Let’s not skip this important process — Have you ever done this exercise of listing up the pros and cons of whatever you consider doing? Many business books and self-help magazine articles suggest that you do this exercise to make a decision. But I have never seen one that suggests you do this useful exercise for setting…

Day 14 of 30-Day Writing Challenge I’m trying to minimize the purchase of my clothes. I still wear a T-shirt that I bought when I went to Grand Canyon for the first and only time 32 years ago. I’ve been wearing the same jeans for over 15 years. They were brand new when I bought them…

Continuing my Life ver.2.0 — Hi, I’m Akemi Sagawa. Nice to meet you! My Life version 1.0 I was born and grew up in Japan, and moved to the US in August of 1994. Remember a product called Microsoft Windows 95? I was transferred from Japan to Seattle to be part of the product launch group for the Asian…

My weekly reading review Every week I encounter many Medium articles that teach me something new, inspire me, think, and give me different perspectives. These articles are nutrients, very important for my growth. …

Four poems about breeze found in Hyakunin Isshu 百人一首 Summer in Japan is unbearably hot and humid. Now that I’m living in Seattle, where I can enjoy the most comfortable and beautiful summer in the world (in my opinion), I refuse to go back to Japan in the summer. It…

My weekly reading review — Every week I encounter many Medium articles that teach me something new, inspire me, think, and give me different perspectives. These articles are nutrients, very important for my growth. Here is the list of such articles this week, so I can revisit them when I need them. A beautiful story…

Introducing another Ikebana school — The first day of the 64th annual exhibition of Ikebana International Seattle Chapter ended with so much excitement. For the first time in three years, we got together in person and appreciated the beauty of 27 displays of flower arrangements from different schools. Two of the arrangements are works of…

Ikebana International Seattle Chapter 19’s 64thannual exhibition this weekend — Among many events held in Seattle, two of them particularly remind me of the joy of spring. One is Cherry Blossom Festival in April, the other is Annual Exhibition held by Ikebana International Seattle Chapter 19 in May. At the Cherry Blossom Festival, I enjoyed making five Ikebana arrangements on…

In response to the DEP weekly prompt 31/52 — I’m not a good cook. I can’t taste the difference between good wine and bad. I don’t have a keen pallet that can discern hidden spices and ingredients in the sauce. I don’t have the patience of marinating for days and cooking for hours. But I still enjoy cooking. Cooking…