Placenta 100

We have seen more ads for beauty gimmicks here in Japan than ever at home. Little nasty black pills, special foaming facial wash, pudding, diet supplements, stunning western role models like Jessica Simpson and Lindsey Lohan hawking Proactive solution, guys in lab coats pointing at cartoon scientific pie charts, lots of other dubious "scientific" charts showing animated actions and reactions, little bumpy rollers you roll on your face and neck, enough make up to fill a ditch, the Slender Shaper (basically a strap-on vibrator for your butt), breast augmentation lotions, humidifyers to enhance your beauty sleep, workout routine videos, salsa dancing for a slender waist, and now....

PLACENTA 100.

What is placenta 100 you ask? We don't know for sure but it looks like placenta in pill form. It apparently has lots of B Vitamins and is good for your skin. Robin says "It smooths out the skin so you can trowel on the makeup without having a sandable base coat." Then he guffaws uncontrollably.

By all measures many Japanese women are obsessed with slimness and beauty, for there is a huge market and advertising budget here. So many info-mercials with glowing women talking excitedly about some product. Lots of before and after pictures. It's tedious on some days and highly entertaining on others. I guess it's really no diferent than any other culture...except where women are expected to remain covered from head to toe.

Mount Takao...there and back.

Today Robin and I revisited the mountain we walked on Thanksgiving in the rain and fog. Today was a glorious day and I had no rehearsals or appointments of any kind. (That's getting to be more rare each week) So we donned our hiking boots, gloves, goofy hat and coats and took the train to Takaosanguchi Station and began our hike.

These guys just above were along the trail near the end of the hike. The Japanese are very concerned about the souls of unborn babies. Abortion rates are high, and no one talks about it, but in many places there are hats and bibs stuck on statues at shrines. These are suposed to keep the little ones warm in the afterlife. The thing that struck me about this particular congregation of statues is that they were from different religious traditions- some smiling and round, and some fierce looking. The smiling ones looked right at home in the festive bibs and hats, but frankly, the fierce ones looked kind of pissed off about it.

He looks like a grumpy lil' god of fire.

This blue sky is so typical of the weather here this time of year. We call it "buddha-blue" after a day at Kamakura last January.
The hike up was tough. The trail was rocky, uneven and very steep (up to 1,956 feet) and slippery in places. I was a huffing and puffing today. Here we stopped at a lookout station about 2/3 of the way up and took in the view. Tokyo is off in the distance somewhere.

Here is the entire assembly of warm little statues.

And here is the prize of the day-Fuji-san. This is from the summit of Takao. It was a splendid day for Fuji viewing as you can see. We ate at a noodle shop at the top, before heading back down. I don't think the pictures we take do the mountain justice. I've seen Fuji from near and far, from the air, in the clouds, in the sunset, from the water, from the train, and it always takes my breath away. It is so darned prominent. And strong. It dwarfs all other peaks anywhere. It has a mystical quality about it. Just a very cool sight, in my opinion.

Tonight, sleep will not be a problem... we took ibuprofin and are hoping we can get out of bed tomorrow morning!

Time for a giggle...

Enjoy...time to shake off the mid-winter blahs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83JDXXKzOXg

International Quilt Show

Wow. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Check out my photo stream to the right to see some of the highlights of the International Quilt Show in the Tokyo Dome today. I went with my friends Terry and Regine.

Inauguration Day

All week, I have been gleefully eyeing my countdown to Bush's Last Day refrigerator magnet. Single digits! I was wondering what it would do after it reached zero. Well, it is flashing zeroes right now. I have a new President. (And yes, one of my friends, IS a pirate!)

It is a different kind of experience to witness the important doings in the US from abroad. I feel a part of it, and so very proud, yet also removed. It makes me homesick a little. I want to be there with my friends celebrating. Going on right now in my hometown are preparations at the Rongovian Embassy for a local Inaugural Ball, where the featured drink is called, "Departing Bastard." To be fair, they also have legendary drinks called, "Bastard," "Dying Bastard," and "Dead Bastard." I hope they have a fantastic celebration tonight! Drink one for me!

I started fading around 10:00 last night and went to bed. I set my alarm for about 1:15 a.m., and surprised myself by springing out of bed when it went off. I woke in time to transport myself across the globe to Washington via CNN and to catch all the good stuff. In my opinion, the best of the good stuff was the performance during the ceremony of the arrangement of the Copland melody, "Simple Gifts."

It was arranged by:

John Williams together with Yo-Yo Ma on cello, Anthony McGill on clarinet, Gabriela Montero on piano and Itzhak Perlman on violin. These American musicians and this performance in particular struck me as a perfect and beautiful embodiment of the "patchwork" society to which President Obama referred. These five outstanding individuals who represent different cultures came together to perform a piece that is as American as apple pie. Music supplies us with such poignant analogies.

