A weekend full of art!

The weekend began wonderfully :) I went to Yamada sensei's house right after school. The week had been a big bummer since I had been home with a sick for the entire week. Ikebana was very nice this week. I really liked the flowers I was working with. I continued this simple set up that I have been creating now for three times. Next time I will move on to a new design. I have my first show coming up March 7 & 8. I am very excited about this seeing as I have only done Ikebana 3 times. Yamada sensei will pick out my flowers and I will arrange them on the 5th & 6th. I am flattered that she thinks I am good enough after 3 lessons to be part of the big show! I will of course post pictures after the show:)

After Ikebana, I met Aki for a wonderful dinner at Kaya. It is a delicious French/Italian restaurant. We decided to blow it out and order the 1800 yen special! It was absolutely fantastic! We each ordered the same thing but with different sauces so we could both enjoy both! We started with salads. Then a hamburg steak and spinach arrived. Then it was potato gratin, miso soup, and rice. It was well worth the money! The meal also came with a drink. I ordered pineapple juice - it was freshly squeeze and like right off the tree. We then ordered ice cream and chatted a bit longer. We then said our good-byes and were off to home. I came home and spoke with mom and kat and then went to sleep because it was early to rise for TOKYO!

I woke up about 8 AM on Saturday to get ready for my fun filled day in Tokyo with the girls. I needed to pack and shower. I caught the 10 AM bus and was on my way to the city! I love being so close to Tokyo. In an hour and 10 minutes, I'm there! Awesome. We met up about noon in Asakasa Mitsuke. This is where our hotel was - I found us rooms at the Hotel Monterey Akasaka. I really enjoy this hotel chain. It is a bit expensive when you first look at it but is really reasonable once you see what you get for your money. We were able to check in early and drop our bags. It was then off to lunch!

For lunch, we asked directions to an area that had a nice amount of restaurants. Sure enough right down the street from us there was a street. We stumbled across a Cafe Del Sole - I love this cafe. It is a chain but doesn't really seem like it. It looks like it is right out of France. Annelyse, Emily, Erin, & I enjoyed a long lunch of great food, company, and laughter. Emily and I the pizza set and Annelyse and Erin ordered the pasta set. I had salad, half & half - prosciutto & Margarita, and gelato. It came with four different types so we passed them all around and then picked a favorite! We seemed to figure it out painlessly :) We then decided it wasn't enough and were very tempted by the desert case. I decided to go for the tiny chocolate pie - dear ____ it was so rich and melted in your mouth. We continued to talk and then were off to the hotel to rest and get ready for the play!

We left the hotel at 4:00 to meet up in Shimbashi - where the theater is - by 4:30. The doors opened around 5 and Wicked started at 5:30. Wicked was a great musical. The interesting thing was the entire musical was in Japanese - speaking and music. It was a great Japanese lesson. I have been here long enough to understand a bit of what is actually going on. Fortunate for me, I have been able to read a bit of the novel and Annelyse gave me the entire run down before we saw the play. It was really fun getting dressed up and going to the theater. I have now been to the theater in several countries and I can add Japan to the list! Attending these events makes me happier and happier that I have decided to stay at least another year. I am really becoming so comfortable here - in a good way. I am exploring new places all the time - no, really I am. I had never been to Akasaka Mitsuke or Shimbashi. The play ended up being about 3 hours.

After the play, we walked around to find a place to have dinner. We came across a pub called The Rose & Corner. We had small 'tapas' type dishes and beer. It was like we had walked out of Tokyo. That is sometimes a fun/nice feeling to experience. We sat there for about an hour and half and enjoyed nice conversation. It was then back to Akasaka for an hour of karaoke - see below!

Annelyse and I outside the doors at the Wicked cafe. I love this picture. I think it is adorable! And I love my new dress!

This was just up one floor from the pub we ate at. I thought it was very futuristic and fitting for the evening!

I love little shrines. They are beautiful. Even when they are smack dab in the middle of the city. It reminds me a bit of Greece in that sense. Modern and ancient. I realize that this isn't ancient but the concept is the same. Walking amongst history - its a cool feeling - I can't explain.

Annelyse, Erin, Emily, & I at karaoke back in Akasaka Mitsuke. Great hour girls!

These pictures are for sissy! This is so you get a great idea of the front and the back of the dress! This is just goofy - duh =D

I really enjoy how the front of the dress is shorter than the back of the dress =D

The next morning none of us could stay late. We all had things to do in our respective towns. Emily had a skype date with all her family - 30 people. Annelyse had a 4 hour karaoke day with a few Japanese friends back in Koga. Erin had a international festival to attend to. And I had a concert to go to :) My music teacher from Itako 2nd- Kanazawa sensei- invited me back in the very beginning of January to go to this Wind Instrument concert in Kamisu. I went alone but it was just a wonderful afternoon of music. The concert began at 2 and had 3 sections. The first section was an experimental set. It was very ragtime, great beats and fun. The second section was pop and included such sets as pink panther and Disney compilations - this was my favorite section. The third section was all classical. This was great too but the first two were my favorite! See below for a 2 minute video of pink panther - its great! Kanazawa sensei is on the left below with the spot light on.

After the 2nd set there was a small intermission. I found Kanazawa's wife and one of his daughters. This wife is the one who helped Kathryn and I so that we could enjoy Kimonos! This family is really good friends with the Masaki family - principal from Hinode Elementary. He was the one who invited us to his home for New Years. Okay, got it? Good! =D Anyway, we were able to go back stage and see Kanazawa sensei. It definitely put my Japanese to the test but it was good. They know I am learning and making mistakes EVERYDAY but I don't care. It is so fun learning Japanese. I am really enjoying it!

Solo during pink panther - FANTASTIC! I am so glad I went!

Another solo during the Disney set.

The whole gang. Kanazawa sensei is in the 3rd row standing 4 men in. He is absolutely adorable and SO KIND. I think if anyone asked me who is one of the nicest people you have encountered in your life it would most definitely be him. He ALWAYS makes it appoint to tell me 'ohayo gozaimasu' -good morning with a bright smile. It makes my time at Itako 2nd amazing. Everyone had Itako 2nd is so friendly and smiley - it makes me feel so welcome.

This was a statue outside of the bunkacenter. I really enjoyed it and decided to snap a quick pic. I realize it isn't the best quality but it works for me! It gets the idea across. Well, I certainly had an artsy weekend. Ikebana, a musical, and then a music concert. It was a very laid back, not rushed weekend. It was just what I needed. I was constantly smiling and loving what I was doing.

This week I am back at Hinode for one more week. I am then back to Itako 2nd! yay! I will have to say good-bye to 3rd grade this week, they will graduate in March and I will not return until April. It is a bit strange. I feel in some ways that I just got here and others like I've been here for forever...it will be a difficult to say good-bye, after all they are my first students. Until next time :)