Airplanes and Layovers

Actually, I have a lot more to post about my trip to Kyoto, a place I have been wanting to go for a very long time. I also have more pictures of Wendy the Dog and why she is important to my company in Japan. Those will have to wait for a more convenient time and place. Right now I am in the Portland Airport, having arrived back in the US about an hour ago. I have another two hours to wait until my flight leaves but not much time on the old computer battery or the inclination to haul out my camera and try to upload the photos.

So, let's talk about business travel and it's wonders and rigors. Anyone who has traveled for a living like I have for going on 30 years realizes that travel is not what it used to be and not that glamorous either. Mostly, it's getting on an airborne bus (funny, I flew in on an Airbus A330 and breathing the same air as 200 other people for 10 hours or longer. Then you get to go though three customs screenings, being fingerprinted or retinal scanned at one. You also get to go through security again hauling bags as you go. For a 3 week trip like this one, I had a 61 pound bag plus two carry ons and a big coat. Good thing I have been working out.....

At least the airplane had entertainment this time. I watched three movies in English and enjoyed understanding every word. Layovers are usually uneventful. This time, there was a P-51 Mustang on the tarmac that we watched take off. That took some time off.

Wow, I just checked the time and gotta go.

Tashikomairimashita

Tashikomairimashita. That means I am happy to do what you want, so Vbug, this is for you. Mommy told me that you liked Wendy a lot. I talked with Wendy and she says hi. She is very happy that you like her and she certainly likes you. She is a big, soft, furry dog and she loves to be petted. She sort of looks and feels like a little panda bear.

Did you know that Panda Bears are very popular here in Japan? Everyone thinks they are so cute. Wendy says that she is not a bear, but a dog. I think I agree. She had bows in her hair the last time I saw her but I don't know if she liked them. They were red.

Wendy only comes by where I work once a month. I hope she will come by again so I can take more pictures for you.

We will come to see you in April when your brothers are born.

Love,

Grandpa

The WABAK Machine

When I was a kid there was a cartoon that I loved called Peabody's Improbable History, which was part of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Peabody, a dog and his boy, Sherman would take trips back into time and view historical events from a humorous point of view. Invariably, they would get into trouble and have to make sure the events came out as they should. This past weekend, I boarded a WABAK (Wayback) machine of my own in the form of a Japanese Shinkansen or bullet train to a place I have not seen in 36 years, Nagaoka, Japan. I went to see the city one more time and to attend church with a friend from work. It was of course, wonderful. The city is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains which are covered in ski resorts. It is a lot like Salt Lake City, except for not so many people. The countryside is beautiful, covered in pines and deciduous trees in the summer.

When I was there, we had church in a house. Now there is a chapel and about 20-25 people came to the meeting. It was very special to meet these people, even if there was only one sister who was there when I was. She remembered my companions but not me, I had learned not to be so out there in Nagaoka. My testimony of the work and my love of Japan really solidified there and it is a special place for me. If I come again to Japan, I will go and spend more time there.

St. Valentine's Day in Japan

St. Valentine's Day (they use the whole name) in Japan seems to be about two things, chocolate and lingerie. For obvious reasons, I won't go into the lingerie but it was advertised a lot. This is about chocolate.

I must admit that chocolate here in Japan is much improved from some of the waxy, hard stuff I ate many years ago. Like all things the Japanese do, they have learned and improved over time and now it's quite good. I don't think it is as good as the Belgian chocolate I had in Brussels but certainly as good as the stuff we get in the US. Japanese women seem to have found the romantic qualities of the stuff more than the men. In the days before the holiday (no one gets it off, it's just another day to sell something) women were lined up 5 to 10 deep at a special counter that just sold chocolate. This went on at all times of the day, at least when the store was open. The problem was that I used this passageway to get to one of the trains I have to take from Shibuya where I am staying. It was a fight with little old ladies elbowing me around as I tried to get through the gauntlet. All the time the girls in colorful kerchiefs and uniforms behind the counter were shouting, "Irasshiamase, Irrashaimase," like carnival barkers. Irrashaimase means, "Welcome, come on in" and is used in most small shops and in some of the larger stores in their specialty areas. It is an imperative form of the verb to be, if you want to get technical.

Needless to say, it was a challenge to walk through each day but funny as well. The Japanese in Tokyo are kind of like bees, they seem to have a need to brush up against each other a lot, they are always busy, walking briskly from place to place and they have no patience with you if you don't know where you are going. I got many looks as I walked through as if to say, "Can't you see that this is for buying chocolate, not walking?" As if I know, I am a man and a gaijin to boot. I used that to my advantage and ignored it.

Mid-Week Report

Well it's Wednesday, lunch time and I am hungry so this will likely be short. We are working long hours here and at times, my eyes burn, they are so short of sleep. I may have to change hotels (which I really don't want to do) to save money. However they are all relatively inconvenient and don't cater to gaijin size people.

We did have a visitor in the office yesterday that was kind of fun. Over here they love "cute" things, to the point that large, mature organizations like us feel the need to have a cute mascot. Her name is Wendy.

She is an Old English Sheepdog and quite pretty if not very high maintenance. My company hires a person to take care of the dog. She even has a company ID which she wears around her neck.

Most of the time we are in meetings or hashing out proceedures and creating project plans, reports, etc. This was a nice break, to pet a beautiful dog and think of simpler things.

