Can you jump over falling trees?

Yesterday we were supposed to reach our destination. My sisters and I got on the 5 AM train to make it to Nagano in the afternoon. Every year we take the same route. My sisters and I are usually exhausted from the 8 hour trip by the time we get there, but we get there. Unfortunately, this time we had a stroke of bad luck and found out we would cross paths with the Number 11 Typhoon.

We left early in the morning, and there was no wind or rain. I figured we could race the storm and it would be smooth sailing until we got to Nagano. However, because of the strong wind (I am guessing), a tree fell into the middle of the tracks en route. Sitting there, we found ourselves stuck on the train for two hours and then waited at the station for 3 and a half hours. Our journey was half way completed but taking twice as long. I always enjoy thinking that there are reasons why there are setbacks because it keeps my impatient side at bay.

We were very lucky despite the inconveniences. On the platform that we were waiting on were also a lovely couple from Holland on the same course as us. They were extremely patient and waited there for about 5 hours, sadly to no avail. The train wasn’t coming. We enjoyed talking to them until we decided that we should just back track a bit and see if our friend in the area could put us up for the night. It was a long day, and most of it was spent with my brain on screensaver mode.

Did I learn something from all of this? Was I even supposed to? Who knows, but maybe when I watch my life at the big movie theater in the sky, I will see how everything connected together.

There will be hurdles that we need to jump over and there is something to be said for remaining patient during the times the obstacles test your limits. I guess that is what I learned on this trip. I learned that I need to be patient.

We are still on our way, and though it gave me a bit of perspective, I hope that this time there won’t be any more trees blocking our way.

The reason for my hiatus

 

I have enjoyed baking since I was young. However, after I started working the hobby seemed to make its way out as new responsibilities came into my life. With a need for artistic outlet, baking found me again. With some inspiration that I got from the website I will plug on the bottom, I decided to try cake photography. I found it adorable and I also wanted to create cute images like the ones she had posted.　You can check them out here:

http://call-me-cupcake.blogspot.se

After making a couple of images and talking with my sister, I realized that there were so many people doing food photography. I admired what they were doing, but I wanted to do something different. My sister suggested taking the photos outside. One thing led to the other and my first photo was taken at a train station in our area. I was sick as a dog but I didn’t want that to stop me. Since that first image, I took three other shots. One in a convenience store, one on the cable car tracks, and the most recent being in Kyoto with a good friend of mine. Each one comes with its own emotions and experiences.

The newest one in Kyoto was great fun for me and hopefully for the model as well (I didn’t realize I had made him hold a cake in one hand for a straight fifteen minutes). One thing that I was struck by was all of the positive feedback from the by-passers on the street. Everyone that walked by smiled and/or commented. It was great to give them something a bit unique to go home to and tell their families about. A cake is a very simple thing, but frosting it in the middle of a street in Kyoto made it all that more interesting.

Whims and Hot Chocolate

On the way to Nagoya:

I have small dreams. Dreams that come to me in an instant. It is the feeling of wanting to do something and going out and doing it. I felt the same in Bali. I feel free when I travel on a whim.

I did not have a reservation for the train and I was put in Car 5. The smoking car. As I was walking from the front of the train to the back, smells from the passenger’s food entered my nose. Nikuman, Obento, Dry Squid. I had one thought as I made my way to my seat: This is Japan.

If there is anything that I do not like, it is smoking. As soon as I take my seat, the man in front of me puffs a large cloud of smoke into my face. I could not stay there. Why would they still make smoking allowed on trains?

I felt at home at the space between the train cars, but I started to get restless after half an hour. I wanted time to go faster. I started reading the only book I brought with me: Danny Gregory’s, “A Kiss Before You Go”. It is a depressing yet uplifting narrative. I wondered how I would react to a situation like his.

After an hour I got tired of standing and decided to sit on a machine that was in front of me. I didn’t think it was allowed to be a chair, but my feet were screaming mercy. I was lucky to get a nice train man checking the tickets. He was quite the jolly looking fellow with the physique of Santa. He looked up and found me elevated. He had a mischievous look in his eye and grinned at me. I passed my ticket to him with a smile. We made a silent agreement that we would keep my conduct hush hush.

Two trains and two hours later, I made it to my friends house. The night ended with me meeting my great friends and getting back to hot chocolate with a mountain of cream on the top.