Category Archives: Transportation

Riddle Me This… and India: Part 1

February 5, 2012 By in Chase, Cliff, Culture Shock, Daily Living, Getting there, Japan, Transportation, Uncategorized, useful Tags: , , , , , , , 1 Comment

How can I be an unemployed, illiterate housewife in a foreign country and STILL be so tired and busy? I know this is something both women and their husbands have asked themselves at one time or another in their lives. As an “ex-pat wife” here in Tokyo, I feel like I have to fight the current stereotype. Although, you know what they say about stereotypes, they’re true. Are there obnoxious, entitled, clique-ish ex-pat wives running around talking about packages (I’m not talking about the physical one but the financial one) around Tokyo? Yes. Are there Others who are grateful for charmed lives, cooking home-cooked meals, tending to children, freezing in apartments typing out brilliant blogs with fingerless gloves hoping for a book or movie deal? Yes. I know I’m spoiled. Sometimes I try to hide it, and sometimes I let my labels show.

I like fresh flowers in my home, but I like fake outside. I like to be in bed by 8:00pm. I like to have pretty manicured hands, but my Catholic self is still making payments for the last manicure. Given the fact that almost all the women here have artwork on their fingertips, I feel like my unadorned phalanges are symbols of a “grounded, earthy person”. This has been on my mind too: how is it, I can send text messages all day, but the idea of punching 10 or 11 numbers on a keypad to make a call exhaust me? or does anyone else feel taxed at the mere prospect of having an actual phone conversation? I can’t wait for the day Apple comes out with the next level of communication when we can just send mental balloons to one another. They can call it the iThought.

Don’t ask me why, but I have also been wondering if wanting to drink sake in the middle of the day necessarily means I might be an alcoholic. Can’t people just enjoy the taste of sake so much that they crave it and want a drink at 11:00am? Like some of my friends have said, it’s Happy Hour somewhere in the world, but then again, these were my alcoholic friends. But seriously, is it so wrong to have a drink in the middle of the afternoon? Oh the shame!

On a totally different topic: INDIA

Cliff and I have been invited to a wedding in India. I have been to 2 “Indian” weddings in the States. I can’t help but assume that just the location dilutes the authenticity out of the event. One of the weddings happened to be for my Icelandic friend Gunnar who happened to be marrying an Indian woman, so that one didn’t even have an Indian Groom and half the guests were WHITE. India has always been on my list of places to visit. I have had this dream of striking a pose near the Bodhi tree. And just recently, Adonica and I have decided to move on from vegan Japanese cooking to Indian cooking. Just this past Thursday, Adonica, Nghi and I went to Asakusa to shop at an Indian wholesale market and get our pantry staples.

clockwise: Adonica, Me, Nghi

The outing was serendipitously initiated by the St. Mary’s Parents Association who had organized an outing to Asakusa. One of the parents actually owns the Indian store we visited. We took a group photo in front of the Kirin Brewery Headquarter:

Nghi thought that sculpture looked like a yam, but to me, it looked like a golden turd. I don’t know who, but maybe someone informed us that it is the symbol of beer foam. Figure that one out.

Back to India Preparations:

January 23rd: Appointment with Tokyo Medical Clinic for India Trip

This involved 4 inoculations and prescriptions for anti-diarrheals and antibiotics. I figure it isn’t about if, but when.

receipt for shots = $509.30

Prescriptions

Not sure what this will cost, but will let you know. When I went to the pharmacist, it was kind of funny, because he said in Japan a hand-written prescription was extremely rare. Most of the clinics will fax or email prescriptions for patients. It was kind of fun trying to decipher the doctor’s handwriting.

Will try to spend more time on my India trip preparations as I get more information. Seeing Hema this week for my 2nd cooking lesson. I believe Alexandra and Nicki are joining Adonica and me for Southern Indian cuisine.

Cliff returned from Europe yesterday and we are all here until the 13th when Cliff and I will leave for India. Joji, her daughter and Nghi will be looking after Chase while we are gone.

Until next time…

First Snow, First Show, First Toe

January 28, 2012 By in Chase, Cliff, Daily Living, Family, Japan, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, Tokyo, Transportation, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment

When you don't have a back yard... there's the rooftop.

So what didn’t happen this week?

First Snow

We experienced our first snow day. This past Monday night freezing temperatures and rain clouds convened to create treacherous conditions the following morning. Watching the snow fall Monday night, I kept checking my phone for school closure notices but nothing! Chase got as far out as down the street when I finally got the notice and in my true “Ghetto-style” I was able to open the balcony window and yell at him to come home, school was out today. To which, I swear, he did this sideways leprechaun kick and raced home as fast as he could.

I love how days like this have a way of “putting you in your place”. No matter how determined you are to do something or go somewhere, The Powers That Be will play the weather card, or the car-won’t-start card, or sick kid card and you have to adjust and get through it. I was going to just take Chase with me to TAC (Tokyo American Club) for my 80′s Aerobics class. I was really surprised at how icy and treacherous the roads really were. Big snow clumps and ice falling from skyscraper ledges is nothing to take lightly. We made it to the first major street where we normally hail cabs and there were barely any around. When one finally did stop, he asked where we needed to go and then he very politely said, “Not going there”. So Chase and I had to turn right back around and walk/skate our way back to the apartment.

