Victoria In Japan Land

It's been too long

2014-06-21T07:00:00.000+09:00

Well, it's been a few months since I posted any photographs. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to travel much recently, so I have been focusing on cooking. If you love to look at photographs of food or want ideas of what to make please check out my instagram feed (victoriamarie2104). I'm posting photos on their fairly often now that I have an iphone. I love how easily I can tweak my photos and post them from my phone!

Just an FYI for anybody who visits my blog, I will be heading to Hokkaido for 4 days. This means that I will be taking photographs with my Nikon once again! I can't wait to play around with my camera, because it has been too long. I've been attached to my iphone camera a little too much, although I do have to say it takes good quality photographs for a phone camera.

I will definitely be posting to my instagram account of my trip, but also expect photos to be posted on my blog once again.....at least until I run through all of my photos.

Until then here are a few photographs that I didn't have a chance to upload from my visit to the Dale Chihuly exhibit. If you haven't been and you are in the area, what are you waiting for? You won't regret it!

Cheers!

Native American Art

2014-04-01T07:00:00.000+09:00

There was only a small section of Native American art and history, but it was beautiful. The weaving techniques, the clay jars, the photos were just inspiring. Don't just glance through this area. Please take your time through here as you can miss so much without a proper look or thought.

These were just a few of the photos that really rooted me to the spot. I would have stayed here for hours if my friend wasn't waiting.

Seattle's Dale Chihuly Exhibit

2014-03-30T07:00:00.000+09:00

The giant flowers scare me a little, but the rest of the exhibition was amazing! The next time I visit I would like to go again. If you like ocean life or gardens that you will enjoy this exhibit as well. It's right next to the Space Needle, so it's hard to miss! Also, they offer a slight discount if you buy tickets for both at the same time.

This is just the beginning of what I really enjoyed at the exhibit. I will post some more soon!

8 views from the Space Needle

2014-03-11T07:00:00.000+09:00

A walk around the Space Needle

2014-03-09T07:00:00.000+09:00

The EMP

2014-03-07T07:00:00.000+09:00

The EMP structure is very unique. It is hard to miss since it is so large (the colors help, too).

There are a mix of textures, colors and shapes.

This makes me want to say "Go Huskies!" (only a UW alum would immediately jump to this phrase)

The restaurant has bench seating around the edge. They also have these holes in the back that are perfect for ~~spying~~ people watching.

Ahhh Seattle!

2014-03-05T07:00:00.000+09:00

Honestly, I love living in Japan. It has become my home and it will be my home for the rest of my life, but Seattle will always feel like home when I visit.

Seattle is one of those cities that you can relax and see the sights without rushing to each one to make sure you fit in 10 sights in one day. That's what I felt like I had to do when I visited New York. It is a great city and I definitely want to visit again, but there is sooooooo much to do there! I had 5 days there and I was exhausted afterwards. Everyday we fit at least 3 sights in, of course the Metropolitan Museum of Art took a whole day and it still wasn't enough.

This is around the Space Needle. You can find the EMP (Experience Music Project) and the Dale Chihuly Exhibition here as well. I visited the Dale Chihuly Exhibition and it was amazing! If you haven't gone yet, you should make plans to! If you enjoy art or color or darkened spaces, you will like the exhibition.

Good-bye Friday Harbor!

2014-03-03T07:00:00.000+09:00

I had a great time visiting Friday Harbor. I just wish I had more time to explore the island! It's not very big, but we could have used another day. With another day we could have driven along the other side of the island and enjoyed the views from that side.

This just means that I will have to visit again!

Thank you for having me Friday Harbor!

Whose up for kayaking?

2014-03-01T07:00:00.000+09:00

One of these days I am going to try kayaking. It seems like a great way to get some exercise and enjoy the scenery from a different point of view.

I was surprised at how close the deer came to the campsites. The orange thing in the top left corner is part of a tent. I got a little closer to this deer before I spooked her.

Was this place in a movie?

2014-02-27T07:00:00.000+09:00

When I saw this view I had the thought "It looks like a scene from a movie". Even now, when I look at this photograph I have that same thought going through my head.

Such a picturesque road.

If only the weather was always like this and I had all day to sit at that picnic table...

A tree's vantage point

2014-02-25T07:00:00.000+09:00

Natural Colors

2014-02-23T07:00:00.000+09:00

On the edge

2014-02-21T07:00:00.000+09:00

The coastline

2014-02-19T07:00:00.000+09:00

There was this random fence that blocked nothing and was only one row. Maybe it was supposed prevent people like me from walking close the edge...

...like this.

I was very careful in how close to the edge I got. Who knows when the edge will give way again. I would have to walk very far along the coast to find a place I could even possibly climb up, and that would be with no injuries. So, if you do this please please please be very careful where you step!

A lighthouse, a rock and a bench

2014-02-17T07:00:00.000+09:00

The lighthouse...can you see it?

The rock....I hope you can see this!

The bench....with my beautiful friend, Kumi. Who wouldn't want to sit here and enjoy the view?

Let's go for a drive

2014-02-15T07:00:00.000+09:00

We kept wanting to stop along the road, but it was hard to find places wide enough for a car. Also, it was difficult to drive 5 minutes without another view that you would want to stop and admire.

Which directions would you go in?

Perfect day, perfect view....just perfect.

Specialties of the Island

2014-02-13T07:00:00.000+09:00

Nature, nature and nature! I couldn't get enough of the island. Trees and hill sides shaped by the winds.

Unexpected pops of color.

Friday Harbor Architecture

2014-02-11T07:00:00.000+09:00

It had been a long time since I had seen a brick building and never one in such good condition. I really like the details of the second floor windows, too.

