Boo!

It's significantly more chilly outside than when I first arrived here. Was it so long ago that I stepped out of the air-conditioned airport terminal and into the great outdoor sauna of August?

A lot has changed but not much has happened. I have been slowing down on travels (not to mention blog updates) probably because I'm no longer a simple tourist here - this has become my home. For someone who travels often, I'd like to think my home is the space my body currently occupies, but there's still an inescapable state-of-mind aspect. It doesn't mean I will stop touring, of course, but there's more to it than touring for the sake of touring, because you're in a place that you won't be again for some time. Hell, I've willingly visited more places in Japan than in the United States. Firstly because I was a "visitor", but now that logic has faded.

A group of us watched The Motorcycle Diaries tonight, and it did a great job of breathing life into the descriptions that make Che's original reflections so powerful. A hundred pages or so, it would take about as much time to read it as to watch it, and I highly recommend either. It makes me wonder if a cross-country trip would even be possible in the States. In attempting to parallel the two, I'm left with little more than stark differences. Would you offer a meal to a man who showed up on your porch on a motorcycle? A place to sleep? Maybe instead of just guessing I should be content to honestly answer "I don't know" what kind of hospitality one could expect. Perhaps I'm too doubtful of Americans for my own good, but I feel that for most people, the culture is far too different and this concept would fail. I'd imagine both parties involved to be equally afraid of one another.

Regarding the "parties", the Yamanote train party was a huge failure.. to the point where we never made it to the destination.. because we never started for it.. because of yet another typhoon. Nothing like wind, rain and darkness that forecast a 90% chance of death with guaranteed uncomfortable sensations from wearing a soaked costume all night. We stayed in, had some drinks, and watched Evil Dead 1 and 3 while dressed up. As lame as staying in seems, I'm growing all too fond of the cross-culture confessionals - which alcohol always aids.

I hope you all had some sort of fun this season. If not, you can always learn as much from your kids as they can learn from you.