Seven isn't too far away-y-y-y-y-y; in fact it's here now! AKL Lite Thread presents:

[PNO4TE]

Don't have fun...

 

[dgbg100106]

Don't have fun...

Yes ma'am

 

[Pinkocto]

OK I am packed.... 30 minutes...

Safe travels, and I hope all the presentations go perfectly.

 

[Pinkocto]

Good morning all! Safe travels to Brandi and Laura!

Today is our community band's Spring concert and though it's indoors, heavy rain is predicted, which means attendance will be pathetic. I just hope we cam get more people in the audience than on stage!

I hope things went well. If I was out there I definitely would have come to support. I hope there was a nice big crowd

 

[Angel16]

I hope things went well. If I was out there I definitely would have come to support. I hope there was a nice big crowd

I second that Alison. If I lived closer I would have ask for info and been there to enjoy and support. Hope it was a great turn out.

 

[Angel16]

If I am renting points and staying in Jambo house can we use the pool in Kidani? I know dd will love the slide there!

From what I understand guests of either resort may use either pool. If I am incorrect someone will be alone shortly to set us both on the straight AKL/Kidani road.

 

[dgbg100106]

Safe travels, and I hope all the presentations go perfectly.

Well I have arrived on I drive....

I have to be there at 7:15 in the morning... What is wrong with these people. I mean really 7:15 in the morning.... UGHH...

Anyway, it is hot here.

 

[dgbg100106]

I hope things went well. If I was out there I definitely would have come to support. I hope there was a nice big crowd

I second that Alison. If I lived closer I would have ask for info and been there to enjoy and support. Hope it was a great turn out.

I agree with both, I would come too...

 

[Angel16]

Brandi you are already there!! Wow, I am just trying to catch up from the last few days here and you have traveled from Maryland to Florida before I could do it. Have a great week and don't overdue this week with your foot. So glad to read you can go bootless this week.

Ann

 

[dgbg100106]

Brandi you are already there!! Wow, I am just trying to catch up from the last few days here and you have traveled from Maryland to Florida before I could do it. Have a great week and don't overdue this week with your foot. So glad to read you can go bootless this week.

Ann

Ann....

Take your time and read and enjoy..

Yes I am here, 2hours 15 minuets, nonstop, the only good part out of all this.

I am trying to take it easy, I can tell exactly when the foot has had enough, it screams really loud and says sit down and prop up!

Anyway, I have to stand during the presentations, but I told my boss that if it bothers me too much then I am sitting down and they will just have to get over it.

 

[Angel16]

These are so beautiful. Thank you Elin & Brandi for posting your cherry blossom pictures.

Photos from around my office taken with my phone...

I may just use one for my spring screen saver! Someday I will get to see this in person. My DH spent 5 years in Japan as a child. He has some pretty amazing memories of spring in Japan...especially for a male who was between age 5 and 10 while there.

Ann

 

[franandaj]

Good Luck - I hope you get a huge crowd!!!

I hope things went well. If I was out there I definitely would have come to support. I hope there was a nice big crowd

I second that Alison. If I lived closer I would have ask for info and been there to enjoy and support. Hope it was a great turn out.

I agree with both, I would come too...

Thanks everyone. We had an OK sized audience, but they were very appreciative. I just wish we knew how to build a better audience. My friends are mostly in the band or on the DIS. The 3D friends that I have mostly live out of area now, or have passed.

Perhaps once I get the video footage uploaded to Youtube I'll PST a couple links here!

Going to bed soon, we went out for Mexican food with about 30 of us afterwards and I had a few margaritas!

 

[chris31997]

Thank you Elin and Brandi for posting pic of the cherry blossoms. We saw them years ago in DC and I could have sworn they looked differant than the ones here in Japan They do. We were told that the blossoms on the mainland look differant than the ones in Okinawa. Needless to say, I am not crazy and the blossoms are beautiful everywhere. They are almost done here.

