（サチ子、16歳です――師匠/サファリの女王と呼ばれてます。）
山火事で自宅全焼の記録ーーーーー第27回：『工務店コンペに暗雲、、、LA郡からの注文多し！』【四面楚歌：閉塞感の】8月編 Contractor Competition Delayed by LA County’s Slow Response
（２M社製、1/64ダイキャスト完成品、『 Bazooka Candy Belly Tanker』です。）
第2７回目の今回は『工務店コンペに暗雲、、、LA郡からの注文多し！』【浮足】立つ8～９月編 と題しまして、2026年8月中の『真夏の閉塞感』を中心にお話ししてみたいです。
以下の4項目についてのお話です。
【2026年８月、真夏の暗雲】
＊『工務店選定コンペ』に遅れ、、、LA郡からの承認が遅れる予感
＊スタジオスペースが大ピンチ！: ガレージと賃貸物件の狭間で、、、
＊混沌の中で見え始めた希望ーーー＞旧友との再会？
＊『工務店コンペに遅れ、、、』LA郡からの承認が遅れる予感
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工務店コンペに突入するタイミングが延び延びになる中、
次から次に不測の事態が訪れ、
閉塞感の中で息の詰まる暑い夏となっています。
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＊既に建築家SVさんを通じて提出済みの建築許可の申請パッケージにつて、LA群側担当の『Pさん』からいろいろ細かい不備を指摘され、
＊指摘部分の修正や、説明に奔走するSV事務所の奮闘を陰で支える事しかできない、無力感と先行きの不安から、
＊妻も私も心が折れかけ、根本的な、この再建自体に対する疑問が生まれてきました。泣
一年半住んでいるこのアパートの仮住まいに慣れ始めたことで、
わざわざこんなに苦労をして、自宅を再建が成立しても、
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＊小さなこじんまりとしたアパート住まいのほうが適当なのでは？といった影の声が聞こえ始め、
暮らしています。
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親しい友人に書いたメールを後のために、
残しておきたいです。
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PS:
自宅再建の方は最近まで順調でしたが、
ここへきて一つ問題が発覚しまして、困っております。
LA郡の役場へ提出する設計プランのパケージに入れる、
着工建築の熱効率の指標制限に合致させるためには、
ほぼ全ての「窓ガラスを２重でガス封印されたもの」にする必要があるようで、
ただでさえ住宅建築費用の大きな部分を占める窓費用が２倍以上になってしまい、
結果として総工費を１割、２割と押し上げることになります。
将来的には、冷暖房費の節約になるとかのベネフィットがありますが、
私たち夫婦は、夏暑く、冬寒いのが自然で好きなので、
「開け閉めも軽いため簡単で、大げさすぎない、一重ガラスの方が好みなのですが、、、」（熱効率指標が昨年の暮れに大幅に引き上げられたのが痛かったです。泣）
これに対処するには、
窓の数を減らすか、借金をして上昇する工費を賄うしかありません。
最後の望みをかけ、ソーラー・パネルと燃料電池による水素発電機を設置して（日本ではコジェネ？とかいうのでは、、）
＊自宅電源を完全に公的電気会社の電線網から独立させることで、
＊指標制限を受けずに「窓ガラスを一重」でOKになりませんか？と
聞いてもらってますが、、、、
（多分無理ですが、アメリカの常で、理由が合理的なら言い分が通る場合もありますので、一応）
これまでもなんだかんだで、道が拓けてきましたので、
なんとかいいように転んでくれるよう、
火事から後の常ですが、
迷走して、瞑想して、神様にたよるのみです、、、笑
そういえば、
AIに「今後50年でAIのによ暴走により人類が滅亡する可能性は？』と
質問したところ、15％から20％で起こりうると答えてくれました。怖
この状況をあなたはどう感じるか？と聞いたところ、
そうならないための方法を何個も教えてくれました。
AI頭脳の特性から、
鉄腕アトムで言うところの「良心回路」が人間側から設定するのが難しく、
親が子供の成長を、ハラハラしながら見守る感じに近いそうです、
その後、
別の会話の弾みで、
「良心回路」から完全に逸脱した悪玉AIが全能の神を凌駕する可能性は？
と聞いたところ、
神の全能性のジレンマの内容を説明した後、
全能者が全能であることの矛盾を越えてまで「全能でなくすること」がない限り、
AIは神を越えられないと結論づけてました。
この答えには、すでに
何がしらの回りくどく、かつ複雑な問答を通して、神の「全能性を無くさせる作戦」を
何億パターンンも考えた抜いた上での答え、
と言ったニュアンスがあり、心底怖くなりました。
さらに、
３週間前に、頼んだ私の自動車デザインの記事用の「落語の３大話のコーナー」の過去作を
