Tea & Fuji-san 富士山

It is difficult not to be impressed by the beauty of Fuji san 富士山 with its near symmetric cone. Neat rows of tea plants, thick wooded areas along with the gently rolling hills add to the beauty. Unfortunately this being Japan, one cannot escape electric pylons in the lowland areas where the cities and industries are concentrated. This photograph was taken while travelling in the Hikari Shinkansen so the foreground is blurred.

Mountain Mist

Mist rolls in as tea-pluckers make their way through the tea bushes. Just a few minutes ago it was sunny!

Sentinels

A lonely strand of conifers takes a brave stand against the monsoon clouds to protect the sheets of green tea. Typical vista in the tea growing regions of east Nepal.

Cloudy

Cloudy
The sky is gray and white and cloudy
Sometimes I think it's hanging down on me
And it's a hitchhike a hundred miles
I'm a raga-muffin child
Pointed finger-painted smile
I left my shadow waiting down the road for me a while
Cloudy. From Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album.
Simon & Garfunkel October 1966

Photographs
Top: Lovely monsoon clouds rolling into Hile town in east Nepal.
I love monsoon. I love rain. I love monsoon clouds (except when flying).

Bottom: Ragamuffin children playing in the clouds in the hills ca.1800m.
"......They don't know where they are going, and, my friend, neither do I.
Cloudy,
Cloudy."

Eyes Have It.

One eats with one's eyes. Even before the food enters the mouth the eyes feasts on it. Amongst other things a good colour combination is critical. Photographs are of a Chinese sea food lunch in Nagoya. The food was superb, but so were the colours and the food presentation.

Opposite Poles

In Nepal cats are considered to be unlucky. Dogs are preferred. I think loyalty and concern for the owner rather than itself are the main reasons. Cats are more self centered. Japan on the other hand has this almost crazy love affair with neko or cats. Surprising, because loyalty and concern for the success of joint activity is probably the defining character of Japanese. That is the essential quality of a dog. Nepalis on the other hand are more egocentric. That is the main characteristic of a cat. It certainly seems that opposite poles attract and like poles repel.

(Photos: A cat hitches a ride on its owner in Hinode 日の出町 in Nishitama 西多摩郡 in Tokyo. Labrador puppies at my residence in Nepal)

Sencha 煎茶 Rules

This is not the right way to make Sencha 煎茶. And those glass cups are inappropriate and way too big. But sometimes you ought to enjoy it the way you like it at that particular moment in time. Savour it until only a drop remains on the snout of teapot.