1/04/10 (written 1/06/10) Train Ride
I'm afraid I haven't been good about my entries the last couple of days. However, I will do my best to recount the events in chronilogical order. Let's start with Monday the 4th. Since Jenn and I slept at 3am the previous night, we opted to take the 1pm train over the gruesome 5am departure. The trip to Aranyaprathet was a long one but it was an interesting experience. We went to the train station with plenty of time to spare. We purchased 3rd class tickets; hence, our tickets were only 48 bahts! That's about only $1.50! From Bangkok to Aranyaprathet...a distance of over 200 km for only $1.50. Incredible. Like typical tourists were took pictures of the whole station. Jenn insisted we buy waffles for the road. She constantly craves street food. Unfortunately, I don't share her adventurous spirit for strange cuisine from the streets. She claims to have a "iron stomach". When the train came it was an absolute battle to get on. Jenn and I were determined to get a seat so we used our luggage to box out people. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and after enough pushing and shoving, we were on. From families with toddlers to shady looking young people to crazy folk who yell, the train was packed with a fine assortment of characters. As the train chugged it's way eastwards, I enjoyed the scenery while Ms. Iron Stomach played Sudoku. The ride was about 5 hrs...alot of sitting. To pass the time, my companion let me take a crack at the numbers. As expected, the ride was very grimy as the ashes from the coal periodically flew through the window and managed to end up on my white shirt and shorts. The train ridewas long but I appreciated being able to get to look at the Thai countryside. Along thee way, there were school children that boarded from station to station. It was quite curious as these country children traveled great distances to go to school. We finally reached the Market Hotel where we met the infamous Shirley with the Blackberry. She wasn't as friendly as I had hoped but she was quite professional. This fat beagle named Bernie provided us with an endless amount of affection, though. In fact, he was a regular celebrity...there was a huge billboard of him advertising the Market Hotel Monster Burger.
1/05/10 (written 1/06/10) Border Crossing
The next morning we were ready for the rest of the trip to Siem Reap. For breakfast I had an omelette with toast while Jenn wolfed down a tasy pad thai dish. As a "foodie", she is obligated to try the local cuisine. I, on the other hand, was on no such schedule as I am appreciative of burgers and Western cuisine wherever I go...especially after being deprived of it in Japan. With that said, as it will noted later, I do try local food on occassion.
After breakfast, we had the waitress fetch us a tuk tuk. We still needed to pack so we had the tuk tuk driver wait 10 minutes. As I felt bad, I suggested we give him a big tip. In hindsight, I would have liked to have kept my 20 bahts tip. We were supposed to be taken directly to the border city; however, we made a curious stop at this outpost that does visas. Unfamiliar with the visa procedures for Cambodia, we took a seat at this terrible establishment. We saw other tourists so everything seemed standard.It wasn't until they had told us the processing fee that Jenn and I felt uneasy. The main wanted 1200 bahts (roughly $40) for the visa. We had read that a visa costs only $20. After the visa was processed, we realized our newbie blunder- the infamous tuk tuk border rip off happened right before our eyes. We had prepared ourselves for such a play but thought it would occur closer to the border. Oh tuk tuk driver, were you really that mad about waiting 10 minutes for us? I was able to get a small victory,though, as I smelled something fishy about the taxi fare for the ride from Poipet to Siem Reap. The visa dude wanted us to pay roughly $20 per person (600 bahts) for a 4 person taxi. We had heared that a shared taxi (4ppl) should be only be $15 per person. Small victory but a victory none the less. When I told him about this discreptancy, he had this bitter and frustrated look on his face. I savored every moment. Hah, I cheated you of $5! Along with our unforgiving tuk tuk driver, we were accompanied by this sleezy looking dude in a red shirt. All he was was a middle man, a guy that takes us from the driver to the cab driver on the other side of the border...and he had the nerve to ask us for 100 bahts a piece. As I write this I feel so angry but at the time it made sense. People in this part of the world try to rip you off all the time BUT there's a distinct difference between merchants ripping you off from these tuk tuks. With the merchants you have are in full control of the bargaining...if you don't want something, you just walk away. However, with the tuk tuks, once you give them your trust,they put you in a situation which you lose all control- they take you on a ride. And so once we agreed to do the visa through them, we sealed out fate. Anyway, after we gave this horrible greasy fellow with the red shirt his cuty, we were transferred to "his brother" to hook us up with a taxi. And so we followed this fellow on a bus to the taxi station. I was so caught up in all this that I had made the biggest blunder, the kind that even an idiot wouldn't make- I left my luggage with a stranger. Boy I have been spoiled in Japan. Caught up in the border crossing, I was unaware that I had left my suitcase with Taxi Pimp Greaser. And so as Jenn and I were busy standing in line to get into Cambodia, this fellow ran up ahead with my bag.Thankfully he was a man of integrity so he did not vanish BUT this boneheaded move spoke volumes about the lack of control we had in the whole situation. At the taxi station we waited over 45 minutes but could not leave until our newest greaser found 2 other people to hop in the taxi with us.
