Sakura Matsuri during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC

There are a few things I enjoy more than an outdoor cultural festival/street fair. Needless to say, being so close to DC during the Cherry Blossom Festival really is a treat for me. Yesterday was the 57th Annual Sakura Matsuri in DC and I had been looking forward to it for months.

This year, the matsuri (Japanese for "festival") was held at Navy Yard, big enough for thousands of people and dozens of stalls and completely metro-accessible.  There were vendor stalls selling food and crafts, information booths regarding Japanese culture, and plenty of cultural performances throughout the day.

Here are a collection of the photos I took of the festival.

Chefs grilling squid and okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake made with different meats and topped with delicious Japanese mayonnaise

Cosplay contest/fashion show hosted by Anime USA (another con I went to this past year, but failed to share pictures from)

Earrings made from origami paper. I was pretty non-committal this year too and didn't end up buying myself a pair

Traditional ribbon-weaving ("Kimi no Na wa" anyone?)

Kokeshi dolls, I love the expressions on each of their faces

Traditional Japanese dolls, sponsored by a Japanese Doll and Crafts school in Rockville (they offer classes...need I say more?)

Beautiful kimonos

Taiko drum performance

New York-based J-rock group, The Asterplace 

KENYC, a kendama group from NYC

So happy they had this torii gate here this year also!

Ah cultural festivals really are my happy place. The traditional art, food, and cultural performances make me appreciate the diversity and quirks of 

Currently listening to: "Zen Zen Zense" by Radwimps

Around the World in 6 Hours: Passport DC 2016

Yesterday, I went to Around the World Embassy Tour Day in the Dupont Circle area of DC with my sister and one of her friends.  It is an annual event where dozens of embassies open their doors to tourists and locals alike, giving us a glimpse into some of the culture and history of their nation.  Depending on the embassy, one can expect to experience cultural performances, authentic food samples, art displays, or food and craft vendors.

As one might expect, this event draws thousands of people to Embassy Row and the surrounding blocks.  The embassies are only open from 10am-4pm and while that may seem like a long time, a typical person should only expect to make it through about five or six embassies.  The lines are a killer; we spent at least half an hour at the majority of the embassies we visited.  The nations taking part in this event can be found here.  Here's a sample of the pictures I took while at the event.

Embassy  of the Republic of Indonesia.

Embassy of the Republic of Korea.

A close-up of the display at the foot of the bed.

Embassy of Costa Rica.

Statue in a small courtyard area while walking.

Embassy of Guatemala.

Embassy of Chile.

Just another example of the advantages of living near DC.  This event was a lot of fun and we'll be heading back next week, when a selection of embassies of EU nations will be open for the public.

Currently listening to: "Namae o Yobu yo" Luck Life (Bungo Stray Dogs ED)

2016 Sakura Matsuri at Navy Yard

The DC area is pretty obsessed with its cherry blossoms.  For about a month around this time, thousands of people flock to the nation's capitol to check out the pretty pink blossoms.  The last day of the Cherry Blossom Festival ends with the National Cherry Blossom Parade and the Sakura Matsuri.  So for the first time in a while, my siblings and I took a quick Metro ride to Navy Yard to be a part of the festivities.  While we didn't end up seeing the parade, we did spend the day at the Sakura Matsuri.

It was a beautiful day and the matsuri (Japanese for "festival") was filled with food stands, craft and anime vendors, a stage for performances and concerts, and a culinary demonstration tent.  Needless to say, it was everything I love in one place.  And the cherry on top of the cake was the fact that it was a Japanese cultural festival.  Here are a few of the photos I took yesterday.

And of course, the festival had its fair share of people in cosplay and yukatas (Japanese for "summer kimono").

Miyazono Kaori from Your Lie in April.

Ouran High School Host Club.

Aomine Daiki and Momoi Satsuki from Kuroko no Basuke.

A girl who had fashioned a dress out of Pokemon cards.  My brother and sister thought this was pretty blasphemous, hoping she hadn't sewn any valuable ones into the dress.

Currently listening to: "Mission" Trignal

Tea and Real-World Advice at A Baked Joint

On the recommendation of a friend, I visited A Baked Joint in DC yesterday for a coffee date with a colleague.  When I say coffee, I really mean tea.  And when I say date, I really mean a very adult, real-world meetup with a WM alum I met late last year.  He currently works as a field service engineer with Agilent Technologies and introduced me to the idea of pursuing that career myself.  It was honestly such a mind-opening realization when I first met him, to learn that I could make a living of installing, servicing, and maintaining analytical instruments.  It probably sounds boring, I know, but right now, it's at the top of my five-year plan.

So in keeping contact with him, we met up in a super trendy, recently opened coffee shop to talk shop; giving career advice, catching up, and swapping stories about our analytical chemistry lives.  The sister store of Baked & Wired in Georgetown, A Baked Joint, in the Mt. Vernon Square area of DC, offers freshly baked breads and a wide variety of coffee and teas, all in a beautifully open space, complete with an open kitchen.  I've been told the breakfast biscuits are the must-get item, but that'll have to be for another time.  In my sickly state, I only ordered a jasmine tea.

Apologies for the plagiarism, but these photos were taken from A Baked Joint's instagram, found here:

It was a nice change of pace, getting out of Northern Virginia and seeing someone outside of my normal circle.  He heavily emphasized not becoming stuck in the job I have now and pursuing the career if it was what I really wanted to do, so I'll be sure to keep that in mind when I decide to change jobs.  Also, I might have to start to take my tea presented as they do.  I have a glass teapot and I thought I had a small wooden tray.  If not, that's always something I can find at a nearby Goodwill.

Currently listening to: "Fire and the Flood" Vance Joy

Adventures Along the National Mall

On any list of "Vacations to Go On This Summer", "being a tourist in your own city" is bound to be on most of them.  Growing up just a stone's throw away from Washington, DC, one definitely does forget about all of the amazing things to do in the nation's capital.

As you get older, the idea of DC changes drastically.  As a child, it's going to the museums and the festivals on the Mall.  As a higher schooler, it's taking pictures with your friends at the monuments and memorials, especially at night.  And as an adult (or at least, after 21), it's checking out the nightlife and showing around out-of-towners and friends from college.

This past weekend, I made my best attempt at showing a friend the city.  We only had one day to see the sights, so we tried to hit the most popular destinations.  Museums, memorials, and restaurants in the Dupont Circle and U Street neighborhoods.

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

The Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool.

The Lincoln Memorial.

View from the top of the Lincoln Memorial steps. 

National World War II Memorial.

Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

As the Fall semester quickly approaches, I've got a few more things lined up for the remaining weeks.  However, visiting family and catching up on some sleep is definitely high on my to-do list.

Currently listening to: "Sedona" Houndmouth