OMEDETOU ...

not so great game but excellent result ! japan beats bahrain in the qualifier for the world championships next year in germany. with a little help from one of the bahrain players who put the ball in his own net : ) ... poor guy. anyway, always tough to play a team which plays the 9 - 2 set-up. 2 in front and 9 in front of their own goal as defense.

hope to see japan in germany next year !

N AME picasonic : 9:36 PM | COMMENT (0)

DOWN THE DRAIN

many issues have cleared up in the past few days through some important decisions. some stresses have been relieved and great news from a close friend today have cleared up the rest. with a peacfeul mind going to sleep.

N AME picasonic : 9:09 PM | COMMENT (0)

FOCUS

finding inner peace to focus is so important. so important in materializing ones ideas and plans as well as keeping motivated. trying to do too many things at once i started realizing that again. in the end, nothing gets done.

after some decisions, the focus is back with renewed motivation. the decision involves some personal creative projects, one study which will be replaced by another more suitable one: exciting times ahead.

N AME picasonic : 3:41 PM | COMMENT (0)

NOW and FOREVER ...

drifting ...
lifting it up - my energy

via cups
of burning inspiration.

steam rising
with images and
feelings

onboard.

QUICKLY grasping for them
avoiding to be
sucked up forever
by mysterious black holes.

you are mine
this time

fast or slow
i got you
'cause I'm withya
reading your flow

now and forever.

N AME picasonic : 10:18 PM | COMMENT (0)

FINALLY ...

finally, snow has disappeared and the sun has replaced the freezing cold. finally i can bike again every day and finally my mood is brightening up. finally i can get in shape again.....finally.......

N AME picasonic : 6:30 PM | COMMENT (0)

REMINDS ME OF...

checking helsinki's update showing a concert hall's interior, i was reminded of a photo i took about a week ago in antwerp. you see. i am still drawing my daily energy from close and far away from my own location. maybe it is a sign wanting to move away ...

N AME picasonic : 3:17 PM | COMMENT (0)

WHERE ARE YOU ?

on my way to amsterdam by train, we got surprised by four legged friends. 2 dogs were running loose by the train tracks. in order not to hurt them, the train stopped for a while and police was trying to catch them. however, it took a while. they were playing around under the train, enjoying the nice weather. as you can see, the police looked a bit lost and very slow hahaha. i don't think they are too used to catching dogs.

N AME picasonic : 6:11 PM | COMMENT (0)

BREATHER

sometimes when life becomes very busy, it is so easy to oversee the beauty in the ordinary. a very common scene but so beautiful and peaceful. now that i have some deadlines behind me, i feel that sense of peace again, like sitting on a park bench with a breaze in my hair and the sun shining. of course more deadlines comine up, though : )

like Akira Minagawa of MINA PERHONEN (www.mina-perhonen.jp) once mentioned: "Precious things exist unnoticed". of course he is talking about intricate concepts often being overlooked in fashion but this is of course true for our daily life as well.

N AME picasonic : 6:17 PM | COMMENT (0)

AFTERTASTE

still some images from antwerp. this one is from the fashion museum. basically, whenever going on a trip somewhere, getting out from one's usual environment, images stay for a while in one's head. that is the transition. depending on the length of the trip, this is longer or shorter. when i was in japan for a month in nov/dec it took quite some time to get back into the local images and thinking.

so you see, antwerp is still on my mind and giving me energy. i realized again how important it is to clean the mental filter once in a while.

N AME picasonic : 8:00 PM | COMMENT (0)

COME ON IN

really nice bookstore in antwerp focusing on architecture, design and photography books. the store itself is quite amazing, very modern and straight lined architecture. HUGE door - maybe 2.5 meters wide (used for the refllection photo).

i love to browse through these types of book stores where you can sometimes find some rare design magazines. these days, though, i find that the stock of any decent book store is very similar. they don't seem to take any risks in coming up with a more unusual selection.

N AME picasonic : 4:02 PM | COMMENT (0)

FAREWELL

it is sad to hear about my uncle who passed away on friday. looking back, i don't know why we didn't keep in touch more actively.

my memories of him will always be very fond ones. a very fun and positive character. every conversation always gave me a lot of energy and, although, i hadn't seen him for about 6 years, thought of him quite often.

no point to look back and talk about things which should have been different but to look ahead and try and make the best of things. to cherish family and friends alike and try to be with them as much as possible.

to my uncle, may your journey be sweet and reward you for the kindness and positivity you brought to people around you. see you again ...

N AME picasonic : 4:36 PM | COMMENT (0)

FASHION CITY

back from a few days in antwerp, belgium. nice to get out and clean my filter. nice cafes, some museums and a lot of fashion. antwerp is really a very fashionable city. the fashion academy in antwerp is located in the fashion museum and is very famous in europe as well as worldwide.

the cool winter breeze accompanied us on our daily walks around the city. a city with a bit of a feeling like paris but the language is flemish/dutch. only about 2 hours from the hague i find it to be a nice get away from daily life. will be doing this more often : )

N AME picasonic : 3:28 PM | COMMENT (0)

SNOW TUNNEL

DONT TRY THIS AT HOME: taking photos while driving.

very unusual weather conditions here in europe. very cold and lots of snow. official start of spring was a few days ago.......hmmmmm

off to antwerp in one hour : )))))))))))

N AME picasonic : 6:35 PM | COMMENT (0)

CONTRAST

having lived all over the place (germany, holland, us and japan), each for quite many years, creates a real labyrinth of emotions and feelings. it is easy to loose one's identity. in the past it has happened to me many times that i would for example wake up on a train in holland and for a minute or so i didn't know if i was in the us or holland. it is quite a strange feeling i have to say. feelings and experiences start overlapping and it becomes a real cultural MOUSSE.

experiencing that makes one quite a different person. i, for example, find it almost impossible to fit in within my home environment. however, i feel more at home in cultures and places that originally are not my home. i often hear people say how great that must be to experience so many cultures and places, on the other hand it can be quite difficult.

besides expanding one's horizon, one's world also becomes smaller to some extent. i find it for example very difficult to fit on a local level. when applying for jobs in europe for example, it would be difficult for me to be offered a job in a more local environment and let's face it, most companies etc... are of course local. so that in itself becomes quite a big problem. also, one's friends are all over the world, never really right there. i find that my world has, therefore, become very much of a virtual world.

funny how when i am in japan i feel like i am part of my environment but here i feel like i am in my own bubble. maybe it is the big contrast that i need or anyone that has experienced similar things. when i meet people who have also been exposed to diverse cultures, there often seems to be an initial bond, it just clicks, no matter which cultures or places they have experienced. they don't need to be the same, only the types of experiences alone can create a bond.

a world of contrast
vast in size
lonely in content.

N AME picasonic : 6:46 PM | COMMENT (0)

OPEN THE DOOR

opening the door to something new is always scary. i have been thinking about what to do with my life for so long that i feel like i have been opening and closing doors again and again for years and years. opening the door is one thing but walking through it is another. if someone is there to give a push it is always very good but i think it is better to just look ahead without expecting or even needing a push. walking alone seems to be the best strategy these days.

well, the door is open, so i think i just need to walk through it finally.

N AME picasonic : 10:52 PM | COMMENT (0)