Meanwhile, Jenn and I decided to exchange our American currency to Cambodian money. As we looked at the exchange rate, it seemed awkward that the U.S. dollar was worth more than the more powerful Japanese yen. Apparently, this is done because the dollar is the dominant currency in Siem Reap, even more popular than the Cambodian Riel. In fact, if a merchant receives Cambodian Riel instead of US dollars they give you the stink eye...it's like walking into Best Buy with a bag of quarters. Who's this poor bastard trying to buy an "ipad" with damn change? Back to the story. Since we didn't know all this, we bought $40 and $60, respectively, worth of Riel. Another small victory was to be won on this occassion as even the exchange stand tried to cheat me out of my money. Granted, this guy probably made an honest mistake but I had to recount the money. I had given the man $60 but he accidently gave me only $40 worth in Riel. Terrible. Thankfully, I decided to recount the bills, did my math and asked for my extra 80,000 Riel. And so small battles were won during this war on "Friendship Bridge". We continued to wait for the Taxi Pimp Greaser but he never came back...so we eventually shared a taxi with a German couple from Heinsburg.
After a 2 1/2 hr hourney, we made it to the Kazna safe and sound. The hotel is absolutely gorgeous and the workers were professional and very helpful. In fact, the moment we stepped in, we had a lady from the front desk greet us, bring us tasty lemonade and give us information of all the hot spots in Siem Reap in perfect English. When we got to our room, we were shocked by how nice it was. For only $30 a night, we had a beautiful room with fine wood floors, a personal balcony, a wonderful painting of a Cambodian fisherman hanging over our bed and grade A service- they even brought us fruit on a platter minutes upon our arrival. Granted, the balcony overlooked this shady building with hoes in it but still, a balcony none the less. To make us feel even more at home the establishment has a policy to remove shoes at the door-which explains its reputation of being the cleanest hotel in Siem Reap.
Once we were settled, we decided to go to Pub Street in the Old Market to get a bite to eat. We stumbled upon the "Traditional Khmer" and we both had Khmer Curry for only 3 dollars. The magnificent use of spices and assortment of vegetables resulted in what I can honestly say was the best curry I have ever tasted No, this is no exaggeration, it was that good. Who says you need to pay huge chunks of cash for good food. Screw you Asian Fussion joints that leave me unsatisfied. Then we roamed a bit and went back to the hotel.
For dinner, we decided to eat at the "Temple Balcony". They have daily performances from 7:30 to 9:30pm of Aspara traditional dancers. As long as you're a paying customer, it's free. Free show, cheap food, can't lose. Aspara, as I found out today at Angkor Wat (1/06/10) is 1)a dancer of the king's court and 2) a divinity. Afterwards, Jenn and I hit up the night bazaar. I bargained for a couple of cheap stuff. As I often do, I fell in love with several paintings but did not pull the trigger. More specifically, this impressionistic representation of the Bayon faces caught my eye but I deemed it too expensive. In addition, as I live in Japan, the vibrant colors may not match the more subdued interiors of my Ikata home. Sigh. We'll see if I will pull the trigger. Note: I eventually got an abstract, fauvist/impressionstic painting of elephants and other Cambodian looking stuff. It's awesome.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
My Two Week Vacation Part II: Thailand
Part II: 1/2-1/4 The Arrival in Thailand
Took the red eye to Thailand, got in around 5-6 am.
1/2/10 Crazy Taxi Drive
Taking the red eye to a foreign country will understandably put you on edge. It was roughly 5am as I lugged my baggage to the closest cab so I could be rushed to my hotel for a good night's rest. But before my moments of tranquility, I had to experience the worst car ride of my life. During my stay in Shanghai I had experienced reckless driving. Perhaps it was the fact I was smashed from a night's worth of alcohol or that I was in the company of my friends but those car ride felt a lot safer than the one last night.
I got into a cab with this older gentleman. Initially, I was glad he was my driver because it seemed he was responsible- he wasn't flat on his face, snoring at the wheel like the other prospective drivers at this hour. Little did I know, the sleepy drivers may have been a sounder choice compared to this maniac.