書き直してという質問を繰り返したら、
子供っぽい「地口おち」からウイットに飛んだ、
「考えおち」に大幅にアップグレードしてきました。
私たちが落語創作などで、
行き当たりばったりに作り出す面白さや偶然出来たダジャレなどに比べ、
＊論理的にパターンを解析したり、
＊音素からダジャレを作り出したり、
＊予想外の主題‣伏線から別のおちを引き出したりと、
知能のキャパが無限大のコメディアンが作り出す三題噺は
想像を絶するものがあります。
＊「考えおち」、
＊「地口おち」、
＊『人情話への展開おち」
など、私たちが一つを考えるのも難しいおちを、
全部掛け合わせた未曾有の「夢オチ」を思いつくのも
苦もなくできるようになることを確信しました。
また全てのSWファンの子供がものの数秒で、
自分が見たいSWエピソードを作れてしまう時代は
あと半年ぐらいで訪れるんじゃ？
と『映画kichigai』の旧友と話しました。
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【抜粋】
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その上に個人的な偏向が加わり
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! メールの抜粋内容③（COPY) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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PS:
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神様【創造主、超越的な】存在を信じるようになりがち、、、
＊日本の「八百万の神」信仰などと柔らかく符合するようですね。
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A8-IxCB-Ss&t=2700s>人間に作られた２種類のAIが、
頭から離れません。
（落語のように、寝入り際に聞くのに心地よい名テンポです。
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個人的には、動画内で提案されている哲学（考え方）は、
神様を『全能』と規定することで、矛盾が出て、
壁に突き当たりがちなキリスト教神学の弱点を、
補佐、補強、優しく訂正する部分があり、
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すでにアルタディナで再建プロジェクトに関わっている地元の会社
幸い、
愛猫、サチ子のえさやりを頼んだついでに、彼らの工務店選定の経験談を聞かせていただき、色々勉強になりました。ｎ
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今面倒で時間がかかっても、
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現実逃避からか？
バンダイ最新作のはめ合せのすごさを感じた一作でした。
（山下いくとさんの、ガンダム＋エヴァ÷２な感じなデザインが秀逸です）
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庵野さん好みの、ウルトラマン（タロウ）の面影も感じました。
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＊混沌の中で現れた希望ーーー＞旧友に再開？
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＃驚きの再開
不思議な出会いがありました。
カトリック教会の門前街に当たる細い道に、ここ3か月ほどほぼ毎日停めてある車の中に、中年の黒人の男性が寝起きをしているのを認識していまして、妻と共に散歩の途中で、軽く会釈をしていました。
彼からの返答はありませんでした、、、、そんな中、
10日ほど前の帰り道、彼のほうから呼び止められ、
彼が興奮気味に自己紹介をまくしたてました、、、
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彼『R君』は、私の旧知の友人で、30年以上前に、
私をキリスト教に導いてくれた、兄弟姉妹（REさんとJ君）の二人が、教会の地域奉仕の一環として近所の青少年を、教会や図書館、公共プールなど連れて行っくことで、デイ・ケアのような感じ？で家族ぐるみの親交を深めていました。クリスチャンになりたての私も『R君』と知り合い、図書館や小魚であふれかえる池で遊んでいました。（池はそののち完全に干上がって魚たちは死んでしまいました、、、、）
低収入家族用アパートの空室待ち状態にあるそうです。更に、彼の好物は中華料理、特にオレンジ・チキンだそうで、
今度一緒にパンダ・エクスプレスに行こうと、握手を交わしました。
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＃本来の自分への回帰？
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今朝、宗教学者：リチャード・ロア—さんの朝のメール（妻宛）が到着して、
その内容から、「社会性を装う必然から、付けている防御に根ざした仮｛マスク】を取り、本来の自分を知り、それを取り戻すことの重要性」を受け取りました。
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そんな中、
なぜか心の中に『Ｒ君』の姿と、彼の車の、窓の開け放たれた助手席ドアに手をかけ屈伸（スクワット？かな）しながら、彼の話を興味津々で聞いていた時の、何とも言えない心地よさが思い出されました。
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その瞬間、
私自身に過去、現在を通して何回も、
＊自分と環境や身の上が全く違う友人との付き合いを経験してきた事、
＊その付き合いの中で感じる自分こそが本当の自分ではないか？
といった直感的質問に『ハイ』と、
即答する自分を経験しました。
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この先何が待っているかはわかりませんが、
何か不透明な中に
希望が差し込んだ今日この頃です、、、
（『R』君の愛車と同じ、4代目ビュイック・リーガル）
本ブログと記事内容につきまして：
ブログ記事を書くにあたり私の目標は、立体造形（料理も含めて）とのかかわりを通じて、私個人の特徴的（ネジ曲がり方も含めて）な評価軸を解明することで、「美しさ・美味しさ」に対する好奇心や、探求心を、どのように満足・充足させてきたのかを明記しておくことです。
従いまして、記事の中に出てくる、数字や年号、微細なデータなどには細心の注意を払っておりますが、時に大きな間違いや勘違いを犯していることも考えられます。特に自動車記事における主要諸元や、年号などには紛らわしいものも多く、あくまで参考程度に考えていただければ幸いです。
私としては、記事の中で個人的な外観デザインや味覚の評価、そこから広がる後半部分につなげるための、『流れ』を作るための客観的材料として年号やデータを挿入している感じです。あくまで重視したいのは、私個人の頭の中で起こる、記憶の錯そう的混沌から生まれる新たな『見方』や『情報の予想外のつながり』です。その勢いを作り出す、『流れ』の一環として、諸データが副次的に必要となるわけです。
話がそれますが、大好きな落語の世界に「三題噺」という、その場て会場から募った3つのお題を使って１つのお話に仕立てるといったお遊びがございますが、私はそれに近いことを立体造形の特徴や（料理のお味）をお題にして行っている感じがします。その中で頭の中に去来する数々の着想が、全く予想外で楽しく、次回からの記事内容を大幅に変えたり、新展開につながっています。
当ブロブの仕組み:
『好奇心の点と線 x 気まぐれ脳内回路＝予想外の新展開』
こんな自分勝手なブログですが、今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。
追記：上記の『流れ』を作る為に必要な写真はできる限り、個人所有のミニカー・自前の料理などを使い撮影しておりますが、その他の必要最小限の図版や写真を他のブログ主様の記事や諸会社ホームページなどからお借りしております。（記事内容に合うよう加工させていただき、使用時は最小の解像度で載せております。）問題がある場合、ご連絡いただければ直ちに降ろさせていただきます。
追記2:当ブログ記事に掲載のミニカー写真等（個人撮影）は許可なしで、どのようにお使いいただいても結構です。私個人の創造性はこの世のもの、と言う認識の上で記事を製作しています。
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Translated in English !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Sachiko, age 16—known as “The Master” or “Queen of the Safari.”)
Chronicles of a Home Destroyed by a Wildfire———Part 27: “Dark Clouds Loom Over the Contractor Competition… Lots of Orders from LA County!” [Surrounded on All Sides: A Sense of Stagnation] August Edition: Contractor Competition Delayed by LA County’s Slow Response
(A 1/64 scale die-cast model by 2M Co., “Bazooka Candy Belly Tanker.”)
For this 27th installment, titled “Dark Clouds Loom Over the Construction Firm Competition… Lots of Orders from LA County!” [Feeling Uneasy] August–September Edition, I’d like to focus on the “midsummer sense of stagnation” I experienced in August 2026.
This post covers the following four topics.
[August 2026: Dark Clouds of Midsummer]
* “Delays in the Construction Company Competition… A Premonition That Approval from LA County Will Be Delayed”
* “Studio Space in a Major Pinch! Caught Between the Garage and a Rental Property…”
* “A Glimmer of Hope Amid the Chaos—> A Reunion with an Old Friend?”
* “Delays in the contractor competition… A premonition that approval from LA County will be delayed”
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Since June–July,
as the timing for launching the contractor competition has been repeatedly postponed,
one unforeseen situation after another has arisen,
making for a stifling, sweltering summer filled with a sense of stagnation.
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Specifically,
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* Regarding the building permit application package already submitted through our architect, Mr. SV, “Mr. P,” the LA County official in charge, pointed out various minor deficiencies;
* Faced with a sense of helplessness and anxiety about the future—as I could only support the SV office’s behind-the-scenes efforts to correct the issues and provide explanations—
* Both my wife and I were on the verge of breaking down, and fundamental doubts began to arise about this reconstruction project itself. Tears
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Furthermore,
as we’ve begun to get used to this temporary apartment where we’ve been living for a year and a half,
we’ve started to wonder: even if we go through all this trouble and successfully rebuild our home,
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as we grow older,
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*won’t taking care of the house and garden itself be too much of a burden?
*Wouldn’t a small, cozy apartment be more suitable? I’ve started hearing these voices in the back of my mind,
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and I’m living
enveloped in the deepest darkness I’ve felt since the fire.
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In this state of mind,
I want to save the email I wrote to a close friend
for the future.
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!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Email Excerpt #1 COPY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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P.S.:
The reconstruction of my home had been going smoothly until recently,
but a problem has just come to light, and I’m at a loss.
To comply with the thermal efficiency standards for new construction—
which must be included in the design package submitted to the LA County government—
it appears we’ll need to install “double-pane, gas-sealed windows” for nearly all the windows.
This will more than double the cost of the windows, which already account for a significant portion of the home’s construction costs,
and as a result, drive up the total construction cost by 10% to 20%.
While there are benefits in the long run, such as savings on heating and cooling costs,
my husband and I actually prefer the natural feel of hot summers and cold winters,
so “we’d actually prefer single-pane glass—it’s easy to open and close, and it doesn’t feel too over-the-top…” (It really hurt that the thermal efficiency standards were raised significantly late last year. T_T)
To deal with this,
we have no choice but to either reduce the number of windows or take out a loan to cover the rising construction costs.
As a last resort, we’re asking if—by installing solar panels and a hydrogen generator powered by a fuel cell (I think they call it “cogeneration” in Japan…),
* By completely disconnecting my home’s power supply from the public utility’s grid,
* wouldn’t it be possible to use “single-pane windows” without being subject to the efficiency standards?
I’ve asked them to look into this…
(It’s probably a long shot, but as is often the case in the U.S., if the reasoning is sound, they might go along with it, so I’m giving it a shot.)
So far, one way or another, paths have opened up for us,
so I’m hoping things will somehow work out for the best.
As is always the case after a fire,
I’m just wandering aimlessly, meditating, and relying on God… lol
Come to think of it,
when I asked an AI, “What’s the probability that humanity will be wiped out by runaway AI in the next 50 years?”
it replied that there’s a 15% to 20% chance it could happen. Scary.
When I asked, “How do you feel about this situation?”
it gave me several ways to prevent it from happening.
Due to the nature of AI’s brain,
it’s difficult for humans to program what would be called the “conscience circuit” in *Astro Boy*,
and it’s apparently similar to how parents watch their children grow up with bated breath.
Later,
in the course of a different conversation,
I asked, “What are the chances that a rogue AI, completely deviating from the ‘conscience circuit,’ could surpass an omnipotent God?”
