sometimes i have something to say about me, life and the passage of time – schemes, ideas, holiday dispatches, thoughts and dreams that aren’t too private and other journalling
Me and the incredible Ichiro went to say hello to his great grandfather Ichiro and great grandmother Tomiko, said some prayers and asked for them to keep an eye on us (as done since he was still in mama’s belly)
+ A sweet friend made a smart observation :-)
Dropped a couple ¥5 coins into a shrine box… Need a few blessings for the next 48 hours.
(you can see our house in the distance)
Interestingly, parents popped by to say “thank you for going to the ohaka – grave – yesterday because today is the anniversary of (great) grandfather Ichiro’s passing.”
He is on our shrine of course & was a big man in the community (well remembered by some oldsters around) but died young at 49 – we have his accordion in the barn amongst other tools.
Bonus(es):
Canucks: well, gonna have to upgrade the Ichi’s Pettersson INF sized sweater / for the record, Ichiro’s middle name is Stanley #Foreshadowing / yep, Canucks fans in Japan, who else?
{Background: young Mr Elias Petterssen of the Vancouver Canucks hockey club just signed a significant eight year contract extension}
Tokyo Calling: there’s a song he loves with a special dance so he got up on an impromptu stage on the walk over to do the song and the dance #MyBoy
While out and about on various expeditions, snap snap’d the usual days and the glimpses of regular life.
{With generally unrelated diary notes which happened to happen the same day}
Up early, by my standards, to see classic movie “the sound of music” at some community something something place.
First, a stop at a rusty strip of shops which houses an exquisite French style bakery: fluffy cakes, croissants, croque monsieur, brie / prosciutto sandos + uniforms. Swoon!
Made it as far as the intermission in the exceptional epic “sound of music” – Each time, notice the fantastic use of light and shadows, and pacing (+ of course stellar stoic Christopher Plummer as well as the effervescent Julie Andrews) – was kind of my speed, maybe a total of 8 people at the screening, the 3 of us were by far the youngest / I forgot my “pro tip” of always bringing my own slippers… but anyway, now ramen w/ evidence:
Then, nearby our not-so-secret-anymore Ramen place, went to check out the dinosaurs in the shopping arcade, spotting a few bits of *normal* along the way: a basket of balls, a pink door, a streetscape sign – all very pleasing in their normalness…
…and were fortunate to catch the “Okayama University woodwind orchestra” (or something like that) rocking through the final bit of their set. Especially enjoyed seeing the percussion section of course:
Bonus:
Was a Sunday of a three day weekend and coming out of the winter doldrums or whatever but a lot of people out and about, which meant that after my usual limit of 1.5 activities, we should’ve run for home but a library visit was on the agenda.
I tried to find a quiet corner to scribble postcards with limited success. Ichiro checked out a massive – both quantity and size (quite literally as included an oversize book with a spine approximately a meter which was packed in a giant padded satchel), and join me for scribbling postcards, including one to himself, another to a cousin, and of course he did much stamping.
I noticed that “technically” no photos are allowed in the library (of course, taking photos of patrons/humans is totally offside) and also “no self study without using library materials” which may have made my postcard writing an inappropriate act.
But, spotting books such as “start up 101 “”what is sound art?” and “end of life” required documentation – as did a lovely construction paper collage of a train station.
Usually, libraries are calm and chill but again, at no fault of the other patrons, a little bit too much going on for me. We did make a stop at the embedded coffee shop for a tasty beverage and refresh before…
Yet another stop on the way home to a shopping plaza to dump off some plastic recycling and purchase a few items, during which I hung out on a bench outside, mailed postcards, and spotted “cake box” – which I can only imagine is a service for ordering a cake which is placed in this box, then magically opened so you can pick up (obviously), a cake, and I’m sure it’s quite wonderful.
Asides:
I would like to thank Taylor Swift & her conundrum of getting from Tokyo to Las Vegas for football by going backwards across the international dateline for helping my friends in the USA understand that yes, I live in tomorrow in Japan (also yesterday but that’s another story)
And, at the risk of being Cliff Claven, I like to explain to people that:
* The international dateline is not straight
* And yes, I have crossed the international dateline by ship
* But no, I have not passed the exact point of the international dateline and equator simultaneously #shellback
Finally, enjoyed a few “old-time style” phone calls with pals recently… It took me years to get over my phone phobia from a terrible job in Utah, 1987 but now find it quite pleasant to sit in my dark room with a beverage yapping away to someone, in this case, back in Utah. {Note: not using the phone pictured}
what follows is a post-dated diary of various activities in and around New Years day copied from various notebooks, memos, and small dispatches covering foods, outings to parks and graves, bevvies, postcards, dreams, schemes, and themesof calm and endeavours
Dec. 31: We ate soba (buckwheat noodles) as per tradition with parents on new years eve. Most folks watch TeeVee (many famous “wide ” variety shows, singing contests). They leave it off for my sensory overload benefit so i retired early – as i my way – so they could watch if desired.
So tired, heading to bath and bed. {all the tabs will not be closed, many emails unreplied, various messages and conversations left dangling, flip the page, carry-on}
Jan. 1: GM, HNY – We ate mochi (glutinous rice paste) with other tasty items with parents in the morn as is tradition.
Then, off to Korakuen (one of the “three great traditional garden” of Japan, frequently visited by us).
Early start by my standards – we packed several thermoses and flasks of coffee and tea for the journey…
Off onto the Road: Of course, all manner of beverages are readily available from ubiquitous vending machines yet I prefer our house-made treats. Also, provided opportunity to break out a teabag which was included in the card sent by some friends from Canada.
So off we went, waiting at Tsuchida stop for our first bus ride of the new year…
As is our usual routine, we sit in the very back row (like the *bad kids*) because there are big windows and a little bit more room to stash our gear. Ichi-Stan, of course being a frequent traveler, utilizes the hooks for hanging up his rucksack and travelling cap {usually here I would note that the bus features complimentary high-quality wi-fi and power outlets but you know that by now}.
Note: the *usual* tradition is a shrine visit on New Year Day (bet ya there is a posted in this archive (or maybe still.in draft but… anyhow) this year though we took the with a chance to meet up with Ichi’s best pal and roll around the stellar garden – importantly including the first time in years in which the public could be present for the “flying of the cranes” so… off we went. Plus its a “free admission day!”
Flying of Cranes: The garden was packed but crowd well managed by diligently dudes wrangling pedestrians and keeping on the pathways with optimized view points for the flying of the cranes (a symbol of longevity).
The whole crane flying thing was quite amusing (the wranglers entice them to fly) and yeah cool but i couldn’t help but laugh at the crew of ojisans with their massive telephoto lens, standing on top of camera boxes (no fun for you kids!) and rapid firing like artillery weapon kinda killing the buzz but so it goes, hobbies and all that. {Of course, this is coming from the guy who’s over documenting everything including everything but a picture of the cranes.}
So wiped out from the last few days… Tea ceremony, hospital checkpoints, another tea ceremony, garden visits, photo studio, preschool church, naked man shrine, ancient optician… wrangling humans for some semi-festive vibes, ramen was good / almost noon, still in bed, must eat.
Anyhow, usual sundry ad-hoc memos & several innuendos follow:
Another timestamp to remember seitai appointment / this time taken afterwards at a quirky gallery café roaster where I got Postcards spread out on the counter // place has ceramics, cameras, rocks, grinders, a printing press, guitar etc scattered about. I want to do a show here.
As always, questions about my outfit are accepted within reason // @theunabonger will recall my sharp camel jacket as my “standby when have to go legislative lobbying or photo opportunities with Washington state governor” times
Evidence of the above with coordinates for your investigation
I guess gotta get in my head & bones that the holiday season cycle is just different here… Everything builds up to New Year – and finally today, kiddo’s last day at school, (most) cards in the mail, things starting to shut down – is when it all happens // still bewildering.
So, I’m going to eat this non-squished gorgeous cake to help me understand the cycles.
