tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34989340728985438742024-03-05T19:06:19.513+09:00The Thing Is . . .You learn something new everyday. Especially if you live in Japan.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.comBlogger211125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-19416135081371765482012-06-04T08:14:00.001+09:002012-06-04T08:16:25.977+09:00Cafe Wamp<br />
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Yesterday we were taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood with Pippi when we chanced upon the Cafe Wamp tucked inside a bunker-like space beneath the overhead expressway. Capitalizing on any usable space (defined broadly), the gaps under elevated transit lines of all sorts often house a variety of commercial endeavors like shoe repair shops, dry cleaners and sketchy bars only open after sundown. Because of its menu posted outside and friendly-seeming folk seated at street-side tables, I took a closer look. Much to my surprise, the small shop not only carried dog paraphernalia alongside tea and cakes, it had actual dogs. And lots of them. Curious, I approached the proprietor, an amiable chap who spoke rather good English since he used to play football in Florida. A dog lover, he rescues dogs and keeps them at his shop until he can find homes for them. At the moment he is maxed out with motley collection of mostly pit bulls and a few mixed breeds, all big dogs. The animals looked a little bored but well tended. Clearly they get a lot of attention from the Wamp staff and customers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi641uMA4LX2QC6QNkfSMDw1zCCrcfzx8cyhJZ0ezTzsv7JrZ7M9_nRAZs3nE6IaK9-82nSthQX5yl-KnTfoduG19qBzzVq7rfQ0TMJsYRoG5GzUVgPeblwICngJkO3Z5KAwE434wnRbEF8/s1600/IMG_3387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi641uMA4LX2QC6QNkfSMDw1zCCrcfzx8cyhJZ0ezTzsv7JrZ7M9_nRAZs3nE6IaK9-82nSthQX5yl-KnTfoduG19qBzzVq7rfQ0TMJsYRoG5GzUVgPeblwICngJkO3Z5KAwE434wnRbEF8/s320/IMG_3387.jpg" width="239" /></a>Wondering about the name "Wamp," I probed the proprietor. Combining English and Japanese, this made-up word is based on a slang Japanese expression, "ippuku," meaning "one puff." Though a reference to taking a puff on a cigarette (ichi + puku), the term has come to mean "taking a short break." And translating "ichi" into "one" led the cafe owner to the sound written "wa" which is also a play on the Japanese word meaning "harmony."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pXAt8iqFTWHleNbTmMkuv47myg61BYkc_wqo4YOkOQKqPr1XQjYzHmcDCuFT8Lnvn-11-rcnNm5sI7f7WmvlZ3VznfefFRCPuItFKOgmNBJ7KgiqbwBadB4UuRI3XqyMarmvZpkSBrFQ/s1600/IMG_3386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pXAt8iqFTWHleNbTmMkuv47myg61BYkc_wqo4YOkOQKqPr1XQjYzHmcDCuFT8Lnvn-11-rcnNm5sI7f7WmvlZ3VznfefFRCPuItFKOgmNBJ7KgiqbwBadB4UuRI3XqyMarmvZpkSBrFQ/s320/IMG_3386.jpg" width="239" /></a>Anyhow, if you know of anyone looking to adopt a dog, please drop by Wamp. The cafe is on Meiji Dori, between Tengenjibashi and Furukawabashi. If it weren't for the cafe, these dogs probably would not have a chance since there is no such thing as a no-kill shelter in Japan. Their plight seems particularly heartbreaking in a country where people lavish unbelievable expense and attention on their pets yet look the other way while hundreds of dogs are "euthanized" weekly.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-44276122097808992202012-05-21T08:56:00.000+09:002012-05-21T08:56:36.533+09:00Smiling Stool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVUuQMcShjrDY4S0pv8TfYCor1xXevlEWRtoZnMCeqBBodEacGV1GmFYIZ31N4dXvrElmzgDrchbyTjYHndfL6wc9vmFSXvuPJJ_6vrAkrjTSZGRDG0jJ0XSXGmkX0fX1koHPCV8ks56B/s1600/IMG_3328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVUuQMcShjrDY4S0pv8TfYCor1xXevlEWRtoZnMCeqBBodEacGV1GmFYIZ31N4dXvrElmzgDrchbyTjYHndfL6wc9vmFSXvuPJJ_6vrAkrjTSZGRDG0jJ0XSXGmkX0fX1koHPCV8ks56B/s320/IMG_3328.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yesterday in the park, Pippi and I noticed this perky little sign affixed to the can designated for burnable refuse as we tried to stealthily slip a loaded poo bag into said bin. Illustrated with a pile of stool adorned with a smiley face, it states that dog owners are to take their pet's droppings home for proper disposal. Amazingly, most people in Japan seem to do just that. Unlike in some U.S. cities, there are no fines for not picking up pet droppings. There is no need for monetary punishment since the social stigma of behaving otherwise keeps most people in line. I guess I have not gone fully native yet. <br />
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<br />Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-40354102322617987572012-04-13T07:43:00.017+09:002012-04-16T05:26:26.051+09:00Taxidermy DogThe scene I am about to recount for you may be the weirdest thing I have seen in Japan yet. You might want to sit down.<br /><br />A week ago Saturday was the quintessential spring day -- the kind we wait for all year. The sun was shinning, the cherry blossoms were nearly peaking and everybody was out for a stroll, including us. At Hiroo Crossing, we noticed an elderly woman in a wheelchair with her dog on her lap and her husband hovering behind her protectively. Initially, we just kept walking. Yet something was slightly off about this scene. Something made us turn around and look again. <br /><br />At a glance, her shih tzu looked very realistic. Its size, shape and overall appearance were those of a real dog. But its fur was unnaturally stiff and bristly, its eyes had no expression and its body was completely unmoving. It was then that we realized this dog was no longer living. It was taxidermied!<br /><br />I am dead serious.<br /><br />I acknowledge that my behavior probably bordered on the impolite. While David went into the grocery store, Pippi and I circled around her a few times. I did not have the nerve to snap a full-on photo but, as you will see for yourself, I did score a rather telling profile shot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTvUJnA_JQ6f8m9lHa-d_uf85Qdby7r09GM4GcV2yvWs-5cUbPHwAU_cXeg7L2nlXyfQL829Snz-kbiifXAqtou4dl_0-tg6jJQisUsqBgBtvwkjuBKn73d-TKaPObkQuZaXAUTQvfnP8/s1600/IMG_3191.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTvUJnA_JQ6f8m9lHa-d_uf85Qdby7r09GM4GcV2yvWs-5cUbPHwAU_cXeg7L2nlXyfQL829Snz-kbiifXAqtou4dl_0-tg6jJQisUsqBgBtvwkjuBKn73d-TKaPObkQuZaXAUTQvfnP8/s320/IMG_3191.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730657919523858962" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-77989423446267321262012-03-17T19:57:00.023+09:002012-04-12T08:54:08.772+09:00The PilgrimageAmazingly, on my recent round-the-world adventure I visited three out of my four childhood homes. The only one I missed is Beverly Shores.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4G0AEPAHize29x8J5C0n1SY0C-IO2-5TPu4TvCzHr_f8hkDWht-mP6HEsp6czixEetW86hqT5HESmYnUJal5Wh-2sJ53BUn0soYmlaPY0xZ5ZIyDHy6ncbXRR5nxZcPJPEjqNP349L5OP/s1600/IMG_3142.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4G0AEPAHize29x8J5C0n1SY0C-IO2-5TPu4TvCzHr_f8hkDWht-mP6HEsp6czixEetW86hqT5HESmYnUJal5Wh-2sJ53BUn0soYmlaPY0xZ5ZIyDHy6ncbXRR5nxZcPJPEjqNP349L5OP/s320/IMG_3142.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730288174415059170" /></a><br /><br />The first stop on my pilgrimage was 6 Priory Walk in London. The neighborhood is as charming as ever -- still straight out of Mary Poppins. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCGbxZvizQHldi75jo1A-JI9YKbhs-bkWgoiQ4iHysp9OAA9wBzf6I1IKdDUJLj-2b5ECvVJSdem3-9Pgy8yCfC-aaCxGQ4cwD5Tgvuw3DMm08iVM0dsGwaC3jOxUJNSrr7YvWFHw_QN6/s1600/IMG_3145.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCGbxZvizQHldi75jo1A-JI9YKbhs-bkWgoiQ4iHysp9OAA9wBzf6I1IKdDUJLj-2b5ECvVJSdem3-9Pgy8yCfC-aaCxGQ4cwD5Tgvuw3DMm08iVM0dsGwaC3jOxUJNSrr7YvWFHw_QN6/s320/IMG_3145.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730288501610854610" /></a><br /><br />The house needed some attention, or at least a little paint, in places. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqPJeNoQqnvOqLh6jy_vjP_jmPfLjtmXpNgnYCx5WA1dncjMBDSndNc0ihI0uz6QzlBMVRIhT1-tBnHxT5N7BN4875K8qJ5IqX2RbZs-fr4BJVzzL_fKH6ogQRxNnGQEq4KenFZ2FK9cw/s1600/IMG_3146.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqPJeNoQqnvOqLh6jy_vjP_jmPfLjtmXpNgnYCx5WA1dncjMBDSndNc0ihI0uz6QzlBMVRIhT1-tBnHxT5N7BN4875K8qJ5IqX2RbZs-fr4BJVzzL_fKH6ogQRxNnGQEq4KenFZ2FK9cw/s320/IMG_3146.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730288714440158994" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY1dvKC9SqBW3BU-JpHWtn5tA8gn8YkfmTne31393oveApFP1RLzERuxEDDgaR2-h6Fk42P8auZAeFbQneVX2DHxH1asGO274TV6UFKaG-hDtAIjQ1c_Kh6MPIKiTd_QUIiwKq9mNQz1D/s1600/IMG_3148.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY1dvKC9SqBW3BU-JpHWtn5tA8gn8YkfmTne31393oveApFP1RLzERuxEDDgaR2-h6Fk42P8auZAeFbQneVX2DHxH1asGO274TV6UFKaG-hDtAIjQ1c_Kh6MPIKiTd_QUIiwKq9mNQz1D/s320/IMG_3148.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730287986741073330" /></a><br /><br />Next I went to Chicago where 5759 was waiting for me, just as lovely and welcoming as ever. The flowers in front were just beginning to bloom. I have a profound attachment to this house.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxHjemTD5wjcnpoo185dXbE6G8INJjzk3N1E-KKP3llEwWu_c8j7G7kjYlVPVr3o3MSv2F7wZmpgIH8qR-G3gigPyHWf9CKDoudHUEIu0-DDqOZZ5xqpKQqui2l7h8NnTYmgTxt8RWDHS/s1600/IMG_3158.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxHjemTD5wjcnpoo185dXbE6G8INJjzk3N1E-KKP3llEwWu_c8j7G7kjYlVPVr3o3MSv2F7wZmpgIH8qR-G3gigPyHWf9CKDoudHUEIu0-DDqOZZ5xqpKQqui2l7h8NnTYmgTxt8RWDHS/s320/IMG_3158.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730291109935528530" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLVHsKDUaQr_L4IPH4onKtlqNLlEbN03vT_72SNOrL31hn6RenKrLfGkKhMj0zYHb7uEFYtJApGLnehbwYKgIayqzSRQ4Ge9ydMCJ_5Y1c9TAZYgn9OodgCIIVaGuSyGbwNelZBfVLrdR/s1600/IMG_3162.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLVHsKDUaQr_L4IPH4onKtlqNLlEbN03vT_72SNOrL31hn6RenKrLfGkKhMj0zYHb7uEFYtJApGLnehbwYKgIayqzSRQ4Ge9ydMCJ_5Y1c9TAZYgn9OodgCIIVaGuSyGbwNelZBfVLrdR/s320/IMG_3162.