As far as we got on Snow Day

As we were walking back, Chase and I thought it was so strange that here in Tokyo, Japan, year 2012 we saw men trying to clear the streets using sticks, makeshift looking shovels, and brooms that looked like something the Wicked Witch of the West would ride. Just another ironic moment in Japan.

First Show

In some ways, it was probably a good thing the day was completely canceled because I had a lot of things going on and I had woken up thinking, how the hell am I going to do all this? That evening was also rehearsal night for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat aka The Spring Play. We rehearse every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday evening and as we get closer, we will start working on Saturday and Sunday. It has been a really terrific experience for me to be involved in the project. I was really worried I was just going to be some lame extra appendage to the whole process, but the director seems to like having me around and it’s nice to be part of the Drama Club again. It’s all so Jungian. Last night we were working on the “Hoedown” song. The music director and all the boys were doing it all so beautifully and the soloist had a voice like an angel. It was all wrong. Evidently at this international school, hoedowns are just not part of the list of festivals. There is no “Redneck History Month”. So being the only “Southern” Korean in the room, I proceeded to explain Western Culture and Country music. I referenced Bonnie & Clyde, Young Guns, and Deliverance (just kidding there) and asked the soloist to do some research by listening to some Jerry Jeff Walker (knowing Cliff just came in handy). I asked if any of them had ever heard a Southern accent and they all said no. It was a shocking revelation. So at one point, I had this Broadcast News moment with the soloist where I was standing next to him while he sang. I was basically speaking the lyrics in a Southern accent a beat before he needed to sing it so he could remember “forget” is pronounced “furget”, it isn’t “paradise” it’s “paradahhs”, it isn’t “dead” it’s “day-ed”. It was really funny. I guess when there’s no one in the room from the South, that “new Korean girl from Georgia” will just have to do.

Still from The Gunfighter. "Day-ed as a doornail"

First Toe

As in my Hallux (medical term). Some of you who have been with me from the beginning of this adventure know of my pain. That first and only mani-pedi I had almost 5 months ago. You are also aware that as a result of me trying to get the “most out of my money” on this I gave myself a good case of double black toe. Right now, my big toenails are barely hanging on. I don’t have the guts to pull them off so I am coloring them silver to hide their horrifying color and make them look normal. My secret desire and hope is that one or both of them fall off in one of my yoga classes so I can earn extra yoga points and make Koreans look even more badass. Everyone already thinks I am super serious and hard-core about my exercise and yoga, but I think watching me “tough it out” and having my big toenails fall off during a vinyasa would be the stuff of legends. I’ll keep you all in the loop if this happens.

Ashtanga Instructor from Under The Light

Namaste’

Until next time…

Asian Ski Vacation 2011 Part 2

December 29, 2011 By in Chase, Cliff, Culture Shock, Daily Living, Getting there, Japan, Japanese Excursions, Kathryn, Transportation, Uncategorized, useful Tags: , , , , , , , 1 Comment

3 Guesses, where are we?

I’m so glad to have had the chance to spend more time with Alexandra and meet her family. The more time we spend together the more I like her. She says “Gorgeous” and “Behbeh” like those are everyday words. As women, then couples, and then as a family we all hope to find a “match”. Someone with whom we can be ourselves with without worrying that they’ll call the police on us or have our kids taken away or just plain judge. That gets harder and harder to do as time goes on. This photo was taken their last night at the resort. We had 2 more nights to go. I am a little worried to be out of my “drinking” league, but the good thing about hanging with drinkers is as some point it doesn’t matter. People think I don’t like to drink, but that’s not true. I like to drink; I just don’t like to vomit. We had a great last night together, and I don’t know how, but they managed to get up bright and early the next morning for their journey home. I’m convinced they must sleep in hyperbaric chambers like Michael Jackson to party like its 1999 and stay fresh.

Christmas

We had a lovely day skiing. At this point, everyone is still falling, but we are able to get up faster. Knowing how sentimental Cliff is, I know he is feeling disappointed that the 3 of us are sitting at a hotel bar drinking and eating bar food Christmas night (see Dec 25th Blog entry). So I feel compelled to turn to him and say, “I had a great day and this is a great vacation.” And he just nods, and I know he’s thinking of Christmases past. “Hey,” I add, “There are a lot worse ways to spend Christmas.” One of the things I have noticed about spending Christmas in a non-Christian country is that it’s almost completely commercial. It’s devoid of religious meaning and seems lackluster no matter how many light shows shine and Christmas songs get played. I’ve been listening to Fox News again and the reports are always the same this time of year. How people are trying to kill Christmas or make it less offensive. So silly. I have always believed and taught Chase that there is no shame in loving. Be it Allah, Christ, Buddha, or whatever. I wish people would just appreciate the beauty in that. Any who, I digress. I’ll get off my soapbox now.

