358 Rhythm in Your Life

集中するときには静寂が一番とは分かっているものの、音楽がもたらす愉しさや喜びは気分を高揚させ、疲れを取り除き、細胞を活性化させるような力を感じずにはいられません。ほんの5分間の音楽が与える素晴らしい影響力と、普段何気なく、退屈のうちに過ごしてしまう数時間との違いは何なのでしょう？なるほど人生の大部分は音楽など聴いて過ごしてはいられない時間で占められるのですが、仕事中に自由に音楽を聴けなくても、音楽を感じて過ごすのは何の問題もないでしょう。それどころか音の流れやリズムを想像することは、自分の鼓動や呼吸の流れ、そして何より時間の流れを意識することとつながるのではないかと思います。そうなれば、息を止めたような緊張感に満ちた無音に圧されながら仕事をするより、はるかに楽しく生産的な環境になるのではないでしょうか？

357 Somnology

The other day I got so tired and fell asleep without turning off the radio. In the middle of the night I was half awake because of the music from the radio. The midnight-dawn program featured Green Day for about a full hour and my dream was colored by "Basket Case", "Know the Enemy" and "Minority". Yes the dream was colorful and fun with these songs, and did leave something unforgettable, though I didn't remember the detail at all. I waked up when the program ended. After that I've been listening to Green Day a whole week. 

It's not what they call 'sleep-learning', but I think our mind are very naive and so exposed to outer factors especially music when we're asleep. No surprise, because our ears are still very open while our eyes are closed in sleep. 

356 Pix of the Season #2

And sometimes I feel like shooting a scene without any shape. Just one color covers all over the photo. I like this kind of pics as they remind me of a color palette.

355 Pix of the Season #1

This is one of my favorites of this summer. Thanks to the limited capability of my mobile phone's camera (and that isn't even a smartphone) which can only describe the shades of the green leaves in flat black, the picture gives unexpected effect of the strong combination of black tree shape and white sunlight with fading blue sky.  

354 Whistle

I'm not sure what these kids today are learning in school, but I always think schools should teach not only knowledge from books but also knowledge and skills learned only by using from head to foot. They teach gymnastics, basketball or football and it's fine, but before everything, it'd be wonderful if children could master using their body. Some schools might teach yoga, dance, or martial arts, and that's splendid (personally I do recommend kids to learn these---to get strong and stable axis of the body as well as to get closer to your self identity). But before that, how about whistling? Can you do that like in old movies?

Whistle is not just giving a spice to the movie scene, but also is a practical communication tool. As today's kids have little time and chance to learn it from family, like grandfather, like in good old days, it's an idea to share the old skills in modern school.

353 Chair

毎日、椅子に座らない日はありません。人は一生の間、幾つもの椅子に数えきれないくらい腰掛けます。食卓で、電車で、野球場で、診察室で、街のベンチで、ソファで、オフィスで、家のベッドで。椅子のデザインは人間にもっとも近い家具のデザインであり、ありとあらゆる素材を使って絶え間なく改良され、またその一方で永遠不滅のデザインチェアというものも少なからず存在します。

さて、椅子はそれだけ身近で至る所にあるのですが、座り心地よさそうに、気持ち良く背筋を伸ばして座っている人、見ているだけで思わず一緒に座ってみたくなるような人、そんな光景にはめったにお目にかかれません。毎日の生活の中で普通は椅子など何とも思わず、思う暇もないでしょうし、もし上質な椅子に座っていたとしてもそのクオリティにいちいち驚きや感動を覚える人は稀でしょう。

実はそんな光景はときどき道路で目にすることがあります。バイクの後部座席に座った人が、そのほんの少しの背もたれにゆったりと腰を落ち着け風をきって悠々と交差点を横切っていくとき、その場所はこの上なく座り心地のよさそうな椅子に見えるのです。

352 Welcome Back Ellen!

I'm glad to hear Ellen DeGeneres will again host the Oscar 2014. Surely I'm no expert to judge who did the best ever job in hosting Oscar, but her work was no doubt marvelous in 2007. Though I only know it from the Opening Monologue on YouTube, she is warm and truly hilarious, effortlessly cheerful and lively. She makes people laugh without being cynical nor offensive. Comedians sometimes tend to take defiant attitudes with frowning (and I find them very much funny of course), but Ellen has different style. She smiles and makes such a pleasant air that everyone feels like laid back, more ready to relax, than to impatiently catch jokes. On the other hand she acts just straightforwardly coming to point without any hesitation. There're so many great host in Academy Awards history like Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Hugh Jackman (also I don't dislike some of Seth MacFarlane's funniest moments), but so far Ellen is the one and only.

351 Summer Greetings

So August begins in heat. 日本語で言う「暑中お見舞い」というゆかしさもいいですが、but I hope you all have a big happy laugh and enjoy your summer!

350 Baby Rush

During the same period of time when the Royal Baby, HRH Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge was happily born, some of my special and precious friends, she or he, gave birth to a brilliant baby and welcomed new member of the family. One of them was my best friend at college. One fine holiday she and I met and had a nice lunch together, wandering around the old town, and enjoyed a cup of coffee (she ordered a fresh juice). 

She was a doctor, so knew everything about the delivery. I asked how the things would be going and that was amazing. We talked and talked on how marvelous was the natural mechanism of giving birth to a child. Her time was supposed to be coming up within two weeks.

And this was really amazing.

Soon after I saw her off, her labor started and several hours later, she safely had a healthy boy baby, on the same day of the royal birth! I cannot help imagine that maybe her son was listening carefully to our talk and learned quickly, maybe the boy was curious so he decided to give it a try and show mom how he could do it well!

My hearty congratulations and wishing for happiness!!