Sunday, Lovely Sunday.

Ya know, one of the best things about living in (or near, in MY case) Tokyo is that you really never know what your day is going to hold.

I woke-up this morning feeling as though death were merely inches from my soul (I am being A LITTLE dramatic here, forgive me…..I’ve had a cold for a couple of days) and so I cancelled on Jo, Ruthy, Anya and Giles and didn’t go to my pottery class. I thought a little rest would do me good. As it turned out, I started going a little stir-crazy staying in my room. I decided that what this little fella REALLY needed was a little sunshine on his winter-white face.
Meiji Temple

With that in mind, I grabbed my camera and headed for the train station. I had Meiji-Jingumae Temple (check the link above) in mind as a destination. It’s an ENORMOUS compound of a temple located in central Tokyo, and is always crammed with people so I thought I would be able to get some good shots. I was not to be disappointed today.

When I entered I just kind of stood there for a few minutes and looked around from the top of the steps. It’s crazy busy, but there is a very special kind of calm in that place. Anyway, I took a little stroll around and looked at some of the other buildings before deciding to move on and go to the iris garden. That plan changed in a hurry, though, because when I turned to head off I found myself smack in front of a wedding procession! The wedding….It was being recorded by television stations and the whole nine yards! I have no idea if they were anyone special or not, but they certainly come from good families when you consider the price attached to getting married in that temple!

So, with that bit of excitement over with, I actually did move on and walked through some of the myriad pathways that litter the grounds. I was feeling quite well after a little of this, and opted to head back home for a little dinner.

As I was heading back to the station, my day had one more bit of entertainment to give me before I got home. Ah, yes…..Harajuku fashion. I have been to a lot of countries in this world of ours, but nowhere have kids been as creative with their clothing. Take a look at these two. Harajuku girls in full form.All you parents out there who worry about how your girls look on a Friday night should be thanking your lucky stars! So, that pretty much sums-up my Sunday afternoon. Hope you all used your day well and had some fun!

Saru

Boys, Girls, and Garter Belts.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Well now. THIS is an outing that I will NEVER forget! It’s a bit like those sparkly-but-not-offensive-comfortable-but-not-Rosie-O’Donnell-comfortable -wish-I-had-worn-THESE-to-the-party pair of shoes that everyone has in their collection!

Two of my very best friends (Dan and Crystal) got married (to one another) this past Fall, and I got to join in the wedding parrrrrrrrrrrtaaaaaaay! It was FAB, so I think I really ought to include a little bit about it in here.

Just us lads.

As I mentioned, I am from the city of Thunder Bay, which is located in Northwestern Ontario, in Central Canada. Check it out! It’s lovely, if a little local. ( www.thunderbay.ca ) Anyway, the wedding was held at an historical park that we all used to work at (Old Fort William: www.fwhp.ca/homepage.html ) and that’s why the photo above looks like it was taken in a theatre.

I can’t mention this place without expanding just a little since this is where Dan, Crystal and I first met. Old Fort William is a fantastic historical park which tries, very hard at times, to recreate the year 1815. I worked there during the summers for a few years when I was a university student, and the summer that I returned from spending a year and a half in Thailand and Europe. While we were working, Crystal busied herself baking bread in the old stone oven, and Dan and I walked around the place dressed in coat-tails and stockings. I bet that conjures-up some pretty classy images for all you readers! Anyway, working at this place really lends itself to making GREAT friends and I made a bunch.

So, I left the big city and headed back to the homeland. A 24 hour journey later, I arrived back in Thunder Bay and the festivities began! It was pretty non-stop for a while because so many people had come back from various parts of the world……some even got snowed-in along the way, thanks to Canada’s all-to-fabulous-ice-queens-would-love-it-global-WHATing? type winters! We ended the week of festivities with a party at Dan’s parent’s place and said so-long to everyone.

So, this would lead to Saru’s third life lesson……..no matter HOW far away you are, how OLD you get or how RARELY you actually touch base, great friends are great friends forever! Love it!

