Enoshima Island

Just off of the coast of Kamakura, south of Tokyo, lays Enoshima Island, a small island that hosts many interesting man-made and natural beauties. One rainy weekend during summer, I was able to make a stop on the island for my wife’s birthday and get a little taste of what the island has to offer.

Cool Biz

Having lived in both incredibly dry heat and super wet heat, I can say with certainty that life in these places without air conditioning is quite the challenge. Having a fan makes it manageable, but for how long? In Japan, there is an effort that started back in 2005 in order to help cut energy […]

Urban Gardening: Phoenix

I’ve never really had much of a green thumb: My forays into growing plants were usually confined to elementary school science experiments with growing beanstalks from seeds wrapped in wet paper towels. Seeking to expand my growing horizons, I decided to undertake some balcony gardening with my wife. Given Arizona’s relentless heat and arid climate, […]

Biosphere 2

Deep in the desert outside of a little town called Oracle, there exists one of the most impressive structures built in all of Arizona: Biosphere 2. It started with this intense futurist dream of space colonization, moved onto a much-publicized science experiment, and eventually landed as a branch of the University of Arizona. Prepare for a […]

The Five Cs of Arizona: Climate

This article is part of the five Cs of Arizona, which are climate, citrus, cattle, copper, and cotton. Feb 17th was the earliest Arizona hit 90 degrees in recorded history. The weather can change swiftly and unforgivingly. This weekend and into the coming week there is an excessive heat advisory that could potentially ground airlines, […]

Water Woes

Last year’s winter was pretty tough, but not the toughest for Mongolia. The zud was not as horrendous as many predicted, and most of the country weathered the storm without too many issues. This year, however, has been warm. Uncharacteristically warm: The daylight hours staying above zero degrees Fahrenheit, the nights barely dipping into the […]

Transition

Outside to fry On concrete skillet, Served up for Flying patrons To feast upon. Unruly clouds, Men with shirts Raised above Bloated stomachs Stepping over Ruined promises Wedged in dirt Recently dried. Storms descend And winds pick up Painting everything In a fresh coat Of loose earth Before the sky Furrows its brow, Unleashing Torrents […]

Zud

There is a word for a particularly terrible winter in Mongolia: Zud (зуд). This word roughly translates to any of the following: disaster, blight, severe weather, or heavy snowfall. Needless to say, it’s not something many rejoice about upon hearing of its imminent arrival. Cue winter 2012-2013. This winter will be particularly gleaming, as many […]

Counting By Nine

Since the end of the world has come and passed, a new kind of long count may begin: The Nine Nines. The count usually begins on December 22 (Winter Solstice), and is a way Mongolians measure the intensity of the cold during winter. Each “Nine” is nine days in length, with nine “nines” in total. […]