Sao Paulo (Brazil)

I returned to Brazil in the beginning of April. To be more precise, April 1st. My parents traveled to Japan. They returned on April 4th (because they wanted to see sakura). Can you see that something is off?

Perfect occasion to fulfill a promise made to a friend and visit him. I've done this before in Florianopolis before I left to Kyoto and in Sorocaba when I returned to Brazil during my round the world trip. Time to pay them another visit - this time in Sao Paulo.

Am I the only one who noticed they are always living in a different city when I decide to visit?

So I got a ride from the airport, and since it was close to lunch, we decided that my first meal in Brazil should be in a barbeque restaurant (churrascaria) close to my friend's house with him and his spouse. After eating like there's no tomorrow, we strolled around the neighborhood. Unusually calm neighborhood for Sao Paulo... they got a really nice place.

After strolling, we thought we should exercise a bit at a park (I actually forgot its name, although I think it was the Ibirapuera). Unfortunately, we saw another "attraction" instead: Sao Paulo's famous traffic jams. After being stuck for half an hour (where we advanced not more than 2km), we decided to abort and return to their house... avoiding the main roads.

In the end, we just chilled out for the rest of the day, playing some video games like Street Fighter 4 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (both highly recommended).

Next day, Holy Friday. Three-day weekend. Good sign for those in Sao Paulo: way less traffic and crowds around. Still, we decided not to take any chances and go by subway to Luz (where Luz Station - Estação da Luz - is a touristic spot itself) see the Museum of the Portuguese Language (Museu da Língua Portuguesa).

The museum educates without being boring. Origins of the language; influences from other (from indigenous to immigrant) languages; main differences between Brazilian Portuguese and Portugal Portuguese... Some of the interesting features are a panel where one can listen to various accents from different regions in Brazil and an alley full of grammar mistakes and other interesting "word games" that only make sense in Portuguese.

Lunch time. So we walked to Mercado Municipal (literally translated as "city market") to eat some "pasteis". Actually, the market is famous for products like cheese and ham offered at special prices (and also yummy as far as I've heard). As a last surprise, we saw a celebrity there - Sérgio Reis - probably doing his shopping for the Holy Friday and Easter. Too bad he couldn't walk ten meters without being stopped by someone asking for a picture...

The rest of the day went smoothly until night. As it was a Holy Friday, bacalhau is mandatory. Why? Well, according to Christianism it is not allowed to eat meat on a Holy Friday in respect for Christ's death. And Portuguese influence in Brazil made this dish the most popular - not to say traditional - for Holy Friday in Brazil (especially around the Southeast region).

But the day wasn't over yet. About midnight we left to a shopping mall watch a stand-up comedy show. Unfortunately I don't remember the title anymore, but it was very good. And a opportunity for me to readapt to Brazil: stages this late at night are not something that happens in Japan as fas as I know; and the kind of humor is also very different.

April 3rd. After two intensive days, the third one was slower. Between chilling out, talking and playing video game we watched El Secreto de sus Ojos (a.k.a. The Secret in Their Eyes) at the movie theater. Interesting movie with a nice story, although I thought it was a bit slow to put things in motion.

And finally on April 4th my parents arrived. We met at the airport, ate a pizza all together and then returned to Londrina.

This start of a new journey was very pleasant. Now on to the next challenge...

I'm "falling"...

Yes, it is autumn - or fall - season again. And, as usual, I've had my share of momiji-hunting this year.

Unlike my previous picture-huntings (check autumn and spring posts of years past. Too many links to put here), this time most of the time I wasn't alone. Guess that, with my thesis pending, I might not have gone to all those places without an "external pressure".

Where could I go after two years in Kyoto? Well, the question is better said as "which of the many places I've never been I may be able to go this year?" That's one of the wonderful things of living in Kyoto, although beautiful places exist throughout the whole country.

The first place was the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Not that I've never been there before. Actually, it was just last spring. Nevertheless, at the time, the place was open to the general public instead of the usual reservations required to enter as part of the commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the current emperor's reign. It actually caught me a little off-guard for this year being "21st year of the Heisei era" on the Japanese calendar.

Japanese calendars counts years according to the year each emperor started its reign. So, when Emperor Akihito came, the Heisei era started; Emperor Showa reigned during the Showa era; Emperor Taisho during the Taisho era; and so on. (The era name and the posthumous name of the emperor have been the same since the Meiji era.)


Also, for being a special occasion, there were special exibitions and events. One more reason to get in and see.

Ohara is a place some people were recommending me to go to take pictures during autumn. So, I tried to gather the Brazilian group in Kyoto and go straight to the main highlight: the Sanzen-in (三千院).


Unfortunately, by a series of misunderstandings and sudden cancellations not many people gathered; and those who did ended up separated in two groups who basically didn't meet each other. Still, it was possible to taste a bit of the traditional Ohara atmosphere and appreciate the autumn leaves on the moss garden at the temple.

The next place wasn't exatcly new for me. After going there in 2007, I went again to Shugakuin Imperial Villa. That time I was with friends from Himeji who came to see the autumn in Kyoto.


Shugakuin Imperial Villa is still one of my favorite places in autumn. It's not too hard to figure out why. Even with some rainy weather by the end of the visit, it was still beautiful. Or should I say, raining while it was still possible to see the sun gave an even more special feeling to the scenario.

Talking about imperial places, the next one is the only one of the four in Kyoto I have never been to (the other ones are Shugakuin Imperial Villa, Katsura Imperial Villa and Kyoto Imperial Palace)... until now. Using a open place in a reservation Fang made, I went to Sento Imperial Palace, or the "retired emperor's palace". And I would like to live in a place like that after I retire... as long as some modern facilities were provided, of course.

It was during the peak of autumn, so the red leaves were at its maximum beauty (the guide himself said that). The garden, although it can't beat Shugakuin Imperial Villa, is really beautiful. Too bad that this time I was experimenting my polarizing filter and the results were often not close to what I expected. The cloudy weather during most of the visit also played a role in depreciating the pictures, too.

The last one was part of a part-time job activity: go to some touristic places in Kyoto with junior high school students. There we went to Toji and Nishi Honganji. The former was already withnot so many red leaves left; the latter had two full yellow beautiful trees. I will skip pictures of those two places to avoid showing the students (maybe there's no problem, but I'll play safe this time).

Well, not so many places this year. This happens when you are under pressure because your research is not going so well as it is supposed to. I would like to have gone to more places, but that was all I got.

