Cherry blossom tea - salty and bursting of floral fragrance

This is sakura tea I had with Andrea for lunch today. It is made simply by pouring hot water over a salted cherry blossom flower. Watching the flower expand into a wispy flowery mass is a joy in itself.

We had lunch together and caught up on our life's happenings. It is so nice to have a foreigner friend in つくば, Tsukuba, who will not be taking off in just a few months. (er, not that I know of!) So many foreigners come and go - it is hard getting to know them and saying goodbye so quickly. I must admit, it is one of the primary reasons why I don't make a great deal of effort to get to know people in the foreigner community here. There are only so many sayonara parties I can take.

We had lunch together at my place instead of at a restaurant, with food we had each prepared. I forgot to take a pic of her tasty arugula, lotus root salad and chicken - they were really a treat for me because it is totally different from what I am accustomed to. The vinegared onions in the salad were really zing zangy tangy and tickled my tongue delightfully!