Thursday July 17, 2008 ...A Day with Men

Ohaiyo Gozaimasu (Good Morning)
Well here I am up at 7am on the 18th of July. Was awakened at 6 today by J, H and friends and am currently being serenaded by them out my office window. It actually feels good as a cool breeze is blowing in the room this morning. Ahhhhh...a reprieve from the stiffling heat.
Sorry I did not get to my 7/16 update last night. I was pooped after two different walks yesterday. I hit both sides of the bluff and had many fun adventures....read on.
Woke at 5:45am and CJ was already down in his lower tatami office working away..guess he woke very early. We then and had a family conference call on skype with both of our kids to check in and see what was up with them. They are both busy with work and enjoying time with friends.
CJ was off to work and then I put out the garbage and watched the school kids walk past at the bottom of the steps. Enjoyed the new yellow flower blossoms in my garden and had my usual granola breakfast before setting out in search of things at the other end of the tunnel. Cute little Panda bear posters advertising the upcoming Beijing Olympics decorated the tunnel walls as I walked through to the other side. I just thought, CJ had better get us that TV soon,so we can watch some of the events. Or then again, perhaps I won't have time. I haven't missed having a TV, so far. On the other side of the tunnel, I happened upon a GREAT street. The first place I passed with black awnings I thought was a resturant, but when I crossed the street to peek in the window it looked like a made to order kimono shop. I assumed that anyway, as there were rolls of what looked like fabric to me and wood geta shoes and purses displayed in the front window. I also saw a man on the phone and through the inside door I could see a women sitting in a back room on the floor feeling fabric. It looked cool as behind her out the back window of the building, it seemed there was a lovely little garden area. I did not go in today, as they looked quite busy and I did not want to disturb them. Another day perhaps?
As I walked further along the "dori" road, I noticed how so many people have pot gardens in every little space they have around the front, sides and back of their houses. These people LOVE, LOVE, LOVE gardening. NO...NOT that kind of POT ...clay pots and plastic pots... perhaps I should have said container gardens. Shame on some of you ! haha :-P
Across the street I saw a cute old man walking and he waved to me and then I noticed a guy on a motorcycle pass by wearing a face mask. I am assuming he had it on cause of the gas fumes and I have also noticed many others in stores and on the streets wearing them as well. I read they do that when they have a cold, so to prevent germs from spreading to others. How nice is that!
Then I noticed on the other side of the street a rack with more pots or something for sale and so of course I had to go see what that was all about. To my delight I found some lacquerware looking dishes and boxes. I found a red and black bamboo box I liked, and so I then walked in between the two cars in the carport and tried to find the seller. I said, "Konnichiwa" and then a man got up from his back office desk and came out to the front room where stacks of more dishes and things sat crookidly piled in disarray on the floor. I asked him if he was selling these items and how much they were. Luckily he answered "yes" in English and then said everything is 100 yen a piece. That is $1.00 you just move the decimal point over two spots to the left. WOW!! I had finally found my first real $1.00 store in Japan. Yeeha!! :-) The little man's name was Ohmura and he was so friendly and cute. With his surprisingly low prices, I asked if I could look through more things in here and he said oh yes please do....so I began. I found 6 little sake cups which were even better at 2 for 100 yen and he tossed in a chipped blue and white toothpick holder when I asked him what it was for. You can just take it he said...and yes of course I did. I'm always looking for a freebie. I then found 2 more Blue and white pottery boat shape dishes which I got for CJ and I to use for our favorite pot stickers. I set them up on the shelf at home with some chopsticks to resemble oars. I think it looks cute. As you can see I have a little blue and white pottery window display going already with old as well as new things I am finding. Fun!
I also found a cool covered,decorated bowl that I put in the lower tatami room as a candy dish. I have it filled with pineapple and blueberry hard candies.
Next, I found a 2 part stackable round black/red bowl with dividers in the top bowl and which I have up on my office desk and am using for clips, business cards, staples..in the bottom bowl I have more candy of course. Right now it is filled with some Good and Plenty's I sent here from the USA. I got that black licorice habit when I was in Scandinavia and I haven't been able to shake it yet. I am using the red and black bamboo box for mail and notes on my desk as well. After I got my 12 items for 800 Yen or $8.00 , I was off and told him I would be back with my friends for some souvenir shopping when they were in town. It of course, is NOT real expensive lacquer ware. He showed me some of that from his back room and the price was y2700 for a little bowl. Too pricey for the cheap skate I am. I still am not exactly sure if he is a distributor or what, My guess is these are seconds as the bamboo box has tiny scratch and I noticed on others some of the gold looking design were rubbed off in parts ?? Anyhoo..it was fun and I enjoyed meeting another new friend.
I then zigzagged back across the street when I saw some tatami looking cots sitting out in front of a building where two futons were hanging to air out way up on the third floor window ledge. Inside were the two Kobyashi-san Brothers making tatami mats. I thought at first they might be tatami cot beds, but I am pretty sure they were mats for a tatami room. I as you can imagine had a TON Of fun trying to talk Japanese with them as they spoke NO english at all. I couldn't page through my dictionary fast enough to find buy-"kau", sell-"uru", father-"chichi", brothers "kyodai"--with long vowel sound above the o.(who knows how to add all those needed accent marks on the computer..not I)? We had a lots of laughs as we all got tongue tied trying to say things to each other.

Next up, a fruit and veggie market that the lady was just starting to set up at 10am or so. One thing CJ and I have noticed is the days seem to start later here for most. Maybe they have their family time at home in the mornings?? I got a little bag of 8 mini purple,tubular shaped sweet potatoes for y180 and an ear of corn for y120...yes that is $1.20 an ear. Crazy I know! Oh how I missed CUB Foods right then and their 12 ears for $2.00 sale. I was in her way looking and marking prices in my notebook so I wanted to buy a little something from her. We too,like to help the local mom and pop or maybe it's the "oba-san"/"oji-san" stores out when we can, instead of getting everything at the big grocery stores. Plus, this is where you have more fun and hopefully develop friendships as well.
