the old man is snoring

It's raining in Tokyo. Pouring. The polished tiled streets are slick like silver oil. The heavy drops gravitate to the streets in a spray. Black suited business men carry a clear plastic umbrella in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Their tired faces rush ahead of their feet. Shiny taxis with bright white lace headrests dart purposefully. Ambassadors of travellers. Official transporters. Rush rain falls and splashes on koi languishing in the bottom of the pool under the half bloomed plum tree.

Harajuko

Today was a free day in Tokyo before the meetings start. We went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuko because it had an observation deck on the top floor. From there I saw Mt. Fuji- way off in the distance. Tokyo is a huge sprawling city, but relatively short. There are not many skyscrapers you might associate with a city this large.

"The Metropolitan Government Building "held title of the tallest building (by roof height) in Tokyo, at 243 meters (799 feet), from 1991 until late 2006, when it surrendered its title upon the completion of Midtown Tower. The two top-floor panoramic observation decks are free of charge to the public and contain many gift shops. They are open till 11 pm on weekdays. Use of cameras is permitted, but tripods are forbidden."

Mmnn. tripods are forbidden??

After that, we walked around Shinjuko some more and ate lunch. The menu was completely in Japanese and we could do nothing but point to the pictures on the menu and hope for the best. My sizzling hot plate arrived and I was told to "flip over" meaning the rare beef strips still cooking on the hot plate. Accompanied by a salad, a cup of broth and a plate of rice- lunch was very good.

The rest of the team headed back to the hotel and me and another took off in search of Harajuko. With some walking and lots of asking people for directions, we found it and was instantly amazed. The area was a web of pedestrian streets packed with teenagers. A bustling connection of streets, alleys and side street with boutique, nooks, and tiny shops selling street fashions, jewellery, shoes, and just about anything else really. It was like Portobello market. I stood off to the side and watched people and took as many photos as I could.

Some things I noticed today:

• Very few birds are seen in Tokyo. I think i saw 3 Pigeons and a Starling in total. There are very few trees as well.
  
• From the observation deck- Tokyo is silvery grey. There are a few parks but not a lot of green
• The proportion of men to women is obvious
• Many people, but not all, wear white medical masks. No one mentions Sars. I've been told the reason is due to: pollution, "it's influenza season", pollen, "people who wear the masks tend to get sick", hay fever
• an unusual obsession with American Rock & Roll. They sell Buddy Holly glasses with with clear, non prescription enses.
  

The International House of Japan

20070401-DSC_000-2, originally uploaded by stranger_than_Tokyo.

Unfortunately, the cherry blossoms are not in full bloom. I was able to find this photo on Flickr. The hotel and the grounds are really beautiful. The weather is sunny, blue cloudless sky, but cold- crisp. We'll be going into central Tokyo later today. surprisingly, they also do a great coffee.

xo
Jill

not exactly what I thought it would be like

• It looked like Alberta flying in. A patch work quilt of farms stretched out.
  
• Godzilla was not lounging on the blanket having lunch though.
  
• Coming in from the airport, the freeway was elevated high off the ground making the buildings look deceptively short.
  
• Many building that appeared to be apartments have stairwells that run up the outside of the buildings. Does this safe space??
  
• Crossing the International time line and skipping a day has really down my head in. Is it Saturday or Sunday?? While posting this on Vancouver time in my laptop, indicating that it is 1 am on Sunday- I have lept over the time barrier to the next day, 6pm.
• Saw a 'gang' of scooter/motorcycles that had big huge banana seats. Some of the drivers wore aviator goggles and had ratting flags of Japan flapping. They looked like a roving gang of Snoopy pilots on bikes.

konichiwa

Lo and behold.

An opportunity landed on my lap not much more than 48 hrs ago. Someone said ,"Can you go to Japan on Saturday?" I thought to myself...is that possible.. sure. I've been a bit baffled and bewildered ever since. I'll be leaving for Tokyo in the morning. I'll be staying at the International House of Japan. Which sounds alot like the place with the pancakes. Looks lovely though and I hope they have pancakes for breakfast.

While this is all a bit weird to me, the weirdest part is that on Friday, I fly from Tokyo at 5pm and arrive approximately back in Vancouver at 9am the same day.

Hopefully, I'll have some blogging time when I'm there, otherwise- I'll be back in a week with a mean case of jet lag.

xoxo

The turning torso

The turning torso, originally uploaded by barkingjohn (汪汪叫的約翰).

