The odes, oddities, and O Deities of a world traveler

In which there is Japanese medication

In the course of my studies in Taiwan, it became apparent that I would NEED to come home for a period of time to see family and recharge my batteries a bit. I found a travel agent, and three days later was in possession of a ticket not only to travel home for the winter…
Did you know: Italian Protests

Italy has a protest and strike application process?
Ode to Fires

Fires provide heat and light. They are hypnotizing, our best weapon, and sometimes our great peril. Fires can be made at home or camping. They can be big or small, hot or cold. I live in a house where the wood stove, and therefore fire, is the only way to keep the house consistently warm.…
Did you know: Largest Lake

the largest lake in the world by volume is Lake Baikal in Russia? They still run an ice highway across the frozen lake every winter.
Ode to Dragons

Dragons are one of my defining characteristics. People often ask why I like dragons. They are the antagonists most of the time after all: evil, chaotic, greedy, destructive, vindictive, et cetera. The thing is that my earliest encounters with dragons did not feature the paragons of destructive beings. The first dragons I can remember encountering…
Did you know: Roman Pipes

Roman pipes were mostly lined with ceramic to prevent lead poisoning? It was as the infrastructure became run down and ill-managed that damage to the pipes started letting lead into the water.
Ode to Card Games

Card games are a great way to have fun. They allow you to combine strategy, chance, and teamwork. The shuffling of cards at the start of a game is a comforting sound to me. I enjoy the very act of shuffling. In this, I tend to use only one corner of the cards in a…
Did you know: longevity

the oldest living individual life forms are Bristlecone Pines? Over 4,000 years in some cases.