Ramen Nostalgia
I’m in Austin, Texas for the weekend, and this was the first food I ate here. Apparently ramen might be the next hot food trend, and I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t had fresh ramen since my time in Japan 11 years ago, so it was like taking a bite out of my past. A [...]
I Have Some Regrets
I’m sure you’ve heard people–perhaps including yourself–say, “I have no regrets.” Usually it’s proceeded by a big “but.” “I shouldn’t have dated her, but I have no regrets.” “I didn’t have the money to take that trip, but I have no regrets.” “I wish I had gone to a different college, but I have no regrets.” What’s [...]
The Joy of Ramen
Today I had one of the happiest moments of my life. It involved ramen. This blog entry could have gone several directions. One was to be a personal entry about how the one type of surprise I like is a chocolate surprise. The other was to be a pet please entry about care packages, because [...]
My 21st Birthday…with Geishas
In all the hubbub about my fake birthday last week, I took a moment to reflect back on real birthdays from my past. There is one that I’m surprised that I haven’t already written about on the blog: My 21st birthday…with geishas. The day was January 9, 2002. If you want to read about what [...]
Mom Stories: Part 1
One of the most endearing, loving, and amusing things my mother does is overprepare me for travel abroad. It all started back in 2001 when I was headed to Kyoto for the year. Concerned about the quality of the water in Japan (a first-world country where people don’t, contrary to popular belief, drink unfiltered toilet [...]
The Best Bar in the World
The best bar in the world is in Kyoto, Japan. You cannot get directions to this bar. It can’t be found on the map. Someone who knows where it is must take you there. Once you enter this bar, you are a regular. You are home. Everyone may not know your name, but if you [...]
The Peace Park Story
Today I’m going to write about something a bit serious and somber. Thanks to having parents who fully supported my desire to become fluent in Japanese, I had the good fortune of going abroad to Japan for two summers in high school (and then for my entire junior year of college–see more stories about that [...]
The Nap Story
I don’t know how to tell this story the best way. I’ll tell it the only way I know how. Also, I feel like I’ve told it on the blog before, but I searched for it and couldn’t find it, so here it is. I’ve told a few stories on this blog about the time [...]
Are Writers More Likely to Get Migraines?
Lately on Twitter I’ve noticed a lot of people talking about their migraine headaches. I’ve been getting a lot of headaches lately too. Today it dawned on me…these people are all writers. Every one of them. Is this a coincidence, or are creative people more likely to get migraines? I’ve been getting migraines since I [...]
A Surprise on the Amazing Race
Back during my junior year abroad in Japan, we were starved for American television. Japanese game shows may seem cute and fun when you’re over here in the States, but when they’re the only thing on TV, a healthy does of Friends is the perfect medicine. So one day, a good friend of mine, Tammy, [...]
The Death Flower Story
I’ve had the pleasure and the honor of living in Japan on three separate occasions: Twice in high school for summer-vacation homestays in Hiroshima, and once in college for my junior year in an apartment in Kyoto. I kept extensive journals of my time over there, and I sent the majority of the content of [...]
The Toilet Police Story
I’ve had the pleasure and the honor of living in Japan on three separate occasions: Twice in high school for summer-vacation homestays in Hiroshima, and once in college for my junior year in an apartment in Kyoto. I kept extensive journals of my time over there, and I sent the majority of the content of [...]
The Mole Story
I’ve had the pleasure and the honor of living in Japan on three separate occasions: Twice in high school for summer-vacation homestays in Hiroshima, and once in college for my junior year in an apartment in Kyoto. I kept extensive journals of my time over there, and I sent the majority of the content of [...]
The Woman in Your Closet
We’ve all asked ourselves this question at some point: What if there is someone living in my apartment and I don’t even know it? I tagged an article back in May about a Japanese woman in Fukuoka who was discovered living in a man’s wardrobe. A man she didn’t know. And he definitely didn’t know [...]
The Hayaben Story
I’ve had the pleasure and the honor of living in Japan on three separate occasions: Twice in high school for summer-vacation homestays in Hiroshima, and once in college for my junior year in an apartment in Kyoto. I kept extensive journals of my time over there, and I sent the majority of the content of [...]
