Earth Day

一年一度的地球日（Earth Day）是东京最大规模的环保活动。除了与环保相关的大大小小的NGO之外，很多企业也会趁机宣传自己的环保产品。虽然是个雨天，代代木公园里还是人来人往，热闹非常。

我在FoE（FriendOfEnvironment）的摊子当志愿者，向来往人群散发关于省电小窍门的传单，邀请大家计算一下自己家通过简单的随手关灯可以每年节电多少瓦，然后把大家的节电瓦数加到摊子上的大看板上去。每个参加活动的家庭都会收到一个竹筒蜡烛作为纪念。

其实准备活动在上上周就开始了。我们先去东京八王子一带的里山中砍竹子，再选择粗细合适的部分锯成长短适中的竹筒，利用天然的竹节为底。一起来做志愿者的除了FoE的老会员们之外，还有好几个像我一样第一次参加的新手。东北大地震让不少人都自发的行动了起来，希望能为社会尽一份绵薄之力。

这次的活动分为三步，先是砍竹子准备竹筒，而后是利用收集的废油制作蜡烛，第三步才是地球日的活动。FoE在山里有个小木屋，用来存放锯子，砍刀，手套，头盔等各种护林用具。除了地球日这样的特别活动之外，每月都有常规的远足巡山和杂木清理活动。砍竹子一步就是以这里为据点进行。

对于新手来说，砍竹子可是个货真价实的体力活。要先深入草木茂密的林中，用砍刀砍倒手臂粗的竹子，去除枝叶只留主干，然后还得拖着它返回小屋前的林间空 地，在这里锯成合适的小段收好备用。砍竹子之余，大家也顺便清理了一下阳坡上茂盛的杂草，以便今年刚刚种下的小树苗能更好的成长。

最后的劳动成果自然是大大小小的竹筒们了！下周会有其他志愿者来负责从废油中提炼蜡油，灌制蜡烛。

一天工夫下来，虽然带了手套，还是有mm手上磨出了水泡。不过我倒是一切无事，而且还学习了一下砍树的窍门，如何选择下刀的方向，何时无需再砍一脚踹过去即可... 最有意思的是砍竹子的过程中大家还顺手摘回来不少野菜和蘑菇。听说用新采下来的山菜现做的天妇罗最香了！Miamia，口水要流出来了...:)

顺便还欣赏了一番盛开的山樱，比起公园里的栽培种，少了繁复，却多了几分活力。

 

借用一下小学生作文的结尾：啊，多么充实而有意义的一天啊:)

Life rated

This is how my life is rated now:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7
Mind:	6.7
Body:	8
Spirit:	6.4
Friends/Family:	2.6
Love:	5.4
Finance:	7.4
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

And this is how it was rated 3 years ago:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.7
Mind:	7
Body:	8.2
Spirit:	6.4
Friends/Family:	4.1
Love:	6.9
Finance:	6.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

It seems that I earn more, and that's the only improvement...

真假艺伎

去京都玩的人常怀着一种憧憬在袛园一带转悠，希望能看到艺伎的身影。那一带也确实常有做艺伎装扮的mm出没，不过其实游客居多。扮艺伎拍艺术照在游客中比在当地人中更流行，上前搭个话的话没准会发现讲汉语的不比讲日语的少。

不过不比不知道，比较一下就真假立判了。比如下面这两幅，估计不用我说大家也能猜出哪边是真哪边是假。

还有一个小窍门：观察她们走路的速度。真正的艺伎mm一般只有在上班的时候才穿得这么正式，平时并不这样装扮，而她们在上下班的路上并不会四处闲逛，所以总是目标明确，脚步匆匆。扮艺伎的游客肯定是不会走那么快的，一是没有必要，二是穿了这身还想走得又稳又快可不是件容易的事情。

When an earthquake comes...

Here are what happens and what to do!

Background knowledge: In Japan, earthquake scale is evaluated with a 1-to-7 7-scale system, while 1 is the weakest and 7 is the strongest.

Caution: This is for entertainment. Don’t take it too serious!

Scale 1

What happens: I’m not sure who is shaking, the earth or me.

What to do: Relax, your own inquietude is more annoying than the earthquake.

Scale 2

What happens: I’m sure it’s not me but the earth. If you are a light sleeper like me, you’ll probably be waken up.

