9:10am
Last night was amazing. I'll call it my First Blind Date with Tokyo. Greg, Bob and I went for a walk to try to find a bar. We got lost in some alley, but found our way back. We continued past the subway station and past the front gate (were we walking North? I don't know). Finally we found a bar that said it was open. So we climbed the steps and bowed our way into Romi (the name of the bar). <-- 2="" a="" already="" and="" at="" bar="" be="" beer="" blue.="" bob="" burst="" but="" cleaver="" d="" electric="" everyone="" girls="" good="" got="" grapefruit="" greg="" guy="" had="" he="" i="" idea="" in="" it="" jinro="" juice="" laughing="" name="" no="" of="" on="" one="" ordered="" out="" p="" rocks="" saying.="" see="" so="" something="" strong.="" suggest.="" the="" there="" thought="" very="" was="" were="" what="" with="" would="">The girls in the corner laughed at us for a while, then courageously asked us if we spoke English... no, wait. Japanese. This kicked off 3.5 hours of the most fun I'd ever had in my life. Their English was moderately understandable and the bartender had an audio-translator for when we were really having trouble. Their names were Eri and Shiori, both 20 years old, in love with Luke Perry, Tom Cruise, and, apparently, Bob and Greg. I was their best friend. So much happened! Bob and Shiori settled into arm wrestling and impressing each other with parlor tricks. Another business man came in and he spoke with Greg about Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, Shakespeare, and other intellectual American things. Unfortunately, by this time, Greg was quite drunk and a little too loud and annoying. Anyway, time went quickly- the bartender poured us some cold sake (tastes like white wine plus vodka) and we all toasted. We also learned that "Saikoh!" means Best! and is usually shouted VERY loudly while punching one or both fists into the air. It was just so fun, I can't describe as much as I'd like to.
8:15pm
It's hard to chose between going into detail about things, or just writing about as many as possible.Today, so far, has been full of sights, sounds, and tastes. First thing in the morning we went to Ginza. Greg described it as the Mag Mile in Chicago, multiplied by 1000! Both in size, height, and space. The shops and malls seemed to go on for miles in every direction. Every street corner looked the same. It was difficult to keep track of the train station. We visited a large mall, I believe the name of it was Matsuzakaya or Mitsukoshi. Probably the latter, it's closer to the subway station. We first went into the basement and were stunned at what we saw: it was a food market with every type of food imaginable. Actually, there was nothing I could ever have imagined. Fish, cooked and uncooked, meats, fruits and vegetables, rolled sushi, pastries that looked like decorative soaps. Then we went to the top floor and worked our way down. Tons of women's clothing, and it was all very expensive.
A Ginza toy store was next, with 4 floors of pure fun: little gadgets that I don't know what they did, dolls, lots of stuffed animals and stickers, Disney music and figures. Greg bought some Flat Eric dolls and Cowboy Bebop figures. We left there and headed back, stopping at McDonalds to get a chicken and sauerkraut sandwich. We also went to the Mikimoto store. The jewelry there was amazing, so intricate, beautiful designs. The styles were different from home, more flowing. The pearls were mostly grey and huge. There was also one necklace with tiny tiny pearls all strung together. It was a very big necklace, but there were probably millions of these centimeter sized pearls. The prices were outrageous, nothing under 50,000 Yen, and mostly Y900,000 and above.
After a few minutes rest back at NYC (Yoyogi Youth Center) we headed off to Shibuya. Lots of walking! The most notable event was dinner. We were with Lindsay, Eric, and Emily. It was really embarrassing just how gaijin we were. First we practiced saying toilet- "toe-IR-ay"- and realized that it was probably an inappropriate word to be repeating at a nice restaurant. I ordered a noodle dish that turned out to be American spaghetti. And my Coke (really Pepsi) turned out to be Y480 while the mixed drinks the others had were Y360. Hopefully I won't make that mistake again.
The plan is to visit Shinjuku tonight and shrines tomorrow, as well as meet up with Takeshi.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
8/31/2001
6:30am Tokyo
I don't know if this is the type of experience to write about here or not but- I just took a shower... in my bathing suit. I don't know what makes me more uncomfortable: the fact that we are supposed to bathe together nude, or the fact that I couldn't do it.
2:00pm Edo Museum
Today I'm learning about space. The street shops are not on the street, they are 5-6 stories up. Stacked on top of each other. In the stalls of public bathrooms there is space just barely to turn around. On the subway we were packed in more tightly than I could ever have guessed we would be. And now I'm looking out at an enormous expanse of openness. The museum plaza is humbling to say the least. Enormous. Thousands of yards across and hundreds of feet from floor to the ceiling. Public space, including parks and museums, temples, and shrines, must be places of openness and reflection. At first I wondered why they would waste all this space when they desperately need housing. Actually, I still don't really know why. It was impressive and very moving: at once to feel so packed in with millions of people, yet stand in the middle of an "empty football field."
