Aquarium

An art exhibit is currently being held in Tokyo until September 12, 2015. It is one of a kind since it mainly features aquariums coupled with lights, producing a spectacular visual treat. Of course, an aquarium would not make any sense without the kingyo or goldfishes. The exhibition have a solid following since its conceptualization in 2011. I only heard about it this year though. How I wish my brother was here as he loves fishes more than I do.

Soulless

So I guess I will continue to randomly pick books in the bookstore. This is the second book I bought which I never heard of but ended up enjoying every page. As long as it has a nice cover and a not-so-thick number of pages, I guess I will give it a try. Again.

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.

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.

Adulthood

In Japan, every second Monday of January is a national holiday to celebrate the 成人の日 Seijin no Hi or Coming of Age Day. Twenty-year-olds don kimonos (female) or suits (male) to welcome adulthood.

Guppies

My brother Dorb like animals since we were young. He has cats, dogs, fishes as pets and now he is raising hogs, poultry and freshwater fishes. Lately, he is addicted to small metallic fishes known as guppies. At first, I could not understand his obsession but that changes after he asked me to take photo of his fishes during my vacation since he is not into photography.

 

Eiga

I’ve been watching Japanese movies lately. There something about Japanese cinema (Nihon Eiga) that’s hypnotizing. It must be the language since I can understand few Japanese words, thanks to subtitles by the way.

Romance is one the most clichéd themes in universal cinema. And most viewers prefer happy endings. Except me, a gloomy ending gives me more satisfaction and contentment. Of course, in real life I wanted it the ideal way. No one wants to end up in an unhappy finish.

What is the key for lifetime relationship? Each one of us wants it to be ideal as possible but its not easy to achieve. Lots of factors are needed to be considered in order to survive the complexities of a relationship.

Back to Japanese films, here are three films I’ve seen that in one way or another dealt about relationships, but with not-so-happy endings. These films are well directed and the cinematography is excellent. The actors are well-chosen and played the parts naturally. Plus, the soundtracks of these films are worth listening even after watching the movies.

Love Letter . Actually I never heard of this film but saw a DVD of it on sale in Thailand. I decided to buy it after reading the synopsis.

Hiroko Watanabe has recently lost her fiancé Itsuki Fujii in a mountain climbing accident. On the day of his memorial ceremony, two years after his death, Watanabe finds his address in his high-school photo album at his parents' house.

Calling You. Tried a couple of times watching this film but I was bored. One day, I decided to see it again and it left me engaged. It has a unique storyline, unreal but might be possible, who knows.

Shy, quiet, and unsure of herself, Aihara Ryo (Narumi Riko) doesn't quite fit in anywhere. Though she wants to make friends, she has trouble speaking up and holding a normal conversation like everyone else. It seems that whenever she talks, the words just don't come out correctly. Gradually, Ryo has gotten used to living life in silence as a lonely and introverted student. With no one to talk to, Ryo also has no need for a cell phone. Longing for friends to talk to, she creates a cell phone in her mind for imaginary phone conversations, and much to her surprise, one day Shinya (Koide Keisuke) picks up on the other side. For the first time in her life, Ryo has found someone she can talk to.

Crying Out Love in The Center of World. Never mind the title, lol. I saw this film on the plane, on my way back to the Philippines. Actually I didn’t like the ending but the their story as students were enough to compensate for that conclusion.

In a small regional town in 1980s southern Japan, Sakutaro "Saku" Matsumoto and Aki Hirose, who were classmates all through junior high school, become high school students and then fall in love with one another. They share audio diaries, go on excursions together, and enjoy summer vacation. However, Aki soon finds herself suffering from Leukemia and begins to weaken day by day, rendering her unable to see Saku or go outside.

As I’ve said, I only hope for not-so- happy endings while watching a film and not in real life. We all deserve a successful relationship after all, right?

ylang-ylangs scent
vibrations of soundless bells
vows at the altar
carpet of showered petals
a promise through sign language

Next month, my brother is getting married and I will be going home to celebrate the occasion. Two weeks after, my friends Dash and Ai will be tying the knot too. Too bad that I will miss this special event. I will try to be there during the pre-nup shoot. Again, Dorb (my bro), Dash and Ai, best wishes and congratulations.

/totomai
09/06/09

Lent

Its Holy Week. I just realized it after a flickr friend commented on one of my recent uploads. See, I guess that’s how pre-occupied these days, or its just that I’m in a country that doesn’t commemorate the tradition. Excuses.

I always equate summer vacation to Holy Week. Maybe because I am looking forward on a lot of things then, from Sunday School, Visita Iglesia, Station of the Cross, processions and the likes. But I stopped practicing those after I started my high school years, well, except for mandatory school curriculum requirements. The only thing that I didn’t look forward during Holy Week is the fact of not eating meat and other poultry foodstuff. I eat fish but I prefer meat.

Since I was born Catholic, together with the Christian community, I observe the Lenten season every year. It’s an obligation on my part, a voluntary one, in my opinion. Its already a part of my system having been to Catholic schools from elementary to university years. Studied life of saints, history of the bible and different kinds and types of religion. That was before, if you ask me now, I think I can only answer a few about St. Augustin’s life.

A Lenten Tanka

Green palms welcomed Him,
mocked soon on the wooden cross
Hail the Robeless King!
toward gray heavens, He smiles
It happens between brothers

/totomai

I am far from being neither spiritually mature nor spiritually knowledgeable, but I know where I stand. I respect other beliefs and religion as they have their own opinion and free will. I only know the basics, and if I will be interrogated about this, that, why, how, I might break down. Haha! I also have questions, but each one of us has.

Have a Blessed Holy Week and advanced Happy Easter everyone!

/totomai
04/09/09