Driving 'shiving'...hai rabba!

Memories of my last driving test are hazy and may need some digital enhancement. I was 18, full of dreams , in a huge dusty Ambassador ( dic: mammoth extinct creature - one of only two brands of cars in India back then) on a dusty road, with a driving 'examiner' beside me just making sure I knew the difference between a cow and a human and didnt rear end either. Passed on both counts - have yellow frayed licence to prove it.

Cut to now....Japan and I am a Born Again Driver after a whole new experience of passing the Japanese drivers licence test. I can say this now with dignity in my voice but last week mention 'menkyo' (licence) and you might have lost my pulse...

This is how the rite of passage goes...

Step 1: (after skipping several micro steps before of paper work,a written exam and so on) Check alamanac and wend your way to 'Samezu' for your driving test - one of those Tokyo areas "that drain your spirit away".A place where wires, railway lines and metal consume you and you feel Doomsday is nigh.

Step 2: Once in the License building you sense it is going to be the Temple of Japanese Bureaucracy (and turns out to be). A buffet of counters and signs in Japanese - nothing in the decor even remotely calming (atleast in Singapore there was 'Mr Bean' on TV screens while you waited in plush carpeted interiors of Govt offices- reassuring you that there are bigger bumbling idiots than you!)

Step 3: Examiner in white and blue uniform gives unintelligible war cry - in Japanese - believed to be a call to herd into Room 1. Ah the comforts of a herd when you have no clue what is being said! FYI- this is an all 'gaijin' (foreigner) herd - there to convert foreign licences. So collective Japanese vocabulary of group, on a good day, equal to - ten or less.

Step 4: More rapid fire commands - that noone understands again but - herd is getting smarter and just follows instinct by now. Collect order number and proceed to a small glass cabin outside overlooking the driving test course.Inside cabin, air redolent with fear, everyone furtively sizing everyone else yet feeling a common bond of 'we are all in it together'....

Step 5: Examiner,long pointer in hand earnestly (and politely of course) explains in loving detail - in pure Japanese- to a bunch of blinking gai-jins all there is to know about the course and its dos and donts. You think - they really want us to pass. Its the thought that counts.You are touched. Turns out that the language of driving is not that evolved and all it needs are basic sounds - hidari(left), migi (right), massugu (straight) and shingo (signal)...

Step 6: Alrighty. Vocabulary in place.One by one warriors take guard and zoom blithely around the deceptively simple course. Just one deadly S curve and a 'clank' ('crank' - 2 L's in a row) to really reckon with. But the way they all return - defeated with uncanny frequency - you wonder. Some who win (pass) yelp with joy and look at the fallen with pity. Some cry - probably not their first or last visit here.

Suffice to say the Japanese test is stringent and expects a tiny bit of perfection in your driving. Technique is paramount - no sloppy turns or chewing gums (yes).Folklore goes that noone passes at first attempt - but my dear husband did and that didnt go down very well with me (who failed).

I did get third time lucky - the first time the devil in white thought I didnt stop long enough at the blinking red 'shingo' and something about wide curves (not mine I'm sure), second time my quaking hands didnt make it past the S curve...

Now a proud owner of a Japanese licence I can tell you I am weighed down by the responsibility of it. I feel humbled.I drive one with the Road and its Rules - in sync with blind spots,yellow lines and deep lefts. The guys at 'Samezu Menkyo Shiken-jo' (Samezu Licence Test Centre) have tamed me and made me realise that there is driving (or 'averting disasters' as we are taught in India) and there is correct driving. They sure talk funny here...

Will think later about how to un-learn all this when back in India....

Miyako Odori - moving!

Remember 'Miyako Odori' ? And my parting promise that I might become friends with technology someday and get a video clip up and what not....

Well...after some tinkering (and many *$??# later) managed to get this bit of the geisha dance video up on the 'mother- of- all -blogs' - youtube...

Still dont know how to get it all fancily boxed on my blog...like a movie screen...but its a humble beginning....heres the link where you can watch all of 30 secs of the dance - grainy version..

ta da....

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=preethyash

enjoy!

One, two...

Bright summer days are almost here in Tokyo. Sakuras have come and gone (check out some late pictures while you read), cold chilly temps are history, Tokyoiites are bundling up their well fitting winter jackets and opting for the light frilly look, the cicadas and birds are back and the trees look lush green and happy - no more spindly sticks reaching out to the skies. Also time to ruminate lazily on one of those inescapable Japanese truths...

In Japan I am learning that two trees are not quite the same as two books. Growing up as a mathemetically challenged kid (and never quite outgrowing it) little did I know that the spectre of numbers would come to haunt me again one day ! And in Japan the horror of numbers and numbering systems has caught up with me with darned venegence.The language of Japanese numbers can drive you insane sometimes.Read on...