By the time it was time to leave, we were ready. Three people staying in 1 room and skiing 3 days in a row for people who don’t ski regularly is hard on the mind and body. Chase has his school ski trip coming up March 6th, 2012, so at least he won’t be completely “green.” On our way back to the Airport we stopped at the mushroom restaurant again, but we also stopped at another resort to pick up more people. I got off the bus to stretch my legs and when I went inside I saw this:

Unfortunately, the potato drink stand was closed, but that scary looking tree next to it talked and reminded me of my Koi. The minute I saw the potato drink stand I was instantly reminded of a friend I’ll call “Debra”. She is one of my many super smart, motivated, beautiful friends who had way too much time on her hands and way too much ability to stay at home (she has since quit working pro bono for her family). Anyhow, when we were brainstorming possible venues for her to channel all her energies, I suggested a Water Bar. I mean, who knew we would have to get in a car to get coffee, tea, smoothies, juice?!?!? I feel like the trend towards “designer waters” is so obvious. I suggested that she open up a water bar, but of course, this did not happen. If anyone decides to steal this idea, I am hoping to get a piece of the action by documenting in this blog. Don’t fight me, just give me 45% and I’ll leave you alone.

While in Hokkaido, I learned it is a town famous for its potatoes, milk, corn and ramen.

Speaking of ramen, Cliff was obsessed with having some Sapporo Ramen. Every town in Japan is known for some kind of food or experience and Cliff was not going to miss out. I thought we were going to miss our chance because we arrived at the airport late, but then we encountered this:

That white hair is like a beacon in the night

Living in a foreign country and traveling makes every trip feel like “The Amazing Race”. Evidently the poor weather had delayed a whole bunch of flights (including ours) so we had plenty of time. We found a row of Ramen restaurants on the 3rd floor and Cliff ordered the most popular dish.

If you are thinking, “Hey, that looks like a big pat of butter on that pile of ramen!” you are correct! BTW, don’t miss the big pile of corn there either! This is not your mamma’s ramen. This is Sapporo Miso Style Ramen. He said it was the best ramen he’s ever had in his life. This just goes to prove my theory that everything is better with butter and corn.

We finally ended up on a later flight and managed to get into Haneda Airport only 2 hours after our original time. When we got home, Chase opened up his gifts, and Cliff and I were able to unpack a little bit and start planning our next vacation.

The End

Until next time…

Asian Ski Vacation 2011 Part 1 Starring Cliff, Kathryn & Chase

December 28, 2011 By in Chase, Cliff, Culture Shock, Daily Living, Family, Japan, Japanese Excursions, Kathryn, Transportation Tags: , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Hokkaido, Japan

Our first ski trip in Japan. Destination: Niseko Hilton, Hokkaido.

We are flying Japan Air Lines (JAL) and by air, it takes about 1hr and 30 minutes. The plane tickets for JAL are a little smaller than the normal tickets and everyone uses the little square code to scan. I still haven’t figured out what those things are, but my guess, it’s the new bar code.

My plane ticket

From the Airport to Niseko, we took a bus which was another 2 & ½ hour ride. Fortunately, the bus did stop for a bathroom break at a funky mushroom restaurant. It was here that Cliff and Chase discovered their ultimate meal:

Whatever happened to pecan logs and pork rinds? I don’t know how they managed to impale sausages on rib bones but that just goes to show the genius of the Japanese.

Meat on a rib bone plus a Coke: “Breakfast of Champions” according to Cliff Wright.

Just a Spoon and a Bowl. Go at it!

As I looked around this Japanese Cracker Barrel, I noticed there was plenty of opportunity to sample. But this wasn’t sampling of easy finger foods, this was like relish… Who samples chutneys, relish, and pickles in the palm of your hand while on a road trip? The Japanese. That’s who.

Finally, we arrive at the hotel. One of the many ironies of Japan is on one end (Tokyo) you have uber luxurious, modern hotels and then when you go outside the city, you end up in places that look and feel like they were built in the 70’s and not recently renovated. I was pleasantly surprised by the Niseko Hilton because even though it might not have been modern or fresh, it definitely had a cool, groovy feel to it and lighting was very dim and thus flattering to all.

As we arrived, I was texting with Alexandra and we were coordinating a dinner rendezvous with her family and us. By now it was dinner time, and the sausage-ribs had long been digested. As we headed towards the room, I noticed something I had never seen in the States before. You know how sometimes (especially in the really nice hotels) you might find a vending snack machine or ice machine on a floor? Well, here at the Niseko Hilton, they have a free hot water/green tea machine for your convenience! How nice is that?!?

Hot Water AND Green Tea ANYTIME!

After we got settled in, we met up with Alexandra, Andrew, and their 2 boys Ollie & Max. Had dinner “off campus” at a local diner where the service was slow, but the sake was good and had a perfect ending to a long day of traveling. It never ceases to amaze me just how tiring sitting on your butt all day can be.

Our ski package came with breakfast at the hotel, so every morning we enjoyed a huge buffet breakfast at one of the Hilton Restaurants. Note to self; try not to stuff oneself before squeezing into tight ski layers and ski boots.

I like this picture of Chase and me for the same reason I like the picture of Cliff and me. Both pictures depict exactly what our vacation personalities are like.

