hanami in San Francisco

Though hanami typically refers to the sakura (cherry) and to the ume (plum) trees in Japan, I learned that it really is about the appreciating the fleeting beauty of flowers. These colourful blossoms typically signal the arrival of spring; otherwise, the plants look gloomy... like the rose bushes in Oakland, which we had visited many winters ago.

This year, I was with Anna and Vernon, exploring the Golden Gate Park when we started noticing patches of pinks, yellows, and oranges livening the otherwise green landscape near the Conservatory of Flowers. Quite frankly, I was excited to see these because it would be my first time to catch early spring in California. Also, who wouldn't be happy to see these while the skies threatened to dump rain on us, right?










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