A magic night
Saturday night, we met not only one, but a couple of racoons quietly looking for their evening food - just like us. The racoon, my totem animal, sawn in real for the first time, at 50 centimeters, and totally relax ! The strange thing is that both of them quietly hid behind the trees when someone was approaching, but not for us - when racoons meet racoons...
東京に二匹の狸を見ました!本当に面白い動物ですね。そして怖くなかったんです。びっくりしました!狸を見て、初めてです!かわいいね!
A symbol of good luck and success in Japan !
... And we immediatly felt our new stock of good luck as soon as we entered the amazing garden of the Four Seasons Hotel, from Kandagawa side. A pure moment of beauty. Wonderful trees, unexpected light effects, waterfall... So much beauty was too much for me...
それから四つの季節ホテルの庭へ行って、すごくきれいな所です!すばらしかった!
And because after that we were hungry like racoons, we found a charming little restaurant I definitely didn't expect to find here... and had the best dinner ever. Could I dream of a better beginning of the summer ?
寄るご飯を食べたレストランもすごかったです。楽しかった! この夏はすばらしくはじまります!
Izakaya
For my non-familiar-with-Japan readers : the izakaya is a traditional-style Japanese bar where you can drink beer and eat many different little dishes afterwork, until late. There are mini-rooms for each group, separated by thin wood and paper pannels, so you feel like at home but still hear the voices and the "kampai" of the neighbours. Your shoes stay at the entry in little wooden boxes and you sat on the floor in front of a traditional-looking low table, but in the modern izakaya there is a hole under the table for your legs, to sit more comfortably.
Thanks to Satoshi and Taka who had reduction coupons we could drink and eat a lot for very cheap, and it was a very funny evening ! Thanx guys !!!
木曜日、居酒屋へ飲みに行って、とても楽しかったです。居酒屋のスタイルが大好きです。そして日本人の友達とよく話して、本当に興味深い会話でした。みんなさん、ありがとう!
More pics in the album ETP Japan !
One more good reason to go to Okinawa
I discovered this video thanks to my friend Celine, ocean-friendly Miami girl, and it just strengthen my will to go to Okinawa asap...
私も沖縄へ行きたい!水族館を見たい!すごくきれいですね。夢の世界のよう。
Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.
Buzzer Beat - B'z B'z B'z
I couldn't settle in Toky and avoid sinking in the drama-fanatism, so it's done : now every Monday at 9, I am in front of Fuji TV and I watch Buzzer Beat ! Let's say that it is to practice my Japanese...
Buzzer Beat could be the adaptation of the manga Buzzer Beater created by Inoue Takehiko who is also the author of the famous Slam Dunk, but there is no relation to the outer space and the names are totally different too. The drama is the story of a young salary-man who also plays basketball - Yamashita Tomohisa from NewS, one of the most famous Djaniz in France - and who dissimulates his weaknesses under this appearance of winner. His girlfriend too has doubts about her feelings and they are both weak enough to make the apparition of a funny beautiful young woman very dangerous for their couple...
It's light, lively and full of basket-ball scenes. The drama you need for this summer !
昔から日本のドラマが大好きですが、今初めて日本のテレビをよく見られて、本当にすばらしいです。毎月曜日、フジテレビでバザービートというドラマを見て、とても面白いです。バスケットボールについて話です。言い訳は、日本語ですから見ながら練習をするんですね。でも本当はすごく面白い!
Harry Potter 6 at Roppongi Hills
A touch of spice
Last week, I had the pleasure to meet my friend Shoko, who I met for the first time two years ago during my Study Tour in Japan, at Tsuda College where she was studying International Relations. We had a group discussion about the gender issues in Japan and in Europe - concluding that, Japanese or European, women want to have a carreer and a family, a social role and an individual one; and at different degrees it is still difficult to have both. After that I met Shoko in Paris while she was travelling over Europe with her friend Chigusa. And while she newly came back from the USA, we could meet at Shinjuku - Touch of Spice, a nice Thai restaurant where I could practice my poor Japanese all time long with the former students of Tsuda, who are all working now for well-known companies. Thank you girls for your friendly talks !
皆さん、来てくれて、よく話して、私の下手な日本語を聞いてありがとう! とっても楽しかったです。すぐにできたらもう一度会いたいです。気をつけてがんばって!
These pics are from Mayu and her great Olympus - thank you Mayu !