And did you get whatyou wanted from this life, even so?I did.And what did you want?To call myself beloved, to feel myselfbeloved on the earth.
Say My Name, Say My Name
How I went from “Ricky” to “Rich” to “Rik” and now “Riki.” I was leading a workshop on analyzing media for teachers in June and needed a piece of media for the participants to unpack together. And somehow I came across this ad by Procter & Gamble. It was perfect! So many interesting production choices…
Worship and Dancing as a Means for Both Community and Individuality
So it came to me yesterday at Quaker Meeting for Worship something that I’ve been spinning around in my head for awhile: the tension between our desire for community and for individuality. I realized the many places that manifests for me, particularly in my spiritual practice and my dancing. Pews vs Meditating Alone I was…
New Skate Setup: Custom Riedell ColorLab 336s!
My new skate setup is here! And just in time for my birthday! They are even better than I dreamed they would be. Thanks Kieran at Quad Republic for all the expert advice and help mounting my plates. So far they performed great on my little test skate today. I did a very careful test…
Dance Skating to “Vogue” at SF PRIDE 2023
When you got nothing left in the tank, but the DJ puts on “Vogue.” It was first night of SF PRIDE 2023. The hour was close to 11pm. I’m in front of the Ferry Building where a small crowd of people were anxiously awaiting the lighting of the rainbow lasers down Market Street. The DJ…
Yehoodi Closing after 25 Years!
This week I announced to the world that Yehoodi.com was closing after 25 years of service to the Lindy Hop community. It was a bittersweet announcement. Sad, because it’s always sad to see something you loved and poured your heart into for so long come to an end. But happy too, because it’s good to…
Riki’s Top Six Experiences in Japan
It’s really hard to boil down two weeks in Japan into a few faves. But in the interest of brevity, here’s my top six experiences I had in the Land of the Rising Sun: NOTE: This doesn’t include all my Tokyo Disney adventures. Here’s a Google Map list of other places I hit up, for…
Osaka Foodie Adventures: Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Cake in a Can and… Starbucks
How much could I eat in Osaka in three days? I didn’t know, but I was excited to find out! Friends had told me that Osaka was unparalleled for its street food culture, which got me super excited to visit. I arranged a four night stay in the trendy Namba district, where I was surrounded…
An Epic Three and a Half Days at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
I’m finally back from one the best trips I’ve ever taken: a solo two-week adventure to Japan centered around visiting the legendary Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea theme parks. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so I’ll try and be as brief and organized as I can. Background A couple of years ago, while in…
Rhythm Skating and a Formula for Getting Better?
I’ve been thinking about skate dancing and my progress over the nearly three years that I’ve been practicing this art form. Of the many dances I’ve practiced, rhythm / jam skating is one that I have progressed the fastest. Not that I am an “expert” by any means, but I feel like my level of…