Just a quickie today. Had a lovely time yesterday on a full-day bus/boat Tokyo tour. It included a number of local attractions--the Meji shrine, for one, A.D. 649--and a great lunch in the twelth floor restaurant of a beautiful hotel next to the river. Took lots of pictures, of course.
Today, we went to the pool. It's a very large, indoor (of course) one with lanes for lap swimming and free-form. It's heated, of course, and also has a sauna, two hot tubs (one warm, the other warmer), automatic showers, clean and spacious lockers, and other amenaties. It was great and interestingly, right across the street is a incinerator. It's completely encosed by a concrete building, so you would never guess what it is, but it provides the heat for the whole large pool complex. Ingenous.
No time for more now.
NOTE: Took my BP at the pool: 122/68.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Monday, February 07, 2011
I'm attracted to anything that has to do with food, so this was a terrific day. Patrick and Natsue took me to the fish market section first, then to shops that specialize in artificial food.
First, we took three different, very crowded trains to arrive at the fish section in Tsukiji prefecture. The narrow streets are lined for miles with open-air shops selling an incredible array of seafood. I never dreamed there were so many kinds and so many methods of preparation. Fish was for sale whole, chopped, pickled, dried, shaved, and spiced in what seemed an endless variety. The shrimp alone constituted an education: A number of shops displayed tubs filled with graduated sizes, from almost microscopic to huge prawns. There was shaved bonito, entire shark heads sticking eerily up from beds of ice, preserved whale meat, flounder, and cod, and puffer fish parts on skewers. There were offerings of ghastly looking octopus, and jelly fish that was--well, jellied, along with seemed to be every other inhabitant of the sea known to man. I sampled dried tuna with sesame seeds, spicy hot salmon, and a few items I never even identified. The whole area teemed with people, who had to get out of the way of the many carts, bicycles, and mopeds that shared the streets, and the general hubbub was enhanced by the merchants vigorously hawking their wares. It was chaos and wonderful fun!
As Patrick pointed out, Japan is an island nation; fish and other bounty from the ocean form the foundation of most of their native dishes. I appreciated that little nugget at lunch when I had tuna sushi, so freshly made it was practically twitching.
We then went to the kitchenware section--yes, there is one--and I fell in love with shops selling artificial food. It isn't the kind of artificial food we actually eat in the U.S.--highly adulterated frankenfood--but finely crafted depictions of the food a small restaurant might sell. These are put in display windows in front of almost every restaurant in Japan, to inform the public of what is served there. The shops sold artificial noodles and sushi and toast and eggs and prawns and vegetables--in fact, just about every food imaginable. I was thrilled by the soft-serve ice cream so real you would swear it was melting before your eyes. Also loved the incredibly realistic depictions of beer in a number of beer glasses, from pilsners to mugs. I would have bought some, but they're very expensive. Patrick explained they're made by hand and it's a very exacting, labor-intensive skill. Reluctantly, I left them there and contented myself with a photo of the food displays of a nearby restaurant.
We went on the Tokyo boat tour today, too, so had a full day. Tomorrow, we're taking bus tour of the city.
First, we took three different, very crowded trains to arrive at the fish section in Tsukiji prefecture. The narrow streets are lined for miles with open-air shops selling an incredible array of seafood. I never dreamed there were so many kinds and so many methods of preparation. Fish was for sale whole, chopped, pickled, dried, shaved, and spiced in what seemed an endless variety. The shrimp alone constituted an education: A number of shops displayed tubs filled with graduated sizes, from almost microscopic to huge prawns. There was shaved bonito, entire shark heads sticking eerily up from beds of ice, preserved whale meat, flounder, and cod, and puffer fish parts on skewers. There were offerings of ghastly looking octopus, and jelly fish that was--well, jellied, along with seemed to be every other inhabitant of the sea known to man. I sampled dried tuna with sesame seeds, spicy hot salmon, and a few items I never even identified. The whole area teemed with people, who had to get out of the way of the many carts, bicycles, and mopeds that shared the streets, and the general hubbub was enhanced by the merchants vigorously hawking their wares. It was chaos and wonderful fun!
As Patrick pointed out, Japan is an island nation; fish and other bounty from the ocean form the foundation of most of their native dishes. I appreciated that little nugget at lunch when I had tuna sushi, so freshly made it was practically twitching.
We then went to the kitchenware section--yes, there is one--and I fell in love with shops selling artificial food. It isn't the kind of artificial food we actually eat in the U.S.--highly adulterated frankenfood--but finely crafted depictions of the food a small restaurant might sell. These are put in display windows in front of almost every restaurant in Japan, to inform the public of what is served there. The shops sold artificial noodles and sushi and toast and eggs and prawns and vegetables--in fact, just about every food imaginable. I was thrilled by the soft-serve ice cream so real you would swear it was melting before your eyes. Also loved the incredibly realistic depictions of beer in a number of beer glasses, from pilsners to mugs. I would have bought some, but they're very expensive. Patrick explained they're made by hand and it's a very exacting, labor-intensive skill. Reluctantly, I left them there and contented myself with a photo of the food displays of a nearby restaurant.
