almost...

I was going to write another post on Roz and Dick's long ago trip to Japan, but I can't.  I can not locate the CDs with the pictures on them.  You see, it's that time.  We're packing up.

Here is our apartment the day we moved in. 

Wow, it looks tiny.

A short while later, with stuff in it...

And later, the "lived-in" condition....

And another angle.....

But now....

and

A sad state of affairs indeed. 

And our once cute and cozy loft?

Now looks more like this...

Surviving several days with half our stuff packed away in suitcases (to be picked up tomorrow morning and delivered to the airport for us!) does mean that we are that much closer to being reunited with family, friends, and the rest of our possessions (and much more room in our house!) in America. 

So for that, we are happy.

Mata ne,
Melissa

kodachrome

Excuse me, dear readers.  I have nothing new for you today.

You see, I've been spending lots of time on this here computer in the last few days; beating the heat and humidity indoors (with the air conditioning on full blast) and preparing to leave our honeymoon home.  We've accumulated quite a bit of stuff in this tiny little apartment over the last nine months, and now it is time to purge.  Everything must go.  And rather than kick it to the curb, we're hoping to sell it to another cute honeymooning couple looking for a variety of household items of superior design and quality who aren't interested in making a trip all the way out to IKEA.

I've made a website, posted pictures, and even met someone in Shinjuku (in front of the Gap, it's the BEST place to meet someone outside one of the busiest train stations in the world) to sell our coffee maker.  But fear not, we still have the espresso maker! We've got A LOT more to get rid of, though, so anyone in need of a printer, rice cooker, cheap shelving, or a lamp, come to Tokyo and you can have it cheap!

When I haven't been working on ridding our home of the comforts of modern living, I've spent quite a bit of time biking around our little town capturing images of the scenes and locations we want to remember when we head back to the States.  It will be hard to leave the place we've spent our first year of marriage, so we want to remember every street, store, and restaurant that have been such a big part of our daily lives.

And Tokyo is constantly changing - a building may be torn down with a new one put up in it's place in a month's time! - so it would be fun to see how different things may look when we come back to visit in a few years. 

I've also gotten to play with my new camera a bit, and take pictures of the blooming flowers that, amazingly, can be seen all over the city.  Individual people take the time to cultivate them in public spaces.  And no one cuts them down or destroys them!  Hard for an American to believe.

I think this is a gardenia.  Anyone want to back me up here?

I could smell this thing about 10 feet away if that's any help. 

And, I think this is a hydrangea.  They were formed into almost perfect balls.

And in order to illustrate just how humid it has been here in Tokyo, there are water droplets on the leaves of these plants and it didn't rain today!  Ok, I grant that these flowers may have been watered recently, but I'm telling you, you don't know humidity until you've endured an east Asian rainy season.


Jeff's been a busy bee too.  He's finishing up a paper he will deliver tomorrow (nothing like the last minute, huh?) and has been furiously typing away and monopolizing the small table space we have all week.  I am so excited to go and watch him speak!  Of course, I say that now....  Don't worry, I'll have some coffee first!  There will be yummy Indian food after though, did I mention that :) ?

So that's all I have to report, not so exciting I know.  But we have something BIG in the works for next week, so stay tuned!

Mata ne,
Melissa

superlatives

Kyoto has this temple called Chion-in which, like Texas, embraced the motto "bigger is better" and ran with it.  

Exhibit number one: The biggest gate in Japan

Maybe a little perspective would be helpful.

My dad, in the blue top and red backpack at the top of the stairs, is about 10 feet in front of the huge wooden post of the directly behind him.  The thing is HUGE. 

Exhibit number two: the huge, steep stairs (not the tallest or steepest we've seen in Japan, but a good effort)

Almost there.  Ouch.  The smile is hiding the burning in my quads.  And I'm fairly certain I was muttering "stop taking my picture!" through my clenched teeth. 

