That was January…

So the end of January was pretty… challenging.

 

So the storms in Nashville decided that my car would do well with a new body style.  In and of itself, that isn’t terrible.  I won’t need the car for a few more months, so it provides plenty of time for insurance to do it’s thing.

If I had had insurance.

Turns out there was a little mistake after my August trip and my coverage was suspended instead of being reduced.  Oh yeah – and they are also pretty sure it’s totaled.  So at the moment we’re trying to see if the insurance company will be compassionate enough to notice that the pattern for all of my trips has been to raise / lower the coverage, combined with my 15 years of multi-line patronage.  Of course no matter the outcome, if it’s totaled it adds to my coming home fun.

On the occasion of a new year

So it’s officially 2013 around the world now. I celebrated the passing of the year in Japan with friends. It’s a quiet affair without a lot of noisy celebration. Similar to what I may have done in the states, however, we sat watching television shows until midnight passed. Once it did however, instead of images of people celebrating in Times Square they showed people in temples around the country as each rang out a solemn 108 chimes on their huge bells. I have to admit I enjoy it.

2012 was a tough year and I can’t see 2013 becoming a cake walk. Susan and Olivia moved back to the states in April so I’ve been living the life of a bachelor in Tokyo. Amusingly when I visited Hong Kong I wasn’t really certain how big Olivia had gotten as I selected a shirt for her. It’s tough being away from my little one. That said I know she’s in a great place, staying with her grandparents. She’s in preschool, which has been a great outlet and learning experience for her – that’s something the past 6 months wouldn’t have offered as easily.

Given my single-life existence in Tokyo I’ve picked up some bad habits. I work pretty long hours, often going home around 7 or 8 at night. I’ve basically entirely stopped eating at home, instead getting take out or going to restaurants. That food combined with an extra drink or two has lead to weight gain. Sure, plenty of people would say its needed but I’m not particularly pleased with my new spare time around the midsection.

I’ve also been significantly challenged by the general isolation of being 13-15 hours off from my support system. I really Tokyo, but I’d like it more if I could transplant “my” part of the US here with me. At the same time I have built a pretty nice group of people here in Tokyo that will be tough to leave.

So as 2013 arrives I see plenty of change and challenge coming – some things I hope to introduce and others that will be placed upon me.

First and foremost I hope to become all the more mindful and in touch with my feelings. I’ve done a great job of disconnecting from most of my self so having been briefly reintroduced in 2012 I’d like to learn more in the coming year. It’s a bit frightening I have to admit… but it’s all part of a better experience.

Next, I have to close out my chapter in Japan. Within the next 3-4 months my role will change and I will no longer reside in Japan. I will have lived here for almost 2 years when this assignment ends. My daily routines, my life as a whole will change pretty significantly. I’m pretty scared of what that will mean… but with any luck I will know how it feels. (See #1)

Third I will need to move into a new role. I plan to stay with the company – they’ve done well for me – but I will need a new set of responsibilities after I leave Japan. I’ve been shopping around an idea that seems to have support, which is very exciting but of course comes with its own set of challenges. My plan is to travel, one month at a time, to our European and Asian offices with a month at home on the US. I hope I can help with our global expansion while also holding on to a piece of the international life I’ve grown accustomed to. I just have to learn how to live out if a suitcase and get dosed with plenty of radiation at 30000 feet.

There are other things, but they’ll have to be left to be discussed in the future.

So that’s my brief reflection and look forward. Thank you to everyone for your love and support – I struggle to understand it (see #1), but it is appreciated.

I hope you had a nice celebration and have a wonderful new year. あけまひておめでとうございます!

Korea – Day 1

Let’s see.  I left Tokyo at 5PM.  The trip to the airport and the airport itself was just the same as every other trip I take through Narita.  I had my ‘last meal’ at the same restaurant as every other trip, except this time instead of noodles I had curry rice.  Yummm… curry rice.  :)

I got a fair amount of work done ahead of the flight, boarded and watched a movie – ‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ with Steve Carroll.  Nice movie.  Landed in Seoul around 7:30.  I managed to pack really well, getting everything I needed into my only laptop backpack.  As such, I had nothing to wait on at the baggage claim!  I got through immigration and customs quickly, moved to the currency exchange (picked up a few hundred thousand Won) and walked to the train station.  I was supposed to find a movie theater on the far end of the airport.  It was… odd.

The express train ride was just like every other express train ride except this time I was excited to hear Japanese because I have not a lick of Korean in my brain.  I arrived at Seoul station and made the loooooonnnggggg trek from the airport train to the metro.  Apparently the airport train is somewhere on the outer edges of the Earth’s core so it was a long climb out.

