Monthly Archives: May 2012

More Dad Days

May 30, 2012 By in Dad, Japan, Japanese Excursions, Kathryn Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Shinagawa Station

I love this photo of Dad as we were trying to get through the early morning “river of people”. Who wouldn’t love this face? I’m only blogging about the high points of our visit, but I am not exaggerating when I tell you, everyday we shared spontaneous special moments with one another. I have referred to my father’s extraordinary fitness and stamina, but in truth, spending this amount of quality time together, I was never made more aware of his fragility. No one wants to admit their parents are getting older. It only implies one thing. This morning’s conversation with Cliff:

  • Cliff: Do you mind picking up my prescriptions?
  • Me: No…. I don’t understand why you need to take all these meds!?!? (Migraine & “Special Skin Cream”)
  • Cliff: I’m not taking “all these meds…”
  • Me: You’re dying too!!! [flopping on the bed working up some tears]
  • Cliff: I’m not dying! Look at me! I’m healthier than you!

Let me just tell you, sometimes when I’m about to get into a frenzy, Cliff’s narcissism can work like smelling salts.

FILLING IN THE BLANKS

In Roppongi Hills. Tokyo Tower in the background.

After the hike to Nokogiriyama, Dad and I were also able to do some shopping, go to an onsen play tennis, take in a yoga class, take an Indian cooking class, attend one of Chase’s baseball game (Chase ended up hitting a homerun out of the field), go to an art exhibit and eat a lot of great food. We did a little grocery shopping every day so I could make dinner. Dad was in a constant state of sticker shock for obvious reasons. I have long since stopped converting all the prices to dollars, but Dad felt compelled to calculate everything for me.

  • Dad: I can’t believe those oranges cost so much!
  • Me: Well, after a while you just get used to it. I compensate by not buying underwear.
  • Dad: Hmm. [Pretending to ignore me] I just wouldn’t buy any.
  • Me: Besides, scurvy isn’t fatal right away…

One of the advantages of being a senior citizen is being able to eat as many “samples” as you like. Dad illustrated this for me everytime we passed any food samples in stores. I guess once he realized how expensive the food is, he decided he could “save” me some money by eating like this. Parents. ;)

IMPERIAL PALACE

Just stopping by

The Imperial Palace is one of those places that you can overlook because you live too close. I have passed it many times on my way to here and there and everytime I do I say, “I have got to go walk around there!” It is just so beautiful. It is this huge property of manicured lawns and trees smack in the middle of the city. Oh, and of course there is the palace. On the weekend, the main road is actually blocked off to traffic so there are tons of runners and bicyclers all over the place. Entrance to the grounds is free and the gardens inside the Palace are beautiful and full of history and information. I love the mix of old and new architecture.

SHIN OKUBO & MEIJI JINGU

In Front of Meiji Jingu

One of our spontaneous days involved visiting Shin Okubo aka “Korea Town” and then Meiji Jingu Shrine. Going to Shin Okubo was kind of a disappointment. I’m sure when Alexandra reads this, she will say, “What is that girl talking about? Kathryn must have gone to North Koreatown.” I went there wanting to love it. The food there wasn’t any better than what I would find in Nishi Azabu (closer to where I live) and to be honest, I was a little uncomfortable with all the K-Pop worship. There just seemed to be a lot of middle-aged housewives and a lot of autographed posters of K-Pop and Korean Drama Stars. The best part was going to the Korean supermarket and scoring mangos for half price!

Afterwards, we went to Meiji Jingu because it was another place I hadn’t been to, but everyone has said is a place to see. It is sort of the Emperor’s “vacation spot”. It is such a tranquil and lovely place. Since dad arrived, I have gotten him hooked on sake, especially as a remedy for the jet lag wake-ups at 1 and 2am. Less liquid to drink than a Sapporo tall boy. As we were walking in the park, we came across this beautiful display of old sake barrels. Kismet!

Talk about kismet!

SENZOKUIKE PARK

Shrine at Senzokuike

Our last group tour was to Senzokuike Park in south Tokyo. This is a real “local’s” treasure. I have to take Chase here. He would love it. It is a Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine all in one. There is a samurai buried here and one of the emperor’s most prized horses is honored here. You can rent swan shaped paddle boats and explore the lake that way too. The lake is full of fish, turtles, and birds. It is really a special place.

I’m all “re-capped out” so I am going to fix some dinner. Will try to blog again ASAP.

DATES:

June 12th Chase & I return to the States and will stay with Mary in Sterling, Virginia.

