Fun at the alligator farm - I was pleased to see that some things haven't changed too much. The same tortoises and spider monkeys that were living here when I was 8 yrs. old are still here today! Misty has a pass which allows them to go whenever they want - I'm jealous!

Misty and her kids, Evan and Ellie. Mist and I have been friends since I was 3. I love being around all of them - Misty is an amazing mother and Devin calls the kids "golden balls," referring to Robert Bly's symbol of innocence, purity and unbridled joy. I could not agree more.

pink room

This is the room of my oppressed youth. I never had much say in how it was decorated. All these pictures were carefully arranged by my mother - I think of it as a shrine to the daughter she wishes she'd had, or the GIRL (I will never be a woman whom she respects) she fantasizes me to be. The closet, like every other closet in this house, is filled with her clothes. It doesn't take much for me to remember that she is, after all, totally out of her mind.

Geisha.... whatever.

Leave it to Hollywood to cast mostly Chinese actors in a film that takes place in Japan. I have not seen this film yet - just watched the preview and I'm bracing myself...anyone who's sitting next to me (I pity them) will probably be the recipient of unsolicited and gratuitous comments like "I can't believe they did that..." Given my background, I am unfailingly critical of anyone's attempt to depict and dramatize Japanese culture. This movie is just begging to be ripped apart. It looks like fish in a barrel to me!

food, glorious food. . .

This is why I keep coming back. It's supposedly 'udon,' although the flat, dumpling-like noodles remind me of kishimen in Nagoya. The broth is miso-based, and the soup is chock full of chicken, tofu and chunky vegetables. It was the perfect thing to recover from running around in the rain. We're in Gunma prefecture here, by the way. Almost worth a trip back just for the noodles...

GUNMA!

This is 宝川温泉 - for those of you who don't read Japanese, "TAH-KAH-RA-GA-WA ON-SEN." This was by far my favorite hot spring in the area, hands down. The setting is beautiful, and the leaves were just about at their peak of color. Unfortunately it was rather difficult to just kick back and relax - I was the only foreigner wandering through the mixed-bathing areas, unable to keep from checking out fellow bathers. It's simply because I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that such a structured, regimented culture still allows mixed bathing! It's great, but part of me felt like I was in the Twilight Zone - this is not the Japan that I know! Incidentally, I totally chickened out of going to any of the mixed areas - it would have been easier with a studly male by my side, since none of the women (a-ha!) were by themselves. It's a great area for young couples to go who want to enjoy the experience together, in fact it's perfect. My visit made me realize that I will have to take a very tactful approach towards marketing an Onsen Tour, and for setting my clients' expectations...moreover, I have a feeling that it would be best to split the group up and go to different onsen, so as to not freak out fellow bathers with a gaijin invasion!

Mello Kitty

I swear, I thought I was buying a cute little Hello Kitty t-shirt!!

successful tour

This is Harumi, Donna and Shel - Harumi is an incredible guide from Kyoto,
and Shel and Donna were my clients on a Private Tour of Japan. It was
very successful. I will post more pics and stories, but first must rest
very jet-lagged and tired.

Monja Monja!

This is NOT okonomiyaki, by any stretch of the imagination - monja takes quite a bit
more finesse to make. You first dump out the meat & veggies and let
them cook for about a minute - then make a ring on the grill.
Pour about one-third of the batter into the middle. Let that cook. Make the
circle wider, add more batter. Keep cookin'. One more round, add all the batter,
and scrape the underside so the 'koge' (charred stuff) doesn't get too black and
bitter-tasting.

Mix all together at the end & eat right off the grill - yum, yum. And YES,
you can be from Osaka and STILL appreciate monja. Although Osaka's okonomiyaki still
rules. ;-)

big in japan

brother bear

This is my brother, Patrick. It was taken at his old place in LA, and I think it's
one of the best ones ever. He and his brand-new Mustang are back in SF where he BELONGS.

namba station

sweet home osaka.

typhoons and hurricanes - and what our sellout U.S. networks aren't telling you

Source: http://images.democracynow.org/images/story_images/evac10.jpg

You could say that I'm angry, and you would be right. What we have in New Orleans is an abomination. Just as this beautiful city now reeks of human waste and disaster, administration and its supporters reek of indifference to fellow Americans who (surprise!) happen to be mostly black and poor. Somehow I think we'd have a quicker response from our government if this all happened say, in Martha's Vineyard or Hilton Head, SC.

