GRADUATION TIME

Rie and Yohei were in London for their graduation ceremony. We decided to celebrate with hotpot. I wasn't sure they would have made it to the UK after the earthquake. Yohei especially, being from Fukushima, had a lot of problems and his trip to London was "epic" to say the least.

Happy Rie :)


Yohei always cracks me up :)


Lyle joined us, too. He graduated as well. I still have a bit to go...

Hotpot! The left-side was the devil's brew... it was so hot most people couldn't eat it. Only Yohei and Kim could endure it. They must have guts of steel...

Here's me, Rie, Lyle and Yohei :)

Rie told me that Korean couples or friends take pictures like this... we were meant to create a heart-shape, but I left a gap... more or less... I need practice!

さびしくなるよ...

SIMO'S VISIT :)

This is the best pie I've ever had. Pork, chicken and apricots topped with stuffing. It comes from Jonny's dad butcher shop in Pontesbury, near Shrewsbury. If you are in Shropshire make sure you pay a visit to Hignetts of Pontesbury, est. 1919.

While I was cooking the guys decided to form a rock band...

Note the concentration...

Torakiki more and more resembles a stuffed animal...

It all proved too tiring for Gioia...

Old friends reunited!

Simo!

Another Simo :)

Isabel :)

Gioia and Simo, small sister / big sister...

See you soon :)

HELP IF YOU CAN :)

British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal

FLOWERS AND WOODS

Beauty hides in the most unexpected places...

I have noticed this little cherry tree while walking through a depressing car park on my way to work (it is depressing because it is all bricks and cement in the middle of an estate and also because it is on my way to work).

Somehow it reminded me of the ending of Nagisa Oshima's film Gohatto... beauty poetically linked to evil and death...

Talking about films and Japanese cinema, last night I went to see Norwegian Wood.

I liked it although, in my opinion, it doesn't fully convey the emotions of Murakami's novel. It is undoubtely beautifully shot, but it possibly focuses too much on despair and doesn't portray other aspects narrated in the book. Maybe the changes to the plot took away a bit of the magic, especially if considering the main character, Watanabe. I still enjoyed it a lot. Ken'ichi Matsuyama was very good (and very cute, as always!).

:'(