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Showing posts from April, 2017

Hidden Japan: IZU Part 1 of 2

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Most foreign tourists fly by the peninsula of Izu (pronounced, "e-Zoo"), on their bullet trains from Tokyo to Kyoto. Some headed to nearby Mt. Fuji may start counting the stops left to their destination, without ever realizing the culturally meaningful, historic, and authentic opportunities to experience Japan they are literally passing by. Here are several spots I visited that are well worth your time: Mishima City: Before bullet trains, or any trains, most people traveling between Kyoto and Edo (now known as Tokyo) walked . This included everyone from peasant farmers to religious leaders and feudal lords, so the shogunate (contemporary national government) designated 53 official stations along this path. One of those stops, and a main hub on the road, was Mishima City, and a major reason for its popularity was the Shinto shrine, Mishima Taisha (the "Grand Shrine of Mishima") . These days, Mishima Taisha is a one hour train ride south of Tokyo. Entering t

ADULTING 101, Part 2

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Credit, Debt, and Savings, - The Real Triforce of Adulting You won't learn this from your teachers, and your parents may fret about it constantly, without ever actually sharing their concerns or insight, but these three sides of your finances are key to your Golden Power. Each one affects the other, and there many misconceptions you will have to re-learn. It may even mean educating your own friends or family, because so many people have it wrong. Credit , as in "credit cards" and "credit score", is not just good, it is vital  to success. If you want to know how vital, Muhammad Yunus  got a Nobel PEACE  Prize for helping people in extreme poverty find a way to get credit. Not a Nobel Economics Prize, which is also a thing.  This guy got a peace prize, because he made their lives so much better by allowing them a small (micro, in fact) amount of money to get their careers started. Anyway, you may think: Credit is bad,  Credit cards are only for emergenc