Walking in a winter wonderland...

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Belated Happy New Year everyone!

It's snowing everywhere in the UK. Here in Cambridge, although we don't have much snow, it started yesterday and now the ground is covered with powder snow. When I came home yesterday, I saw footprints all over the ground around our flat. Apparently someone had walked there with bare feet.



I guess you are a bird, aren't you? Did you feel so happy to see the snow that couldn't help walking around? I wonder, if you just wanted to move around, flying would be much more convenient... but considering you were walking, you too were blessing this rare snow in Cambridge, weren't you? Bless you too. The snow might melt soon, but am looking forward to seeing you in the sky or on the ground again when you visit us next time.


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Merry Christmas!

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Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

We bought a big turkey serves for 4-6 people, ham and lots of vegetables, although just two of us will spend a nice and quiet Xmas at home... Already I am scared of getting on the weighing scale after the weekend...


Anyway, thanks for reading my blog everyone, and hope you all have a great Christmas!


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Christmas Party at Duxford

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We went to my partner's work Christmas Party last Friday. The venue was Imperial War Museum Duxford, which was just 20 minutes drive from Cambridge city. This museum holds hundreds of aircraft used in wars. Sometimes we can see air shows here, and visitors are also able to have an experience of flying with a small classic air plane such as Tiger Moth. So, this place is a heaven for aircraft-lovers.


My partner's company holds a Christmas party almost every year, and it was the second time they had a party at Duxford. The first time was 3 or 4 years ago, and people from the offices all over the world were invited. Oddly, the table of Japanese office was set just under B29 Superfortress... fortunately only a few people noticed it. ha ha.



This year, only the people from UK office and their partners were invited, but still it was a big party, where almost 700 people gathered. The venue was great, and guests were all gorgeous. I wore a red dress made in Vietnam last year. It was the one I was supposed to wear for the last year's party, but the party was unfortunately cancelled, so I kept it in my wardrobe and also kept exercising to make my body fit the dress!

Jazz band's performance at the party

me and my partner

I guess everyone's having parties in December, probably almost every weekend. UK police are warning people to be aware of crimes during this party season. Theft, violence in a drunken state and rape are sadly the most common crimes. Be aware of it everyone, and have a good time!!


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Japanese Lantern

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I love fruit. And my (and my partner's) recent favourite is 'Japanese Lantern', the proper name of which is Physalis in English, and Hozuki in Japanese. This fruit makes me feel nostalgic. It reminds me of my grandma's garden that was full of this plant. The lantern-shaped golden fruit is a delicacy of autumn. A bit bitter, sweet and sour...


And every time after enjoying the taste of this fruit, I feel that winter is coming! Light the lantern! Turn the heaters on!! ha ha ha.


*By the way, I passed the driving theory test ! Thanks for wishing me a good luck everybody!


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Driving Lessons

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I started learning driving in the beginning of August. The reason I want to drive is because I might need to drive at some stage in the near future, for example if we moved somewhere in the middle of nowhere or got kids I had better have a licence. Even if not, driving licence is a useful ID card. My partner also wants me to drive, especially after drinking...ha ha. Well, like most of other places in Great Britain, Cambridge is not like Tokyo or Osaka. Although there are bus services and taxi companies, we cannot say 'We don't need a car at all'. Cycling is popular, but I am not a huge fun of cycling, especially when it's cold or the road is busy. And most importantly, our bikes got stolen three times! I don't really want to keep bikes any more!

around our flat: leaves are colouring beautifully

For these reasons I decided to drive. For the first 2,3 lessons I was over-excited with the fact that I was actually DRIVING A CAR. Next, fear came. Oh my god I cannot join the traffic in roundabouts, oh my god I cannot turn right at a junction, oh my god I stalled the car, oh my god the other drivers are annoyed by my slow driving... Then, now, finally I feel a bit confident. Still there are so many things to learn and to get used to, but I think am becoming a beginner DRIVER, looking back I was a clumsy LEARNER a month ago.

By the way I've never driven a car in Japan. This is my very first driving licence in the UK. I didn't need to drive in Japan as I was living in a convenient place and was always using trains, probably the cheapest and fastest way to move around Tokyo. Roads of the big cities in Japan are too narrow and congested, in other word, it's too scary to drive around. As for the UK, I'll never drive in London, for the same reasons: no need to drive, roads are scary, and in addition there is a congestion charge.

dusk in Cambridge

When I am working on the driving theory, sometimes I cannot help smiling, as I have learnt that the road users are not only cars, cyclists, motor-cyclists and pedestrians. There are horse riders as well. I haven't actually met any horse riders when I was driving, but am 100% sure that I will in the future. I have met them several times when walking or cycling. Riding a horse on a road... what a nice and peaceful scene, isn't it? Also, there are flocks of sheep and cows crossing a road as well if I go to country side. Animals make me smile, and make me drive more carefully.

Anyway, I don't know how long it will take for me to get a driving licence, but hopefully early next year, not 2 years later. Only 43% of learner drivers can pass the practical test, which scares me a lot, but let's keep fingers crossed... As for theory test, I'll pass it at the first attempt! See what happens this Friday!!! Ha ha ha, yes, I'll take the theory test this Friday...
Friday 13th...oops.


