Little Treasures

One of the things I was most excited about coming home... was to see the girls and give them their sussies. I was spoiled with too much jewelry as a little girl and it only seems fit to continue the tradition. So, I bought each of my darling nieces a pearl necklace, long enough to later be made into a double strand bracelet. But for now, they look stunning.

Even at 1 1/2 and 4 years old, these little dolls were thrilled about their pretty little things.

Madeleine laughed and smiled and tugged on her necklace as we looked in the mirror. she had tried to pull it on over her head and then patiently waited with her arms sticking straight out to the sides as if to balance herself as I put it on her. In appreciation she gave Aunt Emmie a kiss. (melt)

We joined the TriPrices at Westwood for an Easter afternoon swim, which was lovely. Faith, while wet and curled up in my lap, asked me why I had a necklace (the girls often ask about my necklace or play with it). After a series of very funny "whys" she concluded that I must have gotten the necklace for my birthday and she didn't get a necklace for her bday.

I later used the 'ol "Girls... I have a surprise for you..." trick to distract Ava & Faith from hopping back in the pool (which at this point was quite cold). It worked! =)

So it was about time to leave and we started all walking out together when Ava said "but what about our surprise?" Ah, yes... I assure you I hadn't forgotten. Good to know they were eager.

Claire had wandered off so Faith and Ava got theirs first and were so thrilled - Ava immediately requested Uncle Joe take her picture. Faith because very content and pensive... resting her hand and thumb on her chest, over her new pearls, for the rest of the day. Funny how that reaction is so natural for a girl. Claire on the other hand, was having a rough time with leaving the pool, who was going to be the 'leader' and otherwise. She wanted her necklace on but then promptly wanted it back off so she could see it.

As we said our final goodbyes, I was tackled by A&F with a sweet, digging in kind of hug - complete with their wet little swimsuits and all.

Totally made my day.

Shocking News

Are you sitting down? Don't fall off tour chair or anything... But while in Asia, it seems I picked up a shocking habit. Let's go with: I has some 'stressful experiences' which lead to... (are you ready?) ...me working out. Not just once! No, my friend, Five (5!) times!! Yes, you heard that right. We shall see if this dirty little habit continues Stateside.

There you have it. Shocking, I know.

Props

Totally late- but supa-props to Kelley for the heads-up on 'cowbell' on TV with the Will Ferell special, prolly almost 2 months ago now...

I still smile when the thought of the text msg pops into my mind. Didn't see the text until after I got home that night; but I was, in fact, watching with Mimi at my parents house during SNFD (Sunday Night Family Dinner).

You rule.

Xxoo - me

Sayonara Japan

Somewhere over the Pacifc right now... Got to appreciate the Japanese and their suberb germophobia. It is like a haven for, say, germophob-international travellers like myself. Especially travellers who may have just been in one of those top-ranked 'emerging infectious deseases' countries...like oh, I don't know, China? :)

I loved my hotel. It was very fung shui with suburb attention to design detail, just as you might expect. Upon my arrival, I couldn't help but think that this place was given to me for recovery.

I have to say that Japan easily has the nicest toilets of anywhere on the world. I am not to proud to say that indeed, I am going to miss the heated-seat toilets and motion sensor sound machines in every bathroom. It's such an unexpected surprise. :)
Mimi B: remember those fancy Toto washlets you found during your remodel? Well, I found their market and let me assure you that they do some Big Business in Japan.

Mon April 4, ~6:30 pm local time,(2:30am Mon in Austin)

Rhetorical Questions

Just because you know something might happen doesn't mean you loose the option to be disappointed should it end up happening.

For example: it might rain today-or any day-, but you chi'ed you're hair this morning and were looking forward to dinner plans. When it does rain and you get caught in it, your hair gets messed up, you're gonna new sad. If someone flippantly told you, "well, the weatherman said there was a 10% chance of rain this week" make you feel better, or (after you thought about it for a minute) make you want to punch them in the mouth?

Similarly, if your scoop of ice cream fell off your cone and onto the ground. Does a cool, "yeah, it happens" help.

Or if your flight was cancelled, does "hmmm... Maybe if you checked in a little earlier, it wouldn't have happened that way..." make you feel any better, or possibly just enrage you a bit? There is no connection between the two things! It is still upsetting that your flight was cancelled, your plans have now been forced to change, and you are disappointed.

I understand that human nature makes us instinctively want to answer the question "why" when something bad happens. But what makes us lose sight of how to me (even coordially) sympathetic?

I'm typing in this tiny little screen here, and not sure if this post makes my point; so I'll try one last analogy. This one a bit darker...

