Oh Deer!

“The man who hunts a deer does not gaze at the mountains”
— Takeda Nobushige

One of the most tranquil places I have visited where animals and humans mingle is the Nara Deer Park. Deers roam welcoming their human visitors to the park and the nearby shrines.

Nara Koen (park) is located in Nara, Japan at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, and is home to over a thousand shika deers. Despite the large number of deers roaming around and buses offloading both domestic and international tourists, it is quiet, tranquil and peaceful at the park. As you can see in my photos, there seem to be an unwritten rule of mutual respect. At least in this visit, I have seen the respect animals gave to humans. There are occasional persistent ones who sniff and follow a visitor. They perhaps assume that humans have some shika-senbei (deer crackers) hidden in their bags. Yes, you may feed the deers, but only with deer crackers sold in the park and it is the only food allowed. That sight is fascinating to behold.

Along the path from the deer park to the entry to Kasuga Shrine, are the breathtaking stone lanterns. According to my readings there are 3000 lanterns in total. The feeling I experienced as I walk and pass by each lantern is hard to describe. In simple words, I felt relaxed and unburdened, like something heavy was lifted off my shoulders and chest. I guess that was partly due to being in nature.

We joined this tour as part of the around Japan cruise we took with Princess Cruises. The cruise also included a tour in Busan, South Korea. The tour operators are third party providers contracted by Princess Cruises. We are fortunate to have a very organised, well-spoken, funny and knowledgeable Japanese tour operators who “educated” about Nara and Kyoto prefectures during the short trip. There are so many articles already published about Nara and Kyoto, and folklores about the deers, so I won’t repeat them here. I hope you enjoy these photos instead.

A few things that I observed and would like to also share are:

  1. Cleanliness - the Japanese are known for being tidy and clean. I have not seen any litter in this park and it was very enjoyable to experience.

  2. Respect for environment - despite the country’s size and overpopulation, they have areas of nature both man-made and preserved to protect their environment and for their citizens and animals to enjoy.

  3. Understand the animals - they are wild and they are not pets. Therefore, to enjoy the visit, do not tease or scare them, nor take a selfie close to their faces.

Bring your camera and a selfie stick to capture moments without being so close.

Stay tuned for my next post which is the nearby Kyoto.

Do leave your comments below, and if you have questions I will do my best to answer promptly. Thanks for stopping by.

Photos were taken by me with my Sony Alpha A7II and 50 mm f1.8 prime lens.

Sydney, at night

“If your photos aren’t good enough then you’re not close enough”
— Robert Capa

I am only just learning to balance my two lives - the one I must be (work), and the one I love to be (me). I have been conditioned to do what I must do first and it has occupied my entire life. I have been meaning to post as often as I can but work-life imbalance sometimes need to be allowed…..sometimes.

Personally, I find that learning to balance takes place when we allow ourselves to let go and accept. I have learned to let go of what I can’t control, like time. Time, that I always chase to complete my work projects with my self-imposed deadlines so I can accomplish more. I have learned to accept that sometimes I just have to draw the line between work time and me time. Believe me it is not easy. It is not always possible either. I have friends who work for themselves and often that blurs the two timelines.

However as I am a believer of the growth mindset, I dare to try and keep on trying. My camera has been a convenient excuse and it has given me the perfect distraction to focus on me and what I love doing. For some, it can be a riveting book, music, canvas and paint, or meditation. Whatever you need to give you the most satisfying me time even just for 15 minutes a day, get it and do it.

What has been your most positive distraction so far? I am keen to hear your experiences or challenges with work-life balance and how you manage it. Do leave your comments below.

Thanks for dropping by!

Photos taken in Sydney, all mine with Sony Alpha 7II and 50mm prime lens.

Kimonos in Kyoto

“Real poetry, is to lead a beautiful life. To live poetry is better than to write it.”
— Basho Matsuo

Beautiful poetry indeed, and it is more than words. It is alive in these young women who came to Kyoto to be able to don a Japanese Kimono for a day!

We came to Kyoto to see this ancient capital of Japan and visit its magnificent temples and shrines. I did not expect to be amazed by this sight upon coming out of our tour bus. I planned on browsing the shops for pottery, dolls and silk handkerchief. However, I was pleasantly distracted and started to follow this spectacle of colours, gracefulness of movement and moving artwork.

I learned during a conversation with our tour guide that these young women are not all Japanese. Some of them are international visitors who want to experience the Japanese way of life — even just for a day. The majority of them are young Japanese women who want to get in touch with their traditional culture and embrace to duality of past and present. As you can see, many of them are live-streaming their experience on their smartphones, while some are taking selfies and uploading into their social media account. I couldn’t have known that fact. It seemed like the Kimono, as an attire, has the power to transform an individual into a traditional Japanese woman — style, grace and disposition.

This demonstration of pride of one’s culture is amazing and impressive. I believe that it is very important to always remember who we are and keep our ancestors’ legacy alive, just like the proper way of wearing the Kimono.

These photos were taken In Kyoto’s Higashiyama District. I hope you enjoyed dropping by my page.

Photos are all mine, taken on Sony Alpha 7II. If you’d like to share, please do the right thing and acknowledge the source. Thanks for dropping by!

Tokyo Streets

“A confluence of vintage and contemporary....”

Tokyo is a fascinating place. I have not encountered anyone who has been to Tokyo and did not like it. On this night I decided to explore the famous Shibuya crossing again. Despite living in Japan for almost five years, I have been consumed with studying and working that I have neglected to appreciate my surrounding and city. So I decided this time on a holiday after nearly 10 years, to re-explore Tokyo and take my own version of the Shibuya crossing photos.

However, as I walked to re-orient myself, I was drawn to the narrow alleys and I could not take my eyes off the scene. The place displays a dichotomy of old and new, of traditional and ultra modern, of flamboyance and simplicity. And therefore became a confluence of vintage and contemporary that makes it a unique mega city.

One night strolling with fully open senses and living in the moment made my heart and soul full.

I hope you enjoyed dropping by and looking at the street scene photos.

What has been your experience in Tokyo? Let me know if you have stopped by, or took photos yourself of the same spot where I have been.

All photos are mine, taken on Sony Alpha 7II with 50mm F1.8 prime lens.