Goodbye Tokyo--Hello Singapore

an old post from monday 8/18:

I am in Singapore today after arriving late last night from Tokyo. Joey's wedding was a bizarre and hilarious success complete with friends in kilts, tupac shakur rap songs, and yours truly playing to hundreds at their reception. They made everyone quiet down, gather around me, and put the spotlight on me. I just had to laugh at how funny and absurd it was. Joey got fanagled and tricked into doing a first dance with Ai during my song and he looked at me and pretended to slit his throat like "YOU are so dead!" He had a blast though and everyone howled and screamed for them.

Afterwards, we made our way to Ikebukuro, Tokyo to the Ale House, an underground pub that was rented out for all of Joey and Ai's close friends for an afterparty. We had unlimited drinks and food and partied until the last trains. I was so excited to see my friend Jeremiah Trusty from Wheaton at the pub. He is playing basketball with Athletes in Action and serving with Campus Crusade for Christ in Japan. Jeremiah used to direct a rockin gospel worship team at Wheaton and I was a part of that group. It was good to reminisce and share dreams again. Jeremiah used to talk in college about how he dreamt of doing a worldwide tour with a gospel group and how I would be the first person to call if he did end up doing it. The dream is still alive and once he heads home to Philly this September, he's going to try and realize it. Maybe next year, I'll be on an international gospel team with good ole JT.

Joey gets married today

The last few days were a blur. Kyoto was a bigger city than I thought and I was glad to sign up last minute for a tour of the major shrines and castles. I went to Nijo Castle, the Imperial Palace, and the Golden Pavilion. Nijo Castle was my favorite. I also met a solo female traveler, an Estonian New Yorker and I was glad for the encouragement for the next leg of my journey where I truly will be going solo.

Came back through Atami and stopped for a famous hot springs bath before heading back to Tokyo to join up with the Millards. Last night, I hung out with the ladies where we had a pseudo bachelorette night for Ai. We went to Christian Academy, and helped Ai set up the last of her decorations in the auditorium and cafeteria. Then we had a big meal of sushi and went to a shopping center to surprise her with a gift of lingerie. It was fun laughing with Ai and helping her take some of the wedding stress off. Then we went to an Italian cafe for dessert and a time of encouragement. We asked her questions for reflection and played games and prayed for her. Ana, Joey's sister, started crying as she prayed because she was so thankful that Ai was joining their family. They were friends first in Oregon where they both went to school before Joey entered the picture. It was really sweet and beautiful to witness the open hearts of love, the friendship and joy of families growing and relationships growing stronger.

I'm seeing old friends that I haven't seend in a while from Wheaton. I've also been pulled to sing a cover of Rosie Thomas song "You and me" for their reception. Yikes! Got to practice today.

One point of concern--i was never able to get my bali roundtrip ticket for singapore and I leave tomorrow. I'm going to try and buy it today but I may just need to buy it at the counter. Anybody ever done that before?

I'm off to prepare for the wedding...listening to Ai and Joey talk about their feelings on getting married--I realized, it's just this impossible decision that you make to do something you feel like you have no idea about. It's a wild decision that you make and somehow, unbeknownst to yourself, you just keep sticking with it each day until one day you are finally married. It's been encouraging for me to hear how much they are unsure too and don't feel ready and have wanted to pull out and still can't believe it's happening. The difference between them and me is that they were eventually able to just accept the chaos, the uncertainty, and the messiness of it all.

Aight, I'm out. Let's hope bali flights work out. and Congratulations to Ai and Joey!

(by the way, my English on this blog wil certainly get worse and worse. Be prepared--this happens when I visit Asia)

Leaving on a bullet train

Today I board the shinkansen for Kyoto.  Doing touristy stuff makes me feel perpetually jetlagged and off but I think it will be nice to ride the bullet train and see the countryside.  Japan is very green and beautiful.  

Yesterday, Joey took a couple of us to see the Meiji shrine and the Harajuku and Shibuya Districts.  We ate yummy sushi, gawked at the Harajuku girls (people really like to dress up here, and were absolutely enthralled with the store, Loft.  Loft is a 5 floor store with everything beautiful you can think of but the best is the 1st floor filled with stationery and notebooks and pens and art supplies and japanese papers.

