Arashiyama

Our second and third nights in Kansai were spent at a temple in north-western Kyoto, in a big temple complex (a bunch of temples, all generally of the same Zen Buddhist school, in the same neighborhood). Our host temple was the Shunkoin-ji in the Myoshin-ji temple complex. It was a peaceful location of historical significance.


Some of the art in Shunkoin is actually Christian, which was quite interesting. They have an old Christian bell which was taken down from a church when Christianity was outlawed, and hidden for a few centuries. During WWII the bell was sought to be melted down for ammunition, but the Abbot of this monastery saved it by burying the bell in the garden. Pictured below is his grandson, the current vice-abbot (a really great guy educated in Texas).


These screens, painted in the 1600's, are the original and have not been retouched. Most interestingly, the artist who was commissioned to paint them was a secret Christian and painted certain covert symbols into the painting which would only be detectable to other secret Christians. For example, he painted certain flowers blooming on a screen depicting winter, symbolizing the birth of Jesus. Or three birds symbolizing the trinity. Or a lily (which blooms in summer) painted on the spring screen, symbolizing Mary. Fascinating!


After a tour of the monastery we had an hour-long instruction on Zen meditation. I think that all three of us have studied mediation in the past but it was a special treat to ask questions and 'sit' in an actual Zen temple. After the Zen class we were served 'matcha' green tea and crackers.


And several photos from the Miyoshin-ji Temple complex:


























































Myoshin-ji happened to be near the tourist-rich region of Arashiyama, which Nick and I explored one day.








































Adashino Nembutsu-ji stands on the site of an old graveyard where the destitute once abandoned the bodies of the dead, exposing them to the wind and rain. About 8,000 stone Buddhas statues honor the poor people of the Adashino area whose bodies were abandoned to the elements. The holy site is a great honor to the life and humanity of the souls who passed. May all those on the journey be enlightened.












On another day, the three of us traveled to Arashiyama for a boat ride down the Hozu River. Relaxing and beautiful! This area is *very famous* for views during the seasons of cherry blossoms and autumn maple colors.


Arashiyama is a popular tourist site, but spacious and full of good things to see, all pleasantly walkable.

Kyoto

Kyoto is full of tourists, both Japanese and international. Most schools in this country send 2nd-year high schoolers on a required trip to the temples and historical sites of Kyoto. Later in life, many Japanese people return to Kyoto and the Kansai region to learn more about their own cultural heritage. I liked the ladies in kimonos, protecting their skin from the sun with UV umbrellas and lady-like white gloves.

I was excited to be traveling in a warm, less-modest climate and was bold enough to wear a skirt with BARE LEGS! (shock!) Hello Kitty approves. Yay tourists!

First, Kyoto-style okonomiyaki. Spicy sauce on top with cheese. Very good.



Perhaps the most famous site in Kyoto is Kinkakku-ji, or the Golden Pavillion. This Zen temple was first built in 1397. In 1950 a fanatic novice monk burned it to the ground (believing its aesthetic qualities distracted from religious focus) and in 1955 it was rebuilt with even more gold leaf. It is a special place, but being as we saw it in the peak tourist season it was difficult to experience 'zen' there. However, the beauty of this temple inspired us, and Nick proposed to me in front of the painting of the Golden Pavillion, a week later in (much quieter!) Hokkaido.


Sanjusangendo was probably my favorite tourist spot in Kyoto. Although perhaps not the most famous attraction, I deeply appreciated the awed religious energy that filled the site: no tourists are allowed to take pictures inside, and nearly no one spoke. This temple was built in 1164 and dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of Mercy. Inside the temple are 1001 unique life-size wooden statues of Kannon. I was moved to tears by the beauty of each of these works of art, lined up in rows flanking one huge Kannon. (Photo from http://www.taleofgenji.org/)

This is part of the outer gate surrounding the temple grounds.

Sanjusangendo is the longest wooden building in Japan (to house all those statues), and for hundreds of years there has been an archery competition during which archers shoot arrows the length of the hall. The record was set in 1686 when an archer successfully shot over 8000 arrows during a 24-hour period.


Kiyomizu-dera is a lovely temple complex in the hills overlooking the city of Kyoto. It was first built in 798. The main hall (pictured below) famously juts out over the hillside, supported by hundreds of pillars.

The waters here are famous for their healing properties.

An old cemetery on the grounds of Kiyomizu-dera. We liked the gravestone of the loving couple! If you're wondering, it is common in Japan to see stone Buddahs wearing red apron-like things or even showercaps, which I presume are to protect erosion of the stone.

