I was an outsider before I was a traveler; I was a traveler before I was a writer; I think one led to the other.
— PAUL THEROUX

 

Tamiko Rast Tamiko Rast

Roppongi Vignette, 1999

As we walked, he spilled the lowdown on scams perpetrated by some of the seedier karaoke joints. Once midnight hits, he told us, the prices go up and you never know what you’ll get charged.

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Tamiko Rast Tamiko Rast

The Great Wall at Simitai

One of the first stories I ever wrote, way back in 2000, as I was concluding my SJSU era and trying to break into travel writing. Originally published at one of those co-op blog sites of the day, 2000/01, although I forget where.

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Tamiko Rast Tamiko Rast

East Berlin 1994

I was here to attend the Bobeobi International Festival of Sound Poetry. If you're not familiar with Sound Poetry, it's a form of poetry based on the sounds of the speaking voice, rather than words and semantics.

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