New Year's Eve

It's 2008. Already here. I spent the midnight hour in bed, snoring. Actually we all did, although Betty and Sandra went out to Yoyogi Park and the Meiji Shrine at about 9:00 to see what all the fuss was about. There was a performer getting ready in the amphitheatre, and lots of people at the shrine. They commented on the number of policemen and boy scouts. There were plenty of young folks in crazy furry hats, wild clothes and kimonos. Large video screens, paper lanterns, food vendors and bells ringing. A carnival atmosphere.



We were talking about watching THE BALL drop at 2:00 in the afternoon here today, (on CNN?) but I doubt we'll be at home. It wouldn't be the same, really.



Earlier in the evening, we had a very nice eclectic combination of foods for supper- some left-overs, some we bought before we came home; dumplings, rice in tofu bags, ma po tofu, bread and cheese, a big green salad, sliced roast beef. We finished off with Costco cheesecake for dessert. We had had some the night before, and it was OK, but it definitely needed something. So Sandra, Claire and I decided to make a chocolate sauce. I remembered that chocolate sauce had chocolate, cream, a drop of rum, (how hard could it be?) and so Claire started melting the chocolate. We were blogging, talking and weren't paying attention well, and as soon as we added the cream to the chocolate (those of you who know how to cook are already laughing) it turned into a stiff blob. Maybe some bourbon would thin it out? Well, actually...no. The harder we worked it, the lumpier it got, with the liquid separating out. Sandra, ever the comedian, decided to form little elongated blobs of it. Instantly realizing a photo opportunity, she took various pictures of her questionable creations. Robin wandered into the kitchen to see what all our cackling was about, and seeing the chocolate blobs, added a little hand-painted cat to the display. Big-time hilarity ensued.

I consulted my recently purchased Joy of Cooking, and we decided to try again, THIS TIME with a recipe. Success! We enjoyed Costco cheesecake with yummy, smooth chocolate drizzles after dinner.



The moral of the story: Often a mistake is an opportunity.

Chocolate sauce? What a great idea!


Uh Oh....Not even bourbon can save us now.



Eww!




Another kitchen disaster brought to you by Alice.




"Look what I made!"





No caption necessary.

Ummmm........

The final product! Whew!

The Giant Buddha at Kamakura

Today was Monday. We got out early- 9:45 which is astounding, since Nathan slept in to 11:30 yesterday morning. We headed off to Kamakura- on the wrong train-so then we had to get off the train and REALLY head off to Kamakura. (A typical "Wayman start!") This is a sea-side town that is famous for being one of many capitols of old Japan. It was the one before Kyoto. It is also famous for housing the second largest Buddha statue in Japan. Wow! Very impressive.

hayhayhay...It's everyone's favorite Matthew Robert Ploss, comin atcha outta Tokyo. My mother is busy butchering a chocolate sauce recipe, so I'm commandeering her blog. I'll sum up this entry with a succinctness of words she seems to lack. Big Buddha...Cold...Windy...Feet hurt. There...now onto the stuff that you're all dying to hear about...details on my life.

My break's been pretty good so far... Just the right mix of going out and staying in. It was nice seeing Chris again, though it went by all to quickly. My excitement has far from passed, however, as the news of the possiblility of another Chris-visit with a Sarah and Lap cherry on top this spring has peaked my anticipation to a nearly unprecedented high. The one precedent would of course be the now solidified plans of having my two best friends over in February. Needless to say, I really can't wait to see Trevor and Art. Oh dear, I'm rambling...I better cut to the chase. Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Merry Kwanza, and enjoy the pictures of me posted below.

Big Buddha Day

This was after our first "false start" on the way to Kamakura. It was bloody freezin' today.




Our first stop: A Zen Buddhist Temple and surrounding monastery. Gorgeous and serene. And cold.



This place will be amazing in the spring when the cherry blossoms come out.
And it will be warmer.

Haiku:
Nathan, patient, calm
cold wind, warm sun, blustering
dreams of tasty lunch

The sun was just right. Late in the day, clear blue sky. Breathtaking.



Sandra and the Buddha.

Nathan contemplated for a long while.

Bye Bye Chris!

What a fantastic time we all had with Chris here for a week! It was great to see him, as you can imagine. It was like finding the last (missing) piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and finally putting the picture together. We managed to hit some of the high spots of Tokyo while he was here: Ueno, Shimokitazawa, Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, Shibuya, Roppongi, and several coffee shops all around the city. My boy is definately caffeinated. We shared some fabulous meals, some movies, hang time and fun. It is refreashing to see the amazement of Tokyo on a newbie's face. I realize what was once new and wondrous to me is becoming familiar. So to see Chris' jaw gape at the architecture, the style, the staggering humanity of Tokyo reminded me that, "Yeah! This IS pretty amazing!" But now our last puzzle piece has gone missing again, as Chris boarded NWA today to head home. He's airborn even as I write this. He returns to frigid Montreal to celebrate the New Year with some old and new friends. For a farewell dinner, last night we ate at Gonpachi. Shoes off, sake, Japanese "tapas," and some of the best food we had ever tasted.

I am delighted that my sister-in-law and my two nieces are here to see the sights and travel a bit around Tokyo and beyond. Tomorrow we will go to a sea-side town called Kamakura, where we will see the second largest Buddha in Japan, and hopefully do some hiking in the nearby hills.
Words cannot express how GREAT it is to have some gals to pal around with. Today, the 4 of us (ALL FEMALES) walked to Yoyogi Park, Harajuku, found a noodle shop for a yummy lunch, got caught in a storm, bought cool cheap umbrellas, visited the Meiji Shrine and then wandered our way back home, stopping for a warming pick-me-up at a coffee shop along the way.

Right now the Meiji Shrine is being prepared to receive hundreds of thousands of visitors in the next 48 hours or so. You can tell there will be a huge party/carnival/festival there tomorrow night. The rest of the city is shutting down, in preparation for December 31-January 3. This is the biggest Japanese holiday of the year. Everyone is preparing for the new year by meticulously cleaning their houses and businesses inside and out. Then they are decorating their front doors with pine branches- one on either side. Many doors have sacred straw festoons on their doors. These are all ways to welcome good luck into their homes and lives for the fresh start of the new year. Betty and I got a couple of the straw decorations at the park today. Mine is on the front door. Had to take the Christmas wreath down.

Practically everything will be closed except the convenience stores. Everyone travels to be home with family. This city was already feeling like a heavily populated ghost town today, if that makes any sense. The usual Harajuku Sunday crowd was no where to be seen, and there was only one rock band playing on the sidewalk. It was surprisingly quiet. HOWEVER, I did catch the dancing Elvises for the first time ever. They have been dancing at Yoyogi Park every single Sunday for years now. I guess nothing says "Happy New Year!" like dancing Elvi. (Elvi: noun, the plural of Elvis) Matt coined that word.
I've got to get to bed.