Moving to Japan, I have come to delineate the nuance between city-shock and culture-shock. By no means am I an expert in ski or ski lodging, but I have never been to a ski rental where you could basically go to the resort without 1 piece of ski equipment (including clothing) and expect to rent EVERYTHING! And I saw quite a few Chinese, Taiwanese, Singaporeans, etc… do exactly that. Here is a picture of the rental form:

I don’t consider this culture shock as much as I think this is city-shock. Living in small apartments, people just don’t have the space to own a couple of ski jackets and skis and pants and all the big, bulky accessories that come with a sport like skiing, so when they go, they just go and rent everything. I can see how it makes sense if you don’t know any different, but for me, it’s kind of like having your own pool. You just can’t go public again.

The Niseko Hilton is the epitome of ski-in-ski-out accommodation. They have a fabulous ski valet service located in the hotel that stores your boots and skis, and the gondola and another ski lift is just steps outside the exit. Soooooo convenient. Just one warning, I don’t know if it’s just here in Niseko or not, but the lifts are VERY uncomfortable and we all suffered bruises on our backs and the legs. The gondolas are meant for 6 Asian people = 4 Non-Asian people. They are about the same size as a carriage in a small time country fair ride. The lift tickets are all automated so you don’t have a tag hanging off your jacket/pants and a scanner in the lift line scanning you like vegetables. You simply put the card in a pocket, and ski through a turnstile and get pushed through.

For the longest time I have observed other friends partake in the combination of ski-then-schvitz/sauna. I never indulged in this myself… until this trip. One of the awesome amenities of the resort is their access to a natural hot springs or “onsen”. Many people in Japan, heck Asia, love to get naked and dip themselves in mineral hot waters for their healing and invigorating effects. The Niseko Hilton has an indoor and outdoor onsen. Some hot springs are co-ed, but unfortunately this one was separated. Sitting in the hot, mineral water, feeling the cold air all around me, watching the snow falling as the sun began to set behind the pine trees, I had a moment of culture shock. Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?

It was all so impossibly beautiful and zen-like I could hardly believe I was awake! I did this after skiing 3 days in a row. The outdoor onsen is made like an infinity pool that bleeds out into the actual pond. The pond was close enough for me to reach out and touch. I found 3 koi fish (black, white and gold fishes) swimming right up to the onsen. I could have touched them if I liked. I don’t know why, but at one point, I started to scrape some of the winter algae off the edge of the rocks and I threw clumps at the fish hoping they might eat it –and they did! Then I started fantasizing that the fish were my friends and they could talk and they became my pets, and I would feed them every day and they would grant me wishes… maybe I stayed in the 115 degree water too long. Maybe the minerals were affecting me strangely. Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here? Time to get dried off and meet Alexandra and Andrew for a drink.

To Be Continued…

PvZ, Kathryn’s Book Club, Daily Living

December 7, 2011 By in bicycle, cell phones, Japan, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, Pearls of wisdom, Tokyo, Transportation, Weather Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

Enough already! I blame the holidays and getting hit with December’s slow book selection on my book club list. The last few weeks I have become addicted to the game Plants Versus Zombies which I downloaded onto my iPhone. At first I was doing it to torture Chase after I took his game away from him, but very soon after, I found myself drawn into this world and talking strategy with my son. Let me just say, I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel because I have completed adventure mode 3 times and almost earned all the achievements (Did I actually own that?!?). I am determined to start reading again. January’s book selection is Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima. I’m channeling my inner Oprah and attaching the link to purchase in case any of you want to read this novel with me. Hopefully, the book will provide some interesting new insights on my daily living observations and maybe just be an interesting read for you all.

I need to address some more daily living topics for anyone who is a new expat or is planning to be an expat here.

There’s No Time Change

When your day starts getting dark by 4:30pm and then pitch black by 5:00pm, you get tired and hungry earlier. I wake up around 5:55am and sunrise is usually after 6:30am. The days feel so short. It feels like I barely have time to get my workout in and buy groceries. Some research has shown that shorter days can result in a Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) also known as depression. I don’t know if this is a symptom, but the other day after I worked to get my skinny pants on I realized the zipper was stuck and no yoga move was going to save me and I HAD to peel those suckers off my post-shower booty, I nearly had a break down. If anyone had seen me they may have mistakenly diagnosed me with epilepsy, but it was just me struggling to get those pants off to fix the zipper! I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting S.A.D. Thinking about it now, I’m getting that feeling again…

What’s up with the Telephone Numbers?

I’m no dummy. That being said, I swear it has taken me this long to get used to the “extra” digits in the phone numbers. The common practice to exchange information is just finding the add contact screen and pass the phone over. In the US, normally you have the 3 digit area code and then 7 digits that follow: (xxx) xxx-xxxx. Here in Japan, you can have a 2 OR 3 digit prefix and then 8 digits that follow: (xx/yyy) xxxx-xxxx. I try not to think about it too much. Thank God iPhone just dials the number when you hit the person’s name. In this fast-paced society where we are all loathe to hit DELETE one too many times, just the thought of punching each digit tires me. In a previous blog I talked more about establishing a service for your new phone. Just refer to that if you need that kind of information.