We went on the Tokyo boat tour today, too, so had a full day. Tomorrow, we're taking bus tour of the city.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
We went to the equestrian park yesterday, where the 1964 Olympics were held; saw riders exercising horses and toured the flower garden. Then went to the Plum Blossom Festival. We were gong to walk back--about 2 1/2 miles--but my foot started to bother me, so we took the train. P. and N. dropped me off and I freshened up and rested, then P. came back and got me. Went to their place for dinner and had a delicious one of rice with raisins and spices, a vegetable curry stew, and a yogurt based salad with fresh peppermint and other greens. Soon, we'll be meeting Natsue's parents for lunch--I hope they like me.
Just enjoyed a Skype call with Ellen, who will soon appear on My Strange Addiction. She's addicted to vacuum cleaners and just bought another one.
Note: What I'm writing here is just the bare bones of my excursions here and there in Tokyo. The city and the country itself--and, most important, its people--are much more interesting, but I'm not yet prepared to include my impressions. So different from U.S.--and so like it.
Just enjoyed a Skype call with Ellen, who will soon appear on My Strange Addiction. She's addicted to vacuum cleaners and just bought another one.
Note: What I'm writing here is just the bare bones of my excursions here and there in Tokyo. The city and the country itself--and, most important, its people--are much more interesting, but I'm not yet prepared to include my impressions. So different from U.S.--and so like it.
Friday, February 04, 2011
I'm here and having a wonderful time. Plane trip was pretty long, gruelling, even--but bearable and I had no problem. P. and N. met me, we took four trains to get to my hotel, and they live only mile or so from there. No time for a detailed report, but here's a rundown: Took four trains from the airport to get to my hotel, only a bit more than a mile from P. and N.'s apartment. I'm there now, having walked down here this morning. Waiting for Natsue, then we'll go on an adventure.
More Late.
More Late.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Yoicks! Today's the day; guess I'm ready as I'll ever be. Set the alarm for 4:15, but woke up at 3:30. Stayed in bed until a bit ago. First leg of my long journey coming up at 10 of 6: Walter G. is taking me to the Toms River Bus Station, where I'll get the Airporter.
Yesterday, I finished up the myriad last-minute things. The one up north came to say goodbye and I got a Bon Voyage message from daughter, Ellen, phone calls from sister Betty, Marge, and several friends, as well as Skype calls from P. and N. and Mike--twice for Mike, in fact. As ever, loved seeing Vivian and Violet--will see in person all the Asian contingent soon.
Lucille B., my Avon lady, stopped in to bring me my new mascara and stayed to visit with almost-four-year-old Jenna. Lucille played one of my two daughters in Riders To The Sea, and she's a wonderfully talented actress, it seems to me. The reason she hasn't been active with the theatre group lately is because she doesn't ever get a sitter for Jenna, and never has. Now, she's going through a divorce besides, so that must cut in on having her husband be with Jenna at times. In other words, she takes Jenna everywhere she goes, all the time. This was terribly off-putting when we were rehearsing for Riders, and is the major reason she didn't get roles in other productions. Lucille also intends to home school Jenna. Whether all this mommy time is good or bad for the kid, I don't know. I do know it's a bit wearing to try to hold an adult conversation with Jenna around. Anyway, I like Lucille a lot and hope her marriage situation evolves all right.
So long, goodbye, I'm off!
Yesterday, I finished up the myriad last-minute things. The one up north came to say goodbye and I got a Bon Voyage message from daughter, Ellen, phone calls from sister Betty, Marge, and several friends, as well as Skype calls from P. and N. and Mike--twice for Mike, in fact. As ever, loved seeing Vivian and Violet--will see in person all the Asian contingent soon.
Lucille B., my Avon lady, stopped in to bring me my new mascara and stayed to visit with almost-four-year-old Jenna. Lucille played one of my two daughters in Riders To The Sea, and she's a wonderfully talented actress, it seems to me. The reason she hasn't been active with the theatre group lately is because she doesn't ever get a sitter for Jenna, and never has. Now, she's going through a divorce besides, so that must cut in on having her husband be with Jenna at times. In other words, she takes Jenna everywhere she goes, all the time. This was terribly off-putting when we were rehearsing for Riders, and is the major reason she didn't get roles in other productions. Lucille also intends to home school Jenna. Whether all this mommy time is good or bad for the kid, I don't know. I do know it's a bit wearing to try to hold an adult conversation with Jenna around. Anyway, I like Lucille a lot and hope her marriage situation evolves all right.
