Live in Japan!

The ride back to the kid’s apartment on Camp McTureous from Naha Airport was a blur. We had arrived at about 8 pm (20:00 hours to the rest of the world) local time, and I had not slept for the entire time we travelled. As I sat in the back seat of the car, I became aware that I was gradually slumping over to my right. Eventually I gave in and just laid down, using my backpack as a pillow. At one point Nick had made a wrong turn, and we had to double back. In Okinawa this is not as easy as it sounds; they do not allow u-turns. And it’s not like in the States where you can make one and say “Oops..sorry officer..I wasn’t aware I couldn’t u-turn there…haw haw…” because they just don’t allow it. So it’s more of an involved process trying to double back, because you don’t want to have to double back on your double back…does that make it a quadruple back? I’ve never been very good with exponentials…

Our first full day in Okinawa started at 7:30, when I heard a small voice saying “Grampy…grampy…can I have milk?” Zach, our 2 1/2 year old grandson, was ready to go. We spent a good part of the day getting a tour of several of the bases trying to get passes for the time we were there. In order for us to do anything on the bases, and go from one base to another, we had to have these passes and our passports on us at all times.

The pass for McTureous covered us for a majority of where we would be going, so we went to get that pass first. Nick had been told that we needed to go to a specific gate on Camp Foster to get the length of stay pass. So we drove 40 minutes to the gate on Camp Foster, and were told we needed to go to a specific office near the other side of the base. They issued us a day pass, and we drove on. When we arrived at the office, we were told that they were closed for lunch. So we went to eat and kill an hour until the office opened. They issued us the pass fairly quickly, and then told us that we should have gone to Camp Courtney for the pass. Courntey being about 5 minutes from McT.

We also needed a length of stay pass for Kadena Airbase; another 40 minute or so drive from Foster. The counter was manned by a local (an Okinawan), who spoke only broken English. He explained to us, slowly, that we had to go to an office on the other side of Kadena to get anything more than a day pass. He gladly issued us the day pass, and we went back to our cars.

I should mention that Laura was pregnant and ready to burst at this point. She gladly helped drive us around, but at this point in the day we were all quite frustrated with the process and decided not to bother with the Kadena pass. We went back to their apartment before going out to dinner.

I should also mention that neither Robbin nor I could drive. We would have needed international driver’s licenses, and then rented cars. After that first day on Okinawa, I was very glad we did not bother. The roads are very narrow, and you need to know exactly where you’re going, or you can become easily and hopelessly lost pretty damn quick.

As for the Kadena pass; went back to the original office on Sunday to get a day pass so we could drive through the base (rather than around it) to get to the office they had told us to go to for the length of stay pass. As we were waiting for the day pass, the clerk told us that no; they issue the length of stay passes here, and who told us we had to go elsewhere? She took the day pass, and with a sharpie wrote across that the pass was good until the 9th, making it a length of stay pass.

That first night we went to the Capital Steak House for dinner. The food was excellent, and learned another valuable lesson. The menu was printed with pictures of the food and mostly in Japanese, with a little English. The food came in either ‘sets’ or individual items. Think of a set as a multi-course meal. You get soup, salad, appetizer, and one or more proteins. When working with this type of menu, they expect you to point to the picture of the food you want. I accidentally pointed to 2 different sets. So we were a little suprised when he started cooking fish. No one remembered ordering it. The I remembered that there was a fish set above the chicken one I wanted to order, and I had hesitated over that picture. Turned out ok, though; the fish was better than the chicken. The dinner in general was fantastic, and afterward we headed back to base for the night.

on the road to Okinawa

We boarded a 6:30 am flight from Boston to Toronto on Air Canada on Sunday the 25th. The time of day and day of the week since then has eluded me, as it should be on vacation. What matters is that we made all our connecting flights.

The airport in Toronto was empty, except for the line at the coffee shop where it seemed that everyone in the place ran to at the same time. I waited almost 10 minutes for Dunkins-like coffee, and after the line ended it seemed like everyone left the airport. You could hear echoes of people walking around.

