Category: Slice of Life

UT Longhorn Music Camp

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 30.2mm, f/6.4, 1/60 sec, ISO2000
 “Honors Wind Ensemble” Austin, 2019

Today Koa finished up his three-week band camp odyssey with a couple of performances at UT Austin. He was part of the Honors Wind Ensemble at the Longhorn Music Camp and for concert day, the kids first performed in smaller ensembles, and then as a full band.

It was Koa’s first time to attend the UT Band Camp, and while he said it was good, he preferred the other two camps. The percussion camp at the University of North Texas was his favorite, the High School Band and Orchestra Camp at Baylor University was second, and the UT Austin Band Camp was third.

I guess the UNT camp is much more specialized, so if you are really focused on your instrument, these instrument-specific camps are the way to go. But he also enjoyed the UT camp, and it was a great experience, especially if you want to experience a little slice of life at a large university.

Please enjoy the recordings below!

Omakase Dinner at Uroko

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO400
 “Saba” Austin, 2019

こんばんは。

This evening Mariko and I enjoyed a delicious omakase-style meal at Uroko. All the sushi was excellent, but the highlight for me was the saba (mackerel) which is my all-time favorite. It’s not the fanciest fish (in fact it’s one of the cheaper types) but I just love the oily richness of saba. Chef Masa described the way he prepared the saba which enhanced the experience even more!

Full disclosure, Uroko is owned by good friends of ours. It’s nice to have a circle of foodies, but maybe not so good for the waistline. 😆

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO320
 “Saké” Austin, 2019

I hope you had a good day!

またね～

Seiko SKX007 + Black Zulu Strap – Sparking Joy ✨

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/55 sec, ISO6400
 “Seiko SKX007” Cedar Park, 2019

I’ve been wearing a green Zulu strap with my beloved Seiko SKX007 watch but decided to put the black Zulu strap back on. However, that strap has a kind of yucky smell although I’ve washed and scrubbed it before. Last night I put it in a jar filled with water and dishwashing soap, and let it soak overnight, and this morning it’s nice and clean-smelling. We’ll see if it stays that way. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try an Oxy-clean soak. Of course, I could just buy the same watch band again for $10, but where’s the fun in that?

I’m currently reading Marie Kondo’s Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up which is a nice follow up to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. It’s got more practical information on how to put her methods into practice, including small illustrations on how to fold different types of clothes. But as the title suggests, it talks about how possessions can spark joy, and my Seiko SKX007 definitely does that for me. But pairing it with the black Zulu strap again takes it to another level – the combination just feels so good! I really love it. I plan on keeping it for the rest of my life. 😄

またね～

A Typical Day

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Photo info: motorola moto g(6), 3.95mm, f/1.8, 1/2100 sec, ISO101
 “Sad Elephant” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。Today’s post will just be a list of what I did today:

  • It’s Work-at-Home day for me, so I get to sleep in a little while longer since I can skip the early morning shower and wash up later.
  • I picked up my car from the body shop. They repaired the dent in the hood and replaced the broken windshield. And it’s a Subaru windshield which is great because I was so happy with my old one which didn’t completely shatter when the rock hit it.
  • I ran/walked at lunchtime under the hot Texas sun. It felt really nice!
  • Worked a couple of hours in the afternoon on my backyard deck.
  • Watched the college baseball world series championship game.
  • Enjoyed curry nite 2.
  • Played a bit of Wizards Unite.

And that’s it! Today’s photo is of a sad toy elephant I saw on the ground as I was running. It kind of looks like it could be a drone shot from Africa… poor elephant!

またね～

Homecoming Curry

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/40 sec, ISO6400
 “Homecoming Curry” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today Mariko and Bay returned from their vacation in New York City, and on the way home from the airport, Mariko said she wanted to make “quick curry”. 🍛 Of course, I thought it was a great idea, especially after eating bachelor meals for the past week. Well, Mariko’s “quick curry” tonight was amazing! Thinly-sliced beef, onion, carrot, and egg made a hearty and filling meal. What a way to celebrate returning home. 😌

I hope you had a nice day!

またね～