Inner Muses

If that menu looks familiar, it's because the menu at the Costco in Kawasaki is similar to the one in Kirkland!  Same hotdog for the incredibly low price that you can't believe you get a drink with it. But, how do you go shopping at Costco in Japan? How do you carry back all the goodies you buy? You rent a car! Sunday morning I woke up unsure I would succeed at my plan for the day. In my many visits to Japan, I never really believed I'd ever drive in the country. Nevertheless, I rented a car and started driving on the left that day. On the way to the rental place, I passed the Insomnia Hotel. LOL. It turns out that with a valid US driver's license and an international permit, easily obtained from AAA in advance, you can drive in Japan.  What's more, you can use it and evidence of US residency to score a Japanese driver's license without paying $4000 in classes. Definitely the way to go. Just be sure to drive on the left, and drivers sit on the right!

This morning as I walked into the Shinagawa Grand Central Tower which houses Microsoft Japan, I attempted to scan my Pasmo card instead of my company ID to pass through the gate to the elevator. This mistake was the culmination of a two week long process of adaptation that I hope remains a work in progress, because I'm still making mistakes all over the place! Keep to the left. No, this is not a political post, it's a neuroscience exploration. The move to Tokyo is a huge change in environment. At 54 years-old, the adaptation is noticeable and it's amusing if I can keep my sense of humor. In Japan, cars drive on the left and people walk on the left (except where they walk on the right).  So, keep to the left! On the first day of work, two weeks ago, each step was an amazing invocation of information I had read in e-mails, some I printed out to study and other pieces I received via delivery services from Japan. I drew upon the experiences of thirteen prior visits to Ja

I'm going to take a break writing about my new life in Tokyo to share a parenting experience. When Kinori was born, Yuriko and I had to decide many things about how to raise him. One of my contributions to the mix was our stand on guns. I felt that popular American culture desensitized kids to violence and made guns seem glamorous and fun. Kids, particularly boys, shooting for play was just a nightmare to me. So, I just said no to guns. No toy or real guns in my house. No way. Hah! Everything became a gun. Sticks, lego, everything was held to shoot humans, animals, walls, bikes. Bang, bang. But, I held fast, I was not going to buy any toy guns no matter how much he pleaded. Then he reached an age where he started getting his own money.  Our rule was that if it's your money, you can buy what you want with it.  That's what puts the "your" into "your money".  There came the toy guns. What's more, he got into paint ball, so his guns could actua

I have to say that Tokyo rocks.  I'm sure that many of the great things I'm experiencing are true of the major cities of the world.  Still, this the first one that I'm in, so I get to attribute it to Tokyo. I'm living in Akasaka in temporary housing for two months.  This means that my apartment is far nicer than one I can afford. It's huge and boasts a king-sized bed.  Kinori has moved into the small bedroom which is still much larger than his entire previous apartment. My commute to Microsoft Japan at Shinagawa takes just minutes. I walk right by a Starbucks as well as many convenience stores, cafes, restaurants and bars on the way. Each morning I get my grande hot drip coffee and sometimes a half sandwich and look down at the crowd flowing through Shinagawa station. Monday this week I headed off to complete essential errands.  I registered my residency with the ward office, obtained a Japanese SIM card for my iPhone and then opened a bank account. The SIM

My first day of work at Microsoft Japan. People thought I was crazy to schedule to attend work the day after arriving in Japan. But, the adventure of going to work and the stimulation of the new environment kept my awake, energized and eyes wide open. I was exhausted, so I thankfully slept through the night. Aside from bathing and acquisition of food, both great topics in relation to Japan, the commute was job zero.  Akasaka is right in the middle of Tokyo, so I followed Kinori.  His work is one stop away at Tamachi and I just had to go on to Shinagawa.  We took the Ginza line to transfer to the Yamanote line.  Yamanote line is a major JR (Japan Railways - the national railway) line that goes in a big circle around the center of Tokyo.  Each stop is a major urban center like downtown Seattle with a huge collection of skyscrapers.  But, the trains stop at each stop, so if you're going around this circle, it takes time.  People come in along spoke lines and take chord lines to cope

January 13-14, 2018. Delta Flight 167. Narita and Tokyo, Japan. This is it! I’m on the airplane and we’ve reached cruising altitude. I’m totally leaving on a jet plane and I really don’t know when I’ll be back again! OMG. The feeling is this exquisite blend of excitement and regret. What am I doing? And how can I not go? I am the arrow, released from the bow string; intention powering me towards my target. https://youtu.be/Na-G_Z5A9dU The flight went well with lots of sleep. I watched the new Netflix move "Bright" which was great.  Orcs, elves and LA police.  What's not to love?  The gentleman next to me was from NEC and showed me cool CES photos. Automatic clothes folding machines. :-) Then, it was time to land and my doctor's prediction about ear problems with my flu/cold bore true.  Ouch. But, Narita beckoned: I sent all my luggage ahead to my temporary housing, took the Narita Express to the Tokyo station and met Kinori on the Yamanote platfor