Another year has passed and here I am, looking back at the year that’s coming to a close in a few hours. I started the year 2018 without new year’s “goals” or “resolutions”. This was the first after a few years of having diligently written down goals, even setting quantitative ones. Always on the list were to lose weight (5-10 kg) and write a number … Continue reading 2018
I saw on Quora a story by non-Japanese Japan residents who felt hurt because “people in the train would get up to find another seat” to avoid sitting next to them, or because a co-worker was friendly only to practice English and stopped talking when they found out their English was not good enough. Do these stories sound crazy? They do. But you know what, … Continue reading Living Japan #8: On Racism
Breathe. Smell your freedom of movement, of expression, of choice. Remember. Give gratitude to short-lived love, to knowledge, to passion. Hope. That one day, you will be enough, be understood, be supported. Help. Ease their pain, loss, disappointment. Acknowledge. That not everything work. Breathe. Then let it go. Continue reading Breathe, then let it go
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
