Posted Dec 24, 2012, 2:17 am
Iam Prajna, from Bali-Indonesia
This is my 1st update
I took a picture with "Barong". He is the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and enemy of Rangda, the demon queen and mother of all spirit guarders in the mythological traditions of Bali. The battle between Barong and Rangda is featured in Barong dance to represent the eternal battle between good and evil.
from Bali with love
Prajna
Posted Dec 29, 2012, 5:05 am
Iam in Sanur area a beach loceted in Denpasar, capital city of Bali
Love
Prajna
Posted Jan 1, 2013, 11:05 am
This is my picture with traditional music of Bali, called Gamelan Bali
Love
Prajna
Posted Jan 6, 2013, 7:28 am
After take a picture with real traditional music of Bali, now i take a picture with the statue of Balinese musician, they showed about play traditional music of Bali, and at 3 last picture is about the Balinese dancer, dance with music of Bali
Love
P
Posted Jan 11, 2013, 5:28 am
As soon, i will starting my first journey by visit Vietnam
So excited. But i will spend my last 2 days before i leave Bali with enjoy the atmosphere of Bali
Love
Prajna
Posted Jan 12, 2013, 1:19 am
so, i took some picture in the iconic building, in Denpasar, capital city of Bali, called Bajra Sandhi
Love
Prajna
Posted Mar 9, 2013, 3:17 pm
Finally I arrived safely to Vietnam
Host mom love your gift especially the black tea
I also meet 2 new friends. They are Ceryni Turtle and Zoey Zebra.
Love
Prajna
Posted Mar 9, 2013, 3:46 pm
Today we visited a beautiful city in south Vietnam.
There is a lot of river so we have to take a ferry.
First, we stopped at a temple. It's the temple of Bà Chúa Xứ (Lady of the Realm) on Núi Sam (Sam Mountain). It was built a long time ago, for about 200 years ago.
Then, we have luch
Some oysters:
Some snails:
Salad (Mango and dry fish):
Sea food hot pot with a lot of vegetable:
After that we go around and get back to the hotel
We will visite another city tomorrow so we need to take a rest ^^
Love
Prajna
Posted May 3, 2013, 2:28 pm
We visit Can Tho City today. We arrived at midday. We have lunch and take a rest. Then, in the afternoon, we go around .
There is alot of rivers here.
Then we try fresh sugarcane juice. It's a very popular street drink in Vietnam.
We go to the flower street. It's a place that people sell a lot of flower for the Tet holiday which is very close now .
On the street, they sell gifts that already wrap, people buy it cause they are colorful and they don't have to take time to choose and wrap the gift.
Love
Prajna <3
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 8:36 am
We wake up very early today, at 6AM ^^. After we finished breakfast we visit "chợ nổi", it's a market on river. We are very exciting
They sell flower, fruit, grocery, food,...
People here are familiar with boat and rivers, even kids.
Then, we get back to home in Sài Gòn. We have a great time here
Love
Prajna
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 8:55 am
Today is the Lunar New Year!
We eat some delicious food for celebrate this special time, they are the must-have in new year!
At night, we watch the firework on television.
Love
Lotta <3
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 9:27 am
Yesterday, we went by train to Huế. We arrived in the evening today. It's such a long way. I'm pretty tired but I'm so exited to visit Huế
The landscapes ouside are amazing.
Finally, we are here, at Huế.
We take a rest in hotel and go out for dinner. For dinner we try the speciality of Huế.
Bánh bèo - Vietnamese savory steamed rice cake, it's filled with savory ingredients including chopped dried or fresh shrimp, scallions, mung bean paste, crispy fried shallots and fish sauce.
Bánh bột lọc - Vietnamese clear shrimp & pork dumpling, it is wrapped and steamed in banana leaf. It’s chewy and delicious.
Bánh ram ít - Vietnamese sticky dumplings, it’s also chewy and sticky.
Bánh nậm, I don’t know what’s this called in English but it’s also made with rice flour, fresh shrimp and meat.
Chả tôm – Shrimp cake.
All of them are ate with fish sauce.
After that, we go to Hương River and listen to Huế's music.
They are practice before the show. They are wearing Áo dài, Vietnamese traditional cloth.
I wish that you could listen the music, it's amazing!!
Then we go around the city and get back to the hotel.
Prajna <3
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 10:06 am
Today, from Hue, we go to Quang Tri for visit the Church of Our Lady of La Vang.
Church of Our Lady of La Vang, built in 1928 and destroyed in 1972 during the war.
This is how it look like in September, 1967.
Then, we visit Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. I'm so excited!!!
It is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Quảng Bình province. There is a cave which is one of the longest and biggest cave in the world.
We are on the way to Phong Nha Cave, this the Son River in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
The mouth of Phong Nha cave with underground river
Inside of the cave, some places are very dark, it's really difficult for host mom to taking picture.
After that we come back to the hotel to take a rest cause there is a long journey tomorrow
Prajna
<3
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 10:35 am
We will visit Tomp of Khai Dinh and Tomp of Tu Duc today. Tu Duc and Khai Dinh are the Emperors of Vietnam.
The Tomb of Khải Định is located in Chau Chu mountain near Hue in Vietnam. It was built for the Nguyen Emperor Khải Định. It was built from 1920 to 1931 taking 11 years to complete. The tomb is a blend of Western and Eastern architecture. It is located on a steep hill.
Most of the things inside the Tomp are made out of ceramic and real gold.
This is Khai Dinh.
The landscape here are amazing, it's one of the reason why Khai Dinh choose this place to built his Tomp.
It's time to visit the Tomp of Tu Duc.
Tomb of Tự Đức is located in Hue, Vietnam. It is built for the Nguyen Emperor Tự Đức and took three years to build from 1864–1867. It is divided into a Temple Area and a Tomb Area.
In the evening, we take a bus and go to Hoi An, we will stay here for one night.
Goodbye Hue!!
Finally we arrived to Hoi An
At night, we go to have some beer
These lanterns are like the specialty in Hoi An. They are everywhere.
