Waiting for the blossoms

Yesterday evening I was running through the night in Komagome with the House House Harriers, on the search for chalk arrows and blooming sakura. The wind was no longer biting, and the smell of ume, sakura and the flowers hidden within private gardens made me want to dance.

Today I ran under the bright, warm sun of my lunch hour, blue sky above and sakura petals swirling around my ankles. How can one not feel happy about life when the weather is being so kind?

The sakura have yet to bloom fully, but the obsession with spring and flowers has already started. On a warm Saturday afternoon, a friend and I wandered over to Futagotamagawa, which has become a rather posh and polished area over the past couple years. Browsing through Takashimaya (pretending we can actually afford their prices) we came across a giant floral piece, complete with bunnies.

Matcha-kun, obviously also thinking florally, was the kind purveyor of the lovely bouquet above (along with sakura kasutera!), a belated White Day present. As he will soon be switching jobs, he seems very concerned about the fact that his income will decrease... and my opinion about the matter. "Thats cool" apparently was not the reaction he was expecting! I have a feeling a lot of guys wrap up their ideas of self-worth with their salary... that would definitely not work for me, hehe.

Finally, spring foods are starting to show up. I have not written much about food or restaurants recently because I have been either going to old favorites, or been disappointed (c'est la vie). However, thanks to the lovely Miss Carly, I found out about Kagetsu's spring-only vegetarian ramen and gyoza. Delicious and light (eating both only racks up about 600 calories), it did not leave that somewhat heavy feeling you can get after eating ramen. The spirulina-infused noodles were perfectly chewy, complimenting the tangy broth, and the gyoza superb... I may have to go back for another couple plates of them!

 I hope everyone is enjoying the arrival of warmer days, and looking forward to hanami :)