New Year Shrine Visit

It is a japaneese tradition to make one's first shrine visit of the year on New Year's Eve. (although this can be done earlier or later).

This one is located in Asakusa. It is packed on New Year / New Year's Eve, and the streets are bustling with Japanese charms and trinkets that folks are advised to get to rid of the bad energy of the coming year.





This is where one drops a 100-yen coin to get a mikuji or a fortune.



One draws a number and gets a fortune from one of the little drawers (this corresponds with the number they drew).



Good fortunes are brought home and bad ones are tied up like so, meant to be left behind so that it doesn't come true.




Happy New Year to everyone!


[* A Show your World - Tuesday post! ]

Through the Grid

Seen from outside my window. Not exactly a first to find a strange plant sprouting out of nowhere.


[* A Macro Monday post. ]




Have a lovely week ahead.

Lining the Big Blue Sky

An old building and the blue sky.

Seen in one of Manila's oldest districts-- Intramuros, the walled city.



[* A Skywatch Friday post. Click to see more skies from around the world! ]

A Thousand Splendid Suns

*title based on a book by Khaled Hossseini


[* A Skywatch Friday post. Click to see more skies from around the world.]

T for Tabloids

Seen on a roadside in Little India.


[* An ABC Wednesday post. This week's letter is - T.]

[* Also for Wordless Wednesday.]

S for Steep Climb and Stunning View

The climb to one of the highest points of the Great Wall (Beijing, China) -- is a little steep, and yet, with a stunning view like this, it's well worth everything.

Young and old, they all eventually reach the top!


[* An ABC Wednesday post. This week's letter is - S.]

[* Also for Wordless Wednesday.]

Moon and Venus

A rare occasion -- Moon and Venus as seen in the skies 16th May 2010.



/minor editing involved to remove noise / taken with a Canon SX110IS/

[* Skywatch Friday post.]