Stone-carving calligraphy

The stone monuments are decorated with beautifully-carved writing. Mostly they hew to the "traditional" style of character (rock pun!), the complicated-but-fixed one that I memorized off so many flashcards.

But sometimes they get to swoop into a different artistic style, with visible brushstrokes (carved) and some expressivity in the characters.

Probably if I could read these, I could come up with a context-driven explanation for why these characters are swoopy and scribbly. Or figure out what the characters are.

As it is, I just really enjoy the beauty of the monuments, and the crossed-media effort required to carve stone to look like brushed ink on paper.


This post's theme word is malapert, "boldly disrespectful." Obnoxiously malapert visitors are not welcome on the temple grounds.

Thatch texture

The edge-on view of this thatched roof reminds me of sphere-packing problems.

The roof belongs to a historical, preserved "retreat" of a retired (read: wealthy) samurai. The garden is quiet, contemplative, and very pleasant. Almost all the walls were on movable rails, even though each room was at a different elevation from its neighbors.

It was a hot, quiet day, and I was glad to sit in this historically-preserved house, look over the garden, and think my thoughts while trying not to move or sweat too much.


This post's theme word is cenobite, "a member of a religious order living in a monastic community." The monastery is very peaceful. #cenobite4life