Even as spring has come, and life is flourishing once again, it’s hard to ignore that life is very fragile and that countless lives both around us, and abroad, are suffering and dying. Sometimes it really feels like a bleak, colorless world. Please take a moment to help ease the suffering of others, whether it’sContinue reading “A Colorless World”
Category Archives: Family
When It Turns Out Your Heritage Isn’t Really Your Heritage
This is pretty small beans compared to other things going on in the world, but recently my sister let me know an interesting historical detail about my paternal grandfather and what it means for our Scottish heritage, and sense of identity in general. My dad’s wife has been an avid genealogist ever since she decidedContinue reading “When It Turns Out Your Heritage Isn’t Really Your Heritage”
Ohanami, Ohisashiburi
For the first time in 3 years, since before the pandemic started, we visited my alma mater and saw the cherry blossom trees there! The Japanese phrase ohisashiburi (お久しぶり) is a stock phrase you often hear in Japanese meaning “long time no see!”, and that was the feeling we had when we visited the trees.Continue reading “Ohanami, Ohisashiburi”
Keeping An Even Head When The World Is On Fire
It’s hard to avoid lingering sense of dread, sadness, or fear of the future these days. Of all the problems in the world, climate change is the one that truly worries me the most. I really can’t help but wonder what kind of world I’ll be leaving my kids and (possible) grandkids someday. 😔 WeContinue reading “Keeping An Even Head When The World Is On Fire”
Finding Refuge Amidst Anxiety, Lots of Anxiety
This tweet from the awesome Sententiae Antiquae blog had me thinking lately: When life feels overwhelming, I tend to think about a Buddhist text called the Immeasurable Life Sutra1 which is a highly influential in Mahayana Buddhism. It is one of my personal favorites. The first half of the sutra is the most extensive introductionContinue reading “Finding Refuge Amidst Anxiety, Lots of Anxiety”
Winter Is Here
Winter is here in the Pacific Northwest! In the old Japanese calendar, this period is known as rittō (立冬, “first winter”). My gardening book mentioned that historically frost comes around here typically on November 17th, and I was quite surprised to see that it really happened: The trees around my son’s elementary school were beautifulContinue reading “Winter Is Here”
Happy Moon Festival 2021!
The Moon Festival (中秋節), celebrated across east Asia starts tonight depending on your time zone. I got to celebrate on Animal Crossing: New Horizons by decorating my “home” with regional treats: moon cakes from China at front, colorful song-pyon from Korea on the back-right and white dango from Japan on the left. In Japan, theContinue reading “Happy Moon Festival 2021!”
DnDviaPBPlolz
Update: there is a follow-up review posted 6 months later. For those of us older than 14,1 this post is about a concept I only learned about recently, and that is playing Dungeons and Dragons via “play by post” (pbp). Dungeons and Dragons, as a fantasy role-playing game has always been about playing as aContinue reading “DnDviaPBPlolz”
Happy Girls Day
It is a bit early to celebrate for folks here in the US, but in Japan it is already March 3rd, which means it is already Girl’s Day (hinamatsuri ひな祭り)! So for all the ladies out there, Happy Girl’s Day!!
Girls Day Bento
The Japanese festival of Hinamatsuri or Girl’s Day is almost here and I recently dug up this old photo I found. My wife used to make bento lunches for our daughter when she was a little girl and this one was themed for Girls Day. 🥰 Compare with the real doll display here: The traditionalContinue reading “Girls Day Bento”
Party Central 