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.

Tokyo Bay day

Bridge under construction

Didn't have a smidgin of fish yesterday, so to correct the imbalance I got up really early and made my way to the Tsujiki fish markets. I got to experience the morning crush hour, but made it intact. I was the purve rubbing up against people! Got to the markets and all I saw was uproar, many tiny vans and motorised carts, lots of furious movement, and a faint smell of fish somewhere locked in a styrofoam box. You need to get there really early to see the actual fish. I found a few sushi bars, but the good ones were packed with a queue outside not worth my while. So I just soaked in the atmosphere and wished I had brought my video camera.
I started walking up a river, the Sumida, I believe, and what do you know, a river cruise boat came in just as I approached a pontoon! They didn't speak English and I just bought a ticket for I don't know where, but I would find out! Had a terrific time on this virtually empty water bus, on the brown water of the bay, hooning along past amazing buildings, and up canals, and under bridges so low, I had to duck. I have new wrinkles from grinning so much. It was great to smell the ocean air, even though it was far away, it was still open, and briny. It was even greater to see some of the far out buildings they have here, and the engineering feats of such magnitude. It's enormity never ceases to amaze me. It was a good hour till they kicked me off, in some park, way away.
I walked through the park, which turned out to be Kasai-rinkai Koen Park. I finally discovered the flower which I have been smelling since coming to Japan, this tiny orange coloured bud which grows on bushes, and smell deliciously refreshing and beautiful. Have never seen it before, and brought some back to scatter in my Ikebana arrangement.
Found a ramen restaurant, only noodles, and it was one where you purchase a ticket form a machine first, then give it to the waitress. I guess it helps streamline things. Yummy noodles, as always. Lots of splashing and slurping! There was a big McDonalds right next door, in fact these were the only 2 restaurants I could see in the vicinity, and I noticed how many more customers chose Maccas. Sad. From the train station I could see the horrors of Disneyland in the distance, it looked exactly like Jurassic Park, with an ominous manmade volcano.
Got the train back to Tokyo, over these vast railway bridges suspended over the river, cool! And then I truly alighted in Tokyo station for my very first time. I think Tokyo is actually one big station, 'cos I walked about 2km underground (all on the joyous travellators), and never saw anything else. Only about 1 million people...I was just grinning the whole way, it makes my scalp tingle from thinking about it!
Was exhausted when I got back to Taka. and went for an espresso up the road. I have become fond of the coffee shop, and decaf doesn't exist here, but these guys make a mean espresso, and it feels like a bit of home whenever I drink one. Did some shopping and came home and cooked. I had canned tuna!
Each week I have soaked and cooked a different variety of beans. I don't know what sort they are, but you can get a big bag, and they don't cost very much and make a great dish accompanying all sorts of things.
So the weekend is upon me, and I have been looking at some festivals to entertain myself with, and dear Owen has asked me to another opening tomorrow night, lets hope I make it there!