Well, the remaining days in Japan flew by so that I ended up not taking as many photos since we were busy socializing and enjoying our time. I put together a quick montage of images in video format here, so you can have a look at the whole trip in quick images.
Enjoy!
~T 🔥🐉♋️
We are back in Japan for a visit. It’s been just over three years since we left during the early pandemic/shutdown days.
When we left, we didn’t quite know what we were doing but the timing seemed right to try to move with the freedom of online work. Turns out we rode the wave well – thank you Universe. 🙏🏽
Since it was a somewhat unplanned decision and M was still working in his job, he didn’t get to say a proper “cya later” to people. Also, I have never gone longer than a year or two between visits, so it was time to come back.
This time, we stayed in Ginza for the first part. I took a girls’ trip to Kyoto with my BFF and are going to spend the rest of our time with her and family.
It’s been fun to refresh our tastebuds with Japanese cuisine and revisit old haunts for nostalgic purposes. Also, we have done some shopping given the euro-friendly exchange rate.
So, more on everything next week when we are back in Italy for a bit before we continue our winter travels. ❤️
In the meantime, here are a few pics.
~T 🔥🐉♋️
We are in single digit days left in Tokyo for this chapter. Who would have thought that I’d be living in and out of Japan four times since 1997? Who would have thought that I’d find the place that I swore I’d never return to after my first visit more like home than either my birth or adopted countries?
This time was definitely the best time I had and I am not leaving to escape nor with a sour taste in my mouth as previous times have been.
Thanks to being with Matt, living near my BFF, getting a job that I was familiar with and good at, and having perspective after living in a very different country in comparison, I could appreciate much more this time around than the previous times.
So, as I try to make time to positively reflect, I thought I’d summarize the things that I’ll actually miss.
1. My BFF and her family: Of course, I know I’ll be back for visits, but it was nice to have another chance to live near each other, to watch my godson grow into a young adult, to connect more with her husband, and to make more memories together.
2. My new friends and their families: I didn’t expect to really make friends as I’m not that good at it, but thanks to BFF connections and making a little effort both in and out of work, I did make some good friends (y’all know who you are!). I’ll carry the laughs and shared experiences as precious memories that added to what made this chapter in Japan the best of my previous years here.
3. Seasonal food: No other country does seasonal food like Japan (or at least none that I know yet). I love to eat, but I have always been a bit picky about Japanese food. However, knowing that I can get different fruit by the season or eat nabe in winter is somehow very comforting. I used to miss particular dishes, but this time I think I will miss the entire season of food.
4. Customer service: This is something I have always missed whenever I leave because there is nothing like the Japanese customer service. Some people dislike it because it is superficial and sometimes those who help state the obvious, but there is comfort in knowing that everyone gives their best to help as much as they can. Over time, one can understand that the stating of the obvious is their way of saying “I don’t know” because they can’t say it directly. 😉
5. Shinkawa: The river, or rather the man-made canal, that runs by our house has been my happy place when I needed to stretch my legs or feel a sense of nature. Keeping track of the ducklings, turtles, fish and flora of the riverside has really brought me peace of mind.
While there are other things that I will surely miss, these are the ones that are at the top of the list. I know they are somewhat different than what I thought I would miss the previous times I have left; but age changes perspective.
I have learned not to say good-bye anymore as I know that I will be back for visits and can still appreciate some of these things when I visit again. So, with that au revoir Japan, until next time….
~T 😀
As if a switch was turned the summer temperatures dropped 🌤 , humidity drifted away 🌬 , and leaves began to fall off the trees 🍃. Welcome to autumn.
Not to be outdone by the natural changes, we have our own seasonal movement happening. In 13 days, we will be on a plane to France 🛫🇫🇷. Assuming no major obstacles (knock on wood 🤞🏽) keep us from getting on the flight with the cats, we will begin the next phase of our lives near the Mediterranean Sea.
WHY ARE YOU MOVING TO FRANCE?
Many people have asked us this and, recently, my mother wanted to clarify to be able to explain to people this seemingly sudden move. After all, it feels as if we just got ourselves settled in Japan.
Well, two words explain in short: Brexit and COVID19.
FIRST, WHY FRANCE?
France has been our “next phase” (aka retirement) destination. We don’t say ‘retire’ because that suggests that we won’t be doing anything productive, but neither of us are likely to pass the days away leisurely – or at least, we can’t imagine that yet.
