George Akiyama, the author of Haguregumo, one of the mangas closest to my heart, passed away. I join my hands in prayer. When I was around seventeen, I longed for the kind of family depicted in this story. It is a series revolving around the main character, Kumo, the owner of an express transportation company running messenger, palanquin, and shipping businesses during the tumultuous years at the end of Edo period. At a first glance, Kumo’s life only casually intersects with historical events, but each self-contained episode depicts the human follies and sadness with humor as Kumo participates in various people’s daily dramas. It was a huge influence on me during my emotional youth. 40 years later, I’m afraid my life now doesn’t quite resemble Kumo’s, who went about his life breezily and pleasantly. My family does, however, have the same makeup as his, with a wife, a son (older), and a daughter (younger). We do go through silly family blunders and confusions daily and experience the sadness and aches of life, so perhaps I can say I am living under the work’s influence. I named my son after the son in the manga, hoping that he would live a life filled with human empathy. I also read many other works by the same author, from when I started reading manga at around the age of five until I was 25 or so, and received influences from them all. His work always had the unique voice that seemed to either laugh off the hardship of living at the bottom of human society or blow it off with anger. (Since around age 25, I got increasingly committed to manga catered for otaku, such as Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira and Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä…) Once again, I join my hands in prayer for Master George Akiyama. RIP 🙏 translation: @tabi_the_fat

Baishatun Mazu Temple just announced the date of the pilgrimage of 2020, which is one of the most eye-catching festivals in Taiwan!   If you want to see how people challenge themselves by following with Mazu's palanquin (The goddess of sea, who is widely revered by believers in Taiwan) for more than 250 miles from north to south only on foot, don’t miss it!   📌Date:   Depart from Baishatun Mazu Temple: March 24th 02:15 am  Arrive at Chaotian Mazu Temple: March 27th   2020庚子年白沙屯媽祖往北港徒步進香時程在媽祖娘娘的指示下正式出爐啦~  📌放頭旗: 農曆2/28 國曆3/21 子時23:20 📌登轎: 農曆3/1 國曆3/24 丑時01:00 📌出發: 農曆3/1 國曆3/24 丑時02:15 📌抵達北港: 農曆3/4 國曆3/27 📌進火: 農曆3/5 國曆3/28 卯時5:15 📌回宮: 農曆3/9 國曆4/1 申時15:20 📌開爐: 農曆3/20 國曆4/12 子時23:20

Italy was amazing. But in all honesty it was insanely tiring coz of all the walking and all the STEPS up and down Positano, Capri and Cinque Terre that we felt like we needed a vacation from our honeymoon. It didn’t help that there were no lifts in all the beautiful old buildings we stayed at too and I’ve never had to work out that much in my life hahahah😵😂. We were so exhausted every single day and couldn’t feel our legs by the end of every evening that we’re seriously planning for a second honeymoon- a real relaxing one where we wouldn’t be lugging bags up 150 flights of stairs. Any recommendations for awesome honeymoon destinations that don’t require a 13-hour flight and a ton of sleeping pills? This time I’d like to be carried around on a palanquin with my husband feeding me grapes on the vine 😂❤️