Sushi Afternoon

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"Revolving Sushi" Austin, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/100 sec, ISO640
 “Revolving Sushi” Austin, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today Bay and I went to a new restaurant here in Austin, Kula Sushi. This is a conveyor belt-type sushi restaurant, where plates of sushi and other goodies travel by your table on a small track, and you just pick the sushi that looks good to you. The price is calculated by counting the number of plates you used. What’s cool is that you slip the plates into a slot by the table, and it is automatically counted.

Besides the regular conveyor belt, there is a second belt which delivers items that you can order from each table’s iPad. It’s really fun, and the custom orders speed to your table pretty quickly. See the video below to watch our mackerel sushi arriving.

I’d have to say Kula Sushi is pretty good, but it can’t match the sushi from a nice Japanese restaurant with more experienced chefs. Still, it’s fun, convenient, and a good value. Just be prepared for a bit of a wait since it’s relatively new and popular.

I hope you had a nice Saturday!

またね～

Printing

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"Prints"Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/60 sec, ISO6400
 “Prints”Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today I printed out a few photos on our Canon MG7120 photo printer. I’ve been using some relatively cheap ink cartridges by Skia for a while now, and I think the color is pretty good. Because it’s not as expensive as the name-brand ink, I don’t mind making photo prints. And it’s nice to have both small Instax prints and larger 4×6 (and sometimes 8×10) prints.

I don’t think many people make prints of their photos. But, if you try, it might become addicting! Now looking for some nice photo albums to fill up. 😀

またね～

Mechanical

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"Nikon F and Seiko SKX007" Cedar Park, 2017
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/40 sec, ISO6400
 “Nikon F and Seiko SKX007” Cedar Park, 2017

こんばんは。

Today’s photo is of my Nikon F and Seiko SKX007. What they have in common is that they are both purely mechanical devices. They don’t have any electronics or need batteries.

We are so used to relying on a power source to keep our devices running, but there is a charm to precise machines that rely purely on craftsmanship and physical design. The Nikon F has an adjustable shutter speed just like modern digital cameras, but the speed is not controlled by circuitry. It’s all gears and calibrated springs. I think it’s amazing that you can choose between 1/1000 of a second up to 1 second, with half-stops in between.

Similarly, the mechanical watch is fascinating in that it can keep a “power reserve” in the form of a spring, which will power the movement of the watch to an accuracy of +/- just a few seconds per day. I can’t imagine the amount of design it must have taken to invent such an accurate timepiece. It boggles the mind. And did you know that these mechanical watches have precious gems as part of their inner workings? I guess most use synthetic rubies (commonly referred to as jewels in watch specs) at points where durability is most critical. But including gems as part of the mechanical design is pretty damn cool.

Thinking about it, all mechanical clocks are astounding. Clocktowers? Wow!

Anyways, I think that batteryless devices are so cool. It also feels good to use a device that won’t produce toxic waste in the form of spent batteries.

All this talk about non-electric things makes me want to light some candles and read a printed book. 😄

Have a good evening!

おやすみ

Dreaming of Falling

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"危ない" Pedernales Falls, 2011
Photo info: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. E-PL1, 16mm, f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO200
 “危ない” Pedernales Falls, 2011OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

When I was younger, I used to have a recurring dream in which I would fall from a great height. This was usually preceded by a seemingly safe climb which quickly turned into a harrowing cliff-hanger. I could have been on a ladder, or a playscape, or on a mountain path.

Anyways, I’d find myself hanging on for dear life, dangling over the precipice, then I’d lose my grip and fall. My stomach would rise to my throat, just like what happens when riding a rollercoaster. But the strange thing was, I would always hit the ground, then get up, unhurt, and be on my way.

This dream happened so often that I soon got used to the falling and didn’t fear dying anymore. I knew I would “land” safely in a second or two. However, I still have the fear of getting that rollercoaster feeling.

And my brother also had similar dreams. Strange?

This post was prompted by The Daily Post from WordPress.

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The photo is of my kids having fun at a camping trip at Pedernales Falls back in 2011.