Author Archives: owwls

Omiyage | お土産

Posted on July 14, 2010

I have to buy gifts for 30 strangers. It’s a Japanese tradition of Omiyage: You give gifts to neighbors; employers; co-workers; landlords; especially when you first meet them. The rules: Gifts should reflect interests I share with the (possibly nonexistent) recipient. … Continue reading →

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Posted in Preparations, Weird | 3 Comments

On the Serious | 重大考え

Posted on June 30, 2010

I’ve read plenty of Buddhists who talk about the inability of the ‘typical Western mind’ to sit and be alone with itself in a quiet room. As a typical Western mind I’m enamored by distractions. I think about this when … Continue reading →

Posted in Thinking | Leave a comment

Yellow Raincoat |鬱金色雨着

Posted on June 25, 2010

What small daily grievances have I assumed are universal that could be distinctly American? Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Thinking | 1 Comment

Hello, World. | 今日は

Posted on June 18, 2010

One day, you put on your old clothes – T-shirts with band names or ironic slogans – and realize you look like a bad impression of your younger self.
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Posted in Homesickness, Thinking, Travel, Uncategorized | 2 Comments