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730291355713512162" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuZVGObJK382MC3hO0z_Zdum-2HqnVomkvqAOzHYn4EKVfbTvqSKz834ZVIV-pzjjfXEWVfplwCF30Cl8cRC4WCdJRQXrTMwc63PZdjJdgRhhe7U5ay4wnjRLIHCVgXw6qpiikbCGA44C/s1600/IMG_3164.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuZVGObJK382MC3hO0z_Zdum-2HqnVomkvqAOzHYn4EKVfbTvqSKz834ZVIV-pzjjfXEWVfplwCF30Cl8cRC4WCdJRQXrTMwc63PZdjJdgRhhe7U5ay4wnjRLIHCVgXw6qpiikbCGA44C/s320/IMG_3164.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730291547501833426" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOyBRqjUv5jOss8FURlunIj-iwplxrb4MGJlc3qrcLd03pKr0-zMU6LjIq_Sxpog8LfjYsQzlTGJVOTZiD4GpIK6PYN5AisrAUNOoCZL5wX7JsfCaGbNiI09FzjQIx1dGIiJsQb9-IJBC/s1600/IMG_3163.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOyBRqjUv5jOss8FURlunIj-iwplxrb4MGJlc3qrcLd03pKr0-zMU6LjIq_Sxpog8LfjYsQzlTGJVOTZiD4GpIK6PYN5AisrAUNOoCZL5wX7JsfCaGbNiI09FzjQIx1dGIiJsQb9-IJBC/s320/IMG_3163.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730291755910606578" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhtoceu7gPNftYw0oz3VbuQ1BS9Gz5htLyM6el1STRFxOmRO0ivtInWYH6-Vt4sPp24xpb5526-pLdfjJBQ-Ld92QH28XxZF5flw1nRVebBuv0eLhh-n8QowJZnnGazwj4VyXQD8Ezr1G/s1600/IMG_3160.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhtoceu7gPNftYw0oz3VbuQ1BS9Gz5htLyM6el1STRFxOmRO0ivtInWYH6-Vt4sPp24xpb5526-pLdfjJBQ-Ld92QH28XxZF5flw1nRVebBuv0eLhh-n8QowJZnnGazwj4VyXQD8Ezr1G/s320/IMG_3160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730292169542842834" /></a><br /><br />Lastly, a quick stop at 1110 Webster Street in Palo Alto where we lived briefly one summer. My pet frogs are buried in the backyard. I remember that the light inside was beautiful.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzlDyUKi8-X8l2bl7_Lms4bZzuU-D6ZFI_huhWJUIrot4eXpcIfOTB3IcBPaMSoAADpxYRLSoIqqY3NvGZZNxNvlcVlNMzbYMwTLgEFjres8Jjunk1S8DAqNX1jn4pxgLP2JyOt39CPCL/s1600/mail-3.jpeg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzlDyUKi8-X8l2bl7_Lms4bZzuU-D6ZFI_huhWJUIrot4eXpcIfOTB3IcBPaMSoAADpxYRLSoIqqY3NvGZZNxNvlcVlNMzbYMwTLgEFjres8Jjunk1S8DAqNX1jn4pxgLP2JyOt39CPCL/s320/mail-3.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730292459419884466" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1w3HZTbpp3ttHyxmJ4bzG0VCe4R953imGghCxQBghyphenhypheng5f1Q00sP-3hKR1X0C8biLAs_-PjkCfR07z5GWHo3kOW9IQQX1RSQ-5mSvWs9COa6i-H3vMpYC9LQ8ktw0YBp0YiPDwOUC5kni9/s1600/mail-5.jpeg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1w3HZTbpp3ttHyxmJ4bzG0VCe4R953imGghCxQBghyphenhypheng5f1Q00sP-3hKR1X0C8biLAs_-PjkCfR07z5GWHo3kOW9IQQX1RSQ-5mSvWs9COa6i-H3vMpYC9LQ8ktw0YBp0YiPDwOUC5kni9/s320/mail-5.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730292658449616306" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJq5B-BH8LgBBJI4eKfH6_TDBGVwWlnQHapuyPnfJIY_9_IV154jzF77hYjSk8o4mbd9HTmq8XyK9Agua9qzanwyh6glZaT4wybOaGRmhF-fOGotzpPMnQdfloIr5kbkhH3_E2G9BSV8nr/s1600/mail-4.jpeg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJq5B-BH8LgBBJI4eKfH6_TDBGVwWlnQHapuyPnfJIY_9_IV154jzF77hYjSk8o4mbd9HTmq8XyK9Agua9qzanwyh6glZaT4wybOaGRmhF-fOGotzpPMnQdfloIr5kbkhH3_E2G9BSV8nr/s320/mail-4.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730292850226366786" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-7600127836919423932012-03-16T20:37:00.004+09:002012-03-16T20:44:33.548+09:00Still Going Strong<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4J33gfSA-zLftCzhMywDo6zda0KwzRygWrNwzrqRz0h5mye_EW56O05EXXjqb8vx5USyhNUvCGgiAGVhkYmLFSaD7z45ud-0hzJeFOBW9QpSXlAUxNhA9vuDEETnGmxB_-Dp9tOvjoz9/s1600/IMG_3134.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4J33gfSA-zLftCzhMywDo6zda0KwzRygWrNwzrqRz0h5mye_EW56O05EXXjqb8vx5USyhNUvCGgiAGVhkYmLFSaD7z45ud-0hzJeFOBW9QpSXlAUxNhA9vuDEETnGmxB_-Dp9tOvjoz9/s320/IMG_3134.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720458183605284482" /></a><br /><br />Two of my book babies, <span style="font-style:italic;">Modern Japanese House</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">Hitoshi Abe</span>. Spotted at the tiny Phaidon Shop at a shipping container mall in London. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wYrEa9XZitL6dok-1e3uY9BQ4IvedVa-DIa7Nyh1hSLFSkUd5uS8ZPStTnqjK_CT9ofPKPetgHnzyBZDal1doq56KUEq7ukcs02CxAR6bLHngk_9XhItJAQMqnvgDh6m-Cq77x-H4xSq/s1600/IMG_3136.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wYrEa9XZitL6dok-1e3uY9BQ4IvedVa-DIa7Nyh1hSLFSkUd5uS8ZPStTnqjK_CT9ofPKPetgHnzyBZDal1doq56KUEq7ukcs02CxAR6bLHngk_9XhItJAQMqnvgDh6m-Cq77x-H4xSq/s320/IMG_3136.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720458644739460194" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-60331579660446959702012-02-12T11:04:00.019+09:002012-02-13T09:32:29.560+09:00Changes in the Hood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyeoyoNZHEK980_QWziJnmz01qrGZDweYcRID1fcnhYdJ2KGGnoPQn1FOKtmIe6p-CzToGJTxOYo9yjPCKDj5KsfI2RcuIKEJkD_zJ0DjYsGguEgNmb0rOlAupe246xWvqV4N9MbYh8Td/s1600/IMG_2602.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyeoyoNZHEK980_QWziJnmz01qrGZDweYcRID1fcnhYdJ2KGGnoPQn1FOKtmIe6p-CzToGJTxOYo9yjPCKDj5KsfI2RcuIKEJkD_zJ0DjYsGguEgNmb0rOlAupe246xWvqV4N9MbYh8Td/s320/IMG_2602.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708407946431702002" /></a><br />We now know that our old and much beloved building, Moto Azabu Grand Mansion, will be torn down soon. We knew this was coming but preferred to not think about it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLP7LZLXuDUYi_PYOAS3r3Bz-RVWUHg1rDVc1s-yNqCDmoz3vMU21cjIsQVWfYoU0Z6wSE_QhStwo-2g5NZjVnqveKgpGLA85LEp4elQrEZizi7ABkwPwWk2iKNsCKB9N0KiEpTuKgpEY/s1600/IMG_2601.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLP7LZLXuDUYi_PYOAS3r3Bz-RVWUHg1rDVc1s-yNqCDmoz3vMU21cjIsQVWfYoU0Z6wSE_QhStwo-2g5NZjVnqveKgpGLA85LEp4elQrEZizi7ABkwPwWk2iKNsCKB9N0KiEpTuKgpEY/s320/IMG_2601.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708404848106961474" /></a><br />Until we moved out in July, this was the only home Eve had ever lived in and the only one that Abby remembered. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0st7-xJ5rzJXjfRVpxUnqRPcGtGBumVRJY0TAkldeAUpPqRBeixjSZSi2AuPQO8_DqSrUXabHmFohtKumrGwfDARcqCwWacA8tNpZtlZzFbZoiO-zH1j8kaGMzn2d_mnaIaM0S7GRJRAn/s1600/IMG_1540.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0st7-xJ5rzJXjfRVpxUnqRPcGtGBumVRJY0TAkldeAUpPqRBeixjSZSi2AuPQO8_DqSrUXabHmFohtKumrGwfDARcqCwWacA8tNpZtlZzFbZoiO-zH1j8kaGMzn2d_mnaIaM0S7GRJRAn/s320/IMG_1540.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708404344248474034" /></a><br />For us, that lovely apartment 401 was laden with memories and history. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRELhhVGzQDcrW4JY5QSotDQdI9lFvn1VyNNIwHY3PNIh3iDAb84N-yqL5MMuiIFd3bkJFbVqJoozHFAwM-jFTVXhSGw5R5g6bXJz0xlYQVyluB-Rb_fZ9evscIumdAjcvQdM4mQbVfuDY/s1600/IMG_1541.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRELhhVGzQDcrW4JY5QSotDQdI9lFvn1VyNNIwHY3PNIh3iDAb84N-yqL5MMuiIFd3bkJFbVqJoozHFAwM-jFTVXhSGw5R5g6bXJz0xlYQVyluB-Rb_fZ9evscIumdAjcvQdM4mQbVfuDY/s320/IMG_1541.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708404555424573586" /></a><br />We were its first and only tenants. But now it is empty and awaiting its demise. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5veqhY97NzY1qnDli-w1dntd_9WbRXCXHbBv1Gmfo4up_21MVwaBaZ_0sseKqeSwjJUvWa0WQ1x_a8Zs35x1S04o6xctY2uxC5ij_7BhTz1FDCOZPtV-17UVm1OYP8QO3iz-E31kSL3P/s1600/IMG_3036.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5veqhY97NzY1qnDli-w1dntd_9WbRXCXHbBv1Gmfo4up_21MVwaBaZ_0sseKqeSwjJUvWa0WQ1x_a8Zs35x1S04o6xctY2uxC5ij_7BhTz1FDCOZPtV-17UVm1OYP8QO3iz-E31kSL3P/s320/IMG_3036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708405363587202786" /></a><br />Borings have been taken, the legally required <span style="font-style:italic;">kenchiku keikaku</span> (architectural plan) is posted to the side of the building (pictured above) and the drive in front is now fenced off. Even Pippi is deterred.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8979DOgDXIRrtk8U3Pff-3ocvKDkle4PwqXq28-FG7DjWxgfzZGCfy_u9vGsjUPsTzOgh5FzbE31GncFFJ1vp-ChItx641U_6EKjUE-yXMrD8C5Tvz0JylFaa34NPyOsQmP0fHfZ92xUv/s1600/IMG_3037.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8979DOgDXIRrtk8U3Pff-3ocvKDkle4PwqXq28-FG7DjWxgfzZGCfy_u9vGsjUPsTzOgh5FzbE31GncFFJ1vp-ChItx641U_6EKjUE-yXMrD8C5Tvz0JylFaa34NPyOsQmP0fHfZ92xUv/s320/IMG_3037.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708405643887432738" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvAu90a-DmbKkTckS4JyyiCbInqeR6GduvMTCc4aZXArUva0-JOwNDjgwzQ1XFpADUKzzqsRWrkyEj3TRK1cBlF058sWsG_MwLGZsMC4UeOwy1hEEKcpPMoHAryo6451r0GGwM4fusPJ7/s1600/IMG_3039.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvAu90a-DmbKkTckS4JyyiCbInqeR6GduvMTCc4aZXArUva0-JOwNDjgwzQ1XFpADUKzzqsRWrkyEj3TRK1cBlF058sWsG_MwLGZsMC4UeOwy1hEEKcpPMoHAryo6451r0GGwM4fusPJ7/s320/IMG_3039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708405841845956658" /></a><br />Instead of parked cars, piles of scaffolding sit in its paved roadway, just waiting to be called up for duty. If all goes according to plan, the brick-clad structure will be in the throes of demolition by this time next week.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifqq18zKqNkGMIYcQN6dt97dTaONi6cNvzGTrXwUHb5_KhuVNl7a_UyX2lX0Bdu1RkZJB_6PHhuTiT83FzkIkY_eR7BFVvTIeLK6Vvt1sEGQRlVwL4vmJ2YV7ZwuEYdosbkSUpQWNaEkm/s1600/IMG_3043.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifqq18zKqNkGMIYcQN6dt97dTaONi6cNvzGTrXwUHb5_KhuVNl7a_UyX2lX0Bdu1RkZJB_6PHhuTiT83FzkIkY_eR7BFVvTIeLK6Vvt1sEGQRlVwL4vmJ2YV7ZwuEYdosbkSUpQWNaEkm/s320/IMG_3043.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708406127663626578" /></a><br />Just around the corner, the 70s vintage (I think) apartment building, Homat Pearl, is a few steps ahead in the redevelopment process. Sorry for the poor picture. The old building already razed and the site prepared, the groundbreaking is about to happen (I think). It is a huge site -- I never realized its size until the building was removed. Now that it is gone, there is so much more light and air. But, of course, that will go once the new construction starts. Hopefully these two new buildings will not alter the character of that little S-shaped stretch of street, an unexpected pocket of residential quiet in the shadow of mammoth Roppongi Hills.