home visits me

Living here in Japan, it's easy to forget that life for everybody else back at home is still going on. I try to read the news, I try to read friends' blogs, and respond to e-mails... but the truth is that I can't be thinking about being home in Seattle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The result would be one of two undesirable outcomes:

1: I become so homesick for home that I begin to hate life here in Japan and I'd mope around all day like death-made-flesh.
2: I become so completely absorbed in life at home that I become unable to even function here in Japan.

Not too good, either way.

.:.

So of course, at the moment, I'm happy that I get the best of both worlds. Shiv, Mel, and Kristie are visiting here in Japan, and I get a taste of my old life back in Seattle right here in Kansai area. Things have been pretty busy... a quick rundown:

-Friday 13th: Shiv and Mel get into town; I work at Itami.

-Saturday 14th: I work at Ashiya, but before work, I have lunch at "The Don" with them (I kid you not, that's the name of the joint). I enjoy a bowl of kitsune-udon, free of Tommy guns, pinstripe suits, and the Mafia. At night, I took Shiv and Mel to a reggae club Osaka, where we met up with Selman & his girl, Michelle, her sister, and friends. We stay out until the first train.

-Sunday 15th: Sunday morning to early afternoon is spent recovering from Saturday night... at least, I spent it recovering, heh heh. In the evening, Shiv and I met up with Kristie and Amy Nishi(mura) at HEP 5 for dinner, after an attempt to go see "Return of the King" is rendered un-doable do to the fact all the tickets are sold out. Then again, it was opening weekend (the movie opened on Valentine's Day).

-Monday 16th: The five Seattle friends (me, Shiv, Mel, Amy, Kristie) go to USJ (Universal Studios Japan) and see lots of 3D shows, most of which were ho-hum after we saw the brand-new Spiderman ride (which of course, was great!). So great... we rode it twice. Heh. =)

At night, we caught a showing of "Return of The King". Whoohooo! A good end to the series.

-Tuesday 17th: Shiv and I got to visit a Japanese kindergarten and see some early child education, Japanese-style. Lots of similarities to school in America, with the exception of activities being pretty structured, non-competitive, and very group oriented. I saw a couple of ideas I'm gonna steal for my own kids classes at work. I'll write later how that turns out.

At night, Mr. Wajima took Shiv and I out with Mrs. Wajima, Mai, and Konatsu to a nice restaurant in downtown Kawanishi called "Ume no Hana" (lit. "The Plum Blossom). The specialty of the joint was tofu cooking... boiled, fried, stewed... you name it. Good stuff.

-Wednesday 18th: Shiv and I went to Kyoto today, and walked around Gion area. We also got to visit Kiyomizu-tera Temple... very nice.

Boy, I don't feel too verbose at the moment. Maybe it's because Yodobashi camera is playing the "closing music". Bye-bye.

Pictures next time.

.:.

Ever written a letter like this to your father? I think most sons have.
posted by G at 3:52 AM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33