Six weeks in Japan have passed in a flash and I pause to recall a stream of memories. The photos below depict some of the highlights - of Rin, one of my students at ASIJ's Summer Day Camp (SDC) getting a piggy-back ride from his little brother; a Mohawk-leather jacket-kilt combination I saw on the streets of Harajuku, Papersky's CD release gig in Shibuya; a trip to Sendai for a Rakuten Eagles baseball game; and an evening out with Makoto in Aomori. Intangible images etched to mind but visually inaccessible for anyone else include: time spent in Melanie's veggie patch digging through dirt planting lettuce and spinach seedlings, a starry midnight stroll through Nogawa park listening to a cicada orchestra with Brian Taro, and a fresh pasta culinary pursuit that left everyone a bit beyond a sated state.
While I've already spent a considerable amount of time in Japan, each visit I continue to try to discover more about myself and my relationship to the Land of the Rising Sun. It's a place with space for the unpredictable - I went to a Persian restaurant one night for a birthday party and found myself in a crowd of belly dancers and cloud of hookah. Before I knew it I was dressed head to toe in a blue netting dress, arms were extended and I was swinging my hips too. In a culture that is most often reserved I delight in moments of boisterous spontaneity.
Japan is also gentle. There is a peaceful spirit that guides interaction, an existential harmony that accompanies day-to-day life. It is a quality I hope to consistently embody in whatever culture and company I find myself in. I saw this gentleness in the eyes of Kasai-san when she spoke about her horses, in my students' smiles at SDC when exchanging stickers, and while watching Take-san's shiatsu massage care with his clients. I tell him he has magical hands.
Tomorrow I'll leave Japan and fly to Seattle. My next adventure in life will be at Holden Village, a retreat center in the Cascade Mountains where I'll stay for the rest of September. It'll take trains, planes, automobiles and a ferry to get there, but I'm betting it'll be well worth it. My next post in early October will share the story...
31 August 2008
02 August 2008
Wedding Bells, a Pontoon Boat, Mini-cheese Cakes and Crowd Surfing
July 11th my little brother, Andy, married his high school sweetheart - Miss Jody Kliber. The day was divine, albeit a bit windy. Most of the photos were taken inside Lady of Lourdes church; we did pose for a few outdoors between stone walls on the east side, as well as one in front with Jody hoisted atop the railing and surrounded by all eight bridesmaids and their groomsmen.
Jody was absolutely beautiful - simultaneously gracious, graceful and gorgeous. Andy is such a lucky man, and one could tell he knew this while watching his bride-to-be walk down the aisle.
The ceremony almost went off without a hitch; the exception being the sand ritual, where the wick of the unity candle was accidentally covered, making it impossible to actually light it. Instead, Andy and Jody stuck their individual candles in the sand, leaning up against each other. My Mum thought the turn of events was actually ideal, and said in marriage creative improvisation is a must!
My most memorable moments of the day were mentioned above - we took a pontoon boat on wheels to the Falls Ballroom for the reception, there were miniature cheese cakes served with strawberries and kiwi on top instead of traditional sheet cakes smothered with too much frosting, and on a whim I hopped on stage after In Denial's performance and jumped backwards into the crowd.
And so, I continue to yield to spontaneity in life. One last story further exemplifies this; I went to Avery's Salon for an up-do at 11 a.m. on July 11th, and came out an hour later with a cute cut instead! I've now got a sweeping fringe and layered locks that curl under or out. It's totally perfect for summer, and there are photos on my flickr site should you wish to get a glimpse: www.flickr.com/photos/emspofford.
Jody was absolutely beautiful - simultaneously gracious, graceful and gorgeous. Andy is such a lucky man, and one could tell he knew this while watching his bride-to-be walk down the aisle.
The ceremony almost went off without a hitch; the exception being the sand ritual, where the wick of the unity candle was accidentally covered, making it impossible to actually light it. Instead, Andy and Jody stuck their individual candles in the sand, leaning up against each other. My Mum thought the turn of events was actually ideal, and said in marriage creative improvisation is a must!
My most memorable moments of the day were mentioned above - we took a pontoon boat on wheels to the Falls Ballroom for the reception, there were miniature cheese cakes served with strawberries and kiwi on top instead of traditional sheet cakes smothered with too much frosting, and on a whim I hopped on stage after In Denial's performance and jumped backwards into the crowd.
And so, I continue to yield to spontaneity in life. One last story further exemplifies this; I went to Avery's Salon for an up-do at 11 a.m. on July 11th, and came out an hour later with a cute cut instead! I've now got a sweeping fringe and layered locks that curl under or out. It's totally perfect for summer, and there are photos on my flickr site should you wish to get a glimpse: www.flickr.com/photos/emspofford.
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