Hi from�@Japan

[Jeff S]

Hi all from the land of the little people. Well, not so little any more. Saw lots of 6 foot young ladies and men parading the streets of Ginza yesterday (Sunday afternoon) Geez, there are an incredibele number of beautiful ladies here. A group of four young, very pretty twentysomething, stopped me yesterday while my wife and daughter were in a shop, insisting I pose for pictures with them. I thought they wanted me to take a picture of the four of them, but no, each posed hugging me as they took a picture one by one. I guess I stand out in the crowd here - not only from my size, but you don:t see too many Japanese men in Tommy Bahama shirts in Tokyo - not the overly flashy ones - just solid colors. Everyone here is dressed in either charcoal gray or black. I keep wondering who died.

We caught the tail end of the Sakura - a very magical time in Japan when it looks like its snowing from the cherry blossoms floating to earth. We:re staying at the Shin Takanawa Prince hotel in the Shinagawa district of Tokyo. It:s in the middle of a typical Japanese garden with koi ponds, and immaculately groomed trees, zen gardens, and of course plenty of Sakura trees.

Yesterday we visited an edo museum with a full edo era (approx 400 years ago) village recreated in a giant hall. The nice thing about it is you can touch as well as look, sit in the houses, and handle anything you see.

I remember on the way to my first visit to Japan in 1977, I was seated next to a Japanese businessman, who was returning from his first US visit. When I asked him what he thought of the US, his reply was "Everything is very big there!" I remember not really understanding what he was talking about til I lkanded in Japan. You forget what a scaled-down world this is here.

Anyway, what:s the report from the Windmill Boy reunion dinner at Sanuki no sato? Did everyone have a good time? I was disappointed I couldn:t make it to meet Kat.

Don:t worry, Stephen I:m taking lots of pictures. I put a new 1 gig chip in my camera that:s supposed to hold 800 plus pictures. I doubt I:ll fill it but I shouldn:t run out of space.

I:ll be checking back perodically. Everyone please play nice.

- Jeff

[Scaught]

... in response to Hi from�@Japan, posted by Jeff S on Apr 17, 2005

Maybe Japanese women are indeed the best of the best.

Scaught

[Windmill Boy]

... in response to Hi from�@Japan, posted by Jeff S on Apr 17, 2005

Konbanwa Jeff and Mariko San.

I am glad you are having a nice time in Japan and enjoying the cherry blossoms.  I am sorry  we missed you and that Stephen and Tess came on the wrong night ( we missed you too)  But Kathryn and I had a nice evening with Bob and Akiko.  Yes I went for my good old stand by the tonkatsu, ha ha ha.

Well  with a little harried traveling at various  airports catching flights at the last minute  some how we arrived in Rochester with all of the luggage 5 suitcases  and our  carry on's.  we needed 2 cars to help pick us up from the airport, and while we were in LA  we had to upgrade from the full sized car I reserved, to a SUV  to hold all the bags.  Kathryn  liked los Angeles very much  and is nagging me to move back  there  ha ha ha. Kat had a little trouble adjusting to the latitude difference from china and LA  to Rochester.  Compared to Guangzhou (NY is the most somilar in structure that we have)  Kat  commented that LA  was  like a village  when we were  driving down la Brea towards Hollywood Blvd.   She  considers Rochester  and the suburbs where we live to be in the sticks / Booneys.   The weather  has  been Glorious since we got here  sunshine and in the 70's  until  today  so at least that was a nice  welcome.  

It is interesting that Kat is so used to riding buses  and taxi's in Guangzhou  and  due to the volume of traffic they really do not go so  fast there,  that  she is kind of scared  when I am driving 45 or 55  MPH and she asks  me to slow down.  I've tried to explain that this is the speed limit  and while you are not supposed to go faster  it is also dangerous to drive the 25 - 35 MPH that she wants me to drive.  I  Guess we do have a faster pace of life here  ha ha ha.  The adjustment  has  been difficult  at times  but things are improving.  It is important to encourage her to keep an open dialog with her parents at home  and to let her call chinese  friends  who have recently preceded here to the states.

Well I am still in my work clothes and I smell like baked goods, So she is encouraging me to shower  and turn in for the night.  Tomorrow we will ask about the setting up the justice of the peace wedding soon  but the real wedding is on the 25 th of june.

ERIC

[Jeff S]

... in response to Re: Hi from�@Japan, posted by Windmill Boy on Apr 21, 2005

Really wish we could have seen you. Maybe Kat will talk you in to heading west, young man. In the mean while, she`ll have fun learning the ways of the West. Tell her not to forget her Eastern ways though. That`s much of my wife`s charm - her very Asian attitude about everything.
- Jeff

[Stephen]

... in response to Hi from�@Japan, posted by Jeff S on Apr 17, 2005

Well....since you asked about the dinner get-together with Eric and Bob....let me tell you what happeded to Tess and Me.

