candidanimal

Sunday, December 6, 2015

What did I read in Maine?

The first solo journey I every took in my life was Hong Kong in 2007. I was 19 years old.
I had only one form of company: a book I bought at Barnes and Noble, simply because it was on that shelf. That book was the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami, and I read that book all over Hong Kong. I read in the park, on the ferry, in restaurants, in my hotel room.

When I returned to America and people asked, “What did you do in Hong Kong?”

I answered, “I read a book in Hong Kong.”

They were incredulous. “You did what?” They thought I wasted my trip. Wasted my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in Hong Kong.

“What a waste of time! I mean, how often do you get to be in Hong Kong?”

I always had the same answer. “How often do you get to read a book in Hong Kong?”

I don’t regret my time spent there. Not for a moment. I loved the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and nearly everything that Murakami wrote. I tore through all of this books when I moved to Portland and got a library card. And most recently, I was able to read Pinball/Wind. This is both is newest and oldest publication. These two short novels were the first works he published in Japanese, but they had not been – until recently – translated into English.

Breakwater Lighthouse, Rockland, ME

It seems fitting then, that I should celebrate my solo trip to Maine by reading Murakami, and that the book I read is his earliest work, translated until now.

I read in lobster shacks, I read on the rocky cliffs of lighthouses, I read on top of Mt. Dorr, and I read in public parks in Portland.

Maybe I'm not so different from my 19-year-old self.

Mt. Dorr, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME

Downtown, Portland, ME

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Shimane Guide: Masuda Edition

Just an hour’s drive from Hamada, on the far western coast of Shimane, is the city of Masuda. I had the pleasure of first visiting Masuda as part of the Hagi-Iwami Marathon, in which I ran a 10K at the Iwami-Hagi airport, the smaller of two airports in Shimane. I didn’thave much time to explore on that trip, but I made a point to return to Masuda for the Hanae Mori exhibit at the Grand Toit.

Just twenty minutes down route 9 from Hamada is Masuda City, population 50,000. I first came to this town to run the Hagi-Iwami Marathon, which begins at the Hagi-Iwami airport, Shimane's only other airport outside of Izumo.

If you’re in Masuda before 2:00 pm, and looking to relax, I recommend visiting Araiso Onsen., which means “Rocky Cliff bathhouse.” This is one of the most unique onsens in the world, as it is outdoors, facing the rocky shoreline of the Sea of Japan. Sit outside in the steaming hot bath and get sprayed with salt water in the nude. This place is really incredible, but don’t plan on going for sunset; the bathhouse is only open to hotel guests after 2:00 pm. I made the mistake of going once at 3:00, but the concierge was so nice and let me in anyway. That was probably I am foreign and he may have thought that I didn’t read Japanese well enough to understand the “opening hours sign,” so he kindly let me in. However, it is now my duty to pass on the right information. Don’t be a jerk – go on time and experience this great place for yourself.

view from the indoor bath

view from the outdoor bath

the beach around Araiso

I also recommend having lunch at Araiso. The restaurant offered a great kaisendon 海鮮丼 (raw seafood over rice).

kaisendon set

Once you are in the city of Masuda, the main attraction is the Grand Toit, Shimane's largest art museum. When I visited the Grand Toit, it was to see the Hanae Mori exhibit, a fashion designer originally from Shimane.

Inside the Grand Toit

Grand Toit

Hanae Mori exhibit

Nearby the museum is the best café in town. We don't have much of a coffee culture in Shimane, but Masuda has a world-class joint called Kurikuri Café. Named after the own, Mr. Kurikuri himself, this cafes serves proper espresso and wonderfully seasonal drinks, rivaling that of any Starbucks! My favorites include Red bean mocha, Honey Ginger Latte, and Cinnamon Shake.

wearing my shirt from the Hagi-Iwami marathon

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Cafe Profile: Cocobox, Hoi An, Vietnam

The always busy storefront of Cocobox

Despite the plethora of restaurants and charming buildings, Hoi An is not for the cafe lover. Fortunately, the historic area seems to have free open wifi, so that’s not the issue. The coffee is. There are markedly few cafes for and even fewer places to find a decent latte in the town. In fact, there might be only one.

I arrived in Hoi An just months after Cocobox opened. It seemed to be a joint Vietnamese-expat venture, serving up mostly organic fruit juices and vegan sandwiches. But here’s a secret: they have the best latte in town. They also have the best vegan tofu and eggplant sandwich in town, or perhaps, in the whole world. Cocobox instantly became my favorite place in Hoi An.

It is open from 9:00-9:00, but a word of caution, it’s a small place and fills up quickly, and stay full all day. During lunch there is a line out the door. Plan accordingly.