in which sarah goes to 小樽 on a very grey day

Day Two of The Great 4 Day Weekend was a little more productive.. 10 points Sarah.

it was very very very very {you catch my drift} cold, but we dragged ourselves out into the world and went to 小樽　Otaru, one of my favourite towns in japan - about half an hour out of Sapporo by train and on the coast. i`ve been a million times and it is one of the cutest places ever ... i mean, last year winter there was Harry Potter theme music playing in the streets...where does that HAPPEN?! it`s super quaint :

it also has a lot of buildings with pictures of the island of Hokkaido adorned with boobs... hmmm...

anyway, this week is the Otaru Romantic Lantern Festival - it ends on Valentines Day and there were hearts and lovey dovey nonsense everywhere.

Star Crossed Snowmen

about two steps away was this fellow... i call him Third Wheel Marcus

and, of course, the lanterns and the `lights of the lovers`

and now, i am watching the japanese national defense force VIOLENTLY DESTROY all the snow sculptures on the news with cranes.

WHAM there goes the gorilla`s head.

i am distressed.

{p.s. small edit... people seem to be confused and think that the Japanese NDF has gone rabid and are destroying the snow sculptures because they didnt receive enough love from their mothers when they were children. this is in part, my fault because i didnt explain that its their job, on the last day of the snow festival, to SMASH the statues down with large pieces of construction equipment. its my least favourite part of the festival... hearing those snowmen scream}