Thursday, September 30, 2010

A GOLD BALL


This Golden Ball is raised above the crowd participating in the Naha Tug-O-War. The event is held in the beginning of October every year in Okinawa, Japan and the 40 ton rope holds the Guinness World Record for the largest tug-o-war rope made from natural materials.

Hopefully, this year, on October 10th, I'll be able to get situated with my camera somewhere on a rooftop or balcony directly above the Golden Ball and snap some great photos of the crowds tugging at the monster below.

More photos of the event may be seen HERE

PHOTO: DON'T ASK DON'T TELL


Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Portrait of a Shisa

This is one of my favorite spur of the moment shots taken of a Shisa (Lion-Dog).


lion-dog statue, red clay

More of my shots of these Lion-Dogs protecting homes, businesses, buildings and bridges all over my island have been published online. They were researched by folks a lot smarter than me so, their stories are probably as close to the truth as one can get.

Take a peek if you have time and don't let the ghosts scare you. They were Photoshopped-in!


APOGEE PHOTO MAGAZINE and SHISA'S in TEXAS


Monday, September 27, 2010

PACIFIC REEF EGRET

YOU CAN LEARN ALOT FROM AN EGRET.  WATCH THIS GUY AND LEARN !





YOU WAIT AND YOU WATCH






YOU FLY AND YOU JUMP







YOU GET YOUR FEET WET







YOU GET YOUR HEAD WET







YOU GET A PRIZE

Are there any Pacific Reef Egrets where you live? Watch them and learn!



I Shot My Girlfriend's Foot

NOT TO WORRY. I HAVE PLENTY MORE GIRLFRIENDS AND THEY ALL HAVE FEET !


IT WAS MY GRANDDAUGHTER AND SOMETIMES THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE THEM QUIET.  TAKE THEIR PICTURE AND MAKE THEM THINK YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT.  IT WORKS FOR ME EVERYTIME.

You can shoot your girlfriend, too. Please, only with a loaded camera !

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Photography Tip: Aquarium Shots


Shooting pictures of fish in an aquarium can be tricky and I’ve seen tourists from all over the world firing away with their cellular phones, point and shoot and DSLR cameras; ending the day buying postcards instead of going home with the pictures they wish they’d have been able to take themselves.


The worst mistake you can make is using your flash. In most cases, it will bounce back off the glass and do very little as far as improving the lighting on your subject. Here’s a little trick I used to get this shot. Look in your camera manual and see if it’s possible to turn-off the Laser that sends out a beam when you AUTO FOCUS. If you can turn it off, you won’t have to use Manual Focus and the fish won’t know you are focusing.

I used AUTO FOCUS in this shot because I was in a hurry and was expecting excited children coming around the corner of the aquarium to smudge the glass and scare the fish away in about 3 seconds. I removed my lens hood, pressed the lens flat against the glass, set my 2 second timer, let the camera auto focus and snapped the shot.

This photo was made with a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 handheld f/3.2 1/4sec ISO 100 Lens@7mm, an impossible shot without a tripod, had I not steadied the camera by pressing it against the glass.

Practice aquarium shots at home or at a friend’s house, so the next time you visit a world class aquarium you come home with more than just postcards.

Another quick photography tip-do it while the munchkins are sleeping !  More later.....


Friday, September 24, 2010

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: FLOWERS


HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND !

FULL MOON FESTIVAL: A PHOTO ESSAY

Here is a sneak preview of the Full Moon Festival I attended in my Village, Kin Cho Okinawa, Japan on August 22, 2010.

Hopefully, this photo essay will give you an idea what takes place in the Ryukyu Islands at a Harvest Moon Festival and how serious Ryukyu Mike is about capturing it all on camera.

  
I left my office with cameras loaded and walked to the festival grounds about 6PM.
It's always a good idea to arrive early and check out the lighting.
The moon was just a speck in the sky above the stage.


So, after I took a wide-angle shot, I figured I'd better try using the tripod and zooming in to nab the real thing before clouds rolled in.  It was 7:13PM when I took this moon shot.



Nothing was going on yet so, at 7:27 I figured I'd snap a close-up of a lantern hanging overhead.



By 7:30 the action started picking up. Elementary School students demonstrated some of their Martial Arts skills.



