It's Friday, it's raining again, but at least a bit warmer than the last time. Or at least I think so.
We get the first day of spring off in this country, maybe because you are supposed to visit your ancestors on the first day of spring (I just learned). Whatever the reason, I think having the equinox off is an excellent practice. The better to celebrate.
Winter is all about the holding pattern, post Cambodia, it was a fairly happy or at least nonchalant cycle of work, reading, writing, various exercise, and housekeeping. It was like an endless ongoing movement of maintenance. Keep on trucking. Every week was not the same, but the entire season seemed to fall into a pattern of total sameness. Maybe you'll go swimming today or tomorrow, maybe you'll feel too puny. Maybe you'll buy more kerosene, maybe you'll cook something. Maybe there will be a get-together this weekend, maybe you'll be social by hanging out with one or two people, maybe you won't see anyone and will just indulge yourself in reading/the internet/pretending to do chores. Maybe you'll make coffee, maybe you'll avoid it because it's bad for circulation and your toes are freezing off. Maybe you'll go to kempo and rock it, maybe you'll go and suck, maybe you won't go.
If anything changed this winter, it was a change that felt built-in right away, and was in many cases a resumption of something old. I took up working on that novel again. I moved up a little on the coffee snob scale, because I started hanging out at Rocky just like I always thought it would be nice to hang out in a coffeeshop and 'write.' (Then I started buying coffee [at Rocky] and making it at home. I had a coffeepot for two years and used it twice [then sold it], and now I can't stop pressing myself cups of the stuff -- luckily I just got ahold of decaf, so now it's on day and night, and guilt-free for the circulation issues). I started swimming more frequently. I didn't exactly feel like I had all kinds of time to waste because I was spending all my time doing all these maintenance or resumption things.
Lately, I swim less often, partly because I wrenched out my shoulder on the only ski trip we took this year. I still go occasionally, and rent a kickboard so I can gimp along. I've also stalled on the writing, as I will now confide. The irony is that it happened because of something I did to help myself along in that department sadly backfiring. I had some comments on the first part of the thing, and someone referred to the George R. Martin series A Song of Ice and Fire to sort of compare how I used a bunch of different POV throughout the story. I had heard about the series before, and had seen one episode of it on HBO at Sagramore's (the episode with ALL the spoilers), so I kindled up a four volume set and stared in on it, telling myself it would be instructive and help my writing.
The first few chapters were okay, but once I was sunk into it, it built a nice ice wall between me and my ability to write or even edit my story. It was good. And that was a problem, not because I was so absorbed I no longer had time to do any writing (that is always and never true of life, rather than any book), but because as I read on I get the distinct impression that my story is nothing like this story.
I could never have written this story.
But I like this story, and that's a problem because suddenly all I can see is everything that this story has that my story lacks, everything I like about this book I'm reading that is glaringly absent from the one I'm writing.
An' lemme tell you, that shit'll stop your pen. Writer's block is and has always been a failure of confidence, maybe.
I'm sweet-talking myself back into it, of course. I've begun to find things I don't like about it, as a sort of salve. And I've also tried to explain to the little kid version of myself currently throwing an I-don't-wanna-play-anymore tantrum that, well of course you could never have written this story, it's not yours, you weren't supposed to, it's about a totally different thing, has a totally different appeal.
At first I was confused, because this is not by far the first good book I've read since I began working again on the writing. I've read a bunch of really good things, strong works, classics, award-winners. But I realized, they were all of some other genre, they were all something else. So I'm working my way back to a place where I can like this one and still make that one, different.
We recently set the date of my black belt (!) test, for early June, which set me off into a mental tangent about Shannon (while the June connection is obvious, if you can't see why Shannon and getting my black belt are related, I can't really explain it.. they aren't, and yet for some reason they are), which caused me to have a Shannon dream, which made me decide to resume my pilgrimage on March 20th after its long hiatus known as Winter.
The first temple of the season was Ichijo-ji, stop number 26 on the original route, and the second-closest temple to where I live.
I think I'll post that as a separate entry, because I don't have the photos ready yet anyway!
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Friday, March 23, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Laos
I just realized I never posted about Laos!
Don't worry, it's not an epic seven-post series like Cambodia. The Laos part was a lot more vacation-y and a little less life-altering. Our group was smaller, and we were a bit worn out from the first week of travel, so we took it fairly easy, just enjoying our little hotel in Luang Prabang.
The Laos trip is a tale of two cities, first the World Heritage City of Luang Prabang, and second, the capital of Vientiane.Luang Prabang is a tourist site, altogether, but it is also incredibly pleasant. Vientiane is a living, moving city, so it's more dynamic and also noisier.
Let's talk about Luang Prabang first.
My memorable impressions of Laos are mostly of sensory enjoyments, sleeping in, food (oh goodness, the sticky rice thing we ate in Luang Prabang that I spent the rest of our Laos time tracking down and eating at every restaurant possible), biking liesurely, "Tuk-tuk, waterfall?", and the way the market was so very different from that in Siem Reap.
Seriously, we went to the night market and the people would watch you walk by and just say hi to you, unless you stood there staring at something, then they might offer to show it to you. You were not accosted. I think we saw even more orange-robed monks in Laos than in Cambodia.
Miriam left us not long after we hit the second city, Vientiane. We had signed up for a bike tour of the city on the 5th, our second day, but the morning was rainy and chilly. It got pushed back to the afternoon, but Kameron was feeling sick, so I went without him.
The bike tour was a really good way to see the city, and I enjoyed it more than the walking around and self-guided sightseeing I dragged Kam along for on the following day. Memories of Vientiane are the bike tour, and the nightly movie on the movie channel in the hotel room.
Oh, and finding food on the last night, which led us around the area where our hotel was. We're far enough from downtown that it was a bit of a pain in the ass to go all the way there for dinner. But the places around us didn't have English menus (we walked to one and walked sadly away). The second place we stopped at didn't look too promising, but the guy seemed willing to communicate. Then he read my shirt. Which was in kanji.
Turned out, he had stayed in Japan and could speak Japanese rather well. We did all our food transaction in Japanese. Then he told us about how the movie Tokyo Drift is totally about him, so we took photos with him. I haven't seen that movie yet, but I now plan to, and when I do, I'll think of this guy.
Don't worry, it's not an epic seven-post series like Cambodia. The Laos part was a lot more vacation-y and a little less life-altering. Our group was smaller, and we were a bit worn out from the first week of travel, so we took it fairly easy, just enjoying our little hotel in Luang Prabang.
The Laos trip is a tale of two cities, first the World Heritage City of Luang Prabang, and second, the capital of Vientiane.Luang Prabang is a tourist site, altogether, but it is also incredibly pleasant. Vientiane is a living, moving city, so it's more dynamic and also noisier.
Let's talk about Luang Prabang first.
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| Hotel room! |
My memorable impressions of Laos are mostly of sensory enjoyments, sleeping in, food (oh goodness, the sticky rice thing we ate in Luang Prabang that I spent the rest of our Laos time tracking down and eating at every restaurant possible), biking liesurely, "Tuk-tuk, waterfall?", and the way the market was so very different from that in Siem Reap.
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| Night market! |
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| I thought this image was so cool (this photo taken at a temple). I later bought it in print form at the night market. |
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| A tale of a like three? dollar foot massage. |
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| It is as peaceful and sun-dappled as it looks. |
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| Down by the river behind the hotel |
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| The "bamboo bridge" .. quickest way to get into town from where we were staying. But only on foot. |
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| When biking, take this bridge. Think about how cars have to go to cross this. One direction at a time. |
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| Our bike tour leaders are totally Dutch. |
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| Tank treads make good fencing |
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| F-you, Thailand across the river! |
The bike tour was a really good way to see the city, and I enjoyed it more than the walking around and self-guided sightseeing I dragged Kam along for on the following day. Memories of Vientiane are the bike tour, and the nightly movie on the movie channel in the hotel room.
Oh, and finding food on the last night, which led us around the area where our hotel was. We're far enough from downtown that it was a bit of a pain in the ass to go all the way there for dinner. But the places around us didn't have English menus (we walked to one and walked sadly away). The second place we stopped at didn't look too promising, but the guy seemed willing to communicate. Then he read my shirt. Which was in kanji.
Turned out, he had stayed in Japan and could speak Japanese rather well. We did all our food transaction in Japanese. Then he told us about how the movie Tokyo Drift is totally about him, so we took photos with him. I haven't seen that movie yet, but I now plan to, and when I do, I'll think of this guy.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Other New Year
I've been going through and posting about our winter trip little by little, because I want to note it all pretty carefully, but I realized today that I've been leaving out a lot of what's happened since then!
Today it's sunny and ridiculously warm for January; I've got the windows open and the laundry out. Wearin' just one layer and everything! It feels like Georgia out there (46, according to the weather channel).. It's a bright way to start the Dragon year.
Tomorrow's new moon kicks off the lunar new year, which is the actual start of the Year of the Dragon. Water Dragon, to be precise, and I hope that bodes well. Lawyers and I did "The Year in Review" back in December, and by most counts it was a pretty lame year. I recall saying I looked forward to the Rabbit for a nice little rest, and in many ways I can see how last year was metallic rabbitlike, a period of holding space, of making progress without ever actually achieving anything, it seemed. It was hard to find the special high points, although easy enough to point to the low (March, June). The Tohoku disaster was absolutely, abominably devastating to so many people's lives. And while for me, the hardest part of losing Shannon is seeing others lose her too (lose her more?), it was and is still a rocking personal loss. We were asked to give our own personal "best news" from 2011 for the end of year party and I found myself swallowing and looking back over the months and finding... what? "Best news"? What had I accomplished? What had I become in one year's time?
