quiet time

There are few quiet times and places in Tokyo. Early morning at the main shrine, Meiji, is the most quiet and lovely time, I think so anyway......yes, this green patch is smack in the middle of busy things, roads, peoples.....
but, as the city wakes up, the shrine gets busy, people are working and have things to do. I was surprised, on a working day, Monday, how many working people, or people who appeared to be going to work, visited the shrine on their way......as I have posted many photos of the Ema (or the small wooden tablets where you write your hope/wish/prayer) I thought I wouldn't put in another one, just reflect that, each one seems to hope for the same things, happiness, success in love/career and good health for both themselves and their loved ones.....humbling and lovely to read simple requests. Perhaps the people going to work are asking for the same things?
A beautiful and quiet start to day where already, twice, Mooey has escaped unscathed - once - the bike fell over, dangerously close to a sharp concrete brick wall - with him strapped in the bike seat, twice - the kitchen cupboard door fell off its hinges and narrowly missed his head while slipping from my hands onto the floor.....thank you to the good spirits!

this week...

we have eaten very well!....this dish, niku jaga is the most easy and tasty meat and potatoes dish ever....when it was first introduced to me in Japan, I was amazed there was a 'traditional' dish called Mick Jagger!!...Eventually we worked out I was getting niku (meat) jaga (potato) and Mick Jagger mixed up.....hehehe, I'm sure he wouldn't think that was too cool, sorry Sir J....in addition we have eaten homemade bakuteh, beef rendang, oden, whole chicken, grilled scallops with ginger and spring onions and went out for dinner one night!...dinner out was thoroughly disappointing compared to the dishes we have eaten during the week...it is always a bummer to try a new restaurant that is low quality.....but, on the upside, by chance I met an old buddy of mine from the West of Japan and he took us to a beautiful Italian place for lunch. The restaurant buys wild pigs from the West and makes hams and sausages for the restaurant. When I lived in the West, I often saw those wild pigs caged and ready for the slaughter...creepy.....I even got to see one slaughter in action...very creepy...but it is in the boonies and most people are farmers so its the way of life there.....and the just pigs run wild in the mountains.....and rice fields....along with the monkeys, wild bears and other creepy crawlies.....
we spent some time running around Tokyo university......pretty shabby grounds for one of Japans top universities....but nice spaces and lots of pretty ginko trees!.....
making stuff as always......
and painting stuff....

and feeling the change of early Autumn. Its still warm enough for a t-shirt but the suffocating heat has gone, its really a wonderful time of year!
..and look at the grass...I wish I could say it was mine...after my green grass growing success of 2008, the 2009 version is somewhat patchy and weedy....the grass above is in the delightful Shinjuku gyoen...the only place with such grounds in Tokyo.....
and what can I say! I love the combination of artwork and functionality. When kids are crawling over it the whole 'precious and be careful and quiet' about the artwork goes out the window. This kind of artwork serves several wonderful functions, a public sculpture to admire and think about and a chance for our kids to really engage with artworks, ask questions about its shape and colour etc and feel confident connecting with it, something as adults we don't do, coz we are busy being careful and quiet......

my new drawing blog

Just in case you cannot get enough of me...I have a new blog just for illustrations.....:)

obi table runner

My new table runner, just in time for strawberries and cherries...well, still a few weeks to wait until they come into season!...very excited!!
I bought it from this amazing store!....the store is in Kawagoe and I'm sorry I don't have a link. It was one of those places that when you walk inside you really feel a 'wow'.....not only was it incredibly organised, the colours and shapes and patterns and shop fittings all looked beautiful...one of those treasures of shopping. Now, when I look at my table runner I will be able to remember such a lovely shop!...and forget about the traffic...

ohh I'm stll here :)

..and I was just thinking about a small, yellow canary we had as a kid. He was actually my sisters but we all got to benefit from his lovely song. His name was Rupert, after my grandfather who had raised him. We often called him Rupie and my grandfather often got Rupe. I remember this little bird was an amazing singer but sometimes got a bit too much, too loud and too long so a big tea towel was thrown over the top of his cage to signal GOODNIGHT....after he died we kept him in the freezer for a long time (the canary not my grandfather..)....I just remembered that.
We took one day from this crazy Silver Week of public holidays to go to Kawagoe, a supposed 'old town' nearby Tokyo. The above shot is the centre of 'old town'...I don't need to elaborate on our disappointment....we visited this old town about 5 or 6 years ago, so we were expecting something like it.....
I really just wanted to say this...but of course I always get a kick out of this stuff.....every Japanese (and Japanese speaker) knows FU-KU-RO means owl, and this sign was also quite cute..even though I had to giggle......
this tower is the high point of the town......ummm ok then,
.....for me I preferred the small, very cute shops in the side streets.....
this coffee shop was just so nice......
and what a bakery!..some things are just so lovely to balance out an otherwise very disappointing place....but better luck next time :)

dinner for one

This dinner, kimchi jigae, is the most easy and delicious and healthy dinner. I love Korean food and mushrooms (shiitake and enoki-the long white ones) so I can pack a lot into this winner dish, its so easy to make at home and the recipe is flexible you can make it just for one....probably not suitable for a little one, so he ate this, while I ate mine....
....but while I was busy making dinner, some one was making something else.......

the dentist visit did not go well.........

wish me luck...