Around 8PM the human-powered Shishimai (Lion Dog) gets on the stage and bounces around to some loud music. Everyone loves him. There's actually three Dudes inside there and I've never figured out how they survive the Summer heat while making this critter jump, roll, stand up on its hind legs and get the wooden jaws snapping to scare the Begees outa little kids.



The night goes on with all sorts of classical dances being performed on stage and there's some Hip-hop modern stuff, too. I just don't waste my talents shooting that stuff and go grab an iced coffee instead.



By 9PM the creme of the crop classical dancers come out and perform. Believe it or not, I've been shooting this group for years and years and still have no clue what the name of the dance is.
Guess, sometime when I'm not busy doing camera stuff I'll hafta go and ask them!



When they finished their last dance I sneaked this shot as they posed for the newspaper. I know, if they spotted me snapping their picture giggles and peace signs would erupt all over the scene.

By 10:30 I had packed up and walked back to my office. That happens to be a Karaoke Bar, for those who don't know me very well. 

Weekdays are always slow. Nobody goes out drinking and singing during the week. So, I downloaded my RAW shots. There were 275 of them. Then, I started developing. Big Mistake!

Around 11PM, I had maybe 10 shots developed. Here they came. First there was three. Then, half a dozen showed up. The Dudes from inside the Lion Dog, the Dancers, their Sensei and half the City Councilmen wanted to drink and sing. And I had to join them !


Here are the same folks you saw in previous photos
They got outa their fancy kimonos
 Ordered sake and beer and partied
This photo was taken at 1:30AM


They sang songs. They consumed massive quantities of alcohol. They ordered me a beer everytime the saw my cup running low. And the night went on and on, endlessly.  2:54AM




At 5:08AM I went out to buy an iced coffee from a vending machine. The Full Moon was up on the other end of town. So, I shot it at a wide-angle.



Then, at 5:09 I shot it one last time.  The Full Moon party ended around 5:30AM. I drank my coffee, went home, walked the dogs and went to bed.

What's a Full Moon Festival like in your part of the World?


Thursday, September 23, 2010

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: DSLR PURCHASE


Are you ready to move up to a DSLR Camera?



If you already have a Point and Shoot Digital Camera and are getting the itch to move on up to a DSLR there are a few items I’ve listed below that you may want to master before getting into the very expensive world of lenses that go along with those puppies.

Hardly a week goes by without me running across folks toting thousands, (sometimes tens of thousands) of dollars worth of DSLRs and lenses. I shoot the breeze with them and look at their cameras and assume they’re Pros when I see $40,000 to $50,000 hanging off their camera strap. I envy them.

Then, when I get a closer look, I discover they are using their DSLRs just like a Point and Shooter. They have the damn things in AUTO Mode! They are just filthy rich, clueless, ignorant people who know nothing about cameras, film or digital. They should die and leave their cameras to me. Am I right?

 
Here's what you need to know before buying a DSLR:
 
1. Exposure: There are 3 things (Think Triangle) that affect the exposure of the photograph: Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO. You have to master them. Take a camera class, read a book, even read your camera manual, because if you’re not intimately familiar with how they all relate to each other, you are not ready to move up in the photographic world with a brand new DSLR.


2. Depth of Field (DOF): Aperture settings, the lens you’re using and the distance you are from your subject have a direct impact on how your photo turns out. Know how to make the background and foreground in sharp focus or background blurred and the subject sharp. Make sure you’ve mastered this before you buy a camera where you have to make decisions on which lens to use with it.

3. Camera Settings: Take your camera off the AUTO MODE setting and use Manual, or if it doesn’t allow that, use Aperture or Shutter Priority and shoot at different settings, changing ISO’s, Shutter speed and Aperture from the highest to lowest ranges. Know the camera’s capabilities and limitations.

4. Read the EXIF Data: What’s that? The information your camera’s computer stored on how you made the shot. If your camera software program doesn’t display it automatically, RIGHT CLICK on the photo and hit Properties when the photo is opened in a folder. The date, time, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, even whether you used manual or auto focus should appear. Study and this information for every shot you take. I do, and I’ve learned more from this data than any instructor, photography class, book or video could ever teach me. I look at every shot I make and ask myself how I could have done it better. Eventually, you photography will get better from your self critiques. You’ll remember!

