6 posts tagged “flickr”
It's been trapped up inside my head trying to find it's way out for such a long time, I wondered if it would ever make sense enough for me to write about it. I've been getting into the habit of keeping a journal on paper and that has helped with regularity and avoiding all kinds of self censorship. It's peculiar even when I write for myself I am held back by a sense of what might be appropriate to write, and what I should be allowed to think about something.
It really does help to get things down on paper, but for me it is it is a means to an end. The aim is to live more creatively than I have in the past. By that, I mean not just taking more photographs, or writing poetry, but through creating opportunities for myself and my family. Lately, I feel as though I've been able to do that in a way that I haven't done since I left University and started working in multimedia.
Work has been a bit tough, there have been interpersonal rivalries and some corporate casualties. I'm glad I have toughed it out however, because it has now given me the more scope to seek autonomy and creative self expression. I'm hoping that work provides a stable platform from which to move forward in my career.
The hours at my day job have been flexible enough for me to be able to take a second job two nights a week teaching English at a language school just around the corner. The second income gets taxed at the maximum rate, but it's good to know that with the support of family I am able to hold it down. That confidence in myself, and in the team at home, is going to come in handy when I decide to go back to study hopefully next year.
It could be I'm just feeling confident after reading too many self help/life hack/productivity blogs, but things are moving in the right direction.
December morning,
colours fall from sleeping trees,
citrus stings dry hands.
This stone was left here,
when you finished your play,
does it mean something?
The window opens out,
across the tops of houses,
the cold rushes in.
Scene at rail crossing,
feel like waiting for the train,
that will never come.
People come in summer,
collecting shellfish in groups,
I was here alone.
Originally uploaded by jrfiction
After having a little bit of fun with the "The Items We Carry" group on Flickr the other day I thought I might continue the theme with "what's in your bag?".
Just browsing through some of these bags can give a small insight into someone's persona. Small things, however mundane they may be, may reveal great mysteries. For what it's worth, I believe the beauty of photography lies not just in beautiful things, but in the portrayal and documentary of the everyday.
One of the reasons I began blogging again a couple of years ago was that I wanted to create a point of reference for my life and it's ups and downs. I wanted to learn more about myself in the process. I wanted to share that with others, whether they be close to me or in other parts of the world.
Where do you find beauty? Do you worry that sometimes people won't find you or your blogging very interesting?
I am attached to the things I have in my bag materially and sentimentally. They represent to me the efforts I make in achieving my purpose. I hope they come across as modest, and functional.
Originally uploaded by jrfiction
I stumbled across a public photo pool on flickr devoted to documenting the things we carry, and thought it seemed like a great idea.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/theitemswecarry/pool/
There are other related pools, one called what's in your bag, so maybe that's next?
http://flickr.com/groups/whats_in_your_bag/
There has got to be some overlap, which is a bit of a worry, but so it goes.
It's kind of rare that I get the time these days to sit down and write a full blooded blog post, and when I do I'm usually posting pictures of our latest trip to the park for friends and family. That's not something that I think is terribly interesting for most people. Most often I've been connecting with people online via my mobile phone and Nintendo DS with Opera mini.
I read some where recently that people love reading short blog posts with lists of links so I've decided to send you a five of my favourite blogging tools on the web. This is where you will find me spending most of my down time, while I'm on my way to work and in my breaks.
- Tumblr - A tumblelog, fast and light, very visual and a bit like scrap-booking.
http://rainbowhill.tumblr.com/ and in Japanese http://jrfiction.tumblr.com/ - Twitter - microblogging tool for those with an attention deficit, also a very good way to share news, and keep your ear to the ground. I'm posting here only in Japanese.
http://twitter.com/jrfiction - Jaiku - The choice for me between Jaiku and Twitter is simple, the former is in English and the latter is in Japanese. I must admit that I have connected with more people on Twitter, perhaps because I put more effort in.
http://jrfiction.jaiku.com/ - Flickr - I've only just rediscovered Flickr, they have some new upload tools and it's simple to upload via email also. I repurpose my feed here for Tumblr and Jaiku. My photosets are also available through other sites like vox and facebook.
http://www.flickr.com/people/rainbowhill/
I was going to mention 43things and Facebook because they seem to absorb a lot of my time, but that's only when I am in front of the PC, which is like I said earlier a lot rarer these days.
What a great day for a walk! It started with the sound of laughter coming from the futon next to me. Recently R has been waking without crying and feels content to play with the empty milk bottles that are lying around on the floor. Some times he comes over and pokes around trying to wake us up. This morning as the sun gently came through the paper screens, he was laughing as he woke up and began to play with C.
We left home so I could get an 0820 train for the port city of Yokkaichi, and an early start at the immigration office, before heading off to work at the ghost-town that has become the Yokkaichi branch. I am grateful for my fellow antipodean who had to travel in to the deep south to cover my shift as I was travelling north.
I initially jumped on the wrong bus and then had to haggle for change at the JR train station before jumping on another one bound for the port. The paper work was all over within about 5 minutes, so went and found a place in the sun to have some homemade cookies and canned coffee before heading off on my walk. The wind was strong and a little chilly, but the sun was out and with a few strides under my belt it wasn`t long before I was warmed up and I feeling good.
The walk from the Port back to the Kintetsu train station is about 5 or 6 kilometres, the first half is surrounded by petrol refineries and other heavy industry. Occaisionally between the grey walls of buildings and warehouses, splashes of colour leap out, mostly home gardens and a few public parks. There are several bridges to be crossed on the way back into town.
Just before reaching the centre of town, and after the splendid avenue of sakura that lines the elementary school, I stumbled across a small park near a shrine where I decided to have lunch. I'd arrived too early to eat right away, so I veiwed the park from a few different vantage points, took some of these photos and called CnR.
It was quite a colorful morning. I am really looking forward to Min getting here in October/November to share some of this with me. I have so many places I still want to go in Japan, and plenty of holidays up my sleeve. I`m spoilt for choice, even so, I feel like I should be more appreciative.
I forget that when I see these things, they have become second nature to me, so I am more concious of how I am responding to these moments. I am attempting to strip back the bark on this vine, so new thought and feeling can leap forth. I am constantly asking myself "will I come this way again?", and the answer is invariably and emphatically "no" each time.
