Category: Uncategorized

I love this song and cannot get it out of my head…

 

Today was a very relaxing day…I was able to sleep late for the first time since I have been here.  I had cereal for breakfast, took a shower and sat outside with Kazu and read a book while he played in the pool.  Noriko and Aki were gone today and her brother and family came to pick up her dad, Kazu and me for lunch.  We went to a place nearby called Johnathan’s which was basically a Japanese version of Denny’s.  I am glad they had pictures of the food on the menu!  I can communicate with dad for the most part but sometimes it is difficult.  Without Noriko with us, there is no interpreter.  Listening to them all speak in Japanese at the table I started to zone out and I have no idea what the conversation is until I hear my name and then I perk up lol  It feels like being on a different planet here sometimes.  No where near the culture shock as my first visit but it is still so very different.  Anyway, I ordered safely and had pizza 🙂  Her nieces are the cutest little girls ever and I enjoyed watching and listening to them.  I shared an ice cream dessert with Kazu and then started to get a headache/dizzy…I don’t know if it is the heat and humidity here or what but I took a big nap when we returned home.  Then Kazu woke me up for dinner!  I do feel like one of my cats right now…all I do is eat and sleep 🙂  I am getting some needed rest though so I am not complaining.  Dad is a very good cook.  He made baked salmon covered with roasted almonds, sugar snap peas with pork and garlic, rice, and seaweed soup.  Everything was delicious except for the soup!  It was really bland and had the consistency of snot lol…so hopefully I didn’t offend him but I had to pass on the soup.  I have just taken a shower and now ready for bed.  Noriko is off work the rest of the time I am here so I will be busier now.  She planned a trip to Okinawa for just the 2 of us for 3 days and we leave on Saturday.  I will be taking a Japanese flight for the first time and get to go to the beach…very happy about that!  I am extremely spoiled here…I feel so blessed to have such a good friend.

Today I went with Noriko’s dad on an English speaking guided tour of some of the hot spots in the city.  We left around 730am and walked to the bus station…took the bus to the train station and road the train for about 45 minutes to the World Trade Center building in the heart of Tokyo where we found our bus.  The tour guide was Japanese but spoke very clear English.  The first stop was Tokyo Tower.  This tower is supposedly slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.  The tour only included going to the main observation deck…not the very top but that was fine with me.  It is amazing to see how many buildings are in this city.  It was definitely an awesome view.  After the tower we went to Meiji Shrine…I THINK I have been there before but need to ask Noriko.  The Shrines and Temples start looking the same to me.  This is the shrine that was dedicated to the first Emperor of Japan.

After the Shrine we drove to a nice hotel for lunch.  They called it BBQ but it was like Hibachi style where they cook the food at your table.  We sat at our table with a really cute/nice couple from San Francisco and a young man from Kyoto who spoke English.  It was fun and the food was GREAT.  After lunch we went to the Emperors palace.  This place is only open to the public 2 days per year on December 23 and January 2.  There honestly was not a lot to see…I had been there once before and did the same thing…walk to the gate and go hmm and you are ready to leave.  But I can say I was there.  Next was a drive through Ginza which is one of the most popular high end shopping districts in the world. We then went to Tokyo bay where we took a boat ride up the Sumida River and ended up in Asakusa.  The highlight in Asakusa is the walk through the Nakamise shops which lead to Senso-ji temple…the largest temple in Tokyo.  I had been to this place during my first visit in 1998 and it was exactly as I remembered.  I will post a picture later.  I would love to go back there and browse through the shops sometime…honestly today it was just too hot and too crowded and we hurried through and went and sat on the air conditioned bus!  After falling asleep on the long train ride home we stopped for Chinese food and I tried some jellyfish for the first time…not exactly good stuff…but hey you only live once 🙂  It seems all I do is eat and sleep here but I guess that is ok!  I do not get to come here that often so I am really trying to enjoy it.

