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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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Mykonos, Greece: My stay at Artemis Studios Pyrgi

by David L. Brooks

Artemis Studios Pyrgi (small boutique hotel located above Super Paradise Beach)

For my 6-night stay on Mykonos, I wanted an accommodation that was cheap enough but also walkable both to the airport and to at least one of the major beaches along the southern rim of the island. Since I booked quite early, Artemis Studios Pyrgi turned out to be my ideal choice. It was fairly cheap ( around $700 ) for a 2-bed semi-studio that could house three persons, although I was traveling alone. I say ‘semi-studio’ because there is a micro-kitchenette in the room that has an electric toasting pan and an electric coffee maker, and some basic dish ware, like tea cups, tumblers, and a can opener.

The hotel really does not resemble a hotel from the outside, looking more like an avant-garde farm house. There is one larger structure in the center, where tte owner/ manager lives and there are several smaller rental unit used for guest rooms spread around the property. My unit was just to right of the front door.

The hotel is located only 750 meters from Super Paradise Beach and there are limited food preparation facilities on site. But if you are good at improvising, then this might be the ideal accommodation for the ‘cheap tourist’ as I have now become since approaching 70.

The main disadvantage of the hotel is also its greatest advantage: location is important, of course, but it’s difficult to have the best of everything. The hotel is located very near to the main road to JackieO’s, which is also an entrance to Super Paradise Beach. Consequently, there are automobiles and motorcycles running all hours of the day and night. The traffic you can soon tune out, less so can you turn out other talkative guests and passerby conversations. Likewise, it seems the area is in the flight path for planes arriving from early morning to late at night. Of course, time heals ever and one can easily accommodate the ambient noise—maybe six nights is not enough to learn to un-hear the constant dull roar of background noise.

[ New version updated ]

◦ For my 6-night stay on Mykonos, I wanted an accommodation that was cheap enough but also walkable both to the airport and to at least one of the major beaches along the southern rim of the island. Since I booked quite early, Artemis Studios Pyrgi turned out to be my ideal choice. It was fairly cheap ( around $700 ) for a 2-bed semi-studio that could house three persons, although I was traveling alone. I say ‘semi-studio’ because there is a micro-kitchenette in the room that has an electric toasting pan and an electric coffee maker, and some basic dish ware, like tea cups, tumblers, and a can opener.

◦ - [ ] The hotel really does not resemble a hotel from the outside, looking more like an avant-garde farm house. There is one larger structure in the center, where tte owner/ manager lives and there are several smaller rental units used for guest rooms spread around the property. My unit was just to right of the front door.

◦ - [ ] The hotel is located only 750 meters from Super Paradise Beach and there are limited food preparation facilities on site. But if you are good at improvising, then this might be the ideal accommodation for the ‘cheap tourist’ as I have now become since approaching age 70.

◦ - [ ] The main disadvantage of the hotel is also its greatest advantage: location is important, of course, but it’s difficult to have the best of everything. The hotel is located very near to the main road to JackieO’s, which is also an entrance to Super Paradise Beach. Consequently, there are automobiles and motorcycles running all hours of the day and night. The traffic you can soon tune out, less so can you turn out other talkative guests and passerby conversations. Likewise, it seems the area is in the flight path for planes arriving from early morning to late at night. Of course, time heals every ill and one can easily accommodate the ambient noise—maybe six nights is enough to learn to un-hear the constant dull roar of background noise.

◦ Oddly, the very next day after writing this Google Map review, I discovered that there was not any water coming from the bathroom faucets. I really didn’t need a daily shower, but when I mentioned it the next morning to the manager, before I could even explain, he took the words right out of my mouth. By the time I returned to the hotel that afternoon, the hot and cold water were again flowing. So I took advantage of the good bounty and quickly took a needed shower but also hand washed a small load of clothes, hanging them up on clothes hangers provided to dry overnight. Thanks for small favors — they feel great amenities.

Day 2 June 8 Friday

Today was my time to venture further away from my spectacular viewpoint at Pyrgi and to try to catch a water bus to go less than one kilometer east to Agrari Beach and to the lesser known Elia gay beach, which can be found snuggled between outcropping boulders in the space between the two beaches.

I had first to walk down the steep hill to reach Super Paradise Beach. As it was still before 8 am when I arrived there, I could use the Internet connection on the free WiFi at JackieO’s, which you must pass directly through to reach the beach. I stopped briefly at the entrance of JackieO’s to connect to the Internet and upload my two latest reviews to Google Maps. It’s odd that I might want to do that since there seems to be an even larger vendetta against Google nowadays, being that Google Maps in Europe no longer displays these reviews, although the original poster can still view the ones they’ve written but for a disclaimer in red ink saying that the review is not being posted.

When the small boat arrived at around 11 am, I had been lounging for two hours on the middle of a large crescent beach. It was the only part of the beach that was ostensibly for public use since the majority of the beach’s space was covered by three separate battalions of beach beds, draped in the battle clothing of the three opposing restaurant-nightclubs that dominated the sandy landscape of Super Paradise Beach.

When I boarded the water bus (boat), I made my way toward the stern where the captain stood and steered the craft. I explained that I was going one stop to Agrari Beach and that I would come back one stop later in the afternoon. He told me the charge was 15 euros and that I should remember the word ‘Pol’ (Paul) and use it when I got back on later that day. Otherwise, there was no receipt for payment. I explained that was an easy word to remember since it was my son’s name. A short while later, we landed at Agrari Beach and I was the only passenger to alight. I could almost see the last stop Elio Beach and its own myriad of umbrella-adorned beach beds neatly aligned in rows across the narrow beach only 300 meters ahead. The same scene unfurled before me here, but there was a rocky hillside that lay between the two beaches. Therein lay my intended destination: The lesser known Elia gay beach, where it was normal to get in the all together nude while enjoying the beach ambiance.

Subsequently, I picked my way along the multi-variegated sandy pathway, meandering up and over the hillside between small boulders and sheaths of flat rock. Within a few minutes, my intended destination came into view — a small ravine opened up into a petite sandy beach, where a small number of nude men were carefully arranged in pairs or singly, enjoying the noontime sunshine. As the afternoon fell upon us, so too did the number of beach goers who now seemed to flock to this small beach.

But after an hour, as the sun began to bake the earth and its inhabitants, the number of bodies on the beach reached an equilibrium, as many were departing as others arrived to replace them. When two o’clock arrived, I too had had my day’s fill of sunshine. So I dressed, packed my meager belongings and headed back across the desolate rock-strewn path back to Agrari Beach to await the water bus back to my short trek through JackieO’s and up the steep hill to my hotel.

Agrari Beach Mykonos

This small beach is quaint and downscale, snuggled nicely between the larger and more opulent Super Paradise Beach and the now hugely popular Elia Beach just a short distance to the east. Agrari Beach is obviously less commercialized than its more famous neighbors and this may appeal to the kind of traveler who is not interested in impressing others by how much euro he or she so publicly spends while on vacation.

That theme is constantly played loudly when visiting all of the other overly popular and perhaps undeservingly highly rated beaches, such as Paralia Parangka (Paranga Beach), Paradise Beach, Super Paradise Beach, and Elia Beach. That should have been immediately obvious as I was the only person to alight from an otherwise overcrowded sea bus ferry that deposited its sole passenger on the shore at Agrari.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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Mykonos, Greece: Hike to Paraga Beach

by David L. Brooks

June 9 Saturday

Paraga beach

As it was my third day on the Greek sun and sand capital of Mykonos, it was time to try a new beach: Paralia Parangka (Paranga Beach). Therefore, I also opted to attempt what several travel pundits had forewarned to forgo: walking on the rural roadways to reach Paraga Beach from my small inland hotel located above Super Paradise Beach.

Long before coming to Mykonos, my Internet sleuthing had already informed me that the backcountry roads of Mykonos were reputedly fraught with traffic dangers. As it turns out, most of that is simple deception to fill the pockets of ‘dispatchers’, I.e. transport companies who willingly and expensively ferret (ferry) you around to various quaint corners of what amounts to a tiny rocky island that you can almost circumvent in less than a day’s walk. I say ‘almost’ because the truth is that all roads start at the island’s highest point and descend and then ascend—up and down multiple times before finally getting down to the intended seashore level. In this case, it was Paraga Beach.

As is true for most of life’s pleasures, half of fun is just getting there. So it was of walking the circuitous county roads through desolated landscapes bordered by pristine marine vistas on my way to Paraga Beach.

Once again I was fooled by the never-before encountered terrain upon reaching the edge of the yet unseen beach. The road suddenly turned and I seemed to be standing at the entrance of a restaurant. Little did I know that this was the far-left corner to Paraga Beach. The fact that I had actually reached my intended destination was so unapparent that I initially felt I had made an error, and I thus retreated a short distance, peering into several private business properties in hopes of finding my way to Paraga Beach.

Finally, reason prevailed over what seemed my misconception, and I returned to the restaurant and walked further into the maze-like property to find that it turned once again into another bar and then another restaurant… at last, I way on the right track. On my left side unfolded the rows of beach beds, adorned in each proprietor’s original drapes and in the typical arrangement I had seen at the other beaches I’d been on the previous days’ beach excursions.

Eventually, I reached the actual beach itself, without the battle field flag draped seatees and instead the more familiar nature-provided (hopefully) sandy beach, where I intended to spend the next two or three hours of luxurious freedom.

Wasting time, or ‘vacating’ after all, is what a real vacation—no matter anywhere one goes — is all about.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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Mykonos, Greece: A walk into Chora, June 11, 2023

by David L. Brooks

June 11, Sunday

A walk into Chora

A rural road Hike to Agrari & Elia Beaches had been in my plans, but that changed once I looked at the rest of the week’s weather forecast. Today was due to be cloudy with a 30% chance of rain in the afternoon. Tomorrow and the day after were forecast to be sunny and moderately warm. So that quickly settled my day’s plans: it was off on a hike into Chora, the biggest city on this otherwise tiny island.

It was the fourth day of my six-day long trip to Mykonos. I awoke to find that the water tank and water heater was not working. I still had drinking water and could heat that using my electric coffeemaker, but even taking a cold shower was not possible until my landlord/ hotel manager was awake. When that would be, I had no idea. it was not an emergency and I could go one morning without a shower and a shave. Certainly so because that’s the way I actually lived when back at home. As a retired teacher who no longer taught, I frequently could go a couple of days without getting a shower.

