Ringing in 2011

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The contrast between the start of 2010 and 2011 is representative of our own transformations.  NYE 2010 was spent skiing in France with 20+ friends in a rented chalet, with huge dinner, drinking, dancing, etc.  2011 was spent off in another continent in a sea town on the West coast of Japan.  A small cozy dinner at Chika’s aunt and uncle’s house and later a trip to the temple.

The temple ritual focuses on ringing the ceremonial bell around midnight, and its meaning is about letting go of our wants and desires, 108 to be exact.  Kai had finally gone to sleep around 11pm, so Chika decided to stay home with him while I went with Yukie, Megumi, and the uncle’s family to the temple.

After queuing and ringing the bell, we went into the temple for a quick trip into the sanctuary, followed by a traditional bowl of noodle soup.  We sat in the communal area around the fire, enjoying hot soup, some sake, and interesting company.  The monk of the temple came over for a nice chat.  As he seemed quite young, I am sure we will meet again for many more New Years in the future.

In reflection, it is has been a great year for us to grow as a family, in many ways.  Both Chika and I have had fantastic adventures travelling and enjoying many things around the world.  But now the center of our universe is changed with Kai.  We will not completely stop travelling or exploring, but will do it as part of Kai’s growing experiences as well.  He is fortunate to have loving families and rich traditions from both East and West to start experiencing early on in his life.  And Chika and I will now focus on enjoying the ride alongside him.  So begins 2011.

Although a bit dark, you can at least hear the bell ringing here.

Daigaku

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It was great to see my long-time friend Prof. Harumasa Sato and his family in Kobe and introduce Kai (I say long-time friend, because I don’t like using the word old after 40).  We got to see the new faculty building in Nishinomiya — so modern and clean that it makes all the places I’ve studied in look like tenaments.  We enjoyed a pleasant Japanese meal together, and Kai treated us by sleeping through 90%.

Ramen

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To most Americans, ramen is the college students most economical sustenance — cheap starchy noodles and MSG packest which could could be made in a simple hotpot and sell as cheaply at 10 for a dollar (at least back in the 80’s when I was in school).

But on the other side of the world in Japan, Ramen is as passionate as any western form of simplely purveyed foods such as pizza, burgers, and tacos can be.  Probably even more so.  The recipes are fairly similar — noodles with various meat/vegetables served in a choice of broths (salt, miso, soy) — but the differences while subtle create the passion for the best.  The broths cook in huge pots over the days and are the most heavily guarded secrets — even the staff aren’t told for fear they might go renegade with the recipes.

Today we went to Chika’s local shop, Kazuki.  There are 100’s ramen shops, and probably just as many blogs just about Ramen, so I won’t go into the details of my novice experience, but this piece from the New York Times was quite good.

Commercial Christmas

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Have you ever wondered what would happen if you completed removed all religious connotations or context from Christmas?  Then you should come to Japan.

Even the most bustling cities in the West, including Manhattan, come to a standstill (or at least a slow crawl) for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I fondly remember the days of walking into Nobu Next Door without a reservation on Christmas Eve and being directly seated without even a snippet of attitude. 

Having encountered Shibuya (shopping and outing epicenter of Tokyo) on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it was the completely different experience — the Commercial Christmas.  A great excuse to buy special foods, go out on dates or with friends, shop for that last minute presents, etc.  And everyone gets in on the game.  Cakes for Christmas, champagne for Christmas, special bagels for Christmas, and even special KFC for Christmas (interesting post about that here.) 

So if you are not going to be with the family drinking eggnog and singing carols, next time I’d recommend jumping on a plane and enjoy a decadent holiday of a different kind in Tokyo.

Xmas Party

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The first night in Tokyo we were treated to a cozy Christmas Eve dinner, with champagne and homemade strawberry shortcake (courtesy of Megumi).  A perfect end to the journey.

As an surprise bonus, I also got to play Santa in the morning to present Kai with a new set of books.  Amazingly, he seems to love to be read to.

Up In the Air (Japan Trip Day 1)

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Our paradise lay ahead of us — over 2 weeks in Japan away from work just to enjoy with Kai and family.  There was just one obstacle — getting Kai through the 19 hour journey from door to door (including connection via Helsinki airport) at the tender age of two months. 

1st leg went more smoothly than expected.  Got all the 4 suitcases down and into the cab.  Checked in smoothly.  Even completed the duty-free-refund without a hitch.  A few hours in the British Airways Lounge with a few snacks, and even a bloody mary to start the trip with a relaxed state of mind.  

On the plane, the nice Finnair attendants helped to switch the person in our row so we could put the car seat in, and from then on Kai cruised right through to Helsinki even fitting in a small nap.

In Helsinki, we enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the airport.  Some duty free browsing, a few more snacks and drinks at the lounge, and then off to board the plane.  As we were checking in at the gate, there seemed to be an issue with our seats.  “We changed it so that you are sitting together.” was what the attendant said.  An omen that almost completely derailed the second flight.

While we had confirmed our bulkhead/bassinet reservation over a month ago, we all of the sudden found ourselves in the second row in two middle seats.  Multiple words with the cabin attendants led to a flurry of conversations in Japanese with the couples in the bulkhead seats.  Chika translation — they were really pissed they were being asked to move, because they already had their seats messed up on the way out.  In the end, we were able to get the seats, but all the tranquillity built up over the first 5 hours of the journey had disapated.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful, except for one point while Chika was sleeping and I tried to give Kai a bottle that he complete lost it.  Just too many new things and stimulations for a two month old that hadn’t travelled more that 10km in his life.

At the end, we made it safely to Japan and now really ready for some R&R.

Crazy Party of a Different Kind

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After all the college parties, New Year’s parties, and margarita parties, you would think that we should have things down pat by now.  But yesterday’s event was the most complex yet, and Chika had even dealt with most of the details and hired a helper too.

What we didn’t realize was that all the planning activities which used to fit into small breaks in the days had become overtaken by Kai.  There are just no such things at free moments in the way that they used to be.

It was still a great time, with lots of tasty food and great friends from near and far.  And yes we had a few drinks too, just no afternoon brunch high-dose margaritas.

Thanks Chika for a great birthday celebration.  XOXO