What to do: Relax, just turn around and continue to sleep.

Scale 3

What happens: I hesitate about hiding under the desk or not. Hmm, probably not necessary.

What to do: Relax, it comes, and it goes. If you aren’t Japanese, you can complain up to 3 sentences about it. For the Japanese, up to 1.

Scale 4

What happens: Okay I’m down under the desk, but just me. My Japanese colleagues just take a pause at their seats and then back to work. Trains will have delays, prepare to arrive home late.

What to do: Relax, it’s a bit scary, but it’s already passed. If you aren’t Japanese, you can complain up to 3 minutes about it. For the Japanese, up to 1.

Scale 5

What happens: Most people in the office down under the desk. Elevators stop automatically. Severe delays with train, prepare to arrive home very late. May encounter some mobile network problems.

What to do: Let’s talk about it to relax, and then go back to work. This is not a big deal yet. We are in Japan, remember that?

Scale 6

What happens: Everyone in the office down under the desk and more or less scared. Elevators and gas and electricity stop automatically. Mobile network will have some problems if it’s still usable. Trains completely stop for several hours or even longer.

What to do: No panic. Follow the instruction of the location where you are. You may need to leave the building. Take warm clothes when you go outside. Prepare some food and water because you may not be able to get home today. Wear comfortable shoes if you decide to walk home. Be precautious of aftershock and tsunami, which are not rare at all in case of an earthquake of this scale.

Scale 7

What happens: No practical experience...

What to do: Pray. If the god does hear your prayer and you survive with all your arms and legs, be very precautious of aftershock and tsunami. They can be really strong in this case.

PS: Always do this if possible: get more news from TV, radio and Internet.

京都两日

三年多没去过京都了，每次想起圆山公园的祇园枝垂樱，心里总有一种按捺不住的急切，想再去那清浅的颜色之下，眺望古老的和风市街。

上次的京都之行是从夜晚的二条城开始的。樱花的季节来得晚，二条城的樱树还是光秃秃的一片。日暮时分还飘了几片雪花。然而夜游最大的乐趣在于怀古。二之丸御殿在晚间看来格外阴森，难怪需要幕府将军要建踏上去就会吱呀作响的鹂鸣地板来防备刺客。

城壕的石墙上有水光不定的投影，似乎在警示着危险无时无处不在。

著名的夜樱还只是花骨朵，不露半点颜色，只好凭空想象一下盛开时漫天花之星光闪耀的场景。

第二天去了洛东。先到鸭川看了眼全景。见鸭川两岸已铺开了赏花行酒的摊子，就略略对市区花开的情况有了数。虽不到满开，但总也有了三四分了吧。

先去了祇园白川。路口的染井吉野只开了两三分，热情不足，但是说不出来的秀气。

再走几步就到了白川边。沿水的樱花总是比别处多出一分趣味。隔水还能隐隐听到町屋中的乐声和人声，俨然平安时代的遗风。

和樱花相映的是新绿的垂柳。嫩黄的新叶比花也不差了。

女性游客中最时兴的莫过于扮艺伎逛花街了。精美的织物一层层搭配起来，由专业的化妆师细致描绘出艺伎的传统白色妆容，再踩上日式木屐，虽然还远没有真正艺伎多年训练下来的风采，但对扮演者自身而言，却早已沉醉在这和风世界之中了吧。

 

午后去了圆山公园。大片的吉野只是平平，再雅致的花也禁不住烧烤摊子的烟熏，不过求个热闹而已。惊喜的是著名的祇园枝垂樱女王已然开了五分，阴天里也能看出粉红色的艳丽。



后山的知恩院要清静很多。方丈庭院中枯山水和古老的枝垂樱相映，仿佛百年来始终不曾变过。

院里有一对小小的石头地藏背对市景，一幅笑颜，俨然不知人间疾苦的意味。对我而言，昔日同访的同伴也已劳燕纷飞，真真是物是人非了。

第二日去了岚山脚下的天龙寺。市外的开阔去处自然另有一番别处不及的宏大意味，实在是个悟道的好地方。

寺后的小街上有茶花探出墙头。早春里最艳的无过于此了。想起茶花女的故事，不禁又感叹一番。自古美丽的人和事大约都是不长久的，樱花如此，茶花亦然。古今中西无一例外。