Works of 2009, Spring

It's an urn. It's a jar for potpourri. It's ...


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'It' breaks up into 3 pieces of pottery works made this Spring. ;)


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Bear has his nostrils in the air for his masterpiece above. Sensei ( teacher, instructor ) poured profuse praise on the fine finish, and insisted that it should sit on shelf at a pretty price. Bear is keeping his work instead of selling it of course. ;)





My produce is good for side dishes or pickled food. You know, those 小鉢 ( Kobachi, small dish ) that never fail to turn up at a Japanese cuisine. The edges aren't exactly how I wanted them, but I'm surprisingly happy with it.

Lastly, a small vase made by left over clay. It's full of finger-printed indentations over the surface. Love the rustic signa.

Just when I thought we're pretty much done for pottery this year, Bear is planning an attempt on a different type of clay soon! =D I just can't wait!

And I can't wait for the weekend too. Have a great one!

Appreciating the little bits in life

After months of quiet anticipation, Rowndy has finally bloomed! =D

Here's how it looked like yesterday.


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It took many painstaking hours for the petals to pull away and look like this.




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Several weeks to go before Rowndy is full fledged, and I'm already smiling from ear to ear. Heee... =)




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Gotta appreciate the brainchild of blogging. What better way to document the little precious episodes in life, in a humble world crafted as my own. And seeing great people, making friends. Blogging might have already become one of those delicious bits in life. ;)

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And you know what? I've never owned a diary before.

They're leaving, but life goes on

After having stayed a fair span in this country, it occurs to me, memories collected over the seasons are subconciously weaved with strands of emotions.

The locals tend to relate accounts with vivid expressions like ' Last Spring... ', ' The highschool Summer ', ' One fine Autumn ', ' On one white winter morning...' Some of which, if you'll agree with me, carry minute melodramatic qualities.



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And memories get a notch mushier, especially with the begin of new life chapters. Like this Spring, 3 friends turn a new page as they leave this land that once housed our foreign feet together.

Bubbly X, may be10 years my junior, she cares for me like an elder sister. There are mixed emotions knowing that she's leaving to seek the better. I'm brimming with pride for her sucess but I'm sad to lose a pillar of strength too. X jerked me to tears when we shared our last hug. I thought my pillar is stronger, but she cried.



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T who enjoys teasing me non-stop, didn't tickle me much this time with her home-going. Neither is she pleased about it, and she's demanding me non-stop now that I must visit her at the country next door. Uh huh, her antics just won't cease. =D

And J, fellow Singaporean whom I share an awesome lot of common interests with, sets foot into a new place with her loved ones. I'll surely miss her friendly and oh-so-familiar-Singaporean-disposition. Void creeps in when I realize that we won't run into each other in this small place anymore, what I always deem as humorously fine fate.

Collectively, 3 friends are leaving me this Spring. There's a twinge indeed, but life goes on. I say a lil prayer that they'll find great blessings in the next venue, and joy in every corners. Last but never least, that we'll cherish the memories alike, of that Spring walk, Autumn bazaar or Summer vacation. For they've rendered some good pages in my heart.

Burnt... ouch!

We soiled our hands again at the pottery workshop this year. The works are burnt and all ready for collection! =D




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You've just admired some of my Sensei's ( teacher, instructor ) works. Notice those daisy-like motifs on the large vase? Sensei had the petals created by scrapping off the clay from the vase at a minimum depth, and filled the cavities with a different shade of clay. That's some neck-breaking meticulous job, if you don't know how clay works like.





Bear is all ready for the showdown, especially when my work is complete with some regrettable finishes.
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He's going to wear that conceited face and predictably say, ' Hey do you know that I'm new to this? '
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Ouch!
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Oh nevermind. Have a great weekend!! =D

We heart tomatoes

Luuuvvvv tomatoes, and we're blessed with smacking good ones of Japan. Large, juicy and sweet, too good to hurl at bad stages.
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They get even better as the climate gets warmer. =D Unlike the ones below photographed in early Spring. They have to be blogged, and I guess you know why. ;)

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You say tomato, and I say tomato... You say tomato, and I say tomato...


Try the tomatoes when you're in Japan. They are pronounced as ' toh-mar-toh'.