Prajna
<3
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 4:25 pm
This morning, we are on the way to Mỹ Sơn Holy Land. It is situated in an august mighty valley complex. The Holy Land with more than 70 tower-temple architectural structures of Cham Pa civilization retaining historical, cultural, architectural and artistic values from 9 centuries’ time (from 4th – 18th century), is regarded as monumental as other renowned relics in the region of South East Asia such as Angkor, Pagan, Borobudur. Time and the wars have severely impaired the relic. Still, the remainder in My Son play a critically important part in world historic architectural heritage. As the cultural heritage’s globally prominent values need to be protected for the sake of human beings, My Son relic complex was entered in the UNESCO’s register as the World Cultural Heritage on December 4th 1999 in the city of Marrkesk, the Republic of Marocco.
After visiting the My Son Holy Land, we are on the way to Da Nang.
In the night, I'm so excited cause there is a firework competition. <3
A lot of people come to watch it. Today is the first day of the competition, it will ends tomorrow, we will comeback then.
Prajna <3
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 4:37 pm
Today is a very special day! Today is the Liberation of Saigon (30/4/1975 - 30/4/2013), it's the end of the Vietnamese War. It has a very special meaning to every Vietnamese people.
The firework competition is continuing today. But today we found a better place to watch. (I wasn't in these pictures cause it's dark, it's very hard to taking pictures).
It's the last day we are in Da Nang, we'll come back home in Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow, how sadd
Miss you
Prajna <3
Posted Jun 5, 2013, 4:57 pm
Before going home, we decided to go to the beach. It's rainy a little bit, but it can stop us to have fun
This is a very special type of boat in Vietnam, it's called thuyền thúng
It's time to going home, I have such a great time here <3
Love
Prajna <3
Posted Jun 20, 2013, 7:41 am
It is written as "Lotta and Prajna" in the envelope from Vietnam.
Toys is looking forward to seeing new guest.
Little yellow mushrooms said "I feel my heart beating".
Prajna and Lotta was greeted with "Hello".
Host toys said "welcome".
Prajna and Lotta and Meomie did a lot of talk about Vietnam.
And... yellow frog Houjicha said "By the way, It's the rainy season(called Tsuyu) in Japan."
The rainy season, Tsuyu, lasts from the beginning of June to mid-July in mainland Japan.
The literal meaning of "Tsuyu" is "plum rain".
It is called so because plums ripen in the same time of the year.
Many people hate this season because of the high temperature and extreme humidity "Tsuyu" brings in Japan.
We have plan to adventure if sunny weekend.
Posted Jun 22, 2013, 12:46 pm
It was hot day.
The sea was very beautiful.
I saw a cat where live in Jogashima park.
I said "Hello! Would you be become my good friend ."
The cat was very shy.
There is two lighthouse in Jogashima park.
I went to the Awazaki lighthouse.
Also I was able to see fish and shell, hermit crabs and crab.
Hydrangea is beautiful in Japan now.
Posted Jun 22, 2013, 11:04 pm
There is Sugiyama shrine here.
There are Komainu(means guardian dogs) and Komanezumi(guardian mouse) and Daikokuten(means god of wealth) in Sugiyama shrine.
You can see Ema(votive picture) of snake year(2013).
We could relax in shrine.
Posted Jun 23, 2013, 7:26 am
I saw golden statue, blue art, some beautiful flowers.
I went to the gallery of car in Japan.
I saw some store, Cheburashka and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Snoopy, Hard Rock Cafe.
You can see beautiful sailing ship "Nippon Maru".
The ship in the U.S. and Europe have woman's name , but the ship in Japan have name of boy.
We enjoyed going out at sunny day in rainy season.
Posted Jun 23, 2013, 8:30 am
We went to Tateishi park.
This is a great place to see Mount Fuji(most highest mountain(3443m) in Japan,It will be included in UNESCO recently).
We could not see Mount Fuji unfortunately.
Mount Fuji can be seen in winter here.
Words of Izumi Kyoka(Japanese writer) of "Kusameikyu(means grass Labyrinth)" (1908) is written in stone monument.
But coast rocks(12m height, called Tateishi) was a great landscape.
Posted Jun 23, 2013, 1:17 pm
We can see full moon bigger and brighter than everyday.
Posted Jun 28, 2013, 12:07 pm
She enjoyed Postcrossing at home because It is rainy.
We helped choosing her postcard.
Cats postcard, Map postcard and more.
We send to Germany,Taiwan,Poland,Latvia,Hong Kong,Slovenia,Italy.
Posted Jun 28, 2013, 12:22 pm
You can see basil, mint, green perilla.
Posted Jun 29, 2013, 6:03 am
You can see the Route 16.
Japanese cars are keep on left.
Roses bloomed a lot to Verny park.
It was very sweet smell.
Look in the distance is the naval port of the United States Navy.
Posted Jun 29, 2013, 9:59 am
There is a bar and restaurant and souvenir shop for the U.S. Navy in Japan here.
There is a fusion of the unique culture of the United States and Japan.
Posted Jun 29, 2013, 10:18 am
Sushi is really delicious!
Posted Jun 30, 2013, 10:53 am
Cheese bacon bread, tuna and mayonnaise bread was also delicious.
I'm tried drinking cafe au lait.
Posted Jul 1, 2013, 10:46 am
I will place a with crushed cashew nuts, lettuce, taco, tomato, cheese, and radish sprouts on top of the rice.
It is a spicy!
Posted Jul 3, 2013, 10:10 am
There are people who love fishing a lot of here.
It seems to have caught a mackerel and horse mackerel.
And you can see it was decorated with empty cans are crafted there.
I tried climb to the stone.
I found a flower called "Hamayuu(crinum)" .
We went back home because light rain falling.
Posted Jul 7, 2013, 5:08 am
We came to Yokosuka Central Station.
I found an old pay phone.
This phone can also international call.
I want to talk to my mom.
Posted Jul 7, 2013, 8:31 am
It is a small zoo, but here you can see the animals for no charge.