As a foreigner in Japan, the thing I miss the most about home is the lovely diversity of American people. Short, tall, light, dark, Asian, Middle Eastern, African, Latino, European...all are Americans. I love the rainbow that is America.

I am getting ready to step out my door today to attend my second International Quilt Show in the Tokyo Dome. But today I feel different. The era of being embarrassed to be an American abroad is over. I feel a little more proud, a lot more hopeful for the future. Feels good.

Oh My Goodness....

Back in Tokyo. I had a busy week and went like mad and then crashed on Sunday. That was yesterday. Today I was very productive, due to my first full night's sleep since arriving, and completed some of the following on my "To Do" list: emptied dish washer, did 4 loads of laundry, ironed, cleaned off and sorted kitchen clutter, dusted, vacuumed, straightened, swept, shook out, scrubbed, recycled, pumped up my tires, went to the post office, paid bills, went grocery shopping, was protected from shame, roasted a chicken, set the table, and ....what's that you say? What was that one about shame?

I will warn you that the next part of this blog is about feminine hygiene products, so if you are embarrassed, stop reading.

So there I was up on the second floor of Marusho, my local grocery store, desperately hoping to find something I would be sure contained tampons. (Up until now, I have always brought my own favorite brand over in luggage. Ooops forgot this time!) Well, maybe I was not completely desperate, but by tomorrow I would be. You get the idea...anyway, I had to really look to find this type of product, as they hide them in the very back of the store apparently so that you have to really hunt for some reason that was unknown to me. Am I writing in circles? I think so. The Nice Cashier Lady was kind of hanging around and peering into my basket- although she was trying to be unobtrusive about it. But I am an observant sort, and notice when people are taking brushes off hooks and placing them back on for no purpose whatsoever. It arouses suspicion in my observant brain. As I was walking toward the stairs with my cute little boxes containing hygiene products, to go to the basement for bananas, and then home, she stopped me and told me that I had to buy the items I had picked up on the second floor up there at THAT second floor cash register. Now, I have been up there a million times, and have never been stopped. I have purchased shampoo, soap, pasta, beans, salsa, oatmeal, light bulbs, beer, wine, garbage bags, chips, and even pickles and have never been asked a single question or even looked at funny...until today. I normally just charge down the stairs and finish my shopping and check out on the main floor. But today Nice Cashier Lady told me (in Japanese) I had to buy that stuff up there, and the first thing she did was take the pretty little tampon boxes out of my basket and put them in a plain brown paper bag and seal it with tape. Heaven forbid anyone should suspect or even know for sure that I am a woman. Of childbearing age.

This from a culture that regularly strips naked and bathes in public hot baths together. With a towel that is no bigger than a wash cloth, no less. Isn't culture a fascinating thing? Where does this shame come from? I am tempted to wear a you-know-what on my jacket lapel, like a decoration just to see what happens. Robin offered to go buy the next round.

Giddyap!

Today I made the rounds around town, saying goodbye to friends, children and pets. I felt all warm and sentimental as I drove about the countryside. What a blessing my friends are. What a gorgeous day. Leaving Matt behind never feels good, but he is well loved and taken care of and very happy at Westwind Farm with Pete and Joel. Today I felt like one of the luckiest people on earth.
The temperature dropped as the day went on and tonight it is absolutely frigid. Two different people told me, "Get out while you can!" as there is a deep freeze headed this way. Last night I put new flannel sheets and a down comforter on the bed I have been sleeping in (Chris' bed) and it was heavenly. I blame the snugly warmth of my bed for not letting me go to church this morning.

So why the horse's ass, you ask?

When I stopped by the Loch Ridge Farm to say good bye to Anne and Farmer Bill, Anne was busy in a meeting about the HS musical, so Farmer Bill asked me if I would like a sleigh ride.
A SLEIGH RIDE?? WOW! YES!

This is a view of the barn on Loch Ridge Farm. Very picturesque after all the snowfall last night.

Anyway...Farmer Bill was so happy to have a person to take on a sleigh ride, he quietly, but with glee told me he'd be back in about 15 minutes. I visited with my friends and got a few glimpses of set design and costume ideas, and then looked out the window. Sure enough- there came Farmer Bill in all his Olde World splendor with a sledge from the 1880's and a happy working pony named Nolan.

(Nolan is making sure I get his best side)

The shadows were long and the sun was getting low. The air was crystal clear and had a definite bite to it, but I didn't really mind too much. Bill and I chatted some, but when we were not chatting the air was filled with the magical sound of that double sleigh bell harness that bumped into Nolan's legs with every step. It was such a lovely, surprising and thoroughly enjoyable send-off. See what I mean about being lucky? I leave first thing tomorrow morning to get my flights back to Tokyo.
Thanks, Farmer Bill for a memory I will cherish for a long long time!

Sayonara, Trumansburg!