Sanuk Canadian

Long time, no posts. I'm very sorry to have kept everyone waiting. It's been a busy autumn for me. Back in early September, upon my return from the west coast of Canada, a friend and I visited a really cool German coffee shop in the midst of nowhere, north of Tokyo, mid-Kanagawa prefectures. I had stumbled across this shop on an afternoon tea blog , where the author had recommended this German-style cafe as a) the afternoon tea set was under $30 and b) the ambiance was very European. My friend and I took a local bus to access this shop. Upon arrival, the outside seemed like an old castle, lost in the woods.... Outside / Inside. Inside, the shop was built of stucco and dark wood pillars, filled top to bottom in antiques. While the dark atmosphere seemed foreboding, the warm tea and sweets made the entire afternoon seem like a page out of Hansel and Gretel. I wondered if after scoffing down the cakes, would a witch emerge from the kitchen to burn my friend and I?  ...

This is part of a travel series: ONE / TWO / THREE (click to see).  In this post, we will quickly explore Vancouver's Granville Island. Walking along Yaletown's water front, my parents and I caught a tiny tug taxi over to Granville Island. For about $3, this water taxi ferries passengers to various docks along the water ways of Vancouver. We just took a one minute jaunt over to the island, famous with tourists due to its expansive food market. the aqua bus - very cute eh?  In this market, visitors can find fresh fish, vegetables, fruit, flowers, chocolates, sweets, and homemade items such as jewelry or soap. It's expensive, but a nice place to stroll around. Many tourists buy take out food here, and sit along the wharf to soak in the sea views. soap, fish eating fish (?) & rainbow roses (yes, they were real!) I was surprised to notice that even in the month of early September, leaves were beginning to fall. The feeling reminded me of my having to leav...

This is part of a series. Click to see ONE and TWO . In the late afternoon, after enjoying a walk around Victoria city, we drove a little further out to see a beautiful, hidden beach. I have forgotten the name of this area - it was inside a national park, not far from the city. We found lots of Canadian geese swimming along and many locals just sitting on the sand, enjoying the sunshine. Photos: A lovely sandbar beach, just outside of Victoria.  After taking the ferry back to the mainland, my parents and I headed to the university, where I would attend four days of lectures regarding my graduate studies. The institution was located in the midst of farmland, far from much of anything. From 8:30 am to 4 pm, those four days consisted of studying, reading, and listening to talks. Truly blase, so not a photo was taken. After completing those study sessions, our threesome headed over to Vancouver. After much deliberation, and a discussion with a waitress at a local, countryside...

* This is a series. Part One is HERE .  My third official day back in my home country proved to be a winner weather-wise; we enjoyed a rare sunny day on the usually rainy west coast. My parents suggested to spend the day outside, walking. We agreed to explore Victoria's harbor front. Smack in the downtown core of Victoria city is the "harbor walk" -- a 3 kilometer (?) walk which hugs the bay. The starting point is the visitor information center, where there is plenty of parking, and ends at Fisherman's Wharf. Let's explore together! Views from the start of the harbor walk: Top L to R: Victoria city sign engraved with an orca whale / Sea planes abound and carry passengers on sightseeing tours + visits to neighboring islands. Bottom L to R: Harbor view / Water taxis! So cute!!  The walk was very pleasant and we observed both tourists and locals out, sunning themselves on the docks. The harbor walk takes visitors past many famous buildings -- The Fairm...

I had booked a relatively short trip to Canada in late August/ early September to visit the west coast of Canada. My original purpose was to attend four days of lectures at a university in British Columbia (a province in Canada which famously hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics); however, after a discussion with my parents, we decided to make a trip of it and spent several days on Vancouver Island, exploring Victoria, before attending the university on the mainland. Cutenekko / a passing BC ferry / Canadian flag at the stern Our family flew into Vancouver rather late; we headed out to catch the ferry to Vancouver Island the following morning. Our ship, The Spirit of British Columbia , departed at 11:00 AM, and would take 1.5 hours to arrive near Victoria. Inside, the ship had WiFi, a cafeteria and cafe, a private space which cost $12 CAD to use, tons of seats and a full, wrap-around deck to explore and enjoy the view. The ship puttered through narrow inlets, which offered great vi...

Mid-August is a very auspicious time in Japan. During this one-week holiday season, called "Obon", spirits of deceased ancestors are thought to return to the world of the living to visit their relatives. Japanese families mark this return with gifts of food, fireworks and decorated lanterns -- all to either scare away or entice the wandering spirits. At Mount Oyama, Kanagawa prefecture, during mid-August, the streets of the mountain village are lined with these traditional Obon lanterns. I decided to take a look at this local festival and practice taking photos at night. Photos: Pre-dusk lanterns. Far right - some anime themed lanterns! (Conan, Frozen and one I don't recognize...) Lanterns were of various sizes. Some were made out of milk cartons; others were created using paper with painted scenes. Fans of Japanese art or artists would truly enjoy these lanterns. Photos (clockwise from top left): Yokosou ("welcome") / waterfall / milk cartons / tra...

