Month: October 2018

TULO TUESDAY: Boo!

Sometimes it’s hard to be a dog, especially when you live with Naomi Hirahara! No worries, Tulo only wore this unicorn costume for a couple of seconds in the pet store until I thankfully removed it from his head. Happy All Saints Day....

Fashion for 50: Crossbody Purse

In my mid-50s, I’m having the most fun that I’ve ever had with clothing. This is most unexpected as I thought by age 40, I would be wearing puffy sweatshirts with goofy illustrations. But as the marketplace has become more global, I don’t have to always leave my house...

The Essential Story

(August 2018) WRITING WEDNESDAY: I had one essential story that I wanted to tell before I died–how the atomic bomb touched people like my Japanese American family. Through my Mas Arai mystery series, I feel that I completed this mission. So now what? Through nonfiction and journalism pieces, I’ve...

Sweet Concentration

(May 2017) WRITING WEDNESDAY: Writing as a long fulltime profession is exhausting. Mentally as well as physically. The latter may come as a surprise, because aren’t we just sitting in a chair typing? But the thing is, when you write you have to be 100% engaged in your work....

FRIDAY FINDS: East First Street, Little Tokyo

Continuing with the streets of Little Tokyo from the Rafu Year Book, 1939-40. From right to left, Far East Cafe (Chop Suey), 347 E. First Street; Taiyo Drugs, 343 E. First Street; The Tanaka Co., 339 E. First Street; Kimura Brothers, 337 E. First Street; and Izuo Studio, 335...

Doable Regular Practices

On my front door with blue painter’s tape, I’ve stuck a hand-written note to myself: “Doable Regular Practices.” It’s not a long list and ranges from doing strength-training and using the Water Pik. Although I’m fairly good at meeting writing deadlines, for most of my life, I’ve neglected other...