When I made it to the metro, I fought a bit with the ticket machine, but got it eventually.  I headed downstairs and used the my Tokyo Metro experience to guide me.  I made it to my transfer, switched lines and got off at the right station.  I made the walk (~8 minutes) to the hotel and checked in.  I was barely in my room when my co-workers from the local office showed up in the lobby.  I met them and we went for Korean barbecue!  We enjoyed a fantastic meal of grilled meats and Korean rice wine.  We discussed work history, work future, Seoul tourism, families, etc.  It was a blast, I’m so happy to finally get to meet these guys!

One funny thing that came up over dinner was a discussion about our work ‘anniversaries’ – one guy is Oct 16, the next guy is Nov 17, and I’m Dec 18!  Now they have 3 years more than I do, but it’s still a very amusing situation!  Of course I can always remember my anniversary date because it’s exactly 1 year before Olivia was born!

Friday morning I got up around 9, took my time getting ready and moved out around 10.  I had sort of dreamed of finding a ‘traditional’ Korean breakfast, but since I have no clue what that might be or where to find it I settled for McDonald’s… which, I guess, could be a traditional Korean breakfast.  Approaching the counter I could see the young lady brace – she wasn’t comfortable with an English speaker.  I used my standard Tokyo methods, though, and we proceeded very smoothly.  I was surprised by two things – one, the muffin on my egg McMuffin was the freshest I have ever experienced and two, the kitchen was apparently upstairs so there was a continuous dumb waiter / conveyor type device bringing food down!

Oh – I almost forgot.  When I was leaving the hotel I got in the elevator and a woman got off… but I was pretty confident that she didn’t want my floor.  I called to her, she returned and she spoke to me in Japanese.  Without even thinking, I responded in Japanese!  Now, it wasn’t anything significant – just telling her it wasn’t the 7th floor, it was the 3rd – but it was really funny how smooth it shifted for me.  In fact I’ve really been wanting to use Japanese in places… but maybe that’s just because I’m very clearly in an East Asian place…

I went to Gyeonbuk Palace and arrived just in time to see the changing of the guard.  I’ve got videos and I need to upload, but also photos.  I did a self tour with the audio guide and loved it.  The palace grounds are enormous.  One thing that strikes me about Korean architecture is the vivid color.  It has plenty of similarities to the palaces or temples in Japan, but the color is vastly different.  I hope that stands out in the photos…

The audio guide didn’t pull many punches about the Japanese occupation of Korea.  Apparently there were a number of palace building razed during the occupation for the purpose of putting in provincial government buildings.  On one description they actually said “[destruction of this building] clearly showed their intent to ruin the palace.”  Oh.  Yeah.  Ok.

It was also extremely proud of the creation of the alphabet, indicating that without it they would not have formed their own culture and would have remained a province of different foreign powers.  It mentioned the damages to the grounds made during Korea’s multiple historical wars, as well.  All in all it was a very informative audio guide and I’m really glad I got it!

After the palace I walked to the Bukchon village where a vast neighborhood of old, traditional houses have been preserved by private owners thanks to subsidies from the government.  Unfortunately it’s a huge area and I just didn’t have the time to explore much.  I might visit on Saturday, but I think there is a different area that provides more access / view into the houses because of a lack of private ownership.  From the village area I headed to the train station, stopping off for a lunch of bibimbap – delicious!

I got a bit lost walking to the office, but was retrieved and redirected.  We spoke for a while, I met another person, then after an hour or so I headed out.  I was thinking I’d go to the traditional street market Insadong, but instead went to the modern one Myeong-dong.  It’s a large area crammed with lots of chain stores, etc.  I wandered completely randomly through the streets.  The narrow streets are filled with vendors as well, but nothing really struck my fancy.  I couldn’t get into socks, phone cases or glasses.

OH!  Glasses.  Oh man this place has a such a serious habit with glasses.  I found an shopping area underground where there were at least 6 established stores with hundreds of pairs of glasses.  It was absolutely nuts.  Plenty of ironic chunky frames in addition to all the big name brands.

I eventually went to the Lotte department store and, similar to Tokyo, found the food basement on B1.  I wandered around for a long time and finally settled on noodles.  Udong… or udon as they call it everywhere else.  It was nothing special, but it filled my stomach.  I moved on to more random walking in the shopping district.  There are a number of food vendors but none of them really drew me in.  There is one type of street food that comes up regularly that I can’t figure out nor does it look too appetizing.  Maybe tomorrow…

Anyway, let’s do a quick Seoul / Tokyo comparison:

