Today’s sky was just so beautiful I was dazzled as I was walking hurriedly from the office to pick up Yui.
The photos I took from my iPhone just couldn’t quite capture the beauty.
Below are unedited, yes.
Tag Archives: summer
life with a toddler: plastic bag
It’s summer and Yui’s daycare will have the pool open for two months. We were required to bring three things: swimsuit, towel (preferably with a hood – I brought Yui a bathrobe) and a plastic bag. I was really baffled with the plastic bag because I find it such a waste and not eco-friendly at all. Was about to buy a pack of plastic bag (as in the same type you’d use in grocery stores but small size) when I decided to just use the Eco bag we used as give away for our wedding since we still have a number with us. That way, I can just wash one while the other is at daycare.
And then come first day of pool and I saw what “plastic bag” really should be. And as it happens, I was the only one who misunderstood. Hubs also thought I knew what plastic bag meant. I finally bought one today, a week after the pool started.
Culture difference blooper.
Kanagawa hanabi 2013
Today (again, technically, yesterday) was the Kanagawa fireworks festival/hanabi. The past years, we just stayed at the office to avoid the crowd – we’re lucky that the fireworks display is easily seen from our office windows so we can enjoy the beautiful fireworks sans the crowd but also sans the sound. I wasn’t able to watch it this year though as I had to get out of the office at 5 to pick Yui up. Nor was hubs able to watch it because he went home early to avoid the crowd. And boy was there a crowd!
The yearly hanabi always attracts large crowds that the police/city government had thought of means to ease the flow of people. For one, they’ve set up these dividers to separate people going to the Minato Mirai area and those going to the station back to their homes.
Obviously, I’m on the wrong side and against the tide of people. My bad! There were police around announcing where people should go but I couldn’t understand them.
I haven’t been able to take photos of the fireworks yes, but thankfully, these ladies in their yukatas happily agreed to pose for me!
The yukata is much less elaborate and much cheaper than the formal kimono but it’s still pretty nonetheless!
Ice Sculpture Festival
There just are times when you unexpectedly walk into something beautiful.
The first thing we saw when we entered Isezaki Mall in Kannai were two huge blocks of ice facing each other across the street, both positioned upright unlike the one below. This one’s a bit melted already since I took it much later so yeah, the blocks of ice were initially really big.
A few steps farther, we saw this. What with the midsummer heat scorching us, I sort of envy the flowers. But husband pointed out I wouldn’t be able to move. Yeah. Right.
A few steps farther and we discovered there were several big blocks of ice spread out on the street mall. We did some purchases (more books for Atsushi and wooden clips for me for a wedding e-group friend) and when we went out the shopping store, we saw that each big block of ice was already manned; each person manning the ice blocks were already busy chiselling ice, with sharp-looking tools right beside them.
She’s the only woman among the 21 sculptors but she’s handling the big ice saw (?) quite efficiently.
Was sitting just right in front of her hence it was colder in the area near my seat; the chipped-off ice released its cold as it took in heat.
An ice sculpture in progress.
Turned out it was a couple of dolphins. Featuring Atsushi.
A mermaid.
A cockfight. We saw this much later and hence was probably already past its glory as we can’t make out the two cocks fighting anymore. The other sculptors were luckier they had a tree nearby to protect their work. No tree for this one though.
I found this one beautiful.
It was called, in Japanese, “Something to be Protected”. This beautiful bird’s eggs are indeed something to be protected.
Apparently, it was a contest. These two men were among a number of people walking around with checkboards with them, marking their grades for each sculptor on a sheet of paper.
A Kanagawa Ice Sculpture Committee member tallying scores.
Trophies!
Hubby with the trophies.
A woman committee member was writing the participant sculptors’ certificates, shodo-style. Shodo is the Japanese calligraphy or the traditional artistic writing of the Japanese characters. Her penmanship is beautiful and amazing. Such control!
We didn’t wait for the official tally results to be announced but based on the initial results, the winner was “Tama, abunai!” which literally means “cat, dangerous!”.
A photo with the winning sculpture.
The ice sculptors were amazing, making something artistic and beautiful out of something that would just eventually melt. And they have to race with time and the sweltering heat which threatens to melt their masterpiece no sooner than they were finished.
Witnessing the ice sculpture festival reminds me of a loooong-time dream to witness the Snow Festival in Hokkaido. Hopefully someday.
chimes
The Yuasas and Pepitos had some sightseeing for two days after the wedding. Dropped by People’s Palace in the Sky (the name of this place is too long for me I always seem to call it as “People in the Sky” LOL). The Yuasas and Hamakawa and Akiko-san all bought windchimes to bring back to Japan.
And finally, I was able to hang ours this afternoon. Perfect timing for hanging it what with the summer breeze playing with it, hence creating beautiful chime that makes our home more….homey.
Summer so far has been really breezy. Deep blue skies it looked like a tropical country sky, blue skies that’s reminiscent of autumn or winter. Balmy and cool evenings. And the wind! And brilliant sunsets that looked almost like sunsets during autumn and spring. Hubby and I both agree it is a beautiful summer, sooo different from the previous ones. Wonder why so? We hope though this keeps up till end of August.