However, M has always wanted to have a vineyard 🍇 ➡️🍷and some land to putter around on in the French countryside. We have talked off and on about having a larger place to offer yoga retreats or conference centers or some kind of service-oriented type side business.
Either way, I fell in love 🥰 with the area when I visited in 2015 and agreed that it was somewhere I could happily spend the next phase of my life in. Despite my general dislike for the French language 🤦🏽♀️😂, I started to study it via the Duolingo app so that I would not be completely lost someday in the future when we moved there.
Besides, France is a great spot to launch from for travel as I have not done that much traveling through Europe as I always knew I wanted to see it when I could afford to enjoy it and not experience it like the typical backpacker. 🤷🏽♀️😇
NEXT, BREXIT:
Back in 2016, when the wheels of cray cray began to spin globally, we did not know what the effects of Brexit would be in a practical sense. It seemed for a while as if nothing would change, but then finally dates were set and actions were taken to declare that after December 31, 2020 British citizens would no longer be treated as EU citizens in France.
When we heard this, we began conversations around going sooner than later. However, at the beginning, we weren’t necessarily rushing to go as M pointed out that we could still move there, we’d just have to do more paperwork.
THEN, THERE WAS COVID19 –
The world went into this surreal state with no one really knowing that it was going to continue to an unknown future date. With the enforced and encouraged social distancing measures that have led to us both being able to work from home using video-calling programs and online systems, we realized that we could be doing this in our own open space, poolside, without neighbors within arms reach outside the windows, and just a train ride or car’s drive away from getting away from the ‘mundane’ things more freely (and cheaply).
OTHER DRAWS TO HAPPINESS:
Now, don’t get me wrong. Some of this is possible in Japan, and we have thoroughly enjoyed living here (haven’t left yet!). I admit that this time I have had the best time of all my stays here because I have been able to see it through new eyes.
However, it felt like this was the right timing and it all feels right. Japan was never meant to be for forever, though we did think that it was going to be for a bit longer than it’s turned out to be.
It’s just that we are both ready to live in more familiar lands where the culture and mindset are slightly more Western than we have been in since we met. There are seemingly small things like language barriers, cultural clouds, and a sense of transience that we face regularly here that will still be experienced in Europe, but at a much smaller scale.
We are looking forward to visiting the local boulangerie 🥖🥐, making friends that we can invest time and energy into 🥂🍻 knowing that we will be around for a while, taking side trips to neighboring countries 🚙🚆, and putting down some real roots together. 👩❤️👨.
So, together, we head off to a new phase and start the next part of the adventure of our lives. We are excited and I’ll be, hopefully, posting more regularly as I’ll finally be focusing on writing more and being the free-spirit I know I was always meant to be! 😝
~T 😀
An entire month has passed as my attention has been divided and my words have drifted in the blank spaces of my mind.
Where has my attention been? Well…
I’ve just released the third issue of The Universal Asian.
It’s growing in readership and content, which gives me a sense of satisfaction and conviction that we are building a community and space that I have been envisioning.
Last weekend we took an overnight road trip to Gifu Prefecture. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I have wanted to visit here for some time. It’s not along the typical tourist path, so I never quite made it before.
Thanks to some usual, but unexpected traffic getting out of Tokyo, we had a late arrival on Saturday, but we explored the nearby town, Hida-Takayama, which is popular for wooden pieces and it’s sake breweries in old-style houses.
On our way there, we had to cross the Japan Alps, but found that there was nothing really to worry about in our city car. It’s been a rather warm winter and so neither of us had thought to look at the weather report or worrying about our drive. Although, once we saw snow on the hills on the way there, we did lament about not at least bringing along our snow gear in case we had thought to stop for a quick swish-swish down a slope.
Still, we drove along enjoying the pretty views without a care.
Upon awaking the next morning, our excitement at seeing heavy snow fall quickly melted into tentative worry about our drive home. Thus, we headed off to Shirakawa-go without haste.
It was fun despite the chill to walk through the village and see the thatched-roof houses from days of old. We stopped for a ‘local coffee’ and watched the people go by taking in the traditional wintry scene.
Satisfied with our explorations, we prepared for the long journey home. Sadly, we had not prepared enough for the continually falling snow and our little city car with little city tires.
Most cars in Japan have winter tires that help them in all types of weather and terrain. As car-share participants, not owners, we tend not to think of such things. So…sure enough one slippery hill caused the little car to protest. We attempted to burn our way up the hill in hopes of at least getting out of the middle of the road, but the little engine that could, couldn’t. One of the challenges of being in a foreign country is the added stress of not knowing what to do in such situations. Also, it was a car-share rental, so there was only a protocol listed for accidents….