Saru

My ladybugs

I don’t think that a blog about my personal experiences in Japan would be quite complete without including a few bits and snips about my three favourite ladybugs! These girls do a lot to keep me sane on a daily basis and I appreciate it more than they will ever know! They are, from left to right, Jordana, Ruthy/Ruthster (depending on my mood), and Janelle. That would be me (looking a little tipsy…….quiet girls, I was JUST A LITTLE tipsy:)) laying all over the front of them. See. What did I say? These girls ROCK! Anywho, I thought I had better introduce them as I am sure you all will be seeing a lot more of them as the blogs plods along.

So, this leads us to Saru’s second thought on life. Having cool people around you is a must. Whatever you’re into, whenever you’re into it, surround yourself with people who support it.

Saru

Unchained Melody

 Pottery Class 2007

Yes, I AM old enough to remember Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze helping to make that song famous all over again, and it inspired me (admittedly 16 years later!) to begin taking pottery lessons. What a great decision THAT turned-out to be!

I am attending classes with a few of my friends…more and more are joining all the time….and we are all learning the fine art of pot crafting. O.k., I DID make a chopstick holder, a couple of cups, three bowls (and a couple of random things that I’m still not convinced weren’t a joke on the part of my teacher) and only one pot, but that is the one featured in the picture and is the direction that I hope to head in when I start honing my skills.

So let me tell you how this works. I get-up at about 7:30 a.m. (on my day off for heaven’s sake!) and start heading for the land of Chigasaki. It’s a mystical sort of place, famous for a Japanese band and LOADS of surfer guys! Anyway, lunch is collected from the convenience store and then it’s a short walk to the toilet factory. That’s right, boys and girls! I attend pottery class in a TOTO toilet factory. It’s funny, but I can actually HEAR all of you out there cracking jokes. You know you are.

The first three times that we went we were directed by an instructor and taught the basics. Now I am pretty much free to do as I please and the instructors just kind of walk around, answer questions, and give basic suggestions. I’m not sure if these instructors of ours actually MAKE toilets, but they can sure whip-up a bowl in no time flat!

I think the best part of all of this pottery stuff is that I get spend a little with some earth between my fingers. This can be explained by saying that I live in the second largest city in Japan, Yokohama, which borders up against Tokyo. This pretty much means that you have to go on an all-day hunt to find some soil. Yes, there ARE lots of parks and stuff, but not like what I got used to growing-up in Canada. So, this bit of handling really does wonders for my soul. It’s a bit of a bonus that I NEVER have to buy another gift for the rest of my life because EVERYONE will be getting original pieces! Haha! Just kidding everyone! I know where my limits are:)

So, Saru’s first piece of advice for all those reading this blog…….Go join some kind of crafty class! Life in the city can get pretty hectic without you even realising it, but using your hands and your brain, I think you’ll find, will be a great way to keep yourself sane:)

Saru

Here we go……again!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my second attempt at making a regularly updated blog. My last one (the name of which shall remain forever a bruise on my ego for having let it float off to blog heaven, or whatever happens to these things when they get treated like the apple with the bruise on it in the fruit basket) wasn’t quite as successful as I had hoped……mainly due to me not giving it the attention that it deserved. Oh well…..everyone deserves a second chance!

So, as I mentioned in my little profile thing, I am just planning to add random experiences that I have in hopes of giving all of you a little glimpse into my daily life. I hope these anecdotes are as interesting to you as they are to me.

It’s pretty hard to believe that I’ve been living in this country for more than 6 years! When I came here, looking back at that time now, I was just a wee babe! I obviously thought I was quite grown-up, but man, did I have a lot to learn! The entries that will follow today’s are going to be all about the learning experiences that I have and my perspective on them at the time. Oh! And be sure to click on the links above (or in, around, over, beside…..who knows WHERE they’ll end-up!) the entries……there’ll be pictures in there SOMEWHERE!

Well, that’s plenty of intro…….enjoy, everybody!

Saru