Shinchan and doraemon
Originally uploaded by renfield
hana matsuri
My wife the awesome
My daughter the awesome and my son the awesome got all of their awesome from my wife, the original awesome. She is awesome for myriad reasons: she puts up and even married me, for starters. And she also knows exactly what I need. Today, I came home late at night, wet from the rain and tired from a rough few days of typical wall street office stuff. "There is a little something for you on the desk." she tells me.
On the desk I find a small bag from Mitsukoshi. Inside the bag are three bars of genuine Italian nougat, aka The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of. There is only one thing that can compete with dark chocolate, and that is real goddamn nougat.
And the only thing better than both nougat and dark chocolate, is my wife the awesome.
my daughter the awesome. and fast.
As is often the case, had to bribe the kids with gum (xylitol! from the dentist!) to get them out the door on time to get to school.
Halfway down the street, son is jumping and bouncing and giggling.
And then he stops.
I look back, and he has that trembling lower lip, mouth turning into a frown, eyes watering, about to explode into hysterics.
I have no. idea. what. is. going. on.
By the time I trace his gaze down to the street slightly behind him, and identify the blob on the ground as the gum that used to be in his mouth, my daughter has pulled her gum out of her own mouth, and just as he is opening his gaping maw to start bawling, she pops her gum into his mouth.
It hits his tongue, his lips close, corners of his mouth turn up into a smile, and they are both on their way, holding hands.
Leaving me standing there, staring down at his fallen, abandoned gum.
They both look back at me with that hurry-up-catch-up look on their faces and then go running off.
Elapsed time: 3 seconds.
Halfway down the street, son is jumping and bouncing and giggling.
And then he stops.
I look back, and he has that trembling lower lip, mouth turning into a frown, eyes watering, about to explode into hysterics.
I have no. idea. what. is. going. on.
By the time I trace his gaze down to the street slightly behind him, and identify the blob on the ground as the gum that used to be in his mouth, my daughter has pulled her gum out of her own mouth, and just as he is opening his gaping maw to start bawling, she pops her gum into his mouth.
It hits his tongue, his lips close, corners of his mouth turn up into a smile, and they are both on their way, holding hands.
Leaving me standing there, staring down at his fallen, abandoned gum.
They both look back at me with that hurry-up-catch-up look on their faces and then go running off.
Elapsed time: 3 seconds.
contemporary art
I am not a big patron of the arts. Ever since I was little, my dad attempted to instill in me at least an appreciation for the finer arts; when I was little I distinctly remember not really enjoying be taken to ballet and opera performances, art galleries and museums (the two exceptions being The Guggenheim and MOMA in NYC).
So I admit I begrudgingly attended the opening of Art Fair Tokyo 2012 as my company was the major corporate sponsor.
There was, as expected, a whole bunch of "modern" art; put a wig on a cow, spill paint on a white pillow, etc.
But there were also a few pieces that absolutely restored my faith in humanity, and they were all from young (younger than me) Japanese artists.
In no particular order, here are my favorites:
Takehiro Terabayashi
This guy does the most amazingly realistic paintings of...his 1950's apartment. My absolute favorite is the circuit breaker. It must be seen to be believed. The little green sticker in the corner I SWEAR I could have reached up and pulled off. Brilliant.
Yasunari Ikenaga
He does the most amazing modern portraits in a traditional (?) Japanese style, with beautiful kimono motifs and a hint of bad-girl/melancholy. The detail is just stunning.
Hisara Taira
Another hyper-realist painter. His architectural paintings of hallways and escalators look photorealistic and totally moody. What this guy can do with light and texture is mind-blowing.
Tetsuya Noguchi
The most detail-oriented figure-maker/sculptor I have ever seen. He analyses ancient samurai paintings to make the most fantastic modern figures in oftentimes ridiculous or merely sublime poses.
Shintaro Ohata
My favorite contemporary Japanese painter as of the minute I walked by and saw his paintings.
His earlier works are a brilliant combination of painting and sculpture that flow together into a single moody situation. But his latest paintings are even more stylized and moody. This one blue piece of a girl on a bus in the morning I seriously need to own, it is that awesome.
So I admit I begrudgingly attended the opening of Art Fair Tokyo 2012 as my company was the major corporate sponsor.
There was, as expected, a whole bunch of "modern" art; put a wig on a cow, spill paint on a white pillow, etc.
But there were also a few pieces that absolutely restored my faith in humanity, and they were all from young (younger than me) Japanese artists.
In no particular order, here are my favorites:
Takehiro Terabayashi
This guy does the most amazingly realistic paintings of...his 1950's apartment. My absolute favorite is the circuit breaker. It must be seen to be believed. The little green sticker in the corner I SWEAR I could have reached up and pulled off. Brilliant.
Yasunari Ikenaga
He does the most amazing modern portraits in a traditional (?) Japanese style, with beautiful kimono motifs and a hint of bad-girl/melancholy. The detail is just stunning.
Hisara Taira
Another hyper-realist painter. His architectural paintings of hallways and escalators look photorealistic and totally moody. What this guy can do with light and texture is mind-blowing.
Tetsuya Noguchi
The most detail-oriented figure-maker/sculptor I have ever seen. He analyses ancient samurai paintings to make the most fantastic modern figures in oftentimes ridiculous or merely sublime poses.
Shintaro Ohata
My favorite contemporary Japanese painter as of the minute I walked by and saw his paintings.
His earlier works are a brilliant combination of painting and sculpture that flow together into a single moody situation. But his latest paintings are even more stylized and moody. This one blue piece of a girl on a bus in the morning I seriously need to own, it is that awesome.
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