Until we meet again

We have a saying that... Friends come and go, but leave footprints on your heart.

↓Here's Chat with Yu chan...on her version of ichi, ni ... saaan! They visited us at SAME yesterday to bid for goodbye. They'll transfer to Hyogo from August already. 'gonna miss them a lot. I have many good memories with Chatty! How can I forget her kakalogan! Chatty... where ever you go... you will always be a friend and a younger sis to me. Don't forget our happy good old days huh! Take care of your self and your family. We might be miles away in distance but we will surely see each other again! Just don't surprise me if by that time... Yu chan is totally speaking in english already! Mhwaaah! (^3^) Aside from Chat... tonight, SAME staff with the City International Division had a soubetsu kai-- it's a farewell party for our friendly Japanese staff Naomi chan and the Indonesian staff Evi chan. 'gonna miss them too! Working with them was fun and I learned so much from them too. To Naomi chan and Evi chan... please always visit us at SAME office! We'll be waiting! ↓With the smiling face, Naomi chan... she's expecting a baby on October. 'can't wait! My favorite in Nakajimaya's Cross Roads buffet restaurant↓Miss you all... friends! Good luck! 'till we meet again...

Birthday Celebrations in Abe River

I can't believe it... I am in the mid of my deadline works but look at me... I am partying with friends again! Well... today was the birthday celebration of uncle Jo, Kuya Harada san and Shinichi kun... so how could I miss the invitation of all our good friends like them... naks!

The party was held in Abe River... on the way to Warashina... in front of Neri's house. It was a barbeque party with lots of Pinoy goody! Absolutely... we enjoyed the treats, the chikahan and the kalokohan!

It's good to see Chat... she dropped by to bid for goodbye... well, sad to say... she'll transfer to Hyogo Pref with her family already. We'll gonna miss you a lot Chatty! But definetely... we'll gonna find a way to meet you again!

One of the celebrant... uncle JO

Another celebrants... kuya Harada san!

Barbeque and Yakiniku! What's the difference anyway?!Some of the goodies!The brothers... It's Shinichi's birthday celebration too!The kids enjoying the water on the river with Oniisan Sakurai san!

Chat on her sayonara visit!They're enjoying the party!Pictorial time!It's drizzling!After our lunch and pictorials... it started to rain... wooow that was cool! We were all wet! But still the party went on. We evacuated to Neri's home... wet friends went to shower and borrowed Neri's dresses! Well... I was one of them. Good there's something that fitted me! Mini dress nga lang! Felt I was an ago-goooo dancer!

Thanks for the wonderful treat everyone!

Abe River Fireworks Exhibition 2008

This year, the annual Abe River Fireworks Exhibition was held yesterday night! Absolutely... present na naman ako! This year I went to watch the event with Sarah, Ai, Aya, Yuta, Liza and Amie. We all went there in JINBEI attire!

Before the exhibition began...Our food sharing!We caught in the act Mari on the way to the event walking with her cute BF?!Fun with fan!Displays of fireworks!spectacular!dazzling colors!pretty exciting!breathtaking!After the exhibition!

I received some reservation seats inside the city reservation area and credit card related company area but we prefer the top slanting area outside where we watched the event last year. We had a good spot of viewing fireworks even or while we were all lying down!

That was one of my good summer evening!

Whose potatoes?!

I had been watering these potato plant for months. Amie checked it up last night if it beared some potato already... fortunately... there were some potatoes in it!

I told the good news to my hubs and he said that he's the one who planted it. But last end of winter... tatay was the one who cleaned up it's grassy soils and replanted the potato. When tatay went back to Philippines... I did the watering of his plants 'though I didn't know that there was a potato plant around. Last June... Amie notice the potato plant and she cleaned up the grasses around it. Now that it bears potatoes... to whom does those potatoes belong?

Gig in Boozer

Last night was uncle Jo's gig night in Boozer's International Bar! Lusob naman kaming mga kapatid n'ya to cheer him up! Daming international people... kaya kung sino-sino na naman ang na-meet namin... new and old friends... meron din yung tipong ayaw pa-expose pero mas marami yung kulang sa pansin! hehehe! That was a cool night! I enjoyed it... nahasa pa tuloy ang English namin... hehehe!

See you all again!

Trip to Ooma

As a member of Aoi Ku Konwakai or Aoi District Forum, part of our research activities is that ... we had this field trip in Ooma. It's a mountain part of Aoi District. The place was too far from the main city. We travelled there by mini bus for less than two hours and on the way near to Ooma, some part of the road is risky... it's steep and narrow. Besides, if you don't have or can't drive a car... it's hard for you to go there because there's no bus that gets in there not unless you have the guts to walk for about 2 hours from (?) sorry folks... forgot to memo the exact name of the place. In short, the access in there is difficult.

Anyway... on the way there, I enjoyed the amasing nature from Warashina to Ooma. The river is perfect for picnic, playing in water or even fishing... though if someone is interested to go on river fishing... you need to apply for a permit.

↓ Along Kiyozawa... many years ago, my family used to picnic and fishing AYU here!

Stop over at Kiyosawa where we ordered our OBENTO courtesy of the District General Office of Shizuoka.

Some view of Kiyozawa

One of those small red bridge

Another stop over ...

View from the restaurant

The out door part of the restaurant... an overview of the river

Our mini bus waiting for us

This is the hot spring facility

On the way to Ooma... taken from my very window! Too steep... too close...

Sooo... upon reaching Ooma... well, it is a typical village and I love the place. It's nothing in there as what we can find in the city ... but the nature and farms are so abundant, the air is so fresh, the people are friendly and the way of living is trully simple as in typical rural area. What amazed me most is that I found out that there is a Japanese tea plantation village in Aoi District! Yap... it's all up there in Ooma!

Ooma Jinja

Typical house in Ooma

On our way to exploring the village

It's green tea plantation everywhere

onions and other stuffs hanging out to dry

Here's the Japanese Tea Cafe. If you take a rest and have a sip of tea... well, below is one of the place. It's not for free so if you pay, you have to put about 100 to 300 yen to the Tea Cafe money box!

Below is one of our member interviewing the old couple of the village. They said that this village is about 600 years and their home is about 150 years old!Courtesy of the tea cafe's okaasan... her home made side dishes!

Original tea from Ooma

cute flowers and butterfy!

We are going climb up there to the tree house↓On the way up to the tree house View from up mid part of the tea plantationThe tree house... we are almost there!There is also a library house on top of the tea plantation Inside view of the libray!We reached the tree house tea cafe!Seems I'm in Bagiuo again!Posing with some of my co-members and our leaders!Upper part↓ The tree resting veranda!
The meeting and orientationMore of the nature... it's getting cloudy!Our OBENTO for lunch! We had our lunch at the mid of tea plantation! The over view!Shitake plantation On the way home
The road guide has also ROMAJI... It's a manner for all to protect the nature!Well... all I can say is that if you want to escape from your busy world downtown... and you want to temporary relax and have some peaceful atmosphere... this Ooma is one of the place to go! The tea village in Aoi District!