I don't know if this is the type of experience to write about here or not but- I just took a shower... in my bathing suit. I don't know what makes me more uncomfortable: the fact that we are supposed to bathe together nude, or the fact that I couldn't do it.
2:00pm Edo Museum
Today I'm learning about space. The street shops are not on the street, they are 5-6 stories up. Stacked on top of each other. In the stalls of public bathrooms there is space just barely to turn around. On the subway we were packed in more tightly than I could ever have guessed we would be. And now I'm looking out at an enormous expanse of openness. The museum plaza is humbling to say the least. Enormous. Thousands of yards across and hundreds of feet from floor to the ceiling. Public space, including parks and museums, temples, and shrines, must be places of openness and reflection. At first I wondered why they would waste all this space when they desperately need housing. Actually, I still don't really know why. It was impressive and very moving: at once to feel so packed in with millions of people, yet stand in the middle of an "empty football field."
8/29/2001
2pm
Only a few hours into the trip and already there are new things. I thought peanuts were universal. I know it won't be the last time I'm handed a package with absolutely no English on it- and it's just a guess about what's in it. Even the airplane smells different. It smells like the peanuts/puffed rice snacks tasted. Of course, some of the "Otsumami" tasted like shrimp. But the tastes did not seem unusual together.
Hmmm. Greg says it smells like beef. I thought vegetables. More later, I'm sure. Note to self: Chicago to Tokyo is about 6,000 miles.
8:30pm still on the airplane
There is so much new, just on the plane. I would of course like to document it all, but I know I must be selective. I could write pages about just the few samples of food I've had so far. As a snack there were tiny sandwiches. Tiny! One was egg salad- standard tasting. The other was a piece of cheese on white bread. No condiments. And, the unusual part was that the crusts were cut off. I'm not sure if an American airline would have cut the crusts off of sandwiches.
Will things like crust-less sandwiches and neon green kiwi juice become ordinary to me? I hope not. I don't want to get used to seeing new things.
Another part of the adventure I want to be aware of is how our group of Americans change over time. Right now I'm learning what it's like to be a minority: there are cartoons on, but they are not translated into English. Also, on the radio we hear Japanese talk-radio, but nothing like that in English. A little frustrating, I have to admit.
Only a few hours into the trip and already there are new things. I thought peanuts were universal. I know it won't be the last time I'm handed a package with absolutely no English on it- and it's just a guess about what's in it. Even the airplane smells different. It smells like the peanuts/puffed rice snacks tasted. Of course, some of the "Otsumami" tasted like shrimp. But the tastes did not seem unusual together.
Hmmm. Greg says it smells like beef. I thought vegetables. More later, I'm sure. Note to self: Chicago to Tokyo is about 6,000 miles.
8:30pm still on the airplane
There is so much new, just on the plane. I would of course like to document it all, but I know I must be selective. I could write pages about just the few samples of food I've had so far. As a snack there were tiny sandwiches. Tiny! One was egg salad- standard tasting. The other was a piece of cheese on white bread. No condiments. And, the unusual part was that the crusts were cut off. I'm not sure if an American airline would have cut the crusts off of sandwiches.
Will things like crust-less sandwiches and neon green kiwi juice become ordinary to me? I hope not. I don't want to get used to seeing new things.
Another part of the adventure I want to be aware of is how our group of Americans change over time. Right now I'm learning what it's like to be a minority: there are cartoons on, but they are not translated into English. Also, on the radio we hear Japanese talk-radio, but nothing like that in English. A little frustrating, I have to admit.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Step #5
Act.
Acting in this political/internet climate has NEVER been easier. Like Michael Moore said, "Wake up, brush teeth, make coffee, call Congress." Hopefully in Step #4 you journalled a little bit to help gather your resources- phone numbers, email addresses, and locations you feel connected to. And then you pull the trigger. Inhale and dial the phone (5/7 times you'll get either a busy signal or an answering machine). Print out your letters and throw them in the mailbox. Figure out which train gets you to which rally on which day. And then get in the car (or have your bff drive you to keep you accountable) and go.
Start that website that connects people to resources.
Make a date and invite people to that cool thing you want to plan.
Start checking things off the list.
And then, after lunch (haha!), take a nap. Because this is overwhelming. You'll definitely need to go back to Step #1 (self care) during and after this step. Because being around a crowd of people can be draining. And watching your calls and letters seemingly fall on deaf ears can be demoralizing. So Act, but then step back and rest, so you can Act again tomorrow (or, you know, next Tuesday).
