Literary Movie Review: Odyssey, 2026
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey sent me back to Homer—and to the strange women, monsters, temptations, and homecomings that have kept this story alive for thousands of years.
July 2026
Book Review: The Last Love Song
Book Review The Last Love Song by Tracy Daugherty Book Review: We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live by Joan Didion This is a book review for the intellectuals who read this blog, such as Sue, my travelling partner on the Japan Trip. My description of this pair of books will be somewhat more
In which I go on Ancestry.com
In which I go on Ancestry.com: Sometime ago, I first became aware of the online family tree builder and genealogical research tool, Ancestry.com. Some friends and relatives had been using it before me, probably more people than I could actually list, and key genealogists on both my father’s and my mother’s side were becoming knowledgeable […]
Last Day in Japan
Last Day in Japan: We came home from the Fuji trip rather tired and spent the end of the day resting. The next morning, Sue had only half a day before she had to go to the airport, so we decided to go to a garden that was walking distance. This was the Shinjuku Gyoen
We Climbed Mount Fuji
We climbed Mount Fuji. For weeks now I have been feeling anxious because of the Fuji trip. I knew it would be demanding and I also knew I hadn’t done the hiking practice I was supposed to. But your biggest challenges are always the ones you don’t anticipate and on this trip the biggest challenge
Shopping Day in Tokyo
Shopping Day in Tokyo: Sue and I got up this morning intent on two things: seeing the fashion district and going to Shibuya Crossing, not just to see the Hatchiko statue, but also to see all the people walking across the intersection. It is said that as many as half a million people walk across
Tokyo is Fabulous
Tokyo is Fabulous. And we’re surrounded by it. What a city should be, but never is in reality, that is my first impression of downtown Tokyo. When we land in Tokyo we have no trouble getting our bags and decide to send them to our hotel using bag courier service, available at a counter across
Visiting Yomitan Pottery Village and Cape Zanpa
Our last day in Okinawa was shisa day. We were visiting Yomitan Pottery Village after breakfast to engage ourselves in another art class: the class in making a shisa. As noted above, the Okinawan shisa is a relative of the Chinese lion dog protector spirit. These shisas stand outside of doorways and on the roofs
Walking Around Okinawa: Finding My Way Without Japanese
Walking Around Okinawa — I made my 10,000 steps today, but I didn’t go quite as fast as yesterday. Sue seems to feel we are moving too fast. Possibly we have begun to emulate days of her childhood, when sightseeing would involve going on tremendously ambitious on-foot expeditions, and pushing forward, using public transit, all
A Perfect Day in Naha, Okinawa: Culture, Cuisine, and Island Charm
It is a perfect day in Naha, Okinawa. We are doing a workshop in Bingata printing. The workshop is at the Shuri Dyeing and Weaving Museum Suikara. The museum is on a hilly street, and we sit in a textile classroom with high ceilings and windows, watching the textiles teacher get out the painting materials