Photography

One dish: green, green, green

May 26, 2020

Seasonal treat means seasonal color, smell, and the joy.
And of course the taste. 🙂

Simple and refreshing is the name of this season.

End of May and before the beginning of June is my favorite season in Tokyo. It is not too hot, but warm enough to wear only one layer of clothes; it has some humidity in the air, but not too much as in the rainy season to come; and most importantly, all the green colors around the corner are starting to flourish, and it always brings me joy.

This salad is not a fixed recipe. I just add the greenish items I like/have at the moment, and add a little other colors on top of it. Boil them if necessary, or eat raw if you are good with fibre. 😉 The seasoning is very simple – I almost only use sashimi soysauce (light and good for umami) and a little sesame oil, with optional sugar. It is low calorie, high fibre, and stimulates a good appetite.

For a more special and “Japanese” taste as an accent, try adding some “Shiso” or 紫蘇 in Japanese.

That is the mood of today!

Quarantine in Style #2: White Shirt with Skirt, with Pants, or with Itself

May 24, 2020

See all its expressions in the color of sheer white.

Here, as promised, my excited self portrait with some new white shirts from Zara. Collar and collarless, linen and cotton, just-fit and oversized… so many options to explore. Too bad it is still under lockdown here in Tokyo, so all the photos are produced inside my apartment. Excuse the bed, the door, and the stand mirror!

Oversized shirt with skirt

I think this is completely a ZARA look. It is technically true, though, as both the shirt and the skirt are from my recent ZARA purchases and the floral skirt is really convenient to style up with.

Collar shirt to ease off some feminine accent from the skirt.

Or with pants, casual or a little bit suited up

Most of the days I am a pants person. I wear a lot of denims, and when it warms up, I like to wear wide pants that have an accent shape and suit pants that can show the body curve naturally.

I thought wide pants can be a challenge with oversized shirts; but it is actually quite nice. It can be called a “ゆるコーデ” in Japanese, which basically means “loosened up coordination” as a very common style here.

Ultimate conservative with collarless shirt.

I recently bought a pair of pants from Theory. I was lucky; it was on sale because of the lockdown, and I saw this one that has nice shape as Theory always does, and a dark yellow color which can be nice addition to my grey/navy usual suits from Theory.

As an single item of ultimate romance

When talking about items that are romantic, usually we think about long floral dresses, on a sunset beach, with a big hat perhaps. Actually I found withe shirts are quite a romantic single item, especially with oversized “boyfriend” style and basically any design if it is linen.

It can be a little too intimate, though. It has to be styled up with items that can bring out its character, such as a simple trench coat or a straight denim. Maybe I can try that combination sometimes.

Mood of the Day: Lunch Ritual

May 21, 2020

#stayhome and #wfh makes the daily lunch time the much needed break in the day.

Are there others who are like me, that the most productive time during a #wfh day is when preparing meals? (don’t tell my boss) Previously it was just about dinner, and I was focusing on making healthy, delicious international eats to go with my home gym training plan. Now, it has reached a new peak in my culinary journey: lunch has become a ritual that is dedicated to the state of mind and the spotlight of the day.

Today’s menu: Chinese beef stew, Japanese miso soup, international salad, yoghurt, asparagus and eggs.

The beef stew recipe is from my mom. When I was little, and whenever I got sick my mom would make her best beef stew to comfort my stomach and cheer me up. Even though she was not such a great chef as she is now, this beef stew was among the most dishes that reminds me of home.

Fatty beef, potato chunks, tomato chunks, and sometimes with vermicelli make this the soul food for me. Surprisingly they have a similar dish here in Japan: nikujyaga (肉じゃが), which basically means beef and potato.

I have also been careful about my diet recently. Not baking any banana bread, but focusing on moving on to a healthier diet with some more variety. Starting from the easy ones, I am adding more salads and basics to my Chinese and Japanese themed menu. (And removed a lot of starch from my usual diet, such as rice or noodles.)

To battle with the urge to eat more in the afternoon, and to have something more to look forward to after the celebrated lunch, I also plan a small delicacy with a Nespresso. Today’s special is my beloved salty mochi with red beans (塩豆大福), enjoy!

A Day Inside with Shots

May 19, 2020

For the mood quarantine brings me this time.

I bought my new toy – Fujifilm X-T30 – recently, right before the launch of Fujifilm’s new X-T series mirrorless camera, X-T4. I did that because figured I can still use my old X-T1 for most of the time, and this “little giant” could be a nice new and light companion when I wanted a bit more freedom on my shoulders.

Quarantine does not agree with my new plans to try it out, yet it cannot stop me from taking some highly Narcissistic yet intimate shots inside. So, here it goes: enjoy the mood and the colors of this depressing day!