Blue plastic baskets of lemons for sale in a fruit and vegtable shop on the High Street.
In The States people call bad cars lemons. Funnily enough the French for lemon is Citroen. Could there be a connection?
Lemon is an anagram of melon... and vice versa...
Bobby Kempf, an American, consumed 3 lemons whole including skin and seeds in 15.3 seconds! He drove a bad car.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Thursday, September 23, 2004
The People's Park
A few days ago we went Shinjuku Gyoen Park. Today we went a bit more local, to Hikarigaoka Park. It's clearly not as nice as Shinjuku and now I can forgive them all those rules if that's what it takes to keep the park as beautiful as it is.
It appeared as if all the things you are not allowed to do in Shinjuku Gyoen are permitted in Hikarigoaka: alcohol, bikes, dogs, music, playing instruments, games of all kinds, with balls, bats, frizbees, the lot. There were people having barbeques. But I know which one I prefer. Even with its long list of rules and it's 2oo yen entrance charge, Shinjuku is better.
There isn't as much grass in Hikarigaoka park even though it's just as big as Shinjuku, and the grass it has is not the luxuriant lawn turf, it's just rough tufts of wild grass and weeds left uncut, and with the dogs and the rest you never know what might have been happening on it? I will never make fun of Shinjuku Gyoen again.
But isn't this how fascism starts? The Strong Man imposes rules and more rules, which cuts crime, makes the streets safe to walk down and the trains run on time, but there are shadowy men in peaked caps cycling around watching what everyone does, and what you can do is limited to sitting on the well manicured grass reading a book or quietly walking around the tidy paths.
In the slightly chaotic Hikarigoka Park, were the rules are pretty liberal, there are people running amok with dogs, kids, balls and French horns and having a wild old time, but there are also homeless people, groups of surly looking youths, groups of tatty middle-aged men drinking from beer cans. You pays your money and you takes your choice I guess. But with a baby I'll pay the 200 yen and go to Shinjuku.
(I saw the cute little three-wheeled pick-up on the way to the park.)
It appeared as if all the things you are not allowed to do in Shinjuku Gyoen are permitted in Hikarigoaka: alcohol, bikes, dogs, music, playing instruments, games of all kinds, with balls, bats, frizbees, the lot. There were people having barbeques. But I know which one I prefer. Even with its long list of rules and it's 2oo yen entrance charge, Shinjuku is better.
There isn't as much grass in Hikarigaoka park even though it's just as big as Shinjuku, and the grass it has is not the luxuriant lawn turf, it's just rough tufts of wild grass and weeds left uncut, and with the dogs and the rest you never know what might have been happening on it? I will never make fun of Shinjuku Gyoen again.
But isn't this how fascism starts? The Strong Man imposes rules and more rules, which cuts crime, makes the streets safe to walk down and the trains run on time, but there are shadowy men in peaked caps cycling around watching what everyone does, and what you can do is limited to sitting on the well manicured grass reading a book or quietly walking around the tidy paths.
In the slightly chaotic Hikarigoka Park, were the rules are pretty liberal, there are people running amok with dogs, kids, balls and French horns and having a wild old time, but there are also homeless people, groups of surly looking youths, groups of tatty middle-aged men drinking from beer cans. You pays your money and you takes your choice I guess. But with a baby I'll pay the 200 yen and go to Shinjuku.
(I saw the cute little three-wheeled pick-up on the way to the park.)
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Acorns
From small acorns do big acorns grow... isn't that what they say about acorns?
All I know is that we shouldn't waste them - they don't grow on trees you know!
There is a global acorn crisis happening right now, right here, right now, and no one seems to care or even know.
You ask, "What can I do to help ?" You also ask, "Isn't it too little, too late?", and then perhaps you go on to further comment that, "What's the point anyway? I'm just one person in this big 'ol crazy mixed up world. Just one acorn on the grass knoll of the universe, just trying to get along..." but perhaps by that point no one is listening.
But anyway, the answer is simple - pick up an acorn, put it slightly under the ground (between 1cm and 1 meter is about right), wait 20 years and Bob's your uncle a whole tree of acorns!
Isn't nature just wunnerful?