I wrote down my Shorinji brown belt (not to be confused with my 2-kyu test in the summer, which I hated), and my kids winning speech contest, and could not generate a third piece of news. This is strictly personal of course. I had a lot of fun, did a lot of stuff, traveled, met new people, conceived new dreams, tried to kill some old ones off, but couldn't boil it down to anything solid. This also has a lot to do with the state of mind I was in pre-trip.
But tomorrow's new moon is not for dwelling on the past year and its immobility, its status as the "Year without climax." It's about what's happening now, and what will happen next. My next Cambodia trip entry will be the Angkor Wat day, which was also New Year's Eve, and how we rang it into Siem Reap. What I know about the Dragon, now, is that I'm ready. I know this in the same way that I knew with the Rabbit I was not. Not ready to take on the next big challenge, the move, the change, the handing over of this niche and life to someone else.
Today I went to buy new filters for my water pitcher, and picked the 4-pack. "Hey successor," I thought, "you probably haven't even been selected yet, but I'm already gettin you presents." ('Cause the life of all 4 water filters exceeds my tenure)
Sometimes when I stop to think about it, I don't know how I'm going to give up this seat. I've never been good at letting go of any good thing, and I know this is a good thing. For all the little pitfalls and problems, it's still a good thing. You know a vacation was good when it is not only fun in the moment, but makes you better able to appreciate what you have once you get back home, and our trip definitely did that.
I got back on the ball and finished my TEFL course upon returning to Japan. I took the test last weekend and am officially certified now, just like that (certificate's in the mail!). My Shorinji Kempo test for 1-kyu is coming up on the 2nd, and I feel good about it. I mean, I'm not supremely confident, but I've been working hard, and I feel much more ready. For the first week after I got back to Japan, I was going to bed at a reasonable hour and not feeling rushed anymore, or as put-upon. A little of that has come back, but mostly things are falling off as I had lined them up to do. Once decision day is past, I can start training a successor in Hyogo Times. I'm auctioning off my jetwit posting responsibilities to whoever is a capable comer. Twitchy-sensei is the only thing guaranteed to make me crazy, but since they teamed him up, this semester, with Mikan-sensei (poor Mikan-sensei is a pretty big responsibility sponge over there), he keeps Twitchy in line; things are much more tolerable even there.
I have a tendency, I know, to load up on too many things. There are too many things to do, and a great number of them seem worth doing, and so I decide to do them. My resolution last year was -- in space-holding fashion -- just not to add any new things (and I failed at that right away with jetwit). This year it is a decided shift in a letting-go direction. Stop doing all that stuff. Actively get rid of things (objects, responsibilities), with an aim toward a simpler, less cluttered, thus less stressed life, and perhaps even time to write that novel.
I'm still going to travel, and write, and keep in touch by sending people things, because now I don't know how not to. But I am working on saying no, on giving myself the time and space which I am always so keen to give away. I enjoy socializing, but it really does take energy. Today I planned to just hang out until this evening's event in Himeji, reading Hunger Games before my Amazon Prime membership expires tomorrow, running errands. I've had two invitations to go places and do things, and I very nearly said yes to them both. I love to say yes, I love to hang out and chat with people, but I am recognizing more and more that I need some of that for just me, too, and that saying yes just because you are asked is silly.
So, the Water Dragon, what is that like? The dragon is the luckiest of the 12 zodiac creatures, and the only one that is mythical. It's the most badass. I think the water element will make it calm, but it will still be all about energy, dynamism, change. It's a good time to learn to leap.
Today it's sunny and ridiculously warm for January; I've got the windows open and the laundry out. Wearin' just one layer and everything! It feels like Georgia out there (46, according to the weather channel).. It's a bright way to start the Dragon year.
Tomorrow's new moon kicks off the lunar new year, which is the actual start of the Year of the Dragon. Water Dragon, to be precise, and I hope that bodes well. Lawyers and I did "The Year in Review" back in December, and by most counts it was a pretty lame year. I recall saying I looked forward to the Rabbit for a nice little rest, and in many ways I can see how last year was metallic rabbitlike, a period of holding space, of making progress without ever actually achieving anything, it seemed. It was hard to find the special high points, although easy enough to point to the low (March, June). The Tohoku disaster was absolutely, abominably devastating to so many people's lives. And while for me, the hardest part of losing Shannon is seeing others lose her too (lose her more?), it was and is still a rocking personal loss. We were asked to give our own personal "best news" from 2011 for the end of year party and I found myself swallowing and looking back over the months and finding... what? "Best news"? What had I accomplished? What had I become in one year's time?
I wrote down my Shorinji brown belt (not to be confused with my 2-kyu test in the summer, which I hated), and my kids winning speech contest, and could not generate a third piece of news. This is strictly personal of course. I had a lot of fun, did a lot of stuff, traveled, met new people, conceived new dreams, tried to kill some old ones off, but couldn't boil it down to anything solid. This also has a lot to do with the state of mind I was in pre-trip.
But tomorrow's new moon is not for dwelling on the past year and its immobility, its status as the "Year without climax." It's about what's happening now, and what will happen next. My next Cambodia trip entry will be the Angkor Wat day, which was also New Year's Eve, and how we rang it into Siem Reap. What I know about the Dragon, now, is that I'm ready. I know this in the same way that I knew with the Rabbit I was not. Not ready to take on the next big challenge, the move, the change, the handing over of this niche and life to someone else.
Today I went to buy new filters for my water pitcher, and picked the 4-pack. "Hey successor," I thought, "you probably haven't even been selected yet, but I'm already gettin you presents." ('Cause the life of all 4 water filters exceeds my tenure)
Sometimes when I stop to think about it, I don't know how I'm going to give up this seat. I've never been good at letting go of any good thing, and I know this is a good thing. For all the little pitfalls and problems, it's still a good thing. You know a vacation was good when it is not only fun in the moment, but makes you better able to appreciate what you have once you get back home, and our trip definitely did that.
I got back on the ball and finished my TEFL course upon returning to Japan. I took the test last weekend and am officially certified now, just like that (certificate's in the mail!). My Shorinji Kempo test for 1-kyu is coming up on the 2nd, and I feel good about it. I mean, I'm not supremely confident, but I've been working hard, and I feel much more ready. For the first week after I got back to Japan, I was going to bed at a reasonable hour and not feeling rushed anymore, or as put-upon. A little of that has come back, but mostly things are falling off as I had lined them up to do. Once decision day is past, I can start training a successor in Hyogo Times. I'm auctioning off my jetwit posting responsibilities to whoever is a capable comer. Twitchy-sensei is the only thing guaranteed to make me crazy, but since they teamed him up, this semester, with Mikan-sensei (poor Mikan-sensei is a pretty big responsibility sponge over there), he keeps Twitchy in line; things are much more tolerable even there.
I have a tendency, I know, to load up on too many things. There are too many things to do, and a great number of them seem worth doing, and so I decide to do them. My resolution last year was -- in space-holding fashion -- just not to add any new things (and I failed at that right away with jetwit). This year it is a decided shift in a letting-go direction. Stop doing all that stuff. Actively get rid of things (objects, responsibilities), with an aim toward a simpler, less cluttered, thus less stressed life, and perhaps even time to write that novel.
I'm still going to travel, and write, and keep in touch by sending people things, because now I don't know how not to. But I am working on saying no, on giving myself the time and space which I am always so keen to give away. I enjoy socializing, but it really does take energy. Today I planned to just hang out until this evening's event in Himeji, reading Hunger Games before my Amazon Prime membership expires tomorrow, running errands. I've had two invitations to go places and do things, and I very nearly said yes to them both. I love to say yes, I love to hang out and chat with people, but I am recognizing more and more that I need some of that for just me, too, and that saying yes just because you are asked is silly.
So, the Water Dragon, what is that like? The dragon is the luckiest of the 12 zodiac creatures, and the only one that is mythical. It's the most badass. I think the water element will make it calm, but it will still be all about energy, dynamism, change. It's a good time to learn to leap.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Eve
Well, it's Christmas Eve, and I'm doing all manner of things to get ready to go, finish up last minute stuff before heading out to the great south-east of Asia for warmth and relaxation at last. My living room is a maze of laundry, the new-year cards need to be finished, and I still haven't really packed (but I did get my passport photos at MaxValu, and my airport bus tickets from Lawson!)
Outside all day I've been hearing whistles and shouts, and I thought it was construction on the road, but silly me, I forgot, it's Christmas Eve and that means the entire town is stopping by the cake shop across the street to get their traditional Japanese Christmas cakes. I had Christmas cake last night. Tried to tell the kids we do cookies where I'm from. C'est la vie.
I'm going to try to put some music or movies on my kindle for the plane ride, which is longer than I always figure it'll be.
Outside all day I've been hearing whistles and shouts, and I thought it was construction on the road, but silly me, I forgot, it's Christmas Eve and that means the entire town is stopping by the cake shop across the street to get their traditional Japanese Christmas cakes. I had Christmas cake last night. Tried to tell the kids we do cookies where I'm from. C'est la vie.
I'm going to try to put some music or movies on my kindle for the plane ride, which is longer than I always figure it'll be.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Sotsugyou
I'm thinking today about the future.
It's graduation day. I hate them. I forgot that I hate them. They're never quite what I want them to be. I mean, I went, and we sang, and I cried, and it was poignant. But it was also like stay-awake-challenge 2011, and not only for me, when the speakers got up to say their pieces. Maybe it's because their speeches are all in some level of Japanese I don't really understand. But they were the ones who looked bored when the kids started singing badly, and when the class VP started to give an account of their memories, her voice broken by little sobs.
I had come to terms with the idea that it's not really for the graduates that we put them through all this crap. It's for us, the teachers and parents. It's so we can wallow in the weird feeling of imagining them taking flight, of how happy we are and how sad, that we maybe taught them something, that they needed us, that they don't anymore.
