Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Ikebana

Here are some of my favorites from an Ikebana exhibition in Hachinohe. Ikebana is about balance, emotion, and the specific choice and use of materials in juxtaposition with negative space. Ikebana is a serious art form in Japan.

Hiking through Oirase Gorge; Emerging at Towada Lake


The Oirase Gorge is located only a short drive from Hachinohe and is a breathtaking piece of nature. Hiking along the gorge is a popular activity for locals, and some just choose to drive alongside the scenery on the road that runs next to the stream - this road was an unpleasant distraction from the natural beauty, and the smell of automobile exhaust wasn't desirable either.
Andy spots a waterfall!
The Nihon-jin were either decked out in the latest in hiking fashion and technology, or in high heels and mini skirts for the muddy hike.















After a good two hours, we emerged from the mouth of the gorge to see the spectacular Towada Lake.

Vending Machine Coffee, starring:

BLACK "The Hard"
CAFÉ AU LAIT "The Creamy"
BLEND "The Quality"
CAPPUCCINO "The Italian"
ESPRESSO "The Deep"

Epic Blog Fail

Well, I have most definitely failed at being a blogger. It's been months since I've posted anything, and I think that's probably a blogging cardinal sin. But instead of being tempted to just give up altogether, which would be the easy route, I am resolved to push forward and attempt to redeem myself.

Since I last posted, a lot has happened, naturally. So where to begin? Is is sad that I have to look through my iPhoto to remember what I did in last couple of months of my life?

I'm going to do a summary version of events here, so bear with me....

Some time in October we hit the road (as passengers) to a nearby town called Takko Town for the Beef & Garlic Festival - how could we pass this one up? Although we got lost a couple of times along the way, we eventually spotted a trail of red signs, like the one at left, pointing us to the good eats (notice the garlic clove-shaped street lamp).

Garlic abounded everywhere, as you can see. With our ticket we got a bag that included a couple cloves of garlic, some thinly sliced local raw beef and chopped veggies, all of which we threw on a make-shift outdoor grill. It was probably the most delicious beef I have ever tasted! Paired with the line dancing, taiko drumming, and a supposed public spit roasting of a whole cow (we arrived too late to witness it).