At the customs desk, we waited in line for our turn, and then walked up to the counter. The customs officer typed away for several seconds, and then paused. Looking up, he said to us through gritted teeth in a voice of barely controlled rage “If you had waited behind the line I would have called you when I was ready.” The experience in general in Toronto was not overly positive. A lot of French speaking personnel who seemed to be helpful only grudgingly.

After about a 3 hour layover, we were off to Narita. The 13 hour flight was smooth and relaxing. Robbin slept part of the way. I was awake the entire time. I had Robert Jordan’s “Knife of Dreams” to re-read, and they had movies and tv for free. I watched “Greenberg” with Ben Stiller. Not laugh out loud funny, but entertaining.

Narita Airport was a different experience. Much smaller and much more crowded than any airport I’ve been in. It was also very warm, with the temperature set in the mid to upper 70s. The airport personnel were very helpful, guiding us to customs where we were photographed and fingerprinted. Thankfully we did not have to switch terminals, so finding our gate was relatively easy.

I walked through the duty-free shops, and learned an important lesson. If you go to buy a drink with the picture of a plant on it, and you aren’t 100% sure you know what the plant is; don’t buy it. I bought something that looked like iced tea, and instead was the most disgusting drink I’ve ever tried.

From Narita we flew three hours to Naha Airport on Okinawa. Another good flight. We are very happy with Air Canada. We arrived about 9 pm Monday (Okinawa time). They are 13 hours ahead. I was very happy to see my son in law, and we made the drive to McTureous Marine base. Robbin and I slept as soon as we hit the bed, and woke the next morning without a trace of time difference. A bit jet lagged, but not more than any other trip I’d taken.

One last note; when changing money for a trip to Japan bring only enough yen with you to get you to your destination. The exchange rates in the States are terrible. We were given about 70 yen per dollar. When we made it to here they were giving 86 yen to the dollar.

As for music; I’ve rediscovered Mary Lou Lord on Facebook. Nick played some Hot Action Cop during the car ride tonight. If you like Red Hot Chili Peppers, give them a try, but make sure there are no kids in the car! Them lyrics is explicit.

happy anniversary

This past Sunday was our 12th wedding anniversary, and we spent the day in Concord retracing our steps. We started with brunch at the Colonial Inn, where we held our wedding reception. The food was excellent as always, and we were joined briefly by Louisa May Alcott, who was wandering the dining room talking to the guests.

From there we went to Minute Man National Park where we held the actual ceremony. The day of our wedding the park was beautiful; the spring was early that year, and everything was blooming and green. Over the intervening years, the park had become overgrown and worn down. Paths were hard to find, rock walls falling down, gardens untended. When we arrived this year, we were greeted by signs telling us that the park was the recipient of government stimulus money to help rebuild it. Indeed; the park is becoming beautiful again. Gardens have been replanted, and the vegetation along the bank that had been obscuring views of the Concord River have been cut back. There is still work to do, but it is encouraging. There was even a road race, with runners sprinting downtown.

I mention the race because when we had booked the park initially, we were told that there were no other events scheduled that day. We chose the park because it was the site of one of our first dates, and for the history of it as well. When I arrived the morning of the wedding, there were runners all over the park. At least 40 of them, in bright colored shirts with numbers on them, blocking the street and parking lot. As we began to set up for the ceremony, they came jogging over to where we were to look at what we were doing. One runner, running in place, asked me what was happening. I told him about the wedding, and he smiled and said; ‘Well then…carry on!’ and ran off.

There was also a group of older local women there that day for an outing of their Painting Club. One of the women had set up her easel overlooking the patio we were using, and demanded that we move so as not to spoil her view of the river. After several moments of her fuming, and icreasing volume, I told her that ‘We’ll only be here for about an hour; the river will be here forever.’ Unmoved, she started to argue again when a park ranger and her friends came and spoke to her. She reluctantly moved on.