But for me, I love their faces as they march out into the swirling snow (yeah, snow) through the back doors of the gym. Tearstained and squared jaw, they go forward; they have no other choice. The future is there, and they'll go into it. They couldn't stay behind if they wanted to. Not that they want to.. some are glad to get out, and some are glad to go wherever they are going. Some are sad to be leaving, some are scared of where they're headed, or of not knowing where they're headed. And some are all of the above.
But scared or sad or happy or excited, we go, because for all the points of the compass, there's only one direction, and time is its only measure (that isTom Stoppard).
But something else. Before the graduates came into the gym, while I was wandering around trying to keep warm, I stopped and smiled and chatted and joked with the younger students. The first-years squabbled over who was number one, two, or three coolest. The second-years called me beautiful. Then during the ceremony, next year's student body president started crying during his speech, and continued to cry through the rest of the ceremony (I didn't know this til I saw him, red-eyed, at the end).
I remembered the phrase just a judo kid, and choked on it watching the irrepressible Minato deliver his ceremonial paper to the stage. He was never just anything. Now our new class president is just a table-tennis kid, but he has a good heart, and he's sharp, and he has a steady voice. And he cried through the whole ceremony!
At the risk of sounding like a horrible person, I like working with kids whom I've seen cry. I actually have more respect for the kids I've seen moved that much, because it means they give a shit. I like kids who give a shit. The future is brighter for them.
I've been thinking lately about the future, about education and how we're all in this together. About how we need kids to give a shit, and to learn about things, even if they don't think they want to, because the future needs better people. I hear about how this country has a growing population and that one has a shrinking one, but I feel like what we need is not more people (oh hey massive population jump in the last several centuries and the fact that our resources and infrastructure may not be able to keep up at that rate), just better ones.
The world needs people who are smart, sure, but more than that, the world needs people who give a shit. The other day, an acquaintance said "Stupid scares me, because I am afraid it's winning." Sometimes it does seem like stupid is winning, but I have hope. And it's kids like next year's class president that give it to me.
And who make losing last year's class president bearable.
It's graduation day. I hate them. I forgot that I hate them. They're never quite what I want them to be. I mean, I went, and we sang, and I cried, and it was poignant. But it was also like stay-awake-challenge 2011, and not only for me, when the speakers got up to say their pieces. Maybe it's because their speeches are all in some level of Japanese I don't really understand. But they were the ones who looked bored when the kids started singing badly, and when the class VP started to give an account of their memories, her voice broken by little sobs.
I had come to terms with the idea that it's not really for the graduates that we put them through all this crap. It's for us, the teachers and parents. It's so we can wallow in the weird feeling of imagining them taking flight, of how happy we are and how sad, that we maybe taught them something, that they needed us, that they don't anymore.
But for me, I love their faces as they march out into the swirling snow (yeah, snow) through the back doors of the gym. Tearstained and squared jaw, they go forward; they have no other choice. The future is there, and they'll go into it. They couldn't stay behind if they wanted to. Not that they want to.. some are glad to get out, and some are glad to go wherever they are going. Some are sad to be leaving, some are scared of where they're headed, or of not knowing where they're headed. And some are all of the above.
But scared or sad or happy or excited, we go, because for all the points of the compass, there's only one direction, and time is its only measure (that isTom Stoppard).
But something else. Before the graduates came into the gym, while I was wandering around trying to keep warm, I stopped and smiled and chatted and joked with the younger students. The first-years squabbled over who was number one, two, or three coolest. The second-years called me beautiful. Then during the ceremony, next year's student body president started crying during his speech, and continued to cry through the rest of the ceremony (I didn't know this til I saw him, red-eyed, at the end).
I remembered the phrase just a judo kid, and choked on it watching the irrepressible Minato deliver his ceremonial paper to the stage. He was never just anything. Now our new class president is just a table-tennis kid, but he has a good heart, and he's sharp, and he has a steady voice. And he cried through the whole ceremony!
At the risk of sounding like a horrible person, I like working with kids whom I've seen cry. I actually have more respect for the kids I've seen moved that much, because it means they give a shit. I like kids who give a shit. The future is brighter for them.
I've been thinking lately about the future, about education and how we're all in this together. About how we need kids to give a shit, and to learn about things, even if they don't think they want to, because the future needs better people. I hear about how this country has a growing population and that one has a shrinking one, but I feel like what we need is not more people (oh hey massive population jump in the last several centuries and the fact that our resources and infrastructure may not be able to keep up at that rate), just better ones.
The world needs people who are smart, sure, but more than that, the world needs people who give a shit. The other day, an acquaintance said "Stupid scares me, because I am afraid it's winning." Sometimes it does seem like stupid is winning, but I have hope. And it's kids like next year's class president that give it to me.
And who make losing last year's class president bearable.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Winter Vacation: Kuala Lumpur
The last stop!
We got ourselves to KLCC, the Petronas Towers where Anis met us after a little searching. She took us home to drop our stuff off and get ready for dinner. We met her boyfriend and went out for some traditional on-banana-leaf Malaysian food which we ate by hand (not with utensils). Dinner in Mayalsia is often a more into-the-night time affair. We weren't even there until almost ten!
After a sumptuous meal, we went home to play with her pet iguana and chat until bedtime.
The next morning, we slept way longer than 8 hours. I woke baffled to blazing sunshine. We got dressed and heaed out for breakfast.. er.. lunch? We went to Old Town coffee which, like most restaurants, was half outside veranda porch. Miriam and I told Anis stories of Shiso life, and Anis and I told Miriam stories of Vanderbilt life. It was a pretty sweet way to start the day.
Since it was late in our trip, Miriam and I were totally ready to kick back and let Anis lead us. I did, however, want to find this one temple I'd read about in the guidebook, so we set off for Thean Hou Temple, which was not as easy to find (or get to) as we thought it would be. It was kinda nice, though, to take a long walk (er.. sometimes hike uphill) with friends through the humid hot.
The temple was cool, though not as massive as Kek Lok Si; there was a turtle sanctuary in back. After exploring a bit, we went back to town to do a little shopping.
Miriam and I had been putting off making purchases for ourselves, but in the Little India of KL, we bought saris and I snagged a complement of jewelry to go with it.
We let Anis and Lee choose where to take us for our last dinner in KL, and they chose (full circle?) a restaurant which claimed to deliver Penang cuisine. We also let them order, so we got one last round of unfamilar foods. Everything was interesting and flavorful!
We went back to her place to pack up and prepare for our last day and then eventual departure. Since our flight was later in the afternoon, we were able to go visit the Batu Caves and Cave Temple in the morning. This was a temple not in Chinese style like the others we'd been visiting, but a Hindu temple instead!
We climbed the steps amid the faithful, some of whom walked up barefoot, others carrying offering items, jars or flowers or fruit, and a few people even had bit stalks of what I think was sugarcane. The task was hard enough without carrying anything! The Batu Caves are most famous for the festival of Thaipusam, in which devotees pierce their body to show gratitude for prayers granted, or to implore the aid of Murugan (the god of this temple). This festival is around February, so we missed out, but we also missed the crowds!
Near the temple entrance, there was a guy who would take your picture with a snake or large iguana for a small fee. I wasn't too big on the idea (not because I'm afraid of snakes, but because on this trip I had started to become more aware of what I did by spending my money where I did.. that is, what I was supporting), but Miriam jumped for it, so we did. Anis manned the camera and we got a few good shots.
The caves themselves were pretty cool, and the mischevious monkeys who lived there liked to try stealing the devotional flowers and things of devotees. I am shy in working temples, less so now in Japanese things with which I have more experience, but I really do not want to do something rude in someone's holy place, and my ignorance makes that a lot more likely in foreign countries!
But for what little I know, I do like the Hindu gods. I have a little Ganesha statue of my own. Small shrines were to be found here and there in the cave walls, and bright colors everywhere. I love the brightness of Indian traditional dress. Some devotees had shaved heads, painted gold. It was really cool, overall.
Before we descended, a man near the snake table who had greeted us earlier asked if we'd like a little blessing. I was, as I mentioned, shy, but he said it was alright. The I like it when people want to share stuff like that, and since I am a fan of blessings, I decided to give a little donation and get one. Miriam couldn't have the powders applied to her forehead because of skin allergies!
We climbed back down, bought some Indian snacks and sweets, and headed back to grab our things and head to the airport.
I really enjoyed hanging out with Anis and exploring a few new types of temples. Eating and shopping were of course lovely too. I hope to go see her again sometime soon... she suggested we go to the island side of Malaysia (sounds like she's up for a real rainforesty adventure!), although I kind of liked the easy pace of life just kicking it in KL.
After another (argh) 7 hour flight, we were back in Tokyo, greeted by a giant poster of Arashi. We retrieved our cold-weather clothes (I really did like the bag-check guy at Haneda ^_^), exchanged our money, and crashed at our Tokyo hotel, bemoaning the freezing wind the whole way. It took basically all of the following day to get back home, but there we were, at the end of a great winter vacation.
We got ourselves to KLCC, the Petronas Towers where Anis met us after a little searching. She took us home to drop our stuff off and get ready for dinner. We met her boyfriend and went out for some traditional on-banana-leaf Malaysian food which we ate by hand (not with utensils). Dinner in Mayalsia is often a more into-the-night time affair. We weren't even there until almost ten!
After a sumptuous meal, we went home to play with her pet iguana and chat until bedtime.
The next morning, we slept way longer than 8 hours. I woke baffled to blazing sunshine. We got dressed and heaed out for breakfast.. er.. lunch? We went to Old Town coffee which, like most restaurants, was half outside veranda porch. Miriam and I told Anis stories of Shiso life, and Anis and I told Miriam stories of Vanderbilt life. It was a pretty sweet way to start the day.
