Moribito

I just got a copy of Moribito by Nahoko Uehasi. The English version came out this summer. It was translated from Japanese into English by Cathy Hirano. The English version was published by Arthur A. Levine in the United States. I found out about the translation from Cheryl Klein's blog. She edited the translation. (She also edited the Harry Potter books.) In a blog post, she showed all the care and detail that was involved in making the book. The artwork is great and the book itself is beautiful.

I've read half of Moribito and it's great! Click here to read the description from the publisher. Click here to read about the production of the Japanese anime.

It is advertised on amazon.com as a young adult book. I'm halfway through the book and so far I think it's appropriate for all ages. How old were you when you read Harry Potter? Anyway, you may want to get a copy to keep for future reading! The beautiful hardcover edition would be great to have in your personal library.

When we were in Texas, we looked for Moribito at bookstores and it wasn't on the shelves. I asked at Barnes & Noble in Dallas and in Fort Worth and the clerks said they could order it for us. We waited until we came back to Japan and ordered it from amazon.co Japan.

We'll get the Japanese version, too. In the Author's Note at the end, the author describes the setting as a "fantasy world that carries the scent of Japan." I'd like to hear Big Sister's impression. Maybe she'll report here on it. She's going to have exams soon so it may be a while.

Lotus Seeds

This is a lotus seed pod at Jindai Botanical Gardens. Photographed on the 10th. It reminds me of a picture book that I want to (buy and) read. It is called The Journey of the Third Seed by Jane Scoggins Bauld, Eakin Press. Three lotus seeds were lost at sea in a typhoon over a thousand years ago, but one ended up in the Japanese Gardens in Austin, Texas. The author knew Mr. Taniguchi, the man who planned and built the Japanese gardens. He planted the lotus there. I went to university there. I remember going to the garden but I didn't see the lotus. Perhaps someday...

A dried pod.

Lotus Leaves

This is how they were planted at Jindai Botanical Gardens. There were no blooms. See that big light near the top of the picture. They must have lit the blooms at night. Got to remember to try to catch that next year! To see a bloom click on the label "lotus" below.

Crumbling Lotus Leaves

Thinking of Galveston

Here are some early morning pictures of the coast of Galveston. Little Brother and I went there with Aunt Carol in early August. We've been thinking about Galveston and wish everyone there well.

This is one of the staircases that goes down the sea wall to the beach.

Water Lilies at Jindai Botanical Gardens

These pictures were taken on the the 10th.

There are eyes all around

These signs are on the back of trucks, on buses, taxis, etc. It says something like "We're not going to overlook crime. " In other words, we're watching you!

This sign was on the back of this vehicle.

See the man on the bike in the upper right hand corner? Click to enlarge the picture. There is a sign on his basket. It is for the "Mama Patrol". Mamas patrol the area after school. He must be somebody's grandpa. Jiji, our grandpa, used to be part of the "Mama Patrol". I don't ride a bike. I patrolled, but I didn't wear a sign.

Bats

I've been watching the skies for bats on clear evenings. We've been haing lots of electrical storms lately. There aren't as many bats as there were last year. I think I say that every year.

I tried taking pictures from the street on Sunday evening. It was impossible! This evening I stood in the roof garden. They're too fast and I'm still too slow. I did get one, though. Can you find it? It's below the smudge (speck) and to the left.

A Gift for Attending

Papa attended his boss's dance class performance on Saturday. She performed the tango. I watched the video. It was great! But I'm wondering...how does she have time to practice?

Anyway, she gave nicely wrapped boxes of "New Style Stick Donuts" to her friends and employees who attended. They all paid (a big ticket fee) to go, but it included dinner. It was a fancy dinner show. See the "Best Wishes" sticker at the top?

There was another fancy embossed label on the back. It was used to tape the paper together. Fuji Bambi is the name of the shop.

In the past, store clerks used only one piece of tape when wrapping packages. (Everything was wrapped back then.) This package had tape on both ends and that label on the back.

It sprouted already!

The vegetable man planted this row on August 27th.

Any idea what it is? Click to enlarge the picture. Sorry it's blurry! I'll try to get a clearer picture.

Tabi

Big Sister had to buy tabi to wear when she performs the tea ceremony at her high school festival. Only members of her club will perform. They will wear yukata (summer kimono).

This is the bottom of the tabi. There is a fitted toe so that she can wear geta (wooden sandals) with them. Of course, she will only wear the tabi on tatami (straw mats) during the performance. (We never wear shoes or slippers on tatami.)

The package actually has instructions on how to put on the tabi.

Young Broccoli

Tabi Detail

Big Sister asked me this morning if I wanted to take the tabi out of the package to take pictures of them. Of course! Why didn't I think of that?! I quickly scanned these details. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. These are made of thick cotton. The cotton on the soles have a texture and pattern.

This is how the tabi are fastened. There are flat metal hooks, but no metal eyes. The hooks hook into double threads.

Here are the metal hooks. Note the little man engraved on the top two hooks. He is on bended knees bowing to us.

Tabi Package

The bowing man is on the package, too.

This is on the front of the package. It indicates that these tabi have metal hooks or clasps.

This is the company information. There is a telephone number there for those of you living in Japan.