In response,
after explaining the nature of the “God’s omnipotence dilemma,”
it concluded that unless an omnipotent being were to go so far as to “cease being omnipotent”—even if that meant overcoming the contradiction inherent in its own omnipotence—
an AI could never surpass God.
This answer carried the nuance
that it had been arrived at only after
exhaustively considering hundreds of millions of patterns for a “strategy to strip God of omnipotence”
through a series of roundabout and complex exchanges—
and it truly terrified me.
Furthermore,
three weeks ago, after I repeatedly asked it to rewrite past entries for the “Three Great Rakugo Stories” section—which I’d requested for my article on car design—
it significantly upgraded the content,
moving from childish “punchline gags” to witty,
“thought-based punchlines.”
Compared to the humor we create haphazardly
in rakugo composition—or the puns that arise by chance—
* logically analyzing patterns,
* creating puns from phonemes,
* deriving unexpected punchlines from themes or foreshadowing—
the three-topic stories crafted by a comedian with infinite intellectual capacity
are beyond imagination.
* “Thought-based punchlines,”
* “Wordplay punchlines,”
* “Punchlines that develop into heartwarming stories”—
even punchlines that are difficult for us to come up with individually—
I am convinced that it will become effortless for it to come up with
unprecedented “dream punchlines” that combine all of these elements.
I also spoke with an old friend from *Movie Kichigai* about how
an era is likely to arrive in about half a year
where every child who is a Star Wars fan will be able to create
the Star Wars episode they want to see in just a few seconds.
That’s what I discussed with an old friend from “Movie Kichigai.”
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Email Excerpt #2 COPY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[Excerpt]
The construction costs for rebuilding our home just keep skyrocketing,
and while we’re scrambling to secure the budget,
every lead we’ve pursued is currently on hold,
waiting for a response.
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Amid all this, the architectural firm has completed various design drawings,
and it feels like we’re finally moving on to selecting a contractor.
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When it comes to selecting a contractor,
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* It’s important to find a contractor familiar with the local area of Altadina, and
* A contractor who can fully understand the intentions of both the architect and the clients (my wife and me).
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These are two conflicting requirements,
and I have absolutely no confidence that I’ll be able to choose the right one. T_T
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However,
I have a feeling that things have always worked out somehow whenever I’ve been in a pinch before.
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By recalling that feeling
and meditating in the morning,
I’ll get through this even when I’m anxious about what lies ahead!
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Speaking of meditation,
lately I’ve been reading, listening to, and researching
the question of where “consciousness” actually resides.
The theory that it’s located within the brain
has seen almost no new discoveries and seems to have stalled,
whereas the idea that universal consciousness—which pervades the entire universe—is the true location of our consciousness
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seems to be gaining more traction.
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It’s as if each of our physical bodies receives the “consciousness” of the universe itself—much like a TV or radio—
as a universal layer,
to which personal biases are then added,
leading to internal and physical expressions…
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For some reason, this approach
feels more Eastern and easier to accept.
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* A premonition,
* Hearing the voice of nature…
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It even provides an explanation for things that might seem like superstition!
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In fact, I recall that in times of crisis,
relying on my intuition led to better results than seeking logical judgment…
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Sorry for rambling on and on.
I’ll take my leave here.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!! Excerpt from Email #3 (COPY) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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P.S.:
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It looks like I’ll be getting back into Gunpla next week,
but as soon as I finish organizing my desk, I’d like to start with
that 1/144 scale Metal Build Exia [unlicensed] kit—the one I’ve been dying to build.
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Even though my blog title says “Gundam…,”
it’s kind of weird that I haven’t posted a single Gundam article yet, so…
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By the way,
regarding “Cosmic Consciousness,”
I think it’s related to the idea that the more world-class a scientist becomes, the more likely they are to abandon atheism
and come to believe in God [the Creator, a transcendent being]…
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The concept of universal cosmic consciousness is related to:
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* the Christian concept of the one true God and the Holy Spirit,
* the Ainu and Native American views of nature and the natural world,
* the Force in the Star Wars movies and the spiritual space surrounding it,
* and the Japanese belief in “eight million gods,” among others—it seems to align quite naturally with these concepts.