Now to describe the maniac's driving habits. Instead of staying in one lane, he insisted on swaying back and forth between lanes. In fact, he liked to drive on the center divider of the lanes- I felt like I was riding on a monorail as this conductor from hell stayed the course on those damn lane dividers. When he wasn't trying to drive on the line, he constantly changed lanes without signaling- the only time he DID signal was when he was cutting someone off. When he started driving on the dividers he had the nerve to honk at motorcyclists who were actually driving in a lane. I guess they were unfamiliar with his driving rules. In addition, when we were on a freeway with but a single car on the road, instead of passing the slower driver on one of the four available lanes, he insisted on tailgating this car. Every time we were slowing down I held my breath as he was always very stingy with the break pads. Every moment of my drive I hoped my hotel was just around the corner. Don't hold your breath. Alas, yet another 7/11. Dogs roam the streets and street cleaners occupied the road side gutters. The climax of this nightmare ride almost ended in tragedy. There were 3 children and an older man J-walking a large street. While this recklessness was pure stupidity on the part of the pedestrian, my driver from hell stubbornly drove straight at them. He was playing a dangerous game of chicken. He almost hit the children missing them by mere inches. He started yelling at them. Douche. I came to Thailand to avoid stressful situations like these.
1/2/10
During my first day I slept in and checked out my neighborhood. Jenn's flight was delayed a day so I had to find things to do. Went to Lumphini Park, took lots of pictures. It was a chill day but it could have been a lot better with company.
1/4/10 Getting Busy in Thailand
Today(1/3/10) was a good day. A lot was done and my health was fairly good...I actually felt kind of normal. Perhaps my "illness" is exhaustion. Busy as today was, my body held up.
First Jenn & I went to Wat Po to holla at our friend "The Reclining Buddha". As we drove to the fine temple we passed massive photos of the king and his royal family. He is everywhere. When we got there we decided to look at a map of the area. Our befuddled faces were noticed immediately by a kind stranger. This Thai man began to speak to us in very good English. The gentleman told us that Wat Po and The Grand Palace would be extremely busy as the 5 day holiday was fast approaching. He recommended a "golden mountain" and other sites. Unfortunately, with our limited time in Bangkok, we had to kindly refuse his suggestions. On to Wat Po. The architecture was absolutely amazing-tall spire looking structures with fabulous tiles plastered on them forming an array of beautiful patterns, behemoth structures with golden Buddhas and tall guards guarding the entrance. Yeah, that was redundant. Cats roamed the temple. My mother would say these cats were Bodhisattvas overseeing the temple. I wouldn't be surprised. The reclining Buddha was HUGE. Many pictures were taken and we offered a bajillion coins into numerous offering bowls around the structure. Finally, we decided to indulge in some massage action. I got the herbal body massage-epic. Felt really renewed.
Our adventure continued to Khao San Road where we checked out the plethora of outdoor shops. Bought some nice shirts, Jenn got one too. She was obsessed with these shirts with huge sunglasses on them. The atmosphere is unbelievable- hundreds of peddlers bargaining with all sorts of characters from all over the world. The beggars brought my fantasy to a stop, though, as I realized there are people who are really struggling. A legless man on a skateboard rolls towards me, a legless man crawls across the floor, a woman with a child begs for milk...I feel compelled to give them money but I don't. Why? Have I grown so distrustful of homeless people back home that I'm not willing to part with a couple of bahts? The world is cruel. Hopefully there are better days ahead for these unfortunate individuals. On a lighter note, we went to an Irish Bar. Outside we posed with Thailand's version of Ronald McDonald. Of course he was posing with the praying gesture. Jenn and I had a wonderful lunch at this nifty joint as we listened to some bomb oldies. Jenn got something Thai while I got mashed potatoes, cold slaw and some sort of sandwich. Yeah, it's a nice change from Japanese food. We finished it off with a game of pool where I took home a "controversial" victory. Last thought of this segment-our cab driver was singing to some old English song about mashed potatoes. Awesome.
After Khao San Road we went to Ratchadamnoen Stadium to check out some Muay Thai boxing. 1500 bahts. Kind of expensive but worth the experience. We watched about 5 different fights. Red vs Blue. 5 rounds per, 3 minutes long. I was impressed by those willing to go at their opponents with his fists and discouraged by those who hugged it out like little bitches. sigh. The locals were betting/gambling like mad. It was a wild site...betting continued throughout the fight. They even had these 15 year olds fighting. They were beasts. I imagined my own middle school schoolers getting into a ring with them...would not be pleasant. Maybe my boy Kaito who's a black belt in shorenji could kick some ass.