Since it was late in our trip, Miriam and I were totally ready to kick back and let Anis lead us. I did, however, want to find this one temple I'd read about in the guidebook, so we set off for Thean Hou Temple, which was not as easy to find (or get to) as we thought it would be. It was kinda nice, though, to take a long walk (er.. sometimes hike uphill) with friends through the humid hot.
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
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| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
The temple was cool, though not as massive as Kek Lok Si; there was a turtle sanctuary in back. After exploring a bit, we went back to town to do a little shopping.
Miriam and I had been putting off making purchases for ourselves, but in the Little India of KL, we bought saris and I snagged a complement of jewelry to go with it.
We let Anis and Lee choose where to take us for our last dinner in KL, and they chose (full circle?) a restaurant which claimed to deliver Penang cuisine. We also let them order, so we got one last round of unfamilar foods. Everything was interesting and flavorful!
We went back to her place to pack up and prepare for our last day and then eventual departure. Since our flight was later in the afternoon, we were able to go visit the Batu Caves and Cave Temple in the morning. This was a temple not in Chinese style like the others we'd been visiting, but a Hindu temple instead!
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
We climbed the steps amid the faithful, some of whom walked up barefoot, others carrying offering items, jars or flowers or fruit, and a few people even had bit stalks of what I think was sugarcane. The task was hard enough without carrying anything! The Batu Caves are most famous for the festival of Thaipusam, in which devotees pierce their body to show gratitude for prayers granted, or to implore the aid of Murugan (the god of this temple). This festival is around February, so we missed out, but we also missed the crowds!
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
Near the temple entrance, there was a guy who would take your picture with a snake or large iguana for a small fee. I wasn't too big on the idea (not because I'm afraid of snakes, but because on this trip I had started to become more aware of what I did by spending my money where I did.. that is, what I was supporting), but Miriam jumped for it, so we did. Anis manned the camera and we got a few good shots.
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
The caves themselves were pretty cool, and the mischevious monkeys who lived there liked to try stealing the devotional flowers and things of devotees. I am shy in working temples, less so now in Japanese things with which I have more experience, but I really do not want to do something rude in someone's holy place, and my ignorance makes that a lot more likely in foreign countries!
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
But for what little I know, I do like the Hindu gods. I have a little Ganesha statue of my own. Small shrines were to be found here and there in the cave walls, and bright colors everywhere. I love the brightness of Indian traditional dress. Some devotees had shaved heads, painted gold. It was really cool, overall.
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
Before we descended, a man near the snake table who had greeted us earlier asked if we'd like a little blessing. I was, as I mentioned, shy, but he said it was alright. The I like it when people want to share stuff like that, and since I am a fan of blessings, I decided to give a little donation and get one. Miriam couldn't have the powders applied to her forehead because of skin allergies!
| ||
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
We climbed back down, bought some Indian snacks and sweets, and headed back to grab our things and head to the airport.
I really enjoyed hanging out with Anis and exploring a few new types of temples. Eating and shopping were of course lovely too. I hope to go see her again sometime soon... she suggested we go to the island side of Malaysia (sounds like she's up for a real rainforesty adventure!), although I kind of liked the easy pace of life just kicking it in KL.
| ||
| From Winter Vacation Part IV: Kluang to KL |
After another (argh) 7 hour flight, we were back in Tokyo, greeted by a giant poster of Arashi. We retrieved our cold-weather clothes (I really did like the bag-check guy at Haneda ^_^), exchanged our money, and crashed at our Tokyo hotel, bemoaning the freezing wind the whole way. It took basically all of the following day to get back home, but there we were, at the end of a great winter vacation.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
a chance to catch your breath and calm your nerves
I attended the Chinese New Year celebration in Kobe’s Chinatown about a month ago. There was a list of performances and events, and I heck, I enjoy a good nikuman as much as a bit more than the next guy, not to mention the fact that I'm pretty taken with calendars and season changes and measurements and all that.
This year's lunar new year actually coincided with the Japanese celebration Setsubun, which is what I call "halfway back." This is when the sun is halfway back from the solstice in the direction of equinox. So basically, a holiday based on solar calendar lined up with a holiday based on the lunar calendar. I think that's pretty cool, and maybe like a good omen or something.
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| From 2011_01_30 |
There were events in Kobe on the Sunday before the 3rd, as well as all weekend following. I went to the "dragon and lion" parades on the early Sunday. It was a cold day, and snow started to fall halfway through the dance. I have a particular connection to the lions, because I think they are shishi.
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| From 2011_01_30 |
I may have written of this before, but they resemble a creature that visited me a in a dream more than ten years ago (before I knew anything about them, really). I later read about the imagery of Shishi and found it to be really close to the behavior of the one in my dream.
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| From 2011_02_05 |
Shishi generally appear in pairs at the gates of things. They are related to the Shisa of Okinawa, but end up a little different in appearance. Shisa pairs will have one with an open mouth (a) and one with a closed mouth (m). Shishi pairs will have different things under their paws. The female (I think.. this is just coming from memory) will have a cub under her foot, while the male will have a ball. The underfoot cub is not being crushed or killed, but rather pushed, that it will become stronger. The Shishi is a rough parent but a fierce protector; in my dream, she threw me against a stone shrine wall, insisted she was "just fuckin' with ya," and promised to look after me for good. I like seeing Shishi and Shisa alike because they're pretty cool symbols.
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| From 2011_01_30 |
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| From 2011_01_30 |
One of the luckiest icons, though, is the dragon. Dragons are often seen paired with phoenixes in royal iconography. I saw two different dragons parade in the Motomachi area of Kobe on that Sunday (the 30th of January).
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| From 2011_01_30 |
On the following Saturday, Nankinmachi (Kobe's Chinatown) was totally packed. I managed to find my friends eventually, and after watching some acrobatics from afar (which, by the way, were astonishing.. this blue-spandex-clad guy did not so much as tremble while he slowly lifted his body through all manner of contortions high above the crowd on stacked wooden chairs!), we decided to get out of the cold and have a drink and a snack. Snacks on the street are excellent in Nankinmachi, but they only warm your hands for the thirty seconds it takes to consume them.
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| From 2011_02_05 |
Along the way, we passed a little tent where people were lined up to go offer prayers or wishes and light large sticks of incense (joss sticks) and be greeted by creepily made-up pigs and other characters. I made up my mind instantly that I wanted to do it, and once we had hung out in a pub for a while, I started to proclaim that we should all "get blest!" .. eventually we left in time to see the dragon dance, but I got separated from the group and ended up the only one in line. The others went on to get good seats for viewing the dragon dance.
I waited a little in line, and then when it was my turn, I went up to make my wish(?) and get my picture taken with the brightly clad attendants. I handed my camera to the camera guy and went up to the little temporary shrine. After I had bowed and concentrated on my intentions, I turned to get my photo snapped so I could put the incense in the burner area and go find my friends. But they held me back. Wait a moment, the dragon has to come through.
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| From 2011_02_05 |
Logistically, the way it was set up, the backstage area was behind the little pagoda-con-shrine, and the stage was right in front of it. People going onstage have to pass the entrance of the shrine. So the dragon was coming through. I was quite pleased. It also happened to be a familiar dragonly face that appeared for this. Double awesome. I signalled the guy holding my camera to take pictures of what was happening, and the dragon dance began.
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| From 2011_02_05 |
But that dragon didn't just pass by the entrance of the shrine. It stopped in front of it. Then put its head in there with me. Twice. I had no idea that was going to happen, and I could not have orchestrated that had I tried, but basically I got blessed by a Chinese dragon at the New Year celebration. I think it's a pretty good omen, don't you?
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| From 2011_02_05 |
I received an astrology guide to this year from one of my adult students. It's all in Japanese, so I can't really understand most of it, but I did eventually find that according to that, too, it's supposed to be a very good year for me.
It's the year of the Rabbit, the Yin Metal Rabbit to be exact. From what I've heard, rabbit years are always kind of chances to catch your breath after the hectic intensity of the Tiger (but, I guess, before the Dragon which follows?). I thought this was great because even before I knew this, I had made decisions about 2011 that led in this direction. My New Year's Resolution not to do less, but to at least not do more is part of it. I chose to stay in Japan and just plod along for another year, because honestly, the amount of adventure I have and have had lately is enough. I'd become tired of worrying about the future and just wanted to hang out, watch the snow, learn more Japanese, get better at Shorinji, get better at my job, publish more Hyogo Times, and take more calls on PSG. I wanted, this year, to get a handle on all the things I have going on, without needing to go bigger or better.
So if it's a memorable year, if it's an exceptional year, it'll be the little things, maybe. I don't see it as a year of big glittery changes or explosive joys. I see it more like the quiet happiness of having cleaned out the closet. Even when you can't see it, it's satisfying to know it's clean, and that you did it.
Metal sounds a bit sharp and tangy.. but yin is the softer side, the darker side, the restful side. So maybe "relax" is the tall order of the year, and maybe I've gotten a whole lot of good omens suggesting that, despite the difficulty of really doing that, I might just get myself there this year.
The whole move back to America and start a new life (aaagain) thing can wait for the strength of the Yang Water Dragon..!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Just another Saturday
It's Saturday just after noon, and I'm sitting here sipping a beer (Suntory The Premiun Malt's), snacking on moyashi (bean sprouts) and strawberries, and calling it a form of lunch while the pot of water boils on the stove for the laundry and I swish my straightened hair into and out of my face just for fun. Later I'll cook up some bacon for another snack/rest of lunch and hang the laundry outside to dry in the sunshine.
It's so warm that I've got the windows open and my hands aren't even bluing up.
At the store just now, I ran into one of my students who hardly recognized me. And don't get me wrong, I love my wavy hair.. I consider the color and consistency to kind of be part or representative of my personality; but I look older with it straightened (I just got it cut, so the guy just kind of does stuff to it), and tonight there is a sort of goth-Valentine party that I'm attending, so in those kind of situations I like to look a little like someone else.