Meanwhile, back at Tsuchida Cottage:
Haul from milk! Records (who are closing up shop) includes:
Milk! Do / did everything right with great selection, reasonable pricing, fantastic packaging, personal touches, not sure why are shutting down – I think it’s Courtney Barnett’s biz and she’s got busy doing other things like revolutionizing rock ‘n’ roll
2x12" + 1x7" + stickers from Sleater-Kinney
2 x7" from queen @courtneymelba
2x12" milk records compilations
1x12" from St Vincent (transparent)
1 Milk compilation cassette
1x10 year anniversary patch
1 personal note and sticker
Related:
I wish record shops – online or otherwise – were doing boxing day sales. Any that I'm missing out on?
Wild Boar Persist: This is the wreckage from the adorable barbecue grill I built last summer from salvaged bricks and roof tiles.
The wild boar came and attacked it – I mean, completely destroyed it. They are tough!
Lesson: everything is temporary if you make it that way
{Investigate the visit from the wild boar trapper for more background and mitigation approaches we are approaching, unsuccessfully}
Today, by Post:
From a lovely lady & her daughter in Nagano or thereabouts:
And mother-in-law did a “sniper mission” back-and-forth to Saga Prefecture (related to transport logistics of a small relative) and brought back this very special sushi made in Nagasaki prefecture
Still…
Gosh, I know it’s the time of year to be all happy and chill but I’m feeling super stressed, confused, don’t quite know how to mop up some projects, or how to even start and have put myself in a bit of a sticky wicket which is “good news” but I complicated due to #brainfog #blerg
And when get stressed, I either/or:
hide out in bed and watch hockey games
fill up carts from record stores
3 hour bath
send irrelevant social messages (with unrelated photo attached)
But I’ve got some household tasks that need tended to because it’s the frantic “build up/tidy up” for New Years in Japan and it’s important to look busy (really, my wife is working super hard outdoors so I’m trying to keep the house up)
So making myself a list:
* Get out of bed, change into multipurpose warm loungewear
* Put on music
* Ingest food, fluids and medications
* Rock the dishes, fold the laundry
* Bring in firewood
* Then address and stamp “batch x” of New Year’s cards (the fun part!)
{Just keep breathing}
Also:
* Organize all the packets of medication which arrived yesterday
* Order some new house shoes/slippers
Update:
Because I want you to be proud of me… I organized all my medications // and this is what all looks like in the cute little boxes on the shelf I took over from wifu’s kimono cupboard
Bonus:
Ichiro and I on an outing the other day towards the neighborhood to the shrine (he wanted to climb the stairs, I did not :-)) and ancestor’s grave where we washed the stones, changed flowers, lit incense and said prayers. #TeachTheChildren
When you can’t choose which snapshot is the cutest (him, not me… Well maybe me a little bit :-)) #io
Who knew dried persimmons could be used as spaceman antenna :)?
What makes it extra fun is we were visiting his great grandparents grave sites. We clean the stones, light incense, say prayers, change the flowers and romp around his ancestral history.
Happy December 25, no matter what your clock and/or a calendar says.
“time is an abstract” says the clock shop
Important: A note to folks dealing with chronic / complex illness, otherwise shut-in or feeling alone, frustrated by “all of this”: I see you and been you. Christmases alone at Chinese restaurants, nursing coffees at Denny’s, stuck hitchhiking, blue, alone, sick, and confused &/or in Hospital #peace
Normal: And in Japan, Christmas is known as “Monday, 25th”– a normal day in which nothing special happens // although we are going to the optician [update: we did] then post office, groceries ordered and delivered, garbage goes out tonight. So we go on.
Happy Boxing Day. Great thing about December 25 just being “Monday” in Japan is 8:30 PM, postal delivery rolls by with a box from @courtneymelba & @milk_records from an order sent in possibly their final hour. {Yes, that is my address so you can send me a postcard or records}
Related:
Aside: For the record (because someone always asks): no, we don’t go to KFC on Christmas. Or ever. Somehow this myth persists and I guess there are people that do this but I’ve never met them.
Funny enough, you’re only the 42nd person to ask me that this week. And the short answer is: we sure don’t and I’ve never met anyone who actually does but somehow this has become the “story” just like that in Japan everyone eats whale meat and you can buy panties from vending machines – there are probably people that do but I don’t know them. Japan has lots of weirdness but the stories that appear in the “outside media” are all about this “outrageous strange Japan that might exist but I don’t know about it”
In response to one of numerous inquiries about KFC
Any/Everything can be better designed
Next up: From now, most all the folks start to busyily prepare for New Year – which involves intense thorough house cleaning, eating plain buckwheat noodles, attempting to not choke on glutinous rice paste, and then three days of watching inane TV programs (overstimulating variety shows followed by a multi day relay marathon with tortured college students), while eating delicacies – which some might consider each a “dare you to eat this”… (I just, as it’s actually wonderfully-prepared, elegant & elevated cuisine), ergo:
Example of luxurious elevated but sometimes rather confusing cuisine
While choosing through this chessboardlike box of mysterious delights – osechi – folks *pretend* to eagerly await something more spectacular than the mythos of the Santy Clause… the simultaneous delivery on early New Year’s morning of approximately 1.3 billion postcards by the diligent and exceptional Postal Service.
Stamps, won!
Most cards – generally preformatted and understated but carrying this years’ zodiac animal/creature/avatar (dragon for the record) – carry a “secret code” which corresponds with a sort of national lottery in which you look up the numbers in the newspaper to see if you’ve won like a trip to Hawaii, a car, or maybe some stamps. I won stamps once, two of them. Lucky! ¥63
geez, I look like a hairy wookie, I’m really not
And time is overrated, direction is everything, carry on in towards the cardinal of your choosing – aho!
So many things to tell you but I’ll scribble in Postcards, 1 by 1 because each of you deserves custom-made inky artifacts, right?
And coffee in fancy cups, and crocheted pen/cil + quilted stamp bags, and fancy postboxes.
Don’t you?
Anyway, briefly (ha!), for starters – not capable of brevity):
* Hot springs visits with over-the-top performance in quirky confines {note: have a post from a previous visit to share one of these days…}
Yup, i still got *it*… Indeed, amongst their awestuck, head-spinning twitterpating, they ‘may have’ asked/pleaded/invited me to join their traveling theatre dram-edy troupe, but i demurred, i have laundry to fold after all… after all. #SuchKewt #BigInJapan
Yup, i still got *it*… Indeed, amongst their awestuck, head-spinning twitterpating, they ‘may have’ asked/pleaded/invited me to join their traveling theatre dram-edy troupe, but i demurred, i have laundry to fold after all… after all. #SuchKewt #BigInJapan
Yup, i still got *it*… Indeed, amongst their awestuck, head-spinning twitterpating, they ‘may have’ asked/pleaded/invited me to join their traveling theatre dram-edy troupe, but i demurred, i have laundry to fold after all… after all. #SuchKewt #BigInJapan
* Pork belly, woodstove yams Kabocha squash etc. dinner
Made some food: roasted/broiled skin-on crispy pork belly, yams foiled in coals in woodstove, mini mozza and fancy ham plus cilantro w/ olive oil & yuzu, cottage garden salad (with “crab” and sesame seeds ), steamed & smashed kabocha squash, roasted/broiled broccoli, fresh yuzu + olive oil dressing
* Gorgeous new blue herringbone cashmere scarf and my own fancy Hanko stamp (previous was a ¥500 vending machine version)
He’s more me than me and better than I’ll ever be. But dang, look at my new scarf.
He’s more me than me and better than I’ll ever be. But dang, look at my new scarf.
He’s more me than me and better than I’ll ever be. But dang, look at my new scarf.
Those years studying Stanislavski’s acting system coming through in my naturalistic/method acting portrayal of a certain festive character to the delight of assembled preschool parents… Well I suppose the children as well :)
{Ahhhh… memories of walking the boards from Broadway to community playhouses but nothing quite like the magic of performing the “Scottish play” – the one which we acTORs who trod do not see the name aloud in the theatah! – at Summer Stock festival in Cedar City or Ashland, or Straffordshire for that matter}
The assembled patrons asked many questions, ergo:
“Where are your reindeer?”
“We don’t have chimneys in Japan how do you get into our houses?”
“What are your favorite kind of cookies?”
“I’m not sure if I’ve been a good child, this year how do I know?”
“What actions are required to ensure that I receive maximum allotment of gifts?”
