Great days in Bangkok

I always tought that Thailand was nothing so interesting for me filled with western tourists and emberassing fellow finlanders, but after studying in Japan and after aking good friends from Thailand I tought eventually I wish to visit them.

Working in Bali has been quite busy and tiring, so when the time for a short holiday came, I headed to Bangkok to meet Mew (Unfortunately the other Thai friends were still in Japan, or Fon being a bit too far in Chiang Mai for my short trip). The great coincidence was that also Kazuya with his classmates were in Bangkok at the same time. and further more my other KIT friend, Yudai with his friends came to visit Bangkok aswell. The best part  of this trip was to meet these great people again, and to get to know their friends too. Big thank you for Mew for existing and letting me stay in her place and for Ping who also showed me around!

After staying more than six months in Bali I was longing for bigger buildings, more people, escalators, shopping centers, subway and trains and local people living their own life doing their own things. Bangkok really did offer that! In additin to that, the temples and details of Thai culture were so stunning and something I wish to discover. The tilings and level of details in the temple areas were so inspiring and something I havent yet discovered. The amount of shopping malls and markets and seeing always someone selling something was great aswell.

It is difficult to try to sum up everything into just one post so here are the photos:

discovering Ayutthaya with Kazuya and his class mates.

Elephant riding.

After Ayutthaya we took a boat to the Asiatique. 

Temple day. Discovering the beauty of Thai temples.

Shopping or shop hopping

Sweet overdose with KIT friends.

Chinatown with Mew!

Jim Thompson's house, Thai silk!

Mew Kazuya and Ping!

It almost look like Linn were with us?

Graduation work

salatekstiä :)
Click to enlarge or browse the preview pages from the righ side. 

It's finally done! Last Thursday I had my final presentation and basically I'm done with my school. On above there is a virtual replica of the book I made about my final project in Bali. Unfortunately it is only in Finnish, but there is an abstract in English and many many pictures.

My original plan was to share the process here on real time, but since the actual doing took so much time and energy, in the end I only made few posts from Bali. Now after the presentation there is again time to breath and share the work - better late than never :)

Yabusame

"Every day is like a scene from my favourite movie"
 

Horseback archery aka Yabusame at Shimogamo shrine.
Front row. Long ceremonies. The patterns of the cloths. The speed of the horses.
It is just all perfect.

Great days

Hanami aka watching flowers.

The spring is officially here and the cherry trees are in their full bloom. So beautiful! The past few days have been the greatest! Having picknicks under the cherry trees and enjoying the sun. I call it "the art of doing nothing".

I have now lived here for six months and I'm about to start the second semester at my university. I feel like "the season two" is about to begin. Some old characters have left the show, some newcomers have came and let's see what kind of story it will be. It is the mixed feelings of missing the old good times, but at the same time waiting for the next great adventures.

Looking back the six months has been the best of my life. Jumping to emptyness when leaving Finland and landing to having so great people (and places) around me and having such a good friends to share it with. I'm a bit ashamed to say, but I haven't been homesick at all.

And since it is a new season and new tricks, I would like to ask if there is something you would like me to post about. It can be about school, about Japan, Kyoto or what ever I haven't been talking about yet.

And then to the photos. Some (well quite a few) photos about sakura and hanami. The riverside with mountains, families at the parks, beautiful sunset with soft pink light and the city centre with sakura hanging above the smaller canal.