Comments for The Way Of Words

Comment on Finding Sushi by Derrick

Derrick — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:10:02 +0000

All right…now you’ve done it. I now have a craving for sushi at 9pm. That’s a far cry from the leftover spicy hot homemade chili I had for dinner tonight. Come to think of it, I haven’t been in a “traditional” sushi restaurant since my arrival. Been to three kaiten sushi places though.

Comment on Bicycle Menace by Derrick

Derrick — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:47:08 +0000

Here’s something I’ve seen in Yonezawa which will probably have people shaking their heads in response: So far this winter we’ve had about 2m of snowfall. While the main roads are kept clear, many sidestreets are covered in a solid layer of snow and so are most of the sidewalks. Not exactly best conditions to be riding a bike. Yet a few days ago when I ventured out I saw at least one person riding a bicycle. He was riding a standard Japanese “mamachari” on the parts of the road which were clear of snow…and holding up traffic. Go figure that one out…

Comment on Learning to get around by Derrick

Derrick — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:47:16 +0000

I was going say to “Locals have GPS on their phones?…yeah right” then I remembered that I’ve used Apple’s Location Service coupled with their “Maps” app on my iPhone to help me get around since my arrival here in September. That is essentially a GPS service on a smartphone. It’s a drain on the battery but it’s been a great time saver at least once. On my past sightseeing trips to Japan I did manage to get lost and the results weren’t always entertaining. I did rent a cellular phone on the last trip but I never did check if it had a GPS service on it. I suppose it might have of. It would’ve come in handy in my attempt to visit Tokyo Tower without a pre-planned route. I ended up taking a subway which I thought would take me closer but in fact landed me in the middle of nowhere.

Comment on Body Language: A Surprise by Ron Berg

Ron Berg — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:16:40 +0000

In African culture, missionaries explained to me, it is expected that people will give each other privacy. In our culture it is more likely that we find it necessary to take our privacy.

Comment on Dinner at Kita no Mori by lynda

lynda — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:53:50 +0000

You’re right. Thanks for picking up that typo. Proof as much as you will, something slips through the cracks–always. (Grrrr!)

When travelling solo I’m ultra careful not to take stupid risks. Getting drunk and lost is one to avoid. But a first class buzz a few steps away from my hotel is a modest gamble.

Comment on Dinner at Kita no Mori by Derrick

Derrick — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:55:30 +0000

Ah yes…I suppose if you can get back to your hotel room on your own locomotion then you’re doing okay. Though I once had a weird panic moment on my way back to my hotel in Matsumoto after a night of dining and drinking: I couldn’t remember if I had paid the bill at the last establishment I had been at. I figured I must of because their was no one chasing after me yelling at me to remind me of such a mistake.

PS: Methinks the name of the restaurant is “Kita no Mori” based on what I can make out of the sign.

Comment on Off to Tokyo by lynda

lynda — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:31:12 +0000

You’re right. I didn’t. Mind you, I didn’t see commuting students because I traveled during their school hours and primarily by Shinkansen, not local lines.

That said, at times I had to switch trains at major stations en route (Shin-Osaka comes to mind). There I did see this orderly system work like a marvel as two Shinkansen off and on-loaded thousands in mere minutes. A most amazing crush.

Comment on Off to Tokyo by Derrick

Derrick — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:19:45 +0000

“Passengers about to board wait in orderly lines”? You obviously haven’t had to deal with the army of high school students who do their commute on the stretch between Yonezawa and Yamagata on the Ou-sen. I remember one time where the people getting off had to wade their way through a throng of students piling onto the train at one of the points in between those two stations. Kids…what can you say eh.

Comment on Review of the Boy in The Globe and Mail by lynda

lynda — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:30:36 +0000

You’re welcome Betty. Your book was a pleasure to read. I hope it does well. Since you mention it, the aside about the title is for both my editors and readers who need to know it isn’t my typo. I’ve been faithful to the design(er).

Comment on Review of the Boy in The Globe and Mail by Betty Jane Hegerat

Betty Jane Hegerat — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:59:10 +0000

Thanks, Lynda, for your thoughtful review of The Boy (capitalization is the cover designers tweak, not mine ) Much appreciated.
BettyJH