5. Having thoroughly schooled yourself and mastered steps 1-4 above, you may decide, it’s high time you get yourself a DSLR; you’re ready to step up to a more professional model than what you already have. Congratulations and welcome to my world! Only you can do the research on Models and Lenses and decide what’s best for your style of photography and your size bank account. I can’t help you there.

My final words of caution: When you go to the camera store, “BEFORE BUYING A DSLR” talk to the salesclerk and tell him you don’t want the lens that comes with the camera. You want the lens you decided you need; not the kit lens that comes in the box with a brand new camera. Tell the clerk he can keep that piece of junk and give you a deal on a real lens. Kit lenses are OK, for people just buying cameras for Auto Mode, snap shooting or to give away as gifts but, they are NOT professional lenses.

Confused? Repeat steps 1-5 above until it all becomes clear or you really won’t be happy with a DSLR.  Holler at me over on Facebook anytime you have a suggestion for a new Photography Tip and I'll see what I can cook up for you.


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: TOURIST ATTRACTIONS FROM A NEW ANGLE

SHURI CASTLE MAIN GATE NAHA OKINAWA, JAPAN


Anywhere in the world you travel, you’ll come across a crowd, at every major tourist attraction, cameras in hand, clicking away trying to make postcard-perfect photos.  Today’s Tip: Ignore them. Most of them have no clue. They are Tourists, not photographers!
What few of them realize is, they are not making best use of the available light and when they get home from their trip and view their snapshots, they’ll be horribly disappointed with the under, or overexposed shots they created.


The photo above is probably the most visited attraction on Okinawa, the main gate to Shuri Castle.

Millions of visitors pass through this gate after stopping right in front of it to take photos. The black rectangle, between the double-roofed-gate contains Kanji characters and most tourists are trying to capture the writing, as well as, the scenery around the castle.

In the early morning, without a powerful external flash, what they are trying to do is photographically impossible!

It’s a good idea to watch what the tourists are doing and shoot from the exact opposite direction, sometimes.

I always try to make the best use of natural lighting, paying particular attention to the direction of the sun and the shadows it creates. The best lighting for scenery and landscapes, I think, is coming from the side of a subject at about a 45 Degree angle.

In this photo, I’d recommend late afternoon sun to capture the gate and Kanji characters on the sign. Another option would be to go there at night and see if the site is lighted with floodlights, which would make the Kanji characters stand-out from the background.

I was pleased with this version of the photo and took several with no tourists in the scene for my personal collection. Next time you travel, remember, shoot the attractions from different directions once in awhile and you may come home with some unique and rewarding photos!

Stand by for my future Photography Tip: Should you buy a DSLR or a Point and Shoot Camera ?

Monday, September 20, 2010

Katsu Oshiro



A GOOD FRIEND

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: JPG VS RAW




For Today’s Photography Tip I’m posting two photos in order to give a quick demonstration on the difference between two file formats used by Digital Photographers in the field. They are JPG and RAW. I shoot RAW files, exclusively.


In the past, pretty much only professional photographers or really serious hobbyists would bother using RAW when taking pictures. Nowadays, lots of people are getting into the act. Until recently RAW files weren’t available in Point and Shoot models, only in your larger DSLR cameras.

Canon is now manufacturing a Point and Shoot which can make RAW photos. You can bet on it, everyone will follow suit.

The dark photo of an Okinawan Shisa (Lion-dog) posing under a red-tile roof with blue skies is an example of what a RAW photo looks like. It looks dark, way underexposed, almost like one of those old-fashioned film negatives from the 20th Century. And, so it is; it’s raw and needs to be developed.

The photo in which the Shisa is clearly visible is a JPG file. You can Google to find out more about the different types of files most commonly used with digital cameras today, but my quick explanation may help you decide which format is best for you.

JPG files, when copied, loose some of their details each time you copy them. If you’re just shooting for your own personal use or scrapbooking, JPG files are the way to go.

RAW files allow you more flexibility in creating JPGs. From a RAW file, you can create 100’s of JPGs, every one different from the one before it. The trade-off being, you have to develop every shot after you download your camera. If you’d have shot JPG’s, the camera would’ve developed them for you.

