Interestingness

Down there at Flickr's homepage, there's this section called "Explore". (You'd know what I mean if you're a Flickrite.) I had no idea what the hell it was. All I knew was if you click on it, it'd take you to some page called "Explore" (duh), where you can spend hours browsing through tonnes and tonnes of interesting photos. Obviously, someone, somehow, keeps track of all those photos and decides if they're interesting enough to be showcased on this page. That's all I knew all these while, despite having an active Flickr account since more than a year ago.

Alright, I'm a slow learner...

But two days ago, I eventually learned more about this interestingness thingy, when I stumbled upon Big Huge Labs. It hosts a number of cool Flickr toys developed by some generous folks. And one of the gadgets, Scout, has become my favourite.

Scout: Find your photographs in Flickr Explore

it says.

At that point, I still had no idea about Flickr Explore. But I gave it a try anyway. Then, voila! It returned two results.

I... what(?)... have two photos on Explore? Now, that's interesting!

This photo which I took in Miyajima last summer was one of them.

What's more, this photo has a ranking of #57, it said.

Then, there was this other photo I posted the other day.

Mt Fuji at sunset, taken at Yamanaka Lake, one of the famous Fuji Five Lakes. And this one ranked in the #40's.

Wow, that's cool. I had to find out more.

By doing a quick search, I found out that Flickr has got some kind of algorithm that figures out the interestingness of each photo uploaded everyday. No one knows how the algorithm works exactly. But common sense tells that page views, number of comments and favourites are surely part of the recipe for the interestingness algo. So, obviously the ranking changes over time, as photos get viewed, commented or faved. I learned that my Miyajima photo was once a #8. It has slipped down the rankings over time.

As for the second photo, it now ranks at #10. I've no idea how much longer it'll remain on the front page of Explore 19 November 2008. But making it into Explore certainly meant a lot. I've been wanting to take a shot of Mt Fuji from the lakes but the weather hasn't been cooperative; sunny days on weekdays but when it comes to Sundays, it's always cloudy or rainy. When the weather forecast on Tuesday predicted a stretch of sunny days, I made up my mind about making a trip down to Yamanaka Lake the very next day after the first lesson. It cost me 4000 yen and frozen fingers (it dropped to as low as -1゜C after sunset). Of course, at first it was plainly for the pleasure I derive from photography that I took the trouble going there. Nevertheless, the fact that the other Flickrites like it is a very warm encouragement.

Though I'm very well aware that there're many other photos out there that deserve better compliments. So, let's not get too lightheaded.

Anyway, just one last little publicity.

詮索（いや、取調べ？）

「今日、また図書館？」

放課後、相変わらず詮索してきたんだ。

「いや、帰るよ。用がある。」

冷たいけれども、それは答える気がないから。

「用？デート？」

こいつ、最近うっぜなぁ。疑問形多すぎ。次々と押し付けられた質問にいちいち答えるつもりはねぇよ。

「ほぉ、今帰って、６時までに渋谷へ…間に合うよね…きっと、そうでしょ？」


また疑問形…無視されたにもかかわらず、取り調べを続けた。いかんにシツコイッ！誰か渋谷ってったっけ？誰かデートなどってったっけ？まあ、いいや。こいつの妄想力はどこまで暴走してんのか、俺も知りたいから、しばらく付き合ってやるよ。

「渋谷？東京って、渋谷だけじゃないよ。」あえて聞いてみる。

「だって、便利だもん。両方にとってね…」そして、自慢げな顔をして、ニヤニヤと。

どうやら、こいつは俺があの子と何かがある、と確信してる。

ぶっちゃけな話で、確かにあいつには気に入るんだけど、それ以上の展開は望んでおりません。（…うむ、かな？）まあ、とりあえず、各自の「妄想力」にお任せします。もう詮索だけは勘弁していただきます。

Hyottoko and Okame

This one is related to a post two weeks ago. (No Entry, October 28 2008)

Okay, after coming all the way to Yokosuka, my plan was ruined because I was refused entry into the Navy Base. Sure enough I left before they changed their mind and decided to give me an anal probe security check.

But luckily, I managed to take some cool shots during the procession earlier. Now, that made my trip worthwhile. I've posted these photos on both my Flickr Photostream and my photoblog. I know it's redundant, but I'll just post two of them here together with the short descriptions which can be found on the other two sites.

Kagura Masks: Hyottoko ひょっとこ

Kagura (神楽 - God Entertainment) masks are used in Shinto theatrical dance. They can often be seen in matsuri (Japanese festivals). This one here is a boy character called hyottoko. (Those who have watched the Japanese movies, Death Note and L: Change the World, can probably recall the mask used by L to conceal his identity.)

There're several versions to its origin. One has it that it comes from hi-otoko (火男 - fire boy), who blows out the flame in the kitchen stove with a bamboo stick (thus the shape of his mouth).

The other version comes from a local myth in Ishikawa prefecture. It is said that there was once a boy with an odd face who produces gold in his navel. Ever since his death, it is believed that by placing a mask resembling his face at the kitchen stove, the family will be blessed with prosperity. Somehow, the name of the boy hyoutokosu (ヒョウトコス) transformed into hyottoko.

The girl character, okame complements this one.

Oh, and that's not a salut. it's just the awkward mechanical way he walks (imagine tin man with stiff joints marching in a parade and you'll get a rough idea).

Kagura Masks: Okame おかめ

This one here is a girl character called okame or otafuku.

The squished round nose, the high cheeks and the moon face are the main characteristics of this character. She complements the boy character, hyottoko.

Sometimes, though, it is also used to represent a boy character.

When Dreams and Reality Run on Parallel Tracks

It's true that my blogging style has changed - not to say the blogging frequency too - since a year ago or so. I don't have to re-read my previous posts (I never do) to come up with that conclusion; I'm aware of the circumstances that lead to this.

It's not that my life has become uneventful these days - there're plenty of things I can blog about. The fact that I no longer bother about sitting down, arrange my thoughts and put them into words, is a worrying sign. This is not motivational at all, but admittedly, I'm beginning to simply accept things the way they are.

Contentedness, what's so bad about it?

It doesn't have to mean that you're satisfied with your life. No, it's not contentedness but apathy, to put it crudely. It means that you no longer care about what's going on. And in extreme cases, it happens because you don't give a shit about dreams and hopes anymore.

Remember those childhood days when you sat next to the window, imagining flying a jet when you grew up, or visiting that twinkling star in the night sky at a place far, far away - nothing was too far-fetched. But in the process of growing up, you're brought back to reality; you start to realize that your dreams are too far-fetched. That's why as adults, we dismiss those thoughts as "day dreaming". It's a "dream" because one day, you're going to wake up and come to terms with reality.

I quote a friend of mine who said these words in a nomikai last week.

人間は誰でも夢を与えられるべきだ。俺は相思う。 (I believe that everyone should have the right to dream.)

It still amazes me how a semi-drunk man could spout words as inspirational as these. It kept me thinking. True enough, without a dream, there can be no motivation. And once you lose your motivation, your life is no different from that of a washing machine.

Angela Aki, a famous J-pop artist wrote a letter to her future self when she was in high school. I was about to do the same after reading that article. Even though I've long passed high school, I wonder what I'd write to in my letter to my future self. About the list of things to do when I grew up? About the girl in the class I had a crush on? About how well I did in the recent test?

But most of all, whatever is the content, would I have the courage to rip the envelope and face my former self, with pride and dignity?