August 6th, 1pm, Sendai Apple Store

I will have a show of my photographs of Japan! To make a long story short, I often go to the Apple Store and the staff there started to recognize me. Eventually, I told them I was a photographer and gave them my business card. A few days later I got an email saying how they really loved my photos and showed them to the person that organizes events at the Apple Store and they wanted me to do an event there! So after a meeting I have a date and I will be showing my photos of Japan and then they want me to come back in the winter and do one showing my sports photographs! :-) Anyway, it is my first time doing anything like this so I am really excited (and nervous)!

Wedding in Tokyo (not mine)

Like I said, the weekend after Golden Week I went to a wedding in Tokyo! My adopted host family's son got married and they asked me to be the official wedding photographer! I was a little nervous bc wedding photography really is not my thing, but I think they photos turned out pretty good and they were happy with them, so that is all that matters! It was fun, but a lot of work! I think I will stick to sports tho! :-)

Hana Matsuri

Which means flower festival, happened about one month ago but because of going to America and then the weekend after coming back, going to Tokyo, I haven't had much free time to work on photographs. Anyway, Hana Matsuri (to someone like me who doesn't really know Japanese culture so well...yes even after being here for almost a year there is A LOT to learn...) is pretty much the same thing as Hote Matsuri (which happened in March). It is basically a parade around the city where they are carrying numerous shrines including one main shrine that weighs more than a ton, which is temporarily housing G-d. Unlike Hote Matsuri, this festival fell on the weekend so I could spend the whole day following the parade.

The main shrine that weighs more than a ton...

OK, so to be honest, I just wrote this really long story about something that happened that day but as I was uploading photos my browser crashed and at the moment I am too lazy/annoyed to write it all again but I will give the cliff notes version.

Virtually everyone in Japan is Japanese so when people see a foreigner (especially white), unless you are in Tokyo or another big city (and sometimes even then) usually it is a big thing, Especially for little kids because sometimes I am the first white person they have seen in person. With little babies often you can tell if you are their first because they get this look in their eyes and will do almost anything to keep observing you.

So during the parade I was walking along the parade taking photos of some young girls all (above photo) and sure enough a few of them were giggling and waving to me and saying hello but I noticed one that had that even though she was about 4 or 5 she had that look that she had never seen a white person before. Soon I stopped walking to take photos of the next section of people but I realized that this one girl had stopped walking as well! As you can imagine in a parade if one person suddenly stops, this isn't a good thing!! The rest of the girls behind her crashed into her, but somehow they all managed not to fall; however, for a second there, I thought I was going to be responsible for a taking out a section of the parade! :-)

Anyway, check out the rest of the photos:

Apparently this is done for good luck!

Carrying it up the stairs

Back from Vacation

Sorry it has been a while since I posted but btwn going back to the states and trying to get this and that done I have been neglecting the blog, nothing personal!

NC was great! I was able to see my family, a few friends that were in town and most importantly eat some incredible food that I just cannot get in Japan (For example, Grandmother's brownies and Mother's home cooking and Taco Bell!!) :-)

Besides just being with friends and family, the only real special thing I did was go to a NHL Playoff hockey game with the Carolina Hurricanes winning a very exciting game.

Pretty much the rest of the week was just relaxing and eating more food! I think I gained about 5 pounds in a little more than a week!!! but it was WORTH it!

I am still jet lagged and a little tired from vacation and this weekend I am going to Tokyo to take photos of a wedding for my adopted host family (their son is getting married). Hopefully when I get back I get put some photos up of Himeji Castle and Hana Matsuri here in Shiogama and then maybe some from the wedding.

Himeji Castle

I was told two things about Himeji Castle: It is the best castle in Japan and it is one of the best places in Japan to view sakura (cherry blossoms). Well, I have not been to all (or even many) castles in Japan and I definitely have a lot more places to see the sakura but I wouldn't be surprised if what I was told about Himeji Castle was true. I had set aside a half a day to see the castle but soon after arriving I realized that I would need more time. I ended up staying a full day and while Kyoto is my favorite city Himeji Castle (during cherry blossom season anyway) might just be my favorite single place I have been to in Japan. Yeah, it is that good. If you are in Japan during cherry blossom season I HIGHLY recommend you go to Himeji Castle. Anyway, photos on the blog coming soon, but if you cannot wait, you know the drill, check out the photos:

As promised here our photos: