The rain returned with destruction on it’s wings.  The rain fell hard like stones.  The wind whipped up the leaves and debris, and the Spiderellas came out as the rain lightened up.  It seems like whenever the storms hit the streets are covered with the Spiderellas.  It is much in the same way as in my home town of Miami that earthworms litter the the sidewalks after a a downpour.  Catch the Spiderellas as you can, for they will be gone in the bright sunlight.

There has been a distance of nine years since the Twin Towers in New York City came crashing to the ground, splitting the the American soul in two.  I journeyed to New York city in November of 2001 to attend the unveiling of my grandmothers headstone.  With camera in hand, I wandered the street, shooting, taking in the red white and the horror.  I saw the best and the worst of America on the island of Manhattan.

As the distance between the actual event and the memory of the event grow farther apart, how will America and the world remember it?  WIll it be one of hate and fear, or one of tolerance and compassion.  My fellow brothers and sisters of different faiths and cultures think about this day I pray that people choose to see what connects humanity together rather than what separates us.

Take this time to reflect on how we all must fit into this world.

Therefore, In my open letter to the city that calls me one of her own, don’t close your doors and your hearts.

I decided to do a docodemo walk yesterday.  Meaning I just picked a station that I had never been and just started walking.  My plan was to get lost.  I didn’t want to get totally lost but that is what happened.  I got off at Edogawabashi station, and started to make my way roughly back towards where I had journeyed from.  Somehow I ended up in Waseda, home of Waseda University.  Stopped off to rest my legs and get a bite to eat and choose to head back towards Kagurazaka, in order to stop over at a nice French cafe.  However, I soon got a Déjà vu feeling as i past by a cracked window that was covered with gel stickers.  I thought to myself, how this looks like the window I passed like 90 minutes ago, and I soon realized that it was.  it made me laugh out loud to come to the realization that I had walked in a huge circle.  This is why I don’t really have a good sense of direction in the city.  Looking forward to the next time that I get lost.

After over a month without a spec of rain, the skis opened up and it has been pouring all day long.  We decided to go try an Hawaiian transported breakfast place.  Maybe it wasn’t the best day for walking around Harajuku with a small umbrella, but it did feel good to not be roasting in the sun.

After making it all the way to Nippori station from wandering from Minowa I found this little origami crane tucked into an iron girder at the station.  It reminded me of the stillness that I often seek out in my life.  As the rushing madness of the city swirls by here a quiet crane sat amongst the dust and peeling paint.

Reflect

Think

Explore

Stillness

I have been on a mission this summer to visit neighborhoods in Tokyo that I have never visited before.  I want to expand my urban view of my adoptive home.  Where are those interesting hoods?  So, after a bit of searching I set my sights on the old neighborhood of Minowa.

Minowa lies only a few stations from the bustle of Ueno, but it might as well have been on the other side of the Tokyo border.  There was an old covered mall left over from the Showa days.  Tight narrow alley ways lead away from the shopping mall.

Between the buildings coming down and the new ones going up laid a wonderland of geometric interactions with it’s inhabitants.

Wander

Wander

Click

Click

And it all fits nicely into a square.

I was fortunate to have a bit of family in Tokyo the other day.  I don’t get to play tour guide to my adopted city often so I always look forward to showing people my focus on the town.

Bodiiin over at MyKriteek.com put up a 90 second critique of one of my image.  It is refreshing to have a quick and concise critique of my work.  Big time respect to Bodiiin over there for thinking to put it on his site.

http://mykriteek.com/the-banana-peel-by-jacob-schere-here-and-ther

I had never been to Kagurazaka before venturing there today.  I had heard that it was a bit of an old part of town, but what really got me to want to make a stroll around is when I heard that there are more French restaurants there than anywhere else in Tokyo.  I  enjoyed the little backstreets, that alternated between little bistros and exquisite Japanese places.

And finally after a beautiful Galette stuffed with cheese, mushrooms and tomatoes I was treated to my favorite coffee, a noisette.  yummy!