It took God two days to make Japan...

I'm the proud new owner of a 1998 Toyota Sprinter - never heard of it before? Me neither. It's essentially a Corolla - only 50k miles! It will work for the next few years, I'm sure. Plus - I only paid $1000 for it. Well, and then the several other fees associated with having a car in Japan. $300 for COMPULSORY Japanese Insurance, another $300 for strongly suggested additional living-in-Tokyo insurance, and I haven't yet been hit with the fee required for the road tax and registration. That comes on Tuesday when I can actually pick up the title and registration. Everything takes about 2 days to do in Tokyo what would take maybe two hours in the states. It took me two days to get a cell phone, two days to buy and register the car, two days to get my drivers license in hand, and don't even get me going on the ridiculous banking system here. You'd think a country that is so incredibly technologically advanced, and financially intertwined with the U.S. would be a little more accommodating to us Americans who just want to put in an honest day's work, and have consistent access to our money. Have I mentioned that no one takes U.S. issued credit cards here, and that I CAN'T get a Japanese bank account or credit card because I don't have an alien registration card? So, I've been carrying around the equivalent of $1500 CASH for the past week! I'm going to be severely bummed if I'm ever mugged here.

Back to driving. This is a completely new and stressful experience for me. I've never driven on the "wrong" side of the road, nor "right" side of the car before. My previous European and Asian experiences have taken me to lands where driving is on the right side of the road. I drove back from Yokota (about 1-1/2 hours) on the freeway and Tokyo roads. I survived, and only turned on the windshield wipers instead of my turn signal about 3 times. I succeeded in finding where I currently live without too much trouble, thanks to all of the walking that we've been doing. Although I passed the Japanese written driving test, don't even for a second believe that I actually REMEMBER all of the things I was tested on. The solid white and yellow lines, the dashed lines, the triangles in the road, the kanji on the road signs, and most confusingly - the signals with both red circles AND green arrows. The tester told us that all we had to remember was "think left, think left"....

We saw our new home for the first time today! All of our stuff arrives on Monday - so next week will be extremely painful trying to fit all of our big American stuff in. It's a nice Western-style townhome in a decent neighborhood, and it even has a dishwasher! It's 3 levels - the top floor has a room that will be my study and a small terrace. I'm having stair rails installed on the outside, though. The stairs are a bit steep for David and I'm afraid he may fall in a rush to get outside. Each boy (including Joseph, our manny) will have their own room! My favorite item? The Japanese heated toilet seat/bidet in the downstairs bathroom! Yay!

It will take us, yes, two days to move in...

Ja Mata...

The saint who works no cures has few visitors to his shrine

It was BRIGHT and HOT today! The boys love their new umbrellas - lucky for us they work in both the sweltering heat, and the sudden rain storms.





Today's adventure took us to the Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) in Shibuya. Straight from Wikipedia, "Meiji Jingu is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. When Emperor Meiji died in 1912 and Empress Shōken in 1914, the Japanese people wished to pay their respects to the two influential Japanese figures. It was for this reason that Meiji Shrine was constructed and their souls enshrined on November 1, 1920."




It's an extremely popular destination for tourists and locals alike. One step into its 175 acres of forested peace, and you'll understand why. Shibuya and nearby Harujuku are as crowded and busy as any Manhattan street corner (yeah, like I would know, but have heard), and the perfect contrast of bustle with peace and serenity make this an easy way to get away from it all.





One of the sights I enjoyed the most was on the path leading to the shrine. On the right side of the path is a towering display of all types of sake barrels, that have been donated to the shrine by countrywide sake makers. This is not the real reason, but I imagine that they are there so that the deified Emperor and Empress can party and entertain into eternity. Due to Emperor Meiji's welcoming of most things Western to include ideas, fashions, and politics, he cultivated famous European friendships (and domestic enemies - but that's another lesson). So, in addition to the sake barrels dedicated to their afterlife, on the left side of the path was an equally impressive display of wine casks donated by the finest winemakers in Bourgogne, France. The Emperor and Empress can also entertain their dead European pals who prefer the grape to the rice kernel.






An equally touching and unique sight are the prayer placards placed in front of the shrine. Prayers from people and cultures from around the world (mostly Japanese, though) are hung for everyone to see, and hopefully be answered. I left Chris alone there for about 5 mins when I went to fetch David (he had again decided he was done walking). When David and I returned to the shrine, Chris said, "Hey, do you want to see what I prayed for?" Since the placards cost 500 yen (about 5 USD), and he didn't have any money, I was sure I needed to remit payment thinking he had "appropriated" a placard without paying. He directed me past the place where the placards were hanging, and straight to the tables where people wrote the placards before hanging them. And there plain as day, written on the table itself was Christopher's prayer: "Dear God, Please let me live forever, and learn this crazy talk. Love, Chris in Japan." So, my son wants to learn Japanese.

