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Finally, I’ve seen a
Finally, I’ve seen a plum blossom. Now I know spring has arrived. We wound our way through a labyrinth of alleys towards our dinner destination yesterday and there it stood, shining bright pink under the glow of a streetlamp. What a delicate and beautiful herald of the new season. Today we’re going to take the…
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One group, a dozen
One group, a dozen ideas. Digital Eve Japan is the reincarnation of the Japan Webgrrls group. Our affiliation changed, but the goal remains the same: women sharing their information technology knowledge and skills. Last night’s launch party attracted an interesting mix of people: a music talent manager, a nurse who is also a database developer,…
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We were our own
We were our own miniature parade and side show. Susan, Laura, Katie, Tod & I went to dinner together last night. Susan is a lanky redhead; Katie & Laura are her blonde daughters. Laura, in her stroller, was the float in our parade. As we waited for the light to change at an intersection, she…
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Two dictionaries, three textbooks
Two dictionaries, three textbooks and a pile of papers and notes took up most of the surface of my desk yesterday. I spent six hours writing the draft of my entry for this year’s speech contest. My language school, OLJ Academy, hosts an annual contest for its students. This will be my third year presenting…
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For the past two
For the past two weeks, every shop in Tokyo has displayed its Valentine wares in anticipation of today, the national chocolate gift-fest. Women all over the country will present the men in their lives–husbands, boyfriends, bosses, coworkers–with elaborately wrapped chocolates. I’ve not seen any lace covered, heart-shaped boxes, but everything else is available: gold paper…
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This week’s big news
This week’s big news in the foreign community: a disappearance turned into a grisly murder when Lucie Blackman’s severed body and cement-entombed head were found on Friday. Lucie was a young British woman working in a hostess bar in Roppongi. She disappeared in July last year after phoning a friend to say she was going…
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“Can you read the
“Can you read the kanji written on the big stone?” read the metal plaque in the playpark near our house. “It says ‘Ootsugi’.” The big stone, taller than I am, is a chunk of rock whittled into a rustic monument. Three kanji characters are carved into its face. The metal plaque near the stone is…
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Ever been inside a
Ever been inside a baseball stadium full of trade show exhibitors? From the entrance at the top of the stadium, I saw a sea of black heads moving like water, currents eddying around islands of booths. The huge space, from home plate to outfield, was arranged to exhibit tableware. The Tableware Festival had it all:…
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There’s nothing like personal
There’s nothing like personal mail to brighten a day. I received two letters on the same day. One arrived in my mailbox from Chicago. It is written in glowing orange ink on drawing paper pulled from a sketchbook. A “hello” from a friend who took a few minutes to think of me. I had just…
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The Yokohama Curry Museum
The Yokohama Curry Museum is quite a concept. Indian curry and Thai curry are popular here, but most popular is Japanese curry, an odd melange of spices that blends flavors from all world curries into one dish. So a trip to the Yokohama Curry Museum with some friends yesterday promised to be a treat. Maybe…
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