So much has happened in 12 years. Robbin’s daughter was 13, and my son was 8. They are both grown up now, and our daughter is married. We have a grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. You hope for the best for your kids, try to make it through the hard times and celebrate the good. There is nothing I would change about these years.

another Sunday off

I’m feeding the dogs hand-made tortilla chips from El Mariachi restaurant. It makes them happy. Given that our kids are grown up and out of the house, that means I don’t have anyone else to share these with right now, and that means the dogs get spoiled.

The neighbors had their family over for a cookout today, which worked out great for me. I did not want to run the lawnmower and spoil their fun. So instead I wandered around with the puppies for a bit. That made them happy, too.

Some one of these Sundays I will get myself in to Boston and hit the Dharma Punx Sunday Meeting. I haven’t been to a sangha for a little while now, not since stopping by the Providence Zen Center on a couple of Wednesdays.

I had several ideas of what to post about today. I had started writing about Buddhism and punk rock. That is a topic for a different day. Instead I’m going to collapse on the couch with the same puppies who have been following me around all day, and we’ll all be happy. Buddha smiles.

my long weekend

I was selfish this weekend, and took an entire 4 days off in a row. This is the longest stretch off since I was sick in December (had 3 days in bed then; woo-hoo). Before that the last extended time was August when we went to Phoenix. I had a feeling that I was hitting the wall, and that time off was needed.

After 4 days, things feel much better. On Friday I saw an old friend for lunch at the Sunset Grill in Alston. Nathan and I haven’t seen each other in a few years, and it was good to see how he is doing. And to compare notes on other old friends we’ve stayed in touch with.

On Saturday Robbin and I went to a wedding shower for my brother, John, and his fiancee Paula. My son and his new gierlfriend, Kate, came. She seems very nice, and they look good together. The shower was good. My brother has had a tough life, and it’s great to see him be happy; he deserves it.

Sunday was lazy. Robbin and I went to a late brunch, since we slept until about 10. We were both in need of the extra sleep time, and with no kids in the house it makes it much easier. Laura called from Okinawa, but we slept through the message. After that was light housecleaning (dishes and puttering), and watching dvr’d American Experience shows (the ones about the Native Americans).

Monday was a little busier. Brunch again (yums!), and then laundry, yardwork and dog walking. Then more dvr; Criminal Intent this time.

It was nice to kick back and relax, not worry about getting up and running off to the Cape for work. A great long weekend.

Nothing new on Pandora this week (listening to Throwing Muses again).

I have been trying various micro- and other small company brews for a while now, and in Alston I was treated to one of the largest varieties of beer any restaurant has, that I know of, anyway. 152 or so different kinds. Nathan suggested the Monk’s Cafe Sour Red, which lived up to it’s name. Deep red color, and a great flavor that did not overpower with the sourness. Could drink that all day. The other I tried was suggested by the waiter; Bear Republic Racer 5, a golden color IPA that did not disappoint.

That’s my long weekend; no great revelations, no great debates; just a relaxing time off.

back to the bookshelf

I figured that with Pandora playing Throwing Muses I’d make some quick notes on a few books I’ve read recently.

working in a bookstore has it’s perks, such as being one of the first to hear about a new title before it hits the shelves. one that I was anticipating based on it’s early reviews was The Magicians by Lev Grossman. as a child Quentin Coldwater was fascinated by the magical land of Fillory (think Narnia). Quentin grows up to be a brilliant loner as he graduates high school and tries to come to a decision about his direction. he is invited to attend a magical college in upstate New York (think Hogwarts). while the book seems to draw alot from Harry Potter and C.S. Lewis, Grossman is able to move beyond the original inspiration and deliver a book that is hilarious. packed with everything you expect to find in college (sex, drugs, conflict, and so on), this is not a book for the kids. I highly recommend it!

The Unincorporated Man by Dan and Eytan Kollin. reminiscent of a good Heinlein novel. Jusitn Cord is a multi-millionaire diagnosed with terminal cancer. he has himself cryogenically frozen, and is awakened 300 years later. in this future society each individual is incorporated, and most spend their lives trying to buy up enogh of their personal stock to own a majority of themselves. Cord is the only free man, and tries to change the system while it tries to bring him down. very well written, I was attracted to this book because of an article I read in the Boston Globe a few months before detailing how some college students, in an effort to raise tuition money, are signing deals with corporations to turn over a precentage of their income over a fixed term after graduation.