Afterwards, we went to eat dinner. Jenn and I had a nice conversation about old books we've read in our childhood and our failures as readers for the SAT. I thoroughly enjoyed the company. I ate at the same restaurant the night before. When my waiter saw me today he smiled and said "Company?" as he was happy to see that I wasn't dining alone. Then we went to the massage place down the street to have our feet cleaned by fishes. I was so damn TICKLISH! I couldn't stop laughing...everyone were staring but I couldn't help it. While I was suffering from the ticklish nibbles of death, two sweet Indian children asked me about my situation. The older sister joked that her brother would get eaten by the fish because he's so small.
We capped off the evening at the bizarre near our hotel. Haggled with a woman for a belt and Jenn haggled her way to a pair of shades that she did not want. We were constantly hassled about going to a "ping pong show". Look it up. Good day...happy we don't have to wake up at 5am tomorrow for the train to Angkor Wat =)
Took the red eye to Thailand, got in around 5-6 am.
1/2/10 Crazy Taxi Drive
Taking the red eye to a foreign country will understandably put you on edge. It was roughly 5am as I lugged my baggage to the closest cab so I could be rushed to my hotel for a good night's rest. But before my moments of tranquility, I had to experience the worst car ride of my life. During my stay in Shanghai I had experienced reckless driving. Perhaps it was the fact I was smashed from a night's worth of alcohol or that I was in the company of my friends but those car ride felt a lot safer than the one last night.
I got into a cab with this older gentleman. Initially, I was glad he was my driver because it seemed he was responsible- he wasn't flat on his face, snoring at the wheel like the other prospective drivers at this hour. Little did I know, the sleepy drivers may have been a sounder choice compared to this maniac.
Now to describe the maniac's driving habits. Instead of staying in one lane, he insisted on swaying back and forth between lanes. In fact, he liked to drive on the center divider of the lanes- I felt like I was riding on a monorail as this conductor from hell stayed the course on those damn lane dividers. When he wasn't trying to drive on the line, he constantly changed lanes without signaling- the only time he DID signal was when he was cutting someone off. When he started driving on the dividers he had the nerve to honk at motorcyclists who were actually driving in a lane. I guess they were unfamiliar with his driving rules. In addition, when we were on a freeway with but a single car on the road, instead of passing the slower driver on one of the four available lanes, he insisted on tailgating this car. Every time we were slowing down I held my breath as he was always very stingy with the break pads. Every moment of my drive I hoped my hotel was just around the corner. Don't hold your breath. Alas, yet another 7/11. Dogs roam the streets and street cleaners occupied the road side gutters. The climax of this nightmare ride almost ended in tragedy. There were 3 children and an older man J-walking a large street. While this recklessness was pure stupidity on the part of the pedestrian, my driver from hell stubbornly drove straight at them. He was playing a dangerous game of chicken. He almost hit the children missing them by mere inches. He started yelling at them. Douche. I came to Thailand to avoid stressful situations like these.
1/2/10
During my first day I slept in and checked out my neighborhood. Jenn's flight was delayed a day so I had to find things to do. Went to Lumphini Park, took lots of pictures. It was a chill day but it could have been a lot better with company.
1/4/10 Getting Busy in Thailand
Today(1/3/10) was a good day. A lot was done and my health was fairly good...I actually felt kind of normal. Perhaps my "illness" is exhaustion. Busy as today was, my body held up.
First Jenn & I went to Wat Po to holla at our friend "The Reclining Buddha". As we drove to the fine temple we passed massive photos of the king and his royal family. He is everywhere. When we got there we decided to look at a map of the area. Our befuddled faces were noticed immediately by a kind stranger. This Thai man began to speak to us in very good English. The gentleman told us that Wat Po and The Grand Palace would be extremely busy as the 5 day holiday was fast approaching. He recommended a "golden mountain" and other sites. Unfortunately, with our limited time in Bangkok, we had to kindly refuse his suggestions. On to Wat Po. The architecture was absolutely amazing-tall spire looking structures with fabulous tiles plastered on them forming an array of beautiful patterns, behemoth structures with golden Buddhas and tall guards guarding the entrance. Yeah, that was redundant. Cats roamed the temple. My mother would say these cats were Bodhisattvas overseeing the temple. I wouldn't be surprised. The reclining Buddha was HUGE. Many pictures were taken and we offered a bajillion coins into numerous offering bowls around the structure. Finally, we decided to indulge in some massage action. I got the herbal body massage-epic. Felt really renewed.
