plum diddly

Heralding the coming of Spring is most commonly associated with the cherry blossoms here in Japan. But before the cherry blossoms come the plum blossoms. So even though it is still cold, and i still wish i hadn't somehow lost my left glove (it's around here somewhere), and i still shiver during the first part of my morning shower, it doesn't matter because i see these plum blossoms and i know that Spring is not far away.  

I think someone should do a statistical accuracy-over-time study of Groundhogs versus Plum Blossoms. Which one more accurately predicts the remaining length of cold wether?  My money is on the blossoms. I think the groundhog is cute but ultimately just a gamble.   =)

Pucks, Plums and Pictures

We had planned not to sleep in too late but lo and behold we rolled out of bed just after noon and i set straight to making chocolate pancakes for "breakfast." I think i've figured out the right size to chop the chocolate and they turned out really well, if i do say so myself.

We also discovered that Chile had suffered a terrible 8.8 magnitude earthquake and that a tsunami was racing across the Pacific. Every channel on TV had tsunami warnings for up and down the whole coast of Japan. Fortunately, we are not in an area that would be affected. My heart goes out to the people of Chile and Haiti both.

On a lighter note, we ate while we wore our Team Canada Olympic shirts (THANKS MOM!) and watched the recording of Canada vs Slovakia and Slovakia versus Finland. Yay Canada! Both games were fantastic. Sorry Slovakia. Better luck next time around.

Then we headed out to Osaka Castle Park to check out some plum blossoms. One of my students on Friday reminded me that there is a beautiful area near the castle where the city has planted hundreds of different plum trees. So we thought it might be nice to have another Sunday Walkabout.

We took the subway over to Tenmabashi and Ulala showed me where she went to junior and senior high school. Then into the park that surounds Osaka Castle and around the moat (yes, there's a moat) and toward toward the plum blossom zone. I told you there would be more flower pictures. I tend to be shutter-happy on these walkabouts. Just wait til the cherry blossom "pink wave" comes next month.

I took quite a few of pictures and we walked a LOT. After sunset we looped back around and down through Tenmabashi and along the river down to Yodoyagawa, while i took a lot more night pictures. Then we wandered around southward to Hommachi making a big half circle through the back streets looking for a place to have dinner. Being Sunday, though, most of the restaurants in the financial district were closed. It was nice and quiet to walk through downtown and see the towers and the obligatory lobby-art with almost no one else around.

We ended up deciding to have dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe Osaka (to which i, despite living here for over six years, had never been). For the "Hard Rock" Cafe, they sure played a lot of R&B and hip-hop. Meh. We had a great dinner and i even bought a Green Day T-shirt (don't you judge me). Now i'm full and my legs feel like they're going to fall off.

Far too many photos from the day:

































Symian is: plum walked out.
Currently Reading: nada
Currently Listening: R&B at the Hard Rock
Kanji of the Day: 童／ドウ／わらべ

A prelude of what is coming:.

Spring is just around the - no, wait. Here it is.



The weather has been incredible here the last couple of days and I snapped these pictures of plum blossoms while out walking about. They are the sign that winter is coming to a close here in Japan (or at least in this part of Japan). They also herald the coming of the rather more celebrated cherry blossoms.

And soon will begin the maddeningly busy season of 花見 parties (hanami - "cherry blossom viewing"), the effort to cram as much fun and enjoyment into the very very brief Spring before the rainy season. But i love these early spring days. When the coat comes off and the the breeze is fresh and brisk but the sun is warm and each moment is a bud on a branch, getting ready to explode with colour.

Symian is: feeling so cheesy he might actually burst into song.
Currently Reading: ESL/EFL Teaching - Reading and Writing Skills
Currently Listening: Grammar Girl podcast
Kanji of the Day: 可能性／かのうせい／potential