<br /><br />Now don't get me wrong. I am quite dazzled by Tokyo's ability to reinvent itself again and again and again. This city has a remarkable way of evolving, revitalizing and growing in a very organic fashion. These are marvelous traits that keep the city alive -- no donut issues here. In fact, I would even go so far as to say Tokyo is a model of natural urban renewal that the rest of the world could learn from.<br /><br />The replacement of buildings one by one is a sign of urban health. I do not even mind the disjuncture between adjacent buildings -- there are no cornice lines, street walls or consistent architectural vocabularies to unify. Over the years I have grown quite fond of the odd juxtapositions and strange adjacencies. Though frustrating at times, I have even developed an affection for the quirky Japanese address system that identifies buildings in the order of their completion, not physical location within the block. Yet seeing our former home for one of the last times tugs at my heart just a little. <br /><br />I want the city to replace the worn out and the no longer needed, yet to save the meaningful and the historic -- and not just the front elevation as is sometimes the case ( I loathe facadism). Not to mention the florid wastefulness of destroying a building like the Grand Mansion which is only 16 years old. This is young even by Japanese standards. Good Bye, Grand Mansion. We are sorry to see you go.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-161732597262253862012-02-11T18:44:00.024+09:002012-02-11T19:55:35.394+09:00Poor Sad Christchurch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwol-BqYczI-3yHUg_K4T3HwnAsNDJYXcre2Na3HjsC2wyaV39IkoiU6SpsP4Z-1m3Sn1pOrRgQDXGgkqWDjhGZ2h3HlRHlbuII6o0uB7R_1Oo87ic1sVagtaLk5TOzSXibc5_g9n7_bCj/s1600/IMG_2847.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwol-BqYczI-3yHUg_K4T3HwnAsNDJYXcre2Na3HjsC2wyaV39IkoiU6SpsP4Z-1m3Sn1pOrRgQDXGgkqWDjhGZ2h3HlRHlbuII6o0uB7R_1Oo87ic1sVagtaLk5TOzSXibc5_g9n7_bCj/s320/IMG_2847.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707818701535647538" /></a> I've got Christchurch on my mind. We made a brief visit to the city in January. And I am thinking about it once again as I pen a short piece about Shigeru Ban's upcoming paper tube church, due to rise up from the rubble in three months time. As of December, the entire central business district (CBD) was still closed off and declared red zone. It is the equivalent of the Loop and North Michigan Avenue having been sucked out of Chicago, my point of reference for most things urban. Unfathomable. In between the hoardings and fences, one can peer inside --the once thriving commercial area now looks like a ghost town. There is still debris in situ, broken glass scattered about and buildings in various states of destruction. It looked like the EQ was just last week. Had this been Japan, I am fairly certain that things would have been tidier, if not cleaned up entirely. Evidently, even buildings that look relatively unscathed have a date with the wrecking ball due to unseen, but very hazardous, structural damage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuDojXkWk3C-kDoZ2EWaUDufl4TMpcl68WxpjqftrW9J5YpsA0yHWWyonp7HI_Vc-e0t17JQZOf84LS72WjxudZZheQqDC5cvwk3zV8btCAu1mb6ADip9bFqwpgqMma630jZ6zrhJ2G7c/s1600/IMG_2826.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuDojXkWk3C-kDoZ2EWaUDufl4TMpcl68WxpjqftrW9J5YpsA0yHWWyonp7HI_Vc-e0t17JQZOf84LS72WjxudZZheQqDC5cvwk3zV8btCAu1mb6ADip9bFqwpgqMma630jZ6zrhJ2G7c/s320/IMG_2826.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707822445888468914" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WiMCUCNMc7CJ5rT1tY9Ac5Ypciwb47CyEZd75XoB2Asiliwb9y7rtapXY7CVJuUZDAjoP3MKXbiN7_9HqlDKlFK1l2semWTcSRoV-FV4SlvfD6th9bucC3ag-k47viny2q1x5pOUMXwD/s1600/IMG_2832.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WiMCUCNMc7CJ5rT1tY9Ac5Ypciwb47CyEZd75XoB2Asiliwb9y7rtapXY7CVJuUZDAjoP3MKXbiN7_9HqlDKlFK1l2semWTcSRoV-FV4SlvfD6th9bucC3ag-k47viny2q1x5pOUMXwD/s320/IMG_2832.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707819328707917074" /></a> True, a make-shift shopping area compiled of shipping containers has sprouted just outside the CBD. On the one hand, this seems like an ingenious way to attract people back into the center of town. Though we saw lots of pedestrians milling about, the stores were understocked and kind of tawdry. We tried to find something to buy out of solidarity but it was a struggle.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFbBijhlK1XiOcxSiFog-RDy2txP-UOaukasFgm6RqjudyNq61FzKGJUE48_kta0bJGgmWE1vC4gzaxAuegaVXJQo3MkmvHu0nK-BhgO18vITJk1fJd4VPQhbfS45HY7YT1ZMhPFThFvk/s1600/IMG_2864.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFbBijhlK1XiOcxSiFog-RDy2txP-UOaukasFgm6RqjudyNq61FzKGJUE48_kta0bJGgmWE1vC4gzaxAuegaVXJQo3MkmvHu0nK-BhgO18vITJk1fJd4VPQhbfS45HY7YT1ZMhPFThFvk/s320/IMG_2864.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707825196153980514" /></a><br />I was particularly struck by the many 19th century churches outside the CBD. While awaiting repair, their steeples sit on the ground, alongside the main edifices. We witnessed this again and again. Hopefully they can all be resurrected. But bringing these historic structures up to code will be a challenge and a great expense no doubt.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2iU9lR8OP52hVJhKV3CBdoKt8hDjtiiJum7EnIvwB97VCRMmJGb1HrpYd_0W4E1GPBsceFtUxnZvG2YGoSr-87qvKnxKl4gWs5dRsfzl112FTP_GoyeeMRnF2fqCIRJctrxDAEL4w77T/s1600/IMG_2861.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2iU9lR8OP52hVJhKV3CBdoKt8hDjtiiJum7EnIvwB97VCRMmJGb1HrpYd_0W4E1GPBsceFtUxnZvG2YGoSr-87qvKnxKl4gWs5dRsfzl112FTP_GoyeeMRnF2fqCIRJctrxDAEL4w77T/s320/IMG_2861.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707825731358730978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJAK31tKNQU8IZhMU5gqIfaQUIfSWAAkNkfpEZ6-hlumOme1UAP-mj5bA97CsKqjvSvjPx5Vuc1ehzhMpglv0ByiT_ZDoW8rcdKtMlvtxUAtrqSK5XY3p93BGCi3owHOAIHNtOxPYjqvG/s1600/IMG_2862.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJAK31tKNQU8IZhMU5gqIfaQUIfSWAAkNkfpEZ6-hlumOme1UAP-mj5bA97CsKqjvSvjPx5Vuc1ehzhMpglv0ByiT_ZDoW8rcdKtMlvtxUAtrqSK5XY3p93BGCi3owHOAIHNtOxPYjqvG/s320/IMG_2862.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707826638290662130" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoUYZ0u9rG1d4mFArjsLqSJ6pJ8xLSDrtDp0IL4izoUbBThj86qSkgsEq_lPvlwgiWJEMoyci8IkzJZCaHqQf9MkBETO4v69v95ghWeVadeizKHBAV7NPQv0yQq-hrzsx7cwsTS4Bo3I0/s1600/IMG_2852.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoUYZ0u9rG1d4mFArjsLqSJ6pJ8xLSDrtDp0IL4izoUbBThj86qSkgsEq_lPvlwgiWJEMoyci8IkzJZCaHqQf9MkBETO4v69v95ghWeVadeizKHBAV7NPQv0yQq-hrzsx7cwsTS4Bo3I0/s320/IMG_2852.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707822944873225906" /></a>The gate at the Jewish Community Center, itself in total disarray, was hauntingly off kilter. We were very relieved to learn that money is being raised for the center's rebuilding. In the meantime, weekly services take place in a member's home.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-37053747033329399492012-02-07T10:28:00.001+09:002012-02-07T10:31:42.155+09:00Hokkaido Brie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-u3NdKovjTenSqWXROV1cjaZ2VBdUdFotUjHCFjsc6OGEqxnFXhtjTZf5E0dKTaVr7mrFS0TmMTwYTbKCQRfwKN0LfsDFgzhqjG6sHkjqBo63QpERm_KSOsq3A2t35DDLR-7BLF-UYhm/s1600/IMG_0837.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-u3NdKovjTenSqWXROV1cjaZ2VBdUdFotUjHCFjsc6OGEqxnFXhtjTZf5E0dKTaVr7mrFS0TmMTwYTbKCQRfwKN0LfsDFgzhqjG6sHkjqBo63QpERm_KSOsq3A2t35DDLR-7BLF-UYhm/s320/IMG_0837.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706199953546827442" /></a><br />I am utterly speechless.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-75796204530423012282011-12-21T06:20:00.023+09:002011-12-21T08:30:24.865+09:00Oops!We are fairly convinced that Japan has more 'hair & make' salons than any other city in the world. People in Japan obviously love to get a tonsorial fix -- who wouldn't when every shampoo comes with a head massage? I think it is probably one of those little luxuries that off set the hardships of daily life in the rabbit hutch. For a couple of months, I have been collecting hair salon signs around town to share with you. Here is a round up of the best of the best. I hope that you find them as amusing as we do. None are photoshopped. All were taken with my trusty little iphone. I kid you not.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqDwovnkb67R2TpG3OwXjIRlqw7pnfG5Om2hvXv6fR5Hikt8ZNOJK9xj0N4kGMYM4MZRkaBDi-jpIEHloPAJ7MEaio7GIQpm9fn12SX7lR7F6lrM9rcP04cpo84WLS5vM6Yp0SR5lU_Q_/s1600/IMG_2388.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqDwovnkb67R2TpG3OwXjIRlqw7pnfG5Om2hvXv6fR5Hikt8ZNOJK9xj0N4kGMYM4MZRkaBDi-jpIEHloPAJ7MEaio7GIQpm9fn12SX7lR7F6lrM9rcP04cpo84WLS5vM6Yp0SR5lU_Q_/s320/IMG_2388.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688354603229744514" /></a><br />Self-explanatory.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QdzTO8S7eYqwWNoJb8lnkahfxo3Q-c13204XaPlAxk1QeuacquCO5Fl6KdddBsH8Jquftvr0TjHsUBCUtinGK6oIGWqPIsaU79fO5BHiddOgGdsEjStg8xBRyRkn_jNFbXI3yNWmru1K/s1600/IMG_2467.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QdzTO8S7eYqwWNoJb8lnkahfxo3Q-c13204XaPlAxk1QeuacquCO5Fl6KdddBsH8Jquftvr0TjHsUBCUtinGK6oIGWqPIsaU79fO5BHiddOgGdsEjStg8xBRyRkn_jNFbXI3yNWmru1K/s320/IMG_2467.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688354889867474178" /></a><br />Confidence-instilling.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVw5JcvC8XNj3egyUGtd1aI6lYc-Jkj9kZ1GgFILB_dx_-ZduUC_5a3laEA65mTNQ17T18EJwxx-Om-dug2CIAkslOcpdYNWEhsnexcml-qmNUVHPKqppY1Puq8PMpDAtLvBqgmEjBqeV/s1600/IMG_2575.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVw5JcvC8XNj3egyUGtd1aI6lYc-Jkj9kZ1GgFILB_dx_-ZduUC_5a3laEA65mTNQ17T18EJwxx-Om-dug2CIAkslOcpdYNWEhsnexcml-qmNUVHPKqppY1Puq8PMpDAtLvBqgmEjBqeV/s320/IMG_2575.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688355390776309586" /></a><br />Kinda catchy!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yrrv4A4j2OksXJNR-SV5wwhqKvklbIDbNBIepbEeGaldd-ux9HOxr6gOtTKsohmdMwYAw1exUYEsVf62gG0zTMuMDPLsjVzlxz80ndSdEh_-S9LNGel4Or7OdwdEadz3nzMCI-q555gi/s1600/IMG_2583.