Traveling with Ellen

The other night I went to bed about 11pm. I have been sleeping on a futon near the sliding glass doors since I have been in Japan. I have also been hearing of a cat problem, maybe overpopulation since I have been here. As we walk down the street, we see big soda bottles filled with water around a tree or lamp post or somewhere. This is supposed to ward off the cats from peeing there. I think it is something like when you put a mirror up to a Beta fish, where it puffs up and scares itself (and me too!). So the other night, I was asleep and I brought my sleep maching which makes ocean noises which I use every night. I was woken up at midnight to a cat meowing. It was so loud, that I opened the curtains and BOOM, BIG EFFING EYES STARING AT ME! I tried to shoo it away, it just stared. I tried pretending I was throwing something at it, it just stared at me. I shut the door and it just stared at me. Finally with the door closed, curtains closed, I got up and went to the bathroom. ...

Wow! Do I feel like a BIG GIRL today. For a month now, I have been in Japan and was too scared to ride the trains by myself but this week I felt like I had the confidence to do it. I had also been riding the trains with Eric and Monica and was starting to understand how the whole system works. I took a big step today and took the train by myself to Akabane (one stop) then changed trains to Ikebukuro (one stop on the RAPID). It was there that I met Michiko and we got back on the train for Yokohama. Wow, when I write about it, it doesn't sound like such a big girl thing to do, but it sure felt empowering and big girlish. We went to visit my friend Hiro, who I met on Skype 4 years ago. Hiro started speaking to me on skype just a few months before Eric was coming over here as a JET to teach English. It was very comforting for me back then to have Hiro to help me with my worries about my son in a new country and for Hiro to help Eric or make sure Eric was adjusting well. Thank ...

The past two days I have had a big headache. I think its the heat and humidity causing it. God, do I miss central air conditioning. Funny, how I did not grow up with it but I did get used to it quickly. I haven't done much the past few days, errands and the pool. All of which is becoming part of my routine. I do not feel like I missed anything either. Yesterday, I walked up to Parco where Eric works and met him for lunch. He has a bit of a flirtation with the girl behind the counter (actually, she is very interested in him it seems). She was talking to him about me: saying I have been there a long time, did I see much of Japan etc. His response was not really I have been busy with two jobs and school. I told him I am fine and saw things and experienced things that sightseeing just wouldn't have covered. Look at all that I did, the memory and experiences I have had so far could never be repeated. If I were to stay here or move here, I would have a small group of f...

Yesterday (Saturday), the kids were going out doing their own thing and I was running errands and going to get fabric at the store Monica works at. I had been there several times with her, so I knew the routine about how to order fabric cut in the metric system and with not speaking the language. I felt pretty confident that I could go by myself and do this. I really wanted to do this alone and show myself that I could. All went well as far as finding the fabric I wanted and getting it cut. I also looked at yarn thinking I would get a few skeins for my knitting friends back in the States. I had flash cards that Monica made me for the Kanji for cotton, wool and linen. I can't figure out the yarn thing so I opted not to get any at all. Sorry BABES! Actually none of the yarn stood out as much different from what we get. They did have some beautiful yarn from Italy. I didn't get any! So here I was, fabric all cut and money calculated in my head and I get online. The lin...

This past Friday, I finally went to school with Eric. He is a student at Keio (pronounced KAYO) taking all of his classes in Japanese. One of the qualities I am glad my son has is being early or on time. Since I spent 20 years with someone who is always late, I wanted to make sure that my children were on time to places. He has it. So we took our umbrella's because it's rainy season and went on to the University. Holy crap, I never walked so many steps and hills to get there. OUCH on the knees and back! We got there early and just as the rain was starting. We plopped into one of the many classrooms where I proceeded to do work (I am teaching two online classes from here) and he started studying. One of the first things I noticed, besides the air conditioning (phew!) was that there was an ELMO machine for the professors to use. I know ELMO because as a college instructor, I use one. I was happily surprised and then realized what a nerd I am! We went to the cafeteri...

The stranger who took me to the Tea Ceremony, invited me to come to English Conversation class. I graciously accepted. It was a two hour class. The stranger, who's nickname is Tomi, picked me up at the Bread Shop once again only this time I knew her. She still drives like a maniac. It is so hard for me to get used to the cars and driving in cars here, as it is the British who set up the Japanese road system. I am not used to being on the other side of the street or in what I know the driver's side, only here, it's the passenger's side. Weird feeling! When I got in the car, Tomi said to me: "I was born in 1952", so I looked at her and said, "I was born in 1953". I think we both felt better!!! So we got to Conversation Class early, but Tomi had already let the teacher know I was coming and so I felt better about it. The sensei, teacher, lived in the States for 4 years when her doctor husband was doing research way back when. She lived in bot...

Wednesday evening, we went to dinner with Michiko and her family. Takashi, Mari and Lisa. The last time I saw them, Takashi was 10, Mari 6 and Lisa 2. They had lived in Charlotte when we did and the kids went to the Montessori School together. It has been 16 years since I have seen the kids who are now 28, 23, and 17. It felt like very little time passed between us. It is always so wonderful when you are reconnecting with people, that even though time gets away from you, you can almost pick up where you left off. To me, that is where the connection is. I have a few friends like that, where we dont see each other for sometimes years, and then all of a sudden you see them and no time passed. This is what it was like seeing Takashi and Mari again. I don't remember Lisa much because she was a baby when they left but I do remember the family. I invited Takaski to come to the States and stay with me as long as he wants. I hope he does. It goes for anyone in that family. I ha...