Lush greenery, lots of natural light, and uncluttered space with clean lines are some of the features that I’d like to have for my future home. What about you?
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Granta 111: Going Back
Review: Granta’s “Going Back” (issue 111) revolves around memories – of one’s hometown, a former home, an ex-lover or friend, an idea once closely held. Some of the works are fictional while others are autobiographical. In this issue, there are several gems that I could go back time and again to read and not get tired of.
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Flowers here, there and everywhere in central Hokkaido // 北海道
Summer is the best time to view flowers in full bloom in the towns of Furano and Biei in central Hokkaido. Hopping from one farm to another, you will be surrounded by lavender, sunflower, poppy, salvia, cosmos, Japanese rose, and more.
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Steaming hot in Noboribetsu and Shikotsu // 登別 + 支笏, 北海道
Located within the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Noboribetsu 登別 is the largest onsen in Hokkaido and one of the most well known hot spring resorts in Japan. The source of the town’s fortunes comes from Jigoku-dani 地獄谷 – also known as “Valley of Hell”, a massive geothermal crater formed following the eruption of Mount Kuttara some…
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One summer night in Sapporo // 札幌, 北海道
One summer night in Sapporo where we stumbled upon the Hokkaido Bon dance and automated multi-storey car parks.
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Food stop at Obihiro // 帯広市, 北海道
One could not go hungry in Obihiro with its wide and quality selection of shops and restaurants specialising in confectionary and local dishes including the popular butadon 豚丼 (grilled pork served over a bowl of rice).
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Lakeside notes from Akan National Park // 阿寒公立公園, 北海道
Akan National Park in eastern Hokkaido is home to three mountain lakes: the Akan-ko, Mashū-ko and Kussharo-ko.
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Sergei Dovlatov: The Suitcase
Review: One suitcase, eight stories – each representing the bizarre events behind a certain item belonging to a Soviet émigré as well as depicting life in the USSR from the 1960s to 1980s.
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Andrés Neuman: The Things We Don’t Do
In so few words, Andrés Neuman made me laugh, sigh, frown and marvel with the multiple universes that he created in The Things We Don’t Do. The 35 stories are short with a new one appearing every few pages, sometimes even just one. While they all start on a clean slate, the emotional baggage, astute observation, or wry…
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