We went to the Sapporo Snow Festival for three days at the beginning of February. The festival is Sapporo’s excellent way of making the best of its very cold winter and the feet of snow it has just sitting around. The event’s main attractions are the giant (think 10 meters or taller) snow and ice sculptures, but there are plenty of other things to do and see there, too. Like eat mutton and drink weird, thick rice liquor with the mutton vendors. Or make snowmen. Or ride giant ice slides. We did all of those things and had a great time.

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In what could easily be considered our most successful vacation to date (no muggings or serious gastro-intestinal distress! Huzzah!), Niq and I journeyed to Thailand and Cambodia during winter vacation. Bangkok was still exciting, and Cambodia was new and very awe-some (not awesome rad, but awesome awe-some). Come with me, friend, on a selective tour of our vacation! It’s quite detailed, mostly as a record for us, so even the family members shouldn’t feel guilty about skimming. Really, I forgive you.

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Well, it’s been literally months since we’ve posted, so what better way to kick things off than with some good old pictures of farms. We’ll try to make things more fascinating in the future.

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In February, Dad Alward came to Japan! Here are some pictures of the famed Nagasaki Lantern Festival. Other than the constant downpour of rain for pretty much the entire trip, it was truly lovely indeed.

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We celebrated Valentine’s Day by making Japanese pancakes and then taking pictures of them. Despite looking like plastic vomit, they’re actually quite delicious, one of my favorite Japanese foods.

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