Awesome Geography: Japan

We do a lot of things involving Japan, not least because Mxyl speaks Japanese, has been to Japan, and does "fan subbing" for Japanese TV shows.

We decided to do origami as our art project and a Sakura Box (box of random treats from Japan) as our snack.

All I can say is that this was both hilarious and amazing!

Not only were some snacks difficult to translate, there were some snacks (Texas Corn!) that were delicious but completely strange (not really corny and nothing to do with Texas - kinda like cheese balls without cheese).
But super fun!  Of course we did Geography Now's Japan episode, and we also watched some Japanese shorts on The Kid Should See This.

The Big Trip: Japan

Backtracking a bit as we catch up with our home videos, here's one from our trip to Japan!

Gigantic Tiny Trees

We are getting back on board with The Big Trip!  I had not forgotten, I had just gotten steam rolled by summer.

When I did our home school interviews (this is me interviewing the Zoomlians about the pleasures, disappointments, hopes and lost regrets of home schooling as we know it), one thing that came up repeatedly was that the kids wanted The Big Trip to be more immersive.

So, picking up where we left off in Japan, we went off to tour Japanese gardens and gigantic tiny trees at the Arboretum today.

This gigantic tiny tree was started in 1625!

This grove was my favorite.

And this one, I think, looks like an Ent.

Can you see it?

Besides the bonsai, the gardens were lovely.  There's really nothing like the tranquility of a Japanese garden.

Choclo was fascinated by the lanterns.

We also visited the Chinese Pavilion with their gigantic tiny trees.

In China, they are called penjing, and they often feature interesting rocks to make miniature landscapes.


And then we went home to make Yakitori Chicken for dinner, and watch a bunch of Star Blazers!

Poems of the Week

suzushisa wa
mizu yori fukashi
aki no sora

Ah, for coolness,
 it rivals the water's depth -
this autumn sky.

Hito wo yume to ya
omoishiruramu;
sumi suteshi,
sono wa kochou no
yadori nite

That man's life is but a dream -
is what we now come to know.

Its house abandoned,
the garden has become home
    to butterflies.

 Poems by Monk Sogi (1401-1452)
 Translation by Steven D. Carter

HT: Classical Japanese 
Photo: The Intertwine