I arrived in Kyoto - finally and just in time for the sakura, the Japan's famous cherry blossoms. They are everywhere; in temples and shrines, lining busy main streets, next to rivers and especially near schools. Everything in Japan starts in April - the new fiscal year, school, university, and jobs for university graduates. So … Continue reading Day 1- 3 – Sakura paradise in Kyoto
Declared goal: Pack light
I will test-pack today. I started to aim for minimalism when I first moved to Japan in 2010. We cleared out our flat, so everything except for very few precious memories had to go. I freecycled a lot in preparation for the trip. Since then moving countries and homes kept me from accumulating a lot of … Continue reading Declared goal: Pack light
Wax-on, Wax-off. Repeat until proficient in garden maintenance and/or Karate
Getting in the right mind set with Karate Kid. I watched this classic for the first time. My advice: Skip the first 15 minutes (Kid gets beaten up 3 times) and watch from where the fun begins. Wax-on, Wax-off. Repeat until proficient in garden maintenance and/or Karate. Mr. Miyagi is surprisingly funny. And I although I hear … Continue reading Wax-on, Wax-off. Repeat until proficient in garden maintenance and/or Karate
No expectations
I bought my flight ticket and am leaving in two weeks. Now it has become a real thing. I have been dreaming and thinking about this endeavor for about a year now and the time has finally come. Of course, my mind is full of expectations, I ask myself how things will be like, where … Continue reading No expectations
Getting ready for Kyoto
The time has come – only a few more weeks until my Japanese adventure begins! I will probably fly to Kyoto on March 31st. I have found a flight on the awesome natural language flight search engine adioso.com. I would like to recommend this site to everyone who thinks on the right side of the brain. … Continue reading Getting ready for Kyoto
Learning by Copying – how I met my Mr. Miyagi
In December last year, I found myself in San Francisco's Japan Town, walking towards my car with a stack of Japanese garden plans under my arm. What had just happened? I did not know… 40 minutes earlier – I enter the office of Y-san. It instantly takes me back to Japan. Fluorescent lighting, old gift … Continue reading Learning by Copying – how I met my Mr. Miyagi
Book review – A Guide to The Gardens of Kyoto
A Japanese garden guide by Marc Treib and Ron Herman Must-Have-Level: 6/7, I wouldn't want to miss it on my desk or when out exploring. Audience: First-time visitors to Kyoto (if they love gardens and explore on their own), students of Japanese garden culture and seasoned Japanese garden veterans. Character: "Serious Japanese garden book" – no dreamy … Continue reading Book review – A Guide to The Gardens of Kyoto
Arranging my thoughts (and chapters)
I made a post-it for every day of writing (roughly 250-400 words) and arranged them by topic on one big sheet of cardboard. I suddenly think that the seemingly marginal topics (they are in fact marginal on my poster) like "Tradition & Apprenticeship" and "Onko-chishin" could have more potential than the descriptions to my favorite … Continue reading Arranging my thoughts (and chapters)
Sandboxing with polymeric sand
So I ordered this table top sand box – in order to better understand the spatial dimensions of Japanese gardens. I do not want to copy single Japanese garden in minute detail, but rather understand how the proportions and dimensions of the design work. I also use them to better understand the levels of an … Continue reading Sandboxing with polymeric sand
90 Days in Kyoto 