16 Apr 2011: House Warming Party

Finally! Been talking about our dearest Aaron's new place since last year...now he finally remembers we have yet to mess up his place to make it a new home sweet home!


It's a 1.5 hours metro + JR + walk, I finally arrive the place at 2ish in the afternoon. Not too soon that I found it definitely worth the hike. :D


Lots of food, drinks, and kids!
I am shy as usual (?) but the kids are so cute! So they loved me too and we had great fun, sooo energetic and a sporty day for me indeed!


OK, time for some photos:

And Aaron's collections, "You are so talented!" said Kyoko (Mike's wife). Yes, Aaron, she spoke for all of us too!! (Hmmm, no one gonna disagreed with me on this after we fed ourselves up-side down on the delicious food and desserts from the Stokes right?! We were just too busy and amazed with all the gadgets...)


And to prove the above, here you go, it's really a mini-Museum with equipments older than most of us! Sugoi-ne Aaron!

Last but not the least, BIG BIG Thankyou to the Stokes, food, drinks, games, we all appreciated your warm courtesy to let us "mess up" your new place! When will be our BBQ next time?? :P

11 Apr 2011: Just a reminder

Just as everyone is saying "Yeah, Tokyo is getting back to normal." Today, exactly one month after the Tohoku earthquake, another M7.1 hit Fukushima, at 17:16...when everyone was in the office. This time not striking at the seabed, on underground...


Well I must say, am nearly got used to the quakes, we are calling them aftershocks instead of earthQUAKES. So, everyone were pretty calm, sitting at their desks and waiting for the building management's announcements one after another...


Lifts were shopped and re-started, so were the metro lines, stopped and re-started, one by one. And I was able to get home with some company, some colleagues, although the metro was super packed, hot like sauna and we were squashed like sardines/lemons...That 20mins journey was like, that I have been working from the train for several hours or so...exhausted...


First thing I did when I got home? Nope, not shower, not lying on sofa, not napping, but start packing my emergency survival kit/backpack (yet FYI I have put them away already) and put it right next to my bed...


In any cases, I was going to say, this earthquake, like any other disasters, really did something to us...To name but a few~

• We are more aware of what we really need, not money, not our most expensive camera, but a torch, or a whistle, or bottles of water, or even some tissue rolls...
• We are more aware of the amount of resources we consumed, natural or artificial, such as water, electricity...where the food came from...
• We are more aware of who we really cared about and loved most...those whom we always called and remembered when the earth quakes...

Indeed, we gain some and we lose some...So, what do you gain from THE earthquake?

09 Apr 2011: Cherry Blossoms Everywhere

2011 - My first April in Japan. Not a perfect one as it could have been, given the "you know what" happenings lately. Still, I am here, and I'm gonna make it a delightful one of mine!

My walks along the Shakuji River 石神井 (finishing at Asukayama-koen 飛鳥山公園 near Oji) with 3 other photographers (photographic enthusiasts in fact), and surely Sensei Alfie, was long but filled with surprises. Flowers, Cherry Blossoms, People, Animals, Insects, and more Cherry Blossoms. Todays' photos set has a name - "Hana (Cherry Blossoms) Everywhere". As you'll see, they are really everywhere...

Route is on this Google map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=35.752782,139.724765&spn=0.016648,0.033023&t=h&z=16&msid=202000483151781808866.0004a0624db3086a896f1

This tiny dragonfly streamed through my macro lens! Amazing!

And even momiji (Autumn leaves) in green!!!

I was surprised how pretty the blossoms are, truly thought provoking. Was impressed how I was able to enjoy wondering in the nature, after all the shocks and sleepless nights I had in the past month...Quite a relaxing Saturday afternoon for me indeed.

As for thoughts, I should say, Sometimes in life we don't always get what we expected, and at the same time, we always get something that we don't expect. So do reach out and explore, you will find your own cherry blossoms, it's all around...You'll be there too...