The hairstylist did ask me again about doing a straight perm, and although I almost never consider changing my hair in such a way (color it, never, perm it, what for?), I had thought about his earlier question about it and to be honest, it might be fun to try. To me, I look like a stranger in straight hair, but I wonder what it would be like to get used to something like that..! And if I were ever in my life going to do it, June in Japan would be the time. That's the month where it rains every day, and no matter how I cut, dry, style, or attempt to tame this hair of mine, it refuses to do anything but explode upward in a frizzstorm of wild curling chaos. Oh but curls are so nice, you say, especially big loops like yours! Yeah, you haven't seen Japan in June. Neither mousse nor dryer has any say.
June was a rough month last year anyway, because every day rain means every day grey, and after a while, that crap wears you out.
Last February, if I recall correctly, was a little bit of a bear too. What's different this year?
Well for one thing, it's warmer now. And I'm not fool enough to think the cold is over, but I do believe the worst is over. I also believe that unlike last year, spring will come in March, not freaking May. Not that that makes a difference in either February. The other thing is Jermaine and how much better my life is without him. I mean, it's not something I think about every day, even, but when I do, I'm so glad to be going through a winter without that mess.
Jermaineless, I was able to go skiing last weekend with Adina. There's a snow park just about an hour up the road. Even then it had been warm for a couple of days, and by the afternoon, the snow was a bit slushy. It was only my second time skiing (and my ass has the bruise to prove it), but I really had a good time doing it. Back when we went to Takarazuka, we also stopped at the outlets for a total of like 45 minutes. I managed to find a good deal on some ski wear which I was buying both for ski trips and for Hokkaido. I got a pretty awesome teal jacket and some khaki-colored snow pants (which made me feel pretty invincible up in Hokkaido). The whole set had at some point been priced at around $600, but of course I would never have paid that much for these wonderful clothes, even if it is the brand that all the popular girls wear (Roxy). I just wanted ski clothes that would last me approximately forever.
While I was at the store, having accomplished the other goals I'd set for the morning (and all before noon! Hurrah!), I decided that I wanted a beer. The problem is that since Hokkaido, I've been more of a beer snob than before. We had some truly good brew up in Otaru that made me realize I'd been settling for the local nama all this time. So I bought two, with the intention of tasting them on a new quest to discover what beer that is widely available here I might like best.
The other news I have to report is, last night Rob came out to Shorinji class. It was excellent to be in a class for the first time with someone who speaks English, and also who is a black belt (and not just a shodan, either!). I was asked to do all my required test techniques on him, and learned a great deal from it. One thing that was totally different was.. Rob is tall. Every other person I have worked with has been approximately my own height (Japanese dudes) or way smaller (the kids). Fighting Rob was kinda scary (in that he's-not-actually-gonna-hurt-me kind of way.. you can always trust black belts' sense of control a lot better than any lower rank). Afterward, I asked him if he had any advice for me and he said "You really need to relax."
Excellent. Not "make sure you do this hand thing" or "kick harder," but "slow down." Which is of course, for me, perhaps the single hardest thing to do. Let go, stop freaking out, stop trying so damn hard. This is not a new suggestion to me, of course, but it is an important one. I try too hard sometimes. He said if I go to fast, even if I am doing something correctly, I might get marked down for it. Plus, doing a technique right will work even if it's done slowly. If you rush it, you can cheat it. Gaaah.
But it was a good class, and I feel like a good little karateka, or kempoka, or whatever I am. And you know what? Life is pretty good.
It's Saturday, bright and clear and warm, and as I pulled out of the parking lot, I sipped my strawberry milk. Yep, that's good.
It's so warm that I've got the windows open and my hands aren't even bluing up.
At the store just now, I ran into one of my students who hardly recognized me. And don't get me wrong, I love my wavy hair.. I consider the color and consistency to kind of be part or representative of my personality; but I look older with it straightened (I just got it cut, so the guy just kind of does stuff to it), and tonight there is a sort of goth-Valentine party that I'm attending, so in those kind of situations I like to look a little like someone else.
The hairstylist did ask me again about doing a straight perm, and although I almost never consider changing my hair in such a way (color it, never, perm it, what for?), I had thought about his earlier question about it and to be honest, it might be fun to try. To me, I look like a stranger in straight hair, but I wonder what it would be like to get used to something like that..! And if I were ever in my life going to do it, June in Japan would be the time. That's the month where it rains every day, and no matter how I cut, dry, style, or attempt to tame this hair of mine, it refuses to do anything but explode upward in a frizzstorm of wild curling chaos. Oh but curls are so nice, you say, especially big loops like yours! Yeah, you haven't seen Japan in June. Neither mousse nor dryer has any say.
June was a rough month last year anyway, because every day rain means every day grey, and after a while, that crap wears you out.
Last February, if I recall correctly, was a little bit of a bear too. What's different this year?
Well for one thing, it's warmer now. And I'm not fool enough to think the cold is over, but I do believe the worst is over. I also believe that unlike last year, spring will come in March, not freaking May. Not that that makes a difference in either February. The other thing is Jermaine and how much better my life is without him. I mean, it's not something I think about every day, even, but when I do, I'm so glad to be going through a winter without that mess.
Jermaineless, I was able to go skiing last weekend with Adina. There's a snow park just about an hour up the road. Even then it had been warm for a couple of days, and by the afternoon, the snow was a bit slushy. It was only my second time skiing (and my ass has the bruise to prove it), but I really had a good time doing it. Back when we went to Takarazuka, we also stopped at the outlets for a total of like 45 minutes. I managed to find a good deal on some ski wear which I was buying both for ski trips and for Hokkaido. I got a pretty awesome teal jacket and some khaki-colored snow pants (which made me feel pretty invincible up in Hokkaido). The whole set had at some point been priced at around $600, but of course I would never have paid that much for these wonderful clothes, even if it is the brand that all the popular girls wear (Roxy). I just wanted ski clothes that would last me approximately forever.
While I was at the store, having accomplished the other goals I'd set for the morning (and all before noon! Hurrah!), I decided that I wanted a beer. The problem is that since Hokkaido, I've been more of a beer snob than before. We had some truly good brew up in Otaru that made me realize I'd been settling for the local nama all this time. So I bought two, with the intention of tasting them on a new quest to discover what beer that is widely available here I might like best.
The other news I have to report is, last night Rob came out to Shorinji class. It was excellent to be in a class for the first time with someone who speaks English, and also who is a black belt (and not just a shodan, either!). I was asked to do all my required test techniques on him, and learned a great deal from it. One thing that was totally different was.. Rob is tall. Every other person I have worked with has been approximately my own height (Japanese dudes) or way smaller (the kids). Fighting Rob was kinda scary (in that he's-not-actually-gonna-hurt-me kind of way.. you can always trust black belts' sense of control a lot better than any lower rank). Afterward, I asked him if he had any advice for me and he said "You really need to relax."
Excellent. Not "make sure you do this hand thing" or "kick harder," but "slow down." Which is of course, for me, perhaps the single hardest thing to do. Let go, stop freaking out, stop trying so damn hard. This is not a new suggestion to me, of course, but it is an important one. I try too hard sometimes. He said if I go to fast, even if I am doing something correctly, I might get marked down for it. Plus, doing a technique right will work even if it's done slowly. If you rush it, you can cheat it. Gaaah.
But it was a good class, and I feel like a good little karateka, or kempoka, or whatever I am. And you know what? Life is pretty good.
It's Saturday, bright and clear and warm, and as I pulled out of the parking lot, I sipped my strawberry milk. Yep, that's good.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Denki carpet! ...and socks. Etc.
Here I sit, windows open on this grey Sunday afternoon, about 12 degrees in here, but I like the smell of the air enough to just wear a coat and double socks.
Socks have been my latest quest at the clothing store. Socks and carpets. I used to hate socks, as you might if you lived in a place where the best state of feet was bare, and socks just meant you were wearing shoes. But if your apartment isn't heated and your floors are made of tatami mat or linoleum-wood, well..
At some point in the past (Kansas) I had bought some long socks to reach above the knee. I kind of wish I had done this sooner; I might have been more comfortable in Tennessee had I not continued daily to venture out in thin or ankle-cut socks. Alas.
But my long socks are thin, and many of them are made of synthetic material. You might not think this is a big deal, and maybe it's not, but if your feet have to spend exactly all day long (excepting only the time you are darting to/standing in the shower) inside of socks, you might find that cotton socks make your feet sweat less, or breathe better, or something. So I developed the habit of wearing double socks (along with the rest of my double clothing habits). I would put on a pair of the old cotton ankle-socks, and over that don a longer pair.
But when you're wearing under-pants (leggings under your pants), you don't need knee-length socks, because you can just tuck your under-pants into shorter (though not ankle-cut) socks! so I started longing for good old regular cotton thick-woven things that were not threadbare excuses for white socks I had owned in some other life.
So I went to the damn store. I didn't know the kanji for cotton (though I figured it out), but words like "acrylic" and "polyester" are written in katakana, so I avoided socks in which those were the first listed ingredients. I had seen the kanji for "wool" before (羊毛) and the last part with the hook is recognizeable, and finally found cotton (綿) socks. I bought many pairs in many patterns and colors.. a few with the familiar "Wrangler" logo on them. And so I was made happier.
I also wanted to find a decent-sized carpet to put under my kotatsu. The one I had was about the same size as the kotatsu, so anytime I wanted to slide the table over a little, the rug just got bunched up underneath it. I wanted a big, nearly room-sized, soft thing that would tempt me to lie down on it. I stared for a long time at the furnishings, finally deducing that the 'rugs' I wanted were actually bedcovers (wtf?) and eventually picked a white-ish (hahahaha) one of large proportions.
