Scribbler's Cafe

Kiomye enjoying a sunny spring afternoon. 

posted by Scribbler @ Wednesday, April 06, 2005 0 comments

This is a very distant shot to the sumo tournament I recently caught in Osaka. Prime entertainment, I swear! 

posted by Scribbler @ Wednesday, April 06, 2005 0 comments

Kiomye playing princess in the easter dress Grandma sent. This piece of art is entitled: Princess in bowl with umbrella 

posted by Scribbler @ Wednesday, April 06, 2005 0 comments

Tokyo toilet paper for special people. 

posted by Scribbler @ Wednesday, April 06, 2005 0 comments

A shot of the Shibuya neighborhood in Tokyo. The cross walk has five directions. The crowd pictured in this shot the the lightest I ever saw in Tokyo. 

posted by Scribbler @ Wednesday, April 06, 2005 0 comments

This was the treat that Abby brought me back from her trip to Hokaiddo. The text reads: FINE BEER JELLY IN CHOCOLATE. Frightening, I know. Shockingly enough, they were actually pretty good. 

posted by Scribbler @ Wednesday, April 06, 2005 0 comments

Habits

I stayed up way too late with Abby last night watching Kill Bill 2 and drinking fruity chu-hi. Kiomye woke me up early this morning with sweet toned requested for cookies, apple juice and her "blue man" (whatever that is).

Matt came over yesterday. We hung out for a couple hours, then he picked up Kio from school and took her out to dinner. He spent most of the evening cuddled up on the couch with her watching a movie. Sigh. I was the one who called him. He came by the before as well, on some silly little guise. He was the one who called that time. I wonder if today will be the first day I will be able to get through without reaching out to him. We have yet to see.

I need to get out of the house. I need to get away from the computer.

posted by Scribbler @ Wednesday, April 06, 2005 0 comments

Note to Carolyn*

Are you still a Parlor City Commons Rat? Check your email!

posted by Scribbler @ Wednesday, April 06, 2005 0 comments

Tampopo - The movie poster. I highly recommend this terribly bizarre film. Very amusing and enjoyable! 

posted by Scribbler @ Tuesday, April 05, 2005 1 comments

Tampopo Pop Art 

posted by Scribbler @ Tuesday, April 05, 2005 0 comments

A scene from Tampopo, a hilariously serious movie about food and Japan's oral fixation. Note the Japanese cowboy. 

posted by Scribbler @ Tuesday, April 05, 2005 1 comments

Reprise Revisited

My father left this morning. He flew across the ocean and stayed with me for a week. I dragged him up and down the metropolitan areas of central Japan. With the help of Dan and Abby, we forced him to partake in his first karaoke party, which he quickly took to with great gusto. We dinned with my boss on chanko nabe, the billion calorie stew that only the champion sumo wrestlers get to eat. I showed him the little mountain behind the school where I teach and we climbed up to the temple from which you can see from Osaka to Kobe. We retreated inland and I took him to my most beloved city in Japan, Kyoto. We had an excellent French meal in Gion, slept on tatami mats in ryokan and ruthlessly shopped the street leading to Kiyomizu-dera.

I wore him out. He wore me out. It was great fun.

Now he is gone. So is Matt. It’s just me and the screamer. Today is my first day as a pseudo-single woman. I slept in late and walked Kiomye to school in bright sunlight. Thank God for Spring and blooming flowers. How can any one be sad when cherry blossom petals keep dropping in your eyes? Now I am catching up on so so much neglected correspondence and listening to Sting’s “Brand New Day.” The house is clean. I’ve hung new pictures. I bought a leafy plant. Later today I will go shopping for new bedding, then hole up in a coffeeshop and write write write. Breathe. I’m still OK.

posted by Scribbler @ Tuesday, April 05, 2005 0 comments

Forgive my reprise

Walt Whitman wrote of that road less traveled by, “Not I -- not anyone else, can travel that road for you. You must travel it yourself.”

Many things have happened sine my last post. When was my last post? I don’t even remember. At first, I simply was very busy and didn’t have time to post. Then, when I finally had time, I was overwhelmed by the amount of catch up I wanted to do. Then, I got busy again. Then… the road of my life took one of those bends I didn’t see coming.

I roamed the streets of Kyoto and Tokyo. I wrote a hundred pages in my novel. I learned to love sumo. And, I asked my husband for a separation.

Matt fills out the paper work on his new bachelor pad tomorrow. He will stay in Japan, he won’t go back to America. For now. He will come every weekend to play with Kiomye. I have little anger, a great deal of sadness, and a sparkling hope for what will come. Our love is absurdly deep. Strip away all the accoutrements of our relationship, the familiar comfort, the kisses, the promise of forever – I find I still love him. His imprint on my soul is very deep.

Yet still… I do not ask him to stay.

As this blog is public and I do not desire to put down my (still technically) husband in a public forum, I will exclude the reasons why I have asked for this separation from this post. Dear friends can email me privately.

Strangely, I have joy. If you are traveling the wrong road, it is always best to turn around and head back to the beginning, no mater how far you’ve gone.

posted by Scribbler @ Friday, April 01, 2005 3 comments