Long Time Expat In Japan
Kanji this month was tough. I had a trouble looking up the following on the internet. 妍因俗易 I could be way off, but my best guess of a direct translation is: beauty changes with custom or, in more modern terms beauty is in the eye of the beholder (maybe?) Kana is another waka. あしはやに、くる春ならむ、雲竜の、やなぎ一度に、ふくれきにけり ashi … Continue reading Beauty in the Eye
Book ReviewOne Second AfterBy William Forstchen "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where … Continue reading Book Review – One Second After
About a year and a half ago, I discovered a weird free magazine that inspired a "Japan is Awesome" post about mascots. The magazine wasn't about mascots, but the cover kind of looked like it had one on it. Who knows how the mind works. The magazine is like a public service. I'm sure that … Continue reading Japan is Awesome – Creativity
Kanji is deep. Okay, all Shodo and Japanese language is deep. And it comes from Chinese, so Chinese is deep. All language is deep. What I'm trying to say is that this months kanji took me down a rabbit hole. The words are literally "one step thousand gold." There's got to be a good fortune … Continue reading Brushes
I was on the train the other day, heading back from Odawara to Tokyo. It's not too far, just long enough to drink two Chu-Hi, eat some cheese-tara and watch the rice fields and mountains transform into concrete and steel. After the second chu-hi I need a bio-break. I head out to the men's room, … Continue reading Swallow Service
Just in case you thought I wasn't doing any drawing, here is a still life of yuzu, Japanese lemons.
I haven't been away from the brushes, to be honest. I just haven't posted about it. I still go every Saturday (except Xmas and New Years was damned busy at work). All the kanji I write seems to contain a lot of wisdom, so I figured I'd share. Below is my kanji for December. It … Continue reading Back to the Brushes
Book Review The Postman By David Brin Note: I spoil. That said, the novel is over 30 years old, so if you haven't read it, where have you been for the last several decades? Tropes abound in post-holocaust fiction. The struggle against the fall into chaos. A man (or woman, but let's face it, usually … Continue reading Book Review – The Postman
In Japanese, they say "Akemashite Omedetougozaimasu Kotoshi mo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu" for Happy New Year. Yes, it is quite a mouthful. Young people in the country think so, too. So they take the beginning sounds (which I have helpfully bolded for your benefit. I'm nice that way) of the main words and just say that. It's … Continue reading Akeome, Kotoyoro
Book Review Orphanage By Robert Beuttner I grew up on Stormship Troopers, Ender's Game, and The Forever War. But there is a gap in my education. I got the bug (no pun intended) to fill in the gaps, so I checked out some best-of lists online. I bought a bunch used on Amazon. Among them … Continue reading Book Review – Orphanage
B.S. Donovan 