Therefore, I put out my spidey-senses and willed someone to stop to help us. This is not a country of good samaritans for the most part. However, a kind old batty man stopped to help us. He explained that there was no way our car was going to make it back to Tokyo in the current weather conditions. He stated we had two options: 1) buy chains; 2) call a tow truck and wait for at least an hour or more with a hefty bill to go with it.
Obviously, since NOM (nice old man) was willing to drive us to a gas station to see if we could buy some chains, we chose that option. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to use chains or drive in snow, but I felt confident one of us could figure it out. My gregarious husband did not let on that he had, in fact, never driven in snow nor touched chains before in his life. Luckily, his hubris covered until we were well on our way! 😛
I think the NOM had a sense that we “city-folk” were at a loss, so even though we gave him the equivalent of about $50 for taking us 12km round-trip, he also helped us in the cold to get the chains on and see us on our way.
Everything went smoothly and we made it through the rough patches. It only added on about an hour to our long journey and we managed to laugh our way through it all; so in the end we can share it as an experience and adventure!
What was rather strange about the whole thing was that we were just talking about how it never hurts to just be nice to people. There are plenty of times when we feel like we don’t have patience with others, but small acts of kindness build up good karma. Inevitably, we will be dependent on the kindness of others and want to be extended it, so we should always be in the state of mind to do the same. So, our sentiments were reinforced by NOM. 😀
Next time, though, we vowed to at least make sure we knew what to expect weather-wise. Plus, now we have chains that will fit most city cars – just in time for spring! 😉
~T 😀
I know it’s been a while since I have written. I kept thinking about sitting down to write a post and then I didn’t.
Time passes by quickly whether I am happy or whether I am sad. Time stops for no one. It’s really just a matter of how we spend the time.
People go through phases. Regular patterns reveal themselves throughout the year if we take the time to note them.
For me, the end of summer always brings a busy period and so it seems quite consistent that I write less in the early fall due to external factors. Probably, it is also the time when a low period hits after having to return to a normal schedule after being on holidays.
While this year wasn’t this case, I suppose that it was still a quiet period in terms of me pondering ‘out loud’ the meanderings of my mind.
On top of all that, I have realized that I have been in a bit of a funk. I was keeping busy to avoid acknowledging it or processing the source. My ups and downs are less obvious these days because overall life is fairly chill.
However, there has been quite a lot whirling in my mind.
During our recent holiday (post on that coming eventually), I 95% went off-grid. The remaining 5% was for a few minutes of mindless scrolling on social media, watching a video here and there, and keeping up with my French studies on Duolingo.
In any case, I read a book in a day (pictured above – nice when the cover matches the scenery, huh?!), watched the changing cloud patterns, drank tea and wine in our outdoor bathtub, swam in the sea, contemplated whether or not a school of fish could actually eat my body, enjoyed the rugby 🏉 matches, savored our nightly 8-course meals, laughed with my husband about nonsense, absorbed the ‘real purty’ scenery on our drives, and basically let my mind process what it needed.
While I’m not necessarily out of the funk, I definitely have a clearer idea of where my mind has been. The cogs of the wheel have been cleaned and oiled a bit, so I imagine I will finally be back to posting again. 😀
More to come….
~T 😀
Having weekends to myself has been the most challenging in terms of how to pass the time enjoyably, but also meaningfully for me.
I have loved fireworks since I was little, but in the US we can only enjoy them once a year really. However, it was always my favorite part of the 4th of July picnics that my family would host. Each year, they got bigger and better, but honestly, once I saw them in Japan nothing ever compared.
Every night, we can see the Disneyland fireworks from our bedroom window, but M thinks I’m crazy to get excited for them. He also felt lukewarm about the shows put on in the UAE, so I figured this was a good chance to go see some summer fireworks and he would not necessarily be disappointed by missing them.
The only issue with attending any major event in Japan is the crowds. It doesn’t matter where you go, if it’s an event, you’ll be sharing it with thousands of other people. So, I decided to be proactive in minimizing my crowd-discomfort and bought a ticket to ensure that I would get a seat to enjoy the show. Plus, I would have a safe place to aim for to keep me from being overwhelmed with too many people.
Despite my planning ahead in buying a ticket in order to avoid the chaos involved with attending summer fireworks festivals, I ended up on the wrong side of the river. How would anyone ever know this?!
