What's Going Down In Tokyo-town?

What does one do when they have too much time on their hands? Read? Sew? Design a more efficient way to make ice cubes? No. The answer: BLOG. When this equation is reversed, it is made very clear that the general population has more spare time than they can handle. This surplus also leads people, yours truly included, to be permanently connected to a steady stream of sensational slop that tends to take our minds away from the rational and on to the Hollywood-inspired-end-of-days-omg-irrational (I would quote Oscar Wilde if I thought the word "art" was appropriate. Oh, where is mimesis when you need it?). How could a world so gifted and blessed act like such cattle? Because it's easy.

We live in a "developed" world of convenience. For those of us in the "developed" world, developed really means the size of the seats required to accommodate the increasing jeans sizes that have "developed" in the last 20 years. Perhaps over-developed is more appropriate? This has led us to the inability to perform basic tasks that were once requisite of almost the entire populace (Rockefeller-types excluded). While news reports of food shortages in Tokyo were spread about the world-wide-web, my wife went to the local bakery and bought fresh bread. We ate veggies from our local stand. Milk was obviously absent (and is still missing in many places) but for a culture that is dairy-ily challenged, I shall have to let that go. Rice is also short but is still available at all of the MANY restaurants that are still open everyday. This most certainly has made lives a little more challenging in T-town but we should not forget the bigger picture: there are also hundreds-of-thousands of people in the Tohoku region who are living in far more basic conditions that should get priority.

It does bother me that the headline about the current crisis in Japan is more about a "potential" threat from the nuclear disaster that could be rather than the "kinetic" catastrophe from the tsunami that IS. Unfortunately, this post-emergency amnesia is all too common in our world of 24 hour news. Anyone remember the 2004 tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, or even Hurricane Katrina, not to mention our servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan? We move on so quickly that we often leave behind the most important part of any golf swing: follow through.

I guess that this rant will have to come to a point. Otherwise, you will quickly move on to the next post, blog, or tweet-maybe you already have-DOH! Now, the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster (Yes, disaster because "incident" is indeed too "incidental") is and will be a huge problem for the region. I am no scientist and won't postulate on the half-life of Cesium but I will say that the everyday pattern of life for people in Fukushima/Miyagi/Iwate will have to change. It will be a challenge and may have some impact on lives elsewhere but barring any Book of Revelations movie script scenario, life will go on. Please keep your wits about you and remember that most of what you read, and are reading, is opinion.

Be well,
P.G.

O-Eshiki

Just a quick note...

The block party is a great American institution. Who knew how fun it was to set yourself up in the middle of the street and drink beer? Most people aren't daring enough to try it when the roads are open to traffic though...chickens.

Anyhow, my neighborhood (Ikegami) hosts an annual "matsuri" for the Buddhist priest Nichiren which tops any block party, anywhere. For 3 days, tens of thousands of people come to my neighborhood to celebrate the death of Nichren. I suppose it's really just a very big, 700 year long Irish funeral. Well, this year was a lot of fun. Below is a short clip of the parade that started at 5PM and ended around 12AM. The one saving grace for the marchers was that they were not wearing MRD uniforms.

Be well,

Pat

Eating "Hell": Summer in Japan

For those of you who are afraid of the Devil, please read no further. The rumors that the Devil went down to Georgia (the boiled peanuts one, not the Black Sea one), have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, he has found a home on the island of Hokkaido.

Now, the irony is that Hokkaido is the coldest part of Japan. In the winter, it makes Winnipeg look like Palm Springs. When you see pictures of 20-foot-high snow drifts, you are likely looking at dear old Hokkaido. Why would Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan, Alec Baldwin (or whatever name you know him as) choose Hokkaido? The answer is simple: Ramen.

In my college years, Ramen held a very important place in my life. Other than feeding the tapeworm, it allowed me to ingest massive amounts of MSG for only 12 cents a packet, one of the side affects of which is hair loss and weight gain. I am just starting to really feel it now.

In Japan, Ramen is not bought at the A & P. It is is a delicacy borrowed from China and consumed in restaurants. There are many varieties of Ramen: miso, soy, tonkatsu, vegetable, and of course zigoku (Hell). Recently, I had the pleasure of sampling this sinful dish. Zigoku Ramen is unusual in more ways than just nomenclature. You can order it to your specific pain threshold. Dante could never have envisioned the complexity of the recipe. The scale goes from Zero to incinerator, based on the number of spoonfuls of chili powder you can stomach. Usually, Japanese food is served without the input of the patron-you get what the chef says you're going to get, how and when he says so, much akin to dinner at the Glynn household. Good thing I like casserole. Anyhow, I ordered Ni-chome, which is 2 heaping tablespoons of chili powder added to the soup broth. It was good and indeed hot, although it did look like the "eyeball soup" from The Temple of Doom and there was no sign of the devil. In fact, he never showed up. Rather, his old friend Montezuma paid a brief visit a few hours later. I have to say that I'm glad it wasn't Alec Baldwin.

Be well,

Pato

Homecoming

Yes, after 9 months in Japan, I will be making return, albeit brief, to the US of A. What can I expect? So much has happened since I boarded Continental Flight 008 for Narita.

To be honest, I am a little frightened. What will I do when I am treated to American style customer service (and by that I mean Lack-of-customer service)? I have been trained to accept a scenario where you get great service, even in the greatest of all American exports- McDonalds. Really, the service is incredible here. What will I do the first time someone forgets to say "thank you" or "your welcome"? Count to 10 I suppose?

And transportation. You can set your watch by the train and bus schedules. When they're late, the stationmaster gives you a note ( mentioned that last year). Good thing I will be driving and not taking NJT bus 163/164 or 158...

And the size of the food/servings. In Japan, it can be said that the servings are smaller than in the US. In fact the servings are really just the size of the servings that we all ate 25 years ago. I'm sure that will change too in time and emulate the American pattern. It might be a boon to the Sumo industry.

Living in another country makes you appreciate things that you normally take for granted. For me it's my family. My brother's wedding will allow my family to be together for a few days. Now that IS something to be afraid of!

To my Mother, happy Mothers' Day. Thanks for everything.

Be well,
Pat

Shake, Shake, Shake...

Friday night at 7PM is a very special time in Tokyo. The countless numbers of kaishain (businessmen) and OL (office ladies) make their way out into the night earlier than during the rest of the week, their work clothes like uniforms in an army ready to conquer the nearest izakaya (pub). The rumors about the Japanese people working hard are not overtstated. 7PM is usually quitting time for the weak-there are a few pockets of "9-5" but mostly it is "8-exhaustion" here.

It's not often that I find myself taking a nap at 7PM on a Friday night. That time is usually reserved for going home from work or going to a gig but tonight I was fortunate enough to be at home at 7PM. I was also fortunate enough to have my wake up call be an earthquake.

Now, earthquakes occur quite frequently in Japan. They are as regular as someone on a prune diet to be exact. In fact, this was the 3rd earthquake in Tokyo since I arrived in August. I just happened to miss the other 2. Tonight's quake was a 4 out of 7. Not even a passing grade for Mother Nature, although I am rather happy that she did not perform well on this examination.

Anyhow, the real reason that I am blogging is that I can't get back to sleep and have a little time on my hands before I dine with my friends. Oh, and I wanted to let those folks know that everything is hunky-dorey on this side of the world. I hope that you are all well on your side of the world, too.

Be well,
Pat

When the Unordinary Becomes Ordinary

O hisashiburi desu ("it's been a while"). After talking with my father the other day (thanks Pop for the inspiration-i.e. guilt trip), I realized that I had been neglecting my duty as a member of the Internet community-to fill up cyberspace with as much useless and uncorroborated information as possible. It's like being part of the wikipedia posting regarding wikipedia's wikipedia.

I've been thinking a a lot as to why I've been so loathe to post something and have come to the conclusion that this strange experience of mine has now become not-so-strange anymore. I duck on the train. I don't get lost. Even talking in broken English/Japanese, accompanied by a pantomime that only Mummenschanz could dream of, has become routine. My version of the "toilet paper face" guy works really well when at the dry cleaners. Actually, in some ways I've become the MacGuyver of words, albeit without the electrical tape and Swiss Army knife. To tell you the truth, I think I'm a robot. Or perhaps it's like when Superman goes to Bizarro World and meets Bizarro Superman. Me become Bizarro Pat. Forget about verb tenses, articles, and the like...

Well, here are a list of things that I should have posted about since my last entry:

1. Merry Christmas!
Okay, so this stretches the timeline of even the most Orthodox of churches but forgive my indulgence (and no 95 Theses either). It seems that Santa isn't prejudicial when doling out gifts. Apparently, you can be Buddhist and/or Shinto and still take part in the Christmas celebration. All off the gifts but none of the guilt! Also, it wouldn't be Christmas without "Christmas Cake" which is white or chocolate cake with cream icing and strawberries. As with most Japanese versions of western traditions (i.e. the heated toilet seat with laser targeted "shower"), Christmas Cake is a major improvement over it's predecessor, the Fruit Cake. No one will hide a Christmas Cake under a couch in order not to eat it.

2. Happy New Year!
This one is self explanatory although I do feel bad for the Old Year. It is left out every time.

3. Happy Valentines Day (Feb 14th) and...White Day (March 14th)!
You're thinking, "I know about good ol' St. Valentine but what the he#$ is White Day?"

Originally called Honkey Day, this holiday celebrates the contributions of white people, particularly really, really white people without rhythm. Like Ralph Reed...Well, maybe not. Actually (and truthfully), White Day is another Valentine's Day but was conceived by the Japanese National Confectionery Industry Association in 1978. Fair enough to assume that it wouldn't be the Japanese Diabetic Association. Ahh, the power of special interest groups.

In Japan, Valentine's Day is the day when women give chocolate to men. White Day was created to increase chocolate sales in Japan...oh, I mean it was created to let men reciprocate the great act of giving the gift of chocolate.

4. Happy Easter
The death and resurrection of Christ has not caught on over here. Not even the Easter Egg hunt or Peter Rabbit. I'll give it a few more years to catch on. In the meanwhile, I will have to import Peeps and Paas egg dye. There's plenty of fake grass over here already.

In the event that I am unable to conjure up the mental fortitude to send out another post, I'd like to wish you all a Happy Memorial Day, Independence Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Flag Day, Groundhog Day, etc. for the next 10 years or so. That should do it, right?

Be well,
Pat

I Think I'm Turning Japanese, I Really Think So

"Yaki-mo. Yaki-mo."





After the sun sets on Tokyo, and the weather begins to go from cool to cold, a serenade floats out over the city. It's a song that has been sung for centuries by vendors selling their wares. The closest American equivalent is the Good Humor man. For Japan, it is Yaki-mo (sweet potato).



"Oishii yo..."



"Yaki mo..."



As I close my eyes, I envision an old man with a weathered face pulling a cart down one of old Edo's narrow streets (Edo is to Tokyo as New Amsterdam is to New York). The ginko leaves are ablaze in colors of orange, red, and yellow. He's passing samurai, geisha, and other characters from a by gone era. A lantern illuminates his path with a dancing light. It's not the kind of light you encounter these days: Cold, Consistent, Fluorescent. This light has the kind of personality that only a light afraid of a strong wind can have. The flame's fear is what warms you.



"Yaki mo..."

The song is getting closer and closer. His voice is gravelly but sure. Now, he's right behind me.

"Oishii yo..."



It seems that my nose and ears have fooled me again. Both are large by Japanese standards so it doesn't come as a surprise. Much to my chagrin, reality and my imagination are more than centuries apart. The dear, old おじいちゃん　(Ojiichan or Grandpa) of my day-dream is not pulling a cart but driving a small pick-up truck. It's a late model, blue Daihatsu with a large megaphone strapped to the top, a-la the Blues Brothers. His way is lit by halogen lamps, not whale oil. Fortunately, the smell of baked sweet potato is not a dream. I wonder if there's a beer truck too...

Be well,
Pat