We were riding the Delhi metro when we became aware of dirty looks, and, oddly, all the other passengers were female. Then it dawned on us we had stumbled into the women-only coach. The fine for this infraction was higher than for riding on the roof, and it was being regularly enforced. The subway train was moving, we… Continue reading Walking into Forbidden Places
Author: Tom Wilson
Ikebukuro Station
This picture evokes vivid memories. April 2013, I’m underground in Tokyo, in Ikebukuro Station, the second busiest train station in the world with over 2.7 million passengers a day. I never walk up on the surface of Tokyo. I’ve just arrived from Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku, the nether regions of Japan, to catch a train back out of… Continue reading Ikebukuro Station
Urbex Lite
United Crushers, Dinkytown, Minneapolis Recently, a friend and I “walked the Green Line,” a light rail line between Minneapolis and St. Paul which starts service in June. Along the way, many structures caught our attention, including the “United Crushers” grain silos in Dinkytown, Minneapolis. The silos have been disused for years. There is no “United… Continue reading Urbex Lite
Frozen Lakes and Lost Places
Frozen Lake of the Isles, Minneapolis Kilauea caldera, Hawaii Big Island “Why do you live in Minnesota?–The winters are too cold. You should move.” I hear this from a person who brought up a family in a Minneapolis suburb. When her husband retired, they moved to a new subdivision in the Arizona desert. There is… Continue reading Frozen Lakes and Lost Places
Art for Everyone
Spoonbridge and Cherry (Oldenburg), Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Today, on my walk to The Wedge Co-op to pick up some groceries, I popped into the Walker Art Center to catch their Claes Oldenburg exhibition before it ends its run in January. Afterwards, it struck me there were learning moments for my nephews (5 and 6). This… Continue reading Art for Everyone
Our Traditional Tree
Life, Phase 3, is an opportunity to simplify. Simplification will become a necessity when, one day, we move from our current home to something more manageable. With simplification in mind, we took our bulky Christmas tree to the curb. “Free. Take me.” I was attaching the “take me” sign when a car came to a… Continue reading Our Traditional Tree
Japan’s Islands off Islands
Sakurajima, active volcano off Kagoshima, Southern Japan, March 2013 The winter is setting in, and won’t budge for another four or five months: it’s time to think about travel to warmer places like Southern Japan. One theme of my next visit to Japan is “Islands off Islands.” Japan is an archipelago consisting of thousands of… Continue reading Japan’s Islands off Islands
Selling LEGO
As LEGO Technic creations go, this vehicle is as basic as they come. For me, it represents a point in a process I’ve been following with my two nephews (5 and 6): I’m trying to discover if they have the potential to be interested in LEGO.We designed the car together. I asked the boys what… Continue reading Selling LEGO
Travel Gear: Handheld GPS
Eurostar, Northern France, heading straight for the English Channel at 183 MPH If I could only bring one piece of electronic equipment when traveling, it would be my handheld GPS. When riding the bus in a strange city, I know when to get off. When exploring, I can find my way back to the starting… Continue reading Travel Gear: Handheld GPS
Artful Living
Where your stay is part of defining who you are.You can join the crowd, or you can leave it behind.Eat. Shop. Sleep.Own Chicago. Know the right people.Make a statement with every second.“I never thought I would receive so many compliments every day.”As unique as you are. Who needs this stuff?All 1 pound 2 ounces of… Continue reading Artful Living