A-Z Challenge – L

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L stands for “Library”

I’ve always enjoyed going to the library ever since I was little. My parents used to take us to the excellent Torrance Public Library, which was pretty huge, and really fun for a kid. The children’s section was upstairs on the second floor and I remember heading up the stairs that were just past the checkout desk and heading up to check out the cool books about dinosaurs or space or even just look at all the World Book encyclopedias.

As I sit here now typing this post, so many memories are coming flooding back to me… one of the strongest is of how the library smelled… for some reason the elevator had a distinctive odor… something industrial like oil or rubber. Anyways, I love that smell, but the only time I’ve encountered it is at that library. I wonder if it still smells like that after all these years… I’ll definitely have to check the next time I am in Torrance. I am curious to see if the rock and gem collection is still on display at the entrance to the library. That was always a treat to see those cool geodes!

But there are many things that I cannot remember… like the exact layout of the library… I think because these are children’s memories, I don’t recall a lot of the sections that had the grown-up books. Those areas are all very hazy in my mind. Which is odd, because when I was in high school, I had a part time job at the same library and had to shelve books in all sections. So I should have strong memories. I wonder why this is.

Anyways, the local library that we visit now is much smaller than that of my childhood, but it is top-notch. I always find something good to read there! And there is a pretty good manga section, plenty of dvds to borrow, and they even have ebooks that you can borrow by browsing the catalog online from anywhere! It’s such a great service. (you download the books to your Kindle)

Anyways, I am so happy that we have access to another wonderful library. With so much to be cynical about in the world these days, the public libraries have a kind of purity about them that is comforting. It’s like a reminder that there is still good in this world. ☺️

 

A-Z Challenge – K

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K stands for “Konmari”

Lately I’ve been reading “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo which is about decluttering your house and improving your life. The term “Konmari” comes from her first and last names and it’s kind of a Japanese way to make nicknames. For instance, Takuya Kimura from SMAP is known as “Kimutaku”, and pitcher Kenta Maeda is “Maeken”.

But nickname aside, this book is the latest in a string of books about decluttering and minimalism that I have read. I first became interested in decluttering about 15 years ago when I read “Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui” by Karen Kingston. It was life-changing. I started throwing away so many things that I had kept that I did not need anymore. It felt great! I think I was reading the book late at night and got so motivated that at 2AM I found myself in my closet piling up old clothes to take to Goodwill!

The Konmari method is a little different, but the general idea is the same… only keep what gives you joy in your life, and discard the rest. And for the things you do keep, make sure they have a place to go. When your home is in order, you will be able to focus on the things in life that make you happy. Of course, the book is a lot more detailed about the techniques that she teaches to her clients. I am only about halfway through the book, and already it’s highly motivating and inspirational.

If you don’t know about decluttering, this is a good place to start!

A quick post

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Cedar Park, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO400
 Cedar Park, 2016

こんばんは！ Hello!

As you can see from the title of this post, it’s going to a be a short one. The reason is because I am reading a book “Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City” and I am itching to get back to it. So far, it’s a lot of fun! I enjoy Young Adult fiction a lot. It’s a nice change of pace and mixes up the rhythm of things. 📔

Today’s photo is of one of the fish tanks at the pet store. Bay and I went there to buy another Tiger Barb for our 10-gallon tank. We just have two of them, and they are not getting along, but I read that Tiger Barbs are schooling fish and they do better when there are several together. The guy at the pet store said the maximum he recommends for our size tank is only 3, so we just bought a single fish. Happily, it seems like the three are getting along pretty well! よかった! 🐠

Also, our Malaysian Trumpet Snails seem to be healthy and eating away at the algae. Not enough that it looks cleaner, but I am expecting the snails to multiply their number and become an army of aquarium-cleaning monsters. Hopefully that happens soon.

OK, how was that for a quick post? 😮

おやすみなさい！

– B Barron Fujimoto

A-Z Challenge – J

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J stands for “Jyama” (じゃま)

I was thinking of a word that starts with J that we say often in my family and the Japanese word “Jyama” (sounds like Jah-mah) came into my mind. And it would usually be followed by an exclamation point because it’s usually said to someone when they are in the way. If you say it to someone with a bit of feeling behind it, it can mean, “Get out of my way!”

I normally hear “Jyama!” from my wife when I am bothering her in the kitchen, trying to steal food that she is making, or if I am getting something out of the fridge while she needs to get in there too. 😜

Anyways, that’s a quick Japanese lesson for today. My Japanese comprehension is not so great, but I do know when my wife wants me to get the heck out of her way!

Grey day

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Cedar Park, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/10 sec, ISO1250
 Cedar Park, 2016

こんばんは！ Good evening!

Right now (9:50 PM) it is raining outside ☔, and the forecast according to Bay is for heavy downpours starting around midnight. I like the rain but I am hoping that Koa’s baseball game tomorrow evening will be unaffected by the weather.

Tonight’s photo is not grey like the weather, but pretty colorful owing to the fact that I used the Velvia film simulation on my X100T, and the Instax prints have deep, rich colors. I really love the look of the Instax film… there is a nice depth to them. Almost 3D. And I love the little dark vignette-like border around the edges where the color meets the white border. It really looks like you are peering into a window or down into a pool! (ok, use your imagination a little!)

Tonight, one of Mariko’s friends came over to watch a Japanese horror movie called “Tomie Unlimited”. I don’t usually like horror movies, but I watched the first 15 minutes or so and it was fun! There was a kind of gory part at the beginning, but it was so over-the-top that it was funny. I’ll have to finish watching the movie soon. (I had to take Bay to his piano lesson so I couldn’t continue the movie)

Cedar Park, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/10 sec, ISO3200
 Cedar Park, 2016

Well, time for bed!

おやすみなさい！

– バロン Barron Fujimoto