Kinpouzan Trip Part 3: Kinrori Odango

This store is called Kinrori Odango
See last picture to learn what a dango is, the picture is self-explanatory :P
This building is shaped like a dango, too!

The cute little entrance to the shop

I got myself an assortment of dangos
They were all pretty good
pretty chewy too LOL

Kinpouzan Trip Part 2: Kinpou Dam

After lunch that day (two Wednesdays ago), we went to Kinpou Dam just to chill

It has a really great view, doesn't it?

Our shadows blended nicely with the view

The guys couldn't resist going near the water

Their laughter convinced me to go down for a look too :D

The sights here are unbelievably nice and I found that it was very relaxing just staring at the water and the surrounding mountains. I'm really glad I went. I wouldn't have been able to get here by myself because you'd have to have a car in order to travel this far. :D

Kinpouzan Trip Part 1: Udon Soba Shop!

Here's the sign that announces the Udon Soba (names of noodles) shop
Lookit the clouds!

The scenery on the way to the shop
This is in Minami-Satsuma City
...very breathtaking

The path that leads to the shop
pretty neat, huh?

Voila! The shop itself
very homey and very charming

A cicada! ...or something

I ordered Tonkotsu Ramen
yum!

This is what it looks like just outside the shop
it's very very serene and very very pretty :D

That, my friend, is the bathroom LOL

Posing for pictures after a very satisfying meal

That's Ryosuke, me, and Hiromitsu
they're both from the department of social welfare

oranges!

So we drove (actually, they did -- Ayumi, Ryosuke, and Hiromitsu each took turns at the wheel) for 30 minutes to get to this shop. And it was well worth it! I'll post more pictures on the shop. We went there for two straight Wednesdays, with more people on the second trip. I'll also post pictures on the sights that we passed through to and from this destination!

I lost my voice @@

I lost my voice...
Let me trace back my steps...

First, I went to Japanese class last night
I think we laughed too much discussing Spanish swear words and stuff...
my throat started hurting there

Then, I joined my friends in what turned out to be an all-nighter Karaoke bash...
that's where my voice started cracking, lol

Then I went to school this morning and was able to croak out conversations with people

But then I went to listen to a lecture and after 1.5 hours I could no longer utter a word without sounding like I'm underwater...

Then I went to teach a private student...
drank some soup and some mocha
and that sealed the deal...

...I spent the rest of the class speaking in a whisper and writing things down to illustrate my points



I wonder when I'll get my voice back... T_T

December 1 Canada Project in Kyushu Event: Obachan's Garden (Part 3: Teleconferencing Session)

The stars are especially bright that night...
and lookit the smiley face the stars and the moon formed

At the izakaya (dinnertime!)

Teleconferencing session with UPEI (I was surprised to find that I know everyone on our end, lol, pretty proud of myself)

Faiz the webcam operator

December 1 Canada Project in Kyushu Event: Obachan's Garden (Part 2: Ikebana, Haiku, and Documentary Viewing)

Getting the stage ready for the Ikebana session

Mack's seminar students: Eri, Akiyoshi, and Hitomi

My "crew": Mogami, Akiyoshi, and Yuta

Ikebana instructress extraordinaire: Ms. Mieko Sueyoshi

Canada Project in Kyushu team and special guests (lunchtime!)

Hands-on ikebana session

Who's that lurking behind the curtain? Oh wait, that's me (lol)
...emceeing

Visual artist/film director, Ms. Linda Ohama

Woohoo! Packed house!

Ikebana

December 1 Canada Project in Kyushu Event: Obachan's Garden (Part 1: Event Review)

So I had to write a review for the event I emceed on last week. Since I'm done with it anyway, I thought I should just paste it here also (they're not exactly good, though, so please be kind with your comments... lol)



三世日系カナダ人監督 大浜リンダ氏がカナダプロジェクトの特別イベントで１２月1日、鹿児島国際大学に来た。
同日は大学の図書館で生け花と俳句の体験が開催されており、同氏も見学していた。
その後大浜監督はおばあちゃんのガーデンというドキュメンタリを再生したり、コメントと説明していた。ドキュメンタリにおばあちゃんが最初カナダへ移民した色々経験と感想を乗せていた。
また、同日の夜学術交流協定であるカナダのプリンスエドワードアイランド大学（UPEI）の生徒と本大学の生徒と教授もまた大浜監督とドキュメンタリの事討論していた。
自分は初めて日本で司会を担当していた、たくさん体験が出来ていた。イベントの準備と宣伝をして、学生同士とお互いにイベントで手伝って、講師と教授と交流して、色々すばらし体験と勉強を出来た。特に自分は大浜監督のような三世移民者、色々同じのような経験をあった、ドキュメンタ見るとすごく感動した。

