Sunday 21 December 2014

AKJ_Snow Day in Nagoya!


On your typical last Thursday, I awakened in the morning to something extraordinary. As I debated whether I was ready to actually get up or not, I could see the apartment building across the street through the window, and couldn't help wondering whether its hand rails had always been white.

Before long, I remembered what one of my teachers had been saying about the extreme snowy conditions in Hokkaido, and suggestions of snow for other parts of the country as well. I sprung out of bed to a full view of my everyday world turned pure white through the window.

Needless to say I was fully awake after that. I grabbed my camera and was out on my balcony taking photos for at least 10 minutes...

Nagoya had got, according to the teacher, 23 centimetres of snow. For Nagoya, both the amount, and timing were unusual. It was a great novelty to me, and I felt lucky that the unusual snow fall had come.

Here it is in photo form for you to enjoy too!

My everyday world covered in snow!









Of course, we had to take the most of the opportunity...






While I'm at it, here are a few shots of the Christmas decorations at Hoshigaoka Terrace.



Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Thanks to Okubo san and Emi san for some of the photos...

AKJ_Dressing Up...Again!


Hi all,

Yep, we got dressed up again. This time we had the chance to wear Furisode, a Kimono worn by young women - including at the Coming of Age Ceremony.

Anyway, it was fun to try on another style of Japanese clothing. My thanks go to the teachers for the opportunity.












Thanks to Everyone for the photos!



AKJ_Trip to Gujohachiman


Hi,

On our final Excursion, the 2014 Exchange Students went to a town in Gifu. The town, Gujohachiman is known for a certain type of dance, and also for those plastic food samples that you see out the front of restaurants (you see them a lot here in Japan). 

One of the highlights of the trip for me is that it snowed all day. Of course, the snow itself wasn't anything new, but I had not really seen snow falling before, particularly in a town...

Here's the snowy scenery:


 




And our group out and about:







And finally...those food samples I mentioned...well, we made some:







Thanks to Sorin sensei and Tanaka san for some of the photos!
 



AKJ_Noh Experience


Hi all,

Once again I've been noticeable by my absence... but never fear, for I have plenty of photos ready!

First, here are some from a recent dress up experience of Noh (A type of Japanese theatre). Although I have been to see Noh, at this point I am referring to us four Exchange Students actually getting dressed up in the costume and singing and dancing.

The mask meant we could only really see straight ahead, and the clothes were a bit restricting, but when I say dance, it only really involved walking and turning, as well as moving the arms...

As I mentioned, there was a mask involved, so you can't really tell who's who...but here are some photos anyway!


 Me present...


Me absent - therefore behind the mask...






Thanks to Okubo san for the photos!