Do you know anyone whose face would light up when they start talking? I know this person whose default expression carries a scowl. Her eyes are cold, her lips say “I’m not impressed”, and her general attitude an “I’m so tired today, give me some space”. Not scary, but cold and indifferent, which can easily be interpreted as unfriendly. The extraordinary thing is that, all … Continue reading Some of Those Impressions Are False
I liked the color blue unconditionally until today. I live for the blue sky, which turns to neon peach in summer afternoons and falls asleep with the sleeping light on. I feel closer to the pretty sky knowing she’s ever-changing and clumsy like me. I wear blue clothes: striped blue-and-white button-down for days when I feel extra committed to work, asymmetrical periwinkle puffy-sleeved blouse, midnight-blue … Continue reading The Betrayal of Blue
From the end of April until the beginning of May, Japan welcomes a keenly awaited holiday season, so precious it’s called “Golden Week”. This Week consists of Showa Day (the beginning of previous Emperor’s reign), Constitution Memorial Day (the declaration of Japan’s 1947 Constitution, made after its defeat in the World War 2), Greenery Day (a day to appreciate of nature), and Children’s Day (this is … Continue reading Vietnam: the War, simplicity, and #familygoal
1. Walk fast, really fast. 2. Sprint a block to outrun a blinking green crossing light. 3. Run towards the closing train door (there’s a word for this : kakekomi-josha). 4. Squeeze into the fully packed subway. 5. Fit all of your stuffs in your 20 m2 “cat’s forehead” apartment. Have a try at minimalism and fail. 6. Curse the snow for delaying the trains, … Continue reading Living Japan #7: How to be a Tokyoite (A Non-exhaustive List)
My note on finding a home in Japan (Living Japan #3: Mission Apartment) remains as the most-read post on this blog, so there must be many of you who had the same questions and struggles as I did. Hope that note helped you. I’ll continue with the next steps: filling up the house and actually making it a home. 1. Buying new electronics As I … Continue reading Living Japan #6: Mission Apartment, Part Two
A hard book to rate. First thing: this book is impressive. The story, concept, research, form, and technique, made this book undoubtedly very important. But, I found it hard at times to be emotional because of the visuals: like a play, it’s completely written in active voice, but each speaker’s name is written at the bottom of their line (sometimes paragraph). And since there are … Continue reading I Just Read: “Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders
I’ve wanted to cycle in Hokkaido for a long time and finally did it last weekend! I went skiing in Sapporo last winter and left a part of my heart there for the island’s beauty. After Sapporo my next destinations were Furano and Biei. I know summer is widely known as the best time for visiting these small towns for the sight of lavender bloom, but … Continue reading Cycling through the Charm of Biei, Hokkaido
Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter I finished this book in one sitting after finally getting it at the bookstore. It’s extraordinary, it’s brilliant. It’s poetry, it’s “polyphonic fable”, it’s something you may have never read before. Read the synopsis and you’ll be intrigued by the concept being proposed. Read the book and you’ll grief and laugh without feeling apologetic. You’ll get … Continue reading I Just Read: “Grief is the Thing with Feathers” by Max Porter
Being a millennial, I’ve been restless for some time, questioning myself about “what I’m supposed to do in this world” and “what I was born to be”, despite the fact that I have a job, hobbies, and social activities. I’ve been wondering what “I should do” for the society. It’s definitely hard to always be positive in a highly-informed world where we can easily see the worst … Continue reading Wake-up Call
I usually don’t post my poems here, but I want to celebrate the World Poetry Day on March 21. For me, poetry is like a huge crush on a bad boy: it gives me the thrills. The ooh-aah. Even goosebumps. Not only from reading them but also from crafting them. For most people poetry always look somewhat easy (just put rhymes at the ends) or cheesy (always lovey-dovey monkey letters). But poetry is a demanding form of art that involves building many blocks –voice, form, rhythm, sound, symbol, to name a few- carefully on top of each other with intense gentrification while owing a lot to lexicography to meet its purpose.
You know how it is: if it looks effortless, then it’s effortful. Well, after a huge effort I may stop and end up keeping the poems to myself without sharing it to my actual crush (I just realized that I’ve never had a real bad boy crush). Nonetheless, I love the feeling from discovering what a poet is saying or from finding the perfect word with the exactly needed amount of syllable!
So here’s one. It’s not a great one, but fits to welcome the end of cold days.
Do you like poetry? Tell me. Happy World Poetry Day! 🙂
Last Days of Frost
As white angels return to the sky
Lay I,
with humming trees—in dormancy
tittering birds—imaginary,
half awake in thick aged leather,
with no desire:
I’m frozen, say I, until her arrival
Oh pale sun, when will you stop playing?
Wind slapping slippery streets, when are you leaving?
I’m dying, cry I, until I’m born again.
