Last Friday, I traded in THIS… Mavericks, a word famous surf spot down the road from where my mom lives in California Peaceful path along the beach a block from my mom’s house For this… http://i.pbase.com/g4/33/609133/2/52246018.DSC00728.jpg Tokyo, impressively cramped and crowded as ever A lot has happened since I last wrote. I’ve been frantically busy… Read More Japan, Part Two
Me and My Little Brother in Santa Cruz, California. Five days ago, at four in the morning, I said a sleepy goodbye to New York. As my dad’s car pulled away from the curb, headed to JFK Airport, I looked back at the tree-lined street outlined in white, chalk dust-like snow, at the Christmas lights… Read More Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
Last night I went to the Bowery Poetry Club for Monday Night Bingo. If you don’t know what that is, well, it’s a lot more fun than it sounds. It’s Bingo for Gen Yer’s, in that it includes a Happy Hour and the hosts are drag queens. I went with a friend from High School,… Read More My Life in Limbo Land
Photo by Starsprinkles “Someday I’ll wish upon a star,And wake up where the clouds are farBehind me.” – Dorothy Last night, somewhere over the rainbow, on 14th street in Chelsea, Manhattan… Dude Sitting in the back of a Christmas Tree Truck: You dropped something. Me: (stopped walking to look behind me, surprised) Really? Dude: Yeah,… Read More There’s No Place Like Home?
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/52113862_f02e6415a2.jpg?v=0 “These vagabond shoes are longing to stray, Right through the heart of it,New york, New York.”– Frank Sinatra It’s five am and I’m awake. But this time my insomnia isn’t of the “What am I doing with my life life?/Why, oh why am I in Japan?” variety. I’m awake because I’m jet lagged. And… Read More Live from New York…
My first day as an Eigo no Sensei (that’s Japanese for “Human Tissue and/or Punching Bag, Jungle Gym, Disney-Princess-Come-to-Life”) started in June, at a daycare center. I remember shortly after arriving, the teacher whom I was replacing, affectionately patted one of the toddlers on the head and said something to the effect of: “Aw, I’m… Read More And So Ends Another Chapter in My Life…
So I just got back from my nightly midnight snack run to the 7-11 across the street…and you won’t believe who was working behind the counter. A tall, gangly, pony-tail- wearing, white dude. Yeah, seriously. A live, breathing foreigner working at my convenience store! This is totally bizarro for a couple of reasons. 1. I… Read More Something Really Weird Just Happened to Me…
Teaching English in Japan is a challenge. I think that one of the greatest hurdles to overcome as a new teacher here, is coming to terms with the fact that English class isn’t about learning English. If it were, teaching would be lot easier. English class is first and foremost about having fun. It’s… Read More ESL Teaching Tips: How to Discipline Problem Students
I’ve been reading a lot of about “groupism” and “the follow the leader syndrome” in Japan and it’s all sort of mind -boggling. I was reading, for example, that this ice cream company in Tokyo actually hired people to form lines in front of their stores. And even though it was in the middle of… Read More Follow the Crowd
My dear Japan, You are one Hell of a crazy country…and I love you for it. You provide a never-ending supply of funny photo opportunities and for that alone, I’m eternally grateful. I hope that you continue to rock your unselfconsciously tacky, cheeseball style, because it’s inspiring. Really. Happy Thanksgiving! Love from your biggest fan,… Read More Today I Give Thanks to Japan…
