Where Globe-Trotting meets Beach-Combing
The approach of Typhoon Ma-on gave me only temporary pause about popping over to Ebisu for lunch with my friend Jill’s mom at the Garden Place Westin. Jill’s mom, Debbie, joined Jill, Chrissy, Kristin and me for many a lunch date and shrine sale in summers past. Those days are gone; those friends all live…
The idea to build the Goddess of Mercy of the White Robe on a hillside in Ofuna ‘in general defense of the Fatherland’ gained popularity among Japanese nationalists about a century ago. “By 1934 the outline of the statue was complete, but the outbreak of war in the Pacific ended this steady progress, bringing extensive…
Sometimes you go to a vending machine in search of Pocket Juicer Stand because you can’t wait to get to the little square gummy bits at the bottom, or on a cold rainy day when you’re hungry but not ready for a full meal, maybe you look for the Corn Potage hot corn soup drink….
This is what we would call ‘the Pensacola Face.’ Yes, it is small-minded, snobbish, immature…probably offensive. And totally justified. When Chris and I first moved to Pensacola, Florida, Chris spent a Saturday morning in the age-old tradition of fixing his motorcycle. He collected his tools and headed out to the apartment’s parking lot; I followed…
It’s festival season in Japan! Wait—it seems like it’s always festival season in Japan. Well anyway, I was excited to finally see the Star Festival last weekend. The most famous in Tokyo is the Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival, held conveniently close to us just a couple stops from Fujisawa Station. Chris and I took the train…
It took two weeks but I am officially happy to be back in Japan. I was resigned to coming back but I had some reservations. I’m sure everything’s fine and safe enough…still. Chris and I thought it smart to take some easy precautions just in case. It’s drained my inspiration to blog because I’m sure…
Chris hasn’t been home to Texas in more than two years, so it seems strange that since then we’ve been to both San Diego and Singapore, of all places, twice. Last time we were in San Diego we stayed on Coronado Island; this time we’re harbor-side in Point Loma. We celebrated our anniversary in a…