 

[PNO4TE]

Thank you Elin and Brandi for posting pic of the cherry blossoms. We saw them years ago in DC and I could have sworn they looked differant than the ones here in Japan They do. We were told that the blossoms on the mainland look differant than the ones in Okinawa. Needless to say, I am not crazy and the blossoms are beautiful everywhere. They are almost done here.

Alison, when you figure out how to garner a good crowd let me know. Around here we have discovered that if the concerts are free (which ours are) people don't come; if there is an admission charge they show up in droves. Go figure...

 

[kimmar067]

Well I have arrived on I drive....

I have to be there at 7:15 in the morning... What is wrong with these people. I mean really 7:15 in the morning.... UGHH...

Anyway, it is hot here.

...let's rethink this - you're WHERE?
































...quit yer complainin'....

 

[dgbg100106]

...let's rethink this - you're WHERE?
































...quit yer complainin'....

I may be in Florida but getting up at 5 to work from 7 until 8pm, is not my kind of fun...

Yes, I am complaining...

 

[dgbg100106]

Thank you Elin and Brandi for posting pic of the cherry blossoms. We saw them years ago in DC and I could have sworn they looked differant than the ones here in Japan They do. We were told that the blossoms on the mainland look differant than the ones in Okinawa. Needless to say, I am not crazy and the blossoms are beautiful everywhere. They are almost done here.

I am not sure of the exact years but Japan gifted the trees to DC in 1912,(hince the 100th anniversary this year), but years ago the original trees in Japan were destroyed, and we gave Japan cuttings from these trees to keep the original lineage. So all the trees here and on the river bank there are all from the same lineage..

I will have to look up the whole story and post here..

 

[John's Mom]

I just read the following from Touring Plans:

The Sanaa Cultural Tour is currently offered at 4 p.m. daily. No reservations are accepted, and all you need to do to attend is show up at the Sanaa podium in the Animal Kingdom Villas. The tour is open to all ages and lasts 20 minutes. As resort activities can change monthly, check the Resort Activites Calendar or call (407) 938-3000 to confirm the tour schedule.

Here is the writer's experience:

Sanaa is located below the check-in area in the center of Kidani Village. When I checked in at the podium for the 4pm tour, I was the only only guest. The Cultural Representative leading the tour, a young woman from Botswana, waited 10 more minutes to see if anyone else would be joining us. No one did, and the woman seemed a bit surprised that I was there. I guess not many folks take advantage of the tour.

Since I had a private tour, the Cultural Representative took her time and was very patient with my taking photos. If you haven’t been, Sanaa is gorgeous. Aesthetically, it is my favorite restaurant on property. “Sanaa” means artwork in Swahili, and the place is covered with a diverse collection of beautiful pieces. The walls are adorned with a items from various African cultures so as to evoke a trading market atmosphere. Beads and necklaces are prominently featured and are a nod to the word “Kidani”, which is Swahili for necklace.

The Representative led me around the intimate dining area explaining the cultural significance of each of the African pieces. She even pointed out a Hidden Mickey as well as Sanaa’s own Pride Rock. Given the small size of the restaurant, I was amazed at how many different design elements had been incorporated. Everything was beautiful, though I did question the logic of displaying beaded loin cloths directly behind the heads of eating guests. My guide laughed, and said she often thought the same thing.

We finished up in the bar area, which is now on my lists of places to return. Even at 4 in the afternoon, the bar was cozy and inviting. Here the Cultural Representative turned me over to one of Sanaa’s chefs. The chef came out and explained how they use tandoori ovens to make naan bread as well as slow cook their meats. He also brought out a sample of their Indian-style Bread Service appetizer, including fresh naan and three different dipping sauces. Since it was only me on the tour, I had the whole thing to myself. Fortunately, I quickly made friends with two ladies at the bar who were more than happy to help me polish off the food.

