My number one “must do” for Tokyo was visit the Park Hyatt’s New York Bar. It probably seems like an unreasonable request. Sure, I’m a little bougie but it’s not like I made demands to go drink overpriced cocktails at expensive international hotel chains while traveling. But the Tokyo Park Hyatt is different, because that’s where Lost in Translation was filmed. While I did research in staying at the hotel, at $500-$900 USD that was not going to be an option for…
When I was younger, I kind of self-identified as a Tom Boy. I hated the color pink. A typical outfit for me well past college would be jeans and a horse t-shirt. While I wore a little makeup to cover up breakouts or maybe mascara, many days I left the house bare faced and felt absolutely okay with that. Though I didn’t hate dresses or dressing up, I only did these things when I felt like it. They weren’t something…
Tokyo has the reputation of being weird. I think everyone has heard rumors vending machines that spit out school girl’s used panties or all other kinds of fabricated urban legends about strange things in Japan. I have to admit that I fell victim a little bit too to that opinion before I left. After reading about some of the interesting Japanese opinions regarding love & sex in Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance, I have to admit that I came to Tokyo wondering what…
Tokyo is a city unlike any other I’ve been to. Logically, my brain wants to compare it to New York because that’s the other massive metropolitan that I’ve visited, but it doesn’t seem like a fair comparison. New York feels vibrant and alive because it’s filthy, full of interesting characters and has a brisk candor in the air around those tall buildings. When I visit New York, I feel like I’m watching someone have surgery — their guts are busted open…
After what is probably the longest travel day of my life, I’m in Texas and settling back into my normal routine. Getting from Tokyo to Austin was an interesting journey that involved: a two hour commute to the Narita airport waiting around until 6:30pm Japan time on Tuesday evening to board for our flight Flying 12(?) hours until we landed in Dallas at 4:30pm Texas Time… aka 2 hours earlier than we left a four hour layover in Dallas where…
This is a month where I both read a lot and also gave up on finishing some books – one I’ll review here today and one I’ll skip. Anyway the books this month bring something for everyone I think. We have a memoir, a high drama fiction and a nonfiction nature study. Let’s begin! “There are many ways to drown, only the most obvious wave their arms as they’re going under.” – Nick Flynn Another Bullshit Night in Suck City…
One day I will have a month full of light hearted, super engaging books for you… but that month is not this month. Instead, I’m still knee deep in literary memoir and am taking y’all along for the ride with me! Not many people have had as much bad luck as I have, but not many people have had as much good luck, either. – Tig Notaro I’m Just a Person by Tig Notaro Tig, a stand-up comic and comedy…
Getting bluebonnet pictures were really important to me this year. Even though I’ve admired the amazing wildflowers in Texas for seven years now, I’ve never actually taken any kind of bluebonnet pictures. Maybe that’s because of this hilarious tumblr that makes fun of people squatting in the bluebonnets for pictures, but mostly I’ve just been lazy. Originally, the plan was to meet my roommate at a little patch of bluebonnets by our house and take some photos of the dogs….