Mom and I drank from the theraputic waters of Otowa-no-taki at Kiyomizu Temple. It is said to cure headaches, among other ailments!

Osaka

Osaka Castle walls and moat. On our first day in Kansai the flowers were blooming, the sun was shining, and the perfect travel weather continued for our entire trip!

Osaka Castle was built in 1583.

Modeling the local clothing.

The *very famous*, and in our opinion superior, Osaka-style of Okonomiyaki. Loads of shredded cabbage make the bulk of this savory pancake. Meat, vegetables and seafood are added (okonomi means "as you like it"). Then sauce and mayo are added! Yum!




Downtown Osaka is so compact that new buildings are built literally AROUND existing structures (in this case, the monorail line).



A friendly local police box.


The Osaka Human Rights Museum is an incredible place. The exhibits focuses on human rights issues related to groups that have historically been subjected to discrimination in Japan: ethnic Koreans and Ainu (indigenous) people, women, gay people, homeless people, handicapped people, and those with AIDS or leprosy.


Osaka Dotombori shopping district.

The Big News

Nick and I are engaged! It became "official" Tuesday, May 6 at the Goto Sumio Museum near Furano. http://www.gotosumiomuseum.com
He asked me in front of the painting of the "Golden Pavilion", a famous temple in Kyoto which we visited this past week. This photo was taken outside of the museum, with the Tokachidake mountains in the background.

We hope to throw a homecoming/birthday/engagement party in August!

Cancer Roadmap (a new site)

My friend Ali recently unveiled her great new website called "Cancer Roadmap". (link at left) She is an amazing young woman and her voice is much needed. Her support of me this past summer was such a comfort in own scary bout with the disease. Check out her site!

Orange

It occurs to me that I've never posted pictures of my sweet orange folding bike. I bought it used, from a foreign dude in Sapporo, for about $50. And IT FOLDS IN HALF! I can take it apart, put it in a duffel bag, and bring it on the train or camping or whatever. So fun.

The bike has been especially appreciated this spring. I couldn't ride while the sidewalks were packed with ice and snow, and it was a painful 20-minute walk to and from work each day. But now that I'm back on the bike I can take pressure off my still-fractured foot. Relief.

Here are pictures of my favorite elementary-age girls playing on my tall bike.


And in front of an old locomotive in Furano.

Flair

What is this god-awful mess, you ask? A dead bird fallen from a tree? A kindergartner's art project? A fraggle? (Yes, Tesars, that was a pop-culture reference!)
No, my friends. This bundle of putrescence is CLIP-ON FLAIR on my new shoes. Wonder why the shoes were on sale? Neither do I. Lucky for everyone, the flair clips off leaving no damage to my cutest new sandals. I must note that the color of my sandals is blue, further proving that this flair is not only horrifying ugly but also entirely mismatched.

Some attempts at Japanese creativity can only result in my feelings of pity. Shoes give many examples here.

In men's shoes, it is popular to wear contraptions that look like dead snakes. Multi-colored ones with pointy toes. I worry they might jump up to bite me.

Thank goodness for MY protective glittery sandals sans flair.

Almost Seven Billion!

The info on this website is so crazy-cool:
http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

Watch the population clock grow before your eyes!

Thoughts

Thoughts, comparisons, jet-lagged reflections:

Americans are DIVERSE. There are so many different colors/ethnicities/sizes/opinions/persuasions among our people. The word "diversity" doesn't even exist in the Japanese language. Because of our diversity of people, the products and services available in the USA is so diverse: so many different kinds of foods and services!

Americans are tall! And many are shockingly obese. We each gained about 5lbs in the 2 weeks we were there. Most of those who are fit have memberships at gyms in order to compensate for the typical American beef-bread-cornsyrup diet.

Americans are friendly, verbal, and generous. Rural-Nebraskans are particularly open and generous. It was wonderful to be with such gregarious people!

Transportation in Nebraska is auto-centric. Buses and trains are rare. Nebraskans don't walk for transportation.

Omaha is flat and spread out. There appears to be no city planning to reign in overzealous suburban-sprawl developments. Houses are HUGE. Mansions are not unusual. Americans might think they are being squeezed financially due to increased charges for gas, but citizens of the USA live like royalty (is it all on loan?).

America is violent. I was shocked to watch the Omaha evening news and watch reports of multiple recent murders. There are signs on the doors of clinics, jewelry stores, etc declaring that people must not bring handguns into these facilities. People lock their doors and watch their belongings. In Japan violent crime and theft are shocking rarities.

