Simple Pleasures

Today was a challenging day but a very successful one. It was a day in which I recovered a little piece of myself.

I have learnt over the years that in the morning when I first wake up I am very vulnerable emotionally. I often get depressing, recurrent thoughts at this time and the longer I lie there the worse they get. In recent times I have generally reacted to this situation by taking the obvious step: getting up. Since I have been in Japan, however, I have often had trouble mustering the willpower for that and instead lay there worrying more and more. Today was not one of those days!

I realise that I need to take care of this body of mine. My mind is a wild and undisciplined creature and it tends to lead me on a daily wild goose chase through a myriad of possible futures and a forest of whimsy. I figure I can't do all that much about that so at least I can make the vehicle as comfortable as possible. I did some stretching this morning and some Tai Chi and started the day feeling a bit better in my body than I usually do. Then I went to the dry cleaners. This is a small pleasure for me because I always go to the same small shop on the other side of the tracks and the woman who works there knows me now. Although we don't speak much it makes me feel like I am known and that I live in this place. I need that feeling to help anchor me to the present. Another thing that helps me to feel that I live here is starting to explore the neighbourhood. I have taken a few adventures on foot but on Friday I picked up my new bicycle and since then I have been on a few rides and started to get a better sense of where I am.

Not wanting to spend the whole day on my own at home on facebook I decided it would be a good idea to ride to Tokyo. Well I made it almost as far as Ikebukuro before I decided I had ridden far enough and tried to find something to eat. I saw the sign to Koenji at about this point but it was another 5 kilometres and I didn't feel I wanted to go quite that far.

From Tokyo Scenes - Various

From Tokyo Scenes - Various

It's great to have ridden as far as a sign that says Koenji though because in my mind I thought I was much further away than that. An hour and a half is actually not a bad ride if the weather is OK. I only worry about the return journey, tired at the end of a day. I found a very delicious little sushi restaurant and had a very tasty lunch with no book! I just sat and ate my food slowly and deliberately. At least those two zen sittings I attended reminded me that I should pay attention while I eat my food.

Returning to Niiza I passed a large army base in Asaka. I think one of my students is stationed there. I went to 'Jonathans' family restaurant to have a coffee and do my homework. Unfortunately it was very noisy and dark and I was seduced by dessert so I ended up feeling sick. At least I finished my homework though. The dessert was black sesame and soft-serve ice-cream with these weird little gelatinous white balls. I think they were made out of some sort of plant gum.

I went to Takadanobaba in the evening and cooked dinner with Jaime at her place there. I met Jaime at the Mother festival in Nagano where she was volunteering. She has lived in Japan for 8 years! We chatted about life, love, the future and other such things. Jaime, who used to organise parties in Japan, played me some house music. I love listening to new music and learning to appreciate different styles. This is the first time I have eaten a meal at someone's house (other than my own) since I have been here. It was so nice to do something so normal. I am fascinated by electronic music and its evolution. Eating with people in restaurants and bars just doesn't compare to a nice meal at home on a Monday night. I am reminded by this evenings and yesterdays cooking of how much I enjoy cooking for people. I hope I can do something with this, maybe next year in Italy for the G8!

So today has been a day of simple pleasures.