This is exhausting. But I keep picturing the #resistance as waves that keep battering the shore. Or like shark teeth- more rows are waiting in line to take the place of people who've gotten tired and need a minute to rest. So maybe you weren't Wave 1, or even Wave 2. But when it's your time, you'll be ready. Be well friends. Keep stepping up where you are.
Acting in this political/internet climate has NEVER been easier. Like Michael Moore said, "Wake up, brush teeth, make coffee, call Congress." Hopefully in Step #4 you journalled a little bit to help gather your resources- phone numbers, email addresses, and locations you feel connected to. And then you pull the trigger. Inhale and dial the phone (5/7 times you'll get either a busy signal or an answering machine). Print out your letters and throw them in the mailbox. Figure out which train gets you to which rally on which day. And then get in the car (or have your bff drive you to keep you accountable) and go.
Start that website that connects people to resources.
Make a date and invite people to that cool thing you want to plan.
Start checking things off the list.
And then, after lunch (haha!), take a nap. Because this is overwhelming. You'll definitely need to go back to Step #1 (self care) during and after this step. Because being around a crowd of people can be draining. And watching your calls and letters seemingly fall on deaf ears can be demoralizing. So Act, but then step back and rest, so you can Act again tomorrow (or, you know, next Tuesday).
This is exhausting. But I keep picturing the #resistance as waves that keep battering the shore. Or like shark teeth- more rows are waiting in line to take the place of people who've gotten tired and need a minute to rest. So maybe you weren't Wave 1, or even Wave 2. But when it's your time, you'll be ready. Be well friends. Keep stepping up where you are.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Step #4
If you're someone who is also my Facebook friend, you've recently seen that my 2-year-old took the keys off of my laptop this week. I've managed to fix everything except the space bar. So, if you try to read my blog hearing my voice, today, the typing sounds like.I'm.punctuating.every.word.I.write.
Let's start talking about Step #4. It's the hardest step. Research and decide what your strengths are and where you can do the most good. A friend this week offered this advice: Pick 3 causes, and stick with just those three (Refugees, Civil Liberties, and Human Trafficking are mine... for now.... I think). I also needed to narrow down my sources of information. I picked one Internet action website (Moveon.org), one print media source (The Chicago Tribune), and one radio source (NPR).
And then there's the honest assessment of how I can help. In November, I started planning massive, sweeping neighborhood and national projects. I wanted to make blankets for kids in hospitals, CareBoxes on our streets for homeless people, a dinner for our neighbors who live alone...... also, it was Christmas so I had also to do all the Christmas things. I've backed WAY down since then.
Things I can do:
~make phone calls
~send letters
~show up to one thing a month (if it doesn't require a babysitter)
That's it right now. Because I have a job, and kids, and I do a lot of things for my church women's group. I'm tired a lot of days. So Step #4 is really about creating a filter for incoming information, and assessing what parts of your life you can use for causes. Life is SO overwhelming right now for EVERYONE. Step #4 takes time, and it's hard. But then you can feel amazing to work on Step #5 next!!
Let's start talking about Step #4. It's the hardest step. Research and decide what your strengths are and where you can do the most good. A friend this week offered this advice: Pick 3 causes, and stick with just those three (Refugees, Civil Liberties, and Human Trafficking are mine... for now.... I think). I also needed to narrow down my sources of information. I picked one Internet action website (Moveon.org), one print media source (The Chicago Tribune), and one radio source (NPR).
And then there's the honest assessment of how I can help. In November, I started planning massive, sweeping neighborhood and national projects. I wanted to make blankets for kids in hospitals, CareBoxes on our streets for homeless people, a dinner for our neighbors who live alone...... also, it was Christmas so I had also to do all the Christmas things. I've backed WAY down since then.
Things I can do:
~make phone calls
~send letters
~show up to one thing a month (if it doesn't require a babysitter)
That's it right now. Because I have a job, and kids, and I do a lot of things for my church women's group. I'm tired a lot of days. So Step #4 is really about creating a filter for incoming information, and assessing what parts of your life you can use for causes. Life is SO overwhelming right now for EVERYONE. Step #4 takes time, and it's hard. But then you can feel amazing to work on Step #5 next!!
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Step #3
Step #3 (in the Steps for recovering after a truly unsettling tragedy happens) is Gather with like-minded people.
This morning I attended a lecture by one of the pastors at my church about a program she runs that helps parents of other-abled children take a night off. It's a great program. This post isn't about that program (which can be found here).
This post is about me leaving my house 1-3 times a month, dragging Adam to the church-provided babysitter, and sitting in a room with other women for about 2 hours. I'm lucky to have found a church that aligns exactly with what my values are. So when I go there, I feel 100% nurtured and accepted. I can blurt out whatever insane thing my mind comes up with- and I know I'm safe. The catchphrase for the church is, we are a NICE Church: Nurturing, Inclusive, Connecting, Empowering.
