culture shock

Fantasia Cakes, #SundaySupper

Tokyo hums with sophistication. Neon ads rivaling New York’s Times Square abound. But Tokyo is also a city where temples and tranquility live content next door to skyscrapers. A move to LA from Tokyo as an 18-year-old in the late ‘70s took a toll on my nervous system. Culture shock greeted me at every turn...

The love and comfort of times with dear ones was rekindled as I watched Fantasia. Classical pieces conducted by Leopold Stokowski soared; cheerful Disney-drawn characters pranced in idyllic Elysium fields soothed. It was the perfect antidote to the overwhelm of being on my own in a new country. I related to the befuddled Mickey Mouse in the Magician’s home...