I also saw a runner that looks like this:
I had to get it because I could use a rug in front of the kitchen sink, and it says "The character of the sheep is quiet and gentle." I like to have ridiculous things. It too is soft, though the sheepy parts are greying a bit.
But the final coup occurred at Setsubun on Thursday night. Setsubun is the beginning of the end of winter.. whereas the solstice is the turnaround point for the light but the start of winter, setsubun is kind of the midwinter time halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox. The light is halfway back! I went up to Iwa Jinja with E-Love to partake in the festivities. I was hoping to see more of my favorite kids, but instead we ended up standing by the giant fire eating tai-yaki and choco-bananas until a drunkish man came along to talk with us at length. We also bought a bunch of lottery-esque tickets which won us a great deal of Qoo (a sort of orange-juice drink), snacks (caramel corn! I'm eating it now.. it's kind of like cheesy poofs, only caramel), and soda. Oh, and I won a denki carpet.
The lottery thing was set up so that you pulled little flags out of bundles in the hands of shrine guys. Out of five times, I got "ku".. ku was the lowest you could get, or level 7 (hence the juice and snack prizes to choose from.. someone snagged the last dishsoap before I could get any of that). E-Love got some 7s, but also some 6s, which is one step up. But one of my pulls was "wo" which was level 3! Amongst the choices were wheelbarrows, and weed whckers. "What can I get?" I asked the guy at the window. He named the stuff I had seen, and gestured to some cardboard boxes, "oh and denki carpet."
"Denki-carpet?!"
"Also we have kerosene tanks. Do you want one of those?"
"Denki carpet."
Denki means "electric." Think of an electric blanket. Yeeeeaaaaah. Osaki-san has a denki-carpet under the dining room table, but it's the sort of thing I would never buy myself, assuming as I do that they are expensive and that I have nowhere to put such a thing. They belong in real houses, not my apartment. But of course I gleefully took my denki-carpet home and found a place. Right under my feet where I currently sit. Munchin on caramel corn and contemplating
Socks have been my latest quest at the clothing store. Socks and carpets. I used to hate socks, as you might if you lived in a place where the best state of feet was bare, and socks just meant you were wearing shoes. But if your apartment isn't heated and your floors are made of tatami mat or linoleum-wood, well..
At some point in the past (Kansas) I had bought some long socks to reach above the knee. I kind of wish I had done this sooner; I might have been more comfortable in Tennessee had I not continued daily to venture out in thin or ankle-cut socks. Alas.
But my long socks are thin, and many of them are made of synthetic material. You might not think this is a big deal, and maybe it's not, but if your feet have to spend exactly all day long (excepting only the time you are darting to/standing in the shower) inside of socks, you might find that cotton socks make your feet sweat less, or breathe better, or something. So I developed the habit of wearing double socks (along with the rest of my double clothing habits). I would put on a pair of the old cotton ankle-socks, and over that don a longer pair.
But when you're wearing under-pants (leggings under your pants), you don't need knee-length socks, because you can just tuck your under-pants into shorter (though not ankle-cut) socks! so I started longing for good old regular cotton thick-woven things that were not threadbare excuses for white socks I had owned in some other life.
So I went to the damn store. I didn't know the kanji for cotton (though I figured it out), but words like "acrylic" and "polyester" are written in katakana, so I avoided socks in which those were the first listed ingredients. I had seen the kanji for "wool" before (羊毛) and the last part with the hook is recognizeable, and finally found cotton (綿) socks. I bought many pairs in many patterns and colors.. a few with the familiar "Wrangler" logo on them. And so I was made happier.
I also wanted to find a decent-sized carpet to put under my kotatsu. The one I had was about the same size as the kotatsu, so anytime I wanted to slide the table over a little, the rug just got bunched up underneath it. I wanted a big, nearly room-sized, soft thing that would tempt me to lie down on it. I stared for a long time at the furnishings, finally deducing that the 'rugs' I wanted were actually bedcovers (wtf?) and eventually picked a white-ish (hahahaha) one of large proportions.
I also saw a runner that looks like this:
 |
| Baa. |
I had to get it because I could use a rug in front of the kitchen sink, and it says "The character of the sheep is quiet and gentle." I like to have ridiculous things. It too is soft, though the sheepy parts are greying a bit.
But the final coup occurred at Setsubun on Thursday night. Setsubun is the beginning of the end of winter.. whereas the solstice is the turnaround point for the light but the start of winter, setsubun is kind of the midwinter time halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox. The light is halfway back! I went up to Iwa Jinja with E-Love to partake in the festivities. I was hoping to see more of my favorite kids, but instead we ended up standing by the giant fire eating tai-yaki and choco-bananas until a drunkish man came along to talk with us at length. We also bought a bunch of lottery-esque tickets which won us a great deal of Qoo (a sort of orange-juice drink), snacks (caramel corn! I'm eating it now.. it's kind of like cheesy poofs, only caramel), and soda. Oh, and I won a denki carpet.
 |
| Choco-bananas! |
"Denki-carpet?!"
"Also we have kerosene tanks. Do you want one of those?"
"Denki carpet."
Denki means "electric." Think of an electric blanket. Yeeeeaaaaah. Osaki-san has a denki-carpet under the dining room table, but it's the sort of thing I would never buy myself, assuming as I do that they are expensive and that I have nowhere to put such a thing. They belong in real houses, not my apartment. But of course I gleefully took my denki-carpet home and found a place. Right under my feet where I currently sit. Munchin on caramel corn and contemplating
Winter Vacation: Singapore
Crammed back into a tiny airline seat, rushed around by harried airline workers, we endured some more horribly noisy children until touching down in one of the nicest airports in the world. Singapore's airport fee, I noticed when buying, was quite a bit higher than any of the other airports we were using for this trip. When we got there, I understood why.
Clean, sleek, and very modern, we passed through to the metro system, following directions carefully copied on my travel sheet. Signs in the metro proclaimed fines for messing with the alarms at $500 SD. (Singapore dollars are about twice the value of Malaysian ringgits, so around 60 or 65 cents each) Eating or drinking on the train would be $50. They don't mess around.
We found our hostel, Sleepy Sam's, neat and friendly and on a well-visited street not accessible to cars. The top of the street is dominated by the golden domes of the Sultan Mosque, and the area is lined with trees, shops, and restaurants. I recommend it to anyone seeking a budget place in Singapore! We dropped off our stuff, showered gratefully in the strangely-open-air bathroom (the sink area, not the shower itself), and got a late lunch in a nearby Turkish restaurant, plotting our next move.
In Singapore, the thing I most wanted to see was the zoo, as I'd read reviews about it being very impressive (I guess especially when compared to most zoos in Asia). There were also the botanical gardens, and then the city's districts (Little India, Chinatown, etc.) which were already familiar concepts to us from Penang, as well as reading about KL.
We also needed to get bus tickets to Kluang for the following afternoon. This proved to be much more difficult than I anticipated, mostly because the bus companies could not understand why we wanted to go to Kluang (if they in fact knew of the place). Everyone assumed we wanted to go to Klang, which is near KL. Not so, we wanted that town in the middle of Johor. ("Johor Bahru?" "No, Kluang. Right here?") We finally found a coach and booked some tickets.
We decided to go to the botanical gardens first, then make our way to the Night Safari, a complex next door to the zoo and the world's only night zoo. It's a great concept, especially since everyone's had that zoo day where all the animals were asleep.
The botanical gardens were gorgeous, but a rain started just after we arrived, and did not let up until after dark. I was disappointed because I had really wanted to explore the gardens better, but what we did get to see was pretty cool.
We had dinner at Subway in one of the big modern buildings, excited that we could get our hands on those cookies (which the Japanese Subway for some reason LACKS). I spilled my entire cup of tea at Miriam (luckily, only a little bit actually got on the white lacy dress she wore) after tasting it and finding my combination of flavors displeasing yet myself unable to get free refills. Then we got on a bus and went to the Night Safari.
I don't have any photos of that, unfortunately, because it was a no-flash zone. We saw an animal show which was really cool. The otters were the best. All the zoo-related shows had conservationist undertones messages, naturally, so they had three otters come out to pick up paper cups, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans and put them in the correct recycling bins. The first two were done in a flash and getting their treats, but the alumican guy became mesmerized by the shiny thing it was carrying and spun the thing around for a very long time. The host laughed and said something about "quality control," and it did look like the creature was possibly checking to make sure this was in fact an aluminum can before putting it in the bin, but I thought it was hilariously cute to see the otter twirl that can. It happened a lot less on the second can, and the otters left the stage.
We saw a lot of nocturnal and semi-nocturnal animals doing their thing. Took a ride on the tram, and by the end of that, it was nearly closing time, and we were exhausted. We took a cap back to our hostel, telling the driver we wanted to go to the Sultan Mosque. He was a new driver, and also quite worried about our safety since it was late and we were asking to be dropped off somewhere a bit away from the main road. We kept saying our hotel was there, but he didn't really believe us because there were no "hotels" there, actually. We fell asleep pretty fast upon return.
The next morning after complimentary breakfast and handing over my laundry to be washed while I frolicked, we set out for the zoo, where we spent most of the day; the Singapore Zoo is world class, though it also made me realize that I've been to a couple world-class zoos in my life. We had a good time and enjoyed some shows and watched some animals. I could have sat and watched some of the animals for a lot longer, but our bus was at 5 and we had a lot to do before then.
Fun fact: the word orang utan is Malaysian for "man of the forest".. I had wondered about this when I saw mentions of the "Orang Asli" in the guidebook, wondering why this name for primates was being applied to a group of people native to Malaysia. But I later realized, it goes the other way. "Orang" is the term used for a people. The orangutans are certainly people-like, too. One sat right next to the glass on one side of the enclosure and looked up at us with eyes to which it was impossible not to ascribe human qualities.
