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Time—entity, social construct—has its ways of deceiving us. It doesn’t announce itself, appearing subtly in the cracks of a sign, in the fading colors in the political ads in quiet corners of the city, and in the rusted layers of metal exposed in the side walls of old buildings when the neighboring buildings give way to…
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(or: sakamotocho daydream) june 18, 2025 i find myself lying down on a tatami mat in a park in central tokyo. a day in the office. it’s break time and i am contemplating life and touching grass. in my field of view, a tree. a beautiful one—though no idea what kind. i think about climbing…
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A couple of months ago I went to a cocktail party with a friend. It was a house party, but the host treated us to an array of cocktails that were definitely not the kind you would expect in a house party. It tasted professional. As the host catched everybody’s orders and such, I asked…
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A cold Saturday night in February 2024 Dimmed lights. I face the window of my rectangular bedroom facing south. Ninth floor in a quiet residential area. All I can see is the wall of apartments with lights on. Of course, it’s evening time. Upbeat music plays in the speaker. Oranges, “‘cause every time I feel…
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First installment of “stuff that comes up when I talk with my friends” (provisional series title) “These are just letters to me. I’ve let myself become dependent on her.” She says this in an attempt, however vain, to get me to understand the intricacies of their relationship. One that I could not fathom yet. I…
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(Written in April 2023 and May 2024) People, like birds, are fun to watch. From the perspective of someone who hates to be observed, being on the other side of things is quite fun. In the past few weeks, my life has been through a lot—not on the negative side, though. It’s only a lot.…
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a couple of months ago i had this idea to buy a couple of cute little yellow ducks, the same ones you may often see in those bath scenes for comedies or children’s series, and try to take some pictures at this stream that runs through the southern part of my university. somehow being able…
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it’s early afternoon on a late autumn weekday. i am surrounded by my thoughts, a couple of books, and an empty mug where there was some mix of chai and coffee until some minutes ago. i look at the white ceiling, contemplating what to do next. i don’t have much to do. it’s a weekday…
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(Adapted from a 2011 unpublished original) It was a full moon night with occasional rain showers. We looked at each other. Staring eyes. She stopped reading her book. Me too. As if that one look meant the universe to both of us. In an instant, a lightning-like feeling hit me. Was it love at the…
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When I wrote this text, it was a Japanese holiday called Greenery Day (May 4th). Supposedly a holiday to make people engage more with nature. Most likely a holiday set up during the 1970s to make the average Japanese, in an increasingly urbanized country, go to the beach or to the countryside to enjoy the…
fernando ursine 