Our adventure continued to Khao San Road where we checked out the plethora of outdoor shops. Bought some nice shirts, Jenn got one too. She was obsessed with these shirts with huge sunglasses on them. The atmosphere is unbelievable- hundreds of peddlers bargaining with all sorts of characters from all over the world. The beggars brought my fantasy to a stop, though, as I realized there are people who are really struggling. A legless man on a skateboard rolls towards me, a legless man crawls across the floor, a woman with a child begs for milk...I feel compelled to give them money but I don't. Why? Have I grown so distrustful of homeless people back home that I'm not willing to part with a couple of bahts? The world is cruel. Hopefully there are better days ahead for these unfortunate individuals. On a lighter note, we went to an Irish Bar. Outside we posed with Thailand's version of Ronald McDonald. Of course he was posing with the praying gesture. Jenn and I had a wonderful lunch at this nifty joint as we listened to some bomb oldies. Jenn got something Thai while I got mashed potatoes, cold slaw and some sort of sandwich. Yeah, it's a nice change from Japanese food. We finished it off with a game of pool where I took home a "controversial" victory. Last thought of this segment-our cab driver was singing to some old English song about mashed potatoes. Awesome.
After Khao San Road we went to Ratchadamnoen Stadium to check out some Muay Thai boxing. 1500 bahts. Kind of expensive but worth the experience. We watched about 5 different fights. Red vs Blue. 5 rounds per, 3 minutes long. I was impressed by those willing to go at their opponents with his fists and discouraged by those who hugged it out like little bitches. sigh. The locals were betting/gambling like mad. It was a wild site...betting continued throughout the fight. They even had these 15 year olds fighting. They were beasts. I imagined my own middle school schoolers getting into a ring with them...would not be pleasant. Maybe my boy Kaito who's a black belt in shorenji could kick some ass.
Afterwards, we went to eat dinner. Jenn and I had a nice conversation about old books we've read in our childhood and our failures as readers for the SAT. I thoroughly enjoyed the company. I ate at the same restaurant the night before. When my waiter saw me today he smiled and said "Company?" as he was happy to see that I wasn't dining alone. Then we went to the massage place down the street to have our feet cleaned by fishes. I was so damn TICKLISH! I couldn't stop laughing...everyone were staring but I couldn't help it. While I was suffering from the ticklish nibbles of death, two sweet Indian children asked me about my situation. The older sister joked that her brother would get eaten by the fish because he's so small.
We capped off the evening at the bizarre near our hotel. Haggled with a woman for a belt and Jenn haggled her way to a pair of shades that she did not want. We were constantly hassled about going to a "ping pong show". Look it up. Good day...happy we don't have to wake up at 5am tomorrow for the train to Angkor Wat =)
My Two Week Vacation Part I: Okayama
Well, here I am, finally typing up my journal entries from my long and memorable trip. Pictures can capture a moment and writing helps bring it to life. And so, to get the full experience, I suggest you gloss over the pictures on my facebook. Beside from some small additions and omissions, the text is word to word. I apologize if certain parts get a little dry as I was trying to recount all my events on one particular day. Anyway, here we are, dates 12/28-1/13. I was not particularly diligent about writing every night so days may be condensed into one entry.
Summary:
Part 1: 12/28-1/1 Okayama
12/28/09 Journey to Okayama
Today, my friend Kyouhei and I made our way to Okayama. We left our local Lawsons around 11am, about an hour later than we had planned. Originally Kyouhei's friend was supposed to take us to Matsuyama; however, the friend unexpectedly backed out. Something about him working over time. And so Kyouhei picked me up and we rushed to his house in Uwa so his father could take us to the bus station. He lives in a fairly large house- it is no big surprise that he frequently has company over for movie nights, billiards and beers late into the night. The drive to Matsuyama was quite pleasant as I had an awesome conversation with Mr. Kikuchi. Apparently, for his honeymoon, Mr. Kikuchi went to San Francisco and Los Angeles. He remembered his times on the cable cars, visits to Fisherman's Wharf and even a walk through the UCLA Campus. Like his son, he has a strong interest in American television shows like "Lost", "Prison Break" and "24". The trip to the Matsuyama bus station was a success as we made it in the nick of time. Unfortunately, my friend had forgotten his cell phone in his car.
A little past 12:50, we hopped on the bus to Okayama city. My friend listened to his Japanese jams while I listened to my own music on my i-pod. The ride was about 2 1/2 hrs in all. When we arrived, we had only food on our mind as we had barely eaten all day. Kyouhei took us to an awesome restaurant that served beer don bori. As we wolfed down our scrumptious meal my friend reflected upon his days in college. He's a graduate of Okayama University so this restaurant and others in the neighborhood triggered various moments of nostalgia. I suppose I'd do the same when I return to Westwood. Jack in a box (S. of Whilshire) , Subway, Noodle Planet, Diddy...
