Been a long time

大震災の起きてからブログを更新できていなかった。起きたことをちゃんと理解するのに大層時間がかかった。特に福島で何が起きているのか理解し、受け入れ、それに対して何をしていったらよいのかを考えるのに思いのほか時間がかかった。何冊も本を読み、幾度かデモや講演会に出かけ、周囲の人々と事故について語る中で、なんとか出来事に対して自分の態度がはっきりしてきた。

(What will tomorrow bring?)

I haven't been able to update this blog since the Earthquake on 3.11. It took me a long time to get my head around what was really going on. Especially, it was a time-consuming process to really find out about and understand the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, to come to terms with it, to come up with what I can and should do about it. After reading several books, taking part in a few demonstrations and lectures, and talking about what to make of what was going on with people around me, I finally began to get an understanding of this crisis that can have grave consequences, and to know what attitude I should take towards it.

What you see is not always what you get

先日取った写真の一枚。真っ白のコサギがマガモを追っかけているように見える。しかし、実際にはこの二羽の水鳥はそれぞれ別々の行動をしている。マガモは水に流されて上流から降りてきて、今から戻ろうとしている。一方、コサギは餌をとることに専念して、たまたまマガモの方を向いているに過ぎない。しばしば、物事は真実とは違って見える。ここでも、一見そう認識されることが起きているわけではないのだ。

(What is cooking?)

One of the pictures I took the other day. It looks like an immaculate while little egret is chasing away a wild duck. But the truth is that the wild duck has been carried downstream by the flow of the river and is now trying to swim back upstream. And the little egret? She is totally focusing on what she is doing; she is trying to find prey, and happens to be turning in the wild duck's direction. Oftentimes, things are not what they seem to be. Here also, what you see is definitely not what you get.

Little things that adorn my room

部屋には色々な小物が飾ってある。好きな場所に行って買ってきたもの、友達からの旅行のお土産や旅行先からの絵葉書、海外の友達が遊びにきたときに持ってきてくれたもの、そして自分が京都で買ったものなど。そういう細々としたものが、自分の部屋をとても居心地のよいものにしてくれる。

(my cute little things)

My room is adorned with many little things. Things that I brought back when I went to my favorite places, souvenirs that friends gave me when they came back from their trips, picture postcards that they sent me from where they were traveling, and trinkets that I bought here in Kyoto, etc. These little things make my room a comfortable place to spend my time in.

What are these plants?

この間、カメラを携えて山科川の川辺を散歩した。ここは歩行者、自転車用道路になっている。これがそのとき沢山取った写真の一枚。頭を切られているけど、これらの木は一体何の木。名前が何であれ、この木はいつか元気に花を咲かせるのだろう。

(What are these plants?)

I took a long walk along the Yamashina river with my camera the other day. The paths along the river can only be used by pedestrians and bicycles, and those living nearby were enjoying a leisurely walk. The above is one of the pictures I took while taking the walk there. What are these bushes? Although their tops are cut off, they must bear flowers when the time comes.

Wintry day in Kyoto

今日の京都は雪がちらつく寒い天気、比叡山と薄く雪化粧、比良さんはもう真っ白になっている。春は来そうでなかなか来ない。しかし、庭の梅のつぼみはもう大きくふくらんでいる。


(Swelling plum buds)

It was a wintry day today in Kyoto. It snowed this morning. Mt. Hiei was lightly dusted with snow, and Mt. Hira totally covered with it. We know spring is coming, but it sure looks like it is not in a rush. But the plum buds in the garden are in the know. They are ready to come out whenever it gets here.

Perth

オーストラリアのパースに行ってきた。光と空間に満ちた、南半球の街だった。でも、ずっと住むには食べるものに困りそうだぁ。

(light, space, sunset)

                                               
 I have been to Perth in Australia. It was a city full of light and space down under. But maybe eating would be a bit of a problem if I decided to live there.

Became a Blogger blogger

I have just become a blogger of Blogger, inspired by a frined of mine. She's been using this blog for the last couple of years. She writes what she does, what goes through her mind, what she plans to do, etc. She also looks back on her past from time to time, doing soul-searching.

 

(A street in Uji, Kyoto)

　　　　　　　　　　　                 　

In other words, she uses this blog to stay in touch with herself. She also uses it to stay in touch with others. That's what I intend to do with this, staying touch with myself, staying touch with others. It's a difficult thing to be up front about yourself when you know other people may be out there reading what you write here. But I will try to be as open as I can.