shibuya scramble crossing

Shibuya Scramble Crossing stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. Large video screens mounted on nearby buildings overlook the crossing, as well as many static advertising signs. Honestly, it is just about a recognizably large amount of people crossing the street at one time and I didn’t expect to be impressed. However, to look at it from above and then walk in it (twice) felt magical. It was participating in some daily ritual that blessed or cursed the events of the day. It was being a molecule in the veins or arteries of a huge body get where it needed to go. It would lose its magic if it was a crossing on the way to work every day but the first time . . . Ah!

Posted on 16 September 202316 September 2023 by Suzanne Buchko 0

anime spotting

Almost no matter where we have been in the city, pictures and ads pop up that are of interest to the anime lover. Julia has asked me to take quite a few pictures. I had also read that everything in Tokyo has a face and a cuteness and we see that all the time. Drawings in ketchup on an omelet and pastry named after pets. All of this without going into the heavy anime sections of the city. Here are a few.

Posted on 16 September 2023 by Suzanne Buchko 0

first morning in Tokyo

Breakfast at Higurashi Garden, bakery with a book store behind it.

It was delicious. The little dog was full of chocolate, made and named in honor of the owner’s dog, and the eggplant tart was to die for. Plus ice coffee for me and fresh lemonade for Julia and Ed. We are ready to explore.

Posted on 13 September 202314 September 2023 by Suzanne Buchko 0

arrival in Tokyo

Our first beer and snacks after a very long travel day. It was a long travel day; however, it was also relative smooth going.

Continue reading →

Posted on 12 September 202314 September 2023 by Suzanne Buchko 0

taking up the . . .

Taking up the . . . Like in “the slack.”

The direct opposite of what I scribbled one day in November 2014.

Rarely do I wake up before Julia these days and get to plunge immediately onto the page. Into the page? Okay, so I washed my face, brushed my teeth, made a latte with three shots of espresso—the third a treat for the day—made the bed and then opened the laptop.

The morning light streams into the living room making it almost difficult to type. I haven’t lived in this house in the autumn but I am almost sure that this is what autumn light will be like. The angle of summer light coming into the living room has shifted. This new light is gentler, smoother than what has shined in since late May.

Everywhere. Everywhere all around me, the season is changing. A few days ago on a walk, Julia and I spotted some brown leaves on the ground. Very early victims of the transformation or just unfortunate late summer victims of overwatering? No matter they are the harbinger of change.

Facebook posts aplenty of children being driven to move-in days at their colleges and parents feeling the first sting of empty nesting. Oh my friends, you will endure and prosper very soon. Younger families posting pictures of first days of many, many grades. Smiling faces, new sneakers, expectation galore. And hope.

Continue reading →

Posted on 2 September 2023 by Suzanne Buchko 0

adulting

Friday. Sheets of rain are falling outside my living room window. Julia is in New Hampshire at sleep-away camp and I am so glad I packed some warm clothes, her rain jacket and a long poncho for her!

I has been lovely being a grown up for the week. I’ve not really cooked a single meal—lots of breakfasts out and left over freezer stuff popped into the microwave. I’ve eaten supper at 10 at night when I finished my work, and I’ve written long overdue emails although I’ve just gotten to a few today that I thought I’d write a few days ago.

I’ve printed out about half the memoir pieces I’ve written and pinned them up on a wall in my study with the hope of finding some order for them. Right now, the pieces are in rows but I am imagining changing that to be a winding path up the office wall. Pretty appropriate considering my story—absolutely no straight lines!

I’ve booked places to stay in Tokyo and the first week in Hanoi. I need to get serious about making notes of places we can visit and restaurants we can go to.

The rain, as quickly as it began, has abruptly stopped. And for a moment there is a breeze.

Continue reading →

Posted on 18 August 202322 August 2023 by Suzanne Buchko 1

the diner

Nothing like falling into a place. And entire world whose comfort is undeniable. How long has it been since this has happened to me?

Maybe forever.

I credit today to the slow recovery from Covid. Both Julia and I tested negative this morning—she probably would have tested negative days ago. And me too, probably, but I waited. It didn’t matter to wait. We were being very careful—masks and going to very few places. And it was well past our quarantine time.

But anyway, this morning I woke up, still coughing but otherwise restless. It was and is a dreary almost-spring day. 45 degrees, rain with shades of gray above. My upstairs neighbor had planted daffodils around the house that are waving their yellow heads and the Covid fog, which I hadn’t realized I had, is beginning to clear. (I guess it could be late winter foggy head or old lady fogginess but I’m blaming Covid today.)

Continue reading →

Posted on 1 April 20232 April 2023 by Suzanne Buchko 0

newport 2

Tonight is our last evening here, our last vacation evening for the summer. Five days in Newport is a short vacation but somewhat adequate. I feel separated enough from the regular round to miss it and want to get back into it.

All of that is good.

I missed the latest SCt decision. Checking in on Facebook, I see it is about prayer in schools and that is a soap box I have climbed onto too many times. Not tonight; however, I do look forward to all the Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, wild UU and pagan prayers that will be heard all over the USA in classrooms and on the 50 yard line next year.

Continue reading →

Posted on 29 June 20222 July 2022 by Suzanne Buchko 0

sconces

This is a silly collection of pictures although I wish I had taken even more pictures. There were many, many sconce designs in every cottage and I became intrigued by them!