Check out the video of Elvi below!

Chopsticks, Cousins and Presley Posers

Sitting around the table are (L to R) Matt, Chris, Betty, Robin, Nathan, Claire and Sandra. I was behind the camera, as usual. Happy, tired, a wee bit jet lagged. It's such a joy to be all together.





Chris and Sandra- the "Dynamic Duo" since......well, forever!
And both excellent musicians.
(And their side-kick, Mattums)






The cousins- all grown up in front of a great blue whale at the National Science Museum. Too bad it was closed!

Dancing Elvi. Not much to say about this.
This is a crazy, crazy place!

Chris Ploss in Tokyo

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Here's my present to you. Click on the link and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8

Christmas Letters

I have a love-hate relationship with Christmas letters. Every year we get them. I've been getting them since I first got married, about 25 years ago. I don't mean the lovely hand written newsy notes from friends. I mean the typed and copied year's end round up of the fabulous things the kids are doing, the fabulous trips around the world, including camel rides, and meeting Heads of State. An old elementary school chum who works in the diplomatic corps sent a note one year telling about spending the day with Laura Bush. I love hearing about friends and their lives. It's just that in the past, these types of letters always made me feel so...inadequate...unaccomplished...and well, mundane. My kids were reading at or above grade level, were NOT doing sports, and well...they made me laugh a lot. Great fun at home, but not necessarily Christmas letter fodder. (I exaggerate- they all had their bright shining moments!)

This year I have received a couple letters here in Tokyo. My favorite parts of these letters are the kooky personal fun stuff, like knock-knock jokes and a third graders' rendition of jingle bells...(He has two sisters, can you tell?)

"Dashing thru the snow

on a pair of broken skis

Jumping over girls

Crashing into trees

The snow is turning red

I think I lost my head

I landed in the hospital

And now I think I'm dead"

Refrain- (with Batman and Joker, of course)

My old friend Stu, who is now a pastor, writes beautiful poetry about Christmas each year, words that give me goose bumps. This kind of stuff takes the sting out of the regular fare of bragging about one's family. I remember early on, we received a letter that was full of almost every kid's high achievement, but then at the very last line, they added one sentence about their youngest who was in and out of jail. (!?) Then there are the clever ones: in memo form, outline form, financial presentation form. A year in short hand. Why bother? My all-time favorite one is a family newspaper in which all members of the family contribute articles, poetry, comic strips, photos and other light hearted features that really give you a sense of what they've been doing, and what they think about it. It is also sometimes (depending on the events of the year) a tad bit self-deprecating, a good humorous read.

My mother-in-law June, and I giggle (wickedly) each year about creating a Christmas letter parody, so shocking and full of bad news that it would only really be appropriate to publish in The Onion. We still may do that some day. (If you have good ideas, send them along!)

I will not send out a Christmas letter this year. Ironically, this is the first year that we have something truly exciting and interesting to tell. But you already know what we've been up to. Actually, I like to think that the years spent raising our boys, living and working in Trumansburg, going to church, becoming part of the community, and forging friendships were anything BUT mundane. How lucky we have been to enjoy good health, family and friends in an exceptional small-town filled with good people!

So anyway- we are all well. Chris arrives today, and we can't wait to see him! I'll post pictures of our adventures with the family throughout the weeks ahead.

Merry Merry!

Hallelujah Chorus

As many of you may know already, I come from and married into a musical family. As is the Ploss Family Holiday tradition, we gather together our friends and extended families and party on one Saturday night in December. We sing, and eat and drink and sing some more, until we can't. (Eat, drink or sing!) The great thing about the singing at our party is that it's usually in 4 parts and our accompanist is good!

This year's party, which is in it's waning hours even as I write this was the first one I've missed in 25 years. I was kinda bumming about it last night and this morning, so I decided to do something different to keep my mind off it. I decided to go to church for the first time since July 11. (As my friend Anne jokingly said, "Forgive me Father for I have sinned...")I realized I missed singing Christmas and Advent music. It's been a HUGE part of the yearly cycle of seasons for my entire life. I was raised in the Presbyterian tradition, and have been doing something Presbyterian for all my Trumansburg years. Church this morning was a welcome, pleasant and familiar diversion. On my way home, I stopped in a music store and picked up 2 books of seasonal piano jazz.

When I got home, I checked my email and found a REALLY URGENT message from Chris to send him my phone number. I quickly skyped the party at Bob and June's and heard the familiar strains of carols in the background. I got passed around for a few minutes, saying hello to friends, and then....they sang the Hallelujah Chorus one more time just for me! There were only just a few folks left at the party, Bialkes, Sutcliffes, and Plosses-a-plenty, but they put their hearts and souls into that performance. As I heard their enthusiastic voices coming through my wee computer speakers, I was overcome with thankfulness- that I have such amazing, loving (and talented!)friends and family, and longing-it made them seem farther away somehow. It was the best sounding Hallelujah I've ever heard, (who WAS that tenor?) and it reduced me to a puddle. I'm guessing it was a funny puddle, because Nate and Matt were pointing and laughing.

Just as the Hallelujah Chorus is a Christmas and Easter tradition in our culture, Beethoven's 9th Symphony (the Choral Symphony) apparently is the big thing here in Japan. My niece Sandra Wayman sent me this link to an article describing how this is so. I actually have a Japanese aquaintance who will be participating in the world's biggest 9th Symphony performance here in Februaury.

Check it out: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFDF1E3FF93AA15751C1A966958260


Wishing you Love, Laughter and Music this Christmas Season!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Last night, we finally went to EX, the German snack bar. This picture gives you an idea how tiny the place is, (we took the picture from one side of the bar, looking toward the other side- and that's the size of this small establishment) and if you look closely, you can see hundreds of little ornaments hanging down, over the customers. It was very festive! The entire place seats 14 people, all cozy and up close around a well worn wooden bar. EX is run by two men; the large friendly German named Horst, and his diminutive Japanese partner, Hiroshi. They serve up friendly delicious German comfort food- heavy on the meats, and wonderful roasted vegetables, along with excellent German beer. It was just what I needed to lift the spirits. There were people coming in and out the whole time we were there, looking disappointed when they saw a full house, and several groups waited for seats outside in the chilly night air. Horst chatted away with all the customers like they were old friends (and some were, you could tell) with his wonderful accent, white mustache and buzz cut.

It was a very memorable meal.

You can go to EX too! Check out the (mostly live) web cam: http://www.ex-tokyo.com/webcam.htm

Lights of Roppongi

I thought you might enjoy the twinkly lights of Roppongi. Little by little we are uncovering the mystery of Christmas in Japan. Now we know that Christmas is a ROMANTIC holiday, meant for couples. (chaperoned by a jolly fat man in a red suit, adds Robin) So many of the red ornaments hanging in the greens are heart shaped, and you see couples strolling through the parks at night enjoying the sparkling lights. So now we know how to celebrate: pick up a bucket of KFC, buy a cake and have a romantic dinner: Christmas in Japan!

