Latin Jazz session

If you play music, why don’t you join us !?

I joined a Latin Jazz Session for beginners last Saturday. As I posted on the blog before, I take a conga lesson every Saturday. My instructor, who is a professional drummer and percussionist, was the coordinator of this session.

I had a good time at this session, even though I’m a beginner of the conga drum, because all the songs we played were my favorite. It is pleasant to play music together and it is different from the lesson. The members who gathered in this session were a vocalist, pianist, bass guitarist, saxophonist and flutter, and of course, my instructor. We played Latin music, especially Cuban music. Here is the play list:

Dos gardenias

Com fue
Rico vacilon
Besame mama
Bilongo

I can’t improvise, but if I could, I think that it would be more fun. I need more practice.

A cute spot-billed duck

#Nature

I see a spot-billed duck on the way to work in the morning these days. There is one spot-billed duck and he seems to have no family. He's normally floating on an artificial small pond, but today he had crept on the pond bank and seemed to be sleeping. I was taking photos while approaching him, but he didn't move. He seems to have got used to human beings.

After I took this shot, suddenly, a dog walking with its owner ran toward the duck. I was very surprised, and also he was so surprised that he jumped and escaped into the pond, but then he just floated on the pond as if nothing had happened.

It is the season in which you can see a family of spot-billed ducks near ponds in Japan. When you go to the Imperial palace, you might see a family of spot-billed ducks. Small ducklings follow their mother, and sometimes they cross the road carefully. It is very cute. If I have a chance to take a nice shot, I'll post it on the blog.

Seven Café? Not McCafe?

Which coffee shop’s coffee do you prefer?
I prefer Seven Café in Seven-Eleven.

Seven Café in Seven-Eleven became a megahit in 2013. The price is 100 yen per a cup of regular coffee and it is much cheaper than Starbucks, which sells a regular coffee for 280 yen. The convenience stores in Japan have changed these days.

Seven Café isn’t the name of shop, but the name of the regular coffee that Seven-Eleven sells. It is a self-service type of a takeout coffee. Therefore, you cannot take a seat and have a coffee at Seven-Eleven, but you can enjoy it at your office or your home. This regular coffee is much healthier than canned coffees, and those prices aren’t much different. Not only Seven-Eleven, but also other convenience stores are entering the coffee market.

Set the cup and push a button.

Please wait a moment.

A drip coffee after having ground the beans for you.

Therefore, it tastes good!

For instance, Lawson provides the concept of Uchi Café. "Uchi" means "home" in Japanese, and Uchi Café means you can enjoy the coffee at your home like you have at coffee shops. The advertisement is like that of a coffee shop, and Lawson offers delicious sweets together with a drip coffee as well. It might be fun to compare the taste of those coffees.

Lawson offers delicious sweets together with a drip coffee as well.

I prefer Seven Café to other shop’s coffees, but my favorite coffee is a drip coffee after having ground the beans in the coffee mill for myself.

TOYAMA Trip

From 4th to 6th May, which was Golden Week in Japan, I went to Toyama with my husband. The biggest purpose of this trip was to meet an old friend of my husband, who gave us many flowers at our wedding party. He is a horticultural farmer and cultivates flowers for appreciation. I planned this trip because I wanted to say thanks to him. This was my first time to visit Toyama prefecture, and also, this was about 5 years since my husband last met him.

Tateyama mountain range

Toyama is located in north central Japan and it takes about 4 hours by train to reach from Tokyo. Toyama faces the Sea of Japan and has the Tateyama mountain range in an inland area, which is one of the three great mountains in Japan.

It was lunchtime when we arrived at Toyama St. and we enjoyed having the local foods at a restaurant. Especially, I enjoyed having a trout sushi, which is a specialty of Toyama. After that, we were walking around Toyama City and we went to a place to take a river cruise.

The local foods of Toyama

Matsukawa River cruise:

Matsukawa River

I didn't know about Toyama City, but the boatman talked about the history of Toyama and explained the origin of seven bridges which span the river. Matsukawa River is a narrow river now, but during the Edo period, it was big and it was used for a trade route. The story that surprised me is that Toyama had Toyama air raids during World War II and Toyama City had been destroyed by fire in the war. After the war, the government of Toyama rebuilt the city and now it has become the current Toyama.

A white heron vs a crow

At night, we met him at a Japanese-style Izakaya restaurant. Toyama faces the Sea of Japan, so they can get a lot of fresh seafood, and especially, firefly squids and Japanese glass shrimps are specialty products of Toyama. We enjoyed the food and we had a good time with him. I achieved the biggest purpose of this trip.

Yuki-no-Otani on the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route:

The next day, we moved to the Tateyama mountain range by train. There are towering snow walls along the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route. Murodo is famous for a point where we can walk around the snow walls and its altitude is 2,450m. In spite of spring, it still had a lot of snow. I was looking forward to seeing the beautiful scenery on a sunny day, but I couldn't, because it was snowing outside all day. It was very cold as if it was winter. Therefore, we went on our way back soon once we arrived at Murodo and walked around the snow walls a little bit.

At Murodo

Unazuki-onsen:

After visiting the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, we moved to Unazuki-onsen. It took 2 hours by train and it was a long trip. When we arrived at Unazuki-onsen St., it was raining. Luckily, the hotel bus picked us up and we could move to the hotel without getting wet in the rain. We enjoyed taking the onsen. 

The next day, it was a sunny day and the mountains were shining. We joined in a walking tour in the early morning and I felt that the contrast of lakes and mountains was very beautiful. There is a famous trolley train running along the Kurobe Valley. We couldn’t take the train, because we didn't have enough time, but we watched it from the riverside. It was our last day in Toyama. I had already reserved a train which was going to come at noon, and until the train back to Tokyo came, we enjoyed the free-footbath near the train station.

Unazuki Lake

A trolley train

It was 3 days when I was able to fully enjoy nature and get refreshed.

Our dreams come true

I read “The Instant Millionaire: A Tale of Wisdom and Wealth” a few days ago. The book says that you must believe to become a millionaire if you want to be one, even though you don’t have any ability at the moment. If you don’t believe it, you won’t be one. I thought that this is not only a way of thinking for becoming a millionaire but also for making our dreams come true.

After reading the book, I felt that I was lacking self-confidence so far. I had given up before doing something easily, because I thought I didn’t have enough ability. I always think that I cannot achieve my goal because it is far away from my ability. However, I thought that I wanted to change my attitude and I made my dreams come true.

I feel there are 3 important points to keep self-confidence:

1. Set up the goals including the due date.

2. Keep thinking positive.

3. Pretend to be an ideal person.

Also, in order to keep my self-confidence, I’m whispering to myself that “I can do” when I was on the verge of being discouraged.

Today's Lunch

I went to a Japanese restaurant in Kinshicho with a friend of mine, who worked in the same company as I did.

At KURA MISORAYA in Kinshicho, Tokyo

We were working at the same company for almost 7 years, but I struck up an acquaintance with her 2 or 3 month ago.

I had a good lunchtime with her today, and I received a nice gift from her.  Thanks to Tomomi-san.

 

KURA MISORAYA in Kinshicho, Tokyo

 http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1312/A131201/13165273/

Chicharito Sonriente Live: 4th May, 2014

My best friends will play a live performance on 4^th May at Ryougoku RAKIA. If you don’t have any plans during  Golden Week, you should go there and have fun. Even though you don’t know the music or how to dance, I assure that you will enjoy it. 

Live Information -
 Chicharito Sonriente Live:

This Sunday, May 4^th, Chicharito Sonriente will be performing a live concert at Ryougoku RAKIA of Tokyo. Check it out!
http://blog.livedoor.jp/rakiaevent/archives/5782894.html

Date: May 4^th, 2014

Place: Ryougoku RAKIA

Price: JPY 2,000 includes 1 drink

19:30- Opening

20:30- 1^st live performance

21:30- 2^nd live performance

*Sorry if the schedule changes for any reason.

Vo-Shibu
Tres-Kayito
Guitar-Hayasito
Perc-Nosack
Bass-Afro Tenjin

Chicharito Sonriente, which was formed at the end of 2010, plays Cuban music, especially traditional Cuban music, which we call “SON”. Dancing and drinking happily is their motto. They will play traditional Cuban music mixed with the feel of a Japanese festival. Dance and music is douceur de vivre!