A day in the city of Chora and Mykonos Airport

Of course, I remembered the way back to the only airport on the island so it’s not necessary to refer to it as the Mykonos International Airport. I found a few things rather odd about the airport’s construction:

A) The departure lobby was at the front end of the long airport building ( 300 meters long in total), which makes logistical sense as departing passengers need to reach their check-in gates first since flights tend to leave on time. The odd thing was that there was no direct passenger connection with the other important section of the airport, which is arrivals. Arriving passengers disembarked and collected their bags at completely opposite ends of the 300 meter long terminal building.

B) That construction oddity explains how the architect or builder was constrained. I’m only guessing here, but I imagine that finding or creating flat land on a rocky desolate Mediterranean island was a challenge. There was only one automotive vehicle entrance and it was also parallel to the vehicle exit. So next to the long spaghetti-like airport building, there was an equally long and narrow car and bus drive through street that made a sharp u-turn at the end in order to return to the entrance from the main road.

C) Finally, I could not comprehend for what purpose the approximately 200 meter long middle portion of the airport terminal might serve. By all appearances, it was unused and possibly even vacant. I saw no one going in or out of it, while the two short sections at each end, Arrivals and Departure, were busy as bees.

Summation: Building a modern airport for today’s flying generation is always an architectural challenge. But doing so on a tiny rocky and hilly island in the Mediterranean must have a nightmare. Congratulations to the team that got the job done and evidently done well.

Using the airport as a free WiFi station

One perk of using the airport waiting areas, at least on the Arrivals side, is that you can access to the free WiFi. It’s also available on the mezzanine area between the two terminals. There are two outdoor coffee shops which are built to benefit from the buildings’s natural sunshade. There are both pedestrian chairs as well as relaxing spaces for the coffee shop customers. What’s important to realize is that the free WiFi is available to all who enter the confines of what amounts to public space.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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Mykonos, Greece: Sightseeing in Chora, June 11, 202

by David L. Brooks

Sightseeing in Chora

From the Mykonos Airport, it’s basically a straight shot to reach the environs of Chora, the old town proper. Some attempt has been made to limit automobile traffic, but there always seems a few intrepid locals who can manage to pull their cars or beat-up lorries through the narrower streets. Nevertheless, it was delightful to see where actual, although highly touristy, businesses and residences thrived. Remember my stay earlier in the week has all occurred in a rural almost pastoral setting, although rocky terrain and white-coated county homes are the norm where I’ve been staying.

My initial target for official sightseeing was to visit the array of old Greek windmills arrayed on a cliff face overlooking the ocean. Sure enough, it is a popular sightseeing spot for a lot of the island’s visitors. Currently, the grounds of the Windmills of Mykonos is undergoing some cosmetic redecorating and refurbishment. Even on a Sunday morning, there were a few workman busy making repairs to a stone walkway. There are 6 to 8 smaller windmills standing in a solitary row, rather like a Pygmy-like bulwark against the Winds of Change. Tourists were not able to enter inside a windmill, at least that was true for the ones I inspected

Heading around the Old Port

Descending the hill upon which stood the battle-ready troupe of windmills, I entered the Old City proper. Stopping by a womenswear boutique shop that looked inviting, I was soon to understand that prices for almost anything was going to be twice (at least) of what you’d pay in Spain. So I realize that I needn’t spend time even looking since getting something for my wife or granddaughters here was a true waste of hard earned money. So I continued on my way toward my next destination: the Archaeological Museum of Mykonos. After climbing the narrow streets above the Museum, I had detoured and gone well past it as it was supposedly located at the far end of the almost circular bay around which the Old City had flourished. Upon descending and returning back toward the harbor, to my disappointment, i discovered that the Archaeological Museum of Mykonos was closed for repairs. Tant pis! However, all is not lost because it was now well passed my usual lunchtime, and after descending a short flight of stone stairs, I was back on the semi-circular boardwalk and at the home of my soon-to-become next destination, Kavos Taverna,

Sunday, June 11 around 12 pm

Where I had lunch in Chora:

Kavos Taverna is a busy port-side outdoor restaurant, specializing in Greek seafood cuisine and located right at far northern end of the Old Port of Chora on the island of Mykonos.

Evidently, the restaurant has been run by three generations of Kavos (assumed family name) on this very spot, right on the old harbor of Chora, the biggest town on the island of Mykonos. The restaurant has a splendid seaside location, with ‘coastal’ tables barely a meter above the ocean water and stretching a length of 80 meters. The chef d’œuvre for this restaurant is Seafood with a capital S: from the lowly platter of grilled sardines, which is what I ordered along with spanakopita, a Greek savory spinach pie that is typically also stuffed with feta cheese, to a half-meter wide platter of various seafood regulars, and whole grilled fish and lobsters, all generously served with fries and a dash of greenery. My meal was quite good, and I was glad I had ordered sliced Greek bread and bottled water to round out the meal of grilled sardines (small-sized) and the generous helping of spanakopita. The waiter who took my order did a double take when I mentioned the sliced bread immediately after ordering the spinach pie. So much so that he actually confirmed that I really wanted the bread.

The wait staff was very helpful and attentive, many were quite multilingual. But like all good eateries worldwide, ‘your mouth is where the money goes’ —meaning the larger table or better-paying customers tend to get the majority of the multiple tiered staffs’ attentions. After taking my order, I was not spoken to again by the wait staff until I was aggressive enough to call over the dining host, a younger man who spoke English quite adequately, to answer a question that came both out of my curiosity and as my employee management strategy. When he did answer my question, I mentioned that I was ready to pay the check. What I suspect was that I had not behaved in a ‘finished customer’ way in order for the regular wait staff to recognize that I was ready to pay up and go. Predominately, the reason was that I had not partaken in the almost ‘du rigueur‘ tiny cup of ‘mastika’, a sweet liqueur produced with the mastika resin. Of course, I might be just a little too forgiving (undemanding) and the waiters may have not even noticed my having finished my simple but delicious meal. But there was nothing left but a small of neatly piled sardine backbones. Maybe they thought I was an epicurean or perhaps just a famished traveler. I’m sure they’ve seen all kinds of patrons. Lucky for me, the cost was quite reasonable.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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Mykonos, Greece: Hiking to Agrari Beach, Monday, June 12, 2023

by David L. Brooks

Monday, June 12

Since I had done my city viewing yesterday, I was ready for more beach going and I would hike to reach Agrari Beach, although two days earlier I had taken the water bus from Super Paradise beach to get here for 15 euro round trip. Once again, I took my time getting ready, having my three small cups of tea bag brewed caffeine, being sure to call home since the time zone there is six hours later than Greece’s time.

After a simple breakfast of toasted French bread with butter and cherry preserves, a small cup of plain yogurt sweetened with those same cherry preserves, I prepared my noontime repast of a grilled cheese and prosciutto sandwich, with sliced green olives on the side.

The road to Agrari Beach , at least the one that Google Maps directed me to, was filled with some unexpected surprises, giving me pause to consider whether or not I will return that way. The first surprise was a short cut way to get to the Agrari Beach. Along this roadway I met several interesting and curious residents. First were two donkeys, then two huge and threatening mastiffs and finally a single mare that was drinking at her water trough.

But more significantly surprise was a second short cut that took me across about 500 meters of fenced pastures and along a dilapidated former roadway that ran sideways through a valley. Even to find that old roadway — more like a pathway — it took me several minutes to locate landmarks and to re-steer myself in the intended direction. On the way, I had to cross what appeared to be someone’s private fields, then climb over two fences, chasing away a small flock of Greek sheep. But the ravine that emerged after climbing the rock fence beside a tiny Greek Orthodox Chapel was a sure sign that I was on the right path, at least that was what Google Maps informed me.

Eventually, the rough pathway finally ended as it climbed out of that valley. There was a house at the top where the local resident greeted me. I came to a paved road with signage indicating Agrari Beach was toward the right. At this point, I was only 15 minutes away from the beach. As might have been expected, the road descended at one of the steepest declines encountered yet on the Greek Islands. After ten nervous minutes of easing myself down the hill slowly, I eventually made it to Agrari Beach, and went right passed it as I made my way to Elio Gay Beach.

The thought of climbing that very steep hill and again traversing some farmer’s field in order to walk by the way I had come was just too uninviting. So when in left the beach, I made a diversion to get a look at Elia Beach, the largest and most popular beach on Mykonos. I walked to the far end, passing at least three separate cohorts of the beach beds. I stopped to rest at the far end before making my way once more over the rocky hill that separates Elio from Agrari. I found some shade underneath a tree and waited for the sea bus to make its rounds. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later, the sea bus paddled right up to the shore, and embarked with a tired but contented sojourner. I was pleased that the captain just gave me a dismissive gesture when I went back to ask how much to the next stop.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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Mykonos, Greece: Tuesday, June 13, 2023

by David L. Brooks

Pyrgi, Mykonos, Greece

Today is my last full day in Greece, although I do have an early layover at Athens airport tomorrow morning. Today is a redundant vacation day. I’m not planning on seeing anything new; instead, I’m just going to take it easy — just getting around is a bit of a tool of trouble. It takes energy and gumption to go out on these narrow roads and climb up and down seemingly precipitous hills. (🙂). But I can’t help myself when the ocean lies so close or rather so far. Go to the sea, old man. I just hope the whale or sharks don’t overtake the sea bus (ferry boat) ☺️.

Enough levity. I plan to return to Agrari Beach once again today. But I’ll take the shorter route—10 or 15 euro is not too much to pay for the sea bus fare from Super Paradise for a 15 minute ride to Agrari (agrarian is probably the closest English equivalent). I wonder if this is where the ancient Mykonocian inhabitants conducted farming because there is a fairly large flat land area back behind the beach and before you reach the precipitous ‘killer’ hill (steep mountain road). Hey, the civil authorities ought to consider ‘opening’ a real archeological museum here instead of pretending to run one in the Old Town of Chora (downtown). Oops, it hard to fight off those comedic urges while writing with a single digit at 3:30 am.