Once we got back, it was getting fairly late. I showered while Miriam got some souveneirs, then we went to catch our bus. I realized upon getting to the bus place that I hadn't gotten my air-dry items from the laundry yet, so I actually jogged all the way back to the hostel to get them.
There were three people on the bus (including us two) and I was baffled as to why they even ran buses to Kluang at all, much less twice a day. Spent the bus trip as it has become my custom to.. mostly writing postcards. Once we crossed the border and stopped in Johor Bahru, the bus filled up with loud-talking passengers and a really intense movie came on the TV screen (about a kidnapped kid and his desperate, taxi-driving father).. we didn't get to see the end of the movie! ...but that was because we had arrived in Kluang!
Bye Singapore!
Clean, sleek, and very modern, we passed through to the metro system, following directions carefully copied on my travel sheet. Signs in the metro proclaimed fines for messing with the alarms at $500 SD. (Singapore dollars are about twice the value of Malaysian ringgits, so around 60 or 65 cents each) Eating or drinking on the train would be $50. They don't mess around.
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
We found our hostel, Sleepy Sam's, neat and friendly and on a well-visited street not accessible to cars. The top of the street is dominated by the golden domes of the Sultan Mosque, and the area is lined with trees, shops, and restaurants. I recommend it to anyone seeking a budget place in Singapore! We dropped off our stuff, showered gratefully in the strangely-open-air bathroom (the sink area, not the shower itself), and got a late lunch in a nearby Turkish restaurant, plotting our next move.
| |||
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
In Singapore, the thing I most wanted to see was the zoo, as I'd read reviews about it being very impressive (I guess especially when compared to most zoos in Asia). There were also the botanical gardens, and then the city's districts (Little India, Chinatown, etc.) which were already familiar concepts to us from Penang, as well as reading about KL.
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
We also needed to get bus tickets to Kluang for the following afternoon. This proved to be much more difficult than I anticipated, mostly because the bus companies could not understand why we wanted to go to Kluang (if they in fact knew of the place). Everyone assumed we wanted to go to Klang, which is near KL. Not so, we wanted that town in the middle of Johor. ("Johor Bahru?" "No, Kluang. Right here?") We finally found a coach and booked some tickets.
We decided to go to the botanical gardens first, then make our way to the Night Safari, a complex next door to the zoo and the world's only night zoo. It's a great concept, especially since everyone's had that zoo day where all the animals were asleep.
The botanical gardens were gorgeous, but a rain started just after we arrived, and did not let up until after dark. I was disappointed because I had really wanted to explore the gardens better, but what we did get to see was pretty cool.
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
We had dinner at Subway in one of the big modern buildings, excited that we could get our hands on those cookies (which the Japanese Subway for some reason LACKS). I spilled my entire cup of tea at Miriam (luckily, only a little bit actually got on the white lacy dress she wore) after tasting it and finding my combination of flavors displeasing yet myself unable to get free refills. Then we got on a bus and went to the Night Safari.
I don't have any photos of that, unfortunately, because it was a no-flash zone. We saw an animal show which was really cool. The otters were the best. All the zoo-related shows had conservationist undertones messages, naturally, so they had three otters come out to pick up paper cups, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans and put them in the correct recycling bins. The first two were done in a flash and getting their treats, but the alumican guy became mesmerized by the shiny thing it was carrying and spun the thing around for a very long time. The host laughed and said something about "quality control," and it did look like the creature was possibly checking to make sure this was in fact an aluminum can before putting it in the bin, but I thought it was hilariously cute to see the otter twirl that can. It happened a lot less on the second can, and the otters left the stage.
We saw a lot of nocturnal and semi-nocturnal animals doing their thing. Took a ride on the tram, and by the end of that, it was nearly closing time, and we were exhausted. We took a cap back to our hostel, telling the driver we wanted to go to the Sultan Mosque. He was a new driver, and also quite worried about our safety since it was late and we were asking to be dropped off somewhere a bit away from the main road. We kept saying our hotel was there, but he didn't really believe us because there were no "hotels" there, actually. We fell asleep pretty fast upon return.
The next morning after complimentary breakfast and handing over my laundry to be washed while I frolicked, we set out for the zoo, where we spent most of the day; the Singapore Zoo is world class, though it also made me realize that I've been to a couple world-class zoos in my life. We had a good time and enjoyed some shows and watched some animals. I could have sat and watched some of the animals for a lot longer, but our bus was at 5 and we had a lot to do before then.
| ||
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
Fun fact: the word orang utan is Malaysian for "man of the forest".. I had wondered about this when I saw mentions of the "Orang Asli" in the guidebook, wondering why this name for primates was being applied to a group of people native to Malaysia. But I later realized, it goes the other way. "Orang" is the term used for a people. The orangutans are certainly people-like, too. One sat right next to the glass on one side of the enclosure and looked up at us with eyes to which it was impossible not to ascribe human qualities.
| |||
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
| |||
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
Once we got back, it was getting fairly late. I showered while Miriam got some souveneirs, then we went to catch our bus. I realized upon getting to the bus place that I hadn't gotten my air-dry items from the laundry yet, so I actually jogged all the way back to the hostel to get them.
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
There were three people on the bus (including us two) and I was baffled as to why they even ran buses to Kluang at all, much less twice a day. Spent the bus trip as it has become my custom to.. mostly writing postcards. Once we crossed the border and stopped in Johor Bahru, the bus filled up with loud-talking passengers and a really intense movie came on the TV screen (about a kidnapped kid and his desperate, taxi-driving father).. we didn't get to see the end of the movie! ...but that was because we had arrived in Kluang!
 |
| From Winter Vacation Part III: Singapore |
Friday, January 21, 2011
Winter Vacation: Penang
As we landed in KL, the pilot came on the announcement contraption to welcome us to Malaysia, give us the current weather report (music to my ears) and (his voice dropped in pitch) "to warn you that drug trafficking in Malaysia carries the mandatory minimum sentence of death." ..click.
It sounded like it should have been a joke, but was in fact not. I forgot all that as I stepped out the plane doors onto the movable staircase. Ahahaha. Warm humid air hit me in the face, instantly beginning my poor dried-up skin's [temporary] recovery. It smelled like Florida in springtime. Jackpot and a half.
We deplaned and indulged in some Dunkin' Donuts (Miriam is from Boston, so she lost her shit as soon as she saw that sign) for breakfast. Then we navigated the somewhat frustrating (but laid-back) task of checking our bags and getting to our next flight toward Penang. It was a short trip, and then we were wandering outside an airport half under construction looking for the bus stop. We eventually found it with help from a Singapore-dwelling Croatian. Once on the bus, we realized we had no idea quite how to get where we were going. Luckily, every person on the bus was friendly and helpful. One guy offered to go with us all the way to Batu Ferrenghi, and one lady showed us where to change buses by physically walking us to the right platform. Once on the platform, a bus transit worker came to make sure we had everything we needed.
After we changed buses, we really had no idea how to get to our hotel, so we ended up getting off the bus a stop or two early. It was raining, by then, we still had our stuff in tow, and all the restaurants at that particular intersection looked closed. It was beginning to be frustrating.
Our plan became, let's stop and get lunch, then get a cab to the hotel. But the restaurants were all closed, and I refused to eat at KFC when we were in friggin Malaysia. I spotted a food-stall apparatus by the road and with a bit of encouragement, my traveling companion agreed.
The food was glorious. It cost 7 ringgit (so around two bucks?) and was a symphony of flavors. A nice lady guided us through the buffet line, pointing out which items were not-spicy (perhaps less than 50%). The curry pineapple was what I remember best.
With renewed spirits, we got to our hotel. It had, as I would discover many thing in Malaysia to have, the look and feel of something that is old, but well kept. It was our splurge hotel ($50 a person for two nights), so fancy they didn't even make us pay up front..! We unloaded our stuff, took a freaking shower, and then boarded a bus back into Georgetown. Between Batu Ferrenghi and Georgetown, the price was 2.70 ringgit, or close to a dollar.
In Georgetown, the museums we wanted to see were closed, but all the little shops were open. Georgetown was a dream, full of balmy air, scents of food and incense, bright colors, and cheap goods. Well okay, mostly that was Little India.
Actually this is in Chinatown, but either way, those are some giant incense sticks.
Miriam and I just sort of wandered around, sort of following the Georgetown walk outlined in the Lonely Planet book. We had no idea when the sun would set, but were merely glad it stayed out past 5pm. We happened to be standing just near this Mosque around sunset, and we heard the voice broadcast from the mosque. I filmed a little, but the quality of tone doesn't really carry well from the video. It was a pretty magical moment.
After dark, we ate Indian food on a corner of Little India, which was only partially a mistake, given the low tolerance for spicy food with which I was endowed by my creator..
After that, we wandered a bit more before heading back to our sweet hotel (Bayview Beach Resort, in case you're planning) for the night.
The next morning started with hotel breakfast buffet, which happily included all manner of things. My favorite part was the fruit bar, because at some point while walking past one of the plentiful fruit market stalls in Georgetown, I had thought wistfully, man it would be cool to get a bunch of fruit of all different kinds, and then make a big pile, and then eat it. At breakfast, I didn't even have to cut it up for myself! There was also excellent coffee, tea, curry, museli, and all kinds of breakfast-style breakfast (I guess "Continental style".. eggs and bacon etc) and also non-breakfast-style breakfast (see: Japan's liberal use of rice, salty fish, pickles, etc. FOR BREAKFAST). Oh and we were on the veranda by the garden and pool. In the warm (but not hot) morning air. It was pretty much bliss. I felt like I was at that moment ruining my future honeymoon (if I choose to get married) because it really could not be better than that. It was cool and also weird to be sharing all this with Miriam instead!
We went back to Georgetown promptly so we could visit the Penang Museum, a nicely displayed setup detailing a lot of historical and cultural stuff. We skipped the Baba-Nonya house, because we had too much to do. This was to be our beach-relaxing day as well as the day we visited Kek Lok Si, the big temple south of town.