• Driving – Right side Seoul, Left side Tokyo.  Messes with me when I cross the street.
• Smoking – Seems to be ok most public places in Seoul; Tokyo it’s a no-no except in certain spots.
• Cleanliness – Tokyo is cleaner, but Seoul isn’t dirty
• Trains – Very similar, but Seoul’s trains are wider and the crowd is a good bit noisier.  Of course almost anything is noisier than a Tokyo train!  Stations are almost identical – yellow exit signs included!  I will say that I find Seoul’s payment system a little harder – getting a PASSMO type device isn’t done from a machine.  You can get a flat-rate ticket (actually a touch-card) from the machine.  I had trouble getting out of a station, however, and since they aren’t over-staffing every corner of the city I had trouble getting someone to come help!
• Language – Korean pronunciation confuses me, but everyone seems to go straight for English with me and it is commonly good.  In Tokyo service staff barrel through Japanese most of the time.
• Service Staff – Tokyo has more sincere service staff in my opinion.  Seoul isn’t rude, but it’s not got the same fervor.
• General – I’m shocked at the amount of plastic surgery ads and shops.  There are at least 8 street-front plastic surgery shops between my hotel and the station.  In the station there are perhaps a dozen advertisements for plastic surgery, complete with before and after photos.  I saw two middle / high school girls standing in front of a pair of 5 foot by 8 foot ads… how discouraging in terms of body image could this be!?

Ok.  Its time to sleep.  Tomorrow will be the market for sure, as I need to get a nice souvenir for Miss Olivia!

Traveling

Let me preface this post with a comment – it may seem as if I’m being negative, but I don’t intend it as such. This is more a commentary on culture shock than to moan about how I do or do not like something. India is a massive place and I’ve only seen such a tiny amount. Further, being such a huge place there are many people with many personalities. Where one may be pushy there is just as likely one that is not.

—

I’m in India now. It took 12 hours in the air, plus a 3 hour layover to get to Mumbai. The airport is always a jarring experience here. The breezeway from the plane is humid and smells slightly of mildew. The carpet is aging. Immigration is just like immigration anywhere else – stone faced people just staring at documents. It’s the baggage claim that really tells you that you’ve arrived – at least it does for me.
People crowd against the belt with little concern for anyone’s personal space. Carts are pressed into tight spaces next to legs and ankles. It becomes nearly impossible to actually extract a bag from the carousel. It is all to representative of every queue to come from this point forward. At least in the parts of the country I’ve seen. I even had people jump queue in the departing security line!
My luggage was some of the pieces out so I didn’t have to deal with people in my way. I did worry a bit that I wouldn’t get luggage… and I’ve some that before. (Thanks TSA for that experience in New Zealand!)
Once it finally arrived it was out the door to the courtyard where all the drivers gather. In order to help control touts for dishonest taxis they have blocked off an area right outside the arrivals area. All the hotel drivers, etc are waiting at the rail with signs for their passengers. I locate my name in the sea of signs and we are off. Of course within mere steps of the exit and my driver carrying my bag, I am approached by an all too friendly gentleman. I respond to him, as I’ve forgotten that being polite makes you a dupe, but I turn down his offer to carrying bag. My driver shares some stream words but he persists in walking with us, even trying again to strike up conversation with me. We break free as we enter the parking lot. I figure he would have sought a nice fee for carrying my dress shirts 100 yards. Such a nice guy!
Into the SUV and we are off. The infrastructure is a bit rough – pot holes and some of the strangest placed speed bumps (or speed breakers as they ate called) make for a less than easy ride. All the same, after a few phone calls and some emails, I’m lightly sleeping. I wake occasionally to try and see if I recognize anything, but I don’t. I sleep through the mountain climb where you generally find lots of broken down trucks. Traffic seemed to be very light.
Eventually we arrive in town. Things are very quiet here. After 2 hours we finally arrive at the hotel. Here it’s 130am but everyone is immensely friendly. This is the top end of Asian hospitality. I get into my room, my luggage is a few minutes behind and finally I’m settled somewhere!

Mid-September

I’ve been reading.  A lot.  I finished one book in a day and started another right behind it.  I’ve also been exercising – consistently – since my return to Tokyo last week.  My food intake has been reasonable, not fantastic, but not only stuff from a convenience store.

I’ve also curbed my alcohol intake pretty significantly.  I think I may have been at my peak just before my trip to the US… something like 3 or 4 beers a night 5 nights of the weeks.  Why that much?  That’s what Tokyo does for fun.  It’s kind of a drinking society.  You go out, you drink, it’s kind of that simple.  Not only are there the obvious health impacts, but the wallet impact is pretty darn significant too.  I think I’ll be able to fund Olivia’s college savings now!

The reading generally comes from the free time where I’m not drinking so often.  It’s been nice – a couple of books from Charles Bukowski, a rather rude and crude guy with fairly simplistic stories.  They were fun and I’ll be reading plenty more of those in time.  However, Sunday, after reading Bukowski’s debut novel, I switched to Antony Bourdain.  I bought the ‘box set’ for Kindle with Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw.  I blew through Kitchen Confidential in two and a half days I think.  I loved it, couldn’t put it down.  It has been the same with Medium Raw.  After exercise and shower in the morning, I’m draw to read… even though I need to get ready for work.  So I just combine them – I stand in the kitchen, cooking my eggs, eating my salmon and kiwi, reading page after page on the ipad.  I get dressed, glancing over words as I pull on my socks.  Every free moment is consuming another page, no matter the device.