At first, You can see the topiary of animal.
Giraffe was really big and beautiful.
I can touch several kinds of small animals like mouse, guinea pig and fowl chick.
I and chick and guinea pig was able to play.
Guinea Pigs was really cute.
I think we had become very good friends.
Posted Jul 10, 2013, 7:04 am
Do you know CUPNOODLES ?
This is the museum where very popular in Yokohama.
Golden statue is Momofuku Ando(1910-2007).
Here you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. In a cup that you design, select your favorite soup from among four varieties and four toppings from among 12 ingredients. Altogether, there are 5,460 flavor combinations.
We created own original CUPNOODLES.
CUPNOODLES became a nice bag of air bag.
I found the Indonesian cuisine.
But My host and I could not eat without time.
We enjoyed everything.
Posted Jul 14, 2013, 1:04 am
This shrine was built 350 years ago.
God of learning has been enshrined here.
There was a "How to pray at the shrine".
We rode on the back of a Komainu(dog). Hot ! Today's temperature is 33 degrees.
I think They want to drink cold beer.
Posted Jul 14, 2013, 11:20 am
I received your wonderful postcard on 4th July.
I'm showed to everyone.
Everyone said "great!". I am really glad.
My host gave me a postcard and nice stamp(issued 7th July).
I will send you postcard.
Prajna
Posted Jul 14, 2013, 11:31 am
It was so delicious.
Posted Jul 14, 2013, 11:39 am
Crushed ripe banana, it was mixed with flour and eggs.
It is surprisingly delicious.
Posted Jul 15, 2013, 10:48 am
I think edamame is delicious especially with beer in the hot summer.
Edamame are soybeans harvested while still green.
After being boiled in salted water, they are popped out of their shells and eaten.
It was really delicious!
Posted Jul 18, 2013, 8:56 am
We made a birthday cake for Lotta.
It is a very small birthday cake for toys.
She looks so happy.
We were able to celebrate her birthday.
Posted Jul 20, 2013, 1:59 pm
Today, Japanese wind chime market is held in the grounds of the Kawasaki Daishi temple.
Almost 30,000 wind chimes are brought here from all over Japan.
There are more than 800 different kinds.
It's a wind chime [wind bell], called "Furin", and usually hung outside a house to be played by the wind.
Japanese chime is often made of metal or glass.
We had been fascinated by Japanese wind chime refreshing sound and colorful.
Kawasaki Daishi has a history of 880 years over.
This hall of Kawasaki Daishi was destroyed by fire during the war in April 1945.
It was rebuilt in May 1958.
Smell and smoke of "Goma" was full to Kawasaki Daishi.
The Goma is a solemn religious ceremony that is supported by a deeply esoteric Buddhist doctrine. The Japanese word “Goma” is read “Homa” in Sanskrit. It means “to burn.” The word expresses the meaning that using the fire that comes from Buddha’s wisdom, worldly desires (the source of suffering) will be completely burned.
We could visit famous temples of Japan.
Posted Jul 24, 2013, 12:36 am
I ate "hiyayakko".
Tofu is made from soybeans.
It’s nutritious and has long been an important source of protein for the Japanese.
There is a variety of tofu dishes, such as hiyayakko(chilled tofu), yudofu(simmered tofu).
Posted Jul 24, 2013, 12:59 am
I ate "mizu-yokan".
Mizu-yokan is Japanese a thick jellied sweet made of azuki bean paste, kanten and sugar.
Posted Jul 28, 2013, 8:06 am
"Warabi-mochi is a translucent, cool, summer sweet as jelly.
It's really delicious eaten with kinako powder after having been cooled in refrigerator.
I could enjoy the chewy but soft texture and the aroma of kinako powder.
Then I ate Mitarashi-dango.
Dango is a Japanese dumpling made from rice flour.
Mitarashi dango is skewered rice dumplings with sweet soy sauce based sauce.
It was yummy.
Posted Jul 28, 2013, 8:24 am
Minimum temperature is +24 degrees. The sky is clouded over.
We went on a bicycle to Mikasa Park.
Posted Jul 28, 2013, 8:52 am
Is this a ball ? It was watermelon.
Posted Aug 4, 2013, 4:00 am
Tonight, we could see the fireworks.
The sky was ablaze with fireworks.
It was big sounds and so beautiful.
Posted Aug 8, 2013, 7:39 am
Any paperback is very popular in Japan now.
Posted Aug 17, 2013, 8:41 am
Elementary school, junior high school, high school is a summer vacation until end of August from July 20 in Japan's main island(other than Northern Japan ).
We do not go out almost out because Japanese summer is very hot and humid.
And, My host does not have the summer vacation.
We decided house-sitting, and to read a book, since it is free.
Although the difficult Kanji(Chinese character) could not be read, my friend yellow frog Houjicha taught me Japanese.
The book which I am reading is called "HAKASE NO AISHITA SUUSHIKI"(means "The doctor loved that math expression").
Posted Aug 17, 2013, 8:57 am
I found a my mum's postcard from Indonesia!
Everyone said "What a nice stamps! What a beautiful postcard!".
My host also said "Thank you so much. I like this card and stamps."
My host looks like so glad.
Mum, Do you received a postcard from my host?
Thanks mum!
your little red bird
Prajna(^o^)/
Posted Aug 17, 2013, 9:11 am
White sea gull said " I’m a bit peckish. Hey, Let's eat Japanese rice cracker!".
He gave us secretly the Japanese rice cracker "KABUKIAGE" from his treasure box.
It was yummy.
Posted Aug 18, 2013, 8:14 am
Although that was a small museum, it was enough to see the life of Japanese people's ancient times.
The fish and shellfish which inhabit Yokosuka were also able to be seen.
And, Admission free.
I like this old house here.
I am sitting on the floor cushion with "kemo sabe" Purple Monkey.
My host's maison appeared from the window of the museum.
I and Purple Monkey could actually try to take the earthenware of the Jomon period(B.C.6000-2000) in our hand.
