Apples

(Fuyuzakura, winter cherry blossoms, Nagano-ken)
I'm finally more than half healthy right now. I can't tell you what a relief that is. I've got another 23 or 22 days (depends on if you count today or not) until I go home. I've got 16 days of work left, though they are 16 really hecktic days. None the less, I'm looking forward to going home and keeping busy while I'm here. Last weekend I got to go to Nagoya and see my ojiichan and obaachan (grandpa and grandma).

Tanaka Tanaka's wife and random
country old lady

We went to Nagano prefecture, (winter olympics place a few years back) north of Nagoya to the countryside. All the leaves were changing in all their beautiful glory. Everything happened a bit slower this year because it was so warm in October. On top of that, I got to see rare cherry blossoms in November. I know, big whoop right? Cherry blossoms are so infinitely representative of Japan to me, that they do and forever will remind me of Japan. These trees normally bloom in April, but these rare trees bloom twice a year, really gorgeous among all the momiji, Japanese maple, changing color with everything else around. Not to mention there were snow capped mountains off in the distance. I can't download all the pictures from my phone and like an idiot I forgot my camera the day I left because I woke up massively late and had to run to the station for my life to catch my train. Anyways, I've said it before and I'll say it again; trees make me happy. Here's the picture to prove it.

We went to Nagano to see the cherry blossoms and to get apples. I've got a crap load of expensive, delicious country apples. I can't tell you how happy I was to be in an apple orchard again. I teared up a bit when I went out there. I've decided all people who own orchards are bound to look like my uncle Jim and my dad, despite their nationality. They had the smallest little trees. I laughed when they asked me if I'd been to an orchard before. God there is something about the smell of orchard. Anyways I was one happy camper, as you can see. I'll have some better photos later on when I get hard copies of the pictures I took with Tanaka's camera.

I'm sure there is something more interesting than this, but not to me right now.