rinsemiddlebliss
"At the mercy of the geography"
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Kyoto's famous Shinto shrine
by AK Krajewska
I took one trip outside of Tokyo while I was in Japan, and that was to Kyoto to visit the famous Shinto shrine there, Fushimi Inari Taisha. It takes just a bit over two hours on the Tokaido Shinkansen line from Tokyo, plus you get to ride the Shinkansen and if... Continue reading (1782 words)
Dispatch from Tokyo
by AK Krajewska
I landed in Tokyo around 6 a.m. on my birthday. I got to the hotel, took a shower, a short nap, stepped into the street, chose a ramen shop at random, and had the best ramen I had ever had in my life. It was not a fluke. I keep typing and deleting things to say about Tokyo, to try to summarize it... Continue reading (1578 words)
Dispatch from Bengaluru
by AK Krajewska
My week in Bengaluru (aka Bangalore) ends today. The second time visiting was easier, because even though the only things I remembered from the outside were that everything was a huge hassle and the food was delicious, as soon as I landed I recalled how to be here. I'm sure the experience is... Continue reading (992 words)
Dispatch from the road
by AK Krajewska
Today, I'm flying to Bangalore. I'll be away from home for the following two Fridays as well. I thought about getting some blog posts prepared ahead of time, but despite my good intentions I did not do it. So today I'm back to the old school style of blogging, where I just wing it. I've been... Continue reading (512 words)
Bella and her truck
by AK Krajewska
In the first chapter of Twilight, Bella Swan falls in love at first sight. In her words, "There, parked on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new--well, new to me--truck. It was a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense surprise, I loved it." Continue reading (1300 words)
Secret vow or public proclamation
by AK Krajewska
Are you more likely to stick with your resolutions if keep them secret or if you tell everyone about them? Obviously people keep some resolutions to themselves because they're about private things, like sexuality, health, or religious beliefs. There might be other practical reasons to keep a... Continue reading (1054 words)
The New Year's Eve walk
by AK Krajewska
Every year on New Year's Eve, Paul and I go for a walk that, generally, goes up a big hill, then down, and ends with sunset at the beach. This was his tradition before it was our tradition and it's shifted a bit over the years. Early on, I only joined him after he came down Twin Peaks and we took... Continue reading (735 words)
Ideas aren't easy
by AK Krajewska
Ideas require a feeling of ease. Execution requires application and effort. The effort of effort is easy to perceive. The effort of attaining ease is difficult to perceive, especially from the outside. It's not true that ideas are easy, but it's an easy mistake to make. Continue reading (1664 words)
Yule nap time
by AK Krajewska
I'm so tired. Are you tired? I think we were probably meant to hibernate or at least sleep a lot more this time of the year. I think it would be restful to neither read nor write any words for a little bit... Continue reading (654 words)
What's a hero?
by AK Krajewska
In her introduction to the The Odyssey, translator Emily Wilson examines Odysseus' status as a hero. In the narrative, one of his interlocutors ask Odysseus if he's a pirate, which he denies although he doesn't deny the violent and treacherous acts attributed to him. What it meant to be... Continue reading (1446 words)