- Hours After Hurricane Struck Gulf, FEMA Requested Help
- Bush to Oversee Investigation of Hurricane Response
- 300,000 Households Seek FEMA Help With Housing
- Toxic Water Being Pumped Back Into River & Lake
- Pilots Reprimanded For Saving 100 Hurricane Victims
- NO Police Accused of Beating/Detaining Reporters
- Ex-FEMA Chief Tied to Hurricane Relief Lobbying

"New Orleans is a city that is almost 70 percent black with nearly 23 percent of its residents living in poverty. Many African Americans are asking if this calamity would have been allowed to happen if the demographics of the city were different. And they are asking if the response would have been quicker if New Orleans had been a predominately white, wealthy city. On his way to Louisiana a few days ago, Reverend Jesse Jackson said that racial discrimination and indifference to black suffering was at the root of the disaster response. He went on to say, "In this same city of New Orleans where slave ships landed, where the legacy of 246 years of slavery and 100 years of Jim Crow discrimination, that legacy is unbroken today."

Back to Japan!

I am happy to announce that I have been hired by 2 clients to do a private Japan tour in October! Woo hoo! The dream lives on! For anyone who is reading this, I am in Japan from mid-October to early November, available for hire after November 1st. If you're in Japan and you want someone to show you around, let me know! To learn more about what I can do for you, visit my other site.

Rafting, baby!

This past weekend,we went up to Auburn to go rafting - my friend Scott Cleland owns an outdoor adventure company called River and Rock Adventures . Water was FREEZING in the morning but it felt great once the air temperature reached 95 or so.

Mid-year summit

After Kevin's wedding, Devin & I headed over to Janice & Donald Jones's house for some east Carolina barbeque. This was Devin's first time meeting Misty, whom he has heard so much about for four years. There is only so much information you can exchange with kids running around, but it was a great visit.

what a blast

Devin and I just got back from North Carolina for my friend Kevin's wedding. Even though the JET days are almost 10 years buried in the past, the friendships are alive and well. Kevin got a sound roasting from his friends for his uncanny ability to remember trivia - funny thing is that those who were ribbing him have the same affinity for the esoteric. Fortunately, Kev found happiness and balance with his wonderful wife, Zareen. I wish them all the best in the world - love to you both!

The Wheel of Life

Devin, the hardest working man in San Francisco, is nearly finished with his "Wheel of Life" series which he has been working on for years. He doesn't believe that he'll finish, but I have faith.

Amazing Birthday!

To my complete surprise, Devin had the whole day planned ahead of time - he came in that morning with a dozen roses and a card that he made. Then he told me that we were going on a picnic (and a hike) off Page Mill Road - incidentally, it was very close to Stanford, where I was born. Weather was sunny and gorgeous and HOT on the Peninsula. WE only did a 4-mile hike, but food never tasted so good. Back to SF for sushi and a movie, "Fear and Trembling." And DJ Devin picking out the music for the car ride just for my birthday!!

Eve of my birthday...

Growing up is hard to do. No pool parties and ice cream cake. I am turning 33 tomorrow and feeling a little sorry for myself - on an entrepreneurial budget, no money for fun, and look at this awful view... life sucks. ;)

Madoka and Coco in Kinosaki Onsen - aren't they the cutest?

Sushi in SF

I recently discovered a new sushi place here in SF that sends me right back to Japan - TANUKI.
It is some of the finest raw fish I've had outside of Tokyo. I scanned the business card because it's so cute!

A sign of welcome

When I left AMEX Japan in 1998, a colleague gave me a little ceramic frog with a bell inside of it, explaining 'this means that you are welcome back anytime.' These little cuties are right in front of the train station at Kinosaki Onsen, near Amanohashidate. For anyone who can't get enough of onsen, it's a great place to go.

Art on a plate. THIS is why I do food tours!

This is the first-EVER posting of 'For Your Joyful.'

I got back from my last trip to Japan on June 10th, and already it feels like a lifetime ago. I led a very successful tour for Geographic Expeditions (www.geoex.com) - 9 people from all over the US. I got 4 hours of sleep on a good night, since there is no time to do work during the day. All that really matters, though, is whether the clients had a good time - thank god, they did!

One major downside to most tours is that it's difficult to feel like you're really IN Japan. Tourists spend too much time immersed in hotels and surrounded by English-speaking 'gaijin' like themselves. The trick is to build in plenty of time to explore on your own - get out of the hotel and take a walk. Really absorb the sights, smells and space around you. Hopefully this blog will put you in touch with THAT experience. Armchair travel at its finest. Stay tuned.