I also realized, as I was reading Kitchen Confidential, that I love reading about people going to Japan with Tokyo in particular.  He dedicated a chapter of the book to his Japan trip and it was awesome.  I knew what he was talking about in great detail, and yet it excited me to hear his version of it.  It struck me later that day that maybe I should write a little more and talk more about the environment I live it.  Maybe I should take my eyes off the sidewalk in front of me each morning to look up and around – really soak it in.

I might have written about it before, but let me tell you about the neighborhood I live in – not the seedy bits, but instead the softer, kinder parts.  I walk out of the apartment building out the back entrance onto a tree lined street.  As you might recall from this past spring, these aren’t just any trees, but Cherry trees.  They’ve been groomed – as almost every tree in Japan is – to have a perfect shape, stretching their branches over the street like something out of a fancy picture, casting their shade evenly down the whole avenue.

Sunday, July 29

Oh let’s see… what’s happening.

(I’ll explain it later in the post, but… donate to my friend Amy!)

It’s hot.  Really hot and really humid.  No – it’s not the temperatures that have been racked up in the states, but you didn’t have the humidity and you did have a car to move you around.  We (the people of Japan) are here walking in the heat / humidity further than the parking lot and it’s tough.  At the same time, what else would you expect?  Complaining doesn’t help, so it’s just better to get used to it.

Take today, for example, I ran (yeah, wow, that’ll push your body temp up in this weather) to meet friends for lunch.  My body sweated for another 30 minutes, I ate, then we headed out on the street again.  All we could accomplish for the next 2 hour was to move from the lunch spot (White Smoke) to the Tully’s patio then to the Starbuck’s patio down the street.  At each place we just lamented the heat, hah!

I came home around 3p and sat in my underwear (you wanted that mental image, right?) going through Minus the Bear videos on Youtube.  I found out that they are going to release a new album at the end of August – exciting!  Eventually I made plans for dinner… Pizzakaya.

So… beyond today, let’s see.  On Thursday night I attended a picnic at Tokyo Midtown with some new friends.  That was a blast and a supreme challenge to the idea that I would leave Tokyo at any point.  It’s almost indescribable, the Japanese picnic scene.  First, there are lots of really great green spaces.  Next, in the vast majority of those green spaces you can carry / consume alcohol.  Third, picnics are collections of loosely connected people that all get along without really knowing one another.  Take Thursday for example – the 2nd batch of people to show up to the picnic were asked by the organizer how they got the invite.  She didn’t mind that they were there, but she had no idea who they were, and just the same they were welcome!!

I debated, around that time, with my new friend Ad (a Dutchman) how this could be replicated in the states.  I’m not sure that it could.  I think the idea that you can’t carry a six-pack or a bottle of wine into the event hinders a certain aspect of the gathering, and second the comfort level of half-strangers in the US isn’t quite the same.  Or maybe it’s just the south.  Or maybe it’s just me.  I dunno.  What do you think?

On the work front I’ve had a challenging week, but a good one just the same.  We did performance evaluations this week but these were some of the most comfortable I’ve ever done, no matter the culture.  I changed the format at the beginning of the year and it seems to have paid off really majorly.  In parallel I’ve had a several conversations with leaders in the US that have bolstered my confidence for the future, something I really needed after some things that happened last week.

One of the calls was with my (new) primary point of contact in the US.  With him I finally formally pitched the idea for my next job (something I’ll share another time…) and he expressed both interest and enthusiasm for it.  We not only talked about that, but the situation in the company, etc. which all-in-all calmed me down.  On Thursday I got to talk with someone in the region that holds lots of influence who also exhibited interest in the pitch.  Finally, on Friday I got to talk with a guy that I absolutely hated 4 years ago, but really mended fences with 2 years ago, and as of a few weeks ago I was advocating for him to be in Japan working with me.  He gave me some fantastic news – apparently my selling efforts had actually stuck and were making some rounds in the upper management!  I’m trying to stay reasonable in my expectations, but so far it’s working in my favor, so I’m pumped.

I don’t really want to get into too much detail, but I will say that the job that I’m pitching does afford me plenty of time in the US, so don’t get any idea that I’m moving in for good in Tokyo.  Susan and Olivia will be in the states, so I need to be there too.  On top of that I’m really struggling being away from the support system of friends and family.  Sure there are some super awesome people around here, but it’s never going to replace the people at home.