Here I am at a flower shop wanting to ask the man for another stalk of flower (all I could afford looking at the price tags) and I begin to feel my brain quiver in its bony case,my lips purse, brows furrow...Thinking hard.The flower is long, but not cylindrical, not flat, but kind of not big nor small so then- is it 'ippon','hitotsu' or plain 'ichi'? Why is grass green? What is life? Who am I? What am I? Am I? URRRGH.. Existential questions.Momentary state of delirium/panic. Because,dahlings, all those words mean the number 1 in Japanese- but for different objects of different shapes! Ippon could be one tree, hitotsu would be a cup of coffee at Starbucks and ichi could be your door no. As many number names as things... Japanese forefathers clearly believed that making an already devilish thing (like 'rithmetic) even more wicked can only add spice to life! Any downsides to it? Nah. Except for obscure 'gai-jin's(foreigners - like me) tearing their hair over say, a stalk of dahlia...anyway...

The plot thickens when it comes to dates and days.The first of a month has a unique name (tsuitachi). Begin panic mode. After that its a variation of the hitotsu-futatsu counting system - futska(2nd) mikka (3rd)....so on. 4th of a month is yokka and 8th is yoka. Cruel illusion, I ask my Japanese sen-sei (teacher)? No she says looking at me pitifully- dont you see,the first one is yokka and the other one is yo- oka.Oh right I say scratching my head - all the time my Maths teacher's prophecies years ago ringing ominously true in my ears - 'you have no future with numbers'.

Try this if you want to navigate through the maze of Japanese 'counters' -

(Suffixes used depending on what you are counting )

-dai : machines,cars,bikes..
-mai- flat objecst like shopping bags,paper..
-hon: pens cigarettes,trees, long cylindrical objects
- hai: glasses and cups
- nin: people
- ko: fruit,cakes,eggs , small chunky objects
- satsu : books
- kai: floors (1st,2nd ..)

At the flower shop,by now managing to look calm and collected, I settle for a safe,general type "mo hitotsu kudasai"- one more (flower) please.Atleast I didnt splutter foolishly and the man did reach out for a stalk of dahlia....I must have done something right.

Since then my Japanese teacher has gently broken the news to me that animals,birds, squids(ah.to cry out loud) and horses all have different counters. I think I am safe for now. Atleast those dont figure too often on my shopping list!

Gion and the geishas

If one could peel through layers of time, somewhere hidden in Kyoto's narrow alleys is Sayuri's world (Memoirs of a Geisha - by Arthur Golden). One expects to see geishas flitting around while hand drawn rickshaws ferry rich 'dannas' (patrons) in pursuit of an evening with their favourite geisha.

But todays Gion - the most famous geisha district in Kyoto- might be a shadow of its past glory. We saw fewer geishas and the dannas were probably struggling to find parking space for their Hondas in the closest lot! But the mysterious world of geikos and maikos (geisha and apprentice in Kyoto dialect) is all there to be felt in Gion's interesting alleys.

Peter Mcintosh's walk takes you through narrow cobblestoned lanes closed-in by dank wooden houses and rows of red lanterns..Entry into teahouses is restricted (No grubby toursits).Occasionally Peter nudges us to show us an approaching geisha. The geisha- probably a 'maiko' - apprentice geisha - flutters past in a colourful kimono and high heeled wooden clogs in short mincing footsteps like fluttering butterflies. Before you recover from a crippling bout of awe and nervousness the geisha is gone leaving behind a shaky digital picture with you!

The 'okiya's (geisha houses) still stand. Wooden houses with names of the geishas at the door.So does the Gion Kaburenjo theatre - venue of the annual spring dance and Minami za, a Kabuki theatre past the bridge at Shijo dori . And the geisha school where Sayuri and Pumpkin cut their teeth.









For anyone who has read the book(by no means the best/most authentic representation of Kyoto's geishas) - this is where fiction becomes reality, ignoring the Starbucks round the corner.

The Ichiriki Teahouse - the biggest teahouse in Gion - the scene of many bitter face offs between Sayuri, Mameha-san and Hatsumomo - stands at a corner in Gion - an imposing wooden structure.

The weeping cherry blossoms dripping into Gions gurgling canals with wooden bridges;

Rows of wooden eateries on the edge reflecting their light into the water and cherry blossoms lit up by a thousand lights - all exuded the aura of a movie set that evening.

To cap our trip we took seats at the Gion Kaburenjo thatre to watch Miyako Odori - the annual spring dance performed every April by Gion's geikos and maikos. After hurredly guzzling down our 50th cup (or so) of bitter matcha (thick sludgy green tea) in Kyoto -a package deal with the 4000 Y tickets...