So long, goodbye, I'm off!
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Got my hair done in the late afternoon. Leanne did a nice job of the color; it had been too blonde for my taste and she darkened it just enough. Also did a blunt cut, which looks good.
Went to our first Our Town gathering at 7:00. How wonderful to be back with theatre people! Oh, I know, this is just a little community group, but there was such a warm, convivial fellow feeling. We're a group of people committed to the success of a creative enterprise and it's good to be part of it.
We didn't actually rehearse last night, but received our schedules for rehearsals, and how well-thought-out and organized it is. That bodes well for the success of this huge undertaking, it seems to me.
The play includes a lot of characters, some of them with only a single line. My role, "Mrs. Soames," is meatier, but is certainly not one of the major roles. What I find amusing is that I appear both living and dead--several of the more important characters do,too.
It's interesting to observe how different the structure, language, and general ambiance Our Town is, compared to Steel Magnolias. The latter is what's known as an "ensemble" play, which means the characters are, to a large extent, equal in importance and have a similar number of lines. There are only six, all women between 25 and about 70. Our Town, on the other hand, includes at least thirty characters, men, women,and children of all ages, although some have no lines. Anyway, they're entirely different types of plays.
NO SNOW--at this point, anyway--thank heavens!
Went to our first Our Town gathering at 7:00. How wonderful to be back with theatre people! Oh, I know, this is just a little community group, but there was such a warm, convivial fellow feeling. We're a group of people committed to the success of a creative enterprise and it's good to be part of it.
We didn't actually rehearse last night, but received our schedules for rehearsals, and how well-thought-out and organized it is. That bodes well for the success of this huge undertaking, it seems to me.
The play includes a lot of characters, some of them with only a single line. My role, "Mrs. Soames," is meatier, but is certainly not one of the major roles. What I find amusing is that I appear both living and dead--several of the more important characters do,too.
It's interesting to observe how different the structure, language, and general ambiance Our Town is, compared to Steel Magnolias. The latter is what's known as an "ensemble" play, which means the characters are, to a large extent, equal in importance and have a similar number of lines. There are only six, all women between 25 and about 70. Our Town, on the other hand, includes at least thirty characters, men, women,and children of all ages, although some have no lines. Anyway, they're entirely different types of plays.
NO SNOW--at this point, anyway--thank heavens!
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Got up to New Egypt at noon to find adorable little Tristan and Robert inside a big box. They had a ball pretending to hide, rocking it back and forth, an scrambling in and out. After chatting for a time with N., we all left for lunch. Went to the very peculiar restaurant on Main Street: no customers, oblivious waitress, mediocre food and a lot of it. Anyway, we had a good time laughing and talking. Stopped in after and left about 3:30.
Other than that, nothing going on. I was happy to get an e-mail from director Tonya that our first rehearsal is tonight. Looking forward to being back with my fellow thespians.
WIDER: This from "Fearing The Reaper Drone" from Anti-War.Com. It's about surveillance of American citizens in this country by police:
"As with any other kind of military creep, Americans will likely get comfortable with the idea that the drones will be deployed for “specific missions” like busting cagey marijuana growers and tracking down dangerous suspects. What they won’t know until its too late, is that departments across the country will want to deploy them as much as possible, because they can, and as WaPo points out, operating a drone costs half as much as a black helicopter. So don’t be surprised if they start to replace traffic cops. In fact, they’ll give “neighborhood patrol” quite a new name."
For the whole harrowing piece:
http://original.antiwar.com/vlahos/2011/01/31/fearing-the-reaper-drone/
And be very afraid.
Other than that, nothing going on. I was happy to get an e-mail from director Tonya that our first rehearsal is tonight. Looking forward to being back with my fellow thespians.
WIDER: This from "Fearing The Reaper Drone" from Anti-War.Com. It's about surveillance of American citizens in this country by police:
"As with any other kind of military creep, Americans will likely get comfortable with the idea that the drones will be deployed for “specific missions” like busting cagey marijuana growers and tracking down dangerous suspects. What they won’t know until its too late, is that departments across the country will want to deploy them as much as possible, because they can, and as WaPo points out, operating a drone costs half as much as a black helicopter. So don’t be surprised if they start to replace traffic cops. In fact, they’ll give “neighborhood patrol” quite a new name."
For the whole harrowing piece:
http://original.antiwar.com/vlahos/2011/01/31/fearing-the-reaper-drone/
And be very afraid.
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THURSDAY
Slow-ish day. Aside from a few daily chores, I didn't do much except play around on the laptop. Had lunch with Kathie, LaVerne, and Pau...
