Things I love about May: Bee Gees, green oaks, fringe tree, and decent weather.

Things I love about May: Bee Gees, green oaks, fringe tree, and decent weather.

First of May by Bee Gees.  

I've been listening to Fujita Emi's version a lot lately. It's a really emotional song. When I listen to it, I feel calm and vaguely remember the old days. My eyes get moist. It's a song that I want to sing beautifully somewhere. 

The green of the zelkova tree and the fringe tree.   

I like the fringe tree flowers. The neat blooming has a different charm from the gorgeousness of the cherry blossoms. Green comes out of all the trees. As green leaves grow one by one on the bare branches throughout the winter, the trees become green all over. If there is 'life', it would be like this.  

It's weather that allows you to take out short sleeves. 

It's not awkward to wear short sleeves in the middle of May. It's moderately warm and moderately windy. No one knows how long this kind of weather will last. The weather is getting warmer and warmer, so the midsummer weather of May is not something that's only in the future.  

May is called the queen of seasons, but even without the word 'queen', May is a wonderful and beautiful season. Simple elegance adds even more leisure and charm. Let's enjoy May. 

 

green leafs of may

flower of may

2025.05.04.

 

Strawberry Pots and New Daily Routine

Strawberry Pots and New Daily Routine

It’s been about two weeks since I planted strawberry seedlings in pots and placed them on the veranda. Last week, I developed a new morning routine: I put the pots outside as soon as I wake up. I place two pots behind my car in the parking lot. My veranda doesn’t receive sunlight in the morning, but sunlight comes into the room in the afternoon. So I decided to put the pots outside in the morning. I put the pots back in in the afternoon when the sunlight reaches the inside of the veranda. 

There are several profits to leaving the pots outside. First, the stems become stronger as they sway gently in the wind. When the flowers bloom, bees come to help pollinate them. When it rains, there is no need to water. Rainwater has more nutrients than tap water. 

That ’s really sincere. If I can eat a lot of strawberries this summer, it must have been because of this effort. The daily routine of moving the pots will help the strawberries grow well. And although it’s a small thing, my life seems to be taking shape with a certain routine. The strawberries are growing well, and my life is becoming more lively.  

#strawberry #garden #routine
  

2025.5.1.

 

There is a time for people and things. The relationship between people and things.

There is a time for people and things.  The relationship between people and things.

I have a stepper that I bought a while ago. I used it a few times and then just left it there, covered in dust and taking up space, so I decided to put it up on a second-hand website. I took it out, wiped the dust off it, and took a picture. Then I used it once. 

But, hey? This thing is pretty useful. 

I've used the stepper at home a few times. My legs felt stronger. My thigh muscles were also stimulated, which seemed to be the effect of exercising. So I decided to stop putting it up on a second-hand website and use it for myself for the time being. 

Just as people have relationships with people, there are also times when people and things have their own fate. When I first bought the stepper, I didn’t really need it, but now I’m using it well.

Among the things I have, why aren't I using them now? If you have something, use it well according to its purpose. If it's something you don't use, get rid of it. It just takes up space. Space is money. 

Stepper. Start exercising again.

2025.4.28.

 

I took the strawberry pot on the veranda outside.

I took the strawberry pot on the veranda outside.

I bought strawberry seedlings at the market. I planted them in pots and put them on the veranda, but today I took them outside. They sometimes get rained on and photosynthesize. If you fertilize them, they will grow well and produce lots of strawberries. My goal for this year is to grow the two seedlings well and eat lots of strawberries in the summer.  

If I had a garden, strawberries would be one of the crops I would want to plant. There is nothing more fun to grow and enjoy picking and eating the fruit than strawberries. They also propagate well, so if you plant them in a corner of the garden, they will spread all over. It happens quickly.  

Some of them spend the winter outside, and some of them are transplanted and grown indoors in pots, so I can eat strawberries in the winter. If I harvest a lot, I can make jam. I have to move to a single-family house or a country house with a garden. I moved all this time just to grow strawberries. 

Two strawberry pots. You guys are responsible for the strawberries I eat this year. 

two strawberry pots.

#strawberry #garden 

2025.4.28.

 

Video : 

You are responsible for the strawberries I eat this year. 

As you get older, it becomes harder to find a house or a job.

As you get older, it becomes harder to find a house or a job.

I'm looking at real estate sites because I'm planning to move. When I see a house that fits my budget, I look up the detailed description. But I come across something unusual.  

The building is a three-story multi-family house. The building owner says, "None of the residents in this building are over 60." He says that the advantage is that there are no elderly people over 60 living there. What does that mean? 

I've heard something similar. Landlords don't rent out their houses to elderly people. Especially elderly people who live alone. It goes without saying if the elderly person is a man. Elderly residents have a lot to worry about, are uncomfortable, and are worrisome. So the landlord says that since there are no elderly people living in this building, they can live comfortably. I completely understand.  

When you get older, you need to have your own house, even if it is shabby. No landlord wants to rent to an elderly person. If you keep doing this, you will end up living on the street without being able to find a house.   

Let me tell you another similar story. When he retired in his late 50s and tried to find a part-time job, he sent out his resume here and there, but he was rejected by all of them. When he looked into the reason, it seemed to be because of his age. When you retire at an old age, it is difficult to find a job, whether you are a full-time employee or a part-time employee. It is difficult to make a living.

When you get older, you need to have your own house to live in and a place to work. It doesn't matter if it's a shabby house or a job that doesn't earn much money. It's hard to find a house or a job when you get older. You need to have a small house and a job that you can make and sell. 

2025.4.22. 

 

Sell ​​things at 'Carrot(Used market-Daangn)' and find a job.

Sell ​​things at 'Carrot(Used market-Daangn)' and find a job. 

A representative second-hand trading app is 'Carrot'(Daangn). I recently signed up for the app to organize my home. I organized all the books I've read and things I don't use and uploaded them to the app. Some items sold right after I uploaded them, and some items were suggested to be lowered, so I uploaded them again at a lower price than I had originally set. With Carrot, my items are decreasing one by one, and my house is getting bigger. It's just a small amount of money, but it's coming in. 

Carrot also has a job search corner. If people need job for a short period of time or longer, people post a job advertisement on Carrot. Urgent jobs sometimes require me to start work in a few hours. I applied for one. I got a call in less than an hour. 

The biggest advantage is that you can use your spare time. After work, you can work for an hour or two on weekends to change the ambience of your life and earn some pocket money. It's like changing the ambience of your home by getting rid of things you don't use. It's a really good platform. 

You should try using the platform when it comes out. It's useful in many ways. It's a service that helps you in your life, and you can also earn a small income economically. Above all, the biggest advantage is that you can use your time meaningfully.

If your life is stagnant, you need to change something. Start something. If you start, half the success is achieved. Execution is the answer.   

[Realistic thoughts that create results] 

1. If you don't start, nothing will change. 

2. You can't do it well from the beginning. 

3. No one will tell you from the beginning to the end. 

4. If you don't know, you can study and experience. 

5. Successful people have gone through this process. 

2025.4.18

Things to do when you feel like life isn't going well.

Things to do when you feel like life isn't going well.

I wonder if there has ever been a time as frustrating as these days. Things are stuck and there is no sign of things going well. When you feel like life is not going well, should you just sit there?  

There is no way to drastically change the mood. However, you can clear your mind. 

1. Clean up your surroundings. If you organize, clean up, and organize, your confused mind will be organized and you will feel motivated. It is said that cleaning brings good luck. The clutter around me is an obstacle that blocks my luck. If you clean it up, your life will be unraveled. 

2. Walk, run, or exercise. If you move your body, distracting thoughts will disappear and you will feel motivated. There is nothing better than moving to awaken your lost motivation. It is easy. If you look around, you will see things. Fun, freshness, interest. You will feel motivated to do something again. 

3. Meet people and talk. Not the people you always meet, but people you are not familiar with. People you meet in the neighborhood. Even if it is a trivial matter, if you talk to them with warm words, you can shake off the feeling of being alone. If someone encourages you, can't you do anything? 

4. If you have some money, you can go somewhere. It doesn't have to be a grand 'trip'. You don't have to go far. Just going to a nearby place can change the mood. 

If something isn't going well, it means you're stagnant. You can resolve stagnation with small changes. Change is brought about by doing things you don't usually do, such as cleaning, exercising, meeting people, or traveling. 

I wrote the above article a long time ago. And then I'm in a frustrating situation again. I think about the method I used to think of and try it out. But there's something I have to do before. That is, look up at the sky. First, take a deep breath while looking at the sky, and bring about small changes.  

 

When you feel depressed, look at the sky.

2025.4.14.

Streetlight and Pine Tree

Streetlight and Pine Tree

The public library I often visit is on the outskirts of the city. There aren't many visitors to the library. It used to be crowded. The number of visitors to the library has decreased in just a few years.  

There is a famous tourist attraction nearby. During the day, the area around the library is crowded with tourists. It becomes quiet again in the evening. I went to the library and came out around 8 pm. The parking lot in front of the library was empty and there were no people coming and going.  

I like the quiet inside the library and the quietness in the evening. I walk for a while without meeting anyone. I want to enjoy this kind of time even for a little while every day. I wash away the hustle and bustle in my mind with the quietness of the surroundings.  

The streetlights and pine trees stand quietly. 

Streetlight and Pine Tree

2025.4.14.

Cherry Blossom Full Bloom Shorts Video. Views are not something I can do.

Cherry Blossom Full Bloom Shorts Video. Views are not something I can do. 

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, so I couldn't just pass them by. I filmed a video while walking and uploaded it to YouTube as a short video, but after 5 hours, it only had 15 views. I uploaded 5 short videos in a week, and they all got over 1,000 views. This video was the only one that got strangely low.   

There's no way around this. I deleted the video in the evening. Then I used a video editing program to shorten the video by about 2 seconds and uploaded it again. Then it got over 1,500 views. It's the same video, but the results are different depending on when you upload it. YouTube views are something I can't do anything about. Should I upload a video like a prayer service and pray? 

Thinking about it differently, there's always an opportunity. If you make a good video and upload it, there will come a time when it rains after a drought. 

Cherry blossoms in spring 2025

2025.4.11.

I got some old magazines from the library.

I got some old magazines from the library.

There may be differences depending on the library, but local public libraries do not keep newspapers and magazines for long. The library I go to keeps magazines for two years and no longer. So, at certain times, they give out magazines from two years ago to library users. They limit each person to five, so that they can distribute them evenly to many users. 

This year, they are also giving out magazines from 2023. They put various magazines on a shelf and let people who want to take them. I brought three this time. These are magazines from fields I don't usually read. It's good to be exposed to various fields, there's nothing like magazines. There are countless types of magazines, and I don't have time to read them. I'm taking this opportunity to broaden my interests. 

2025.4.2.

various magazines on a shelf

Old things have emotions. Old things on the walls of Hanok

Old things have emotions. Old things on the walls of Hanok

I was walking around Gongju Hanok Village. Old items were lined up on the walls of buildings. This would be a sight that would catch the eye of people who used to live in the countryside. Houses without separate storages would place and hang items on the walls like this. Now, you can only see these items at museums or living history exhibition halls. 

Old items that are not used are static. They stay still because they capture emotions. My eyes and heart linger on the old appearance, the way I used to live. In the midst of busy, fast-moving times, it would be nice to sometimes linger on old memories. 

2025.3.31.

Old things on the walls of Hanok

This spring, forest fires occur again. Safety information text.

This spring, forest fires occur again. Safety information text.

Everything is fine with the warmer-than-usual spring weather. But there is some unwelcome news. A safety text message. 

A forest fire disaster national crisis alert is at serious level. 

Forest fires are raging on a large scale all over the country. There have been casualties and damage to residents. According to the news, there have been more than 30 forest fires in Chungcheong, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, and Gyeonggi. 

Highways near forest fires are completely closed. 

Roads are being closed. How much forest will they burn? 

Wildfire Disaster Alert Text. March 22, 2025

Is spring the season for forest fires? 

Be careful, be careful. I hope there is no more damage. 

And I hope the forest fires are put out quickly. 

However, it seems like the forest fires are just beginning. Soon, we will continue to receive safety text messages about fine dust, yellow dust, and pollen. 

2025.03.23. 

Do you like a big house? or a small house? After Corona, everything has come into the house.

Do you like a big house? or a small house? After Corona, everything has come into the house.

After Corona, big house or small house. 

Everything has come inside the house. 

The COVID-19 situation has changed the way I think about the size of the house. The choice of a big house or a small house is a matter of taste, but when Corona was in full swing, I thought it would be better to have a big house.   

Small house advocates preach the usefulness of small houses for various reasons. They say that, to put it in extreme terms, you can only sleep at home and do everything else outside. Eating out, drinking tea outside, working out at the gym, if you do this, you really only need to sleep in a small house.  

Before COVID-19, small houses were popular. First of all, the increase in single-person households was the biggest factor. People living alone do not need a big house. Minimalism also played a part. People live simply by reducing their belongings, and if they live alone, they do not necessarily need a big house. In addition, as house prices rose, people began to prefer relatively small houses. However, a variable has appeared. 

After COVID-19, society has become non-face-to-face, and all aspects of society are changing. People are more likely to order delivery services than large marts, watch movies at home, exercise at home, and travel at home. As a result, people are naturally drawn to big houses. If you put exercise equipment in a big house and bring things you do outside into the house, it is inevitable that this will happen.  

If you have a lifestyle where you solve a lot of things outside, a small house is fine. However, if non-face-to-face contact is inevitably strengthened and telecommuting becomes more popular, a large house seems more useful than a small house. 

Now that the peak of Corona has passed and things are returning to the previous situation, I am again contemplating whether to have a large house or a small house. A small house is better for my circumstances.  

 

Praise of small houses 

1. Economical.   

Small houses have lower total costs, including construction costs, maintenance costs, and the cost of purchasing appliances and furniture. 

2. Eco-friendly.   

Small houses consume fewer resources. The smaller the size of the house, the less energy is consumed. Small appliances can be used, and recyclable building materials can be used. 

3. Easy to maintain.   

Small houses are easy to maintain. Cleaning, organizing, and maintenance are all done in a small space, so less time and effort is required. 

4. Lifestyle.   

Small houses are suitable for people who pursue a simple life. When the space is small, unnecessary items and distracting habits can be discarded, allowing a simple and clean life. Life is creative, such as coming up with ideas for using small houses effectively. 

5. High mobility.   

Small houses are highly mobile. You can easily move to wherever you want to live. You can freely move your residence, including living there for a month.

 

 

Small house / Tomoya Takamura 

Personal reasons why I appreciate public libraries

Personal reasons why I appreciate public libraries

There is a public library near my house. It is a 10-minute walk. I used to live in the library. I would go there in the morning to read books, eat lunch, and leave work in the evening. Let me tell you a few very realistic and personal stories, rather than general comments about the utility of public libraries. 

1. In the summer, it is a place with good air conditioning.  

In the summer when heat wave warnings continue like these, there is no better place to escape the heat than a library. The air conditioning is good, so you only have to be careful of the heat when you come and go. Many residents visit on weekends to escape the heat. 

2. In the winter, it is a place with good heating. 

Just like in the summer, the heating is good in the winter, so it is good to read books and rest in the library. For a person living alone, the library is a good place to spend time in both summer and winter. 

3. I walk while I go to the library. 

It is only a 10-minute walk, but the walk to and from the library and walking around the library are the minimum amount of exercise for the day. If I just stay at home, I am very inactive. If I live like this for a long time, I will get sick and become mentally weak. I solve walking and walking for 30 minutes to 1 hour a day on my way to the library. 

4. The coffee vending machine in the library is like a cafe. 

I drink a cup of coffee a day from the vending machine at the library. It is cheap and convenient. I take a break from reading a book and get a cup of coffee from the vending machine. While drinking, I walk slowly inside the building. Since there is coffee, it is a cafe, since there are books, it is a library, and since I walk, it is a walk. 

5. Apply for a book of your choice. 

And this is exactly what I wanted to talk about today. The library has many books, but you can apply for a book you want to read. The library purchases a certain number of books a year, but the book I want to read is not always included. You can apply for 3 books a year per person. 

I applied for a purchase from the library two weeks ago, and the book arrived, and I received a notification text. I went to the library in the evening to get the book. I would not have this luxury if I were not at a public library.  I was able to spend the hot summer coolly thanks to the library. Fall will be short, and winter will come soon. Library life continues even in winter. Thank you, library. 

library-book-1

library-book-2

Three strawberries grew on the strawberry seedlings.

Three strawberries grew on the strawberry seedlings.

If I had a yard, one of the crops I wanted to plant was 'strawberries'. I remember growing a few seedlings in the garden when I was young, and I have a deep memory of that. First of all, strawberries grow well and I can eat the fruit, so it's like killing two birds with one stone. 

Every spring, I look around the market for strawberry seedlings. I thought about buying seeds and planting them, but that didn't work out either. I always felt regretful because I didn't have a garden and it wasn't suitable to grow them on the veranda.  

Then this time, I bought a strawberry seedling. Not two or three, just one. I planted it in a large pot and it produced several strawberries. I think one of them will be ready to eat soon. 

I don't know how many strawberries will come from one plant. This year's strawberries will be solved with this one seedling.

strawberry-veranda 01

strawberry-veranda 02

First Strawberry Harvest

About ten days ago, I bought strawberry seedlings and strawberries started to form, and one of them turned red and ripe. I thought about when I would eat them for a few days, and today, after lunch, I cut them up and ate them. It was my first strawberry harvest. I was so moved by the strawberries in front of me that I admired them for a while. One strawberry for lunch. What a rich life. 

Why is the first strawberry important? 

The first strawberry naturally calls for the second strawberry.  

strawberry-veranda 03

Today, I also bought some fertilizer for pots. Of the three strawberries, I ate one and there are two left, and one is ripening red.  

A person selling strawberries at the market said : 

If you plant them and water them, they will grow well~~Oh. 

I believe that~~Oh.

Video : 

Growing strawberries on the veranda, and simple harvesting 

Sudden Power Outage, Candlelight, and a Special Evening

Sudden Power Outage, Candlelight, and a Special Evening 

After work, I got home and was preparing dinner. I took out some food from the refrigerator and was just about to start, when the power went out. It was dark inside, and I was in a difficult situation. When I went outside, the power went out only on the line where I was, not the entire apartment. 

When I renewed my monthly magazine subscription last month, the publisher sent me a candle as a gift. I lit it and waited for the electricity to come back on. Unlike usual, there was only silence. I was wondering if I should stay like this until tomorrow morning, and if the boiler wouldn’t work, when the electricity came back on. Light. It was only for an hour, but the night without electricity was special. Silence. Silence. Silence. 

They say people used to live well without electricity. That must not have been living well. They lived without knowing that the inconveniences were inconvenient. Gas, the phone, the things we use conveniently now were things that didn’t exist in the past. When I think about the times when we lived without them, the world is really convenient now. 

- 2020. 12. 3.

Roses of October. She transplanted roses.

Roses of October. She transplanted roses.

A few years ago, she, who lives on the first floor, transplanted roses from a small pot into a flower bed on the first floor. It must have been a flower pot given as a gift by a family member for some kind of anniversary, and it was grown inside the house for a while before being taken outside.

At first, she was very careful because it was small. She covered it with a large bowl before heavy rain, and watered it morning and evening in midsummer. She even put up a sunshade during the hot midday. In any case, she was very devoted. 

The roses endured the summer heat, the rainy season, and the midwinter cold well and bloomed beautifully this year as well. Even now, as October is coming to an end, the red roses are blooming beautifully. The flowers will probably remain until mid-November. 

She, who is over 80 years old, transplanted the roses in the pot so that she could see the flowers next year and beyond. I, the young man next door, am more impatient than her. I get frustrated and irritated because things aren’t going well. She sees the rest of her life as long as possible, and I don’t. 

Nothing can be forced. Just work and wait as it should. If you are impatient, you can not wait. And if you can not wait, you will miss the opportunity. Looking at her roses, I reconsider my mindset.

2024.10.30. 

Roses of October 1

Roses of October 2

Video : 

October roses. Transplanted from a small pot a few years ago

A YouTuber for fun. Creating records one by one.

A YouTuber for fun. Creating records one by one.

I first uploaded a YouTube video two years ago. It was the beginning of YouTube. The first video was made by collecting photos I had taken before, and The second video was made from a video I accidentally shot when there was a wild flower exhibition on the way to and from the library. A few days after uploading the second video, it reached 5,000 views.  

That was when I started to enjoy YouTube. I thought the video would become popular, my subscribers would increase, and I would make money. But that was it. Since then, the number of views for the video has stayed at around 100~200, and my subscribers have now exceeded 100. 

At this point, you might think that hope has become despair. However, I am not disappointed. YouTube is fun itself. It is my record and growth. That alone is enough. It would be nice to make money, but it is also nice to have something to do for fun. Still, I hope that I will make money through YouTube someday and become a 'YouTuber'. 

2025.02.03.

wild flower exhibition

Video : 

wild flower exhibition

The Beginning of Coin Laundries and the Change in Lifestyle

The Beginning of Coin Laundries and the Change in Lifestyle
 
I had a comforter set that I received as a gift before. I had it stored in the utility room for several years without even opening the packaging. This time, I got to use the comforter. First, I had to open the packaging and wash it once. My washing machine at home broke down, so I went to a nearby coin laundry. The neighborhood coin laundry has been open for about two years. Before that, there was a chicken restaurant, but business wasn’t good. It closed for a while, renovated the interior, and then opened as a coin laundry. 

I started using the coin laundry a year ago. I did small laundry at home, and I used the coin laundry for large laundry. It was because my washing machine at home broke down. Then why didn’t I buy a washing machine for a year? I was planning to move. So I was spent thinking that I would buy a new washing machine when I moved, but it’s been over a year. It’s the same now. I’ll buy a washing machine after I move.

After lunch, I washed my blanket at the coin laundry. Instead of drying it, I brought it home and hung it on the indoor drying rack. Since it is dry in the winter, it also acts as a humidifier. 

I read an article about coin laundries before. Coin laundries were originally a convenience for people who could not afford to buy a washing machine at home. People who could not afford a washing machine because they had no money or had limited space in their homes used them. That is how I am now. 

The first coin laundries appeared in Texas in 1934. They began as the Great Depression caused an increase in the number of households that could not afford to buy washing machines. At that time, coins were not used, but instead, they had to pay a resident attendant. There were no dryers, so they had to take their wet laundry home to dry. The modern coin laundries began in New York in 1957. Coin payments became possible, and this led to the 24-hour operation. This convenience greatly increased the popularity of coin laundries. 

Coin laundries were an innovative idea that provided laundry services to people who could not afford to buy washing machines. Unmanned, 24-hour operation. And this service-using lifestyle has become a culture and is shown in various ways in novels and movies.  

As single-person households increase, the demand for coin laundries has begun to increase. Considering efficiency and lifestyle, coin laundries will become a convenient facility that plays an important role in busy modern life.   

2025.01.30.
 

Coin laundry view

Video : 
Rainy morning. In a quiet coin laundreis. The sound of a washing machine running.

Heavy snowfall during the Lunar New Year holidays in 2025. The snow is piling up faster than it can be cleared away.

Heavy snowfall during the Lunar New Year holidays in 2025. The snow is piling up faster than it can be cleared away. 

I looked up the weather forecast before the Lunar New Year holiday and it said there would be heavy snow during the holiday. The temperature would also drop after the snow falls. I was a little worried about going to Gyeonggi-do from the countryside to celebrate the holiday. Should I drive up when it snows or avoid the heavy snow and cold? So I decided to go before the holiday started. 

I went up before the holiday and came back before the holiday started. There was no traffic and it was quiet. Then the holiday started. Heavy snow advisories and warnings continued and heavy snow fell. Accidents occurred all over the road. Unlike previous years, it snowed a lot during the Lunar New Year holiday. 

The snowfall in my area was so severe that buses couldn't run because of the snow. I got a safety disaster text message saying that buses in the outskirts were not running. Oh my god.

Service suspension notification text

'Due to heavy snowfall, there are areas where city buses cannot operate for safety reasons. Passengers are requested to check the operation status in advance before using city buses.'

'Due to heavy snowfall today, the first bus will not be running, and all routes will be delayed thereafter. Citizens are advised to take note when using public transportation.'

I cleared the snow from the apartment parking lot. There is too much snow for the manager to clear alone. Some residents cleared the snow in the morning and afternoon, and I also helped out. It has been a long time since I have cleared snow. The snow is falling more than the amount cleared. I need to call someone. 

heavy snow

 snow removal work

Video : 

Heavy snowfall during the Lunar New Year holidays in 2025. Scenery around the apartment complex. The snow is accumulating faster than it is being cleared away. Heavy snow advisory. It is falling heavily. (20250128). 

2025.01.29