Bicycle Bicycle Bicycle

Last night, after a simple dinner, Tim and I went to a sento ("public bathhouse") about a five minute walk from his house. It was a cute little place with the hugest koi I have ever seen, swimming around in a small rock-walled pond set in front of the entrance doorways. Though the establishment was small, there were three hot tubs, a cold pool, and a sauna, and the decor in the tub area was colorful and inviting. It was good to relax so deeply in my body, and afterwards I was ready for a restful sleep.

This morning, I had decided to accompany Tim to Yasushi's hand balancing workshop at Studio Yoggy. As we left the house, Tim said, "We'll take the bikes." I thought he meant for the short ride to Matsugasaki station, where we could catch the subway to downtown. As we got underway, Tim immediately set off in the opposite direction. When I questioned him, he replied, "No, we're riding all the way to the studio." What a treat! I haven't been on a bike in almost six years, and it was delightful to feel the wind flow around me as we sped towards Shijo Dori, Kyoto's main shopping street. As we rode, Tim shared that he enjoys exploring the many ways to bike from his place to downtown. I was treated to an idyllic ride through the narrow back streets crammed with quaint little homes, and a nice bit along the Kamogawa, one of the main rivers in Kyoto. I felt like a kid on vacation. 

Mark with his trusty jitensha in the park encompassing the Shimogamo-jinja. Tim informed me that a jinja ("shrine") is always surrounded by forests, but a temple doesn't have to be.

At Studio Yoggy, there were many reunions with teachers and students I had seen in June, and Yasushi's workshop was fun. He is charismatic, and has a deep appreciation for his students that shows in his teaching.

After the workshop, we all chatted for a bit in the lounge, then Tim and I set out for a snack before biking home. Tim guided me to a tiny little homemade onigiri (rice balls wrapped in seaweed with various fillings) stand not far from the studio. We each bought two of the hefty snacks, and sat in a nearby temple to eat them. They were tasty and filling, perfect fuel after the class we had done. 

By the time we returned home though, we were both hungry again, so we took a short walk to Les bles d'or, a lovely little pastry and bread shop, then stopped at the Kyoto Co-op to shop for dinner. Once home, we snacked on chai and strawberry tarts. A couple of hours later Tim prepared a fantastic meal of mashed potatoes with a touch of horseradish, salmon, komatsu ("little pine", a thin leafy green with a sharp tang to it), and shiitake in an onion-mushroom-white wine sauce. The fresh loaf of sesame bread we had picked up from the bakery was perfect for sopping the sauce up with.

The clouds have been offering light sprinklings here and there throughout the day, but have just now decided to unleash a full on rain. The sound of the drops plip-plopping in the garden is creating a melodic rhythm that is very soothing. I'm off for some meditation and well-earned sleep.

The Journey Of One Thousand Miles...

I have landed in Kyoto. It feels very natural to me to return to this place. I woke today at 5:30am, after about five hours of sleep, and have been easing into my first full day here. 

It is a lovely Kyoto morning; the sun pours down through the windows and softly parades across the tatami mat floor of my room, and there is a quietude that hangs in the very air. I am staying with my friend, Timothy Medlock, who has been a resident here for fourteen years. He lives in the Shimogamo area of Kyoto. He is a teacher of English communication at several Universities, and tutors students privately as well. He is also an actor and comedian, which makes his storytelling positively delightful. 

Tim has recently gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend Maya, a wonderful woman who grew up in Tottori ("bird taking") prefecture, about a three hour train ride from Kyoto. Last evening, he told me of taking a trip to Tottori to visit Maya's "auntie", who lives right near Daisen, a volcanic mountain with an elevation of 1,729 meters, making it the tallest in the Chugoku region. The soil there is rich in nutrients, and the fruits that grow there are especially prized for their tastiness. One of these fruits is the nashi, or pear. These are quite unlike the one's back in the USA, which the Japanese call rafuransu ("French pear"). The nashi are round and huge, often sold in department stores for 600-1000 yen a piece. The auntie offered Tim a basket of about 30 nashi. Tim was overwhelmed with gratitude, and wanted to give her a big hug. Auntie was shy about it at first, but after other family members made it clear this was something common among Tim's family and friends, she welcomed a huge hug. Immediately after the embrace, she dashed back into the grove, and brought back another 20 pears for him to take! Then a neighbor pulled up and, after finding out he was auntie's neice's fiancee, hauled out about 3 kilos of chestnuts from the back seat of his car and presented them to the newlyweds. Amazing.

I rarely eat pears, but of course had to try one of these for breakfast. It was the most delicious pear I have ever eaten. That nashi was incredibly juicy and sweet, and I now have a new fruit addiction. Thanks, Tim!

This is my buddy Tim, holding one of the nashi. Auntie and her friends wrap each pear by hand while it is still on the tree.