2021/09/03

Mount Fuji - Toilet Paper roll

 

Japanese toilet paper roll, coffee sticks, cotton bags, handcream  souvenirs

What a wonderful sunny day in Hong Kong, and  Happy Friday as well, it's a good afternoon to write another post, I guess. O.K.,let's see what I've got in my photo library...A Fukubukuro !! (not include the small kitten behind :P)
 
Actually this is a mixture of souvenir selected by one of my best friend years before. I call it DIY Fukubukuro - in Japanese of a "lucky bag" 福袋. As you may know, every New Years or (any time of big sale) in Japan, department stores will prepare this kind of attractions to customers; of course, they may not know the content at all, say for a 3000 yen fukubukuro you paid, you will be in surprise of what you've got inside, most of the time the value is over 3000 yen, is it a lucky blessing to the start of a good year? 

Well, back to my lucky bag, they are wonderful and lovely, the one I would like to "present" is...Mount Fuji toilet paper roll!!! 
package of the toilet paper roll with fuji mountain presenter illustration

Let's start to unfold it, to see what's inside?

please continue to roll down.....


back side of the paper package with another cartoon illustration of the presenter walking up hill

continue....
the paper roll inside with printed data & illustration in roll form
continue...

Yeah! here it is...the knowledge you should know about the famous Mount Fuji, isn't it amazing ?!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
unfold of the paper roll printed with illustration of 5 knowledges of fuji mount you should know
 
I know this post is going to be "long", because I tried to combine the 4 photos I've took as one to give the real face of the unfolded toilet paper roll. 
 
I don't know Japanese but base on the illustrations and "Kanji", the knowledge are mostly related to the type of volcano - an active one, the last eruption time; the shrines above in ancients time; lowest temperature on the mountain, and the temperature for the onsen (hot spring) which is suitable for you to prepare your delicious Cup noodle; also the sometimes there will be landslide...interesting!
 
Imagine having this toilet paper roll in you bathroom, so much fun while...:D
But I will absolutely place it in my living room for my guest as well as reserved one for this post.

Thank you to Jessie, always enjoy your souvenir,
Arigatōgozaimashita !
 
 
 


2021/09/01

曾經是個室內設計師嘅獨立作者

尋晚瞓瞓吓覺,凌晨三點幾醒咗,突然間諗起好想寫⋯

唔經唔覺已經去到九月,短短幾個月離開咗室內設計師嘅行頭,除咗上堂教書嘅時候之外,慢慢都識得當自己係一個獨立作者(indie author),書架上嘅室內設計資料亦都慢慢下架,變成各式各樣同寫作、繪畫、攝影相關嘅嘢。

為咗講得出做得到,係收山後再次推咗三個室內設計工作(應該係最終回啦),終於第一次夏天唔洗落地盤,尤其唔洗帶住口罩係地盤"濕洗同乾蒸",真係舒服好多。以前成日坐係部大電腦面前用Autocad畫圖,用photoshop執sample board, 用word打文件;見客,傾電話,出電郵,落地盤,見師傅,傾電話,出地盤指引⋯ 而家就係另外一張工作檯用兩部細 iPad 寫書,搵資料;一大堆水彩顏料畫公仔,同埋幾本字典查生字;再返去大電腦度執相,執位,出版,網絡宣傳發送⋯

最大分別嘅係冇乜電話,可以全日好靜,如果冇開住音樂,有時由坐低直至第一次離開工作枱 (因為對眼開始攰或者肚餓,又或者口渴 :p )原來已經六個幾鐘。如果唔係要上堂同返教會,其實我真係唔多知道今日係星期幾?又或者係乜嘢節日假期。如果儲夠糧食,可以五日唔出門口,日寫夜寫,幾時瞓都得⋯生活上嘅改變都真係唔少;初時唔多適應,覺得仲攰過做設計工程,我諗,係因為冇"時限"嘅關係。

無論點都好,要改變就要學習,做乜都係咁,唔向前行,就會退步,所以我都可以話係踏上一條不歸路。當有朝一日,室內設計慢慢係我嘅專業知識層面上生疏甚至流逝嘅時候,希望相對地係寫作方面會有進展,咁我就可以寫下一個系列:做個...的獨立作家!



2021/08/27

Obsess to the voice of Stacey Kent

 

Stacey Kent candid moments album cover

I just can't stop listening all this week...Stacey Kent!
 
The first time I've heard her vocal was years before from a French online radio, a song call "C'est petit rien" in her "Breakfast on the morning tram" album. Then I started to aware of her unique voice, some people said it's the sleepy voice just after wake up...
 
A voice light as feather, sexy & emotional. Originally I thought she is French but actually she is an American Jazz singer. No matter what, I also started to write down some more songs title that attracted me such as "Que reste t'il de nos amours" & "It might as well be Spring", etc.

I know, I know, purchase online or listening on Youtube are the easier ways, but I am a bit old fashioned :P , so I try to find her CD...

Unfortunately, HMV was closed in Hong Kong since 2019, it's even more difficult to look for this "vanishing" CD product, I am afraid. And fortunately, on the other hand, I found a few from another store although it's not her French albums, it's a double CD set, Hurray x3 !!!
 
I can't explain but her voice keep me working in a peace of mind, so comfortable like a bird talk next to my ears...my obsession began, my pleasure :)
 
 


 

Autumn Breeze Sale 2021

Hey, pal,
"Summer Cool Sale" of Book 2 Entrée Sortie is coming to an end after a few more days up to   31 August 2021 (date included). So, I think it may be nice to have an "Autumn Breeze Sale" before our Winter come for Book 3 Chat Noir, what do you think?