Many Christmas, everyone!

There's a lovely path through this well lit park. It surrounds a pond. Very Romantic!

This is the giant spider at Roppongi Hills. It's a pretty famous landmark.

Lots of people taking pictures of this scene with their cell phones...

College life in The Great White North

Here's the latest image from Montreal, Canada. Chris took this picture of the turbo punch bug under "15 inches, and still coming down!" After he shoveled out the car, he had to get someone to help jump it to get it started. Then he filled it up, and stocked up on groceries. When he returned home he discovered that someone had taken his lovely shoveled parking spot. He drove around the block, found "a snow bank" that he then shoveled to make a new parking spot, and schlepped his groceries home through the snow. Reminds me of a few experiences with a car that I enjoyed as an undergrad at Fredonia way back in the day...

Happy Winter!

Hanging out in Tokyo

Here I am, just hangin' out on the couch in the living room. We've been relaxing at home more lately, as either the excitement of living in Tokyo has worn off a little, or else the approaching holiday, early darkness and colder temps are causing us to "nest."

We attended the Winter Fest at ASIJ on Saturday. It was a balmy 60 degrees and the sun was shining. I couldn't help but think how "Octoberfestish" it felt. I had my first Taiko performance on an actual stage, in an actual theatre. It went pretty well, although there was one moment when I was totally confused. I missed the last class before the performance, so I'm guessing I missed a crucial rehearsal point...In the middle of the piece, we turn our big round fat Taiko drums onto their sides on their stands, so they are tipped toward us, and we sit on the floor, holding the stands with our feet. Then we lean back, using our abdominals to hold us up, wailing away for all we're worth. Well- everytime we had practiced that movement to the sitting position in class, we had always been facing our teacher, Moko. On Saturday, we were supposed to walk around to the side facing the audience, tip our drums and then sit with our BACKS TO THE AUDIENCE, because apparently, it's rude to have our feet facing them. This caught me completely by surprise. Consequently, I was trying to tip my drum the wrong way, (oh no! why is my stand backwards!?)and was struggling with it, when I noticed that everyone around me was already down, facing backward...and there I was completely confused, standing in a sea of seated drummers...I tried to recover quickly, but I'm sure I looked a bit like a deer in the headlights until I figured it out. Eventually I got down, and finished with a flourish. Sheesh. So much for being inconspicuous.

The leaves are still on the trees, although some are red and gold. The tree outside my kitchen window has just decided this week to drop it's leaves. Matt said that just when it gets pretty with all the leaves on the ground all the local folks come out and sweep the leaves away. That's probably true. I commented that at least they aren't using leaf blowers. I can't stand those things.

I just heard from Matt that there is a snow day happening in the 'Burg today! I share your joy. I'm just a big giant kid when it comes to snow days. We won't see snow until we head for the mountains of Nagano when Chris comes to visit. So go build a snowman, and go sliding for me, would you? Have a great time!

More hang time with the family...

Nathan donning his Ithaca is GORGEOUS T shirt, engrossed in something. Matt is a dork, but I love him! He's the comedian in the family. He's wearing my Taiko headband.
A view of our little dining room from our living room.
This picture was painted especially for me by my favorite Aunt, Jane Zogg. I received it over the weekend in the mail. It was painted to remind me of my "homeland," and to make me feel better. Jane lives in McGraw, right near Cortland and has been painting, teaching and sharing art her whole life. She is a remarkable woman who hasn't had an easy life. She was thrown from a car in a terrible accident in the late 60's and since then has endured countless surgeries, and has had to overcome many health difficulties. Through the years, I have admired her indomitable spirit, strong faith, her sense of humor and easy laugh. She's one of those people who has a chuckle ready to fly at any moment. This was a very touching gift. It was like getting a huge hug.
Huge hugs to you all!
Cheers.

Happy Holidays!

Christmas is in the air here in Tokyo. The skyline will be lit by vivid spotlight colors through Christmas night. There is Christmas music now being piped into lots of stores and other public spaces, candy canes are in the windows, trees are twinkling everywhere you look. I'm a little bit surprised at how much it resembles home- except that maybe it doesn't. Maybe here it's all about the beauty of the lights in the darkness, and not just hyper-consumerism. I guess we'll find out.

Anyway, I created this link to express the true meaning of Christmas:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9633583092

What are YOU thankful for?

I'm taking a break from the kitchen and thinking about Thanksgiving. Over the years, I've had my Thanksgiving celebrations in different states, different homes, and with different folks. Sometimes it was just with family, sometimes with family and friends. Always family. When the kids were little, we wanted them to understand how blessed they were to enjoy food, family and a warm home, so we spent the day as a family at the Salvation Army, helping to serve turkey dinner to Ithaca's hungry. I'm not sure it was the same year, but once we skipped the big Thanksgiving dinner, and ate a simple meal of PB and J and soup, and gave the money we would have spent on a big meal to the local food pantry. Unfortunately, those were only two "blips" on an otherwise average life screen.

Both sides of my family have a new holiday tradition that I really love and look forward to. My side of the family draws names to give one gift at Christmas, and lately we've been giving gifts to our recipient's favorite charity. I've given to the American Cancer Society, a community center, a Rochester School for the Deaf, an eye bank, Doctors Without Borders, Heifer International, and a church- all at the request of my brothers and parents. The other side of my family chooses 3 or 4 charities and we just put envelopes out at Christmas and then send away the donations at the end of the year. We have been doing this for years, because we recognize that we don't need to buy more "stuff" to give each other. Others have a greater, more serious need.

I write about this to maybe plant a seed of change in your family tradition. Every little bit helps. On this Thanksgiving day, I am thankful that I am in a position to do a very tiny part in helping others in need.

Other things I am thankful for?
Here's a short list:
my large loving family
my many wonderful friends
learning opportunities
health
the ability to laugh, and to find humor in just about anything
people who are striving for justice and peace
Al Gore
musicians and artists who help reveal the beauty and wonder of our existence
forgiveness

Happy Thanksgiving! Blessings to you.

Elton John at the Budokan!

Let me tell you how wonderful the Elton John concert was tonight. He played at the famous martial arts arena, the Nippon Budokan. The Beatles were the first western rock group to play music there in the 1960's, and at the time it was very controversial. The Japanese fans of martial arts felt that bringing western rock to their arena would somehow taint their beloved space. Well, after the Beatles opened the door, they were followed by a host of other huge performers including Bob Dylan, Ozzie Ozbourne, KISS, Linda Ronstadt, Celine Dion, Beyonce, and the list goes on. There are many "Live at the Budokan" recordings out there. It's a huge space that seats 15 thousand people. Anyway- on to the concert!!

Elton John came out on stage with a bright red tux dinner jacket with long tails, a frilly white shirt and bright red matching shoes. It was just his grand piano and him- plus a little bit of synth strings and bass that a couple of folks added from beyond the stage. We were way up in the "nose bleed" section, so it was impossible to see anything up close because there were no large screens or cameras or recording/projection systems. However, his presence was engrossing, and I hardly ever took my eyes off him, or even moved for the 2 and 1/2 hours that he played and sang. He started with "Your Song," his first hit from the early 70's. It was so beautiful (still) that I had tears running down my face. That song stirred up a wild mix of emotions in me-nostalgia, sadness, homesickness, happiness, joy...I was transported by his music to my youth, and those crazy days when as a middle schooler I felt all those emotions in every 5 minutes of every day! He ended the concert with "Don't let the Sun Go Down on Me." And then came back out for "I'm Still Standing," and finally "The Circle of Life," from the Lion King. What a finish! So powerful! So moving! What a pianist! I am completely in awe and totally jazzed that I got to see him. Matt was ecstatic. In between the start and finish he played a bunch of oldies but goodies (I'll list as many as I can remember): Candle in the Wind, Tiny Dancer, Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word, Bennie and the Jets, Honky Cat, Roy Rogers, Ballad of the Boy with Red Shoes, Sacrifice, I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues, Philadelphia Freedom, Daniel, and my all time favorite, Rocket Man. Just look at that list. He took lots of interludes in the songs, and played a couple of pieces that were just for piano. His voice is not quite what it used to be- but I could forgive him a few lowered/altered notes- geez the man is 60 years old now.

There were several people who were with me in spirit during the concert- Sarah, my sis-in-law because she and I talked earlier in the day, and I know that she could have sat there and sung along with almost every song, remembering every word. Kelley, my college room-mate and buddie, because she and I wore out my Yellow Brick Road album in our dorm rooms and apartments. Chris, my oldest son, because his head would have exploded with the thrill of listening to Sir Elton Play for 2 and 1/2 hours, and Anne and Bill, because Bill took me to a concert this past summer that took me down the same kind of memory lane. Remember The Little River band? Plus A and B would have been right there singing all the words too.

So every where I go it seems I take all of you with me.
If you ever get the chance to see Sir Elton, DO IT.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. Make a list of all the things you are thankful for.
Cheers to all.

Cellphone vigilantes try signal disobedience - International Herald Tribune

Cellphone vigilantes try signal disobedience - International Herald Tribune

I read this article a few weeks ago and was so amazed by this story, reading it through my new eyes of appreciation for Japanese cell phone etiquette.

In Japan, there are areas where you must turn your cell phone completely off. No one who has any manners uses their cell on a train or bus. AND if people who are in a station or on the street speak too loudly into their cell phones, other people turn and glare at them. If a cell phone even rings on a moving train, (a rare occurance) folks are truly annoyed. There are set rules for phone use here, and they don't seem to cause any difficulty, and these folks LOVE their cell phones. Everyone has one. They are fashion accessories. I don't know how cell phone use became part of the Japanese politeness culture, but it's really astounding how a little consideration for others goes a long way.

When did we Americans forget this?
Some may argue against such strict rules of public behavior- that it infringes on individual rights. The Japanese know how to work and live together in harmony. There are sooooo many of them. All in one place!! They have to have these rules to make it so.

JUMP Trips and Naval Bases...

At right is a picture Matt took of his own, hugely enormous size 12's inside a pair of Japanese slippers on his JUMP trip this week.

Check the flickr photos on the far right for more JUMP pics that Matt took.

On Wednesday morning, Matt and Nate set out on their 3-day school JUMP trips. Matthew and the rest of the 10th graders from ASIJ took a 5-hour bus ride to Joetsu. Joetsu is on the "other side" of Japan- on the Western coast, by the Sea of Japan. It is near a national park and a ski resort. They stayed with families in groups of 3 or 4. Matt stayed the first night with a family that had 3 generations under one roof, a pretty common family living arrangement here. During his stay, he helped the family build and install bamboo tripods to support trees on their property to protect them from the winter snow. The first morning before breakfast, they fished on the shore with large nets, pulling in small and tiny fish. A few of the braver souls ate some of the tiniest fish whole- right out of the nets.

Also during their visit, they took a nature hike up the ski mountain that Matt said was pretty difficult. He was commenting to me about some of the other "private school" kids. He said they whined all the way up the hill. I guess being a rugged outdoorsman is all relative! The first night in Joetsu, they were treated to a Taiko performance, and then were given instruction on how to play a piece- so matt got to drum! He said he "owned" in the Taiko piece. (That means he performed very well- for those of you who don't understand the hip kid lingo.) At one point during the 3 days they had a tug-of-war, and musical exchange with with a local school, they made candles, and Christmas cards with wildflowers. During their crafts session, the local news station was there, filming them. Matt is sure they were on the evening news. He said his family was very friendly, kind and welcoming. The second night they stayed in a Japanese hotel with a larger group of students. They packed a lot of activity into 3 days. He had a great experience. Glad to be home, though.

Nathan's trip was very different, but still good. He traveled by bike 60-70 km. from ASIJ in Chofu along the Tamagawa river, and then turned North along the Trumagawa to Kawagoe. Kawagoe is a town with a rich cultural and historical importance. They stayed in a traditional Japanese ryokan in the old part of town. There are some structures in Kawagoe that still exist from the Edo period and several ancient shrines that survived the famous fire of 1917. They visited other historical sights like the Bell of Time and the candy store alley.

He was traveling for 7 hours on Wednesday, and sent me a couple of text messages at the end of the day. The first one was, "I got to school fine and spent 7 hours on my bike." I replied, "How was it?" He replied,"I hurt."

Luckily, the teachers took good care of them, and made sure they ate well and on the second day, after walking around and sight seeing, he soaked for a long time in a hot bath. They returned yesterday and he took the train home, arriving at about 5:15. Today he's not feeling terribly well. His throat is sore and he's achey. It's raining, so I'm thinking we will all just stay in and take it easy. I am going to attempt to turn a questionable chicken casserole I made last night into chicken soup.

So what did I do for 3 days with no one here but me??? I had dinner out with my Japanese teacher on Wednesday. She noticed that the boys did not come home at their regular time during our lesson, so she suggested we eat out at a place near the station. We ate a variety of food, and we shared. She ordered for us, as the menu was in Japanese. I got a bowl of udon with a pounded rice cake in it. The soup and noodles were ok, although the noodles were a bit gummy (which is normal) but the rice cake was like nothing I have ever eaten. It was pasty and gummy and tough to chew, and tasteless and rather revolting. I think that the texture of Japanese food is the thing that Westerners find most disturbing. There are textures here that we Americans rarely if ever encounter. Words like gummy, rubbery, slimy, squeaky...words that just don't describe regular American cuisine.