Ja Mata! (thank you Erickson Sensei for correcting my romanized spelling of this phrase. Now just relax and enjoy the blog, please)

It takes a village

Wednesday was the day that I had to go back to Camp Zama to pick up my international drivers license that I had taken the test for the day before, so that I'd be allowed to buy a car. Camp Zama is 2 hrs away. It sucks getting to Camp Zama by train. It sucks more getting to and from Camp Zama by train with two kids. It rains in Camp Zama. Camp Zama starts with a "z". I HATE Camp Zama. This was a day to be survived, not savored (I think I read that on a friend's blog somewhere - I like the alliteration of it). Good news is that I have an international driver's license. Bad news is that now the Japanese know that my children aren't very well-behaved.

It started off well-enough. Everyone was in a good mood. The weather was clear, not too hot, not too muggy. The boys were excited about the adventure, and we stopped at our local "conbini" to stock up on cool drinks and snacks. We rode for about 45 mins, catching the express trains, making good time - then I chose the wrong train. We travelled for another 45 minutes IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!! In the midst of a rousing game of "rock paper scissors" with Chris, I realized my mistake. So, off the train, back on a different train for another 45 minutes, to catch the correct train. Then, there was the 20 minute walk to get to Camp Zama - it rained. I had one umbrella, and two whiny kids. It wasn't going well. Got my license, got some lunch, David bought a new suit (see pic of suit top), it stopped raining, and we had to make the return trip. Go figure both kids, especially David were falling apart by now. David refused, just flat out refused to walk; sat down on the sidewalk and wouldn't budge. Chris tried to get him to stand up. My patience was very thin - ok, non-existent, so I just walked ahead about 200m and waited for him to decide that he could indeed walk. Fortunately this was still on base and there was only one passerby to witness the entire drama of David screaming at the top of his lungs for me to come back and pick him up, and me refusing. So in the fashion of the old "obaasan" that I've become, I carried him on my back, hunched over, sweat pouring everywhere, and walked to the train station.

I should have known it wouldn't have taken long - but less than a week? On the longest leg of our train ride, the train was quite crowded already, and there were very few seats. There were two seats available, one on each side of an older, kind of dirty Japanese man. I should have known there was a reason no one was sitting next to him. Anyway, my kids needed to sit - so sit they did - one on each side of "ojiisan". My one rice ball stomach began to have a fit as I witnessed what I can only imagine is a rare buddhist ritual. The man raised his left arm, reached over to the right side of his head, and proceeded to dig at some scab or carbuncle. The left arm would slowly flow to its rightful side, and he would examine the results of his archaeology under his 1/4 long fingernails, and flick his treasures onto the ground. The next part of this ritual was to take the same scythe like nails and excavate for more treasure in his left ear. The fruits of his labor again to be examined and flicked onto the floor. As much as I tried to avert my eyes - it was just too engrossing at how methodical and exact he was. He stopped after doing it 10 times. Then, he began to get annoyed at being surrounded by my kids. David has a few tics. His most frequent is to clear his throat and wipe his mouth with the back of each hand in succession. Well, of course, as you are wiping your mouth, your elbow comes out and sometimes bumps the person next to you. You guessed it, David's skinny little elbow bumped "digger-man's" own skinny arm one to many times, and "digger-man" started pushing back on David. A seat came open soon after this, so I sat down and had David come over to sit on my lap.

"Digger-man"

And then it happened... As David was situating himself on my lap, Chris was a little too fidgety for "digger-man" and "digger-man" reached out and SMACKED Christopher's foot!! What's a foreigner to do? I know if I yelled at him, I would have only been able to get out the equivalent of "What are you doing?"...after that, it would have been a fruitless battle of misunderstood and incorrectly pronounced words. Plus, we're the aliens. My kids don't have Japanese manners (much less well-honed American manners), so we were in the wrong. Part of me was also thinking, "Ha! I told you so, Chris. You've GOT to stop fidgeting so much!" Nothing was said, I just scooted Chris closer to me, and the three of us occupied 1 1/2 seats on the train, all the way home. Oh, right "home" is all relative. "Home station" is more like it, because from the train station to "home" is another 10 min walk at which point David again became incapable of walking.

Lessons Learned -

1. If there are empty seats on a crowded train, make sure to survey what's being avoided.

2. Avoid Camp Zama - no reason to go there

3. Wait until I get a car before taking kids anywhere in public.

JaMata!!

Things I love and hate thus far about Tokyo

Your eyes are not deceiving you - this pic is a bit blurry, but it is of a store near Harajuku on a major road way called "condomania" - great play on words don't you think? Note the friendly mascot on the right side. I had the boys with me, so chose not to peruse the merchandise - it seemed pretty crowded. This is a very safe country.

So, I've been thinking about the things that I love and hate thus far about Tokyo, and I'd like to list a few:

LOVE the "conbinis" (convenience stores) and vending machines - they pretty much sell everything - great for light lunches - actually healthy noodles, rice and veggie dishes. So unlike the grease laden super burritos found in U.S. 7-11s.

