What have we been up to?

Time is flying by here in Tokyo. I wish that I could tell you that I've had some terrific adventure, but no such luck. Here's what has been keeping us busy:

1. Some partners and associates at Jonathan's law firm took us out to dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant. I wouldn't necessarily call it fancy, but it was expensive and the food was delicious. I wish I took more pictures of it for you to see. I had a surprisingly good time. The associates could all speak English and they were all very fun, especially when you get a few glasses of Kirin in them.
Please notice the the gentleman with white hair. He's one of the most famous lawyers in Japan and the most senior partner in the firm. He graduated from the same law school as Jonathan in 1969 (I think). He likes to talk about fishing. He said that he wanted to take Jonathan under his wing. The guy to the left of Jonathan is the partner that Jonathan works for directly. He compared Jonathan and me to the couple from the movie "The Firm." This means that yet another Japanese person has compared Jonathan to Tom Cruise. Also notice the young'un to the right of me.
Here's a close up. Yes, it's true. People look much younger in Japan than they do in America. This little guy, who's about my height, literally looks 14 years old. But do not be fooled by outward appearances, it's what's on the inside that counts. This 25 year old associate is a super star in the firm. He is the youngest person ever to pass the Japanese Bar exam. And I should mention that at a team building retreat that Jonathan attended this young man won a drag queen contest. Don't you just want to squeeze him?

Here's some of the food. We didn't actually order anything. They just brought one dish after another until they could tell we would explode:



2. Sumie.

I took a Japanese painting class called sumie. Sumie is an ancient form of painting which involves painting with handmade ink. It's a lot like painting in watercolor. And although originally Sumie did not use colors, it does now, and sumie painters make some very exquisite art.

The man who teaches the class is from Isreal, but he has been living in Tokyo for 30 years. It is obvious that he now considers himself to be Japanese. He is moody and testy, just as you might imagine an artist would be if he was reduced to teaching a stupid white girl tourist how to paint. I could understand where he was coming from, so I don't hold it against him.

The lesson started off with making the ink. I held a bar of what appeared to be a dense charcoal and rubbed in rhythmically over an inkstone filled with water until it became the consistency of olive oil. My teacher said that during this process I should be meditating, then he went to the corner of the room to chain smoke for 20 minutes. He then painted a scene and had me imitate his drawing...with no real instruction. He simply said watch, and then do. When I called him, using his first name, for some help, he bent low and spoke slowly just a few inches from my face, "THIS is sumie, and I am SENSEI." Got it...

Here is his:


These are my attempts to imitate:


3. Fabric Shopping:

I found some amazing fabric in Shibuya at Marunan. Here's some:
This is fabric is called "echino," I think they sell it in the States:

There was a whole wall of patent leather.

4. Tiffany's

As many of you know, a diamond fell out of my ring. So, on a day of boredom I decided to go to Tiffany's to try on the most expensive rings in the store. I was with the Japanese wife of another summer intern, and I could tell that she was a bit mortified that I would walk into Tiffany's in my jeans and sandals and ask to try on rings that cost, well, a fortune. But as soon as I made her try one of the rings on herself, she fell in love. We spent a good hour asking the sales woman to pull out rings that were protected beneath bullet proof glass so we could try them on and then shout..."No, No, this one is too small."

Here's mine:

Here was my favorite at Tiffany's.
Not THAT big, right? I told the lady that I would like to exchange my ring, for this $80,000 ring. She genuinely laughed at me.

5. Volunteering

I've been volunteering at a place called Center for International Exchange (CIE). The organization embodies the spirit of the friendship of John Manjiro and Captain Whitfield. Manjiro was shipwrecked at the age of 14 and was rescued by a Massachusetts native, Captain Whitfield, who became a benefactor to the boy. Manjiro became one of the first Japanese to visit America. Now CIE provides Americans and Japanese with cultural exchange opportunities in both countries. What do I do? Office work and editing. It's better than nothing.