Someone this morning asked why we haven't been to children's choir lately. Instead of making up something like, "we've been really busy" or "you know, just life" and making an empty promise to try to make it more often, I looked her in the eye and told the exact truth, "We've been having a lot of trouble with Sawyer lately, and we've decided to pause our extra activities until we can figure out how to help him be ok with himself and the world around him."
The week after the November election, I sat at a table as a leader of a group of women, and we all took deep breaths and cried. We said all the things we'd been holding in so we could appear strong to our families and "not crazy" to our friends. We just let it out, and brainstormed next-steps, and I felt better as I was leaving.
Don't get me wrong- everyone needs their close circle of friends. Jesus is there when there's even just two of us together (how did this post get so religious today???). But when there's more, and you can look around and know an entire pyramid of people share your dreams for our Earth and our future and our children, THAT'S the empowerment you need to keep going in tough times. Stronger Together. I'm SO glad I took the social-situation risk a while back and started Gathering with women. I've gotten SO much more out of it than I ever imagined I would.
This morning I attended a lecture by one of the pastors at my church about a program she runs that helps parents of other-abled children take a night off. It's a great program. This post isn't about that program (which can be found here).
This post is about me leaving my house 1-3 times a month, dragging Adam to the church-provided babysitter, and sitting in a room with other women for about 2 hours. I'm lucky to have found a church that aligns exactly with what my values are. So when I go there, I feel 100% nurtured and accepted. I can blurt out whatever insane thing my mind comes up with- and I know I'm safe. The catchphrase for the church is, we are a NICE Church: Nurturing, Inclusive, Connecting, Empowering.
Someone this morning asked why we haven't been to children's choir lately. Instead of making up something like, "we've been really busy" or "you know, just life" and making an empty promise to try to make it more often, I looked her in the eye and told the exact truth, "We've been having a lot of trouble with Sawyer lately, and we've decided to pause our extra activities until we can figure out how to help him be ok with himself and the world around him."
The week after the November election, I sat at a table as a leader of a group of women, and we all took deep breaths and cried. We said all the things we'd been holding in so we could appear strong to our families and "not crazy" to our friends. We just let it out, and brainstormed next-steps, and I felt better as I was leaving.
Don't get me wrong- everyone needs their close circle of friends. Jesus is there when there's even just two of us together (how did this post get so religious today???). But when there's more, and you can look around and know an entire pyramid of people share your dreams for our Earth and our future and our children, THAT'S the empowerment you need to keep going in tough times. Stronger Together. I'm SO glad I took the social-situation risk a while back and started Gathering with women. I've gotten SO much more out of it than I ever imagined I would.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Step #2
We have too much crap. And it sucks to shuffle it from place to place. And a LOT of self-help books lately have started focusing on the way your energy is drained by the things you own. Which is why my Step #2 is to Donate Things. Make some space in your house and your heart for new ideas and new openness to live. Also- make sure you're not just throwing good things away (but definitely do throw away garbage). Other people can use your stuff.
If I've learned anything from my 12 years of dedicated Hoarders watching, it's this: If you find yourself ever saying, "But maybe one day I'll...." about anything, get rid of it. Entire rooms could be filled with the "maybe one day" projects. No. You're not. And if "one day" you do, you can create that bag of empty toilet paper rolls again. Dry cleaning hangers are closet herpes: they'll show back up out of nowhere when you're feeling a little under the weather.
And you don't need to plan for this donation experience. Just grab one box or bag, throw stuff in, and get in the car. Don't make a day out of it. You're not spring cleaning your house. Just get one box/bag out so you've done something. This one action can knock loose a depressive state, and give you just enough satisfaction and pride to eat a bag of Doritos with satisfaction.
Enjoy those Doritos. You earned them.
If I've learned anything from my 12 years of dedicated Hoarders watching, it's this: If you find yourself ever saying, "But maybe one day I'll...." about anything, get rid of it. Entire rooms could be filled with the "maybe one day" projects. No. You're not. And if "one day" you do, you can create that bag of empty toilet paper rolls again. Dry cleaning hangers are closet herpes: they'll show back up out of nowhere when you're feeling a little under the weather.
And you don't need to plan for this donation experience. Just grab one box or bag, throw stuff in, and get in the car. Don't make a day out of it. You're not spring cleaning your house. Just get one box/bag out so you've done something. This one action can knock loose a depressive state, and give you just enough satisfaction and pride to eat a bag of Doritos with satisfaction.
Enjoy those Doritos. You earned them.
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