Eurovision Song Contest, the singing competition based in Europe, has announced that it will introduce an Asian version of the contest, Eurovision Song Contest Asia, in November. The participating countries will include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.What’s...
I normally don’t write about the deaths of celebrities, but when I learned of the passing of Afrika Bambaataa today, it really hit me in a tender spot, awakening long dormant memories.Afrika Bambaataa has never gotten the acclaim he deserves, but when he is mentioned,...
While browsing the aisles of my local convenience store today, I noticed a new product, a “chocolate alternative” bar made from sunflower seeds. I decided to give it a try. Taste-wise, I would give it a rating of 5 out of 10. If you concentrate...
As usual, a restful calm has descended upon Tokyo for the new year. Hoping for a year of happy surprises.January 1, 2026例年通り 新年を迎えた東京は 穏やかな静けさに包まれていますうれしいサプライズに満ちた 一年になりますように2026年01月01日 元旦...
Walking around a certain (artsy?) area of Tokyo the other day, I noticed an abundance of graffiti tags on various surfaces, and it inspired (?) me to draw my own tag (on paper, of course, see above) for the first time since elementary school.I don’t...
People living in Japan will probably find it hard to believe, but due to space limitations, there are a lot of apartments in Manhattan that have a bathtub in the kitchen. Originally, I viewed that fact as just another quirk of the dystopia that is...
During the recent heat wave in Tokyo, as a measure of sun-protection, I decided to wear a dark hat to complement the dark suit I was wearing. Apparently, my sartorial choices were peculiar enough to attract the attention of my traveling companion, who mentioned that...
At a time when the entire world is worried about coffee prices, certain coffee shops in the US have started the worrisome trend of serving coffee in a “bucket” size, which is approximately 34 ounces. Coffee bean prices have nearly tripled since 2019, and I’m...
Walking through the park the other day, I had the uneasy feeling I was being watched. Looking up, I noticed a flock of about 20 green parakeets (rose-ringed parakeets) huddled on the power lines above me. Since the native birds here don’t usually congregate in...
Are we on the brink of a new spiritual renaissance? Recently, on the podcast Switched On Pop the hosts noted how there are currently many religious-themed songs on the pop chart, including songs by Alex Warren, Myles Smith and Forrest Frank. There has also been...