Thursday I went to Atsugi Naval Air Base and visited my old friend, Becky (Rececca Riley)and her 3 young girls. Becky Riley was our first regular babysitter when Chris was little. Visiting the base was like coming home. The military wives who live right next to, right across from and down the street from Beck and the girls greeted me like old chums. What a lovely group of women. They share babysitting, food from each others' pantries, shopping, adventures, good times, bad times and consequently deep friendships that are wonderful to see. I had the opportunity to go to a very nice Japanese park with 7 cars of Moms and 18 children. What a hoot. We had a picnic in the sun and watched as the kids went down a very long, winding roller slide. The best part of my day was just being with American women in their relaxed, welcoming way, and having baby time with Ava! She is a great baby- very happy, easy going and sweet as sugar. The twins, Allie and Keely are a handful, very busy and demanding, always competing, and they really enjoyed the park. Becky has her hands full, but she's got a very stong network of gal pals to help her and give her a break from time to time. She is also a very loving, devoted and patient Mom. The girls are lucky.

Friday it was yoga, a lunch date with 2 new friends and a hair cut with Hiro. I got home before the boys did. It was nice to be alone some of the time while they were gone, but it's even nicer to have them home.

Saturday night with the Chiba Singers

I had my first conducting opportunity in Chiba on Saturday night. I left the house a few minutes before 5:00, and it was a good thing, too. When I traveled to Chiba with Marcel L'Esperance, we took a rather round about way to get there. I looked at the map, and thought I could get there more directly, but I was wrong. Remember the story I told early in our adventure, when everyone got off the train but Robin and I? Well, it happened again, only I know better now, but I was reading a book and wasn't paying attention. AND it happened at the same place. Luckily, this time, I had the presence of mind to hop off at the next stop and figure out how to bypass the loop from hell and back. No worries! I hopped the next train that seemed to be heading again in the right direction, but still had help from a woman who watched me studying my map with crinkled, worry-face. She came over and sat next to me and told me that I still had to get on an even different train to get all the way to to my stop, Inage, near Chiba. I was starting to nervously check my watch, because I was supposed to meet Yoko Sugita at the station at 6:30. Just then she called to say that she was stuck in traffic, so it worked out fine. Cell phones are great. (Now I know why Marcel went the way he did!)

Before we started rehearsal, Yoko and I were chatting, and I admitted that I was a little bit nervous. She seemed surprised, and asked me why I should feel that way after all my years of experience. I told her that I had never rehearsed a group IN JAPAN before. She just laughed, patted me on the arm and said, "Our faces are different," then she patted her heart, "but our hearts are the same." That's all I needed to hear. I had a great time. I think the group did too, as there were many smiling faces and some chuckles during rehearsal. My job is to work with them on the Birthday Madrigals by John Rutter. It is a 5 movement piece; a jazzy contemporary arrangement of Shakespearian texts. Not easy music by any measure, but really nice stuff. At one point during rehearsal, one of the men told me how to say "from the beginning" in Japanese. It is: a-ta-ma ka-re. Atama meaning head, and kare, from. Later in the rehearsal, they cheered when I used it. A smiling singer told me it was nice to hear me speaking Japanese. They were so welcoming, and patient- a very kind, dedicated, and hard working group. Much like the Trumansburg Community Chorus!
As we left the room, I took off the bright blue slippers I was required to wear, put them on the shelf with all the other bright blue slippers, found my huge shoes lined up admid the smaller ones and thought to myself- "How great is this?"

A word about Japanese singers. Singing in English is hard for them. It's not like native English speakers singing in Italian, or Latin or Spanish...some of the sounds we use in English are just not used at all in Japanese. They don't use "L", or what I call the "ugly American R" or- (and this is the trickiest one) "Th." On Saturday evening, there were times when it was hard to tell they were singing in English AT ALL. Their vowels are even slightly different. Wow. I have my work cut out for me. But I only get about a year- or at most a once a month rehearsal until June to work with them on it. We were fixated on notes and rhythms, unfortunately.

"Our faces are different, but our hearts are the same." I love that. Thanks Yoko.

Happy Halloween!

Tonight there are hundreds of ghosts, witches, skeletons, clowns, cowboys, and various other goblins making a heck of a lot of noise walking up our street. Enough to wake the dead. Halloween is a huge deal here. Thankfully the ghoulish crowd is not stopping at our front door. There are stations set up outside in front of apartment buildings, where the neighbors combine and give away their obscene amounts of candy. I heard a rumor that the kids don't even have to say, "Trick or Treat!" There's just a scrum for candy. That may or may not be true. I won't go out to find out for myself, thanks. I am a Halloween Scrooge. It comes from teaching in a middle school and observing how the holiday eats up 2 days of meaningful instruction. On Halloween itself, the kids are too excited about going trick-or-treating to even sit still. The day after Halloween, the kids are exhausted PLUS buzzing on a prolonged sugar high. You can imagine how much learning goes on then...bah humbug.


Christmas is another interesting holiday in Japan. This Buddist, Shinto, Confusian country celebrates Christmas by exchanging gifts and eating Christmas cake. They also eat chicken at Christmas (no taste for turkey) so KFC does a booming business. I hear that the city will be decorated for Christmas. Fascinating.


This weekend we enjoyed a typhoon, and a couple of the most beautiful days we've had here. On Saturday, we went to our favorite sushi place.





We call it "conveyor belt sushi" for as you can see, the chef is placing another plate on the belt that keeps movin past. When you see something that you want, you take it. Each plate is colored differently, according to price. At the end of your meal, they come and add up your stack of plates. There is no tipping in Japan. What you see on the bill is what it is. It's very nice, actually. Service is always good. It is expected.

More sushi. It's lots of fresh raw fish on rice. Sometimes it has seaweed wrapped around it, and sometimes the chef puts wasabi between the rice and fish. It's delicious.

Later we went to Starbucks, and in the pastry case there were green donuts. I suspect green tea is included in the recipe somehow, and most likely in the frosting. You can get green tea flavored ice cream and gelato. It's interesting. I don't mind it, but it's not my favorite.

Green Donuts!

The picture speaks for itself.

Godzilla spotted in Downtown Tokyo!

Yesterday afternoon, Robin and I came upon this small statue of Godzilla. He is standing quietly, unobtrusively in a square near Hibya Station (and of course, a Starbucks!). Noone was screaming or running in the streets. He was mostly ignored by all. I however, was delighted to see him.

The other picture is a great example of one of many, many misspelled English signs that are all around us. For example, when my cell phone is calling someone, the word "dialling" comes up on the screen. Today on the train Robin pointed out a sign that had "31 th" printed on it. On and on it goes. Very entertaining.

An old dog learns some new tricks!

