Today's Cat - 2009/02/02 ― 2010/02/02
At last the local cats started going out from their dens.
How have you been?Away from Hustle-bustle ― 2010/02/03
As I mentioned before, in the west edge of this town, there is a big outlet mall
where you can, or might, find a bargain among last year’s clothing and accessories.
In weekends, it gets packed with bargain hunters from other towns, prefectures, and countries, and so do cafes and restaurants in the mall.
Of course there are many big name eating outlets in the mall, such as Starbucks and McDonald’s. But it is not easy to find a place to have a seat there; every single chair and bench would be occupied by someone- they would chat and text-message endlessly, and never seem to leave the seat.
Then, where could you quench your thirst, or have a break from the hustle? I have an idea. There are some benches just outside the main buildings where you can have a nice can of coffee while blown by a refreshing sea breeze.
If I were you, I would walk for a few minutes to go there rather than wandering around feeling dizzy in the crowded mall.
Also, it may be a nice way to cool down a kind of urge that I call 'the Mall-Psych'. Is it only me who will feel urged to get something otherwise someone would take them? The cool wind from the ocean will gently calm down your excitement, and you could avoid being drawn in by other people’s impulse shopping spree.
Siesta Time ― 2010/02/06
New Wakame ― 2010/02/06
With flavour of the sea, newly harvested fresh Wakame seaweed from a neighbouring island began to appear on the market. Although we tend to buy dry and pre-cut Wakame, which doesn’t require any cooking process (you just throw a pinch into your dish), at supermarket, this type can’t rival the fresh one in terms of the flavour and crispy texture.
After washed and soaked in boiling water for just a few seconds, the colour of Wakame turns to brilliant green. Not only the savoury flavour of the sea, but the colour will certainly tell you that spring is coming.
By the way, Wikipedia says that Wakame is one of the worst invasive species (in other words, abundant? Free for everyone? Wonderful!!), which is unbelievable to me. Why don’t you eat Wakame before being invaded?
Bike Only Lane (hopefully) ― 2010/02/07
Recently I have found green zones were being set on streets.
It is cycling lanes in order to help cycle easier, or may be a part of economic stimulus roadworks.
I used to think the yellow line divides cyclists and pedestrians.
But someone told me it was to tell blind people the ground is safe to walk.
A part-time cyclist, I was not sure which side of the pedestrian way I was supposed to cycle (you can’t follow the locals because they simply ignore the rules and cycle or walk whichever side they like), or whether I should cycle on the edge of road along with running cars. You may well run into a cyclist talking to their mobile phone and running in the wrong direction (in full speed!). Very scary!
This scheme will give me a bit of peace of mind (and hopefully the locals will recognise for what the green zone exists).
Nostalgic Future ― 2010/02/08
Don’t you feel a kind of deja vu when coming across architectures like these? I do.
If you were born in the 1960s, you may have seen some illustration of ‘future city’ in children magazines. As long as I remember, the drawings always featured icons of a brave new world; curvy motorway, soaring skyline, glass corridors, etc. All metal, glass, and plastic. Everything was shiny and glittering.
Since then, some parts of the future we had imagined seem to have been materialized. But one thing went wrong. In my childhood imagination, I wasn’t going everywhere by bike; I was going to travel in a chauffeured car.
Today's Cat -20090209 ― 2010/02/09
Line Up! ― 2010/02/09
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