American foods are familiar and yummy. I LOVE WHOLE FOODS. And I loved being able to recognize everything on the shelves. We returned with a suitcase full of lentils, split peas, garbanzo beans, organic peanut butter, yellow mustard, 'reeses' peanut butter cups, Mexican 'pulparindo' spicy tamarind candy, and oatmeal.

It was so good to be home surrounded with love and friendship and familiarity. Other than driving on the other side of the road :D, it didn't feel like much of a challenge to re-acclimate to home. Perhaps we will experience more reverse-culture shock in August when we return for good, but this wasn't difficult.



Tomorrow we return to work, to test our re-acclimation to Japan.

Home

I`m on the way! Nick and I will be home for nearly two weeks. We leave our Furano-home in just a few hours, and will arrive in Omaha late Thursday.

Please keep Nick`s family in your thoughts/prayers, as his uncle suddenly passed away this week. We travel to be with family. This situation comes to us at a time in Japan when taking a break is possible. We will be home for two weeks but I will only miss three days of classes due to a year-end holiday. Both of us have been able to get the time off work and we are looking forward to this very surprising (and sad) journey!

The Forest

It is possible to purchase our music online! Check out the city website:

http://furano.biz/node/15

Happy Birthday Girl Scouts

Hooray for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides!

I was a Girl Scout thru high school. It was an excellent program to encourage leadership, integrity, and diverse skills. I strongly believe that GS provides a unique and important environment for young girls to develop pride in a patriarchal society. Girl Scouts took me `survival camping-canoeing` for weeks in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I received the Silver Award for a project recording hundreds of camp songs and typing out all the lyrics. The results of our project were kept in the GS library for use by leaders and camp counselors. My Gold Award project was to make a quilt that was gifted to a nursing home. The quilt was used by the nursing home staff and residents as a tool for grieving when a patient passed away. All that leadership development, AND I received great scholarships to college for my participation in Girl Scouts!

There is a certain amount of competition that exists between Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. My perspective on the Boy Scouts has really changed in the last two decades, and I do not support the organization of Boy Scouts as it currently stands. Girl Scouts encourages diversity, strength, and cooperative leadership. In stark contrast, Boy Scouts of America as an organization is now notorious for homophobia. Less well-known but equally troubling, BS requires that all members are theist and Boy Scouts of America does not acknowledge Unitarian Universalism as a valid religion. How can they claim to educate young leaders with integrity, when the Boy Scouts teach intolerance? ----- end rant.

From the good people at GS-USA:

"On March 12, 1912, exactly 96 years ago today, Juliette Gordon Low convened the first Girl Scout Troop in Savannah, Georgia. As early as 1912, Juliette recognized that developing girls' leadership abilities was critical for ensuring they would be the change-makers of the future.

Today, Girl Scouts continue the legacy of leadership. From founding libraries in America's heartland to establishing free medical clinics in India, each year 2.6 million Girl Scouts take the lead in bettering their communities and the world. Girl Scouts is, as it always has been, the organization best positioned to offer girls the tools they need to be successful leaders now and throughout their lives."

I only wish I could buy some Girl Scout cookies here in Japan!

Spring is coming!

It really is!

In February it felt extremely dangerous to drive in town because of visibility issues. At intersections the 4-meter high piles of snow impeded sight lines and made me worry that I would crash into a car or pedestrian. So about a month ago, bulldozers took over the city center to shave the snow piles into meter-high mounds, and cart away the snow. Now those snow piles are finally melting. In the countryside the rivers are swelling with snowmelt.



In my ikebana class last night, the flowers from my arrangement were tulips and cherry blossoms さくら. The tips of some young trees have a reddish-tint, as if they are considering buds. Birds have returned. The sun rises and sets at around six, which is a lot of daylight. And today is our first day of RAIN. Bad news for the ski slopes, but good news for my spirit.

Girls' Day

March Third was ひなまつり or "Girls` Day" or "Doll Festival Day". We were invited to celebrate the holiday at the home of my supervisor, who has an 8-year-old daughter. I hope she felt like a princess!

You can read a bit about the tradition here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinamatsuri

The Feast, with lots of pink-colored food! I read somewhere that the pink color symbolizes a girl`s first menstruation, but now with greater research I can find nothing confirming this idea. The pink foods also symbolize the spring blossoms blessing southern Japan this month.


Dolls of the emperor and empress are displayed. Traditionally the dolls were understood to posses bad spirits, and were sent downriver in a basket at the conclusion of the holiday. Now the dolls are taken off from display immediately after the meal. If parents delay putting the dolls away, it is thought that their daughter might marry later in life. Perish the thought!

