Posts

Showing posts from February 26, 2012

Honshu and Okinawa

Image
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 ...

Dachau Concentration Camp Visit

Image
I had the opportunity to visit the Dachau concentration camp near Munich Germany a couple weeks back over the weekend. I found the visit to be enlightening and moving. It was a solemn experience thinking about the mindset of 70 years ago and the nature of war. The thing I did not expect was that I could faintly smell rotten flesh in the crematorium -gas chamber area. Some stink never comes out I guess. "Brausebad" is "showers" where people were apparently gased with Zyklon B gas instead of geting hosed down as they thought they would be. I will be in Atlanta for the next 6 weeks (I think).
Image
I knew I might out-do myself on this most recent trip. It has been a busy-busy trip and complicated. Thankfully, I really did not have any significant travel or meeting disruptions. I am currently in NY and headed back to ATL tonight. I have been away from Atlanta for 17 days. Although, I liked the bed in one of the hotels in Italy, I am looking forward to my favorite bed in Duluth. I am staying at Douglas and Becky's in Lisle NY. It has been pleasant. We have moved a lot off the farm into storage. It is good to see horses on the farm. There is nothing sadder than a farm without animals. The truck front right wheel bearing is about to totally fail. I have just a couple more trips to make today. I will need a little luck, but the contingencies are coming clear. Knock on wood, I can complete my mission with it today. Ian is shown wearing a carnavale mask from Venice Italy playing with his turtle flute from rural Argentina. Friday I had a productive meeting in Detroit with a ...