Tag Archives: Culture

The Trip That Never Was- Part 3, Sloggin’ it Out in Tokyo

If I were really cruel, and let’s face it, my nickname isn’t Cruella DeVille due to the grey streak down the center of my fluffy tail, we’d start Day 6 of our tour with a traditional Japanese breakfast with something … Continue reading

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The Trip That Never Was- Part Two-Kyoto and Nara

Writing the last post left me more exhausted than actually spending 3 days touring Tokyo on foot. After resting, refortifying with miso soup, squid jerky, and sake in one of Roppongi’s ubiquitous all night ExPat bars (where one must be … Continue reading

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The Trip That Never Was…

The sign outside our door says, “Open.” As in “Come on over, airfare is cheap, the radiation is fine- don’t I look younger? That gentle shaking in the night? Why that just rocks you slowly to sleep. Below 7 is … Continue reading

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Am I A Bad ExPat?

12 Hours on a plane from Newark to Tokyo, I had just awakened from a NyQuil induced coma. A speckled hand attached to one of the few original surviving Flight Attendants still able to fly the unfriendly skies handed me … Continue reading

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J-Pop, K-Pop, Teeny Bops Bop till They Drop

I am currently duck taped to a kitchen chair, my mouth stuffed with a sock worn by Offspring #1 during a track meet from the weekend, my hair piled in the sloppy bun most favored by Offspring #2 for not … Continue reading

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The New More Flexible Normal- Not For the Faint of Heart

On April 15th last year, my taxes were filed, and the day ahead probably looked identical to the 45 preceding it. Starting with mine and Spouse’s morning coffee talk, through school drop off, to the work out session aimed at … Continue reading

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A Birthday Celebrated at Jindai-Ji Temple- Japan

In the immortal words of Stevie Wonder celebrated in Song- “Happy Birthday Bud-dha, Happy Birthday Bud-dha, Happy Birth…day!” According to “experts” April 8th is the big day for Budhha. Not knowing much about the most righteous Buddha or any of … Continue reading

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Playing it Safe

The nuclear power plant deemed fully non-functional, the French have been brought in to decommission the leaking source of the daily Japacolpyse rumors, a process residents have been informed will take several months. I, becoming more green and Gumby-like with … Continue reading

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The New Normal

The Offspring headed off for school an hour earlier with a drag in their step and cacophony of complaints on their lips as I merrily pushed them out the door to catch the bus for the first day back. Having … Continue reading

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“There’s no Excuse for Rudeness. Period.” Big Patti

One of the values every child raised in the South learns at the foot of the family matriarch is good manners. Of particular importance to my mother, referred to in this blog as “Big Patti,” is the value of being … Continue reading

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