Feel that Breeze!

I wonder how I'm going to survive Canadian Winter when I get back....

Autumn in Fukuoka, Japan - my favourite time of the year! The middle of October, and that Breeze is just about right - cool, but not to the extent of 'chilly' (I remember the cruel winter in Montreal, up and down that education building, what a workout!!) just the way I like it.

But I also know that Winter is lurking right around the corner, and it'll soon be time to drag out that FAN HEATER somewhere in my closet, and that wonderful invention - electric blanket from my drawer. Because WINTER in Fukuoka is no joke, and requires well-thought out winter coping plans........

.... Three of which I will generously share in this post.

1) CHOCOLATES, CHOCOLATES, AND MORE OF THAT DARK CHOCOLATE!

Mmmm... good news for the chocolate lovers, and even happier news for you if you happen to be the latter, AND a careful dieter.... BE CAU SE, one entire bar of CACAO 86% = 381kcal. mmm. talk about smart, fun dieting.

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2) DIVE INTO THAT NABE RYOURI 鍋料理 (otherwise known as HOT POT in Chinese)~!

This is a NABE course meal I had, one night dining out with a co-worker. Salad, sashimi, yakitori.... AND all you can drink. mmm. there's an extra hint of yumminess about having NABE in a cold weather... Reminds me of that DELICIOUS meal we had in a tent in Korea one time, visiting OSTRICHES once upon a WINTER SONATA (haha!).

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3) STEALING FOOD FROM YOUR STUDENTS

Okay, that may have been a misleading title for this picture. My grade 3 junior high students had Home Ec class today, and I was invited to drop in - for some free snacks!!
I was offered ... fruit punch with Japanese mochi, Thin 'pancakes' (no, no, not crepes, they insisted) with all kinds of toppings, something brown, round, and fried - I can't bring myself to call them donuts - food was good, class was a bit chaotic, kitchen was messy, the students and I had a BLAST. What a fun day....!!

HAPPY HOME EC CLASS!

......　

Next week - same JR HIGH again!
I LOVE MY JOB.

誰だろう？

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/jigyou/art/jakuchu/kimono/contest/index.shtml

See anyone familiar?

へへへへへへへへ。
どこだろう？

Lucia & Ninja Undercover

Until now, I haven't personally met another Lucia.
But, apparently this name is not that uncommon in Paris!
(Pictures taken by my good friend Lisa/Duck, ありがとうね！）






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A few more pictures from my last Onsen Trip - I forgot to include my 肥前夢街道 Ninja adventure!
Here I am, showing off my hidden Ninja skills.

While I was having fun taking down other Ninjas, I remembered one of my favourite movies as a nine-year old, '3 NINJAS' (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103596/plotsummary). It's really surprising to know that I can recall so many details of that movie, despite the fact that I haven't thought about it for so long. For one, I remember that the eldest NINJA brother's name is ROCKY (quite a name!), and that even though the three brothers were clearly caucasian with not a hint of asian blood in them, they had a Chinese grandfather, who, happens to be a great Ninja Master - Undercover. Ok, now I really want to rent that again.



My Travel Buddy,　メキーちゃん　v＾０＾v


October....... and finally, getting colder.
I love Autumn.

Busy, Expensive, Fun-filled Weekend!

I've decided.
For the next month, I'm going to have UNEXPENSIVE weekends and spent my big bucks wisely.
Less travels, less shoppings, and less Fukuoka delicacies.
Hang on, hold that last thought. I probably can't resist the Fukuoka Yumminess. That one will have to stay.

That being said, I suppose it'd be safe to post this picture:

Sheenae and I at ALOHANA - a stylish, delicious Hawaiian restaurant in Tenjin. Our dessert was APPLE CINNAMON PANCAKE. (Someone tell me that Hawaii is famous for its Apple Cinnamon Pancake.) It was GREAT! Hot and fluffy with that hint of cinnamon. Oh! and a scoop of half-melted Vanilla Ice Cream on top.....

* * * *

And the latter half of this post will be on HOW I'M LOVING FUKUOKA MORE EACH DAY...

