Bumped into this sign yesterday in Mumbai which reminded me to blog about the revolution India is going through.
Say No to Cash Transactions, Yes to Digital & Card Payments
Cashless in India
Skill or lack of Skill?
10 years leaving in Japan, my Japanese is reasonable.
It is less common for me to encounter situations when people give me a blank look, not knowing how to talk with me.
Not sure how it happens, how people “know” I understand Japanese. Not sure what is different when people don’t know how to respond to me. It is a Skill of understanding/seeing I am “local”, or is it the lack of skill to adapt to a different situation.
Went to “Paul” yesterday, ordered a sandwich, some bread, and it all went natural. No hesitation from the girl who worked there, no change of tone or speed. Is it because she understood I am “local”, or is it because she can’t change the way she is working.
Will keep watching people and thinking about it, but I guess I will not find a definitive answer.
Photography during Sakura season
Some photos of people taking photos during the Cherry Blossom season
Starbucks Roastery Tokyo
Did not go inside, as Sakura season during the weekend is definitely not a good time for that.
This blog is about a mistake in the address on official Starbucks website. Megruro instead of Meguro. I wonder when they will notice the mistake and fix it .
Nakameguro Sakura “Festival”
So many people, so many tourists.
Took some photos (with my Ricoh GR) in Nakameguro. Really prefer my Nikon for such photos, but the GR did a good job
Ricoh GR III
Ricoh GR III is out and it is great. Played with it a bit at the shop and was quite impressed by the speed, features and image stabilization.
Compared “power to photo” time between Ricoh GR, II and III. GR was slot and it took a while for the camera to take the photo and then to store. While GR II was fast and GR III is slightly better .
Really want to buy the new Ricoh GR III, but as I was thinking about it I realized that I don’t use my Ricoh GR enough and cannot justify to myself buying another camera.
So, planning to use the GR more. Take cameras, improve my “SNAP” technique and street photography. If I use it enough and hit the point that the Technology limits me (stabilization, speed), I may buy the GR III
Film Photography – Contax T3
Just hanged in my office a print of a photo taken with Contax T3, B&W film. Used Color printing as wanted to see the result fast.
旅に病んで
Last night I got introduced to one of Matsuo Basho famous Haiku.
Sad and embarrassed I was not introduced to it earlier.
旅に病んで 夢は枯野を かけ廻る
Some think it is a farewell poem from journey and maybe from life. I felt the same first time I read it. Ora rather the second time, since I did not fully understand it in the first time.
Which reminded me that Haiku contests are on Japanese prime TV. Maybe one of the few places in the world that put poetry in such focus.
Love it
Tote bag with Bauhaus Logo
My latest and quite simple Leather Craft project. A Canvas Tote bag with Bauhaus leather logo.
A very simple project of transferring the logo to the leather. Just using a pen to transfer was not deep enough, so used stamping tools which added some artifacts in the design which I like
Fish out of water
As I live in Japan, I keep looking for Japanese when I travel. I obviously don’t contact them nor say anything, but I do look for the “comfort” of seeing and hear Japanese.
Does this make sense?
Anyway, what I noticed that most Japanese men appear to me like a “Fish out of water” in an environment that they cannot speak the Language, do not know the manners.
I believe all of us are, but I felt it stronger from Japanese Men, not Women.
Two examples:
1) Orsay museum restaurant – a Japanese guy was trying to pay at the exit when he should have paid at the table. The way he walked about, not sure what to do felt painful to me.
2) Jacque Genin – When I approached the place saw a guy hanging outside taking a photo but not entering. I did and after several minutes he entered as well mumbling something, looking for a Japanese speaker (which there was). Again, the way he entered the place and the look on his face was like a Fish out of water
Is it the language barrier? Is it something else?