To see more pictures, check my Picasa album.

Taiken Festival

Once you stay too long in Japan, you tend to participate less in events for foreign students. There are a variety of reasons that change according to each person, but in my case I am now busier than before and a little tired of the routine those events usually take.

Still, even after two years in Japan, there was one that got my attention. It was a "experience festival" (literal translation) from the local Rotary Club: 「留学生のための体験フェスティバル」 on October 24th.

The main reason was because the girls could dress the jyuunihitoe (十二単), a traditional clothing that was worn by the court-ladies during the Heian Period. As the name suggests, it is composed of twelve layers of silk kimono, being extremely elegant and complex to wear (not to mention heavy. In some cases up to 20kg!). Nowadays it is mostly used by the Imperial family in special occasions and in few weddings. It is expensive, and, in part for that reason, almost unseen outside of museums.


The boys would wear an equivalent traditional clothing for court nobles from the Heian Period. I forgot the right name, and searching on the net I found names like sokutai and kariginu, but although they look like, they're not the same.


There was a buddhist monk outfit as well...

And, of course, there were other events. One of them was the game based on Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首), the Uta garuta (歌ガルタ). It is one of the traditional card games in Japan, still played often during the New Year. Each card has a part of poetry, and the objective is to pick the sequence of the waka that is being read. For people who want to know further, I reccomend looking for sites like this one. I am not very familiar with the rules myself to try to explain them here.


At the end, while being treated to dinner (a very good one), we watched on TV the local news reporting the event. They are fast...

And one thing that came to me, this could be one of my last events as a international student in Japan. Ironic that it was with the Rotary Club... because my first dance presentation (when I used to practice ballroom dance back in Brazil) was also at the local Rotary Club.

Himeji Castle Moon Viewing Festival

Between the heat of summer and the red leaves of autumn, there is another event in Japan. Although less celebrated, tsukimi (月見), or moon viewing, is also an important point in the Japanese calendar.

While looking for references, I found this blog that explains tsukimi in a nice way. So, instead of keeping my usual (long) explanations, I will recommend people to go there take a look.

One thing that should be noted is that the event follows the lunar calendar. Although it makes sense considering it's a moon viewing event, that also means the actual day changes every year in the usual Gregorian calendar. This year (2009), the day is October 3rd.

On that day, the moon is at its fullest. Also, skies were clear enough for clear visibility, with some occasional clouds that actually made the scene more beautiful.


Where was I? Back in Himeji for the Himeji Castle Moon Viewing Festival (姫路城観月会). At the park in front of the castle, people gather to watch performances, enjoy the moon, eat and drink. And about drinking, there is also another point that festival is famous for: buying just one cup of sake (500 yen, if I remember well), it is possible to drink all the sake you want from various makers who participate in the festival.

That also leads to very drunk people here and there. Anyway, that's a different story...


In my case, it was just a good opportunity to meet some friends in Himeji (or part of it as some people were absent) and take pictures of the moon and the castle.

(Note: this is a computer processed picture. The moon and the castle weren't that perfectly aligned.)

Those may be my last pictures of the castle, so I could not miss the chance as well. Why? Well, besides the fact I'm approaching graduation, Himeji Castle will go under restoration from this moon viewing festival to 2014.

To those who have never been there, until March it seems they will only bring materials for the restoration, so it will still be possible to see and go inside the castle. Don't miss this chance.

Shirahama (白浜) revisited

Summer. Hot and humid. What that all calls for?

That's right. Beaches.

So, like two years ago, the Brazilian group in Kyoto - myself included - left to Shirahama in Wakayama Prefecture from August 14th to August 17th.


This time, though, we decided to have a little more comfort during the trip. No more Seishun 18 Kippu. We took a "highway bus" (高速バス) to Shirahama instead. It's just a couple of hundred yen more expensive, and it stops just beside the main beach, while Shirahama Station is kilometers away.

The only setback is that since we went during Obon. That meant crowded roads that delayed our bus by more than one hour and a half... And since I am such an airhead, I also forgot my "beach supplies" inside the bus as we arrived in Shirahama. Fortunately, I was able to recover it the next day thanks to the lady at the ticket shop.

Like we did two years ago, this year we also stayed at the university beach house: Shirahama Umi no Ie (白浜海の家). This time the place went through reforms (it's safe to say they rebuilt the whole thing) between 2007 and 2008 and looked brand new.

The obasan was still there, but this time the group figured out how to deal with her. Wake up early, clean your mess and pamper her a little bit and you're good to go. Ah, and don't break the rules.

That being said, the group went all days to the beach. With some other activities around. On the first day, the skies were perfectly clear; an excellent weather to watch some shooting stars.


On the second day, the group hit the main beach Shirarahama and met a group of friends who stayed at the same place, playing at Shirarahama until night, when the traditional fireworks festival was held. And this being during Obon, there were also fire lanterns along the beach giving a deep atmosphere to the event.


Third day. Day to play it slow, enjoy the beaches and getting frustrated again for not being able to take a picture of the sunset at Engetsu Island (円月島)... Damn cloudy weather! To compensate, we did the traditional barbeque, but this time with fish and it was delicious! To close the day, nostalgic music by the veranda... Does anyone remember "Mamonas Assassinas"?


For the fourth day, some people decided to do something a bit different and went some touristic spots: Sensojiki (千畳敷) and Sandanbeki (三段壁). Being to the latter for the second time, this time we decided to explore the cave, even though the entrance fee is quite expensive. It was interesting, but we should have gone during the high tide...

After those four days, I returned to Kyoto. Tired, but relaxed.

And during the trip sometimes I remembered the events of two years ago. The group changed a lot from that time, even though the spirit was kept. Going to some places I've been back then made me finally realize that time flies and my turn is coming. Hope someone keeps the "tradition" next year as I'll graduate...

Daimonji (大文字)

This time, I'll write about one of Kyoto's symbols: Daimonji (大文字).

Daimonji is shaped as the kanji meaning "large" or "great" (大) and is one of the symbols "drawn" on the mountains that surround Kyoto. The other ones are Myou/Hou (妙・法), the characters meaning "excellent law" (referring to Buddhist teachings); Funagata (舟形), the shape of a boat; Hidari Daimonji (左大文字), with the same character as the Daimonji, but slightly smaller; and Toriigata (鳥居形), the shape of a torii.