Cash

Medium Starch

When I was going through my ex-pat orientation, I was given the advice to always carry at least 30,000 Yen ($385.98) in my pocket. Japan is definitely on the cash system. There are places that will accept cards (and btw, cards here only go to Gold status. There is no Platinum) but it isn’t uncommon for people to walk around with $800-$1,000 in cash. This was a little strange for me in the beginning because I NEVER carried cash in the States. Ever since my bachelorette party, I came to the conclusion cash is dirty. I charged everything. Is it just me, or does it seem like corporations and maybe even the government sort of encourages that consumer behaviour? Maybe if people used cash that they had in the bank more, they wouldn’t be in such a financial bind. Oh well, I’m talking about things I shouldn’t be talking about. I have gotten used to using cash and 30,000 yen is about right. The transition was made easier because, I think they iron the paper money. I have NEVER received a wrinkly, dirty bill that looked like it was shoved into a G-string or used to snort cocaine. Every bill I get is crisp and flat like it was freshly pressed. FYI, when you need an ATM, you will find them in any convenience store.

Just as a final note, I’m not quite sure what I am going to do if it gets any colder. My bicycle (Every time I type bicycle, I hear Queen in my head singing “Bye!!!!-Sickle! I want to ride my bicycle!!!!”) is my primary mode of transportation.  I have discovered driving your bicycle fast in 40-something degrees, with the cold air slapping you in the face and tears rolling down your cheeks, is just plain unattractive and that’s while you’re moving. Not to mention, your bike never “warms up”. The windshield doesn’t “defrost”. You start cold and your ass stays cold. I’ve started wearing boots and my socks on the outside of my pant legs. Nghi was telling me that there are bicycle mittens I can get. Last night, I looked at my hands but could hardly believe they were mine and not some crypt-keeper’s.

Queen

Until next time….

Baseball: Atlanta versus Tokyo & Being a Team Player

November 28, 2011 By in Chase, Japan, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, Tokyo, Transportation, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

You ever have days when just putting on a underwire bra feels like work? When did my foundation garments start requiring metal reinforcements? Gloria Steinem, you needed to melt bras not burn them. Onto my story…

Yesterday, I had my first turn on baseball duty. I don’t know what the pros are like, but let me just compare the difference between Atlanta Little League baseball and Tokyo Little League baseball.

In Atlanta, Chase has played little league baseball since he could hit off a tee. The organization there has a pretty tough reputation for being very competitive and families get more and more involved each year as your son/daughter gets older. When we left, Chase was in the 8-9 year old group at NYO, I think it was AA League. In season, it was 2 practices a week and a game or 2 depending on the schedule.  Each practice was about an hour maybe an hour and half. There were always rumors of secret additional practices held by the more enthusiastic coaches, but I don’t think we ever had one of them. To me, the hardest part of NYO baseball is the politics and the parking. I never minded practices and games. Chase isn’t perfect, but he is always a showman and entertaining to watch. Over the years, with perseverance and good coaching he managed to end up in 1st base or 3rd and is a pretty good hitter. Moving to Tokyo, we were very excited for Chase to experience Japanese little league.

So back to yesterday. Cliff had a golf/spa day so it was my job to take Chase to practice. We tried to join a team in Minato-ku which is in our town, but evidently they are having an awesome winning year and they practice all over Tokyo so the logistics of meeting up with them (sans car) and them “needing” us has been tricky so it never seemed to pan out. By luck, I happened to meet the coach for a baseball team in Chase’s school district and he needs players and seemed like an incredibly nice guy. A few of the boys are from St. Mary’s and they practice in fields around the school, so after talking with Cliff we decided to join the team and see how it goes.

Practice is year round. They have leagues, but everyone from 2nd-6th grade practices together. [Queue Big Eyes here.] I know, it’s quite a stretch in maturity and sizes, but that is how they roll. So a normal team practice usually handles about 60 boys. We have about 30 on our team. The good thing is that means Chase will probably get to play. Playability is based on seniority and whether you are at practices or not. They don’t like to recruit from St. Mary’s because many of the boys tend to leave during the summer (which is when half the games are played) and there is always the possibility of unexpected relocations.

Practice schedules are determined by coaches for each month at the end of the previous month. Always on Saturday & Sunday. Since we live far away and without car, it takes us about an hour and half to get to the fields via subway, train, then taxi or bus. Yesterday, on our way to practice, I was feeling like one of those documentaries about “day-in-the-life of inner city kids”. Once you get to the field, practice is 3-6 hours long (for us that’s 6-9 hours with commute). The first hour is usually exercise and stretching. The baseball field itself is little more than a dirt diamond. So each team has its own bases, netting, chalk machine, pitching machine and sports equipment it needs to bring and set up and take down. Team members all pay 3000 yen each month to help with expenses.

Setting up for practice

Guess who lined up those bats and helmets?

Like Atlanta, there are a lot of volunteer dads who serve as coaches and they are all in the sports gear and team colors. The boys also practice in team colors/uniforms. Chase will get his uniform once the new season starts. Since there are 6th Graders on the team Chase is not the biggest kid by any means but because his Japanese isn’t conversational yet he is “special”. He’s kind of like the deaf-mute on the team. It’s really so sweet. I can tell the other boys are still trying to feel him out. There are also Japanese rules of etiquette in baseball. A player always tips his hat to another player who picks up his ball for him. A player always greets coaches and new players. After each practice, the boys line up and bow to the field out of respect, then they line up again in front of moms and coaches and bow to show gratitude.

