It`s that time again!

The last two weeks (or longer) have been super busy and that involved a lot of me ignoring the internet (or trying to). But now it is Spring again and the cherry trees are blooming and the people are coming out of their caves and burrows (read: homes and offices) and out into the sun to drink and look at the cherry blossoms and drink some more. This weekend was the first in the brief "hanami" season (cherry blossom viewing) but it was a bit too cold for most revelers so next weekend looks like it will be the peak of the pre-summer festivities. Me, i just enjoy walking around town seeing the massive bursts of pink that take over the parks and avenues for two weeks every year. Here are my first cherry blossom pictures from this year:

Little "Red Hair Anne"

WELL, I thought i had seen it all.... Actually i have been meaning to post this for quite some time but was lazy about walking over to take the pictures. I live in a decent area in Osaka but it is very near to an area that is best known for its "Love Hotels." Love hotels are hotels where one can anonymously rent a room for the night or for a few hours "rest" (that`s how they advertise it). They are favoured by young couples trysting, business men (or women i suppose) who may be someone they can`t take home to the wife (wink wink, nudge nudge). They are a touch scandalous but not really looked down upon, to which their amazing proliferation in the 1970s and 80s can attest. They are numerous and varied, each one with a gimmick or theme to entice customers. Christmas themes, water themes, S&M themes. Some even have full entertainment systems including video game systems, in case you want to go to a secret hideaway with your lusting lover and play video games all night. NERD ALERT!! Some also have costumes and other... perks. For those of you who haven`t caught on yet, these are pictures of the "Anne of Green Gables" love hotel. Yup. Stranger than fiction...

A good idea at the time... OR NOT.

This has to be one of the dumber ideas floating around out there. This is Sci-Fi dark future come to life but not through evil empire, just through plain stupidity. Rest assured a teenager and some weak parenting are behind this one. And where else but Canada, eh? Personally, i think he isn`t asking enough. Typical teenager, he`s not thinking in the long term. Read the article: Teen Sticks neck out for Money

Sheesh!

El Ateneo

Now here is something i`ve been meaning to post for quite a while. A long time ago i put up a few pictures of this glorious bookstore on Santa Fe street in Buenos Aires but today i am posting the rest of the photos i have (they are not great but at least they show the building). El Ateneo bookstore is built in an old theatre and the company (a bookstore chain) has renewed the interior beautifully. They`ve done something very similar to an elegant space on Florida street which is also beautiful inside, though significantly smaller. The one on calle Santa Fe is quite famous and in most of the guide books. Probably at least half of the people in the place are tourists taking pictures and having coffee in the cafe, which is where the stage once was. The coffee is overpriced but good and the selection of books is good too (though i lament their small English section...). And they have very comfortable reading areas in the theatre boxes. So comfortable in fact, that it was hard to get Ulala to leave. Ulala and i went to El Ateneo a couple of different times but my favorite was when we went with our friends Ben and Tomoko. It was after a nice long walk through town and the coffee tasted all the better for it. I also bought a great Buenos Aires 3-D guide/souvenir book which i often look over and remember our brief time there. Anyway, before i drift into nostalgia here are the pictures: