Rice balls and sweet potato ice cream, oh my!
I started my bento journey by reading the instruction manual, so to speak of a couple of Japanese cookbooks that followed health food trends on both sides of the Pacific: This summer I went to Japan for the first time post-quarantine, after five years away,…
Sheep + Big = Beauty
I just recently discovered that the kanji or Chinese character for beauty combines the character for sheep with big. I’ve never connected these dots in my mind: sheep and beauty. But I can make the connection of associating sheep with bliss: of dreaming by counting…
One night in Sonoma with tween and teen
Our one night getaway this summer was Sonoma. With a tween and teenager to please, yummy dining, pool access, and novelty and thrill seeking activities were central on our agenda. Getting out in nature away from screens for all member was another goal. We managed…
Tokyo Olympics, You Will Be Missed!
I will truly miss Tokyo Olympics, for the sports I don’t get to see unless it’s the Olympics. “Other sports,” such as artistic swimming, (aka synchronized swimming), BMX freestyle, skateboarding (with its 13 year-old medalists), triathalon relay involving both genders, shot put, artistic gymnastics, sports…
Landscapes of Fantasy: Disneyland 2021
Disneyland and Tokyo Olympics have definitely been this summer’s vacation highlights. These cultural icons, as well as tennis and pool time with grandparents, have been key antidotes to last summer’s isolation in quarantine. Back then, a well-scheduled day was the only aspect of life chartable…
Creativity DIY: Crochet Beret & Headband for Summer
Create your own exercise friendly crochet beret or headband! Inspired by that ubiquitous unisex 80s/90s colorful headband sported by the likes of Duran Duran, Andre Agassi, and Prince, this month’s theme is DIY headband and beret. But not just any kind of beret. Often associated…
Creativity DIY: Drawing from Dance
Creative DIY: Meme/Theme Episode 2 – Last month, I live streamed for my second DIY creativity meme/theme episode: Drawing from Dance. Inspired music and dance that fuses modern, hip hop, jazz, and world beats, this workshop transfers the kinesthetic experience of expressive dance to expressive…
Creative DIY: Amabie
Creative DIY: Meme/Theme Episode 1 – Find inspiration from a protector meme that took off in Japan at the start of the pandemic. Like Pokemon, she’s a yokai, a mysterious creature foretelling of hardship, survival and harvest. Come explore and post your creation below! More…
Ten Innovative Art Videos that Dance
In film I can make the world dance. Maya Deren, avant-garde filmmaker, dancer, choreographer Isn’t it time you realize that dancing is nothing more than a form of expression or release? Audrey Hepburn as Jo Stockton, bohemian bookstore owner in Funny Face. Since we are…
Montreal Mural Festival
Montreal Mural Festival This larger than life costume fantasy caught my eye at the Montreal Mural Festival* when we visited June 2019. We had ventured to Montreal and Mont Tremblant, a ski resort, on an East Coast trip that included a pit stop to New…