T3H Blog

Besides Odawara Castle, this area is a major transit point for the Hakone hot springs resort area and it the city next door to my town – Ninomiya. Odawara-juku‘s strategic location on the Tōkaidō, between mountainous Hakone and Sagami Bay, has given it a key role in Japanese history. Prior to the Edo period, Odawara Castle was the stronghold of the Late Hōjō clan warriors. During the Edo, its castle controlled the Tōkaidō between the Tokugawa headquarters at Edo and the stations west of Hakone, including Sumpu, Hamamatsu and Nagoya. Today, a reproduction of the castle stands high on a hill above the city.

It has one interesting shopping mall and some good restaurants.

For some more pictures see here http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/Odawara120409?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ3085yJ3P22ygE#

I was back just in time to catch the end of the cherry blossom in Ninomiya. On another beautiful day, when around town taken pictures of this annual feast for the eyes and noses.

It is kind of sad to see all this beauty flutter down to the ground, in this case to the river to be simply washed away.

Here are the pictures – http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/Ninomiya110409#

Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates and is roughly at sea level. The emirate of Dubai shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjah in the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman in the southeast. Hatta, a minor exclave of the emirate, is surrounded on three sides by Oman and by the emirates of Ajman (in the west) and Ras Al Khaimah (in the north). The Persian Gulf borders the western coast of the emirate. The emirate’s main revenues are from tourism, trade, real estate and financial services; and it is not a big producer of petroleum and natural gas, like many of its neighbours.

Dubai has a diverse and multicultural society, with some great fresh food markets. I visited two of the  main markets and there are many more. Also, there are many beautiful mosques all around town, some real works of art in their own rights. Additionally, there are many parks and beaches around town.

Here are is a series of pictures taken during my visit - http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/DubaiMarket?authkey=Gv1sRgCIK6yYuz4YD9Ng# and http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/Dubai050409?authkey=Gv1sRgCLu967zgv4aQYA#

I was in Dubai recently. It is one of the seven emirates and the most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai city to distinguish it from the emirate. It is definitely a cosmopolitan city, but it is also one big 24/7 construction zone. Regardless, it is an amzing place.

Here are the photos to prove it – http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/UnderConstructionDubai# and here http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/Dubai040409?authkey=Gv1sRgCLOE2Z2Fxorn9wE#

My garden, it is not much, but it is mine. My dream is to have flowers blooming every month of the year. After 9 years, I am still hoping and getting closer every year. Also, there is the vegetable patch – this year there will be tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants, with the likely radishes. This will go along with my raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.

Here are some photos – http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/MyGarden280309#

Here are some more pictures from a walkabout my neighborhood in Ninomiya and Azumayama. This is a beautiful area to walk around on any day – enjoy;  I certainly do every time.

This picture is of Sagami Bay (Sagami Wan).

Here is the link to  more pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/Azumayama2290309?authkey=Gv1sRgCIfC8MDTroiLtAE#

I was in Kuala Lumpur recently, it is a beautiful city. During the weekend, downtown is very quite. There is much to see in KL such as the Dataran Merdeka (the Independence Square), the House of Parliament, the Istana Budaya, the Istana Negara (National Palace), the Kuala Lumpur Tower, the Muzium Negara (National Museum), the Putra World Trade Centre, the Tugu Negara (National Monument) and mosques such as the Masjid Jamek, the Masjid Negara (National Mosque) and the Federal Territory Mosque.

Other places of interest include the Aquaria KLCC, the Batu Caves, the Makam Pahlawan (National Mausoleum), the National Science Centre, Petaling Street, the Zoo Negara (National Zoo), and events such as Malay cultural centres, the Chinese cultural festivals at the Thean Hou Temple and the Thaipusam procession at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple. The Golden Triangle, the commercial hub of the city, contains the Petronas Twin Towers and has a distinctive nightlife. Trendy nightclubs, bars and lounges, such as the Beach Club, Espanda, the Hakka Republic Wine Bar & Restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe, the Luna Bar, Nuovo, Rum Jungle, the Thai Club, Zouk, and many others are located within and around Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang.

I am looking forward to returning to KL soon.

Follow this link for more pictures of my walkabout in KL http://picasaweb.google.com/triple3house/KualaLumpur0309?authkey=Gv1sRgCM775Lfvn7b7zgE#