Burning

The temperature started to reach mid-40's and it's giving me a burning sensation every time I go out of my accommodation. It is my first summer here in the Middle East as a resident. My friends and colleagues told me that this is still not the peak of summer season, perhaps in a month, it will hit 50 deg C and higher. 

the hot maize spotlight

exposes sea waves' jewels

continental range

/totomai

Chiba-koen

I have mentioned before in one of my posts that Chiba-koen is my favorite hanami (flower viewing) spot in Japan. Not much have been written about this park since most locals and tourists prefer Tokyo area during spring, but I and my friends usually visit this place every year.

pink cherry blossoms 

falling faster than my hair 

i am growing old 

~ totomai 

Turquoise

Somewhere in Shizuoka Prefecture, there's a not-so-hidden place for some sort of adventure. A three-hour drive from Tokyo will lead you to a turquoise paradise. Or emerald. But perhaps, because of its accessibility, I haven't seen many tourists during our trip to Sumatakyo.

songs of cicadas

 outside my window, I dance

 chance of summer rain

/totomai

Rhythm

How about a dance celebration to end the summer? Japan, especially in Tokyo, do that annually. Every last Saturday of August, people gather at Asakusa to be a part of the yearly Samba Festival. The past years, everyone handled the 33 deg C temperature but for this year, an uninvited guest arrived – the rain.

Wisteria

Named as one of the dream destinations by CNN, the Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Japan is home to two of the oldest wisteria trees in the world. The wisteria blooms few weeks after the cherry blossoms and always coincides with the celebration of the Golden Week.

Singapore

I just returned from Singapore. It was my second time for this year and fifth over-all. All of my visits were work-related though. And as per our company's information, I need to go back to Singapore for another technical meeting this May. That would make it three consecutive months of business trips in Singapore.

Chidorigafuchi

Chidorigafuchi is one of the popular spots for cherry blossoms (sakura) viewing. It is just a couple of stations away from our office. Seven springs had already passed since joining our company but I never had the chance to do a hanami there. Maybe because I try to avoid the crowd.

Momo

Spring is finally here. Everyone is busy preparing and/or updating his/her itineraries so as not to miss the arrival of sakura aka cherry blossoms. Sakura may be the most popular bloom in Japan during spring, but there are other flowers that are equally beautiful too. One of them is the momo hana or peach blooms.

Sakura

As per the forecast, sakura (cherry blossom) will be in full bloom by end of March until mid-April in Kanto area. As early as today, everyone is anticipating the arrival of pink showers. But where to go exactly? Basing from my personal experience, take note that I’ve been to few places only, here are my recommendations.

Spring

slow-motion showers

kiss of pollens and petals

antihistamines

/totomai
for Poetry Pantry 244

Eighth

Let the fireworks begin to celebrate the 8th blogsary of totomai.net formerly known as Distilling Thoughts. Yes, for 8 years, I had at least one post per month and I hope to continue it for the coming years.

Grand

Taking into consideration that I only had 2.5 days in Abu Dhabi, I made sure that at least I can visit its number one tourist attraction – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This could make my first visit in the Middle East memorable.

Angola

Last September, for about three weeks, I was assigned in one of the Floating Production Storage (FPSO) facilities located in African seas. So far, it was the farthest business trip I had and my very first time in Africa – Angola to be exact. Applying for visa was not a problem but I was required to have a yellow fever vaccination before I can proceed with the application. It was single injection but the pain can be felt for a couple of days. I was also required to pass the survival training which is a must for engineers going off-shore. Though I was kind of hesitant with the assignment at first, especially with the outbreak of the Ebola crisis, I had no choice since I was in charge of this project. 

Surreal

Between summer and autumn, there is a must-see place in Japan that everyone must see. The Hitachi Seaside Park is often listed as one of the most surreal places to visit. Though seasonal flowers are being showcased throughout the year, mid-April to mid-May and end of September to mid-October are considered perfect time to visit. Nemophila or baby-blue eyes turns the park into a blue mountain in April / May and kochia bushes turn it to a blushing hill in October. It must be noted that Kochia or fire bushes are quite selfish as they turn green just after two weeks of being red.

2012

2013. 

How time flies. Since I am still on vacation, I was able to look back on the photos I took last 2012. Every place I go, I'll turn it into a photographer's paradise. Photography will always be a part of me and of this blog. And from thousands of photos I took last year, here are my 12 personal favorites (with blogs to some of it).

missed by naked eyes 

chorus of flashing shutters 

frozen forever 

YOKOHAMA. My favorite city and the first place I've lived in Japan. Got the chance to visit it again last June and it brought back lots of memories. Took this photo handheld. NikonD7000 high ISO didn't disappoint.