Hanami

So, I am swamped, I admit it... On April 20th I test for Shodan (No, really), and Sensei has me coming to practice 4 times a week... On top of that, I'm doing all the other things that I have been doing for a long time. Also, we went to Hiroshima (Which I'm STILL composing a blog post about that one...)...

But since the Hiroshima blog post isn't done yet (Lots to talk about), I'll show you my Hanami pictures.

See, the Cherry Blossoms are blooming here, and they are stunning... so Blain and I went on yet another Photo Safari... this time to the wilds of Ueno park (Which has a famous Cherry Tree... erm... stand? Forest? whatever, famous trees... :D)

So... until I get my Hiroshima post up, here's some Sakura (Cherry blossoms):

As the wind picked up, the blossoms started to fall like snow:

Of course, the blossoms only kept me entertained for a few moments, then I started to see all the people around me... and... well... Here's mom showing the little one the picture she just took:

I love this one: "Me, in Ueno park... taken by... erm... me.":

There is something surreal about me taking a picture of a person taking a picture of themselves in Ueno park...

Japan's Finest were in force in Ueno park... this is particularly entertaining since I think the crime rate in Ueno park is the worst in Tokyo... one robbery per three months or something like that... and certainly not during Hanami:

RIGHT! I was taking photos of the Sakura! Here we go:

Sakura festival Lanterns... man these are beautiful:

Sometimes you just have that once-in-a-lifetime-shot... this was definitely one of them:

I should make product pictures... It was Hanami, everyone was taking pictures of the flowers... Don't get me wrong, the flowers were cool... but the people were cooler... so I took pictures of the people taking pictures of the flowers. I love this shot:

I have totally had days like this (Note the flash is out on her camera... in broad daylight... I think she's having more trouble than she thinks...):

What was I here for? OH Right! Sakura!:

When I got to the dojo after this, I told them that I had gone to Ueno park for Hanami (Hanami, by the way is "Flower Viewing". It's so popular in Japan that they have a special word for this pasttime), the entire dojo claped and OOOoooooo'ed and Sensei said: "Now you are a real Japanese, you have done Hanami".

I didn't have the heart to say I was watching the watchers almost as much as I was watching the flowers...

---Hana-Me