Weekly Post - Week 4

Well, I'm falling further and further behind in my weekly posting quest. Those of you who are paying close attention (all those waiting with bated breath for my next post...which likely include only my mom and Aunt Cindi) will notice that the first two weeks I managed a Sunday evening post, then it was a Monday evening post, and here we are at week 4 on Tuesday! As my best friend Sarah always says, at least I'm self-aware because that's half the battle.

Anyway, last week was a bit slower at work than usual, except for the fact that I spent Tuesday night running laps around the palace with my work mates Tom and Matthew and then staying out way too late on a school night drinking nama at a cheap but highly entertaining izakaya. I had the most intense bite of wasabi roll ever and literally choked, spit out some of my rice into my napkin (well, there really aren't many napkins in Japan which is lamentable so it was actually my hand washcloth but I digress) and contemplated asking for a glass of milk. Cool and classy, yea! The table consisted of all Japanese colleagues with English abilities ranging from rather competent to zero, and I have to thank Matthew for saving me several times from having no clue what was going on. I continue studying in hopes someday I'll manage a real conversation in broken 5-year old's Japanese.

The thing is though, when you're living in a foreign country and on the Japanese listening plan 8 hours a day in an office environment, you become strangely accustomed to having no clue what's going on around you. I feel like I'm in a bubble- on the train, complete silence, some with their eyes closed, some buried in their device or reading a book with a cover on it in and turning pages I can see but not read, absorbed in their own world. I've created a world of my own for my commute actually- it consists of a playlist and a never ending stream of flash cards. I still sometimes amuse myself by Making Eye Contact with people on the train or playing Find A Foreigner (I usually lose at both games) but most of the time I've adapted the Japanese practice of morning isolation.

In thinking about what to write tonight, I decided to post every picture I took or that otherwise ended up on my phone this week (I'm terrible at picture taking, so it's not that many) no matter how mundane, and tell you about it. It sounds more boring that it will be, I promise, so read on :)

My friend Ellen was looking at flights to come visit me in February. Air Canada reviews were pretty awful though! She's jetted off to Portugal and Spain for the next 3 weeks but I feel a booking coming on as soon as she's back :)

No, I didn't run away to Japan to have a secret baby- this is my dear friend Jenny's beautiful boy, born this week. His name is Owen, and I can't wait to meet him!

Was going through some old pics and stumbled across this one circa 1990 of me and one of my childhood friends Emily, feeding a goat at some local farm on a school field trip. I love the hair and the camera she's holding. (I'm in the pink jacket)

My baby brother turned 28 on August 27 and I was thinking about him all day. This must have been the early 90s, posing for mom. He looks so proud!

A few weeks before I moved to Japan. Brother and sister hiking at Hungry Mother State Park in Virginia (do NOT call it West Virginia by accident!) Lane Puppy the excitable black lab stage right.

Ross's wedding- starring his beautiful wife, my sister-in-law Alicia, their fab friend Rick, my brother, and me. I adore this pic.

1995- As children I always did love Ross a little more than he loved me ;)

Ross's HS graduation, 2005. Wait, now he's taller than I am??!

Sunny and I were both tired from a long week but still managed to go to one of our fave Izakaya in Roppongi last Friday night. I got tired of nama and sake and went for vino.

The light from the sake/beer case makes it a pretty bad picture, but it's me all the same, on Friday night with Sunny and my red wine. Cheers!

Weather forecast on what was supposed to be a beach day and turned into a Shibakoen swim + Sunday dinner in day instead!

Saturday evening- me texting Avalon to see if I should wear this dress to our event. (I wore the dress, but did put on some shoes and take off the sports watch before leaving my apartment) And yes, I brought my 31-year old stuffed elephant with me to Japan. His name is Elephant.

A really hazy view of Tokyo Tower sporting its' purple motif. I sometimes wonder who chooses the evening's color scheme? Tonight we're back to classic orange and white.

My friend Alex texted me this cool pic of Mt Fuji from satellite view. Yeah, been there, done that- next please!

My friend Tom and I had a conversation yesterday about whether it's acceptable or not to use an iPad or similar device on the train or whether that's taboo in Japan. I get on the train for evening commute and lo! what do I see- this guy, with a windows device. ha!

Stay tuned for next week's post- likely to include a commentary on the dating scene in Japan (many people have asked) even though I'm not really sure I can fully comment after only 4 months. But it does make for interesting blogging if you're willing to take my perspective with a grain of salt!