Riding a horse is a way to experience exhilaration and peace and connectedness all at the same time. I rarely feel more me than when I am on a horse.
2015
LACMA, the Treasure of the (Southern) Sierra Madre
On Sunday, I took a bus from my new home in Marin County to San Francisco International. I was not on my way to Armenia or Guatemala. Yet.
Alcatraz: East of West
When I went to China a few years ago, I didn’t think of Beijing as a city with a thriving arts community. More of a temple/palace/Great Wall kind of place. So I was surprised when I got off the bus in Beijing’s Dashanzi Art Zone. Also called “798,” the neighborhood is a virtual Disneyland of playful murals, outdoor sculptures and aromatheraputic galleries.
California Dreamin’
Springtime in Los Angeles is gorgeous — blue skies, puffy cumulus clouds, bright orange poppies, lush green hills. Every once in awhile, you smell the syrupy perfume of orange blossoms. The traffic is famously slow on freeways that seem to go nowhere but a lot of the cars are awfully nice. Although my first loyalty is to my geographic soul mate in the north, I feel very comfortable here and even a little nostalgic. Disneyland. Vin Sculley. Olvera Street. Surfer boys. Palm trees.
Hiroshima and Miyajima, Mon Amour
Hiroshima is not far from Kyoto and I felt a sort of responsibility to pay my respects. I also wanted to understand how the community has survived the tragedy of its recent past. So I took a 2 hour ride on the bullet train and spent a couple of days visiting Hiroshima’s memorials.
Kyoto: The Sound of Two Hands Clapping
Kyoto is just one amazing thing after another. Honestly, I don’t know where to start or end. So much here is full of meaning and humanity. My only regret is that I am barely scratching a very small part of a very big surface.
Kyoto: Less is More and More is More
Kyoto is Japan’s cultural center and land of many temples. Kyoto has a long history and was once Japan’s capital. It feels relaxed compared to Tokyo but, like Tokyo, it is warm and polite, clean and safe, and attentive to some of the finer details. Everything here is so visual! Traditional Japanese style says a lot with a little. Drama is presented with simple beauty and attention to detail. The message is there if you are paying attention.
My Tokyo Family
I had only been in Tokyo a few hours before I understood why people love it.
Camino Milagro 