All those symbols are lit every year on August 16th from 8h pm (local time) at the culmination of obon. The fire has the meaning to guide the ancestors' spirits who are said to return to this world in order to visit relatives during the obon. This has the general name of okuribi (送り火), thus the name of this event in Kyoto being called gozan no okuribi (五山の送り火) - literally, "five mountains' send-off fire" -, although many people call it just daimonji.

Pictures of the lit symbols as well as some more explanation can be found here.

It is also an interesting checkpoint for me during those years in Japan.

In 2005, being in Japan for the first time, I was travelling in Kyoto (also for the first time) with Silvia and a Japanese friend when daimonji was lit. I was able to see some symbols from Sanjo, but didn't take any good pictures.

Returning to Japan in 2007, the Brazilian students in Kyoto gathered for a barbecue at Tati's former house, where we could see about four of the symbols (daimonji, funagata, myou and hou) from the roof. And it was the first time I had the thought of buying a tripod after trying many times to take pictures, but only managing to take passable ones after Kazu lent his tripod for a while.

I guess I've never mentioned that story here before, so I'll upload a picture taken that time.


In August 16th, 2008 I was in Munich on my way back to Brazil, so I obviously didn't see the okuribi. But on October I joined an event from the university student lounge (a.k.a. KI-ZU-NA) where we climbed daimonji. It is not that rough, but I recommend going when insects are not active. It's worth a go, anyway. From there it is possible to see the city of Kyoto from above, and also the places where the fires are lit every August 16th.
That's another event I haven't mentioned before, so I'll upload some pictures, too.



And in 2009? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not in Kyoto again. At this moment I am somewhere else that will result in another post soon.

So why writing about Daimonji? Well, it is one of Kyoto's main symbols; and since I came to Kyoto, it has been basically a part of my everyday life, sice it is possible to see it easily from Kyoto University Yoshida Campus area. This will be my last year as a student in Kyoto and I forgot to write about many occasions related to it, so I thought it was worth a post.

To keep the rate of "one different thing about daimonji every year", I'll try to take a picture of it covered in snow (will have to wait for winter, of course)...

Sakura Fever, version 2009

This year also I was taken by the beauty of flowers in spring and decided to go around and take some pictures.

One point that I may not have mentioned in this blog earlier is that plum blossom - ume - precedes sakura season. So, as last year I went to Osaka Castle with some friends to take pictures of ume (No, I won't publish those pictures now. But I can say it's worth a visit), this year I went to Osaka Expo Park during the same season.


Osaka Expo Park, or Expo Memorial Park, is a park built at the place of the former Expo '70, the first World's Fair held in Japan. Now the park has many areas with the "environment" theme. It is a good option for families, since it has places for children to play and explore, some museums and an amusement park nearby and even a hot spring to warm one's feet. It has also sections with various flowers that look beautiful in full bloom.

Although I've been to Kyoto Gosho to take pictures of sakura the previous year, this year I also entered the Kyoto Imperial Palace - the former residence of the Japanese Emperor. As with all the imperial places (like Shugakuin and Katsura Imperial Villas), previous reservation is required. The palace area itself is not especially know for its sakura trees, but there's a beautiful arrangement at the end; and the palace grounds are also beautiful.

Feeling the urge to go to Himeji again, I returned yet again to see sakura at Himeji Castle. This time, my friends in Himeji had scheduled a hanami party in front of the castle. A rainy wheather changed the plans, though. Me and some friends from Kyoto I invited just went around the castle. I spent the night in Himeji and fortunately the nexy day the weather became sunny and we could carry on wih the hanami.

Kiyomizudera is also a familiar place to people who read this blog and basically everyone who has lived or even spent a couple of days in Kyoto. It is one of the main touristic spots, and I've been there many times. Why go there again? Well, I have pictures of the temple in summer, autumn and winter. I was still missing one characteristic of spring.


Nijo Castle gardens have many varieties of flowers, resulting in a garden with flowers blooming almost all year around. The place is also known for its many varieties of sakura trees on its grounds and a very nice light illumination event.



Yumi, a friend who lived in the same dorm I did in my first year in Kyoto, also returned to Japan for a couple of weeks. We scheduled a visit to two places that, although I also went to those places to take pictures of sakura the previous year, this year I was able to see sakura there in full bloom: Philosopher's Path and Heian Jingu. Both were way more impressive (and crowded) this time.

As there was other friend that, like Yumi, also returned to his country but was back to Japan for a short visit and it had been a while we didn't put everyone together, Miho had the plan to do a hanami by Kamogawa and celebrate together with the old Oubaku dorm group and friends.


Last, but not least, I was also invited by S. to see the flowers on a park she said it was impressive. Well, it is. The name is Tsurumi-Ryokuchi Park, and it was originally built for the International Floral & Greenery Exposition in 1990. Nowadays the park features, among other things, a horse riding course, camping places, play-grounds for various kinds of sports, gardens of many countries, and the Sakuya - Konohana Botanical Pavilion (one of the largest botanical gardens in Japan). I could just walk there for a little while, and it was worth the visit. I may try to return to that park some other time.

Those who want to see more pictures, check my Picasa album.

Korea (대한민국) - Part 1

Spring vacation with a strong yen. That asks for a trip aborad, right? Actually, this trip was basically a last-second decision after being invited by a friend. I postponed the decision to the last second since I also had a lot on my mind, so we had to make all preparations and planning in one week. Then I went to South Korea from March 11th to 16th.

One observation I should make before I start: I don't speak anything in Korean. Neither does Theang (the friend who invited me). So, without being able to communicate in the local language, our alternatives were other languages we know. And in many cases, Japanese works better than English. Well, Japan and Korea are geographically close anyway... besides, the strong yen and the weakened won made Korea a shopping paradise for Japanese.

March 11th. That was a "basic reconnaissance" day. From Kansai Airport to Incheon Airport and then to the hostel (guest house) in Seoul. A very nice one in fact. And since it is close to Hongik University we decided to walk around Hongdae (famous for its nightlife), explore the surroundings and get something to eat. Since we can't take spicy food (which excluded good part of Korean cuisine from our possibility list), that was a little adventure by itself... an adventure that failed in some way because what we ate was quite spicy in my point of view.

Next day we moved from Seoul to Busan - Korea's secong largest city and the only big city that wasn't taken by the North during the Korean War - using the high-speed rail service KTX. The main plan for Busan was meeting a Korean friend - Kyeongsuk - and do some sightseeing together. With someone able to read and communicate in Korean, our lives became a lot easier.