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yrrv4A4j2OksXJNR-SV5wwhqKvklbIDbNBIepbEeGaldd-ux9HOxr6gOtTKsohmdMwYAw1exUYEsVf62gG0zTMuMDPLsjVzlxz80ndSdEh_-S9LNGel4Or7OdwdEadz3nzMCI-q555gi/s320/IMG_2583.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688352988899844338" /></a><br />Maybe it's a guy thing.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuH5tAnRoB4bEFqiPgsy2pek7zwCUrQb4ZSt0i8yXq5pSVVXuRXNvKv4ftfHFNw6asYg4GTMDZWQmq5VJr9ijN0sU5QqNhLEC3hqpsDEXJrVvil6deLrriBa4YGitTkfhwy9SmLi_NWWPw/s1600/IMG_2562.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuH5tAnRoB4bEFqiPgsy2pek7zwCUrQb4ZSt0i8yXq5pSVVXuRXNvKv4ftfHFNw6asYg4GTMDZWQmq5VJr9ijN0sU5QqNhLEC3hqpsDEXJrVvil6deLrriBa4YGitTkfhwy9SmLi_NWWPw/s320/IMG_2562.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688353395361366706" /></a><br />Say w h a a a t ???<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmDRSh9lRjHwRuvCxjVrEwiFKeQ45utbE9BF6oAsbbgMeU2gxjlZSkhpsQsiuKksTWG4u3OX2MuL3C7c_zuz6hmCpTqALVC6PsoieLL32TpwBn4aVYphajF40QAE-eQL-i62Qs7M4ozCZ/s1600/IMG_2457.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmDRSh9lRjHwRuvCxjVrEwiFKeQ45utbE9BF6oAsbbgMeU2gxjlZSkhpsQsiuKksTWG4u3OX2MuL3C7c_zuz6hmCpTqALVC6PsoieLL32TpwBn4aVYphajF40QAE-eQL-i62Qs7M4ozCZ/s320/IMG_2457.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688355718065258098" /></a><br />And, my personal favorite, NIX! Lice or no lice, they simply hack it all off.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-39469310728329568952011-12-20T05:42:00.006+09:002011-12-20T06:13:33.829+09:00Pippi's Omimai<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKL5Cdj9UnNR2iE9fAWdn3POqqFCzDf9CCzWfJxuvm03QV77gaDNKgb-_SBepXCjtaDmrWXHwZGc9-f5Oal8rRZTFpgNyuJeARxh8mIgY5Sz5LxvRtvEpP6jbwq0Z4EDYLbyDn1W4BNobv/s1600/IMG_2643.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKL5Cdj9UnNR2iE9fAWdn3POqqFCzDf9CCzWfJxuvm03QV77gaDNKgb-_SBepXCjtaDmrWXHwZGc9-f5Oal8rRZTFpgNyuJeARxh8mIgY5Sz5LxvRtvEpP6jbwq0Z4EDYLbyDn1W4BNobv/s320/IMG_2643.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687949380663893042" /></a><br /><br />Very regrettably, Pippi had a bad encounter with a pair of rather aggressive beagles about ten days ago in Arisugawa Park. While Pippi was greeting a friendly labradoodle that she knows, two beagles on a double leash lunged at her. In turn, Pippi lunged back and a bit of a tussle ensued. By the time we could pull the dogs apart, Pippi's ear was dripping with blood. The opposing dogs were completely unscathed. Pippi's injury resulted in stitches, a snood-like bandage to keep the ear in place and, the crowning blow, an <span style="font-style:italic;">erizabesu cora</span> (aka Elizabeth collar). Despite her regalia, Pippi has still managed to play fetch with her friends, Humphrey and Scout, every morning in the batting cage not far from home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8krNsZwwmIfn4IOd3UzW48wpCixu06jIzmOk6bRkkvG9HcaH8NgdX3JHMiEmO7gzWD5RwpOwOVPYKSvyOBNA2mBWwhNrs6eFQ1zTKD6WMqx-wyPE7EO1zl_SKruD67WY7UHseSg3fMQB4/s1600/IMG_2638.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8krNsZwwmIfn4IOd3UzW48wpCixu06jIzmOk6bRkkvG9HcaH8NgdX3JHMiEmO7gzWD5RwpOwOVPYKSvyOBNA2mBWwhNrs6eFQ1zTKD6WMqx-wyPE7EO1zl_SKruD67WY7UHseSg3fMQB4/s320/IMG_2638.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687949560846887378" /></a><br /><br />Yesterday, when we showed up , a most remarkable thing occurred. One of the older, Japanese women who lives right near the batting cage, appeared at the fence with a small, red and white bag. I had seen her before but we had never actually spoken to one another, just the usual slight head bow of acknowledgement. This time, she addressed me full on and offered me the bag as an <span style="font-style:italic;">omimai</span> or sympathy gift for Pippi. Cognizant of Pippi's love of apples, she had kindly placed one red and one yellow in the bag for her. Only in Japan.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-6LY5wbRxI5nSpnIdYHNbF6T4sq-5F2GSQFXUHPrAEG0-vit0gLDJ6DxD3Nx_lu3DnwO_eMcZMMTElGshIF9yUHeEkRcEQeK9NRBOO9UTSs_PuDK-drgvZzcGPGpYlDyB3rA07eaqhO_/s1600/IMG_2644.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-6LY5wbRxI5nSpnIdYHNbF6T4sq-5F2GSQFXUHPrAEG0-vit0gLDJ6DxD3Nx_lu3DnwO_eMcZMMTElGshIF9yUHeEkRcEQeK9NRBOO9UTSs_PuDK-drgvZzcGPGpYlDyB3rA07eaqhO_/s320/IMG_2644.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687950173194269890" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-26386599948325515372011-11-01T12:52:00.014+09:002011-11-02T10:41:14.966+09:00Lovely Arches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyLQC1GKNgQXyTnccGdZxCE1713zp-8moij1xxlNiTdjfgN32Sb5-yhPbHUSPngEAqAGRFlwao9Zt6N6SoleEC7GtpyBfanjooAHAhQOt_qEyY1oaCqRWv1va8Yrusxwe2O4Qqu0ceLSI/s1600/IMG_2420.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyLQC1GKNgQXyTnccGdZxCE1713zp-8moij1xxlNiTdjfgN32Sb5-yhPbHUSPngEAqAGRFlwao9Zt6N6SoleEC7GtpyBfanjooAHAhQOt_qEyY1oaCqRWv1va8Yrusxwe2O4Qqu0ceLSI/s320/IMG_2420.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670205500615057778" /></a><br /><br />I drive regularly under a pair of bridges, one for the Chuo Expressway and the other for the JR train line, not too far from my home. As you can see in the photos, they are made of iron or steel and painted green. I imagine they were built in the 60s or 70s but I could be wrong about this. Not much to write home about. Unless you are me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiEPELI5VI6Da5ubcdV7hBqPRSjDe0V1SrdXde2ULTRsZ4wA7QOUxhdFCYEti9et6vCfXxJiLPJ61QSRTVXVQWJ9f_CNAN_gJ5_XYzTgW8_iJ6vYGBAVBP9Ax9Swl-M2_Hz41C336rOcY/s1600/IMG_2428.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIiEPELI5VI6Da5ubcdV7hBqPRSjDe0V1SrdXde2ULTRsZ4wA7QOUxhdFCYEti9et6vCfXxJiLPJ61QSRTVXVQWJ9f_CNAN_gJ5_XYzTgW8_iJ6vYGBAVBP9Ax9Swl-M2_Hz41C336rOcY/s320/IMG_2428.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670206112280805410" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK8A-sT15q8wxeh1yXdU6trbpVPWWmi86zVRCOlJxtJ4GhBSu7_s82SoAwO94Zhv4YiuHX4zEDxu1Ninoo7R9ZEtdjfkJm8KLjtmTJfQWBZ64a2MeBeIbxmmAW5BguYhBYk4ea-7srjWt/s1600/IMG_2426.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK8A-sT15q8wxeh1yXdU6trbpVPWWmi86zVRCOlJxtJ4GhBSu7_s82SoAwO94Zhv4YiuHX4zEDxu1Ninoo7R9ZEtdjfkJm8KLjtmTJfQWBZ64a2MeBeIbxmmAW5BguYhBYk4ea-7srjWt/s320/IMG_2426.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670206320291444370" /></a><br /><br />I have always had a thing for feats of structural engineering. There is something so beautiful about a form that is so efficient. Yet for years, I barely batted an eye at these bridges. That is, until I walked beneath them. How differently we see when on foot. I had never noticed the care or craft embodied in their metalwork. Just look at those rivets! And what lovely arches. They are text book perfect.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXAKr2gWvRuCEv7sjXscG3EGbjRhThnUb1qFk3BirwkgMGWovEKxU8EzYGrbqYVOHpZNf4BfDdrmYjWtfHiOKwvYhyphenhyphen3a-ph2GaIswizCZdMKEJgTab7ryrj57qr4kDHhewP4UFBYRzw8-/s1600/IMG_2421.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXAKr2gWvRuCEv7sjXscG3EGbjRhThnUb1qFk3BirwkgMGWovEKxU8EzYGrbqYVOHpZNf4BfDdrmYjWtfHiOKwvYhyphenhyphen3a-ph2GaIswizCZdMKEJgTab7ryrj57qr4kDHhewP4UFBYRzw8-/s320/IMG_2421.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670206681829731762" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9LdH3pbCTK5w6lXE055IM8DEWRQgFDJb5X0-UvGE-IMrdq1at1ar0Qq72Dma_4cePWg-zkTRzvMdR7yJ4cs3g-MVCPAAP-_J9EE8F-ddQgvqY9aobzsvcsmPyccj-8LfsWVWrkJkbZfp/s1600/IMG_2425.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9LdH3pbCTK5w6lXE055IM8DEWRQgFDJb5X0-UvGE-IMrdq1at1ar0Qq72Dma_4cePWg-zkTRzvMdR7yJ4cs3g-MVCPAAP-_J9EE8F-ddQgvqY9aobzsvcsmPyccj-8LfsWVWrkJkbZfp/s320/IMG_2425.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670206964431622178" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSssZF7-Jvd58FHvOvqqVKCFx2ax7fvGmjQgWMHVhJPKVgoTxCQicFIPf2VRVuRhPfwqQ0uey0GnEO_o4R_Ry0r4dYQo0c3ErHEwDDEJ8MQY_7EkZZv9c5w8PNlKi5FV-G0FzeQZIlFzP/s1600/IMG_2414.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSssZF7-Jvd58FHvOvqqVKCFx2ax7fvGmjQgWMHVhJPKVgoTxCQicFIPf2VRVuRhPfwqQ0uey0GnEO_o4R_Ry0r4dYQo0c3ErHEwDDEJ8MQY_7EkZZv9c5w8PNlKi5FV-G0FzeQZIlFzP/s320/IMG_2414.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670207144587072482" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-43103240586913746492011-10-11T16:11:00.002+09:002011-10-11T16:13:55.816+09:00The Tee Shirt Says It All<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsukxtkM69f5q3yYC6XjjAWTJn_lLj1QSMoBtT0BYb5qTnxJpWwoS3_7LTBtZ13az5Z1qoQN49SrWLz6yz0khLaqatrCkDzXteOp_IvaetwkG9TPou6oDX3xjr3k-SDX-d4ho2xzs0Ujk5/s1600/IMG_2326.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsukxtkM69f5q3yYC6XjjAWTJn_lLj1QSMoBtT0BYb5qTnxJpWwoS3_7LTBtZ13az5Z1qoQN49SrWLz6yz0khLaqatrCkDzXteOp_IvaetwkG9TPou6oDX3xjr3k-SDX-d4ho2xzs0Ujk5/s320/IMG_2326.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662129037489637714" /></a><br />I shudder to think.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-28059157469523671172011-10-09T05:12:00.025+09:002011-10-17T08:34:32.917+09:00In Monet's Garden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlT896QJxbwM_do0g0knnYOY3suNV7FJWPEqEe-v3UnsxCLZ_cjt0_lqj-I2uKOhLK13MThXHHgFEhrmW-rFyV01S4cLwQ9DH5fkPId_RLtRA1MyrITDth_sHGXZ_6MSI7glgGSvfgzRe/s1600/IMG_1630.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlT896QJxbwM_do0g0knnYOY3suNV7FJWPEqEe-v3UnsxCLZ_cjt0_lqj-I2uKOhLK13MThXHHgFEhrmW-rFyV01S4cLwQ9DH5fkPId_RLtRA1MyrITDth_sHGXZ_6MSI7glgGSvfgzRe/s320/IMG_1630.