August 12th Date we return to Japan

Until next time…

Dad Days

May 28, 2012 By in Dad, Japanese Excursions, Kathryn, Pearls of wisdom Tags: , , , 1 Comment

In front of a men’s boutique in Omotesando

I apologize for being to neglectful. My dad came into to town for a couple of weeks and I was mourning. I have come to realize, playing the “mourning card” is a lot like playing the “pregnancy card”. No other excuses necessary. I took this picture after I convinced dad to have lunch at a veggie, organic buffet restaurant called Crayon House in Omotesando. He liked it a lot and we ate our fill. However, very soon afterwards, Dad got VERY gassy and loud and when we stopped to take this picture, he was loudly farting the whole time. It made me appreciate just how polite the Japanese are because even though Dad was obviously tooting, everyone just pretended not to notice. In Korea, people would have totally stopped and yelled, “What the hell is wrong with you?!?”

ARRIVING IN JAPAN

Waiting for my dad at the airport, I felt an increasing sense of anxiety as I saw each person passing through the gate. I guess that’s what happens when one parent dies, you just feel lucky another one’s still breathing. When he finally made it through, I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me and realized, I am probably more concerned about him traveling by himself than he is of me! He still has 2 backup daughters.

JAPAN PLAN

We hit the ground running. Dad’s flight arrived late Friday night, and early Saturday we headed out with Chase to Chase’s school carnival.

St Mary’s International Carnival

The carnival is a real high point for the school and they raise a ton of money. It was dad’s first taste of high density population fun. Despite being outside, we spent almost all our time shoulder to shoulder oozing our way through the crowds. The carnival showcased food from all over the world, and Chase actually ate his first kangaroo burger. He said it tasted like chicken.

TSUKIJI MARKET

I know. This is probably the most cliché ”tourist” thing you can do in Japan; however, when your dad is a tourist and waking up at 3am it’s the perfect place to take someone where you know it will be crowded and busy early in the morning. Luckily, Chase was out of school that day and I had been trying to get him to Tsukiji Market too (he already had a t-shirt).

In front of Tsukiji Market

The person taking this photo is actually Nghi. I must say, following my mom’s death, I know now, that the people I have met here in Japan are truly wonderful friends. While my dad was here, he met Nghi, Alexandra, Nikki, Adonica, Hema and Angela. I think it made him feel good to know I had met such “good quality” people. I know I have mentioned how Nghi is my co-adventurer in the world of funky food, but did you know? that girl will sample anything and everything? Despite Dad’s surviving colon cancer, Nghi was no match for my father:

Marinated mystery shellfish off the street? No problem!

If you look up “TO RELISH” in the dictionary, this picture will probably be next to it. We had a great time and ate sushi for brunch.

NOKOGIRIYAMA HIKE

In front of a few thousands of Buddhas

Next stop Nokogiriyama, also known as “Saw Tooth Mountain”. I was really glad to get us on this highly sought after tour. However, once we were on the list, I must admit, I started to wonder if we could handle a hike on a mountain called “Saw Tooth.” Fortunately, Dad turned out to be much more athletic and fit than I expected. I don’t know if it was male bravado or what, but he kept saying things like “this hike is practically all downhill…”. I’m thinking he was probably snorting cocaine behind some statues when I wasn’t looking because I thought it was challenging enough. It has been a long time since I enrolled into one of these group outings, and at some point on the trip, I found myself chastising myself. It took my mom’s dying and my dad coming to visit, to make me step out of my hamster wheel and appreciate the fact that I am in a foreign country. Debra and I used to agree that working out/staying fit was like a part-full time job for us. How many times have we heard people say, you don’t lay on your deathbed wishing you put in more hours at the “office”. I made a promise to myself to make time to really learn more about where I am and see more of this magical place.

Making the time

IT’S LIKE RIDING A BIKE

It’s a few days into Dad’s visit now. I really thought dad and I would be taxi-ing everywhere, but given the beautiful weather and dad’s fitness level, we ended up walking everywhere. I don’t know how he managed because I live here, but being forced to walk the streets of Tokyo gave me shin splints after 3 days. I toyed with the idea of Dad using Chase’s bike since Chase was in school during the day. Neither of us could remember the last time Dad was on a bike, but he swore that it had happened in his past. I let him try my bike around our apartment complex that is located on pretty flat road and forms a continuous square. Let me just warn you, seeing your only remaining parent wobbling on a bike on public streets is enough to make you vomit. Once he was able to dazzle me with his boyhood bike mounting technique, I actually had to remind him to pedal (and of course “STAY TO THE LEFT!!!!”). I mean really, who gets on a bike and doesn’t pedal?!? I died a hundred deaths that first lap. After a few turns around the square, Dad discovered he doesn’t like turning right. He also ended up getting his confidence back and I ended up getting a sake:

My turn to be freaked out watching him behind a wheel

Until next time…

 

 

China Day 3

May 13, 2012 By in China, Uncategorized Tags: , , , 2 Comments

Try to avoid looking like this man

Our Third Day in Beijing was all about adventure and exploration. Unfortunately, it was also about lessons learned. The above picture is of Cliff after he realized that the taxi driver from this morning had given him 5.10RMBs (RMB is Renminbi the Chinese currency) instead of 15RMBs for change. The wrong bills were tucked underneath the appropriate 5RMB bill on top, and Cliff didn’t realize until later that afternoon that he had been had. When dealing with foreign currency and people you never know what you might get so be careful.

798

Our day started with said driver taking us to the 798 district about 20-30 minutes drive away from our hotel. We had heard it was this amazing place with a real artsy vibe and wanted to check it out. It did not disappoint. Especially for someone like me who likes to take goofy photographs of people. Here are a few that I took in the area:

Big Tiny

Right after I took this picture, a group of touring Koreans walked by and took pictures of each other grabbing the sculpture’s balls. My propensity for “artsy” photos must be a Korean thing.

Running Man

You gotta love anyone who is willing to let you do this to them. This whole area is surrounded by cute shops and museums. Art students and locals enjoying the scene. Every few blocks there would be models and photographers doing photo shoots.

In the Alley

I found myself walking along the streets, and looking down different alleys, there would be great setting like this to just enjoy. It really is a great place to explore.

After enjoying the morning at 798, Cliff, Chase and I headed back to make a 12:30pm reservation at Da Dong Restaurant. A few people had recommended the place as being great for Peking/Beijing Duck.

Da Dong Duck

I don’t know why, but looking at this photo, I feel like it’s so “chinky”. The restaurant itself is actually really awesome. Very contemporary and chic. Evening would be dressy code but lunch was definitely more casual. We ordered the half duck, but I must admit, I don’t think it was enough. I’m a flexatarian and 1/2 duck did not seem sufficient for Cliff and Chase (10-year-old boy). They actually ended up going to another local restaurant for more duck that evening to satisfy their fix. The food was terrific, but I swear, the waitress we had was either slow, or “slow”, if you get what I mean.

Afterwards, Chase wanted to chillax (Chill + Relax) and Cliff and I decided to explore more of the city around us.

Communist Street

When you turn off the main shopping street you can find yourself in the local bazaar, or I we call it the “bizarre”:

Can you find the tourist in this picture?

After we walked through, we headed to the street food section of town. I was not disappointed:

Yum

Word of advice: Eat a good breakfast because you might not be in the mood for Sheep Penis later in the day.

IMPRESSIONS OF CHINA

  • Style & Money: I want to revisit my impressions on my first day. I cannot say the Chinese are necessarily as stylish as the Koreans, or Japanese, but it’s not like they don’t have the goods. There were plenty of people wearing jeans and no one was waiting for their toilet paper ration. In fact, I’m not exaggerating when I tell you, within a 6 block radius there were 3 Rolex and 3 Cartier boutiques! Looks like heaven to me. Just kidding. Not really. ;) but you get my point. It was all so disorienting to me. Our guide Lilly had also mentioned that residents of Beijing who lived in the old neighborhoods in run down old-style homes (hutongs) could all wake up tomorrow and be multi millionaires if they chose because the property value within Beijing was so high.
  • Babies: Everyone knows about the 1 baby rule in China, but even that isn’t absolute. If you are an only child and happen to marry another only child, you can ask the government for a waiver and have another baby! Of course you have to pay a fee, but according to Lilly, you can turn a profit at the baby’s birth day when guests will bring you money as gifts.
  • Cars: Since rationing births worked so great for the population, the government thought it might work controlling traffic. You are only allowed 1 Car per household and you have to enter a lottery to be granted that privilege. Sometimes, people who don’t even want to drive enter the lottery just so they can have the grant, then they turn their “license plate” around and sell it to someone who is dying to have their own car but didn’t win the lottery.
  • Men & Women: I was thinking all this time that China was full of men because girls are so worthless (not me talking). But according to Lilly, Men:Women is 49:51 percent! That whole thing about killing girls babies just applies to country folk. Just like in the US.
  • Human Rights: I don’t know if Hillary knew about our plans or if it was just coincidence, but she happened to be visiting the same time we were there. When I saw her on TV talking about all the suffering Chinese and their oppression and that blind Chinese man being persecuted I wanted to gag. I don’t know who I hate more, liberals or journalists. I didn’t see 1 riot or 1 unhappy Chinese person the whole time I was here. What I did see was a LOT of entrepreneurialism, people wearing Rolexes and people eating tasty duck.

