My co-worker, colleague, mentor and most importantly, friend, got laid off today. I know that in these times people in every field are losing their jobs and that he is but one of many. However, reading about these happenings and actually being close to someone to whom it happens are very different. We worked together [...]
Used to have pet chickens when I was young – remember one day rescuing a crippled baby chick that we’d found lying on a garbage heap back in Togo. Took her home, fed her yolk with an eyedropper, and kept her warm with a towel wrapped in a hot water bottle. Though her feet always [...]
Neal got hisself a car for Christmas but since I rarely see him these days I wasn’t able to post pictures till now! It’s a Mazda RX8 sports car – very slick and cool. He was kind enough to let me practice a little as a warmup for my starting driving lessons hopefully sometime next [...]
I know there are already too many articles/discussions on the topic of packed Japanese subways, but having just just “enjoyed” the experience yet again yesterday morning, I thought I’d write a bit about it. With over 127 million people crammed over a spread of land that is smaller in size than California(!), space is at [...]
Saw the following picture on a bag in a convenience store yesterday while house hunting – so bewilderingly Japanese and definitely rofl-worthy (click on picture for larger size) Here’s what it says, if you have trouble making out the text: “It is waited that it enters the post and the letter reaches. The letter is [...]
A couple of weeks back, I posted on a few things I wanted to get done this year, namely the following: Move to a place of my own (a frustrating process this is turning out to be) Get at least one IT certification (I have none to date, and should the insanity that is plaguing [...]
As the days lengthen and signs of spring start showing themselves in the form of the odd flower bud here, and the less lovely occasional mosquito there, it’s also time for that bane of millions of Japanese – kafunshou or “hay fever”. Simply put kafunsho (kafun=pollen, sho=disease/ailment) refers to the apparently bountiful cedar pollen floating [...]
Despite being American-Japanese, I have never really felt a need to live in the US. Certainly, there are things I love about America; primarily the amount of space (anyone who’s lived in Tokyo for any length of time will understand), English is spoken (sometimes it is simply frustrating not being able to express oneself, and [...]
It turns out that a volcano erupted not far from Tokyo almost 3 days ago – and I never knew. It’s just so easy to be oblivious even to events that occur in the country you happen to live in! Though I guess my lack of a television probably contributes to why I tend to [...]
