Cherry Blossoms 2025 ― 2025/04/03
Maizuru Park was very crowded even though it was a weekday.
To my surprise, most of the visitors looked very young (I know at my age, basically most people are younger than me) and probably many of them seemed to be the "inbound".
So flamboyant. Like an EXPO site or something.
In fact, until recently, this park was a rather deserted place. You wouldn't have thought that this park could be so popular. There used to be a lot of "blue tents" in which homeless people sheltered. I wonder where they have gone and if they are happy where they are now.
Meanwhile, I enjoyed the flower on my way to shopping,
and, as usual, from a local Mr. Donuts.
Unexpected Hospitality ― 2025/03/23
The other day I popped into a local Macdonald's and experienced a pleasant surprise.
The coffee tasted, eh, just as you would expect from Macdonald's, but it was served very generously. Quite roughly speaking, coffee at other outlets tends to be a little over 60 percent of the cup. But this one was almost filled to the brim (by my standards). I couldn't even finish the cup.
The coffee was served by a lady in an advanced year, a bit senior to me, who was extremely cheerful and attentive. She showed no sign of weariness from her work. Or rather, she was full of joy and pride in working and making her customers happy. Her posture was upright, and her speech was clear, giving a clean and fresh impression.
I then took a closer look at the counter and noticed that the senior ladies were positioned at the front, to be in direct contact with the customers, while the younger staff mainly processed orders at the back.
As I was about to leave the space allocated to the Mac in a local supermarket, the serving lady approached me and politely and cheerfully said, "Let me clear your tray," offering her hands.
After this satisfying and awe-inspiring experience, on my way home I felt a sense of hope and optimism that getting old is not something to be punished or avoided at all costs (as recent comments have suggested), if I may exaggerate a little.
Governor Election ― 2025/03/22
There will be a governor election tomorrow.
I don't have the right to vote for this one as I'm currently a resident of Sapporo by law, but if I were to choose one of these candidates, it could be choosing the least harmful.
However, I think the current governor's "One Health" plan is a good idea, although I'm not sure it will work on such a small scale. Shouldn't it be done internationally or by the WHO?
A Great Compromise ― 2025/03/16
Image retrieved from 企画展示 | No.617 民具と生活−暮らしの中の意匠(デザイン)、暮らしのための設計(デザイン)−| 福岡市博物館
Instead of the two exhibitions I hesitated to visit, I went to another one at my local museum.
The specially curated exhibition showcases the museum's collection of everyday objects from the relatively recent past and costs just 200 yen (including admission to the permanent exhibition).
As usual on a weekday morning, I was the only visitor in the exhibition room.
And also as usual, I enjoyed the feeling of being invited to a wealthy friend's collection room (without having to (pretend to) listen to boastful talks).
Although there was no mention of the period in which the objects on display were actually used, I was sure that they no longer existed in our everyday lives, unless you are a sort of type who would never allow any plastic or metal in your house.
As I always do when I go to an exhibition, I had an imaginary wallet with about five billion yen in it, so I could imagine which pieces I would like to have at home.
Actually, some pieces stimulated my greed for possession like this bowl.
But many of the objects on display were so powerful that I was even overwhelmed by a sense of implacability they conveyed, that I thought I would be cursed or punished if I measured their value in terms of money.
A Piece of Information ― 2025/03/11
I have found that the Radio Gymnastic Exercise sessions are held in the Maizuru Park on weekday mornings.
I definitely have to join it at least once when the weather is nice.
Face Value ― 2025/03/11
Recently, I have been seeing more and more billboards featuring the face of the advertiser, despite the growing concern for privacy in general. Is it not awkward to request the sign maker to publicize your face so boldly? And do they believe their faces are worth advertising and we choose them because of their appearance, like "Oh, he looks nice, and I will trust him with my future" or "His face tells me that he must be good at dealing with broken bones"?
SpongeMania ― 2025/03/03
The other day I found a vending machine solely dealing with washing-up sponges.
Duskin's sponges are cultishly popular among those who conscious about housekeeping for their performance and durability, but their distribution channels used to be quite exclusive: you were supposed to subscribe to Duskin's other cleaning tools, such as mops, cloths, oven filters and so on, in order to buy the sponges, which were delivered to your home by a designated person (long gone are the days when every household had a housewife at home all the time). The Duskin system is not shady, at least by my standards, but it is not a very cost or time efficient way of shopping, either. They are actually good products, but a bit more costly than their supermarket counterparts. With this machine, however, you can get them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without the extra spending and without having to give your personal details to Duskin.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, Duskin is the operator of my beloved Mr Donuts!
New but Outdated ― 2025/02/26
Even in this remote area, an e-scooter hire service has been introduced (see here for details of the service).
But I think I heard that they are already banned in some countries because they are too dangerous to ride alongside four-wheeled vehicles on public roads. I wonder what's the point of adding such mobility in this area, where cars, motorbikes and even bicycles (with some cyclists riding the wrong way round) share the same narrow roads.
Is it only me who smells something fishy in this development, like that of the exercise equipment linked to the bribery case? I certainly hope not.
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