While I do fully appreciate the Japanese complacency to follow rules to the letter, I am not such a kind of person when efficiency proves doing so to be completely out the door. The nice staff lady tried to tell me I had enough time to walk another kilometer, get on another train and then find my seat on the other side of the river, all I could think about was that I’d have to return to this side of the river when all is said and done to get home; thus why I thought my seat would be here.
So, taking advantage of the fact that most would not assume that I wouldn’t follow the rules, I snuck back in to the riverside and walked down where people were not on their previously saved blue tarps – the peanut gallery.
I found a nice little free space amongst those who most likely knew better than to consider buying a ticket and knew that one could just show up to find a grassy spot for the viewing.
While waiting for the show to start, I listened to my audiobook and observed as a solitary individual within the sea of chattering people in groups or couples who had come together to experience ‘summer’ culture in Japan. Although it would be basically impossible to merge into a giant BBQ event in the US, it’s rather easy to blend with the crowd of unknown faces while remaining in my own private world looking forward to the moment when the dark sky becomes alight with colors.
What is it about fireworks that people love? What is it about them that I love?
I can’t really say. But, there is something awesome about seeing man’s talent for shooting up bombs of fire that burst into colors, shapes, or designs. In a way, it’s how I imagine the ‘heavens’ with lights blended together into a glorious mass of color.
Edogawa is said to have 14,000 fireworks making it one of the largest shows in Tokyo. The hour long display was marvelous. It was fun to oooh and awwwwe with the crowd and feel a part of the whole audience. Plus, I got to play with my camera to capture the lights!
Click on the pic to see more!
~T 😀
Back in the day, I used to really love sumo. I would watch it regularly on Japanese TV as something of an oddity in the culture.
My early days of studying Japanese was challenging because I really had no appreciation for much of its culture despite learning the language. Perhaps it was too close to my own unknown mother culture that I thought it a betrayal to both my native and adopted ones. Perhaps when I was learning about other worlds I was still uncomfortable in my own. Perhaps it really boils down to my lack of experiences outside of my own survival. Whatever the reason, I found Japanese culture more than foreign.
However, my high school Japanese teacher worked hard to encourage us to find aspects of the culture that we could like. It was through her efforts that I became interested in sumo.
In the midst of unfamiliarities, mankind can generally find commonality in sport. While most Western countries enjoy inflicting pain at seemingly all costs to win, the traditional sport of sumo wrestling has the perfect Japanese twist.
The bouts are generally quick once the fight begins with one man getting pushed out of the ring or falls to the ground. Yet before the fight starts there is a process of squatting, lifting legs, throwing salt and pysching out the opponent. Aside from the strutting like any good cock fight, there is a spiritual element of calling on a Shinto god to help them win the fight. This intertwining of the simple and complex defines my understanding of Japan.
When I attended a tournament before, it was to enjoy the sport and see a superficial side of the sport. This time, being definitely older and only somewhat wiser, I enjoyed it on a different level. Possibly sitting closer to the action helped as well. ;D
In any case, I recommend it as an experience of something so strange and at the same time so simple.
Here are some pics from the great day of sumo wrestling!
~T 😀
My all-time favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Although there is some controversy in recent years around the origins of the holiday, I ignore all the politicking of it and focus on what it means to me.
Some people argue that they like Christmas better because, in the US, it’s not that much different from Thanksgiving except that we exchange presents. However, for me the consumerism attitude is not necessary. Therefore, I prefer the third Thursday in November as my main holiday of the year.
Of course, as a lover of food, one of the best aspects of Thanksgiving is having delicious turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and the lot passed around the table.
Still, even better than the good food, is the great company. To me, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends-who-are-family. As I prepare dishes to share, I marinate in gratitude for these people in my life. I feel honored to have such a connection to those whom I call family and friends.
Over the years, I’ve shared Thanksgiving with not only Americans, but friends from around the world. It’s a time to enjoy being together.
It is also a time to reflect and express thanks for the many blessings in our lives. During the year, time passes quickly and lives are full with activities of worry or flurry. Thanksgiving is a day when we can stop, take a breath, and appreciate all that we have in our lives from the smallest of things to the greatest of joys.
So, although I was not able to be physically with my family to celebrate this year, I still shared my favorite holiday with those around me as we ate, laughed and were very merry for a day of Thanks-giving.
~ T 😀
Here are some photos from the day:
