Degustación de Tapas - Part 1

My birthday is in late April, and this year, I planned something big. This trip was my longest (10 days) and the most expensive (over $2,000) but I wanted to splurge and enjoy somewhere new, trying something new and even, riding something new. 

The whole thing started with a request: I wanted to go to Europe, and I wanted to try something new (to be revealed later). My friend made a suggestion (having traveled to the country twice before) and I approved it. Our flights were actually different and my traveling companion left 3 hours ahead on the behemoth A-380. 

Sayonara!

My plane, the tinier A340, was bound for Munich. I think I got the better deal as my flight was quite empty, there was room for my elephant to stretch out beside me. Woo! 

Thai Elephant enjoys Lufthansa service....by keeping warm with the blanket. ^_^

I really enjoyed the food! 

Dinner:

Snack #1 (cake!)

Snack #2 - heart shaped pretzels..awww...on my birthday? Lufthansa, you shouldn't have...(laugh)

I had never flown an Airbus before so I took off to explore the plane. I found some stairs!!

Going down, this lower galley held five washrooms. The inside of each was so huge, I had to take photos! 

First class toilets in economy? Airbus = Love...^_^

Cutenekko says Guten Tag! 

Look how excited my face is...just for a toilet. (laugh)

After arriving at Munich, I snapped a photo of the beer hall in the airport, and of the Lufthansa service area -- where passengers can pick up free newspapers and hot drinks. 

The beer hall. This was featured in an article on CNN Travel, "Fun to Fly: 7 of the world's most entertaining airports" (see the article HERE)




Lufthansa's free drink bar -- I selected the cutenekko staple-- hot chocolate. 


...but, Munich was just a transit point. I still had one more flight to go. Here are the details for tomorrow's post! ^_^

Hola amigos!  

I have to thank Lufthansa for letting me fly on their airline with my United Miles. Vielen Dank! Part 2 continues tomorrow....

Tempura Kidz

Japan has been enjoying a dance boom recently. Students of all ages have been grooving in groups and can often be seen dancing outside of office buildings (the windows act as mirrors), in parks, or at dance schools. The reason behind the popularity is likely due to the music / dance group, Exile (see info HERE) and this group, Tempura Kidz.

Tempura Kidz are a quintet of teens consisting of 4 girls and 1 boy. In 2012, they were the backup dancers for popular J-Pop singer, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (see info HERE). This year, marks their debut to the forefront, releasing two videos showcasing their dance moves -- Cider Cider and One Step.

Here's the cute and cool "Cider Cider" (Cider is a popular, fizzy drink for children):

Their moves have even caught the eye of Ryan Seacrest in the U.S, but like many, commented that,

"This girl group packs some awesome new dance moves to obsess over,”

(P-Chan, the sole boy in the group, doesn't fuss over such comments.)

Tempura Kidz came to my attention via their first English language interview, which appeared in the Japan Times newspaper. (See the full article HERE). The members are: P-Can, Ao, NaNaHo, Yu-Ka, & Karin. 

While I am not a huge fan of these dance groups, I do like to acknowledge rising talent and spotlight current trends in Japan. I hope to do more of these "trendy" posts in the future. ^_^

Enjoy "One Step" by Tempura Kidz: 

Information: 

Tempura Kidz home site is HERE. 

Yushima Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo

On Feb. 20th, I headed into Tokyo for the afternoon to join a meetup group at the above named shrine. Why? To enjoy the first ume (pronounced "oo-meh" -- in English, plum) blossoms of the year! Sakura (cherry) blossoms are the most famous buds in Japan, but ume blooms about one month earlier, and are just as beautiful.

I took many photos from the day...

The shrine's gate:



Lanterns on the steps:



Triple ume bonsai...whoa! What does it mean? ^_^



Side view of the main shrine:


Hanging lanterns with wood carvings:

These are prayer tablets. This shrine is famous for studying, so many students visited, writing their wish to pass the entrance exam to university on these wooden tablets:

Ume blossoms usually appear between mid February to mid March in Japan. Sakura blossoms occur from late March to mid April. Viewing blossoms is a national pastime in Japan, in which many people enjoy picnics outdoors, under the large blooming trees. 

 A single ume bonsai tree. Lovely eh? ^_^

 (This was for sale. Cost? About ¥2,000 = $20)

In the main garden area, many trees were still quite bare, 

but I did find this single ume blossom, out enjoying the sunshine. ^_^

The meetup group I joined. Everyone was super friendly! ^_^

Can you spot cutenekko? ^_^

Yushima Tenjin Shrine is the most famous spot in Tokyo for viewing ume blossoms. It is located a short, 5 minute walk from the Metro station, Yushima, on the Chiyoda line. Entrance to the shrine is free. ^_^

Additional info:

Yushima Tenjin shrine review and map (via Lonely Planet Japan) 

English homepage of the shrine, with excellent explanations regarding the history of Yushima Tenjin. 

Access:
Tokyo Metro, Chiyoda line. Yushima station. Walk 5 minutes from Exit 1. 

Meetup Group:
Visit meetup.com and search "Tokyo" to find groups such as this. Groups vary based on interests. 
For privacy reasons, I won't reveal the name of this particular meetup.