Lost In Translation

I have been in Japan now for 6 weeks; I’ll try not to take so long to write again next time.

Merry Christmas all, I hope you had a great day. It’s been the kids and I for Christmas and the rest of the weekend; we had to have a premature Christmas. Definitely not the same.
Christophe has been doing very well; he won the Japan Cup in Tokyo. We have been to see him race a couple of times, but this time Lucas and I were screaming “ALLER PAPA!” …On the sofa. A front page and magazine spread and it’s even been rumoured that he was on the subway posters, but I never saw. And for one week we had a French camera crew filming us. I mean exiting the subway, roll plays in the apartment… you can imagine.

Living with work can have it times, so I try to get out every possible moment. It can be pretty lonely, but it is awesome how meeting people just happens. Even passing a westerner in the street, there is always an acknowledgment of each other, especially on a train. I’m collecting cards all over the place if I ever need any help. One time I took a photo on top of Osaka Castle for a couple of Americans. I ended up spending an awesome day with them randomly in Kyoto and now I am going up to Sapporo to go snowboarding in February! And for New Year Eve, I think I will be spending it with a slightly older gentlemen, I met 3 of them in the pub on another evening. Great chat all evening, very interesting. One of them was telling me how he saw Jimi Hendrix play in Fakenham Village Hall. Amazing!

So, I recently had the kids alone for 10 days. It was exhausting but we had a great time. I met Christophe’s interpreter, Toko in France. We vowed that if she showed me around Japan, I would help her with her English when she translates. We have kept our word and had some great times already. She even stayed with me for a couple of days, helping with the kids when we had some long days out in Kyoto. Chieko, the assistant to Christophe’ agent had also popped round a couple of times to see how I was doing, armed with croissants. I am being very well looked after.

I must add and I just don’t understand why we haven’t picked up on any of these ideas yet! The loo, the Japs are geniuses… not only you have the warm loo seat and at a press of button cleans and dries your bottom without even touching it or even the flush. They even have a devise called ‘Oto hi me’… ‘Sound princess’. As you walk into the toilet, it sounds like your taking a pee near a stream. Not only it helps, it disguises any unwanted noises. Brilliant.
.
Ok random bit over. Before, I mentioned my time of social need. Well after another 10 days I was more than ready. I returned to the ‘Pig & Whistle’ for the expat party. Well no expats, just many Japanese seeking to speak English. I had no problem mixing, this time an advantage attracting attention because of the colour of my hair.
The next day I was bound for Tokyo for 4 days. In my hideous state of a hangover I easily admired how the ticket inspectors bowed gracefully and respectfully as they entered and exited each carriage. I spent pretty much the whole journey trying to find the enthusiasm to make what seemed like such a huge effort to go see the largest mountain in Japan, Mt Fuji. Then as I start considering more realistic ideas for my days, the suited man next to me indicates to look out the window. There was Mt Fuji, on a thick cloudy day; they had randomly parted perfectly to reveal the snow peak and all. Apparently the train gives you the best view, so all I had to do was turn my head.

I met my friend Andy at the train station and then later on we met up with my other Australian friend, also called Andy who I was going to be staying with. He took us to this amazing restaurant and many bars, it’s a blur. Everyday he took me to a fantastic restaurant for lunch and dinner. That’s all we seemed to do, then I realised that is all you need to do in Tokyo. It certainly does come alive at night. He took me to the Hyatt Park Hotel where ‘Lost In Translation’ was filmed and we drank cocktails in the New York Bar… Looking out at the sea of lights that is Tokyo. A lunch date, we were at a fabulous French restaurant. I was wondering why the French waitress was serving my cutlery the wrong way. Then Andy points out that she noticed I was left handed. But actually, I eat, as I am right handed. I explain how I do some-thing’s left and the rest right. He then comes out with randomly asking my blood type…. ‘Well I am B, why?”
With a huge grin on his face he describes my traits to a tee, without even knowing me all that much. In Japan there was/is a huge belief that your blood type determines your personality, well it impressed me and so did the waitress.
Andy was a true 1st class host, amazing how he put up with me and even managed to get up for work every morning. Although our last lunch date, we weren’t really making much sense at all.
Due for a return trip in February, on my way to the Snow festival and a bit of Snowboarding and we leave for Thailand for 2 weeks next week… so I’m not complaining I had to sacrifice my Christmas. I’m a lucky bugger.
So most importantly I must stop slacking with this thing.