On December 1, the International University of Kagoshima (IUK) had the honor of inviting film director Linda Ohama for a special Canada Project in Kyushu documentary viewing and commentary event. This main event is supported by three other mini events, namely a hands-on Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) session, a Haiku session, and a teleconferencing session with participants from the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) in Canada.

Linda Ohama is a multiple award-winning visual artist and film director. She is a third-generation Japanese Canadian who traced her roots through the steps her grandmother has taken when she first immigrated to Canada in the docudrama, “Obachan’s Garden.” The documentary offers a poignant glimpse into the untold stories behind the calm façade of Ms. Ohama’s grandmother, Ms. Asayo Murakami, who lived to be 104 years old. Ms. Asayo Murakami is said to be the last Japanese war bride.

The day started with a lunch at IUK’s very own Café Gaya on the fourth floor of the library building. Here, Ms. Ohama, along with other invited guests and members of the Canada Project in Kyushu team enjoyed a delightful meal and a pleasant getting-to-know-one-another talk.

The main event opened with an Ikebana hands-on session. Ten guests were invited to experience first-hand the art of Ikebana. Five guests were invited onstage at a time. The first batch saw Ms. Ohama and Dr. Palisanamy Nagarajan, visiting professor from the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), creating simple yet impressive Ikebana under the supervision of award-winning Ikebana instructress, Ms. Mieko Sueyoshi, who donned on a full kimono specially for this event.

The second batch welcomed interested participants from the audience. Several international students took part in the experience. Many marveled at the simple yet elegant art of Ikebana, which focuses on three main elements: heaven, man and earth.

After the participants showcased their Ikebana and expressed their thoughts on their first flower arranging experience, the event moved on to the next segment, a Haiku-sharing event where members of the audience, many of whom have written numerous Haiku, recited their works dedicated to the seasons, the flowers, as well as to Ms. Ohama and the special event.

After the artistic prelude came the documentary viewing and commentary itself. The audience that day enjoyed the honor of having the director of the documentary, Ms. Ohama, herself explain the premises surrounding the documentary, show significant parts of the documentary, and insert personal comments, thoughts and feelings toward her grandmother and her family’s story. She also graced the audience with insights into the production process behind the finished product. The documentary was poignantly honest and blatant, and many a sniff can be heard from the audience. The auditorium was a packed house.

The day’s event came to a brief hiatus while the Canada Project in Kyushu team, joined by the special guests (Ms. Ohama, Ms. Sueyoshi, and Dr. Nagarajan) tucked in a hearty meal at MiwaMamaSan, a modest yet homey Izakaya minutes away by foot from the university. Reflections and thoughts and many a kanpai were shared throughout the brief but filling meal.

After the meal, a group of twenty or so crowded around a laptop and a webcam for the scheduled teleconferencing session with UPEI students and a staff member. Professors and students alike took part in the session. The UPEI delegates viewed the documentary, Obachan’s Garden, beforehand and came to the teleconferencing session armed with numerous questions for Ms. Obama and the IUK delegates. One of the delegates on the UPEI side is an exchange student from IUK, Shinobu Uchi. Interestingly, on the IUK end, the event was moderated by the exchange student from UPEI, Faiz Ahmed. After an hour of discussion and sharing, the session and the whole day’s event came to a close with a chorus of “Ooki na Furutokei (My Grandfather’s Clock)” with some help from Mr. Nakama’s (a doctorate student) classical guitar accompaniment on the IUK side.

After a full day rich in art, culture and humanities, the IUK delegates bid Ms. Linda Ohama goodbye from the front step of Building No. 1 filled with warm memories of the day’s events.

0 degrees?!

It's freeeezing cold here...
I heard it snowed the other day but I totally missed it

So I'm still counting the days until the day I can finally see my first snow flake :D

Playing dress up

So we decided to try on each other's clothes and see how it felt and looked.

So far so good.

We're now setting our sights on trying this on public (lol)

Should be fun :D

New Haiku

Colors turn

ember burns bright still

autumn leaves

What do you think?