The Apprentice Geisha of Gion (aka henshin)

A very helpful Flickr user posted a response to my photo “Geisha of Gion”. I thought I’d share the response, as I wasn’t aware of this at all. (Even after reading Memoirs of a Geisha 😉 ) I feel like such a tourist. — “Sorry, but this lady is just a regular lady dressed up as a maiko (an apprentice geisha) for the day. This act is called “henshin”. But this is a lovely composed picture! (1)really worn down orRead more

“Where Will the Next Earthquake Hit?”

On February 24th, GOOD posted “Where Will the Next Earthquake Hit?“ The timing is eerie and unfortunate. “A year after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, people everywhere have been speculating about when and where the next cataclysmic one will hit our shores. If major quakes occur approximately 15 times a year around the world, where will the next one hit?“Read more

March update

My brother decided to leave Tokyo after 5 years. He’s now in Florida for a while and may or may not return to Japan in June. — We’re leaving early tomorrow morning for Puerto Galera – white sandy beaches on the next island south of Luzon (the island we live on here in the Philippines). I’ve heard many mixed reviews of how to best get there. Essentially there are three main ways: small open catamaran style ‘bancas’ (one sank inRead more