My own biographical tome:

As I rush headlong to learn the denouement of my existence, now facing shortly a few significant life milestones, I have turned to one of my ‘apparently hidden’ talents in order to cap off the bounty that life has provided me for the last nearly seventy years in this current existence. I am writing my memoirs. I’ve only known one actually person who has done so. Her name is Mania Aksenof Ritter, whose story I’ll save for another telling. Nonetheless, there have been few people who have had more influence on me as the person that I have become than my dear old departed French and Russian teacher, Mania, who was a former faculty member of the Department of Foreign Languages at Western Kentucky University. Sadly, I never got the chance to read her memoirs as she chose (or simply decided) it was best left to her children, instead of being published. However, it may very well be published, as I have often said I was going to ‘rewrite’ her work or publish my own version of her life story.

Everyone’s life story has the potential to be both imminently fascinating and, at the same time, alternatively deadly boring and trivial. It is simply a matter of the quality of the writing and writer who presents it.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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What I actually did on my last full day on Mykonos

After five days of climbing up and down this island’s hillside roads, it was a cinch to descend one last time to Super Paradise Beach, again arriving at JackieO’s just before most of the staffers were yet at their stations. However, one other person was lounging at her pivotal strategic landing point for catching the eye of both novice and experienced souvenir shopper. Alexandra had been ‘on duty’ since 7:30 am, setting up her little ‘par terrain’ shop selling handmade jewelry, mainly handmade bracelets, loungewear dresses, Stetson cowboy hats, and fashion accessories.

The great thing about Alex’s merchandising strategy is ‘just (pretend) to ignore the potential customer’ and let the interested buyers approach and just look. That’s half of the sale, after all. If they touch an object or move back to get a closer look, then you’re three-quarter’s way toward closing the sale. Never make any suggestions until the customer has shown by body language and demeanor that he/she trusts you as a human being. Show the customer that Alex values their opinions and their taste; don’t try to sell, but let the customers buy what they really (think) they want. It really was watching a work of genius unfold by simply standing there for 30 minutes before I felt compelled to ‘enrich my existence’ by purchasing one of her most expensive items.

‘Kissing dragons’ is what I call this motif, which I’ve seen many times elsewhere. Presumably, Alex brought them back from her most recent trip to Asia— although she didn’t quite make it explicit in what country she had purchased these dragon bracelets and short necklaces. At least, I couldn’t understand which country she was naming though it did sound like Romania, but I didn’t press her for more concrete details.

Good sales derive from a belief by the seller that she/he has an excellent product, being sold at an excellent price. Anything less, and it’s simple deception. If that is not really true, so then typically the seller can’t succeed and mostly you don’t meet such people because they have already failed their calling. Alex was a ‘maid on a mission.‘ Oh, it certainly helped that we were both Sagittarians, or so she said. It took some time for me to attempt to get my PayPal to pay her. Eventually, I had to give up on using PayPal, even though I had $195 just sitting there. Instead, she mentioned that there was an ATM in the entrance way to the far restaurant. It was a good idea until I reached the realization that my last attempts to get cash at an ATM had not worked. So, it was highly doubtful that it would work here. But then I suddenly remembered I actually had enough cash — 140 euros were in my pocket. So, I returned to her, without further explanation, to pay the 120 euros. She ended up giving me a good luck charm, known as the Evil Eye. When I mentioned that my granddaughters will enjoy it, she then suggested that it would better serve my son Tomi in his divorce situation. Alex invited me to go with her to the bar after I returned from the Agrari Beach. she had suggested this when I had explained that I wanted to see the JackieO’s drag show around 6 pm. Later, after 4pm when i returned to wait until she was finished, she decided she was too tired and wouldn’t be going.

This development did give me pause for thought. The cynic in me wondered of it was all a devised conversation meant to ensnare me into buying her most expensive item, or perhaps she had felt a twang of compassion for ripping me off so royally. I can’t actually be sure. But if she does come to Japan in November as she had said she might, it’ll prove one thing: she’s a lot smarter and kinder than she looks.

After leaving Alex to tend to her sales, I want to the departure point for the water bus to Agrari Beach. Once again, the captain ‘said’ he couldn’t break a twenty. What! I had read that normally the water bus fare was 20 euros, but that included multiple entry and exits along the seaside route. Yet, I can’t quite figure out what’s missing in this recurring saga of payment for partial trips. Happily, he waved me on and said I could pay him the 15 euros on the boat ride back. Of course, that didn’t happen because the return water bus ferry was piloted by a different captain, who again just waved me on and off — at no charge.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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My Google Maps (3) My Final Group of

Travel Lists, compiled on Google Maps

Click each title of the Google Maps Travel List below to open a separate Google Maps page where you can view both the map with the recommended spots and a brief description. If you desire to know more about a place, you have only to click the specific location name that you want to explore. Use the browser arrows to return.

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Yucatan: Mayan Civilization and Ocean Resorts · 9 places

I Left My Heart In San Francisco · 43 places

The Culture, Traditions, and Heritage of Spain · 95 places

Eastern US Road Trip · 40 places

World’s Airports I Have Flown · 25 places

New England: Travels in the US Northeast · 40 places

Cutting Loose in NYC: Manhattan · 30 places

Pacific Northwest and Far Western Canada · 19 places

Cadiz, Spain: Oldest Inhabited City in EU · 11 places

Seville, Spain: Premier Southern Spain City · 14 places

The British Isles and Ireland · 51 places

Our Nation’s Capital: Washington, D.C. · 10 places

Itabashi Ward, Where We First Lived in Tokyo for 12 Years · 21 places

Sojourner to Cameroon: Earthwatch Expedition · 7 places

World Renowned Places I’ve Been To · 61 places

Oahu: The Gathering Place · 48 places

Avila, Spain: Ancient Gated Walled City · 14 places

My Dream Trip to South America · 12 places

Places in France Outside Paris · 29 places

On Short Visits to Vancouver · 17 places

Favorite Restaurants around the World · 65 places

Toledo: Charm of Three Great Religions · 15 places

Following the Life of Columbus · 9 places

A Great Tour of Gran Canaria · 38 places

Touring Around Madrid · 18 places

Southeast Asia: Adventures of a Lifetime · 31 places

Valencia, Spain: City to see by bike · 28 places

World Famous Tourist Sites Around the Globe · 54 places

Walking Tour of Fuchu City, Tokyo · 48 places

Important Life Events: David L. Brooks · 95 places

Limerick, Ireland: Land of the Leprechauns · 15 places

Ye Merry Ol’ England · 14 places

Trips Down Under: Visiting Australia · 17 places

Famous Churches & Religious Sites · 68 places

San Mateo, Redwood City, & Silicon Valley · 14 places

Paris, La Ville Lumière (City of Lights)· 8 places

My Most Popular Reviewed Places · 41 places

Way Down in Bowling Green, Growing up in KY · 36 places

Most Unlikely Places I’ll Not Visit · 15 places

Journey to St. Paul’s 7 Churches · 21 places

Places where famous people lived or died · 25 places

Personally Satisfying Travels Worldwide · 77 places

#travel recommendation #destinations #travel #travel advice

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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My other Google Maps Lists (2)

There are approximately 96 different Google Maps lists that I have made to give suggestions for where to visit when you are planning to travel somewhere. Click on the title of the Google Maps List to open each of my travel suggested itineraries.

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Heidelberg’s Charm in 2 Days

It’s one of the most charming small cities in Europe and there’s much to see and do in Heidelberg.

Le Midi-A Trip Across S. France & N.Spain

Exploring the cultural landscape of the Le Midi --actually the region from Catalonia (Barcelona) through southern France (From Carcassonne to NIce), and then onward to Genoa, Italy.

Cambodia: Kingdom of Three Rivers

The capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, is located at the confluence of three rivers - the Mekong, the Bassac and Tonle Sap. The city is divided into three sections - the north, an attractive residential area; the south or the French part of the city with its ministries, banks and colonial houses; and the centre or the heart with its narrow lanes, markets. Next I visited to Angkor Wat, the ancient palatial temple complex.

Idyllic Days in Greece

I’ve traveled at least three times to Greece, mainly Athens, but also several of the Greek islands. In 2023, I visited Mykonos, one of the famous Mediterranean islands.

Favorite Camping Spots Worldwide

One way to make travel less expensive is to use camping and hostels as cheap accommodation. I've been doing that for years. What's more, as an added bonus, you can make new friends easily with fellow campers and hosteliers.

Ocean View Journeys

Whenever possible, I make sure to travel where I will be in easy view of the sea. Of course, that’s not so difficult a task as 75% of our planet’s surface is the ocean. Nonetheless, the ocean holds a curious fascination for me, and I love being near or in the ocean. Here are places I’ve visited where the ocean is not far away.

Journey through Israel and Egypt

Years ago my wife and I made the journey of a lifetime, traveling two weeks in Israel and then in Egypt, two countries that were at severe odds at the time and at risk of war. But it was a blissful, peaceful voyage that gave us a lasting appreciation of both nations and their respective cultures.

Visits to Mainland China

Over the years, I’ve had the chance to visit Mainland China several times. It is a fascinating country, rich in historical importance and cultural attractions.

From Kentucky to Florida: Vacation

This is a path I’ve driven many times — to visit family, to vacation, a trip south has frequently been a destination over the years.

Santa Fe, New Mexico: History Comes Alive

While I haven’t been to Santa Fe yet, it is one of the top choices of places to visit in the U.S.

The Low Countries: Netherlands, Belgium & Luxemburg

Over the years, i have visited the Benelux Countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg several times.

Scandinavian Journey: Norway, Sweden and Finland

Over two different trips, first to Norway and Sweden, then to Finland, I got to visit several great cities in these three countries.

A Short Stay in Morocco

It’s been many years ago now that my wife and I travelled to Morocco by way of a ferry from Spain. It was a bit frustrating to be constantly bombarded by the local men trying to get us to employ them as ‘local guides.’ But in the end, we did find our way to several cities and met some interesting people, too.

National Parks & Natural Wonders Worldwide

Throughout my travels worldwide, I have often been fortunate to find outstanding national parks and natural wonders to experience. Some of my best travel experiences have been formed around visiting those parks.