Not in uniform, but still part of the team

Giving it up for the moms

Back in Atlanta, I attended a lot of practices. Especially when Cliff was away. I enjoyed throwing in with the boys and running bases, playing catch, stretching with the boys, etc…  Here in Tokyo, moms have their role. Let’s just call it “Woman Work”. All the moms on the team take turns coming to practices and doing such things as:

  • Taking role
  • Handling dues
  • Setting out baseball equipment
  • Administering first aid
  • Doling out snacks at the END of practice (no eating during)
  • Serving tea/water to coaches

Yes, you read that correctly. When I first heard about this from Cliff, I swear, I thought he was just making it up. But sure enough, yesterday on the hour, every hour, the other mom there started pouring tea and water into little cups on a tray and handing the tray to me. I’m assuming being the rookie on the scene, it was my duty. I’m gonna have to admit, there was a mental pause, it could’ve been a mini-stroke, but I quickly recovered and walked my ass over to the coaches tray in hand.

"These drinks are going over there?"

In My Happy Place Smile

Even Chase must have noticed my mini-break down because he felt compelled to offer encouragement in the form of “you look good mom” when I started to walk off with my tray. I was thinking, it must be on the Y chromosome! Now I’m walking across the field to serve the coaches their refreshment because God forbid they come to the well to get a drink. Was that mirth in their eyes at the sight of this foreign woman with the tray in her hands? Were they gloating at my subservience? Have I watched too many World War II movies? I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and I’m going to assume they were happy to see I was being a good team player and not some high and mighty “Western Woman” with no wire in her bra and hair in my armpits.

This whole experience has made me re-evaluate my “woman work”. Why was I feeling so conflicted about serving these men while they were doing their “man work” and coaching the kids? What has happened to us (woman-kind) that serving a little beverage during a long practice is suddenly compromising my sense of self? Lord knows I would do it for some hot man-boy mowing my lawn on a scorching summer day… but I digress. Maybe I need to bitch-slap my ego into towing the line and take pride in the fact that my husband and son can say with confidence that I am the best wife and mom they could wish for. Truthfully, I think the woman’s movement has hurt the state of relations between men and women in the long run. It has created what I call the “SuperWoman Syndrome” for many of my fellow double XX-ers. I don’t like to see women killing themselves to get ahead in the world of business or medicine and trying to be perfect wives and moms. The sad fact is there isn’t anyone on the pecking order to serve us tea when we’re thirsty, so why do we fight it? Granted, some of us are single-moms and you don’t have that choice. My sister is one of them. I don’t know how she does it. I do know, she’s tired all the time, and as much as she says she doesn’t miss the man-smell in her closet, I still hope she finds someone worthy of her awesomeness. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t take issue with women wanting to work, just women trying to do it all and making themselves and everyone around them miserable at the same time. Whatever you decide to do, just find meaning in it and be joyful. Screw whatever you mom said.

In the end, I guess I’m just trying to say I’m okay with serving the tea. Hell, let me take your shoes off for you too. Still in the spirit of Thanksgiving, let me just show you, I’m thankful.

I think the boys are going to be home soon, and I need to start their bath water.

Until next time…

Birth-Days, Pam! Packing

November 24, 2011 By in Chase, Culture Shock, Daily Living, Family, Grocery, Japan, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, Transportation, useful Tags: , , , 3 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I have a few minutes before we go to dinner so I thought I would blog while I could. This past weekend was Chase’s birthday so of course in true Wright-man birthday fashion it continued on for about 3 days. Last blog I mentioned our first stop was at Kiddyland and that was, well, Kiddyland. Next stop was Hakuhinkan. Let me backtrack for a second though to talk about our family tradition. We decided a few years back that we would alternate each birthday with big party or big trip-with-a-buddy. Last year, Chase got a little bit of both because it was a trip year and we went to Atlantis with his BFF Hall, but we also ended up having a going away party at the end of school. Technically, this should have been a party year, but I had a chat with Chase and we talked about doing the party bit next year when he had a better idea who his friends are. He was agreeable and as a compromise, I told him I would take him to 2 great kid stores that he knew about and he could pick out what he wanted.

Hakuhinkan is Tokyo’s version of FAO Schwartz. It is packed with everything and anything kid related. Here are some pics:

 In case you can’t tell, I’m holding the Japanese version of Settlers. Who knew?!?

Every year, we also plan a “fancy dinner” night where he has to get properly dressed and show “nice restaurant” manners. This year Cliff picked a Kurosawa restaurant. Kurosawa is a famous movie director but evidently he also restauranteurs.

Super cool inside. The outside looks like such a throwback to old Japan, but literally the streets and skyscrapers are right next door, but as soon as you walk into the door you are transported to another time. We did a shabu shabu course there and it was delicious. The chef accommodated my flexitarianism and I had other course options. All in all, Chase was happy and that’s all that mattered. The night we went out for fancy dinner night, of course it rained torrentially and one of our umbrellas ended up getting tossed, but that’s just part of the adventure. Living in the city and in an apartment continues to have its challenges. But with every negative some glorious unexpected nugget of positiveness will show itself and you just have to smile and go with it. The funny thing is Chase and I are so single-family-home oriented, I’ve caught Chase referring to the apartment as “going back to the hotel” and I feel like that every time I’m getting ready in the morning.

The other day I went grocery shopping and I finally put PAM on my grocery list. Cliff has been nagging me to get cooking spray forever (probably because cleaning pots and pans are “Man-job” in Kathryn World (note: no quotation marks). One, I realized that even here, the foreigners are ransacking the shelves for their Thanksgiving feasts so the shelves were a bit bare. I found the Pam and I have to say, I nearly fell over:

 I know I already did my grocery blog, but I just had to throw this at you. Mental note: If I see anyone using Pam in Tokyo they are too rich to be friends of mine. After I told Cliff about the price, he said he would be happy to incorporate pot scrubbing into his upper body workout.

Since my ADD medication seems to not be working and I am all over the place with this blog, I am going to talk about packing. I know it seems late in the game to be talking about this, but it probably has something to do with the holidays. We put up Christmas decorations after Chase’s birthday and to be honest, I think I actually felt worse seeing the little tree we brought and the VERY FEW decorations. Compared to our home in the States it was quite a pitiful sight. To top it all off, a few days ago I woke up from a terrible dream which was my subconscious telling me I forgot to pack for winter. Now that I am facing Tokyo Winter having packed for the move during Atlanta Summer I completely forgot to pull winter items from the house! I had visions of me walking around with 3 short sleeve shirts and blue veiny legs in shorts. Despite the practicality of seasonal packing, call it nostalgia, or comfort, the first Thanksgiving/Christmas away is tough. I am now forced to turn to retail therapy and the last couple of days I have spent a small fortune for 3 pairs of shoes.

My note to you, fellow future expat, don’t forget the other season when you pack and pack everything that makes you feel good. I wish I had brought my China. I wish I had brought my cold-weather clothes. I wish I had brought more Christmas decorations. I think last summer all I could think of was down-sizing: “what if it breaks?” “what if there’s not enough space/storage?” maybe you’re feeling resentful (like it did) and pouting. I let my emotions control me a bit and my mind completely underestimated our square footage, and I didn’t realize we wouldn’t be with family over the holidays. When in doubt, bring it out. Now I’m paying $13 for a pine cone.

Until next time…

Taste This! Pimping My Ride & Our Postman Only Rings Once

October 24, 2011 By in bicycle, Cub Scouts, Culture Shock, Daily Living, Girlfriends, Japan, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, Tokyo, Transportation, Uncategorized, useful Tags: , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

It is now time to address more lifestyle changes.

As I mentioned in my chart, I am taking cooking lessons now from Hema Parekh and she is opening my eyes to the wonderful world of Vegan cooking. Yes, I said vegan cooking. It really amazes me that there is such a plethora of dishes that are sans meat and so full of flavor. I am cooking with “exotic” ingredients like lotus root, burdock, miso, tofu and I really love it. Cliff and Chase are being as supportive as carnivores can be, and much to their chagrin, I have resumed “Vegetarian Thursday Dinner” night. I can’t promise they aren’t sneaking off to the convenience store for beef jerky after I go to bed, but hey, at least at dinner time I see a few mouthfuls.

My picture of the day (POD) consists of another lifestyle point and that is transportation. Lately I have been bemoaning the inconvenience of not having a car, but truth be told, I still enjoy the freedom. I just started listening to Fox News thanks to my TuneIn radio app, and I hear gas in the States is $3.50/gal. It used to bother me so much to hear such things as an SUV driver. Now I just feel bad for everyone back home. I also have to admit that I LOVE my ride. I had no idea bicycles came with such vast accoutrement. I am still thinking about adding a rearview mirror and maybe a cup holder (since the Soy Cafe has become almost a daily ritual). The other day at tennis, the other ladies were coveting my ride because it was without extra seating. Evidently, I had the “non-mommy” vehicle. Here are some pictures of different pimped out bikes you might see in Tokyo:

Back Seating

Front Seating

I think this is the biking world's SUV

I give it up for these ladies. Almost every bike also has the basket and sometimes the front and back basket. I really waited before I “broke down” and had one installed, but I tell you it was the best thing ever. Although, I really don’t understand how they are able to drive these vehicles with a child in the front or the back or BOTH! Sometimes, when I just have a bag of fruit in the front, it’s enough to throw my sense of balance off. I have trouble driving straight with that load, but I guess you have to be more careful with a child up front than a melon. I went to a bike shop called Le Cyc and they have an English speaker who is fantastic and if you buy the accessory there, they’ll install whatever.

These are images of my bike:

My Pimped out Bike

My "Dashboard"

Good times friends. This is literally how I roll.

Mailing Stuff: OK, so I finally got the hang of going to the apartment mailbox area and checking for packages and parcels. I don’t know why, but, I guess in the back of my mind, I thought, I had left EVERYTHING behind in the America including mail. One day I discovered that to send a letter, I could not just throw it into my mailbox. One you have to put the delivery address on the front and your address on the back. I was so excited to have the opportunity to use my oh-so-cute pre-printed address stickers, I slapped one on the front of an envelope only to have it mailed back to me. So that is addressing the envelope. A stamp is easily purchased at any convenience store (Kombini) and will cost 80 Yen ($1.04) for a single letter. Then you need to look for big red boxes like these:

This is where letters are posted. I don’t know why the postman can only deliver mail, but that is just the way it is.

