Chino - Lili on the Loose

29 06, 2017

Tea Ceremony in Japan

By Lili|June 29th, 2017|Categories: Activities, Travel|Tags: 2004, Asia, Buddhist Temple, chakai, chanoyu, Chino, Green Tea, Japan, matcha, Ocha, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Suwa, Tea, Tea Ceremony, Travel Thursday, Way of the Tea|0 Comments

Listening to Koto music before the Tea Ceremony If you go to Japan, you must experience a Tea Ceremony! I was lucky to visit a Buddhist temple during my Sister Cities exchange trip to Chino, Japan. The temple grounds are hauntingly beautiful. A community graveyard greeted us from the parking area. Then as we walked through the lush green forest, I spied little Jizo statues along the pathway, and a pond on the other side. It was so peaceful. We were then ushered though the garden before entering the temple. It is common to walk across dewy ground

16 01, 2017

Travel Missteps: She Loves Chicken

By Lili|January 16th, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2004, Asia, chicken, Chino, Japan, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004|0 Comments

Source One worry I had when traveling to Japan is that I wouldn't like the food. You see, I hate fish. And I'm allergic to seaweed. Which makes most sushi and common food items a no go for me. And then there was an issue of a mad cow scare making beef not an option either. My unique "diet" got a little lost in translation with my host family. So when I was introduced to people by them, it was "Kore wa Lili desu. Toriniku daisuki desu." Meaning "This is Lili, she loves chicken." I remember my host mother

26 09, 2016

Travel Missteps: Earthquake in Japan

By Lili|September 26th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2004, Asia, Chino, Earthquake, Japan, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Tokyo|0 Comments

As a high school student going to Japan I wasn't really worried about natural disasters. Sure I had known about earthquakes, and this was years before the horrific earthquake and tsunami of 2011. I was mainly worried if I had enough spending money, and was just so excited about the trip in general. Being from Colorado, we rarely get earthquakes, and when we do they are so minor it hardly registers beyond a few pictures on the walls rattling. Thankfully, for me, the earthquake I experienced in Japan was very minor. On our last night in Tokyo, my roommate and

8 09, 2016

Visting a Judo Dojo in Japan

By Lili|September 8th, 2016|Categories: Activities, Travel|Tags: 2004, Asia, Chino, Dojo, Japan, Judo, martial arts, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Travel Thursday|0 Comments

I enjoy martial arts and so was delighted to visit a Dojo that taught Judo in Japan. While the rest of the girls in my group were timid, I actually went all for it! When they asked us to kick, I kicked hard, making my spotter move. He grunted in approval and braced for my next kick and punch. The other girls in my group looked at me like I was crazy, but I was having too much fun! If you ever visit a Dojo be sure to remove your shoes and other clothes, and then bow as you enter.

28 05, 2016

Souvenir Saturday: Baka Neko, Neko Basu: Cat Bus!

By Lili|May 28th, 2016|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2004, Anime, Asia, Cat Bus, Chino, film, Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, Keychain, My Neighbor Totoro, Nagano, Neko, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Tonari no Totoro, Totoro|0 Comments

Stupid Cat, Cat Bus! Baka Neko, Neko Basu or The Cat Bus is a bizarre character from Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro). There was a Japanese legend that said as cats get older they can shape-shift, and given the nickname Baka Neko (Stupid/Crazy Cat). In Totoro, this Baka Neko become a Bus! Cat Bus Close Up Cat Bus at the Bus Stop Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