Until next time…

 

China Day 2

May 9, 2012 By in Chase, China, Cliff, Kathryn Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Brass Ones

Today’s Itinerary: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Silk Factory.

Despite redefining the term “Balls to the Walls” yesterday, today looks like even more walking and discovery.

Mao’s Dead Body Behind Us

TIANANMEN SQUARE

There is a main street in Beijing known as Peaceful Avenue. On one side is Tiananmen Square. On the other side is the Forbidden City. It is where Chairman Mao is laid to rest for anyone who wants to visit and remember the good days. There is also the Gate of Heavenly Peace and a National Monument for Heroes. It is said that the square can accommodate 1 million people. Amongst all the tourists and locals walking around, there are also undercover police helping to maintain the peace and making sure no one gets run over by tanks. Chase forgot his cap today and of course it was sunny and I just couldn’t take seeing his bare head uncovered, so we broke down and bought him a cap. Haggle everything. Don’t ever pay the asking price.

FORBIDDEN CITY

Inside the Forbidden City

By walking toward Peaceful Avenue and through an underground tunnel you are able to access the Forbidden City. This is the last residence of the last Emperor. Everyone knows the number 8 is considered lucky in China and Asia in general. But did you know 9 is considered the Emperor’s number? Lilly also informed us that yellow is the imperial color. I asked her about the movie “The Last Emperor” and she said it was pretty factual, and that movie is the only movie production ever allowed to film inside the City. Looks like someone is going to Blockbuster. The Forbidden City (FC) is vast and can take all day. It’s funny how you know something is called “Forbidden City” but you don’t actually think it’s going to be “city-size”. They even had different departments for the Emperor’s enrichment as well as for all his concubines. The emperor was known to hoard the prettiest ladies. It is thought there were probably 3000 concubines in the city just for him. Of course they had to be educated too because the Emperor wasn’t all about looks. There was something affectionately referred to as CU: Concubine University. I came across a department that seemed appropriate for Chase:

Class of 2012

We finished our tour of the FC at the Imperial Garden. At some point, you start feeling like, once you’ve seen 1 pagoda, you’ve seen them all. Then you hit the Imperial Garden and it is truly amazing. Evidently the Emperor had a thing for coral and ordered his minions to collect as much coral as possible and created an entire garden from it:

Imperial Garden aka Coral City

As we walked out of the FC, Lilly informed us that we would have to walk a few blocks because taxis were forbidden to stop near tourist attractions. This is the government’s way of avoiding traffic jams in these popular tourist spots. When Lilly was able to get a taxi to slow down, he would take one look at us with our foreign clothes and fanny packs and drive off. Evidently, foreigners have a reputation for being too slow getting in and out of taxis. Because the government has cameras all over the place, if they get photographed stopping within a certain radius, they get mailed a hefty fine.

TEMPLE of HEAVEN

Cliff at the Temple of Heaven

Next stop, Temple of Heaven. Built in 1420, it is the largest temple built without nails or cement. Incredible. This park/temple area was only visited by the Emperor twice a year. He would fast in the palace for 3 days and ask heaven for good harvest. Even though he was always carried around in a jiao by his servants, only at the Temple of Heaven was he expected to walk. The park itself is a favorite place for locals to come and sit, picnic, dance, hang with friends. It’s such a peaceful place.

At this point, we have processed our large breakfast and are ready to eat lunch at the “local” restaurant Lilly has picked for us. This place was supposed to be good for noodles and other dishes. It was typical of local restaurants in that it was loud and bustling. You find a place to sit and order when you are ready. You pay after you order, before the food comes. No cool, wet cloth to wipe your hands either. You normally eat dishes as they come out. They don’t wait for all the dishes to start eating. I have learned, Beijing people like to talk and their food hot. I also learned, sometimes, Beijing people find clothing optional.

Shirt Optional

SILK FACTORY

Chase peeking through the Silk Worm nests

Last stop: the Silk Factory. No trip to China would be complete without visiting a silk factory. The lady in the picture was the resident silk expert. She showed us silk production from worm to fabric. I suffer from an intense fear of worms so the experience made me queasy and I found myself averting my eyes a lot. Once we got through the science part, we started the shopping part. Suddenly, I’m feeling better. Cliff picked up a silk duvet for our bed. Convinced that it is better than down filling. I went into the fabric room and found 2 fabrics I fell in love with to re-line some jackets I have at home. All in all, great finds. The silk expert gave Chase his souvenirs:

Silk Cocoons with Worms inside

Another exhausting day over. Day 3 is enjoying the city and walking around on our own.

