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Diagnosis: migraine. After four
Diagnosis: migraine. After four months of tests and appointments, my doctor has pronounced that my headaches will not kill me or cripple me and that since they don’t stop me from doing what I need to do, I should just learn to live with them. “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning…”
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The interior of Zakuro,
The interior of Zakuro, an Iranian restaurant near Nishi Nippori, is completely covered in carpets–stacks of Persian carpets fill an alcove; a thick layer of them blankets the floor. Even the walls sport carpets worked with figures of women and tigers. Iranian foods are similar to other Middle Eastern cuisines but with several different spices,…
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Three cheers for Tod
Three cheers for Tod and his astonishing Internet knowledge. For about a month, I’ve been having weird Internet problems. I first noticed them around the time of the terrorist attacks and I chalked it up to extra-heavy Net use. But as the Net returned to normal, my problems continued. Tod spent the day researching IP…
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Tokyo Transportation Series Family
Tokyo Transportation Series Family with Babycar, Ueno Zoo. 3:10 pm
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The Count Basie Orchestra
The Count Basie Orchestra played to 1800 people at the Bunkyo Civic Hall last night. It was a fantastic show. The band was so “on” that it was like listening to a recording. They’ve been playing together a long time and they seemed to have fun doing it: lots of banter between the drummer and…
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How is it possible
How is it possible that in a country where clothes don’t fit me, I’ve accumulated so many over the past three years? I cleaned out my closet–really cleaned it out–and got rid of three 70 litre (“lawn & leaf” sized) trash bags of worn, torn & stained clothing. Some of the discards were from Tod’s…
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At the end of
At the end of the day, tired & hungry, we often opt for whatever food is easy and quick either at home or in a familiar neighborhood restaurant. We avoid the more challenging experiences like seeking out new restaurants of questionable character–the izzakaya beer pubs, the little yakitori shops presided over by a middle aged…
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Tokyo Transportation Series Rowers
Tokyo Transportation Series Rowers on Shinobazu Pond, Ueno Park. 2:40 pm
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The neighbor’s new puppy
The neighbor’s new puppy woke me up this morning. In truth, he woke me throughout the night. The poor thing has been outside barking since yesterday afternoon. Nobody slept well last night. Barking dogs are quite unusual in Tokyo, though there are plenty of dogs. I guess they must be trained to stay quiet and…
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Two days in a
Two days in a row I’ve been to some of Tokyo’s atypical spaces. Yesterday it was Daiba, an island of shopping malls and entertainment complexes. The day before it was the convention center, actually east of Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture. It is another planned complex with hotels, office buildings, and the convention center halls. Both…
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