There is an old Chinese tale called “The Royal Bridegroom” about a princess who discovers some shocking news about her new husband. It is a fairly well-known tale and perhaps you’ve heard it. The bridegroom tells his new bride a story for their first toast: about a man who, in Henry-esque style, demands a boy-child of his wife, and ( Read more... )

I had a fascinating experience exactly one week ago. I was teaching a young girl, perhaps 13 or 14, and for something a little more fun, we read a story called "The Royal Bridegroom." She is very, and I mean very, high level. My highest level student. She lived in CA for several years when she was younger, Napa Valley. It was not terribly difficult ( Read more... )

She died this morning at 12:10.

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Just found out a friend of mine is dying...I saw Phil only last week, and it looks like he's recovering well from his cancer and I think he'll be fine...Now Rhiannon has a melanoma in her spine. I didn't know her that well. She worked with Becky. But I hung out with her a number of times...spent New Years with her, went to see the sakura blossoms ( Read more... )

It's FINISHED!! It's over. Nearly four years and more than 400 pages later, and I've laid it to rest. The manuscript is complete. I can't believe I finished it today...Spent all day writing. Two of my three classes cancelled today, and being only a few pages from completion, I decided to push on through into the wee hours, send it off to my editor ( Read more... )

I shouldn't be writing about this. I have so many things going on in the here and now. My life is practically a daytime TV drama...one of the ones with fifteen subplots per character. I returned from a very wild trip in Thailand to my new and improved girlfriend...who has turned from highly dissatisfying into super-girlfriend, giving me nearly ( Read more... )

This is pretty much the funniest thing I've seen in Japan. It's basically an improv cartoon, and this is the best episode I've seen. The DVD comes with English subtitles, so I think I'll buy it. It's a little tricky to understand some of the jokes if you don't know Japanese though, because there are lots of puns. "Un deux trois" sounds like "Ando ( Read more... )

I have a bit of extra time tonight and feel I ought to write something, but I just don't feel like existing in a biographical sense. Like Heidegger, I can't get Holderlin out of my head.

You may build your house of straw ( Read more... )

The moon hangs over the shadow that is Fuji on the horizon, a half crescent tipped on its side like an open hand or a waiting cup. I go to get a pack of cigarettes because the luxury and nostalgia of cheap Japanese wine with real American cheese is simply incomplete without a cigarette. なつかしい. On the way, I wonder how it is I've adapted so easily ( Read more... )

( And how YOU can protect YOUR family )