If you order this appetizer in the restaurant, you get to choose from a selection of nine sauces. On the day of my tour, they gave me the cucumber raita, mango chutney and something green that I still don’t know what it was. I happened to come back for dinner with a group, and we had two orders of the bread service. Rather than having us pick six sauces, the waiter brought us all nine options. This was fabulous, and I highly recommend doing the same if you find yourself with enough people to share.

Overall, the tour was short and sweet. Even taking my time to eat and chat with my new friends, I was out of there in 30 minutes. I’m sure with a larger tour group asking questions, it could take longer. If you do go, I highly recommend asking your Cultural Representative about their home country and experiences. My guide was a busy handling a guest conundrum at the end of my tour, so we didn’t talk much. However, I have chatted up the Cultural Representatives over at Jambo House, and they all were very happy to share.

The Sanaa Cultural Tour is a great respite away from the parks. If you are staying over in the Animal Kingdom area or just want an excuse to come check out the gorgeous resort and savanna, a free tour is just the ticket. A great trip would be following this tour with a drink at the bar or an early dinner at Sanaa. Either way, be sure to check out the animals on the savanna viewable through the windows before the sun goes down.

 

[dgbg100106]

I am not sure of the exact years but Japan gifted the trees to DC in 1912,(hince the 100th anniversary this year), but years ago the original trees in Japan were destroyed, and we gave Japan cuttings from these trees to keep the original lineage. So all the trees here and on the river bank there are all from the same lineage..

I will have to look up the whole story and post here..

History of the Cherry Blossom Trees and Festival

Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The gift and annual celebration honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and the continued close relationship between the two countries.

In a simple ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. Between the governments of the two countries, coordination by Dr. Jokichi Takamine, a world-famous chemist and the founder of Sankyo Co., Ltd. (today know as Daiichi Sankyo), Dr. David Fairchild of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Eliza Scidmore, first female board member of the National Geographic Society, and First Lady Helen Herron Taft, the trees arrived in Washington.

A first batch of 2,000 trees arrived diseased in 1910, but did not deter the parties. Just two years later in 1912, new trees arrived and were planted. These are the trees that now turn the Tidal Basin into a cloud of pink each spring for all to enjoy.

In 1915, the United States Government reciprocated with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan. A group of American school children reenacted the initial planting and other activities, effectively holding the first “festival” in 1927. The Festival grew again in 1935, sponsored by civic groups in the nation’s capital.

First Lady Lady Bird Johnson accepted 3,800 more trees in 1965. In 1981, the cycle of giving came full circle. Japanese horticulturists were given cuttings from the trees to replace some cherry trees in Japan which had been destroyed in a flood.

The Festival was expanded to two weeks in 1994 to accommodate a diverse activity schedule during the blooming period. Today, more than a million people visit Washington, DC each year to admire the blossoming cherry trees and attend events that herald the beginning of spring in the nation’s capital.

 

[Angel16]

Good Morning to all pacific time friends, good afternoon to all other time zone friends.

Goodness, very educational here this morning.

Kathy thank you for posting the information and review on Sanaa's cultural tour. I had not heard about it either, will have to attend on our next visit. Hope you are feeling better.

Brandi thanks for the history on the cherry trees, very interesting. The hours your working are insane, there really isn't any time for a nice dinner and to relax in the evening....now when you work until 8:00 PM. Yuck
Hope you have your chair near by today. Take care.

Pam welcome back! I am looking forward to your trip report and pictures. So glad you had a wonderful time.

I enjoy cruising, have been on 3 different ones, however DH is more of a get and see and meet people kind of vacation person. We have been on one cruise together (family reunion) Which is by the way the best way to do a family reunion! No one has to cook, no stress about planning activities and you all get together for dinner each evening. During the day those who want to go and do together can and those who don't....can do their own thing. We had 45 family members ages 8 to 79 on the last family reunion cruise. It was Wonderful, just a 7 day cruise from LA down the coast to Mexico.

Well it is 10:36 here and I had better get busy. Still need to decorate for Easter and have a couple of meetings today. Have a great day everyone!

Ann