Monday, December 29, 2008
taste the fruits of my labour
My regular readers, should they actually exist, may remember I talked of an article I was writing for Our World 2.0 about green building in populous Japan. Well the darn thing, which nearly drowned me under a ton of research, is finally up for you to gander. Please? Pretty please. Yes, I am once again stooping to begging for hits!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
a shovel full on my head
Friday, December 19, 2008
wishing for white stuff
I know this sounds mental to those of you back home, including Vancouverites who had a recent taste of Eastern winter, but I miss snow. And this is a very short-lived feeling I know, for the rest of the winter I thoroughly relish Tokyo's sunny mild winters. But at Christmas I need sparkly white stuff!
So to get in the xmas spirit, we're heading off for a 4 day holiday tomorrow to the Nagano area. But dang it all, at the moment the village we're staying in, Nozawa Onsen, doesn't have any snow. Today, one forecast says it'll start snowing Sunday night, another predicts rain. Our visions of a snowy little town are likely to be dashed.
There is snow at the top of the mountain though, so I'm going to at least get a few runs in. And hey, the village's other attraction, the onsens, are as bubbling hot as they ever were.
Merry Christmas.
So to get in the xmas spirit, we're heading off for a 4 day holiday tomorrow to the Nagano area. But dang it all, at the moment the village we're staying in, Nozawa Onsen, doesn't have any snow. Today, one forecast says it'll start snowing Sunday night, another predicts rain. Our visions of a snowy little town are likely to be dashed.
There is snow at the top of the mountain though, so I'm going to at least get a few runs in. And hey, the village's other attraction, the onsens, are as bubbling hot as they ever were.
Merry Christmas.
Friday, December 05, 2008
fluffy jazz antidote
Okay so my dear partner is officially obsessed. Aran somehow 'discovered' jazz a couple of months ago, I think it started through a music magazine + compilation CD the ambassador had given him a few issues of (Songlines it's called and is actually world beat-focused so I'm not positive it was there but hey, I also loved the comp CDs so I ordered A a 6-month subscription as an anniversary gift) .
Anyway since jazz bit him, he has listened to nothing else (I'm NOT exaggerating), reading up on new and old styles and haunting the CD shops of Tokyo, as well as overloading iTunes with a zillion albums got through bittorrent.
Yes, everyone knows I'm a rock/punk/alt girl who despises pop. But I'm open minded to many other types of music: classical (has anyone ever listened to Michael Torke?), world, hip hop, electronic, and even jazz is great with me. In small doses. I can't take anything all the damn time!
However, I have tried very hard to restrain myself and not freak out (with my famous temper) and forbid jazz, since you know how cute and pure A's enthusiasm for things can be. Far be it for me, the moody grouch, to squash mister sunshine's fun!
The result is that as soon as he leaves the house, I RUN for the stereo and switch things up. This morning my escapism has led me to indulge in a full Lily Allen album followed by a bit of Rancid. Ahhh, what relief!
Anyway since jazz bit him, he has listened to nothing else (I'm NOT exaggerating), reading up on new and old styles and haunting the CD shops of Tokyo, as well as overloading iTunes with a zillion albums got through bittorrent.
Yes, everyone knows I'm a rock/punk/alt girl who despises pop. But I'm open minded to many other types of music: classical (has anyone ever listened to Michael Torke?), world, hip hop, electronic, and even jazz is great with me. In small doses. I can't take anything all the damn time!
However, I have tried very hard to restrain myself and not freak out (with my famous temper) and forbid jazz, since you know how cute and pure A's enthusiasm for things can be. Far be it for me, the moody grouch, to squash mister sunshine's fun!
The result is that as soon as he leaves the house, I RUN for the stereo and switch things up. This morning my escapism has led me to indulge in a full Lily Allen album followed by a bit of Rancid. Ahhh, what relief!
Labels: music
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
my dream ad hocist house
While researching an article I'm working on for Our World 2.O about green building in Japan, I stumbled upon some adorable, original and low-impact houses in Oregon.
The Treehugger article also introduced me to the design concept of ad hocism, which so resonates with my über-practical nature.
So those back home be warned: in a couple of years from now when we return, I will be asking you to scrounge through your junk to help us build our crazy green home.
Labels: climate change, green building
