Being Free

I was at the rooftop of my apartment building the other night. Wanted to look up the evening sky and listen to the urban sounds of New York. Wish I could share the sound and soft summer breeze with you all. Feels so magical to stay up there, you know? All the visual images and physical experiences are merging into one. Like you're creating a piece of art.  I love it when it happens...!

I've been thinking about " Being Free ". This photo shows you the state of " Being Free ".

Yup, I cut the straps off from these sandals because they hurt my feet a lot. Without the straps, I feel much comfortable!! See? My feet are no longer tethered, no more blisters! Yes! ...and I notice the fact that I'm living in the condition I'm no longer tethered as well. Being unemployed and I'm free. Only a myriad of possibilities stand out. What a great feeling that is! 

I was once a waitress dreaming about becoming a flower designer in NYC. My passion led me to what I wanted to be : A flower designer.  I kept walking on the path for a long time. The straps clung to my old path has been cut off and they let me go. I'm on my way to find other possibilities in my career path. I believe the reality is the creation of our thoughts. Here we go...I've started conveying my dream into a reality once again. and you know what? It's been great. Seriously, everything is starting to work out well. I'll keep you posted on my story ;) 

Meanwhile, I'd share these images of my " Being Free And Happy " moments with you all. 

Found an ice cream truck in soho. They are so so soooooo good! 

and I got a scoop of yummy (handpicked)strawberry ice cream! ahhh.... nom nom..and nom... :9

Of course, I found a perfect place looking at red rambling roses while I was eating the ice cream.

See that? How gorgeous they are? Peeking through the iron gate, I got kisses from the peach roses. 

At my feet, there were twinkle twinkle little yellow stars greeting " Hello! ". 

The little white flowers are like clouds in the sky. Gentle and fragile. 

I love strolling around the city when the weather is good. Finding these precious little happiness are extremely fun! 

Lastly, this is just an additional part of this blog, not related to the title at all..., but I happened to open this book " A CLOUD " a while ago, so let me introduce this artist,  a Japanese graphic designer, Katsumi Komagata. He's an award-winning graphic designer who are inspired by the development of his daughter, and he began creating sets of visual story books and playful cards games in 1990. I love his book called " A CLOUD ". In the book, he explains how our daily life keeps changing and ends eternally...then a new life, a new day to follow. He gives a metaphor by using the life of clouds : Clouds meet their changes in the shapes and dissolve and reborn again every day, every hours, every minutes, and every seconds. He uses different textures of papers so that it gives you a great physical sense of feeling or touching on the different clouds every time you turn the pages. Life never stop changing, we can only cherish the past but holding it. I love his words at the end of this book : The clouds seem close but are very far. They keep on forming and changing all the time. Clouds contain water which is heavier than air by almost 800 times. Million of tons. Great energy is in each cloud. Gradually, they become rain falling onto the ground. We are always under the sky. In my childhood I wondered why the clouds moved. Sometimes they would make me wish something and think of someone, sometimes I would predict the weather with them. There are cloudy days. Sometimes I forget to look at the sky because I am too busy. So there are clouds inside the book. As we turn the pages, memories come back with the view of clouds that we have seen before. 

Hope you are feeling happy and free as well. Wherever you are...I send you love. 

" The clouds form and die eternally. There is only clouds for today.
There will be clouds again for tomorrow."

Much love & gratitude to you all, 

Hana 

Slow Down....

" Slow down, you move too fast, got to make the morning last..."

Simon & Garfunkel

I definitely agree with what Simon & Garfunkel sing in the song.  Our urban life style usually forces us to keep going. We are not having enough time to survey what our life's purposes are. Take a moment in the morning, or afternoon or before you go to bed. Just look around and find the serene joy coming to you. Ask yourself what's your priority in life? Hope you find the answer. BTW, I felt the flower smiling joy while I was looking at these guys in a park. Check them out. 

Green leaves are swaying in the spring breeze....

Then, trees are dressing up with a ray of sunshine....

Little white flowers try to embrace you in their arms....

and these little blue flower says, " Don't forget about me! "....

I know this must be my privilege to have this happy moment in the park, yes? I am a Flower Joyologist, I understand their (=flowers & trees ) words ;)  It's already weekend, everyone. How are you spending your free time? Movie? Hiking? Bike tour? Whatever it is, enjoy the moment you live in. Enjoy every moment you breathe. Here's my favorite quote : Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. -Albert Einstein

Love to you all,

Hana 

Simple Life

"Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. -John Lennon "

I just happend to be there in Central Park and found this quote of John Lennon yesterday afternoon. It was an extremely fantastic weather, breezy and sunshine. All the trees and birds were celebrating LIFE! Under a warm ray of sunshine, I met an Italian guy who is an educator/life coach. We had a nice chat for a while. He may be another messenger from the universe? 

It's been a week since I was laid off. So far, so good. A new idea comes and goes...An image of myself in the future gets clearer than before. At first, I felt kinda awkward spending lots of time at home. I didn't know how to adjust myself into it. I now have enough time to read a book, take a walk in a park during the day ( aside from searching a job... ), breathe into a fresh air ( at least in a park? ), and seeing other people's life along the way is so powerful and inspiring. These simple things were missing while I had a full-time work at a flower shop. Being laid off is a painful matter, but I feel joy at this moment...The joy comes from a freedom. I've never got out of an ordinary life style : Work 9am-5pm, 5 days a week. This is my first time not having a job, but I tell ya...I'm having a great time of my life! Sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet. Life's got all different flavors. So alive. 

My cousin just sent me an email from Japan. She's recently moved in to a remote area in Kyoto, quitting her job, trying to adjust herself to a new life. It's an extremely small community that dosen't have much of an urban life style : No big super markets, no hot bars or restaurants to hang out, no cooking school she can offer her incredible talent. She used to be a cooking/baking instructor at a cooking school. Her passion was to bake all the different breads and to teach and share the fun with other people. Well, everything comes from a heart would be precious, isn't it? On the contrary to the inconvenience in her new daily life, she started to find a joy. She explains : I may have withdrawn myself a few steps behind from where I was before, but I've started to see everything in a beautiful picture. I had an enormous pressure to catch up with my assignments, work, and house keepings, but now... I have a time to enjoy outdoor life in the nature, buying seasonal vegetables and fruits from a local green market. I find a happiness in a very simple life. Breathe, eat and sleep. I'll start baking when we finish our kitchen renovation, so it'll be awesome! 

I found her story and my new life have something in common. We both found a joy in a state of being free. We are both free from our old comfort zones. Creating a new circumstance to live. Spring has sprung, summer is on the way. Our journey takes us to another surprise, another struggles, another happiness. Life is all good afterwards... :) 

What about yours? So far, so good, I believe...! I send you this pretty smiles of lily of the valley. They signify the return of happiness in the " language of flowers ". So, catch it!

Much love and kisses to you all, 

Hana