The most common question when I mention Nan Desu Kan is always, “Oh, what is that?” I often laugh inside at the joke most don’t get. As with so much in the Japanese language, double, triple, and quadruple meanings can create true wordplay often impossible in the Romantic and Germanic languages. In Japanese, the phrase […]
Nan Desu Kan–What Is It? Read More »
It’s the last Thursday of November, and I’ve signed up for Thanksgiving lunch at Maokong, the major tea-producing area of Taipei located in the rugged foothills southeast of the city. I stuff the direction sheet into my shoulder bag and start the ten-minute jaunt from the Taipei Royalty apartment building at 9:30 to the Liuzhangli
Thanksgiving at Maokong Read More »
The restaurant was crowded with people on their lunch break. I found a table in the back and claimed it while my son, Mathew, got our drinks and food. There was a black man sitting at the table next to us. He nodded as I sat down and I returned the greeting. I was a
A Stranger No More Read More »
Word origin has always been fascinating to me. Maybe it’s because I love the history of things, where they come from and how they might have changed through the years. The written language is filled with words and phrases that can be traced back for centuries. Consider the word milestone. The origins of this word
Reaching a Milestone Read More »
In May of 2018, Nicolas Maduro was re-elected for another term as Venezuela’s president and sworn into power on January 10th 2019. This second term will continue to 2025. However, foreign powers such as the European Union, United States, and the Lima Group have denounced Maduro as Venezuela’s president. In the months following Maduro’s “election,”
American Imperialism in Venezuela Read More »
The real me lives by the sea, With flying hair and sun kissed brow, I’d give anything to be there now. A wave can propel you forward, pass you by or capture you in its turbulence. This is true in life and in the ocean. Sometimes you make the choice and sometimes it’s the wave.