Tomorrow , back to the grim reality of life in the early and confused years of the 21st century...
All I know is that we shouldn't waste them - they don't grow on trees you know!
There is a global acorn crisis happening right now, right here, right now, and no one seems to care or even know.
You ask, "What can I do to help ?" You also ask, "Isn't it too little, too late?", and then perhaps you go on to further comment that, "What's the point anyway? I'm just one person in this big 'ol crazy mixed up world. Just one acorn on the grass knoll of the universe, just trying to get along..." but perhaps by that point no one is listening.
But anyway, the answer is simple - pick up an acorn, put it slightly under the ground (between 1cm and 1 meter is about right), wait 20 years and Bob's your uncle a whole tree of acorns!
Isn't nature just wunnerful?
Tomorrow , back to the grim reality of life in the early and confused years of the 21st century...
Monday, September 20, 2004
The Park
We went to the park this morning. It was one of those days when you expect it should be turning a bit autumnal but it fact it was hot and humid. Deceptive September.
This park, Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo, has a list of rules as long as your arm, and then a bit longer. All the rules start with the word NOT.
Here are The Rules:
SHINJUKU GYOEN is the garden for all visitors. Please keep to the following rules.
Not to play with badminton, frisbee, soccer, ball and another sports with some tools.
Not to play with roller skating.
Not to bring any alcohols.
Not to climbing trees.
Not to play with music instruments.
Not to use radio and karaoke.
Not to use lantan with fire.
Not to collect any plants and animals.
Not to take commercial photo.
Not to feed animals.
Not to enter with any animals.
Now you know the rules, go and enjoy yourself!
This park, Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo, has a list of rules as long as your arm, and then a bit longer. All the rules start with the word NOT.
Here are The Rules:
SHINJUKU GYOEN is the garden for all visitors. Please keep to the following rules.
Not to play with badminton, frisbee, soccer, ball and another sports with some tools.
Not to play with roller skating.
Not to bring any alcohols.
Not to climbing trees.
Not to play with music instruments.
Not to use radio and karaoke.
Not to use lantan with fire.
Not to collect any plants and animals.
Not to take commercial photo.
Not to feed animals.
Not to enter with any animals.
Now you know the rules, go and enjoy yourself!
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Up The Creek
Here are some people in a canoe, without a paddle. They don't know where they are going, they just paid their money, got in and let the water have its way with them.
From up on the 5th floor you couldn't tell if they were enjoying the ride or not.
There was a little hill, of course, and a big splash, of course, and they probably got wet, but that's what they paid for. They paid for the ride. Maybe next time I'll have a go myself.
From up on the 5th floor you couldn't tell if they were enjoying the ride or not.
There was a little hill, of course, and a big splash, of course, and they probably got wet, but that's what they paid for. They paid for the ride. Maybe next time I'll have a go myself.
The Sign of the Three Pots
Here is some interesting graffitti I've seen recently around the neighbourhood. All the graffitti I've seen in Tokyo is just the usual boring territorial pissings type of a funny signature, without any thought or creativity. But this is different. It's three pots, and rather well rendered I think as well - the shading, the line under the rim, the placing and overlapping of the pots. Someone thought about this and practiced drawing it, and probably practiced spraying it before they committed it to a public wall.
I like the fact the artist hasn't signed it in any way, makes it all the more intriguing.
I like the fact the artist hasn't signed it in any way, makes it all the more intriguing.
La Rueda Grande
This is the big wheel at Korakuen amusement park. They claim it is the world's only centerless big wheel, some how appropriate for Japan, in a way I can't quite put it words. You can find it next to Tokyo Dome, a huge bubble of air where there will be no baseball tonight because the players are on strike, for the first time in the 70 year history of the game in Japan.
(You know, I'm taking these photos on my mobile phone? And what you see here is the biggest and best it can deliver. There are phones with 2 megapixel cameras, but I kind of like these postage stamp photos - working within limits can be interesting.)
(You know, I'm taking these photos on my mobile phone? And what you see here is the biggest and best it can deliver. There are phones with 2 megapixel cameras, but I kind of like these postage stamp photos - working within limits can be interesting.)
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