Last night, a fellow co-worker invited me to her apartment smack next door to Shinjuku station. From her 7th floor balcony, we could enjoy the time-honored, Japanese tradition of summer fireworks. This festival, the Jingu-Gaien Fireworks Festival, happens every year, around early to mid August from 19:30 ~ 20:30. It was my first attempt at photographing fireworks. I selected my best shots for the evening.... Nikon P600 w/long zoom - Fireworks show setting:  Fireworks in Japan are very different from those in Canada. In my home country, usually organizers send up one firework at a time. In Japan, there are "themes" or "groups" of fireworks every 5 ~ 10 minutes. So, you will see a series or group of fireworks at once. It's quite impressive! Photos: Firework waterfall / Pink cross Fireworks are sponsored (usually) by local and big businesses. Some community residents will also donate loose change to fireworks festivals in the area. In my local town i...

Yokohama is perhaps my favorite city in all Japan. It has the harbor front, ships of all sizes, lots of scenic views, shops galore, Chintatown, and a vibrant, international community. It's also (currently) the most expensive city in Japan -- more than Tokyo -- due to high taxes. Despite the money factor, a friend and I splurged on an afternoon tea set smack in the center of the historic district of Yokohama. We had a reservation for the Royal Ascot Bar , at the Royal Park Hotel. Between the hours of 14:00 to 16:00, the bar serves up an English tea set, mainly for women.  Photos : Scanning the menu / pots of tea, a cup of lemongrass tea / my friend and a pooped out Cutenekko My friend and I shared one set, ordering two pots of tea. I chose lemongrass for the refreshing flavor; my friend selected vintage Darjeeling. We switched our pots halfway through to enjoy the different tastes.  The service here was very fast; upon ordering, our tea arrived within 5 minutes. The t...

Last December, after finishing up a one week cruise, I had an additional day before flying back to Japan. My travel friend met up with a local friend in Miami; I decided to explore the city on my own. In the early evening, I joined a boat tour to see the famous "millionaire's row"-- a series of islands housing many large mansions. The tour boat departed from Bayside Marketplace -- a great area to walk around, enjoy free events, eat, or shop. Photo: Bayside marina with a view of the Hard Rock Cafe in the distance While waiting onboard the ship, I enjoyed a free salsa dance show dockside. See the video below: Once the boat left, we cruised slowly through the harbor, getting great views of the city skyline and working dock fixings. (clockwise from top left) Miami skyline/ one of many cruise ships in port/   Disney ship "Wonder"/  a kid paddle boarding/   iron birds (cranes): A guide on our ship talked us through the various homes on millionaire...

About two weeks ago, I wanted to get out despite the rainy weather and enjoy some fresh air. While browsing through Google Maps©, I noticed a large park several stops away by train. I decided to head there for the afternoon. Yatoyama Park is a national park located approximately 15 minutes walk from Zama station, on the Odakyu line. The park is free and most famous for bird-watching. You will likely find many older Japanese men with long telephoto lenses, seeking out various winged species. In addition to the bird-watching platforms, there are also rice fields, ponds, small rivers and numerous hiking trails. Photos: Park entrance, ducks, maps and an explanation sheet on how rice is grown & harvested. The park was established in 1982 and covers a wide area. Completing all the trails will take approximately 2 ~ 3 hours. The numerous trails are especially popular with joggers, so bring your running shoes!  Food and drink is welcome and there are some limited spots t...

Back in early April of this year, I was able to (finally!) join my friend in touring the ANA maintenance hanger attached to Haneda airport, in Tokyo. This tour requires a reservation; however, due to its popularity, most have to book three months in advance. Because my friend and I do not work on Tuesdays, we were able to fill in for a sudden cancellation. We arrived early to receive our ID pass; soon after, we moved to a large presentation room, where we were treated to a talk about ANA's history, their various airplanes, how airplanes fly (in particular, the engine & wing shape), as well as two short quizzes regarding the content of the presentation. This seminar was in Japanese only; however, it was quite easy to follow. At the end of the presentation, we were invited to lift a new carbon fiber wing component seen on the 787 Dreamliner, and compare that with the older type. The older one was much heavier!! Lifting carbon fiber wings/ Gundam / Cutenekko/  Inisde the p...