HATE skinny Japanese chicks. Haven't taken any pics of them, yet. They're beautiful, well-dressed, graceful, and skinny as all get out. Seriously, 90 percent of the female poplulation look like candidates for Dr. Phil's upcoming "you need to eat to survive" episode. They should all be hospitalized, and be fed intravenously. They've got to be super light, though, in order to wear the fabulous high heels that they hike around in for miles and miles every day. So, I guess the fashion requirement outweighs potential health risks. I've started my one-rice-ball-a-day diet (which I can get at ANY conbini), and bought some new shoes.

LOVE the hustle and bustle, sights and sounds, and being a foreigner here. Just sitting on a park bench is an adventure in eye candy. Forgot to mention that although I HATE the skinny chicks, I'm pretty much a fan of the thin, tall, and hip Japanese men. I haven't bumped into Abe Hiroshi yet, but I've seen (or imagined) several look alikes. Every street corner has a mix of high fashion, expensive restaurant, and mom and pop soba noodle bar. There's the constant din of neon lights, wafting familiar yet unknown smells, and the unconscious ebb and flow of understanding what's being said around me. Being a foreigner here hasn't been that bad thus far. Everyone that I've asked for help from has been more than accommodating, and gone out of their way to patiently explain to me what I need to know. I am always greeted and sent off with a genuine smile.

HATE sweating. It's August in Tokyo - monsoon season, lots of heat and humidity. I started using an enzyme, non-aluminum something or other, anti-perspirant and deodorant. I don't think it's working very well. May have to go back to the cancer-causing brands. Not very polite in crowded trains, but it does give me a bit more room around me. I'll have to consider the pros and cons. I don't have a car yet, and have been on several 2 plus hour evolutions to get someplace the past few days, and have just absolutely wilted with the commute. I don't know how the daggone skinny chicks also have long hair!! Oh yeah, they're so skinny they are constantly cold, even in this weather. Hmm, they fell into my HATE category again...

All right, not too bad - 2 points in each column, and a lot more time and ground to cover...

Ja Matta... (later)

From the U.S. to Foreign Lands

David enjoying a ride on the Super Ferry!

Chris is Merman in Maui!!

Copied from a mass e-mail sent to family and friends on 9 August 2008

Dear Friends and Friends - sorry about the mass e-mail, but I'm still foggy from jet lag, and wanted to let you all know that the boys and I arrived safely in Tokyo yesterday afternoon (August 8th).

We had a fabulous week on our "Hawaii layover", and am so glad that we did so. We spent 4 days on Oahu and 2 days in Maui. Wish we would have stayed in Maui longer, I'm hooked. We packed in a lot of tourist traps - luau, magic show, "surfing", superferry ride, pineapple plantation, sea life park, hilo hatties runby, etc. The adventure I'm most proud of is our climb to the top of the Diamond Head Crater observatory! It's 1.5 miles up, a fairly steep walk. I didn't think we'd get much further than the first half, so didn't even bother to bring the camera - sadly :-( Both boys wanted to continue on, and although I carried David the last 1/2 mile, we all made it to the top and were rewarded with a most amazing view of an extremely clear and beautiful day in Waikiki. Christopher had a few slips on the way down, scraped up his back, legs, and arms a bit. After a few drama filled screams, Chris proclaimed, "Ohhhh, this is the WORST thing that has EVER happened to me!" I told the boys we'd have to do it again on one of our trips back to the states, just so I can get some pictures!

The flight from Honolulu to Tokyo was 7 plus hours, the drive from the airport to where we're staying was 2 hours! Traffic was horrible, and the boys were at their "good behavior" break point. Fortunately, we were met at the airport gate by the asst Army attache, and the current Marine attache. They got us through customs and immigration quickly, tolerated the painful 2 hr car ride, and got us settled in to the furnished embassy temporary quarters where we'll be staying until I can get us moved in to our "condo" out in town - probably around 16 August. We had beer, juice and pizza for dinner, and I couldn't have been happier - except for the $60 price tag on the equivalent of three personal size pizzas!!

Out of the three of us, Chris has tolerated the jet lag the best - he fell asleep around 8pm and woke up at 6am. David crashed at 7pm, but has been up since 1am. I got up with him for a bit, and tried to got back to sleep unsuccessfully. It's going to be a long day -

The next few days will be filled with all of the things to help us truly get settled - meeting with the realtor, checking in to Camp Fuji, getting a cell phone, bank account, international driver's license, register the car, grocery shopping, etc. Our realtor has hooked us up already, though - cable tv, internet service, utilities, parking spot, etc are all included in my monthly rent, and are already set up in the new place! Joseph, our "manny" gets here toward the end of the month - I'll definitely need the extra set of eyes and hands!

Ok, enough blabbing from me. Thanks for hanging in this long. We're all happy and healthy - David has already heard about Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo Thomas and Friends, and apparently a BIG Toys R Us, and has been asking non-stop when we're going to visit each of those places - I'm pretty sure Toys R Us is first.