Oxygen

This felt so right, pull me upsideDown to a place where you've been waitingAnd how am I supposed to tell you how I feel?I need oxygen

-Colbie Caillat

It's Spring. So for those of us who are trying their best to survive and live with all the radioactive stuff going on in Japan, it's just about a really nice time to go Hanami. In other words, we go out to a park, have a picnic under all the beautiful cherry blossom trees. I assure you, its much more fun when you're doing it rather then reading about it :p

Chiba has received 3 new members to the family, and we have accepted them with open arms. They, are my juniors. Watching them, guiding them reminds me a lot of how I was exactly one year ago. It surprised me by seeing them, to as how much I've grown more independent and changed so much.

So basically, this is the main reason we go and have these activities.

What would a picnic be without food, right? Menu for lunch: Nasi Lemak, Agar-agar, Spaghetti

There's actually a story to tell about lunch. As we were busily and noisily, as we Malaysians tend to be just because nobody can understand what you're saying, eating lunch, suddenly a Japanese woman comes up to us and hand us a plate of Sushi! Or more in lines of Onigiri, I think. So in return, I set up a plate of agar-agar and some kerepek we had to that woman and her group. It's amazing how friendly Japanese people can be. Then again, were they just drunk enough to give us food?

So this is the park we chose to have our Hanami. Chiba Park. Yes, you could go on those boats for..i'm not sure how much.

I really wanted to go on one with one of my seniors, but we were unlucky as we got to the counter at 4 o'clock, and it had just closed :(

Addition to the Chiba family, Fatira & Syadah

Half of the guys in Chiba

So this is what a Cherry Blossom a.k.a Sakura looks like up close. Pretty, right? :) Their's apparently a lot of colors, but I've only seen white and pink.

Atiqah, or Atie as we like to call her. My senior, and my cooking mentor :p

Wahi and Atie, two of my closest friends in Chiba.

It wouldn't be Japan, if there weren't stalls selling their delicacies such as Takoyaki and Yaki Ika (grilled squid)

After a month and a half spent at Malaysia, coming back and smelling all that grilling smell of Yaki Ika, Yaki Soba and Takoyaki somehow made me feel nostalgic and just happy to be back to the place which has most of my favorite foods.

The gang :)

Just to share, apparently there's a Sakura park in Manhattan, United States. Japan gave Sakura trees to the United States as a token of their growing friendship. pffftt