Hanami
13 Apr 2005
The whole week we discussed at work when we were going to celebrate Hanami. Hanami is the cherry blossom viewing festival. That cherry blossom only blooms for a short period of time. Last week is was barely open, this week it is in full bloom.
We have to make a decision fast, since rain at this stage of the blossom will make sure that half of the tree is empty in no time. Good weather is also important, because we are all going to celebrate hanami while picknicking in a park under a roof of sakura. There is a park with a lot of sakura trees, where ASML Isahaya traditionally celebrates that sakura festival. On Friday we finally made the decision to go on Saturday, since the weather forecast was better for Saturday than for Sunday. Saturday started overcast, but around 10:30 the clouds moved away to show the sun in all its fierceness. A taste of what’s in store for us this summer: hot and humid weather. Carlos and I, together with another colleague, went to the park early. Armed with a big piece of plastic, we were sent to reserve a place for the rest of the team. The tradition is that the evening before, or early in the morning people reserve a place for their family, colleagues or friends with whom they will celebrate hanami. We were well on time to reserve a nice spot under the trees.
At 11am the rest of the group came, some with their family, others alone. The manager proposed a toast and opened the party. We enjoyed a great lunch with all kinds of Japanese delicacies. Alcohol was also present, and despite the early hour, the first bottles and cans were opened by 11am. With the sun beating on us the alcohol hit home hard, for some of us. All in all it was a great party and a great way to get to know our colleagues better. At 2pm the official part was over, most went home and we walked through the park, where a fair was set up. There you could buy food and handicraft like pottery etc. All in all a successful day, which we ended with a dinner in the harbor of Nagasaki, on one of the outside terraces, while enjoying a lobster meal…
But, the weather is not always great, it is a bit like in the Netherlands. Sunday also started with overcast skies, but this time it didn’t clear up, but developed in heavy rains and winds. At first we didn’t want the weather to get us down, so we dressed for the walk we planned to do, and drove to Nomozaki, at the end of “our” peninsula. Okay, it rained when we left, but we’re at the water, so it can blow over. But… it can also get worse, and that’s what happened. Halfway we turned back, since the windshield wipers could hardly keep up with the rain. In case of rain, there is always the alternative of visiting a shopping mall with a 100 yen shop. There is always something you can use, to ease the pain of a washed out Sunday. With our spoils from the 100 yen shop, we went to a coffee shop where we enjoyed coffee and a sandwich, while sitting by the window on the first floor, watching the people go by…
Last week Karin and Gerard came to visit us. They are friends of ours from the Netherlands, and live in Kumamoto, a three hour drive from Nagasaki. It was great seeing them again, and we very much enjoyed their kids. Hugo was hilarious, he is so proud that he can go on the potty, that every 5 minutes he carried the potty to the balcony, to do his thing. Carlos stole Indra’s heart. She wouldn’t go one step without him, constantly holding his hand, lovely to see them together. Being four years old, Indra didn’t quite get it that we were also here. We told here that we also living in Japan now, and that we live in an apartment. When we had just left the apartment, she wanted to know when we went to our house. Yes…. you live in this apartment, but when do we go to your house ?
We showed them a bit of Nagasaki, and while in Nagasaki, you have to see the Atomic Bomb Museum, very impressive. Carlos and I saw the museum in “kids speed” and before we knew it, we were outside, where there is a park, where we played so Karin and Gerard could see the museum in “adult speed”. After that we went to Mt. Inasa, from where you have a wonderful view over the city. Luckily we had good weather, so you could actually enjoy the view.
On Sunday we went to see the tulips in “Huis ten Bosch”. Funny, in the Netherlands we never visited the bulb fields and here we go to see the tulips. “Huis ten Bosch” is a theme park about, what else, the Netherlands. There are several Dutch buildings, copied here in true size. You can see the Dom tower, Huis ten Bosch en of course Dutch windmills. When we arrived there, it was too late to enter the park, but we enjoyed ourselves and had a great view over part of the park. Hoorah for the self timer on the camera, so we could make a group photo, including the tulips and a Dutch windmill.
