Pin collecting has been a popular Olympic cultural mainstay for many years. Do a search on Olympic collectibles and the majority of links will most likely be “pins”, but that’s not all there is to Olympic collecting by a long shot. It all started with the 1896 Olympics and a menu from the International Olympic Committee dinner. That same year saw the issuance of Olympic stamps to help balance the Olympic budget. These two items, one specifically made to generate revenue and the other a souvenir from a dinner, started the phenomena of Olympic Collecting we see today. (via here)
Th winter Olympics open on the 12th this coming Friday. As I happen to be in Vancouver now and my work place is close to the Olympic Village, it’s been very intriguing for me to observe the city’s transformation especially in the last 12 months. Vancouver seems to be in a very vibrant mood to me. More people are coming into the city and I enjoy watching the changes for the better.
Here are some shots from a sunny day in Vancouver.
There are some places I’d like to keep as a secret once in a while, and this is one of them. (but not anymore.) Cholon is one of my new favourite stores in Japan that I discovered during my stay in January. Since then I visit their website obsessively. (Their website is in Japanese… I’d be happy to translate if you wish…)
The Lost World of Mr. Hardy (2008, UK)
The Lost World of Mr. Hardy is a documentary film about the story of a much loved family fishing tackle business and the struggle for craftsmanship in our modern world. It is also an astonishing story of how a passion for angling and a love of craftsmanship created one of the most interesting, quirky and best loved British companies ever.
Above: Clips from “The Holy Mountain” (German: Der heilige Berg), a German silent film directed by Arnold Fanck. (1926)
This film is one of the most visually alluring films made in Germany in the 1920s. It was directed by Arnold Fanck (born the 6th of March 1889 in Frankenthal, Germany), who was a pioneer of the German mountain film and was responsible for some of Germany’s most memorable cinematic achievements at that time. As a self-taught director and producer, Fanck first specialized in documentaries about life in the mountains and winter sports.
1924 Winter Olympics Chamonix, France
1960 Winter Olympics Pairs, France
1952 Winter Olympics Oslo, Norway
“Le petit Nicolas” (2009) (Official Website here.) is the first screen adaptation of the classic French children’s books about the tales of the mischievous 7-year-old. Originally created by author René Goscinny and illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé, the story was published for the first time in 1959. Nicholas is an illustration of an ideal childhood and a nostalgic memory of the 1950s.
A week has already passed since I came back from my trip. I didn’t really know what to do with these random shots in my iphone, but decided to put them all up now. I could’ve taken more pictures to make more sense somehow but my time was limited and mostly I felt like just strolling in the city and enjoying the moment without stopping too much.
Another little video I shot on my last day in Tokyo. On a way to Narita airport.
-N.
I used to see this view from trains every day for 6 years in my junior high & high school time. Watching views from trains and cars in a big city is something I enjoy very much. Many different shapes and colours keep moving fast in front of my eyes but only my body is still. Looking at the moving images from the windows, sometimes I’m thinking about something, sometimes my brain is completely empty.
-N.
There’s a place on a tiny street that I decided to visit in Tokyo this time. Even though it’s in Daikanyama, one of the Tokyo’s best and busiest shopping districts, this clothing store stands quietly in a hidden corner away from all the city noise. The shop name is “ao” and they make clothes with the softest washed gauze.
Gauze is a material that is made of loosely twisted cotton threads, coarsely woven. It has the unique ability to absorb water well, breathe and dry quickly. When double or triple-woven, gauze keeps the warmth on your body because of the air between the layers. This makes gauze not only a perfect fabric for summer season, but also suitable for the chilly weather.
The next day I arrived in Tokyo, the first thing I did was to visit here, Zempukuji park. It’s literally around the corner from my parents’ house and I used to walk through here every day to go to school. (There’s a local bus stop on the other end.) My grandmother used to call this park “our garden” and it was her routine to go for a walk there every single day, even if it was raining or snowing.
It’s been really sunny here in Tokyo. This park has such a fresh and crisp air in the morning and it helps me clear up my head.
-N.
This is my grandmother. (1979)
On January 2nd, 2010, my grandmother went to sleep and her eyes were never open again next day.
My 10-hour flight has never felt so long before in my life. It took forever to return to my home in Tokyo, but when I entered my grandmother’s room, everything was the same just as I remembered. Peaceful and warm. It seemed like only time had stopped. I saw some oranges and her favourite cookies on her table as if nothing had ever happened.
While I was spending a lot of time at home, I found lots of old photo albums in her storage that I’d never seen before. It’s fascinating for me to see her not being “my grandmother” in those pictures. I’m amazed how well the photos have been kept all this time and how stunning they all are. Her tiny storage room has suddenly become a big treasure box for me.
