Winter concert

Tonight was Nishimachi's annual winter concert, and most songs had a "peace" theme. Peace and mutual understanding are key elements of the "Nishimachi values" they promote at the school, which was founded in 1949 by a US-educated Japanese woman, Tane Matsukata, to promote international understanding. That's one reason all students study English and Japanese.

The school song is called "Let Peace Begin with Me," and most students seem to take it to heart - or Lucinda does, anyway.

Lucinda wore a lovely red dress that we bought last summer in Denver. She was very composed at center stage during the song "Hanukkah Shalom." And the school borrowed our little menorah for that song, which was fun for our 2nd grader, too.


The school's only Christmas tree is decorated with origami cranes, also a symbol of peace in Japan.

Reading and children

I just heard this fascinating National Public Radio (US) story about reading and a child's brain. Lots in there, about how kids who struggle with reading have different brain pathways - but they can be rewired with intensive reading classes. And a quick mention of how playing a musical instrument also builds these pathways.

Blaine's latest...

... is an excellent story on the impact of global warming in Australia.

Headline: "A lingering pool of disbelief: Despite a decade of record drought, Australian farmers refuse to buy into climate change"

It's timed perfectly for the Copenhagen conference on climate change.

Don't forget to check out the amazing photo gallery that goes with it. One photo shows how eucalyptus tree trunks and roots have been exposed by the near-disappearance of Lake Hume in southern Australia.

Trailing spouse: Health edition

Blaine is in Seoul this week to report the last story in his yearlong examination of North Korea. It's a valuable time to be there because the Obama administration has sent its special envoy, Stephen Bosworth, to Pyongyang this week. (Here is Blaine's preview about that.)

Unfortunately, though, Arno has been sick since last Saturday with a very bad cold, low fever, congestion and general unhappiness. He skipped 4 days of school and only today - Day 6! - he felt well enough to trade his horizontal couch position for a trip to the grocery store to buy some Japanese candy that is packaged in small boxes. He actually doesn't care much about the candy but wants to use the boxes for "junk art," an obvious sign that his brain is working again.

So I've been tethered to the house for days and days! I can't wait for Arno to go back to school tomorrow, Friday, so I can get of here, go swimming, do some holiday shopping - or just hang out in Tokyo.

La vida loca

Proving again that our expat life is la-la land, Blaine and I went to a black-tie "casino night" benefit last (Friday) night, the first time Blaine has worn a tuxedo since our 2002 wedding. The photo could be better, but, hey, it's evidence!

We were guests of some Tokyo-Seattle friends whose company paid for the table at the Westin Tokyo in Ebisu. After supper, I had a superfun spin at the benefit blackjack tables, especially after Blaine arrived to end a long streak of losing hands. I'm the second pile of orange chips from the right - worth about $7.


I've never gambled for real, and I'm clueless about the odds of this or any other game. Fortunately, there was a very bossy, busty American party guest at the table who claimed that she'd been a dealer in Louisiana. (Alas, no photo.) Somewhat drunkenly, but not irrationally, she repeatedly overruled me and everyone else about when to "hit" or not - and she was right most of the time. I more than tripled my $30 in chips by 10:30pm, when we flaked out and bet it all on a losing hand before hopping in a taxi to go home.

Bing Maps

Our supercool Seattle friend Blaise Aguera y Arcas is in charge of Microsoft's new Bing maps, using Blaise's "Sea Dragon" and "Photosynth" inventions.

Here are stories about this in the Wall St. Journal and Seattle P-I.

I've posted about Blaise's genius before - like in this lecture to the TED audience a few years ago. Microsoft, which bought Blaise's company and Sea Dragon a few years ago, is smart enough to put Blaise in charge of more and more of its real estate.

Congratulations, Blaise!