あめりか へ いきました (I went to America)

As you might see from my title, I'm finally learning some Japanese! I started to take a class on Thursdays for two hours. Since I don't know how to say "My trip to America" I decided just to put that . . . anyway I had a great time seeing my family in South Carolina for a week, although it always seems too short. I'm sorry it's been so long, I haven't been very good at keeping up this blog! I think I have too many hobbies . . . every week I try and go running, study Japanese, clean my house, study the tea ceremony, and write or draw, and prepare my lessons for work, so after that I usually am either exhausted or have no more time! (And of course I have to watch TV or movies on my computer every day, too ^.-)  Anyway, thank you all for reading, it is really appreciated! So here's an update from my trip to America:

 

My brother and I ordered some awesome pizza with the works!

 

Here's Timmy and Sammy! :P

 

Blake and I had an amazing breakfast at Paige's Okra Grill! She had pancakes, grits, eggs, and bacon! She couldn't finish it but I definitely didn't mind helping her!

 

I had a fried chicken, egg and cheese biscuit with gravy!

 

Blake's barista specialty drink! I didn't get a chance to try it, although I really wanted to! We were in a hurry to meet my mom at the mall.

I really missed Smithwicks . . . smooth, creamy and hoppy

 

He looks like a pro loading that gun!

 

Tim hated those glasses but I think it's his expression that makes this picture!

 

Look at all that smoke . . . I really love that gun! It's from the Civil War era I believe, and my dad had to manually put the powder into the bullets!

 

This was an AK-47 that I was too afraid to shoot. It looked like it had a lot of backfire and it was deafening even with ear protection.

 

This was a gun from another member of the group. He just let us shoot it. 

 

sorry, I guess blogger couldn't read the file correctly and it stretched it out or something. Anyway, I really love this gun! It hardly had any backfire and it was just so much fun to shoot! look at all that smoke!

 

Meanwhile, Blake and mum were working hard at lunch!

delicious pineapple!

 

Blake made these sliders, which are tiny burgers. The meat was so thick, I think she stuffed it with all kinds of good stuff!

 

These are pigs-in-a-blanket that Blake handmade! They were my favorite . . . she also made grilled cheese which I failed to take a picture of for some reason.

 

bonding time with Daddy and Sammy

 

my mum's famous and delicious vegetable dip! I need this recipe, mum!

 

"When your work is done . . ."

 

"You'll want one." This tasted like pomegranate!   I thought it was really good, but I like lager.

 

mumzy commanding the dogs with biscuits!

 

Having a great "last meal" on my last night in town. I missed American pasta so I requested Red Lobster! Tim and Dad paid, although I wanted to pay.

 

Mum and Dad. I think we must take after each other, considering we both always seem to have a camera on us!

 

Good choice, Blakey!

 

Mum's staple: fish 'n chips!

 

why all the fried food, Tim? I think he was just waiting for a stomach upset. It was tasty though.

 

Dad, of course, chose the most healthy option: cobb salad. It looked good though!

 

Last toast of champagne before bed! 

I hope you enjoyed, that's all for now! I hope to update more regularly . . . I tend to let it build up then I have a million things to post! I will try and not wait so long. Thanks again for reading!

Ohanami: Cherry blossom viewing!

First, I went to Akitsuki with Yuka and Masayo (and Yuka's new Taiwanese boyfriend)! It was so much fun! Here are pictures:

 

It was so hard to make her smile! This is Yuka and her new boyfriend, Conrad (I guess they have American names to make it easier for us to pronounce?) Yuka never smiles because she thinks her teeth look bad! Of course they don't, so I always try and make her smile! hehehe

 

This was some yummy dessert called "kuzu mochi" that we ate at this traditional building (I don't know the name of it, but apparently it's a famous sweets shop). You can find a recipe to make it here: http://justhungry.com/kuzumochi-a-cool-sweet-summer-dessert

although I don't have a clue where you'd find the kuzu powder in America!

 

Here are everyone's (except Masayo's) happy meals together! Everyone left me as you can see . . . they were buying omiyage! The one on the top right was zenzai, which is like red bean soup (sweet) with mochi in it. I think there was something else in it too, but I don't remember. This place seems to make a special kind of mochi that is clearer, sticker, and more refined than mochi I've tasted elsewhere. おいしい Oishi (Yummy)! 

 

Here's the building! It's really big and open inside, with tatami. I couldn't take pictures because there were people eating and stuff, so it would probably have been rude to take pictures of them eating . . .

 

I love this color!  You hardly see the dark pink cherry blossoms, mainly white or light pink.

 

There was a really big river, and a bridge that we crossed over.

 

Yuka on the left and Masayo on the right.

 

 

 

haha! I stole a picture :P  Masayo on the left, and Yuka on the right. See? She has such a pretty smile!

 

It was really a beautiful day!

 

Halfway through our journey down the cherry blossom lane, we were met with an impediment. A samurai stood in the middle of the path . . . 怖い kowai (scary)!

 

Of course Yuka didn't smile again!

  

 

And we also met a ninja! He taught us how to do the ninja pose!

 

Don't we look so cool! haha :P I think Yuka looks the coolest!

 

All of the cherry blossom petals glittering the stone

 

There's just something about the country . . . Masayo commented on how nostalgic it made her feel. It was a little nostalgic for me, too because it reminded me of Totoro! But of course that isn't the same as being Japanese and seeing this. It was so beautiful, though.

 

I love this twisted trunk

 

Sunset is always magical, but especially in Japan!

 

I'm not sure what this was, it looked like a bunch of gravestones. I quickly snapped this picture as Yuka was blasting off! It was an hour and a half drive at the least . . .

 

This seemed to be in front of a TV station, I'm not exactly sure who he's supposed to be!

Well that concludes my adventures from Thursday, but I also went to Maizaru, which is just five minutes from my apartment, today (Sunday)! So, here are more cherry blossoms!

 

There were samurai! It was really cool, they came up on horses, but unfortunately, it was too crowded so I couldn't get any pictures. By the time I could, they'd already taken the horses away! :(

 

Here are the horses!

 

An older lady did a dance performance with a fan, but it was really crowded so this was the best shot I could get.

 

After the performances had ended, they all lined up for a picture!

 

Now for the "brandish our swords" picture!

 

A few more pictures later . . . they finally headed off stage.

 

Next were more dancers with baton-things. The lady singing was really good, too!

 

Posing for more pictures!