Run Into Flowers

Spring has finally arrived! The season I have been waiting for all along, and now it is nearly over. I have been doing lots of "hanami", literally "flower viewing." This is a huge tradition in Japan during the cherry blossom season - to go and look at the flowers. Usually people bring a picnic and make a whole day out of it, which I have done a few times, but usually we just bring some drinks and a frisbee and we're good to go. There is a saying: "hana yori sake" which translates to be, "flowers are not as important as sake."

FLOWERS:









This is the last week of class. Finally. But also a little sad. The cherry blossoms have already passed their peak, and now there is "sakura yuki" or cherry blossom petal snow everywhere. Ah! the fleetingness of the seasons!