April 14, 2006
Japan through Andy's Eyes and Stomach
I'm sitting in the Alaska Airlines Board Room in Seattle waiting to fly home to Anchorage and have taken a moment to think back on my 40 days in Japan. I had truly wonderful time in Japan! It is such a wonderful country. It is a juxtaposition of tradition vs. modernity; welcoming vs. hidden; and Raw vs. Still Alive!!! I loved every moment of it! That being said I'm having pizza tonight and a hamburger tomorrow... no fish for a couple weeks I don't think. Looking back on the many experiences I've had all I can do is think about how glad I am to have had this opportunity.
If there was one place I fell in love with, it was the city of Kyoto. When the cherry blossoms FINALLY came out, the city burst into action. Over 1 Million people will visit Kyoto during the 7-10 days of the sakura (cherry blossom) season. They will go to the park areas and lay out blue tarps and blankets and sit under the trees all day and all night. When returning from dinner one night, our group ended up in the middle of this. We saw tiny charcoal grills which were being used to cook yakitori, college students with cases of beer, and elderly couple sitting together and conversing at an unbelievable rate of speed. It reminded me of Gas Works Park in Seattle on the 4th of July!
One other experience I'd like to share occurred the same evening.
Our group went to Saami for dinner. Saami is one of the oldest restaurants in Kyoto and features Shabu-Shabu (thinly sliced beef which we cooked with vegetables in boiling broth). As if trying to cook with chopsticks wasn't enough of an experience, we were sitting on the traditional tatami mat floor and were visited by Geisha. In Kyoto Geisha is a word which carries a very negative connotation. As a result, they use the more traditional words Geiko and Meiko. Geiko is a woman over 20 who has completed her training and a Meiko is between 15-19 and is in training. We had one Geiko and one Meiko join us at dinner and perform traditional dances and playing the accompanying music on a shamisen, a traditional 3 stringed instrument. After their BEAUTIFUL performance, we were able to take photos with them. On the bus returning to our hotel after dinner we had a wonderful discussion of the Geiko profession and lifestyle. Though there were differing opinions on it as a modern profession, we all agreed that we have a greater understanding of this small part of Japan's vast in very different culture.
Submitted by Andy Compton, our Exploration Lead Manager for our land division. Andy spent about 6 weeks on the Spirit of Oceanus, this spring, serving as an Exploration Guide for our Japan voyages. Now back in Anchorage, he's turning his attention to preparing for our Alaska season - although it seems his heart (but not his stomach) remains in Japan.
Posted by Andy on April 14, 2006 1:01 PM
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