Reasons why I could and couldn't live in Japan

Could:

• First and foremost, because Ugg boots are completely acceptable footwear anywhere, anytime - yes please! And there's a truly dazzling array of styles for every occasion. Gold sequins anyone?
• The people are so polite - even when they're asking you not to park
• The people are honest - look at this lost baby shoes on The Philosopher's Walk in Kyoto
• Art - especially the contemporary stuff (more to come on that)
• Hot coffee in vending machines - everywhere
• The food - yum!
• The interesting stuff you stumble upon - like a wedding 
• The gardens and temples
• Skiing and powder

Couldn't:

• I can't speak Japanese. But having said that, unlike languages that require you to talk with a funny accent, I reckon I could give it a red hot go. Although Eleanor spend seven years learning Japanese in primary school and all she could say was 'Sit down' (apparently what the teacher constantly requested of the class), hello, goodbye and thank you (I can manage that) and count to ten....hmmm
• I can't drive for nuts - let alone in very small spaces. Check this park in someone's front yard - again in Kyoto! How to you get out? Through the boot??

So - nine to two - yep, that feels about right!

Weird Tokyo: Part I

Thanks again for your patiences! 

There was so much weird stuff in Tokyo - amazing, curious, fabulous - but weird.

Here are the first lot of highlights:

• Maiddreamin. Originally developed to cater to the fantasy of Japanese men to have subservient young girls in French maid outfits talking in baby voices and calling them master, these restaurants are now frequented by couples, women and tourists but they're no less odd. The one we went to promised 'magic' which turned out to be us reciting silly dittos in Japanese/English, drawing love-heart shapes in the air and meowing like cats. The real surprise was the fact we did it! Check out Sass's burger and dessert - getting the idea? And the flakes on our noodles 'danced' - this wasn't part of the magic, just paper thin flakes of something - fish? seaweed? - moving with heat and moisture. You pay to get in, pay to have a photo with the maids but you can take pics of your food for free. There are rules I found on the net including not touching the pmaids' bodies and not asking for their personal contact details. Yikes.

• Cat Cafe. Yep - not content with just maids, we went  to a cat cafe as well. (Thanks Sarah McSweeny for that tip via FB!) The ladies who ran the joint were surprised we only wanted 30 minutes (you pay by time) including a drink. They clearly didn't like us - perhaps they coul recognise non cat lovers. We have a cat at home, Gary, and he's less snarly than these ones. Mind you, if I was shut in a small over heated room being pawed by people all day I'd probably be snarly too. Like the maid restaurant, there are rules - like don't kick the cats. Seriously - I'm not making that up. We had to slip into slippers, talk quietly and not touch any cats with pink or white collars. There were people in there who clearly love nothing more than nestling in on a couch, covering their lap with a supplied blanket and patting cats. Hmmmm.

 All slippered up and ready to.... pat?!

Peak hour at the cat cafe. Lucky we didn't get thrown out for this pose!

Cosplay. This is 'costume play' and apparently adopted by kids who are/were bullied at school so it gives them an alter ego. Not often you see peeps in Melbourne get out to a Sunday market dressed like this. The guide book said there are hoards of them on the weekend in Harajuku - there aren't really, but there are a few - and they're very friendly! 

• In the same area on the same weekend, we saw a group of Japanese rock-a-billies doing their thing with a huge beatbox like I've not seen since the 80s. No picture necessary - it's in your head clear as day!

• How's this gem we found in electric town: Connect to the Future - a remote control car OR toilet. You decide!

Don't think I've forgotten Japanese toilets - they deserve a post of their own!

Performances

It’s been quite the week of performances. First up on Monday was a relatively new MD of a client who came in to share the business strategy. He’s so dynamic, that it was really quite awe-inspiring.

Tuesday was a combined Scouts and Cubs night with an AFL footballer called Max who was so tall he threatened to bang his head on the vaulted hall ceiling! Sadly, I know so little about footy I’m not even certain which club he plays for, but he did his thing and 40 or so kids were suitably dazzled.

On Wednesday, my friend Dawn and I saw Bangarra’s Belong. Bangarra is Australia’s indigenous dance company. It was an amazing performance, made distinctive by its many graceful but angular movements, easily recognisable from traditional aboriginal dance. Their use of projected film and integration of the dancers – slipping seamlessly from film to stage and back again – was as innovative as the Netherland’s ballet performance. If you get a chance to see them, it’s well worth your time.

On Thursday, the littlest one had her school production. She was a butterfly. Much of it was sung and spoken in Japanese but as they were all Prep, Grade 1 and 2, they were so cute it didn’t matter that most of us had no idea what was going on. There were some speeches at the end that proved too much for the preppy who was front and centre, and after staring into the distance while the other couple of hundred kids on stage sang, he yawned, flopped his head forward and promptly fell asleep!!

Friday night we took George and E to see the Queen Tribute. The guy playing Freddie Mercury did do a great job but it reminded me that the world will only ever have known one voice like Freddie’s.

So a big week of performances. All very different and all very enjoyable in their own way.