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the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Chiba, 2008.07.27

We spent the evening in Chiba, visiting with the Satoi family. We were there to see the fireworks that were happening on the sea-shore, and come to think of it, this was the first time in at least two years that we've been to see fireworks.

It was also young Ken's first go at the fireworks, and despite the bangs, thumps and booms, he was unfased. There were some older kids who couldn't take the noise etc, maybe Ken will be the same when he's older. But for now he's a fairly placid kid.

The Satois have a couple of great kids, it's interesting to see how some kids wind up so exuberantly creative and personable even in a reserved society that places heavy emphasis on conformity.

I also took some of my beloved Minolta equipment for Satoi-san to try out. He inherited a lot of Minolta manual equipment, but unfortunately the camera bodies he received were very old ones that don't have meters. It occurred to me quite some time ago that he might like to try the lenses with one of my X-700 bodies. So I've loaned that to him on an extended basis, and threw in my only zoom lens, my once primary 35-70mm lens. I'd rather they saw some use with him rather than sitting around in my closet.

rand()m quote

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

—Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.