This was one of my first projects in a high school where you lay objects on a piece of photo paper, then expose it to light. I brought in a mix of real and fake seashells, coral, and keychains to make this scene and I think it turned out pretty well! Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
I took a photography class back in high school and one night some friends of mine from the same class were hanging out and taking photos of one another. This is one of my favorite from that night, a photo of my friend Catherine in front of a window in her house. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
Source Japan was fascinating to us. I mean, how could it not be? We were a group of 10 high school students, some away from home for the first time, as part of an Exchange Group with the Sister Cities Program. And as students, we were joking and horsing around taking it all in. I remember just after checking in, we all raced to one room (thankfully not mine) and were checking out all the buttons on the space age toilet the hotel had. It could play music and sounds. It could warm the seat. And it had buttons
Listening to Koto music before the Tea Ceremony If you go to Japan, you must experience a Tea Ceremony! I was lucky to visit a Buddhist temple during my Sister Cities exchange trip to Chino, Japan. The temple grounds are hauntingly beautiful. A community graveyard greeted us from the parking area. Then as we walked through the lush green forest, I spied little Jizo statues along the pathway, and a pond on the other side. It was so peaceful. We were then ushered though the garden before entering the temple. It is common to walk across dewy ground
Today is National Arbor Day! In celebration is a black and white photo I did back in high school on film called 木. I miss processing my photos in a darkroom. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
Source One worry I had when traveling to Japan is that I wouldn't like the food. You see, I hate fish. And I'm allergic to seaweed. Which makes most sushi and common food items a no go for me. And then there was an issue of a mad cow scare making beef not an option either. My unique "diet" got a little lost in translation with my host family. So when I was introduced to people by them, it was "Kore wa Lili desu. Toriniku daisuki desu." Meaning "This is Lili, she loves chicken." I remember my host mother
A common souvenir from Japan is the Japanese Wooden Doll, or Kokeshi. There are two types, the traditional kokeshi, which is made in two parts and all details are usually painted on. Or the Creative Kokeshi which may have other elements. This Kokeshi below I got in Tokyo and is a Creative Kokeshi. I picked it out as its wearing a kimono with a sakura blossom design. Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.
As a high school student going to Japan I wasn't really worried about natural disasters. Sure I had known about earthquakes, and this was years before the horrific earthquake and tsunami of 2011. I was mainly worried if I had enough spending money, and was just so excited about the trip in general. Being from Colorado, we rarely get earthquakes, and when we do they are so minor it hardly registers beyond a few pictures on the walls rattling. Thankfully, for me, the earthquake I experienced in Japan was very minor. On our last night in Tokyo, my roommate and
I enjoy martial arts and so was delighted to visit a Dojo that taught Judo in Japan. While the rest of the girls in my group were timid, I actually went all for it! When they asked us to kick, I kicked hard, making my spotter move. He grunted in approval and braced for my next kick and punch. The other girls in my group looked at me like I was crazy, but I was having too much fun! If you ever visit a Dojo be sure to remove your shoes and other clothes, and then bow as you enter.
Stupid Cat, Cat Bus! Baka Neko, Neko Basu or The Cat Bus is a bizarre character from Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro). There was a Japanese legend that said as cats get older they can shape-shift, and given the nickname Baka Neko (Stupid/Crazy Cat). In Totoro, this Baka Neko become a Bus! Cat Bus Close Up Cat Bus at the Bus Stop Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.