On a different note, I’d like to point out that a very good friend of mine is working with Team In Training to prepare for her first ever (half) marathon in San Francisco while also fund raising for the Lukemia & Lymphoma Society.  She just made her first major fund raising goal, but has a good bit left over the next couple of months.  It would be a lot – to me, to her, and to the society – if you could donate a bit.  I’m super proud of Amy – this is a big change for her in a lots of ways and I am so happy that she is achieving her goals.  Please consider any level of donation.

I’ll be in the states in just a little less than 3 weeks – I can’t wait to see my little girl that apparently has grown an inch and a half in the last few months, plus all my friends and family.  I should be in Nashville around the time Ben has his grand opening, something I’m super excited about as well.  It’s just a 2 week trip, so time will be tight, but I’ll do my best to make the rounds.  I’ll be back again in December for Olivia’s birthday and Christmas in the states.

I miss you all.  Thank to everyone for your support from a distance.  You’re still welcome to come crash here if you’d like to visit Tokyo.  And don’t forget – give Amy some donations!

Book highlights

So I’ve been reading a fair amount lately and since it’s via the kindle reader, I’ve also been making highlights.  I thought I’d share a bit..

From Fahrenheit 451, I’ve highlighted the following.  Fahrenheit 451, you might recall, is set in a world where books are banned, where the firemen light the fires, and where the majority of people live in constant contact with external inputs like the multiple television screens on their walls.

“Oh, God, the terrible tyranny of the majority.”

“And when he died, I suddenly realize I wasn’t crying for him at all, but for all the things he did.  I cried because he would never do them again, he would never carve another piece of wood or help us raise doves and pigeons in the back yard or play the violin the way he did, or tell us jokes the way he did.  He was part of us and when he died, all the actions stopped dead and there was no one to them just the way he did. He was individual.  He was an important man.  I’ve never gotten over his death.  Often I think, what wonderful carvings never came to birth because he died.  How many jokes are missing from the world, and how many homing pigeons untouched by his hands.  He shaped the world.  He did things to the world.  The world was bankrupted of ten million fine actions the night he passed on.”

“It doesn’t matter what you do, he aid, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away.”

“‘I hate a Roman named Status Quo!’ he said to me.  ’Stuff your eyes with wonder,’ he said, ‘live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds.  See the world.  It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.  Ask no guarantees, ask for no security,”

From 1984, I’ve marked the passages below.  1984 is Orwell’s distopian view of the future where Big Brother and The Party rule through continuous surveillance, strict rules and secret police.  I was frightened by some of the passages and how true they can sound today.

“Your worst enemy, he reflected, was your own nervous system.  At any moment the tension inside you was liable to translate itself into some visible symptom.”

“There was a direct, intimate connection between chastity and political orthodoxy.  … The sex impulse was dangerous to the Party, and the Party had turned it to account.”

“… but with another part of her mind she believed that it was somehow possible to construct a secret world in which you could live as you chose.”

“One knew that it was all rubbish, so why let oneself by worried by it?”

“… but the inner heart, whose workings were mysterious even to yourself, remained impregnable.”

“… the great mass of human beings who are normally stupefied by poverty would become literate and would learn to think for themselves; and when once they had done this, they would sooner or later realize that the privileged minority had no function, and they would sweep it away.”

“… he should be a credulous and ignorant fanatic whose prevailing moods are fear, hatred, adulation, and orgiastic triumph.”

“The essence of oligarchical rule is not father-to-son inheritance, but the persistence of a certain world-view and a certain way of life, imposed by the dead upon the living.”

“What opinions the masses hold, or do not hold, is looked on as a matter of indifference.  They can be granted intellectual liberty because they have no intellect.”

On a totally different note, a something I’ve not picked up recently, is the book “Code of the Samurai: A Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu”  From that I’ve only highlight two passages but they book as a whole has been an amazing and surprising view into Japanese society, even a few hundred years after the era of the samurai.

“He also keeps warily aloof from sexual feelings, the foremost confusion of humankind,”

“When ancient warriors were asked for something, they would consider its feasibility, and if they thought it unfeasible, they would not agree to it to begin with.  Even something they thought feasible they would agree to undertake only after careful consideration; therefore anything they had actually agreed to would be taken care of without fail.”

I hope you find these interesting… perhaps they’ll stir you as they have me… and perhaps they won’t, but that’s fine too.

June 17

Lots of things to write about I suppose… Let’s see what I can get out of my head.

First, honesty – I’m pretty lonely. It’s fun living in Tokyo, and I’ll certainly miss this place, but it’s not as much without my friends and family around. I’ve been lucky enough to have a semi regular conversation with a number of people including, of course, Olivia. Work has kept me quite busy, too… For what that’s worth. I’m also exploring other venues for entertainment, to mentioned later. But all told, I would mind having a bit of face-to-face companionship again.

