In Japan: Ride a bike around town Speak Japanese in public; study it on the train Eat aloe yogurt and sausage rolls for breakfast; tempura udon soup for lunch; a negitoro onigiri for snack; nikkujaga for dinner Buy, at the grocery store, dashi, mirin, sake, konbu, and ebisen Field frequent molestation attempts at the tiny […]
Living Overseas
Tales of Thanksgiving in Italy
It’s a holiday that doesn’t exist where I am – talk about it to the 10 people I know in town and I get blank eyes, blank faces. I’m used to that by now – four years of expat life and all – but each November I make it happen anyway. I find my guests. […]
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This Is Not Halloween
There’s the navy fringe dress from H&M that I wore to Erma’s wedding last year. There’s the pair of seal brown oxford pumps I bought a million years ago in Japan. There’s a strand of fake pearls, a fluffy white flower pin, and makeup to make me look like Clara Bow. For the first time […]
The Mayor, the Policeman, and the Termosifone
So I’ve applied for my residency here in Terracina. It. Has been. A wild pain in my ass. This, despite being an Italian citizen. This, despite speaking Italian. This, despite making the request with my native Italian mother in tow. Sorry, the man you need to speak to isn’t here today. Oh, well, actually, he […]
Things I Won’t Miss About Dublin and Ireland
Before I left for Italy last July, I wrote a list of things I’d miss about Dublin and Ireland. I can’t look at it now; it’ll make me too sad, reignite my technicolor fantasies of chucking everything and staying right here in my little bedsit, drinking Barry’s tea and dreaming of swans. Instead, I try […]
Your Hiberno-English Word of the Day
Today’s secret word is craic. It’s an Irish word – one of those words you can’t really translate into English. Something you feel rather than explain. It’s a noun. It means fun. Liveliness. Spirit? Music’s usually involved, but not specifically music. Craic’s a good thing. You want to be where the craic is. You like […]
Roots
Four days left in Dublin. Can two weeks have passed already? I’ve picked up my dry cleaning. I’ve packed my books to ship to me in Italy via An post. I still have to take the ESB out of my name. Close my bank account. Shut down my internet. Get my deposit back from the […]
Sound of Myself
Beyond Sunday roasts and slick rainy streets… beyond lush green parks and Oscar Wilde preening on a rock…. beyond Viking boats and Jo Burger and College Green and Georgian doors, there’s another reason why I’ve been so stupid-happy to be back in Dublin. English. I get to speak English.
The Road to Thesis
Every day for the past year, as I’ve walked into City Centre, this has loomed before me: Winking at me, teasing me; the great big black and yellow sign. Thesis. Thesis. Thesis. Stop looking at me, Thesis. I’ve got a workshop/lecture/travel article/pastie/book launch to get to and… yes, fine; you’re what I came here to […]