Until next time…

China Day 1

May 8, 2012 By in bicycle, China, Kathryn Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Beijing 2012

We arrived in China late Wednesday night May 2nd. Even at night, as we drove through the streets of Beijing, I couldn’t help but think, “This is Communism?” Someone forgot to tell the Chinese. Where are all the oppressed people wearing Mandarin collars and grey dentist tops? I actually asked one of the locals if China was still Communist because Beijing is nothing like Russia or North Korea. There were no long lines of people waiting for their toilet paper ration. In some ways, it took me back to college, when Communism sort of made sense.

Our first day in Beijing ended up being sunny and in the 90′s. So of course our plans included touring The Ming Tombs and the Great Wall. Strange how the first vacation I take after my mom’s death is visiting tombs everyday.

MING TOMBS

Front of Ming Tombs

This area is the preserved land of the Ming Dynasty Emperors. Our guide Lilly was a tremendous wealth of information. I’m not going to reiterate historical facts you all can Google yourselves. I’m just going to describe our journey. It is really amazing when you see in person all the amazing structures that the Chinese created without the help of internet. Chase drove us crazy with his constant desire to buy a rice paddy hat. You know, the large straw hats you always see in oriental paintings? I don’t know why, but he was obsessed. I finally told him if he asked one more time the final answer was going to be “no”. Walking the grounds and listening to Lilly talk to us about the afterlife, it was hard not to think about my mom. It was nice to talk with someone who was so convinced in an afterlife that was supposedly so beautiful and peaceful. She told me that after a person dies, you’re supposed to burn their favorite things so they can have them.

GREAT WALL

Great Wall

Our next stop was the Great Wall. I honestly should have turned around at this point, but you see, that’s how the Chinese are so smart…. They posted this sign halfway through the climb. I was stuck clutching the stone walls trying to catch my breath as senior citizens with canes hobbled past me.

I could barely hold the camera straight

We passed an interesting section of the Wall, popular amongst newlyweds. Evidently, it’s sort of a ritual to climb the wall, attach a lock together and literally throw the key over. Our guide said she brought 2 keys and threw the fake one over. I knew there was something I liked about Lilly. I call this picture “Wedlock”:

WedLock

In the end, we made it to 5 pagodas (which in Chinese must mean “pee in the corner”). 4,000 miles and no portoJohns, so plan your fluids. Chase ended up Christening the Wall at one point with Cliff’s blessing. I was still huffing and puffing a few flights back.

Made It!

After the Wall, we had lunch at a local restaurant and ate dumplings, a corn dish, bok choy, and crispy chicken dishes. When picking restaurants, high-end restaurants are easy. They are high-end. Outside of this, you have “local” restaurants and “local-local” restaurants. Local restaurants are good food, clean, and reasonable prices. Local-local restaurants may have tasty food, but are questionable in the clean department and are dirt cheap.

JADE MARKET

Once our bellies were full, our last stop for the day was at the Jade Market.

Lilly, Jade Market Manager, Chase

It was very eye-opening to see all the Jade and how it is produced and finished. The Olympic Medals from the Beijing Olympics are actually the only medals which had Jade incorporated into each medallion. We ended up picking several pieces which are amazing and had a lot of fun haggling. Piece of advice: try not to negotiate with a 10-year-old boy who thinks he has money, but, if he has to be around, make sure he knows to stay in the back and just look tough and not say anything.

CHINA CLUB

China Club

We ended our day at the China Club for dinner. Before we were seated the host showed us some of the accommodations also available. Cliff thought it was just a restaurant, but there are actually amazing rooms that you can stay in when you come visit. I highly recommend it.

We arrived in Tokyo Sunday Night and it is Tuesday. Every time I see a staircase now, I start to sweat and feel dizzy. I don’t think it is jet lag necessarily, maybe PTSD from the Great Wall. I swear, my legs get weak very quickly now. I am doing a lot of yoga, trying to find my breath again. But besides that, I am going to the grocery store and making “salad dinners” every night. Sometimes I feel guilty but it usually passes. Most of the time I just feel like I’m in one of those Public Service Announcements for Depression. Walking around in my robe aimlessly. Today on my way to yoga, I fell off my bike on a busy street and thank God there wasn’t a car behind me. I got up and looked at all the road rash on my butt and my bleeding feet and shoulders, but you know what? I just re-rolled that damn yoga mat and biked on. I probably grossed out the other people in the class with my bloody prints on my mat, but I don’t care. It felt good to hurt physically. Felt good to move forward.

Until next time…

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