Another year past...

In Japan, you know it by the sakura (cherry blossoms).

The rest of the year has gone by in a blur, but one can almost always remember where he/she did a hanami (cherry blossom viewing) the year before, annually stamping the passage of time with a picnic blanket and a beer. Last year, I remember a big, beautiful picnic in Shinjuku park with Px, Px's mom, Becca, Oneichan, Matt-o, and S. A night viewing at Yasukuni Shrine with the Frenchies (one on crutches with a bum leg) and Becca. A stroll through Aoyama cemetery with S. An okonomiyaki lunch at Zojoji while on break from work. And then I can't believe it's already been one whole year since those times and how things have changed since. Becca isn't here. She's getting married! Px is no longer my flatmate, and is no longer in Tokyo. She's spending this year's sakura season on a beach somewhere in Southeast Asia! Even I am not here anymore... or full time at least.

It also means a full year-plus with S. Last year around this time we were already quite serious, and here we are one year later.

To start off this season's memories, S and I went for a leisurely stroll around Nezu/Yanaka area on Saturday and caught some beautiful blooms. We're off to Kyoto Thursday and Friday, where hopefully we won't be too early. And finally, before I leave Japan to return to wintertime again, we'll have another Shinjuku hanami with (almost) the same crowd as last year.

I wonder if the wind will scatter this year's petals in yet even more different directions... !?