正月、New Years 07 – 08
by James in General, Japan, Travel on January 1st, 2008
Welcome to 2008! This year promises to be an interesting one. It started different than most – for starts I am in Japan (of course). Secondly – it also started with a traditional New Year’s ‘brunch’. There is no better way to start the first meal of the year with some warm sake. I think that if everyday started like that everywhere – the world would run a lot smoother. More peace.
On the eve we met up with two of Yumi’s friends that I have met a number of times for our second ‘pairing’. We conduct these are Starbucks – because they have delicious sweets and they all get discounts. We get various coffees (generally about 3 different types) and brew them a few ways and experience the difference. Notice the different smells, flavors etc. Then we promptly take a small bite of something and see if they mesh well together. It is really interesting – as I could track the change of the flavour of this particular coffee (I forget the name) – but it started out with a berry flavor to it, then about 5 minutes later it got bitter. After 10 minutes it turned to a more sour flavor. Always fun and always a pleasure.
Afterwards we went home and ate soba (once again – traditional last meal of the year) and watched TV. Since watching the New Years Specials I think I can safely say that all of the various Japanese boy bands are indeed the same – just with a different style of dress.
Next morning we hit up the local shrine.
People buying talisman type things
Almost time to insert a few yen, shake a noise maker, clap twice – to wake up the local deity (sleeping on the job, aaaagain 
) and say a small prayer.
Yumi’s Mom, Dad, Bell, Myself and Yumi after the events.
I think that 2008 will prove to be an interesting year. Humanity clearly has a choice. Do we get our collective act together and work together to keep our home habitable or do we wither away into nothingness. America also has a choice – though it is a much easier one: Do we get our act together and start acting like the leaders of the world or do we become a washed up has been? The last hurrah has come and gone – its now time to get serious.
With that I hope that everybody has a most excellent year and that this year was even better to them than the last.
あけましておめでとうございます。今年もよろしくお願いします〜。
Peace.
2nd January 2008, Ben wrote:
America has never really ever been the leader of the world, it is just an illusion. America has always benefited off the misery of other countries (ie war). Now however it seems as though a lot of countries have realized this. In order for America to prosper it is going to take more than a simple choice. Great pictures, and interesting about the clapping twice. I always thought it was three times.