Thank you P., from the AFJ, for this collection of precious memories ! Let's go back soon and clean the mess !

5th volunteering week-end for me with the AFJ ! And not the less interesting !

Yes we are !!!

This time, we worked under the spotlights : the French Prime Minister François Fillon visited the city to commemorate the events of March 11th and came to say hello to my team, with a dozen of cameras behind him. Saturday morning's weather had been so AWFUL (cold, heavy rains flooding the water pipes and flowing into our boots... we were frozen and wet...), I thought we had no chance to see any Minister's shadow in the area, but the rain stopped and he appeared with a tail of journalists, body guards and local officials.

Not exactly excellent volunteering conditions

Noemi is freezing and tired...

... and everyone is dirty.

Our dear old mud, always the same

Fillon, who bumped from our TV screens into "real life"

P. from the AFJ, our Working Class Hero !

 Me and my friend G. were the first in our group who shook hands with the PM... Vive la France

 We could talk a bit about our work to the French staff following F. Fillon before the PM asked us directly a few questions about our volunteering missions; then he had a short talk with the President of the AFJ, congratulated everyone saying that we were "giving a good image of France" and then left us with the journalists. I got interviewed by BFM TV, and then TF1 cameras. Finally I found myself into Saturday's 20:00 news programs on both TF1 and France 2, in addition with BFM ! Wow ! Here are the videos (no pink coat this day, I got so wet on the morning I had to change for a blue one at lunch break...)

TF1 (Saturday 22 October 2011 - 20:00) : here

France 2 (Saturday 22 October 2011 - 20:00) : here

BFM TV :

A few links about the PM's visit (in French) : Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Parisien.

I have been very pleased to receive messages from my family and friends in France (and elsewhere), who "saw me on TV", as well as a few support messages from people I even didn't know - many thanks, everyone ! Every kind word helps us to convey more strengh to the victims of the tsunami !

Sunday morning : big blue sky (how ironic), and water/yogurt to give to the people who have been transfered to the government's "temporary housing". Oh, gosh. Of course, there are millions of them and the Japanese governement is just doing his best to give everyone a roof above his head, but the places are so narrow, so cheap-looking... and most of these grandpas and granmas are going to live their last years there. The positive thing is that they live in community now and stick with each other more than before, nevertheless...

The sad "temporary houses"

Inhabitants waiting for free Danone yogurts, Evian water and Uniqlo clothes

Ishinomaki is slowly recovering, but there are still so many things to do. Please come with us again !

 Famille, Amis, je pense à vous.

Astonishing colors. Fuji-san as the cherry on the cake. Happy clouds. A million photo shoots on the back. A smile on my right. That was a successfull Sunday.

That's not a secret : I LOVE boxes. I never had the idea to live inside one, though.

There is an exhibition at Mori Museum, Roppongi Hills, about Metabolism - "a movement born from the visions of leading Japanese architects of the 1960s". Pictures were forbidden inside, but this unit was waiting for us outside. Well, it really looks like a cupboard, but I guess that when I was a student, I would have been happy to live there.

My only real problem with this room : the microwave above the bed. Ahem.

The shower seems pretty vast compared to the whole size of the place

OK, that's not a room for messy people obviously

Miss E. loves boxes too !

It is certainly better from outside, to tell the truth.

October is full of 3-days week-ends in Japan. This time, I decided to fly south and have a look at Fukuoka, the main city of Kyushu Island, where men are bold and mountains are hot (or the opposite, as you wish). Earthquakes are rare here, but volcanos are still smoking and the air is spicy with sulphur and Korean peppers. From Tokyo, it takes only 2 hours by plane to reach the city, and the little airport is amazingly close to the centertown, so you're ready to enjoy your holidays in an eye's blink.

For your information, I booked tickets with Skymark, the cheapest company to fly inside Japan - both plane and service were very good, I recommend it.

I'aaaaaaam coming up, so you'd better get the party started !

From the plane : look at who came just to say goodbye to me ! So sweet...