Our first destination was Haedong Yonggungsa Temple along the shore. That characteristic gives it a different atmosphere; different even than other temples by the shore I've been (like Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima). A little far from the city, but reachable by bus. Nevertheless, after that bus ride I'll think twice before using a bus in Busan thanks to a crazy driver that thinks he's racing or something alike! And Kyeongsuk said that is common... Scary.

After surviving the bus ride, we went to Gwangalli Beach. Although the beach is famous for its fine sand, it was already night and the weather wasn't so warm. Our objective was to see a bridge from the beach and walk around for a while until our stomaches began to complain and we headed to Seomyeon - the main commercial area in Busan - to find something to eat.

Our local guide went through some trouble to find something not spicy for her guests, and still we thought it was spicy... Sorry for our low resistance to spicy food. Refueled, we went to a 24h store to chat until around three in the morning, when we took a taxi back to our hostel in Busan and our guide went back to her house. Very nice to see you again Kyeongsuk! And 감사합니다

On March 13th we went to yet another city: Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom for almost a thousand years. It has a large cultural value, although it is not a large city anymore and many of its structures were destroyed during the war with the Japanese and the Korean War. We went there by bus, and arriving at the bus station we were greeted by on old man (well, not so old) who was offering taxi services. According to him, the city public transportation system is not so practical for tourists (and that seems to be true) so he'd recommend we took a taxi. And he offered a service to use taxi for a whole day for a fixed price. Interesting enough, the entire conversation was held in Japanese; and the taxi driver also spoke Japanese. We were taken as Japanese tourists at the beginning, I suppose... We accepted, but with some reluctance it would be a tourist trap we were with our guards up.

Our suspicions proved to be unfounded. The tour went well and the taxi driver was nice.

The first stop was to see the Buddha statues in Bae-ri. Those three statues have the same basic design, but have different expressions and peculiarities.

Next was Poseokjeongji, located where a royal villa previously existed. A relaxation place, nobles used to gather at the place to drink wine and recite poems.

The next spots were the reason we went to Gyeongju. Seokguram Grotto, a Cultural Heritage site, is an artificial stone temple built to protect statues of the Bonjon Statue, Bodhi-sattva and his disciples. There was also a thick fog there, which gave a special atmosphere to the place.


From there, the second World Cultural Asset site is Bulguksa Temple. The temple has an impressive architecture and some interesting explanations (that I overheard from a Japanese guided tour). I particularly like one feature of seeing the Buddha face from a hole in a lantern. Different people see the statue from different positions (mainly because of height difference). That represents the difference between people.

With still some time, our next destination was Gyeongju National Museum. This museum features many relics from Buddhist sculptures and crown to household goods. The museum grounds also have features like King Seongdeok’s Bell, the largest bell in Korea and one of the largest of the world.


Finally, by the end of the day we had lunch... and what a lunch. We basically wrapped the food around the vegetables and ate. I guess the name was Ssam or something similar...

With the day coming to an end, we finished our tour around Gyeongju and returned by bus to Seoul.

The Korean saga continues...

If snow doesn't come to Kyoto - Nozawa Onsen （野沢温泉）

After going to Sapporo Yuki Matsuri, I was still missing something that can be done when it snows: snowboarding!

I tried to organize a ski/snowboard trip, but all my attempts failed. When hope was diminishing, Meg sends me a message inviting me to go to a ski site. Talk about mind reading! And the weekend chosen was the best choice for me as well.

I was also allowed to bring some friends, so I invited some friends who already had mentioned they would like to go ski/snowboard somewhere. I just forgot about the chain effect that usually happens in those cases: like when I went to Takaifuji last year, a friend called another, who called another... Although I knew all people who were invited, some people decided to join almost on the closing date for reservations.


Regardless of those minor problems, we managed to go to Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort in Nagano on February 21st to 22nd with a group of ten people from nine different nationalities. Again like Takaifuji, it was an "international summit" ski trip as Steffa pointed.

I am getting better with a snowboard. The only thing I have to remember is to tell the rental shop that I am a goofy next time. I always forget because when playing soccer I kick the ball with my right foot (even though I'm left-handed).



The landscape seen from the ski station is beautiful. If I weren't with a snowboard I'd probably like to go around and take some pictures. Those I took aren't all that nice.

The snow was also great. Powder snow accumulated until noon, when it stopped snowing and we had a clear sky until we returned to the hotel. And returning was also a small adventure, since I decided to try intermediate tracks with Meg, Steffa and Stefan. We forgot to calculate the time to get down the mountain to return our rental equipment on time and we had to rush to the base of the mountain after losing one of the lifts on our way down.

More fun with weird games after dinner (in the boys' room that was conveniently placed in the meeting room with no other guests in the rooms on the sides... Coincidence?) and walking around the town the next day completed the trip.

Since the name of the place is "Nozawa onsen" it has hot springs. We decided to go to one that's famous and free to use. Overall the atmosphere is nice with the place itself being small having a rustic design, but the water was too hot! It was like feeling what a boiling egg feels like... I could stand for a while only. It was nice nevertheless.

Snowboarding in 2009... check. With hot springs as a bonus. I think I can say I enjoyed winter now... now may spring come bringing ume and sakura!

If snow doesn't come to Kyoto - Sapporo （札幌）

This has been an unusual winter in some ways. One of them is that it almost didn't snow in Kyoto... at least not enough to cover the ground for me to go around taking pictures.

In that case, what would become of my winter pictures in 2009?

Fear not. There was already something in my sleeve. An old wish to tell the truth.

Since I went to Himeji in 2005 I wanted to go see the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri. Still, when in Himeji I didn't have the money to do it, and last year I had my entrance exam. This year I had some JAL mileage about to expire - thus another reason to avoid postponing this trip any longer.

Another helping factor was hearing from a friend that some Brazilian exchange students were planning to gather a group to go see the festival. Thanks to that, I also got a group to have fun with and some local intel - including hotel reservation - from students living in Sapporo (Thanks Erica, Arlete and those who helped organizing the whole thing!).

Therefore, from February 6th to 9th I went to Sapporo to see the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri with a group from many different prefectures in Japan (from Yokohama to Miyazaki) of Brazilians and friends.


Those were intense four days. Even though I didn't go anywhere out of Sapporo, all four days were well spent. Especially because it's not a place simple to revisit if you are a poor student.

The "locals" said that it almost didn't snow prior to our arrival. And then we came bringing a small snowstorm with us. Nevertheless, there were periods of good weather that fortunately happened mostly while we were sightseeing.

