First Home Takoyaki Party ! Yippie !

Thanks to Makiko and Wataru, freshly married young friendly couple, for inviting me to have tako and ebi yaki at their place with other friends. Takoyaki is a happy meal by itself : round and cute... Gifted Makiko also prepared a nice quiche (with the real taste of the quiche ! Yes yes yes), little "bouchees" with crackers and sushi. Smiley people, good food and many beers : the right way to start the Golden Week...

ご馳走様でした！ありがとうございました！

Starts messy ; just wait.

Keep focused !

Here are the takoyaki !

Home-made quiche ! Hallelujia !

Avocado bouchee

O-sushi

Friends

マキコさん、ここにチェックしてください！楽しみ!!!

Something good to know : sometimes it's possible that you get back home, find the note from the post office saying that "France" has sent a package for you, re-schedule the delivery and discover that your sweet, caring and super-nice family sent you delicious things to eat in your far-away country. Family, I love you.

Check it out : I got fashionable herb tea, cookies, Easter eggs, olive jam, cheeses crackers... and other very nice stuff. Yummy !

Merci les p'tits loups !

To the terrible, powerful sea that swept the landscape away

To the cruel sea that took so many lives

To the exhausted sea we spoiled with oil, garbage, radioactive water

You are so, so beautiful. Please forgive us, teach us, bless us.

This is spring... Golden Week is coming... we all need to take a break and to relax...

Some of us will be lucky enough to enjoy onsen soon. For the ones who will not have this pleasure, let me help you to imagine. First, imagine that you are amazingly clean, cleaner that you have never been (no offense). This is because you took the greater shower of your life just before, and you washed yourself from the toes to the hair - this is mandatory. When you're finally shining like a baby, you can enter onsen. It is so warm you have to breath with your whole skin. Water is not only pure, it's mineral, powerful, because it comes from the depth of earth. The air around you is almost liquid. Blond skins like mine get red into five minutes but the Japanese keep pale and beautiful, only the cheeks get pink. Once you get use to environment, you can appreciate the peaceful atmosphere. Everybody is naked, everybody is relax, everybody is rejuvenating. This is onsen. Come and try.

Just can't get enough, as they say... Sakura, sweet blossoming Tokyo, sun, spring... I'm addicted and I just can't get enough.

(Fresh picture from Meguro this morning, on the way to work, go and back... Life could be worse.)

Remember the giant turtle ? Remember the rabbit following his master on the street like a dog ? I was wondering what kind of strange pet I will randomly meet next in this crazy Tokyo. Wel, this morning, I got the answer.

A pig. Adult one. Yes. (Remind me something)

Don't ask me why.

It was Sunday morning at Rinshi-no-Mori Park close to Musashi-Koyama station. The master was, like usual, a sweet Japanese grandfather. The "pet" was, as usual, amazingly clean and quiet.

I still can't believe it, can you ?...

So, let's bet about the next strange pet : I hesitate between a zebra and a baby giraffe.

What do you say ?

This is the same beauty every year, but I just can't get enough ! Tokyo at spring is totally pink, from the sakura to the sky. Have a walk under the cherry trees, by a sunny Sunday, and let's go back with blossoms in the hair and brand new hope in the heart !

今年も桜はきれいですね。東京はピンクになりました。今日日曜日だから散歩して、色々な桜が見られました。本当にいい感じ！

At Rinshi-no-Mori

At Musashi-Koyama

At Meguro

ばら色の人生ですね。

La Vie en Rose...

A gift from my co-worker... because I had the honor to welcome her at my place the night of the earthquake, when all the trains were stopped... This world is crazy. Am I supposed to receive nice peach darjeeling tea when I do something that I fully enjoy ??? People, you make a spoiled kid of me.

Arigatou, Kiyoko-san !

Sometimes... sometimes... it's sunny around Paris.

Yes. It's not an April Fool. Just check these pictures. Isn't it a nice preview of the Japanese sakura ?...

Let's enjoy the spring flowers this year like never !