❤️🍣 I love nigiri sushi, but sometimes a fancy sushi roll hits the spot!
Sushi
Curry Nite 2
“Curry and Eggs” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。As you can see from the photo, it was Curry Nite at our house! Actually, this is day-2 curry, so it’s even better… and we cooked up a few eggs that my coworker’s chickens “donated” to us. The yolks are really bright and tasty, although in the photo I bumped up the vibrance a bit because I like the look.
We still have a lot of curry leftover, so it will probably go into the freezer so we can enjoy it farther down the road. Curry is one of the big three in Japanese home-cooking as far as I’m concerned. The other two being Oden and Nabe. But you can’t beat a big pot of curry IMHO!
I hope you had a nice Wednesday!
またね～
Pizza Nite
“Pizza Factory” Cedar Park, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Tonight Mariko had a few friends over for dinner and she decided to make pizza. Not just a single pizza, but multiple pizzas with different toppings! 🍕 She actually made twice as much dough as we could eat, plus the toppings left are enough for another Pizza Nite, which is fine by me since I am crazy about pizza.
If you are wondering about the topping selections, here’s what was available:
- Italian sausage
- Jalepeño
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil
- Marinara sauce
- Corn/tuna/mayo (a Japanese favorite)
- Carmelized onion
- Tomato
- Mushrooms
I think we made about 7 small pizzas before we were all stuffed! Oh, in addition to pizza, there was kale, cauliflower, shrimp and cocktail sauce, green salad, and roasted potatoes. And wine! 🍷
“Cooling and Cooking” Cedar Park, 2018
The ladies are chatting away, even as it gets late, but I have to turn in… waking up at 5:30 am requires an early bed time. 😀
おやすみ！
Sailor Moon Nite 2
“Sailor Moon S: The Movie” Austin, 2018
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Tonight Mikey and I went to see a special screening “Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie” at the theater. Last week we saw the first and second Sailor Moon movies, which were really fun, so I was looking forward to this third one.
The story was pretty good, roughly following the story of The Pied Piper, in which sleeping kids are lured by the flute song of a stranger and kidnapped. As it turns out, Chibisua is taken with the rest of the kids, so it’s up to Sailor Moon and the rest of the gang, including the Sailor Moon Outer Senshi Sailor Pluto, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Uranus. I think that was my favorite part, seeing those three appear, and hearing Sailor Pluto use her “Dead Scream” attack. Very cool!
I would say that I liked this movie even more than its predecessors. It had a ton of action, funny scenes, and interesting villains. Plus the “dream coffins” were super creepy. 😱 Highly recommended movie, especially for anime fans!
I hope you had a great day!
またね～
My Camera Kit for Travel (and EDC)
“Siblings” Cedar Park, 2018OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
こんばんは。How’s it going?
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but I have a big trip coming up (to China!) and since I will be taking a suitcase for this trip, it got me thinking about my travel photography kit. 📷 Specifically, with the extra space, maybe I should bring along the Fujifilm X-T10 and its two lenses. And maybe I can bring the 50mm f/1.4 Minolta lens as well. It’s China after all! We’ll be seeing some amazing sights, so I might as well be prepared to get wide shots, plus some tight shots, so the 18-55mm zoom will be perfect. With this in mind, I figured I should get a couple extra batteries (I only have one for the X-T10), so I put a couple in my Amazon shopping cart.
But before pulling the trigger on the batteries, I thought of my recent trip to New York, last year’s vacation to Morocco and Spain, my work trip to Stockholm, and the reason why I decided to just take my Fujifilm X100T.
And that reason can be summed up in one word: Simplicity.
The Fujifilm X100 series of cameras have a fixed 23mm (35mm equivalent) lens which simplifies the act of shooting photos. I don’t have to think about what lens to put on and what would work best in each situation. And later, I won’t be able to second-guess my decision. With the X100T, I have to use the 35mm field of view for everything. If I can’t get close enough by moving my feet, then so be it. Forget about that shot and move on. If I must have a super-wide shot, then Lightroom can stitch a couple photos together. But taking the lens choice decision out of the equation makes shooting so much more stress-free, and therefore more fun!
Of course, having the single camera and fixed lens also makes for a smaller and lighter kit. (a nice bonus is that I don’t have to worry about getting dust on the sensor). My back and knees appreciate the lightweight setup, I’m sure! 😀
So, I’ve reaffirmed my choice of travel kit (and everyday kit, to be honest). And here it is:
“Camera Kit” Cedar Park, 2018
- Fujifilm X100T
- USB cable (for transfer and charging)
- 2 extra batteries
- Lens Pen
- Microfiber cloth that doubles as a grey card
- Extra SD cards
- 20,100mAh Anker power bank (added the Independent Trucks sticker)
- Generic USB wall plug
All the items except camera and power bank fit in a Jansport “Digital Burrito” organizer.
Frankly, the power bank is mainly used for charging my phone, and I can’t remember the last time I used the microfiber cloth, instead opting for the Lens Pen. The USB cable does double-duty since it charges my phone.
This setup is so compact, I don’t even need a dedicated camera bag. And since I am usually wearing the camera across my body using the strap, I just have to put the burrito organizer in whatever bag I happen to have. For instance, in New York I used a small MoMA shopping bag all day. It was a great set up! Burrito, power bank, phone, and umbrella in the bag, camera across my body, and that’s it.
I believe that a simpler, minimalistic life can make you happy, and that a simple, minimalistic camera kit can make photography a lot more enjoyable. In fact, I experience it firsthand every time I walk out the door!
またね～
“Camera Kit” Cedar Park, 2018
“Camera Kit” Cedar Park, 2018