Our group splitted in many occasions; and that was fortunate since people had different interests and it's simpler to coordinate a smaller group. The places where I've been were:

• Odori koen: The most famous area of the Yuki Matsuri. The place where the large sculptures are, although there were small ones as well. There are many companies and groups interested in obtaining a space to create a snow sculpture there. My friends in Sapporo managed to participate (together with a group) in creating one under a company's name. Some sculptures worth of note were one promoting Tokyo's bid to host the 2016 Olympics and a Disney themed sculpture built by the Japanese Self-Defense Force. There were also Totoros, Ponyos and other icons. Odori was the first place I went; and I went all four days there.




• Susukino: Not far from Odori, Susukino is a night district - or a "red-light district" if you prefer. During Yuki Matsuri, the area has many ice sculptures (while the ones in Odori are usually on snow).



• Tsudome: Nickname for the Sapporo Community Dome, the area was designed to hold one of the three sites (the other two are Odori koen and Susukino) for the Yuki Matsuri that was previously alocated in Sapporo Satoland from 2006 to 2008 and in Makomanai SDF base before 2006. Although there are some sculptures, the Tsudome area has an emphasis in providing playing space for children (in heart also).



• Mt. Okura Ski Jump Stadium: No, no one is good or crazy enough to try a ski jump. Instead, there was an event on the day where, among other activities, we could slide down the ramp on a tire tube. I didn't do it, but it's also possible to go to the top and have a view of Sapporo.



• Moiwayama: That's an excellent place to go up the ropeway and see the city of Sapporo from above. Although the view is beautiful day or night, watching the sunset and the first hours of the night is a personal recommendation.




• Kaitaku no Mura: Translated as "Historical Village of Hokkaido", the complex concentrates typical buildings from all over Hokkaido from the period when development of the region was carried on a large scale. Since that started during the Meiji period, most constructions have a certain European atmosphere, different than the usual traditional Japanese structures. We could also try jyagamochi ("potato mochi") and something that I guess was amazake.



• Sapporo Beer Museum: Hokkaido is the birthplace of beer in Japan, and Sapporo Beer one of the oldest and most popular brands. The museum itself tells the history of beer and the process of making it. Unfortunately, we didn't arrive in time to enter the museum. Our real objective lies in a different part of the complex: Sapporo Beer Gerten with an all-you-can-eat sheep meat Genghis Khan (Mongolian BBQ).



• Shiroi Koibito Park: Shiroi Koibito is a famous brand of chocolate based in Hokkaido; and the park tells the history of chocolate, has a museum with nostalgic toys from various countries, allows visitors to try making cookies themselves, and has a buffet of cakes. Arriving at the place, some people may have a feeling of approaching Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.

Those who wish to see more pictures, check my Picasa album.

Okayama Villa Trip

After refusing so many times (well, they always set those trips on days I simply couldn't go...), on November 15th and 16th I finally went to a Okayama villa trip with the Himeji Gang (although the group changed a lot since we used that name... I wonder if we can still use it).

Well, I just didn't know that there were a group of those villas... Check here for more information. This time we went to Takebe International Villa.

I said we went, but things weren't that smooth. Excluding the fact I had to go from Kyoto to Himeji before (there was another guy who came from Nagoya, though he used the bullet train), consider that we were in three cars going there for the first time and only one had the electronic navigation system (which in some ways made us more lost than without...) and I may not have to say that we got lost quite often.

That being part of the fun, we had bento lunch at a remote controlled cars race track while wondering if we could use our cars there (haha!), had to backtrack a couple of times, look for missing cars some times more and went through narrow streets occasionally. When I say "narrow" perhaps I should give an example


Note: this is a TWO-WAY road.

In the end, we arrived safe and sound to the villa. And gladly found out we had a part of the building only for us, kitchen and common room included. I wonder if it's not the part for foreigners... the other guests I saw were all Japanese (at least they looked like). Anyway, this way we could have fun without disturbing anyone.


It was cold, so that asks for onsen and nabe! Rested and with our tummies filled, fun went on throughout good part of the night with drinking, chatting and playing games. Someone brought a card game I liked a lot. The name is 二ムト (a.k.a. Category 5) and if I find it around I'm taking it!

Another weird event was when, before we decided to go to sleep, suddenly the clock on the wall just went crazy and accellerated until two hours beyond current time. Then it just stopped. We analysed the clock and couldn't find anything wrong. We ignored what happened and continued our preparations to go to sleep when it started to move rapidly again, this time until it reached the current time, after which it slowed down and started move in its the normal pace again... Weird...

Next morning, the girls wanted to go to the onsen again. Boys didn't care much, so we slept a little more. After packing, we went to see some autumn leaves at some place close to the villa. I actually forgot the name of the place so I can't dig up information about it, but it was nice.


Last, the group decided to spend the afternoon in Kurashiki strolling around the Bikan Historical District with its kura houses and weeping willows around the canal.

After that, we all returned to Himeji; and from there some of us had still some kilometers to go. In my case, around 120km to Kyoto.

Ah, and on the way to Himeji, we were playing a game where we took turns saying names of countries, cities or states starting with some letter. The last one to give up wins the round. I have to improve my geography, but I never imagined that being Brazilian would give me some advantage (names of Brazilian of Latin-American cities that no one else there knew... I might even had made up some... Didn't do that, though). Poor Japanese were the ones with foreigners saying the names of places in their country before them... We're in Japan, after all.

Sorocaba

The only "trip" I did while I was in Brazil and also the only thing I had scheduled while I was in Japan: go with Willian to visit Juliano and Simone. I haven't met for latter two since Florianópolis. Since then, they've married (I was asked to be a groomsman, but I was in Japan and couldn't go to the ceremony) and moved to Sorocaba.

So, shortly after returning to Brazil, from August 22nd to 25th I joined Willian and his family for a car trip.

The first stop was in Bauru, where a friend of Willian's family owns a Japanese restaurant in a hotel. We also went to a local shopping mall and a gym (someone's addicted... not me) before dinner... sushi better than those of kaitenzushi. Hehe!

Anyway, on the next day we went to Sorocaba to meet Juliano and Simone. And it seems he promised my mother that I'd put on some weight there... or so he said. I admit I lost weight compared to when I left Brazil last year, but I probably never ate so much like those two days...

Since Willian's father had been driving for two days (not all the time, but it's demanding nevertheless), we decided to give him a rest in a hotel recommended by our locals while we did some major catching up. Among chatting, joking and mocking we had planned to go to a LAN gaming center, like the old times. Unfortunately we couldn't find a suitable one open, so we turned to video-games instead. Warcraft would still have to wait...