Recollection of Spring '09

It has been a fairly busy Spring. Much stuff to attend to thus missing much lovely blooms as a result. However, as I sit here and recollect, I realise it isn't awfully empty as I've thought.

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I'm acquainted with the rich yellow of Adonis for the first time. Cute like buttons, and cuter when they dot the plains like spilt yellow M&Ms.

The Japanese has high regard for Adonis, ' 福寿草 '. As its name bears meaning of ' happiness ' and ' longetivity '. While I see them with respectful regards, for their hardy nature that breaks the snow bed to make that bloom.

Alongside, other wild faces revealed, with names we've not heard of, but still darlings to look at.

Adonis with 'huh' and 'huh'.

Sakuras and blossoms of peach trees, unlike wild flowers above, but yeah they do outburst with a frenzy demeanor.

Back to yellow, bright and cheery this time, my favourite Rape blossoms in generous scales.

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With pleasure to have Bear's folks joined us in a dense maze of blooms.

Not forgetting delicious comforts that are capable of soothing strained days and stressed minds. Or am I just too easily pleased? =P

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Whatever it is we're dealing with, all's good in God's hands as we take little steps of faith forward. This Spring may be a lil challenging, but we're working things out like how a team should be, something that I'm truly grateful about.

Sweet May

Umm.. if you remember I've mentioned a couple of days ago about having caught 'May disease'. =P


Blogger pal Silvia then shared that it's 'April disease' for the Italian! 'Sweet April, sweet sleeping' she adds, which probably explains the unusual tardiness among the natives during April.


Now I see... so April disease is to Italy, and May disease is to Japan!! I'm having May disease alright!


Anyway, just forget me, and thanks a million ( I mean it! ) to everyone concerned. I'm really ok, the momentum is coming back and see? My fingers can type! What's more, it's Friday!!






Besides, it truly has been a sweet May, what's there to lament about. =) Happy weekend!

He saved my day

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May is an incredibly special month for us. A Golden Week holiday, our wedding anniversary, special appointments, my birthday several days ago, and Bear has turned ? yesterday!

The wife who has caught May disease, in all her dire efforts tried to bake a cake to save the day. She purchased cheese more than needed, a sour mango, ended up a mango short upon arriving home. Wasted 2 eggs, spilled some flour, wrestled with a decor pen and stirred a big mess in the kitchen, only to finish with a disppointing cake.

Unlike the usual mediocre, it's almost fitting to call the recent produce gross.　 感動はまったくないです！


Still, the ugly cake had to be presented to the birthday Bear, who digged in greedily despite having downed his favourite dishes in large servings. He had the cake halved. I was hoping to give him a big time, but he saved my day.　 感動。。。




The wife made a solemn promise to make it a truly classy celebration next year. =)

May disease, 五月病

Know 五月病 ( gogatsubyou ), or better known as ' May disease ' when literally to English.

A symptom whereby the infected experiences mysterious fatigue, develops a foggy mind and hopelessly numbed reflexes.

May disease affects only the residents of Japan. According to carriers, most have endured an unpleasant winter, and developed a strained body prone to laze in warm cosy May, especially after an indulgent Golden Week holiday.


Not spared, I've contracted the May disease by the 4th year on this isle. It's between you and me... I regret having scoffed at carriers in the past. I decided that their explanation were just plain lame then. Now, the tables have turned...




Nyahahaha... =P

Missing Spring already

Now that the Golden Week holiday is over, days are reverted to norm, and we're desperately trying to bring life back to full swing, which can be especially difficult after a long holiday. Being more so with the merciless heat, like the blazing 32deg celcius yesterday, and yeah! It's only mid Spring!


It feels like Spring is hurrying off in a puff. Sigh... And I'm missing Spring already.


We've only enjoyed a wee bit of Sakura.





Followed by the lovely pink of the peach orchard. We could have missed them if I've not attended ballet lesson that week.






They actually bloomed some 2 weeks earlier than last year, and didn't last quite as long like the past. I suppose we get to enjoy the fruit earlier this year then.

And though I do yearn for the juicy peaches ( while I'm still gobbling up yummy strawberries ), having them sooner doesn't sound very good either. We're taken aback by the the alarming speed of global warming, and how nature is at its bidding.

My poor flowers at the porch look as if they've been lynched, they deserve to be watered twice a day. Gotta go check on them now.