39% reduce in price from 1 to 30 September 2021
                                                          
click to enlarge

Meaning, you can purchase in 
$1.99 (US) from Apple Books 
or $15.46 (HK) from Google Books

Enjoy! together with the forever free 
Book One : Pont Neuf of Petit Paris series.



If you like my books, feel free to write a review after reading or rate by Star(s) as you like. 

Au revoir!
Oiseau Distrait

2021/08/20

SQUARE in Tsim Sha Tsui East

It's been a while not going to the Tsim Sha Tsui East district, until recently I was having a gathering over there.  So I've decided to go earlier, buy some time, hanging around to see if there is any big changes.

Tsim Sha Tsui East commercial building viewing from footbridge

Actually not much, when I was standing on the footbridge looking towards this view, same feeling of the good old days as I was a student, still...a lot of "squares".  
Tsim Sha Tsui East is always a bit isolated and therefore even though it is a tourist + commercial zone, I feel more relax here compare with the Canton road section. 
 
A new high rise with rectangular windows in earth tone
Except this new building (to me) I've discovered near the harbour, I will say it looks nice to fit into the surrounding, subtle & decent; again square square square... 
 
Finally, I found "Square of the Day" in a dramatic colorway that attracted me. I thought the purplish shade was due to deterioration of the glass curtain material instead, but did create another unique scenario I love.

Square curtain walls of a hotel in purple shade

Looking into windows of the buildings from street in or after the twilight time is one of my "hobby", it's interesting, imaginative and even with surprise sometimes; I will always imagine the look of the peoples who live inside, what is his/ her job, what are they doing right now/ or waiting for someone may be...under the bright white or moody yellowish luminescent; weird thoughts, I know :P

close up of a room interior through curtain wall of a hotel

What do you think?

2021/08/17

難過的一天

星期日,在商場售賣的電腦螢幕上,正播放着阿富汗政府把國家及人民拱手相讓給塔利班的消息,我停下來,心中很不安。

星期一,在新聞得知連總統也不理人民生死⋯逃走了!滿腦子問號"神啊!當地人民,特別是婦女,將會如何?能承受嗎?"

今天早上,心裏仍然不安,手機已經傳來弟兄轉發在當地婦女的一個 IG Post, 述說她的絕望。接着,在Times 看到一篇曾經是當地駐軍的退役美軍細説這麼多年究竟在當地發生什麼事,為何美軍對阿富汗政府軍的訓練和所付出的會如此不堪一擊⋯⋯

前幾天,仍在繼續看奧巴馬的書 A Promise Land, 回想書中提及過他要做一個十分艱難的決定:應該增加阿富汗駐軍,還是定下撤離時限?當中要考慮的因素實在太多…

以上一個一個零碎的片段,今天在腦海中不停地交錯浮現。日間,好不容易地勉強集中精神完成一些工作;晩飯看完新聞後,又回到無助的感覺,實在沒辦法繼續工作下去。 

以往會認為始終是遠方的內政,離我們很遠,也很難做到些什麼,所以不會太上心;只是自從香港社運,地球暖化不能逆轉及Covid-19 之後,我感到正在其他國家發生中的事,已經和我們緊緊相連着,只要是地球人便不能幸免,至少,我們的心會被牽動,為當地人民著急!

不經不覺地今天,我在香港渡過了十二多個小時,生活"如常",但對於在阿富汗的人民、婦女,這十二小時是何等漫長.…沉重!即使我明白世界的苦難有定時,也非人可改變,但有時確實難以承受,唯有求神憐憫,求祢保護你所愛的子民!







2021/08/14

Jan 2021 Hong Kong

Colorful fruit stall along Sheung Wai
Today is 14 Aug 2021, 
 七夕 Qixi Festival in Hong Kong, but I am not going to write the story of it, instead, something about my yearly appointment on 1 January to Pok Fu Lam on the Hong Kong side.

Right after, I would walk towards Central to take the MTR way home. Before that, I must walked through the narrow streets "up & down" in Sheung Wan; which was enjoyable if you had "strength" and love the old stuff, like this. 

Well, we can still see this kind of stalls in some other old districts like Sham Shui Po, but always a bit different here, may be due to the sloped narrow streets and the "fainted" color of shops nearby. You would get the feeling of returning to the 70's - 80's liked travelling in time machine. 

I loved the kind of  "slow" motion, the aroma of livelihood, the tranquil moment while most of the people were still sleeping after the crazy night on the New Year's Eve... as well as the antique color that could always be captured.

I took this photo simply by my "ancient" iphone SE, as my usual practice, the lighting & color to be reflected as real at that moment as possible, that's the moment of us!

Actually there was the hawker inside, but I tried not to interrupt & therefore took this angle, which was fine provided my "models" were feeling comfortable :p


和興臘味家


Before I left this district, one of my favorite spot, here...a very traditional Chinese sausage maker, I wished they would never replaced the incandescent light bulbs, never... the yellow tone that eventually vanishing !

Usually a lot more sausages will be hanging all along on those horizontal railings, by the end of January close to our Chinese New Year, imagine how spectacular it will be; the most happiest festival for Hong Konger, a few more months to go. 

I can't estimate what will going to happen in the coming months before my next visit in 2022, both the pandemic of Covid-19 or the political changes in Hong Kong, but I have confidence as always, hope in human nature...wish we & you all the best!