Exploring the First Bay Area Book Festival

I’ve been having some awesome bookish adventures lately. One of the reasons I love my annual reading challenge is that it keeps me much more plugged in to what people are writing and… Continue reading →

Sonoma Getaway Weekend

One of the big perks of living in Berkeley is easy access to wine country. I’ve taken pretty good advantage of the situation in past years–I get up to Napa 3-4 times per… Continue reading →

Reliving Childhood Dreams at The Last Unicorn Tour

If you were a kid in the 1980s, you probably watched the animated version of The Last Unicorn at some point. Maybe at several points. Maybe over and over again until not only you but… Continue reading →

Spring Break: Hollywood!

During my time in the US a few weeks ago, I took a road trip from Berkeley down to sunny Los Angeles to attend the annual meeting of the  Western Political Science Association… Continue reading →

A Day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Hello, everyone! Apologies for the overly long hiatus. Things have been busy in real life, which means that blogging often falls by the wayside. Rest assured, things are going well here in Japan,… Continue reading →

Wordless Wednesday #21: Clocks

  From top to bottom: Minato Mirai Ferris Wheel (Yokohama, Japan); Asakusa (Tokyo, Japan); “Chariot of the Harvest,” Corcoran Gallery of the Art (Washington, DC); Hirata Folk Art Museum (Takayama, Japan); Citizen Clock… Continue reading →

Wordless Wednesday #19: Isetta, Berkeley

A short break from the China flashbacks for a more recent Berkeley flashback: While I was sitting in the original Peet’s Coffee in Berkeley last month, this cute little “bubble car” pulled up,… Continue reading →

San Francisco Photo Safari

On Friday, I treated myself to a trip to the city for a photography workshop. Thanks to the wonders of Groupon, I got half-off on a “photo safari” through San Francisco Photo Safaris.… Continue reading →

Wordless Wednesday #16: Tiger Bike, Berkeley

Isn’t this amazing? I spotted it in Berkeley just in front of Trattoria Corso (which has great pasta, by the way). I love the white belly. Happy Wednesday!

The Joys of Sunny California

Because I so often find myself moaning about weather, I feel that I should take a moment to note that it has been absolutely beautiful in Berkeley lately. Still a bit cool in… Continue reading →