This weekend, there was a music fest going on, kind of like the Jazz Festival in Montreal, but I actually like it more over here = Music City Tenjin.
So, basically, various music artists from all around Japan (some, obviously from our Music City FUKUOKA...!) are scheduled to perform in different spots at different times. Yesterday, I stopped by Daimaru (department store) with two friends and heard a song or two, and today, I had even more fun - walking around Tenjin, and unexpectedly bumping into GREAT MUSIC everywhere I go!

*First one was in front of another department store, after my friend Sheenae and I finished our Hawaiian lunch. JUNE, is the name of the artist, and looks and sounds a bit like Se7en. Got his CD and an autograph!

*The second unexpected encounter was at Starbucks, where we savoured our afternoon coffee - ET, a female singer with short, spikey hair, and a powerful yet soothing voice - the perfect Phoebe (a much better singer...nonetheless) during coffee hour.

*The last one, and perhaps the BEST performance of the day, was at SOLARIA PLAZA. A good thing I insisted we make a bathroom trip, otherwise we would've missed the incredible band from Kansai called GUKKLE グックル. The singer had a contagious smile and charm - and by the way he was singing, we all knew that he was in love with music, and that he loved sharing his music with the audience. Then there was the SUPERB pianist, and the INCREDIBLE drummer... there's nothing compared to seeing & hearing musicians giving all they got, releasing their passion, not just hitting the right notes and the right tunes, but playing simply 'cause they love it. And I loved it.



* * * *

And...... skip back to last weekend.
HOT SPRING weekend with Maggie.
And we spent an afternoon designing our own cups!
They'll get here in A MONTH!

楽しかったなあああ！

[PV] JUNE - You and me

Another Talent I saw today in Tenjin!

guckle（グックル） / 何時モ此処カラ

Great voice, Incredible pianist, Amazing percussion, Awesome music!

[good news on a] Saturday Morning

...



“The true harvest of my life is intangible - a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched”
- Henry David Thoreau


My heart leaps up when I behold
A Rainbow in the sky:
- William Wordsworth



* * * * * *

おめでとう！！

OCHO-KOCHOI

Yesterday, I had a FAREWELL PARTY with the people at my office.
I'm never good at goodbyes.
But this was the funnest farewell party I ever had.

The people who changed positions are the section chief, my supervisor and another lady-whose job I cannot seem to remember. It was sad to see them leave - after a year being in the same office, going to the same NOMKAIS (drinking parties), they eventually become family in Japan. And the ones leaving just happen to be my favourite people.

But anyhow, the party was a BLAST.

-amazing food: we went to an ONSEN place up on the mountains, and ate in a huge tatami room with excellent view (Did I mention that the food was amazing?)

-great crowd: obviously, eating and drinking with family is one of the greatest things to do in life - and I enjoyed every bit of conversation I had with everyone - even when they were a bit tipsy.

-funny scenes: my former supervisor got a bit tipsy and went downstairs to the lobby and bought five, bright pink roses. They first served as mics, then props for dancing, and then were distributed to a few special ladies from the office. I received one, and somehow ended up with two (one lady didn't want to take it home).

-not-so-funny scene: when we were KANPAI-ing in the beginning of the party, my hand accidentally banged into someone else's beer, and the whole cup went flying across the table, spilling beer, soya sauce, maybe even slices of Sashimi on my lap, shirt, and my supervisor's expensive bag.................................

But it ended on a happy note.

And we all reached the same conclusion that night.

I am OCHO-KOCHOI.

In English, it means CLUMSY.
Frankly, the word has never really left my reputation ever since I.....

...Tripped over someone's leg and fell face front, in front of a WHOLE CROWD of Isaiah and Daniel fellowship in Grace church
... Tripped on the stairs with my lunch tray flying aross the room at a Winter Retreat (while SOMEONE watched from her seat, trying so hard not to burst out laughing... mm....)
... Tucked in the inner layer of my skirt into my stockings at a Wedding

And there are so many more OCHO-KOCHOI instances that are far too embarassing to be listed in a public blog.

CLOTHS OF HEAVEN

I want to write....

Like this.



"Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams."

-William Butler Yeats, Cloths of Heaven