Such a variation of architecture on this island. Influences from many different places and people.

What's a harbor without boats?

2014-02-09T07:00:00.000+09:00

Every harbor needs boats, and places to dock them.

Friday Harbor Randoms

2014-02-07T07:00:00.000+09:00

Next time I visit I want to try this coffee shop. We didn't have enough time on this trip. I liked the font style, simple and yet interesting.

The play of sunlight.

In one of the shops there was a dog names Grace. She was so still and calm. We didn't realize she was real until we got closer.

Welcome to Friday Harbor!

2014-02-05T07:00:00.000+09:00

I now understand why people like to visit Friday Harbor. It's a bit troublesome to get to the island, but it is worth it if you enjoy nature. The island is beautiful and if the weather is nice the ocean views around the island are very relaxing. But, before that you find the "downtown" of Friday Harbor as soon as you get off the ferry.

This photo was taken in the evening. We were able to catch the last of happy hour and watch a ferry leave the dock. As you can see the weather changed by the end of the day.

2014!

2014-01-16T01:00:00.000+09:00

First off, Happy New Year! I know I'm a little late, but you know how the holidays are. With the holidays come family obligations. Well, it is no different in Japan. For Christmas it was just the fiance and I, but New Years is when things got crazy!

We adopted 2 stray kittens that had taken to sleeping on our balcony. With the weather becoming colder and since we were feeding them anyway, we thought we would take them in. The above photo is of Sammy. He is the toy destroying, cry at odd hours of the night kitten, whereas his brother, Wiley, is quiet and fairly calm. Our older cat, Monta, likes Wiley, but Sammy and Monta have a love/hate relationship. Wish us luck that things get better between those two.

To ring in the New Year, we went to a shrine that is famous for having about 1,000 fox statues. We went to the Toyokawa Inari shrine/temple. An interesting point about this place is that there is a temple next to a shrine. I'm pretty sure this is highly unusual for a temple and shrine to be on neighboring properties. Anyway, we arrived around 11pm and there were so many people planning to do the same thing as us. Pray at the temple and shrine to start off the New Year on the right foot. I did take some photos. You can find them on my Instagram account (victoriamarie2104) along with many other photos I have been taking recently.

For New Years, relatives that you only see once a year get together. Since my fiance's family and relatives live in the Nagoya area we got together with them. Jan. 1 was with his father's side of the family. There was about 13-14 people and about 6 of them are in one family! Oh man, it is taking me some time to remember their names. It really doesn't help that we meet only once a year.

Jan. 2 is when we meet my fiance's mother's side of the family. There aren't as many people, but since it was the first time for me to participate in the dinner it was a lot of names to, again, remember. Since there are so many people we have to meet at restaurants. Unfortunately, both times it was at Chinese restaurants. The only good news is that they were two different restaurants. The bad news is I saw 4 1kg boxes of MSG at the second restaurant, that can't be good for me. lol Oh well, it tasted fine and I had no adverse reactions to the food.

The down side to all this action was that I caught a cold just 3 days into the New Year. Apparently, it is a cold that everybody (at least in Nagoya) seem to be catching. Luckily, I was able to recover in a week!

So, with all this that happened I didn't have time to make New Year's Resolutions. Honestly, I usually don't, because I feel that if I do then I will never follow through with them. Instead I make goals throughout the year. The beginning of the year is not the only time to start new goals.

To be honest, I think this year will be a great one at least for the fiance and I, mainly because we are getting married this year! We will get married in October in Hawaii. This is the main reason why I haven't been blogging recently. I will be planning our wedding without a wedding coordinator, making some things for the wedding and it will all be out of the country. That is probably my biggest "goal" of the year is to put together our wedding. Luckily, my fiance is willing to help, I have my matron of honor and my mother who will be lending a hand as well. I have the major items on the list checked off and it is the smaller details that I will be working on. I may actually start posting some of the things that I make for the wedding and then show the completed effect at our wedding. For the DIY stuff I am using things I found in Japan, for example washi paper and washi tape! So far, pinterest has been very useful at teaching me some DIY projects for weddings.

Long story short, I will try to keep posting, but my instagram account has been getting more love recently, since it is so much easier to access on the go. Please check out my Instagram account (victoriamarie2104) and follow me as 2014 progresses! Here's to a great year!

XOXO

Victoria

Anacortes, WA.

2013-12-20T07:00:00.000+09:00

After my trip to Santa Fe I made a trip to Anacortes to catch a ferry to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. It was the best decision ever! It was so picturesque over there. It was a little expensive to get there, the ferry alone was $50 for car and driver plus $10+ for one passenger. Of course, we can't forget about gas prices, the cost of food and lodging. Although, I did find the cheapest place available for about $60 for one night in the tiniest of motels, but it served its purpose.

More photos to come!

Capturing a Sunset

2013-12-18T07:00:00.000+09:00

Capturing a sunset in Santa Fe is hard. The sunset is constantly changing. Between one shot and glancing at the screen, the scene has changed already. It maybe the placement of the clouds, the lighting or the colors. Honestly, the best way to appreciate the sunset in Santa Fe is with a drink in one hand and sitting in a chair. It's no wonder so many artists get inspiration in this landscape. Can't wait for my next visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico!

An Old Town Called Chimayo

2013-12-16T07:00:00.000+09:00

Chimayo was very quiet, not so many people in the area. But, of the people that we did meet they were very friendly. One man in particular was very....flirty. lol He was a very good salesman. I have to say his chili was pretty good!

If you have time try to make a trip to Chimayo. Buy some chili and visit the chapels!