I'm taking the mooch to the dentist today, for a check up....last time was horrible, probably the worst and most anxious experience for me and him and it wasnt even a medical issue or any other traumatic situation that I can imagine!! He screamed and screamed and bit and kicked and yelled and it was just so bad, the dentist could not get the cleaning drill in his mouth so the clean wasn't that good...and they still charged me for it............it took a good hour for him to calm down afterwards...I am feeling a little sick in the tummy as the time approaches. I have tried to get him prepared by talking about it...I dont know if it does any good. I would like to avoid the whole dentist thing but he refuses to do a good brush, preferring to suck on the toothpaste tube.... so I am resigned to doing it once a day, which better than no times a day and then follow up with a clean every now and again by the dentist.....let's see how it goes.....

lovely days

We revisited the nice lake nearby Mt Fuji....warm days, not too hot. Still hard to believe this beautiful and quiet place is so close to Tokyo, about 1.5 hrs drive. And all the while Mt Fuji is quietly and grandly sitting in the background. This day, no clouds came and hide his face...just a beautiful black shape against a white cloudy sky....
...nearby there was a couple of old tractors which was just so perfect for a boyish boy.....
..lots of buttons and knobs to push and turn.....heaven for a little one....
..and a decent slice of heaven for us too!! Long Long got to come along this time...he was so happy. At one stage my darling went in for a swim, Long Long must have been sure he was drowning and promptly ran into the water to save him....but this skinny and boney dog was never designed for water sports and soon realised it was a bit deep, he very quickly exited the water and waited on the shore looking panicked both for himself and his master.....although I feed and care for him, love him intensely and pick up copious amounts of poo it seems he really doesn't see me as the master....hierarchy is over rated anyways....hehehehehe :0

I also really wanted to use this sunshade for something other than play games with the Mooch..it actually works quite well and is the colours of Sweden so its double happiness for me....
...and other things on sunny days....experience with a paint roller, to make into a Ned Kelly costume...or something like it.....
..and I joined a flickr group where you draw what you wore everyday...started by all round groovy chick Gemma Correll...its fun...
and my new business card...because its very lame to attend a meeting and scribble your details from a torn out page of a notebook...I'm going for the MOO ones again coz they are so cool!....and not just because its the nickname of my boy ;)

illustration friday - strong

clouds...

lots of happy ones....such nice weather these days, not too hot, after many hot, hot days. I like it now and wish it could stay this way. The mornings show promise of what's to come....a little chill here and there....I've been walking the pooch at night since it is much cooler. I feel so safe walking, even down little alleyways. I will miss the unspoken safety in Tokyo of peoples and properties. I cannot say I would feel the same walking at night at 9 or 10pm at home. But its not time to leave yet so I can keep soaking up this place. It's coming up to 5 years living in Japan..my Japanese is still poor, but better than when I first arrived....I have no good excuse for my lack of fluency. I do however, understand the culture much better this time. I watched people saying good morning to each other today while waiting for the pool to open. Most people bow, even just a little bit, to friends and bow a lot to seniors and one man stopped, mid-walk to bow, and then keep walking. This was all accompanied by bright "Good Mornings"....I think it is wonderful to watch such respectful habits. Is Japan the only country that still bows like this as an everyday habit?

sweet days

It may be the weather, its much cooler now, I don't know, but days are much easier and managable.....not that they weren't before, but somehow now really enjoyable as opposed to just enjoyable. I think it might be attributed to our discussions about where to next, leaving me feeling a little nostalgic for this place even before we have left it......
we took this in today...I love red and to have an exhibition devoted to red clothes from around the world was treat!...a beautiful show :)
....and a finished lion. I forget where I saw this idea, it isn't my own, but I think it is such a clever one! Please tell me if you know where it is from and I can link it :)....
...my beautiful Long Long. A very small round cushion not possibly enough room for a long legged, long snouted whippet, unless of course, all those long things are beautifully folded and tucked away.....I love this soft furred, calm eyed animal xxx

some days..

are just easy and lovely......:)

my people

make me happy....

2 steps forward...

Ok, I have to say cheers to Japan for making it happen, I mean, taking two steps forward...it will mean the 3 or 10 steps back but it IS a start!!.........
..take a look at this image, click to enlarge........this was taken from an article in the Asahi Shimbun p23 on Sat/Sun 29-30 edition....this is going to take some time before the people on the right are smiling and realise this how the rest of the world works.....and this is why so many of the problems exist today, one of the many that will be very interesting to follow in the coming years............but its just my 2 cents worth.....ganbatte to the people of Japan....