Parents day

The last Sunday 20 was Father's day.

Last 2 years, (as it has been always), my father helped me a lot even though we did live in different countries.

However, I have not given him back my gratitude physically.

So this year for that day, I decided to cook the dinner for him.

Something he likes or can eat although he has so many dislifes in food...

One of them that I can make...

One of them that I also like...

Hmmm...

I finally gave my priority to the 3rd condition...

It is easy to make but so delicious ♪

Bibimbap (un plat coréen) !!!

Usually when I cook, it is me who prepare the main dish and mum who does side dishes.

But as same as for father, I have not done much for my mum either.

For mother's day also, I did nothing because I was in a quite unsual situation.

So I decided to celebrate both days in one day !

I prepared also cellophane noodles (Chinese vermicelli) salad and seaweed soupe. (mum had anyway made already a plate with Japanese flowering fern).

For desert, I choose Japanese sweet (Daifuku) that I love !!!

It wasn't too bad for the first time cooking! :)

Well, I chose all that I like simply lol

But they liked them, too.

Thank you, both !

I hope that you both will be always in good shape and next to me for support***

Rainy season

Last weekend, rainy season started in my region.

This season in Japan is called  "rainy season" in English and "saison des pluies" in French like the one in Burkina.

But if I translate littelary the word in Japanese, it is "the season of plums".

In fact, they are very different.
In Burkina, a whole year is devided in 2 seasons, dry season and rainy season.

Every year in general, very dark clouds and strong winds tell the arrival of the season at the end of May or early June. It continues until the end of August or September although it used to be until the end of October.

This year however, in Bobo-Dioulasso, it started raining regularly from the end of April before my return to Japan. There was a strong storm which devastated many houses and broke huge trees like Khaya senegalensis which had lived since colonial era. Several shops and bars along side of strees got damaged.

At that time, the first conversation that I had with everyone was if the season would really start now or it would stop suddenly (take a break).

Because the rain is everything for all for the following year !

Everyone cultivates corns, millet, peanuts, peas, sorgho etc with the rain as food stock.

If the rain stops after planting, it's over.

Few people can water their plants unless they have their fields next to a river or swamp.

Their work really depends on rain.

Fortunately this year, it was the beginning of the season. It has been raining regularly since then.

I am very relieved.

By the way, the rainy season in Japan is as humid as the one in Burkina.

But it does not rain as much and often as in Burkina, rather slightly and longer.

I knew it but as I spent 2 years in Burkina, for me, the definition of the season was the one in Burkina !

Weird...

While in Burkina, with the arrival of the season, we see more and more green everywhere,

In Japan, its sign is a flower, called hydrangea.

They are in many house yards and sidewalk streets.

Its huge flowers with beatiful color give me a big smile and let me forget gloomy feeling because of the bad weather.

But the code for the flower is

"cold heart" or "capriciousness"...

Wow, I can not imagine this with their beautiful appearance !

The meaning comes from its nature of changing the flower's colors by growing up.

Now, there are so many varieties of its colors and forms.
I walk now often for exercise so this is fun to find them on the way.

The operation went well and now I just need to get recovered.

This is a chance to enjoy such greatful moments of japanese nature as I have much free time.