The population of this city is 13.1 million and I believe that is not even including the outer areas where I am right now.  It is the cleanest city I have ever been to.  The crime rate is almost non existent.  There is so much to do and see…it really is an amazing place…despite the high temps and humidity right now.  Tomorrow I plan to take it easy…sleep late and play in the puddle pool with Kazu 🙂

Today I am thankful for air conditioning!!!  The tour guide said several people died here yesterday or were hospitalized due to heat stroke.

My body clock is way off…it is 2am here in Japan and I am wide awake researching “who am i?”.  I know a lot of people are skeptical but the more I read about astrology the more I understand…a lot of it does make sense.  Sharing my sign below…it is for the most part right on.

 

Aries – The Ram
March 21 – April 19
Aries people are creative, adaptive, and insightful. They can also be strong-willed and spontaneous (sometimes to a fault). Aries people can be driven and are very ambitious often making them over-achievers in anything they set their mind to tackle. Aries are fire signs, and so too is their personality. They may be quick to anger, but don’t take it personally, it’s just their fiery, passionate personalities showing through. Aries signs have excellent sense of humor, and they get along with almost everyone at the party (and they DO know how to party). Aries can be impatient, but we love them anyway because they are devoted friends, lovers and family members – they are loyal to then end and will fight for their causes (usually supporting the underdog).

Today has been kind of a lazy day.  Noriko, Kazu and I went to a water park this morning to cool off.  It was a really big place and really crowded because of this hot weather.  My observation there was that you rarely see over weight Japanese people.  Tokyo supposedly has the highest life expectancy rate in the world and I can see why…they eat healthy and get a lot of exercise…bike riding, walking etc.  Women do not wear the skimpy bathing suits like they do in the US but I did see a few teen aged girls in bikinis. The highlight was definitely the middle aged man wearing a multi colored neon thong ha!  Not really a highlight but he stuck out like a sore thumb and sure he wanted attention.  It made me chuckle at least.  I imagined my step sons would have gone nuts at this place with all of the water slides…it was really pretty cool.  But TOO HOT.  I cannot believe I am complaining of weather being too hot!  After the water park we stopped by McDonalds…yes, they are more fit than us but they do enjoy McDonalds! And I had the BEST quarter pounder with cheese and coke!   After lunch we came home and cleaned out Kazu’s blow up pool and filled it with water to enjoy for the rest of the week.  After a shower and a nap I am ready for dinner.  Noriko had to meet colleagues from work tonight so I am here with her husband Aki and Kazu.  I plan to go to bed early because her dad booked us a Tokyo bus tour for tomorrow so that I can see all of the sites…I am very excited about that!  Noriko will be at work so I have a date with just her Dad and looking forward to it.  When I was here another time I took a day trip with him to Nikko and it was a very memorable trip.  He likes to explain the history of things and teach me about Japanese culture.

For those of you I asked to follow me here…I am not checking email much…just this.  I am doing my best with everything that is going on in my life at home.  I am on the other side of the world right now but my thoughts are still with me…it is hard at times but I know I am very fortunate for so many things regardless of my situation.  Today I am thankful to be alive.

Today we woke up early and had breakfast with Noriko’s Dad…I had not seen him since 2007 on my second visit here so it was nice to catch up 🙂  We got ready to go meet her brother Ken and his family at her mom’s cemetery.  It is tradition for the family to all go there together twice per year to add fresh flowers, clean the grave with water and pray.  I was honored to be a part of this.  I met her mother on my first trip here in Dec 1998/January 1999 and she was an amazing lady.

Afterwards we went to Okura Hotel in Chiba for lunch…it was a very nice buffet and I ate too much!  We then went to Toys R Us to buy her oldest niece Natsumi a birthday gift…she is 9 years old today.  After lunch and shopping we returned home for a much needed nap then a walk to the store to buy food to make for dinner.  It started raining as we were walking back and it felt amazing…it is SO hot and humid here…record breaking temps this summer.  After a cold shower I am uploading pictures and getting ready for dinner.  My appetite has been gone for a while and since traveling it is coming back.  Not sure if that is a good or bad thing 🙂

Today I am thankful for family and for my friend allowing me to be a part of hers 🙂