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.
30 June 2008
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" A good friend of mine attaches this Mary Oliver quote to the end of all of her e-mails. An entire essay could be written to respond to this question, breaking it down and defining what each word means to me. Put simply, I'd say plans in our precious lives should be open to wild adventures!
I write from Washington D.C. where I've just celebrated my 28th birthday! It was a grand affair - Spain won the Euro Cup and Sussex mates - Julia, Nicole and I went to Alero for margaritas! Waiters caught wind it was my birthday and before I knew it a sombrero was plopped on my head, the room was singing and a big piece of "tres leches" cake was set in front of me.
You may be wondering why I'm already in D.C. The story takes time to tell and is entertaining but I'll give you an abbreviated version. I was pedaling through the bourbon capital of the world in the heartland of Kentucky when I decided to stop. This cross country journey has been a bit of an internal tug-of-war; I've loved the day-to-day movement through new sights and sounds, but equally, I've felt a pull to pause and really get to know some of the places we've passed through. Bardstown, Kentucky is one of them.
Twenty eight miles outside of Bardstown I met Jinpa, a cyclist from Colorado who will be cruising through New England and up into Canada. We chatted our way into the city but had to stop briefly and check my rear and front wheels a few miles after I hit a destructive divet in the road. The collateral damage was a hop in each wheel, which is really annoying but generally still safe to ride on.
Upon reaching Bardstown I reunited with my group and introduced Jinpa. We all sat on a curb with our legs extended, exchanging the usual cyclist banter and sharing a juicy melon. We talked about the week to come - Aremy and Alex were hoping to ride 700 miles in 7 days, Jinpa was going to chill out for awhile and then head up to Louisville to visit a friend. One thing led to another and I was invited to join Jinpa; I accepted the offer and the rest is history.
To some this decision might sound bamboozling, to others, quite Elise-like! My Daddio said - "Elise, this is so much like you!" I suppose he was talking about my spontaneous spirit and curious self. I believe there is great value in yielding to the moment. The conversations that have resulted from it have been remarkable - with Jinpa (in Bardstown) about Buddhist philosophy; Austin, (in Louisville) about a possible new touring bike: the Jamis Aurora Elite; Hector from Veracruz, Mexico (on a Greyhound bus) and his perspectives as a seasonal worker in the U.S.; and with Saeed, a Muslim man from Egypt - a lawyer there and a taxi driver here - who is hoping to feel more at home and accepted.
Stay tuned for more to come -
I think I'm really starting to like this writing business.
I write from Washington D.C. where I've just celebrated my 28th birthday! It was a grand affair - Spain won the Euro Cup and Sussex mates - Julia, Nicole and I went to Alero for margaritas! Waiters caught wind it was my birthday and before I knew it a sombrero was plopped on my head, the room was singing and a big piece of "tres leches" cake was set in front of me.
You may be wondering why I'm already in D.C. The story takes time to tell and is entertaining but I'll give you an abbreviated version. I was pedaling through the bourbon capital of the world in the heartland of Kentucky when I decided to stop. This cross country journey has been a bit of an internal tug-of-war; I've loved the day-to-day movement through new sights and sounds, but equally, I've felt a pull to pause and really get to know some of the places we've passed through. Bardstown, Kentucky is one of them.
Twenty eight miles outside of Bardstown I met Jinpa, a cyclist from Colorado who will be cruising through New England and up into Canada. We chatted our way into the city but had to stop briefly and check my rear and front wheels a few miles after I hit a destructive divet in the road. The collateral damage was a hop in each wheel, which is really annoying but generally still safe to ride on.
Upon reaching Bardstown I reunited with my group and introduced Jinpa. We all sat on a curb with our legs extended, exchanging the usual cyclist banter and sharing a juicy melon. We talked about the week to come - Aremy and Alex were hoping to ride 700 miles in 7 days, Jinpa was going to chill out for awhile and then head up to Louisville to visit a friend. One thing led to another and I was invited to join Jinpa; I accepted the offer and the rest is history.
To some this decision might sound bamboozling, to others, quite Elise-like! My Daddio said - "Elise, this is so much like you!" I suppose he was talking about my spontaneous spirit and curious self. I believe there is great value in yielding to the moment. The conversations that have resulted from it have been remarkable - with Jinpa (in Bardstown) about Buddhist philosophy; Austin, (in Louisville) about a possible new touring bike: the Jamis Aurora Elite; Hector from Veracruz, Mexico (on a Greyhound bus) and his perspectives as a seasonal worker in the U.S.; and with Saeed, a Muslim man from Egypt - a lawyer there and a taxi driver here - who is hoping to feel more at home and accepted.
Stay tuned for more to come -
I think I'm really starting to like this writing business.
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