In a nutshell: RAW lets you be a bit more creative, artistic, flexible in what you do after the camera is downloaded, but makes more work for you and creates the need for more storage of files.

JPG’s are just fine for most photographers who are not getting into commercial production with their photography. RAW shots allow you to interpret the information your camera’s computer has saved a bit differently than the manufacturer of your camera does when it creates the JPG.

If you found this Photography Tip helpful please, feel free to leave a comment or question below.

JOIN MY FACEBOOK FAN CLUB BY CLICKING THE GADGET ON THE RIGHT AND WE CAN PLAN THE NEXT 100 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS, EVEN FILL-UP A BOOK WITH THEM !



Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sunday Photo: Purple Turbans

PURPLE TURBANS


IT WAS SPORTS DAY AT MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

THAT MEANT NO FESTIVAL-SHOOTING TODAY

WELL, I DID MY DUTIES AS A GRANDPA

GOT LOTSA SNAPS OF KIDS AND FAMILY

AND SPENT THE DAY, MOSTLY FRYING IN THE HOT SUN

FOOT RACES AND RELAYS WITH GRANDKIDS IN THEM

I GOT PLENTY OF PHOTOS

SO, WHEN THESE STUDENTS DID THEIR EISA DANCE GIG

I DECIDED I'D GET SOME PHOTOS FOR ME

THIS WAS MY FAVORITE

NO FACES, NO RELEASE FORM REQUIRED

THINK I'LL CALL IT MY PHOTO OF THE WEEK !

Friday, September 17, 2010

PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: THE RULE OF THIRDS

WHEN COMPOSING A PHOTO ONE OF THE BASICS TO PRACTICE IS THE RULE OF THIRDS.



The rule was developed by the Masters, way before cameras were even invented.  All kinds of studies and theories have been done and conclusions drawn by brain scientists as to how our eyes are drawn to the thirds of a picture.
Others say the Rule of Thirds creates energy and exciting tension and that’s why it was developed (Thank you, Mr. Wikipedia have a baloney sandwich on my tab, sometime).
I wish the Masters were here today.
They’d probably tell all the knuckleheads analyzing and theorizing to go do something important like, “ Go pick up all the plastic water bottles and bags ruining the scenery on the beach and quit trying to pick our dead brains."
They would tell us the reason for developing the Rule of Thirds was something as simple as:
" IT MAKES YOUR PICTURES LOOK GREAT" !

If your camera has a display that places a Tick-Tack-Toe symbol over the scene while composing, that’s a big plus.  Just try and line the scene so that the subject is in one of the thirds of the photo.  When you have a scene with horizontal lines, like a beach, ocean and sky, try to compose along the lines going across your scene.  If the subject is vertical, use those lines.


One of my cameras doesn’t have the Tick-Tack-Toe feature so, I have to estimate.  It takes a little practice but, isn’t that difficult. 

The Statue of Liberty I posted here was taken with my camera without a Rule of Thirds display.  I just took another shot of it on my monitor, where I could show you the imaginary lines I use to take the picture. 

Why did I choose to place the subject in the left third of the picture rather than the right?
  
Energy, tension, excitement, I guess. 
Next, I’m going to grab a baloney sandwich and head to the beach, see if anybody’s down there picking up trash. 

The Masters are watching over me. I hope they're watching you, too.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND !



Thursday, September 16, 2010

PHOTO ESSAY: SHOOT YOUR PUPPIES


THE FOLLOWING UNPROFESSIONAL PHOTOS
WERE NOT TAKEN BY ME

THEY WERE TAKEN WITH A FILM CAMERA AND DEVELOPED
I SHOT PHOTOS OF THE PICTURES WITH MY CELL-PHONE
TO ILLUSTRATE
WHAT I'LL DO NEXT TIME I GET SOME BRAND-NEW PUPPIES



WHEN THEY'RE LITTLE

YOU CAN PICK TWO OF THEM UP WITH ONE HAND




LITTLE HUSKY MUTTS

THEIR EARS ARE BENT AND DON'T STAND UP




PUT THEM NEXT TO SOMETHING

TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF SCALE

SHOOT THEM ONCE A MONTH

AND WATCH THEM GROW




LOOK !  THE BLACK DOG HAS ONE EAR  STANDING UP



BEFORE YOU KNOW IT

THEY GET BIG AND UGLY

SO, SHOOT THEM ONCE A MONTH

AND YOU CAN MAKE A NICE ALBUM

FULL OF CUTE PUPPIES

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

PHOTO: TWO CHARACTERS


ONE OF MY FAVORITES FROM THE EISA FESTIVAL LAST SUNDAY IS THIS PHOTO.

