Category Archives: This & That

I Rented an Old Man

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Lynda Philippsen

I’ve taken the train to Shimokitazawa, an area of Tokyo that is an eclectic mix of alternative, creative culture which is renowned for coffee, art on its shutters, vintage thrift shops and a vibrant music scene. I want to check … Continue reading →

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Getting Cozy

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Lynda Philippsen

After a rather intense and topsy-turvy start to the week, things settled down and jetlag lifted by Friday. I wasn’t inclined to push myself to energy depleting levels. With two months ahead of me and fewer classes than I’d originally … Continue reading →

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A Picture of Love

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Lynda Philippsen

It might not be immediately obvious, but in this photo is evidence of love. Within 30 hours of reading an email from a friend in Yokohama, a gentleman from Yamato Transport was at my door with a beautiful bag. K … Continue reading →

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One Hundred Hours In

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Lynda Philippsen

Day four is always the worst for jetlag. This is my brain at day’s end. Continue reading →

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On the Ground in Tokyo

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Lynda Philippsen

Day one (and two counting the International Dateline) the Air Canada Flight 003 pilots got us into Narita on air like glass. No one sat in the two seats next to me; therefore, I spent 5 of the 10 hours … Continue reading →

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Up and Away: Thoughts Before Flight

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Lynda Philippsen

No day comes with a guarantee that anyone anywhere will live through it. That alone is enough to make the mundane miraculous. Continue reading →

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Living My Dream: Tokyo 2020

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Lynda Philippsen

The other day, after waiting in a short checkout line at Canadian Tire, I put my purchases on the counter and greet the woman across from me. Good afternoon. How are you today? Living my dream, is her deadpan reply. … Continue reading →

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Where–How–Why–to Begin?

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Lynda Philippsen

In Joke Show on Netflix, comedian Michelle Wolf said that a blog is conversation that no one wants to have with you.

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Christmas Lights Butchart Gardens

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Lynda Philippsen

The closest thing Victoria has to rival the Christmas lights of Japan is the show on view at Butchart Gardens. Keen to view the displays as close to Christmas as possible, I ventured out yesterday around 4 o’clock thinking I … Continue reading →

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My Love Affair with the Christmas Tree

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Lynda Philippsen

I must have inherited my love of Christmas trees from my paternal grandmother who kept hers up until Orthodox Christmas in January. After everyone else had taken theirs down and boxed all the baubles and tinsel, the magic continued at … Continue reading →

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