Perfect Couple

I brought Japanese dolls as souvenir for my friends, and when I told Ari to take two (one for him and one for Elah), he picked these two. The blue one is 新撰組 (shinsengumi - read 流浪に剣心(Rurouni Kenshin - Samurai X) or other 幕末漫画 (Bakumatsu manga - comic with setting in the end of Edo period) if you don't know them :-) ), and the white one is 花嫁 (hanayome - bride).

I think Ari indeed know what the two of the dolls portrayed, that's why I wonder why he's picking them... is it mean that I will receive 'the invitation' soon? :-)
No offence bro... :-)

Lunch Box of The Expedition Leader

It'll be sunny this weekend! Pack your back, we'll go hiking!

Autumn is a great season for hiking, for it's already cool and the foliage would sure take your breath away. Sato-san asked whether I would like to join the trip to mount Takao, and even though it's already close to my departure day for a conference in Indonesia, I said I'd be glad to join.

The night before the day, I received a mail from Fujiko-san, who told me that she'd prepare lunch box for me, so I need to bring no food at all. Fujiko-san always makes Gratin for me during pot-luck party, but this is the first time she would make something for me for a hiking, so I was thinking that there's something behind it :-). However, since the team would depart early the next morning, I just said yes, and decided to asked her first thing in the morning why she'd bother prepare the lunch box for me.

We gathered at Nagahara station, and the first time I saw her I asked her the reason.
"Sato-san asked you to be the team leader today, so I prepared your lunch box for the reward."
"Team leader? I've heard nothing about it."
"Then I forgot to let you know...",Fujiko-san laughed, "But anyway, you've been going hiking for many time, right? I think you don't need any preparation to lead the team."
I protested in vain, and when Sato-san saw me, he just simply said "チームリーダー宜しくお願いします！" (Chiimu riidaa, yoroshiku onegaishimasu! - I can't find a good translation for this sentence, but more or less it means "Please become the team leader". However, it feels different when you hear it in English compared to when you hear it in Japanese).

So I became the team leader. Anyway, Fujiko-san had bribed me with the lunch box, so I had nothing to complain about. Lucky me, the hiking went without major problems, and as usual, I got lost on the way :-). I could lead them safely to the destination, anyway.

"It's not that hard, isn't it?", said Fujiko-san when she handed me my lunch box.
"Well, it's okay, but I would really appreciate if you told me beforehand next time."
Fujiko-san laughed. "I'll try next time, if I don't forget."

Anyway, we went downhill after the lunch (and some pictures :-) ), and I'm glad there was no major accident in the 'first expedition' that I led. Because it seemed that Sato-san would like to asked me to be the team leader again next year when we go to mount Fuji, this time I really have to prepare, so I won't make my team lost in the way... :-)