| Tashi's profileMY LIFE AND TIMES IN...PhotosBlogLists |  Tools  Help |
|
August 20 Fisherman's Club Annual BBQLast Sunday, I was invited for the third time to the Ito Fisherman's Club of Tokushima City's annual summer barbecue. Although I've never been fishing, Mrs. Akane sensei of the kindergarten I work at has been inviting me to the barbecue for fun since I've started teaching at her school. At this year's barbecue, I won the top BINGO prize, a brand new Dyna Balance Rinkai Special 1-530 Shimano fishing rod, sticker priced at over 500 bucks! Now I have no idea what I just wrote, nor do I know the first thing about fishing, but being the first to scream "BINGO!" after they finished hyping up the grand prize sure fealt good!! Check out the picture of me, my new Dyna Balance Rinkai Special 1-530 Shimano fishing rod with members of the Ito Fisherman's Club below!!
August 13 Trip Home 2008 and Madison, Wisconsin 2008 (Tenshug)This most recent trip home had me jet-setting between 3 countries: Japan, Taiwan and Canada in order to reach the United States. However, despite the painstaking travel time to reach my final destination, the layover in Taiwan and an opportunity to touch base with some friends in Vancouver, B.C., Canada made the extra travel time worth it! This year's trip home was great! The weather in Seattle was beautiful everyday and I had an opportunity to spend some good quality time with all my friends and family! I also spent 5-nights in Madison, Wisconsin for a Tibetan event called Tenshug, the Long Life Celebration for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This event included 4-days of spiritual teachings by the Dalai Lama followed by the long life prayer offering to him calledTenshug. This Tenshug in the United States was the first time such an event has been held in the Western Hemisphere and drew thousands of people from all across North America. As for the city of Madison, Wisconsin - this was one of nicest small cities I've ever visited in the United States! Madison is the capital of Wisconsin state and is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In 1996 Money magazine named Madison as the best place to live in America. When making a trip to Madison, a day and night stroll on State Street is absolutely necessary. State Street links the University of Wisconsin campus with the State Capitol square, and is lined with restaurants, espresso cafes, bars, and shops. Check out all my pictures from my 2008 trip home in my albums:
Trip Home 2008 and Madison 2008 (Tenshug)!
August 12 Taipei 101 Tower "The Tallest Building in the World" (video)Recently I returned to Japan from a great 2-week trip home to the United States to visit my family and friends! This trip had many memorable moments, but I'll start by sharing my experiences from an 8-hour layover I had in Taipei City, Taiwan. With only 8-hours in Taiwan, I tried to make the most of my transit time rather than wait at the airport for my connection. After arriving in Taiwan, I quickly moved through Taiwanese immigration and to the airport information desk, where I was given all the necessary maps and flyers for a short trip downtown. At the airport bus stop, I met two Japanese surfers heading to Bali on an overnight layover looking to do some sightseeing as well. Together we made the 1-hour commute downtown in a double-decker bus with no air conditioning. Clearly we were no longer in Japan as the bus driver was smoking in the bus and the level of service and hospitality had taken a dip. Nevertheless, my overall first impressions of the Taiwanese people were extremely positive! At 509.2 meters (1,670.60 ft) from the ground to its highest architectural point, I visited Taipei 101 - the tallest building in the World. After a trip to the top, my Japanese surfer buddies and I made short visit to a Taipei City Night Market for some Taiwanese cuisine! Check out the video below and my picture album, Taiwan 2008 for a look at my 3-hour trip in Taiwan!
My new Japanese surfer buddies on layover to Bali
|
|
|
