I see many photos in my Instagram feed of the sakura (cherry blossoms) in Japan, which are blooming right now. Several years ago, when we moved into our house, we planted a cherry blossom tree in our backyard so we could enjoy the sakura each year as well. Although the blossoms look beautiful, Mariko pointed out that they are not as nice as the ones in Japan because the trees are not supposed to have leaves on them at the same time as the blossoms. And it’s true, the ones in Japan are all flowers, and no green. Nevertheless, I still think the flowers look terrific.
Hi, this is the first day of the A-Z Challenge! (It’s my first time doing it, but was nudged along by Jamie Lyn Weigt 😄) So, without further ado…
A is for “Anime”
I often say, “I’m not a huge anime fan…” but when I do watch, I usually enjoy it. Of course it depends on the story. For instance, I don’t like sci-fi/mecha anime too much, but I do like adventure and slice-of-life types of stories.
Just recently I finished a great 13-part anime series titled “The Pilot’s Love Song” which takes place in an alternate reality, but a lot of the tech is similar. For instance, the story revolves around flying, and the planes they use are all prop-type, and they use conventional guns, but there is also some supernatural components as well. And of course, their world is a series of stepped discs, suspended in the air, with floating islands and a rainbow barrier surrounding them all.
I thought the artwork and the air combat was pretty cool. The story is interesting, although predictable, and thankfully the opening theme song (video below) and closing song are good. That’s important because they take up so much of each episode (I don’t skip forward)!
“The Pilot’s Love Song” ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, but I don’t think a second season is in the works. I hope they make one, because it was fun and I need to know how the adventure continues! You can watch the first season at Crunchyroll.
So now I am looking for more anime to watch. If you have any suggestions (especially if they are on Netflix or Crunchyroll) let me know!
However, I do think it is cool that our bodies have the possibility to nourish other lifeforms as we decompose. But apart from our physical bodies, I don’t believe our consciousness survives in the traditional sense of reincarnation.
I do take some comfort in the fact that our legacies will continue on. That can take the form of DNA we pass to our descendants, and also what we teach our kids or friends, and the lasting impressions we might make. This is entirely within our control and the choices we make. Let’s live good lives!
This post was prompted by The Daily Post from WordPress.
Naked with Black Socks – Are you comfortable in front of people, or does the idea of public speaking make you want to hide in the bathroom? Why?
The idea of speaking in front of a group of people makes me incredibly nervous, yes! Before I have to speak, my heart beats so fast and I get anxious. And when I start talking, my voice is often unsure and shaky. But then I become more comfortable and it’s ok and oftentimes a lot of fun.
I used to teach classes of maybe 25 students and I would get nervous at first, but soon it wasn’t a big deal. The key is preparation for me. If I know what I am going to talk about, and also have knowledge about the subject so I can answer any questions that may come up, then that confidence carries me through. But, ALWAYS before I speak, I get those butterflies! It used to really stress me out but now since it happens every time, I am used to it and know that it is a normal part of the process. I try to feed off that nervousness a bit if I can… you know, it’s all about turning things into positive energy for me these days!
This post was prompted by The Daily Post from WordPress.
Voice Work – Your blog is about to be recorded into an audiobook. If you could choose anyone — from your grandma to Samuel L. Jackson — to narrate your posts, who would it be?
I would choose Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein to narrate my posts. I have no idea what it would sound like, but I bet it would hilarious.
Here’s my favorite scene from the movie:
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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?
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/800 sec, ISO200
