the foreigner who buys lots of coffee

it's saturday. i could have gotten up and gone to yoga, but i usually take this day off. it's kind of my "no yoga" day-don't teach, don't do. we have to get away from even the things we love sometimes. re-energize. many people practice because of the holiday approaching, the studio is closed for 4 days, it's their last chance. but i kind of feel like yoga does not really know this, and it's good to self practice if you have the room in your house. i wonder how many people do this. it can be quite enlightening.

i opted to cruise the not so busy tokyo streets, mostly in familiar territories, gasping at the huge sales. and bought another jacket-70% off. so nice. red corderoy with grey fake fur lining. however, i have no idea how i am going to get 3 coats stuffed into my ever growing suitcase. i figure i shall worry about it when i have to-in 7 weeks. i have a coat fetish. an entire closet full of coats from 1920s-now. and most i never wear. i just "have" them. i can't part with them, either. it's kind of weird, cause i don't have that typical "woman" purse/bag and shoe fetish at all. i can live in a single pair of shoes for years, comfort is mostly what i need. and i love the boots/shoes on other people, but i can't wear uncomfortable shoes-which means a heel more than a couple of centimenters. can't do the tight clothing thing, either.

i ended up in a hawaiian restaurant with no english in site for a panna cotta. "finding nemo" was on their flat screen with kanji subtitles. they sensed my pathetic aloneness and switched the subtitles to english. can't help it but i just love that movie. also "a sharks tale." i was already tired, and i only went in 2 stores, so i ventured back towards the train. the jamaican coffee place was open, so i stocked up cause everything will be closed tomorrow for a week. the owner's dad was in there and knew all about "the foreigner who buys lots of coffee." lucky for me he knew english and the first question he asked was "are you married." i always wonder why they ask that question. he also told me that i should do karaoke. it's like a religion here. i told him maybe some time. except....

i am shy.

now your heart is open...karaoke!!!

an interesting day today. i got up at a reasonable hour and went to yoga class. i had another nice practice. i think i'm on a roll. i just love practicing in the room where i teach, with the students i teach. there's nothing better than being part of the crowd. i never liked a separation between me, the teacher, and the students. because i also am a student, and i really enjoy teaching the people here. they are very kind to me and appreciative.

i went home and mom was blasting korean pop (k-pop?) dancing & singing along with a vaccum, cleaning the house. it was very cute and inspiring. then she went out with friends, decked out in a leather skirt. she is ageless, truly. i guess the japanese like to clean like crazy at the end of the year to start clean and fresh the new year. so they also spend hours on sunday, the 31st cleaning the yoga studio. a very nice thing indeed. so she left to shop, and i am left alone again, starting to feel quite depressed again. the lonliness thing is getting to be a bit much, but i guess that's the price i pay when going to far away lands to study and teach. there's a difference between being alone and lonely. i enjoy being alone, but lonliness is a killer.

tonight i went to a fairly large party with yoga peeps at a traditional japanese restaurant with ulimited food & drinks. it ended up being a surprise party for katzus friend kuma. she was very surprised. it was lovely, lots of fun, and a good chance to talk with some of the students. everyone usually has to book out of the studio to go to jobs, so these gatherings are very special. then zen wanted me to do karaokee "lost in translation" style, but it was already kind of late and my eyelids getting heavy, we will save that idea for another time. i am here almost 2 more months. me thinks it will happen. emi says, "you have drinks. now your heart is open. karaokee!" all i could say was "not enough drinks".

because i am shy.

well fed

i had received some enlightening personal responses to the previous blog entry, which helped me put things into perspective a little bit more, and not take things so seriously. i appreciate the support. because sometimes we have to seperate ourselves from what's going on inside of the class. and sometimes we have to understand that students will come around when they are ready. thanks for the advice.

today was rather surreal, as many days are for me here in tokyo. it is quite an alternative reality, very similar to my own life, but also quite different. something that i have noticed is the lack of help. last week i witnessed a woman struggling with putting her baby in a stroller, the baby was not cooperating, a full train of people, and not a single person helped keep her stroller from rolling away. only men getting increasingly annoyed that the baby was kicking them or the stroller was inhibiting their space. i could see her frustration. this morning a girl left her train pass. i noticed, but she trucked so fast i could not catch her. there's no way to exit without it. perhaps she made it back on. i don't know. and afterwards, on the street near the studio, a young woman who had been clubbing, i think, laying down on the pavement near a major intersection. no one asking if she needed help. so many people, so much alone. it's easy to feel "alone" here.

even though i've only had one hour 20 to squeak in a practice, i've been doing pretty stellar. if you don't stall, you can do it just fine. move it along. no worries. got through my stuff up to vasistasina, did plenty drop backs, & drop overs, and 15 minute savasana. and feel so good because of it. as much as i loathe intermediate, it really helps eleviate the pain i have in my hips & pelvis. strengthening is the key to pain. strengthen around the injury instead of pushing the injury. i am off work till thursday for holiday, new years is the big one here. then off a couple more. stocked up on fukuyama masaharu discs. can't get enough. and a friend gave me a j-pop comp. so things are good.

delved into the shibuya food court. such fun buying food from these places. so much to choose, and great prices. everything is fresh. rather go here than eat out. you got it all! ate 8 huge shumai and a bun, bought 2 big salads, got home and mom had made omelet, big asian salad & onigiri. trying to fit it in. trying. now mom is making me brekkie & lunch in addition to an impressive dinner. can you say "well fed?"

a curse and a blessing

i am blessed and cursed to be especially sensitive and to care a lot about the people i teach, no matter who it is. this makes it very difficult for little me to deal with difficult students. and i am going through a toughie right now. i don't want to get too specific as not to reveal this person, but i will talk generally about this issue that occasionally plagues my line of work.

what do you do when a student "wants" to do certain things but really "should" be working on things they would rather avoid? and they lose their minds at the mere mention of this suggestion? when i am trying to help, because i care, but can not for the life of me understand why one continues to come to class and not take a single suggestion? how is it that some students think that yoga is all about "them"? how does this happen? one of my biggest peeves, without trying to sound negative, is students who would rather work on what makes them "feel good" rather than what they are weak at. because i believe astanga yoga is a supreme balanacer. it addresses all of our weaknesses, forcing us to face what we do not like. it is extremely empowering to conquer something we can not do, extremely ego building to continually work on something that we are already good at. so astanga can do one of two things for you. if you choose-it can blow up your ego to the point of having a "jesus" complex, or it can annaihilate your ego and humble your soul. a far better choice, but not always an easy one. i've always been the kind of student who loves to have my ego slapped, which is why i choose the teachers i choose. they have all been really good at doing this to me, i have and continue to face demons, try to do stuff i hate. as a result, i feel i have become a more conscious & humble being. and the teachers that were all about "you're beautiful! oh, yes, do what you feel like! it's all about you, honey" i have run away from top speed. the best teachers in the world do not let you get away with your little crap. just study in mysore and you will see how sharath teaches. he is the best at this. i want to be a teacher like that. i can't help trying to be like my teachers, they are my role models. and it pains me when i cannot reach a student that so desperately needs help. so i am forced to do one of two things-ignore it, or keep trying. the easy thing to do is shut it off, don't "care" ignore it. the hardest thing to do is keep with them & have faith that they eventually will come around. i usually choose the latter, but suffer the consequences of having my energy totally drained by someone who does not really care that i am working so hard with them. teaching is a very tough profession. sometimes i wonder why i do it. then i realized i don't want to do anything else.

i really felt like exploring today, walking the town, having some fun for the first time in a few days, since i felt an energy boost-seems i'm always tired. but when i left the house, pouring rain. "well" i thought "the stores will be less crowded!" what is worse than walking the crowded streets in tokyo? walking the crowded streets in tokyo with everyone ducking under umbrellas. a little added challange. even the bike riders carry umbrellas, avoid getting hit by cars constantly, and avoid hitting people. it's tough here. kind of like a giant video game. that's an idea i'm not sure has been used yet. i'd call it "shibuya crossing-kill or be killed!"

so the "exploring" was not very productive. the rain won. my pants had become soaked from the knees down, my shoes & socks totally soaked, ugh..wet slippery feet. by the time i reached lululemon, i had become cranky, not able to find anything in that "prada" of athletic wear store. god, they are supremely overpriced, and i can't stand 80% of their clothes. well made, true, but ridiculously overpriced. yoga teachers do not make enough money to have a wardrobe of the stuff unless they have a job at the store.

but i did get to "lunch", my favorite ladies underwear & nightie store-there's one in the dry shibuya train station. love that place! and 8 pairs of cheap socks at 105 yen a piece-like 85 cents, AND some cheap makeup! i haven't worn makeup for almost 10 years. yes, tokyo has made me sort of ashamed at my unkept-no makeup-slob girl look and i'm now taking steps to change it. what do you think? is there hope?

motorbike santas

motorbike santas, originally uploaded by bindifry.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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sugar bunny

i'm 41 years old and have just purchased a "sugar bunny" to keep me company in tokyo. now i'm either regressing, losing my mind, turning japanese, or simply fond of all that is "kawaii" around me. i like to think the latter. but he's sitting in my lap right now and it feels pretty good. damn, the toys are so cute here i can hardly stand it.

my friend and host emi took me with her to ginza to eat at the only south indian restaurant in tokyo. i looked in the kitchen, check, all dark skinned indians cooking, so i knew it was going to be perfect. and it was. a dosa as good as any i have ever had in india. a thali to die for. chai mixed at the table indian style- you know, they pour it into a glass from 2 feet and repeat till it's mixed properly, with lots of sugar in the proper chai metal cups with the big lip. this is my third indian feast in japan. is it sad i continue to search for the indian food in japan? nope. the japanese are catching on to this "indian" food and they are loving it! mmmm....love india....want to see a bollywood movie right now!

ginza was so fun! so much to see, look at. of course the shopping is like sunset strip, so it's mostly window shopping for me, but we did end up in harajuku and some good purchases there- a couple of medium sized skirts for me!! thank god-it's good to be a medium.

tomorrow is busy. good. 2 classes, good long yoga in the morning, and a party hosted by my aussie friend jane. in some strange neighborhood i hope i can find....

let's hope i don't have to blog about it.

in tokyo i am a XXL

i knew tokyo was getting to me when i read yesterday's blog post. what a cranky thing. too negative, so i trashed the post. sorry to all of you who had to read that pile of garbage.

truth is, i am horribly lonely. everyone here works all day, and i am always alone. i very seldom get invited out with people, and it's hard to meet new people with my language problems. and always squeezing through people in tiny spaces makes me a little tense as well. i love walking around and shopping, exploring, but i can only last a couple hours at a time because the crowds & tiny spaces really get to me.

i am not getting used to being a giant here. i bought a cheap pair of basic brown boots for the holiday parties coming up, and i am a XXL! i only wear a size 8 in the US, (the standard american women's size) but here, thats a double xtra large. often the large size shirts don't even fit me, and i'm not that huge! couple days ago i tried on levi pencil skinny jeans. that was a huge mistake. these sizes just can't be right! and i have no plans to diet, because i live for the food here. and everywhere. i mean, what is so wrong with having some meat on your bones? i gotta work on that one.

i explored each of the 7 floors of the tower records. whoa. that almost killed me! luckily there are listening stations everywhere, so you can sample all the stuff that's in kanji. but cds are very expensive, and this one put me back 3900 yen-33 bucks! it's j-pop-masaharu fukuyama. love that stuff. it's kind of addictive to me. and they have an entire floor of it!

i forced myself to finish xmas shopping because i know if i let it go till tomorrow-saturday-surely i will be sorry. it's crowded enough on the weekdays-weekends are just masochistic. way.

and i went back to the jamacian coffee shop and there was my little bag of blue mountain sitting there waiting for me. 2800 yen for i think 100 grams. sheesh, could it be THAT good? i never had it before. i hate to put sugar & milk in it. so i brewed a cup, careful to use very little of the "diamonds"-you know what? the columbian for 700 yen is just as good! can someone tell me WHY this blue mountain stuff is so expensive? i guess it's like wine to me. i can drink the expensive stuff, but also the box wine.

moon day musings

being a pretty laid back day, i thought i would have nothing to write about. but as soon as i left my host pad, weird things began to happen, which i blame on the new moon. i ran out of coffee & decided to stop at the jamaican blue mountain store. as soon as i walked in, the shopkeeper yelled across the room, "columbian!!" cause he remembered me from before (gee, what features could have made me so obvious?) and i looked at him and said, "blue mountain." he gave a very serious look of concern, then proceded to speak very fast japanese to me for what seemed like 20 minutes. just like mom. going on, and on, and on...i guess it looks like i understand cause the talking never stops. they don't seem to care that i am not getting it. he's pointing at the several types of special beans, i think he's trying to tell me that it's expensive (i know this) and that he would hate to grind it in house because the beans are expensive & special. i felt like i was buying diamonds or something. so he points to his calander at thursday, the 22nd, which is tomorrow. and asks what time i come. so i say, um, one oclock? and he writes it down, bows to me repeatedly, and i leave not really knowing what just happened. will the beans arrive tomorrow? why do i have to make an appointment for them? hmmm...

train mishap again, but a new one. very crowded, all japanese language tonight, sometimes i get on the lucky train & there is some english, but alas not tonight. made it to shibuya, but did not know i was there because i couldn't hear or see a thing. now wait a minute. is the train going the opposite way? or is it my imagination? sure enough, halfway home i go. i squash myself off and wait for another train. i am almost late for teaching. how did this happen? finally i get off, into the human sardine paradise called shibuya station, approach the escalator & am accosted by a man with foul breath desperatly tugging at my purse, saying "you speak english?" "you help me. please! 500 yen!!" and i'm late for work, i don't have a clue what this dude wants me to help him with, and 500 yen is not enough money for any favor to a stranger, that's for sure. so weird. and approach the famous shibuya crossing, where several directions of human tsunami cross simeltaneously. it seems impossible to make your way through this unbelievable phenomenon, and i think to myself, "how do they do this every day?" you have to have strategy, how to get around everyone as swiftly & effortlessly as possible. and most of all, do not panic or stall, cause you will be eaten alive. or trampled to death.

on the trains going back i avoided the express because i finally was witnessing the squshers at work. now i've always heard about these guys-the ones that are paid to squash people onto the trains at busy times-but this is the first time i witnessed them in action. i actually saw whole feet sticking out of the doors! the men wedging the feet back into the train. unbelievable.

home late, late massive meal spread of only 5 dishes. and bath pushers. how many times a day do i have to take a bath? don't they know i have dry skin?

it's cold, it's dreary, it's tokyo....

it's cold, it's dreary, it's tokyo and i'm done with work, yoga, eating (well, i'm never really done with that) and have tomorrow morning off because it's moon day. think i will snuggle up to the television for a japanese dubbed american made-for-tv feature from 1985,

"alice in wonderland"

check out this unbelievable cast!

Steve Allen-Gentleman in the Paper Suit
Scott Baio .... Pat (The Guinea Pig)
Ernest Borgnine .... Lion
Beau Bridges .... Unicorn
Lloyd Bridges .... White Knight
Red Buttons .... White Rabbit
Sid Caesar .... Gryphon
Carol Channing .... White Queen
Michael Chieffo .... Two of Spades
Imogene Coca .... Cook
Sammy Davis Jr. .... Caterpillar/'Father William'
Patrick Duffy .... Goat
James Joseph Galante.... Knave of Hearts
George Gobel....Gnat
Eydie Gormé.... Tweedledee
Merv Griffin.... Conductor
Sherman Hemsley.... Mouse
Ann Jillian .... Red Queen
Arte Johnson .... Dormouse
Harvey Korman .... White King
Steve Lawrence .... Tweedledum
Karl Malden .... Walrus
Roddy McDowall.... March Hare
Jayne Meadows .... Queen of Hearts
Donna Mills .... The Rose
Pat Morita .... Horse
Robert Morley .... King of Hearts
Anthony Newley.... Mad Hatter
Louis Nye .... Carpenter
Donald O'Connor .... Lory Bird
Martha Raye .... Duchess
George Savalas .... Courtier
Telly Savalas .... Cheshire Cat
John Stamos .... Messenger
Ringo Starr .... Mock Turtle
Sally Struthers .... Tiger Lily
Jack Warden .... Owl
Jonathan Winters.... Humpty Dumpty
Shelley Winters .... Dodo Bird

telly savalas as cheshire cat??? jonathan winters as humpty dumpty??? ringo starr as mock turtule??? karl malden as walrus???and sammy davis jr. as caterpillar??? whaaa????

what an odd film to see over here! seems to be a classic by the same director as beverly hills 90210, bonanza, the waltons, fame, love american style, eight is enough, kung fu, land of the giants, magnu p.i., lost in space, gunsmoke, and perry mason, among others. harry harris. never know what you will see, do, eat, just never never know....

i think i love sweet beans

yesterday i went back to harajuku. something pulls me there. so strange, so unique. on the way out to it, i spotted this amazing little sanctuary park with wild cats, a river & a waterfall. right outside it's gate-mad mad tokyo on a saturday pre-holiday shopping frenzy. and not far from there, in harajuku, i wandered down a tiny unassuming alley, first to see what the jamaican shop had (lots of satin starter jackets-interesting indeed), but this colorful totally jaw-droppingly wild building, which is home to an art gallery called design festa. chicago has some neighborhoods that are done up in this kind of graffiti, but never have i seen such an astonishing art building in my life. i wandered in, looking at some really cool & interesting art, while the artists were busy at work in all the different cubby holes. a happy, intense place.

today was my big yoga day. waking at 3:30, preparing my special coffee from the jamacian coffee place down the street, i caught the first train-4:38 to get to the studio by 5:10. sundays are good cause i don't teach until 7, so it's plenty of time for a proper practice. taught my usual 3 hour mysore, followed by my led primary class, which built from 2 last week to 11 today, each and every student staying completely with my count...a small miracle to me. love japan. and my 2 1/2 hour adjustment workshop that was meant to cover all the poses up through navasana, but only made it through the standing sequence. it went very well, even better than the first time i taught it in chicago. and i was extremely lucky to have yuka with me translating the entire workshop. it was a HUGE help, because i did a lot of talking. i was exhausted when i began the workshop, but because it was so fun, and the students were so into it, they fed me lots of energy that carried through to the evening, when mom came home & whisked together another mad feast. i think i love sweet beans!

and the ritual bath.

did the naughty

i had another japanese language lesson, and realized what a lazy f...i am. did not practice the previous stuff, cause i'm "shy" what an excuse. so i'm going to make a go this time. yasuko is quite serious about the lessons, bringing plans & all, now she wants me to write in kanji...yikes! i took sanskrit in india & fled a few weeks after starting. i am quite scared of that kind of writing. anyhow, i need to put more effort into it. after 2 hours, i had to cut her off, cause she was exhausting me. my pea brain can only take so much. we parted ways, as i made my way to kiddyland in harajuku. zen had drawn me a map & it was easy to find. 6 floors of japanese toys. yow!! i was dumbfounded. paralyzed, i continued into harajuku & dragged myself into several boutiques. i am such a slob here. i'm so embarassed. however, i refuse to wear the short minks, short skirts, and stilletto heel boots everyone is sporting. it's just not my thing. and everyone who wears these heels can hardly walk. it's just too painful. almost too much attention to fashion. everyone into the latest thing.

so i've been scouting several "burger" joints, not because i'm a fan of the burger, but i've been very interested in what the japanese version of this american food was like. so i did the naughty---sorry, yogis, but i went into a place & got a cheeseburger. they did well! plenty of ketchup & mustard, pickles, etc. was totally tasty-even better than some of ours! i just had to know! could have eaten another, actually!

than around the corner into a weird bar where they had vinyl, mostly r & b and jazz. no one there, except me. i rapped with the bartender, who was not very attentive. i think they keep your drink filled in the states because they are tipped. here, you can sit with an empty glass forever. they will never ask you for another. you have to ask. which is very strange to me, being american. so the bartender said his dream is to go to chicago. good line, right? but i think he meant it. so i was like, "all nippon airlines has cheap direct flights for undr 100 thousand yen" i mean, it's SO easy to go to japan from chicago, and vice versa. you don't even need a visa! america loves japan. japan loves america. we are friends. so they basically avoided me as soon as the bar began filling with american speaking japanese & men. so i left, to the train, and can't get lost anymore cause i "get it" now.

home to a huge bowl of crab soup, but it's too late. have to have that for lunch. how horrible!

japanese food is my new yoga

i got home 15 minutes before "mom" crashed through the door and straight into the kitchen, arms loaded with market bags and a sense of excitement. i have never met anyone who loves to cook as much as her. i'm smelling onions, broth, and appetizer comes for me to eat while she constructs another meal, totally concentrated, almost posessed, complete intensity. she brings imported french pate. i just say "oui oui" as she responds with a giggling "oui!" i brought home a bottle of cotes du rhone, which was kind of synchronistic. how did i know the meal would be french inspired? and with a naughty expression, she takes out a tiny glass & accepts some vino.

she works all day, yet has tons of energy to create kitchen masterpieces and watch korean dramas, sleeping very little. i don't know how she does it. i'm tired all the time here & i don't do half as much work.

since she has a thing for all things korea, yesterdays dinner is followed with some of the best kimchee i've ever had, picked turnips (love those), julienne tofu salad, never ending bowls of kombu (she knows i love that-she originally is from osaka, where seaweed is very popular), rice, & a creamy delicious okra soup. the presentation is stupendous. the house still smells good today. i search for leftover soup, alas, we killed it all.
must import mom!

this is the first time the 3 of us sit down to a meal together. to my delight, emi pulls out super old bollywood film score music-a fan of raj kapoor & meena kumari-i am thrilled, because i am also a huge fan of old bollywood-as in 50's & 60's. this is hard to come by outside of india, heck, even within india most only like the new stuff. but since she has spent lots of time over there & in pakistan, she has developed a serious habit. we spend the night discussing our common love for india and all things indian, things only visitors there can understand. everyone i have ever met always has a wonderful collection of stories about that place, it's always fun to share.

and we sigh......ahhh...india....
next year.

i heart tokyo

what i love about tokyo in no particular order

-public transportation
it is intimidating, but highly efficient, always on time by the second, runs all night, so drunk driving isn't much of a problem. it's cheap, there are plenty of trains & busses to take you just about anywhere in the tokyo, japan metropolitan area & beyond.

-hospitality
the japanese way is to treat guests as family. they take care of you. i have never felt alone here because of it.

-food
some of the finest food in the world. i have not had a single bad meal. even the 7-11s & convenience stores stock a mind blowing selection-all cheap, all good.

-comforts
deep hot tub in every household, smart & comfortable toilets, warm floors, down comforters everywhere, great selection of down, cashmiere, wool & thermal clothes as well as great hats & scarves!

-fashion
everyone looks good here. many have their own style. many follow trends. no matter, they all look interesting & good. it's fun to people watch, and very easy to get fashion ideas. they put together outfits in a way i could never have thought of.

-yoga
some of the most dedicated practitioners in the world! they respect tradition, which is why traditional yoga such as astanga works for them.

-the people
i have not met a single jerk. everyone has been warm to me, helpful, comforting, friendly. it's a very easy place to visit alone because of this. i also do not feel judged or stared at for being a foreigner.

-the music
every japanese band that has visited chicago has blown my mind. dosen't matter what style. there's a sense of abandonment when they play music. like it's their last time.

-movies
great action, drama, adventure, comedy & anime. two of the best directors in the world are from here-ozu & kurosawa.

-work ethic
not a lot of laziness here. everyone works, alot, (perhaps too much) but are highly productive & disciplined people.

-graphic art
the best in the world!

-japanese mothers!

mango bath

so i'm feeling rejuvinated, great after being sick. something about fasting a couple days, getting toxins out, etc. i go in to do another practice at night, feels good. i'm teaching the second class, 20 mysore students at night-feeling good, strong, positive. i'm riding the trains, feeling good. i am a tokyoite, i can handle anything. when i get off the train, i realize i've nothing to eat all day except out of the yoga goodie basket, which is basically japanese filled naughty sweets & seaweed wrapped sesame crackers & coffee. i crash. walking fast, i need to get home, eat, bed. i'm walking. and walking. and walking. did i miss the house? i found it this afternoon just fine, but now it's dark & there's hardly a light anywhere. half an hour goes by. it should take half that time to get home. ok. i must have missed it. getting cranky, getting hungry, getting thirsty, cranky.....trudge way back to the train station & retrack my steps. this time i have no address or phone # on me, because i don't have my pack, so i HAVE to find home. passing a shrine. hmm. never seen that before. how did i screw up AGAIN??? i was feeling so "on" so confident, so tokyo savvy. just like yoga. you get a pose, you can finally do the pose, and the next day, your body was just kidding. so my instinct tells me to turn onto another street. walking. walking. hmmm...sweating, stop to buy water out of the many vending machines. i have never before seen so many of these in one city. lucky they are stocked with coffee products, teas, energy drinks & waters instead of soda. chug chug...dehydration sets in, hunger getting stronger...should have gone to that mysterious noodle shop. but mom might have cooked....ahah! there it is. drag my worthless body into the house, tell my pathetic story to emi & her mom, whose preoccupied with korean drama, all i have to say is "i'm starving". like wildfire, suddenly a bowl of pumpkin topped with miso appears, a bowl of black seaweed (my favorite) a huge bowl of overcooked sweet rice (good for digestion late at night, she says) and several massive chunks of halibut-like fish. and slowly, it all begins to fade away...until, "want a bath?" bath pushers. and i've just bought myself some new bath bombs! oh boy...saunter into the tall hot water just waiting for me, cause it dosen't get cold like at home, cause they have temperature control, and leave the world for a mango bath.

happy set

this little guy in the right corner represents how i am feeling today. he was part of the "happy set" at the coffee shop i usually sit at after yoga, usually to get a latte & the fromage (their take on the bagel & cream cheese-a soft lovely roll stuffed with cream cheese), but today, i got "happy set" because it included coffee, & i wanted to take a photo of him. i feel this way because the flu did not stay with me long. i credit "mom"-yasuko, emi's mom, for helping me with my speedy recovery. when i fell ill, she was quick to throw me in bed & administer fluids-teas & dakara-lemony soda water, & yesterday, when i was ready to eat, home cooked udon (!!!) with egg & everything! & a rice beverage for upset tummy-sort of like baby food-thick, weird, tasteless, odorless. than a huge chunk of natural brown sugar (?) all the while talking full-on in japanese to me, as if i am understanding, which i feel like i can, but i really can't. i have to admit, i love the mothering. my mom passed several years ago, and never liked to cook anyhow, so i'm sort of in the middle of a fantasy at the moment. i got an offer to move into an empty apartment in shibuya 5 minutes away from the yoga studio, but after thinking about it, i declined. i think i would miss mom, mom's food, mom watching korean movies, talking to me in japanese, watching strange japanese television. something special about it.

i got to the studio without a problem, a short practice, but good. these days, it's all about the quality, not the quantity. doing pranayama helps deepen my breath & have a better yoga session. something sorely lacking with the students both here & at home is attention to proper breath. most can breathe correctly on the exhale, but aren't taking in any air at all. "sniffing" on the inhale for 2 counts, deep ujjai exhale for 7 counts. this is not good. it should be equal, and much more attention to the inhalation. that is what oxygenates the blood. i can only breathe with the students & hope they catch on, because it's very difficult to teach. even in the west. most people spend most of their time on the acrobatics of the asana & very little time on breath, bandhas & dristi. which is a shame, because the student is only cheating themselves. yoga feels SO much better when the attention to the breath becomes #1, followed by bandhas & dristi, only asana coming out of these first 3 factors.

lots of progress in class. slowly slowly slowly.

all is coming.

heat addiction

well i did get the flu, but not as bad as emi. i had to miss teaching today, but because of laying low & lots of fluids, mom helps, i think i will have strength to teach my 2 classes tomorrow. they just self practice & get their monthly passes extended 1 day. no one makes a big deal out of it, which is very cool.

another outtake of the interview that will not be published-

what are the expressions of the ashtanga outside of class?

i can open doors with my legs when carrying things, i can tie my shoes while standing. very practical. i can stay balanced on the train without holding on. i can whip merengue so fast, its like an electric beater. i don't care what people think about me because i have more self confidence.
the pain from tattoos are bearable. i feel energy changing in my body every time i practice astanga. i don't get angry so easily.

why are you so earnest & cute?

because we are japanese!

something that has become very obvious here is the tokyoite's addiction to heat. the trains & busses are way too hot, really puts you to sleep, there are cone heaters everywhere where you can find people gathered around like a water cooler, the floors have controlled heaters, the baths have heat control, blankets are made of down, which is what most people wear when the temperature drops below 65 degrees, and the cats have their own electric blankets.

they would all die in chicago in winter.

peeling out

another day, another crap practice, another panic "lost in tokyo train station and new hood" day. what else is new. my train card ran out & i did not understand how to get another pass, because each of the train lines have their own machines, and there weren't any from my line because it's an obscure one. it wouldn't be so bad if swarms of humans weren't coming at me in every direction. the human tsunami. in the midst of being freaked, i have caught the same stomach flu the baby had who gave to emi, who now has given to me. inevitable. when i met ou, the baby, i knew. i just knew it would happen to me. so i'm finally on the right train line, and it takes it's time leaving the station because i decided to take an express to save time because i may soil myself or, as emi put it, "peel out" on the train. peel out means upchuck. vomit. throw up. i have NO idea how she came up with "peel out" but i like it. however, here sits the express train. sitting. for an eternity. sitting. why did i leave the local train to take this one? i did make it, but wouldn't you know, i got lost on that damn trail again just like last night. i think i discovered the problem. there is more than one mud trail.

i interviewed a few of the teachers/staff at tokyo-yoga today for ashtanga news website. they had some very captivating answers.
their hobbies-tattoos, surfing, baking, & making lip gloss from scratch.
"what do you think of each other"-katzu looks like a carp, why is miyuki so white, why is yuka so brown
"what music is in your ipods"-slipknot, korn, kiss, bob marley, balinese gamelon, & trance
and my favorite-
"what made you come to yoga?"-peter max, beatles, and the red hot chili peppers.
i thought yoga was some kind of illegal drug.

more of this interview will be published shortly on ashtanganews.com

help me, lucky kitty, please help me keep from peeling out!

somehow i always find the way

i moved yesterday into an entirely new area of tokyo, just when i was getting the hang of the other hood, learning the bus route & trains, figuring out which convenience store had better soba, where times square is, opera city, and pachinko curiosity. shinjuku is pretty happening. now i am in setagaya-ku, a different world. it's completely quiet, very narrow streets without sidewalks, lots of nature trails & an old flavor. the new house is japanese style, which means futons pull out of the walls, heated floors, a bathtub with temperature control (!) and a mother who loves to cook.(!!!) i had my first mom cooked meal last night. i can not believe how fast the japanese can whip together a multi course spread of food. yuka would make all kinds of soups in a few minutes, and yasuko, emi's mom, turned out a feast in 20 minutes. first some corn soup, followed by 2 huge chunks of fish with chopped daikon radish, 2 golf ball size chunks of soft tofu topped with onions in a sweet sauce, bowl of unlimited sticky rice, chicken with asian broccoli, and a side of pickles. she speaks no english & it was hard to understand how to eat this properly. lucky for me she was pre-occupied with her grandson, so she could not view this american looking foolish. stuffed silly right before bedtime, i woke to catch the 4:38 train-first one to shibuya, and eeked out another dreadful yoga practice. this time i blame it on the food. too much, too late, too good.

i taught my usual 3 hour mysore followed by a full led primary, and had made 2 dates by mistake-one was a brunch at an organic macrobiotic restaurant in harajuku for the new teacher who is replacing tarik while in india, the other was to go to the flea market with yasuko & zen, who were selling their wares along with 500 other people at yoyogi park. such a beautiful day for sitting outside, i opted for the market. it was very cool & laid back. and i got to have my first japanese lesson as well. many phrases are needed, such as sutae (inhale) & haite (exhale), kokui (breathe) & kakato sagete! (heels down) as well as onaka ippai-my stomach is full-because mom cooks every night.

afterwards, we went to the tastiest, freshest, cheapest conveyer belt sushi joint (sushi train!) i have ever been to. 2 massive pieces cost only 100 yen (about 85 cents!) so big you could barely fit it in your mouth!

back to new home, of course i got lost, but instead of freaking out, my usual reaction, i have been simply relaxing, going with instinct, & have not had any problems. somehow i always find the way.
eventually.

anago sushi=mayurasana

so i have been chuckling about this image for a week. i taught this pose, mayurasana-peacock pose-well, i like to call it "man" pose because men are naturally better at it-to a teacher at tokyo-yoga. miyuki said she felt like anago sushi in the posture because the eel is floppy & there is a ball of sticky rice placed off center. after thinking this through, i realized the image was totally perfect! the rice, weighing down the front of the body, makes a lot of sense.

of course that image could only come from japan.

why i dislike night yoga

i had the good fortune of meeting one of tokyo's famous authorized american teachers, tarik thami , for breakfast with aussie yogi jane yesterday. he has a studio just a short walk away from tokyo-yoga and still teaches 2 night mysore classes a week there. as much as i do not like practicing at night, i decided to be open to it, because it would be nice to have an experienced teacher helping me with my practice.

i'm glad on some levels that i had attended, because i was very open & he gave me some of the most delicious adjustments i have ever received. in kapotasana, he just asked me to "soften" the first arm he dragged mid foot, which i had never heard of before. after hands were firmly in place, he grounded my elbows into the floor, which enabled me to bring my head way back & intensify the posture. he also gave a wonderful eka pada sirsasana adjustment, pulling the leg so far down my back, but with such ease, it was possible for me to do the next posture without much help. he is one of the tallest yogis i have ever met, and when he bends over to adjust you, you simply disappear underneath him. so i was thrilled for the opportunity to have such a teacher in the palm of my hands, until i heard he was leaving for mysore in a week. oh well. i get 2 more night classes with him. he had invited me to his studio friday morning (i do not teach on this day), but because of the ultra deep adjustments i had received, i was in no position to get out of bed at 5:30, let alone face more of those hardcore adjustments so quickly, so i opted to hobble to tokyo-yoga, where yuka teaches mysore until 11:30. and i realized why i dislike night yoga. the body is so flexible i inevitably push it to places it has never been before only to wake up in the morning a cripple. all i could manage was some pranayama & a pathetic barely half primary practice. which i guess is better than nothing. afterwards, i met yuka & eriko for traditional japanese food. i've been hearing about this chain for some time. nothing but long tables-everyone sits together, and very inexpensive sets of real japanese food. yuka had a bowl of white creamy stuff with nato beans (fermented soya-quite strange, an acquired taste) and raw egg. it was an interesting meal, but i think i will stick with ramen.

tokyo-yoga makes ashtanga news!

please check out

ashtanga news

for an article about tokyo-yoga & astanga in japan.

an interview will be posted later.

more shopping madness

more shopping madness, originally uploaded by bindifry.

i got lost in tokyo today and this is what i found. such an awesome long sleeved shirt! the graphics blow me away. it looks like a restaurant jersey. the detail is great. many of the shirts made here have printing on the sleeves, the back & the front. it's also very well made & a distressed fabric.

it was interesting getting lost, because i found stuff i did not know existed. i've been afraid to walk all over the place because it's really confusing here, and throw the language into the mix.

but my directional instinct kicked in & i found my #64 bus across from the NHK television building i remember passing before.

i tend to panic when i wander around unfamiliar territory, and i tried to relax & let go, but i couldn't . it just felt like an acid trip. so i fled.

i met an authorized teacher who has a studio very close to tokyo-yoga. he teaches a couple classes there as well as his own place in the giant samsung building. this makes me happy, because i'm sure he can help me with my practice. an american living in tokyo who is extremely tall, which looks kind of funny here. it's hard to find teachers like this, there aren't many of them. and i find it great that 2 astanga mysore studios can exist as friendly neighbors. something else americans can learn a thing about.

we have much to learn from them

so i am getting the hang of the bus/train thing in the area i'm staying in, (around shinjuku) only to move out of it on saturday & learn a new route. i like the area i'm living in-it's where "lost in translation" was filmed. it's an eclectic mix of neon & old hood, businesses & adventure. but shibuya, where the yoga studio is, is really very cool. i past the "salt & tobacco museum" today on the way to teaching. i think i have to visit that tomorrow. i need to do more exploring, but i have been SO wiped out from teaching, i need to nap, etc. take deep hot tub excursion each day with salts. which means i am probably working too hard-adjusting too much. it's not like the students expect adjustments, they don't at all. it's just so cool to be teaching in a room where everyone, no matter what the level, works their butts off, and says "arrigato" afterwards loud & clear before leaving the room, much like the greeting you get when entering a sushi bar. it's just so cool & refreshing. i believe the japanese can be the astanga role models of the future. we have much to learn from them.

incidently, i saw a "hello kitty" mat bag today. it really made me chuckle, because as much as that is a stereotype for japan, it is everywhere, and it just makes you smile! of course i need to know where i can get one of those bags...

monday at noon i am going to interview several of the teachers from tokyo-yoga for the astanga news website, find out their views, etc. we have much to learn from them. japan has been put on the map as far as astanga is concerned. it's building rapidly, and everyone that comes to teach here has a pleasant experience. i am lucky.

so if you like new york, you will love tokyo. its the same, only it's japan.

japan!

soaking in my deep tub, as all households have, i was thinking about that fact. i don't think i ever thought i would be in japan. i mean, india was far out enough, but japan is different. there's something very special about this place. i just hope i can conserve my energy enough to enjoy some more of it!

tokyo-yoga.com

, originally uploaded by bindifry.

more tshirts from the contest are loaded into a set on my flickr site if you would like to see more of them, simply click on this tshirt.

eriko

another yogi from tokyo-yoga. she rides a motorbike & is very sweet. this was taken at asian palm restaurant in shinjuku. her coloring looks great with the wall. there are so many beautiful yogis at tokyo-yoga. i wonder if i also will look this good after spending 3 months here!

shy is "in" in japan

after teaching today, another 30 students through the door, i had to do my own practice. i am used to practicing before i teach, but it has not been possible. it's so hard to have the strength after teaching a 3 hour mysore class, many students practicing intermediate. i intended to navigate shibuya for more shopping, but i could barely walk & all i could think about was noodles. so i wandered into the nearest place, not hard to do, and they handed me an english menu-how did they know? anyhow, i ordered the lunch set, cause that's always the best deal-a rice, egg & scallion thing with a side of noodle soup and pickles for 800yen-around 6.50. couldn't even finish it. tokyo is NOT expensive. i'm telling you! stuff yourself silly without emptying the wallet.

i had no energy whatsoever. when i teach mysore, i adjust constantly, and maybe that's a bad thing for my body, but i just can't help myself. i want to help everyone. so i had to catch the #64 bus to my temporary home to nap, which did not happen because of internet conversations, but i did rest up enough to get to my microsoft "private" at 730 in the evening-god that's so late to do yoga. i was nervous, as usual, the big building kind of intimidated me-it does not take much. but it was fine. afterwards, i joined zen & his lovely wife (who i am going to do a language exchange with), yuka & eriko for dinner in shinjuko, a multi-asian cuisine place. we started with thai, chinese & indonesian, and followed with 2 rounds of very impressive indian dishes. yummy, and not japanese at all. it was fun to stay up so late, as tomorrow is moon day and i have the day off-i can get up whenever i please! i may follow yuka to her class a half hour outside of tokyo just to explore. who knows. i may just wander into the same ramen restaurant we went to last week. i have decided not to plan too much here & have been taking it all just day by day.

i just set up another yoga workshop in a town called nikko 2 hours on the bullet train outside of tokyo with a teacher who trained in australia. she will host me & bring friends in from tokyo to entertain. it should be really fun & interesting. january 4-6. it's kind of interesting that i am suddenly able to hang out with all of these strangers, many who do not speak english, and not feel uncomfortable. that is not like me, who is usually painfully shy. my shyness is accepted here in japan. it's like they understand it.

shy is "in" in japan.

me & emi in shibuya

me & amy shibuya, originally uploaded by bindifry.

so this is shibuya on a sunday after class, walking to curry noodles. it's about 1pm and it's really not as crazy crowded here as i thought it would be. i bought the orange down coat at a place called uniqlo, a very reasonably priced store with lots of wool, cashmiere, cottons to choose from in many colors. this coat was on sale for around $40 bucks-and it's down! yes, it's a bit chilly in tokyo but nothing compared to chicago. the japanese are very sensitive to the cold, so what feels extreme to them is quite warm to me. heaters are common all over the place, even outside. and they overheat the busses & trains. this photo was taken by zen the photographer. it's the first time i'm meeting my next host here, emi. she had just returned from 4 days of business in mumbai. she speaks urdu & regularly visits pakistan & india. she loves india, too, and knows who shahrukh khan is. i have met many japanese yogis that have visited india.

1000 practices. then you will know.

so i had my first convenience meal last night. i had been hearing about how good & cheap food from 7-11 is and did not believe it until i tried it. for less than $4, i had some kind of darn tasty noodle dish. and watched john mayer on the giant tv screen. he was doing a live show in japan. even though i usually don't go for mainstream blues artists, i have to admit to liking him. he even played "sissy strut," by one of my all time new orleans funk bands, the meters. he is also very cute to me. almost like a guilty pleasure, as i watched lots of shakira when i was in india. of course the japanese commercials were very fun as well.

today i taught mysore class & also my first led primary class here. it was the best primary class i have ever taught in my life. the students moved to my count with perfect synchronicity. usually students do not do that & it gets frustrating. so it was a joy to teach. my counting is not always perfect, because i have not taught this type of class for a long time, but it helps teach me how to get better at it just by doing it, so it's good for me. in addition to my mysore tomorrow, i get to teach a private of 4 men at microsoft at night. that should be fun. half primary.

something interesting i found out from talking to yogis here is that it is common for them to count the amount of times they have practiced. i have met several who know exactly how many! someone had said it's a japanese thing, they like to set goals & count, but another said guruji always has said "you do 1000 practices without thinking, then you will know." and this makes sense, cause it would take about 5 years, and i have always heard guruji say, "primary series-5 years, intermediate-10 years, 3rd series-10 years) which is about right, but i have never heard it put into that kind of perspective before.

i tried curry noodle today, and of course, it was delish! ahh, there's no bad food here, i swear. and some more naughty shopping, you can check my flickr site if you want to see some of the goods. do not come here if you have a shopping habit. it is just SICK! again, not as expensive as everyone says. you can find stuff cheap, just like anywhere. or you can spend thousands. the shops are the funkiest i've ever seen-even more than new york. i was hoping to bring some yen home with me but alas....since i'm working in shibuya, the best place to shop, that will be kind of hard to do.

and i went to the berlitz school for learning japanese. cost about $3000 bucks for 40 lessons. oh well. guess i got my cds & books, but it's so hard to motivate without going to school. however, it is very important to learn the language if i plan to come back here again.

more tokyo-yoga peeps

more tokyo-yoga peeps, originally uploaded by bindifry.

here is shino (from tokyo via san diego), emi, (my next host for the remainder of the trip), and zen (a very accomplished yogi, and in only one year's time!)
we are eating at a noodle house. i am trying curry noodle for the first time. afterwards, we visited tokyo lululemon & i bought another pair of leg warmers in pink, which chicago did not have. their store is smaller than the chicago one, the prices are similar, some of the colors & styles are a bit different.

beauty

my host here in tokyo. she looks like a model. totally beautiful. i am very very thankful to her most gracious hospitality. an outstanding person, and human being. she is a wonderful astanga teacher here, who knows all the sanskrit numbers as well as postures. and humble as hell. i am very very grateful to her. she is amazing.

me & mindy

me & mindy, originally uploaded by bindifry.

mindy is the reason i am teaching in tokyo, i've been teaching her for a few years & she is from tokyo, but has lived in the states for 15 years. we have talked about japan for a long time, and it finally became a reality.
thanks, mindy!

this photo was taken by katzu during an interview when i first arrived at tullys coffee shop right below the yoga studio.

punch perm

my new favorite word is "punch perm." i learned it during my eel feast on thursday. i had never heard of it before and it's a common thing here. it is a hair style adopted by the yakuza (japanese mafia) where they wear their hair in a tight curl perm. i haven't seen it live yet, but when we visited asakusa, we saw the actual "do" on buddha! then we saw old yakuza tattoo posters for sale that we were forbidden to photograph, and there it was again-punch perm!

i am having so much fun here, although the work is very hard. i have never taught so many students for that many hours before, so i have to get used to it. my body is not as strong since i took 6 weeks to train in australia, almost turned into a veal over there cause there's not much to do. i ended up watching 40 movies & sleeping a lot.

yesterday we went to a very old part of shinjuku, where i am staying, to a ramen house. they have salt ramen, veggie ramen, miso ramen wonton (that's what i chose). i really like how most of the restaurants have one item only, so if your in the mood for soba, you go to a soba house, or udon to an udon house, or eel, has it's own house as well. the ramen was giant, cheap-around 800yen-about 7 bucks, which is considered "high end" ramen, but was so good & filling, i did not require another meal.

when we went to asakusa, before we entered the temple in front of the giant famous red lantern ball, we got approached by a national television station called N.H.K. they were doing a special about mt. fuji & what foreigners think of when they think of japan. of course me being horribly shy completely froze & could not think of anything japanese except for rock and roll, food & movies. they were very confused by my answers, since the normal answers are usually geisha, sumo & samurai, but none of the obvious came to mind. i had actually always dreamed of touring japan when i played in bands, so that's why i have the rock and roll connection. i always go see japanese rock, pop, and noise bands when they blow through town because it is guaranteed a great show (electric eel shock, jackie & the cedrics, melt banana, cornelius, the 5,6.7,8s-in the "kill bill" movie) and i watch japanese film. it was very strange, but fun anyhow. they made me draw a picture of mount fuji with fat markers i couldn't figure out how to use. and i am NOT an artist at all. mt fuji ended up looking more like a flat cupcake. the shape was all wrong. but it wasn't fair cause i haven't see it yet!

i am off teaching on fridays & saturdays, so i will practice at the studio today, saturday, anyhow cause i have to teach 5 hours on sunday, so i don't have time to practice. afterwards, we are going to visit the tokyo lululemon store-hugely popular here and harajuku, where all the funky shops are and young people dress in very interesting ways. the weather has been mild (cold to the japanese), so it's nice to walk around.

i sure hope i see a punch perm!