{Part II of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Tokyo, Japan to Beijing, China}

 With Northwest Orient aboard the 747, husband Pieter did arrive after 10-½ hours at the Narita Tokyo International airport of Japan, local time 17:00.

They needed a temporary visa which was no problem at all.

By bus they went to the Radisson Hotel Narita

Radisson Hotel Narita is a great place for staying longer...

On March 22 of 1987, it was still called Narita International Hotel...

But the address remained the very same, and also the telephone number.

While the delegation went by bus to the hotel, Pieter wrote in his diary that he'd never seen so much military and tanks etc. around the airport, it looked like they expected an attack any time. 

The Japanese dinner with chop sticks went well and it even went better with some hot  Sake wine.

Everybody was very tired so they were in bed by 21:00... But Pieter managed to write some postcards and a short letter to me.

On Monday March 23, Pieter woke up early and had breakfast alone and took a walk. It was a cool and rainy day.

Pieter also prepared the slides for his lectures to be given to Chinese Universities. 

By 9:00 they all went by bus to the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple and a shopping center.

Sorry there are no actual photos as I mentioned already, we lost several slides during our move...

The weather was not so good for taking photos... as visible in this photo above.

By bus they went to the airport again and with flight 930 C.A.A.C. 747 to Shanghai, China with a lay over of 1-½ hour before continuing to Beijing.
Flying on such a rattling Russian Ilyushin Il-62 was quite an experience!

 Again there were lots of soldiers...

The service on China Airlines was by far not comparable to our US airlines. Flight attendants could learn from e.g. Singapore airlines. 

Pieter asked for some white wine with his dinner and the flight attended filled up his coffee cup (yes, with wine!).

C.A.A.C. means Civil Aviation Administration of China

 Late evening arrival in Beijing, China in the rain and it was rather chilly....

Luckily Hotel Kunlun (red marker bottom left) was not far from the Airport (to the right at the top).

Will be continued with Arrival in Beijing, China...
Thanks for your visit!

Related links:

{Part I of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

{People to People Citizen Ambassador Program - Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

{Japanese Fireman's Happi-Coat from my 2007 Trip}

Guess this time I need some help from my dear Japanese readers... 

When we each received one, at the Sayonara party in July of 2007, I guess we were told it was a Japanese Fireman's Happi-Coat.
But I don't know anything about it. 

If you know more about its meaning, according to the Kanji symbols, please let me know!

Yes, I was fortunate to be one of two chaperones (pictured to the right) and also the team leader, for a group of 6 teenagers from Dublin, Georgia to visit our Sister City of Osaki in Japan.

We all received such a heavy, black cotton, Fireman's Happi-Coat!

Sorry, but I cannot read these characters in Kanji...
~0~
Okay, here is the FULL explanation; thanks to blogger friend Miyako from Orchid's Daily Voice:

The fireman's happi-coat is made of thick cotton (I think yours as well) and it soaks water well. They used to wear them pouring water over themselves to fight against fire.
Nowadays the coats are mainly for ceremonies.
The Kanji characters mean:
Osaki-city must have Sanbongi-town; its town's name. Yes Sanbongi-town is where we stayed!
 means 'fire company'
and means 'head of the company'.

The large Kanji in the back resembles the very same as the top 3 on the front's left side... 
But to me it is a puzzle!

It did not come with a sash so I had to make my own.

With a roll of Offray ribbon and some DMC cotton thread, I managed...

Shiny DMC 5, black cotton thread from France.

Yep, two hand crocheted belt loops and I did sew them onto the cotton fabric.

For the sash I did stitch two layers of ribbon together after first having made a diagonal seam in both ends.

Here I am wearing my Japanese Happi-Coat, complete with self-made sash and together with the Zori Sandals...
Photo is taken on our balcony next to last year's polyurethane balustrades from Vintage Woodworks, Texas on the Italian +CERDOMUS ceramiche tiles that Pieter laid himself.

