?Fortune cookie? is a cookie served at a Chinese restaurant, etc. From the cookie you picked up, a piece of paper comes out. It has a message. It?s just a message. But sometimes I feel the message is not by accident but necessary. Depending on the situation in which I am, I probably accept the same message in a different way. This message shown above is the one I got on the day when I arrived in Canada. This message cheered me up as I could feel ?hope.? I wish everything I did in the past would come into bloom somehow from now on.

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PDT

Updated: Friday, April 8, 2005 00:26 PDT

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Lots of feelings arise in my mind in daily life just like it happens to everybody. I really hope to stay calm in mind without being overwhelmed by such feelings. Or even if not, I want to see myself objectively. To me, there seemed to be a long way to go.

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PDT

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One day, I was on the way to a nearby super market store (30-minute walk for one-way) with heavy feet. I then felt a bit down and blue. As walking along the seaside, I found out these flowers. They were everywhere around me. Their lovely presence healed me very much. I was not able to pass by without them. I wanted to bring them back home with me. I rushed to finish shopping. However, big rainy clouds gathered over, big drops of rain started to fall. I returned to the place where I found out flowers and picked them up quickly, and then run home in hurry. I gave them a bow because they are too lovely.

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PDT

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Canadian summer time (day-light saving time) started yesterday. We set the clock ahead one hour. Today, I saw multiple tugboats carrying long and gigantic lumbers slowly on the sea. A few months later when summer sets in, lots of cruisers and yachts are supposed to be seen on the sea.


Today’s shot: A bird quietly watching the seasonal changes in the sea.

Posted by madeira at 22:39 PDT

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?This moment is one and only moment.?


I thought that I understood it very well and took it for granted. In reality, however, I realized I paid less attention to this simple but important truth. At times I am too arrogant to keep this in mind. I have an illusion that this moment may last indefinitely only for me? Nothing will change around me ? Such arrogance attenuates my consideration and thoughtfulness toward people and things around me. But one episode in everyday life made me feel the importance of this precious ?moment.? I hope to bear this in my mind as much as possible in my life ?

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PST

Updated: Monday, April 4, 2005 22:41 PDT

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Don?t you think this CD jacket is absolutely beautiful? I was fascinated by these decorative characters. They mean ?Close to Morning? in Thai language. Then do you want to know what?s inside? This CD consists of music composed by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. H.M. King is revered by all the people in Thai because of his great personality and contributions to the Thai people. Meanwhile, H.M. King is enthusiastic about music. Actually he at times performs music with top musicians all over the world. This astonishingly lovely CD jacket triggered my interest in Thai language. It would be wonderful if I could read and write these elegant characters?!

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PST

Updated: Saturday, April 2, 2005 21:33 PST

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When I was in Japan, I committed myself to do lots of exercise such as walking, jogging and Yoga during this long vacation. I was so excited to do healthy diet … eating good food (no more junk food, yaipee!) and working out to sweat a lot.
...However, life is not easy. I again ate sweets today. They are “my forever friend & enemy” wherever I am. My eyes were glued to this chocolate because of the package. The other side of the box had an illustration saying that real dried strawberry tips are coated by chocolate. The bitter chocolate was really, really, really hard to bite. If your teeth were not strong, it would be very very dangerous. So be careful about this package. Me? I feel I put on weight again…. Yes, pretty much “Berry Berry Dangerous.”

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PST

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My world has expanded since my friend took me to antique markets in Japan. Japanese fabric is beautiful. In particular, its color and design astonished me. I found their craftsmanship quite fabulous. This gorgeous fabric is a liner of Haori (a short coat of formal Kimono). This fine fabric slightly appears from a sleeve slit. Remarkably ?well designed!? It?s too nice to hide this fabric as a liner of Haori? I want to put it on with the wrong side up?

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PST

Updated: Friday, April 1, 2005 22:04 PST

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Over the last 5 days, we had lots of rains. But finally the sunshine showed up today. As being just on the way to go shopping, we parked the car (?Johnny?) near the seaside to inhale fresh air from the sea. Today?s sea rippled gracefully. Additionally, strong sunshine cut off by clouds turned into soft color, which seemed hard to describe by words alone. Beautiful. I hope you can understand how soft the color is from the above photo.

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PST

Updated: Saturday, April 2, 2005 21:23 PST

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The weather rapidly changed throughout the day. Raining, sunny and raining… I noticed that big drops of rain were hitting the window. At the very same time, I found the clear blue sky far beyond the sea. This is coastal weather, I thought. When the sunshine came back, the strong bright sunshine shined in the room. It was just like summer time. When we opened all the window of the room, the floaty wind blew into the room. It’s a spring day I felt “early summer.” Today’s shot is a view from the living room.

Posted by madeira at 00:01 PST

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