straight & round

Sensei and Noah were with Doshu, preparing for the weekend seminar, reportedly his last in the US, so the evening class was taught by Lewis Sensei. On the mat were white belts Helena and Allan, probably 9 and 15 respectively, along with Nicholas who trained in France, and senseis Stefan from Ontario, Jerke from Germany,… Continue reading

tribes of respect

Several strings of prayer flags form the ribs of an invisible tent above the summit cairn. A nearby stacked rock shrine houses a tilting scoured Madonna. And a small vertical bare wooden box with door held closed against the weather using a simple hook and eye protects a frayed and yellow journal: notes and prayers,… Continue reading

米香

Biking around an older part of Taipei’s 三民 neighborhood I wasn’t too familiar with, on a market street with shops and food vendors, I see an old truck with a raised blue awning parked near the corner of the intersection. It was a shot-from-guns puffed rice treat maker!

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