Japan

Picture Postcards: Street scene in Tokyo, Japan

Students exit the train platform on their way in to the university

See more street scenes:
Shimla, India
Montmartre, France
Ulgii, Mongolia

Moving-in Gift Giving in Japan

Some Places Around the World Welcome a New Neighbor with a Gift

Things are a bit different in Japan.  There is no welcome wagon or welcoming committee to greet the newcomer. When you first move into a house or apartment, you should bring gifts to your surrounding neighbors.

This is a way to introduce yourself, make friends and let them know a little bit about yourself.  It need not break your bank account. Small kitchen towels or tins of cookies, gift wrapped, are available in most department stores.

An expensive item, as an introductory gift, would be overkill.  It may make your neighbors feel indebted to you. (more…)

From our contributors: week of February 4, 2013

Here’s some material our contributors have written on their personal blogs in the past few days.

Happy reading!

Mike, our contributor from Japan, published a photo essay on the 2013 Okinawa International Orchid Show. Let the photo speak for itself.

Anu, our contributor from India, wrote about the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai.

I have been attending the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival since its inception in 1999. I was then fresh out of college, had time on my hands, and I loved the opportunity to experience something as different as an Arts Festival in Mumbai. Over the years, I have seen the festival grow, become more popular, the addition of a variety of events offering something of interest to people of all ages. And I have enjoyed attending the festival, year after year….. Discovering something new each time, and of late, opening up an entire new world of art and creativity to my son. I still love attending the festival, and look forward to it each year, but it gives me even more pleasure when my 9 year old son opens the newspaper and yells out – “Amma, the Kala Ghoda festival has started! When are you taking me?”

Meeting the one you love, after long- time-no- see is always a test. A test for how true, stable and worthy the feelings are. It’s always a test for how true you or the party is. It’s a test for love. But when is happens in a right way there is nothing that as amazing and fulfilling. And you walk around drunk with happiness.

The Kirby Building (1509 Main St.) was built in 1913 in the Late Gothic style by Adolphus Busch, he of Budweiser fame. Originally, it housed offices and a department store. The lobby reminds me of a church with the decorative ribs of its ceiling and the marble staircase. The

views of Dallas from the 18^th floor terrace are spectacular, including that of the red Pegasus.

From our contributors: week of November 26

Here’s what some of our contributors have written lately on their personal blogs:

Phot credit: Anudarha Shankar

Mike, our contributor from Japan, posted a photo of a sea-hawk as part of his Bird Photo series.

Anu, our contributor from India, also wrote about a bird, the Indian roller.

The Indian Roller is a bird which is quite common all over India, especially Southern India. It is the State bird of Karnataka, and we saw it quite often on our visit to Hampi, Aihole, and Badami.

Celia, our new contributor from Kazakhstan, wrote about plans to build a giant dome over the government and financial districts of the capital city of Astana.

It’s begun snowing quite a lot in the past week, and it’s getting colder. But according to a recent news article, local architects are interested in building a giant dome over the government and financial area of Kazakhstan’s capital. The article claims this is already being done in Houston, where a mile-wide dome would enclose “a business center, green areas, and luxury housing,” protecting us poor Americans from tropical winds and oppressive heat waves.

Ana, contributing editor, wrote about exploring new aspects of her hometown of Buenos Aires.

Whoever said that you never really know a city was right. I’m still discovering new aspects and parts of Buenos Aires, even though I lived there for over thirty years. Maybe that’s why there are so many places I haven’t seen: one tends to take one’s hometown for granted.

 

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From our contributors: week of October 27

From our contributors: week of October 8

From our contributors: week of September 24

From our contributors: week of October 27

Go have a look at what some of our contributors have written on their personal blogs:

Local tightrope walkers (Photo credit: Anu

Mike, our contributor from Japan, published a moving photo of an Okinawan lady worshiping her ancestors.

The 95 year, young woman smiled and gave me permission.

Ancestor worship is practiced in Okinawa, Japan.

The woman prayed and made offerings.

It had been drizzling while we were in the temple, but the rain seemed to take a break as we emerged. As we hurried to the bus stand before the rain started again, our attention was caught by these huge mannequins at the entrance to the temple hall. A faded poster informed us that they had stood welcome for a Yakshagana performance a few weeks earlier…

San Telmo is the oldest neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The narrow cobblestone streets are lined with old houses, with a handful dating back to colonial times. San Telmo used to be a well-to-do area until the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1871, when the rich fled to the healthier northern side of the city, in what is now known as Barrio Norte and Recoleta.

From our contributors: week of October 8

Curious to read what our contributors write on their blogs? Here’s a few examples.

A view of the river Krishna at Wai

Mike, our contributor from Japan, muses on the nature of islands on Photo and a question: what is an island?

This photo was taken today, on the northeast coast of Okinawa, Japan.

There’s way too much information on the world wide web.

Some folks say an these things have to be at least two acres in size, to be considered an island .

Otherwise, they are just a rock.

I have fallen in love with Runcible Spoon, a cafe hideaway with a quirky name taken from a whimsical line in Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussycat (‘they dined on mince and slices of quince which they ate with a runcible spoon’).

Our first visit to Wai was by chance. We were on the way to Satara, to attend a festival at the temple there. I was then pregnant, and my tendency to throw up on the road was higher than normal, which led to frequent stops on the highway. One such unscheduled stop found us near a board that said, ‘Wai – 10Km’. My father-in-law suddenly remembered a visit he had made to the area almost half a century ago, on his first job in the PWD

We took a cruise around Lake Buchanan (pronounced buhk hăn uhn). Our guide, Miss Candy, a retired teacher from the area, helped us spot some local wildlife, such as egrets or ospreys. She shared very interesting information about the history of the manmade lake. We hopped off the boat to visit the ruins of Bluffton, a town that was submerged in 1937 when the Buchanan Dam was built. There wasn’t a lot to see; however, her narration was captivating.