Mona Lisa Smile

That famous Mona Lisa smile, which has enchanted so many with its air of mystery, seems to hover between revelation and concealment—an expression neither offered nor withdrawn, as if it knows more than it is willing to say.

Which is what I first thought of when I looked back at this photo that I took of L in One Bangkok on Christmas Day.

That smile of L’s here – that ambiguity, that private thought we can’t access. Perhaps, like the Mona Lisa, each viewer has a different perception? What is she trying to say to me? What does she say to you?

Since fuku in Japanese means a blessing of good fortune and luck, it feels as though she’s wishing a heartfelt fuku to everyone.