Don't be tooo impressed! This web page has been brought to you by Russell Posegate, my new super-hero. He suggested I set up a blog page because, he argued, I was in the perfect situation for it. So here goes. Russ posted many of my mass emails onto this page, and I will fill in some of the earlier gaps, to create a more complete history. I am mostly excited this morning because I stumbled onto the menu that gives language options. When you're not looking, sometimes the computer decides to change a once-familiar page to Japanese, which is frustrating, because after that, how do you know where to click to change the language back? OK- now I'm letting my total lack of computer savy show.

Robin returned home from a 2 week trip to Taiwan and Denver with some things we requested from home PLUS Oreo cookies! He is my all-time hero.

More later...

Pictures from Home

Hello Friends,

My sister in law Sarah sent me a link to Jerry Feist's fantastic pictures from the Chris Bond 5K Run. I have to say, I was fine until I saw my buds Eric and Paul, and then with tears, I started talking to everyone. It was great to see all of you, and to see the fine fall day filled with friends, community spirit, and love and support for Chris and the Bond family. I would have been walking with you, had I been there. If you haven't seen the slide show of the day- you must. Jerry is a great photographer.

http://www.infinisol.com/chrisbondrun/slideshow.html

As it is, I get in a lot of walking here daily, but I am a little discouraged by the lack of progress in the "walk your pounds away" department. The food here is just too good, it seems. We've had a run of great weather, and this past weekend Matt and I got out to visit the Meiji Shrine, which is practically in our neighborhood. We walked to the shrine, wandered around Harajuku (known for it's bizarre youth culture) and then went out for lunch at a Thai restaurant in our neighborhood- the food was HOT! We were pounding the water, and sweating like lightweights. But it was good. Earlier, a wedding had just taken place at the shrine, and I got some pictures of the happy couple.

On Sunday, I took some more pictures with you in mind- just to give you a further taste of what a vibrant, lively, and sometimes strange place Yoyogi Park is on the weekend.

Cheers!

A Busy Weekend

Hello Friends,

On Friday, I had a chance to take a boat/walking tour with a Women's Group from the Tokyo American Club. The day was sunny, had a perfect temperature and the mood was high as our gaggle of American women met in front of Almond coffee shop at 8:45 at Roppongi Crossing. We took several trains during the busiest morning commuter time to get to the pier for our river trip. The locals sleep, listen to music, meditate or shut off very quietly when commuting by train. They basically disengage with each other and the world. I guess it is necessary, because there are so many strangers crammed trogether in such close proximity. At times it seems as if they are all in a dark funk. In the morning especially, you can catch glimpses of zombie-like faces. Anyway- our little groups that got into the train together were all talking so loudly, and everyone at once, that women were shouting to be heard. You should have seen the "stink eye" that some of the poor disturbed locals were giving us. Others looked shocked. I have to say too, that I have been around some VERY LOUD American women who actually embarrass me. My teacher-self fights the urge to shush them. I make it a point to speak rather softly on the trains, but there are some folks here who are either oblivious to how loud and obnoxious they seem to the Japanese, or they know and don't care. On a lighter note, some advice that was thrown my way went something like this: "Just remember... your job is to entertain the locals." Entertain them, we did.

Anyway, we arrived at the pier and had a short wait, boarded the boat and had a lovely 40 minute ride up the Sumida River to Asakusa, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Anyone who has been to Tokyo even once for a short time has probably visited here. The temple grounds hold several impressive structures, and there are lots places to spend your money- buying a fortune, paying for prayer, buying talismans for heath, safety, or passing exams- you name it! You can throw your yen away so fast, you hardly see it go. As I watched in wonder as some of our group engaged in yen throwing, I took some pictures. At the entrance to the main gate- there are two statues. The one on the left is the god of thunder and the one on the right is the god of wind. Both these guys are there to scare or blow away evil spirits. There are also rows and rows of white lanterns with different writing on them. These display a list of sponsors. (Maybe they sponsored a recent festival or event at the temple or some such thing) Once inside the grounds, one encounters a very large incense burner. They believe that the incense smoke is cleansing or healing, and that if you fan it to a part of your body that is sick, it helps with healing. I took in a few breaths of it for good measure.

We wandered around for a short time, and then found lunch. After a delicious tempura lunch, we walked another short way to the "kitchen district." It is a marvel. Think of some weirdo or obscure or specialized kitchen gadget. Go ahead. Now say it aloud..... Yes! You can find it there. Dishes, cookware, gadgets, small appliances, bake ware, glass ware, ingredients, chef wear- it is all located up and down the streets in this area. Very fun!

On Saturday, I performed my 3 class pieces at the American School with all the school Taiko students of Moko Igarashi. You will see pictures of Moko attached. She is a tiny fireball of percussion energy. Thankfully there were other Taiko Moms there. On the way to the school on Saturday, I was having a dread feeling that it would be a sea of Kindergarteners and ME. Before we performed I had time to watch some JV football, a cheer leading routine, sit in the sun in the bleachers and eat a messy chili dog with a diet Dr. Pepper. That school is a trip. It transports you to the USA. When you are within the fence, you are in America.
In the evening, I went to Chiba, to "audition" for a once a month conducting position with a group there. They remind me very much of the Trumansburg Community Chorus. However- they have been rehearsing the same music once a week for a year and are preparing for their next concert date: October 2008. They memorize all their music. It's an older group of folks who have all been given or have taken American nicknames. I was introduced to Bill, Irene, Meg, Nancy, Mary, ....you get the idea. They are so very sweet. I will probably do it- as it is only once a month and there is no pressure of a looming concert date, at least not right away! I hadn't conducted a group in over 4 months and it felt like coming home to work with them. The only downside is that it takes about an hour and a half by train to get there. It was a long day. Sunday was a day of rest!

Enjoy the pictures.

Take Care, and Stay in Touch,
Cheers,

A short excerpt of Moko directing "Running Horse" at the American School October 13, 2007

Music City

Hello!

Yesterday Robin and I took the Shinkansen (the bullet train) to a city called Hamamatsu. It is a couple of hours South along the coast. It is called "Music City" because there are piano building factories for Kawai and Yamaha as well as beautiful piano showrooms. There are music stores all over the shopping district and a concert hall where they hold major international competitions. The nice thing about going there was that I finally had a chance to GET OUT OF TOKYO! The view from the Shinkansen was great- we went through mountains on our West and ocean on our East. We could even see the top of Mount Fuji above the clouds as we passed by. We visited the Hamamatsu Musical Instrument Museum, and it was fabulous! There were instruments from all over the world and from every period in time. What a collection! There were some of the strangest instruments I've ever seen! I took a bunch of pictures that are attached. After spending a long time at the museum- (poor Robin, he got bored after a time) we wandered down to the down town area of the city. Hamamatsu has an Ithaca feel to it. Wider streets, smaller town, fewer people, lots of school groups visiting- I think there may have been a school music festival going on, there were so many groups. We came across a street that had been closed off, and heard a band tuning. We hurried over to see what was going on. Luckily, we could see over most of the people in front of us! Set up in the street was at least an 80-member Hamamatsu High School band comprised entirely of girls. WOW! They were amazing! They performed with the musicianship of college music students- plus they moved to the music, and several times included singing, choreography and a costume change. They featured soloists on soprano sax, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and piano. They played with great precision. We couldn't pull ourselves away. I absolutely loved it. You might find it interesting that the piece they opened with was the theme from "Rocky."

