Asahi Beer Hakata Brewery

I missed my chance four years ago to head to the Hokkaido Sapporo Beer Factory, luckily I live not far from the Asahi Brewery. It will hold me over until I get a chance to head up to Sapporo ^^. It’s less than a 3 minute walk from the train station, and not hard to miss.

Asahi Beer Hakata Brewery

From the exterior, my first thought was that Asahi was the Willy-Wonka factory of beer. Inside, was really neat and clean, especially the equipment when it wasn’t being used. We went on the weekend when everyone had the day off, but we were still able to see the equipment that were at a standstill. It was a pretty cool day despite the rain.

Asahi Beer Tour

During the tour, Asahi was also promoting the green program it implemented. For example, the roof is lined with solar panels, which lights the building all year long. The recycle program of cans and bottles are recycled to make the company uniforms, and various other products.
At one point during the tour we stopped by a counter that showed samples of the main ingredients Asahi would use in their beers. The open bowls are meant for picking up and feeling the ingredients, while bottled sources are designated tasting samples.

Open counter bowls for feeling ingredients.

Edible ingredient samples.

Beer Sampling

After the tour we got 20 minutes to sample 3 beers. There was also unlimited tasting for non-alcoholic beverages; which in convenient for those that don’t like beer, or for parents that brought their kids along. The counter staff also offers half glasses of beer in case someone doesn’t want a full glass.

“Regular” beer – so good when freshly made!

Seating is arranged by group reservation, so almost every party had their own table. Signs were arranged on tables with names written in either kanji or katakana. There was also a basket filled with a set of light beer snacks and wet napkins for each person.

“Dark” beer.

The beers on tap were regular, dark and cherry imported from Belgium. The cherry flavor isn’t available for purchase, it’s a seasonal special brought in specifically for the Sakura (cherry blossom) season. Out of the three, the “regular” beer was my favorite. It tastes REALLY good when fresh!

Cherry Beer for Sakura season.

Coy Sashimi & Shimizu Falls

It’s a time for sakura and plum blossoms to bloom, enrich the air with its floral scent and decorate the ground in color. It’s also the season for carps! On a day trip to Saga we stopped by and visited the Shimizu Falls (Shimizu no taki).

Entrance to the Shimizu Falls
(Shimizu no Taki)

Shimizu Falls (Shimizu no taki)

It took us a while to find it for some reason. Standing in the parking lot there weren’t any signs but many people walking up the mountainside, and many coming down. When in doubt, follow the people! However, this time should have been doubt – as we ended up in a cemetery… It just happened that many people chose the day to visit their loved ones…

We found the entrance back down the hill after asking a couple locals. The trail took us up to a shrine, and then back down to the base of the waterfall.

Shimizu no taki

Eating Coy Sashimi

Right across from the entrance of the waterfall hike trail is this ryokan (Inn) & restaurant that serves Coy. Outside in front there was a little caged pool with huge black Coy – so we knew the fish was fresh!

The Coy-serving restaurant & ryokan.

Because it was already after lunch, the menu selection was small. We ordered was a combo: Coy Sashimi and Eel soup. The Coy was thinly sliced and came with a sweet & sour sauce for dipping – which tastes really good when mixed with the diced chives and chili paste! Coy had no taste or smell, and it takes a bit of a chew but it was pretty good.

Coy Sashimi & Coy Skin

Eel Miso Soup

We weren’t sure about eating the fish skin that decorated the top of the sashimi, but the owner encouraged us to eat it as the collagen would give us beautiful skin. The skin was sliced so nicely, we could tell the chef definitely had skill! I would have preferred to just watch and admire it rather than eat it. But when traveling we should all try things at least once! It had no flavor and the texture was rubbery, which wasn’t my favorite feeling but it was fun and now we like to joke about how positively radiant our skin is. ^^

Coy Skin…

Classic Student Prank

Canucks won their first playoff game against Chicago 2:0. Lunch was yummy, materials for my first class next week is ready, and my kids were oddly diligent in their cleaning today. My day was going great, and by the end it just got better. I thought this was hilarious and decided to do a quick post to share ^^.

Student Prank
After the kids finished cleaning I went to close all the windows in my classroom. I looked over at the next building and saw something that looked, out of place…

Spot the funny!

Someone had put another student’s sport bag on the ledge! After taking a picture and thinking about it… that floor belongs to my now, 2nd-year students. I headed off to the staffroom, showing some of my students the pictures along the way because I just couldn’t stop smiling.

I showed a bunch of teachers, including one of the new transferred teachers we got this year. Mainly because the bag was sitting on the ledge in front of his homeroom class, so I could only assume it was one of his kids.

“I wonder if it’s still there…” he muttered. Looked at me for a split second and dashed off as he called out “be right back!!”

It was no longer there when the teacher checked. But it was awesome while it lasted! LOL!

Classic Japanese student prank

Ogi Park Night Lantern Hanami

Heard that Ogi Park in Saga was having a Night Lantern Hanami (flower watching), so some of us decided to go check it out. Sakura season is around late March to early April, but the days leading up to Hanami season was a bit cool that many people were afraid that the Sakuras wouldn’t blossom. Happy to say, some did decide to come out and it was just so beautiful! Against the lanterns, the Sakuras were amazing, but sadly my camera couldn’t justify what I saw.

Ogi Park Lantern Festival

“I love Ogi” was this year’s theme

The park was scheduled to be lit at 6pm, but it took a while to get dark as dusk didn’t start to set in until a little bit before 7pm. Sakura (cherry) blossoms were freshly budded as very few petals covered the ground, while lanterns of bamboo and cups were set around the park.

People have Hanami picnics, Ogi Park.

Bamboo Lanterns were everywhere.

Night Lantern Hanami, Ogi Park in Saga.

Ramen Burger

Outside the park stood a row of food stands. Many were the usually festival foods: fried chicken, fruit other foods on a stick, etc. But among the stalls, a sign caught my eye. Even though I already ate a good dinner I had to try it just because it was called, the Ramen Burger!

There was no patty, but noodles and egg were fried to be the “buns”. In between there were toppings usually found in Ramen: meat, ginger, etc. It was a bit bland, and it required a lot of “condiments”.

Ramen Burger…a little bland. Not high on my list of recommendations…sorry.

Ogi Lantern Fundraiser

At the entrance of the park, for a 500 Yen ($5) donation, you could decorate and write a message on a candle cover to the earthquake victims of Tohoku. I wasn’t so sure what to write…so I just did what Kanji my brain could remember from a combo of Japanese lessons and Grade 11 Mandarin:

日本,　わたしは　愛してる！
カナダ　から。
(Japan, I love you! From Canada)

Kokura Castle & Hanami

This week is filled with Hanami (flower watching) gatherings. Families, couples, or groups of friends head to the park where they eat, drink and get merry under the sakura blossoms. Hanami season (or sakura season) usually happens around the week of late March, into early April. Depending on the weather as well.

Hanami (Sakura season) Late March – Early April.

I managed to drag my friend into taking an early JR train to reserve space (thank you fellow Canadian!), as usually the park fills pretty quickly. Considering it was a breezy, cold day, it took a while for the park to fill. In efforts to spot ourselves easily in the predicting crowds, I had brought along my Canadian flag and we hooked it up to a branch.

Canada marks our spot!

Kokura Castle is located in Kitakyushu. It’s a pretty popular location for hanami…actually, all castle locations are pretty popular as the backdrop is beautiful.

Kokura Castle

Kokura Castle & Hanami

The park was the busiest around noon as people came to enjoy lunch. It was a lot of fun that we ended up staying longer in the park than intended. Then, in our “enlightened” state, we headed off to karaoke and spent the next few hours singing away.

Japanese New School Year

In Japan the school year ends in March, and the new school year starts at the beginning of April. I really missed my kids, especially my English Club members where we would just sit, chat, play cards. I think I’m starting to get those maternal emotions that mothers get when they see their kids grow up…

Typical & enjoyable day
in my English club. ^^

Finishing school (2010-11)

Last year, my last lesson to the kids was a review game formatted into an English Olympics game. At the end, all students received a Canadian pin while the winning team got to choose between a Canadian Pin, and a City of Burnaby pin. I was actually considering of saving those pins until “Canada Day”, but I knew I wouldn’t be teaching them again next year, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever get the chance to pass it around to everyone. So I decided it’s better to do it now or never, and I’m so glad I did.

During the final days of school in March some of my favorite students actually ended up wearing the pins, in place of their name badge. Naturally, they were found by the teachers, and firmly told to replace the pins. When I heard, I was so touched ^^. Some kids actually attempted to challenge school policy (though I do not encourage!), but it made me feel happy during a time that I thought I was failing as a teacher. Most kids actually did enjoy my classes ^^.

Last gift to my 1st year students
(2010-11)

New School Year (2011-2012)

Today was the first day back at school for last year’s 1^st years and 2^nd years. We had a morning assembly for about an hour, then students headed off to their homeroom. Starting tomorrow they’ll change to the higher grade as we have the opening ceremony for the new 1^st year students.

I’m really going to miss my first year students…in 2 years they’ll be graduating, *tear. Depending on how this year goes, I would like to stay to see them graduate…and hopefully by that time, I would have conquered enough Japanese that would allow me to converse with them!!! GANBARIMASU!!!

Play it cool like Kakashi Sensei would!