10 Years Ago Today

Today was our 10^th wedding anniversary.

It wasn't quite what I might have visualized 10 years ago – we were all pretty tired, and even normally robust Anthony was a bit under the weather – but Fumie and I got here together, and that's what it's all about.

Her mom invited us for Happy-Anniversary pie (a pie that Anthony felt the need to put candles in)...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/3.2, ISO 400 — full exif
Sea-Bream-Shaped Apple Pie
The chocolate “card” on its dorsal fin says “Happy 10^th Wedding Anniversary”

Anthony was torn between wanting to put candles in, and wanting to eat the chocolate card and chocolate eye...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 28 mm — ¹/45 sec, f/5, ISO 400 — full exif

You may well be wondering why an apple pie for a 10^th wedding anniversary, and why in the shape of a sea bream. (You may also be wondering “what is a sea bream?”)

To answer the last question first, a sea bream is a fish that looks like the pie above.

Fumie's mom chose an apple pie because the shop she went to (near where she grew up in another part of Kyoto) is well known for their apple pie. After having eaten it, I can understand why... it was absolutely fantastic.

As to why the shape of a fish, well, it's a play on words. The name of the fish ( 鯛 – tai ) is pronounced the same as the ending of one form of the word “auspicious” ( お目出度い – omedetai ), and so in Japanese culture, the fish has somewhat become linked to auspicious events. In olden days when food was the greatest currency, one would give an actual fish. These days, fish-shaped sweets are sometimes seen.

Fish-shaped apple pies are apparently quite rare. Thanks, mom!

I was thinking to take a picture of the 10 red roses that I got for Fumie, but today happened to have run across one of the first pictures I took with my D200, and thought I'd just post it instead....

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6 @ 80 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 — full exif
Shutter Actuation #6

Looking around for things to take pictures of after having unboxed the camera, I didn't really know how to use it, but snapped this picture of a dried red rose sitting in a vase on the kitchen counter. I like how it came out. It was my sixth shot with the camera.

I like how the foreground light totally overshadows the background, making it unseen.

I wonder if this isn't some kind of metaphor for marriage (or any relationship), to concentrate on the bright foreground, not allowing subtle distractions in the background from, er, distracting you.

Thanks for 10 years, my honey. I'll work hard to make the next 10 even better....