It was cool inside of the museum at air conditioning, But it was very hot in outside(+34c).
Posted Aug 24, 2013, 11:41 am
I saw boy who were fishing star.
I think he fished star to use for christmas tree.
Then I see boy that looks like frog.
and funny plant .
At last I see girl.
To be surprising ,she play danger blanco.
this blanco at 15m above floor.
These are creation of Yoshitomo Nara(Japanese artist).
Posted Aug 25, 2013, 9:21 am
Today I was going to go to local festivals, but today is rain.
So I can not go festivals.
Posted Aug 31, 2013, 4:25 am
But we went to "Umi-Kaze park"(Umi means Sea, Kaze means wind) by bicycle and my host.
We enjoyed playground equipment here.
And Many people will visit for fishing and camping and barbecue.
You can see uninhabited island called "Saru-shima"(Saru means monkey, Shima means island) in Tokyo Bay from this park .
Though it is Sarushima(Monkey Island), monkeys do not live...
Why called Monkey Island ?
We had good old story, monkey helped great monk Nichiren here 750 years ago.
Great monk Nichiren had been drifting at sea.
Monkey taught direction of land for Nichiren.
He narrowly survived.
I went back to the home since we too hot.
Posted Sep 1, 2013, 2:45 am
At first, I found a beautiful morning glory.
Morning Glory is plants that first grade of Japanese student grow in science class first.
And we went on a bicycle with my host to the "Tonbo no Oukoku(means kingdom of dragonfly, dragonfly means tonbo, kingdom means oukoku)".
Today is very hot, we have a hat of orange blossom.
But hat was blown off by strong wind.
"Kingdom of dragonfly" is a place where plants were grown while recycling the sewage.
There were a lot of dragonfly in there, but they refused to photography, and ran away.
I rested a little in leaves of water lilies when sun was very dazzling for me.
Then we visited home of ants, But they are going out.
We go back home because so hot here.
See you soon!
Posted Sep 8, 2013, 4:25 am
My host's old son have sports festival at the high school.
That sounds fun.
I get up AM 5:30.
I helped my host that so make a Bento(lunch) for her old son in early morning.
It is a special Bento(lunch) today.
"Futomaki(Sushi roll)" with fried egg, cucumber, sweetened dried gourd shavings, and called Kanikama(crab sticks).
This is the tradition of my host's home, she makes Futomaki for special day.
Futomaki was yummy.
Posted Sep 8, 2013, 6:19 am
You can see subway(Oedo line Tochomae station), We arrived It was Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
You can see Tokyo from 45th floor observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (height of 202m).
There are a lot of public art at around and lot of posters of Tokyo Olympics of 2020.
When we visited Tokyo, Host of Olympic was not decided.
Today,Olympics has decided to Tokyo!!!
Many people are pleased.
Banzai!(Hurray!)
Posted Sep 8, 2013, 7:02 am
The Tokyo Skytree is a new television broadcasting tower and landmark of Tokyo.
With a height of 634 meters (634 can be read as "Musashi", a historic name of the Tokyo Region), it is the tallest building in Japan and the second tallest structure in the world at the time of its completion.
A large shopping complex "Tokyo Solamachi" with aquarium is located at its base.
I found interesting that plastic food samples shop in "Tokyo Solamachi".
Posted Sep 8, 2013, 7:38 am
Sensoji ("Senso" is an alternative reading for Asakusa and "ji" means temple) is Tokyo's most famous and popular temple. Built in the 7th century, it is also one of its oldest, although the current buildings are postwar reconstructions.
Posted Sep 11, 2013, 1:57 am
It is one of the popular museum in foreign travelers.
The Edo-Tokyo Museum was founded on March 28th 1993, as the place where we come to learn more about Tokyo’s history and culture, and which also serves as a projection onto the city and the living of the future.
You can see, in the Permanent Exhibition area, there can be found original and replicated exhibits, as well as large-scale models, faithful representations of their originals, which had been reproduced after painstaking investigations and research.
It is easy to lose track of time when We are in here.
We had a wonderful time today.
See you later.
your Prajna
Posted Sep 14, 2013, 7:08 am
Today,Temperature is somewhat sultry 30 degrees.
It is because the typhoon is approaching.
We came to the Kasuga shrine .
Sacred air is there and we can relax.
You can see Guardian dogs(called Komainu) in a shrine.
A komainu "stone lion" in Chinese and "imperial guardian lion" in English) is an imaginary mythical beast that resembles a dog and lion mixed together.
Komainu greeted me with a smile.
We had hug and said good bye.
Posted Sep 22, 2013, 4:02 am
I could see harvest moon.
It is said that On the moon's surface,these shadows looked like a rabbit making rice cakes.
Oyasuminasai(good night)
Posted Sep 22, 2013, 4:25 am
Today is closed because it is Sunday.
It was founded ten years ago, This university is a small university.
Here, it can learn about nursing or social welfare.
Posted Sep 29, 2013, 7:14 am
Here is a good scenic spot of view.
We could see many monkeys,peafowl, etc.in park.
We played in lovely small flower garden.
Although it may be unable to see with a photograph, we were able to see the slightly highest mountain "Mt. Fuji" in Japan.
Mt.Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.
The mountain is 3,776 m tall and famous for its beautiful symmetrical cone shape.
The mountain last erupted about 300 years ago.
This year UNESCO added Mt.Fuji to the list of World Heritage sites for its universal and and outstanding cultural value.
Posted Sep 29, 2013, 8:10 am
This rabbit statue was made for Kyouka Izumi(Japanese famous writer),
because he loved rabbit.
When we were walking along the park, cat seemed to hurry very much.
You can see a red cluster amaryllis.
It is called Higanbana in Japanese.
And,It has a nice view from the Oosaki park.
Posted Sep 30, 2013, 9:24 am
Thank you for a new nice host found to me.
I am very excited that going new journey.
But, It is a little sad because I have to say good bye.
My host bought me Kit Kat(strawberry taste), rice cracker of Rilakkuma.
I said goodbye to everyone.
