Time runs
Like a marathon,
Not like
An open sore;
At least in theory,
Though this teary
Face before you
Could argue
Otherwise.
And I’m wise
To all the ways
That things
Speed up, or
Slow down—
Even fall
Sometimes
When I’m alone
I sit and listen
To the rush of life
Passing by
And cry,
And cry.
Exactly one month from tomorrow I’ll be boarding a plane and heading back to the US. It will also mark three years in Japan for me (though for those keeping score at home, factoring in previous stays it actually works out to just over four years). It’s pretty sobering to think that this stage of my life is already coming to a close—and at breakneck speed no less! The feeling is very akin to standing on the deck of a boat during a rain storm, where one false step could have me hurtling over the side. It’s all pretty overwhelming, but Lord willing I’ll be able to pull everything together in this final stretch.
For the five of you still following this site, my eternal thanks (*^-^*) Looking back at this site, I’m actually pretty impressed with the amount of content I was able to create during my time here. Well some of the plans I had for the site never came to fruition (alas, my audio plans were killed because Sony and Apple are mortal enemies), I think overall I was able to produce some substantial material that accurately documented my time here, and that I can look back at with pride in the years to come.
Though I already suspect that this next month will pass by faster than any I’ve ever experienced, I’m still planning on updating with some final thoughts and reflections as I begin the transition to home and beyond.
The anticipation of seeing everyone again mounts;
And oh!, what a glorious reunion it will be!
Eight years ago I had my first taste of Japan. Tait and I came as part of an MTW mission team, spending two months in the city of Nagoya. Towards the latter half of our time there, we had the opportunity to visit Kyoto, considered to be the epicenter of culture in Japan. There were four of us guys who were led around by one of our older adult students and her daughter. We only had a day to spend there, and raced around the various historical sites in a mad dash to fit everything in. We managed to do surprisingly well, and as the day started to wind down were told there was just one more “must see” spot before we headed back. We were a bit tired by this point, and the sun was already starting to make its decent, but we still excitedly got into a taxi and headed off. We drove through a long winding road surrounded by a forest of bamboo, before finally being delivered next to a large river overlooked by a row of tree covered, low lying mountains. I sat there agog, trying desperately to soak in as much of the scenery as possible in the dying light. We only had a small amount of time to spend there, but it was enough to cement the place as one of the most beautiful I had ever seen.
Last month I was finally able to make it back to Kyoto, and as I made my plans I knew there was exactly one place I had to visit again; Arashiyama, the place of my memories. Heading there in the early afternoon, we were able to take our time wandering down the old streets lined with shops, passing through a large residential area on the way. It took a bit of time getting there from the station, but once you enter things start to feel transformed. No sooner had we started when we saw some shop owners dressed in festival clothes directing our attention down a little side street. Looking around the corner, my eyes landed on a stunning sight. Sitting demurely on a small bench was a young woman in a beautiful kimono, with a face covered completely in white makeup. The information centers in my brain started screaming at me, “its a maiko!! A REAL maiko!! Get out your bloody camera, you imbecile!!!” For those on the know, a maiko is of course a geisha in training, and are the ones who wear white makeup. When most westerners think of a geisha, it’s usually the image of a maiko that they’re actually conjuring. This particular maiko was working in conjunction with a group of very old kimono textile shops as part of a promotional effort. For a measly buck, you were able to get your picture taken with the maiko, and entrance to the textile shop where you were able to see some of the work that goes into making a kimono. It was easily one of the best dollars I ever spent.
The bamboo lined road was just how I remembered it, though perhaps a little longer and with hidden surprises along the way. We found a small temple in one spot that was quite scenic, and before we even started on the road stopped for soft serve ice cream in traditional Japanese flavors (i.e. not sweet…). Finally we reached the river, and as we came out of the road I was mentally preparing myself for a scene that was most likely not going to live up to my enormous expectations. As my eyes adjusted and took in the view around me however, I realized that I was about to need a whole new set of expectations. Where the mountains had been covered in green in my mind, I now found them completely covered in pink. Cherry trees blossomed along the whole ridge, and as we walked along the path my mouth hung open in the same exact way as it did eight years earlier. Arashiyama had managed to do the impossible, taking an overblown, nearly perfect memory, and making the reality so much more brilliant that it almost felt like cheating. Like being content with the best sheet cake in the world, and then being introduced to Mont Blanc from a French pastry shop. Perhaps this is what heaven will be like.
As we were heading back to the station, we walked past an entire group of maiko, talking and giggling to each other; their hands desperately trying to hold back smiles as white as the faces that held them.
I really got behind with these updates, my sincerest apologies. I’ll be covering them individually throughout the next week so please keep checking back. With the end of my time in Japan growing ever nearer, there’ll be lots to update about. But first: Korea!
With its cheap prices, and relative close proximity, I had been interested in getting over to Korea for some time. Though the shortest international trip I’ve ever been on—just a long weekend really—it ended up being more than enough time to see the sights and sounds of Seoul. Yeah, that was a bit of a back handed compliment. The trouble is that Seoul is a huge thriving megalopolis—the 2nd largest metropolitan area in the world according to Wikipedia—with out a lot going on. Even such notable experts as Lonely Planet say that if you’re looking for art, history and culture, you might want to move on somewhere else.
Now don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, it’s just that after three days we pretty much ran out of things to do (we even went to the main shopping area of Seoul twice). I was able to taste some great food though, see some unique cultural things, and got to enjoy myself for far less money than I would have spent back here in Japan (even getting my hands on some Krispy Kreme donuts! Man, when did that become something to brag about!?). Therein though lies the problem; things in Korea are cheap, and the Japanese know it. Seoul often elicits comparisons to Tokyo, and with good reason; most of the interactions I witnessed while there were of Koreans selling things to Japanese. As we would walk down the busy market streets, people were constantly calling out to us in Japanese to buy something. Pictures of Japanese celebrities endorsing some product were absolutely everywhere, and I saw nearly as many signs written in Japanese as Korean. It was definitely a bit of a shock at first, but also an interesting experience in how culture impacts in ways we don’t even realize. After all when I go shopping in Tokyo I’m constantly bombarded by giant posters of Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, and Tommy Lee Jones enticing me to purchase something cool and “American”. Of course there is a bit of a difference as you don’t see bus loads of American tourists being dropped off to buy cheap goods (actually in most cases it’s more expensive to buy things here). But the way culture is used to market things was definitely brought home.
Sorry for the tangent there. I would try and describe more of my experience there, except that there just isn’t that much more to tell, and since it’s almost quitting time at school I think I’ll just leave it off here. I certainly learned a lot while there, and though perhaps not as eye opening as my previous trips to India and Thailand, was nonetheless quite thrilling and memorable.
Ok, next up is Kyoto, so check back in the next couple days for the continuing chronicles of my last few months in Japan.
