Holidays 2019

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
That was the Okha - I'm not sure of the finer points of the difference between Sakura and Okha...

View attachment 6656

I found this:-

桜花 (ouka) - cherry blossoms
花 (hana) - flower/bloom/blossom
桜 (sakura) - cherry tree, cherry blossoms

in Japanese, characters have more than one reading. Sakura is the Japanese reading of the 桜 character, ou is the Chinese reading, hana is the Japanese reading of 花, ka is the Chinese reading. Chinese readings are usually used in compounds, like 桜花


- which doesn't really get us much further..

I wonder if Okha/Ouka refers more to the falling petals and Sakura to the blossom on the tree?
Right - the wonders of the internet.

Someone in Japan has just posted an item on a Facebook wildlife page about the emerging blossom season spreading through the Japanese islands at the moment - so I took the opportunity to grill her about the Sakura / Ouka distinction. This was her reply.

Sakura is cherry blossom in English. Your question " ouka ” is written as cherry blossoms and is the correct Japanese name, but this is a slightly stiff expression, so the general Japanese call it〝 sakura”. Japanese words are often expressed by changing names for one thing. Thank you.

The difference between the Okha and Ouka spellings is just a matter of the Romanisation system that is in use - these days Ouka would be the more usual form - Okha was an older form, more commonly used during the middle of the last century.
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
Returning to Cherry Blossom, having dug a bit further .

Operation Cherryblossom was the US Marine landing at Cape Torokino on Bougainville Island in November 1943

Operation Cherry Blossom at Night was a 1945 Japanese plan to conduct biological warfare by releasing plague bacteria in southern California.

Flowering trees are also available.
 

Perrier

Banned
snowing in Tokyo today :)
They even have a sign to tell you.

2yknb7l.jpg


Weird seeing cherry blossom and snow at the same time though.

24wqzgp.jpg
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow
 

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
Off away tomorrow. Hotel just outside Andover tomorrow night then out from Southampton on Friday afternoon. Overnighter in Amsterdam on Saturday. Yohh.
 

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
Off away tomorrow. Hotel just outside Andover tomorrow night then out from Southampton on Friday afternoon. Overnighter in Amsterdam on Saturday. Yohh.

The Siam Orchid Thai restaurant in the middle of Andover is really good as is the Nepalese nearby.

Probably worth booking a table at the Thai if you're interested because it's only a small restaurant and they do a buffet where they cook each dish individually but you can have as much as you want so people do to stay longer.

I couldn't possibly comment on what's good in Amsterdam though :)
 

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
The Siam Orchid Thai restaurant in the middle of Andover is really good as is the Nepalese nearby.

Probably worth booking a table at the Thai if you're interested because it's only a small restaurant and they do a buffet where they cook each dish individually but you can have as much as you want so people do to stay longer.

I couldn't possibly comment on what's good in Amsterdam though :)
Was looking at Siam Orchid online yesterday. There's a Chinese just up the road that gets decent reviews too. Mrs T not a great fan of Thai food.
 

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
Was looking at Siam Orchid online yesterday. There's a Chinese just up the road that gets decent reviews too. Mrs T not a great fan of Thai food.

That's a shame because the Thai is really good and great value. Not been in the Chinese but the Nepalese is good and they will help you pick and then cook the food to your taste if you tell them what you like.

Not really found any decent pubs in Andover yet but the Town Mills has a few real ales and is by a small river.

The roof garden at Spoons is quite nice if it isn't rammed and they deliver to the roof of you use their app.
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
Andover Tap in Winchester Street if you are in to the micropub ethos, Town Mills if you like Wadworth's, possibly the MaltHouse. Not a brilliant town for pubs.
 

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
Been off line since last Friday. P&O charging £12.50 a day for internet.
Ended up in a pub on the outskirts of Andover last thursday night and had a decent steak.
Met two chaps from Rugeley at our hotel.
 
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