When I was a kid I dreamed about flying.
It was always simple in dreams. I’d wake up with the euphoric feeling of having figured something out: The secret to flying was to jump, then repeat the jump while still in mid-air. The younger me would attempt this repeatedly, the older me would let the dream die and go brush my teeth.
Malaysia terrifies my mother. Continue reading
I can’t lie, Nobukazu Takemura is pretty hit or miss with me. A lot of his career is basically straight acid jazz, which isn’t my thing, but his roots are in hip hop, and his first performances were as a battle DJ. His best music combines those elements – the gritty, abrasive nature of sampling with the sparkling openness of acid jazz. Continue reading
Signs were erected to warn hikers about aggressive mountain goats in Olympic National Park.
Imagine, if you can, the mountain goats of the Pacific Northwest. They look like messed-up dogs or disappointing unicorns; they eat lichen in the wild and alfalfa in captivity. It doesn’t help that they’re called goats. Continue reading
So this week I’m taking diving lessons on a Malaysian oil rig, hallucinating on malaria medication and looking at monkeys with disgusting noses.
In other words, I’m not on the Internet.
In the meantime, the Mitsubishi Electronic Home Assistant I’m leasing from Yodabashi Denki will be updating the blog. But I wanted to throw some extra love around the blogosphere while I’m gone.
Japanese Sleeves – My Twitter-friend and fellow Kit-Kat enthusiast has a really cool Tumblr documenting the used vinyl records she picks up in Japanese record stores. Each post is a scan of the album art with an audio sample. If you like my Ongakuyoubi series, you’ll love it.
Rora-chan at kawaiiloveyou has a blog post about passing the Japanese Driver’s Exam on her fourth try, and passes along some advice. I’m also digging the food blog she’s co-writing, which has many a fancy “Western recipe” approved for Japanese kitchens.
On the subject of food, Superhappyawesomefuntime has a post about Japan’s new Ghost-Flavored Pringles.
Just Another Day in Japan had a post a while back about iPhone games that can help you with your Japanese. And honestly, they look awesome just playing them in English. Think “Onsen Tycoon!”
On the new-arrivals front: My new friend Alecs has a new blog dedicated to life in the inaka, and Kaley in Japan is finally… in Japan.
And if you’re in Japan and you like podcasts, you owe it to yourself to check out Bad Communication for a roundup of news and friendly conversation about the expat life.
This album actually hit the top 40 in Japan – which is great, but it would be unfathomable in the US for a record this weird to compete with Justin Bieber and 50 Cent. Continue reading
