The way we think - learning a new art form
My current trip to Japan for many reasons has been initiated, after much deliberation, to demonstrate that the way we think is going to underlie what comes into our experience.
My research has shown that the Japanese cultivate harmony! They trust that the Divine is governing; and when discord rears its ugly head they consequently accentuate the positive! I know that as we have this belief we can do the same and our trip will be a real adventure seeing more of this divine influence every where! So I am on the lookout to see similar beautiful views midst a very different culture!
On flying early morning into Tokyo we see Mount Fuji, capped with snow, in the distance! After queues at immigration we are glad we have already bought rail passes, as we slide on fast trains alongside rivers lined with cherry blossom trees, through Tokyo's rush hour! Changing trains twice, we find our hotel almost opposite our station exit! We've arrived and it has all been calm and peaceful!
The Japanese already seem devoted to a well organised "harmonious flow"; people travelling are completive; doors, where possible, "slide"; there's no dirt litter as people carry it home, and no one uses mobile phones in public. The stations are decorated with individual plant pots in stands! They expect well mannered respect for public property! Our hotel lobby is filled with cases awaiting end of day collection, slid under huge security nets. So as our room is not ready we use the amenities (wow the loos have comfy, heated seats! We have to wait for our daughter and Nick who have only just woken up. Outside in the sun we sit beside tulips! Spring is in the air!
NIck has found a restaurant called Eggs and Things. It's a long ride and walking down town amongst coutured, business folk we find it, well hidden in the massive building bearing the names of big brands! There's only three Japanese ladies enjoying their waffles one has a tower of whipped cream they share delicately! The waitresses are sweet in fresh pretty pinafores and the coffee and Eggs Benedict are delicious!
Afterwards we walk round our neighbourhood park, get settled in our room and prepare for meeting up with fellow travellers at a very interesting sushimi cafe, frequented pby office parties! But that's another story!!
In Tonosho on the island of Shodoshima, we arrive by boat in the pouring rain! Our hotel is dismal as is the town! But its like coming through a bad dream as very slowly, despite being outdated with smells of old well worn carpets, and dingy comfortless,stale smelling rooms, we laugh at our plight!
The people show us a different view as they are smiling and kindly providing everything we need as a prim lady shows us the ins and outs of behaving in this very strange environment of ghastly spar baths with dank dripping concrete walls! We are asked to dress for dinner in the samekimonos we are to use for going round in! When we get to dinner time we are shown what to do with each dish! We each have our own table; each with two bubbling pans on stoves, with lots of little dishes laid out with sashimi, noodles, raw seaweed and dips! Our tables are in rows and face each other! But still we wonder why we've come to this dreadfully old fashioned place!
But in the morning the sun's shining and everything starts becoming clear; things are opening up! We're grateful to experience such strange food as even at breakfast the routine is the same!
We are learning a new art form! And that's why we're here! The dream is coming true!
(See the drawing of the girl walking home along the street and what she lets her imagination view the scene as being.... only with us here walking out of our seventies hotel into the awful town we saw yesterday we find a new reality!)
After realising this we find an art piece called "The Maze"; a massive, twenty foot, upended cylinder of rusty steel with, apparently, a map of the town, as a maze, engraved all round it. And we read "About 650 years ago, in order to be protected from their enemies, the inhabitants built their town as a maze. It's irregular and intricate alleys, one may encounter the unexpected; feel the era that drifts from ancient builds and signs."
The whole town has hidden surprises of artist touches in hidden places! We have so much to explore! Something beautiful is around every corner; and we spend a whole morning exploring, aghast in wonder!! We realise just why we are here.