited, but I've got lots of unpacking and organizing to do now.
Here's the kitchen. My very own kitchen!!!

This picture is looking into the living room from the kitchen.

Apparently......

2009-05-14T20:26:00.001+09:00

Japanese kids like to suck on flowers. I tried it, and I liked it too. So sweet.

Don't worry about a thing......

2009-05-11T23:01:00.007+09:00

My friend Tomo sang in the "Bob Marley - One Love Music Festival" in Yoyogi Park yesterday,

and she was amazing!!!! I wish I could sing.

The 30 yen shop

2009-05-02T23:03:00.004+09:00

Everything in this bin is 30 yen or roughly 30 cents each!! It changes every day, and I've gotten some nice stuff before. I check it every day. Jay got a rockin T-shirt here the other day. I shall post pics of my best 30 yen finds soon.

Land of contradictions

2009-04-24T21:27:00.003+09:00

The beauty of cherry blossoms mixed with the unsightliness of power lines somehow seem to morph into a new kind of unique beauty, but........

the effect seems to lose its power when the blossoms are gone. Hmmm.......

Another day.....

2009-04-24T21:20:00.003+09:00

another drunk guy praying he makes it home.

Red shoes

2009-04-23T09:30:00.001+09:00

make me HAPPY!!

First day of school.......

2009-04-08T17:17:00.004+09:00

and doesn't everyone look pretty?

Looks like this cute family is on their way to the opening ceremony for the first day of school. Isn't mom's kimono gorgeous?

Jumping for joy. . . .

2009-04-08T16:49:00.010+09:00

'cause spring is here!!

Spring has come and I feel like jumping! Well, I usually feel like jumping. Just thought it would be a good excuse.

Looking good Mr. Jameika.

I love the green of the weeping willow and the pink of the cherry blossoms - all combined with a nice shadow!! Great jump, if I do say so myself!

Cherry Blossoms in Ueno Park

2009-04-08T16:25:00.004+09:00

Yay!! The sakura finally arrived, and they are beautiful.

But only for a short time..... They are gone before you know it.

Cute kids in Goa, India

2009-03-31T21:52:00.002+09:00

This little one was our neighbor. He was so sweet.This one had three thumbs!! He had one on his right hand and two on his left!! Apparently it's a sign of good luck in India. There's a famous Bollywood actor with a lucky third thumb. Who knew?

Funky Trees

2009-03-31T21:36:00.002+09:00

The trees in Mysore were interesting to say the least.

Mysore, India with Esther

2009-03-31T21:15:00.009+09:00

Mysore was fun because . . . . .

I went shopping with Esther,

ate tali with Esther,

learned to make dosa with Esther,

and did a little bit of yoga with Esther.

More dosa pics

2009-03-31T20:48:00.003+09:00

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Doesn't it look delicious?

This one was a cool shape. They should call it a teepee dosa.

I took a cooking class and even learned how to make my own dosa!! Mine didn't look near as good as the ones above, but it tasted good. That's all that matters in my book.

Playing with Fire

2009-03-22T20:54:00.004+09:00

We watched a little fire dancing show in Hampi and ate dinner in a tee pee.

I heart dosas!!!!

2009-03-22T13:42:00.007+09:00

Here's a picture of my first masala dosa (bought from a street vendor in Calcutta) before I even knew what a masala dosa was. Masala dosa is a typical southern Indian dish. I'd say that it's kind of a mix between a French crepe and a Mexican burrito, but the shell is made from soaked rice and dal instead of flour. Inside is the masala which is made out of potatoes, and it's served with coconut chutney. Yum!!

This one is huge. It's called a paper dosa because it's as thin as paper, I guess. It was so thin, crispy and greasy!!
Here's the guy that made it for me. Thanks! At this restaurant my dosa cost 20 rupees!! That's about 60 yen or 60 cent. Wow!! I love you dosa!! Just last week I found an Indian restaurant in Ogikubo that serves masala dosas. There I had my first dosa in a year and it was amazing.

Stone Chariot of Vittala Temple

2009-03-22T12:37:00.006+09:00

Built in the 15th century, this temple contains the highlight of Hampi's tourist trail-the stone chariot. The detail of the carvings was amazing!!

Family portrait time.

Rocks in Hampi

2009-03-09T11:42:00.004+09:00

Here are some of the amazing rock formations in Hampi.

We found an old temple built among the coconut trees and rocks.

This was my favorite view - the orange rocks, the tall coconut trees, and the green rice fields.

Mud Hut #5

2009-03-09T11:08:00.003+09:00

A real mud hut was our "room" in Hampi, India. Hampi (pronounced "humpy" ha ha ha) was definitely my favorite place in the country. It was a very relaxed place with lots of Hindu temples, huge rock formations, and a little river that we had to cross by boat to get to our hut.

Long legs

2009-03-04T00:45:00.002+09:00

I finally figured out how to make my legs longer!!

Where India ends - Kanyakumari

2009-03-04T00:09:00.004+09:00

Kanyakumari is the town on the southernmost tip of India.

It is here where the the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean all come together. Can you see them mixing?

My first COCONUT

2009-03-01T16:57:00.003+09:00

was in Calcutta, our jumping off point in India. This first one got me hooked, and I enjoyed many, many more coconuts throughout the journey.

Indian Memories....

2009-03-01T14:16:00.009+09:00

I was in India for 3 months last year and hated most of it. But now through the pictures that I took there, I'm trying to replace my bad Indian memories with good ones.

Cruising the backwaters of Kerala was amazing. Taken from our houseboat at dawn, this picture shows another houseboat and the gorgeous pink sky.
Reflections of coconut trees. Mmmm. . . . . I love coconuts!

In honor of Esther and her fourth trip to India this month, I've decided to declare March "India Month." More India pics to come!!

Shinjuku at night

2009-02-25T00:11:00.007+09:00

Anyone up for visiting a Host Bar? Aren't they sexy??

Kabuki Cho is usually the "sleazy" part of Shinjuku, but the cops have been cracking down a bit lately. It's not as sleazy as it used to be.

Trains

2009-02-12T22:03:00.000+09:00

I feel like I'm on trains all the time...... Moving around the city.......

Waiting at stations.......

Sitting on trains........

New T-shirt

2009-02-12T20:09:00.000+09:00

We went shopping in Koenji today. It's a really cool area with tons of thrift stores and vintage shops. Sho loves his new T-shirt. What do you think?

Playing with Monty

2009-02-06T20:59:00.000+09:00

I had two days of playing with my friend's dog, Monty. He's still a pup so that makes him extra cute. I want a puppy!!

Two of my students

2009-01-25T17:21:00.000+09:00

JUMPING!!!! Kaori and her son, Hirotaka, enjoy English and jumping.

Roses

2009-01-25T13:58:00.000+09:00

I've been admiring this patch of roses on my walk home for about 3 weeks now. They're the strangest shade of red I've ever seen. The picture doesn't do them justice.

Snow monsters and onsens

2009-01-23T22:46:00.000+09:00

That's how I spent my time in Yamagata this week.

Cacti for sale

2009-01-23T22:29:00.000+09:00

I saw these at a very, very crowded Tokyo market.

Flower Freak

2008-11-06T13:04:00.000+09:00

The name says it all.