I feel very foolish about it.

Tess and I got there at 7:15...and waited till 7:45 pm and no one showed up.  I was getting a little upset, but I figured there was a good explanation as to why no one showed up.

When I got home I checked the post again....and the dinner was set for the next night.

Yep.....Tess and I had the wrong date.  I had already set my appointment for the next night and we were not able to attend.

Sorry about that, fellas.

Stephen

[Bob S]

... in response to Re: Hi from�@Japan, posted by Stephen on Apr 18, 2005

I figured you got bogged down on the 405.  From OC at rush hour, it can get pretty nasty, especially if there's a big enough accident.

Anyway, it was a very pleasant evening.  Akiko was doing her best to make a good impression to make up for the dismal state of relations now between Japan and China.  Kat & Eric brought a packet of Chinese good luck charms for omiyage.  We struggled with the menu to find SOMETHING that wasn't either fish or made from bonito fish paste stock so Eric could enjoy.  And, oh yeah, I don't know if I ever showed you, but Akiko's wedding ring fits inside mine.  Eric showed us the wedding rings they bought in HK, and sure enough Kat's ring fits inside Eric's.

Any advice for Kat for dealing with upstate New York winters?  That's her one big concern at the moment.  I've dealt with Midwest winters, but they don't last nearly as long or as deeply as cold.

[Jeff S]

... in response to So that's where you were...., posted by Bob S on Apr 18, 2005

Well, glad to hear everyone got along. Yes, the tensions here are high and there are a lot of upset people on both sides.�@Hopefully people`s sensible side will prevail. Too bad the reunion was so scaled down, though.

At least Kat will have a spring, summer, and fall to acclimate before the dreaded upstate New York winter caves in. I spent seven years in Minnesota, myself - as a kid, though when making snow forts was fun, not as an adult having to shovel it and drive in it. No thanks.

I can imagine living in Tokyo on a fairly tight budget, as you did, wasn`t all peaches and cream. To enjoy this place, you need to be able to spend some money. It`s taken a few days but I`m figuring out the metro Tokyo train and subway system. One nice thing is that nearly everyone is willing to help. My wife and daughter send me to ask directions, because people seem to be far nicer to gaijin than to Nihonjin. Having a blast otherwise. The amazing thing is how much you walk, much of it up and down stairs, even if you take the trains.

- Jeff

[Bob S]

... in response to Re: So that's where you were...., posted by Jeff S on Apr 20, 2005

A really enjoyed the Tokyo rail system, but it can be a confusing mess.  Between combinations of the surface trains and the subways, there were always at least 3 routes you could take to get from point A to point B.

"My wife and daughter send me to ask directions, because people seem to be far nicer to gaijin than to Nihonjin."

Ain't it the truth!  That's one thing that started to cheese Akiko off.  When we'd be walking the street of some little inaka village, strangers would give me a cheery Hello but completely ignore her (as would be their habit anyway to any other Nihonjin if I weren't there).  Though when we enter a shop or restuarant, things change completely.  You could sometimes see the waitress break out in a cold sweat in fear of having to ask me what I want to drink.  Rather funny. 8-D

[Jeff S]

... in response to So desu ne., posted by Bob S on Apr 21, 2005

Honto desu! The look on waitresses faces is hilarious. When they tentatively hand you the menu, usually only in kana, and you order in Nihongo, it`s like a huge load was suddenly lifted off their shoulders. I cracked up a whole gaggle of them yesterday at a department store cafe, as I ordered a beer and proceed to tell them "kaimono ga kirai desu, demo, nomimono wa suki desu." You`d have thought I was Robin Williams (to translate - "I don`t like shopping but I do like drinking.") Like here, all the men congregate around the benches and smoke or stare into space while the women prowl the department stores.

One of the things I love to do is blind side Japanese on the train with a "sumimasen." When they turn and look (usually at the middle of my chest, then look up at my face) I usually get that wide eyed `holey crap!` look.

Here in Tokyo, it`s amazing that you just don`t see hardly any ugly women. Of 10 women in the 18-35 year old range, 3 or 4 are stunning, 3 or 4 good looking, maybe one or two so so and maybe only one ugly. Not many tubbies either, but there are a few more chunky girls nowadays then back 30 years or so ago when I first started coming here. Now what they really need are more orthodontists and a few posture coaches. What`s with that pigeon toed shuffle most 20something girls seem to perfect? They grow out of it by 30 or so and it`s rare school girl who shuffles that way.

The school girls here are great. They`re fun loving, funny, and brave. I get approached all the time to practice a few words of English and maybe a handshake or photo by girls in sailor suits or kilts, but have never even been looked at by a boy. They`re too kool, I guess.

Anyway, pigged out on soba for lunch yesterday and sushi for dinner. Nihon-shoku daisuke!

- Jeff