Monthly Archives: April 2011
Shifting into Maverick Mode
I’m back in Silicon Valley today. It feels so…Californian here. Succulent plants stretching brazenly in the sun, bright orange poppies, palm trees, scrubby desert trees, wide roads, high stress levels. People seem large and brash. In immigration, we had to … Continue reading
Just between You and Me
My friend Kelly says I should get a Japanese boyfriend so I can really feel a part of society here, not always be on the outside. Kelly was originally from China, and we speak in English (sprinkled with Japanese and … Continue reading
Segregated
I’ve hesitated to post this one, because I’m unsure how I feel about it. I wrote this three weeks ago. ~~~ Lunch is a quick affair in a big cafeteria a maze of hallways away. (It’s also company subsidized and … Continue reading
Gomi (Garbage): Paralyzed by the Options
“This is one of the most difficult parts of living in Japan,” mutters a Japanese executive newly returned from expat life in the States. He scrunches a foil chocolate wrapper between thumb and forefinger, and his hand hovers over the … Continue reading
Sure, Step Outside the Lines, Just Not Too Far
Daydreaming on my walk to work the other day, I walked on the wrong side of the street towards my office’s security gate. Crisp white lines, combined with orange cones and poles, demarcate the correct paths for pedestrians. Employees round … Continue reading
16-Legged Eating Machine
Near the train station is one of those stand-up noodle-and-beer bars with the noren curtains (暖簾) hanging halfway down. Every night after work, I see a row of legs exposed beneath the curtains, always in blue, gray, or black slacks, … Continue reading
New Words Are Moving In, But Not Fast Enough
I hear a funny word: chuu-ta-han-pa. It sounds familiar. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it and have even looked it up before. It doesn’t sound like Japanese, not even like the normal two-syllable Chinese-borrowed words. Suddenly I hear it everywhere—on … Continue reading
The Gods of Traffic Safety
These driving deities have guarded over this stretch of Highway 1 ever since (and no doubt long before) I’ve been coming to Osaka. The signs read: Traffic Safety A steering wheel held with a Buddha heart will have no accidents. … Continue reading
Words
A dusky lace of sadness overlays my thoughts every time I smile at an English word spelled or created charmingly. I smile at the “Fancl House” clothing store and remember how many in Tohoku are still freezing with clothes washed … Continue reading
Hanami at Osaka Castle Park
Yesterday, I celebrated the exquisite fragility of youth under the cherry petals with coworkers from China, Russia, India, Vietnam, UK, Turkey, and Japan. Many toasts were drunk to the ephemeral nature of life–and other things. The somei yoshino cherry trees … Continue reading
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