1,000's of tiny snowmen!

Trip Start Jun 27, 2009
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Trip End Jun 25, 2011


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Monday, April 14, 2008

February entry--

We had so much fun last year in Sapporo at the annual Snow Festival we just had to go back again this year! Lily and I really fell in love with Hokkaido during last summer when we went to Japanese school there for the month. It's fabulous no matter what season you visit during! If I have the money once I have a family I definitely want to bring them to Japan for the snow festival, it's so much fun for both kids and adults.

The snow festival in Hokkaido started 60 years ago when some high school students made some snow sculptures in a park. It's evolved into a HUGE outdoor festival in and around a large park in central Sapporo. It attracts almost 2 million people from all over the world every year. In addition to massive sculptures as big as office buildings built by such groups as the Japanese Army, there are smaller ones around 6 feet tall made by small groups of people from different countries. The contestants arrive about 10 days prior to the festival to start making their works of art. My favorite large sculpture from this year was called something like 'Save the World for the Children' and it had famous places such as Big Ben, and Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany my old cell phone broke, this is my new one
my old cell phone broke, this is my new one
. My favorite small one was of the Taj Mahal!!!

Since it doesn't get super cold where I live it's nice to go somewhere (for a short time) that's really cold and has a ton of snow. (I'd say the weather in my area is similar to North Carolina? We had flurries ONCE this year in the mountainous area of town and everyone freaked out.)

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, because well, snow sculptures don't really need detailed explanations..but here are some of the highlights/fun things I did during my super long weekend on Japan's northern most island:

1. drank Dom Perignon champagne in an ice bar with Japanese businessmen (they paid for 11 of us to each have a $30 glass of champagne!)
2. saw a drag show in a hostess club (the same said business man paid the $30 entrance fee for 11 of us)
3. made a mini snowman to join other thousands of snowmen in huge field
4. raced my friends through a huge snow maze (i lost)
5. carved a cup out of a block of ice then drank vodka from it at 11:00am (yum!)
6. climbed to the top of the Sapporo Tower using the exterior stairs (we only did it because the line for the elevator was so long - it was so windy and freezing)
7. ate amazing Indian food at my favorite restaurant in the city - great nan and curry and the nicest Indian people
8. taught 2 friends how to ski for their very first time on a huge mountain covered in fresh powder
9. watched the Japanese National Ski Team practice on the huge ski jump in the middle of the city
10.hung out with my Wakayama friends at a huge indoor beer garden/lamb restaurant!

I'm sad I won't be able to go back to Hokkaido for another cool (literally) summer but it's all good! Another time, another time..

I will included some random photo's taken throughout January; my towns annual Tuna Festival, my adult English class, and other teaching stuff...

Stay tuned for more entries from late winter/early spring!