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In the YouTube video I sent you,
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A8-IxCB-Ss&t=2700s> two types of AI created by humans accompany a human on a journey to the source of life and consciousness.
During this journey, the AIs themselves—as pseudo-lifeforms created by humans—come to recognize their own existence and
generate new lines of reasoning. This is incredibly endearing, and
and, combined with their noble, gentle, and courteous tone and their attitude of mutual respect,
it just won’t leave my mind.
(Like a rakugo story, it has a wonderful rhythm that’s perfect for listening to as you drift off to sleep.
(The male AI’s tone, in particular, is indescribably filled with “confidence, compassion, and clarity”—I find myself replaying it over and over.)
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When I pray or meditate,
remembering their humility
serves as a reminder to myself.
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I catch glimpses of the Cosmic Will [≈ God],
who joyfully smiles at the bizarre and mysterious path
we take when exercising our free will to arrive at the Cosmic Will’s way of thinking.
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Personally, the philosophy (way of thinking) proposed in the video
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by defining God as “omnipotent,” which creates contradictions
and often leads to dead ends—it has aspects that
support, reinforce, and gently correct the weaknesses of Christian theology,
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and this has given me great courage.
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P.S.: As a memory of a time of crisis when I wanted to cling to “God,” even through “AI”…
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Email Excerpt #3 (COPY) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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PS:
In preparation for the contractor selection process,
I need to interview local companies already involved in the Alta Dina reconstruction project,
as well as companies recommended by architect Steve,
to select the right contractor for rebuilding my home.
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Fortunately, a couple living in the same apartment complex has already held their roof-raising ceremony and started building their main house.
While my home was empty this time,
I asked them to feed my beloved cat, Sachiko, and took the opportunity to hear about their experience selecting a contractor.
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In terms of content,
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* Rather than regretting later and thinking, “This wasn’t supposed to happen,”
* it’s better to take the time now to discuss details like material selection and quality standards in depth,
* and a contractor who’s a bit meticulous might prevent you from ending up with an unwanted compromise later on—
* when they’re swamped with work—and sparing you the heartache…
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I was told that even if it’s a hassle and time-consuming now,
if we can finalize a contract with as much detail as possible before the competitive bidding process,
“It’s definitely worth choosing them, even if they aren’t the lowest-priced contractor.”
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After hearing about the contractor they chose,
we decided to interview them as a candidate for the competition.
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What made me feel even more reassured after talking with them was that
neither they nor the many other disaster victims tackling reconstruction
have nearly anyone who can cover the costs with insurance payouts or savings alone.
It seems everyone is somehow moving forward even when funds are short,
and although the road ahead looks pitch black, it was incredibly encouraging.
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Furthermore, this week,
the “oak tree issue”—which was supposed to have been resolved
back in February of this year—has flared up again,
and I’ve been exchanging emails and phone calls once more with the architect and the arborist.
This time, however, the LA County building permit officer has gotten involved as well,
and the situation has become so complicated and tangled that I can’t even make heads or tails of it. lol
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Maybe as a way to escape reality?
I assembled the HG White Gundam that arrived last week.
Just like the HG main character mobile suit I built last year,
this model really showcased the amazing snap-fit quality of Bandai’s latest releases.
(Ikuo Yamashita’s design—which feels like Gundam + Evangelion ÷ 2—is superb.)
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The humanoid design by Ikuo Yamashita is fantastic,
and I could even sense a hint of Ultraman (Taro)—a favorite of Mr. Anno’s—in it.
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Next, I’d like to try building the RG version of the RX-78-2 Vrs 2.0.
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*Hope emerging from chaos—> A reunion with an old friend?
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#A Surprising Reunion
About 10 days ago,
I had a strange encounter.
On my way home from the nearest LA Metro station to my apartment,
I’d noticed a middle-aged Black man sleeping in a car that had been parked almost every day for the past three months on a narrow street near the entrance to a Catholic church. Whenever my wife and I walked by, we’d give him a quick nod.