I was able to spend 3 months really fun in Japan.
Yellow frog told me "We will not forget you. We are forever best friends. We wish you will have safe journey and wonderful adventure, Take care!".
I am looking forward to seeing new host in Germany.
See you soon!
many smiling and big hug
your little bird
Prajna
Posted Oct 11, 2013, 8:05 pm
I have successfully arrived in Germany. My host mom and dad and my host siblings were giving me a very warm welcome. They were very happy to see me safe and sound in my travel-envelope.
Hotte and Hansi Hü, the small horses, showed me around and told me a good place to land after my first flight in the apartment.
My former host mom sent me to Germany with some gifts - my new host parents want to say THANKS A LOT to cocoaby, we hope she will read this!
Tomorrow we will do a little bit of sightseeing here in Balingen, I'm sooo curious! But now I will have to go to bed, I'm so tired...!
Hugs and kisses to you mom!
Prajna
Posted Oct 13, 2013, 3:33 pm
when I woke up this morning and looked out of the window, I totally experienced autumn. The weather was really lousy! So my host mom made me a German specialty called "Glühwein". You always drink it during autumn and winter when it's cold outside - it heats you up from the inside - yummi
!
Then we did a little bit of sightseeing here in Balingen. It is a nice, little Swabian town!
I checked out the fountain on the market square, said hello to all the statues I could find and also discovered some of the last flowers before the first snowflakes will be falling! My host dad said it won't take long and we will have the first snow this year - I'm already so excited!
Furthermore I got to know that people here in Germany also celebrate Halloween. Pumpkins and spiders everywhere!
I also discovered very nice and very old buildings with secret stairs - so spooky!
And last but not least, a small river called Eyach which is very close to my host home!
Wow, so many new impressions! I really like it, but I hope that I will also experience autumn sun - still waiting for it!
Love,
Prajna
Posted Oct 15, 2013, 7:15 pm
today it was a great day, I visited the Mercedes-Benz-Museum in Stuttgart! The museum tells the history of the automobile and informs about the beginnings of one of the most famous and popular auto brands in the world.
This is the very first car that was produced!
And this one was very important for Germany... THE FIRST BEER WAGON!
And here you can see the very first car that was really called a "Mercedes". It's the car in the spotlight!
And many other very beautiful old cars like this...
A nice old race car - the picture was made together with my host brother Hotte!
This car is called a "white elephant" because of its roaring sound.
And this is me with one of the famous Mercedes SLS with gullwing doors.
And this is the team bus of the German National Soccer Team, who won the world championship in 1974!
And last but not least the different stages and types of race cars.
FORMULA 1 - veeery popular in Germany!
Wow, what an exciting day!
Love,
Prajna
Posted Oct 21, 2013, 8:49 pm
yesterday I visited the capital of the German federal state of Saarland, Saarbrücken. It is a very nice city which is located very closely to the French border.
When I looked out of the window, I had a wonderful view on the Johannis Church. It is a Protestant Church in the heart of Saarbrücken. There is even a little maze within the church's garden, and there are also a lot of flowers in the summer. Now the leaves are changing color and I'm witnessing a European Indian Summer! And the sun was shining, too! Finally...!!!
And here you can see the area around the town hall.
This is Saarbrücken's town hall.
And this is a Catholic Church in Saarbrücken's city centre.
When we came back home, it was time for German Football League. My host dad never misses a match! So I was watching it with him. My host brother Hotte explained the rules to me, very interesting!
Lots of Love,
your Prajna
Posted Oct 28, 2013, 3:43 pm
it's quite an autumn day today - gray sky, rain and pretty stormy, but I also experience the trees turning yellow and red and the leaves dancing in the wind! So I really get to feel what it's like to wait for the winter!
This makes me heating-up every single room and also looking for a nice little cap for me - I hope they have some in my size!! I really love the owl cap - I want to be a parrot in disguise - HALLOWEEN is coming soon ;-)!
Love you mom!
Your Prajna
Posted Nov 1, 2013, 2:07 pm
uhhhhhhhh finally it's Halloween!!! We started the evening with a poker game together with my host dad and my host brother Hotte. Of course we didn't win much, but it was real fun!
Then we created a dark and gloomy atmosphere by lighting some candles and decorating the rooms with pumpkins.
After that we went outside to experience a little more of the spookiness: we walked by a cemetery - I was too afraid to go in, but I was brave enough to take a picture at the gate!
But then I got frightened a bit and flew away as fast as I could - the result was a little crack-up in a huddle of autumn foliage! So I had a soft landing and nothing happened :-)!
See you soon!
Love, Prajna
Posted Nov 2, 2013, 12:28 pm
today I went to Phiva's other home to Balingen. It was a 3 hours drive, but it wasn't boring as my host brother Hansi was also with me.
When I arrived home, I started a littler pleasure flight and checked out the nature around the house. I found nice autumn trees and meadows, the last fading flowers and a lot of plants which are bearing fruit like dog roses. Maybe we can make some lovely tea out of it in the next couple of days!
Then I had to take a rest in the branches of a plum tree. Unfortunately there weren't any plums left...!
After my rest I wanted to take a look at the fauna: the only animal I found outside the house was a spider - it didn't move at all!
But when I had a look on the inside of the house, I met some relatives of mine!!! 2 budgies!! They were really friendly and let me have something to eat out fo their feeding bowls!
I also met another animal, a very friendly dog! He was also very nice to me and invited me to snuggle up to him to take another rest! Of course I was very happy to do so!
Maybe I can discover some more animals in the next days :-)!
Hugs & kisses!
Your Prajna
Posted Nov 3, 2013, 1:58 pm
guess what!!! I found another animal! It wasn't very pretty though, it was only a bug! Nevertheless I was happy to meet it :-)!
Unfortunately the weather was really bad, so I didn't want to leave the house at all! Only grey sky and rain!
I hope the weather will change very soon!
Love you mom!
Your Prajna
Posted Nov 3, 2013, 4:39 pm
look, today the weather is nice again!
