Quirky, Ornate, Beautiful Japan

Last spring I had the opportunity to go to Japan as the guest of two of my dear friends. It was just a month after the devastating earthquake and tsunami and the risk of radiation was still on everyone's minds. But the window I had to go was closing and I decided to do it. My friends lived in Yokohama so we could go into Tokyo most days (it's like going from Oakland to San Francisco--just a train ride away).

Hanging out with the girls at my friends' place.

Japan hadn't been on the top of my list of countries to visit. I don't know why. As soon as I got there I was reminded that the Japanese uphold a culture of design that permeates everything--the streetlights, rain gutters, temples, shopping districts, kitchen gadgets, etc.. Everything is designed with thought and care. Seeing as that's what I look for in the world--I'm always seeking out thoughtful, beautiful design--I loved it!

The following is a photo gallery of some of the things I found and wanted to share.

 A golden lotus atop a temple in Kyoto.

A window display in Tokyo.

A simple place setting in a restaurant in Kyoto.

A store's facade and sign in Tokyo.

 

 

The floor and walls of a cool clothing store in Tokyo.

I didn't know they didn't allow photography!

The lobby of the National Art Museum in Tokyo.

A rainy night in Kyoto.Those curved walls are made of bamboo and they cover unsightly electrical and mechanical systems.

Even the vegetables look artfully displayed!

The woodwork and craftsmanship is incredible!

A playful vegetable mural in Kyoto.

An orange bicycle in front of the sharp lines of an office building in Tokyo.

Looking out on to open space and pubic art in the Rippongi Art Triangle from the Suntory Museum of Art.

A quaint cobblestone street with a mix of shops and residences in Kyoto.

An undulating curve for water run-off and flower planting.

The Year of the Rabbit tributes came in all forms.

just another reason to love Oakland's diversity

If you're like me, you've driven or BARTed past the cranes that stand proud overlooking Oakland's side of the Bay countless times and have wondered when you're going to go pay them a visit countless times.
 

They stand guard, usually at full attention, noting us as we enter their city.

I can't look at them without being reminded of the herds of giraffes that I saw flocking around the watering holes in Namibia.

They don't just stand there. They're working to unload countless (well, someone is counting, I guess) wildly colorful containers of stuff into the Port. Seeing these containers up close and stacked on top each other is something else.

The scale of these sentries and the loot they seem to be guarding is so massive, I hardly expected to find this other kind of sentry when I started exploring. But then I ran across a pair of Canadians. This handsome couple were on full alert as they guarded over their treasures. In this case, the treasure came in fuzzy little packages of down feathers.

Despite their differences, the sentries are keeping watch over the same waters.

And they're not even the smallest creatures that call Oakland home alongside its other more noticeable occupants.

It's just another reason to love Oakland's diversity. And even though our giraffes don't flock to the Bay, you can always visit them at the Oakland Zoo. That might be my next "explore Oakland with a camera" adventure.

Wild Design

Inspiration for me comes in all forms.

 

 Camaflouge frog   (source: Meredith Skeff)

           Indian Elephant Close-Up                                                     

 

      Fiddle head on a fern                                               

         Lone Tree in Sossusvlei, Namibia                                

   Glowing Sunset in Sea Ranch, California               source: Rosemary Dudley

the coolest treatment of a parking garage if i do say so

it's art. not trying to create a facade that looks like a real lived-in building when we all know there are cars parked inside. just art.