The Podcast Manifesto
This week’s mission is to finally lay down at once the concept of my Japan podcast. My podcast friend’s advice from last week, while sitting across a tiny table in a tiny cafe in Shimokitazawa, was to start here– with a clearly defined mission statement. She told me that even now she often refers back to this document to check it against her ideas and … Continue reading The Podcast Manifesto
The Podcast Chronicles Begin
There’s a long-ponytailed middle-aged Japanese man standing at the counter right now, the back of whose shirt reads “Rock and Roll is a vacation from my f–king life.” I’m not bleeping out that word on my own, incidentally, that’s literally how it’s written on his shirt. Now that he’s turned around to face me he does have a kind of aging rocker vibe to him … Continue reading The Podcast Chronicles Begin
Candy Button Conveyor Belt
Well I’m back in my favorite $5 coffee cafe again today. Ah the coffee tastes a little burnt today…that’s a shame. I thought I would get here sometime mid-afternoon while it was still sunny through the cafe’s wide windows and might even be warm enough to sit outside for a bit, and I’d settle in for several hours. But through a series of lazy decisions earlier … Continue reading Candy Button Conveyor Belt
The Japanese Cellophane Problem
I’m starting to feel a bit more optimistic about my freelancing just in the past few days. The elusive research article editing company sent me a big assignment last week and then immediately another even longer one after I handed that one in. And the LoveInnJapan people have been giving me consistent assignments every week. Incidentally, something odd is happening in the cafe I’m in … Continue reading The Japanese Cellophane Problem
Freelance Reflections
Another two months, another blog post. I should probably stop starting each post with a reflection on how long it’s been since I’ve last posted, though. That’s just always the first thing that comes to mind when I have a blank canvass in front of me and I’m trying to begin again. Well in addition to being 2 months since my last posting, it’s, more … Continue reading Freelance Reflections
Pilgrimage to the Sea and Mountains – Part 2
Tonight is my second night staying at the big Japanese house in Kii-Tanabe. Last night I was the only guest, but tonight there’s 2 other families staying here with me–all Japanese–for a total of 6 other guests (4 adults, 2 kids). One of the kids is actually screaming in the next room at the moment. The walls are surprisingly thick, though, so even though I … Continue reading Pilgrimage to the Sea and Mountains – Part 2
Pilgrimage to the Sea and Mountains – Day 1
I think this might have been my longest hiatus from this site now. I really fell off of my once a week posting plan. For the past few months I’ve been slowly transitioning from my job teaching English at a public high school in Tokyo to being a full-time freelancer. So for maybe a month and a half that basically meant working almost 2 jobs … Continue reading Pilgrimage to the Sea and Mountains – Day 1
The Neighborhood Cafe
Last Saturday was my neighborhood cafe’s outdoor BBQ— an event that I think I was first told about at the beginning of June, when I first started befriending the cafe owners. I moved to my quiet little corner of Kichijoji almost exactly a year ago. I lived about a ten minute walk from my school before then, which put me about 5 minutes by train … Continue reading The Neighborhood Cafe
The LASIK experience in Japan
For the first time, I’m sitting across from my laptop without any glasses or contacts between my eyes and the screen in front of me. Last Saturday, I finally got LASIK surgery here in Japan. The first time I considered getting LASIK was back when I was living in Wisconsin. Probably at least partially due to the inhuman winter I experienced my first year there … Continue reading The LASIK experience in Japan
Japanese Cooking: Lesson 1
So after almost 2 years of living in Japan, last week I finally ventured into some Japanese cooking for the first time. I’m not sure exactly what brought on my sudden inspiration during the day last Tuesday. Maybe because one of my students was entering some kind of speech contest at the time, and had to write a speech on the topic of Western food’s … Continue reading Japanese Cooking: Lesson 1
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