An email appeared in my inbox mid-afternoon. I’m an inbox-0 kind of person, so the white bar across my perfectly grey screen was jarring. It was a forwarded message, sent by a good friend who was across the country for her summer internship. Stanford was organizing a wine tasting trip, first-come-first-serve, supported by the Riddle… Continue reading Wine Not? A Tour of Napa and Sonoma
Tag: culture
Design Thinking for Social Innovation
This spring break, instead of jetting across the world, I decided to stay and volunteer for one of Stanford’s ‘Alternative Spring Break’ programs. In collaboration with VIA, Volunteers in Asia, the Design Thinking for Social Innovation program worked with 14 exchange students from various Japanese Universities to tackle sustainability issues in the Bay Area. My… Continue reading Design Thinking for Social Innovation
Kindness
Kindness is one of the best gifts. It’s wonderful to receive, and oh-so satisfying to give. It’s something we don’t think about on a daily basis, but there’s a lot that goes on behind kindness. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. – Aesop Kindness: acting with a quality of being… Continue reading Kindness
Top 5 Most Useful Russian Words
This list skips general terms like yes, “da,” and no, “niet,” (aka. Words you should know before you go to a foreign country). Russian is certainly not an easy language to learn. However, the cyrillic alphabet is not difficult, and if you spend just a few minutes learning it, you can phonetically read everything. Unlike… Continue reading Top 5 Most Useful Russian Words
Why Is It So Hard To Finish What You Started?
Inspiration is everywhere. Go to an art exhibit, see a show, or read a new book. Suddenly, I’m inspired. “I’m going to learn a new language!” “I’m going to write a book!” “I’m going to start my own business!” And maybe I do start. I buy a notebook dedicated to my new project. I read… Continue reading Why Is It So Hard To Finish What You Started?
Shigetsu
I wrote this poem a while back for a blog about food and travel. It’s about a restaurant called ‘Shigetsu,’ a restaurant located inside the temple areas of Tenryuji, Kyoto. Deemed ‘the best restaurant in Kyoto,’ I had a chance to dine there myself, and was blown away. location : 68 Susukinobaba-cho, Saga-Tenryuji, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi,… Continue reading Shigetsu
Something Satisfying
Reality check: It’s the end of a long, two-show day, and I didn’t have a blog post pre-written for this moment. I ran out of time. Writing and posting a blog post every day is a hard challenge. But I refuse to fail. So in place of a well-researched, thoughtfully written blog post, you’re going… Continue reading Something Satisfying
Kyoto: Mostly Food With Some Coffee And Sights [Part 2]
Have you ever had such a powerful input to one of your senses, that your entire body physically reacted? We were briskly walking through JR Kyoto Station, trying to make one of the trains towards our next destination. Inside the station, there’s all sorts of shops and stands, selling various goods and treats… typical stuff.… Continue reading Kyoto: Mostly Food With Some Coffee And Sights [Part 2]
Kyoto: Mostly Food With Some Coffee And Sights [Part 1]
Kyoto! The cultural hub of Japan. A must-visit destination. Bonus, it’s a foodie’s paradise! Endless temples pepper the city, each with unique design and its own historical significance. I’ll mention a few spots in this post, but definitely pick up a guide if you’re going specifically for the sightseeing. If there was ever a place… Continue reading Kyoto: Mostly Food With Some Coffee And Sights [Part 1]
Hedonic Adaptation: The Problem With Getting Everything You Want
Laying on the warm-up floor in the artistic tent, I look up at the rings that are rigged from the ceiling. I don’t want to warm up on the boy’s rings, but in order to use mine, I’d have to bring down these rings and re-rig mine. What. A. Pain. Just over a year ago,… Continue reading Hedonic Adaptation: The Problem With Getting Everything You Want