We picked a name for our girl. “咲笑”， prounces Sae [sa：e] in Japanese or Xiao-xiao ['ʃau-'ʃau] in Chinese. The Kanji characters appear the same both in Chinese and Japanese – that’s what we wanted. She needn’t switch her name from time to time in Japan and in China. 咲笑 means blooming smile (咲-bloom, 笑-smile). We want her life to be healthy, smooth and happy.

My wife and I especially love the cute look of the Kanji (Chinese character) – just looking at the name makes us smile.

咲笑 still has an irregular way of pronunciation in Japanese, it’s Sakura! Well, the most famous flower in Japan – the cherry blossom. That’s very interesting and we love the double surprise.

Finally, I am father now! This is our fresh newborn baby girl! All thanks go to my wife, she’s a wonderful woman, I forever appreciate her big effort and sacrifice – tons of tears and pains. The laboring lasted around 23 hours, gosh. I stayed with her all the time, even myself got mental breakdown. Fortunately, she and the baby are very fine now.

I had no time to sleep around 66 hours. Sorry, I can’t write more. I need SLEEP and BIG SNORING!! Thank everybody who cares about my family, God bless!

Luke 9:23 …”Follow Me.”

I often shoot windows and doors. This is a pair of simple but beautiful windows I like.

We clean them, we polish them, we wax them, we decorate them, we modify them, we cherish them, we just love them!

We love our vehicles, no matter how old or how simple they are.  They take us to the destinations, they help us moving and living, yes, there are millions of people make a living with them, from airplane to rickshaw.

Hmmmm………….

Today, our baby is around 2800g now. After ultrasound check, the doctor told us everything was normal. There are only 2 weeks to the due date.  We are so excited. Recently we prepared everything for the birth and the coming newborn baby. 

Our little one, we are waiting for you with full of joy.

If you read my blog regularly, you might know March 3rd is girls’ day in Japan. If you missed it, the link is here.

Today, May 5th, it’s for boys. 

Before and on Boys’ Day – from the latter half of April to early May-  the families which got sons will hoist carp flags outside their houses. It is Japanese way of celebrating the healthy growth and development of the young boys. Because Japanese people believe one Chinese legend that a carp which swims upstream and jumps over a high gate can become a dragon. When you walk around outside in such season, you can see the flags everywhere. That’s why Boys’ Day is also called “Feast of Banners”.  

Since 1948, the government changed Boys’ Day into Children’s day, parents can raise carp banners for boys and girls. The celebration is for both genders. But I never saw any Japanese family did so for their girls. Tradition never changes. When you see the flags outside one house, you know they have son.

Tradition hasn’t changed, but how to hoist the banners changed a lot for sure. You never could imagine someone hoisted the banners in that way showed on the picture here. It just amazed me.

My way, your way, this way…

“Remember when you were young, you shone like the Sun.
Now there’s a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.

Come on you target for faraway laughter,
come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine! “

A warehouse near my home. It raised my interest long time ago because of its unique color. I photographed it some times when I went shopping nearby and this is one of the favorites.

By the way, there is something strange with my blog. I found one friend’s comment was deleted in my earlier post. Fortunately I could restore it from the trash. And in my blog Dashboard, the layout changed as well. I don’t know it’s system errors or someone hacked my account. I apologize in advance if you find something wrong with your comments, I will try to figure it out and fix it as soon as possible.

A lady passing by
In soundless zori footwear
Like a breeze of spring with orchid fragrance

A lady just passed by…

We got some big rains these days. This shot was taken by my mobile in our car while we were driving at night, hope you can feel the howl of the wind.

Sail on to your dreams and I wave my hands,
Bon voyage!
Bon voyage!
You vanish beyond the golden seas.

Those trees are very straight and tall. The density is amazing. If I had gotten lost here, where’s my way out?

This is a scene that can make you smile forever.

The last ferry has just arrived…

Man-made flowers are quite beautiful, aren’t they?

Dressed up,
Hit the drum,
You were like butterflies dancing under the cherry blossoms.