New Year's Resolutions

Well, it was a close shave, but the girls caught the 11:42 Narita Express this morning. We didn't mean to, but we got a late start, enjoyed several wrong-way moments in Shinjuku station, but inspite of that, managed to get everyone on the waiting train car. I of course, burst into tears as soon as I said good-bye to them all. I tearfully found the train I was to take home, when Robin called and invited me out for lunch. As I accepted, I complained to him that I felt like a bloated whale after eating my way through Tokyo for the last 3 weeks non-stop. My New Year's Resolution is to eat less, completely cut out desserts, and make sure I get plenty of exercise. Thankfully, the exercise isn't a problem in walk-everywhere Japan. And fun. I want to have more fun. I am now a fun junkie.

We ate a delicious curry restaurant very close to his office. It wasn't a huge amount of food, just a bowl with rice and very delicious chicken curry. No dessert! There are some things that have changed for me over the last 3 weeks. I really am having fun getting around, looking in shops, feeling confident, understanding the Japanese of 2 year olds. It's a feeling of competence that I honestly haven't enjoyed since I stepped off the plane in Japan on August 14. As little as I know about Tokyo, Japanese culture and getting around, I knew more than my visitors, and that made me a teeny tiny expert. It's a hoot to see this place through the eyes of visitors. Anyway, feeling my new found confidence, and new found frustration at not really understanding how this city is laid out, I decided to walk home from Akasaka (where Robin works) to Oyamacho, where we reside. Plus- I would be true to my resolution to get exercise. Robin told me it was about 4 and a half miles- "No sweat," I thought. That's like doing the rim trail and the gorge trail together plus a little more, something I've done on several occasions. So I set out. The sun came out. I saw places I'd never seen before. I wasn't really afraid of getting lost, because I knew I could hop on a train if I needed to. I followed the street signs over the road that point cars in the right direction. I was right on track until I came to Shibuya. (We live in Shibuya, but not the city part) I got completely lost, couldn't find the park, saw no metro signs, and was walking around an area I didn't even know existed. I did manage to find a backstreet that had several "Love Hotels" on it. They had seperate room rates listed out front: a "rest" rate that was for 3 hours, and a "stay" rate which I assume meant over night. There were some interesting displays in the windows out front. The French maid lives on in the imaginations of Japanese men, it seems.

Anyway...I digress. I was seriously lost, my feet were starting to ache, and I had called Robin, but what he was telling me didn't feel right. I saw a young woman stepping out of her house, and waited until she was right near me, and I asked her in Japanese, "Excuse me. Yoyogi Park, where is it?" Nakamura-san, my Japanese teacher would have been proud of me! The young woman pointed in the general direction of the Park and in English asked me where I was from. She told me she would "walk with." She explained that she was on her way to the Olympic Swimming Pool right by the park, and we made our way back there. Boy, was I LOST! I think she was delighted to have the opportunity to practice English, and I found out that her name is Yumi, she works in Real Estate, she loves Tokyo, grew up in the country, has been to NYC several times (and loves it!) and studies English after work. I think that means she takes classes. She was a delight, and so nice. I tried out several of my Japanese phrases on her. When I finally got my bearings, she shook my hand several times and we parted like old friends. Today's mistake of getting lost was a lovely opportunity.