Tadah!

So I was telling you I’ve got something new for you. Here it is (click the pic/link)!

dailywalker.lisondra.net

Everyone, this is my last post on this site. Hope you’ll join me in my new blog space, and to those who’ve added my “daily walks” into their blogrolls, add my new nest now! I’m saying goodbye to this site, but I’m welcoming you to my new one. Hope you’ll like it!

Walking fresh

I know, I know. I’ve been off the clock for a couple of weeks or so—but that’s because a good friend and I are cooking something new for you. Hehe. Well actually I didn’t really have interesting things to blog about lately, but just yesterday something nice happened. Right now it’s too early to let you know all about these, but for those who are curious, don’t worry, I won’t make you wait forever. Just a day or two.

But here’s what I want to ask from you: may you be as happy as I am right now, about this new thing I’m cooking, haha. I think you’d agree that it’s always exciting to try something new, right?

Today* I…

woke up after 2pm,

microwaved something I didn’t really want to eat but ended up liking it anyway,

thanked somebody I’ve got a crush on (gawd, why am I telling you this?!?),

did something naughty while taking a bath,

biked for like an hour (to and fro) to sing karaoke with friends,

had beef strips and egg with rice and miso soup at Matsuya (and was really full after),

drank two mugs of hot chocolate and tried tasting a friend’s version of “chocotea”, but didn’t realize there was chocolate in it until told,

watched a baseball movie with dormmates and ate okonomiyaki with kimchee.

Oh, simple life, simple simple fun.

*from 2pm of May 31st until the time I went to bed on June 1, ‘08 (Japan Time).

Some Spring shots

“And oh, deciding to soul-search while the sakura (cherry blossom) is in full bloom really helps. More later.”

—Back and Kicking, 2 April ‘08 post

So here’s to the “more later”:

Spring in Japan begins with the plum blossoms. Somebody once told me they’re the sakura’s little sister. Saying that while the sakura seems to be a proud “bloomer”, her little sister’s quite timid. It’s still pretty though.

Shot of one of the plum trees in front my school’s College of Liberal Arts building.

A park 20 minutes from my place has this really nice lake, and guess what, you can go boating! Yes, boating in a lake, with cherry blossoms on both sides of the bank.

I actually didn’t boat, but just being there and seeing dads and moms and kids enjoying the boatride was more than enough fun. Not to mention the many couples who were on the swan boats.

Saw this man giving his painting some finishing touches while riding on my bike, Ms. Jitensha. The road, with cherry blossoms on both sides is ICU’s “Sakura Tunnel”.

I needed to get my camera from the dorm and hurry back to take this shot. I just could not NOT let you see this one—even if I got it without his permission and my presence for him was just signaled by the flash of my camera. But I think he wasn’t irritated at all. The artist in him knew how an aspiring one feels humbled by such an unassuming beauty.

Hanami-ing with friends is fun, but when cherry blossoms really do start falling, it makes the experience a treasure.

Took this shot with Miggy, Kat, Trish and ate Nor while looking for the perfect spot for lunch. Cherry blossoms falling like snow, painting the ground pink. Perhaps my most memorable Hanami.

__________

from all these trees

in salads, soups, everywhere—

cherry blossoms fall.

—Basho, translated from the Japanese

Back and Kicking

Been soul-searching for days, and happy to discover things about myself.

Got over post-teenage drama, and ready to do some “toil of/for the world”. Enjoyed April Fool’s; going for a haircut this afternoon. Just had a new roommate. Just finished Anne Frank, now reading Steven Pinker’s the Blank Slate. Hanami with friends and welcome party/drinking session for dorm newbies tomorrow.

My thanks to Kuya Ferdz, Ates Marinor and Vivian, the Tejada family, and Katrina for the nice birthday dinner.

And oh, deciding to soul-search while the sakura (cherry blossom) is in full bloom really helps. More later.