Ise: Japan’s Imperial Shrine

I've traveled to Ise: Japan's Imperial Shrine two different times. The first time I drove to Kyushu and stopped at Ise along the way. The second time was a trip in two cars with my older son's family. It's a long way from Tokyo, but well worth the trip.

Tama Bochi Cemetery

The largest cemetery in the city of Tokyo is Tama Bochi, and it is located just 5 minutes away from my home. Regardless of it being a cemetery, it’s actually a great place for walking, exercising our pet dogs, and even picnicking. It also has a lot of cultural and historical significance.

Hong Kong: A Vibrant Chinese International City

Hong Kong is the most international of all Chinese cities, and it's a fantastic travel destination, too. There are easy connections to many other destinations around the globe. I've traveled here several times and always enjoy it.

Thailand - Visiting the Land of Smiles

A visit to Thailand is not complete with a stop in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya and leisurely visit to Bangkok. Explore the Historic City of Ayutthaya, established in 1350, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once the capital of Siam and flourished from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Bangkok has become one of the world’s largest urban areas and a center for global diplomacy and commerce.

Bali: Exploring a Cultural Paradise

The Indonesian island of Bali is a very unique place as it is the amalgamation of several cultures, and religions, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, all in one place.

Guam: A Pacific Island Playland

Over the years, I’ve visited Guam three or four times. While it is heavily Americanized, there is still enough Native people and culture there to make it an interesting place to be introduced to Pacific Island culture.

Go West, Young Man: Visiting the Western United States

Over the course of many years, I have traveled a good bit over the western United States.

My Favorite Places in the World

My 12 Favorite Places in the World that I’ve actually been is not hard to list.

Places in and around Tokyo where we shop & go

The following list is about the places where we go to shop, to be entertained, or to find the things we need or enjoy in and around our local area in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan.

San Diego: Best City for Ocean & Desert

There is no end to the fun, adventure, and good times that can be enjoyed in and around the greater San Diego area.

Most Traveled Places in the United States

Here are my own most popular places that I have visited in the USA.

Seoul, Capital of South Korea

While it is actually the closest foreign nation nearest Japan, where I live, I have only really visited South Korea one time (stays near the Incheon Airport don' count). It's a beautiful country with much to offer in terms of cuisine, commerce, and culture.

Appreciating the Significance of New Orleans

I’ve visited New Orleans at least three times. Each visit expands my appreciation of the city’s spirit, its resilience, and its deep cultural roots.

Conference Locations where I’ve Presented

Actually, there are a lot more conference locations in my repertoire than the few I’ve listed here. As an academic researcher, a good part of my career was spent doing both applied research and bibliographical research, which often I subsequently presented at academic conferences around the world. Getting to travel to these places was one of the perks of being an academician.

Wandering around Munich

Munich, particularly the downtown area, is very walkable, and the pedestrian tourist can see and feel things about this beautiful Bavarian city that one cannot encounter any other way.

Museums & Art Galleries Visited Worldwide

One of the great perks of traveling is getting to visit museums and art galleries around the world. I've been to see a good many of memorable exhibits at the world's greatest museums.

Eastern European Tour

From Poland, to the Czech Republic, thru Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia, Eastern Europe offers an excellent opportunity to see different parts of Western civilization. The region is also abundant in beautiful nature, fascinating customs, and an impressive variety of national treasures and historic sites.

Egypt: Land of History, Charm, & Deserts

Egypt, a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs. Millennia-old monuments sit along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza's colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor's hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs. The capital, Cairo, is home to Ottoman landmarks like Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum.

California Wine Country

Almost anywhere you go in California, you're likely to run into vineyards, from which some great wines are made. There is also a wonderful sightseeing trip to the thirsty wine traveller.

Three Great Days in Helsinki and Porvoo

A short but excellent vacation trip to Finland’s robust capital

Florida: America’s Sunshine Playland

Over the years, there have been several reasons why I’ve visited Florida. In the mid-50s, my father was stationed at a naval base there, so it’s where one of my sisters was born, and later lived in her retirement. I’ve had school business at Melbourne at the Florida Institute of Technology, and I’ve enjoyed traveling to Jacksonville, Orlando, and near Miami and the Keys.

Places where you can be in the all together

There are some great beaches and lakes around the world where visitors love to get naked. Here is a list of some of those places, most of which I have visited at least once.

Journeys to Poland: Krakow & Warsaw

On at least two trips to Poland, one as recent as 2023, I have visited Krakow and Warsaw, which I greatly enjoyed.

Most Striking or Memorable Places I’ve Been

From the thousands of places I have visited around the globe, there are just three dozen places that I find to be truly outstanding and memorable. Most of them are well-known or famous, but quite a few are truly meaningful to me because they represent an event or an encounter that changed my life or my view of the world.

Toronto and Eastern Canada I’ve been twice to Toronto and once to Montreal. It was informative and interesting to be able to compare the two provinces, with my earlier visits to Far Western and Pacific Canada.

Short Trips to Famous European Cities

Having been to Europe a dozen times, I often make it a point to schedule in a short stay in one of the lesser famous cities there. In doing so, one makes sometimes startling discoveries and memories that last a lifetime.

Places to Visit in Portugal

From Porto to Fatima from Lisbon to Sagres and along the Algarve to Tavira, Portugal is a traveler's delight, and full of cultural heritage nearly unrivaled anywhere.

Zoos Around the World

One of the nicest pleasures of traveling is getting to visit some of the world’s great zoos and aquariums.

Vladivostok, Pacific Far East of Russia

Vladivostok was once a special foreign exclusive trade zone in the old Soviet empire. When I visited it, you could not shop freely in stores, but had to ask for a clerk to collect each item you wanted. I saw many drunken men, carrying bottles of vodka all day long. They were often accompanied by 6 foot tall, long-legged gorgeous blonde women - a stark contrast. Vladivostok is a fascinating place.

Japan: The Land of the Rising Sun

Having lived in Japan for nearly 45 years, having first visited the country in 1976, I have seen much of the Japanese archipelago, except Okinawa. Japan has become my second home country and I treasure its diversity, its uniqueness, and its unfathomable culture.

Exploring the Capital of Russia - Moscow

Two days was hardly long enough to see what I wanted to see in Moscow, but at least I got to view the major tourist sites.

Cordoba,Spain: See Roman & Moorish Sites

The Alcazar has always been an important place in Cordoba. It used to be the residence of Roman governors and Moorish caliphs, and in 1328 it became the home of the Spanish kings when they were in Cordoba.

It is known as the Alcazar of the Reyes Cristianos because the Christian Kings Fernando and Isabella lived in the castle for over eight years while they orchestrated the reconquest of Granada. It was in the Alcazar that Christopher Columbus pitched his idea of looking for a Western route to reach India.

Sado Island - The Best Things To Do

Located in the Japan Sea, a car ferry ride from Niigata, Sado Island provides a taste of abundant nature, a interesting role in Japanese history, ocean vistas and forested landscapes, and a great place to enjoy camping and the Japanese drums of Kodo.

The Most Unusual Places I’ve Visited

Here are what I consider the most unusual places around the world that I have ever visited.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 10 months ago

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My Google Maps List of Places I've been, organized into over 95 short lists, of which only a few are presented here.

Brunswick, Georgia: My Birthplace

List of Google Maps places related to my birthplace.

My mom was only 17 years old when she graduated from high school, and my dad was just 19 at that time. He joined the US Navy and his first permanent naval port was at the Brunswick Naval Station in 1952. My mom came to Brunswick from Cave City, KY later that year, and I was their first child, born in November, 1953. They often used to spend their free time on Jekyll Island. In 2022, we had a reunion there since it is also where my mom's only living sibling is currently living, close to her daughter's family.

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Senegal: Gateway to West Africa

After several years of making travel plans that were repeatedly canceled, I am finally getting to visit Senegal in December, 2023. I arrived in Dakar via a flight from Gran Canaria located in the Canary Islands. While the trip wasn’t very long (4 days), it certainly was rewarding and an interesting cultural & environmental experience.

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Rome, Italy: A very short stay

In 2023, on a diverted travel itinerary, I spent a short time in the great Italian metropolis, Roma.

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Singapore: Newbie's Gateway to Asia

When people ask me about traveling in Asia or more specifically about visiting Japan, I remind them that to really enjoy and to get the most for their time and expense, it’s important first to realize how much or how little they have actually traveled. Beginning travelers to Asia would get a whole more for their travel investment if the first place they visit is a place like Singapore.

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Sightseeing in Beautiful Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the most amazing cities on the Planet. It is lively in the daytime, but vibrant and exciting in the nocturnal hours. There is always something new in food, culture, arts, theatre, and music going on there.

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Places I’d love to visit but haven’t yet

There are quite a few places in the world that I have not visited, but which I would love to see. Here is a partial list of those places I’ve yet to see.

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A Pedestrian Tour of Tokyo

Although it is seemingly a huge city, Tokyo is actually very compact and many delightful places can be seen by walking, (or in combination with the subway and on foot). Here are a few of places I recommend.

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Circumnavigating the Big Island

Perhaps my favorite place on Planet Earth is the Big Island of Hawaii, which I have visited too many times to count, have owned homes there, and have camped, dove, and swum all around the island. Typically, I stop over in Honolulu on my way from my home in Tokyo to the West Coast of the USA. So I'll take this opportunity to introduce several of my favorite places around Hawaii's Big Island.

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pursuingheavenonearth · 1 year ago

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Is it time for a 'radical' change? Maybe not.

David Lewis Brooks

My bare feet, photo taken June 2023 on the steps of Hostal Casa de Huespedes San Fernando, Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), Spain

PREFACE: This article was written over several weeks from August 18 until September 20, 2023, after I returned from my second overseas trip that summer.

When one comes to end of his/her professional career, it is not always easy to decide what to do or where or how to find an avocation or a new vocation to keep oneself occupied productively in the last Third of One's (Current) Lifespan. Over the approximately three and a half years since I officially retired from work (university teaching and research job), I have dabbled a bit in several possible Third Life career moves, but none of them has panned out into any satisfying work or job offers.

