Sunday, May 31, 2009

Mist County



and where is Mist County?  let's just say Lake Wobegon is in Mist County which makes it somewhere in Minnesota and somewhere in Garrison Keillor's imagination. i caught up on a few Prairie Home Companion podcasts on my long walk to the beach this morning. mist is nice for the flowers and hopefully not too bad for my camera or my cold.
another misty gray overcast cloudy slightly cool day

South Bay or shall i say South Gray
swimming seagulls, flying dolphin

i first heard this song in April on Fm802.  i have been looking for this video but i had the band's name wrong . . . more user error.  the band's name is ベベチオ(Bebechio).  for some reason i thought it was Bononos ("thank you for the music").  cute video, don't you think.  the song is ちよこれいと。Chiyokoreito (chocolate?)

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Hoshi ni negai o . . . no stars today except on tv

not sure why i keep waking up so early but i watched one charming episode of Ryokan Fukumaru and a very good movie called 星に願いを which is Hoshi ni negai o.  the english title is Night of the Shooting Stars but the original title in Japanese means more like "to wish upon a star". and because i liked the main actress Yuko Takeuchi, i watched another movie with her called The Glory of Team Batista.  now it is almost noon.  the sky is still gray and the sun still away... June Gloom in late May.  here is my view from where i am sitting now.  and i am sure where i will be sitting later.

still feeling a little under the weather so i will rest today.  i am sure i can find something to do inside as well as watch some more Japanese dramas and movies.
and i still have photos to look at from my last two trips to Japan as well as music and videos to sort thru.
ahh, Yuko Takeuchi was in this movie that i am trying to find.  i watched a few episodes of this movie when it was made it to a drama.  i think it is a perfect movie for an cloudy overcast almost June rainy day.  i am still waiting for someone to send me a photo of an ajisai . . . 

update:  i couldn't find the movie online but i did find a heartwarming drama called Bara no nai Hanaya (The Flower Shop with no Roses) which stars Yuko Takeuchi and another favorite actor, Katori Shingo (with no bananas).  and it is still cloudy.  time for some Trader Joe's  brown rice sushi and miso soup for lunch while watching the final two parts of Episode 1.

Katori Shingo as Dole-Man in a Dole banana commercial which started airing this April or May. (not sure if this makes me want to eat more or less bananas).  of course he looks different then when he is singing in SMAP or when he was Kondo Isami in Shinsengumi.

Friday, May 29, 2009

pretty invisible world & misty friday


thru the mist i walked at the beach i stopped and with my shoes off i sat for awhile by the ocean.
white agapanthus

Miramar Park in Torrance overlooking Redondo Beach (or is it Torrance Beach) and Santa Monica Bay/Pacific Ocean.  and in the distance, the Palos Verdes peninsula wearing a gray overcoat

mistdrops with a touch of lavender
bouganvilea tree

two fridays ago, 6000 miles away

catnapping neko


walking to Ryuan-ji (under a green sky and umbrella covered in blue tulips)


Japan has the beautiful green i like

Thursday, May 28, 2009

itsumo hana ga aru




"there are always flowers for those who want to see them."  Henri Matisse







sprinkler raindrops



here is a favorite flower-viewing song
Koko by Ryuichi Sakamoto

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

from SFO to LAX in only 15 hours (and where is N&T&N?)

and why did it take about 15 hours to fly from San Francisco to Los Angeles?  well, i am home for awhile.  still not completely over my cold so time to rest but first a few images from a few weeks ago . . .





夜明け (dawn)           ハンバートハンバート

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Monday, May 18, 2009

the big day has arrived


a beautiful start to what might be a long day (same view as the last photo from yesterday)


hopefully the new medicine will help


and then we had kurukuruzushi at Sushi Rooooo

Sunday, May 17, 2009

more rain, more good food and more good music

a rainy sunday after a raining saturday. after a late breakfast we had a late lunch at the Cafe Cosy Cottage. it was my second visit here and i am looking forward to my third. today we had a nice pasta dish which was preceded by a light salad. if the cafe was full, it would hold about 12 people. Noriko dropped me off at Maple Avenue which is the main shopping/walking street near the Minoh station. i was on my way to hear some live jazz music put on by the local radio station, TakiFm 81.6. the music was mainly jazz standards with a few other ballads by The Eagles and Sting. and the keyboard/vocalist sang one of my favorite jazz songs, "You`d be so nice to come home to". the live event was from 2-4pm. after thanking the musicians i walked to the Minoo takimichi (waterfall trail). i wanted to check if there was any possibility of seeing the sanshin player at the concert at the Hashimototey Cafe and Bar tonite. unfortunately it was still sold out. by chance, i met the sanshin musician`s Mother but...no extra ticket for me. i took the bus home as it was starting to rain more heavily and i was already a little wet. dinner was delicious as usual and too much as usual. and why did i stay in Minoo today? the Kobe Matsuri was cancelled due to . . . the rain? no. precaution? yes.


sunday breakfast (close to brunch)


at the Cafe Cosy Cottage

the view from our table

light salad and home made bread (and since the chef/owner lives above the cafe, everything is really "home made").

pasta with shrimp, brocolli and asparagus in a cream sauce


Minoo TakiFm 81.6 live jazz . . . this was actually being broadcast on the radio



Hashimototey Cafe and Bar


small waterfall on the takimichi


on the way to the waterfall


Cafe Cosy Cottage as seen from the bus


sunday dinner . . . gochisosama deshita


rainy sunday evening