Gotrek and Felix, the Third Omnibus by Nathan Long. two of the more popular Warhammer characters, Nathan Long took over the series from the original author and has breathed new life into it. Warhammer novels are not high fantasy. they are quick reads, tend to be violent and bloody, and at the end no one is happy.

Game Six by Mark Frost details the sixth game of the 1975 World Series between the Red Sox (yay!) and the Cincinati Reds (boo!) that ended with Carlton Fisk’s walk-off homer in extra innings. Frost follows the game pitch by pitch and gives great descriptions of the key players. the biography of Luis Tiant is exceptional.

Generatioin X by Douglas Coupland. currently re-reading this. the book that gave Gen X it’s name. at times it does seem dated, but if you’re a fan of the movies Reality Bites or Singles you should read this too.

The Engines Of God by Jack McDevitt. Having read all his other books, I was looking forward to this one, and it is just as entertaining as the rest. certainly an earlier work, it doesn’t have the polish of other stories, but still worth a read.

in the meantime; Pandora has come up with some great selections so far, reminding me how much I like Bettie Serveert!

New Hampshire getaway

this weekend we went to stay at the Mountain Club on Loon Mountain for a much needed rest. the room was ok; more like a hotel then somewhere I’d think of as a time-share. it needs updating and refreshing, as the paint in the hallways is chipped and orange. the floor we were on was stuffy, and we had no control over the room temp. we ended up leaving the porch door cracked open to cool off a little.

I have never been sold on New Hampshire. I love Maine, and Vermont is very nice. but NH? the places always seem a bit run down and just not as nice as elsewhere. and the people always seem surly. it’s not the ‘Live Free Or Die’ Libertarian ethic, because Libertarians as business people are always very happy to get your money. it just seems to me that in NH they could care less if you like them or not, and may even be happier with ‘not’.

as an example; the food service we had all weekend was poor. the serivce took a long time, and was spotty. the first night we ate at the Mountain Club in their Black Diamond pub. we were seated very quickly, as they had just opened for the night. there were three other tables seated just before us. then we waited.

after about ten minutes our server got around to her tables and took drink orders. then we waited again. after another 10+ minutes the bus guy (he was probably in his late 20′s) filled the water glasses at each table (spilling ALOT of water on the floor by each seat). he brought the other two tables bread and butter, but we didn’t feel cheated yet because our drinks came before anyone else’s. at one point the guy at the table behind me offered trade some bread for a beer. since he was getting Corona and I had Sam’s Octoberfest I politlely passed.

suffice to say that the rest of the meal took over an hour and a half of wait time, and with just five tables (one just ordering drinks) and two wait-staff, that seems excessive to me. we never did get our bread. the highlight for me was Tuckerman’s Pale Ale. it was lighter than the Sams, not suprisingly since it was the Octoberfest brew, but was a decent pale. slightly hoppy, and went very well with the bratwurst dinner. Robbin had the grilled chicken sandwhich with bourbon-soaked mushrooms and bacon. her meal was good (mine was average; previously frozen and then boiled sausage), and she had her old stand-by khalua sombrero.

the next day was a breakfast buffet at the Club. I think it was overpriced for a buffet, and the food was ok. we spent the day drving the Kancamagus Highway. like Skyline Drive in Shenandoah the road has many places to stop and view the scenery, as well as walking trails. we walked to Sabbaday Falls; a short .3 mile hike through the woods along the Sabbaday Brook. very beautiful. I’ll upload some pictures to facebook when I have a chance.

at the other end of the Kancamagus in North Conway we stopped at a small family restaurant called the 1790 Homestead. I really really wanted to like this place. it was just about the start of dinner service and there were several cars out front, usually meaning that locals eat there, and usually a good sign.

we were seated right away by a 16-year old member of the family. the room appeared to be a converted sitting room. our waiter, maybe not much older than the host, took his time getting to us and didn’t seem really bothered by that. he was flip, acting as though there were no problems with anything and chuckling to himself about his own humor. then we waited for our app. one table seated after us had their entire meal and were paying by the time our app came. we had mushrooms with lobster stuffing, and they were fantastic. heartened by this, we waited for dinner.