Basically, I am staying at home and being the wise, but quiet, granddad to the Brooks-Yamaguchi family. Our older son, also an Associate Professor,but at Asia University (not too far from our home) lives with his Japanese wife and two daughters, aged 7 and 5 years old). His wife, Yuki, works as a student affairs officer (foreign student admissions) at KUFS (Kanda University of Foreign Studies), located a short bicycle ride from our homes. I say 'homes' since we live just a block away from our son's and his family's residence.

I had first joined the teaching staff at Kitasato’s Sagamihara campus in April, 1996, as an emergency teacher recruited by Prof. Yukio Seya in March of that year to fill a sudden part-time English teacher vacancy.

Photo taken August 2023 at the circular roundabout road, about 400 meters from the East Side entrance to Tama Bochi Cemetery, Fuchu, Tokyo. These are crepe myrtle trees in full bloom from July to October annually. It's a bit rare to have two large crepe myrtle growing side-by-side in the cemetery, so they are a favorite sight on our daily dog walks into the Tama Bochi (cemetery).

I was subsequently employed as a full-time teacher member of the English Language Unit a month into the school following year, and has continued in the position of Associate Professor until my mandatory retirement in March 2019. Why a month later start? Actually, I was a part-time teacher with 6 weekly classes, which was the same as a full-time teacher's workload. By then asking that I be made a full-timer (once I was already employed), then they didn't have to open the 'new' position up to public applications from both presently employed part-timers as well as outsider. It was a strategic political employment move. I continue for three years as a contract (full-time) employee, before being made full-fledged faculty member (Assistant Professor), and eventually attained Associate Professorship in approximately 10 years further. I never considered even asking to be a Full Professor because I considered that my Japanese language skills were not sufficient to complete all of the duties required a full professor. However, I will never actually know if I was considered qualified to seek that promotion or not, because my own Department Head retired and I had several other colleagues that I would have had to compete with to become Professor Brooks. More money, but more work and many ore headaches (if you ask me). Therefore, I happily remained an Associate Professor until I retired in March 2019. Retirement became mandatory at the age of 65 year-of-age for all, but esteemed Professor Emeritus, of which there were one appointed every couple of years.

After my official retirement, I was asked to teach one further year as an Adjunct Professor under a part-time teacher's salary for five courses on three days a week (Mondays - one class, Tuesday - 2 classes and Thursday - 2 classes). This arrangement, by the way, was how I started teaching part-time at Kitasato University first in the 1996-97 academic year.

Photo taken at sunset in August 2022 Diamond Head Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii

After his retirement, David L. Brooks had intended to remain as an adjunct professor at Kitasato University for one or two days a week, he'd likely be teaching part-time as well at Aoyama Gakuin University for two graduate or undergraduate courses, and may also be working on a volunteer basis in the part-time position at the University’s Office of International Affairs from April, 2019, until the 2024. In addition, Mr. Brooks would be managing director of a new travel company based in Hawaii that specializes in edutrekking, travel expeditions for small teams that combine travel with eco-tourism and humanitarian endeavors for potential customers in Japan, the USA, and Europe.

The LAST PLANS in the above paragraph DID NOT actually MATERIALIZE, and when COVID-19 hit the world, my Third Life Career is was then put on hold and is, therefore, being reconsidered. That is purpose of this entry: To review those three years of dormancy (rather like hibernation) would probably be a helpful move at this juncture of my existence. I can either decide what I want/need to do next, or will come to some other kind of resolution.

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Part I

January 2020 - June 2021

Photo taken February 2022 at the Diamond Head Road leading into Kapiolani Park, Honolulu, Hawaii

A) From January 2020 until June 2021, I was involved in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Public Leadership Credential, where I completed six different six-week long graduate courses in an online coursework format that included weekly group work (for one of weeks of each course I was the group leader and completing a personally focused individualized weekly assignment, plus completing a challenging final written exam. Along the way, I had three very distinguished, challenging, and interesting professors and got to work in detail with dozens of highly qualified and tenacious graduate students, who were also pursuing the same Harvard graduate credential.

Seated at the Jackie O's restaurant / bar at Super Paradise Beach on the Greek island of Mykonos. It was a warm afternoon in June, 2023, and I was one of just a few customers at 4:00pm that day.

To be honest, taking the coursework (actually 2/5ths of a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government) was the fulfillment of a personal challenge that I had envisioned pursuing more than a decade ago. At that time, after designating Harvard KSG as my first choice for a graduate institution at the time of taking the GRE, I received a letter of invitation from Harvard Kennedy School asking me to complete the necessary steps to apply for admission. Probably the main reason was because I had scored a perfect 6 on the then newly instigated GRE Writing Test, which had only just begun the very year that I had re-taken the GRE. There is no doubt that I found the six courses in the Public Leadership Credential at Harvard KSG to be academically challenging, but they were not impossible and I found the course content, the professors, and working with my fellow course-mates to be highly interesting, personally rewarding and a great learning experience (almost without exception). However, I believe that I came to realize that simply cooperating and competing with my other Harvard online classmates was not the activity that really excited my intellectual interests or challenged my internal soul-searching to find a meaningful post-retirement career.

A bee in the weeds: Photo taken May 2022 at the Tama River side park, not far from Tokyo Parkway Bridge at Inagi, Fuchu, Tokyo

Most of my own personally-meaningful assignments for those six courses were related to my current passion at the time: Finding or creating an organization (or group) that can assist impoverished families in Hawaii, particularly those living under stark economic realities of today's world (who can absolutely be categorized a 'poor' families and individuals who are economically disadvantaged, to find affordable housing (either by buying, renting, or sharing a portion of a group-owned lodging).

Eating at a nice (and expensive) restaurant near the Beach Boardwalk at Sitges, Spain in June, 2023

Actually, that leads me to my July 2021 - January 2023 phase, which involved trying to set up both a non-profit, called Philantropical.org, and a for-profit travel-related business, called Rainbow Travel Network, Inc., both of which I have now closed.

Let me explain more in the next section.

Part II

July 2021 - January 2023

B) My Entrepreneurial Phase -- Starting Two Business that I closed even before they could actually start.

Part II-A From January 2021 through January 2023, I was busy trying to set up both a non-profit, called Philantropical.org, and also a for-profit travel-related business, called Rainbow Travel Network, Inc., both of which I subsequently have now closed.

Photo taken June 2023 at the Old Windmills Strand located near the main port / harbor of Choros Town on Mykonos Island, Greece

Setting up Philantropical.org (a non-profit organization) was not too difficult. In fact, inside the State of Hawaii, it was painless and virtually easy-peasy-Japanesy (as we often say in the Brooks household). Even when I decided to make the non-profit be recognized nationwide (in the US), it was not very difficult to secure the paperwork and to get registered and verified as a US nationwide non-profit organization by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The difficulty arose when it came to the actual details of the non-profit tax designation and assigned levels of tax compliance as a non-profit organization. While it was still recognized as a non-profit, for tax purposes, it was designated as a XXXXXX non-taxed organization and the paperwork and tax forms required were just too laborious and time-consuming to be acceptable (at least for me alone).

I quickly realized that I could not sustain that level of complicated book-keeping and convoluted tax reporting that such a designation required. I subsequently decided to dissolve the non-profit organization, thus appearing to 'officially' abandon its mission: helping disadvantaged and underprivileged families to cope with the regulations and restrictions needed in order to live in a house on the Big Island of Hawaii.

To be continued.....

Part II-B Rainbow Travel Network, Inc.

Photo taken March 2012 at the Marine Park located near Arinaga Marine Preserve on the island of Gran Canaria, The Canary Islands, Spain (taken by my own underwater photography with my own camera).

The second part of my plan was to establish a travel services company that acted as an 'arranger' for travel services to be provided to small (3-7) or medium-sized (8-24) people. The 'trips' are not actually solely for the purpose of travel, but have the ultimate goal of providing 'free' assistance to people, organizations (such as non-profits and public corporations), to help animal and plant life in a specific region, and (or) to improve the environmental conditions in a specific locale in order to reach their fullest (and highest) potentials. The eco-trips or 'edutreking' sojourns would be in my current home country (Japan) or abroad; they could be free (if a sponsor will pay expenses) or their costs could be reduced by donations and payments from the beneficiary groups, or they could be totally self-supported (paid for my the volunteers own monetary contributions).

Examples of such 'trips' could include any or a combination of the following eco-trips or 'edutreking' experiences:a) Volunteer to teach life-skill English conversation to home healthcare workers who are assisting disaster relief for an Australian state; b)Lead a workshop on polish one's job search and employer attractiveness skills for low-level, poorly educated individuals seeking jobs as migrant workers in a South American country;

c) Conduct an environmental clean-up workday in specific area needing human labor of volunteers (in Florida after the last major hurricane damage),

and

d - z) there are countless more examples, etc... But hopefully, you get the idea: human volunteers helping our planet and its environment, its peoples and the animal & plant livelihoods.

Photo taken February 2022 at the Beach 67 not far from Spencer Beach, near Kawaihae, Big Island, Hawaii

Part III February 2023 - September 2023 C) My own travels overseas

Photos were taken August 2023 at the Hellabrunn Zoo outside Munich, Germany. Of course, there are hundreds of species of birds, fish, reptiles, and other animals at the zoo, but the birds and fish are easiest to photograph because you're allowed to be so close to them in an enclosed cage (bird cage in huge) or space (the aquarium).

From January 2023 until the present (Sept 2023), I was mostly at my home in Tokyo, helping with the chores of grand-child minding, cooking and cleaning house. I did find the time and resources (money) to travel abroad twice during that time. Both times, I visited Europe; actually, I visited Spain and Germany twice as my favorite European cities are Munich and Barcelona.

Many years ago, I practiced the art (martial) of Aikido. Once we held a public exhibition of our 'sensei's' students at a public hall in Gotanda, Tokyo. Here I am finishing a defensive move on my co-combattant.

So it is time for a radical change in my lifestyle or vocation (or avocation)? Well, after considering what's happening now in my world and in our societies, I'd have to say that things in my life will likely just remain as they are, without any huge changes. I'm enjoying what I'm doing now: being a partner to my wife, and a father and grandfather to my sons and spouses and offspring. Attempting to conflate my raison d'etre into some grand scheme of a new life is probably only my own wishful thinking as my mortality lies more concretely ahead of me. I'll most likely be happy to simply live my life as it is being played out now. I'm loved by family, and enjoy the hobbies and pastimes that 'apparently' keep me busy and productive as I enter my seventh decade of life. I can only hope that I will have at least two more decades to enjoy my life on Earth and hope to gain the satisfaction of having spent my remaining time alive in the best ways possible.