As the curtain opened,the geisha music ensemble of shamisens,drums and flutes burst to life.A string of bright kimonos make their entry "like a string of beads".Painted expressionless faces, keep the mystery intact. As geishas twirled gracefully, wafting in the background were lilting strains from the assortment of small string,wind and percussion instruments and thin plaintive voices singing about spring,lovers' pain and longing (so it seemed).Not surprising that the dances had no unbridled movements, no assertive thumps on the stage - no jhatka matkas , if you get my drift. All contained and set to a structured pattern. Never enough to say- in Japan there is simply no place for maverick expression , even in a dance...

I hope to one day crack the mysteries of technology and get video shots up on this blog.Miyako Odori is best seen and heard.Until then this has to suffice...

Kyoto - past or present?

Kyoto is two and a half hours flat from Tokyo on the 'shinkansen' - a.k.a the bullet train. A 6-8 hour journey slashed down mercilessly. I think I'm just in love with the idea of the bullet train. There are trains as fast (the French TGV faster) but none as romantic as this - in my eyes. The sleek sharp nosed 'nozomi' (hope in Japanese) super fast express shears through Japan's crowded countryside with not a rattle, at speeds higher than 300 km/hr. Occasionally a Mt Fuji may appear in the horizon making you feel you are in a postcard.


Japan's countryside seems perpetually dotted with human living.The unending stretch of habitation makes sense when you realise that Japan's 130 million are squeezed into just 25 % of habitable land (75% mountainous),making it one of the densest countries in the world.

Kyoto is the cultural epicentre of Japan. It is said,that it is where the Japanese come to feel more Japanese.Before a visit, it might help to keep in mind , that Kyoto is among the most visited tourist destinations after Mecca (a big chunk of it -domestic tourists). A detail we should have checked before dreaming of quiet strolls in Zen gardens and peaceful shrines! More about that later.

The Seikoro ryokan (a Japanese inn) , where we stayed, was quaint enough to give us an authentic experience but tailored enough to offer English breakfast! Would probably make a purist cringe. But we were the earnest vegetarians ready for the Japanese experience sans the sashimi (and armed with MTR 'tadka dal' in our bag just in case).The culinary dimension of a ryokan lost on us, we persisted by sleeping on 'futon' mattresses (very comfortable), quaffing all the bitter green tea served by sweet Hiromi and flip flopping in slippers wearing crisply laundered cotton yukatas.We also bypassed the 'onsen' (public bath) experience and stuck to using the match box sized facility attached to our room..we really have'nt done well with the purists so far.

The aura in the ryokan was personal. The warm woody interiors striking the right chord.Every entry into the ryokan was greeted with a gush of bowing (but of course) and greetings. And the shoe-removing, slipper -donning ritual. In Japan I am beginning to understand the seriousness of neatly lined footwear.We got a clue of it last year, when our housing agents at each house-viewing visit, cleaned up after us (our carelessly flung shoes- pointing in different directions-a sin I am sure punishable in Japanese hell).The definitive moment when the red neons flashed in our minds- 'Welcome to Japan'!

After Tokyo, Kyoto (interestingly anagrammatic) seemed like a small town/city- more laid back and relaxed. In many ways reminding me of Mysore (city in S.India). Or an organised Phnom Penh(Cambodia).Certainly more 'Asian' and down to earth.

But dont get this wrong.Kyoto is as modern as it is traditional, has its own Park Avenue (Shijo dori) and a bustling nightlife.We may not have staggered out of pubs but we certainly loved munching our vegetarian sandwiches in some of the atmospheric cafes around.

Sometimes one wonders if Kyoto is on the edge of two worlds - past and present - not quite sure where/what to turn to.

Some other Kyoto experiences we carried back -

-Hajime Hirooka (or Johnnie Hillwalker) the wisened tour guide who takes you on a 5 hour walking tour of inner Kyoto."World famous guide"."Walk in Kyoto-Talk in English". "Slow,easy,no up and down". "No reservations". Just show up at Kyoto Station at 10 am. And show up we did - a drove of eager tourists. In many ways Hajime Hirooka could be Kyoto in human form - old and wise yet shrewd enough to be in with today's flow.

-The unending line up of shrines and temples - all beautiful if you could peel the layers of tourists and cameras surrounding them.. in this peak season might need a stretch of imagination to feel the shoguns and monks of yore meandering down tranquil rock gardens musing on life to the sound of birds (instead of clicking cameras). None of the monuments possesed the grandeur and artistic scale of say a 10 A.D temple in India or a church in Europe - but then Japan is all about minimalism and subtelty.No arguments there.

-Sakura lined canals along Kiyamachi dori and 'Philosphers Walk (Tetsugaku no michi)

-Bustling alley of Ponto Cho with small smoky eateries cheek and jowl

- And the geishas...

