Boys' Day has turned out to be a bit of a dissapointment, festivities-wise-- I suppose families just stay in and exchange gifts in the morning, and then go to the park to ride bikes and enjoy the sunny weather. It's like Christmas, except for the sunny weather part! And it really is beautiful today-- for a while I was beginning to doubt that the palm trees that dot the city were real! But now everyone's out in shorts and tank-tops, and the ladies are beginning to don their white gloves (to protect their hands from getting an unsightly sun-tan) and carrying their sun-umbrellas. White skin is so beautiful here; every other day I get some Japanese lady complimenting me on my white skin, to which I usually shrug my shoulders and say, "demo watashi wa gaijin," as if to say that it's not like I had a lot of choice in terms of my skin colour. But it is nice to not feel the usual early-summer pressure from the media to buy passes to the tanning salon or an array of browning creams; for once I can fully relax into my shockingly white body, and unabashedly smear myself with SPF 50.

My friend Yoshino had invited me out to Anan city for the day to try some of the local cuisine, but I'm glad I turned him down; it'll be nice to get out on my own and just have a day for getting things done. Although the banks and post offices are closed... sorry dad, looks like your birthday gift will be late too...

I had a nice day off yesterday, beginning with a visit with my good friend Brian. He'll be leaving to teach in Korea soon, and I'll really miss him. He's a kindred spirit, spirituality-wise. We talked at great length yesterday about our theories on the karmic cycle, and his experiences with Native North American shamanism, and the totality of yogic practice. He's had quite an array of experiences and it's been nice to learn from him. I'm thinking about trying this 10-day silent retreat in Thailand when my year in Japan is up... As a parting gesture, he gifted me with a wealth of books; Japanese cook books, easy Japanese language and travel guides, a dictionary, and a lovely package with two books on Japanese brush painting and the brushes, ink and paper... everything I need to get started. I now have 4 books on Japanese brush painting, and should maybe take it as some sort of sign that I need to refocus on my art practice. I've backed off quite a bit from my creativity since Joanna arrived, since I can't spread out in the apartment as much as I used to. That, and I've been over-booking myself socially. Fun, but not always productive.

So, from Brian's house I cycled waaaaaay out of town with my camera along the riverside, nearly out to the ferry terminal that takes one to the mainland. I took pictures of boats and sightseers and girls on bicycles. I watched 6 herons flying against the wind and dipping into the river alongside 3 hawks, all of them competing for a taste of a school of fish that was swarming up the river. I watched children slide down a giant pink octopus in an underwater-themed playground. I went shopping and bought my dad a birthday gift, and a hilarious device that looks like a cat's arm-- I have no idea what it's for, but you pull a little trigger and the paw curls and claws come out-- it's quite realistic and very strange! I ate at Mos Burger (I think I had a chicken omelete burger, but I'll never know for sure) and cycled back, enjoying the wind and the sun, the blowing green grass and the salty air. Of course, I was pulled over by the police to check my bike registration, but luckily it was the same guy who pulled me over the first time, so he let me go fairly quickly.

Last night Joanna and I went to Bubu's house for dinner-- Bubu was his usual congenial, jokey self, and told me right off that my nose piercing made me look like a cow. Whenever I get offended (which happens frequently since he like to tease about weight) he's quick to say, "Joke, JOKE desu yo!" (it's a joke, really!) I've gotten used to it. He happily presented Jonanna with the kanji for her name-- he said it was a "poetyist's" (poet's) name: JO (castle) AN (apricot) NA (leafy green vegtable)-- because she was born in Newcastle and she's a vegetarian. We worked on my name for a bit, but it was a little more difficult, and we didn't finish-- we got as far as EN (the connection you feel when you meet a special person-- the 'spark') DO (propriety or good manners) ... RE was undetermined, and NE is the person or being who connects the spiritual world with the mundane, like a priest or an angel. I'm stoked to see the finished product. Dinner was great; we ate pizza that we made ourselves, and pasta and salad and cake, and freshly caught sashimi... I ate far too much of everything, and feel a bit waddly today. Even Bubu and Haruko's daughter Eri joined in on the fun at the table-- she usually hangs back a bit and watches. Joanna pointed out that if her dad was constantly bringing home an assortment of odd young people for dinner, she might hang back too... fair enough! Through Bubu's dinners I've certainly met a lot of Japanese people I might never have met otherwise; a portrait photographer, a landscaper, a buddhist bishop, a sailor... a near-complete cross-section of society.

Anyway, it's a beautiful day and I ought to get out and play...

Namaste

endrene