Author Archives: d4vid

Phoenix

Posted on November 27, 2015 by d4vid

  A carved window at Longhua Temple.

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Turkey

Posted on November 26, 2015 by d4vid

My dear friend Debbie is in town.  (Woo-hoo!)  We went out for Thanksgiving dinner with friends at an ex pat bar.  Only 5/8ths of us were American (rounded out by Chinese, Italian, and Swedish) but the food was traditional & … Continue reading →

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Barsoom

Posted on November 10, 2015 by d4vid

Before Netflix.  Before DVDs.  Before motherfucking VHS, the only way to watch a movie over and over and over again was syndicated television on the weekends. For a certain generation (um, mine) that means that the movies you ended up … Continue reading →

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Jack

Posted on November 6, 2015 by d4vid

  Jack Black came by work today.  Didn’t get a chance to ask him if there would ever be a Bob Roberts 2. 

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Vast

Posted on November 2, 2015 by d4vid

It’s always a challenge to express to people back in the States what it’s like to live in a city of 24 million people.  Or what it’s like to live in a place where apartment buildings are skyscrapers.  But it’s … Continue reading →

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Hug

Posted on October 31, 2015 by d4vid

  

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Fragrance

Posted on October 28, 2015 by d4vid

China throws the term “fragrant” around a lot.  Off the top of my head there is… 香港 (xiānggǎng “fragrant harbor”) Hong Kong 香草 (xiāngcǎo “fragrant grass”) cilantro or parsley 香菜 (xiāngcài “fragrant vegetable”) vanilla 香菇(xiānggū “fragrant mushroom”) mushrooms 香花 (xiāng huā … Continue reading →

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Gnostic

Posted on October 18, 2015 by d4vid

From the gnostic gospel of St. Thomas: Jesus said, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth … Continue reading →

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Gigawatt

Posted on October 17, 2015 by d4vid

Back to the Future was on television.  Nothing has made me more homesick:  the Burger King in Burbank, the clock tower square on the Universal backlot, the Gamble House.

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Mimesis

Posted on October 12, 2015 by d4vid
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Button

Posted on October 11, 2015 by d4vid

I don’t love The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as a film, but I think this quote from the script written by Eli Roth — whose late mother was a beloved screenwriting teacher of mine back at USC — is … Continue reading →

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Sayōnara

Posted on October 9, 2015 by d4vid

So, I go to Terminal 1.  But there are no China Eastern flights from Terminal 1.  That’s an “I” for the “International” terminal. Fuck you, Haneda Airport and your serif-dependent abbreviations. I plan for these things when traveling, though, so … Continue reading →

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Wisdom

Posted on October 9, 2015 by d4vid

  Roasted banana with vanilla ice cream was my birthday dessert. I don’t think anyone knows this story except my mother.  And she’s joined the Church Triumphant.  And would have baked me apple pie à la mode instead anyway.  When I … Continue reading →

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Postprandial

Posted on October 9, 2015 by d4vid

Having drinks at the bar at the Kanaya Hotel.  It’s the ritzy (colonialist?) hotel perched above the Shinkyo bridge over the Daiya River.  In the foreground please note a double of Yamizaki 12.  So much smoother than the Yamizaki 18, … Continue reading →

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Numeromancy

Posted on October 9, 2015 by d4vid

Beloved, today I turned 41.  Which means a scant 366 days until my Answer Year!  Life, the Universe, and Everything!  42!

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