Week 50: X

Fortunately, we are not XENOPHOBIC, or we would have difficulties teaching the 550 nonnative English speakers at the Applied English Center at KU, located here in Lippincott Hall. Did my great-grandfather ever think that this great-granddaughter would have an office in this very same building where he attended law school?

After pulling weeds for two weeks I'm considering XEROSCAPING my yard. Should I include these sculptures in the back? Made of reeds from a nearby lake, it is supposed to represent the tornadic winds in Kansas.

Week W

View of Seattle, WASHINGTON from the Space Needle.

WHALE WATCHING. The other people on my trip with telephoto lens had great pictures of these whales, I promise!

WEIGHT Gained on our cruise -- lots!!

WOW! WOW! WOW!

WEARING a jacket in August? WONDERFUL! Thank you, Alaska!

Week 48: V

A VERY brief foray at the Milan airport justifies a brief return to Italy for V week.

VESUVIO: I took this picture of a VULCANO in Naples back in March just in case I couldn't find any other Vs!

This little guy looks out over Mt. Vesuvius every day.

La VALLE del Po. Bellissima!

VERCELLI: Home not only of my alma mater (Rosa Stampa, Istituto Magistrale), but also 700-year-old buildings hosting clothing stores. To prove my Italophile status, I have to say that I love this storefront more than any other building I saw in the Orient.

VIENNA: Does a layover at the Vienna airport count?

Week 47: U

UMBRELLAS: When you have a rainy season, you learn to adjust. Stores have special umbrella stations at the door and a supply of umbrella wraps so that you don't drip everywhere. Naturally, the girls in our school embrace the rainy season with a lot of pink and cutesy designs.

UNIVERSITY: A few pictures of Sugiyama University, a campus for about 4,000 women (all commuters).

SAYONARA, Japan! Some things I will miss about you...

1. Respect for lines

2. School kids' uniforms--especially the 30's golf hats on the little boys

3. Gyozas at Lawsons 100

4. Flowers squeezed into open spaces.

5. The super-efficient grocery store bagging system.

6. Men wearing white gloves.

7. A fashion sense where anything goes

8. Being handed change with two hands

9. Ohio gozaimaaaaaaaaaas!

10. The Shinkansen -- bullet train

11. Cold Asahi beer

Some last signs of the times

Dude, didn't you watch Lost in Translation before signing the contract?

Kristy, I think I found your host bar!

So, if I understand correctly, in case of an earthquake, crying fish have precedence over driverless cars?

I'm sure that the food is velly dericious in this Itarian place!

 

T-TRIP to Nagano!

Nagano is TRULY TERRIFIC. I stayed on the grounds of the Zenko-ji TEMPLE, on these TATAMI mats.

But even the power of the TEMPLE couldn't save me from the storm clouds of TSUYU, or rainy season.

The TREES on the temple grounds seem other-worldly.

Did you want to see TREES? How about this line of cedar trees in TOGAKUSHI?

Or these TREES on the path to the Snow Monkey Park.

What? Did I mention snow monkeys? I kept trying to heed the warning and not make eye contact with the monkeys, but I'd be walking on a bridge and one would just pop out in front of me or, as you can see, one ran under my bench. (And yes, we really were that close to the famous snow monkeys who bathe in a hot spring.)

I love the mountains! What do I love most? The mountain range?

A mountain stream?

Or a mountain lake? (How about this one called mirror lake?)

Oh...and some icing on the cake: My favorite flower was in bloom!

Last Day of Classes!

Which means....

1. Parties with plenty of junk food.

2. Games!

3. Tons of pictures with this pose.

4. Lovely origami farewell notes.