Today's Picture: a Stellar View From the Train

The resplendent view from the window of our train, as we headed back to Gifu on 12/28.

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Today's Picture: A Colorful Shrine

The back entrance to Ikuta shrine at the base of a mountain in Kobe.

Enter: Germany

We stopped in Munich to visit my good friend Martina who studied abroad in America during high school. Munich is an unbelievably beautiful and clean city, full of spectacular architecture and interesting places to visit. The surrounding area is made up of rolling hills dappled with stupendous castles. Martina and her man Christian were the best hosts ever, taking us all over and dealing with us in their space for almost three weeks! The first main tourist site we visited was Hohenschwangau, home of two castles. The first we saw was Schloss Neuschwanstein, built by Ludwig II. It was never really completed, especially inside, as the King went bankrupt during the process. He was removed from the throne and thrown in prison, where he managed to talk his way out for a solitary walk where he drowned himself. It's a tale befitting such a sight and such a life. The castle itself, shown below from an onlooking bridge, is an impressive white ...

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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