Cherry Blossom

This is me looking back toward my friend Sarah. There is a beautiful cherry blossom tree besides me. The color, smell, even the height of the tree is perfect. We have cherry blossom in this season but only in particular area 'Kyoung-ju' so it is still amazing for me to see cherry blossom and I was also very surprised by the fact that Cherry blossom is everywhere in Japan.

Now it is the best season for 'Hanami'. Perfect pink cherry blossom, delicious food and happy faces. I was invited to Hanami party for the first time. I was assigned to bring my own foods so that people can share their foods together. We have many people from different countries so there were a lot of different types of foods that I've never cook in my life. I didn't know 'apple pie' could be so delicious and easy to cook until then! It was very nice to get to know each other and take a nice deep nap :)

We walked around the park which was located in Osaka. It was really big and had very traditional Japanese feature. It has a palce for Japanese green tea and there was also a temple. We didn't get to see inside of the temple but I could feel the strength and energy from the temple. Quiet but strong...I wished I could get in.

We also took some interesting photos. Unlike the idea of Japanese girls that I've always thought, They are not that shy or less active. They are very much expressive, active and very outgoing! They are not afraid of getting involve in new environment or having conversation with people who they barely know and speak different languages. They even speak up their voices when there is something they want to share their opinions. Sometimes I feel our Koreans can get more embarrass or shy than Japanese.
It was a interesting day for me to learn more about Japanese people and also cherry blossom.

This is the picture I took in the park that day. I thought it was beautiful shot. I had a wonderful day and I will never forget what I learned from this specialy get-together.

Comparison between Annie Leibovitz and James Natchwey

This is Annie leibovitz holding camera in her hands. The most renowned American phtographer. Also one of the most well-paid(most expensive)photographer in the world. The history of 20th century's photo cannot be written or explained without Annie leibovitz. She worked for Rolling Stone and that was very sucessful. Famous actors, actresses, most of the celebrities of the centry and even the queen and president Obama are her clients. When she takes photos, mostly She uses her own unique style which was up-close and personal. She has a brilliant gift to capture THE moments, inside feelings and hidden thoughts or meanings from one's face or body gestrues.

This is one of the most famous photo she had taken in her entire career. Joah Lennon gave her a lot of inspirations which led her career grows secessfully. This was only posed for her.

This is another photo of two lovers. As you have noticed, two people are famous celebrities who share the moment of love and expressed their feelings with restraint.

Most of her works are fixed and posed. People in her photos are admired by average people. They are the topics, idea, inspiration in the photo. Many of them are airbrushed and They look fabulous and gorgeous in any pose. I think Annie leibovitz tries to capture 'happy' moments of life such as love between lovers or family and friendship.

She also has done advertisements for fashion. Very Elegant and seem sophisticated. she creates the most natural moments by caculating every single things perfectly.

"If your pictures aren;t good enough, you're not close enough."
This is James natchwey. He is well-known war photographer. He takes the most dangerous, depressing and sometimes ugly moments of wars unlike above photographer 'Annie leibovitz'. Most of his pictures are not artificially fixed and posed. They are real moments of war which have the sense of sadness, liveliness. He shows reality in real way.

Everything seems so real and realistic. At the same time it seems too brutal to see the pictures for a while. While I was serching for his works, I can see the distinctive difference between two photographers.

Even though they target people, they use different types of people; famous ones and average people who are in extremely dangerous situation. She uses colors but he uses black and white. Her photos represent something that people always have fantasized about. His photos represent cruel reality which people do not want that to be happened even in their dream.

They take people in very different way but they definitely give people a powerful and strong emotional resonance.

Japanese people (My friend 'AYAKA')

First of all, I want to think about the word 'friend'. I can say I have a lot of friends but sometimes it is hard to find someone who would always be there no matter what I do or what I did. People usually don't appreciate about what they already have on their hands. It is easy to think that we deserve what we have. Now I am in Japan and started to realize how lucky I am to have family, friends and other people who care about me. Fortunately, I have met many nice people in Japan so far. Thanks to Japanese people's kindness, I could build new relationships with Japanese people.

This is my first Japanese friend 'Ayaka'. Among many friends, 'Ayaka' is the first Japanese friend whom I can think of. I can define her in three different words;Brigt, sweet and naive. She also speaks Korean very well and she is good with people. We first met at 'Gappa Sushi'. I went there with my ex-roommate and Ayaka was doing her アルバイト. She took us to the seat and realized that I was not Japanese but Korean. Then later, she came up to me and said "I am learning Korean." in Korean. I was so surprised because that was the first Korean that I heard in Japan. Few plates later, my friend and I left 'Gappa Sushi'. And coincidentally we ran into each other on the way back Seminar House. We recognized each other right away and few weeks later, she became one of my best friends in Japan.

Neighborhood Hirakata

It has been 3 weeks and a half to stayed in Japan. Time passed in the blink of an eye. Everything seemed so interesting and new to me at first and some of them still are. Around Kansai-Gaidai, there are several restaurants that people can go. Not many restaurants but few good places. Here are some places that I have been.

I believe this was the first Indian restaurant I went in my entire life. The food was delicious but little bit different from my hometown food. The main course was curry (of course) with nan and rice. And dessert was served after. Besides, the owner who was about the same age as my mom was very nice to me. We hardly communicated each other but she tired to communicate with me by using hands and basic japanese so that I could understand. It was very thoughtful. This is where I got first friendly-impression about Japan.

This is Japanese pancake 'Okonomiyaki'. This is located in the park near by the seminar house 4 where I stay right now. My friend helped me to find this place and I was so glad that I finally found the place that I could go almost everyday. It is very easy to go and easy to like them! The space is a bit small as other Japanese restaurants but becasue of the small space, customers could feel like their home and be comfortable. This is the other favorite place that I found in my neighborhood.

As the picture indicates, this is 'Gappa sushi'. (I am not sure if it is proper English name) This is the first sushi place that I have ever been in Japan. Definitely there are full of freshness and fishes! Its' location is further than other places above but I strongly believe that it is worth it to go. Even though I am not really sushi person, I can't help myself from thinking about Gappa sushi. This place is also important especially for me because this is the place where I met my Japanese friend who now became one of my closest Japanese friends. Sushi and plus friend! Who can say no to Gappa sushi.

Those are the places around my neighborhood. Of course there are lots of places that I have never been before but so far I love where I have been. I am looking forward to search my next favorite places!

Early impressions of Japan

Japan always reminds me of cleanness, politeness and sushi. Now I have stayed in Japan for about 3 weeks and nothing has really changed. It was about the same as I expected; Cleaness, politeness and oiishi sushi. Those three things are everywhere in Japan especially where I stay right now. In addition to those, there are many kawaii smiles on people's face. I took a photo of security guard in Kansai-gaidai who has benevolent smile and polite attitude. He could be the first impression I had when I first arrived in Japan. I used to traveled to several different countries from Asia to Europe. I believe this is the first place(=Japan) where I had same impression that I have always thought before I actually and physically arrive the place.
Ohayoo, Konnichiwa, Konbanwa and Oiishi! That is all you need :)

As I mentioned earlier above, you can found delicious foods in everywhere in Japan. When I first got here, I couldn't help myself from staring at all the delicious foods that Japan have. The quality of pakages and taste of foods were definitely more than what I expected. I have always loved tonkatsu and now I love tonkatsu even more! I can say 'food' in Japan was the only thing that gave me little different ideas about Japanese foods because they are simply more fantastic than I imagined.
Nihonno inshokuwa hontou oishii!