Check out the live cam at the famous Shibuya crossing!
I love this place. I’ve had many great memories of Shibuya and they all started at this intersection.
Tag: travel
Sunday Downtime
“Sunday Downtime” Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！Hello, how’s it going?
Today was a relaxing day, although I did do a couple of DIY tasks (cutting some wood for a shelf, and fixing a toilet), but what was the best part of today was watching TV! In particular, by chance, there was a television program on called “Kyo、burari” which is sort of like a walking tour of Kyoto neighborhoods. Today’s episode was around Kyoto University and they visited a small boarding house apartment for students. It reminded me of my first apartment when I lived in Japan.
It’s funny, but because the episode took place in summer and I moved into the apartment at the same time, I felt memories coming back to me that had been long forgotten. The sound of the cicadas, the look of that old, small apartment room, filled me with a natsukashii (nostalgic) feeling. Also, because the tv program is sort of a walk around the city, the transition to the empty apartment was something that I experienced firsthand. When I lived in that apartment, I didn’t want to stay inside… I spent most of my time out in the city, walking around and exploring.
So, it was really nice to watch the show today and relive some of those feelings. And it was very unexpected to see that show, because it’s not scheduled on our TV Japan programming, but for some reason the previous show was cut short and they had to fill the time with another program.
Today’s photo is of our family room, and you can see Koa and Anko on the sofa,and the tv showing a different Japanese program. That was our Sunday!
Anyways, I hope you had a nice weekend!
おやすみなさい！
– バロン 
High in the sky
“Blue Skies” Cedar Park, 2016
Summer traveling will be starting for many people. Safe journeys everyone!
I took this photo at the elementary school athletic field. My son, Koa, and I went there to throw the baseball and enjoy the outdoors. The clouds had been so interesting for the past few days so I was planning on getting a couple nice photos of them, and when this plane flew by, I snapped one of it between the clouds. I adjusted the exposure levels and color a bit in Lightroom, and also bumped up the clarity.
Fly above
Cedar Park, 2016
こんばんは！ Hello, how’s it going?
I am doing well… my workload is getting back to normal and the stress level is going down. It feels great! I feel like I am the plane in today’s photo… finally getting over the storm and moving on. ✈️
As I sit here listening to music, I realize that I don’t have much to write about tonight. And I am not gonna worry about thinking up something… just going to cut it short right here and take it easy. 😊
Have a wonderful evening!
おやすみなさい！
– B
A-Z Challenge – O
Redondo Beach, 2013
O is for “Ocean”
I’ve always loved the ocean… swimming in it, listening to the waves, or hanging out at the beach during the summer… so many good memories! Living in Central Texas for the past 16 years, I really miss the water. Sure, there are lakes and rivers here, but swimming in them gives me the creeps! Salt water is much more to my liking. Scuba diving in clear tropical waters is such an amazing experience! 🐠
A few of my fondest ocean memories are:
- Torrance Beach (California) – My hometown actually has a small strip of beach, just south of Redondo Beach (my birth city), and the strongest memory I have of this beach is going there with my family when I was really little, and the smell of french fries from the snack bar was so strong and good! I have a vague memory of eating some fries, and they were limp and greasy but yummy all the same! 🍟
- Manhattan Beach (California) – During my high school years, my friends and I would hang out here during the summers. A great period of my life, driving our used cars, working part-time jobs, and looking for parties. At the beach, we worked on our tans, but maybe now we are paying for it with extra wrinkles! 😝
- Ho’okipa Park (Maui) – We visited my Dad’s hometown (Wailuku) on Maui during the summers when I was under 10 years old, and we would often go to this small beach. These days it is famous for windsurfing, but back then in the mid-’70s, there was surfing and spearfishing. While my oldest brother was riding the waves, my dad was spearfishing and my other brother and I would float along in inner tubes (real car inner tubes made of rubber) following my dad as he speared fish. Fun! 🐟
- Enoshima (Japan) – This touristy island can be reached by a long bridge, and Mariko and I explored the island for a whole day. Lots of great views of the Pacific… a wonderful memory shared by us newlyweds. 💞
We are planning on moving to Japan when our kids are independent, and I’d love to live near the ocean again. Even if we don’t live in a coastal town, Japan is small compared to Texas, so we should be able to visit the ocean much easier. I need to hear the sound of the ocean waves on the shore again. It makes me feel alive! 🌊