August 24th. The only whole day we would have there. Someone had suggested going to Hopi Hari, but really... it's been years we haven't met and we would go to an amusement park!? Instead, our hosts suggested the Sorocaba Zoo to see some animals like the dancing elephant (!?).


Another special thing was the place where we went for lunch. All-you-can-eat restaurant, as expected from Juliano. Still, the food there was VERY good and had good variety. If the expression "eating until you explode" was ever accurate it was during that lunch.

We spent the rest of the day going to shopping malls, visiting the hotel where Willian's parents were staying, watching Juliano and Simone's wedding ceremony DVD (LMAO of a certain "compromising situation" someone was filmed at... hahaha! The eyes really look at things one think are interesting...), playing video-games and... eating.

On the last day, I was sleeping while Willian and his father went to a gym Simone knows and scaried the hell out of some people there as far as I've heard. Well, they're quite muscular... and it's not something common for Asian descendents. And when one starts lifting an absurd amount of weight and the other asks to punch him on the abdomen... I can imagine the scene. Hehe!

Why didn't I go together? First that beside those two I'd be less than nothing. And something weird happened to my right eye. Later I found out it was nothing serious, but when I got up on that day it looked like I was punched in the eye... We even told jokes that Willian wanted to go to the gym so badly that he was dreaming he was training and hit me in the eye while sleeping. I wouldn't doubt that... haha!

After they returned it was already time to go. We'll probably won't be able to meet again anytime soon, but this meeting, although short was well worth it. I'd say only those four days were worth already the whole trip to Brazil.

See you space cowboy!

Munich, Germany - Part 2

Continuing the trip in Munich...

August 16th. Sightseeing continues. This time around downtown, to check Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz areas. Plus some other places around, including Frauenkirche. There's a law that no building in Munich may be taller than that church's towers. It prevented the construction of lots of skyscrapers, something that also happens in Kyoto, although in this case the towers are 109m high, making it possible to build tall buildings anyway. In fact, the second tallest structure in the city is an O2 Tower close to Olympiapark (mentioned in part 1)... just a little smaller than the towers.

Still, there was the problem of getting there. A simple bus plus train combination would take me there without problems... But I speak almost no German. I got instructions from J that I was to ask for a day ticket when entering the bus. That ticket would also be used for the train. The problem is that I got one bus driver that can't speak or understand any English (according to J, many can, but some can't. The problem is that bus line is not touristic), so I was trying to explain what I wanted. When I finally managed to make him understand something (I'm not even sure if the message went through right), he said something in German that I couldn't understand; and by that time we were at the final stop. In the end he just decided to let me go without paying. I paid eventually at the train station... because I had memorized the word for "day ticket" in German and found it on the vending machine.


After walking downtown, I went with K and S to Palaces Schleißheim, one of the major baroque complexes in Germany. Although the reason we went there was because K heard that the gardens there were more beautiful on that day than Schloss Nymphenburg (a more famous touristic spot). And it was beautiful indeed... There was even a wedding ceremony going on inside the palace when we arrived. Guess there are a lot of beautiful places to marry in Europe...

Next day. Sunday. The plans for that day went through many changes. Since it was a day when J could join the tour, we were planning to go somewhere a little further. The initial plan was Salzburg, in Austria. Two factors made us give up on that. First that I'm not so keen on music; and the main features of the city are that it was Mozart's birthplace and the setting for parts of the film "The Sound of Music" (I like the movie... but wouldn't remember the scenarios in detail to really enjoy the experience)... Second, we had to wake up really early to enjoy the day and had a child to consider.

Then we turned to castles. The most famous in the area is Schloss Neuschwanstein, that served as inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's Castle and is the most photographed building in Germany. Still, although smaller, Schloss Linderhof (based on the Palace of Versailles) has other things around to take pictures of and it's the only one that was completed during King Ludwig II's lifetime (out of three he ordered... Meaning it's the only one he actually lived in). So Linderhof was our choice.


One can only enter with a guided tour, but it's offered in many languages (German, English and Japanese are the ones I remember), plus other languages (Chinese, Italian, ...) available on a paper guide. I was wondering how a Japanese tour would look like, but chances were better with English, so I took the English tour. The Hall of Mirrors is splendid! The area around the palace is beautiful as well. Too bad some parts were under reform... AND it started raining after some time. Oh, boy...

On the last day, another technical museum. This time the Siemens Forum. Being a company's museum, it's very focused on the accomplishments of the company. It has some interesting things anyway since Siemens has been involved with interesting projects.


After that, one last walk downtown. But this time through a different path recommended by J, including the Königsplatz, the Justizpalast and one of the old city gates. Lunch at a outdoor restaurant close to the new city hall and packing... This time to Brazil.

At the airport, "bad" news. When I went for the check in, the lady at the counter said there were no seats available in Economy class, so I'd have to fly Business... and it IS confortable!!! Will I ever get used to Economy again? Hah!

Impressions: Munich has a good atmosphere. Although I thought it's a bit small for the third largest city in Germany, it may actually be a good thing. Beautiful scenarios and nice technical museums (was it part of Germany's plan to rise as a technological country?) I just regret not being able to check some classic spots (Neuschwanstein and Dachau Concentration Camp to mention the most important).

One interesting curiosity is that some places have signs in Japanese! The Japanese tour in Linderhof is perhaps the best example. Almost all places related to tourism. Still, the number of Japanese tourists must be large. Well, I noticed some here and there. And according to J, many of them try to do "Europe in 7 days" going from one spot to another in a frenetic pace... not that my tour was so different. Influence of my Japanese descendence?

Thanks to K, J and S for all the help. Sorry for the trouble and hope to see you again!

For those who think the pictures here are not enough, check my Picasa album for more.

Munich, Germany - Part 1

After London, my next stop using the RTW ticket was Munich, in Germany, from August 13th to 18th.

Like in London, I asked for help to some relatives. In Germany help was even more needed, since I know little to no German. Even when I went to Japan, I already had relatively good notions of Japanese. This time, I was going to a country barely knowing how to say a sentence in that country's language.

From the airport I went to my relative's house with K (my cousin), J (her husband) and S (their 2-year-old daughter). This was actually the first time I've met J and S. As J said, the only touristic spot we would be able to see that day was Allianz Arena, home stadium of FC Munchen (although not only that team). And that was because it's on the way from the airport to their house, so we'd gave glances of it.