Exhibit number three: the biggest main temple in Japan

Beyond just being absolutely ginormous, the building was also very cool for it's "nightingale floor" on what is best described to a westerner as a wrap-around porch.  The floor was specifically designed to "sing"(squeak) when walked on, making it difficult for intruders to move about quietly.  Or teenagers to sneak out at night.

Exhibit number four: the biggest bell in Japan

A picture could not possibly convey how big this thing is.  Unless there were six of me holding hands in a circle around it. If there were no fence preventing me from getting close.  And five more of me.  

In the words of Billy Fucillo (one thing I DO NOT miss from America) HUUUUGGGGGGGEEah.    Apparently it takes 17 monks to ring the bell for the New Year's ceremonies.  That big log with the white thing at the end is what they use to ring it. 

 I think our whole apartment might fit into the bell. 

Mata ne,
Melissa

Guest post by Karyn: Japan on 10,000 yen a day

Greetings all of Melissa’s blog followers.  If you have noticed that she has been remiss in posting for the last week, I take full responsibility as she and Jeff have been very busy entertaining us, her parents.  So, to make up for her absence, I offer this guest blog on just a few of my observations:

Non-conformity

Aaron is right: Tokyo is like many other large American cities – just filled with Japanese people.  However, the cultural homogeneity and conformity that we Americans have been led to believe in isn’t at all what I have observed.  There is clear evidence of the genetic influence of Caucasian, African, and other-Asian on the faces I’ve seen on whichever form of mass transit we are riding that day.  And the dress ranges from traditional kimonos (most often observed in sites of historical, spiritual or cultural importance) to some wild get-ups that would impress Lady Gaga and make heads turn in even the most liberal enclaves of San Francisco or Greenwich Village.

 Non-standard Precautions

In health care [Karyn is a nurse] we refer to the routine level of personal protection devices (masks, gloves, etc) as Standard Precautions.  For you non-medical persons, basically this amounts to washing your hands between patients and wearing gloves if you may touch something “yucky.” But the CDC recommendations on the practice of wearing masks in public includes those for whom going out in public would represent a danger to themselves or others; and even then only when staying home (the preferred course of action) is not an option.  That means persons who are very compromised (i.e. on chemotherapy) or are incredibly contagious (i.e. have tuberculosis).  I am very amused by the number of people wearing masks as they go about their daily business.  Even more amusing is that only rarely is the mask employed in the recommended manner.  Covering only the mouth?  Using it as a beard warmer? Having it loosely draped across the face?  In other words, useless.  

Engrish

Let me start by saying that like most Americans, I only speak one language.  I do know a fair amount of medical Spanish – more like Spanglish – that I successfully use when communicating simple things to my Spanish speaking patients.   Even so, I am quite amused with the Engrish that I read on everything from signs to clothing.  I have been photographing my favorites to include in my scrapbooking such as these found in Melissa & Jeff’s neighborhood:  a clothing store named “Nincompoop Capacity” and a barber shop called “Bad Nice”.  When buying bottled water your choices include “Calpis” and “Pocari Sweat”.  My all time favorite (which I was unable to photograph) was the toddler wearing a baseball cap that said “Suicidal 

Tendencies”.  As Dave Berry would say – that would make a great name for a rock band.

The Honeymooners

Melissa and Jeff are very happy, and seem very much at home here in their teeny apartment in this big city.  Yes, Melissa, you are right – I could fit two of your apartments in my family room – with room to spare!  And while I fully expected Jeff, the scholar, to speak fluent Japanese, I am wholly amazed at the amount that Melissa is able to read and speak comfortably in just six months.  And for a person who has never lived in a large metropolitan area, I am astonished at the ease at which she navigates the maze of a subway system – in another language!  Finally, while I always knew that Jeff and Melissa both enjoy eating well – it has been amusing eating our way thru Tokyo and Kyoto - except the fish eyeballs. Usually Jeff and Melissa are planning their next meal before they have finished the one in front of them.  And I have no idea how the Japanese remain so thin on such a carb heavy diet (Melissa and Jeff work out every day so that is obviously their secret) – and I am scared to weigh myself when I get back home. 

