The building is rampant with large blue dog statues and plushes, giving the whole area a kind of comical air (but then, this feeling seems to float around Japan). The building has two observation decks: one on the 25th floor that is free, and one on the 26th that costs money to get to, which kind of seems like a flaw in the system to me, but either way, the view is pretty spectacular.

My boobs have shrunk & although I wish my “tush” had gotten bigger … alas it has not.

There is a science to Japanese dressing; a careful composure to create an outfit that is cool and unique, but also conforms to the society’s style expectations. Maybe it stems from the honor code of the Samurai or the delicate layers of the Geisha kimono; but Japanese style seems to be in the genes.

For my sisters Sara and Danielle…

The Victory Tour in 1984 was my first concert. I was a child & my mom took me out of school early so i could get ready. i wore my white poet shirt, my Michael Jackson glove necklace & a new pair of lee jeans.

Michael Jackson died. I feel like those words should be weirder to write. I guess his life had become so tragic already - he was such a fallen hero - that this almost seems like a natural next step.

I’ve been eating (and drinking) fresh coconut on a regular basis now and I have to admit: It’s heavenly! How did I manage to live twenty-four years without it?

Now, I am ready to return to where hundreds of thousands of gaijin (foreigners; the equivalent of “Gringo) have gone before-the Land of the Rising Sun, Godzilla, and PokeMon.