Lost and Sidetracked in Kyoto

I’ve been in Japan for a week and having the responsibility of children in a place like Japan is pretty crazy. Only this evening I had picked up the kids from Kyoto station to take them home… back to the apartment, a 20 min train journey to Kusatsu. Barbara and Christophe were meeting with an American couple for dinner. Although I was pretty aware of which platform I needed to go to… we rock up and it is what I can only describe as total orderly chaos. I managed to get on the wrong train. It could have been worse, considering how the Japanese are so civilised and shy, you can only imagine. But what can I say, we like to have a good time! I did find a few smiles amongst them.

So finally I realise… and almost 2hrs later we were home. It’s just pretty daunting trying to figure out where the hell you are and how you went so wrong. Which has been the story of my life for past 2 days.

I’ve been exploring Kyoto, with a genuine intention to spend it constructively visiting the recommended sites as a good tourist does. I failed miserably, either getting completely sidetracked or started what I managed to subject the kids to this evening.

But you get sidetracked for a reason. Yesterday I managed to pretty much make it to the tourist office, gather a great deal of information and master the subway… a little. Before meeting a couple of Canadians at a 7/11 drinking beer cause they had given up on the tourist trail. I would like to think I was still holding out with a little more hope. But after one beer I was stolen and it was the Pig and Whistle for the rest of the night. Which just so happens to be the Irish pub that I saw advertised in the tourist office for an expat party that I thought I may attend in a time of social need I am sure. Now I know exactly where it is!

They were nice guys - Pilots who loved to drink. They were here as a group, describing the others as intellects. It was clear they clashed with each other, I can imagine and it sucks, it seems that way all too often. They bought me dinner and I was home by 10.30, Barbara calling me as I make the door to see when I was going to be home… she gives me a present. Christophe saw I had lost an earpiece from my headphones, and they had bought me a new pair with retro lighting bolts on the side.

Today, I went back to the tourist office. B efore I managed to see a small exhibition just on the way. This was my aim today, it was the King’ 20^th anniversary, all exhibitions were free entry so I was planning to take full advantage… planning. This one was the works of a Buddhist monk Enku in 17^th/18^th century. At the age of 32 he started carving images of Buddha and deities… with smiley faces out of wood. As you go through the room starting with his early works, they are rough and vague. They are also described as ‘abstract, bold and dynamic’... I think they are making allowances for his not so great work cause they know he can carve some beauties! When actually I would like to think he was just an average guy who suddenly had a passion and was just hell bent on producing a perfect carving... vowing to carve 100 000s before he died in his 90s. He only considered his first piece when he was 80 something. They were pretty fantastic, I like that he wasn’t in any hurry, now throughout the centuries people have passed them down as objects of worship.

After, I was to go to the Museum of Kyoto after a little phaffing of course! On the map it seemed to be pretty straightforward. I found my way nicely on the subway to the correct station, but trying to leave at the correct exit just blew my mind. Back and forth, I knew I had to leave at exit 5… 1 2 3 4 but no sign of 5. So I risked it and chose an exit, and there I had decided my fate for the rest of the day. Trying in vain to find this place, whilst at the same time getting sidetracked down the little, if you can say again ‘chaotic’ in Japan, wooden streets hidden behind the concrete with fantastic shops… and subtle temples with their quaint gardens and those trees! I feel stupid saying this but these bizarre shape trees you see in Japanese drawings really exist and are awesome… I want to say something else but I am at risk of sounding a little out of my league. But they truly are something else. And they are just trees!

I’ve decided the Japanese style and taste are like no other, not to everyone’s liking but I think they create effortless class to everything. Even the boutique shops… I never thought that was possible. Street after every endless street I could see myself spending a lot of money here, one day hey? The museums will have to wait, I am in no rush and that’s the best part of it all. I can’t wait to go back and get hopelessly lost again.

Back in the apartment, I’ll be working for the next 10 days. I hope I manage to learn a bit more French this week. It’s a slow slow progress with me I’m afraid… but again I’m in no rush. I just hope people don’t mind.