There was a young man in there too when I left and I took a photo so I could find it again another day. At the corner I stopped and a little lady with purple hair was out sweeping around her potted plants. She was so darn cute, tiny and her purple hair made me chuckle. I think it was a bad dye job, but here was my first punk rocker "oba-san" (grandma)with neon purple hair. I asked her to help with directions just cause she was so darling, but did not get her pic as then a young man came up on his bike to help. I was to find out later in the eve when I looked at the pics I took that it was the man at the veggie stand. His name was Yoshito. He was very friendly, had a big smile, could speak some english and so we chatted on the street corner for a few minutes. He asked me where I was from and if I lived here. I told him I just moved in and how I would probably see him around another day. Yeah, this is fun!
Passed the 7-11 and around the corner to the little grocery store I visited the other day. It is always such a surpise to me when I think I am going one way and then where I end up. Got some more groceries, passed by a shoe cobbler who was busy at work and didn't even know the BIG alien took his photo before stopping back in at the beauty shop for 2 more room deoderizers for the bathrooms. They are a pricy $4.98a piece but I like the looks of them. I have kind of a fish theme going on in my bathroom towels and they look like bubbles under water so they go well. I need to ask the friendly man in there what his name is. He smiled BIG when I walked in again to purchasse more items.
My shoulders were getting sore and my bags a bit heavier than I anticpated so I headed home to unload. I was going to walk up a new slope to get home, but then I heard a noise in the park which the other day was silent when I ate with the cats and crows so I went to check it out.
At the top of the 1st loooooong set off steps were some little old men just finishing up what was the last hole of their portable golf game. Kind of a cross between golf and croquet it looked to me. When one man sunk his putt by gettting his shot in the inner ring I said hey it's Tiger Woods. They all laughed. I continued on up 4 more flights of switchback sets of steps while they packed their bags and went on their way as well.
Back home I washed the lacquerware, put away the groceries and had a quick bite to eat. I usually only go for one walk a day, but I had more stuff to get and so I headed off to the other side of the bluff not tracks,and back to Don's to exchange my wood geta shoes which I noticed had a big crack in them. I wrote down a bunch of words that I thought I might need and hoped I could get my point across to (exchange) "kokan" --with a long o them ?!
I passed by the Naka-ya shop on "Rodeo Dori" and spotted some taco shells. CJ and I back in the USA had taco fridays for supper and so I was happy to see them and was gonna buy a box for tommorrow night. I looked in the store and noticed they had lots of other American foods and then for all of you I began to write down prices, to give you an idea of the costs of things here. Remember to move the decimal point over 2 spots to the left. y1155 for 16oz Peanut Butter, y683 taco shells, y556 for 16oz bag Hersheys choc chips, boxed cake mixes and brownie mixes y630 each which I get for 99 Cents or $1.29 in MN. YIKES !! I was in the high end shopiing district so I thought I had better wait and check out the other stores first in the lower end neighborhoods. Thankfully I did, as salsa was $4 instead of $7 and the shells were $4 not $7. I did have to pass on CJ's black olives though as they were y348 a can..in US 99cents.:-(
One surprise was the corkscrew for "ONLY" y109 on "Rodeo" and I had bought one the other day for y1130, you can bet I backed tracked home up the steps another time, and got that to return to Don's as well when I exchanged my other shoe items.
So back up the hill, unload again, and out once more for my 3rd and very hot walk at 1pm in the blazing hot sun. At this time of the day, all the ladies were under their umbrellas, wearing long gloves to cover their arms and hands. I don't know how they do it. I was dripping wet with just my skirt and cotton top on.
Got a bunch more stuff at Don's, a few gifts for the kids when they hopefully come to visit at Christmas...Yes I guess I have already started my seasonal shopping?... and luckily, the guy spoke english so I had no problem exchanging and returning the items.
Took a new back route home and tried to go through the parks and stay in the shade of trees. Found some new short cuts as well. Enjoyed the many colorful flowers near the graveyard where I peeked over the walls as it is closed to the general public..but apparently not to the local cat population as many were once again basking at the foot of the cross.
Ahhh..back in air conditioning and once again unloaded my goods, did a little computer work, relaxed and watched the sunset while listening to the neighbor lady beat her futons with a paddle out on patio below my office window before making supper when CJ got home. We had salad, the sweetest ear of corn I ever tasted, steamed sweet potatoes,breaded stir fried pork tenders, cherry tea and Asashi Beer.
CJ had brought home the BEST EVER dessert. "Jambo-shu", which is a cream puff like pastry shell FILLED in the center to the brim with the most creamy, thick and rich real vanilla bean custard. It was ORGASMIC!!.....Sorry, it really was THAT good. I am excited to try and see what the other flavors are that they have. UM UM UM..I can still taste it a day later as I write this post.
Well now that I was fulfilled in two ways (haha) I took my much need nightly shower and bid CJ "Oyasuminasai" Good Night. I once again could not keep my eyes open past 10pm. He was still awake and so he tried to put together the two folding wood lawn chairs we bought at IKEA so we can maybe sit out in the back yard this weekend. He needs to borrow a wrench and screwdriver from work I guess to finish them up. He also kindly helped me with my science project for tommorrow and cut and tied up all the cardboard boxes to put out in the garbage. I was off to bed and he I guess talked with my dad who skyped him after I laid my weary head and aching body to rest.
Karla and CJ