So of course we decided to go for a walk into the forest! It was such a beautiful atumn day! The sun was shining and we enjoyed the fresh and clean air!
Then we walked by a feeding ground for the deer. I had to check out what they had there - it was mainly hay!
So we walked on...
and on...
and then I found a little birdhouse. It was soooo nice!
There were so many things to discover...
... also a stand for hunters... so I flew away very fast!
So we went on and I discovered faded thistles, which looked so nice!
On our way through the forest we found a huge bush of elder, so we decided to take some with us to make a delicious elder sirup!
And at the end of our little tour I even discovered one of the last flowers of the year!
See you soon!
Your Prajna
Posted Nov 11, 2013, 7:18 pm
guess what!!! I FULFILLED A LIFE MISSION!!! Yes the time has finally come: we have our first snow!!! I almost couldn't believe it!
When we woke up this morning it didn't look like snow at all, so we had a lovely breakfast. We had orange juice, jam, cheese, boiled eggs, fresh rolls and of course the German must-have every morning, NUTELLA! I really enjoyed it and also overate on the nice stuff...
And then it started to snow! Of course we went outside at once! I wanted to feel it! I wanted to grab it! It felt so good, but it was freeeeeezing cold!
When we went back inside, I had to warm up myself at the fireplace. So cosy and comfortable, I think I found my most favorite place in the world :-D!
Oh yes, and my host mom says THANK YOU SO MUCH for your lovely postcard. She was really happy about it!
By the way, tomorrow I will go school! My host mom says that it is important to get to know the world some more! So I'm excited and looking forward to this!
I'll keep you informed!
Love you mommy!
Your Prajna
Posted Nov 13, 2013, 4:15 pm
my day was sooo exciting! I was allowed to go to school with my host mum! As she is a teacher, she taught me a lot of things about biology and mainly about animals.
She showed me some water animals first. I saw the skeleton of a carp...
... the skull of a giant tortoise - look how small I am...
... I even rode on the back of an alligator...
... and I could scan a real denture of a shark!! Ok, it was a small shark, but it was big enough to eat me in one piece! Uhhhh scary!!!
Then I saw a bat with a soft toy head - it looked so funny! And I got to know a stuffed mole, jihaaa I am bigger than the mole!
My host brother Hansi said that I have to take a picture with the skull of a horse and a horseshoe. Wow this was sooo big! I tried to put on the horseshoe, but as I am only a little parrot it didn't fit of course...
Of course I didn't want to miss something about my own species, so I took a closer look on the blueprint of birds. Did you know that our bones are hollow from the inside so that we are light enough to fly??? Wow, I didn't know that, but now I do! I'm an expert now :-)!
At the end of my tour through the biological tract I found the eggshell of an ostrich - the biggest egg on earth! Really amazing!
Now I am so tired that I really have to take a nap!
Bye mommy!
Love, Prajna
Posted Nov 18, 2013, 2:11 pm
today we decided to cook a delicious lasagna! My host parents love Italian food, so I wanted to take a closer look at their cooking!
First they cooked the bechamel sauce with fresh herbs.
Then we cut the vegetables..
.. and seared the meat!
It smelled soooo goood!
Then we completed the tomato sauce and put the baking pan into the oven.
Then we had to wait - a good opportunity to enjoy a lovely glass of wine ;-)!
Finally the meal was ready to be eaten - woooow it was sooo good!
Now I am an Italian chef :-)! Maybe I could cook something for you when I'm back home ;-)!
Love you mom!
Posted Nov 18, 2013, 2:18 pm
yesterday we drove back to Phiva's other home to Balingen. The weather was absolutely lousy - winter is approaching fast!
It was a mixture of rain, fog and coldness! Not very nice for a sunshine-parrot like me!
But today it's completely different: bright sunshine!! Wow, it's even warm outside, it feels so reviving!
The TV says, however, that we must enjoy these last rays of light, as snow will be coming back on Wednesday! Juhuuuuu MORE SNOW for meeee!
I'll keep you informed mommy!
Your Prajna
Posted Nov 25, 2013, 3:36 pm
brrrrrr it is soooo cold outside!! When I looked at the thermometer I was shocked! The sun was shining today, but it was only 1.5°C!!! I really have to get used to that...
We still have some snow, but my host mom says that this is only the beginning! It's gonna be much more than that! WOW!
I went outside and watched the snow falling down!
And I wanted to feel the snow again, so I just took a seat in the soft but cold white precipitation!
In order to stay healthy and not to get the flue, my host mom supplies me we fresh fruit and vegetables! Vitamines are important!!!
Slowly but surely we can feel that Christmas is approaching! We already found a Christmas tree!!! It looked so nice, as it was covered with snow! Perfect!
Maybe we can experience some more Christmas feeling at the weekend, as it's the first Sunday in Advent :-)!
Lots of winter-love to you!
Prajna
Posted Dec 9, 2013, 6:58 pm
I'm still alive! Host mom says sorry for the delay, but there were somany things to do in the last couple of days that she had to neglect the updates. However, she took some pictures and I can show you our christmas preparations :-)!
We bought an Advent wreath, a beautiful one with gold and silver and little stars on it.
I couldn't wait to light the first candle!!!
We also have a glowing moose, its name is Oscar! I could take a ride on it, which was very funny!
Another nice Christmas decoration animal is the pink stag. It's a little icky, but Christmas is the perfect time to be icky, isn't it ;-)?!
My host brothers Hotte and Hansi were also with me, we had a really good time together!
This is it for now, at the weekend I will go on a lovely trip into the snow ;-)...!
Love you,
your Prajna
Posted Dec 23, 2013, 12:58 pm
guess what!! I was allowed to accompany host mom's sister to the Alps! I saw a lot of snow! And mountains! And Austria! Unfortunately, we were so busy that we coulnd't take many pictures!
But here are a few!
Love you mom!
