318 Rock it!

For a quite long time I've been away from live musics, especially rock'n rolls. In a matured social life, usually rock is for kids but just the word "Rocks" still have a magical magnetic power on me, the momentum to be just myself. Though I have to quit joining in the mosh pit because of my current injury, and I've learned to gain my vitality and sense of unity with music by dancing, "Rocks"--- it isn't necessarily rock'n roll, but jazz or hiphop when it comes to good musics--- represents true grit, which is essential in grown-up business world, isn't it?   

317 Jane Austen

When I wrote a short note about "Pride and Prejudice" here, I only had read the work out of several novels of the author. One reason was the one story was worth reading again and again, as so many critics of all times and places say, and I never lost interest in it. But finally the interest led me to other world of Jane Austen, which was supposedly quite similar to each other. 

No that's different. I was simply amazed by reading "Mansfield Park", "Sense and Sensibility", and " Emma" because I had so many different impressions on each books. "Pride and Prejudice" is a fresh and pleasant but classic love story, while "Mansfield Park" is really a tactful novel with thrilling insight to human mind. If "Sense and Sensibility" is a picturesque drama of vivid individuality, then "Emma" is a unique theatrical comedy, full of trivial and nonsense conversation and yet captivating. 

In short, all these works features a girl and its "long and winding" ways to happy marriage. But they are truly genius' works with fine tactics to lead the heroines to the happy ending, and the effortless but splendid description of human identities that give us laughter and lessons.  

316 Best Time and Place

Not everyone would agree but I found that the best time to see cherry blossoms was at dusk. The contrast between delicate pale pink color of the flower and relatively rough, rugged trunk and branches is so beautiful and effective under the evening sky which itself is luminous in bright blue, just after the sunset. And the best place to see it might be anywhere with your friends as this is funny to see friends looking at the tree and saying "Woh!", who otherwise would never admire botanical beauty.   

315 Platanus

プラタナスの幹にあるこの見事な迷彩模様は、いったい何のためなのでしょう？じっと眺めているとよくできたデザインの産物のようにも見えてきます。こうして春になると草木にいっそうの関心が沸くのですが、花や蕾だけでなく、地味な幹もよく見れば非常に面白いものです。

314 Realism

久しぶりに秀逸なオーディオシステムを試聴する機会に恵まれました。ともすれば所用に囲まれる日常空間では、ただ音楽にのみ向き合う時間はなかなか作り出せなくなっています。最新鋭のサウンドシステムを一人きりでじっくりと、気が済むまで堪能してみると、音楽は小さなスピーカーやイヤホンで聞こえるものとは全く別物でした。ジャズを聴けば目前にトランペッターが現れたかのような、オペラを聴けば目の前で歌手が歌っているかのような、この上ない臨場感でした。そうして向き合ってみると、音楽はiPodで気楽に聴き流せるバックグラウンドではなく、深呼吸で吸収する澄んだ空気のように、すみずみまで神経を巡らせ感じ取ることのできる、目に見えないが何か実体のあるリアルなものでした。

五感のうちの二つを傷めてから（幸い回復しつつありますが）、他の無事な感覚がより強く鋭くなることがあるのかどうか、それとも高品質なオーディオは聴覚を成長させるのか、ともかく目が醒めるような経験でした。