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Bharani Nakshatra | The Vulva
The latent desire of the soul finds its first impulse via the father’s semen.
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Day 2 in Paris: reminiscing Japan and Jerusalem
The tourists are everywhere. They seem to exist in a separate space to the locals. Paris is somewhat reminiscent of Tokyo: with the too many travellers who have no idea what they’re doing or where they’re going. Like the Japanese, the Parisians are also not fond of speaking English. In Tokyo, it’s relatively easy to…
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The Great Tsukishima Marvellous Monjayaki Adventure
You take the mini spatula and slowly slide a little bit over the hot plate till it’s brown and slightly crunchy. You have to do it a little at a time and very very slowly if you want to get the desired results – slightly burnt and crunchy baby food. The whole experience is pretty…
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Meguro River: sakura and street food pink heaven
I was only in Singapore for a week – but the sakura had already bloomed and were beginning to fade into nothingness. The whole time I was back home, my friends in Japan were annoying me with pictures of sakura on Facebook. I personally prefer autumn to spring – but missing out on sakura season…
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Silk Road Murat: Uzbek Food in Saitama
I’m a huge huge fan of Uzbek food. Actually, I’m a huge fan of all food that has a lot of lamb. I’m a big lamb lover. Unfortunately, the Japanese don’t share my fondness for the meat that is often described as ‘gamey’. BTW – it’s only gamey if you don’t know how to prepare…
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Tokyo Snow and Canadian Winters: musings from an island girl
Thankfully, it doesn’t snow much in Tokyo. It’s snowed a grand total of three times since I moved here some two and a half years ago. And yesterday’s snowfall was the biggest. I was in the middle of teaching a lesson when it started snowing. My students stopped listening to me and promptly rushed to…
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A Singaporean expat in Beijing: you can take the girl out of Singapore, but you cannot take the Singapore out of the girl
In my heart of hearts, I believe that our Singaporean national identity is one of multiculturalism – one that is embracive and strengthened by its ability to adapt. As a culture, we cannot afford to build great walls because our economy is intertwined with the world economy. Singapore was founded on the premise of international…
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The Dysfunctional Senpai Kohai Relationship: when the hierarchy fails
Navigating the complexity of the Senpai Kohai relationship is one of the stepping stones of working in Japan. Senpai = senior. Kohai = junior. In theory, this is a two-way street that has its roots in Confucianism. The elders pass on their knowledge and experience to the younger ones. Seems fair, doesn’t it? Those with…
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Space Museum TenQ in Tokyo Dome: indulging my inner geek
I can still remember looking at a picture of the solar system in a children’s encyclopedia and feeling like I somehow knew those great nine wanderers intimately. At the weekly visit to the Hindu Temple, I remember gazing curiously at the personifications of the nev graha – nine planets – as they are they known…
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Groupthink in Japan: harmony or enforced collectivism?
“In Japan, it’s better not to stick out,” a friend of mine advises me over Vietnamese spring rolls and papaya salad in Shibuya. “We have a saying – the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.”
Twinn Swan 