“Where are you going next?”
“How do you speak so many languages?”
Of course, after years of “walking the boards” and endless hours of honing my improvisation craft, I was able to provide answers in line with the characters true soul.
well we had to have a talk about how all this works now i’ve done the Santa show for Ichiro 4 times now
The questions – of course – were asked in Japanese by somewhat confused and bemused children, often trembling, studied by their parents.
Rushed to bus to seitai so now posting a “timestamp” photo to show that I’m at seitai (& my fluffy hair is full of static electricity) Dec. 1, 14:20
My favorite flowers in the seitai office entryway, maybe I forgot to mention but my thoughtful wife bought me similar on the anniversary of my mom’s passing.
I’ve done it, left the house for something other than a medical appointment… Heading to get a haircut, bus lets me off right near a sweet shrine so can I go toss in some coins and ring the bell and ask the 80,000 kami for a favor or two
Outfit: The crown/hat was handmade by a generational milliner in Springville Utah / a gift from a legendary artist friend who inscribed the headband with “uncle w33d” and hand written quote from Richard Brautigan. And yes my jacket (I gift from older brother) has a “Dave” name patch on it I added later.
New Year Cards:
Festive/holiday/new year cards ordered.
Next step is ordering the special “national lottery” commemorative new year stamps for domestic (¥63) and a whole bunch of ¥100 stamps for international plus airmail stickers
Interesting results so far Ps i am def in minority
Re: New Year cards, Shout out to the folks sending 300+ I wonder why people send no cards? Is it no fun? Is it a hassle? Is it expensive? Is it for old analog fogeys only?
{I guess that could’ve been a poll question}
+ not only did I make 300 for our family card but also another 40 for wife’s business and 20 more for Ichiro’s own custom Nengajo for pals + we can go to post office and stamp inky dragons
Just some mock-ups // first on whiteboard then test print designs for wife’s business card and Ichiro’s friend card – changes to follow of course
I might stop by the post office nearby the barbershop to see if they have any 100¥ stamps in stock. Most times, the post offices don’t have any – or maybe only a few – so better to order quantity online. Alas, design of this new denomination (up from ¥70) is limited to 1 choice.
Update, later: ordered both ¥100 international postcard and ¥63 special edition new year of the dragon stamps from online shopping, should be here in a couple days along with the printed cards, business and kids cards to be printed at home.
Barber on break: Kind of love it, the shrine was no go as the hack arborists were they’re running diesel engines so came to barbershop where there’s a whiteboard note saying “be back around 14:00” and a couple cigarette butts. Made myself a coffee and cooling out for a minute
I’m amusing myself thinking about any kind of store in the USA (yes yes, I know you have some exceptions you’re gonna tell me) just leaving the door is open, TV on, kerosene heater going, laundry machine running and leaving a note on a whiteboard next to the ashtray
His father was Barber and retired in the 80s, nothing has changed except for one calendar in the corner and a different coffee machine
Me and the barber, I’m the one on the right // I’m even trying to smile
Reminding myself: when I get home, gotta go out to the barn into the winter clothes bin and pull out a few seasonal appropriate scarves… or maybe do it tomorrow, whatever
Update (later): And I didn’t make it out to the barn to pick out some winter clothes… It’s getting chilly
Looking across the street in envy to the bus stop with seats/benches, the stop this side of the road does not have such luxury
These are not are persimmons however a very lovely seen… We have so many persimmons, so so so many. All kinds, all textures, all softness levels.
We made jam, vinegar, dried ones, soft ones, raw ones but still can’t use them fast enough
Bonus: By the way, any of you pals here in Japan doing / performing Santa Claus at the kids’ school or otherwise? Being the foreign guy with a beard in provincial Japan means I always get to be Santa Claus at the school, & this is year 4 for me with the big goal of not going home with a smorgasbord of viruses, germs, colds and what not / of course, I have my own outfit and while the beard is not quite as long as I would like, my “method acting/naturalistic approach” makes up for it :) – and no, the kids don’t sit on my lap they stand next to me respectfully and bow
Beard coming in pretty decent for Santa Claus
mixed-media art library, global diary, project dossier and whole life documentation