It
seems I struck a nerve with my last post about cell
phones.
It's funny how almost everyone feels
the exact same way about them, yet we, as a society,
are unable to curb our bad habits.
--
I haven't gone out and recorded any
more environmental sounds recently, so as a cheap substitute
here are a
few minutes I recorded from the radio today. (FM
Yokohama) Not very original, or interesting, but I have
the bandwidth to burn now so I figured, what the hell.
--
This weekend I have a photo sale at
Naval Air Facility Atsugi. This will be my first time
to have a photo sale at Atsugi so I hope it all goes
well.
Atsugi was the place I first started
working at when I moved to Japan and it has been a few
years since I have been back to the base so I am looking
forward to it. There are lots of good memories for me
there from the time when Japan was completely new and
fresh for me and I am sure to get some natsukashii feelings
once I see it again.
I've been making a lot of trips to
Yodobashi Camera in Kamiooka lately to pick up picture
frames. Just today I went back after work and bought
another 15 of them. I've been framing prints like mad
for the past few days and I think that by tomorrow afternoon
I will be ready. (I'm taking a day off from work tomorrow
to drive up to Atsugi and setup for the sale)
--
Some random thoughts I've had recently:
I always wondered why there were big
Pi symbols in front of all the shrines in Japan, but
I think I finally figured it out.
Compared to America, Japan elementary
and high schools have math programs that are a lot more
rigorous, and as a result math is placed in very high
regard here. So high in fact that in each and every
shrine you visit in Japan you will find giant "Pi"
symbols positioned at the entrance, and usually a few
more sprinkled around the shrine grounds as well.
Some friends of mine have tried to
tell me that these are actually something called "Torii
gates" and have some sort of religious significance
(or some other nonsense) but I know better.... You can't
trick me, I'm not as dumb as I look... Especially when
I am wearing this tinfoil hat.
Now that I sound like I am "Knitting
with one needle" if you know what I mean, let me
expand upon another point...
Anti-seasonal fashions.
Japan is famous for them.
Let me explain.
For the past couple of years it seems
to have become popular to wear clothes that appear to
be about six months behind (or "ahead" for
the optimists in the crowd) what the actual seasons
would dictate.
For women it is Uggs and down vests
in the middle of August, and short sleeve cashmere and
mini skirts in January. (Not that I am complaining about
the mini skirts... No, I've never been one to do that!)
For men it is wife beater undershirts
and 3/4 length pants in winter and wool caps, timberland
boots, and heavy jeans in the summer.
What's up with that?
Since when did being uncomfortable
become fashionable? Or maybe it has always been this
way and I'm just getting old enough to notice the foolishness
of it...
Comment 29
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