Next, I’m beyond sore. I got to play ball hockey on Friday night, something I’ve never done before. I’m really not a fan of running, but all told it wasn’t too bad. We played in an indoor arena, but soon they’ll move outside for the summer. I got to play defense, luckily, and I think I performed reasonably well… I think. Given that I’m far from home, I had no gear. I borrowed a stick from the organizer and just jumped into the fray. Ball hockey isn’t something with an awful lot of gear requirements, but a few pieces would have been nice. Even with those items, though, I’d still be in pain. For one, I took two hits from the ball – one on the thigh, the other off my butt. Those are nice welts. I have a few other bumps and scrapes from getting caught in sticks, etc. mostly as reminders of the lack of padding that I had grown so accustomed to on the ice. Lastly, every muscle in my legs is rebelling and attempting to shrink to half size. I woke up this morning due only to the fact my legs were cramping so badly. I ate plenty of protein today and drank as much water as I could. Part of the problem, however, was my behavior on Saturday…

On Saturday I hardly moved from the bed or couch. I was awakened by a work problem, but stayed in bed afterwards to read 1984, which I had started last week. Eventually I needed to eat, so at noon I finally got out of bed and went to the soup shop. I brought the food home and sat down to eat and read on the couch. I didn’t leave the couch hardly at all until i finished the book around 7. At that point I needed dinner and I needed to get my computer bag from the office. I walked out, feeling a little stiff, but ok… Until I decided to make a short dash across the road, at which point my legs seized up. Long story short, I made it to the office, stretched a bit, then returned home and ate / stretched. All that said, I clearly did not drink enough water or take care of myself properly. I also didn’t go to bed until 2a…

Tuesday May 15

So I’ve been in Tokyo for two full days now. I’ve made a nice breakfast both days… and both days I missed sharing it with Olivia. The routine was generally that she’d eat second breakfast with me, having eaten first breakfast with Susan. Amusingly due to jet lag I’m getting up when Olivia normally woke.

Today as I woke I promised myself that I would start working out in the mornings by continuing to wake this early. Moments later I asked why I wasn’t starting today, so I did. I returned to the Peak Condition workout routine, moving through curls, lunges, sit ups, and of course the jump rope! It was a nice start to the day although it sort of made me want to return to bed. I haven’t done anything that physically “demanding” in a while… which is unfortunate to admit.

I’ve installed Evernote Food on my iPhone and I’m leveraging it to help prove that I’m actually eating.  Yes “prove” is the right word.  It’s a pretty large concern for those closest to me, and myself, that I will generally abandon eating.  I’ve done it before.  It’s not any sort of an issue with weight or something like that, it’s more a matter of convenience and sometimes it’s wrapped up with other (mental) issues I’ve got that I’ll touch on later.  Basically it boils down to the fact that before Susan left town she told the sandwich shop up the hill that she may end up ordering food for me from the US in case I end up not eating.  Yeah.  Oops.  So I’ve been playing around with Evernote Food, sending emails occasionally, sometimes posting it to Twitter or Facebook.  I don’t exactly want to spam people with my meals though, so I’m not sure how / if I want to leverage it that way.

Speaking of social networking sites… there is an amazing clear pattern in my behavior.  The more disconnected I am the more I use social networking.  I hadn’t touched FB for more than 5 minutes a month for the last 3 – 6 months.  I landed in Tokyo alone and suddenly I’m reading my entire newsfeed thingy every hour or so.  Twitter was all but completely abandoned and today I found myself following new people, reading and replying!  I mean I suppose it makes sense, but it’s amusing all the same.

In other news… I ordered some meat (chicken breasts and sausages) that should arrive at my apartment on Thursday.  Why did I order it you ask?  Mostly because it’s an English website with clear descriptions.  Secondly it should be pretty good quality.  Oh – and it’s damn near impossible to find chicken breasts here it seems.  Maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places, but Susan never found them either.  I also ordered a rice cooker today with the help of a friend.  There are way too many choices involved in that and I’m afraid she isn’t going to be “released” from helping me even after it arrives.  She was telling me about all the settings… I got lost when we got to the fact that I need to know if my rice is pre-washed.  Pre-washed?  Huh?  But maybe I’ll be able to sort out how to make this lovely stuff called rice that they’ve got in abundance here, then replicate it at home by visiting the Asian grocery.

Regarding my last post I got several comments, privately and publicly, that were really nice.  I didn’t think I had written much of anything special, but it seems to have touched on something.  The idea is that I’ll continue to explore this unique situation via the blog, giving anyone that feels like reading a chance to see how I’m fairing.  Of course I’ll try to come up with some more fun stories about living in Japan since that’s a lot more exciting than listening to me dig through my emotions!