Eventually we made our way to ORIX, the car rental place. To our surprise the trip to Ochiai was about 1 1/2-2 hours away...much longer than anticipated. My friend had a disappointed look when was told the news but like a good person that he is, he was cool with it. He had a "nominokai" or drinking party with the homies. And so we set off for the last leg of the trip into the abyss- the Japanese forest aka Ochiai. As the buildings grew less and became darker, my friend joked about monsters in the woods. I joked about Tengu and Ijin (you remember them from Japanese History, eh Mark?). Instead of listening to radio jams we started to whistle Christmas sons in unison. Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all the way...When we arrived, my grandmother made both of us fish, tskemono and rice. My friend had to rush back but I grateful to have someone like him as a friend. I will be sure to get him a gift in Thailand. and I did.
12/29/09 Reunited
As the last entry was predominantly a log of all the events of the day, I thought this one should be more a stream of thoughts. While I slept a good 12 hours, the night was a restless one. I suppose one has great difficulty having a sound sleep in a new environment and last night was no exception. I tossed and turned as I dreamed about something exciting...I was either protecting something of great value or running away from something. Either way, I'm sure I had some sort of adventure. I was very cold throughout the night as I was reluctant to pack my winter clothes (since it's so warm in Thailand). Without a humidifier, it didn't seem wise to leave the stove on. Later that morning, my cousin and her kid came. We all, with my grandmother included, went to Tsuyama to shop for ingredients for dinner. It was an astonishing bunch. My grandmother, my cousin, my cousin's kid and myself. We're all different in age and live in different places but for this particular excursion we were together. Once my father comes, he can complete the four generations of family. Living by myself in Ikata you forget about family. Thanksgiving and Christmas passed by in a blink of an eye. I felt fortunate to be reunited with my family to celebrate New Years. There's no telling if this may be our last opportunity together under this roof but as my grandmother ages, it seems more like the case. I hope my mother is doing alright by herself in India...the holidays must be quite difficult for her. Best wishes. My last thought involves my trip to Kansai airport. With the rental car fiasco in my mind, I was worried about getting out to the airport. Fortunately, my cousin offered to drive me to the airport on her way back home (Osaka). Thus she saved me from needless stress this holiday break. It seems my omiyage (gift) list grows longer.
12/30/09 Four Generations
After 6 months, I am reunited with my father. He had flown 12 hours by plane the previous night and took the morning bus to Ochiai. As expected, he is fast asleep from jet lag. Today there was mixed feelings. After months of agonizing about the house back in S.F., it's finally gone. My parents reaped the benefits of the sale earlier this month. I have high hopes for my parents...things should get easier going forward. My mother is finally liberated from the house...freed from the financial shackles that kept her from doing what she truly wanted to do- meditate in India. My father seems to have done well for himself since I last saw him. He's certainly more cheerful and spirited. He constantly cracks jokes and seems to have rediscovered the joys of living. This is the side of my father I had missed. I suppose the burden of the house weighed heavy upon his shoulders and it undoubtedly affected his temper. He tells me he meditates now and enjoys interacting with people. He is reborn. It seems the loss of the house has resulted in my parents regaining a new sense of life...reinvigorated. Unfortunately, some things are gone for good. My father never was too big on Christmas, as least he never showed it. If fact, he always seemed to hate to celebrate anything. He always complained when we had to open presents, sing during birthdays, eat traditional Thanksgiving dinner together.However, our walk, he told me otherwise. I told him I missed spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with my parents. Surprisingly, he told me the holidays were a difficult time for him...he hoped the day would pass as fast as possible. I suppose my father DID care about Christmas...and now those moments as a family under one roof is but a mere memory. I can only imagine how painful it was for my mom...she epitomized the Christmas spirit in our household. She called me 3-4 times on Christmas.
Back to Ochiai. My father and I caught up by taking a walk around the neighborhood. We had matching leather jackets, white/gray hats and jeans. We were both rather shaggy. Recently, my grandmother noted that my father and I have very similar voices. I was very happy by this comment. I told him about my "5 year plan". He was very supportive. I asked him about his plans and it seemed a little more ambiguous. He wants to take another crack at the art promoter thing. He keeps saying he wants to do a project to help "the people", the community. He said he gave a speech in front of 100 artists. He seems to always have a dream. My conversation was going great until >>Omission<<. Conversation got weirder as we ran into his cousin on the road side. Apparently his cousin is suffering from a kidney disease. We went into their house to greet my father's uncle who has been bed ridden. All of this sounds normal but it was very awkward. I had felt a little disconnected from my father after the talk >>Omission<<. To top that off, my dad's cousin told me to take care and "try not to get killed". Try not to get killed? Is this guy serious??? Thrown back by this question, I asked him why he said that. He said a female foreign teacher got killed around the Ikata area. Why would anyone say that? I think about done with the Japanese countryside...the awkward conversations, the unfriendly stares, the cold shoulders...sick of it. There are good people, don't get me wrong but I grow weary of being a foreigner. The irony is I have no home in the U.S. but a home in small Ikata-cho, Japan.
