Iceland, Part Six: Alafoss

Near Reykjavik is a sweet little town called Alafoss, named after the waterfall that gave power to the mills of an 1896 wool factory. It's also home to the recording studio of Sigur Ros. We went to find Icelandic wool for gifts, and we weren't disappointed. It's a charming area with great history.

Just a typical building in Alafoss. This one sold historical figures, knives, and the like.

This is the wool factory. It still runs today, and we spent a long time inside deciding on just the right shade of Icelandic blue and cream wool. It's well worth a visit even if you don't craft, knit, sew, etc.

A view of modern Reykjavik from the coast. We spent our last night walking around the old city again, after eating delectable crepes. As the sun set, we watched the golden light fall over the shiny chrome. The golden statue there is called the Sun Voyager and is a representation of a Viking longship. We felt peaceful, tired, and happy after our time in Iceland. It will be fun to see what we experience next time!

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Gamagori Fireworks Festival

Takeshima, at low tide. Every year, on the last day of July, a big fireworks festival is held in Gamagori, Japan. Fireworks are very big in Japan, with each major city priding itself on its particular display, and swearing up and down to anyone who will listen that their fireworks are the best in the nation. Gifu's displays were canceled this year because of the earthquake, so we took the opportunity to travel a little more than an hour by express train to Gamagori. It's a cute little town, not far from Okazaki, with a famous island that is entirely shrine space (seen in the picture to the right). It was a wonderful, if long, day. Four of us set out from Gifu and picked two more friends up on the way to the island. We arrived early, perhaps too early, but we did miss the worst of the afternoon sun as we wandered around the island. Even though I was very diligent about my SPF 50 sunblock, I still managed to get burned on both shoulders before the morning was over. I

Combatting Casual Bigotry and Racism in Ourselves and in the World

This post will deal with contentious issues of the way race is perceived and how that perception directly impacts the treatment of various ethnic groups, specifically as I have experienced it in Japan. Please understand that the following is my way of looking at such topics, and I understand it is not the way of everyone. My education is comprised primarily of evolutionary biology, behavior studies, and neurobiology, so I am in no way able to look through a sociological or anthropological lens. If you are qualified (like one of my sisters), please feel free to comment for the benefit of everyone reading this blog. First, I think it's necessary to state that I believe bigotry and racism exist everywhere, in everyone, to greater or lesser degrees. According to The American Heritage Dictionary online at answers.com, a bigot is someone "who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ," and racism is &quo

To Live in the Moment Without Fear

To Live in the Moment Without Fear is a work by Yuko Shinoda from Gifu, Japan. Danced by six women, the dance investigates what it means to be a part of a community threatened by a disaster that takes a life. Premiered June 5th 2011 in Nagoya, Japan, the dance features a strong movement aesthetic that draws from traditional Japanese dance as well as contemporary styles and contact improvisation. Shinoda's use of space and timing, as her dancers flow in-and-out of solos, duets, trios, and unison, creates a sense that the dancers are unified and alone at the same time. In the end, Shinoda's view of life is clear: we must tend to the fallen, but we must never surrender ourselves to fear while we are still alive.

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