Well I could go on about the impressive range of toilet facilities, the cold rainy weather we have had these last couple days, and the unbelievable beauty and antiquity of the sites we have seen – but I have to save something for Melissa to write about….

Karyn

parents arrive!

My parents have safely arrived in Tokyo!   After lugging 10 pounds of peanut butter, 5 pounds of magazines, 5 pounds of wine from the vineyard where we were married, and some of their own stuff across the city, we made it to our apartment where, in spite of my assertions that it was, in fact, really tiny, my mom was stunned at how small it was. 

We took them out for some ramen and, with the time difference catching up with them, set up the pull-out couch so they could get some much needed horizontal sleep.

We've got a fairly open day tomorrow of exploring Shinjuku, one of our favorite parts of Tokyo, and doing some sakura viewing while there are still some petals on the trees.  It was a gorgeous day today so here's hoping tomorrow is good to us as well!

Mata ne,
Melissa

when the cat's away...

What's a girl to do when she finds herself home alone in her tiny little apartment one cold, snowy evening?  Clean the bathroom?  Don't be silly.

I started the evening off right with a nice home-cooked prepared dinner.  A classic.  The peanut butter and jelly sandwich (don't worry, the husband didn't leave me alone with no food - this was me spoiling myself).

Then I puttered around for a bit.  Thought about doing some work to prepare for lessons this week.  Decided that would be a poor use of my "me time."  Wrote a few emails.  Ate a few pieces of chocolate (note to self: buy multi-vitamins).  Poured myself a glass of wine.  Decided to play around with photo booth.

Commence photo booth montage:

not enough light.

That's better.

Starting to get boring.

Obligatory Japanese high school girl pose. 

Fun with comic book effect.

Ok, enough of that.  I'm off to get started on one of the three books I picked out at the library today.  Another pillar of Japanese literature, Kenzaburo Oe (winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize), and two pillars of American literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Henry James. 

Mata ne,
Melissa

P.S. For those of you who are concerned about such things, I was not a bum all day.  I followed yesterday's 11 mile run with 2500 yards meters in the pool today.  Surprisingly, the run was easier.

"brothers gotta hug." and nap on the couch.

Aaron is here!  And he brought presents!!  No peanut butter, but Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a worthy replacement.  (Notice Leonardo DiCaprio in the commercial behind me.  Do they have that one in America?  Apparently he used to do TONS of commercials in Japan.)

Jeff ran 22 miles today (half way out to the airport!) and Aaron left his house about 22 hours ago and hasn't slept a wink so they're two tired guys lounging on the couch right now.  So tired neither one could manage a smile.

Scratch that.  Aaron just fell asleep with just his upper body on the couch.  It is quite a sight.  Six feet of Aaron stretched out clear across our little 13 square meter home.  We'll get off soon so he can have his bed to himself.

Mata ne,
Melissa

let it snow... somewhere else

A few of you have asked me about the weather, so while you're all recovering from the latest "storm of the year" coverage on the news, I thought I'd gloat share.

In Tokyo, this year at least, the weather is actually quite nice.  It's definitely "winter" but more of the mid-November/early-March winter than January winter that we're used to in the Northeast. The average daytime high for January (I just looked it up on weather.com) was somewhere between 45˚ and 50˚ F (around 10˚ C if anyone out there actually knows how the metric system works) with average nighttime lows between 30˚ and 35˚ F (hovering just over 0˚C - that one's easier).  We even had a few days over 60˚!

Generally it's been a sunny winter - something I thought was an oxymoron coming from Syracuse, New York.  We've had not even a hint of snow and not too much rain, either.  Unfortunately, today has been rainy and gross and under 40˚.