We grabbed lunch in a little cluster of stalls, fried rice and coconut or sugarcane drinks. It was (chant along if you like) very cheap and very delicious.
Well Kek Lok Si did not disappoint. I wore a thin sweater for modesty's sake, but the clouds had scattered and it was hot as frick. The temple was completely unlike any Buddhist temple in Japan, as you may remember from any pictures I have.. Horyuji is a decent and recent example. Seriously. Brown wood for Buddhist Japan. Not so for China! And all things Chinese-style. The temple was instead very brightly colored, and coated in paper lanterns for the upcoming (Feb. 4th?) Asian New Year.
We explored the area and took a ton of photos, and I bought a prayer candle because I think if you put energy into good intentions, you should do that in front of any statue, and if you have a chance to represent it with a physical (see: ritualistic) action, then by all means! Plus my ringgits went toward the construction that is ongoing at the temple, putting a roof over the big goddess of mercy statue up top. And she is cool, and I am totally behind mercy.
One other cool thing I remember was being in the temple shop at the top, and a priest(? monk?) came in, robed in saffron and vermilion. He sang or hummed along to the music being played while he looked around, bought something, and went outside. When I went outside I saw him again and he smiled at me. I might just be projecting, but those guys always seem pretty self-possessed and happy when I encounter them.
One harrowing cab ride later, we were back at the hotel, ready to sunscreen and relax as hard as we could. We negotiated with the beach, but found it kind of noisy and full of ATVs and jetskis for hire. I fell asleep reading Murakami by the pool. Our hotel had one of those sunken bars-in-the-pool, as well as a meditation pool which I stood for about 6 minutes.
As darkness fell, M and I got reflexology massages under the palm trees in the gathering dark. My lady didn't speak a lot of English, but M's told her all about her back and stomach problems (true and true), then predicted that she'd have four children one day.
We eschewed our earlier plan of going farther down for the night market and settled for going next door to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. I could go for a decent, non-Japan burger, I decided. But it turned out to be our most overpriced and least awesome food of the whole week. Eating decision fail! We were quite sleepy, though, so we retired, and in the morning, a driver was called to take us to the airport.
Our driver was actually kind of interesting. He provided water, for one thing, and spoke very good English. He was a real professional driver, not just a taxi, and said he did by-car tours up into Thailand and down through other parts of Malaysia as well. Sometimes families or older people especially liked to travel that way, see more of the country, hear the guy's information. He told us about how he'd driven the US Admiral stationed at Okinawa, when he visited Malaysia. He also told us that he often drove for Michael Dell when he came in for business. Softspoken guy, apparently, and frequently engaged in his laptop when seated in the car.
Then, we were at the airport, in line for Singapore.
It sounded like it should have been a joke, but was in fact not. I forgot all that as I stepped out the plane doors onto the movable staircase. Ahahaha. Warm humid air hit me in the face, instantly beginning my poor dried-up skin's [temporary] recovery. It smelled like Florida in springtime. Jackpot and a half.
We deplaned and indulged in some Dunkin' Donuts (Miriam is from Boston, so she lost her shit as soon as she saw that sign) for breakfast. Then we navigated the somewhat frustrating (but laid-back) task of checking our bags and getting to our next flight toward Penang. It was a short trip, and then we were wandering outside an airport half under construction looking for the bus stop. We eventually found it with help from a Singapore-dwelling Croatian. Once on the bus, we realized we had no idea quite how to get where we were going. Luckily, every person on the bus was friendly and helpful. One guy offered to go with us all the way to Batu Ferrenghi, and one lady showed us where to change buses by physically walking us to the right platform. Once on the platform, a bus transit worker came to make sure we had everything we needed.
After we changed buses, we really had no idea how to get to our hotel, so we ended up getting off the bus a stop or two early. It was raining, by then, we still had our stuff in tow, and all the restaurants at that particular intersection looked closed. It was beginning to be frustrating.
Our plan became, let's stop and get lunch, then get a cab to the hotel. But the restaurants were all closed, and I refused to eat at KFC when we were in friggin Malaysia. I spotted a food-stall apparatus by the road and with a bit of encouragement, my traveling companion agreed.
The food was glorious. It cost 7 ringgit (so around two bucks?) and was a symphony of flavors. A nice lady guided us through the buffet line, pointing out which items were not-spicy (perhaps less than 50%). The curry pineapple was what I remember best.
 | |||||||||
| From Winter Vacation Part II: Penang |
With renewed spirits, we got to our hotel. It had, as I would discover many thing in Malaysia to have, the look and feel of something that is old, but well kept. It was our splurge hotel ($50 a person for two nights), so fancy they didn't even make us pay up front..! We unloaded our stuff, took a freaking shower, and then boarded a bus back into Georgetown. Between Batu Ferrenghi and Georgetown, the price was 2.70 ringgit, or close to a dollar.
In Georgetown, the museums we wanted to see were closed, but all the little shops were open. Georgetown was a dream, full of balmy air, scents of food and incense, bright colors, and cheap goods. Well okay, mostly that was Little India.
 | |
| From Winter Vacation Part II: Penang |
Actually this is in Chinatown, but either way, those are some giant incense sticks.
Miriam and I just sort of wandered around, sort of following the Georgetown walk outlined in the Lonely Planet book. We had no idea when the sun would set, but were merely glad it stayed out past 5pm. We happened to be standing just near this Mosque around sunset, and we heard the voice broadcast from the mosque. I filmed a little, but the quality of tone doesn't really carry well from the video. It was a pretty magical moment.
 | |
| From Winter Vacation Part II: Penang |
After dark, we ate Indian food on a corner of Little India, which was only partially a mistake, given the low tolerance for spicy food with which I was endowed by my creator..
After that, we wandered a bit more before heading back to our sweet hotel (Bayview Beach Resort, in case you're planning) for the night.
The next morning started with hotel breakfast buffet, which happily included all manner of things. My favorite part was the fruit bar, because at some point while walking past one of the plentiful fruit market stalls in Georgetown, I had thought wistfully, man it would be cool to get a bunch of fruit of all different kinds, and then make a big pile, and then eat it. At breakfast, I didn't even have to cut it up for myself! There was also excellent coffee, tea, curry, museli, and all kinds of breakfast-style breakfast (I guess "Continental style".. eggs and bacon etc) and also non-breakfast-style breakfast (see: Japan's liberal use of rice, salty fish, pickles, etc. FOR BREAKFAST). Oh and we were on the veranda by the garden and pool. In the warm (but not hot) morning air. It was pretty much bliss. I felt like I was at that moment ruining my future honeymoon (if I choose to get married) because it really could not be better than that. It was cool and also weird to be sharing all this with Miriam instead!
 | |
| From Winter Vacation Part II: Penang |
We went back to Georgetown promptly so we could visit the Penang Museum, a nicely displayed setup detailing a lot of historical and cultural stuff. We skipped the Baba-Nonya house, because we had too much to do. This was to be our beach-relaxing day as well as the day we visited Kek Lok Si, the big temple south of town.
We grabbed lunch in a little cluster of stalls, fried rice and coconut or sugarcane drinks. It was (chant along if you like) very cheap and very delicious.
Well Kek Lok Si did not disappoint. I wore a thin sweater for modesty's sake, but the clouds had scattered and it was hot as frick. The temple was completely unlike any Buddhist temple in Japan, as you may remember from any pictures I have.. Horyuji is a decent and recent example. Seriously. Brown wood for Buddhist Japan. Not so for China! And all things Chinese-style. The temple was instead very brightly colored, and coated in paper lanterns for the upcoming (Feb. 4th?) Asian New Year.
 | |
| From Winter Vacation Part II: Penang |
We explored the area and took a ton of photos, and I bought a prayer candle because I think if you put energy into good intentions, you should do that in front of any statue, and if you have a chance to represent it with a physical (see: ritualistic) action, then by all means! Plus my ringgits went toward the construction that is ongoing at the temple, putting a roof over the big goddess of mercy statue up top. And she is cool, and I am totally behind mercy.
 | |
| From Winter Vacation Part II: Penang |
One other cool thing I remember was being in the temple shop at the top, and a priest(? monk?) came in, robed in saffron and vermilion. He sang or hummed along to the music being played while he looked around, bought something, and went outside. When I went outside I saw him again and he smiled at me. I might just be projecting, but those guys always seem pretty self-possessed and happy when I encounter them.
One harrowing cab ride later, we were back at the hotel, ready to sunscreen and relax as hard as we could. We negotiated with the beach, but found it kind of noisy and full of ATVs and jetskis for hire. I fell asleep reading Murakami by the pool. Our hotel had one of those sunken bars-in-the-pool, as well as a meditation pool which I stood for about 6 minutes.
As darkness fell, M and I got reflexology massages under the palm trees in the gathering dark. My lady didn't speak a lot of English, but M's told her all about her back and stomach problems (true and true), then predicted that she'd have four children one day.
We eschewed our earlier plan of going farther down for the night market and settled for going next door to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. I could go for a decent, non-Japan burger, I decided. But it turned out to be our most overpriced and least awesome food of the whole week. Eating decision fail! We were quite sleepy, though, so we retired, and in the morning, a driver was called to take us to the airport.
Our driver was actually kind of interesting. He provided water, for one thing, and spoke very good English. He was a real professional driver, not just a taxi, and said he did by-car tours up into Thailand and down through other parts of Malaysia as well. Sometimes families or older people especially liked to travel that way, see more of the country, hear the guy's information. He told us about how he'd driven the US Admiral stationed at Okinawa, when he visited Malaysia. He also told us that he often drove for Michael Dell when he came in for business. Softspoken guy, apparently, and frequently engaged in his laptop when seated in the car.
Then, we were at the airport, in line for Singapore.
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