・・Adventures in Sinland (Part 1) ・・

‘reena’ – sonic youth

Has been a busy couple of weeks, hence the lack of blogging.

First of all was Martine’s (& Fuku’s) Tanabata & Itterashai BBQ party, over in Kichijioji (never sure how to spell it – is it Kichijoji? or Kichijioji? Or even Kichijyoji? In Japanese, it’s 吉祥寺（きちじょうじ）so should it actually be Kichijyouji?)

ANYWAY, that’s all by the by…

Had a lovely time at Martine’s (thanks to the lovely hostesses) and met lots of cool people. Went to the BBQ with Lala & Aya and Aya was definitely the star of the afternoon. She smiled, she giggled and she was an all-round wonderful little girl. I thoroughly enjoyed my Lala & Aya time.

After the BBQ, most of us headed trekked over to the wonderful Inokashira Park. I have to confess that I was pretty merry by then and didn’t have full control of my faculties. I have a string of random memories that seem to have no connection…and here’s a smattering of those memories:

Swinging on monkey bars;

Watching fireworks;

Inviting a random couple in tent to watch the fireworks with us;

Drinking beer;

Talking about Indian immigration to the U.S. and U.K.;

Hanging out with drunk high school kids;

Drinking beer;

Falling over in a toilet cubicle because I couldn’t balance myself in a Japanese style toilet;

Walking through Inokashira park holding hands with high school girls (wait…these girls were 14 or 15…doesn’t that make them JUNIOR high school?! OMG! they’re like half the age of me…)

Anyway, any sane person would have realized that this was a good time to call it quits & go home? Me? No…Sandi persuaded me that I really needed to go to Harajuku to my ex-student’s boyfriend’s ‘Seattle Night’ (admittedly, it didn’t take much persuasion on her part…something along the lines of “Let’s go to Harajuku!”… “Oh, OK”)

So, off Dave, Sandi and me toddled. We finally made it to Sunshine Studio Café. I know we took a train – and I guess it must have been the Inokashira & Yamanote lines…but I don’t remember very much…

Did make it there, but from there on is more random memories…another smattering of random memories. Know I had fun…but more than that, you’d have to ask Sandi & Dave.

Have vague recollections of writing Tanabata wishes and dancing with Sandi, but not much more…

Then 4am.

And suddenly the ‘homing pigeon’ thing kicked. I wanted to go home & nothing would persuade me otherwise. So Sandi & Dave poured me into a taxi & I somehow managed to get home &woke up at home (on the sofa).

Which led me to realize how my 30s differ from my 20s. When I was in my 20s, I’d wake up in places where I shouldn’t really have been, and in my 30s I wake up at home, when I should be somewhere else.

All in all, it was a fun Tanabata night….the bits I remember, anyway…

IF you want a more detailed account of the evening, have a look at Sandi or Dave’s blog…