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Category Archives: Japan, Travel & Culture
Five Weeks to Lift Off for Tokyo
I shared with a friend that from time to time the idea of going to Tokyo alone for three months was daunting. That said, over the years I’m almost inured to being a jigsaw piece in the wrong box. In … Continue reading
Shinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing) in Mt. Douglas Park
In addition to practicing pick-up lines for potential nameless encounters during my next visit to Japan, I have begun a walking regimen. I won’t be able to hop in the car to get where I’m going during my three-month stay. … Continue reading
Learning to Speak Japanese: Frustration 101
One of the things we know is that a positive attitude toward a subject we wish to learn contributes greatly to our success in that endeavor. Successful language acquisition depends on two main factors: the motivation of the student and … Continue reading
The People: Kishin Shinoyama Exhibit in Kanazawa
I manage to catch the last day that photographer Kishin Shinoyama’s photographic exhibition The People is showing at Kanazawa’s stunning 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. (Do take a peek at the building here as it is beyond words.)
Silence: Musings on Scorsese’s Film
I agree with Matt Zoller Seitz the editor in chief at RogerEbert.com who states that Martin Scorsese’s Silence is a film you experience and then live with. That’s true in spite of its flaws.
Beginners and Beginnings
Last week I downloaded Microsoft’s Translator to my phone. Now I can photograph, keyboard or speak into the phone and get an instant English to Japanese or Japanese to English translation. Someone with whom I wish to communicate can hear … Continue reading
Posted in Japan, Travel & Culture, This & That
Tagged beginning study, beginning Tokyo life, beginnings, New Beginnings
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Terrace House is on Netflix
The last time I was part of a group where everyone minded each others business was before adulthood. During that time I belonged to a church; a small, conservative, community of Mennonites who despite their unique culture, good works and … Continue reading
Sumimasen: So Sorry
So sorry. I’m overdue. I ought to have posted some time ago. Though you wouldn’t know it to look at me, I’ve been busy. What have I been up to, you ask. Answer: Binge-watching Netflix.
Travel’s Serendipitous Surprises
Often (sometimes multiple times a day) something unexpected and special takes me by surprise when traveling through Japan. Out of curiosity, I’d gone to Jizo Dori mainly to check out the “Harajuku for grandmothers” and “aka pantsu.”
Not so Hot: Trying to Stay Warm under the Kotatsu
What’s not to love about Japan? Plenty. Like any other nation and culture it has flaws and problems galore. Even though I don’t have blinkers on, my purpose in writing about my journeys and adventures in Japan is not … Continue reading
Posted in Japan, Travel & Culture
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