I love me some Japanese snacks! Kit Kats get all the attention, and people clamor for new or limited edition flavors. There are even Kit Kat boutiques. Personally I've never really cared that much for them. Regular Kit Kats are fine, but I actively dislike their most famous Other flavor, Matcha (green tea). I bought …
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Momma’s in a Rock ‘n Roll Band
When I learned of our move to Japan four years ago, I immediately imagined the killer things we would see and do. Like watching sumo. Or traveling around Japan to go skiing, or look at wisteria and toilet museums, or visit temples near Yokohama. Joining a rock band wasn't really on my radar. Yet. About …
Dziadziu Visits Japan: All Kyoto, All Day
This morning we set out for our first stop, the National Modern Art Museum of Kyoto. After the crowds of the previous days we enjoyed the quiet solitude of the galleries. From there we continued on to the shrines nestled along the Higashiyama mountain range. After strolling through Nanzenji shrine, we continued on to my …
Dziadziu visits Japan: Hiroshima and Kyoto
I can't believe that it's only day two of our trip! We've seen and done so much already. This morning we headed out to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Loyal martayaki readers may recall that I visited this museum back in 2016 when Grandpa Don came to visit. The experience was a bit different this …
Dziadziu Visits Japan: Himeji Castle and Hiroshima
My dad's here! Dziadziu (grandfather) came to see the grandkids and see what our life in Japan is like. After a few days of Yokohama sites, it was time to hit the rails. Dad said that he wanted to see Hiroshima, so I decided on a stop at Himeji Castle along the way. So we …
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Hong Kong: Street Art
My favorite aspect of Hong Kong was also the biggest surprise: the amazing street art adorning building all over our neighborhood. We rented a studio on U Lam Terrace in a somewhat pretentious/chic area called PoHo (from nearby Po Hing Fong). As soon as we started walking we saw amazing murals and street art on …
Hong Kong: Food and Shopping
I arrived in Hong Kong with high expectations of delicious food, and Hong Kong delivered! Our first night we enjoyed an amazing Nepali meal in our neighborhood. Many of Yokohama's Indian restaurants are actually operated by Nepali nationals, and I wish some of the dishes we had in Hong Kong appeared in Japan more often …
Hong Kong: Views
Last week Cy and I headed to Hong Kong for spring break. We ate amazing food. We saw cool stuff. We climbed. So. Many. Stairs. Here's the first report: views! The Hong Kong Museum of History provided and excellent overview of the many people who have occupied Hong Kong over the centuries. I loved the …
Let’s Eat Haggis; Or, Burns Night at the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club
Last weekend Mark and I donned the tux and gown and headed over to our club, the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club (YC&AC) for Burns Night. What's Burns Night, you ask? I hadn't heard of it myself until moving to Yokohama. So let's start with a little background.... Robert Burns was a Scottish poet ("Oh …
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Beer and Blondies, The Dinner of Champions
I'm on the Shinkansen with the boy, headed for a ski weekend in Niigata prefecture with my friend Caroline and her family. It's my third visit to Bears House, a lovely hotel right on the slopes of Ishiuchi Maruyama ski resort. So by now I have the drill down of getting there: local train to …
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