Robbin had a mushroom burger which she liked. I had a haddock sandwich that was bland. all in all it reinforced my impression of NH hospitality.

that night we went back to the Black Diamond for drinks and dessert, thinking that we could not possibly have to wait long for those. settling ourselves at the bar we ordered a flourless chocolate cake and khalua sombrero (Robbin) and a poached pear tart and Galliano on the rocks (for me). even here the bartender would disappear for minutes at a time. the food was rich and yum. I had never had Galliano before, and liked it alot. sweeter than Sambuca or Ouzo, it still had a good black licorice flavor.

all in all the drive and nature were fantastic. the time we spent together walking in the woods leaf-peeping and climbing down rocky slopes to get better pictures of the rivers was exactly what we went for. I recommend the Kancamagus, and taking the lift to the top of Loon Mountain to walk the trails. but NH remains my least favorite New England vacation spot.

back home now, and the puppies are happy to have us back.

moment mind

“who looks for me in form
who seeks me in a voice
indulges in watsed effort”
-the Diamond Sutra

after ten minutes I had lost all feeling in my legs. my thoughts drifted back and forth between the mantra and the physical sensations. clear mind..clear mind..don’t know….

it is a zen word game; who is this that meditates? don’t know..

your true self is before thinking. just as the tao that is written is not the true tao, your true self can not be explained. all that matters is this right-now moment. in this moment there is no separation between you and the rest of existence. in this moment is the universe.

Seung Sahn taught that in meditation you should not try to clear your mind of all thought. this is impractical and really not possible. thoughts will always pop into your head, and you should aknowledge them as they arise and then let them go. it takes time to learn how not to get caught up in the emotions that come with them, and even practiced meditators have moments of less than clarity.

what is thought? who is the thinker? even this goes beyond moment mind. once you try to put a name to something you are already trapped. you have separated yourself from the world, instead of simply being in it.

when I played hockey there were moments when everything around me stopped; I could not hear the people in the stands, and I wasn’t actively thinking about what I was doing. I was moving with the puck, and I saw with clarity the other players as they tried to step in front of me or take the puck away. I was in that moment, and was able to move around them and score. no thought involved; just that zone.

that is moment mind.

we all have experiences with this, sometimes mowing the lawn or doing the dishes. sometimes staring at the sunlight out of the window. holding your child, or grandchild.

I’m not trying to get at anything deep or exceptional, but this has been on my mind. it isn’t a religious experience, but people I know who practice prayer deeply talk in terms of losing a sense that the self is separated from God, and as a buddhist I can get behind that. it seems to me the same moment, with a different frame of reference.

honey you know this is not so bad…

here’s a post because I haven’t posted in a while. hopefully in the next few days I’ll have something new. this is from a journal. the song referenced is ‘aching for you’ by Kristin Hersh.

the front door was unlocked, so I crashed through it and ran up the stairs. No one was in the kitchen or the bedroom, so I went into the livingroom.

I put my books on the endtable and saw the beer bottles on the floor in the middle of the room. they were cold; condensation was dripping onto a piece of paper underneath. I picked the bottles up and looked at the note; it had a smiley-face and the word ‘porch’ written on it.

my first thought was that Marie was in a good mood today. the second was that we finally had beer money! I twisted off the caps and threw them wherever, then headed to the porch. the screen door was open. I could hear music playing and Marie singing along.

“we carry islands around on our backs,
we’re born-again vagrants”

she turned to see me watching her and smiled.

“we ask for nothing wherever we land
meanwhile; we got nothing, isn’t that something?”

Marie was wearing her new dress she bought for her new job with no shoes, and beaming brightly. her blonde hair still showed streaks of poppy-red dye. she pulled me onto the porch by my shirt. lightly grabbing my beard to pull my head down, she kissed my forehead.

