The Clear and Simple Way

I've woken up in yet another city on Hirth's magical musical concert tour through Japan. And once again there's rain on the city, lotsa rain on the city...as Hirth sings in one of his songs. His performances are of course extraordinary, and he's engulfed with signing autographs after each show. We leave this morning for yet another venue.

Nagoya is a huge city. Ever since coming to Japan, I've had the feeling I am in a huge snow globe, due to the heavy white skies, though there is misty rain, now snow. The rains so far are not heavy. Coming from the dryness of Los Angeles, the rain is a treat. Whereas the desert air of Los Angeles greedily grabs every bit of moisture from your body (which reminds me of the sands of the Dune books) - Japan drenches you with moisture and plumbs up your skin. 

So yesterday, up early for a Japanese breakfast in the hotel. This means you take off your shoes before entering the tatami matted floor, which feels soft and welcoming on your feet. I loved the tables which were low and so were the tables. Did I know what all the food was on the Japanese breakfast table? No. Did that daunt me? No. So long as I am  not eating any sort of squid, eel, meat, or chicken, I'm good togo. Miso soup, seaweed, various pickled vegetables, rice, small pieces of fish, and of course green tea. I could eat Japanese breakfast everyday, but alas, I am not sure how to cook Japanese breakfast.

By 8:15 am we were on a bus headed to Nagasaki airport, the same route we took to get to Nagasaki. The bus ride takes about 2 hours and drives past green trees and foliage. Some of the trees here look like huge ferns, giving the landscape quite a different look then in the West.

The plane we flew by ANA was white and painted with bright flowers. I hoped it was as functional as it was pretty. To my great relief, there was not so much turbulence flying out as in, and we landed in  Tokyo easily. Then it was more walking to a taxi. Driving through Tokyo, across bridges, there is more whiteness, not only the sky, but the city itself seems to be a city of white, tall modern buildings and so sign at all of King Kong. The whiteness and subdued pastels colors give Tokyo a feeling of softness and again that snow globe feeling. I was imagining myself as a tiny figurine in a snowglobe, not real at all, maybe held in the hand of a child who shakes the globe with wonder, wondering if the misty rain will turn to snow.

It does the ego good to imagine itself as not real, as a miniature figurine inside a snow globe held by God. Maybe then we can also imagine God, though anything we can imagine is confined by the limitations of the mind. Universal Consciousness is beyond anything the mind can imagine. But imagination is a good place to begin. Once we begin there, the possibility of soaring beyond the limitations of the mind always exist.

The earth is itself a wonderful schoolroom. We always have the possibility to learn and grow as we journey through life, and this is what makes life truly worthwhile--the possibility to know ourselves not as we think we are, but as we truly are.

The seats of the bus were the same upholstery as thebuses I ride in Zurich, Switzerland--bright purple with colored confetti patterns, except the buses in Switzerland are more sophisticated--when you stop, the whole bus itself actually lowers to let passengers in and out. I've never ridden a bus in LA so I cannot say what they are like.

So, we landed in Tokyo and the taxi took us to a bullet train--the engine is shaped like something out of Batman--like a bullet. The trains are white and look like shiny lacquer. Two hours later, we were in Nagoya and took a taxi to the hotel. The hotel is also very white, inside and out, and looks like white marble, though it is only a good imitation. We arrived at the hotel around 4pm and Hirth's performance began at 7:30pm. You can read more about Hirth's tour, promoted by the great Yoshi Nagato, here: http://coconutgrove-inc.blogspot.com/

Now it is morning here and I am very hungry, I am not sure what time it is for my body. Stay tuned. Tuned to that perfect magical note of God. I will write more later....