17 02, 2016

30 at 30: Best Experiences So Far

By Lili|February 17th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories|Tags: Abu Simbel, Africa, Anaheim, Antigua, Asia, Aswan, Bath, Belize, Belize Barrier Reef, Bent Pyramid, birthday, Bostan, California, camping, Canyon Ranch Spa, castle, Caye Caulker, Cenote, Central America, Champ de Elysee, Chino, chocolate, Christmas Market, CIE, Concert, concert photography, Costa Rica, Dahshur, Dashur, DC, Disneyland, Egypt, England, Epiphany Night, Europe, Ewok, fireworks, Florida, France, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, Germany, golf carts, Great Britan, Guatemala, Harry Potter, haunted, Ik Kil, Ik Kill cenote, Ireland, Island of Adventure, Italy, Japan, Karnak, Lake Placid, Las Vegas, Latin America, lightsaber, Luxor, Massachusetts, memories, Mexico, Middle East, Munich, museum, Nagano Prefecture, Nevada, New York, North America, Orlando, Paris, photography, Playa Del Carmen, Pyramids, racing, Red Pyramid, reef, Rome, San Francisco, sharks, sheep, Sister Cities, snorkeling, Spa, St. John, Star Wars, Suwa, swimming, temples, The Vatican, Tokyo, tombs, tour, Trafalgar, Trajan's Column, travel experiences, trolly, Tucson, UK, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Universal Studios, USA, USVI, Vatican, Vatican City, Washington DC, white water rafting, Wizarding World of Harry Potter, yukata|1 Comment

Today is my birthday, and I've hit the "Big 3-0". I wanted to look back at 30 of my favorite travel memories in my life, in no particular order: Fulfilling my dream of going to Egypt, seeing so many amazing tombs and temples Sitting alone in the temples of Abu Simbel and Karnak Climbing into and on top of a pyramid Wandering the Christmas Markets of Munich Seeing the castles of Germany Taking a haunted trolly/walking tour of Boston graveyards. Seeing as many museums as I could in Washington, DC Swimming with sharks in Belize Racing golf-carts on Caye Caulker Making

23 01, 2016

Souvenir Saturday: Pressed Flower Art

By Lili|January 23rd, 2016|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2004, Asia, Chino, dried flowers, flowers, Grandmother, host family, Japan, Nagano, Pressed flowers, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Suwa|0 Comments

When I visited Japan I stayed with a host family. One afternoon we drove up into the mountains near Suwa and visited my host Grandparents. After being introduced to dinner (a live chicken) and being very tired to the point I couldn't keep my eyes open I took a nap. When I woke up, the Grandmother had been told I liked art, and so beckoned me to sit next to her. As a hobby she made beautiful art with pressed flowers and presented to me a little framed piece of paper on my own. She helped me pick flowers out of

4 01, 2016

Travel Missteps: Like a Turtle

By Lili|January 4th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2004, airport, Asia, baggage, bags, Chino, exchange program, fall, Japan, manga, Nagano, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, souvenir, Tokyo, turtle|0 Comments

Saying goodbyes to the friends you’ve made while traveling is one of the hardest things to do. In 2004 I was part of the Sister Cities exchange program and stayed in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. I made great friends and had a great time. But getting up early to say our goodbyes before heading out on a 37 hour travel day was hard. There were lots of hugs, tears, and photos. And then...there were a lot of times I just keeled over. Farewell to Kana, note the 3 bags on my person and the 4 bags on the ground.

30 05, 2015

Souvenir Saturday: Totoro!

By Lili|May 30th, 2015|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2004, Anime, Asia, Chino, film, Hayao Miyazaki, Japan, Keychain, My Neighbor Totoro, Nagano, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, Tonari no Totoro, Totoro|0 Comments

Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) is one of my favorite Hayao Miyazaki film. So when I was out shopping in Chino, Japan and saw this delightfully detailed Totoro keychain I had to get him! Totoro! Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.

24 06, 2013

Travel Missteps: I’m on Fire!

By Lili|June 24th, 2013|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2004, Asia, Bon Odori, Chino, exchange program, fire, fireworks, hanabi, Japan, Lake Suwa, Nagano, Obon festival, Sister Cities, Sister Cities Japan 2004, spirits, Suwa, train, yukata|0 Comments

Fireworks while camping. As I've written before, in the summer of 2004 I went to Japan through a Sister Cities student exchange. The bulk of the trip was spent with a host family in Chino, Nagano Prefecture. This period in late August is during the Obon festival where Japanese honor the spirits of their ancestors. Its sort of like if you combine the American aspect of Thanksgiving where everyone goes home, Mexican Dia de los Muertos, and every possible firework related holiday. There are many components of the Obon festival. One key piece is the Bon Odori dance, that is danced by