Back to my father. I am glad he is doing alot better. He's a good person and it's great he's finding his way. I just can't help holding onto my old life in 419 Joost, my mom and dad together, even if they never got along. I suppose they have to find their own way. Oh, last point, I had a wonderful, long conversation with my cousin about many aspects of life. As we have aged, we have grown even closer...she is my sister and I eternally grateful.
On New Years day, I went to the temple with my father, cousin and her kid. I made alot of offerings for my grandfather and my mother. Afterwords, I bid farewell to my father and my grandmother. And so my cousin and I headed to Kansai airport, where I was to depart for Bangkok. Like the night before, my cousin and I had another memorable talk. Along the way, we picked up my aunt and we went to the airport. It was awesome having my family with me at the airport. I grew up with these people (my cousin and aunt) for the first 3 years of my life. Every year I came to visit them and everytime they went to the airport with me for a tearful goodbye. This time was no different, minus the tears, as we had a nice dinner, wasted time at the airport and bid farewell...only this time I wasn't going to the States.
Summary:
Part 1: 12/28-1/1 Okayama
12/28/09 Journey to Okayama
Today, my friend Kyouhei and I made our way to Okayama. We left our local Lawsons around 11am, about an hour later than we had planned. Originally Kyouhei's friend was supposed to take us to Matsuyama; however, the friend unexpectedly backed out. Something about him working over time. And so Kyouhei picked me up and we rushed to his house in Uwa so his father could take us to the bus station. He lives in a fairly large house- it is no big surprise that he frequently has company over for movie nights, billiards and beers late into the night. The drive to Matsuyama was quite pleasant as I had an awesome conversation with Mr. Kikuchi. Apparently, for his honeymoon, Mr. Kikuchi went to San Francisco and Los Angeles. He remembered his times on the cable cars, visits to Fisherman's Wharf and even a walk through the UCLA Campus. Like his son, he has a strong interest in American television shows like "Lost", "Prison Break" and "24". The trip to the Matsuyama bus station was a success as we made it in the nick of time. Unfortunately, my friend had forgotten his cell phone in his car.
A little past 12:50, we hopped on the bus to Okayama city. My friend listened to his Japanese jams while I listened to my own music on my i-pod. The ride was about 2 1/2 hrs in all. When we arrived, we had only food on our mind as we had barely eaten all day. Kyouhei took us to an awesome restaurant that served beer don bori. As we wolfed down our scrumptious meal my friend reflected upon his days in college. He's a graduate of Okayama University so this restaurant and others in the neighborhood triggered various moments of nostalgia. I suppose I'd do the same when I return to Westwood. Jack in a box (S. of Whilshire) , Subway, Noodle Planet, Diddy...
Eventually we made our way to ORIX, the car rental place. To our surprise the trip to Ochiai was about 1 1/2-2 hours away...much longer than anticipated. My friend had a disappointed look when was told the news but like a good person that he is, he was cool with it. He had a "nominokai" or drinking party with the homies. And so we set off for the last leg of the trip into the abyss- the Japanese forest aka Ochiai. As the buildings grew less and became darker, my friend joked about monsters in the woods. I joked about Tengu and Ijin (you remember them from Japanese History, eh Mark?). Instead of listening to radio jams we started to whistle Christmas sons in unison. Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all the way...When we arrived, my grandmother made both of us fish, tskemono and rice. My friend had to rush back but I grateful to have someone like him as a friend. I will be sure to get him a gift in Thailand. and I did.