Again, the rest of the day was dedicated to do some catching up, planning... and also play a little with the child. For some reason, S, who were quiet from the airport to their house, got something like an instant liking for me after we arrived and wanted to show me things, play together and play with my luggage...

And it was funny to be at a loss with a child who says "dá dá" ("gimme, gimme" in Portuguese) when she wants something, "nein" ("no" in German) when she doesn't want something and "hai" ("yes" in Japanese) when she agrees with something... So cute!


Next day. Sightseeing begins again (after London). The weather was nice, so K, S and me went to Olympiapark, the Olympic Park built for the 1972 Olympic games. It's impressive, especially considering how long ago it was built. Now it's a very nice green area and place for events. On the day we were there, there was an event for children part of the city's 850th anniversary celebrations and a rehearsal for some sort of live. If I got it right, that'd be for Paul Potts (don't know him? Check this video) first live in Germany. Not sure, though.


From the park to the BMW Welt, some sort of BMW exibition facility. Or the "factory of wishes"... You see the models in display and think "I wish I had this one"; "I wish I had that one"... Anyway, weather was getting a little weird, so it was time to finish sightseeing for the day.

August 15th. Since I mentioned to K I like technical stuff, she recommended the Deutsches Museum, the world's largest museum of technology and science. And since the weather was rainy (not too strong, but strong enouh to be annoying), it was perfect to stay indoors.

Have I mentioned it didn't occur to me to bring an umbrella? I thought it would be unnecessary since I'd be indoors, but I forgot about the queue to enter... And since it was a holiday, the museum was, obviously, crowded and with a huge queue to enter... Of course, those waiting were doing so under the rain. Gaijin Smash was something that came to my mind. Still, in the end I didn't. And it sort of paid off. There was a (German) family behind me, and the father was kind enough to let me get under his umbrella while we were waiting. Safe...

Note: later, I got some theories about that. My hosts believe that people who are Japanese looking are well-treated there. In part because Japanese tourists usually don't create much trouble, have good manners and spend a lot of money. A Japanese friend says that people from south Germany are usually kind. My personal theory was that I just happened to be close to a kind individual...

The museum is very interesting. And large. Ok that I simply stopped at the Informatics, Electronics and Electricity sections... It has nice explanations (without getting too much into technical details, but enough for people to know what's going on) and some stuff to try "hands on". Good for children, but many are interesting even for adults.

After that, I joined my "host family" and went to a pool... And since it's not a place whewre tourists usually go, it was a place where my Asian looks (although I'm Latin-American) drew some attention. In Japan, I'm sort of a camouflaged foreigner, but I think I got a free sample on how non-Asian-looking people feel in Japan. When some guys were trying to say something (remember, I know almost no German) my cousin (also Japanese descendent) came to the rescue and exchanged some words with them. Later I got a quick translation. It was something like:

"Hey, your country is getting a lot of medals in the Olympics!" (sort of mocking tone)
"We're not Chinese."
"Huh? Where are you from? Japan?"
"We're Brazilians."
"......" (speechless)

Nice answer. And even in Europe some people can't imagine Asian-looking Brazilians... Guess I have to blame soccer and carnival for that...

The Munich saga continues...

London, England - Part 3

Third and last part of my trip to London (part of the Round the World trip).

August 12th, the last day of heavy sightseeing.


The first stop was the Sherlock Holmes Museum. A place that, as a Holmes fan, I simply had to go. As a friend who recommended the museum mentioned, one may like the place if one is a Holmes fan, but it might not be so worth it otherwise. The efforts they made to make it look like Holmes actually existed (showing tools related to some cases, for example) are interesting; extra credits for the actor who plays Watson. The letters to Sherlock Holmes, both from characters of the books and from real people, are also nice.


Next, the British Museum. And I was amazed on how a museum with such a collection (among which the Rosetta Stone and parts of the Parthenon) allowed pictures inside... An extra curiosity was seeing one of the Crystal Skulls, artifact that became popular after the movie "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".

The Japanese section was also interesting... and interesting to note where people's interests are. There were lots of marks of people pressing their hands of foreheads against the glass close to a katana sword...

After the museum, a walk to Covent Garden. A place with lots of street performers, shopping and cafes. Good point to have a break.

My last stop in central London was Picadilly Circus. No relation with entertainers, animals and alike. It rather comes from the Latin word meaning circle, since it's a road junction. That's also a popular and crowded place, more a less like Dōtonbori in Osaka I think.

Although I said the 12th was the last day of heavy sightseeing, I didn't say I did nothing on the 13th. It was time to walk around the neighborhood where I stayed. A London suburb with some points of interest, like a church with a graveyard where some artists rest in peace. There was even some sort of touristic spot nearby: Chiswick House. But many parts of it were under repairs...

For lunch, S said I must have fish-and-chips at a English pub before leaving Great Britain. So we pick a friend of his and went to his favorite pub... And it tasted good, although he said it wasn't so good on that day.

After the meal, packing and going to Heathrow airport after almost one week in London... Next stop: Munich, Germany.

Impressions about London: it's a real cosmopolitan city. English may be the "unifying language", but if I add the times I've listened to other languages (usually European, like Spanish, Italian or German; but there were lots of Chinese and Japanese around) they surpass the amount of English I've heard. People from various places speaking different languages... Tourists and residents alike. Living proof that "English only is not enough... nor even desired".

Things are VERY expensive. Makes Japan (even Tokyo) look like a joke, especially when in comes down to restaurants (eating out). Still, access to culture is easy and in many cases free. Places like museums were always crowded. That incentive to culture is something very nice to see.

Special thanks to M and S. They helped me a lot with lodgings, planning, guiding, hints about life in London (maybe one worth mentioning here is the Oyster Card)... And it was also great to see them again after so many years. Hopefully we'll meet again soon... in GB, Japan or Brazil.

For those who think the pictures here are not enough, check my Picasa album for more.

London, England - Part 2

Previously, in London... check this link.

August 10th. The sightseeing around London continues. This time, the target is Westminster area.


Close to the London Eye, the Palace of Westminster also houses one of the most classic touristic points in England: the Clock Tower most known as Big Ben, the world's biggest four-faced, chiming clock. One thing I didn't know is how the chimes used in Japanese schools are similar to Big Ben's. Maybe they're both derived from the same source?

Around the same area, there's also Westminster Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and later British monarchs. Too bad it was Sunday, so it was closed for tours.

