Movie - Another year (Lovey film for a sunday night or a friday afternoon :))

This is a British film about life and its ups and downs. My beloved is from England and we visited there last year; the images, people, cup of teas, houses, easiness and atmosphere reminded me of my visit. The main couple of the story share a lovely life, still in love, gardening and living a peaceful life. It did have English humor that I only understood until I watched it for the second time :)

enjoy

Water problems... ouch!

A typhoon passed by and no water. Ogasawara is going through serious water problems and rain is not showing its face. Everyday in the morning they announce through the town megaphones the amount of water left in the dam and it has been going down a percentage per day. We hit 36% yesterday, meaning that if it did not rain we would only have water for 36 more days! Fortunately yesterday it rained all night and now we are back to 46% woo hoo. Honestly when it comes to this stage everyone has to do their best not to waste any water. I think we have been more conscious of the way we wash our dishes and brush our teeth. Our toilet is a compost toilet so we don't use any water to flush and the water in the shower goes directly into a banana field. They calculated that every person uses 300 liters per day out of which 30 liters go on flushing the toilet! What a waste of water. I think situations like this make you appreciate the preciousness of water and other things you have in life that you take for granted.

Surfing scene - Matsu

I have been trying to get into surfing but Ogasawara does not have the most appropriate surf spots for starters. They are mostly reef braking waves in shallow waters. I often hear of people getting injured while surfing but since surfing seems to be an addiction as soon as they have healed they go back.
Matsu - breaks inside the main bay with the help of a huge rock called the Tofu-iwa  (it is shaped like the little tofus you get in your miso soup). Driving through a dirt road for 2 min and then walking for 5 min to the surf breaking point, mainly locals are seen here. 

I climbed through the mountain to get a better view of the surfers and the waves. 

A day of work - Fukuro Misaki

Goggles

 

KARMA??

I found this goggles along a beach, there was clearly no owner for them. Is what I thought. And Karma has come back to me, I forgot them at a beach and came back 3 days later to get them and boom, GONE! I understand that the person who found them thought the same thing I thought when I found them. The cycle of life, and now oceans are seen through others eyes with those goggles. 

Now, I think that if what I had left was a wallet or a camera no one would take them away. The fact is, goggles are such a small item (this ones probably cost less then 1000yen) there for the idea of taking them with you is not harmful in fact is quite a smart choice. "lucky me! what a day!" is what you would naturally think but think twice... 'cause this might be the day you loose yours. 

Time to find new ones... I mean buy new ones :)

Buta Beach

Buta Beach 

A 40 min walk from Kominato beach can take you to this isolated beach. Buta means "pig", they say there were pigs being raised in this beach. There are remains of buildings along the river that connects with this beach. There was a typhoon that brought swell lines to Ogasawara, surfers were releasing their surf power for 3 days to the waves brought by this typhoon. 

Found ya!

Summer has started, the beaches are not empty anymore and people have bronzed skins. 

This month is a very important month on this side of the Island. We have two main events, one is the Outrigger Canoe race! Men and Women race for a short distance entertaining viewers and aiming the prize!
The other main event is the Oogamiyama Festival. A Japanese festival to embrace the Shrine of the a memorable person called Oogamiyama. It is an event taken during a whole day where they carry a tiny shrine on their shoulders around this side of the Island. Further information will be to be displayed after I attend it!

Summer vibes~

Aubergine - Eggplant?

There is an aubergine tree in our garden, planted a year ago. I heard that they will give us fruit for almost 3 years, so this must be the second one. We fed the plant our poo compost and it gave us many aubergines. I picked an aubergine the other day and made a breaded parmesan sandwiched aubergine! It was delicious :)

Reading this now!

Like this bird, I stand and search for my true nature. 

I am reading this book called THE UNFOLDING NOW by A.H. AMAAS

I truely recommend this book for anyone who is looking to go on a conscious journey of life. 

A wild mango!

It is the battle of life - survival of the fittest

Gardening, sustainable living, real life sounds beautiful and it is, but it is not easy.
It is all painted as the goal of this era (in eco world) but it requires of many many sacrifices. 

To start with, I don't use shampoo or good smelling soap, which means that I walk around with a very wild smell. As much as I smell myself and feel fine, I know that I don't smell "normal" anymore. 

Next, when people come to our house and want to go the toilet, they scream! yes, it is only a hole on earth and instead of flushing you cover it with leaves.
Ohhh there are so many things but at the end of the day, I have a huge smile of content.

A new challenge:
It is the season of this hairy worm that eats leaves! If it rubs your skin it irritates you...
Well, this sweet little ones have invaded our aubergine tree, so I had to get chopsticks and fight them!

In the ocean - the other world- the other ones

Today after gardening and planting beans oh! I forgot to water the plants! 

As I was saying... after gardening on a very hot day, I decided to go for a refreshing swim at Copepe Beach.

The water is getting warmer as the days pass, but at the bottom you can still feel the remains of cold water.

The beach was solitary as usual and the sun was giving light to all the scenery reflecting their true colors to my eyes.

Mushroom season

SUP day 1

I am back to the SUP (Stand up paddle board)
Once I get on it and start paddling everything is further away, even my thoughts. 

The ocean is my playground and adventures are awaiting. 

My own energy moves me from place to place 

but it is because of the wind and the ocean that this is possible.

I choose my direction, my movements, my pace. 

It is only me
alone in this beautiful ocean. 

I feel alone but not lonely. 

A cloud covers the sun, suddenly waters turn black and the surface reflects light.

The sun comes back and waters turn clear and the bottom of the ocean can be seen.

In the darkness we can only see the surface but with the light we can see it all.

Memorable sunset

 

Sunset from Kominato beach

Days are longer

warmer and

more enjoyable