The Last Coule Days

I've been coming back home late]

or just being a slacker

these days that I haven't uploaded

any blog entry.

I've also noticed I've taking less photos too.

Japan is a photogenic place

and there are so many interesting things to take.

...Even if the place is cool though,

sometimes you just don't get inspired, I think.

I think I try to see less when I'm tired.

That also goes to when I have a destination.

Like, when I have a reason in walking to somewhere

I tend to look at less things.

The better photos are taken when I'm just wandering around

I don't really feel like taking photos much

when I don't feel calm or centered

It's not like I'm stressed out or anything now

but being in Tokyo and having to take

many trains is really exhausting at times.

I'm still having funs though.

There is no doubt in that.

Here are the things from the last couple day...

Pat and Mario at Que Bom! in Asakusa.

If you'd like to have good Brazilian food

and live bosa nova in Tokyo, go there.

The people there are really friendly too.

Mario, who is a Brazilian musician, said that

the food at the place is really

close to what you get in Brazil.

Inokashira-park is

one of my favorite parks in Tokyo.

I wanted to ride on a swan boat with Evan

but sadly there is a jinks to that boat.

Apparently, a couple that rides on a boat there

is going to break up....

Each duck gets their own boat.

I like the design...

Evan and I had a mission (?)

to go try McdDonald's in Japan

so here it is.

It was okay.

At least the atmosphere of McDonald's in Japan is

not depressing or ghetto-y

like the ones in Ballard or Down Town Seattle.

I got to hang out with Marina-chan

whom I've known since we were in kindergarten

in California.

We don't keep up with each other that much

but I always feel

calm and happy around her.

She will always have a place in my heart.

Happy 20 years to us!!!

まりなちゃん、

頑張りすぎないでね。

そのうち、どっか

旅行行こう。

Going Through Kyoto

Today, we didn't do much

besides having lunch at my family's

favorite Italian restaurant

and going crazy at 100-yen shop.

I am going to put the rest of my photos

from Kyoto.

Pretty much all the people I've

encountered in Kyoto were sweet.

The old lady at the place where Evan got his raincoat

was very sweet too.

This is her old rain gear store.

A statue of my hero

Sakamoto Ryoma.

Sadly the head of the statue was

broken....

This was taken at a little shrine where

he used to visit often.

Kinkaku-ji

COLA SHOCK!!!!

It's always Sunny after a Storm

A hurricane has passed Tokyo

over the night

so the sky today was

just so gorgeous.

Not only that but it was really warm

compared to the cold and wet yesterday.

Evan and I went to pick up our

Thai visas...

and here they are!

Tada!

After picking up the visas,

we were planning on going to see

a museum exhibit on Art Nouveau

but reckless somebody (me) couldn't find

the tickets we bought.

So instead, we decided to go to

the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum(日本民藝館）

in Komaba.

It was nice that I got to walk around my high school.

The museum was really nice.

Some of the things, from Edo period and older,

weren't even in a glass case

and that definitely made those things speak to you differently.

It's not about being able to touch or anything

(though I could have, if I wanted to be scolded)

but it made everything feel a lot closer and real.

After spending some time at the museum

we walked to Shimokitazawa.

I love going to Shimokitazawa

on the week days when most people are at work.

It's such a relaxing place

and I hope it keeps its place that way

...though I could feel that it has changed a lot

compared to my high school days.

We had dinner with Wakana.

She took us to this really fun Showa-period-themed place.

The food was good and I LOVED the decor.

The music was lovely too.

Thanks thanks thanks

so so so

much

WAKANA!!!!

...for taking us there.

(You really better come visit us in Thailand.)

I found a magic star in my cocktail.

Yipeeee.

Wakana looks like a super woman

...I mean, she is.

Evan Alexander-GIZMO Gilman.

P.S.

After looking through pretty much everything

I did find the tickets to the museum,

so don't you worry.

sheeesh, I better watch out though,

I'm way too reckless.

(I found it in a trash can.)

Kurama -Fire Festival-

One of the main events

of our Kyoto trip

was to go see 'HIMATSURI'

in Kurama.

Love the colors.

Arrived at Kurama...

All the people in the community

prepare for the festival.

I found the sky in a bucket.

Mikaeri Bijin....

The tag reads

'thank you, o water'

The shrine was up in the mountains

so we took a cable car on the way back

to the area where the festival was held.

....and the festival began.

We got back to Kyoto station very exhausted

but we had enough energy to

do 'all you can eat and drink course'

at an izakaya. Teehee.