When we look at wooden kids` toys in shops, I often say to my wife "Huh - I could make that!"
It really annoys her.
Maybe this is because:
1. It`s not true
2. I say this, but then do nothing
3. When we go shopping, everything annoys my wife
4. Especially me
But this is one toy that Owen really seemed to like, and it looked pretty easy to make, so on my holidays I made this version from wood I had lying around.
This is my 2011 Year of the Rabbit nengajo design. This year I attempted a 2-colour woodblock print for the first time in ages - usually I just use black. It was extra work - and some trouble - but I think it looks good.
If you`re not Japanese, maybe you don`t know that on the back of post office issued nengajo, there are numbers down the bottom - they`re lottery numbers! The winning numbers are released on the 15th of January. I hope I win something!
Have you ever won a nengajo lottery prize? What was it?
This week I met up with an old friend whose hobby is wildlife photography, especially Japanese birds. I took this picture of him by Kisogawa River. Say "cheese", Mike!
Please check out his pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcowboy/
They`re very good - he`s a pretty talented guy. He lives in Okazaki, Aichi, so if you live in this part of Japan, you should recognise some of the birds in his pictures.
Great to see you again, Mike. Good luck in 2011!
At midnight on December 31 we went, as usual, to the local temple to ring the big bell (this picture), then had some hot sake (rice wine) soup inside. I don`t like sake. Next year I won`t go inside.
After that, we went to the local shrine. I didn`t pray, but I took some photos & bought two omomori (good luck charms) as gifts for friends.
By that time, it was snowing quite heavily - brrr! I had a nice hot cup of tea when I got home.
Thanks everyone who looked at my blog in 2010. Please keep checking it in 2011 - I`ll try to make it interesting, attractive & educational - like my school, Teragoya! Haha!
Osechi is a special boxed arrangement of food which is traditionally eaten in Japan to celebrate the new year. Each dish has a special meaning, such as happiness, long-life, etc.
It looks great, doesn`t it?
But eating cold seafood and mysterious rubbery things is not so great. I only ate a little...
Do you like osechi?
Ah... a once sought-after symbol of good taste & refinement, now an outdated curiosity, a stark reminder of the rapid & relentless passage of time...
But let`s not talk about me. Look at this old car I found near my school!
It`s a Daihatsu Compagno, from 1972 (I think). It`s in pretty good shape, isn`t it? Well done, owner!
This is my nengajo (new year`s card) from last year, year of the tiger. The design was inspired by traditional Thai tattoos. It`s a hanga (woodblock print).
I also made a woodblock print for my nengajo for 2011 - year of the rabbit. I sent most of them yesterday, and the rest today. I hope they arrive in time.
Have you sent all your nengajo? Did you make your own design?
I`ll show you my 2011 nengajo picture in a couple of days.
On Wednesday we had a Christmas lunch party for mums & small kids.
Does Santa look familiar...? Owen seemed to think so. After the party I tried to find out:
Me: Owen, did you see Santa?
O: Anta! (= "Santa")
Me: Yes - lucky you!
O: Anta!
Me: Yes - you saw...
O: Daddy!
Me: Er...
On the weekend I visited a Thai restaurant in Ichinomiya called Restaurant Bangkok. It is the only one I know of in this area.
If, like me, you love Thai food, I recommend you check it out!
http://www.e-shops.jp/local/nsh/5537121305.html
I love orchids, & they are quite common in Thailand, where I used to live. I took photos of some that were in my friends` garden in Nonthaburi, in the north of Bangkok, & a long time later (in Japan in 2008) I did these small pictures.
They are pencil & watercolor, 16 x 16cm.
They have been on the wall of my classroom since 2008 & you can see the paper has become very brown from exposure; you can see the edges are still white where they were covered by the frames, (which I took them out of to scan).
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