After we came back, Joey and Ana took us to one of their favorite Japanese diners.  They have been going there for over 20 years.  It was this tiny hole in the wall place with only room for a bar and a small table at the back of the store.  We ate hot yakisoba and lots of pork and eggplant dishes.  Yum, homestyle Japanese cooking.

It's been interesting being here.  The thing I like the most is that everything is so clean and userfriendly.  The bathrooms never smell, there are bidets everywhere, and everything is my size.  The mechanical designs of everything from kitchens to trucks and subway stations are so intuitive that I just think, why has America not done this yet?  They even have textured tiles in the middle of sidewalks and walkways so that blind people can follow them and know where they are going.  And the 7-11s.  Oh man, filled to the brim with delectable snacks, drinks, breads, and curry pockets.  I'm getting hungry.  Time for breakfast!

Doomo Japan!

Hello all, I made it to Tokyo with only one throwup incident in the airplane and most exciting of all, I was on the same flight as COMMON!!! I didn't even recognize him and his entourage until Jacob pointed him out at the baggage claim. He was just a few feet away from me. Wow, what an exciting start to an Asia adventure of a lifetime!

A bus ride to Nishihoya (West Tokyo City, Tokyo Prefecture) reunited me with my dear friend Joey Millard, his two brothers Davey and Noah, and his sister Ana, Yumiko (Davey's wife), Hannah-a cousin, and Ai, the soon to be wife of Joey.

We went to the public bathhouse and bathed up. I got to know the ladies fast as we bonded over boiling water. Then we hit up a snack shop and ate a midnight snack of aloe juice and curry on rice.

Today we are off to Tokyo to see the sights. It's been a great start. It's always a party with the Millards and I feel blessed to be here. They asked me, is Japan like Korea? Japan actually feels like a combination of England, France, and Korea. I like it.

Ciao till next time. Arigato.

Last Day Pic with Jess

My favorite coworker and I. I'll miss her. She helped me get through this summer and go deeper.

She gave me a card and it says:
"You're gonna travel!!! Your time traveling is a joy, a time you'll never forget, a time to seek God's direction for the next path you'll take. Enjoy it! No Panic Moments! Turn to him in all things. Don't let anything steal the joy in this time of your life."

AWWWWWWWWWWW. See what I mean? She is a gem.

Wrapping UP

I'm wrapping up here and tying up loose ends with job, apartment, travel plans.

Yesterday, I did a headstand away from the wall for the first time. It's a time for new experiences, new challenges, and growth.

What have you done new this week?

My Day: Farewell Lunch, Centering Prayer, Driving

Today, my office went out for a farewell lunch. I stuffed myself silly with thai noodles, we laughed, we shared. At the end of the day, my boss came over to my desk and prayed for me. They all blessed me and said, we know this is what you need to do.

For all those who know me, you know that at times I have hated this job.  But today, I felt incredibly blessed to be released and blessed by my boss and coworkers.  I've grown to love them, to accept their humanity, and to be thankful for the really good things about them.

I drove away feeling incredibly happy.  Something had shifted in my heart.

Then I went to Centering Prayer group to join two of the loveliest women.  I stuffed myself silly with guacamole and chips.  I seriously have no shame about eating a ton of food.  It was my last week with them before departing on the trip.  I am thankful for the love they have shown me, the food S. has given me, and the support I have received to continue in my centering prayer practice and readings. 

I drove from that to Genebeb's house thinking, I am so grateful and proud of myself.  The last few months have been some of the hardest of my life and yet every single day, I chose to confront my pain, my fears, and go for this trip to Asia.  Now, less than a week before my departure date, I am exhilarated by the possibilities.  I am so excited that I am doing this.  And I know it's going to change my life.  I really went for it with this one peeps!  I didn't back down even when others bailed and crazy life got in the way.  I kept going.  And it is amazing to be here in this place with expectation.

That's all for now.  I just wanted to write that.  And how do you know I'm in SoCal?  Because I'm always driving.