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Blue Jets, Red Sprites, Trolls, and Elves in Space
“Blue jets” rise up from clouds. Above the lightning, “red sprites” can be seen (plasma discharges). Known about since 1886, not photographed until 1989….and now known to occur on Jupiter. Check out this page for some amazing photos… “NASA captures blue jets and red sprites above thunderstorms from space” (somebody needs to help Forbes with […]
Bringer of Light, Chapter 11: Ceres (Part Two)
(Weng and his “assistant” Gen have arrived at Ceres, where after some difficulty they convinced the Ceres Mining Council to give them water supplies for an increasingly crowded Mars. None of them realize what the water will do…) “Smells like the ocean,” Weng muttered. “Yes,” Talbot said. “This used to be the Sea of Salt.” […]
How to get a new tooth in Japan
This past Thursday I got a metal spike screwed into my jaw. And it hurt. But not as badly as I feared. To be honest, it’s all my fault. Well, all my 20-year-old-self’s fault. Too much soda and not enough brushing and flossing in college. Damn you, Dr. Pepper!
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© Matthew Apple and Taking Leave, 2009-2020. Duplication of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited. If you would like to post or copy brief excerpts from the blog, please provide a link to the original URL along with an author’s credit.
Category Archives: festivals
End of an Era: Goodbye, Nursery School
And so it begins. The end of the start of the rest of my children’s childhood. By which I mean our youngest daughter graduated from nursery school / kindergarten. Thinking back, we’ve been coming to our local nursery school every … Continue reading
Posted in coming of age, day care, education, festivals, Japan, Japanese, Japanese society, nursery school, parenting, school, separation anxiety
Tagged child care, child education, child-raising, children, customs, Japan, Japanese, Japanese kids, kindergarten, nursery school, parenting, reflections
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Who was that Masked Flu Avenger?
Looking back now, I can laugh. The first week of February was rough. My wife had to work both weekend days, at the end of an already exhausting end-of-semester work week. I had also had little sleep. The previous month, my … Continue reading
Posted in festivals, health care, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, Japanese society, parenting, school, sickness
Tagged children, customs, family, health, Japan, medicine, parents
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O-shougatsu
New Year’s lasts one night of drinks and one day of college football in the US, but in Japan the holidays lasts for three days. Actually, for many the New Year’s holidays start on December 29th, giving the typical worker a … Continue reading
Posted in eating, entertainment, family outings, festivals, food, hobbies, Japan, Japanese, Japanese culture, parenting
Tagged child-raising, hatsumode, Japan, Japanese, Japanese holidays, kohaku, shogatsu
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