"Santiago Calatrava's Turning Torso in Malmo. The tallest building in Sweden (190m) and a new landmark in Sweden. Bo01(Ecological City) Västra Hamnen, Malmo"

post 679- The Revolution Will Not be Televised

One day in February isn't special,
but you ARE.

a pair of hearts

a pair of hearts, originally uploaded by jill y.

Happy Valentine's Day Treasures.

Love,
Jill

Bess's beauty

tulips, originally uploaded by bess grant.

A friend of mine is becoming a stunning and amazing photographer. I can't help but to post this. It's one of the most prettiest photos of tulips I have ever seen.

everyone needs someone to love

Saw this driving down Granville Street tonight. I thought it would have been more appropriate if he was dragging a bundle of strung up cans behind the truck and if there were a few streamers too. Very happy for the lovely couple. I wonder where they are going on their honeymoon??

I see you...

I see you..., originally uploaded by jill y.

rare animal spotted in book store

Note the bushy tail on the rarely spotted teenage hybrid squirrel spotted in Powell's Books in Portland.

where the queen is green

I like the States when the queen is running fast against the greenback. Makes those silly little purchase of gum and candy all the more easy. Who wants to buy a pack of $2.00 gum. Best of all is hitting the antique shops. Picked up a really great glass storage jar for less than $20 in Olympia Washington. Probably would have cost the same in Canada, but my point being is that it didn't cost MORE.

Speaking of Olympia Washington.. the place has an antique shop bloodclot in the downtown arteries. I'm sensing a serious return to town to clean them out. There also seems to be a disproportionate number of vintage business signs considering the conservative number of diplomatic and religious types roamimg the streets. Who wants to come with me??

Here in Portland, the sun is shining and I hope to return to the scene of one of my favorite photographs...

aspirations 1, originally uploaded by jill y.

she danced in the sunlight despite the people who watched

she danced in the sunlight despite the people who watched, originally uploaded by jill y.

Paris Cemetary #2

IMGP4931, originally uploaded by jill y.

jack could have used this for his beanstalk

There's no point in buying little seedling pots any more and I'm really sorry for the peet moss manufacturers out there that make a killing on them too. Why bother when you can make your own pots out of newspaper. The Paper Potter makes biodegradeable plant pots made out of yesterday cartoon strip and horoscope columns. Think of the fun. Just remember to go a wee bit easy on the watering.

Paris cemetary detail

IMGP5025, originally uploaded by jill y.

get yer beads

It's Fat Tuesday otherwise known as Mardi Gras. It's the culmination of feasts and celebrations and the traditional parades of krewes , where you know the way it goes, is as a woman you are encouraged to expose your breasts to collect cheap beads. How this got started has probably got a lot to do with the famous Hurricane Cocktails served along Bourbon Street and one of the famous towns celebrating Mardi Gras.

I've been to New Orleans. I drove there from Calgary, Alberta in a baker's cargo van. It wasn't in February, but instead the sweltering heat of September. We were basically going through Texas and down to the Gulf of Mexico (for reasons to long to mention here). While we were driving around in rural Texas in the bayou's, we all of a sudden found or selves on the other side of the Texas-Louisiana border and off we went to New Orleans. Just like that. I still have the dragonfly that flew in the open window of the van that night. I considered it a sign of some sort. I kept it in a cigar box I picked up in Dallas.


View Larger Map

I took this photo of a swamp that ran on both sides of the highway just outside the city. I was amazed at how surreal it was to drive through that, surrounded on both sides by thick witchy water and god know's what else.


There were odd little gas station that sold alligator heads and paws and things for your gris-gris. A young girl said they had a curfew at certain times of the year because the 'gator's walked around like wild dogs. It was thick with specialness and kookiness and I was instantly thrilled with Louisiana. Lousy Anna.

New Orleans is a special, mystic, oddland miss mash of blues, jazz, creole, french, spanish, rural, urban, voodoo and Christian and the French Quarter is it's bullseye. I spent 2 days walking the mythical streets of the quarter and prowling the mausleums of the cemeteries off Basin Street while shaking off the air- thick with spices and sweat.

Go if you can and
-adore the wrought iron balconies that snake luxuriously around the buildings like a lover's arm.
-stroll into the historic and open courtyard of Cafe Du Monde and start your day with fresh beignets and chicory coffee
-see the historic New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band
-Drink a Hurricane at Pat O Brian's
and..
-Look for the voodoo queen- Marie Laveau's tomb in the cemetery off Basin Street



Les bon temps rouleez! (or let the good times roll)

"it's some sort of protest. Either that or some sort of acting class"

I LOVE stuff like this...




AKA Improve Everywhere