This entry is long overdo because last week I got the influenza. I like call it -the- influenza because that makes it sound way more epic and is kinda the way it is treated here. When the week before one of school canceled classes because of the influenza, I didn't think much of it, but then the following Monday (after an amazing weekend which I will mention shortly) I felt fine until I didn't and ended up having to take the rest of the week off as I battled fever, cough, congestion, nausea, fatigue and boredom while taking a small handful of pills each day. Needless to say, not my favourite experience. But! On Monday night, my computer was returned to me complete with a shining new keyboard! That week would have been hell without that to entertain me, otherwise being guaranteed in the house might have driven me crazy.
Okay but prior to all of this, I went away, for my first road trip of 2012, with Sheena, Keven and Chelsey to Gifu prefecture where we played in six feet of snow! It was a beautiful drive up there on Saturday morning under a brilliant blue sky as the hill turned from brown to crystal and then by early afternoon we were there. I then proceeded to wear three pairs of socks, stuffed with heating packs, and heated soles for my boots, fleece lined jeans, a heat tech turtle neck, sweater, scarf, jacket, hat, two pairs of gloves and more heat packs stuffed in my pockets and for once I wasn't freezing on our adventure! I had been to Shirakawa-go once before at the end of summer and now it was transformed. Where there were towering sunflowers before now bore ground to a wall of snow taller than me and the red peppers that had burst from the gardens were now dried and wrapped in strands of rice stalks. The shrine was especially beautiful and the path of snow was so high that I could touch the straw ropes that swung from the tori gates that usually hang above my head! It was breathtakingly beautiful and we spent a few hours wandering about before the sun set and the houses were all lit up for night to look cozy and inviting.
But such was luck that we would not stay there but instead backtrack to Takayama (my favourite town in Japan) and spend the evening drinking and sharing food at a little izakaya before turning into to our hostel. The next morning was spent cruising the cascading snowy streets of the old town and morning market where I checked in my favourite little shrine and ate the little bag of sweet apples that are there every time and admired the river with it's icy waters and red bridges. it was the perfect Sunday morning before heading home.
And then I got sick. A week passed and I hadn't even noticed for the time I spent in bed just kinda smeared all the hours together. Eventually I was back on my feet and suddenly it was Monday again! But this Monday would not be just another Monday for after school I booked it to the train station and caught three trains to Narita to pick mom up from the airport!!! It was fabulous!!! Absolutely amazing to see her again!!! And then we went to Tokyo and had dinner in Shibuya before heading home and crawling into bed at one in the morning!!! It was the perfect evening!!! She's here for a week and it's like a dream!
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