Day 212, 31 July 2017: All at work...

Day 212: ...some of us in the home strait

It is the final week of semester, week 16 of 16 weeks straight. It's been a long one. But all over red rover come Friday's classes and then some marking and then some grade submission and then...

...summer 'break', which of course dear reader, you would know by now simply means 'break' from classes, not work, per se. Students, on the other hand...

The work continues outside too; window cleaning, porting, and down below, they're doing something in my little park...

Clouds on clouds

Moon reappears

Men at work, group one

Men at work, group two, with clouds

Men at work, group three, parking

...I will have to keep an eye on that. Work is all sorts I guess. 

Bring on Friday, pm, 2.45ish, to be precise-ish. 

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 1.48pm, 2.34pm-3.53pm, 3.48pm; 31 July 2017] 

Day 211.1, 30 Jul 2017: A special showing...

Day 211.1: ...the art of ikebana

There's a funny story my mum tells that she suspects my interest in Japan began the week I was born when, still in hospital, apparently some helpful person came visiting new mothers with ideas for hobbies (because they would have so much time on their hands...) and one of them was ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Apparently neither she, nor I, took up the offer but there you go. And here we are. Some decades later, I'm back working in Japan and today, as part of the Meiji Shrine excursion, I got to see some exquisite examples of the art as a part of a special exhibition. 

説明を追加

And the context of the display...

I thought they were worth a post all their own. Just beautiful.

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 3.32pm-3.37pm; 30 July 2017] 

Day 211, 30 Jul 2017: It's a cliche but...

Day 211: ...a little bit of peace and quiet in a crowded city

And perhaps the crowdiest part at that. 

There are two or three tv programs I like to watch from time-to-time. They focus on train travel in and around Tokyo with the presenters getting off at one station and exploring it detail or getting on one train line and getting off at different stops to explore the near and far. The shows always give me nice ideas for the occasional outing. 

Today was a bit like that. I really didn't know which way I was going to go, or where I was going to go to...I had planned the beach but the weather just isn't in our favour at the moment. 

So, to the bus stop. Catch the bus. Arrive at the station with a choice of two train lines...take the subway. Should I go all the way to Yokohama (again) or hop off at Shinjuku, or Harajuku, or Shibuya? Or go in the other direction, head towards work and explore the stations around there a bit more? Work. Yeah, nah, not today. 

I got off at Harajuku in the end with a plan to go and look at Meiji Jingu again, it has been a few years. It is the shrine in the middle of Tokyo dedicated the to the Emperor Meiji. Always lots of people. 

But also, lots of quiet places...

Today I went into the garden, where I hadn't been before, a place where the Emperor built a teahouse for his wife and she built a platform for him to enjoy his fishing in the pond...

Detail of the first torii

A little creek

Rocks 'n' moss

Lantern 

Blessed be the waters

Roof

On the main path, look right...

Bonsai

Bonsai detail

Her teahouse

His pond

lilies

Branch, fallen

Lily pads

Across the fields

Just me

Tree with friends

Pine reflected

Visitor

Budding

Another visitor

The Emperor's fishing spot

Next year is the 150th Anniversary of the Meiji Restoration, the so-called opening up of Japan to the West after many years of mostly isolation. It will be even busier next year. 

It is one of the things I like about going to popular shrines and temples, you don't have to go far off the beaten track to find your own little bit of peace and quiet. And that never ceases to amaze me in a city of this size. Peace. Quiet.

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 3.12pm-4.31pm; 30 July 2017] 

Day 210, 29 Jul 2017: Surface, water painting...

Day 210: ...interrupted

Saturday, must be a work day. Well, a day in the office at least. Those 71 reports on my desk won't mark themselves unfortunately and the results need to be posted soon, too soon. And there is the last week of class to prepare as well. The last week of the semester, my third semester here. 

The surface of the port today played out a lovely sort of painting...

Surface painting 1

Surface painting 2

Surface painting 3

And then...

Surface painting : interrupted

...out of depths of the port it appeared. And, like me, went on its way. It appears every now and again.  Unlike yesterday's cruiser, it is not really one I think I must try. 

The rain loomed most of the day and indeed came pelting down just as I was leaving to hunt down a dvd for next week's class. I found it, albeit a bit wet. I hope the students like it.

[Camera : Lumix TZ-85, 2.48pm, 4.19pm; 29 July 2017] 

Day 209, 28 Jul 2017: Chip 'n' Dale...

Day 209: ...and other things

My workplace is just a few stops from Disneyland so it is not uncommon to see lots of passengers coming and going to Disneyland via either of the trains I catch to work. People going for the first time, visitors from overseas anticipating a fun day, and then there are those people who seem to be regulars. And then there are those who are, shall we say, just a chipmunk or two short of obsessed...

Fandom

It gives a different meaning to trainspotting I guess...what Disney magic will I spot on the train today?

Meanwhile, the rest of the day was just a bit of a repeat on yesterday...

New wall

Wisps

Blue water

Wispier

One day

...all calm, apparently. Except for the 71 reports I now have on my desk, ready for marking. 

And that cruiser, every Friday, out it goes. I must hop on board one day.

[Camera : iPhone6s, 9.00am, Lumix TZ-85, 3.47pm-3.49pm, 5.10pm; 28 July 2017] 

Day 208, 27 Jul 2017: Calming moments...

Day 208: ...occasional ripples

I thought we could start with an update from Tuesday's sunflower...it opened up rather strikingly.

Full bloom

The rainclouds hung over the day. it is summer and there are typhoons developing of the coast so I guess that it to be expected. 

And yet, there was an eerie calm on the surface of the water today at the port...and a certain serenity in the clouds too for that matter.

Umbrella : retired

Ploughing through

Still waters

An occasional ripple

Serene clouds

Just the occasional ripple. Sounds like life at work at the moment...mostly serene with just the occasional ripple (but always with an unpredictable typhoon hovering...).

[Camera : iPhone6s, 8.52am-8.53am; Lumix TZ-85, 11.28am, 4.17pm, 4.38pm; 27 July 2017]