JUST ONE MORE BATCH OF PICTURES TO DEVELOP AND I'M DONE.

POOR COMPUTER'S OVERHEATING WITH ALL THE WORK I'VE BEEN GIVING IT.

TIME TO LET IT REST WHILE I GO HOME AND TAKE A POWER NAP.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

WEBSITES FOR DUMMIES

LOOK OUT WORLD !   THERE'S THIS BOOK I GOT THE OTHER DAY FOR DUMMIES


I TRIED DOING IT ON MY OWN, WITHOUT ANY BOOK HELPING ME.  EVEN HAD FIVE, MOSTLY USED COMPUTERS, STACKED-UP IN WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WORKABLE DESIGN BUT, SPARKS STARTED FLYING AND THE ELECTRIC BREAKERS KEPT GETTING REAL HOT AND TURNING THE POWER OFF ON THE WHOLE HOUSE.

ACCORDING TO SOME GUY NAMED DAVID A. CROWDER, I WILL LEARN TO:

1. PLAN AND DESIGN A GREAT-LOOKING WEB SITE

2. WORK WITH HTML, CSS AND NAVIGATION PLANS

3. COLLECT AND CREATE CONTENT THAT GETS ATTENTION

4. TAKE MY SITE ONLINE AND ATTRACT VISITORS WHO COME BACK


AS SOON AS I GET CAUGHT UP DEVELOPING MY PHOTOS HERE'S THE PLAN:

READ AND MEMORIZE #1 AND #3 BECAUSE THEY SOUND IMPORTANT, RIGHT ?

AS FAR AS #2 IS CONCERNED:

HTML, HECK, I'VE HAD HOTMAIL FOR OVER 10 YEARS. NO SENSE READING THAT.

AND ALL MEN ARE NATURAL NAVIGATORS. EVEN WOMEN KNOW THAT.

 SO, WHAT'S THE SENSE IN BEATING A DEAD HORSE TO DEATH, ALL OVER AGAIN ? 

AND #4  HAH, I ALREADY GOT THAT DONE, PARTLY, ANYWAY, I THINK.

MY WEBSITE'S ALREADY ONLINE, AIN'T IT ?


IF ANYBODY WANT'S THE CHAPTERS FROM "BUILDING A WEB SITE FOR DUMMIES" THAT COVER HTML AND GOING ONLINE (#2 and #4) I CAN RIP THOSE PAGES OUT OF THE BOOK AND MAIL THEM TO YOU.

JUST HIT CONTACT ME ON MY HOMEPAGE. MAKE SURE TO USE  GMAIL OR YAHOO MAIL, THOUGH.

IF YOU USE HOTMAIL THEY'LL THINK YOU'RE A REAL DUMMY !


MORE LATER.....

At The Festival In Uruma: I Wasn't Arrested !


THERE WAS LOTS OF FOOD

PLENTY OF HOT SUNSHINE



THERE WAS LOTS OF GIRLS DANCING




LOTS OF GUYS AND EVEN KIDS DANCING
IN THE HOT SUN




THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

LISTENING TO THE DRUMS AND MUSIC

WATCHING THE EISA DANCERS

EVEN AFTER THE SUN WENT DOWN




THEN, THERE WAS FIREWORKS

WHEN I GOT SPOTTED BY MISS URUMA TAKING HER PICTURE

I SHOWED HER THE THING ON MY LCD SCREEN

EXPLAINED I WAS A CAMERAMAN

ASKED HER IF SHE'D SIGN A MODEL RELEASE

NEXT THING I KNOW THE BOSS AND ANOTHER MISS URUMA

WANT THEIR PICTURES TAKEN, TOO

AFTER THEY SAW THE PHOTO I POSTED YESTERDAY

ANOTHER MISS URUMA SHOWED UP

SHE WANTED HER PICTURE TAKEN, TOO

THEY ALL SIGNED MODEL RELEASES

I EMAILED THEM HUMONGOUS FILES OF THEIR PHOTOS

THEY CAN HAVE THEM PRINTED

EVEN I CAN HAVE THEM PRINTED

AND, I WON'T HAVE TO GO TO COURT OR JAIL

NOT THIS TIME, ANYWAY, HAH !

