I went back to The Netherlands last weekend and I didn't even have to travel all the way to Europe. All I had to do was hope on a plane to Nagasaki!


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This past weekend was mostly a good weekend, with the exception of having a bad allergy attack of the sneezes.  I was mostly fine on Saturday morning when I got up early to leave for my new mall exploring, then BAM! After the showing of Monsters Inc. 3D and I felt like someone thwacked me with a sack of pepper.  My nose was tingly, I was tired, ( Read more... )

My last Setsubun in Japan... I went all out this year, unlike other years when I completely forgot about it. I don't know how when all the stores are Setsubun-ing with their packages of beans everywhere and demons on display.

Here are my Setsbun tools:


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On Sunday I had the joy of going to my first ever sumo tournament in Osaka.  I was supposed to go last year, but the tournament in Osaka was cancelled because of match fixing.  Huge scandal!!

So I really had no idea what to expect.  I had seen sumo on tv.  Looked like a bunch of big guys pushing each other around.  I got to the venue with my friends ( Read more... )

I went home for the holidays and when I got back to Japan, my very first weekend was full of fun things to do! And it was a 3-day weekend on top of that!

On Saturday I went shopping and saw Mission Impossible at the movie theater. Sunday was a big exciting day for me.  It was the National Kite Festival in Himeji. It was so much fun last year so I ( Read more... )

On Saturday I went to a wonderful event... Osaka's German Christmas Market!!  A little plaza full of Christmas cheer under the Umeda Sky Building.

I've only been once before and this was my first time going at night.  On a Saturday.  Not smart, I tell ya.  Anyway, it was crazy crowded and pretty dark.  Would it kill the stalls to have some lighting ( Read more... )

It's that time of year again... time for the Kobe Luminarie event!!  It's a beautiful display of hand-painted lights that were a gift from Italy and the design changes every year, so I like to see them all. This year's design is super cool.  Sometimes the arches are short, sometimes they're round, this year they're tall and boxy.  It looks like a ( Read more... )

Thursday was a national holiday so I had the day off of work.  What a perfect day to go see Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA!!

All I can say is... what an amazing show!  Beautiful costumes, great acts.... it felt almost like a traditional circus with a modern twist.  Clowns throwing popcorn, trapeze, WHEEL OF DEATH, confetti canons, guest seats randomly ( Read more... )

I went shopping in Arashiyama, Kyoto, yesterday with my friend.  And what a great shopping day it was!  This is a great place to go for trinkets and souvenirs, and also has a wonderful atmosphere.


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I feel like my area constantly has foreign culture festivals.  Celebrations in Chinatown, festival of foods galore, German Christmas markets, and Mexican Fiestas.  It's kinda cool!  A couple weekends ago I went to one of those many festivals... the Mexican Fiesta, to be exact.  It was almost everything I was expecting it to be: goods for sale, lots ( Read more... )