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664228124072386386" /></a> As summer slides into autumn, I find myself thinking wistful thoughts about our lovely trip to France. One of the early and many high points of the trip was our visit to Monet's home and garden in Giverny, a destination we had been hankering after since the girls were very little. From a young age, the girls enjoyed reading about Linnea and her Giverny expedition. Plus we are regulars at the Impressionist galleries at the Art Institute of Chicago. <br /><br />Color is clearly the dominant theme of the artist's homestead. The sunken living room with its tall windows and expansive wall space for paintings was very evocative. However, we loved the yellow room and the blue kitchen most of all. Using architectural means, these spaces bring Monet's feeling for color inside. Even the more sedate rooms have windows that look out over the garden. Edged with wood, each one frames the view like a picture. A wild contrast to the closely cropped landscapes we are accustomed to in Japan, Monet's property was an overgrown, exuberant outburst of growth. Laced with paths, the garden has some small lawns but it is the flowers that draw the eye. The management explains that this profusion may not have existed during Monet's time yet the slightly untamed nature of his property is probably pretty true to form. <br /><br />Monet's famous foot bridge looked just as it does in his paintings but it did not really seem Japanese to us. Also, today the pond is separated from the rest of the garden by a road that was not extant during Monet's time. A tasteful underground passage connects the two halves but this is certainly not the way the artist experienced his domain.<br /><br />After exploring the tiny town, we got back on the train and went to Rouen per a good friend's suggestion. What a charming spot with its half-timber buildings and medieval clock tower. We bought a small bag of caramel pearls at one of the local confectioners. Truly the best chocolates I have ever eaten in my life. Bar none. Hollow chocolate balls filled with creamy caramel inside and dusted with crunchy sugar granules on the outside. Regrettably, we did not discover their goodness until a day or two later when we were already back in Paris and those luscious taste treats were miles away. We did investigate the possibility of ordering but have yet to confirm whether they ship internationally. Sadly I do not even have a picture to show you. But I can take you on a tour of flowers from Monet's garden. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg95CKYD9NbMDs5Twi_Da9KLo0r9fN8xYKjdDxLauSBCVui2NNa6QfJWGKnGcDc0LNrdMSW_rFFPrRT1QyKKoRYi587kdpxoOHno6izOOHtwK0nnEyd16ONAEHRfc3RL4UqZ5GUYk8X6tq/s1600/IMG_1618.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg95CKYD9NbMDs5Twi_Da9KLo0r9fN8xYKjdDxLauSBCVui2NNa6QfJWGKnGcDc0LNrdMSW_rFFPrRT1QyKKoRYi587kdpxoOHno6izOOHtwK0nnEyd16ONAEHRfc3RL4UqZ5GUYk8X6tq/s320/IMG_1618.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664228508490882914" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFV4RmjNA6kF3iMv44GK0kANLwRvDGzIXqGYOpOkw5JUbRccM6ajZhKMEa6Pe3qtoInHrLtDyeGYstVfG5P8tu5XG3k7P3Rap-w42io3az_4xuDEEZMRBBn3xU5r8eaW4ffWTQOcLTiY7W/s1600/IMG_1616.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFV4RmjNA6kF3iMv44GK0kANLwRvDGzIXqGYOpOkw5JUbRccM6ajZhKMEa6Pe3qtoInHrLtDyeGYstVfG5P8tu5XG3k7P3Rap-w42io3az_4xuDEEZMRBBn3xU5r8eaW4ffWTQOcLTiY7W/s320/IMG_1616.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664228841223089938" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8JDvMPy0oSlr7fVIhA32AVuLUsk3BktJwlmGWyPF-5R0iGeXPF_Vnem-YH88jBZIKTtNIC6LL1CVLBiAMTvBjRuxBIK3KNo8I-TCpOR2ft7mdUKXV0llU8EVJZoxNgBzgBvh1H8IqUCq/s1600/IMG_1631.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8JDvMPy0oSlr7fVIhA32AVuLUsk3BktJwlmGWyPF-5R0iGeXPF_Vnem-YH88jBZIKTtNIC6LL1CVLBiAMTvBjRuxBIK3KNo8I-TCpOR2ft7mdUKXV0llU8EVJZoxNgBzgBvh1H8IqUCq/s320/IMG_1631.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664229184351957682" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sEt4DDwplbfMjBeRt5vBuJLuxnnRO_HxCsCO29vaE6lRRuYhELPHx0MbcpnetLnvH8iYegpvLWf_W0mZFGs6b17GoQdlBhmilnPq57ldYU3hwVhMzB-4pZfvT3GXomkTh1papoLdK8_C/s1600/IMG_1623.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sEt4DDwplbfMjBeRt5vBuJLuxnnRO_HxCsCO29vaE6lRRuYhELPHx0MbcpnetLnvH8iYegpvLWf_W0mZFGs6b17GoQdlBhmilnPq57ldYU3hwVhMzB-4pZfvT3GXomkTh1papoLdK8_C/s320/IMG_1623.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664229422901826402" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZWA3haInkwuyvWfKlL0aJTVDwTMk0HCiGCN4b6-MOZGrIizAvYMo8IGYYHqcJz7mDCA0m1VOaRLnYi_M3g6k9CaJeXiMnpvVPcKd1UC_XtQ0UjhMHFlp6yiFruTZsieiHl5mrWc62hAK/s1600/IMG_1641.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZWA3haInkwuyvWfKlL0aJTVDwTMk0HCiGCN4b6-MOZGrIizAvYMo8IGYYHqcJz7mDCA0m1VOaRLnYi_M3g6k9CaJeXiMnpvVPcKd1UC_XtQ0UjhMHFlp6yiFruTZsieiHl5mrWc62hAK/s320/IMG_1641.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664229973195646290" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj954b7uxW_ooc80l67BkISKkJ_RQD6ppb8zDfp_N_k87vvNsDuaToyJIvIFcZuTPkAvcc2yytTqAu9BGgu1QlSG2wfCvIHg_KJkqkmZ86i57bzOOZxVjNrUHf_d_BTuZnsO8AzGBiTkWqV/s1600/IMG_1636.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj954b7uxW_ooc80l67BkISKkJ_RQD6ppb8zDfp_N_k87vvNsDuaToyJIvIFcZuTPkAvcc2yytTqAu9BGgu1QlSG2wfCvIHg_KJkqkmZ86i57bzOOZxVjNrUHf_d_BTuZnsO8AzGBiTkWqV/s320/IMG_1636.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664230248018544914" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBtqMXG5M8x_DihBa-hSKyFVUr4iG6NKYMe02pqqRATqJ3UK1Sgx1B7hH6oZdX8zQUeOtAyzMIdYukPewbQy303Ymav1G5oFHoyKwIceWNkcmlgbPHX3mp9pwd6mAF7iDgLrOMOoEIbA3/s1600/IMG_1640.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBtqMXG5M8x_DihBa-hSKyFVUr4iG6NKYMe02pqqRATqJ3UK1Sgx1B7hH6oZdX8zQUeOtAyzMIdYukPewbQy303Ymav1G5oFHoyKwIceWNkcmlgbPHX3mp9pwd6mAF7iDgLrOMOoEIbA3/s320/IMG_1640.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664230637690924882" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErFClvNiwWkT1HmkGcniw9kAAhVop6hiMvFIzDc5IP78GqKcxxTQnbFh6q9HbFovLvVZ3sewQKIU40vVRet0i7QuEpYe91kvPAssbAkgdElMAY8IWQz8pqMervmc-HjdVHRd0_j48bxRX/s1600/IMG_1628.jpg"><img style="float:left; 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margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5bXyFQNRylKmd64J_leSkP-o_O4u3-8O6_xTZGDKiqLCM5eUCddsB0O-hG5bzNIkbzdrT6rtYZWOUfuzE-FJgd3PRjVKVH-z4h2DVc5aN0Jm8BgEmKuaX6bkYCSxSAB9nPJnLAXB7-iv/s320/IMG_1627.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664231406046374114" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBweTsr9KSHS-Ffc2qIqrUy2JYTK2P0WezjO3C5e9m0e_8hpmiWz_TUeZIH-Dutund7TfDm2TmaM90GBS82K2ONRQYkEISdxWifceS5wFvpAX446uDM4lhbm98oK1eCWB3dFrtMtnTnBy/s1600/IMG_1633.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBweTsr9KSHS-Ffc2qIqrUy2JYTK2P0WezjO3C5e9m0e_8hpmiWz_TUeZIH-Dutund7TfDm2TmaM90GBS82K2ONRQYkEISdxWifceS5wFvpAX446uDM4lhbm98oK1eCWB3dFrtMtnTnBy/s320/IMG_1633.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664231689153339586" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0y41A4RnYK3bieAbx-O1NLcn13TKtfdkDR12pfqXvT-t-A69wm688_HWBMvs1PD5MtlS_v66Fm_wD_oO65qMVYDW8a7SCNtURSuHx3YiHl25JPgB4ab6n_8HjpU-mU5ZNlO_l5zUBHOE/s1600/IMG_1635.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0y41A4RnYK3bieAbx-O1NLcn13TKtfdkDR12pfqXvT-t-A69wm688_HWBMvs1PD5MtlS_v66Fm_wD_oO65qMVYDW8a7SCNtURSuHx3YiHl25JPgB4ab6n_8HjpU-mU5ZNlO_l5zUBHOE/s320/IMG_1635.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664231925112433986" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjgO6pKwQ7wSmbp1PK9_42o7ZWo3mTK71jNNs-WFZMtW6nqFI2Q5AyGNhX20LkOyZMAG4ZQYBS07qDgP2988YagLNrzmj0bAw3jw9tLkkk8kCdfsTSxlOLKEYOtxHoYIH5QlvpX-o5_nt/s1600/IMG_1639.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjgO6pKwQ7wSmbp1PK9_42o7ZWo3mTK71jNNs-WFZMtW6nqFI2Q5AyGNhX20LkOyZMAG4ZQYBS07qDgP2988YagLNrzmj0bAw3jw9tLkkk8kCdfsTSxlOLKEYOtxHoYIH5QlvpX-o5_nt/s320/IMG_1639.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664232240177832130" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrX833fhiKPxq0JwM4K5jQL277w1PArqiFD1jxCm_n90hIrrK73pyPNLQBGxcquV_U0E6ebQ2RZV_Ch6dykKIZ4cs00VhTlyIg3dBA1QA2k9VBU8xmqJWgdyChQueWS74CiVbNaOHom9j/s1600/IMG_1622.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrX833fhiKPxq0JwM4K5jQL277w1PArqiFD1jxCm_n90hIrrK73pyPNLQBGxcquV_U0E6ebQ2RZV_Ch6dykKIZ4cs00VhTlyIg3dBA1QA2k9VBU8xmqJWgdyChQueWS74CiVbNaOHom9j/s320/IMG_1622.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664232547516537330" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjZXsc1swhzfjpvgfalnKU8xJJ0dOAItAB0R1ew5OZj-6s_k90s9G7poJGJRFoFB8EDQBqzG0kS6NFVQpa4cxnyxO6nOze2_IF4GkmwQmfemZu4h4n7vkFfB-jTidZ2NR0XboPButpG6s/s1600/IMG_1617.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjZXsc1swhzfjpvgfalnKU8xJJ0dOAItAB0R1ew5OZj-6s_k90s9G7poJGJRFoFB8EDQBqzG0kS6NFVQpa4cxnyxO6nOze2_IF4GkmwQmfemZu4h4n7vkFfB-jTidZ2NR0XboPButpG6s/s320/IMG_1617.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664232756038555490" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-77928595344738303412011-10-02T05:16:00.011+09:002011-10-03T07:25:31.822+09:00September's Manner Poster<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGHkbHit5ZhFVk0yQjmu69KCmkAFTsT4kNywK795Cazuz2Hbapy730jjos8fU9aA7B0zwwEVX0cG81-64a3cf2VzI4XSnkdUEJ5V_IN_8e3Tl6YPx5gWooGHl1ZY0qZkZqcxXE_bSx-Ig/s1600/IMG_2214.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGHkbHit5ZhFVk0yQjmu69KCmkAFTsT4kNywK795Cazuz2Hbapy730jjos8fU9aA7B0zwwEVX0cG81-64a3cf2VzI4XSnkdUEJ5V_IN_8e3Tl6YPx5gWooGHl1ZY0qZkZqcxXE_bSx-Ig/s320/IMG_2214.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659022085941529522" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYvk2FYDBQPX6mMrtnsXWfO2PsnhkYtvkOOI7crexRWKuWJ14_StvqYOgFcUIllFEfDeQO4xxmdK7oxR9EGG_sDIo2MihDZvLeCJNn-UaKxJ1icd13YrA2b3cpYtcpU6PY6kOrbbAZbvX/s1600/IMG_2215.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYvk2FYDBQPX6mMrtnsXWfO2PsnhkYtvkOOI7crexRWKuWJ14_StvqYOgFcUIllFEfDeQO4xxmdK7oxR9EGG_sDIo2MihDZvLeCJNn-UaKxJ1icd13YrA2b3cpYtcpU6PY6kOrbbAZbvX/s320/IMG_2215.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659022373965812882" /></a><br /><br />I covet this poster. September's Subway Manner Poster, it reminds riders not to fall asleep on their neighbor's shoulder. Who cares if it is 100% photo shopped? It's cute! And it makes its point in such an appealing way. The other night, just as September was on the cusp of turning into October, Abby and I popped our heads into not one but two subway station offices to inquire after the parrots. In her best Japanese, Abby asked what the officials were planning to do with the poster at the end of the month, i.e. the next day, and whether they would be willing to give the poster to her. Needless to say, we were quite disappointed when we were dinged both times! Apparently, Manner Posters have been showing up on Internet commerce sites and Tokyo Metro doesn't like that. Do we really look like the types who sell stuff on the web? I think not. But rules are rules. And in Japan that means they are seldom excepted. After all these years, I still think like an American. Thank goodness. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNAybLHfd2fqNELrudcF6I8NQ1-CAo5i0jzIWStiuGs9bg14jn6Kxk6-l0McLbFVm_Fs3oECGlIm5Ko4nhxQGxj4duMOYjZ6P4BpNixEmApEe5mXGsxAvaBMJCL97GQ84GBL6IWwf1JK4/s1600/IMG_2227.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNAybLHfd2fqNELrudcF6I8NQ1-CAo5i0jzIWStiuGs9bg14jn6Kxk6-l0McLbFVm_Fs3oECGlIm5Ko4nhxQGxj4duMOYjZ6P4BpNixEmApEe5mXGsxAvaBMJCL97GQ84GBL6IWwf1JK4/s320/IMG_2227.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659023313866774722" /></a><br />This is October's offering. It is not quite as good but still grabs my attention. It depicts a kitty gazing at herself in a mirror.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ktCOjtjrd4WnrmRHJpHQ8K0pXkP6-7wbCR4efhXaQJm4yS-J9dIA4jUAfORLBa1Tjzu6OMr8g0rky0xlgL4R58JcvdMLxycbMi3V1GBgoRXqeQvUW8sXwABe9iYGP_tePefGJwktqV1w/s1600/IMG_2229.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ktCOjtjrd4WnrmRHJpHQ8K0pXkP6-7wbCR4efhXaQJm4yS-J9dIA4jUAfORLBa1Tjzu6OMr8g0rky0xlgL4R58JcvdMLxycbMi3V1GBgoRXqeQvUW8sXwABe9iYGP_tePefGJwktqV1w/s320/IMG_2229.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659023712281219602" /></a><br />This message is don't put make-up on while riding the subway.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-53240304938342232672011-09-26T18:52:00.006+09:002011-09-28T05:44:27.882+09:00Now That's Recycling -- Part Two!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4aPKz4EZmMkji9m1xe7fs0ioJLKw8d7miA6Z5-htMH9MgoBvr2xOnI3zHLGRYw_dZ9i7QWsBaBe24kCdWqdg5s6-i2UZmzYi3BsAAEJ9u1SaDuSYPh3w1uVmGE28KcVUzAFXodGcArSU/s1600/IMG_2221.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4aPKz4EZmMkji9m1xe7fs0ioJLKw8d7miA6Z5-htMH9MgoBvr2xOnI3zHLGRYw_dZ9i7QWsBaBe24kCdWqdg5s6-i2UZmzYi3BsAAEJ9u1SaDuSYPh3w1uVmGE28KcVUzAFXodGcArSU/s320/IMG_2221.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657139199179908370" /></a><br /><br />A Pocari Sweat bottle-turned-plant pot? My design instinct appreciates the matching bottle (though not visible in my photos, there are three or four planters attached to this tree). And it takes a certain acumen to view a bottle neck an as upside down planter drain. Yet, I am sure we would all agree that nipping this problem in the bud, i.e. making, and buying, fewer plastic, PET bottles, appeals more. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXlHUAEYx5OCzWbzyearSyLtqCTYnLADE5wYDLRtkA08XAWbywAKlSepNulMz3qdxjjw-jYfOiZqULfytV2yneuoU7wicZ9Vfk13W-rsCMtqtxO3BdK0ANCdk0y9JVcl7tPcXyUc1WMSR/s1600/IMG_2223.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXlHUAEYx5OCzWbzyearSyLtqCTYnLADE5wYDLRtkA08XAWbywAKlSepNulMz3qdxjjw-jYfOiZqULfytV2yneuoU7wicZ9Vfk13W-rsCMtqtxO3BdK0ANCdk0y9JVcl7tPcXyUc1WMSR/s320/IMG_2223.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657139026591757986" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-789498184332083142011-09-24T09:30:00.004+09:002011-09-24T09:35:44.593+09:00Now That's Recycling!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMPbmjhABdT09mYdLAC2-9HuDMg61-66-KtDX6W5YBakfEzrAmcK9MCKfJkxiRvo0z6tz_mCt8xHD5VQu9EwgmRKqaLH3_2yUQwqT9fM2N7PLfzrD4d_dfzkvj86ZiRk0uGsnXE_ZPK88/s1600/IMG_2216.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMPbmjhABdT09mYdLAC2-9HuDMg61-66-KtDX6W5YBakfEzrAmcK9MCKfJkxiRvo0z6tz_mCt8xHD5VQu9EwgmRKqaLH3_2yUQwqT9fM2N7PLfzrD4d_dfzkvj86ZiRk0uGsnXE_ZPK88/s320/IMG_2216.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655718245858815922" /></a><br /><br />My neighbor's contribution to street beautification.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-80484132006854670182011-09-20T05:12:00.007+09:002011-09-22T15:01:03.434+09:00Coin Lockers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_oaPnzVzewbPicAqaRFfsQNATAU-6ZbL1IMDDUE3h55KXq6KiGH43bSMDWG57KWyJrJKp4IEcz5ewkGSepnAEQ3tgumyOd2GhSnqXlEbuRPkBHhUYyYRudho2tae7tECRjaF4Iw_12GH/s1600/IMG_2210.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_oaPnzVzewbPicAqaRFfsQNATAU-6ZbL1IMDDUE3h55KXq6KiGH43bSMDWG57KWyJrJKp4IEcz5ewkGSepnAEQ3tgumyOd2GhSnqXlEbuRPkBHhUYyYRudho2tae7tECRjaF4Iw_12GH/s320/IMG_2210.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654174233263773490" /></a><br /><br />Coin lockers have a life of their own in Japan. A relative rarity in the U.S., they are common fixtures at train stations from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Aside from their day job of providing temporary storage for small parcels, spare coats and unneeded umbrellas, many function like that extra closet you wish you had. I had heard about people who use coin lockers to stow their goods on a permanent basis. Apartments, and even houses, in Japan can be so small that many people are unable to store all of their possessions in one place and often distribute the overflow among their parents' home, their friend's garage and a multitude of rental options. Though some spring for a room at a bona fide storage facility (of which there are many, even in the heart of the city), others make do with a coin locker or two. I had not observed this practice with my own eyes until the other day when I had to venture out into the sticks to do an interview. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJp4SbyLtQukqeVJ7AH6wfxv_5C_6A46D7PaAIeMZrinpJitc_YKswHMgQd9IWGC-y-0wTusA3dTO4R11pInRNM5sQbkYZKeDwZhVq-Td7aDc7xWUFKcvY8G93MGfN4Wu62SdtwY0h2Y5k/s1600/IMG_2208.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJp4SbyLtQukqeVJ7AH6wfxv_5C_6A46D7PaAIeMZrinpJitc_YKswHMgQd9IWGC-y-0wTusA3dTO4R11pInRNM5sQbkYZKeDwZhVq-Td7aDc7xWUFKcvY8G93MGfN4Wu62SdtwY0h2Y5k/s320/IMG_2208.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654174387847558738" /></a><br /><br />While waiting for my subject to swing by the station to pick me up in his silver roadster, I chanced upon this bank of lockers. Affixed to the locker door is a little notice asking renters to use the locker for no more than three days. Payment seems to take place at the time of retrieval. Please note that this person has already racked up a tab of Y3200 -- at Y400 a day, that's 8 days and a whole lot of Y100 coins! I wonder what they've got squirreled away in there ... dirty laundry, rock collection, a musical instrument??? The possibilities are endless.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-70443879877397310462011-09-15T19:12:00.006+09:002011-09-15T19:29:10.786+09:00Imagine My Surprise When I ........ got into an elevator this afternoon expecting to ride to the seventh floor only to discover that there was no seventh floor. Or any odd numbered floor for that matter. What ??? It was kind of an Alfred Hitchcock moment. Noting my consternation, a fellow passenger explained that I had to go to up to floor eight and take the stairs down from there. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhag1OLPHwAtZbYBol9zjfKQr1IIfdCpoERRguoNZ5LPtuMhgAegyuTeTPjTnIcG1guXs-xQKJzGEaG9juSYB-Gv7M6yJ-X0qJRdEUQKyro8XitGkICGrT7u2BgJ5wXp3P6rZMFXZlXxSbm/s1600/IMG_2211.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhag1OLPHwAtZbYBol9zjfKQr1IIfdCpoERRguoNZ5LPtuMhgAegyuTeTPjTnIcG1guXs-xQKJzGEaG9juSYB-Gv7M6yJ-X0qJRdEUQKyro8XitGkICGrT7u2BgJ5wXp3P6rZMFXZlXxSbm/s320/IMG_2211.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652529345304169746" /></a><br /><br />After my meeting, I got into the elevator on the seventh floor and discovered that there weren't any even numbered floors listed. Apparently this 70s vintage building (wouldn't want to be there during an earthquake!) has two, side-by-side elevators, one for even floors and one for odds. Somehow I have the idea that this was a design concept that never really took off. But it is kind of quaint in its own, Alice-in-Wonderland way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Koc2MrqDTWyPGdbpS4xOBLmk9tEjG_8FGZtxNMnPKQUlCuHiCWx22VKZfy98BpXKznWFmcnEKUN2yI-xDhvIdBf7X0-0GGY9_vbbcbrfuiECK-4yewA64WoRxwRrUB9WIYx_ZjIdUjMc/s1600/IMG_2212.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Koc2MrqDTWyPGdbpS4xOBLmk9tEjG_8FGZtxNMnPKQUlCuHiCWx22VKZfy98BpXKznWFmcnEKUN2yI-xDhvIdBf7X0-0GGY9_vbbcbrfuiECK-4yewA64WoRxwRrUB9WIYx_ZjIdUjMc/s320/IMG_2212.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652529546439716354" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-49096538227645534672011-09-12T19:13:00.014+09:002011-09-13T05:35:48.369+09:00Ita ChocoSadly, this past weekend was our last in Minakami. We had some fun times there but we just weren't using the house enough to warrant holding onto it. I will miss a number of things about those weekends, including those jaunts to Besia -- they were a real cultural experience. We rarely bought anything besides groceries. Yet each time I unearthed something weird or interesting to look at. Consequently, this last visit was kind of bittersweet for me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9LgnbaAEmaXohskdDRm6Jd9-iyu84y0ImYBmSRmJNMoN8-NFDJ69plbZfGuvb7uqOpz1OtPnJIu7kOC5SzCgH99k44mA0lIXrNHxcpESlOq3i6qxBSoKkHi7jigSz_jyldp-wbjDwNNS/s1600/IMG_2194.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9LgnbaAEmaXohskdDRm6Jd9-iyu84y0ImYBmSRmJNMoN8-NFDJ69plbZfGuvb7uqOpz1OtPnJIu7kOC5SzCgH99k44mA0lIXrNHxcpESlOq3i6qxBSoKkHi7jigSz_jyldp-wbjDwNNS/s320/IMG_2194.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651416557263511218" /></a><br /><br />My find-of-the-day on Saturday was Ita Choco, the latest from the folks over at Morinaga. I absolutely love the package graphics (especially the bold color scheme and the retro font) and the architectural metaphor (ita = board or plank) did not go unnoticed either. Pronounced "eat-a-choco," this name was surely someone's idea of bilingual fun. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaaCA6flJ-KQzWfZn37rUdUQloWcQIPekfkMykH1Ntf-6G1vNH65jxyLQ2BeI5HLORtQFDcCHSfpv1M1-d-Pyoemk7wjOTGBI_b-yBx_HoPGME4cQGJJmtleYULiAfWRoHu5CQxJ2dnk4/s1600/IMG_2195.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaaCA6flJ-KQzWfZn37rUdUQloWcQIPekfkMykH1Ntf-6G1vNH65jxyLQ2BeI5HLORtQFDcCHSfpv1M1-d-Pyoemk7wjOTGBI_b-yBx_HoPGME4cQGJJmtleYULiAfWRoHu5CQxJ2dnk4/s320/IMG_2195.