Monthly Archives: August 2015

A day at the mall

Posted on August 22, 2015 by arleebug54

Last weekend, a group of us were seized with a desire for that most popular “lowest common denomination” activity, a stroll at the mall. Not surprisingly, options are somewhat limited in this neck of the woods, but an obliging member … Continue reading →

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“Edge Zone:” Ashley Madison…ignore if this topic isn’t of interest to you

Posted on August 21, 2015 by arleebug54

You may know I am fascinated by places the famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma refers to as “edge zones,” those being physical spaces that by virtue of their location, history, and/or topology have found themselves at the mercy of many culture … Continue reading →

Posted in Hacking and morality | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Bathroom Bafflement

Posted on August 17, 2015 by arleebug54

I’m not the first and I certainly won’t be the last Westerner to remark on Japanese restrooms. Like my experience of most of Japan (well, most of the Japan I have seen, which is certainly limited), there are elements both … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel - Japan | Tagged | 1 Comment

Acknowledging the anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Posted on August 10, 2015 by arleebug54

I just happen to be in  Japan for the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs. Since I signed up with the State Department’s STEP  (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program), I recently received an email from the embassy in … Continue reading →

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A temple in Urasa and other mysteries

Posted on August 7, 2015 by arleebug54

I keep threatening to write a blog post comparing my time in Japan with my time in Georgia, but so far that hasn’t managed to happen. Today, though, I’m going to focus on some of the elements that keeps making … Continue reading →

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A day in the life

Posted on August 3, 2015 by arleebug54

This post is going to take you through a normal day here at the International University of Japan. What’s actually kind of amazing is that “normal” consists of a bunch of young men and women from many cultures (Japanese, of … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching in Japan | Tagged | 1 Comment

Interesting details

Posted on August 2, 2015 by arleebug54

There are so many stories to tell here, it’s just a matter of having the time to put them in print. Today I went out provisioning for the coming week, reminding me that I wanted to share a bit more … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel - shopping | Tagged , | 3 Comments