Hello there! 👋
I am on day 11 of living out of my suitcase, traveling around Kyushu. Spring break! For the first week we did a family trip to Kagoshima, Tanegashima, and Kirishima Hot Springs at the far south end of Japan. (I have uploaded some of the photos, see links below.) Then the family went home and I stayed back here in Kyushu, working remotely while catching up with friends and visiting some historical spots to continue my (long-suffering) book research. I spent a few days in Kagoshima photographing the volcano, and then went up to Fukuoka to hit the city museum. Now I am down in Karatsu after taking a tour of some Mongolian horde invasion sites on the Itoshima peninsula. It was such a gorgeous sunny day!
Okay, enough throwing place names at you. The point is, I am touring about and having fun. Lots of materials have been gathered, but I haven’t had time to blog about them, so this month’s update is a little light. Check out some links below.
I will be back in Kyoto on the Sunday. I love living in Kyoto, it is a very special city in the world. But there is something to be said about waking up to the sound of waves… it is just so amazingly healing ❤️ 🌊
Take care,
Chad
🖋 From the Blog
“Truly Asia” Pt 2: Melaka
The second half of my trip report for Malaysia (first is here), this time on the the historic city of Melaka.
Tanegashima Island: A strategic casualty
Reflecting on the importance of remote islands, and the value of experiencing it for yourself, OR: one reason why I enjoy travelling Japan’s remote islands
🧭 Elsewhere
Photos from Kagoshima 🏹 Link →
Photos from Tanegashima 🏝 Link →
Sunset at the “husband and wife rocks” on Tanegashima 🪨🌅🪨 Video →
Creepy outdoor hot spring in Kagoshima 👺 Video →
At the beginning of the month it was Doll Day, which means a massive 12 meter kokeshi in front of a major temple, right? 🎎 Link →
📖 What I’m Reading
The Utopia of Rules: On Technology, Stupidity, and the Secret Joys of Bureaucracy by David Graeber (83% Complete)
Earlier this month I read Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia by Graeber, a short book that was recently released (post-humously of course). It had some interesting arguments, but was too short and I needed more Graeber, so I picked Utopia of Rules from my shelf. This is another of his interesting sweeping cultural arguments about why everything we think is exactly backwards. I am not sure if I buy all the arguments, but it certainly is thought-provoking.
Connect with me on GoodReads → or on Bookwyrm →