Easy going day...

I like the cooking classes in Tokyo. They are so organized and fun!
Yes, I'm taking cooking class in one of the most famous school in Japan.
Today was the cake class; very simple cake called Pate a Genoise.
It will be my present to a special friend. Her nickname is Moko and she still doesn't know about the cake... I wouldn't forget her b-day.

Moko is a friend I met in the biggest network community in Japan, Mixi. It's the Japanese Orkut... one community arranged a lunch in a Nepal restaurant in Tokyo. Moko was the first to speak with me and in the first momento I already knew she would be a good friend. She went to Brazil last year and stayed at Milton Nascimento's house in Minas. She also loves bossa nova and knows all the artists (more than myself). With Moko I can play, I can dance, I can sing, I can have a mature talk, a childish talk, whatever! we have lots of fun.

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After looking for the restaurant in shibuya twice, finally today I got to the Thai noodles places... the Tom yam noodle is my favorite!! It's like being in Bangkok...

I think the name is Tu-in Thai Lamen ... or something like this heheh...

I'll go back soon.

Tokyo Bossa Nova 2005

In Ebisu, 5 min by train from home, Tokyo promoted a bossa nova week with live shows. Today was Saigenji, a Japanese singer who records all the albums in Brazil.
http://www.saigenji.com/

He sang some bossa nova musics and also his original songs.



After the show, we went to a healthy tofu (soya cheese) restaurant. Natural and light food is the best!!


In the same building, many interesting stores and one new langerie arrival is being sold:

AIG 2005 Final

Today was the AIG Tennis Tournament final games.
Female final played by Nicole Vaidisova (16 years old winner) and Tatiana Golovin (retired as got injured).



In the interval, a Japanese former tennis player explained the expected results for the next game. The male final would be easy for Mario Ancic as he didn't play yesterday and very difficult for Wesley Moodie, who had a hard game yesterday and feels pain in the arm.



Ok, ready for my favorite game, male one (^-^)v
And the unexpected unbelievable game won by Moodie, after an easy 1st set for Ancic.
The tiebreak was amazing and he made it!



3rd game was a historical final. Japanese double Suzuki & Iwabuchi won the final for the 1st time in the history. 2 tiebreaks, going to the 13th point in the 2nd set. Probably very well registered by the photographer beside me.



7 hours of really great games! So many tiebreaks, which show how much emotion during the game we had (^-^)/

Rikugien Gardens

Sunny Sunday is always a special day for me.^-^
Rikugien Gardens are the most beautiful Japanese style gardens ...
Rikugien (six poems garden) was built in 1702 and there're 88 scenes reproduced from the poems.



This is the view from our picnic place.
Imoyama Seyama in the middle of the park.

Houraijima:

Takimino Chaya:




Aomatsu (blue pine):

Don't look at me like this...

RACE !!! Who's the fastest??

Kazuo in front of the Tsutsuji Chaya:


Hypnosing a dragonfly...
Akamatsu (red pine):

View from the Fujishiro Toge:

In the Tsutsuji Chaya:

Some yellow leaves already showing Autumn is coming...


Of course, bamboos are always presented ...






This is to prevent leaves get into the drenage hole...

In front of Sekirei ishi:

Isn't it really beautiful?
Tea house:
While the tea was prepared:



An old lady with her mp3 player... click on the picture and look at the big image... it's worth ;-)

Beautiful original green tea with the special sweet. It was wonderful!!!

Shibuya

Shibuya is one of the most crowded cities in Tokyo.
The station is full all day 365 days a year.

It's a city with all types of entertainment... shopping malls, restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters, big music shops, game shops... most of young people like Shibuya and makes a meeting point for many of them.



It's colorful with many huge video screens all over the big buildings. Neon advertisements are used everywhere...

Famous brands and big companies present their product first in Shibuya.





One famous fashion shopping mall is the 109 (ichi maru kyu), where every young Japanese in Tokyo already passed at least once.





In the middle of thousands of shoppings and restaurants, one very interesting cafe was waiting us for lunch.



In the north of the station, there is the Yoyogi Stadium, and beside it, in the middle of the street, young people try to get attention from the public.

Many singers and comedians started their show in the streets like this.




Some stores are really amazing. Cute things, bizarre objects, funny bags and clothes...

Goods from everywhere in the world... lots of fun even only looking at the stores. Even because the prices are quite expensive! :O

One flower (the biggest one) is around 5,000 yens.

Tokyo Eletricity Museum is free admission and you can see interesting machines...
Many simulation miniature machines about nuclear and water generating energy. Well, for me the interesting one was the machine that emits the smell of a dish the PC is showing how to prepare. When the dish is almost ready, both cylinders around the monitor start expelling a very good flavour. You can choose blueberry cake, chicken, pork, etc...




How about a haagen dazs after all this walk?


You can have anything in Shibuya!



Original architecture is one of the characteristics of Shibuya... as the space is one of the most expensive in the world, so narrow and tall buildings are seen here... of course with the special colorful neon lights...



Amazing place... the only problem is I really hate crowded places... that's why I don't go to Shibuya so often, even 5 min by train from home...