November 22, 2004 - Books from Dad

We just received two packages of books from my dad. I had forgotten how much Tim and I both love our books. Garden Plants of Japan by Ran Levy-Yamamori & Gerard Taaffe. Tim had to peel me off the ceiling and tell me to calm down after Garden Plants of Japan arrived. I have been looking for a book like this that is written in English ever since I got here. It's like finding the key to an ancient language that answers the questions that hover constantly in my mind. My neighbor upstairs seemed a bit perplexed when I explained to her that I read these books from cover to cover for pleasure. Japanese Folkhouses by Norman F. Carver. (We received the 2003 edition, which is not available on Amazon.) Tim and I visited the Open Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses several weeks ago in Osaka. The museum is comprised of a collection of wooden farmhouses that have been moved from different areas of Japan to an open-air hillside. We wandered on dirt paths, past bamboo patches and through each of the historic wooden homes as we pretended to turn back the hands of time. This book includes photos from the early 1900's, which makes it even easier to imagine living in these places. I love the images of working people that are included in this book. It is still possible to see older farmers and carpenters today, but they are often carrying some modern device that gives away the current date. I found it very interesting that the author of Japanese Folk Houses (Norman Carver) has won a number of grants to document vanishing architectural styles from around the world. The architecture of Japan is equally compelling to that of the North African and Mexican villages, Greek Island villages, and Italian hill-towns that he has written about. Quick, where's the number for my travel agent? Japanese Gardens in a Weekend by Robert Ketchell. This book will help me bring ideas home with me and gives instructions on how to actually build things. I am already imagining we will need to rent space in a container ship to get our treasured belongings home!

November 22, 2004 - Kyoto with Zak
	Yesterday, Tim and I went to Kyoto to meet up with my old friend Zak Cook. We spent the day at an ancient Temple complex (To-ji Temple) making our way through a massive flea market. There are loads of antiques and it happens once every month. The vendors at this flea market were packed almost as tightly as the crowds. Stalls extended one block outside each end of the temple gates and the foot traffic was tight! It was so tight that getting good shots was quite difficult as I tried to keep track of both Tim and Zak. We all did a bit of Christmas browsing and sampled some of the local specialties. I had a cake type pastry that was shaped like a fish and filled with bean paste. Zak had the same fish-shaped treat, but with slightly different seasoning and filled with pastry cream. Yum! Seasonal treats abound as well. Chestnuts are quite popular during autumn, as are roasted sweet potatoes, french-fried sweet potatoes, persimmon (kaki), Asian pears (nashi), the ever-popular green squash (or pumpkin, as they like to call it), and sugar candies shaped like Japanese Maple (momiji) leaves. I am really enjoying eating all the seasonal foods. The seasons are highly praised which makes it nearly impossible to not know what is in season. While some of it can be used for marketing, I really think they do a good job of keeping the old traditional foods and symbols alive. I don't know a single Japanese person who does not know how spectacular it is to see a cherry tree in full bloom. Viva la difference, and get to know your homeland!
	After that, we managed to get a bus to Gion - the area famous for its' geisha. Since it was a pre-holiday weekend AND the seasonal fall color time, there were more women wearing Kimonos than I have seen in my 4 visits to Kyoto. Very exciting. In order to catch a bus ride, we had to let the first bus pass, as it was packed with people. For this busy time, official helpers work at the bus stops to push people into the bus. I am amazed at the agility of seemingly elderly folks. I saw the most endearing thing ever on the bus we did catch. A woman, who was probably in her late 70's or early 80's and not even 4' tall, gave up her seat for an even older and smaller woman who seemed to need it more than she did. We all tipped our hats to her as she beamed with humble pride. She stood until the next stop when someone else gave her a seat.

Guest Contributor Lara B. Kellogg - Tibet Part 2

It is so interesting here, we met an old woman (72 years) we call her smoking lady, she was an academic aristocrat who was imprisoned by the Chinese for being an intellectual. Her 90-year old sister is a nun who was also imprisoned. She writes books about Tibetan traditions and publishes them. She is currently working on a book about songs and stories surrounding the mountains. For each mountain we climb she gives us a song! We brought her three packs of cigarettes today and she had special necklaces and scarves blessed by the highest lama who is in the mountain business. Chad and I now have seeds we eat when we are scared, something we have to sprinkle on our packs and scarves with special blessed knots to wear around our necks and a weird fabric necklace. Glad someone will be looking out for us!

©2004    contact us