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651416739322980498" /></a><br /><br />As you can see, the concept is a bar of chocolate divided into hollow "boards." Instead of loading these compartments with caramel or nougat, each one is filled with vanilla-ish ice cream.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8gUDIOfKCeR1HS7rnFY2x8bcQsuQ5QRC-eXBw9OFDteHhj3yBKM87pbw_JRSKxlm4sJ41Ne1hrbu4w3xLQYCP6mmGeFj1weWeBeSNIpR5CCDFnXjYshRLjIJ5xdlAfV6wnCbPQ0eGhl-/s1600/IMG_2197.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8gUDIOfKCeR1HS7rnFY2x8bcQsuQ5QRC-eXBw9OFDteHhj3yBKM87pbw_JRSKxlm4sJ41Ne1hrbu4w3xLQYCP6mmGeFj1weWeBeSNIpR5CCDFnXjYshRLjIJ5xdlAfV6wnCbPQ0eGhl-/s320/IMG_2197.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651416928895850146" /></a><br /><br />Regrettably, we mistakenly put the bar in the fridge when we got home. As a result, the ice cream was a bit runny and difficult to eat round robin style as we are wont to do but I am sure you get the picture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOah3LdXIK6t9hum4wW7zy5j8QqkC4eRvSZweq1q-gaXKiLSY74MH3IkOFvSW2k8MPBuICQBFbZZBMqPoV6UuvfYn1s7-5IiU0d35Vlhrit3PzUTpsAyUtn31y_49F-QZvxsvvDB7BZEBP/s1600/IMG_2196.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOah3LdXIK6t9hum4wW7zy5j8QqkC4eRvSZweq1q-gaXKiLSY74MH3IkOFvSW2k8MPBuICQBFbZZBMqPoV6UuvfYn1s7-5IiU0d35Vlhrit3PzUTpsAyUtn31y_49F-QZvxsvvDB7BZEBP/s320/IMG_2196.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651417144199539202" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-88827537482878182342011-09-11T16:51:00.018+09:002011-09-11T17:16:23.367+09:00Omamori on the Go<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ouXf51H7ZYsr4rA5lJvx3hiXYUTx-Iq5DCAAT4Kh6wX-b5zv_b_uBaY3M9GAF2thevoYcmR8HZYs8uAyyCEv_kl5wt4_5qTCOPWVyjFNbgPnzLXUb3Vede6_HasalKwCH4WagrdtHvXN/s1600/IMG_2175.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ouXf51H7ZYsr4rA5lJvx3hiXYUTx-Iq5DCAAT4Kh6wX-b5zv_b_uBaY3M9GAF2thevoYcmR8HZYs8uAyyCEv_kl5wt4_5qTCOPWVyjFNbgPnzLXUb3Vede6_HasalKwCH4WagrdtHvXN/s320/IMG_2175.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651006834155329458" /></a><br /><br />I am a great believer in the power of Omamori and seldom does a New Year holiday pass when we do not visit Zojoji to get our annual fix. Designed to protect and shield us from misfortune throughout the year, these little embroidered, cloth amulets are sold at shrines and temples. Containing a small piece of paper with a prayer on it, they are good for a year but then need to be properly discarded at a shrine or temple and replaced. Some of the most common Omamori protect against illness, insure good grades and guard us from traffic accidents. During my pregnancy years, I always carried an Omamori for a safe birth. <br /><br />It is very common to see Omamori dangling from a car's rear view mirror or, in the case of sticker-style amulets, pasted onto a car's backside. But never had I ever seen an Omamori attached to a bicycle until we drove by this two-wheeler the other day. Parked in front of the Cartier building near Omotesando, it looked like a conventional, black bike. But then my eye gravitated towards the little yellow pouch suspended from its seat bottom. What a clever idea! Is there a special amulet for cyclists? Since we just bought a bicycle last weekend, I shall have to investigate. If you have any leads, please let me know.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-29153079045444424422011-08-18T21:47:00.019+09:002011-08-20T13:08:27.975+09:00French People and Their DogsDuring our recent trip to France, we marveled at all the dogs. By our rough, eye-ball accounting, French people seem to really love their dogs. And dogs in France can and do go everywhere. Imagine our surprise and delight when we encountered dogs at the market, dogs in our accommodations and, best of all, dogs resting comfortably at their owners' feet under the tables at swish Paris bistros. Below is a round-up of some of our favorite critters.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuD6TdLMGH6pWC1TOhiFRgWTV2WUNwsDv3tz3cOWYK79iqjfAeM6CAeLZhVRRQbEZYgJPBiHOKF5uNfmcDvnZkIsuX9eZRuWldxarub-QaYW7SWr0NoW_9lUs9ICORbdL4O5rCki_M7Ys/s1600/IMG_1966.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuD6TdLMGH6pWC1TOhiFRgWTV2WUNwsDv3tz3cOWYK79iqjfAeM6CAeLZhVRRQbEZYgJPBiHOKF5uNfmcDvnZkIsuX9eZRuWldxarub-QaYW7SWr0NoW_9lUs9ICORbdL4O5rCki_M7Ys/s320/IMG_1966.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642781287374525730" /></a>
<br />Fibi. This delightful fur ball belongs to the couple who own the B & B where we stayed in Sarlat. Her half-brother, Frodo, sings opera but is a bit shy.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EgYWxUe412yxLzixVgq_z1_4S_UpduG4eAoi6UxBN0KdgwhmdDPWRTUggLsKzDSHLyNuskxu6MqucEfBDjOt-WfZZkxK3j1wEGhNlE60M_64dnqoVMgHBdMUm9kvAM_e03Xs1tCP6IK_/s1600/IMG_1922.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EgYWxUe412yxLzixVgq_z1_4S_UpduG4eAoi6UxBN0KdgwhmdDPWRTUggLsKzDSHLyNuskxu6MqucEfBDjOt-WfZZkxK3j1wEGhNlE60M_64dnqoVMgHBdMUm9kvAM_e03Xs1tCP6IK_/s320/IMG_1922.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642781740234534802" /></a>
<br />This poodle is a classic. She waits patiently while her person pays for her produce at the market in Sarlat.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpKssHXgTqyvSt8n_cMTfEnY7Oy8pMrjLBzasbExc2g00b2Rc9H6abXiBztPFghMwicL5RNG1kid6Sbpqyv6s-LDEdfw6aKY9AV_M1igeTP9mG5sU4PGnRjtuhckaJO8lqypRRtV5fRZp/s1600/IMG_1959.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpKssHXgTqyvSt8n_cMTfEnY7Oy8pMrjLBzasbExc2g00b2Rc9H6abXiBztPFghMwicL5RNG1kid6Sbpqyv6s-LDEdfw6aKY9AV_M1igeTP9mG5sU4PGnRjtuhckaJO8lqypRRtV5fRZp/s320/IMG_1959.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642782168648431362" /></a>
<br />Another market denizen.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnKvbYgk0vXjmhqnLxqS5ljnUd2kw9J94F24Fxcy8xq6PkE63_B5urlMF-nRo4eU_OtL1mP3LHc-CndQH95Eb9HZmhvIW0UZZTS-tyiVKGvaNplZwn32ACn7peavZvLTvcZ_5YIj0FxBd/s1600/IMG_1957.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnKvbYgk0vXjmhqnLxqS5ljnUd2kw9J94F24Fxcy8xq6PkE63_B5urlMF-nRo4eU_OtL1mP3LHc-CndQH95Eb9HZmhvIW0UZZTS-tyiVKGvaNplZwn32ACn7peavZvLTvcZ_5YIj0FxBd/s320/IMG_1957.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642782494008692226" /></a>
<br />Oh my.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbdAQXDHdKiB_jzNQdOVr_vjTMFmnAIGW68CsxDRxFQaijtQc8fCgFW6f7-Ln09ben0cDwnp9YUWUeJFHyX_w19tDeYLHHWHLrBgPo7F0SYhHBjZNW4NQWwWPTnZLHLlyU4-05z_I21wE/s1600/IMG_1941.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbdAQXDHdKiB_jzNQdOVr_vjTMFmnAIGW68CsxDRxFQaijtQc8fCgFW6f7-Ln09ben0cDwnp9YUWUeJFHyX_w19tDeYLHHWHLrBgPo7F0SYhHBjZNW4NQWwWPTnZLHLlyU4-05z_I21wE/s320/IMG_1941.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642783719274391106" /></a>
<br />At the meat counter.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP24X-gwdTCUCputxHwb-Cxb45iwmVD5ptkqD0UkXOL0jpB3kB4uQ1hyphenhyphenHlUIcWKEGIyaIJAat10YJuKbzf3h_lsZ3FtzdtMxuXUZC5cjJlTI9lsVtNac1DfoCJFLI0MJYZTc14YxWJuK10/s1600/IMG_1956.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP24X-gwdTCUCputxHwb-Cxb45iwmVD5ptkqD0UkXOL0jpB3kB4uQ1hyphenhyphenHlUIcWKEGIyaIJAat10YJuKbzf3h_lsZ3FtzdtMxuXUZC5cjJlTI9lsVtNac1DfoCJFLI0MJYZTc14YxWJuK10/s320/IMG_1956.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642782757298918258" /></a>
<br />Dog as fashion accessory.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNMlzbpBJIBKdi081ktCOUW1FBDcWug2TjTBy3J9-Xfv4l1eMJBVGWvHq-D7a6GP6Mh2tfaeEThZx-uKd7mteogezrzqmdyNx2hukLAqevBwQGbfWZg0prESCtLMXdHHbu0vHxMzh0q16/s1600/IMG_1919.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNMlzbpBJIBKdi081ktCOUW1FBDcWug2TjTBy3J9-Xfv4l1eMJBVGWvHq-D7a6GP6Mh2tfaeEThZx-uKd7mteogezrzqmdyNx2hukLAqevBwQGbfWZg0prESCtLMXdHHbu0vHxMzh0q16/s320/IMG_1919.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642783115963737298" /></a>
<br />Whoever said that dogs look like their owners is probably right.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVt-NaDDVBXFkDx0Qyy3GemriAdXcxVkClVPwFYpApTWvQiDW5quNpuhhWruj3r80RqeFE5Rj2TT9yNbxfDjkF_RKuUW2rON92FB82K_MJ2Nx-0Z8QQDxcfjGflkrEtG0EGvM-nfvZGUd/s1600/IMG_2052.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVt-NaDDVBXFkDx0Qyy3GemriAdXcxVkClVPwFYpApTWvQiDW5quNpuhhWruj3r80RqeFE5Rj2TT9yNbxfDjkF_RKuUW2rON92FB82K_MJ2Nx-0Z8QQDxcfjGflkrEtG0EGvM-nfvZGUd/s320/IMG_2052.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642783457065332914" /></a>
<br />In Bourges.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC42cLEaNvXB8NwlD-zlaOZi_n6doa6bOWzrbbvklQ04ekYGx-vA8yR8zG98UFy82NlCqNANhd3qT8lT0Xk9Iu4BoWvo0z6XiuPd2EClv-end403rvgl_LGtjeiHIzohFKxZdOB_-TFihR/s1600/IMG_1964.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC42cLEaNvXB8NwlD-zlaOZi_n6doa6bOWzrbbvklQ04ekYGx-vA8yR8zG98UFy82NlCqNANhd3qT8lT0Xk9Iu4BoWvo0z6XiuPd2EClv-end403rvgl_LGtjeiHIzohFKxZdOB_-TFihR/s320/IMG_1964.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642784217137647634" /></a>
<br />Out touring.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhId3AK8cy5jdVkYjehDxrb1Fdv_3zmhySALDdPm4wlGmQcx81cHMn_h9-LQebH8kUTnT7eU8cgj51y8AhEvcCh0eglBdSUVyzC-i6vncd56IwNR1dLys2edjI5Q9y6og7PpjdEcwoTjClx/s1600/IMG_1970.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhId3AK8cy5jdVkYjehDxrb1Fdv_3zmhySALDdPm4wlGmQcx81cHMn_h9-LQebH8kUTnT7eU8cgj51y8AhEvcCh0eglBdSUVyzC-i6vncd56IwNR1dLys2edjI5Q9y6og7PpjdEcwoTjClx/s320/IMG_1970.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642784463244758130" /></a>