RELATED POST MISS URUMA


Sunday, September 12, 2010

Miss Uruma City

MISS URUMA LAST NIGHT

IT WAS HOT ENOUGH TO MELT FLIP-FLOPS YESTERDAY

ABOUT 6:30 THE SUN WAS SLIDING DOWN BEHIND THE HILLS

IT WAS TIME TO SWITCH BATTERIES, SD CARDS AND ISO'S

BUT, WAIT

SNEAK A SHOT OF A PRETTY GIRL IN WESTERN ATTIRE

I ZOOMED IN

I COMPOSED A SHOT WITHOUT ASKING PERMISSION

NO PRETTY GIRL IN HER RIGHT MIND

WOULD LET A SWEATY OLD MAN WITH A CAMERA

TAKE HER PICTURE IF HE ASKED

SO, I DIDN'T ASK

I WAITED FOR HER TO TURN HER EYES

TO JUST THE RIGHT POSITION

CLICK

GOT HER

SHE HEARD THE CLICK

SHE TOLD THE BOSS

SOME SWEATY OLD MAN

SNAPPED A PHOTO

WITHOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION


To be continued.....

Friday, September 10, 2010

Walking Stick Insect

EVERY PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS BUT I'LL JUST GIVE A FEW TODAY AND LET SOMEONE ELSE TELL YOU THE REST OF THE STORY.

THIS HUMONGOUS BUG CAUGHT MY EYE ONE MORNING AS I WAS WALKING MY DOGS.

WE WERE HEADING TO THE BEACH ALONG THE EAST COAST OF OKINAWA.

MY CAMERA WAS AT HOME.  SOMETIMES, THAT'S WHAT I DO, I GIVE THE CAMERAS A DAY OFF.  AND THAT'S WHEN STUFF LIKE THIS HAPPENS.  SOMETHING LIKE THE BIGGEST BUG I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE SHOWS-UP !

SO, I TIED THE DOGS TO A GUARDRAIL, PUT THE CRITTER ON MY FLIP-FLOP AND SNAPPED THIS SHOT WITH THE CELLPHONE CAMERA, JUST TO GIVE IT A SENSE OF SCALE. I WEAR SIZE 11 CLODHOPPERS. I THINK THAT'D BE AROUND A SIZE 29 IN THE METRIC SHOE DEPARTMENT.  NOT SURE EXACTLY, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD FINDING ANYTHING THAT FITS MY FEET IN MOST JAPANESE STORES.

A FEW YEARS AGO, I WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD WEARING PINK, ANYTHING. MY GRANDDAUGHTER PICKED THESE GEMS OUT FOR ME. WHAT'S A GUY GONNA DO ?

MY GRANDDAUGHTER COULD BUY ME A PINK-PLAID TUXEDO AND I'D WEAR THE DAMN THING JUST BECAUSE I LOVE HER.  THAT'S WHAT GRAMPAS DO.

ANYWAY, BACK TO THE BUG. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ALL ABOUT THESE CRITTERS, CLICK ON THE TITLE TO THIS POST.  A GUY NAMED JOHN LOCKE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IN CANADA HAS THE WHOLE STORY. I'M PASTING A TEASER FROM HIM (HOPE HE DOESN'T MIND) IN HERE:

"Advantages of Walking Stick Pets:


They don't smell, which means that you can keep them anywhere in the house without worrying about "stinking-up-the-place" (eg. a child's bedroom).

They eat lettuce, which means that you don't have to grow exotic plants just to feed the insects.

They can't "infest" your house so you don't have to worry about any "escapees".

They teach children to care for life so they can be an ideal first pet for youngsters.

They have a life span of about one school year, which makes them ideal for a year-long school class project.

