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Showing posts from August 1, 2010

Honshu and Okinawa

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I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the suicide cliffs of Okinawa. From what I understand, at the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. Besides other types of suicide, they jumped off the cliffs at the Southern end of the main island. If you have seen the original color footage taken at the time, I am sure you ...
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It's Friday. I got back from Brazil this morning. I am in the office in the afternoon. Although the flights to and from Southern Brazil are long there is only one hour time difference. That helps a lot. The economy in Brazil is booming by 2010 standards. It has been about 17 years since I was there last. (actually, I felt like this is where I left off) A lot has changed. The food is as good and in likelihood better. There is no understating the food experience of a real Brazilian Churrascaria. They cook different kinds of meat on these swords and carve it at your table as you instruct. The variety and quality is great. The coarse rock-salt laid on the meat is multi-colored very much like Brazilian gemstones and the society itself. It is a wonderful place. I got a bit of a VIP treatment for the photo in the kitchen at one of the best Churrascarias in all of Brazil (Nabrasa in Porto Alegre). I am hoping I can get fish (and eggs) on a sword next time. That would be perfection. Of co...