Thank for reading.

Playing with the Djohong Village children around New Year's Eve, 2000 in Cameroon, West Africa, while participating the one of EarthWatch.org research expeditions to assist Phyllis Jansyn, a former Peace Corps volunteer, who had stayed in rural Cameroon to help the villagers of Djohong find clean water, safeguard against disease, give birth, and learn healthy childcare to the women (and men) of the surrounding villages.

#self improvement #self actualization #maturity

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pursuingheavenonearth · 1 year ago

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Google Maps Lifelist: The places that have defined me as a human being.

NOTE: Photos will be added over time, but are not accessible directly from Google Maps lists.

Over the 70 years that I’ve lived on this planet, there have been many lifetime milestones associated with a specific place. This list commemorates those places which have figured prominently in my life, either because they have or had great meaning to my existence or are places which I frequently visited.

Baskin-Robbins

$ · Ice Cream · Bowling Green

Ice cream chain with lots of flavors

The original Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Shop used to be located at 1705 U.S. 31 W Bypass, Bowling Green, KY 42101, but has recently (in last several years) been rebuilt and move further east on the Old By-Pass in 'downtown' Bowling Green, located at 1542 U.S. 31-W Bypass, Suite 9, Bowling Green, KY.

The 'old' Baskin-Robbins was the place that my wife and I had our first date, too many years ago to recall when to confess, but, of course, I do remember at it was more than 45 years ago. We moved away from Bowling Green long ago but still fondly remember our fun ice-cream eating times at 31.

Baskin-Robbins 31, as it is known in Japan as "31" [sirty-one], has been a part of our lives even once we moved to Tokyo in 1979, and it really hasn't changed much since then --except for the menu items increasing and the few of the old flavors have been either renewed or replaced. Nowadays, we go to the Baskin-Robbins Shop in Hibarigaoka, a suburb of Tokyo, enjoying a delicious scoop just like we did 45 years ago usually after awaiting our granddaughter's piano lesson to finish, not 200 yards away. Our 7-year-old granddaughter has learned to love a sugar cone with her favorite scoop of Baskin-Robbins ice cream. z

WKU Fine Arts Center - Music Department

University · Bowling Green, KY

I graduated in 1976 with a B.A. cum laude in Music History & Literature, French, and Education (Teacher certification). Initially, the Music Department was housed in its own 5-story building, located behind the library annex building. The construction of the Fine Arts Center, where the Department of Music is now housed, occurred during my junior year while I was away on my Junior Year Abroad at the Paul Valery campus of the University of Montpellier, France from Sept 1973 to July 1974. My wife, Shizuko, a foreign graduate student in piano performance, started studying at WKU in the fall semester of 1975, just one year after I had returned as a senior student at WKU's music department.

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan

Concert hall · Taito City, Tokyo, Japan

Over the years, I played the part of 'supernumerary' (a stage extra) for many foreign opera, dance and theatre companies that have toured and performed in Japan, often at the old Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. I am visible while in costume in each of the three photos above.

Many years ago before the construction of the Shin Kokuritsu Gekijo (New National Theatre), there were many opera and ballet performances by foreign dance and theatre companies who performed at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan hall. During some of the performances, there was a need for foreign staff to be 'hired' as stage extras. I was one of the people who did that job for about 10 years.. In the process, I was a stage extra or supernumerary for such companies as La Scala Opera, Deutsches Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera, the Royal Ballet, and American Ballet Theater, and several more. There were anywhere from 10 to nearly 100 people, mostly foreign extras, who were hired depending on the production. In doing so, I got to see some world-class opera and dance performances from right on stage, with such stars as Luciano Pavarotti, Agnes Balsa, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and with directors and ballet masters as Mikhail Baryshnikov. My younger son, Paul, was only 7 when he was in the American Ballet Theatre performance of Giselle. Amazingly, he was instructed on how to act in one scene by Baryshnikov himself, I know as I was on stage in rehearsal as an extra, too.

Machiko Hasegawa Grave

Cemetery · Fuchu

Machiko Hasegawa was one of the first female Japanese manga artists, who lived from January 19, 1920 to May 27, 1992. Her famous comic strip, Sazae-san, ran in newspaper comics from 1946 until 1974. It become a regular TV cartoon series that still runs today. Not far from Machiko Hasegawa’s grave on the corner of the open roundabout stand two crepe myrtle trees that bloom in July every year. The blooms last until mid-October and there are other shades of pink, violet, white and almost red crepe myrtle trees throughout the cemetery.

The gravestone for Machiko Hasegawa, the Japanese anime artist, located in Tamabochi Cemetery, not far from our family home in Tamacho, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan.

Musashino-Mori Park

Park · 府中市 (Fuchu City, Tokyo, Japan)

Plane spotting, leafy walks & sports

We often take walks with our dogs in Musashino-no-Mori Park. It has green fields, a forested mini-hill that you can climb and explore, a large pond where birds gather to search for food, and an observation point for the Chofu Airport. ふるさとの丘 On top so the highest point to the south is the Furusato no Oka. Here you can see sample typical rocks, stones, and minerals from each of the 47 prefectures of the Japanese archipelago on display in 2 m by 1m plaques placed in the ground at the summit of a small hill. The 47 plaques are lined up along the edge of the cement sidewalk that curves up and around the hill.

多磨霊園のスギ (Tama Bochi (Reien) no Cedar Tree)

Tourist attraction · Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

In all seasons of the year, we take our dogs, a family of Toy Manchester Terriers, for a walk in the beautifully serene Tama Bochi Cemetery. Even Ichiro, our oldest dog, who passed away at the age of 20 years old, loved to take a walk here, most often by a neighbor, Mr. Nishiyama, who was 80 years old when he passed just a year after his beloved friend, Ichiro, died.

Brunswick Executive Airport

Airport · Brunswick, Georgia

Originally, this airport was part of the Brunswick Naval Air Station, where my father was stationed during the Korean War as part of the weather ballon unit. While my home state of Georgia hasn't been my actual home since I was an 8-year-old third grader in Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia. I frequently visit Georgia and have and have had family there on both my father's and mother's side. BRUNSWICK is where we had planned to hold a family reunion this past August, which was postponed due to he ongoing COVID-19 pandemic., and we had planned to have all the family reunion attendees visit the BNA Museum. Therefore, 2020 was not only a very significant election, the January 5, 2021 runoff election,deciding the control of the country, makes my connections to this place in Georgia actually very personal., and significant for my own history and family legacy. I was born in Brunswick 😃GA, 67 years ago ( as of Nov 2020) since my still teenage parents moved there. Shortly after their Halloween wedding on October 31, 1952, my dad was transferred to the Brunswick Naval Air Station, for which this museum was created to commemorate. My mother, an 18-year-old high school homecoming queen, Rebecca, and her high school sweetheart and co-captain of their small rural high school’s football team, Jerry, were my late parents. My parents, both from Cave City, KY, were stationed at Brunswick Naval Air Station from 1952-1954, where I was born (in Nov. 1953).

Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum

Museum · Brunswick, Georgia

Soya De Maadjou

$ · Restaurant · Djohong, Cameroon, West Africa

It’s been a long time since I was there, actually in December 2000 to January 2001, so I’m sure the place has changed. So long in fact that I doubt this restaurant existed then, though it may have been the one I ate in. I spent two weeks in and around the village of Djohong, which at the time had no electricity and no wells for water. However, I had a very memorable time there and the great memories of what I experienced there will live with me forever. I was a member of an Earthwatch expedition to assist an American nurse named Phyllis Jansyn, who had immigrated to Cameroon in order to continue her former Peace Corps work in Djohong village. Her goals were to help the people of the village get medical care, to assist in safe childbirth, to provide medical care to prevent, get safe , clean drinking water, and cure various diseases caused by parasites. There were small groups of 5-8 people at three or four times a year who were eco-volunteers through Earthwatch. We lived in a rustic, straw-thatched cabins and worked for two weeks, assisting Phyllis in administering vaccines, and checking for intestinal parasites in the villages in the Djohong province.

Van Meter Hall

Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY

I started as a freshman at WKU in the fall of 1971. As I was a music major involved in many musical organizations, I had many chances to perform in Van Meter Hall. It was also the venue for the 1976 performance of the visiting Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. That year, the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), made a short tour of the US, performing in only 4 cities, of which Bowling Green was one. I was studying Russian with Mania Ritter, a long-time Foreign Language Department faculty member at the time. My wife and I hosted 3 members of the LPO by taking them around the city by car, and having them to our house for dinner that evening. The LPO's performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade was one of the most outstanding musical experiences of my life.

Eloise B Houchens Center

Non-profit organization · Bowling Green, KY

The Eloise B. Houchens Center was the venue for my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration in October 2002. Jerry Franklin Brooks and Rebecca Lewis Brooks were married in Cave City, KY on October 31, 1952 (68 years ago today as I write this). They had come to live in Bowling Green in 1963 ,after the birth of their fourth child. All four of their children graduated from Bowling Green High School, two of whom still live in the city. The Anniversary Celebration was a public event, which had over 75 people in attendance, including family, friends, fellow church-goers, and other people in the South Central Kentucky area.

Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 Faculty of Philosophy

University · Lyon, France

I have returned to visit Montpellier (and Lyon), France several different times over the year. Here I am in 2005 when my sister, who took the photo, accompanied me on a return visit to Europe.

In Sept-Oct, 1973, I attended a 6-week course in French language studies at the Université Jean Moulin Language Institute in Lyon, France, in preparation for beginning a year-long academic stay at University of Montpellier from October 1973 to June 1974. This was the first time to travel outside my home country of the United States. Even though it was almost autumn, the local city pool situated on the banks of the Rhine River was still open. I remember going for an exhilarating September swim in that pool.

