Monday, March 03, 2003
March is coming in like a lion, alright...
Happy Fat Tuesday, one and all... and to one special niece of mine, Ms. Jennifer, Happy, Happy 18th Birthday to you, sweetheart!
Things are looking up for this calendar girl, although the economy here in Nippon is none too great, there are opportunities for the persistent pavement pounder, or, in this age, keyboard pounder. It used to be [for this ex New Yorker] a subway to the bus to a taxi up the block while fixing your lipstick and tucking your bagel-breakfast in your bag before getting settled for your five minute interview-
now its all an email away...
Not one to talk about breaks before they tap on the door, I'll just say that I'll be vacuuming the dust the hell off my welcome mat forthwith.
I think its time I turned this roll of film in my pocket the hell in and had its funky ass exposed for the thing that it is: a lovely collection of photos of the "Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival". One of a string of events that helps us all get through the winters here. The tedium of the cold, sunny, dry days is too much sometimes- I know all you people in the 'States who are now diggin' your asses outta 6 foot snowbanks will really feel for my poor soul on this one, but gee, if its gotta be winter, why not have the weather in hybernation mode to go along? Being raised upstate NY all this light bothers my eyes past 3:30 in the afternoon...
But the orchids- ohhhh the orchids...
This is my third consecutive visit to the festival, so now being the seasoned connaisseur, I don't point and snap at everything that crosses my lenses path. I was able to put that 'ole L-7 viewfinder in my mind to good work in choosing the more suitable subjects for my future canvas, [ j'espere, j'espere] namely the smaller, more numerous flowers, and their surrounding greenery. And I did it with only one roll of 24 exposures. Last year I was "crazy for Cattleyas", but this year I went for the more subdued, dude. And what variations on this theme there were! Fuzzy, raggedy, scraggly, in breathtaking colors, and with scents equally as intoxicating...
They get a good turnout at this annual event - located in the Tokyo Dome, home to the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, and ex-Giant Hideki Matsui, who is Yankee property these days... got 'ZILLA?
Try to visualize a sports arena filled to the rafters with orchids, orchids and more orchids- expensive rigs flashing away, and even the mobile phone cameras- "Look Ma, I'm at the Orchid Festival"!
A great way to relieve the winter doldrums.
'Till next time... 'Mela
7:42 PM
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Photo: Michio Yves Ueda
