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I think I’m becoming
I think I’m becoming a computer expert. Those of you who know me personally may think I already am one. I’ve been working with computers for the last ten years, after all. I know a lot of things. But I’ve never thought of myself as an expert. Experts are the sort of people who know…
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First Kitchen, a Japanese
First Kitchen, a Japanese fast food chain, serves up the strangest side dish: french fries with flavourings. The hot fries are dropped into a paper bag, sprinkled with dried seasonings and mixed up Shake N Bake style. This season’s flavours: Garlic Butter Basil Consomme: beefy, salty taste Jaga-Butter: buttered baked potato Cheese and Kimchee: a…
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Each year our language
Each year our language school hosts a torture session. They call it a speech contest. I’m not sure which is worse torture–preparing and delivering a speech, or sitting through two and a half hours of others’ speeches. This year, Tod & I combined forces to present a skit about two frogs setting out to see…
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Carrefour has a parking
Carrefour has a parking lot. A big parking lot. Full of cars. Carrefour is an international chain of super-size discount department stores based in France. Think “Kmart” and you’re on the right track. One recently opened in Makuhari, across from the convention center where MacWorld was held. Big stores and malls in Japan are normally…
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I arrived a minute
I arrived a minute or two before my 11 am appointment. I walked out the door at 1:30. A huge transformation occurred in the interval. I was coiffed, caffeinated and calmed. First, a consulation with Dan Suzuki, my stylist. Although this salon, Watanabe Hair Dressing, has a reputation for really cool, artsy styles, we agreed…
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MacWorld on a press
MacWorld on a press pass isn’t too much different from MacWorld without one. The biggest benefit was that I sat up front during Steve Jobs’ keynote speech yesterday. He announced some new iMac colors (Flower Power and Blue Dalmation) along with lowered prices, new video and more Japanese font support. His 105 minute keynote address…
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Although the city hosts
Although the city hosts six jillion “hair and make” salons, I do not belive it is possible to get a spur-of-the moment hair cut in Tokyo. Yesterday in Omotesando, a ritzy part of town, I was seized with the desire to have my hair cut. I looked for a salon and found one called “Voice”…
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Grocery store lunch options
Grocery store lunch options you’d never find in America: slab of salt-grilled salmon on rice cabbage salad in a large-sized clear drink cup breaded, deep fried oysters french fries slathered with honey and sesame steamed mustard blossoms
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Fabric stores are truly
Fabric stores are truly international places. The range of products represents the textile production centers of the world: lace from Belgium, cotton gauze from India, wools from New Zealand, shijira from Japan, gingham from America. But even more universally, the shoppers, looking inward, quietly calculate yardage or compare colors in their mind’s eye. Some go…
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Who knew there could
Who knew there could be so many foodstuffs made from plum? We sampled and sniffed delicate plum tea, sweet plum wine, pink plum flavored steamed buns, bitter pickled plums, sour plum-flavored sesame seeds, plum-infused garlic, bright fuschia plum scented daikon pickles. The foods, combined with the blooming plum trees, two enka (Japanese lounge music) singers,…
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