We have to make a decision fast, since rain at this stage of the blossom will make sure that half of the tree is empty in no time. Good weather is also important, because we are all going to celebrate hanami while picknicking in a park under a roof of sakura. There is a park with a lot of sakura trees, where ASML Isahaya traditionally celebrates that sakura festival. On Friday we finally made the decision to go on Saturday, since the weather forecast was better for Saturday than for Sunday. Saturday started overcast, but around 10:30 the clouds moved away to show the sun in all its fierceness. A taste of what’s in store for us this summer: hot and humid weather. Carlos and I, together with another colleague, went to the park early. Armed with a big piece of plastic, we were sent to reserve a place for the rest of the team. The tradition is that the evening before, or early in the morning people reserve a place for their family, colleagues or friends with whom they will celebrate hanami. We were well on time to reserve a nice spot under the trees.
At 11am the rest of the group came, some with their family, others alone. The manager proposed a toast and opened the party. We enjoyed a great lunch with all kinds of Japanese delicacies. Alcohol was also present, and despite the early hour, the first bottles and cans were opened by 11am. With the sun beating on us the alcohol hit home hard, for some of us. All in all it was a great party and a great way to get to know our colleagues better. At 2pm the official part was over, most went home and we walked through the park, where a fair was set up. There you could buy food and handicraft like pottery etc. All in all a successful day, which we ended with a dinner in the harbor of Nagasaki, on one of the outside terraces, while enjoying a lobster meal…
But, the weather is not always great, it is a bit like in the Netherlands. Sunday also started with overcast skies, but this time it didn’t clear up, but developed in heavy rains and winds. At first we didn’t want the weather to get us down, so we dressed for the walk we planned to do, and drove to Nomozaki, at the end of “our” peninsula. Okay, it rained when we left, but we’re at the water, so it can blow over. But… it can also get worse, and that’s what happened. Halfway we turned back, since the windshield wipers could hardly keep up with the rain. In case of rain, there is always the alternative of visiting a shopping mall with a 100 yen shop. There is always something you can use, to ease the pain of a washed out Sunday. With our spoils from the 100 yen shop, we went to a coffee shop where we enjoyed coffee and a sandwich, while sitting by the window on the first floor, watching the people go by…
Last week Karin and Gerard came to visit us. They are friends of ours from the Netherlands, and live in Kumamoto, a three hour drive from Nagasaki. It was great seeing them again, and we very much enjoyed their kids. Hugo was hilarious, he is so proud that he can go on the potty, that every 5 minutes he carried the potty to the balcony, to do his thing. Carlos stole Indra’s heart. She wouldn’t go one step without him, constantly holding his hand, lovely to see them together. Being four years old, Indra didn’t quite get it that we were also here. We told here that we also living in Japan now, and that we live in an apartment. When we had just left the apartment, she wanted to know when we went to our house. Yes…. you live in this apartment, but when do we go to your house ?
We showed them a bit of Nagasaki, and while in Nagasaki, you have to see the Atomic Bomb Museum, very impressive. Carlos and I saw the museum in “kids speed” and before we knew it, we were outside, where there is a park, where we played so Karin and Gerard could see the museum in “adult speed”. After that we went to Mt. Inasa, from where you have a wonderful view over the city. Luckily we had good weather, so you could actually enjoy the view.
On Sunday we went to see the tulips in “Huis ten Bosch”. Funny, in the Netherlands we never visited the bulb fields and here we go to see the tulips. “Huis ten Bosch” is a theme park about, what else, the Netherlands. There are several Dutch buildings, copied here in true size. You can see the Dom tower, Huis ten Bosch en of course Dutch windmills. When we arrived there, it was too late to enter the park, but we enjoyed ourselves and had a great view over part of the park. Hoorah for the self timer on the camera, so we could make a group photo, including the tulips and a Dutch windmill.