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People often stop me to ask for directions. Even when I’m far from home. Or even when that person has to walk around several people to get to me.
The thing is, I often know the answer, even in a place I’ve never been before. It’s just one of those things–I was born with [...] Ah, the vacation fight. It usually happens when you are lost or tired or hungry or all three. And, of course, it is usually about the most ridiculous thing. Although neither my friend nor I remember clearly what started it or its resolution, I distinctly recall having a fight in Japan about the harvesting of rice. [...] One day soon I hope to return to Japan. To see my friends there, to learn more about the culture and the land, to go back to Hakone, to find some new onsen in new towns, to climb Mt. Fuji to see the sunrise (from about halfway up at the fifth station–I’ve already visited there and [...] Sometimes I can’t help but stand out in a crowd in a foreign destination. It is what it is. Standing out, wherever it happens, often makes me feel uncomfortable. Let’s face it…we all want attention, but usually only at moment we are actually ready for it. And even if generally ready for it when traveling, I’m [...] A soak in hot springs. That’s relaxing…right? Well, it is. Unless it’s your first time ever in an onsen (Japanese hot springs) and you are panicked about the whole getting naked in front of strangers (and one friend who’s never seen you in the altogether before) thing and then bathing on a little wooden stool next [...] Tsukiji Market, the largest fish market in the world. We stood there, surrounded by fish of all shapes and sizes, some alive, most laid out artfully in rows and piles on packs of crushed ice. The aisles were filled with runoff from the bins of seafood. The room echoed with the high pitched hum of the [...] You cannot sneak into Nijo Castle in Kyoto. Now, because it’s a tourist spot and there’s an admission charge. In the 1600s, because it was specifically created to catch intruders: the floors were built with special iron clamps to allow the floor to move while the nails stay fixed, making the floor sing like nightingales whenever [...] Think about all the things you don’t know when you’re traveling. Right now I am trying to figure out what type of wood is use in the traditional townhouses of the Gion section of Kyoto. This fact is not vital to my life, merely a detail that would add color to a piece I’m writing. If I [...] It was described in the guidebook as a particularly inaccessible form of theater. But it was something I always wanted to see. So it was with great expectations that I walked into the National Noh Theater in Tokyo to see my first performance. Saori was kind enough to escort me and treat. A generous gift. [...] Part of what you sign up for when lodging in a Buddhist monastery is attending the morning ceremony. Okay, count me in. I don’t mind getting up early to sit on the floor in a completely unsustainable position and listen to monks chant in a language I don’t understand, celebrating a religion and philosophy I know [...] |
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