I believe the saying goes: "only two things in life are certain: death and taxes". So we know it could (will) happen eventually to all of us, surely no one would find it acceptable (let alone appropriate or compassionate) to say to a distraught young widower, "well, it happens sometime. Do you think it was something you did?"

Sun April 4

Fish market

Standing in the queue right now for sushi at The Fish Market in Tokyo. Every color, shape, size, texture you can imagineof shell, fish, or sea creature, alive or dead, sliced or snapping.

Bustling with men in rubber boots, crisscrossed by electronic carts, and filled in with bikes, wooden carts and and men carrimg large styrofoam boxes overflowing with crushed ice....and an occasional large fin flopped out of the back.

The familiarity with the energy and excitement is fascinating.

Sat April 4. ~9am

Secular Rosary

Memories without a photo can be the most poignant, but have no vehicle for memory but spontaneous recall. Few of them with my constant shutter clicking.

Sitting in a Tokyo highrise board room, meeting with a team from one of Japan's leading brand companies. Business card exchange ritual completed, introductory conversation complete and presentation underway. Looking past the screen, through the blinds and out pass the carpet...rises three blue bumps that slowly grow into helmets, followed by flopping squeegies, followed by suspenders until three Japanese men are in full view, suspended momentarily but never stop sliding their black wands.

Couldn't help be reminded of the slow lyrics of that Bare Naked Ladies song: them staring in, us staring out. "a modern day tomb" I think it says or alludes to....

Only a few moments of time but set me wondering.

Friday April 3

In Full Bloom

konnichiha (pronounced as konnichiwa)

No, not me. That would be the magnificent cherry blossoms coating Tokyo right now. It is breath-taking; they are everywhere.

Cherry blossoms are to the Japanese what firecrackers are to Americans, or bluebonnets to Texans. But maybe even more so... Hanami is literally the tradition of looking at the cherry blossoms when they are in bloom which can last just a few days if there are strong winds or rain in the 10 day window each year that they bloom. They are quite delicate and even a mild wind and they will fall from the trees like snow.

People all around town have been lingering and congregating under the trees at lunch and breaks, smiling, laughing, taking pictures.

It's Friday night in Tokyo. Tomorrow morning I'll wake up bright and early, head to the fish market to check it out... then off to Ueno park to join the masses that will likely already be there. From what I understand, it is as if the entire country will be tailgating tomorrow, ear-marking their spots in the parks with blankets and spending the whole day drinking sake and gazing at the trees. And with them I plan to join! Here is a 'How To' for Hanami

I'm a bit in disbelief that My week in Japan is coinciding with this magical weekend here. There are literally 'Cherry Blossom Weather Reports' created each year because the days in which the trees bloom varies and rolls up the country from south to north as the temperature warms. Even the difference between yesterday and today is remarkable.

This page describing Hanami is great. It is all anyone talks about between meetings, walking to lunch, on the trains..

Of course I LOVE to partake in the quintessential 'things' of any destination. "When in Rome..." is the law that governs my travel. Even when it's silly or strange. Eat fish & chips in England? Gross, but check. Mehndi in New Delhi? Check. Surfing in San Sebastian? Check. Discothèque in Prague? Check. Bargain shopping in the markets of Chichicastenango? I'll take it. Topless in Juan-les-Pins? Check. Champagne on the Champ-du-Mars and baguettes and cheese on the Siene? Check & check, and repeat. Even absinthe in Barcelona.

But this... this one might take the cake. After this week, I'm considering it Karma.

Sayounara.
(8pm Friday night, Tokyo time)

Tune in Tokyo

Can't believe in typing this given that at home we are finally finishing up the upstairs bathroom I designed a couple years ago...... But I want a bathroom laid out just like the one in my hotel room. It's frakin' awesome. It has floor-to-ceiling glass and you walk into the shower area AND there is a tub in the enclosed area!! So you can steam it all up and shower while running your bath, then slide right on into the tub without even leaving your steam room! It's brilliant. So brilliant, in fact, that I was sure to utilize it's double functionality every night with myPod blaring (I found the perfect place to set it down so the sound echoed real loud in there). And the toiletries were fantastic too of course, to complete the experience (aveda-like) and the left a new bath fizz tablet each day. Mmmmm

Intercom message on shuttle from Tokyo Airport

*Bong* sound followed by message I can't understand; followed by another message I can't understand--followed by the third translation (British accent):

"Passengers should be reminded not to use there telephones, as it annoys other passengers"

Can't make this stuff up....

There is a level of clairty provided with being direct, wouldn't you agree?

April 1, 2:10pm local time