Dalewood Middle School

Middle School · Chattanooga, TN

In 1965 - 1966, I attended 7th grade at Dalewood Middle School (called Dalewood Junior High, at the time). I was in Mr. Carson's homeroom, and my best friend in grade 7 was Benjie Burrows, who was captain of the baseball team. I was a band member, playing the French horn, and also played viola in the orchestra (only 4 members, which included the Shapiro Brothers, who lived with their family in the Frank Lloyd Wright House there in Chattanooga. Benjie and I competed to be the best student, although we were good friends during that year. I never made the connection that Benjie's mom was from Korea, so he was a racially mixed child, growing into a teenager. I moved back to Kentucky the following year. Eventually, I was to marry a Japanese women and have two mixed genetic heritage sons, and four grandchildren who are of mixed American-Japanese heritage.

STORY: Just a short memory I recall about 7th grade: There was a school play going to be put on, and the day for try-outs for the play came. I walked down the long hallway toward the audition room, and next to me appeared Chip Bell, with whom I had been 2nd grade at Anna B. Lacey Elementary School five years earlier. We had also done a play in 2nd grade, and Chip had had a leading part. He asked if I were going to the try outs of the school play, which was where he was headed. Quickly, I responded that I was on my way home, turned around abruptly, and left school. I guess I felt that he was more experienced and would no doubt get the 'part', having no idea what play they were even putting on. Such are the foibles of childhood.

W.R. McNeill Elementary

Elementary school · Bowling Green

In 1963, I was a fifth grader at W.R. McNeill Elementary School, which was the year that John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. I remember that event very well, and recall how nearly the entire school was brought to tears by that news. Later that school year, our class put on a musical play and I recall having to learn how to square dance for our performance. My own siblings were also attending McNeill School, in grades 3 and 1, respectively, at the time.

The next school year in Grade 6, we attended a newly built elementary located much closer to our home on Morgantown Road in Bowling Green, called Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School. I attended the sixth grade there and then we moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., where I went to Dalewood Junior High (see separate entry), and then we returned to live in Bowling Green again for my eight-grade year. I went to L.C. Curry Elementary School (K - 8th grade) for the first half of the year, and then went again to Dishman-McGinnis Elementary School for the remainder of my eigth-grade year. See the attached 8th Grade Graduation Photo.

Here is my 8th Grade graduating class at Dishman McGinnis School in May, 1967. I'm in the very center of the photo.

Anna B Lacey School

School, Elementary

The year 2020 is the 60th anniversary of my 2nd grade year at Anna B. Lacey School located in Chattanooga, TN. Our class put on a play in front of the entire school, and every student played a part. I was the court page in red at the far right of the photo (See attached photo of the class play). I wonder if any of my classmates even remember that time. In fact, I'm pretty sure that at least one classmate remembers: It was Chip Bell, who played the Prince in our second grade play. He reminded me of that special event in our 2nd grade of elementary school when we were both student, new 7th graders at Dalewood Junior High School (now Dalewood Middle School). I retell the incident in Google Maps entry on here in this list (just above at Dalewood Middle School), and also on my Google Maps entry for that place.

Conservatoire Régional de Montpellier

Conservatory of music · Montpellier, France

When I was a junior in college at Western Kentucky University, I spent a year studying at University of Montpellier's Paul Valery College of Liberal Arts and LIterature. At that time, the city of Montpellier had a sister city relationship with Louisville, Kentucky. Consequently, I was awarded a 10-month scholarship to study viola with Professor Chene, who taught at the Conservatory of Montpellier. I had viola lessons with him every week from October until June that year. I have visited Montpellier several times since then and always stop by the Conservatory.

Dorchester Apartments

Apartment building · San Diego, CA

When I was a graduate student at SDSU, I rented a 2-bedroom apartment at Dorchester Apartments for the summer, so that my family could stay with me. We really enjoyed the apartment complex. Having a pool on the property was ideal for the boys and it was not very far from the campus. For two more summers after that (in all 1991-1993), I attended the summer school at San Diego State University to earn a second Master’s in Education Administration.

Byzantine Walls

Historical landmark

Walls of Constantinople was where my wife and I began our sojourn through much of Mediterranean Turkey at these Byzantine Walls. From this starting point, we had planned a two-week long trip along the Western coast of Turkey to (mainly) follow the visit made by the Apostle Paul to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) in the first century. It is fitting that our sojourn began here at the Byzantine Walls. "The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul in Turkey) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built." (Credited to Bahman Amirzade, Google Local Guide)

Kohala Divers Ltd

Dive shop · Kawaihae, Waimea, Big Island

My friend, who lives in Kappa'u (near Hawi) on the Big Island, went diving with me a couple of times.

Kohala Divers is one of the best dive shops and scuba diving / snorkeling operators on the Big Island of Hawaii. I have been diving with Kohala Divers about a dozen times and have always had a great time with a friendly and knowledgeable dive master. In particular, I can recommend Kelli as she is extremely patient and very knowledgeable about the biological and oceanic life, as well as how to best enjoy the dive experience. The shop has a wide assortment of dive equipment and accessories, and at least once a year you can find great bargains on regular dive equipment during their sale of their older rental equipment to make room for new inventory. I don’t know about now, but in the past many of the dive masters here were women, which makes for a less aggressive, more nature-centered diving experience — in my opinion. They use a fairly large dive boat, which can handle at least four dive groups, based on level and dive experience.

Makaha Valley Plantation

Condominium complex · Waianae, Oahu (West shore)

When I bought a two-bedroom condo at Makaha Valley Plantation in 2002 just after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in NYC, I had no idea the condo would go up four times in value. I fixed up my unit myself, painting it entirely, and tiling the dining and kitchen floors. But as I could only use it on vacation once or twice a year, I did end up selling it. I decided to hunt for property on the Big Island and eventually built a small vacation home, which I sold in 2011. It was destroyed by the Kilauea Lava Flow of 2018, so I was glad no had sold it before the eruption.

Center for Liberal Arts/Kitasato University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

University department · Sagamihara, Japan

As a teacher in the English Language Department of Kitasato University for 24 years until 2020, I saw a lot of changes in the university’s buildings over the years. Of course, the most important elements in the life of a university are the students and teachers, of which I knew and taught thousands.

Books Kinokuniya Tokyo

Book store · Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan

Japanese bookstore with large selection

Located on the sixth floor of the Nitori ( ) Home Furnishings Store, Kinokuniya Books is a book lover's delight. There are all types of books, magazines, and media (limited DVDs & Blueray disks, etc) available for browsing or purchase, including an extensive selection of English Language teaching materials, children's books, young adult's literature, and academic texts and research books / literature. Formerly, the entire building was a massive 6-floor bookstore run by Kinokuniya, but nowadays if you want to get books written in Nihongo, including manga in Japanese, you'll need to stop by the multi-storied main store, located not far away near the JR Shinjuku East Entrance, a roughly 700-m-walk from this Foreign Books only branch inside Nitori. If you arrive here at the street level entrance, then it will be fun to take one of two possible routes to return back towards Shinjuku JR Station. It's a kind of mini-tour side-trip that makes exploring a new and large city such a joy.

1) The first way back is to go up the stairs on the NW corner of the 6F store to reach the 7F sky walk over to the next building, which houses Takashimaya Department Store and just before that, Tokyu Hands, a multi-storied arts & crafts and eclectic utilitarian goods mega-store for every imaginable need. ( See my separate review elsewhere on Google Maps).

2) The second possible return trip begins by using the escalator inside the building and descending to the third floor of Nitori, which is actually a national chain franchise, stopping along the way to view the largest selections of home furnishings in Japan, and emerging on the 3F wooden-planked walkway that will carry you all the way back to Shinjuku Station, which is, by the way, the largest, busiest and most complex train station in the world.

--------------- PROFESSIONAL USE ---------------

Kinokuniya Books provides a professional academic, research and educational materials service (including K-12 and college textbooks) for its customers. It is possible to either order online or telephone, or to browse the shelves to find a specific book you want to buy. Then you can either purchase it yourself or have the book(s) shipped to your school or institution's office for later payment by your organization or university. Like me, many college faculty members have an annual research stipend or might have received a MEXT grant, The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology Organization's grant-in-aid for research study, which will pay for texts and print materials for use in one's research efforts.

Jikei-in Temple

Pet cemetery · Fuchu

We went to the pet shrine and cemetery, called Jikeiin where our recently passed pet dog, Bati, is interred. He passed away in my wife’s arms on December 30, 2018. I was out of the country at the time, so it was my first time to see where he was laid to rest. Actually, his ashes will only be kept here for just three years. Then we’ll either bring his burial urn home or pour his ashes in a special place—probably the former will be best. Also memorialized here is my mother-in-law’s pet dog, Ichiro, (named after the Japanese star who played for the Seattle Mariners) who outlived her and came to live with us. Ichiro passed away at the age of twenty. He died about 4 years ago. Also buried at this shrine are the two rabbits, which were our sons’ pets for about 10 years before we had a dog. In the photo, Bati’s burial urn of cremated remains is kept on the second floor of a two-story building on the grounds of the shrine, located about a mile and a half from our house. It’s really just a 6 x 15 foot room, filled with shelves. Bati’s memorial niche is on the bottom row of this shelf of pet graves. It’s in one of several dozen of such crypt rooms. There are are also graves and mass burial sites - something for every budget and form of commemoration.

Sengenyama Park

Park · Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

One of our favorite places in West Tokyo for a lovely walk in a forest preserve is also next to one of the largest cemeteries in Tokyo. One of the highlights of the park is the vista point to see Mount Fuji on the far west side of the park. Of course, it can be obscured by the clouds. There are trails and roads, where you can see a natural spring, and, in season, a rare lily-like yellow flower in May blooms on the hillside. There is a small shrine at the top of the 'mountain.' Sengenyama Park connects directly with Tamabochi Cemetery on the east side. There is a suspension bridge above the road that passes between the two, where you can cross to get from the cemetery to the park itself. The park is beautiful in all seasons as there are different flowers and wildlife that can be seen in each. I recommend going on to see the Tama Cemetery too, as there are many interesting monuments and the funeral and burial practices in Japan are quite unique.