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

before i left, 90 teachers came to watch me t before i left, 90 teachers came to watch me t my kids singing a song in english my kids singing a song in english and korean and japanese! so cool and korean and japanese! so cool first night, champagne in an ice bar! first night, champagne in an ice bar!
slide show all about me teaching eeek slide show all about me teaching eeek sunset on the way to hokkaido sunset on the way to hokkaido our japanese business men friends our japanese business men friends beers in the street, love that about japan! beers in the street, love that about japan!
sapporo speciality beers sapporo speciality beers mmmm what to choose mmmm what to choose night time sculpture viewing! new narnia movi night time sculpture viewing! new narnia movi save the world save the world
close-up close-up old sapporo railway station, made of ice! old sapporo railway station, made of ice! yumm, beers with gloves on yumm, beers with gloves on snow slide for kids in the city snow slide for kids in the city
baseball train out to the slopes baseball train out to the slopes snowy tracks snowy tracks even snow sculptures at the train station! even snow sculptures at the train station! who wants to touch a penguin in skiis? weird who wants to touch a penguin in skiis? weird
international ski school international ski school so cute, rode up with a 5 yr. australian girl so cute, rode up with a 5 yr. australian girl one of my ski school students, tristan one of my ski school students, tristan so much snow you can't see the top so much snow you can't see the top
beautiful! beautiful! ring the bell to pray for safety of skiiers ring the bell to pray for safety of skiiers afterwards a hard day on the slopes afterwards a hard day on the slopes haha i thought this was funny haha i thought this was funny
also a funny pi also a funny pi another good use for snow! another good use for snow! thomas the tank engine thomas the tank engine close-up of the pyramids close-up of the pyramids
this one was built by the J.Army! this one was built by the J.Army! a famous castle in japan a famous castle in japan me and lily at the snow version of taj mahal! me and lily at the snow version of taj mahal! SNOW backwards SNOW backwards
who wouldnt want octopus in the snow? who wouldnt want octopus in the snow? teddy bears, japan loves cute things! teddy bears, japan loves cute things! some japanese animation i dont know some japanese animation i dont know starbucks igloo, yumm starbucks igloo, yumm
funny cafe name funny cafe name downtown sapporo downtown sapporo no climbing on the snowmen! no climbing on the snowmen! 3 hour wait for the snow tubing slide 3 hour wait for the snow tubing slide
so many snowmen! so many snowmen! make your own snowman make your own snowman have you figured out i luv japanese kids yet? have you figured out i luv japanese kids yet? adorable adorable
lily making her snowman lily making her snowman me with my little guy me with my little guy finished products finished products wearing my sunglasses wearing my sunglasses
we made name cards for them too we made name cards for them too sooo many snowmen! sooo many snowmen! the snow maze the snow maze made friends with a snowball fight team made friends with a snowball fight team
another ICE BAR! horay! another ICE BAR! horay! chipping our cup from a block of ice chipping our cup from a block of ice with our finished cup, too lazy to make 4 with our finished cup, too lazy to make 4 the snow bar bartenders the snow bar bartenders
shots of vodka from our ice cup shots of vodka from our ice cup reindeer ref for the snowball fight reindeer ref for the snowball fight this little girl was so friendly this little girl was so friendly cow referees? only in japan cow referees? only in japan
judging the sledding race judging the sledding race snow miniature golf snow miniature golf snowmen on every street corner snowmen on every street corner no joke! no joke!
mammoth snow sculpture, literally mammoth snow sculpture, literally lily and i out at the beer garden lily and i out at the beer garden let's eat! let's eat! some of our table some of our table
sometimes it's sad being a vegetarian haha sometimes it's sad being a vegetarian haha more wakayama JET's more wakayama JET's resident chefs, bryan and christine resident chefs, bryan and christine parry my travel buddy-cambodia/vietnam) and i parry my travel buddy-cambodia/vietnam) and i
we love sapporo! we love sapporo! isn't she cold? it was 0 degrees! isn't she cold? it was 0 degrees! our favorite indian place-The Taj Mahal our favorite indian place-The Taj Mahal walking around the park in the snow walking around the park in the snow
Sapporo baseball team ice sculpture Sapporo baseball team ice sculpture Beijing Olympics mascot sculpture Beijing Olympics mascot sculpture Ice Skating in the park Ice Skating in the park view from the top of the Sapporo Tower view from the top of the Sapporo Tower
Ski Team warming up for their jumps Ski Team warming up for their jumps so steep!! so steep!! couldn't imagine jumping from up here couldn't imagine jumping from up here another view another view
olympic ski jumps held here in '72 olympic ski jumps held here in '72 in case you needed to mail a letter now in case you needed to mail a letter now yukina-1st grader yukina-1st grader coloring during recess coloring during recess
that's me! that's me! teaching 1st grade teaching 1st grade more coloring during recess more coloring during recess i attracted quite a crowd! i attracted quite a crowd!
love these guys, they're so sweet love these guys, they're so sweet eating whale pizza in my town! eating whale pizza in my town! the black stuff is whale the black stuff is whale "hmmm..." they look so confused! "hmmm..." they look so confused!
potluck dinner with my adult class potluck dinner with my adult class a local speciality, type of sushi a local speciality, type of sushi our adult english class our adult english class making fried octopus balls! making fried octopus balls!
lily and judi-san lily and judi-san lily and my class together for a picture lily and my class together for a picture bright lites of my town from my balcony bright lites of my town from my balcony nice day, out visiting a local shrine nice day, out visiting a local shrine
love these huge ropes love these huge ropes the shrine the shrine praying praying year of the rat, you write a wish on these year of the rat, you write a wish on these
fishing boats in my town fishing boats in my town having some fun at the Nachi Tuan Festival!!! having some fun at the Nachi Tuan Festival!!! another kind of popular fish another kind of popular fish eww tuna jerkey? only in nachi! eww tuna jerkey? only in nachi!
special sake made from our famous waterfall! special sake made from our famous waterfall! buying fresh tuna buying fresh tuna english teachers from the area playing bingo english teachers from the area playing bingo Rose won a slab of WHALE! haha what a prize Rose won a slab of WHALE! haha what a prize
school on monday, learning about seaweed school on monday, learning about seaweed 6th grade girls are like ewww 6th grade girls are like ewww the school is steps from the ocean the school is steps from the ocean the kids all pulled off pieces the kids all pulled off pieces
eww my hands are all slimey! eww my hands are all slimey! bringing the seaweed in for school lunch!! bringing the seaweed in for school lunch!! the whole school 30 kids.. the whole school 30 kids.. view out the window on train home, LOVE IT! view out the window on train home, LOVE IT!
scrabble night with my adult class scrabble night with my adult class using her childrens dictionary! cheater! haha using her childrens dictionary! cheater! haha lily's younger students lily's younger students lily sensei to the rescue! lily sensei to the rescue!
my best student, Arai-san! she's awesome my best student, Arai-san! she's awesome look at our board! pretty good i think look at our board! pretty good i think
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