Related link:
{10 Things to Learn from Japan... after the Earthquake and Tsunami!} | previous post by me showing the special LOVE gift I bought for the mayor of our Sister-City
{Japanese Yubikan from 1692 that I visited at Iwadeyama Osaki JAPAN, collapsed by earthquake} | previous post by me showing our group during visit of building that collapsed...
{News from Our Sister-City Osaki in JAPAN + Join NISSAN with Donation!} | previous post by me showing pictures from my visit

Mariette on Google+

{2011 Pink Moscato delle Venezie - ONLY 5 percent of Alcohol}

Having worked and lived in the Venice, Italy area, of course we are very fond of anything from that region. For my health, controlling my blood sugar level, alcohol is of course not a good thing. In 2007 I got diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 and since than I have avoided most sugars. It is a joy for being able to toast around New Year with something in your glass. Already during our flights on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, back and forth to work in Indonesia, I came to appreciate Moscato d'Asti wine with its 5.5 percent of alcohol. That was a great bonus when being upgraded into business class. I would skip wine with the meal but enjoyed it after. So this 2011 Pink Moscato delle Venezie with only 5 percent of alcohol is another find. 

Using my Japanese tray; gift from my host family in Osaki City, from my visit to Japan in July of 2007 as a chaperon.

This Pink Moscato has a fine “frizzante” effervescence as you can see in our French Baccarat crystal glasses.

At the top you just barely can read: Delle Venezie - 2011 Mochetto Delle Venezie Moscato Rosa

We found ours at +Cost Plus World Market 

Cheers to 2014 and to good health!

Mariette on Google+

{10 Things to Learn from Japan... after the Earthquake and Tsunami!}

It is now half a year ago since the Earthquake and Tsunami hit Japan. Since than, that brave people has taught us quite some lessons. We can only admire them and show our LOVE...

This is the gift from +Neiman Marcus that I've bought and presented to the Mayor from our Sister-City of Osaki, Japan on my visit as a chaperon in July of 2007 (see {News from Our Sister-City Osaki in JAPAN + Join NISSAN with donation!} and {Japanese Yubikan from 1692 that I visited at Iwadeyama Osaki JAPAN, collapsed by earthquake}). A very appropriate glazed tile with metal tray and coasters with the word Love worked into the art.

1. THE CALM

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY

Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY

The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but did not fall.

4. THE GRACE

People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE

Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?


7. THE TENDERNESS

Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.


8. THE TRAINING

The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.


9. THE MEDIA

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.


10. THE CONSCIENCE

When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.

What a people! What a country! What a nation!

World should be watching and learn how to behave.

Even during the heat and humidity of summer, no one complained for conserving as much energy as possible... So much about really going GREEN!

♥♥♥

Mariette on Google+

{Japanese Yubikan from 1692 that I visited at Iwadeyama Osaki JAPAN, collapsed by earthquake}

Got some sad news about one of Japan's national historic sites, the Yubikan at Iwadeyama Osaki, collapsed by the earthquake. On July 12 of 2007 I did visit here... This historic building was from 1692 and it was the oldest place for academic activity in Japan. I call myself very fortunate for having been to this place as a chaperon and team leader, during our cultural exchange trip to our Sister-City of Osaki in JAPAN. See my previous blog with {News from Our Sister-City Osaki in JAPAN}.

Squatting down as to not obstruct the view of this ancient building...

The Japanese garden has trees that are over 300 years of age. Together with the big pond it was a beautiful site to visit and that's what we did, we walked and also entered the building. You can see the Osaki City Official Website by clicking on the hyperlink.

This is the image that I got today from our International Association of Osaki City's chairman in Japan via Facebook. He got the tap water coming to his house on Saturday so he could take a bath. They still have difficulty buying gasoline though.

The Japanese photographers made us squatt down slightly as to not obstruct the beautiful building; rightly so!

Now let's enter this special place for family education, after first removing our shoes...

That day I was wearing my barrett with sunflower for a purpose, as the town of Sanbongi, where we lived with our host families, does sunflower farming and  has about 420,000 sunflowers on Sunflower hill during the summer. Read more here: Sunflower Hill.

Okay, let's get on the bus and visit the Bamboo Arts Workshop before lunch. In the afternoon we did go into the mountains where the hot springs are. Beautiful scenery all over.

We all got our apron and a sharp knife to cut some bamboo, in order to make a kind of a propeller on a stick that you rub between your hands and it takes off...

Learning the tricks of the trade; the sad part was that we moved on and thus my skills lasted only very briefly.

Almost done...

It yielded me two bamboo propellers and they ended up with our family in Germany, in the Eifel...

Mariette on Google+