WINTER WONDERLAND IN KYOTO

There's a canal carrying water from Lake Biwa to Kyoto that runs along the foot of the mountains behind the JR station in Yamashina. The path beside the canal is a lovely place at any season, and one of my favorite places to bike or walk. It's very lovely in Spring because the sides of the canal are lined with cherry blossom trees, and in Autumn the colored leaves over the canal are so beautiful. But over this New Year holiday it snowed in Kyoto, and turned the canal walk into a winter wonderland.

Even though I am so familiar with the path, it seemed like a brand new place. Branches weighted down with snow hung over the dark water. The whole world seemed to be changed to monochrome, all shades of gray except for occasional splashes of color - a red bridge, a pink camellia, a yellow light reflecting on the snow.

I walked along, my boots crunching in the newly fallen snow, until the light faded away and left strange shapes glowing whitely in the darkness. Finally I turned off the path and walked down the road to Yamashina JR Station. Even the station looked other-worldly that night.

SNOW AT NEW YEAR

 

When I woke up on 31st December it was snowing. Probably it had been snowing most of the night because all the rooftops and the ground were well covered.  

I really LOVE snow! 

I suppose I've never lived somewhere that has snow all winter, so I've never had a chance to get tired of the inconvenience. But I'm certain I could never become immune to to the breathtaking beauty of snow. And I suspect that for me it would make the cold and the slippery paths and the snow shoveling and the wet clothes and the dirty, damp thaw all worth it.

I bolted my breakfast, dug out my only pair of waterproof boots and the rest of my wet weather gear, and set off with my camera for the supermarket... the LONG way. I think that the most magical part of snow is while it is falling. All sound is muted, all color covered or blurred with white. 

I really LOVE snow!

I took many photos of the streets near my apartment from beneath my umbrella. I'm going to write several posts about the New Year snowfall in Kyoto. More coming soon.

JAPANESE STYLE GIFT BOX

Here is an example of exquisite Japanese packaging. This pretty little box is made from a single circle of card, cleverly folded to form a shallow container that can be opened and closed again.
Inside was Japanese sugar candy, but it's all gone now.

5 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR

           Image via Wikipedia
1.  I was able to take a lot of time for myself. I quit my job at the end of March, and only worked part time for the rest of the year.I was inspired to do this because of two people who I admire - Stefan Sagmeister (you can listen to his talk The Power of Time Off  on Ted.com), and Tim Ferris (He wrote about "mini retirements" in The 4 Hour Work Week). I've used up most of my savings, but I'll never regret that I did that. It made lots of good things possible. I was able to fulfill some dreams, and I learned more about myself and my expanded  capabilities.


2.  My trip home in April-May. Although I've been in Japan for seven years, I've only been home twice, one time for a family funeral, and the other a very brief, rushed Christmas visit. But because I quit my job so I could spend a whole month in NZ. It was great. I could spend some quality time with my family and friends, do some fun things, and visit some nostalgic places.

3.  My friends. I made a lot of new friends in 2010 who have enriched my life and made it more interesting. Then there were my existing friends who continued to support me and share good times with me. I was able to reconnect with some old friends too. Gratitude to you all!

4. The people who  bought my art. I don't know who most of you are, but it really encouraged me and made me feel great. So I'm sending out gratitude vibes to you all!

5. Another year in Japan. I love living here. I recognize that I have this amazing opportunity simply because I happened to be born in an English speaking country. I'm grateful.

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HOLIDAY GREETINGS

I wish you all a happy holiday and a wonderful New Year!

STARBUCKS CHRISTMAS IN JAPAN

I arrived in Japan at the end of November 2003 and began working at an English conversation school called Nova. My workplace was right over a Starbucks cafe, which was a much nicer place to relax than the teacher's room.

Christmas decorations and fairy lights appear all over the place at Christmas, especially in shopping areas. And strangely, it's considered on a par with Valentine's Day as a romantic occasion for young couples. Some families give their kids presents, and people eat Kentucky Fried Chicken and Japanese Christmas cake. But for the majority of Japanese people it's just another day. So on my first Christmas day in Japan it was off to work as usual.

Except that...

It was my first winter Christmas (December is mid-summer in New Zealand.) And when I woke up and looked out the window, it had snowed lightly. So it was my first white Christmas too! I walked to work with snowflakes drifting down and catching on my eyelashes. I went early because I decided to treat myself to a Starbucks coffee before work. At that hour of the morning there weren't many people about, and I got an armchair by the window. They were playing my favorite Christmas album - Bing Crosby - and the coffee was good. I sat watching the snow and enjoying the ambience. It was a perfect moment.

It's a really precious memory!

Related articles

• Christmas came early to Starbucks this year (seattlepi.com)
• Bing Crosby - "White Christmas" (joetroiano.wordpress.com)