Posted Dec 23, 2013, 1:12 pm
on Saturday we visited the Christmas Market in Saarbrücken. My host mom bought me some Glühwein (this is hot spiced wine) - very delicious - and something sweet to eat. I really enjoyed the bright lights, the nice smells and the wonderful atmosphere. I could even see Santa Clause flying in his sleigh over our heads. SOOOO AMAZING!
Here are my pictures!
Lot's of pre-Christmas kisses to you :-*!
Posted Jan 4, 2014, 4:41 pm
Today we decorated our Christmas tree! We had silver Christmas balls and silver tinsel, so it was really nice to see how the tree was getting nicer and more festive! Of course we also decorated the whole house with little Christmas figurines and stuff!
So Christmas Eve can come!
We will have a big dinner with the whole family - we will have a raclette meal!
In a couple of days we will go on holiday to the Alps - I WILL SEE THE MOUNTAINS AGAIN! And lots of snow! I'm really excited!
Love you mom, bye for now!
Posted Jan 4, 2014, 5:02 pm
Hey mom, we're on holiday now! We are in Ischgl in Austria, one of the biggest and best ski resorts in the Alps. It's very close to the Swiss border, so I can also travel to Switzerland :-)!
Here you can both go skiing and snowboarding, but also party a lot ;-)! The party is called Après-Ski, and there are many party locations to go to!
I have never experienced something like this: soooo many people singing weird German songs and dancing like crazy - but I loved it! I also get involved to that :-)!
And we were also very lucky: we had a lot of sunshine and the snow conditions were absolutely wonderful! I was skiing down the mountains as if I had never done anything else ;-)!
Here are my lovely pictures showing the amazing snow-covered mountains and me doing Après Ski
!
Hope you're doing well mom!
Your Prajna
Posted Jan 23, 2014, 6:49 pm
back in Saarbrücken we went downtown at the weekend. There was a special event and thus the town hall was illuminated - in BLUE! It looked great! It was really something special, there was the Max Ophüls Film Festival! Unfortunately we didn't notice a lot about it - except for the nice town hall
!
On next day we drove back to Balingen, driving down the German Autobahn is always a blast - on Sundays the roads are empty and you can really accelerate - but no worries mommy, host mom is a good driver
!
So long!
Your Prajna
Posted Jan 25, 2014, 5:04 pm
today we went for a walk. The weather wasn't very good, nevertheless we had to go outside and get some fresh air! We went by some very nice half-timbered houses - these are typical German houses - most of them are very old!
We also crossed the river Eyach, which goes right through Balingen. Last year we had floodwater after long days of hard rain, and many houses had to be renovated afterwards...
Then we strolled to a home centre and had a look at the nice furniture. Very lovely things there! Sparkling lamps and comfortable armchairs - of course I checked them all out!
They also had some dangerous decorations... But me, the brave parrot, took a ride on it
!
On our way back home we discovered the very first little flowers this year! It is far too early for that, there is actually no winter
. It is much too warm and there's hardly any snow!
But I loved the sight of the flowers, they remind me of spring
! Spring is about to come, I'm sure !
See you soon!
Prajna
Posted Feb 2, 2014, 7:00 pm
look at the wonderful spring weather today! In January there's usually plenty of snow in southern Germany, but this year it's pretty weird - far too warm and hardly any snow! It's up to 13°C - it really feels like a very early spring day!
I enjoyed the sun and the blue sky as long and intensive as I could!
It was wonderful!
Sunny kisses to you!
Your Prajna
Posted Feb 2, 2014, 7:22 pm
this weekend we visited host mom's parents. There we experienced a real onset of winter, it was snowing throughout the whole night!
So we decided to go for a walk into the forest, which was a such a pretty winter wonderland.
I climbed up the ladder of a raised hide and checked out the surroundings.
And I flew onto some branches to work out - my muscles were getting a little week in the last weeks of winter!
I love the quietness of the forest, so calm and relaxing.
On our way back home we came across a feeding ground...
... huntsmen feed the animals regularly so that they survive the hard winter season. They give them hay and pomace - deers really love that! I also tasted some hay - but I'll stay with my parrots' food
!
We had a wonderful winter day!
Love you mom!
Your Prajna
Posted Feb 8, 2014, 4:44 pm
this is my very last update from Balingen, then I'll be off to Finland!
So I took a last look around, looked out of the window onto the market place with the beautiful church...
... enjoyed the flavor of blossoming orchids...
... and took a last power-nap to be ready for the journey!
Then I said goodbye to Mrs. Moo...
... and to my fellow parrot friends...
... and then craweld into my travel envelope! Host mom also gave me some sweets for my new host in Finland! I'm sooo excited!
I gave host mom a big hug and she kissed me goodbye!
So bye bye Germany, I had a great time here!
See you in Finland, mommy!
Love you!
Prajna
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Feb 12, 2014, 6:05 pm
Greetings from Finland. (: This morning I dived thru the mail slot inside a packet and was instantly picked up. I got a very enthusiastic welcome from my new hostmom Tuija and two other TVs, HelgaHH and Yuma.
The Greetings from Germamy were well appreciated and admired
We decided to throw a party and it was a lot of fun! We blew a couple of balloons and enjoyed the delicacies Nina (Phiva) had included in the package with some cola. It was all so yummy that we barely could stop devouring before we were all full!!
After we had rested a while we continued the party with a game called Wobbly Tower. In this game you take out blocks from a tower and insert them on the top. The game ends when the tower (eventually!) crashes down.
I got the first go.
After a few rounds it started to get very wobbly indeed...!
Oh oh. Well, it was very fun all the same!
I really like it here Mom. Yuma and Helga are awesome buddies!
Love, Prajna
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Feb 19, 2014, 12:17 pm
I'm going to give you a couple of updates today because it's been a while since I landed in Finland. First I'd like to tell you about a train ride that took me to a new city!
Very early on Wednesday morning we jumped in a train. It was still a bit dark but during those 2 hours on the train we could see the morning getting lighter. We got some cookies for breakfast
We arrived in Oulu at 8:30 and took a look around at the railway station.
