Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 50mm, f/2.8, 1/90 sec, ISO125 Moto G and 木村 文乃
This is my new phone: a Motorola Moto G (2nd generation). My two-and-a-half-year-old Galaxy S3 finally died after a few resets and so I decided that it was time. The Moto G is not the latest and greatest in terms of technology, but it is decent, comes with the latest version of Android, and is only $179 total, off-contract.
One thing I have learned is that I do not have to load every app under the sun to have a great experience. After resetting the S3, I had to reinstall apps and each time I reset it, I would install less and less, until I was down to the bare essentials. I realized which apps I actually used and now my phone is pretty uncluttered. Also contributing to the streamlined phone is that it runs stock Android, not some manufacturer skin. So it’s nice and fast. That speed is a great feeling! (and no monthly payments is also wonderful)
Mondai no Aru Restaurant is my favorite new dorama. It’s really fun, with plenty of small inside jokes, especially generational things that are specific to different age groups. This is a good one!
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
Just a couple of weeks into the new year, and I have finished reading my first book! South of the Border, West of the Sun
by Haruki Murakami has been sitting on my shelf for a long time now (the receipt I found in the book showed that I bought it at Borders 14 years ago!). Actually I sort of forgot about it, but when I started reading it I couldn’t put it down! That happens often when I read a book by Murakami.
I won’t go into the plot of the story, but the one thing that I kept thinking as I was reading it is that I really miss Japan. This is normal a normal reaction with all his books. But I always can picture the scenes, especially the ones in the city and I can remember when I stood in the same locations as his characters. At least the same neighborhoods.
Like most of Murakami’s works, there are many details that get left unsaid and unexplained. It’s fascinating to read about everyone’s theories about these loose ends. There’s a nice thread on Reddit if you’d like to read them.
Sutekina Sen TAXI – 素敵な選TAXI is such an enjoyable show! The plot is basically that this taxi can go back in time so the passengers can replay different situations and make better choices to achieve better outcomes. It’s a neat idea, but what makes is really great is that the taxi driver is such a fun character. He’s so uncool, yet likable, earnest, and innocent. Perfect casting of Takenouchi Yutaka and great acting!
In each episode, the taxi “time-slip” (when the taxi goes back in time) gags get funnier and funnier. And I love how the characters from the seemingly separate stories come back to make appearances in later ones. The Criminal Detective show is hilarious too. I love it! I highly recommend finding the torrent or the online subbed episodes.
Leader of the Gang
Episode 7 is the funniest so far, with the main character Onishi Mari’s gang-leader past being revealed.
Time-slip Sound Effects
That’s Kimura Fumino above. She has the same birthday as me – 10-19! The taxi-driver is so excited about installing sound effects in his car. lol
Time-slip Safety Goggles
All of the episodes are pretty funny, but episode 8 was quite a tear-jerker as well. I didn’t realize that the Yu-chan character in this episode was Yuka (in the center in the photo above) from episode 6 until the episode was over. And then the doctor from episode 5 returns at the very end. Yoshida Yo, my favorite!
The icing on the cake is that the theme song is by one of my favorite singers, Aiko.
I recently bought a Patagonia MiniMass messenger bag. I have a couple of bags already, so why do I need a new one? I don’t need one, but it is nice to have a new one that fills a specific purpose.
Multiple Bags
The other day I listened to a relatively new photography podcast called “Your Itinerary” whose focus is travel photography. In that particular episode, the host interviews a VP of a camera bag manufacturer. During the conversation, the thought that no one camera bag is perfect for all situations kept coming up. I agree with this thought, and am happy that I can now feel less guilty about satisfying my love of messenger bags and backpacks.
The Current Lineup
Before I bought my new bag, I had two main bags. The first is my REI Messenger bag, with a padded insert for carrying camera gear. The second is a North Face Router backpack, also with a padded insert. Both are good for carrying my dSLR and lenses, the messenger bag being more nimble since I can get the camera out of the bag quickly. The Router holds a lot more and since it’s a backpack, the heavy load is distributed between both shoulders. If I get really tired, there is also a waist strap so I can use it as a pseudo backpacking pack.
The Missing Link
The problem with both of these is that thye are large. Lots of times I don’t want to carry them. I mistakenly thought that I could carry either of these wherever I went and have access to my beloved dSLR (actually SLT, for you purists). But now I realize that a smaller bag would be better for an “everyday carry” and since I have my Fujifilm XF1, I don’t need to carry the dSLR for general walkabout photos. The XF1 and RAW can produce some great photos.
The New Bag
I did some research online, watched video reviews, and then went to REI to check out the bags they had in person, specifically looking for a small messenger bag. The Patagonia MiniMass stood out as the best one, and REI had it on clearance! What great timing! Unfortunately, they didn’t have the color I wanted in stock, but I ordered it online and had it shipped to the store. After a week, I had the bag in my possession.
Patagonia MiniMass
So, how is the bag? In a word: Great! It’s small, but not too small, comfortable, the pockets and storage are for the most part well-thought out. I can fit everything I need into it, and in fact if I wanted to squeeze the dSLR and an extra lens in there, it could do it.
As you can see from the list, there’s a lot that I carry! But in reality, it does not weigh that much. It’s a nice little kit and I can even shoot RAW, edit on my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet, and post to Instagram all while on the go. One useful feature of this bag is that the two cover-straps also double as compression straps, so you can expand or slim down the width of the bottom of the bag. I wish I had this on my larger messenger bag and backpack!
My Daily Carry
Of course with any bag, there are a couple of things that I’d change. Well, just one in fact! There is only a single outside pocket for a water bottle. This pocket is perfect for carrying the Fujifilm XF1 compact camera, but I wish there was another pocket on the other side so I could carry my 12oz. Liberty water bottle. Since that bottle has a handle, there may be some way to attach it.
All-in-all I love the Patagonia MiniMass messenger bag. It fits into my life perfectly!
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 35mm, f/2.4, 1/350 sec, ISO100 My Bag Collection
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My camera & photos
I use a Fujifilm X-series camera for most of the photos on this site and my Instagram. Why not pick one up for yourself?
