Fireworks and 'matsuri' at Aji

As is celebrated in countless localities all over the Japanese archipelago, the hamlet of Aji just concluded her 'natsu matsuri' (summer festival) yesterday...

Was determined to enjoy the fireworks display this year
It is quite tricky to shoot fireworks, actually... 
This is one of the better composed shots from the night...

A crowd puller, especially for the young, is the night stalls...
The pull for me, is the photo-shoot opportunity offered...
Set amongst the lanes surrounding the little fishing port, the reflections from the lights are quite irresistable to my itchy fingers... 

Closed in on this particular stall selling ice candy...
Exposure was a bit too long, on hindsight....

Before I realized it, the crowds thinned out as the stalls began to close...
A main feature of the matsuri at Aji is the use of fishing boats to carry the 'mikoshi' (portable shrine)...
These boats such as the one bouyed in the background were decorated with colorful flags calling for the gods to protect their safety when out in the sea...

Noodles, I love...

Weekend lunches are normally noodles for me...

While I occupy myself in the field

my missus keeps busy with the noodle preparation...

This is a somen-soba combination
With lots of vegetables such as mitsuba (picked from the hills)
carrots, onions, and tofu
Meatless, it was... slurp... urmm...

Another meatless concoction in yellow noodles...
with loads of veges...
bean sprouts, mitsuba, preserved plum, kimchi
carrots, mushroom, snow peas...

Sometimes, we go for fried noodles...
This time it is yakisoba with prawns, lemon balm
onions, mustard greens, green beans..

At ease, on a July Sunday morning...

 Been rained 'in' on many a weekend these days...
As always, would have loved to be out in the field...
but have to sit in the house...
Which is not really a bad idea...
as it gives me a chance to do some 'keyboard tapping'...
Was requested by my missus to make breakfast...

Pizza (actually, bread) toast, boiled egg, tomato salad...
fresh beans and cucumber from the potager...
Got an 'A' (90 points) for my efforts...

Attended a seminar on international student issues last Thursday...
The venue was Shibuya, Tokyo
As usual, very well organized it was...
And was I pleasantly surprised about how cheap the food was...
For a measly 590 yen, you get a main course of your choice...
 plus all the rice, miso soup, salads...
and dessert, hot or cold drinks that you care to consume...
The salads included chick peas...
whooh... now, where can you get that for this price?

Off to Tokyo...

Have never stopped marvelling at how expensive transport costs are in Japan...
The flight from my 'hometown' Takamatsu to Haneda International Airport costs a whopping 63,000 yen, return...
With that price or sometimes even lesser, one can cruise back to Malaysia, hot meals included...
In this particular Tokyo flight, passengers used to get sandwiches and drinks...
They did away with sandwiches, so now you get just one drink...
And lately, they took off the newspapers...
All these while, the fares kept increasing...
Well, as they always say, safety comes first...
Japan has had her fair share of the so-called no-frills airlines...
But they all seem to be doing badly... wonder why...
Think it is high time Air Asia move in, and I presume they are trying hard to do just that...
Anyway, shall be flying to Tokyo in a while for some university business...