Category: Anything Cute

Move over Hello Kitty:)

Post author By Kay T. Ananda
Post date November 14, 2015

& say
Hello Snoopy!
Here’s an excerpt from an article “Snoopy Shaped Island Emerges after a Volcanic Eruption in Japan” – New York Daily News by David Harding:

Good grief, Charlie Brown!

A volcanic eruption in Japan has caused an island to form that looks like Snoopy.

The new landmass was created in the past few weeks in sea some 620 miles south of the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

Volcanic activity created new land, which merged with an existing island and, incredibly, bears a remarkable resemblance to the cartoon dog.

(December 2013)

The following poem was written 25 years（！） ago by Japan’s premier poet, Shuntaro Tanikawa. He is also the translator for all things Snoopy & Peanuts cartoons into Japanese.

I have seen you
You were once shaped like a big box, quite plain.
I have touched you.
Your flesh had a slight temperature
I do not love you nor do I fear you.
You are likely to continue to get craftier.
You are likely to continue to get smarter.
All the while I will remain as is, the same old me.
Rather annoying and irritating
unable to let go of such trivial thoughts, yet unable to dump you.
Even if I know nothing of binary number system,
I still remain to be your programmer
I keep inputting the most boundless ridiculous ideals, hopes and dreams
until gushing flood of information washes away all our secrets,
to where us humans have no choice but to stare deeply into our naked bare souls.

– by Shuntaro Tanikawa
(translated by ME)

What’s the title of the above poem?
“My Dear Friend, the computer” … Of course.

我が友コンピューターに　

僕はきみを見たことがある
きみは大きな箱のように単純な姿をしていた
僕はきみに触れたことがある
きみにはかすかだが体温があった
僕はきみを愛してはいないが怖れてもいない

きみはますます巨きくなるだろう
きみはますます利口になるだろう
でも僕は僕のままだろう
しゃくにさわるとか虫が好かぬとか
相変わらずそんな小さな業すら捨てきれずに
だが二進法について何ひとつ知ってなくても　
僕もきみのプログラマーだ
僕はきみに入力する途方もない理想を
情報の奔流がすべての秘密を洗い流し
人間が自らの裸の心を
ただそれのみをみつめざるを得なくなるまで
– 谷川俊太郎

Fox or a WOLF!?

Post author By Kay T. Ananda
Post date October 12, 2015

Today, while walking Mitsu, a guy stops his bicycle mid-tracks and asks, “is it a wolf?”
“no, (as a joke) she’s a fox.”
oddly, he believed me. he: “a fox? not a wolf?”
me: “no, not a wolf (silly!of course it’s a dog) she’s a fox.”
He looked rather surprised but believed me… (bad me), excitedly reciting back to self – a fox? A FOX? for real?
me: yes. (she who spoke not the truth – if only Mitsu’s tail was straight as a brush…)

I did tell bunch of little kids the other day that she’s a fox and a boy squealed with joy in meeting a … fox.

Might as well have people believe (okay, by misinforming them might not be good but … so funny to see the reaction) – isn’t it more fun to think there’s a fox around? Seriously.

Vignette from summer 2015 again – I told you it’s not a vacation when I visit Tokyo…

Thanks to Adachi-sensei, the physical therapist, and my mother’s efforts, she is now able to walk after a hip replacement surgery. Ask me about hip sockets, I know them… hahaha. A lesson learned might be – use them or you lose them; and when I say use them, I don’t mean to torment them or “over”use them. Best to of course walk a lot, avoid contortionist poses, and (without wear and tear) stretch, stretch, in an effort to increase flexibility and range of motion. Did teach some yoga to my mother during my stay – the kind that she can do while sitting so hope she keeps it up!

My aunt I visited at a hospice this summer in Tokyo has passed away. Luckily my mother and my sister and the rest of the family was at her bedside and sang her favorite song – I had no idea – Que Sera Sera!??? Not very Japanese, is it? My aunt was a very interesting person …tri-lingual (Japanese, English and Spanish), so full of intellect and more importantly, with a BIG generous kind HEART, brimming with love. Just this year, I had a delicious bowl of tempura udon at a soba-shop and then a cup of coffee at a Hawaii themed cafe with her in Azabu-Jyuban. Just this year – I will cherish the memory of her kindness always. The time before when she told me nonchalantly that she has cancer was at an elevator to a fitness club she took me to in Roppongi. It was a fitness club where she swam for over 20 years… she let me take yoga classes there as her guest… then we went wine shopping. Another kind, precious loving soul moving onto another plane; another world. I am going to miss her – now all the memories are coming back … anyone who has ever lost anyone knows that flashbacks of memory that stays with you…RIP.

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother what will I be?
Will I be pretty, will I be rich?
That’s what she said to me:

Que sera, sera. What ever will be will be
the future’s not ours to see.
Que sera, sera. What will be, will be.

When I was just I child in school
I asked me teacher, what should I try?
Should I paint pictures, should I sing songs?
This was her wise reply:

Que sera, sera. What ever will be will be
the future’s not ours to see.
Que sera, sera. What will be, will be.

When I grew up and fell in love
I asked my sweetheart, what lies ahead?
Will we have rainbows, day after day?
That’s what my sweetheart said:

Que sera, sera. What ever will be will be
the future’s not ours to see.
Que sera, sera. What will be, will be.

Now I have children of my own,
They ask their mother, what will I be?
Will I be handsome, will I be rich?
I tell them tenderly:

Que sera, sera. What ever will be will be
the future’s not ours to see.
Que sera, sera. What will be, will be.

Anything Cute Beautiful Rituals

Full Blood Moon, Lunar Eclipse

Post author By Kay T. Ananda
Post date September 27, 2015

Our Universe is … beautiful and offers so much we can be grateful for.
We just have to stop and notice.
Autumn is a season for reflection upon restoration of your hardware and software. (okay, so I live in Silicon Valley.)

Haahhh, to be conscious – to feel the energy, not the solar type but the … lunar energy – lunar salutation mixed blend with Mitsu watching in the front yard (who by the way did not start howling at the moon – she’s more of a fox than a wolf.) So powerful to see the light behind the shadows cloaked over the red tinted moon – the shadow is our shadow, our earth blocking the sun’s rays to reflect on the moon …earth’s shadow on the moon – isn’t that just so… awe-inspiring. There’s no need to fear our own shadows – it’s impermanent – let it move in and out until the next … alignment … there’s nothing to fear as there will be another … shift.

I feel restored inside and out now ready for restful evening filled with dreams.

As a side note:
Japanese culture has a tradition of “moon viewing” and as with their culture, there’s always … food associated (as with all cultures probably since it’s kind of a party).
It’s customary to have a full moon viewing in Autumn where sweet cakes such as
“tsukimi dango” may be served.
Japanese moon viewing cakes are … cute:) Usually simple white mochi balls but there are some with golden sweet potato “an” or filling that looks like a “yolk” or a full moon:)

(image from a Japanese sweets shop in Yokohama …http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/gomadaremochi/a4aab7eeb8.html)

　credit goes to http://ca-sun.net/ blog

There’s a rabbit association with moon viewing because in the common folklore, family of rabbits supposedly live on the moon, puttering around making mochi… probably a vision seen by a child:) as they have wonderful imagination.

Here’s a bento box for a child … from a mom so into making such cute bento for her kids:

credit to a blog site http://kototkis.exblog.jp/i51/