Holding the kama (scythe) at the hilt, I tore into the grass. This is the way we cut grass on the island. Not many people actually have grass, and I cherish my small 2 sq. meter patch. My neighbor Kazu-chan, who was watching me in the distance, calmly walked over and said, "Amy, you're doing it all wrong."

What, attacking the grass with a kama and an evil grin?

"First of all, that kama is too dull," she said, referring to my 30-year-old implement that came with the house when I bought it. "True," I acknowledged. She went into her tool shed and brought out a newer one. "Try this."