Mikhail Bulgakov—in the guise of his character, Sharik (a dog) once stated that any half-way smart dog could at least read/spell the word “Sausage.” Of course, he was referring to Russian dogs, and so it’s safe to assume that what he actually meant was that any halfway-smart Russian dog was able to read/spell the word “колбаса.” Like any self-respecting Russian dog, I am also able to recognize that word, and because I’m me, I can also recognize the word: “пиво” since колбаса and пиво are staples in many artistic lives: including mine, though stereotypes might replace “пиво” with “водка.” I mention this, simply because a friend of mine once stated that any self-respecting sushi/sashimi addict will learn to read Japanese, simply so that the aforementioned addict may accurately read the Japanese descriptions of sushi (a commonly misinterpreted word. “Sushi” simply means “with rice”) and sashimi. I enjoy sushi and sashimi as much as I enjoy колбаса and пиво with my Russian friends or, pivo a klobásy with my Czech friends, or a nice bit of beer and sausage with my English language friends. I also mention this, because I recognized a single character, in Japanese (Katatana) yesterday, while ambling around the Rush Street area in Chicago. I recognized the syllableRa, and immediately thought that I’d gained a particular bit of insight. Ra is one of the most prominent of ancient Egyptian gods, and in looking at that single syllable (and the name of the Restaurant rendered in English) it struck me that when ancient gods retire, they go into the restaurant business. Not a bad thing, if you ask me, especially if beer, sushi, and sausage happen to be involved, though preferably not in the same meal. The restaurant in question is something that I found particularly fitting. I’ve just finished reading Haruki Murakami’s short story collection: After the Earthquake, and I’d just photographed post-modern-punk-geishas, dragons, and hockey fans in underpasses: it was fitting, then, that I’d pass a restaurant that looks (at least in limited perspective) like something you’d find in the not-so-touristy parts of Tokyo or some such city. I was struck by the colors and the shapes, and the prospect of sushi. I took this photo. I hold a particular fondness for this photo, simply because I like the colors, the reflections, and the overall elegance of the place. The simplicity is appealing to me, and as I’ve been in multi-layered, heavily textured regions of creativity, I felt an immediate sense of release in seeing the way this photo turned out. It’s a nice contrast, I think, to the complex, layered multiple realities I’ve been posting, recently, and...well...in some odd corner of my mind, I’m imagining a hawk-headed humanoid god, making sure that the waitstaff isn’t just hanging out in back, smoking cigarettes. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed seeing this as much as I’ve enjoyed making it, and thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting. I hope you’re all having a great week and are on the verge of a great weekend.