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This was one of those kinds of weeks when you really
feel like you are earning your pay.
At work I am going through the annual budget cycle
and building the Navy environmental program for Japan
and Diego Garcia for the next fiscal year.
It has been a week of very long days, sometimes starting
at 3 a.m. and ending usually around 6:30 p.m., not to
mention the fact that I will have to go in for at least
one day this weekend to get it all done before the deadline.
But working a couple weekends a year is a very small
price to pay for getting the chance to live here in
Japan. Compared to a lot of peoples work schedules here
in Japan I am only considered to be working part time
since my day is usually from 7:30 to 4:30 and I very
rarely need to put in any extra hours in the evenings
or on the weekends.
I'll do my best to get it all done tomorrow so I will
have Sunday free to go out and do some exploring with
my camera.
--
The first official day of spring was last week, and
you really can notice the days getting longer, if not
warmer as well. It won't be too much longer before things
start growing again and the rainy season shows its face.
I can't wait for spring. It is an absolutely glorious
time to be here.
The cherry blossoms, the warm rains, and bright and
sunny days devoid of the humidity that plague the summer
months. Spring really is a fabulous time here.
--
I get a lot of e-mail from viewers, and I do my best
to answer all of it. Most are questions about finding
jobs in japan, or about what camera to buy, or just
a quick thank you from someone who enjoys Sushicam.
But every once in a while I get an e-mail that really
touches me. Following is an email I recently received.
(The name of the sender has been withheld, and they
can claim it as their own if they so desire.)
Hi Jeff....!
I have been visiting your site for about 2 years now
to look at all your wonderful pictures & read your
stories & reminisce about my own time in Japan.
I lived in Japan for almost four years in the '90's,
so I can relate to everything you speak of. I was reading
your post about how it has been 5 years since you came
to Japan, and I realized with a shock that at this very
moment (12:59 a.m EST on February 3rd) that it is exactly
9 years ago this very moment that I was stepping off
a plane back here at Toronto International Airport.
Not a single day has gone by without my thinking of
my time in Japan - the good, (matsuri, vending machines
selling anything & everything, beautiful scenery)
the not so good (crowds everywhere, concrete everywhere,
train perverts) & the stuff that just plain drove
me crazy (ATM's that shut down at 5, no public transit
at night, lack of central heating). Cherish & savour
every moment you are there, because you never know where
life will lead you. I had to come home due to illness
in the family, and I have never managed to get back
to Nihon. I have been planning a return trip for the
past 9 years, but haven't been able to manage it yet.
I am hoping that I will be able to make it back before
I'm 40. (only two years to go...!!)
When I was there, there was no such thing as the Internet
- I relied on my Lonely Planet and word of mouth from
others to decide where to go & what to see. There
was so much I did not get to see & do, and I cherish
the memories I do have. I have about 30 photo albums
of pictures I took while there, and every once in awhile,
I take them out & go through them, remembering who,
what, when, where, etc, so that my memories don't fade
away. But most of my photos are not as half as good
as yours..:) Sometimes your photos have almost brought
me to tears, and on a few occasions they have made me
weep with 'homesickness' because of the memories they
evoked in me. Your photos of Kyoto are especially powerful,
as I fell in love with the city even though I spent
a brief 10 days there.
The years have flown by quickly, and I have lost touch
with everyone I knew when I was there. We all eventually
ended up back in our home countries & drifted apart,
but the memories remain. If I could find a way to move
back to Japan on a permanent basis, I would do it in
a heartbeat, even though I would probably find even
more things there that would drive me crazy...lololol....
And the next time you're in Kyoto, if you'd like a giggle,
go to the storage lockers in front of the station (on
the Kyoto Tower side) and read the rules about storing
your 'luggage'. If I recall correctly, there's a rule
about not using the lockers to store dead bodies....
LOLOLOL... when I saw that, I roared with laughter -
you see, I was in Japan on a contract as an Embalmer...(why
I didn't take a photo of that, I don't know....) I decided
to spent New Years' in Kyoto, among the living, and
I 'lived it up' that night - the best New Years' I have
ever had...:)
So I thank you for all your posts, and wonderful photos
& the videos, too (such a treat). They brighten
my day, and make me remember my own experiences.
So take care of yourself & your family & keep
it up with the fabulous website...
Sincerely,
(Name withheld)
--
This is the best kind of reward I can get from the
effort I put into Sushicam. Connecting with a person
and providing a "natsukashii" tour down memory
lane.
If I ever leave Japan I know I will be in the very same
situation as the author of that email.
I'll just need to find some good blogs to keep my appetite
for Japan sated until I can make it back here, back
home.
Comment 26
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