A Dream Fulfilled

During my time in Japan as a missionary, we often wondered when a Temple would be built to serve these people. Most went to Hawaii or New Zealand at that time to gain the blessings of the Temple. As a missionary, the Temples were always a place that reminded me of home and I used to spend time looking at the pictures of the Salt Lake, Ogden and Provo temples. The rooms and the evident peace you could find there were an object of longing, especially when they are so far away. Even though I had been before my mission, it was only about 5 or 6 times, including time in the mission home and in Hawaii at the LTM (MTC to the younger crowd). So I understood a small measure of the pain that the devout members of the church felt who were far away and had no means to get to a House of the Lord.

In 1980, that changed for Japan and a temple was built, on the site of my old mission home. That temple has stood for 28 years now and yesterday I finally attended a session in that sacred and very special building. I had visited once before but did not have the time to do a session, so I just sat in the foyer, hot tears of joy running down my face. This time there were tears, but not so many. However, there was a sense of completion. I would not be in this place at this time if it weren't for my decision to go on a mission. I would not have this job, I would not have been blessed with my wonderful wife and children, I would not be blessed with a strong testimony and likely would not have continued in the church. Japan and my service here changed my life completely and made me better for it. Even the struggle to learn Japanese was a blessing, even though I contemplated some pretty serious actions due to the difficulty of learning. We did have some missionaries who never did learn and a couple of them broke because of it. I am grateful that the Lord sustained me and allowed me to learn and serve.

Today, I attended church at the chapel next to the Temple. It was the gaijin ward, so the services were in English (my head aches with Japanese right now). There were more than blonde heads and blue eyes there, however. A woman in a sari sat in front of me, there were Islanders a few rows up, a smattering of Japanese and others. For the musical number a group of people from Ghana, Canada and France sang "How Firm a Foundation" in French. I thought it fascinating that here I am in Japan, listening to an English hymn sung in French by a group of people who have joined what many call the only true American church. We know it is the only TRUE Church and that it is headed by Christ who loves all people, no matter where they come from or what their racial heritage is. Quite different from my typical Utah ward back home.

The sun is setting now and I have quite the view from my room on the 28th floor. Tokyo tower is glowing red in the distance and I can see Minami Azabu where the Temple is located. It is a dream fullfilled.

Unremembered Memories

It's interesting when you go back to a place that, in many ways, defined who you are. So many things you thought you had forgotten but when you are faced with them again, you say, "I remember this! How could I have forgotten?" Case in point, bicycles in Japan. Bicycles are still an important means of transport here. You would think that many people would just walk, because of the way the towns are laid out, but bicycles are the primary mode of transport for three groups, students, mothers/wives and delivery boys/girls. The delivery boys are the most interesting because of the intricate suspension systems they have to support whatever they are carrying or delivering.

Other things that I remember are that everywhere in the bustle of this city, there are islands of tranquility and the neighborhoods are just neighborhoods with people in them trying to live out their lives peacefully. I remember the green grocers (Safire will love this)that are effectively a farmer's market every day. Seasonal vegetables and fruits that are more or less vine ripened. Right now it's mikan (mandarin oranges to the uninitiated) season and they are fresh and very juicy. I bought a pack on Saturday and ate 4 as soon as I got back to the hotel. Just sooooo good.

They still have the little soba shops (small noodle restaurants with maybe 20 seats) serving delicious bowls of noodles, curry rice and other items. The recipe for the broth is the same as it was 35 years ago, take chicken and fish bones and just simmer them all day adding shoyu (soy sauce) and maybe some seasoning.

One thing that is happily missing, though I did get a whiff yesterday is the grey water ditches. They have finally covered those....

Landed in Japan

Japan is experiencing the same weather as Portland was when I left, rain mixed with snow. The plane trip over was not that bad. I had enough room for my legs and there was no one sitting next to me so I had space to spread out a little. I expect it to not be so good going back as I am leaving on Friday. I should have thought and left on Saturday, ah well. I suppose I should see what my seat assignment is and do what I can to get a good one.

There was snow on the ground when I arrived at the office this morning and no one really showed up until 10:00 am. What happened to the Japanese work ethic? The guy I was supposed to meet turned up sick so I have no one here to help me. Fortunately that is no big deal. I found my way no problem. The only thing that did happen was I forgot my badge. It's at the hotel. I also walked out without my room key and I forgot my room number when they asked for it at breakfast this morning. It was no biggie, though. The service here is phenomenal, they asked my name and found my room number. I got a new key so I am good to go.

I opted for the Japanese breakfast this morning and got two tiny omlettes, some pickled veggies, fish and some other mushroom like stuff plus dark miso and rice. They also brought me a cool little box with a hot stone in it that had pieces of nori (dried seaweed paper like you see sushi wrapped with) on top. The idea was to keep the nori warm and dry. You pick it up, dip it in this salty, sweet sauce and then wrap it around some rice to eat. Very delicate and tasty. A good start to the day.

Offices here are not as luxurious as in the US. Very utilitarian and spare. No one has closed offices, you basically sit in a bullpen. I will take some pictures and post them here if I can figure out how to do so.

Well, I have to work on my presentation for tomorrow, so I will sign off until then. All is well. Also, thanks to my sister-in-law and nephew for helping Blondie clean off the 12 inches of snow they got. That is a wonderful thing! I appreciate it very much.