How was your Valentine’s day? I wasn’t on my best shape (after a dentist visit) and couldn’t enjoy our date as much as it deserved, but alas, can’t we pretend that any other day is Valentine’s day and repeat it? I think I can start planning a new date, what do you think? Today we have a few pictures back from the beginning of February when we celebrated for the first time the Setsubun Japanese tradition (read more here and here) eating an ehomaki, and visited a photography exhibition by Sebastiao Salgado.
All pictures in this post are from our phones, I’ve lately read a short article that mentioned that statistics say that we check our phones between 50 and 100 times a day. It seems crazy right? And still I’m sure you even can picture in your head now that person that checks it like 1 million times breaking all records and leaving you with that “hey-I’m-here” feeling. I’ve always had a hate-hate relationship with mobile phones that has been converted into a love-hate one, I really love to be able to check our blog and add ideas on our drafts when I feel inspired and of course check Instagram or read blog posts on the go, but I always bring with me a book to leave the phone on a side, it’s like a rebellious part in me which doesn’t want to succumb to its enchantment.
I think what most interested me about the article is the fact that it mentioned that we have the best ideas and our creativity is tops when we are bored, and precisely being concentrated in that whatsapp conversation or reading something in any social network doesn’t allow us to be “bored”. I don’t know about you, but it rings true to me, I put together in my head all the visual/reading inspiration during a shower (typical!), or better, when I’m on the subway looking away with that blank stare as I was visiting another planet. In fact I wish to be on that other planet as many times as possible, one where people are mostly “bored” ;) Would you like to join me?
One of our favorite Japanese restaurants, La Cuina de l’Uribou, is a perfect izakaya with seasonal specialities like the uni nigiri (sea urchin) and calçots (a typical catalan onion) with miso sauce.
Our friends at l’Uribou told us about the lucky maki called ehomaki and suggested a few well-known customers to try it. The maki contains 7 different ingredients one representing the seven shinto deities.
My mom, whom is always interested in lucky charms, joined us, we are now facing the lucky direction of the year.
Sebastiao Salgado pictures offer a rich b&w and extra focus, what most interested me was its interesting compositions.
Thanks for following along in a post that could also be called “on blabbing”, hope you liked the pictures even though my head and conversation was today somewhere else!
Let’s talk about your phone routine! Do you check your phone often? What is the app that you are checking most? Mine would be VSCO cam and Instagram.
Ohh, this looks so nice! The fooooood! :o I definitely agree with the love-hate relationship on the topic of phones. I mean, I absolutely adore my phone oftentimes because it brings me so much closer to my friends who are far away – but yet we wake up ‘together’. But I do like my public transport to be mostly phone-free. I’d take it from you that we stare at our phones 50-100 times a day – if not more. – Anyway, lovely pictures!
Oh! Happy to read that you are also pro public transport phone-free, it’s so fun to see how everyone is so much into their phones but also a little sad to see that so many books have been replaced now. Thanks! :)
I’m on my phone way too much. My notifications are always buzzing, my headphones are in listening to spotify, I’m instagramming and Vsco editing. It never ends.
I’ve banned phones at the dinner table, and I’m starting to ban headphones when I go for walks. It’s so nice to take in the whole world rather than shut it out with music.
Definitely a love/hate relationship!
Oh! Neither of us tend to have the phone at our dinner table (luckily!), but I totally understand you, sometimes when friends stop by they seem to be more into their phone than anywhere else :) I completely understand a few checks but not the other way round: a couple of words to us and what seems thousands to their phone conversation ;)
I’m right there with ya on the love-hate relationship with my phone. I can’t NOT check it 50-100 times a day. Yet, I can’t stand it when other people I’m with check it 50-100 times a day, HA. I’d really love to take a technology-free vacation. Completely off the grid. I bet these types of trips will become more popular in the future too.
Happy to read :) I was laughing so much with your can’t stand when people check it :) We try to be as much technology-free on our vacations as possible, we usually only connect at night to upload pictures to Instagram or to read family’s email but avoid checking anything else so we remain on our “feeling free” bubble ;) I bet you’re right, more people is trying to disconnect during their trips!
I’m definitely not a phone checker, I often don’t even know where my phone is -oops but I do get an overdose of the internet, so I’m really just as bad! That’s interesting about inspiration coming to you when you’re bored. I get my best ideas, when I’m driving in the car or having a shower too! Luckily it’s crazy raining here at the moment so I can justify my long showers but I really find them amazing – meditative and idea bringing!
You and your Mum are so cute together and high five for awesome Japanese!
Dear Fee! Hope you’re staying safe with all the raining! How is Gremlin doing? Juno loves to peek the window when is raining and I am always smiling thinking on how little she would like to be outside at that precise moment. Thanks for the sweet comment about my mom :) Yay always for Japanese food.
Well said, I also have a love-hate thing for mobile
phones and smartphones especially. I try to have
the least Apps on it and I don’t have Internet on
it (yet) so I’m glad to join you in the bored planet
haha! And with this lovely and yummy looking
Japanese dinner c: Xx
That’s a deal! We’ll have lots of yummy Japanese food on our “bored” planet :)
My phone is definitely a big part of my life but when I’m with Yangkyu or friends I don’t check it often. We were recently at DR and when we are at the beach or the pool, I spent the first few minutes getting all my pictures done and then I put my phone and camera away and enjoy my time there. And then when we are in the bathroom (haha) or waiting for each other to do something (like talking with front desk, getting ready to go out to dinner, etc.) or before we go to sleep, that’s when I check or put up photos. i did check Facebook often because I was looking at the FB page of the boarding facility that Piri was staying and I wanted to see if they put up a picture of him (lol) but I really try to block out times when I’m on my phone! :) and i’m definitely an instagram and vscocam person too!
Checking the Facebook for Piri pictures is totally reasonable! :) When in Japan I was also anxiously waiting to check if Dani’s parents have sent us a picture of Juno every day at night at the hotel :) I really like your phone vacation routine!
This is Dani, Juno & Damaris.
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our hearts stay in Japan.
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