It’s hot, and not a heat I’ve experienced before. There’s a languid humidity over the city. I’m left feeling like I’ve just completed a marathon in a hot tub.
Everything around me is out of the ordinary; I feel apart for the first time in my life. Walking down the street, I’m revelling in the differences. I’m not sure if it’s the heat or the other-worldliness of this place, but every moment seems to expand to envelop a lifetime of experience. The minutiae have come to the fore giving me a gift I’ll never forget.
I didn’t experience the Cherry Blossom here until much later in life, so my overwhelming memories of colour on this trip are green. From the vibrant trees to everything flavoured with green tea and the roof of the Tokyo Dome.
My senses are tingling. The air is full of exotic aromas. The smells of spices, fish and coffee don’t assault my senses, but buffer me gently, tempting me to try their delights. But I’m in the mood for something simpler to satiate my hunger and thirst.
Kismet has led me to a storefront selling just what I need. In my hand is one of the most delicate, yet satisfying, fruits I’ve ever eaten. It’s the palest of greens on the outside, with firm, grainy, mildly perfumed thirst-quenching flesh on the inside.
Sitting on the edge of a large Koi pool, partly shaded by an overhanging tree, I’m watching the world go by. I slowly dissect and consume my fruit as people scuttle about their business, focusing on the destination, and not the journey.
The Koi are much more interesting, weaving intricate patterns in their shallow depths, grazing on weeds, oblivious to the hustle and bustle of the human world. Some bold gentle souls, attracted by my shadow, keep me company with no expectations. Their presence is ethereal, their movement calming, almost meditative.
Today, I’m seeking out the moments in between. Aware that the night will bring a riot of noise, neon and motion that is the Tokyo nightlife of the 1980s.
~Kittie, Tokyo, 1989
Side note: Day two of the blogging challenge was all about if you could zoom through space in the speed of light, what place would you go to right now? The twist was to organise your writing around the description of a setting. Hopefully a better attempt than Day One!
Totally cool… To me I felt literally transported… is Kittie in Tokyo on Holiday? Did she fly over night… Oh g__ I better check her FB status… all explained by the end…. Now since I think this project is a meditation one bit of criticism ” Hopefully a better attempt than Day One!” to me sounds like you are as the Buddhists would say “too attached” to your writing. That’s understandable in blogging for business.. I don’t feel its acceptable here :^) [ your penance if you choose to accept it read Unstuck by Pema Chodron but start with this video
Hello John!
I thin you’re right it is a bit of a meditation. Writing for business brings out the control freak in me and leaves me a little stilted an unconnected from my words. I love Pema Chodron, but haven’t read Unstuck. I shall grab a copy to read alongside this 30 challenge. Thanks for your insights John, they are always appreciated.
~K