During the Golden Week holiday, my family & I visited Ishigaki Island, in Okinawa prefecture. It was the first time I had been to Okinawa.
Of course I went snorkelling & saw lots of colorful tropical fish. I also saw a stingray [レイ], a big brown moray eel [ウツボ], & a massive white sea cucumber [ﾅﾏｺ]. I have an underwater camera, so I spent a lot of time trying to take photos of fish (but not the moray eel - those things are scary. And not the sea cucumber -they`re kind of disgusting). It was fun, but tiring.
There were also a lot of nice butterflies - I saw at least 15 kinds of butterfly that I`d never seen before. There were also a lot of hermit crabs [yadokari]. They`re pretty funny.
To celebrate the arrival of warm weather, here`s a song called `Come on Spring` by Australian group Antenna, from 1998.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq_x9kLQLLg&feature=related
There are things I like & don`t like about this song & video:
- I like the song.
- I don`t like the singer.
- I like the guitarist – Dave Faulkner from excellent 80`s/90`s (& recently reformed) band The Hoodoo Gurus.
- I don`t like his cap though (he`s trying to hide that he`s going bald [hage])
- I`m not sure about [bimyo] his shirt either.
- I`m definitely not sure about [sugoi bimyo] the singer`s shirt - wow!
- The lyrics are a bit rubbish: “Come on spring. Do your thing. What`s your story? Come on spring. Do your thing. Have you got something for me?" Yawn [akubi].
- But, as I said, I like the song. I hope you do too.
This a tree near a friend`s house. What is interesting about it? Can you guess...?
UPDATE:
Answers are in comments!
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.
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