The past few weeks have been busy. This past week I took a 3-day seminar called, Tokyo, Here and How. It is designed to help newly relocated expats settle into Tokyo life. The topics included traditional culture and etiquette, architecture and history, earth quake preparedness, how to find health care, how to buy Japanese groceries, where to go for fun, and some demonstrations. There were kimono tying demonstrations, Taiko drumming and traditional Japanese dance. It was just a fun and relaxing 3 days at the American Club, meeting other "newbies" and getting lots of good information. Friday night we broke down and ordered Dominoes Pizza. The boys have been asking for pizza for about 2 weeks. Rob and I walked over to the store in the rain and ordered. A little while later the delivery guy came on his scooter to deliver it. Pizza never tasted so good! Someone recently told me about an American family here who would call a number for pizza quite frequently, and always had a hard time communicating. Somehow they always managed to get their pizza delivered. One time, they had a Japanese friend who was at their house call for the pizza. The Japanese friend discovered that for over a year, these people had been calling a photo mart number, ordering their pizza, and the photo mart people had then been calling the pizza place for them! Can you imagine something like that happening in The Big Apple???? That story cracks me up completely.

The weather today is perfect. We all now have our bikes and are heading out to the park after we eat lunch. There is always something interesting going on in Yoyogi Park on a Sunday afternoon. Next weekend on Saturday will be my first Taiko performance. Should be interesting...I'll just watch all the kids and do what they do. Try not to stick out and look too goofy.

Take Care, All.
Cheers,

Yoyogi Park

I took advantage of the lovely cooler morning to get out and walk today. I went to the bus stop to meet the walking group, but no one was going this morning. I realized that I was going to have to go alone, and was wishing I had my ipod, but told myself -don't be a baby, just go! Actually, it was rather nice to be alone, and by the time I got to the park (it takes about 15 minutes to get there) I was happily lost in thought. Today is a Japanese holiday. I believe it is a day off to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox. It is the first really cool day- not cool like Upstate-NY cool, but it's in the mid 70's and feels heavenly-I'll take it. Since it was a holiday, the streets were much quieter, less busy and there was hardly any traffic on my way to the park. This really made me happy! The park was filled with more than it's usual number of joggers, walkers and bikers, but it is such a large park, it still didn't seem crowded. This morning I heard some lovely sounds, so I was glad I hadn't worn my ipod. I heard a wooden flute through the trees that was so beautiful and mournful it made me teary, a guitar, some kind of traditional Japanese looking guitar and a guy playing the blues harmonica. The blues harmonica put a smile back on my face. Then there is the guy I seen frequently who takes advantage of an area of the park that has a type of wooden platform by tap dancing on it, while he over looks the pond. I was also serenaded by a few of Japan's large crow population. The sounds were many.

The people here are really passionate about some things. Today I had a chance to observe two of their great passions: dogs and baseball. In the park today there were hundreds of dogs, including an amazing variety of breeds. I saw a toy fluffy miniature something in some one's shoulder bag, and 2 Russian Wolfhounds who were easily taller than I, if they were to stand up on their hind legs. Yoyogi Park has a fantastic fenced in area for dogs. It is divided into two sections, presumably one side for larger dogs and one side for toys. I'm guessing here, because I couldn't read the signs...The large dog side this morning was busy- Akita, Whippet, Chihuahua, Doberman, Wolfhound, Beagle, Retrievers, Labs, Burmese Mountain, Mini Schnauzer, Jack Russell, and Toy Terriers of all kinds. There were small dogs in the big dog side, but NO big dogs in the small dog side. I stopped to marvel at the dogs all seeming to get along, when a whippet started to give chase and and upset the balance of harmony. All heck broke loose. There was a swirling snarling mass of doggie mayhem going on, (it looked like a bunch of big dogs were trying to bite a tiny white and brown terrier of some kind. He was running under them, between their legs and they were ganging up on him) while owners were trying bravely to break it up. Meanwhile in a corner right near me, a beautiful BIG Burmese Mountain Dog was happily chewing on something while a squirrely little Jack Russell Terrier was humping away at her like mad! It didn't seem to bother the big dog, but the Japanese woman who owned the Jack Russell had to keep pulling him off the Burmese. The Mountain Dog's owner was a Japanese guy who looked non-plussed. The owners didn't talk or look each other in the eye, as far as I could tell. This went on for some while. There is some comfort in observing the universal behavior of dogs and people.

Beyond the dog area, I could see a large group of boys in their baseball uniforms practicing running and throwing. I could hear whistles blowing as their coach was having them perform relays. On my way out of the park, I passed a small group practicing their throwing and was close enough to read their shirt logo. They are "The NAUGHTY boys." The NAUGHTY boys! It is a huge group- occupying 3 areas of the park with many grown men who coach them. I am sure there are games going on all day today. The NAUGHTY boys. Do you suppose they know what that means?
Made me laugh.

A couple of weeks ago, Robin and I were invited to dinner and karaoke. The dinner was in a place called (I think) Zen Shabu. After removing our shoes, we entered into a private eating area through sliding panel doors and into a sunken seating area. We walked across cushions, and then sat on the floor- but there was a place for our feet to hang, so we didn't have to crouch or sit cross legged. I am getting to old to do that comfortably for a long while. Anyway-there were big pans of boiling water on the table, and we were served very thinly sliced beef and a variety of vegetables to cook ourselves. It was delicious. After dinner we walked across the street to a karaoke place. Everything in Tokyo is built either up or down. Everything is stacked. The building we went to seemed small, and we took an elevator to the 7th floor, where there were about 5 or 6 private rooms. Since we had 11 in our party, we had the largest room on the floor. In it were tables, booth seating as well as chairs, and everything in the room was black. The lights were low and there was a huge screen on one wall that not only displayed the lyrics to the songs but was constantly showing seemingly random videos. My favorite moment was when we were all singing New York, New York at the top of our lungs, and the video background was clearly showing someplace beachy in California, complete with palm trees and bikinis. Lots of beer is consumed while participating in karaoke. Most people need it to get their courage up to sing in front of people. Not so the Tokyo Plosses. Robin did an outstanding Mustang Sally (we all did back up) and Frank's version of The Lady is a Tramp. I went for Little Eva, Huey Lewis, and Earth Wind and Fire. Let's Groove, and September- for those of you who are Earth Wind and Fire fans. I boldly go for the high parts! Oddly enough, most of the guys from Corning sang Country Western or Guns 'n' Roses, so there was not a lot of sing-a-long with Alice, if you know what I mean. The most interesting moment of the evening came when I excused myself to use the bathroom, and had a chance to hear through the closed doors what was going on in other rooms on our hallway. It sounded pretty awful- much like the two cats that were facing off in our backyard last week. They were yowling in unison. Not to be too boastful or anything, but I think Americans in general are pretty good singers. Must be all that quality music education they are receiving.