NOOOOOO!!!  Jeff just called me (he's on his way home from a coffee shop where he was doing some work - Me? A distraction?) and told me to look outside.  It's beginning to look a lot like... Syracuse.  Yes, February 1, Old Man Winter arrives in Tokyo and brings some fluffy white snow with him.

 

I made Jeff take pictures of me when he got home - stuff like this doesn't happen everyday in Tokyo!  Here you can see our very, very sad looking "backyard."

 

Ok, it doesn't look like much, I know, but the snow is sticking (for now at least)!  And yes, there is a funny shadow on my face where the flash hit a falling snowflake.  I don't have a new giant mole.  Our "backyard" as you can see, is somewhat lacking.  We are seriously looking forward to enjoying our spacious American backyard without dirty, peeling concrete walls and green turf when we get home. 

We got to enjoy two wonderful treats this evening after our fun in the snow.  First, we bought fabric softener the other day and I did our first load using it tonight (we have to line dry everything as we have no dryer - and have I mentioned before, our washer is outside?) so finally we won't have dry, crispy clothes to wear!  Now everything's drying on our dry rack hung under the wall heater and making this place smell glorious! (Too many "dry"s in that paragraph?  Yea, I thought so too.)

Second, Jeff whipped up an amazing breakfast dinner of English muffin topped with an egg, sauteed garlic, spinach, onions, and lox (that's smoked salmon for all you goyim out there).  YUM.

He's a regular Raymond Ray.  Now if I could only get him to wash all the dishes he used making it....

Mata ne,
Melissa

City of Brotherly Love?

In just a few short days my baby brother will be landing at Narita so we are eagerly preparing for his much hyped visit.

Jeff and I are both super excited for sibling hosting part deux, this time with one less sibling squatting in our teeny tiny apartment.  Coming in over six feet tall, Aaron will likely find our place a bit cramped and will be doing a fair share of ducking while exploring the city, but he's already excited about the basketball game we've arranged for him. 

I just know Aaron is going to love Tokyo and we've been racking our brains for great things to do and see with him while he's here.  We haven't made any specific plans yet, and we don't want to spoil any surprises, so here are just a few things that I know Aaron will love about my temporary hometown.

The food:

Ramen, soba, udon, tempura, yaki niku, yaki soba, yaki tori, okonomiaki, sushi.  Yum.  What's not to love??  Ok, maybe tako yaki (tako = octopus) and the ten million kinds of mushrooms they have here, but that's just me.

Don't worry, Aaron, we'll definitely go for kai-ten sushi place while you're here (or as Leigh likes to put it - sushi-go-round).


Starbucks:
My baby brother has an affinity for (obsession with?) Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes and the day they add them to the seasonal menu is a day of celebration in his world.  Unfortunately we've reached the time of year when they've run out of the appropriate spices at many locations and I didn't see them in Japan at all.  Lucky for him there is a Starbucks on almost every corner in Tokyo (though I haven't scouted a location where you can sit in one and look out the window at another like at Astor Place in NYC) with a wide range of caffeinated options for his enjoyment.  And an English menu.
(Point Tokyo: In addition to Starbucks, there are in fact many such high end coffee shops to chose from.  One is not limited to the Starbucks/Dunkin' Donuts dichotomy.)

Tully's:

Ok, Tully's Coffee, but he does like Tully's and coffee, so where can you go wrong?  Right?









Engrish:
My brother is an avid reader and a great writer and I think he'll be quite amused by the, shall we say, "liberties" taken with the English language. 

Public Transportation:

Aaron's been living in New York City since he graduated college and knows the ins and outs of the NYC subway system.  I think he will be impressed by the organization and efficiency of the Tokyo train system though.  The trains are never late.  Ever.  Oh, yea, and it's about a thousand times more comfortable and clean than in New York.  Maybe more.

This is my well worn English copy of the system. For perspective, it takes exactly one hour (the trains are always on time) to do the oval in the middle - this city is HUGE.

Can't wait to share more when he actually gets here!

Mata ne,
Melissa