Japanese Traditional Dolls

A week ago, I and my friends were so happy to welcome our JENESYS friend from Malaysia - Huda - in Hanoi. Three years and a half ago, we all participated in a JENESYS program called Japan - ASEAN Student Conference in Japan. Although our time spending together was not much, we felt regretted saying goodbye to each other when the program ended and our mission was accomplished. It was like magical luck that we were granted to know each other and be friends till today. Since then, we have kept in touch with each other and tried to make international reunions as many as possible. That's really meaningful to our lives and we cherish all the time we can be together. And this time, Huda did it! She's been traveling several ASEAN countries and one of her stops was Hanoi.

As Huda looked forward to visiting Vietnamese Women's Museum

Memories in Zao

Talking about Japan, one of the places I cannot forget  ever is Zao, exactly, Laforet Zao Resort & Spa located in Togatta-onsen, Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi.

Passing most 500km by Shinkansen  from Tokyo Station just in an hour and a half only, I arrived in Miyagi Prefecture very quickly.  Then it took me around another half an hour to get to paradise Zao where I stayed and had a big fun night with friends under the cold of early winter (around 5 Celsius degrees).

As I have told you, Zao is exactly a paradise on Earth. It's gorgeous, surrounded by the wild forest of the Nanokahara Highlands, laid within the magnificent Miyagi Zao mountain peaks. Fortunately, I again stayed in the room which was high enough for me to take an overview of this elysium. I was here in late autumn - early winter so had a chance and made use of the season to fully enjoy red, yellow, colorful leaves and the blue sky beautified by a rainbow. Not only did backgrounds absorb me and my friends, but services and food provided made us love this place much more. Hot springs separated for ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys made us so comfortable and relaxed after a long work and moving day. And especially to me, I was so satisfied with dinner with full of my fav Japanese dishes (fish, tempura, sushi, dessert ^^).  After seeing the photos below, do you feel the same way as I did? - XOXO -

Tokyo in my eyes

It seems that my college life took me to Everland of Peter Pan where I could fly or jump to such and such places in all moods of joy and pride. Indeed, I have flown to several promised lands and one of them which has deeply rooted in my memory and inspired me to write first words in this Travel category is such Japan, the country of rising sun, the land of sakura, the land of fat wrestlers Sumo and the land of sake.

It was 1-week Japan trip for participating in Japan-ASEAN Student Conference in November, 2009. The trip brought me a lot of pros, for example, transnational friendship, new awareness of Asia, a very good chance to explore Japanese culture, etc.

I had 1 week to be in Japan but just a very few days in Tokyo, other time in Sendai. Both of these places contain part of my memory, my love and my life. I’d like to tell about them all, one by one. Firstly, Tokyo in my eyes.

- First impression: First scenes of Tokyo in my eyes were very bright signs along the lobbies in airport building. They all looked gorgeous with attractive words and images. But more interesting point was Japanese bakeries decorated by colorful cakes and cake boxes. I totally had a crush on them all due to a starving stomach after a night long flying in East Asian sky (: