HOME
02 May 2014
Im learning that "Home" is a multi-dimensional word.
Where you're born, where you're raised, where you look like everyone else, where you feel the most comfortable, where you lay your head most nights.
The journey to Rayong started early. 5am so that we could catch the 6:30 mini van. Yeah, mini van. Our cab did not try to haggle, a rarity in Bangkok. At the station we were a bit lost in search of the elusive VIP air conditioned bus. Finding the one window for Rayong in the whole on the Bangkok bus station, it still wasn't clear. But it turns out the most fun loving bus driver one could imagine was driving the bus we were looking for, he was standing at the window we were and he immediately helped us figure it all out.
The day continues with a multitude of sweet and serendipitous encounters with people and placement to help us find answers to questions that I think hadn't been determined yet. Home was defined by what it wasn't in that place. What it could have been, what meaning we put onto it. It was lovely and by mid afternoon on a particularly sweltering day, we headed back.
Vacation
28 April 2014
We might miss our flight from Tokyo to Bangkok. We opted for a late meal of mediocre quality (hindsight) and are now running late. There isn't much we can do right now really and as D had just reminded me, we are on vacation. More so, we are on the first couple days of a 3 week vacation/honeymoon/finally some time truly free from work.
So we have a small bottle of lovely sake open and are watching the Japanese country side whisk by as we attempt to catch this flight. I'm not to worried.
Tokyo is so orderly. Lines and signs and people with smiles in uniforms guide most activities. Im hearing it leads to an often passive aggressive output, but as a foreigner, the ever present politeness is quite convenient. Still, there is so much to learn. Like how to greet someone or order food or how to actually and appropriately site gratitude.
Kompai
26 April 2014
We hit the ground running today. Well, if running includes 2 hours to wake up and study a little.
Last night we went for a stroll to find food after checking in. Turns out D nor I know a lick of Japanese. Reading signs, menus, even store hours becomes difficult when the signs all look like the short hand of an alien race. I guess I hadn't thought about that before embarking on a midnight stroll for dinner. A couple misfires had me feeling intimidated and more hungry. We took the hotel's recommendation and ended up at this seafood joint. It was packed, smokey, loud, and smelled amazing.
Tokyo lesson one; on your first night, look for the places with just a little English on their signage. Don't go for the chain you know, just go where theres a couple English words. Charades does the rest.
The meal was perfect; sashimi, grilled fish, and garlic squid. Amazing.
Today we got a late start, but were on a better foot. Equipt with "good morning", "breakfast", "how much"; we started wondering.
We had lunch of ramen at a tiny shop that you order from a machine and then just sat down with your ticket. We wandered, switched neighborhoods, shopped, wandered more and needed to sit. A tiny, dingy street appeared so we went down it and found counter after counter of tiny grill shops. We decided on one with a couple open seats. There were two surly Japanese men about 12 large bottles of beer in sitting down the counter. At some point we began "speaking". They ended up sharing their various grilled squid, fishes, mushrooms, and bamboo with us. We shared a couple beers with them. The only English they knew was Hello and Obama, and my little translator didn't want to work, but somehow we all talked the entire time. A great reminder that we all speak the common language of Human. And food. And beer. :)
Jet lag is a thing. At 6 we were beat and took a nap until midnight. Compelled not to sleep through a Sat night in Tokyo we wandered and found this little place called Bushi. It was a stand up, higher end, snack and drink place. Great music, great vibe, and although there was no english menu and no english speakers, we knew sake, biru (beer), seafood (seafoodo), and pork (buta niku). The bar tender just brought us some stuff that fit those. The sake was amazing, the seafood was smoked salmon raw, shrimp in garlic sauce, this bacon-y stuff, and grilled pork. PERFECT.
I feel for folks who don't try to put themselves out there. There is nothing more invigorating and delicious then being humbled by an alien language and a need for tasty bites.
Shibuya
25 April 2014
The airport to train to subway stop was fairly easy. It works like any large city here with decidedly more friendly people and more signage available. The Shibuya neighborhood and subway stop is famous and you've most likely seen images of an intersection busier, louder, with more neon than Times Square in New York. That was our first steps on Tokyo ground.
Blam!
People and neon.
I think the nervousness or uncertainty that comes with your first steps in a new large city is based on the innate fear of not knowing how to dodge danger. And being vulnerable. We got a little lost walking from the train stop looking for the hotel. I stopped to ask an older man in a city uniform. He spoke no English but looked at the address on my paper and started explaining. From his hand gestures we made it with out issue a few turns down. I suppose the comfort of being able to ask someone for help, and getting an honest attempt, thats what eases the fear of stepping into one of the worlds busiest intersections with luggage and no sleep.
Our room is literally 8 feet by 12. Including the bathroom. We received gifts of shampoo for myself and two beers in bags upon check-in. I think I'm going to like this place.
Packed
24 April 2014
I've packed twice now for this trip. The second time was about as eventful as the first.
Lay piles of like things around me on the floor, then move from pile to pile picking each thing up, look and it, then slowly fold or pack into the bag.
It is the part of getting the house ready, pushing out notes about work, making sure all banks and cel carriers called that takes up so much time. I feel the most tired right now than I have in a long time. And I've been tired a lot. The storm before the quiet? I'm mostly just hoping this flu that's been lurking beneath the surface won't decide to rear the minute I get to sit back and forget about deadlines.
We've been talking a lot about this trip and I don't know if it is just our way to talk about these things or that friends are genuinely interested. I do know that I'm ready to go.
We have made it through the night without sleep. We've packed (a second time), got the house ready and now are both feverishly trying to finish work stuffs. (Yes, writing a post is kind of like work stuff...) We have errands and then a go time of 10 out the door. That is in 3 hours.
By this time tomorrow, we will be floating gently and loudly at 35+k feet, probably still trying to get comfortable. And then; we arrive.