2 out of 3 plus 1 = another nice day in the south bay

i missed the "sand snowman" building contest in Hermosa Beach but i made i to see the Sly Crooner otherwise known as Geoffrey Tozer at Fisherman's Village in Marina del Rey and then i was able to skate back to Manhattan Beach for their annual pier lighting.  there were some other little highlights during the skate by the beach but the "plus 1" is the beautiful sunset.  seeing dolphins is always a highlight as were the very varied and photogenic cloud formations.  oh, and there was a band on the Manhattan Beach pier before the christmas lights were illuminated.  i can't remember their name but there played some blues and blues-y christmas songs.  they had two excellent guitarists.  Santa and his reindeer were also on the pier and i am sure he had his taken with at least 100 kids.  no, no Tony with Santa photo this time...the line was too long. 

 

what is a Keb' Mo' ?

another friday.  another walk to the beach on another sunny day.  i recently told someone that it takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour to walk to the beach depending on the amount of photos i take along the way and/or if i am distracted by such things as hummingbirds, squirrels, flowers, shadows or possibly a butterfly.  today i was so distracted. i did make it back in time to have a little lunch and then catch the bus downtown to the new L.A. Live.  tonite there was a free concert by the incredible Keb' Mo'.  i made it time to hear his soundcheck and then walked around checking out this new entertainment area across the street from Staples Center.  lots of lights. lots of flash.  The Grammy Museum opened today ($14.95 for adults). i bought some hot chocolate from Starbucks and found a good place to stand for the one hour of blues, ballads from Keb Mo and his wonderful band. some of my favorite songs were "More than one way home", "Suitcase" and "You don't have to shave your legs for me" (not sure if that last one is the song's title but it made for an interesting lyric). the last song of his set was a blues reggae version of "One Love" with a special guest from Ghana.  after the music i was able to catch my bus back home without having to make a connection...and at night in LA, that is always a good thing.

oh, and if you are interested i have put two new videos on youtube.  one is Tozy at the Suidosuji Music Street.  and tonite's most recent musical adventure, Keb' Mo' live from downtown LA.

Christmas Stroll

i left home around 430pm and returned from the beach, from the Christmas Stroll, from the neighborhood with the Christmas lights, from the grocery store at . . . 1030pm.  i am tired but i had a nice day.  i left a little later than i planned due to checking my mail on my way out.  i received a package from my sister.  one of the gifts in the package was a cd of French music.  as you may or may not know, my little sister and her husband are studying French up in Monterrey in preparation for their continuing "blessed" life adventure, they are moving to France.  so, i "imported" the cd into my iTunes and then "sync" it with my iPod so i could listen to it on my walk to the beach.  i love my iMac.  and the musique Franciase too.  Merci, mi imoto.

Mise en Place

how does one connect this past week's  Waddaya Know radio show to Minoo, Osaka, Japan?

this photo has nothing to do with the answer.  i just like this yellow image from autumn in Kyoto.  the ochiba (fallen leaves) are from the ichou no ki (ginkgo tree).

holding a "real" photo

a "real" photo from a real long time ago.

 Autumn 1983.  i know where one of the people is for sure.  i know where one is probably, Canada (and i need to contact him).  one may be back in Senegal. and two in Japan.  yes, i brought the Dr. Pepper from the base.  and my camera.  Katsu drove the Range Rover,  brought the canoe, and camping gear.  Djakte sang in his native French.  Noriko and Yoko  sang in French too as well as Japanese and helped Katsu with the cooking. it was my first time to have such an international "barbecue", first time to row a canoe, first time to go somewhere for momijigari (looking for autumn colors).  little did i know 25 years later, i would still be returning to Japan, and still be trying to take a beautiful autumn photo.  i have only rowed a boat a couple times since then and both times have a story to go with them.

another nonbiri (take it easy) day for me.  thanks for reminding me to cancel my hotel reservation in Philadelphia since i don't have to fly back east until next tuesday. the highlight for today was having some photos made from my digital camera.  it is really nice to "hold" a photo.  for the last year or so that i have been using a digital camera, i have only had a few images printed and i think those were mainly for last year's Christmas card and a few nengajo (end of the year postcard).  i had about 30 photos printed today at CVS.  most of them were from my autumn trip to Japan but a few were some recent "that color green" inside the wave photos.  and one Jonathan Livingston Seagull photo.  i think i will go back tomorrow to make some more "real" photos.  i am still working on this year's card and holiday dvd. the dvd may be put on hold until my month off in January.  and if you remember, some of last year's Christmas cards were made from the Christmas Stroll which is coming up this thursday and of that nearby neighborhood that is "famous" for it's holiday lights.  i may walk there tomorrow night. another highlight today was because of the first "holding a real photo" highlight. i have been trying (for a couple of years now) to get more organized with my photos and maps, brochures, pamphlets, ticket stubs from my travels...well, it's all done now. and if you believe that. actually i have been going thru shoeboxes and shoeboxes full of photos and travel-related stuff.  most of them i have finally labeled...Kilimanjaro, Machu Pichu, bunjee jump, waterfalls, Italy, Holland, Australia, Paris, Edinburgh, US Open (tennis not golf), friends, family, etc.   and of course, there is one whole wall devoted to Japan...cherry blossoms, more cherry blossoms, Takatsuki Jazz Street, Arashiyaka Music Festival, autumn in Kyoto, one month bike trip,more  autumn colors, Shikoku bike trip, and Minoo, Minoh, Mino.  a third highlight is what is written on the back of a photo from 1975 but you will have to send an email or call to find out what it said.  i am going to scan in a "real" photo or two . . . and have some pasta for dinner.

these photos were from "real" photos that i scanned in (but they are originally taken on my little Casio digital camera). i just realized they are  all water-related as well as autumnal related.  i like the Japanese kanji  (character) for mizu 水 (water). my "badge" from the music festival in Kobe which i have added to my back pack features this kanji 水  why, you ask?  because Kobe is by the water? (that reason would cover most cities in Japan). no.  because Kobe is known for it's delicious water.  no.  actually the festival was on a very long shotengai (covered shopping street) called Suidosuji.  now, you can figure it out... no, not yet.  the answer is the first kanji (character) of Suidosuji is 水 which is the kanji for mizu which means water. but, i do not know why the street is called what it is called. another thing to "google".　tomorrow is wednesday which in Japanese is Suiyobi and it written 水曜日.  that reason is a little easier to understand and will explain another time.

Autumn 2008

the past and the present walk into a bar . . .

ok, so it wasn't a bar but as i was walking along the beach today, a gray and foggy first day of December, i noticed it was possible to listen to the past and the present at the same time.  and if you can tell me how that is possible, please send me an email.  or was it all in my head.

today's photos will be from my home away from home and from a wee short walk from my home of ten years.   the photos from Japan are from the last couple of weeks.  the  sunny photos from the beach are from thanksgiving day or the day after.  the gray foggy photos and surfer photos are from today.