The Empress Doll. Note the anatomically-suggestive folds of her dress.


The Emperor Doll. Note the anatomically-suggestive sword and hat.


The Lady of the Evening, with a special ikebana arrangement made for her by yours truly.

A Sample

Here is a little snapshot in words; a glimpse into three days of my life.

さんぷる 1

Saturday was a quiet day for me. Our wireless internet, which we share with my coworker/neighbor downstairs, was not working. I should be grateful for being lucky enough to live in a town with broadband. . . many JETs do not. But a lack of internet usually just leaves me cranky. I made okonomiyaki おこのみやき, cleaned, and read. The snow is melting (finally!) and crashes off the roof with incredible force.

At the train station at six, in the dark, I met Nick who was returning from work in Asahikawa. We rushed to meet my JTE/friend Inugami-sensei and his wife Yuko. The four of us planned a "double-date" for the evening. We met at a culture event coordinated for Furano ski tourists. It was an incredible spread of traditional music and dancing. Unfortunately the food served was some of the worst I`ve eaten in Japan, perhaps made for the tastes of Western tourists. But never mind; the music and beer were a great combo! The four of us had a nice time meeting Furano`s (mostly Australian) tourists and catching up with local friends involved in the tourism industry. Apparently Inugami-sensei and I share some local notoriety for our music performances together in the past months.





After the culture event rolled to a close, the four of us walked to a blues bar serving Miller Light. The owner of the bar is the oldest of three brothers with businesses in town; his next brother owns a lovely coffee shop; the youngest owns a popular bar welcoming many locals and foreigners with classic rock riffs spilling out of the stereo. It`s been funny to meet the whole family, in stages, over the months we`ve lived here.


さんぷる 2

Sunday morning was an early one, as we`d been out late and Nick needed to catch the SIX am train to work. His students (adorable: aged 2-5) were performing in a speech `contest` in front of beaming parents. After the contest, I took the train and met him in Asahikawa for some shopping. We caught a free bus, packed with teenagers, to the biggest mall in the region. For a country that constantly waxes over their uniquely "polite" culture, not a single person offered their bus seat to the elderly woman standing. Grr. First stop at the mall was a ridiculous Western-food buffet lunch, quite a deal at 1300￥ (about $12) each. I wonder if the other guests had ever seen a man put down quite the amount of food that Nick managed to consume. Men, women and children stared slack-jawed. After months of living as circus performers, I don`t even mind the googling eyes.

The highlight of our day, though, was a return to the mall`s foreign foods store which we`d visited back in October. Back story: In our last visit the store had held our purchases for a few hours while we continued mall shopping, and we picked up the bags on our way out of the mall. Upon returning to Furano I received a frantic call from the food store, apologizing profusely for omitting to return our precious bag of tortillas back into our grocery bag; they had refrigerated the tortillas and forgotten. . . oh shame! Well, this time, upon checkout, I mentioned my name and that I had not received a bag of tortillas about five months ago. . . The looks on the cashiers` faces were priceless. My cashier ran into the back and immediately brought out THE ORIGINAL BAG OF TORTILLAS, frozen, with my name and phone number still taped to the bag. Profound bowing and apologies all around. You know that store employees have been staring at those tortillas for five months during weekly inventory, willing me to hurry up and get the blessed bag. But I thought it was so funny and sweet that they saved the original bag (rather than a store credit or something). Japanese society is so HONEST.

さんぷる 3

Today was a brilliantly blue day of snowmelt and striking mountain vistas. I taught at a school nearly an hour away from town, and on the drive back managed some nice pictures.






I couldn`t tarry, however; I needed to make it to the bank before 3pm to send some money, in a frustratingly complicated system, internationally to my bank at home. Usually this is not a problem. Today I thought I would try to do the currency exchange on my own with the limited help of a bank teller, but, sadly, this did not occur. It is so difficult to be helplessly illiterate and inarticulate. I couldn`t understand the bankteller`s directions and failed miserably at my task. Within an hour my emotions dropped from generous appreciation of Japan`s natural grandeur to defeat. In this culture, to inconvenience someone (the bankteller) as I did (with 5 minutes of language misunderstandings) means that I must feel and show extreme apologetic humility. How can I retain confidence when I am constantly bowing and scraping?! And I will live with these linguistic limitations for another five months! Arg!

Upon returning to the office I had the fortune to run into Mr. Shima, the composer of the song which I sang for the G8 Summit. The CD`s have been burned (5000 of them!) with an unfortunate misspelling of my name, Nick`s English lyrics, my smiling mug, and what I hope to be a good editing job of the music. Who knows where this will go?!