Minneapolis Life: January 2013

I am back in Bangalore after nine days vacation in Japan. We spent four days in Tokyo, one in Mt. Fuji, and four in Kyoto, before coming back to Tokyo for one day. We spent our days touring with our dear friends from Minneapolis (recently turned Austinites and soon to be Chicagoans). It was an experience of a lifetime. I couldn't think of a more exciting way to spend Christmas, my Birthday and New Years in a dream land of soba and sushi. Near the end of our trip, each of the four of us chose a word that we though best described Japan. The results were: "Precise, clean, delicate and unique."

Precise. Everything had its place. Everyone seemed confident in their roles and with precision went about their daily lives, whether quickly and precisely boarding the subway (which always arrived and departed on time) or never daring to break a rule as a pedestrian. After living in Bangalore for a year, in which rules are usually soft in form and are meant to be broken, I needed someone to literally hold me back from crossing the street until the traffic lights changed. No frogger walking here.

Clean. This goes along with the precision. Garbage men would literally run out of a musical truck and pick up trash. The trash was all neatly piled in bags with a fishing net over it to prevent it from blowing in the wind. A far cry from mornings in Bangalore, where I watch street dogs scattering the unbagged piles of garbage below my window.

Delicate. Women and men here walk and dress with a distinguished delicacy. Words are spoken softly (except for women trying to outsell each other by shouting in shopping malls the day after new year's as we found out!) There is also a few ounces of truth in stereotypes of everything in Japan being delicately small. Hand sewn little toys made to look like sushi in a bento box, little cups of tea, small delicate paintings. Even the Starbucks here has an extra small size for purchase, a step down form the tall. It is called short.

Unique. Japan is like no where else I have ever been. Every store had its own design. Bars and restaurants all felt unique and each to their own. There was nothing that felt cookie-cutter about Tokyo. Every neighborhood had its own, unique identity. Everyone we saw looked like a walking Anthropologie ad, but hardly looked as if they were trying. It was like Anthropologie store comes to Japan for their fashion line. Men and women alike had such a high fashion sense, from young little kids dressed to the nines, to harajuku girls with blue hair and platform shoes.

The one word that is not represented above and yet holds the most positive impact and memories of my trip in japan is Giving. Giving is certainly my love language- I love to give gifts and small tokens of appreciation. My gift giving however, does not hold a candle to the generosity I experienced in Japan. People we met here gave selflessly of their time, meals and gifts. They did not want nor expect anything in return.

Adam's parents stayed in Japan last March. They spent two days with a host family. The same host family opened their arms wide in welcoming to us. They picked us up at 10:30 pm from the airport and came the next day to provide us with a driving tour of the city- treating us to a lavish Japanese lunch, and searching out and bringing us to a Christian church for Christmas mass. This was on the host dad's far and few between vacation days- Japanese hold very long working hours, 12 to 14 hour days, and the host dad took one of his few days to spend with us.

Four years ago, Adam and I met a kind young Japanese lady on a boat on our honeymoon going from Salt Spring Island to Vancouver Island. Adam and I felt an immediate connection to her and we talked for the hour of the ferry ride. We took a photo and exchanged emails. Two years later, I was cleaning out my car in Minneapolis (yes, this is how often the car was cleaned) and I found a card with her contact information on it. So, I facebooked her our picture and said it had been nice meeting her. Two more years go by without any communication and we are planning our trip to Japan. I decided to take the risk and contact her and tell her we would be coming to Tokyo. She immediately responded saying she wanted to meet up. Without hesitation, she drove to meet us near Mt. Fuji, brought groceries for us, showed us Mt. Fuji, and cooked us a traditional Japanese hot pot meal. I couldn't believe her generosity and gift of compassion, love and time. I don't know if I have ever met someone who better exemplified the saying "she wears her heart on her sleeve." Giving and kindness abounded.

On New Years Eve, It is tradition in the local shrines and temples, for everyone to gather together and ring in or (at the shrine we were at) drum in the new year. We all stood in front of a temple, not knowing what to expect at the end of the countdown. "san, ni, ichi...." and all of a sudden gold coins and money were being thrown at the temple. (Guess no one was concerned of giving a concussion with a flying coin to the back of the head!) Freely giving money, flying through the air....it was quite the unique experience.

Adam and I had heard about Japanese people being giving, so we brought gifts to thank those who hosted us. Adam and I spent several hours at an onsen-a local hot spring- relaxing our tired muscles from the chilly air. Upon leaving, I wanted to give a small token and gift from India to the lady at the desk who kindly showed us how to manage the onsen experience She was so taken aback by the small gift, she bowed and smiled repeatedly and then rushed over to the display of gifts for sale and took two of the shelves and rushed over to us and presented us with a gift in return. Apparently, for many in Japan it is truly in giving and not receiving in which one is fulfilled.

This is a a lesson I hope to take with me into 2013 and beyond. to turn Japanese in a sense of giving of myself and my gifts to this world. To practice unabashedly giving kindness to others. As I sip my yogi tea (imported from the U.S)- I read the little message on my tea bag- it says, "the art of happiness is to serve others." Japan, you've got this one down. With so much happiness and the consumption of so much healthy fish oil and omegas and cycling everywhere, no wonder why life expectancy is so high.

Thank you Japan for giving me a gift of new insight that I can carry into the new year.

kotoshi mo yoroshiku o-negai-shimasu (今年もよろしくお願いします)
(I hope for your favour again in the coming year)