Slightly related, Skype has been a wonderful tool this time around.  Well Skype plus Olivia’s maturing.  Since we got her a netbook around Christmas time (yes, Olivia, at 4, has a computer all her own), she’s become very comfortable with using Skype.  She routinely called people from Tokyo and now that we’re separated she’s doing an excellent job of keeping me company before I turn in for the night.  Tonight, for example, we spent 40 minutes hanging out – she tricked me by wearing a Mrs. Claus hat over her face to start the conversation.  Then, once it was revealed to be her, we talked a bit about the previous day.  Soon she asked if we could move to the den in our apartment, so I obliged.  Once there she wanted to sit and watch TV with me so we watched a Tom & Jerry cartoon… it would be something that was completely normal to do if she were here with me… I was overjoyed.  After our cartoon we played two games of Candyland – her idea.  That was really pretty cool.  She was a great sport, getting just as excited about playing over Skype as she would have been sitting here.  I’m so proud of my little girl… and I miss her so terribly!

I’m headed to bed.  It’s 10:15 and I’ve had to prop myself up with caffeine the past two afternoons.  I need to make sure I lock in on a good schedule so I can recover as well as get settled into a routine of working out and eating a good breakfast.

Back to Tokyo / Challenges

After almost 3 weeks away, I’m back in Tokyo.  Unfortunately this is my stint alone.  Summers in Tokyo aren’t the best – they are hot and humid, and given that we rely on walking most of the time, this makes for a pretty tough time.  Wrap up in that package the fact that Susan will pass out if even slightly dehydrated and we don’t know an awful lot or people in Tokyo to do during the summer and you get this situation.  The plan, as it originated, was that they’d be gone from April until early August.  They are things happening, though, that may stretch that longer.

So… that’s challenge number one.  Learn to live alone.

As Susan and I discussed it via text while I sat in the Detroit airport (or was it the Nashville airport?), it’s almost like learning to live without a leg.  Olivia is a indelible force.  She is full of energy, of questions and of boundless love.  It’s hard not to have that fueling your life, day in and day out.  And being Mother’s Day I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on how much Susan has shaped our beautiful child into who she is.  It’s extremely painful to consider the amount of time I’ll be separated, not getting to add my touch to that process.  Sure, we’ll have Skype once or twice a day and we’ll swap letters in the mail, but nothing will replace the day-in and day-out interaction.

Challenge number two – keeping Olivia front and center while operating 13 hours ahead on the clock.

Then there is the time that I need to spend by myself.  I’ve fallen victim to the easy eating and drinking culture that Tokyo offers and I’ve put on a little bit of weight in places I don’t appreciate it gathering.  Yes, I need to gain weight, but I don’t think this is the way I want it.  I should be focused on learning to cook and returning to a workout routine.  The hope would be that these things not only improve my figure, but my mental condition.  I’ve got to keeping pushing down my professional path, overcoming all of those challenges.  I spent a solid week of my home visit in the office trying to establish a good base with a new management structure… now I have to work to make sure it pays off.

Challenge number three – balancing personal and professional lives while improving my personal life.  Beyond the eating and working out I’ve got a lot of thinking to do.  I’ve spent a lot of my life in some sort of a balancing act, trying to make sure everyone is happy except myself.  I’ve discarded a lot of my emotions, making for a bit a pretty poor emotional health rating.  In the midst of making sure as many people as possible are happy, I’ve hurt people, not to mention the hurt I’ve caused myself that I can’t even admit to yet.

This period of time alone in Tokyo has the potential to be a deeply rewarding experience… but I also fear the pain involved.  I’m certainly deeply under the influence of homesickness at the moment, but even as that begins to wear off, if I’m doing the right thing for myself, my family and my friends… I suspect I should be processing a lot of painful stuff.

Challenge number four?  Dig through the painful bits.

Now I don’t mean to belittle the relationships I have here in Tokyo, but they aren’t numerous and they aren’t based on the same length of time as those at home.  I am not completely isolated and alone here, but I certainly don’t have the same setup as Nashville or Chattanooga.

Given my position I hope that I’ll be able to spend a little more time blogging.  I’ve gotten a lot of feedback that it still being read, sporadic updates or otherwise.  I hope that Susan will also have a little bit of time to share how she and Olivia are doing in Chattanooga.  It should be an exciting summer for them – lots of family time and tons of activities for Olivia.  We’ve discussed swimming lessons and gymnastics classes as well as dance and art.  I am going to write up the week Olivia and I spent just before I left town – we hit almost all the major tourist attractions in Chattanooga, something that was a great experience.

Thanks, again, for reading and going on this journey.  Sorry if this is a bit depressing, but I have to admit I’m not exactly excited about being so far away.  That said, it’s all part of growing and it’s not permanent.

Tokyo Metro Tutorial

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while… it’s part of the introduction to Tokyo routine I give to everyone that comes for a visit.

