First Band Competition of the Season

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/1700 sec, ISO200
“Pep Talk” Austin, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Koa’s high school marching band took part in their first competition of the season, and they did great, finishing 4th place out of 26 bands. Their show this year is pretty good, and of course they spend so much time practicing every day. Mariko and I watched all the finalists’ performances, and they were all awesome! I’m not really very competitive so I don’t get too caught up in the results (at least I try not to) but it’s great to hear and see all the different shows.

Each and every one of these student musicians is really dedicated in order to perform at this level, and it’s really cool to see them all cheering the other bands on. It’s really like a big family, and in this age of social media, they know a lot of the students of the other schools. Band is like one humongous family! Very cool!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
“The Finalists” Austin, 2019

I hope you had a great day!

またね~

Matsutake Mushroom Rice

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2500
“Mastutake Rice” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Mariko recently bought some matsutake mushrooms and we enjoyed them in a yummy rice dish. Matsutake mushrooms are pretty expensive, but Mariko got a great deal on them and the quality (I’m not the best judge on that) seemed pretty good. I mean, I thought the rice was delicious, so hey, it was at least “good-enough” quality, right? 😊

Mariko also grilled saba (mackerel), shishito peppers, and prepared a simple salad. A perfect Japanese home-style meal to have with the mushroom rice.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2500
“Japanese Home-style Dinner” Cedar Park, 2019

EDC Hashi (Chopsticks)

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1000
“Travel Chopsticks” Cedar Park, 2019

こんにちは! How’s it going?

I’ve been carrying a set of hashi (chopsticks) in my EDC bag for many years now, but the ones I use now are these clear plastic ones. I always prefer to use wooden eating utensils because I feel like wood don’t affect the taste of food, but these plastic ones are more hygienic since I don’t always have the chance to wash these right away after using them. I’ll usually wipe them with a napkin, then wrap the tips in a tissue before putting them back in the cloth sleeve until I can wash them properly. Plus, they are less prone to breakage in my bag, which happened to a pair of lacquered wooden chopsticks I used to have. I also used to have a set of kids’ bento box hashi which had its own plastic case, which was pretty good, but the case took up a little too much space in my bag, plus they weren’t full-length so were not very nice to use. So I am happy with my current set-up.

Speaking of carrying chopsticks in EDC, I actually know a couple of people who do the same. My nephew has been carrying his pair of chopsticks for years as well, and we recently gave our son’s girlfriend some chopsticks with rabbit designs as omiyage, and she says she uses them a lot on her school’s campus. Honestly, I don’t use my hashi very often, but they take up such little space and when I do need them, I’m very happy to have them available.

I hope you had a great day!

またね~

iPad Update

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO320
“iPad Update” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How are you doing?

I updated my iPad Air 3 to the iPad OS 13.1 today, and I have to say it’s a bit nicer! I like the Today View thingie on the home screen, the smaller icons, and the automatic dark mode. Pretty cool!

I watched a video on YouTube about the update, and there were so many ways to move between screens and Safari windows that it boggled my mind. Maybe I am just old, but it was total information overload – I’m actually grateful that I will never need to remember all these shortcuts(which don’t seem all that intuitive).

I’m pretty simple. Just let me listen to Spotify, draw in Procreate, or take notes in GoodNotes and I’m happy.

またね~