ZEN OYADO NISHITEI RYOKAN

As I had never been to Fukuoka, I randomly picked up a ryokan on the internet, and I have to say it was the best choice I could dream of. Zen Oyado Nishitei is a super-cute ryokan situated at Yakuin station, 20 by foot from both Hakata station and Tenjin station. Th design is great, traditionnal and neat. I did not order breakfast but I received "midnight" onigiri for free every night ! Fresh water and hot tea are provided in the rooms. The basins and bathroom are common, but the ryokan was so quiet I did not have to wait for it. The bathtube was huge, made of stones, I just loved it.

Pajamas provided !

MOMOCHI BEACH

No beach, no holidays. Fukuoka has a great seafront with many beaches, but let me introduce you the closest from the center and most convenient : Momochi Hama !

There is a church there for wedding ceremonies and all you can dream about : jetskies, ice-creams, palm trees. And SUNSETS, oh my God, SUNSETS.

FUKUOKA TOWER

All the big Japanese cities so far have a representative tower; Fukuoka Tower is especially beautiful, all made of glass shining in the sunlight...

FUKUOKA BY NIGHT

Fukuoka Bay from the Tower

The Floating Church from the Tower

Tenjin, the core of the city : wide streets, plenty of lights

Fukuoka famous street shops selling ramen, gyoza, yakiniku...

Fukuoka colors

FUKUOKA SPECIALITIES

I know I am desperately French, but I can't help it : for me, whatever the region, ramen is ramen... and I love it, for sure, but I don't really feel the difference between this Hakata Ramen (with soup and pork), the pride of Fukuoka, and any other ramen bowl. Maybe I aù going to be expelled of the country because I wrote this sentence, but whatever.

Hakata Ramen (yummy !)

Gyoza (one of my favorite dish in the world)

Fish & Seafood (let's it a lot before getting back home !)

and pistachio ice-cream ! Ok, it's not a local spciality, but I couldn't resist...

FUKUOKA CITY HALL

This is an amazing building with step gardens on the walls and a big orchestra center inside...

Dance contests : Fukuoka moves ! Here is the JR (Japan Railways) team, a funny performance with train noises !

DAZAIFU SHRINE

20 minutes by train from Tenjin station. As the country was invaded by Mongolia a long time ago, it is mixed with several influences and the result is even more colourful than usual shinto shrines.

KYUSHU NATIONAL MUSEUM

Huuuge... There is so much space here ! Is it Japan, really ?? Learn everything about Kyushu, including China, Korea, Mongolia influences on the region and above all, enjoy this incredible landscape... Bamboos everywhere ! Kyushu National Museum is a piece of art itself !

NOKONOSHIMA

Just in front of Fukuoka Bay, there is a 12 kilometers-diameter island called Nokonoshima (apparently it is a funny name to the Japanese ears), which is amazingly quiet and peaceful. 10 minutes by boat from Marinoa Mall Ferry station !

OHORIKOEN

Great park in central Fukuoka, Ohorikoen is the place I have seen the largest number of Westerners in Fukuoka. And this is also the place where I thought that Fukuoka was a very nice city to live in.

Fukuoka makes you happy ! Fukuoka makes you genki ! 

Pou-dou-dou ! Trop la pêche, moi. Ouais, ouais.

Don't miss the chance to go to Fukuoka !

Sometimes it's nice to bring my obento on the roof and eat lunch under the sun. My work place is situated in a very quiet area between Meguro and Gotanda ; it's green, peaceful, the perfect place to breathe and relax. Could stay there until the night...

C'est véritablement utile, puisque c'est joli.

Alors mon coucher de soleil ? rappela le petit prince qui jamais n’oubliait une question une fois qu’il l’avait posée.

L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux

@ Ginza

(spéciale dédicace à soeurette)

It was the last park in Tokyo for me to discover - I never go to Ginza aera usually - so, my first destination for this long week-end. Space and sky... and sun... I needed it after last week typhoon. Hibiya Park is really pleasant and peaceful - and free. A few minutes walk from Ginza, its waffle shops and its restaurants.

September-October is the main typhoon season in Japan. Today is a good example.

Hello, Typhoon Roke