I watched through my window, bathing in the languid heat and torpor of a Tokyo summer afternoon, as three wizened old men snipped and trimmed, removing all trace of the leaves and twigs that weren't perfectly suited to the balance and structure of my garden.
Finally, they finished, leaving me to contemplate how beautifully my bonsai had been pruned; at the gorgeous simplicity of the raked pattern in the sand around the boulders in my Zen contemplation garden and how perfectly melodious the stream through my garden now sounded, after they had adjusted the position of several rocks to influence the direction and rate of flow of water.
I realised then that I would immediately devote the remainder of my life to following these ancient gentlemen and to carrying on their extraordinary traditions.-- infidel, Dec 31 2011 Turning Japanese http://en.wikipedia...ki/Turning_Japanese [xandram, Dec 31 2011] the video http://www.youtube....watch?v=gEmJ-VWPDM4 [xandram, Dec 31 2011] No, THE video... http://www.youtube....watch?v=XeRqgc05Xfw[not_morrison_rm]'s reference, that is... [normzone, Jan 15 2012] So the idea is gardeners?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 31 2011 ^-- FlyingToaster, Dec 31 2011 I think it's... selling... the gardeners? Or breeding them, maybe?-- Alterother, Dec 31 2011 If Bushi-do right... no can de-fence.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 31 2011 ...and then they slapped you with 30,000 Yen invoice. I do seem to recollect trying to float a ninja gardening service, weeding by shuriken etc-- not_morrison_rm, Dec 31 2011 These guys do it for the love of perfection. It's a higher calling.-- infidel, Dec 31 2011 So where's the 'bake?-- Alterother, Dec 31 2011 Coniferucious say: "Only Autumns' gold pays blooms bounty."{ol' man he prune-all-day'n hummmm...}-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 31 2011 Try living on gratitude and smiles, [Alter]. This is the HB, where practicality doesn't play a part. I don't expect everyone, or even anyone, to understand.-- infidel, Dec 31 2011 Because you touch yourself at night.-- Alterother, Dec 31 2011 Oh dear, several people just turned around to see why I just laughed.-- Ling, Dec 31 2011 //Because you touch yourself at night//
shades of Aleister Crowley's fingernails poem-- not_morrison_rm, Dec 31 2011 There are times it would be nice to be able to vote on annotations.-- infidel, Dec 31 2011 You think you're turning Japanese, you really think so...-- xandram, Dec 31 2011 // I don't expect everyone, or even anyone, to understand.
That has never been a prerequisite.-- tatterdemalion, Dec 31 2011 [inf], Terry Pratchett may sue you for breach of copyright (c.f. "Reaper Man")-- 8th of 7, Dec 31 2011 Terry Pratchett has trouble remembering his own name these days... and where he left his sword. I'm not that worried.-- infidel, Dec 31 2011 Fine. When your portrait goes up on the wall in the Assassin's Guild, "I'm not that worried" can go on the little brass plaque.-- 8th of 7, Dec 31 2011 This from a guy who believes he's an alien. I'll take my chances on neither of you having the motivation to put an end to my misery.-- infidel, Jan 01 2012 //This from a guy who believes he's an alien.//
That's merely a cunning double bluff-- not_morrison_rm, Jan 01 2012 +-- Zimmy, Jan 15 2012 random, halfbakery