It was fun, but, as a musician and singer I don't have that closet burning desire to be on American Idol. I don't live for those moments when I finally get the mic. I have plenty of outlets for my voice and music. I imagine that for some people, karaoke is their ONLY opportunity to sing. To live that dream. Think about how singing makes you feel so good. How it releases negative feelings and revives your soul. Choral music is very popular here in Japan. That's a very cool thing, in my opinion. It's one more manifestation of the Japanese Group culture. Matt sings ALL THE TIME while he's home. I've stopped shushing him. I figure if the neighbors don't like it, they'll let us know. Yesterday we were singing OLD MAN RIVER from Showboat together. He loves the low notes. The two of us make a great pair.

Until next time,
Cheers to All,

Roller Coaster Ride

Hello,

Back in July, Corning provided us with 3 days of cultural training to prepare us for this big move. Although much of it was geared toward Robin and doing business in Japan, a lot of it was certainly applicable to me. Everyone we met, from the admissions director of the boys' school to the cultural trainers to many friends back in the States would look at me and ask, "But what are YOU going to do??" Those of you who did ask that question probably remember me replying with a flip answer about relaxing, or getting pedicures or taking art lessons, or whatever. There is no end of opportunity here- today I just got back from a 9th and 10th grade parent PTA meeting, which was OK- but not really my thing. I've been to several coffees, been invited to a Corning "Ladies Luncheon" and other women's groups that are very supportive of the Tokyo community through fund raising for various causes. One must be careful not to get over extended here.

The cultural trainers all talk about, diagram, and describe in great detail something called the "Cultural Adjustment Process."
Here's a quote from a page with the sine wave like emotional roller coaster chart:

"Since Culture Shock is a sign that the expatriate is beginning to let go of home culture and engage with the new culture, the appropriate response is not to try to eliminate the culture shock but rather to try to manage the stress it causes."
So this morning when I woke up, I had been having the most wonderful dream. (the first happy one that I can remember since coming over here- the others have been disturbing) I was in a room with all my cats and dogs who were crazy happy to see me. Even as I type this I am getting all emotional, because I miss them terribly. I know in my head that I am being ridiculous, because they are all in GREAT places- (thanks to Brenda, Mom and Anne!) but I see my irrational outbursts of tears as a sign that yes, indeed I am on the first downward dip of the "adjustment process." Another sign is that at the PTA coffee this morning, when a friendly woman who had just introduced herself to me asked me, "So how are you??" I burst into tears AGAIN. It wasn't one of those questions that was the polite inquiry, she looked me in the eyes and really ASKED me. It took me a couple of minutes to compose myself and she said knowingly, "You'd better be with me." We sat in groups and chatted. There are lots of kids apparently who are in the 10th grade with Matt who are also going through the downs and ups, but I never see any Moms acting kooky like I do. (mortification!) Everyone understands. That's helpful anyhow. The woman's name is Karen and she invited me to her home for lunch, and as I was with my friend Terry, she came along too. This woman could have told me to book a ticket to New Zealand, and I would have run right out and done it, such was my state of mind. Karen's house is an art gallery. She deals in paintings- and every inch of her walls were covered with fantastic new art. You can view her collection by going to: www.toriizakaart.com. She has a marvelous collection, but we couldn't stay long. It was just really kind of her to be so friendly and reassuring. Terry and I hoofed it back to our subway line in a hurry, as she needed to get home to meet a delivery. I decided to stop at the store on the way home to pick up some things for supper and got through the line at the store only to discover that I didn't have enough cash in my wallet. *****( MORE MORTIFICATION!) I explained that I didn't have enough cash by holding out what I had, blushed an unnatural shade of purple and ran out of the store telling them I'd be right back. (Did the checkout girl understand? We don't know.) I was instantly transported in my mind to the ShurSave where sits my own personal CFCU cash machine, and kindly people who know me and speak my language. (I once filled up my gas tank and forgot to pay. The next day Brent called me on the phone, spoke to me by name and reminded me of what I had done- I ran over, paid for my gas, apologized profusely and we all had a good laugh.) No so the Japanese. Appearances are everything. I had shamed myself. I had seen the way the Japanese women behind me in line were looking at me. While I was making my frantic way to the cash machine in the station, I started to see the humorous side of what I had done. Looked ridiculous -who cares? Nobody knows me. They expect gaijin to make blunders of all kinds. Done something not to proper procedure- it's good to shake up their predictable world! Turns out she had understood at least a little, because my basket of groceries was on the floor behind her, waiting for my return.

How did I get from cultural adjustment to cats and dogs and crying uncontrollably to being ridiculous? It's all part of the stress that everyone tells you about before you come over, the stress the quote tells you that you have to learn how to manage, but you just can't understand it until you are living here day by day. Things that are easy at home are hard here. At first, it's FUN! Wow! Look at all this unrecognizable food! Let's look at a MAP! It's FUN to figure out how to get places! Walking home with groceries every day? New! Fun! And good for cardio health! Yesterday I missed out on a luncheon because I couldn't get the computer to print out a map to the place to meet, and by the time I was ready to go, it was too late. I would have been too late. Today, what I really wanted was my car, the ShurSave and a bag of oreos. I wanted to feel like the competent, functioning, professional individual that I know I am, or was, at home. (I kind of like that about me.)

So for those of you who have been reading about our fairly tame adventures so far in Japan, I apologize for sending something not-so-happy. I told myself I wouldn't gripe out loud, but this is all a part of "the experience." The last few days have been hard. For a variety of reasons. However, EVERYONE who's in the know tells me it will get better.

Here's a little wisdom from Swami Dhyan Giten, a quote that I copied from Karen Wiggins at the MS library. (Don't even get me started on how much I miss everyone at school...sniff again....)

Life is our teacher. Life communicates with us all the time and it is a lesson to see how life continually has led me to the people I need to meet, to the situations I need to experience, and to the places I need to be. There has never been any real reason to worry since all small individual rivers are already on their way to the ocean, to the Whole. It is not about swimming, it is about relaxing and to float with the river in a basic trust that life already leads towards the sea of consciousness, towards the Whole.

I think when I asked Karen if I could have a copy of that, I was aware it would come in handy in times of stress. The time is now. Relax, float, and trust. Easier said than done.

next time: Our Tokyo karaoke experience. I promise.

Cheers to all,