Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from October, 2008

Illustration Friday

This week's topic is "Vacant." First time for me to join this group. This print is from my original collage titled 'Presence I.'

Fear of Heights and Shadow Shot Sunday

I like architecture. I often stop to admire a building both for its design and its materials. The other day I was watching a construction worker on a high rise near our apartment. He was about nine floors high walking quickly but carefully along a steel I-Beam. He kept his safety lead hooked to the base wire. As he moved along the beam, he'd unhook and rehook his lead. I just thought how amazing it is for somebody to work that high up. I could never do that job. I get nervous just standing close to the balcony ledge. I have never been in a building higher than 30 floors. And I could never have an apartment higher than the 10th floor. Although, I am sure the view from a high- rise apartment would be beautiful. I took the above shot on a sunny day. This view is from the inside of a building on the second floor. For more shadow shots and information on how to join this fun group, visit Hey Harriet's blog.

Shadow Shot Sunday

This photo is from the walk my husband and I took last week. Part of the trail went under the Shinkansen tracks. I love taking the Shinkansen. It is a smooth ride with comfortable and roomy seats. It's average operating speed is 170.8 mph (275 kmh). The Shinkansen has its own set of tracks. The tracks rest on massive, concrete columns and meander through the city. For more shadow shots or information on how to join the fun, visit heyharriets' blog.

Monthly Update and Tag

What's new in my GalleryJuana.etsy.com shop? Cherry Blossom Photographic Print Dancing Koi Fish Painting What's in the works? I am working on some 2009 Pocket Calendar Planners. I’ve been tagged by rubyblueshop ! This is the challenge: 1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog. 2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird. 3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog. 4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. Ok, here we go! 7 random facts about me: 1. I was born with a birthmark on my back which faded by the time I finished Junior High school. 2. I once had a poisonous spider in my tea. I didn't know until it tried to climb up my mouth as I drank my tea. 3. I love watching horror movies, the suspenseful ones not the "splatter" ones. My favorite is "28 Weeks Later." 4. I can't go longer than a week without cheese, even if

Happy Monday and Shadow Shot Sunday

In the year 2000, the Japanese government installed the "Happy Monday" system and moved several National Holidays to Monday. The second Monday in October is Health and Sports Day (in Japanese 体育の日). We are encouraged to enjoy sports and a healthy, active lifetyle. This holiday was originally on October 10th to commemorate the anniversary of the opening ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but was moved to Monday under the Happy Monday System. My husband and I rarely have the same days off, but today we had the day-off together on account of the holiday. We took a long walk along the river that runs through the city. The river has all sorts of wildlife. We saw Egrets, birds, ducks, Koi fish, Perigrine Falcons, dragonflies. I got several shadow shots that I will post over the next few weeks. I also managed to drop my glasses and step on them. Now I am blind as a Bat. The bright side is that we had a good laugh about it. I have to sit really close to the comput

Sendai Garbage and Flying Hair

Wow, where did the week go? I thought I would get at least one post in between shadow shots, but here it is Sunday already! The Sendai Mayor decided that we need to reduce the city's trash output, so he changed the type of garbage bags we use and raised the prices on the garbage bags as well. What's the connection? Hmmm .... I am not sure yet. In order to use all my old garbage bags, I am double bagging the trash. Old bag is covered by new bag, so there is no reduction in waste or eco-friendliness yet. The City ordinances are stricter now: your trash will not be picked up if it is not in the city-designated bag. It costs about $3.80 USD for 10 official bags. I have tried to reduce the plastic and paper that I receive from shopping. If I buy something, it is usually wrapped three times! For example, if I buy a take-out lunch, it is put in a plastic container and wrapped with saran wrap and then wrapped in paper and then put in a plastic bag. It is the custom to