Triolet University City

Student dormitory · Montpellier, France

Back in the day, October 1973-June 1974, when I was a foreign exchange student studying at the Paul Valery campus at the Universite de Montpellier, I lived for nine months at Cite Triolet dormitory and ate meals in the attached student cafeteria. It was a totally different experience from my 'normal' life back home in Kentucky, where I had lived with my family. Dormitory life was new, but something I enjoyed. I soon made friends with another American from the same university back home. We befriended Frankie and Patrice who were also students at Paul Valery University. On weekends, we usually watched TV at the dorm, never missing an episode of Kung Fu, the American TV drama starring David Carradine, and then got drunk on wine in my room and ended up wrestling in our underwear. I met Patrice, his wife and their two grown kids, when I visited Montpellier in March of 2018.

Enpukuji

Buddhist temple · Itabashi Ward, Nishidai, Tokyo

My wife’s family, including her parents, and many of her ancestors are interred at Enpukuji Temple, which is located within a short walking distance from her old family home in Nishidai. As she is the guardian of the family shrine, we go to the burial place two to four times a year at least. The autumnal and vernal equinoxes are the two mandatory days to visit the graves as well as the memorial dates of the passing of her mother and father. We usually clean the gravesite, place fresh flowers there, and light incense, then offer our prayers for good health and wise choices. I learned a few years ago that I will be buried in my wife’s family cemetery plot, as I have lived in her country of Japan for over 42 years. That fact somehow makes the trips to Enpukuji Temple there more meaningful.

NASA Mission Control Center

Museum of space history · Houston

Back in 1989, I had the opportunity to be one of 36 international educators who were selected to participate in the annual International Teacher's Space Camp held at the NASA Mission Control Center. For two weeks, we visited different divisions within NASA Mission Control, getting to do some of the same training exercises that real astronauts undergo, we heard talks from former and future astronauts and their preparation for space missions, and watched presentations by space scientists currently working on missions for NASA. It was a very rewarding experience for me as an international school teacher and as a person.

Pamukkale Belediyesi Kocaçukur Naturel Park Havuzu

Park · Pamukkale

Back when we went to Pamukkale, it was possible to spend a long time in different pools - both the natural ones and man-made ones. We met a young Turkish family at the bus station that offered us a couple of rooms in their home as a place to stay. The place was cheap enough, but the most interesting thing was the family cooked our dinner every night and more than that, the young woman who was the hostess showed my wife how all the dishes were made. Even today, we sometimes have home-made 'dolmas,' baklava, and other authentic Turkish dishes that she learned back then.

Hospital District De Djohong

Hospital · Djohong, Cameroon, West Africa

Thanks to the work of Phyllis Jansyn, who loved and volunteered many years of her life to the people of the village and area around Djohong, it was possible to construct this hospital and to staff it. When I visited Djohong in the early 2000s, the thing I remember was the early morning call-to-prayers by the imam at the mosque. Of course, there were prayers offered at various times during the day , but I can only recall the early morning ones.

Jekyll Island Oceanview Beach Park

Parking lot · Jekyll Island, (near Brunswick, Georgia)

Although I was born in Brunswick, my parents often used to come to Jekyll Island on my dad's day off from his work with hot air weather balloons at the Naval Air Station to spend their leisure time on the beach. I was only a newborn infant at the time. Years later, the three of us returned to this beach when I was over 50 years old to once again enjoy the experience and to reminisce about the 'good old days.'

El Cabron

Nature preserve · dive site: Gran Canaria, The Canary Islands, Spain

It may well be the best place for diving on the island of Gran Canaria, but I don't know about that since it the ONLY place I've dived (multiple times). I do know that there is quite a lot of sea life in these waters. It was great getting my PADI certification here and also getting Underwater Photographer PADI credential here. too, with the tutelage of the Davy Jones Dive School in Arinaga.

Parque Chichen-itza

Playground · Mérida, Yucatan (state), Mexico

At the time we visited Chichen-itza, I was teaching fourth grade in an international school, where the social studies curriculum dealt with the Maya Civilization. Therefore, I was delighted to get to visit the same sites that I had been teaching about in school. It was very hot that day, but we climbed several of the Mayan pyramids, walk on the ancient ball fields, and attempted to decipher the enigmatic face-like glyphs in the various monuments. Due to its proximity to the Yucatán, it was a perfect compliment to what we had seen at Tulum on the coast.

Fés

Train station : Fes, Morocco

It has been many years ago now that we were in Morocco. We arrived from Spain by crossing by ferry at the Strait of Gibraltar. After staying one night in Tangiers, we traveled by train to Fez. On board our train we met a Moroccan couple who were returning to their home in Fez with their infant son. We ended up making friends with them, so they invited us to have dinner at their home that evening. The next day we got took us to see the central marketplace.

Jekyll Island State Park

State park · Jekyll Island, (near Brunswick, Georiga), USA

Island retreat for leisure & fitness

Of course, Jekyll Island State Park means a lot to me. Besides being a wonderful place to spend your free time with friends and family, it was near where I was actually born.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Memorial park · Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Iconic plane take-off spot with exhibits

It's been a long time ago now since 1977 since we took my wife's parents (they were Japanese who were living in Tokyo) on a grand tour of the Eastern United States, and the Wright Brothers National Monument at Kitty Hawk was one thing they wanted to see.

Empire State Building

Tourist attraction · New York City, Manhattan Island, NY

The Empire State Building is a 103-story landmark skyscraper with observatories was for the longest time the tallest building in the world. Located in the heart of Manhattan Island, New York City, it is still a noteworthy edifice that is visited by millions of sightseers from around the globe.

I first climbed to the top of the Empire State Building in 1973 when I was departing New York's JFK Airport to spend a year studying in Montpellier, France -- one of those Junior-Year-Abroad study excursions. The next time was in 1977 after I married my wife of 42 years. Her parents were visiting from Tokyo and we made a driving tour of the Eastern United States, and of course, stopped in New York City and went to the top of the Empire. I think the third time was in 1999 when I convinced by parents to fly to New York to meet up with me and my older son, who was studying in Cambridge, Mass. at the time. We were both attending and presenting at the TESOL conference held in New York in March of that year. I can't remember the details of the fourth time I visited it, but it was on a solitary trip to NYC in second decade of the 2000s. Over the decades I’ve seen the New York skyline undergo slow and steady changes, but it always remains one of the world’s great metropolises and a spectacle to behold from the zenith that the Empire State Building offers.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

$$$$ · Performing arts theater · New York City, New York

I have performed on stage in Tokyo several times as a stage extra with the Metropolitan Opera, who used to bring an elaborate entourage on tour to Tokyo. While normally you need ticket for a performance at Metropolitan Opera or New York City Ballet at the Lincoln Center in New York , you don’t need a ticket to visit the Metropolitan Opera Gift Shop. At times, you can find great bargains on special gifts, music CDs, books, and surprising fashion items, such as dresses, handbags, wraps, and evening wear. So you don’t have to even attend one of their world-class performances to enjoy your time at the Met. If you are so inclined, you’ll be completely amazed by the opulence of the theater itself. I’ve attended opera performances they were absolute stunningly staged musical and dramatic works.

Cumberland Mountain State Park

State park

Lakefront recreation area & golf course

It has been many many years since we've been to Cumberland Mountain State Park. But I do have a childhood memory of a family incident that happened there. Our parents took us to Cumberland Mountain State Park one weekend on our way to Chattanooga, where we used to live. Mom and the three children climbed up into the woods and, for some reason, Dad was not with us. All of sudden, we heard a animal cry like a lynx or a mountain lion, so the four of us hurtled down the hill, back toward the car, running as fast we could. When we reached the car, there was our Dad, laughing his head off, for it had been him who was making the animal noises. My mother was furious because she had been scared so bad that she had peed in her pants. We all used to recall with humor and alacrity that story of Cumberland Mountain State Park. We never went back to visit, by the way.

Gaidos Seafood Restaurant

$$$ · Seafood · Galveston

Longtime upscale restaurant with views

It has been a long while ago now that we ate at Gaido's Seafood Restaurant. Our friends, with whom I had worked as a co-teacher in Japan. Ann Doumas was the junior high science teacher at Nishimachi International School where I was also a teacher (1979 -1990), The Doumas’ had moved back to Galveston some time before. When we visited them a few years ago, they insisted on taking us out to eat dinner at Gaido's Seafood. It was fantastic food - there is no question about that.

Harvard Graduate School Of Education

University · Cambridge (outside Boston, MASS), USA

When our older son, Mikio, graduated from The Harvard Graduate School of Education, he was the youngest person in his class. At that same time, Seiji Ozawa, the renowned conductor, received an honorary doctorate from Harvard University.

Glasgow Cemetery

Cemetery : Glasgow, Kentucky

My mother, Rebecca Florence (Lewis) Brooks was visiting her husband's grave along with her sister-in-law, Susan, at the Glasgow Cemetery.

My father was born in Glasgow, so it's appropriate that he and my mother were buried there upon their deaths. They had met in high school at the nearby Cave City’s Caverna High School, and lived just a block away from each other during that time. My father's funeral was held on August 14, 2012. Many members of his family, as well as family friends, were present at the funeral and at this cemetery for his burial that day. My mother passed on Nov 27, 2017, and was buried there on Dec 3, 2017 in the Brooks family burial plot alongside my father. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend my mother's funeral as I live in Tokyo, and had job commitments at the time. In fact, the last time to see my mother was from March 13-20, 2017. I have not been able to visit Glasgow Cemetery since I was there with my mother while visiting her at her former home in Bowling Green, KY the year before that in 2016.

The photos were mostly taken at Glasgow Cemetery immediately following my dad’s funeral and during his burial after the ceremony in August 2012. They include pictures of my mom, my aunt (by Dad's younger sister), and the pallbearers, including my own son, and his cousins. Incidentally, my father's parents, Arthur Leroy Brooks and (Dorothy) Jeannette Conklin Brooks are also buried in another burial plot at the same Glasgow Cemetery.

I plan on being buried in my wife’s family burial plot at Empukuji Temple, where nearly 16 generations (nearly 300 years) of the Yamaguchi Family are interred. The gravesite is located directly behind the Empukuji Temple in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward near my wife’s former family home, where we lived for 12 years until we moved to Fuchu City (West Tokyo), and is the actual place she was born and the temple is where we both will be buried in the same plot as her father and mother. As is Japanese custom, the person’s ashes are placed in the grave exactly 49 days after being kept at home in the family altar.

#travel #wanderlust #trips abroad #life in Japan

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