They have no wings so they can't fly and escape.

They walk relatively slowly and carefully, so they dont't scurry like roaches which tend to give "insecta-phobes" the "willies".

They can be handled easily by children without fear of being bitten or squishing them.

They don't need daily care. They can be left for several days (up to a week) without care (they don't need a baby-sitter for a weekend trip).

They can be used to teach children (and adults) the value of life.
 
Dis-advantages of Walking Stick Pets:


They breed well if cared for properly.

Special Exotic Pet Permits are usually needed in most locations. In North America and probably most countries, these are usually only given for research or special purposes and not for general pet use."

THERE IS A WARNING ABOUT THESE CRITTERS BECOMING PESTS IF RELEASED INTO THE WILD AND RESTRICTIONS ON HAVING THEM IN THE USA AND CANADA.

TODAY I HAVE A WEE BIT OF A HEADACHE FROM CELEBRATING WINNING ROUND TWO OF THE IMMIGRATION BATTLE. I WANT TO THANK MY STUMBLE FRIENDS FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS AND INSPIRATION. WHAT A GREAT BUNCH OF PEOPLE !

TODAY IN MY SU MAIL I HAD STUFF LIKE THIS:

"I LIKE PRAYING MANTIS"  THAT'S WHAT GOT ME GOING ON THE STICK BUG.


" YOU'RE NOT A NATIVE?"  A RESULT OF ME GROANING ABOUT IMMIGRATIONS.

AND DOZENS OF MESSAGES CONGRATULATING ME HAVING GOTTEN THE VISA RENEWED.  PLUS, A FEW HORROR STORIES ABOUT THE HASSLES OTHER TRAVELERS HAVE HAD DOING THE IMMIGRATION GIG IN OTHER FOREIGN LANDS.

REALLY, I SHOULDN'T COMPLAIN. THE PROCESS OF RENEWING A VISA IS NO WORSE THAN RENEWING AN AUTOMOBILE LICENSE OR REGISTERING ANYTHING IN THE BEAUROCRACY ANYWHERE. A VEHICLE REGISTRATION, REGISTERING A CHILD IN A SCHOOL OR REGISTERING TO VOTE SOMEWHERE, IT'S ALL THE SAME.

KINDA WHY I LOVE MY GRANDKIDS, DOGS, WILDLIFE AND EVEN MY PINK FLIP-FLOPS. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A GOVERNMENT IS AND NEVER ASK ME TO FILL OUT A PILE OF FORMS, SUBMIT PHOTOS OR ASK ME WHY I WANT TO LIVE HERE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR DROPPING-IN TO VISIT AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND !

CHEERS,
MIKE


Put painful photos in the past, BetterPhoto.com



Friday Photo: Castle Walls


NAKAGUSUKU CASTLE IN OKINAWA

BUSY WEEK

EXCITING DAY

IMMIGRATIONS GAVE ME 3 MORE YEARS

TOOK WIFE ALONG FOR THE RIDE

OUR FIRST DATE IN MONTHS

CONVERSATION WENT LIKE THIS:

"                                               "

AND


"                                                "


AND THEN SHE SAYS,

"                                                "

AND


"                                               "

SO, I took her to a nice place for lunch after Immigrations.

She stopped talking while she was eating, somewhat.

Then all the way home kept saying stuff like above.

I'm kinda hard of hearing.

So, I really have no idea what she was jabbering about.

I just respond by saying, "EH" and "A HA" and "UM"

ONCE IN AWHILE I SWITCH TO ENGLISH.

I'LL SAY SOMETHING LIKE, "OK".

SURE HOPE SHE DIDN'T ASK ME TO TAKE HER OUT ON ANOTHER DATE TOMORROW!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Tipping in Japan: An Insider's Tip


TIPPING?

So, you go to a really nice restaurant and are greeted by a friendly staff, waited on hand and foot. The steak is mouthwatering, you have your choice of rice or bread, plenty of iced tea, and the waitress checks with you every five minutes to see if there's anything else you'd like.

 What percentage of the tab is a reasonable tip to leave?

NOTHING !

 In some places it's even considered rude to leave a tip.

 In Japan, you don't tip; excellent food and service is a way of life!