Sumimasen

If you live in Japan for even a brief time, you quickly learn that probably the most useful word you know is “sumimasen.” It means “excuse me” and “I’m sorry,” often both at the same time, and is used constantly. I’ve been feeling like I should be saying this at karate all week.
I was sick [...]

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Hornets and Butterflies Update

As of this past weekend, both the “hornet” wasps and the butterflies appear to be gone from the tree in front of my house. However, in the intervening weeks, I had been doing my best to get a good picture of them, so you, my dear readers, might actually see what I was talking about. [...]

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International Karateka

It dawned on me that my new karate school is quite different from my old one, in that it is now the most international place I go. The sensei is from Egypt; most of the other students, especially in the kids’ class right before mine, are from Arabic-speaking families; and I can count on one hand [...]

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Hornets and Butterflies

There is an adolescent willow oak tree outside my front door. It’s a very nice little tree, lots of nice, narrow green leaves, birds like to sit in its branches, which I can see from my couch when I look out the window, squirrels like to jump off of it onto my roof with a [...]

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I have seen my future demise

I am developing a lovely sinus infection. Again. I think this is the third or fourth one I’ve had since I moved back to NC. Ah, the joys of allergens known to my histamine system…
Anyway, aside from the usual annoyance a sinus infection brings, such as that ever-so-pleasant constant headache, I have discovered a new issue. [...]

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