Dialogue between raven and whale

OOh mama, life has been rocking in all corners and I'm pretty beat, but in a good way.
My mate Fiona has been staying this week and we have been out day and night exploring and adventuring. As a duo we work well as a team, so it has been terrific, and we are getting to do some things I have been too shy to try on my own. Wow, life is just about experiencing all there is to it.
One day we went to Asakusa, then walked to Ryoguku, finding delights along the way. The most incredible garden with all the small paths and bridges, and I got to cross my first red lacquered bridge, which made my heart SOAR, I am not kidding. I just want to don a kimono and BE Japanese. It is such an evolved culture, in so many ways. The perfectionism that is strived for is pursued with such vigour and enthusiasm and rigorous dedication...I cannot believe this culture.
Mind got blown in the evening when we had a beer and got on the last water bus up the river. It was only a half hour cruise, but we were the only people on board, I can't tell you how weird it is to have so many people servicing you, but anyway, it was a blast, the lights at night and going under these bridges, one of which we had walked over that day. It's underneath was a huge lattice of red steel and I can't describe the beauty but it made me scream with joy.
When we got back to Ryoguku we continued our search for Sumo wrestlers and didn't see one. I was lucky to have gone there just as the tournaments ended for the year and the boys were all out and around I guess. But anyway, we went to the museum which was small but excellent. The corpulence of the men, and the way they are heroes just turns me on. There were amazing, fascinating drawings in there.
We found a really nice sushi restaurant, and sat on the mats and ordered one of the best meals in my life. Drinking sake and beer, and just loving every second of it. We were the only women in there, and it was packed. The fish was the best I have had ever, and felt so revitalising, ingesting the tuna and all the other sublime sea creatures, it's so elemental eating that food. It is my favourite food in the world and I am willing to forgo all other food if I could just have this!Then on Friday we started the day in an On-sen, oh yeah baby! So funny, so so hilarious all the complicated business and to do about it, but like everything it is taken very seriously and there are rules. I think we should have asked them to show us around 'cos we could only find one pool and these very strange glass beds that heated up and you lay on them. But the showers were fantastic and they must've vacated the premises when they heard a couple of white chicks coming because we didn't see a soul except for upstairs, where women were sleeping, during the day, on little mats, like in kindy! Cool, I like it! We washed and scrubbed for a couple of hours, and let me say that the sensation of slipping into that hot hot ultra clean water was madly good. My entire body was transformed...OMG. All day I flet so clean and my skin felt magic.
We needed to go to Yokohama, a city about 40 minutes from where we were, for an opening of a big video show called CREAM, so we jumped on a train and then another and eventually found the place and saw an array of art works. Some very profound stuff, and so much we would need a month to view. I found one or two exceptional and stayed around them, really devouring the beauty and excellence. It was housed in a few buildings around the town, and so we walked what seems like 20 kms, doing it hard. Interestingly different to Tokyo, and right on the bay, so I got to touch my first bit of ocean. The place was vast, and pretty empty of humans, just enormous and felt frozen in a moment of time, I can't describe it. A bit soulless, but we were only there a few hours.
That night we were supposed to go to Rebecca Horn's opening but we were far too buggered. We went for some people watching at Shibuya (or Shibby as I now call it), and that was great. On a Friday night even more people gather there, and it';s intensity goes up even higher than you believed possible. I am dumbstruck by it, the force of humans, like a huge dance, negotiating eachother on the pedestrian crossing...all the minds moving past eachother...I can't believe it!
I had invited the dance group for dinner on Saturday night and spent the day shopping and cooking. Made a few dishes, then went and picked them up in the afternoon. We had a great meal, and they met Fiona and we got quite riotous in agreement! What a fantastic night, they brought beautiful foods, and Yazumi is a tea master, so she did the tea ceremony with us at the end. Such an honour to have them here, and to get given tea and a sweet is always nice, but this was so special. She had brought a miniature tea set withe her, and I fully dug it. We partied till midnight then walked them back to the station. On the way home we dropped into a little bar that we had gone to on the first night. Had a shot of Tequila, then they said it was some one's birthday and would we like to go to Karaoke. So we did, and drank till 4am, singing with a group of beautiful strangers very passionately. Just seeing one of them do Nirvana's Smells like Teen spirit will stand out as a highlight in my life. They were so sweet and sincere, it was quite amazing. Plied with beer, by this stage I could hardly walk. It was too funny, I laughed for 4 hours straight!
Woke up today a wee worse for the wear. Couldn't face cleaning up so we went down the road and had a spot of brunch. For about $8 you get a tray of foods, with a bowl of rice and a soup. The array was incredibly delicious bits of meat, fish, tofu, vegetables, egg, potato cake and other yummy deliciousness. All beautifully presented on a lovely plate on a lovely tray. Gosh, Sydney has a long way to go.
We took the train to Harajuku so that Fi could enjoy the freaks, and it was a hot day so there were many about. The amazing rockers doing their non-stop dancing and other bands, then we stumbled on a festival with karate displays and miles of acts and stalls and action. Very friendly and positive atmosphere.
Then we walked down the shopping strip and I took Fi to see the crazy Lolita Goth girls and shops. So full on. We were decidedly knackered by then so we just did 6 floors of Kiddyland toy store then came home. Fi is in bed already and I should be as well.
But I have had a great few days and my heart feels full of love and joy and community and sincere worship of the good things, and people we are very lucky to know.