spring break 28

28.friday
today was absolutely wonderful.

last night, after being told that the cherry blossoms were basically at their peak right now, i decided that today i would go to the park for some cherry blossom viewing. oh hanami.

i live close to Ueno Park, so upon waking up, i invited a bunch of friends (last minute, as i tend to do!) to join me. i gathered the necessary things: drinks, snacks, chopsticks, oshibori (eco-friendly version, as seen here), plates, cups, a tarp to sit on, loaded up my bike and headed out!

i stopped and picked up some gyoza on my way and i got to the park a little after noon. i was lucky to score a spot right on the main drag that wasn't next to the garbage cans like all the other open spots i saw. i spread my tarp out, took off my shoes, sat down and waited and drank under the cherry blossoms until the first friends arrived.


eventually there were five of us. my friends were impressed with my preparation (which i loved doing and was quite proud of, even though it was super last minute and just thrown together). we all sat around, eating gyoza and snacks, drinking and laughing. the sakura were in full bloom and i'm so glad i decided to go.


two of my friends had to leave after an hour or so and then later the major tv station, fujitv, stopped by and interviewed me and Style! (turns out i wasn't home to watch the news tonight...i wonder if i was on tv!?) i snapped a few pictures too but couldn't very close to any blossoms except for a little bunch that sprouted out of the trunk of a nearby tree.


at 3 o'clock it started to rain, just as the forecast said. we took cover under some trees and luckily it passed soon. after that it never really got sunny again and the wind got cold so we decided to pack up. Chelsea and her friend met up with us just as we were leaving. we decided to move to a great yakitori restaurant that i know in shinokubo. Cheer joined us later once we got to the restaurant.

the drinking, eating and laughing continued and i was so happy, just being surrounded by people i love.