Tokyo Disneyland

I want to focus on the similarities between the Disneyland Parks in Anaheim and Tokyo. For those of you who are also Disneyland enthusiasts, I think you will appreciate this! 

This year Tokyo Disneyland is celebrating its 30th anniversary, so the decorations and Mickey Ears recognized this milestone. In terms of rides, there is no Matterhorn (boo), on Splash Mountain the log ride seats 8 people and you sit next to each other (see photo below), and the park layout matches more exactly with the Orlando park. Although the Disney characters are all the same- and mostly foreigners (western features), the park-goers are not!! Check out some of these typical visitors! I love people watching, and I snapped these candids throughout the day!

Katy and I got into the Disney Spirit by purchasing a pair of mouse ears on Main Street. One crazy thing happened. After we got off Big Thunder Mountain, I realized my camera was gone! I knew I had it in my back pocket when we got on the ride... We raced back to find a Thunder Mountain employee and in broken Japanese found a way to explain if they had found a blue canon digital camera. He was very worried, and raced away to see what he could do. Sure enough, less than 5 minutes later, he walks back with my camera in hand! I love Japan!

  

Katy got me addicted to the popcorn here! We purchased a blue plastic container (mickey ears)-in the first photo of this post. Then for a few dollars you could get the bucket refilled at the different popcorn stands throughout the park! We tried: corn potage, honey, curry, and soy sauce/butter flavors!

Kimono Fitting- WHAT?

An apartment friend of mine is studying the art of Kimono fitting/wearing...I guess that's how to describe it. Anyways, he invited me to the school where he is taking classes and requested that I be a model so he could practice kimono fitting...wow, I'm not explaining this well! Anyways- I am one who LOVES dressing up- so even though we had to squeeze this in before work on Saturday morning, I was ecstatic!

The whole process took an entire hour and I was layered with foam pads (on my butt and shoulders), 3 full dress layers, and a plethora of belts and sashes that were securely fastened. It was difficult to breathe, almost impossible to walk and when it was all said and done, incredibly heavy!! But- SO worth it!
The dress had to fall just right, with the correct seams and folds and the incredibly long sleeves had to hang just so. His sensei came by several times to help adjust the alignment of knots and folds and scolded me for standing contra-posto...I quickly brought my feet together and stood perfectly still and straight! (notice the appropriate 2-toed 'socks' on my feet)
My accessories include: a small fan in my hands, and the sheath of a small sword (the tassels hanging from my belt).

If I were all painted up like a Geisha, this is the 'most revealing part.' The white face paint would come back so as to elongate my neck...

Warrior Dash!

5 kilometers
15 obstacles
1,000s of foreigners

It's the Warrior Dash- a challenge race course made popular in the US- but has arrived on Japanese soil. The trail was like running through the jungle- hot, humid and very green. I worked harder running the muddy hills in between the obstacles than I did scaling walls, climbing cargo nets, running over old cars, jumping over fire, army crawling through mud and generally having a blast! It was probably the most fun I've had on a run and the most fit I've felt in a while- passing people like nobody's business!


Pre-race face! Game time and we are ready. There were probably about 50 people in our heat! And we finished the last obstacle right as the following heat was getting started...so roughly just over 30 min!! not shabby!

A-la Japanese style there were changing rooms and bathing tubs. I was super excited about our viking hats!!

9 days in CA

I left my social apartment in Eda at 9:30 am on Monday, May 27th, and walked 8 minutes down the hill to the train station. From there its a 5 minute train ride two stops to a main station that has the Narita airport bus station. Paying just under $30, I boarded a non-stop direct 2-hour bus to the airport terminal. I flew Korean Airlines- a short lay-over in Seoul, then on to SFO. After proceeding through customs, Mom and Lex picked me up at 1:00pm and somehow it was still Monday the 27th! The whole week, my body never really quite figured it out!

I was greeted at home by a fantastic home-made veggie friendly BBQ hosted by my family! It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces all in one place. It was a great time to spend with so many supportive and loving friends.

On Tuesday I drove up to my college town of Davis for a reunion with a dear college friend of mine, Mary Anne. I was lucky enough to meet baby number 2: Levi who is 5 months old. We visited old haunts, and enjoyed some much needed catch-up time! Our lives have branched off in two totally different directions, and it is so wonderful to live vicariously through each other's stories- each of us secretly wanting the other person's life...if only for just a moment!

On Wednesday, my mom found me a bike. She, Lex and I took a tour of downtown Oakland. It was great to see the new life that seems to have blown into this city. We met Dans down by Lake Merit for lunch then explored some old and new neighborhoods. 

On Thursday I headed into San Francisco to visit two friends who have made a new life there. Stefany has been living in the city for over 4 years now and with my good high school friend, Laurie, we celebrated her new teaching position at a small high school. Both girls spent the evening trying to convince me that when I am ready, San Francisco is the place to move to! Hmmm... it sounded rather good to me, I just don't know when that will be! 

The next morning, Friday, I headed over to Pier 39 and got to be tourist for the day with my good teacher friends, Teresa and Heather. They had played hooky from school and we took the ferry out to Alcatraz! It was my first time there and quite an awesome spot to visit. The audio guide through the prison was fascinating and the stories were super captivating. What a unique place.

Saturday morning I met up with a good high school friend, Cristina and we had a great time enjoying pumpkin pancakes at Crepevine and kept swapping stories for nearly two hours. I love how we can pick right back up again every few years...one of these days it will be for more than just a quick hello!

That afternoon my family drove down to Los Gatos for my cousin, Shanel's wedding. What can I say? It was absolutely spectacular! 

 Sunday evening I headed down to Monterey to catch up with my good friend, America. We tried bar-hopping downtown. The one and only bar we made it to, since they gave us a last call at 10:30! Well, America- just wait until you come to Tokyo!

 On Monday morning, after dealing with a flat tire, and some financial glitches, we headed down HWY 1 to Garapata state park for one of my favorite costal hikes. Its first through a canyon with redwoods, then up the hills into the thick clouds- then back around to the coast before coming down out of the fog for one spectacular view! Monterey is still one of the most beautiful places on Earth!!

Monday night I had to head into Salinas for an evening of Zumba at the YMCA. What a fantastic welcome! It was so great to see those ladies again! We rocked out to Gangam Style, and plenty of other old favorites.

Tuesday morning- I know I'm flying back to Japan because of these ladies sleeping right here at LAX-

 Wednesday night, the plane landed at 7:00pm and I was through security and customs, and with my luggage and on the bus back to Tama Plaza station by 7:45! It was laughable about how much easier it is the second time around!! It brought back other worldly memories from 9 months ago when I first arrived.
Serendipitously at the bus station in Tama Plaza, I ran into a co-worker who was waiting for her boyfriend to come in from the airport too! I took it as a good sign that she was there to greet me too!