12/29/09 Reunited
As the last entry was predominantly a log of all the events of the day, I thought this one should be more a stream of thoughts. While I slept a good 12 hours, the night was a restless one. I suppose one has great difficulty having a sound sleep in a new environment and last night was no exception. I tossed and turned as I dreamed about something exciting...I was either protecting something of great value or running away from something. Either way, I'm sure I had some sort of adventure. I was very cold throughout the night as I was reluctant to pack my winter clothes (since it's so warm in Thailand). Without a humidifier, it didn't seem wise to leave the stove on. Later that morning, my cousin and her kid came. We all, with my grandmother included, went to Tsuyama to shop for ingredients for dinner. It was an astonishing bunch. My grandmother, my cousin, my cousin's kid and myself. We're all different in age and live in different places but for this particular excursion we were together. Once my father comes, he can complete the four generations of family. Living by myself in Ikata you forget about family. Thanksgiving and Christmas passed by in a blink of an eye. I felt fortunate to be reunited with my family to celebrate New Years. There's no telling if this may be our last opportunity together under this roof but as my grandmother ages, it seems more like the case. I hope my mother is doing alright by herself in India...the holidays must be quite difficult for her. Best wishes. My last thought involves my trip to Kansai airport. With the rental car fiasco in my mind, I was worried about getting out to the airport. Fortunately, my cousin offered to drive me to the airport on her way back home (Osaka). Thus she saved me from needless stress this holiday break. It seems my omiyage (gift) list grows longer.
12/30/09 Four Generations
After 6 months, I am reunited with my father. He had flown 12 hours by plane the previous night and took the morning bus to Ochiai. As expected, he is fast asleep from jet lag. Today there was mixed feelings. After months of agonizing about the house back in S.F., it's finally gone. My parents reaped the benefits of the sale earlier this month. I have high hopes for my parents...things should get easier going forward. My mother is finally liberated from the house...freed from the financial shackles that kept her from doing what she truly wanted to do- meditate in India. My father seems to have done well for himself since I last saw him. He's certainly more cheerful and spirited. He constantly cracks jokes and seems to have rediscovered the joys of living. This is the side of my father I had missed. I suppose the burden of the house weighed heavy upon his shoulders and it undoubtedly affected his temper. He tells me he meditates now and enjoys interacting with people. He is reborn. It seems the loss of the house has resulted in my parents regaining a new sense of life...reinvigorated. Unfortunately, some things are gone for good. My father never was too big on Christmas, as least he never showed it. If fact, he always seemed to hate to celebrate anything. He always complained when we had to open presents, sing during birthdays, eat traditional Thanksgiving dinner together.However, our walk, he told me otherwise. I told him I missed spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with my parents. Surprisingly, he told me the holidays were a difficult time for him...he hoped the day would pass as fast as possible. I suppose my father DID care about Christmas...and now those moments as a family under one roof is but a mere memory. I can only imagine how painful it was for my mom...she epitomized the Christmas spirit in our household. She called me 3-4 times on Christmas.
Back to Ochiai. My father and I caught up by taking a walk around the neighborhood. We had matching leather jackets, white/gray hats and jeans. We were both rather shaggy. Recently, my grandmother noted that my father and I have very similar voices. I was very happy by this comment. I told him about my "5 year plan". He was very supportive. I asked him about his plans and it seemed a little more ambiguous. He wants to take another crack at the art promoter thing. He keeps saying he wants to do a project to help "the people", the community. He said he gave a speech in front of 100 artists. He seems to always have a dream. My conversation was going great until >>Omission<<. Conversation got weirder as we ran into his cousin on the road side. Apparently his cousin is suffering from a kidney disease. We went into their house to greet my father's uncle who has been bed ridden. All of this sounds normal but it was very awkward. I had felt a little disconnected from my father after the talk >>Omission<<. To top that off, my dad's cousin told me to take care and "try not to get killed". Try not to get killed? Is this guy serious??? Thrown back by this question, I asked him why he said that. He said a female foreign teacher got killed around the Ikata area. Why would anyone say that? I think about done with the Japanese countryside...the awkward conversations, the unfriendly stares, the cold shoulders...sick of it. There are good people, don't get me wrong but I grow weary of being a foreigner. The irony is I have no home in the U.S. but a home in small Ikata-cho, Japan.
Back to my father. I am glad he is doing alot better. He's a good person and it's great he's finding his way. I just can't help holding onto my old life in 419 Joost, my mom and dad together, even if they never got along. I suppose they have to find their own way. Oh, last point, I had a wonderful, long conversation with my cousin about many aspects of life. As we have aged, we have grown even closer...she is my sister and I eternally grateful.
On New Years day, I went to the temple with my father, cousin and her kid. I made alot of offerings for my grandfather and my mother. Afterwords, I bid farewell to my father and my grandmother. And so my cousin and I headed to Kansai airport, where I was to depart for Bangkok. Like the night before, my cousin and I had another memorable talk. Along the way, we picked up my aunt and we went to the airport. It was awesome having my family with me at the airport. I grew up with these people (my cousin and aunt) for the first 3 years of my life. Every year I came to visit them and everytime they went to the airport with me for a tearful goodbye. This time was no different, minus the tears, as we had a nice dinner, wasted time at the airport and bid farewell...only this time I wasn't going to the States.
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