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Holiday - New Zealand

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Our next destination after Koh Samui was New Zealand. Here we saw my partner's family and friends, and also exposed ourselves to the great nature of the country. New Zealand is called 'Aotearoa' in Maori language, which literally means 'Land of the long white cloud'. If you see the photo below, you would understand why they say so... Beautiful, isn't it?


We spent some time at my partner's sister's house in Christchurch, where we played with her little sons, who are very very energetic. It was funny to see my partner playing Sumo against the boy, quite seriously...lol. At his parents' house in Wellington, we had a small family party and I made sushi for the family. In New Zealand we can buy sea urchins,which are called 'kina' (this is Maori language as well) at super markets. In Japan sea urchins ('uni') are one of the most common sushi ingredients, so I was pleased to find them in NZ. I made salmon, prawns and sea urchin sushi, using the sushi-rolling machine that my partner's dad bought for me. It was very easy to use, considering such a lazy person like me could use it... ha ha ha. mmmmm....yummy.


We enjoyed walking around the city of Christchurch, the combination of old things and new features of which was stunning.

punting on the river Avon, Christchurch

tram in the city of Christchurch

the object at the art gallery in Christchurch

After spending some time with family and friends, we travelled to Abel Tasman National Park located in the north part of the south island. A Dutch explorer Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand and Australia in 1643, and this national park was named after him. The area is full of local animals and plants, including Tui (bird), Silver Fern (NZ's national plant), seals, dolphins, and so on... The sea water is turquoise blue, the sky so clear... gosh, it was awesome.

couldn't see dolphins, but saw some seals around this area

There we did sea kayaking. It was my first time I tried it, but I think I did well... On the other hand my partner was struggling because the seat of the kayak was too small for him...

us, sea kayaking

Next day, in spite of the terrible storm, we went trekking in the jungle. Here we saw a Tui and lots of ferns. The weather was awful, the temperature was 3 or 4 degrees, the crosswinds hit us so hard... we walked shaking, soaked with rain... we looked just like drowned rats...! And can you guess how long we walked? The answer is... 17km! 6 hours!!! Please, say 'Well done'.

tree ferns. beautiful plant

it was bloooooody cold!!

the mystic landscape of Abel Tasman

Oops, I shouldn't forget about hot spring! We stopped at a spa on our way to Abel Tasman. This spa, Maruia Spring, is managed by a Japanese staff and the appearance of the outside pools are just like Japanese Onsen! I felt like as if I was a Japanese monkey in a hot spring... It was good... I remembered I was Japanese...ha ha ha. I strongly recommend this spa.

bath looking at mountains...

heaven...

So, we enjoyed both the cities and the nature in New Zealand. And this is the appealing point of this country I think. It takes only 1-2 hours from modern cities to the most beautiful land of nature. Not only because it's my boyfriend's home country, but because of so many amazing features I am fascinated by this land. It was my third time in this country, but I would love to visit here again and again, to know more about it. And I would love YOU to experience this wonderland as well...:)


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Holiday - Koh Samui

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Long time no see. I was on holiday these three weeks. Yes, three weeks, long isn't it? We (my partner and I) decided to go on this holiday mainly because there was our friends' wedding in Koh Samui, Thailand. Then, we added some optional trips as well. We chose to travel around New Zealand (my partner's home country) and some South-East Asian countries. Eventually we travelled four different places; Koh Samui in Thailand, some cities and a national park in New Zealand, Borneo in Malaysia and Singapore.


I'd never been to any resort islands in Thailand before, and Koh Samui was the first. 'Koh' means 'island'. So in English it's 'Samui Island'. I thought this island was a a bit like an Asian version of Hawaii. The beaches have white sands and lots of coconut trees, hot winds blow, people are relaxing and sun-bathing, prices are more expensive compared to other places in Thailand (ha ha)... In addition, there are many Japanese tourists as well as those who are from Europe and Down Under.


Our friends' wedding was great. It was really really well-organised and everything was beautiful. The venue was set on a beach, the groom appeared with a little (but big, you know) elephant, Thai ladies danced, the wedding was held under the stunning sunset...Everything was so impressive. Of course, the bride was gorgeous! After the wedding we fed the elephant. It was also my first time to touch an elephant. The little big elephant was very hot. It was absolutely adorable. Then we danced under the stars, drinking Pina Colada in a whole pineapple, until midnight...

the wedding venue on the beach

Thai ladies' dance

the new couple

me touching the elephant!

We also went to see a Big Buddha next day. It's as big as Big Buddha in Kamakura, Japan, but the appearance is totally different. Well, they are different kind of Buddhas anyway though. I stupidly felt 'Ohhh... he looks like Thai...' ...ha ha ha, why not.

Big Buddha!

The last day in Koh Samui my partner got older. Unfortunately on his birthday we flew out to New Zealand via Bangkok and Singapore, so he spent his day mostly in the air plane and airports. Never mind, we were on holiday! Well, our first destination Koh Samui was like this. Guess what happened in the next destination New Zealand? Just read my next post... he he he;)



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