From the station we proceeded to the city centre. In a small park we said hello to two cranes who were very noble guys indeed. From a white bridge leading across a small stream we saw something rather grand - it was the city hall. By the way - did you know that the city of Oulu is 499 years old?
We went closer to see the city hall and also saw the tower of the main cathedral in the city. It was opened in 1777 - that's quite long ago as well!
Lastly, my new friends took me to take a glance at Rotuaari, the pedestrian zone in Oulu. Hostmom said she'd take me back there some other day because we had to go on to run some errands and then leave Oulu for that day.
This was just a glimpse... I'll show you more later!
Lots of hugs,
Prajna
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Feb 26, 2014, 9:07 am
One weekend we spent at a summer cottage in Rovaniemi, which is a city up by the arctic circle. The cottage itself wasn't in the city, though, but some 70 kilometres southeast from there, in a village called Juotas.
Anyway, it was quite an adventure!
We enjoyed sledding
And guess what else!
Looks like a helmet... and a driver! On a snow mobile!
Next day me and friends engaged into sauna bathing... and heating the stove!
Hot cocoa followed
We enjoyed it graciously.
All in all, I got a pretty nice touch to wintery Lapland.
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Feb 26, 2014, 9:35 am
Her name is Rachel and this is her very first world adventure. She flew all the way fro China and brought us some souvenirs - a pretty Chinese New Year's card and some sweet treats. I think they had peanut in them... they tasted good!
In the evening I cuddled up in bed with Rachel. She was tired of traveling and seemed very happy to get some rest in the soft sheets. It was really comfy indeed :3
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Feb 26, 2014, 4:57 pm
An update will follow...
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 6, 2014, 2:41 pm
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 6, 2014, 2:45 pm
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 6, 2014, 3:35 pm
Kalevala is the national epic of Finland, a compilation of epic poems gathered together by the national writer Elias Lönnrot in the early 1900's. The poems of Kalevala are stories of Finnish folklore and mythology.
We took a little stroll around the town of Nivala. There was just a little bit of snow on the ground because the weather's been comparatively warm for the last week. We've been up to +5 degrees (Celsius).
Tonight we'll leave Nivala and return to Kiiminki by car... Let's see if I can share a part of that roadtrip with you
Love, Prajna
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 9, 2014, 8:27 pm
Please have a small video we edited... it's from our roadtrip to hostmom's hometown Kiiminki
I hope you'll enjoy the scenery :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll9Ebt9isz8&feature=youtu.be
Love, Prajna
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 9, 2014, 9:01 pm
Oh, Helga also traveled back home earlier but unfortunately we didn't get any group pictures of her departure. Greetings to her, too, anyway - hopefully you reached home safely <3
~Prajna
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 17, 2014, 6:40 am
Tuija took us for a walk around the town.
Here is a popular lunch cafeteria in the town:
This statue represents traveling salesmen ("laukkukauppias") who were a familiar sight in the late 1800's and early 1900's Finland, especially in the eastern regions of rural Finland. These men came from Karelia which is these days a part of the Russia federation. They spent months on the road during autumn and wintertime, carrying big rucksacks full of clothes, textiles and other smaller yet useful items. Traditionally they walked from house to house and stayed overnight in places they got customers from.
What a funny spruce tree
Let me just tell you that Kuhmo is called "the town of three spruces" because the coat of arms of Kuhmo has three golden spruces on it. This town is very much full of forests and big, beautiful lakes.
The downtown Kuhmo is located by one of those lakes, called Lammasjärvi ("Sheep Lake")
The sun peeked out as well (:
And here's some contemporary art in front of a local Karelian folk art museum (which unfortunately was closed).
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 17, 2014, 6:55 am
Let's build a snowman!
On the top of the world... :P
Relaxing with a new pal...
Watching some nature documentaries... lookie, it's the likes of me
Laughs over candy teeth
All in all, this was a pretty chill weekend.
Love, Prajna
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 17, 2014, 7:06 am
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 18, 2014, 6:26 pm
Today we visited a very exciting place here in Kajaani. There are ruins of an old castle which was built in the 1600's to function as an administrative centre, a prison, and a fort. It got unfortunately blown up during a war about one hundred years later but the ruins remained and today they are a sight for anyone to visit anytime.
The castle is located on a small island in the middle of Kajaani River which flows through the city centre.
There were steep staircases... Better watch out!
Lastly, we viewed he river. There was another small island there.
There is sure plenty of nature around here (:
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Mar 27, 2014, 11:00 am
These pies are called rönttöset. They have a rye crust and a sweetened mashed potatoes & lingonberry filling. They taste exceptionally nice heated up and with a touch of butter on the sides.
Today we also had to say goodbye for our friend Rachel who continued her travels to Japan. Have a safe journey, darling!
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Apr 7, 2014, 2:00 pm
We're heading to Helsinki!
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Apr 7, 2014, 6:48 pm
We saw a funny street artist playing music with bottles!
Here is a short video about it:
Bottle music!
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Apr 8, 2014, 11:18 am
On our first morning in Helsinki we took off to see an exhibition about Charles Chaplin! It was very cool - lots of photographs, posters, newspaper articles and video clips from and about his life, films and career. but unfortunately we couldn't take pictures of it. Well, never mind that! In the lobby there was a huge cardboard Chaplin (actually, the famous character of his, the Tramp) and I got to pose with it
On both days we took walks (and tram rides) around the city. Here's what we saw!
Traffic... (It was quite light, though.. :P But let's not underestimate the liveliness of this place! 500,000 inhabitants may be a small amount in the world's scale but this is actually the biggest city in Finland.)
Cozy parks...
Soccer fields and runner legends...
The high tower of the Olympic Stadium
Bay of the sea with some duckies and swans
A cool exterior of a Mexican restaurant
Lovely sunshine by the market place, looking down to the passenger harbour at the other side of the bay:
The main Cathedral was quite a magnificent building!
And finally, that bottle man (again)
<3 Prajna
tuiaway@aol.com
Posted Apr 8, 2014, 11:37 am
Today we got up early to catch the sunrise. It was lovely.
Prajna