Long Time Expat In Japan
I just watched It's Kind of a Funny Story, a movie from like ten years ago. I'd never seen it. That's part of living abroad sometimes, you just miss stuff. It was, if you've never seen it, a story about a teenager who is suicidal, but learns to deal with his problems. He learns to … Continue reading Epilogue
A little background. I got a new job (same company, new place). I needed a small apartment for M-F because it’s so far away. For my move I asked for the service where they pack and unpack your stuff. Mostly it’s just the dishes I didn’t want to wrap, and the books I didn’t want … Continue reading On Why I’m a Jerk
I had a cup of coffee at the Starbucks near the station with my two girls. They’re the best. On the walk back the youngest spots some signs in shop windows and says “Is Father’s Day tomorrow?” And I’m like, “Yeah, I guess it is.” The oldest says, “Wow, somehow I thought it was next … Continue reading My Dad’s Arm
There’s a dampening field on my mood. It’s called a face mask. A face mask numbs the muscles in my face. How does that sci-fi line go? “In space, no one can hear you scream.” In a mask, no one can see you feel. Sure, there are practical reasons. It itches. It scratches. It’s heavy … Continue reading Barriers
A while back, I started recording my dreams. I don't always remember, but last night I had a dream about BTS. If you’re neither interested in dreams not BTS, fair warning to stop reading. I am not a teenage girl. <dream>I was at a music festival in the states, which turned out to be Canobie … Continue reading Recording More Dreams
Like a lot of people these days, I am working from home for a little bit. Apropos of nothing, or perhaps just to pass the early morning hours (I get a little more time in the day sans-commute), I decided to start recording my dreams. For a long time, it seems, I haven't been remembering … Continue reading Passing Time
The strangest thing happened to me while reading a book in my apartment at the end of a long day at work and perhaps one too many glasses of wine. I was listening to Spotify, a song I'd never heard before. It felt both new and vintage, not old enough to fit in the memory … Continue reading The Strangest Thing
Happy Year of the Mouse! Apparently in China, they call it the year of the rat, but I'm in Japan... and I like mouse better. Every year, I do a Hatsumode (pronounced hah-tsu moe-day ) , a little pilgrimage to the local shrine. Literally, pilgrimage is what the "mode" part of Hatsumode means. I think … Continue reading Japan is Awesome – Hatsumode
I'm reading a book, basically a transcription of stories told on the Moth stage. One story kind of hit hard. Let me quote it here. Western mental health workers who came here [East Africa] immediately after the genocide, and we had to ask some of them to leave.” I said, “What was the problem?” And … Continue reading Moth Wisdom
In 2016, I joined a writers group so I could flex my old dream into maybe more than a hobby. Writing. The long-term dream is still there, but the skill is not much more than a hobby. I've published one short story and sold another (still not published, but sold, I cashed the check). Over … Continue reading My New Pen
