Words, of course, are the most powerful drug used by mankind.
- Rudyard Kipling
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Author Archives: Lynda Philippsen
Enkai in Toyohashi
Voices call out: O hisashiburi (a greeting acknowledging a long time of separation) as people pad across the tatami in the narrow room. They welcome me with bows, gifts and Canadian-style hugs, as our connection goes back almost 20 years. … Continue reading
Returning to Toyohashi
Coming into Toyohashi Station without a pack of nervous teenagers dragging their suitcases behind me feels odd. I haven’t been here since the last home stay exchange program I coordinated in 2005. Too long. And though the building remains the … Continue reading
Waiting for the Shinkansen in Tokyo Station
I’m off to Toyohashi. As this is my first unaccompanied trip by Shinkansen (bullet train), I’m early. Just to make sure. My anxiety is rising. Departures are displayed in Japanese and English overhead, but the Kodama 647 isn’t up yet. … Continue reading
Posted in Japan, Travel & Culture
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Osake Tasting at Restaurant 62
Sunday (April 15) Restaurant 62 offered a tasting of three Osake brand wines from Granville Island’s Artisan Sake Maker Masa Shiroki. This wine, a handmade product, is not to be confused with the harsh and hot stuff that comprises the … Continue reading
A Private Ohanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing)
I suppose the downpour which drowned it all in 2011 didn’t do much to spark enthusiasm among the planners. The “annual” Cherry Blossom Festival at Thunderbird Square in Abbotsford didn’t materialize this year. Not daunted by the absence of fellow revelers—quite … Continue reading
Quick! Grab this book away from your kid.
The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls (Orca Books) will launch at Vancouver Kids’ Books on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls is a book rich with simple complexities and deadpan one-liners that brilliant comics will … Continue reading
A Wedding in Kamakura
We witness a wedding at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu in Kamakura. Continue reading
Kamakura Daibutsu: The Great Buddha of Kamakura
I’m left with a a heightened awareness of something more in a perception that first registers as less. Continue reading
Lone Wolf Review in The Globe & Mail
Monday, March 18, The Globe and Mail ran my review of Jodi Picoult’s latest novel Lone Wolf. In spite of my reservations about the book, like others before it Lone Wolf is selling well. I suspect it strikes a chord with … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, This & That
Tagged Book Review, Jodi Picoult, Lone Wolf, The Globe & Mail
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