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I’m not sure what
I’m not sure what I’d do without the online Travel Expert. It’s a scaled down version of Japanese software that tells me how to get from point A to point B. Today I want to know how to get from home (Kasuga) to a town in Hyogo Prefecture, several hundred miles away. I used my…
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Today is Hina Matsuri,
Today is Hina Matsuri, the doll festival. It used to be a holiday for girls, with a Boy’s Day coming along later in the spring. But these days, Boy’s Day is now Children’s Day and Hina Matsuri is just a minor blip on the calendar. Girls arrange dolls representing the emperor’s court from the Heian…
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Japan’s Prime Minster, Yoshiro
Japan’s Prime Minster, Yoshiro Mori, is not much longer for his post. The press have been speculating on the date that he will face a no-confidence vote (his second since he took office last April) and be asked to step down. Some members of his own party have recommended that he quit the post voluntarily.…
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Last night, I had
Last night, I had an experience I haven’t had in years. I got a ride home. Brendan, the crazy proprietor of Pizzakaya, had driven out to Chiba for supplies before going to the restaurant for work. When we arrived for our usual Wednesday night pizza fest, he told me and Tod that he’d give us…
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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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