“you know you’re truly bizzare? you’re changing all the rules
and I don’t need you, but I still want you bad,
you’re all I ever had”

she took a beer and held it to her cheek. her face clouded for a moment.

“it’s funny, it’s sad and it’s true
I’m aching, aching for you”

the song ended and she chugged the beer. “the FUCK!” she yelled to the sidewalk. she turned back and smiled again. the little girl in her face came out for the first time in more than a month. “got PAID!” she yelled. putting her arm around my waist and moving closer she looked up at me and said “and I was so mature and growed up that I got us food and wah-tuh so we can be healt’y and growed up an’ ‘sponsible…”

she rested her head on my chest. “and I got beer so we can get shitfaced and say ‘fuck it’ while the food goes bad.” looking up at me again she smiled and said quietly “yay!”

the end of a good thing

last Tuesday we returned from Oceanside after visiting the kids and grandson for the week. we had a really good time, and it is great to see Zach growing up before our eyes. thanks to him I now know most of the words to every episode of Blue’s Clues. although he calls it ‘coo-coos’.

I went to work on Wednesday, and had a great day. it was great to be back with my friends, and fun was had by all. it was also a very productive day.

little did I know that it would be my last there.

on Thursday I went to a meeting at work and was told that my position was being eliminated. while I was certainly not happy about it, I felt kind of stupid for not having seen it coming. I worked for Lauriat’s Books years ago, so I have seen this movie before. as much as I loved my time at Borders; they are in real trouble.

in the P. W. Singer book “Wired For War” he talks about how disruptive technologies ‘clear the deck’ and shift the economic paradigm of an industry resulting in old players going out of business. he uses the music industry as the best example. it seemed almost over-night that the big record companies lost their stranglehold on the industry. the internet now makes possible access to any music, for free. some artists are even going their own way and working directly with their fans to ensure the music reaches them unfiltered. the best example I know of is Kristin Hersh with her Cash Music program.

he also talks about hybrid technology, and how companies and organizations that refuse to jump completely into the new technology layer it onto the old. an example given was the galeasses the Spanish used in the Armada in 1588. these were ships that had sails and oars; ugly and ineffective, the British sank them easily.

I think that bookstores are now in that same transition (we see it even more strongly now in newspapers). products like Kindle and the Sony e-Reader are precursors to an outright change to digital as the kids of today have no affiliation for physical books. it is only a matter of time until a school system decides that rather than load their kids down with 300 pounds of books, they can just give them an already loaded digital reader. I had kids in the last few years choose not to order summer reading books because they could just download them.

as for me; I am looking into my options. it has been growing in the back of my mind for some time that retail is no longer the career for me. I need to do something more helpful to society. this economy being what it is, I find those opitons limited.

during vacation I also read “For Us The Living” by Robert Heinlein. in his future society the people are given a governement stipend, and they can choose whether to work or not. the basic reason for the creation of the stipend is that as technology increasingly replaced the need for actual human workers, there simply weren’t enough jobs for humans to do. that sent the economy into a depression, since people had no money to buy…you get the picture.

while I am not advocating outright for a stipend (yet), and let’s not talk about the political realities of the time, I do think we need to start a discussion about the situation we find ourselves in. if you look at the people who work making cars; they are losing their jobs, and those jobs will never come back. what are they going to do? I am lucky that my wife works for the Commonwealth of Mass. making enough that even if we have to sell our house we can afford to live somewhere else.

in any event; we had too much fun hanging out with the kids. I had the best fish and chips outside of the No-Name in Boston at a place on the Oceanside harbor. I think it was just called Oceanside Harbor Fish and Chips, but I could be wrong. we saw sea lions basking in the sun, and met quite a few puppies on our daily harbor walks, much to Zach’s approval. we even did Disneyland. all I can say is ; not the happiest place on earth. I did go on the Grizzly River Rapids, and survived. I am not a rollercoaster person by any means, but that was just right.

one other note; I read Verner Vinge’s “Rainbows End” during the vacation also. another amazing sci-fi book, set in the 2020′s, and may prove to be very prescient.