pink is the new black, dahling

much as leaf-peeping being a national pass time seems a bit odd, it does seem a bit strange to devote a whole festival to the time of year when the cherry blossom appears. at least, it seems odd until you find yourself slap bang in the middle of it, and realise just how much it seems to transform the place. and the tat, too - teddy bears, plaques, lapel pins, etc, that would usually be red, white and blue suddenly become all pink.

trust me, it loses a lot in translation, but it's pretty damned cool:







and then if it all gets too much for you, you can always find somewhere dark and basementy for a swift drink or five. yesterday we made the bottom line our home for a couple of hours, and i discovered a new type of cider.