<br />Looking stylish in a classic Citroen Deux Chevaux.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-16381813081499943212011-07-21T18:23:00.011+09:002011-07-21T20:32:53.598+09:00Sometimes You Just See Something<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3GxdEhVwCkSKX8fcRboKnz3S0VT_TaonAtwzlz2pOslQ4cirjtMFW0ULmH32f9CyBDMGAn8oDPI28fTbNkqsLXKoJXsxKE-55OcFsCP5CSL7gjiHjqcuomhelX5lbPb_niO0CSyPT31v/s1600/IMG_1495.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3GxdEhVwCkSKX8fcRboKnz3S0VT_TaonAtwzlz2pOslQ4cirjtMFW0ULmH32f9CyBDMGAn8oDPI28fTbNkqsLXKoJXsxKE-55OcFsCP5CSL7gjiHjqcuomhelX5lbPb_niO0CSyPT31v/s320/IMG_1495.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631735951036791522" /></a><br /><br />Sometimes you just see something that captures your fancy. The other day while walking with Pippi, I looked down and saw this metal cover embedded in the sidewalk. Decorated with a five-petalled cherry blossom, it caught my eye and we paused for a moment to take a close look. No more than 8 - 10 inches in diameter, it was slightly dirty but the pattern still showed through. In Japan, cherry blossoms often show up where you least expect them! Someone took the time to consider this cap's appearance and the care to think about the people who might see it. How did that someone decide on a cherry blossom? Did they consider other motifs? I wonder who that person is? I wonder where they are right now?Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-30005986369979827792011-07-19T06:42:00.012+09:002011-07-19T07:22:10.824+09:00R.I.P. Seiken<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUfj8nFnvrE-AJ0Vqn6dys2dyQRQJAw8cGV5aSJRoVPS7Y92VzOuEFEfJdLGFxJFsu_aWa8W8oE6vIwLk9i251IPhip6s_OjmQzuUdd9J08r0rlz8xGfhhZS-Wlc2L5WUNv1YzHZaZM9q/s1600/IMG_1499.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUfj8nFnvrE-AJ0Vqn6dys2dyQRQJAw8cGV5aSJRoVPS7Y92VzOuEFEfJdLGFxJFsu_aWa8W8oE6vIwLk9i251IPhip6s_OjmQzuUdd9J08r0rlz8xGfhhZS-Wlc2L5WUNv1YzHZaZM9q/s320/IMG_1499.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630818258673555266" /></a><br /><br />A dead ringer for a tomb stone, this marker stands at the entrance to a fragment of the old Seiken (the Japanese acronym for the Institute of Industrial Science), the building where I once went to school.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9upuaOg2lu7XCFi7zmxqB7CqRlD50nl5MNZjwssSjSO0NqOHjG9jtHq0XWwh9e7fKP-xrOTb7miz5moOorB1kjSeThzlD_sPWA1pik4S9c-St0Y6FugwlonkKG1jHKem3V9TdwMNAssQ/s1600/IMG_1498.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9upuaOg2lu7XCFi7zmxqB7CqRlD50nl5MNZjwssSjSO0NqOHjG9jtHq0XWwh9e7fKP-xrOTb7miz5moOorB1kjSeThzlD_sPWA1pik4S9c-St0Y6FugwlonkKG1jHKem3V9TdwMNAssQ/s320/IMG_1498.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630818534476281618" /></a><br /><br />For years this oblong, donut-shaped structure with "research laboratories" lining its full perimeter belonged to Tokyo University. Dark and creepy, it was a real throw back to a bygone era. By the time I got there, parts of the building were no longer even in use (a frequent occurrence at Todai). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79d2yCwAY0qVpNeNZsft5CwrSHVO2msm4auQsw4zukvkkJ9l05vUL8D9J784bKlwZNyEUq96y1UT2UM_fPb4ho9sE9LYSUBXnZX3hyphenhyphenvM11ybRjEfiGbEymfnPOWonRSS9m48fzg_KSBeJ/s1600/IMG_1500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79d2yCwAY0qVpNeNZsft5CwrSHVO2msm4auQsw4zukvkkJ9l05vUL8D9J784bKlwZNyEUq96y1UT2UM_fPb4ho9sE9LYSUBXnZX3hyphenhyphenvM11ybRjEfiGbEymfnPOWonRSS9m48fzg_KSBeJ/s320/IMG_1500.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630818715945242834" /></a><br /><br />And peering in through the windows or glazed doorways often yielded a view of outdated scientific equipment. Still, I appreciated the sense of history embedded in its concrete walls and those wide stairways evoked a sense of grandeur that once was. I do not know its exact dates, but my guess is that Seiken was built right after WW II.<br /><br />Much to my chagrin, the building wasn't quite torn down to make room for Kisho Kurokawa's National Art Gallery. But in some ways, I wish it had been. I really hate Japan's penchant for saving parts of buildings. This tendency goes way beyond the usual facadism -- many countries are guilty of literally saving (just) the face of historic buildings. For some reason, people in high places in Japan think it is better to save a fragment of a building. I realize that full-scale renovation may not have been practical due to seismic concerns and expense (I am giving them the benefit of the doubt here). But frankly, letting the building live on in our memories would have been a more dignified ending. This spiffed up exterior looks ersatz and I'll bet the interior has been converted into a memorial lecture hall --it always is. R.I.P. Let Seiken rest in peace!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Se-xfmHKX0W6Ab_Au2e3-bYPOuCny3GeWgtrLmCLP0tdt0jgLgfDkD6_bFJCcYCoRFuXm2WiGUs7eM4uyczIQh6MqFqb92mpWyyODWvrE7ZjvuxTRU2UUcavSlaHgueSuvH64TcaIWyE/s1600/IMG_1496.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Se-xfmHKX0W6Ab_Au2e3-bYPOuCny3GeWgtrLmCLP0tdt0jgLgfDkD6_bFJCcYCoRFuXm2WiGUs7eM4uyczIQh6MqFqb92mpWyyODWvrE7ZjvuxTRU2UUcavSlaHgueSuvH64TcaIWyE/s320/IMG_1496.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630818916352748194" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-44219826210180368642011-07-05T10:15:00.022+09:002011-07-06T05:22:20.201+09:00Yuba Sashimi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58eyZBWS9Mat2yVTQ2j5CFGP65Ot3A6wxDZvxpRjBGTEV0I93Dov0bqomQ7KnHTg86hkIhSVw3fifDdXqhAVSMWgeftBB_bCbPWgxCwk8rMoTt3UlJfciKmHF9X6CjhtDyv4EpnDV5j8r/s1600/IMG_1480.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58eyZBWS9Mat2yVTQ2j5CFGP65Ot3A6wxDZvxpRjBGTEV0I93Dov0bqomQ7KnHTg86hkIhSVw3fifDdXqhAVSMWgeftBB_bCbPWgxCwk8rMoTt3UlJfciKmHF9X6CjhtDyv4EpnDV5j8r/s320/IMG_1480.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625957511222475938" /></a><br /><br />This is about as close to eating real sashimi as I am likely to ever get. As artfully presented as a dish of raw fish, this delicious tofu skin was part of our recent dinner at Kurosawa, one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. When the weather gets hot, Japanese food is the only way to go -- light and refreshing it sits comfortably in the stomach of even the most overheated. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7VFWDp1ikKL3iGvfqZenxbzRP6PDFn7B8SepodO6jBcqjI6csvrSbnTwMr-8JWDcYO32g_U2EQ7c8vocSL6NMvV6W0mdE0ar5oj1IAFlsShuba50KV0E_FW4OZ0q_Wl2D-eetWvgtWOn/s1600/IMG_1481.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7VFWDp1ikKL3iGvfqZenxbzRP6PDFn7B8SepodO6jBcqjI6csvrSbnTwMr-8JWDcYO32g_U2EQ7c8vocSL6NMvV6W0mdE0ar5oj1IAFlsShuba50KV0E_FW4OZ0q_Wl2D-eetWvgtWOn/s320/IMG_1481.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625957649159961570" /></a><br /><br />To the uninitiated, yuba may not sound any more appetizing than raw fish. Composed of folded, filmy tofu layers, it is one of our favorite foods. Like sashimi, it is eaten with a dash of wasabi-laced shoyu. Though extremely benign, yuba's slightly slimy texture and milky complexion is a bit of a gustatory hurdle for some.<br /><br />Yuba sashimi is not considered faux fish but there is a certain delight in presenting and eating the two foods in the exact same manner. The accommodation of eating style or cooking method to different food stuffs is not an infrequent event in Japanese cuisine. And to incorporate local and seasonal ingredients, recipes often substitute ingredients, even crossing cultural bounds. In this regard, Japanese cooking can be as flexible as many Western cuisines. Green tea tiramisu, green tea ice cream, green tea creme brulee all support this premise. But the complete replication down to the shiso leaf garnish is in a class of its own. I bet there is a word in Japanese for this kind of food play. If you know it, please share it with me in the comment box.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCULefiXX3YAE-yyHYYMgVtKGAFbryZAGa37tX-0MhIzuVaOKKWL1z-qDxyQpUIxz2cBd2Di8BZvZZ5-vqYjyDEw7w0rcsFry0cB3z8uX23yoCoobbNU2dSdfDOz5gVDAOY1ncX2aIy4H-/s1600/IMG_1483.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCULefiXX3YAE-yyHYYMgVtKGAFbryZAGa37tX-0MhIzuVaOKKWL1z-qDxyQpUIxz2cBd2Di8BZvZZ5-vqYjyDEw7w0rcsFry0cB3z8uX23yoCoobbNU2dSdfDOz5gVDAOY1ncX2aIy4H-/s320/IMG_1483.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625957816665540546" /></a><br /><br />As you can see, my yuba was garnished with a segment of the smallest cucumber we had ever seen -- no bigger than an edamame. Crunchy and sweet the mini-cuke was delicious too. While David went on to assorted grilled fish, cold, country-style, i.e. rough cut, soba noodles completed my meal.Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3498934072898543874.post-37603175346661096142011-06-19T12:59:00.012+09:002011-06-20T10:14:41.310+09:00A Very Special Watermelon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieitWriZPAuYtVwA4JFCD_FW8U0J4KGuCmyRNSy02tmvMReWDhtphUuUQZ2cUVPJqaIwi8XvIh7CyQCihRJZwtaMXfQv0oo8psBgM1S5SmEjns2tOWQorzBi1d5DQP_gFPpCyijAYVCMP7/s1600/IMG_1361.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieitWriZPAuYtVwA4JFCD_FW8U0J4KGuCmyRNSy02tmvMReWDhtphUuUQZ2cUVPJqaIwi8XvIh7CyQCihRJZwtaMXfQv0oo8psBgM1S5SmEjns2tOWQorzBi1d5DQP_gFPpCyijAYVCMP7/s320/IMG_1361.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619776388875883090" /></a><br />This is not trick photography. This really is a heart-shaped watermelon. Abby and I found it prominently displayed at that specialty fruit shop in Tokyo Midtown. Raised in Chiba Prefecture, this melon comes with an impressive price tag. At a whopping Y31,500 (or about $350 dollars), I doubt it is going anywhere fast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xVoJkxi_HjEpX-S6YBgHEQJzprmG2KUv1zj_K2lS5d_CAYW11NgZFceqFU4KMUQjSzR4arrDXJYRHmuR2FPHGWiY72WNe51755rD-kWgLqmqlprivauqyq0iHfI4iLs7ixdabE3aUJNL/s1600/IMG_1362.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xVoJkxi_HjEpX-S6YBgHEQJzprmG2KUv1zj_K2lS5d_CAYW11NgZFceqFU4KMUQjSzR4arrDXJYRHmuR2FPHGWiY72WNe51755rD-kWgLqmqlprivauqyq0iHfI4iLs7ixdabE3aUJNL/s320/IMG_1362.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619777211136269842" /></a><br /><br />The square melon on sale at the supermarket nearby is pedestrian by comparison.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lvkKG27Z0BuNwhFhkB-UPI1ijI5XWiyzFtU3MQTUbxQnMhhAKsFMvXl7d7zjl3eMgqarob9VtsYGW_FkRSZ1LSFVOc4ooppyrKqEmHLNbAX2sI3WgX51nVm0q_XI_qZrIbcKsvavnX58/s1600/IMG_1360.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lvkKG27Z0BuNwhFhkB-UPI1ijI5XWiyzFtU3MQTUbxQnMhhAKsFMvXl7d7zjl3eMgqarob9VtsYGW_FkRSZ1LSFVOc4ooppyrKqEmHLNbAX2sI3WgX51nVm0q_XI_qZrIbcKsvavnX58/s320/IMG_1360.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619777747927965202" /></a>Naomi Pollockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09068864711089414821noreply@blogger.com0