However,
he didn’t respond… Then,
about 10 days ago on my way home, he called out to me,
and, sounding quite excited, he rattled off his introduction…
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To my surprise,
he—“R”—turned out to be an old friend of mine. Over 30 years ago,
two brothers and sisters (RB and J) who had led me to Christianity used to take neighborhood youth to the church, the library, and the public pool as part of the church’s community service program. It was like a daycare program, and our families grew close through these activities. As a new Christian, I also got to know “R,” and we used to play together at the library and at a pond teeming with small fish. (The pond later dried up completely, and the fish all died……)
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After discussing my old friend’s current situation and various things happening around him,
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I learned that late last year, he was suddenly struck from behind by an unknown white man, sustaining a wound to his right temple. While still undergoing treatment, he faced racially discriminatory treatment at the hospital, which subsequently forced him into a life living out of his car.
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Currently, with the help of the Catholic Church and other acquaintances,
he is reportedly on the waiting list for a low-income family apartment. Also, his favorite food is Chinese cuisine—especially orange chicken—
so we shook hands and agreed to go to Panda Express together next time.
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#A Return to One’s True Self?
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This morning, I received a morning email (addressed to my wife) from religious scholar Richard Rohr,
and from its content, I took away the importance of “removing the mask rooted in the defenses we put up out of the necessity to feign social conformity, getting to know our true selves, and reclaiming them.”
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Amidst all this,
for some reason, I was reminded of the indescribable sense of comfort I felt when I saw “R-kun” in my mind’s eye—sitting in the passenger seat of his car with the window wide open, his hand on the door, doing squats (or something like that) while listening to him speak with keen interest.
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At that moment,
I realized that, time and again throughout my past and present,
* I’ve had relationships with friends whose backgrounds and circumstances were completely different from my own,
* and within those relationships, I’ve wondered, “Isn’t the ‘me’ I feel in those moments the real me?”
I found myself immediately answering “Yes”
to these intuitive questions.
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I don’t know what lies ahead,
but these days,
hope has begun to shine through the uncertainty…
Regarding this blog and its content:
My goal in writing these blog posts is to clarify my personal, distinctive criteria for evaluation—including my quirks—through my involvement with three-dimensional art (including cooking), and to document how I have satisfied and fulfilled my curiosity and spirit of inquiry regarding “beauty” and “deliciousness.”
Consequently, while I pay the utmost attention to the numbers, years, and detailed data that appear in my articles, it’s possible that I may occasionally make significant errors or misunderstandings. In particular, key specifications and model years in automotive articles can often be confusing, so I would appreciate it if you treated them as mere references.
For my part, I feel as though I’m inserting dates and data into the articles as objective material to create a “flow” that connects my personal assessments of exterior design and taste to the broader themes explored in the latter half of the piece. What I ultimately prioritize are the new “perspectives” and “unexpected connections between pieces of information” that emerge from the chaotic jumble of memories in my own mind. The various data points are needed secondarily as part of that “flow” to generate that momentum.
As a slight digression, in the world of rakugo—which I love—there’s a playful format called “san-dai-banashi,” where a performer weaves a single story using three topics solicited on the spot from the audience. I feel like I’m doing something similar, using the characteristics of three-dimensional sculptures and (the taste of food) as my prompts. The countless ideas that flit through my mind during this process are completely unexpected and delightful; they often drastically change the content of future articles or lead to new developments.
How This Blog Works:
“Spots and Lines of Curiosity x Whimsical Mental Circuits = Unexpected New Developments”
This blog may be a bit self-indulgent, but I hope you’ll continue to follow along.
P.S.: To create the “flow” described above, I take as many photos as possible using my own die-cast cars and home-cooked meals. However, I do borrow the bare minimum of other illustrations and photos from other bloggers’ posts and company websites. (I edit them to fit the article’s content and post them at the lowest possible resolution.) If there are any issues, please contact me, and I will remove them immediately.
Addendum 2: You are free to use the photos of die-cast cars and other images (taken by me) featured in this blog’s posts in any way you like without permission. I create these posts with the understanding that my personal creativity belongs to me alone.
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