One last thing, I keep forgetting to let you all know, but now that I am an iPhone user, I am finally getting to play all those fun app games. Right now I’m into Words with Friends (User ID User48366607). I haven’t figured out how to change that fantastic userID yet. But if you have any games you are playing that you like, let me know, always interested in something to do on the train.

Tomorrow I am running my first Cub Scout meeting. I am kind of nervous, because I don’t have a lot of patience for naughtiness and I enjoy disciplining young boys ;) but hopefully, I wont shatter too many young minds.

Until next time…

You Be The Judge

October 4, 2011 By in bicycle, Daily Living, Disaster Kit, Transportation, useful, Weather Tags: , , 1 Comment

So many of you have commented on my sense of humor and I really appreciate it. Like I said, Japan is home of the “Straight Man”. Today I was inspired to blog because of one of the many weird moments in my life involving prejudice. Yes, people, I am a minority. Anyhow, the last few weeks I have been trying to compile our Disaster Kit. Among other things, one of the most important things to have is water. I have been begging Cliff to bring some water home since he keeps promising that he has some to spare. This afternoon, I arrived home to find 2 big cases of bottled water and an email in my inbox. Not from Cliff, but from my neighbor:

Hello Neighbors,
Just wanted to let you know I dropped off 2 cases of very yummy Coca-Cola water on your door steps.   The Coca-Cola company ordered masses of water after the earthquake to distribute quickly.  Unfortunately the quickest area to receive water from was Korea.  As you may know, Japanese people will touch nothing with Korean labels….so, the Coca-Cola company is left with a lot of leftover water.  Each employee was asked to take home 20 cases.  If you need more or know someone who might be interested in some water, please let me know.
Thank you in advance for helping my apartment not look like a Costco.
Signed…
Now, please let me just say that this is a white woman from Georgia (obviously her husband is with Coke and they are actually lovely people in person). At first pass, I didn’t think too much about the note because I was dazzled by the water, but the more I thought about it the more I found it all to be so weird. I don’t think she was trying to offend me, and I know it comes straight from the Ignorance category, but I also think this is a really good example of how people say things without thinking. I also think it is one of co-dependence and enabling. So many of us (victims of ignorance) are good and forgiving and therefore don’t say anything because it seems like one correction will not help the masses, but whatever. I know many of you, especially my close friends have an opinion.
More Taxi info:
Taxi drivers here do not like it when you touch their doors. to open or to close the door, so when they stop for you, just wait for the door to open. Also, FYI, don’t bother trying to give the “address” of your destination. It is way better to have a large landmark and start pinpointing the destination as you get closer. If you have no idea where you are going (like you are trying a new restaurant) try giving the driver the restaurant’s telephone number. A lot of them have GPS that enables them to punch in the number and locate that way.
Groceries: I am waiting on my 2nd shipment of groceries from Nissin. I have to admit, it is really nice to shop and just leave it at the store so I can see it reappear at my doorstep later the same afternoon. I have been cooking a lot and I have found myself buying things like burdock root and mirin.
The weather has cooled considerably and we will often leave the doors and windows open to air out the apartment. It is really nice. Chase and I are getting ready to go to Korea Friday. Taiku no hi.

First Typhoon

September 21, 2011 By in Daily Living, Tokyo, Transportation, Weather Tags: , 1 Comment

Today I had my aqua aerobics class. I keep forgetting to take pictures but it really is something to see. Afterwards, my new friend Okhui picked me up from the club. Our original plan was to explore Koreatown, but unfortunately we are getting hit by Typhoon Roke. Typhoon by definition is: a tropical cyclone or hurricane of the western Pacific areaand the China seas. I didn’t want us to get stuck in traffic and delayed coming home and I had already heard about other schools shutting down early. So, we ended up going to a Korean restaurant in town. Okhui by the way is also Korean (but she told me that her favorite food is actually Italian). Ojori (The Korean restaurant by Chase’s school) is still the best I’ve had so far. We had a lovely lunch and then she took me back to her apartment for coffee where I could also peruse her furniture. She is in the process of moving out so over here when people have a lot of stuff they want to get rid of they hold Sayoonara Sales. She is trying to avoid this, but after seeing her apartment I don’t think that is going to be possible. After a very nice afternoon, she dropped me off at home so I could meet Chase at his bus stop. All afterschool activities have been cancelled. Walking around in a typhoon is a tricky thing. Honestly I don’t know if you are better off without an umbrella because the rain and wind is just coming at you from every direction and there were a couple of times I felt like the “wind beneath my wings” was going to toss me off the sidewalk and right into an oncoming taxi. I am glad I was there to meet Chase though. He was so happy to see me waiting. It’s what I call a MOMent when you can feel the gratitude.

We are just hanging low today, enjoying a good storm. Cliff is stranded in Atlanta because the planes won’t fly this way due to the weather. Hopefully he’ll make it home sometime.

Daily Living: One thing I wanted to mention before I forgot was taxis. I know that in different cities taxis will start charging at different rates, so FYI here in Tokyo, a cab ride will cost a minimum of 710 Yen = $9.31

Until next time…

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