Live from Tokyo

Hello all,

Sorry for the recent disappearance, some computer problems combined with my time in Spain led me to take a bit of a break from the computer which was rather well needed. In fact, I'm going to keep this entry rather short until I get a bit more settled.

Let me just say, it was very hard to leave Spain for multiple reasons not the least of which was that my fear of re-falling in love with the country that was well founded. Out of all the places I have been and aside from my first trip to Austin when I was 15, I can't think of a place that I have felt more at home than that country. Madrid proved to have a lot more life to it that I initially supposed. I was half expecting a business oriented metropolis with the masses walking around in suits for fun. Don't ask me where I developed this idea because I don't really know, I guess I was just not expecting it to have the cultural richness of Barcelona. Even though I was there over two weeks, I can't say that it does, but it is damn close. I saw so much and yet I saw so little of everything there. I was swept away by numerous cheap cups of coffee (Cafe con leche and cortados) at the the ubiquitous street cafes, watching people, reading books and in general enjoying the feeling of being outdoors in the heat. This and wandering around the cavernous streets sucked up most of my time and even though I managed to not step food into a single museum, I regret nothing of how I used my time there. Khanh was an amazing host and besides taking me out to several excellent meals (often courtesy of her company's credit card, name withheld) even managed a trip to the south to Cordoba and a small city that I forget the name of in the Costa del Sol. That part of my trip will stay with me a long while and I know that it is a country I will return to time and time again if not permanently.

So now I find myself in Japan once again. Penniless and jobless everything else is amazing, well, actually it's raining but that is minor. Keiko picked me up at the airport, introduced me to our new home which she won't move into for another couple weeks, Jet-lagged and sleepy eyed we walked around Jiyugaoka beginning our hunt for apartment amenities. This shouldn't take to long. In fact, let me put it into context. Anyone who remembers my last place in Austin with Michelle, well, think of the living room where she fit in two couches and the tv stand and all that? Well, that is the size of our apartment. For anyone who saw my place in Korea, it's maybe a tiny bit bigger, actually probably the same. I'm not sure how we're going to decorate the place yet, minimalism is a must, more than a couple chairs and the place will become unbearably crowded, remember, we're going to have two living here. This will be an interesting experience in many ways, but one I think will be reason for much joy. Joy with a capital J.

Friday was such a blur, rushing to the airport, worried that my luggage would be rejected due to weight, saying goodbye to Khanh, a four and a half hour layover in Munich (by far the best airport I can think of to be stranded in), then a blistering neck cramping 12 hours on the plane to Tokyo where I wasn't able to really sleep at all. Now, on the heals of Spain I find myself sitting in Shubuya Tokyo in a world (city world at least) that quite possibly could not be any more different. The streets are teaming with millions of people, the crosswalk alone must have contained a thousand outside the station, everyone seems under 30 and I walk lost among the people, simply searching for a place to rest. It's not as shocking this time I admit, it surprises even me how many places I've been in the last 4 months and how jumping ship to the opposite of where I've been seems but only a slight bump on a rather natural progression.

Tomorrow will be Monday May 16th. I'll shave, put on my suit and set out to begin looking for jobs as soon as I find a place to print out some resumes. I have no idea where I'll go, where hardly even to start nor do I know if it's a good idea to go fishing for jobs absent a visa or if that could get me into trouble, I guess I'll just have to find out. As for now, I need to leave to go meet Keiko so we can go buy a stove, look at refrigerators and a washing machine. It seems nearly impossible to eat anything under 7 dollars here which means that I need to start cooking ASAP.