Almost home

This is my last post before I head home! I can't wait to be home with my family!
This evening I'm going to post mostly photos so I can get to bed early to be ready for a compressed morning of last sight-seeing.
In short, after a morning of swimming and surprises (ask me about these stories when we meet!)I went to Asakusa, a fairly traditional neighborhood in Japan. Traditional means they sell a lot of "japanese stuff" out of tiny tiny shops in houses about 200 years old. It was a big contrast to the intersection just outside my hotel (see previous post). This is also the home of one of the main temples in Tokyo. The neighborhood capitalizes very well on its traditional status and proximity to the temple. There are trinkets galore to buy and lots of traditional snacks and sweets. It was really fun and nice to be among tourists from all over the world (even from Japan).
I have officially managed to stuff all my little hand-chosen trinkets into my suitcase and so will have lots to share! And thank God the stuffed animals for Amelia fit into my backpack. I don't recommend stuffed animals as souvenirs.







The candle in the middle on the right is for Rich Olsen


There was some event happening just outside the Jinga (shrine, pronounced like "ginger" with an Australian accent :) and five geisha had been hired to attend. They made quite a scene with everyone around taking pictures and looking. They were extremely fascinating and beautiful. And I confess I was one of the herd in my admiration and photo-snapping.




Some videos....

Totoro's House

Today I visited the Ghibli Museum, a location/destination all about the animation studio that makes our favorite animated movies, including Totoro. If you haven't seen it, come over to our house and you can watch it any day with Amelia. This was a highlight of my trip and something I really planned for. The creator of these films and director of the studios, Hayao Miyazaki, was adamant that the museum not be too crowded. So, you have to buy a ticket in advance for a specific two-hour window on a specific day. Only those holding tickets for that time are let in the museum!
The experience was a total delight and I left energized, as opposed to zoned out an exhausted, which is how I feel leaving most museums. Sorry, they didn't allow photographs inside the museum!
The only disappointment was that I bought some DVDs and had to return them because they won't play in the U.S. Luckily, Michelle's husband Bart saved me (and a lot of money) by recognizing the problem at lunchtime.
Here are some pics of the Ghibli Museum:





I spent the rest of the day walking and walking and walking. Among other destinations, I took the train and walked a considerable distance to a museum that was CLOSED. Arrrgh. It was my mistake, but I was still really frustrated.
My dogs are really tired now and it's late so I'll say oyasumi nasai (g'night) for now and leave you with these last two pics.

Way Up High!!

Today I visited the Mori Museum in Roppongi, a Tokyo neighborhood indistinguishable from my hotel's neighborhood. The museum is on the 54th floor of a circular tower building. On top (57th Fl) is an open air observatory (the highest in the world!!! omg!). Mom, you would have HATED it (for those who don't know, she doesn't like heights). Funny thing was, the air smelled like grease from all the kitchen exhaust being blown out into the sky!
Around the museum's perimeter on the 54th floor is a walkway with the same view as the observatory, but at least here you're glassed in. It was pretty cool to see the entire city, all 360 degrees of Tokyo. It wasn't clear, or else Mount Fuji would be visible (ooooh, aaaaah).
After art I caught a movie at the film festival happening in the same complex.
By the time I returned to my hotel I was done **un!** but paused outside long enough to film the "busiest pedestrian intersection in the world." (More ooohs and aaaaahs). I took the video below on sunday evening so it's not even the busiest time. Warning: you might want to turn the volume on your computer down before playing the video. It's unbelievably noisy.
Pics below:







Mom, this photo is for you. Orchids on steroids:

Fete at the Foreign Correspondence Club

Today was my first semi-free day. I spent the morning working and dying to get out in the sunshine. Finally it was great hunger that got me out of my chair and downstairs into the basement 5th floor (there are 5 basement floors UNDER my hotel, which itself is 25 stories tall.). I was too starving to be choosy so I ended up eating a real Japanese delicacy, Omurice. This is an omelet stuffed full of tomato sauce flavored rice and a few grey frozen peas thrown in. This one came with a side of saucy stewed beef and mushrooms. It was mildly icky, but it really filled my tummy.
Of on an adventure to find two things: children and dirt.
Sounds weird, but I miss Amelia so much and I'm so accustomed to being around children all the time that I just wanted to hang around near some kids. Also, my feet had walked on concrete for 6 straight days so I was longing for oxygenated air and soil. I managed to find a nice park (had to pay to get in-- argh).
I promised Nate some photos of myself today so here's the first:


Do I look tired to you too? I am/was!



First thing I did, after finding some cute kids to watch


was to take a snooze on the grass. It was divine. I felt refreshed enough to make a sketch.




Ron and Darlene, my friends and boss (Darlene is executive director of The Missing Peace Project and my boss. Ron is her husband) had kindly invited me to their hotel for a swim this afternoon. I was really ready for this. I swam in the crystal clear pool on the 47th floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel. It was divine and revived me completely. (sorry, no photos. I had to pretend I was Darlene to get in and didn't want to attract extra attention!).
Next was a dinner at the Foreign Correspondence Club. Darlene and Ron were nice enough to invite me knowing I was here alone. Turns out it was much fancier and full of important people than we expected!
This evening, I met politicians, journalists, an ambassador's family, a relative of the emperor, his wife, and many Tibetans who have worked for decades in Japan to further the cause of Tibetan independence. It was quite amazing and most of the time I didn't know what to say at all. Here's a photo to give a flavor of the evening:

If I'd known, I might have skipped the stripey tights!
I know enough to know that when I'm at a loss I can find someone I haven't met and exchange business cards! That's always good for 2-3 minutes of conversation which often leads to slightly more in-depth conversation about a person's life. I got a lot of cards tonight!
All in all, I was touched by the people at this event and by the hearts of those spending their lives working for this cause.
It was a lovely party. G'night!

Konnichiwa!
I've been in Japan now for 5 days and this is the first opportunity I've had to take a breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***************************************
Did everyone inhale and exhale? I hope so.
I've been here installing an art exhibition called The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama. http://www.tmpp.org
It's a cool show and I've been working with it, on it for just over 2 years.
Even though the show has traveled from L.A. to Chicago, to New York City, San Francisco, and now Tokyo, this has been my first opportunity to travel for installation. Until now, I haven't felt comfortable leaving Amelia for such a long period of time. And even though it's awful and hard to be apart from my family, I dunno, maybe it's okay too.
I'll stop writing now and put up some photos....
My hotel room and the very chair I'm now sitting in!!!!


This is a really nice hotel room. Spacious and just right with two comfy beds, this nice desk with high speed internet, and a view. I won't say it's a good view, but it's vast:





The view in the photo above right is pretty much the view from all around the hotel. That is, you can't see the end of this city as far as you look in any direction on a clear day. That just blows my mind.
Being here I feel big and small at the same time. I feel big when I try to squeeze into the tiny seats on the tiny bus, but really small when I try to think about the 12 million people living here.

My world thusfar has been mostly confined to my hotel, the "foodshow" in the basement of the adjacent department store (see photos below), the walk to the bus that takes me directly to the site of the exhibition. The work has been long and hard so I'm anxious to just wander.


Hmmm. Can't see much because there are SO MANY PEOPLE!! I'll have to take more photos tomorrow of this basement of banquets.
For now, it's off to bed. Going to try to find some yoga tomorrow morning.
Love to you all and especially to little Ame :)