More on that next time!

If its 90 degrees it must be the Emperor...

Random thoughts before i pack bags for Kyoto...about one of those oh-so-Japanese things that surround you in Japan.

Recently at a traffic signal (where I had stopped for red) I saw a group of Japanese, all in black apparently departing after a good meal. What I really did see was a flurry of continously tilting bodies in the dark.Some 10 of them, each one bowing to everyone else - more than once. Requires a good head for maths (not mine) to figure how many bows might have been exchanged that night on that one patch of a Tokyo sidewalk before the light turned green!

So bowing in Japan is not just a cliche? Certainly not. The one thing you quickly get used to when you start living here. Just that coming from a place where a 'thank you' can be as rare as a well...masala sushi (in Mumbai for eg.) such heavy duty niceties can become deeply moving experiences !!

Its all in the angle of tilt.Small quick bows - for casual greetings, 20-30 degrees angle maybe to an aunt, 45 degrees to colleagues or business associates. Though my newspaperwala gives me the full tilt (90 full respectful degrees!) every month (visits to collect money) - an honour reserved only for the Emperor and God!! I have been the recipient of eitiquette variously from plumbers, dish washer repairmen, shopkeepers,fellow drivers on the road (the angles there would be sparing - thank god)...and so the Japanese experience flourishes..

Scandals and mishaps break out regularly in Japan - surprising? The only difference is that you also see regularly, a clutch of bowing heads across newspapers and TV news - all penitent (apparently) for the 'wrong' they did! The Sony Chairman after a battery debacle,company executives after their water heaters exploded,even the poor Canadian airplane manufacturers after a plane mishap in Japan.Think- Laloo bowing at a press conference after a train accident or to rake up more recent wounds - Sharad Pawar bowing after India's World Cup loss and you just know the gravity of what I'm talking about!

Ja mata raishu....(until next week) :-)

Photo Source :Japan Today

Two worlds.A street apart.

Nope. No signs of elusive 'Sakura-san' yet. But Spring Equinox was in the air last Wednesday - a public holiday in Japan, following another holiday a few weeks ago marking the official 'end of winter'. Do you blame me for getting sucked into this whole seasons business then? Last March, I would have said 'equinoxes' (?) were short notes you wrote in geography tests. They are real? Gimme a break. But now I realise- humbly- that the earth does tilt on its axis now and then - giving us so many beautiful moods..

Must remember to stop this incessant seasons talk...

Ok cut to...warm sunny day. Tokyoiites out celebrating the equinox. Husband and I.Cameras in hand.Two trigger happy souls.(thats virtual haiku,eh)
When (if) you visit Tokyo, this will definitely be on your list. Fodors or Lonely Planet will approve heartily.Ometesando and Harajuku. Two worlds as apart as Bhendi Bazaar (Mumbai) and Champs Elysees. But just one street apart. Two parallel worlds.

As you exit out of Omotesando station there stretches in front of you the tree lined (now leafless) Champs Elysees of Tokyo (officially).Throbbing with style and fashion. It is there to be seen,felt, tasted ,smelled....so much trend in one place.Heck.There must be redemption.

Tokyoiites strut around in abashed designer stuff. Divas all (men too). Paying respects to their deities Kate Spade and Fendi. Even Tokyo's architecture (which otherwise is tragic - remember the 'Feeling bombed' post) seems to have found expression here. Store fronts challenge you with attitude - dare to walk in for a 5000 buck bag?

Omotesando. Cutting edge fashion.

And then....you turn a bend at the Meiji-jingumae station and see the quaint 'old world' Harajuku station (JR line). So far so good. But you already sense something changing. Manolo Blaniks are morphing into bright red socks and pink shiny boots. Subtly accentuated cheekbones have turned into splatters of paint and black kohl. You have entered Takeshita dori - a voice so different from Ometesando's its startling.

Takeshita dori - is the Home of Teen Kitsch. The World Capital. HQ of Bawd. My hunch- it is the place for you if you are 16,brooding,full of angst and a score to settle with society..It is where goth kids find a safe place to over-express. Blue hair. Pink ribbons. Pierced lips, nose, tongue. A normal day.The narrow lane is dense with cavernous shops pedalling props for this bizarre gothic drama.Accessories of all colours,shapes,luminiscence are here. All so 'kawaii' ('cute' in Japanese - said with a prolonged squeal)!!

Interesting to stand and watch. But always confusing.What drives them to it? I wish I could stop that bleached punk to ask. Why are you here looking like this? Does your mother know? Have you sublimated your angst into this rainbow coloured hat? But obviously my two word Japanese vocabulary doesnot allow me any further sociological insights! Instead out comes a meek - "shashin o totte mo ii desu ka?" Thats six words. Is it ok to take a picture?