After a quick glance at Horse Guards, the next stop was Canary Wharf, sometimes called London's new financial center. Unlike the center of London, this area went through urban planning before constructions started on that site. The contrast is noticeable.


Anyway, the stop at Canary Wharf was part of the itinerary to Greenwich. The name sounds familiar? Because there's the Greenwich Royal Observatory and the point where the Prime Meridian of the World was set. Other attractions at the same area, like the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House closed the day.


Next day I went with M and S to Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the Royal Family. And they do know how to make someone feel small. The parts open to the public are majestic... There was also an special exibition about the Prince of Wales, celebrating his 60th birthday.

So much to see, so little time... I couldn't see all there is inside the castle's walls... Pity.

One weird situation happened at the entrance, after buying tickets, when we have to go through a metal detector (!!)... Well, it is an inhabited castle. Back to the subject, at the metal detector, the guard said some greetings in Chinese to me. Not willing to say I wasn't even from Asia, I just mentioned I came from Japan (which is technically not a lie); to what he started saying greetings and some other instructions in Japanese! Glad my Japanese was up to the challenge.

My trip around London still continues...

Coolboarders! 2008 Version

Two years ago I snowboarded for the first time. And it was really good. You really didn't think I'd lose the opportunity to do it again after returning to Japan, right? So, this time I didn't only go again, but went twice!

The first one was on January 19th and 20th to Madarao (Nagano Prefecture), organized by Tati (deep thanks to you!). The group gathered most Brazilian students in Kyoto and friends. Just by considering the group, fun was granted.

It was a two day trip, so I decided to give it a shot for skiing on the first day. It's easier to balance and control speed, but I think it hurts more when you fall... Or it might be because it was my first day and I was trying to go at full speed... A "crash course", literally.

No fighting, please...

More fun at night at the local "bar" after someone found out we had discounts for some drinks... while watching pro snowboarding videos (those guys are crazy!) that stimulated people for the next day.

Second day; back to snowboard. That's probably where I belong... This time I managed to go through some different tracks almost undamaged... sliding the coward's way (breaking continuously).

Not everyone, but a good number gathered to face some tracks together...

The group was tired when the bus came to take us back to Kyoto. But it was a trip worth every second!

The second trip was on February 16th and 17th to Takaifuji (Nagano Prefecture). The funny thing about this trip is that the members were called what here might be called the "gaijin way" (because so far I've only seen foreigners doing this kind of thing. I really hope I'm wrong, though). Kennedy organized the trip (thanks!) and called some friends. Some of those friends called other friends who may have called other... Well, you got the idea. The result is that no one in the groups knew all the others at the beginning, but by the end of the trip we were good friends.

Lunch

This time I decided to go with snowboard all the way. And it was a good idea, since by the end of the second day I got the hang of it. I could go through easy tracks with no problem and some intermediate with few accidents.

Preparation for the Intermediate course

But this time situations and discussions that happened when we were not skiing will mark that trip... haha! The right people will know what I mean.

Anyway, the two trips were great and well worth the time and money spent. Bonds of friendship strenghtened, new friends made, learned a new skill and good memories. I still have the "snow fever", but I think I'll call it a game for now. Next year I'll be back sliding/falling around!

雨にも負けず、心はいつも晴れ

One of the things that I've forgot to write about last time I was in Japan was about Xmas at Nikko, a.k.a. Natal de Nikko. It's a "traditional event" among Brazilian exchange students, where people - not only students, and not only Brazilians - from all over Japan gather in Nikko to celebrate Christmas.

Well, I went there again this year. And, like I did with Himeji Castle, I'll write about both this year's and 2005' Xmas.

In 2005 I was told about the event by Silvia. So we managed to make our reservations early, including reservations for the Moonlight Nagara to go during the night using Seishun 18 Kippu. That's the most unexpensive a night trip to Tokyo may get, perhaps...

Among the group who went to Nikko, a few known faces. Most from people who had climbed Mt. Fuji together the same year. Still, that's far from being a problem. We met lots of people and made new friends... some of which I met again in 2007. But I'll talk more about that later.


A fortunate coincidence was that back then the 24th and 25th were in a Saturday and Sunday, respectivelly. So we managed to party exactly during Xmas (Christmas is not a holiday in Japan, and many students and workers have to work/study on the 25th when it's on a weekday).

Another fortunate thing was that just a couple of days before (23rd I think) it snowed hard in most parts of Japan. I even posted some pics back then. So, in Nikko we also had lots of snow to play with! Including a rotenburo (open-air bath). Imagine taking a hot bath under the snow... Perfect! Haha!

And what else can be said? "Real" Xmas with a "real Xmas dinner" and surrounded by friends... That was one of my best times in Japan back then. On the next day, a visit to Toshogu (Tokugawa Ieyasu's mausoleum) before going back to Tokyo.


Back to the present. This time, the event was on 22nd and 23rd (because it had to be held on a weekend, as I said before). And this time I wasn't too sure if I should go or not. Since I had a good time two years ago, I decided to give it a shot again this year. Besides, this time I'd know more people around there since some people from other events I've been, like "churrascada de Gifu" or "京都の紅葉" would be there. As well as some old friends, like Claus and Seiji (who I've first met at 2005' Nikko Xmas).

But, since I took some time to decide, Moonlight Nagara was not an option anymore. So I tried the night bus. The only problem is that it was an "extended weekend" (the 24th - Monday - was a holiday). Meaning: LOTS of people travelling.

But after meeting the group everything was allright. There were other reminescents from 2005' Xmas and a friend who came to Japan together (via Monbusho scholarship), but I'd never met since April - Minghini.


Less snow around the Okunikko Kougen Hotel this time, but more fun. And, just as before, Xmas party with friends is the perfect way to celebrate! (Well, there's the family... but being thousands of kilometers away surely complicates things.)


After partying until late at night (some didn't sleep), we went to Toshogu. And from there back to Tokyo. In Tokyo, I had to wait for my bus at 11pm... We arrived before 5pm. So I went to check Claus' new house (it's become some sort of tradition... I always pay him a visit when I go to Tokyo), play DDR and Carcassonne (it was fun, even though I always lost) until I had to leave. Valeu pela hospitalidade!

And thanks to all who organized the event and those who were there. Those are the two necessary things for it to be successful!

For those wondering about the post title, it's the b2007 motto, meaning that not even the rain can beat us; and inside our hearts it'll always be a nice sunny day. Those are my wishes to you in 2008!