First, the trains in Tokyo are super easy to deal with, especially the subway lines.  The JR lines are a little less friendly, but not too tough.  There are English signs everywhere.  In fact, I don’t remember too much trouble with signage even in the far northern reaches we visited last October.  Every ticket machine we encountered had an English option, too!

Anyway, focusing on Tokyo Metro (and the private Toei line)…

All the station entrances have a nice sign around them, and as you approach them you’ll find something like this:

On this sign you find lots of handy info:

1. There are two metro lines here, the Marunouchi and Namboku.  Their symbols are next to the names and these are completely consistent.  Anytime you see a red circle with an M, it’s a Maunouchi station.  Below the letter is the number of the station – this is the 22nd station on the Marunouchi line and the 11th on the Namboku line.
2. You find the name of the station, in this case Korakuen Station
3. You find the gate number – it’s cut off in this picture, but it’s a little black square in the upper right.  Lots of stations have lots of exits and given that navigation in Tokyo is done with landmarks, this is an important one.

Once you enter the station, you’ll need a ticket (unless you’ve got a PassMo card… we’ll discuss that later).

Random – World Order / Genki Sudo

Ok, yeah, it’s been a month or two since we posted and this is going to seem like a really odd post given that length of time passing… but I have to share this because I think it’s way too cool not to.

First, I saw this group / guy in a music video at the airport leaving for India a couple of months ago.  I sent Susan a text to figure out what it was.

That was this video.  She also found this one from Tokyo.  Add this one with that is a funny dating scene.

Then tonight I found out they had a new video.

Between my first discovery in September and tonight, however, I decided to learn a bit more about this guy Genki Sudo.

Wow.

Seems he honed his dancing skills in the MMA.  Here are a few of his fight entrances - just as beautiful and with a serious degree of flair.

So, okay… the guy was in the MMA.  Was he good?  Uh… yeah.  Not just good, 16 and 4 good.  Also, stunningly graceful.  He even does his dances move IN THE RING to taunt guys.  Check it out.  (Susan was impressed, but not excited about the fighting…)

Anyway… the guy has retired from fighting and is doing the band thing… plus he is a writer, practicing Buddhist, baseball player/team manager, and is pursuing a master’s degree.  Wiki link.  Pretty impressive… just thought I’d share.

Trains

Today was a holiday and our 5th anniversary. We went to Asakusa to see the shrine Susan hasn’t had the chance to visit yet. The train ride there wasn’t much to speak of, but the return was pretty crowded. I thought it would be the worst I’d see for a while.

I was wrong.

I decided to visit the old friend that had taken receipt of my new xbox. That required about an hour’s ride across four trains. The longest was about 25 minutes and it was a sardine can. Some people had nothing to hold on to so they just ended up bouncing in the pile of people surrounding them. Fun. I, on the other hand, just filtered deeper into the car where at least I could hold on to a luggage rail.

The trip this morning was nice. It was fun to see Susan use some of her new Japanese words, no matter how basic, they help and show her commitment. Given that this is our anniversary and we aren’t doing anything overly significant, I’d like to publicly point out how great a wife she’s been the past five years.

First, she’s put up with me. That alone deserves a trophy.

Next, she’s given me an awesome daughter. She’s a great mother that has struggled with the choice between the career woman she had always been and the stay at home mom she (most of the time) wants to be. Olive is a shining example of the time her mother commits to her.

Third, she’s undertaken quite the change with moving with me, not once but twice… and that second one wasn’t even domestic or to an English speaking country! This woman desperately loves her family but is strong, flexible, and loving enough to find a balance between the two.

It’s been a wonderful, challenging, growing and loving five years. It hasn’t been easy or perfect but where is the fun in that?

So, as I ride a slightly less packed train a few thousand miles away from where I met my wife all those years ago, I declare to quite the audience: I LOVE YOU SUSAN. ＼(^o^)／

Photos and Videos

A quick post, as it’s nearly midnight.

I’m back from India and I’m working through pushing my photos & videos to the internet.

I had a blast in India thanks to all the wonderful people there.  What’s great is that I got to see a lot of people I haven’t seen in years, some that I don’t even have the opportunity to work with any longer.  I also discovered that Olivia has an international fan club!  I came home with 2 dresses, a tunic and a stuff puppy!

Photo Set – with still some more photos to come…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolife/sets/72157627642095280/

Videos – including Olivia’s gifts, some driving and Bollywood dancing!

http://www.vimeo.com/ilkirk/videos

Goodnight.

Travel – Pune Photos & Videos

I’ve taken a handful of photos that are going into a Flickr set.  More to come, I’m sure.

I’m also taking video from time to time.  They’ll be on Vimeo.  So far I’ve got one for driving / traffic and one for scenery.