Trip to Kyūshū, Part II

A new day, a new city. Visiting the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Park was an educational experience that no textbook could ever equal, albeit much more depressing and eerie. Fortunately, there were some furry friends in the park that lifted my spirits: the most obedient Shiba Inu being trained to become a statue by its master, (he barely moved an inch when I came up to take a picture) and a group of the cutest and fattest cats I have ever seen. To top it all off, a rainbow! Next on the itinerary was Glover Garden, a park dedicated to Thomas Blake Glover who contributed to Japan's modernization. The park surrounds a hill so it was quite a workout getting to the top but it all paid off after getting to see a panoramic view of the Nagasaki harbor. Along the way were a couple of charming boutiques, sakura trees, and statues of Cio-cio san, a character from the opera Madama Butterfly and Giacomo Puccini, who wrote it.

P.S. I'm quite finicky about editing pictures, not to mention it takes a long while for me to get into the groove of writing. I apologize for posting so slowly.

Everybody wants to be a cat!

I've never seen a cat that looked more like a lion. By default, I call him Big Cat. In my mind, he looks a bit like a lone mafia man or a thug with a kind heart. He was quite apprehensive when I came closer to take a picture but didn't hiss at me or run away. Thank you for the picture, Big Cat.

This little kitty, whom I suppose I can call Little Cat (ha ha), wasn't afraid of me at all. Little Cat's ears are quite large; my friends who saw this picture called him a bat or a gremlin. This is my favorite picture.

On his way home one day, my boyfriend saw two dogs playing in front of a small house. He thought about how fun it would be if he were a dog, to be carefree and have fun all day. Then he looked up the house and found two cats perched on the roof that seemed to be enjoying watching the two dogs with a hint of disdain on their faces. "Never mind, I'd rather be a cat!" he thought.

I'm almost done posting all the photos of my first roll of film. Another roll is already being developed and I've got two more rolls of film that are almost finished! I hope it won't put such a large dent on my savings but taking photos with a film camera --- there's nothing like it. (For me at least.)

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Canon AE-1

Kodak Gold 200 (expired)

Come and go, but stay awhile

My friends, exchange students from Japan. From left to right, Marin, Miku, and Yuki.

The mother of the three kittens I found in my university. She hissed at me when I approached them for a picture. Do you see her claws coming out?

I wonder if that pot is a cozy bed..

A fallen tree trunk making a spiral shape.

Starbucks full of students from nearby schools and universities on a warm December afternoon.

A happy 2013 to everyone! It's strange to think about how quickly time has passed. In my mind everything is such a blur.. Last year, I didn't make any new year's resolutions because I thought it was pointless to do so. Halfway through the year and I've already forgotten all of them! And I didn't believe I needed to start afresh on the first day of the year specifically anyway.. Looking back, that was a big mistake. This year, I've got a few goals in mind although they aren't quite concrete yet, but they will be soon! 

Have you made any new year's resolutions? I'd love to hear them.

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Canon AE-1

Kodak Gold 200 (expired)

Around me

A field of trees somewhere in my university.

Flowers from the trees that made their way to the ground.

Sapporo miso ramen at the Ramen Bar, my favorite!

Kittens I found hiding behind some potted plants in my campus, waiting for their mom to come back with more food. Another kitten is hiding behind some of the plants.

I have so many pictures of stray cats in this roll of film, and I'd like to take more. It's nice looking at the pictures and wondering what kind of life each cat must live, what its personality is like. On another note, a late merry Christmas to everyone, and an early happy new year! (Just in case I don't get to greet everyone on time because I'll most likely forget ha ha.)

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Canon AE-1

Kodak Gold 200 (expired)

This thrill

My very first shot with my film camera. This picture was taken along the oval of my university.

An awkward photo of cutely boxed mini pizzas.

Hearts climbing a tree!

This critter wouldn't look at the camera at all! Only after I had taken the picture, when it was surprised by the sound of the shutter..

Pretty weeds in white and purple.

Ruben, who posed like this initially as a joke but I made him stick to it.

It feels so great to capture things on film, it's hard to put it in words. I feel anxious when taking photos because I really want to make sure I get a good one, that I don't miss that moment. It's such a different experience from using a digital camera and editing photos to make them look vintage and film-y. I wonder how analog cameras can capture the world so genuinely.

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Canon AE-1

Kodak Gold 200 (expired)