You can take a girl out of graduate school but . . . .

When we aren't visiting temples, shrines, and eating fabulous food, we are often solving apartment problems. The apartment is adequate, but minimal. The kitchen is equipped with a two burner gas stove with a small grill (no oven), a toaster oven, a microwave, and a small refrigerator. There are 3 large plates, 2 small ones, 3 forks, 3 knives, a spatula, a wooden spoon, and one very large sharp knife; a small pot and a large one, a small frying pan, and a colander. Imagine the TV show - what kinds of meals can you make with this equipment? But I'm doing okay. So far I've grilled a pork tenderloin and chicken breasts, made some fried potatoes with garlic, and, of course, pasta and noodles.

Another apartment problem is the lighting. Each room is lit with a very bright fluorescent light in the ceiling and, aside from a desk lamp in the study, that's it. If any of you know me, you know how I feel about bright overhead lights! Easy to fix, right? We'll buy a floor lamp for the living room. Not so easy. Floor lamps aren't a Japanese thing. In fact, subdued lighting rarely occurs. I was talking to Natsumi about looking for a floor lamp and she laughed and said that most Japanese homes just have the bright overhead lighting, that when she lived in Seattle and her parents came to visit, they couldn't understand why her place was so dark.

We've looked and looked for a floor lamp and found only one possibility in Midori but it's out of stock and would have to be ordered. Then, I passed by a secondhand store (sort of like a Goodwill) and found a small lamp for 950 yen (about $10). Then I took 2 empty appliance boxes that were stashed in a closet, covered them with a shawl I brought with me, and Voila! Shades of brick-and-board bookshelves in grad school! But, we can now both sit and read without the overhead fluorescence. It may not look like much to you, but, trust me, it's a big deal. The small picture above is a reproduction of "Catching Cat-fish with Gourd" from Taizo-in.

As you can see here, Bill's problems are now all solved. He's found the Cubs on TV (once in a while) and a Starbuck's on the river in Kyoto.

My other daily problem-solving is teaching. I'm struggling with how to present the material to students who may not easily understand everything I'm saying in English. And, there's a ton of material to choose from. For example, I have one class, 90 minutes, for "Civil Procedure"--right, that 4-credit law school course. So, what do I choose and how do I present it? My predecessor, Jeff, kindly passed on all his teaching materials, and they're a huge help, but I still have to create each class as my own. Vitually everything I say has to be on a powerpoint so the students can follow me; then I send them the powerpoints after class and they can study and review from them. Still, my current philosophy is that I would rather have them come away from each class really understanding a couple of concepts rather than my worrying about "coverage." My present plan for Civil Procedure is, after a few PPTs on jurisdiction, dividing the class into "Plaintiff" and "Defendant" and then walking them through the procedure, explaining on PPTs what requirements and choices exist at each stage. Thus, "Plaintiff" will have first to file a complaint, then "Defendant" files an answer or a motion to dismiss, etc. I'll be "Judge" so they can see how the judge moves things along. I have a sample complaint and answer that we use in Legal Rhetoric that I'll give them and we'll go from there. Just an idea at this stage. Stay tuned.

Gotta run--got lots of PPTs to make!

Our favorite spot in Kyoto

We think we found our favorite spot in Kyoto - quite by accident. We went over to Myoshin-ji to see the dragon painting but couldn't get in the big temple because something else was going on. But I saw a sign for a rock garden so we went in another temple, Taizo-in (remember that Myosin-ji has 47 temples). Taizo-in is the oldest of the subordinate temples at Myoshin-ji. The pictures show a little of what we found inside. Several Zen rock gardens and the middle garden by which we sat for a long time. Everything feels perfectly in place yet it's not a usual kind of symmetry. It gets inside you, though. At first, it makes you stand and stare - or sit and stare. And then it works its way quietly into deep parts of you.

I found the statue fascinating - I don't know who he is yet (maybe just another Buddha), but he's holding a child and other children are climbing up around him. He seems to be a Buddhist version of a mother goddess and the statue seemed so similar in kind to all the ones of Mary found in Catholic churches. The iconic painting for Taizo-in is a beautiful little scene called "Catching Cat-fish with a Gourd," painted by Josetsu who is considered the founder of the school of summie (black ank and white) painting in Japan.

Best of all, Taizo-in is minutes away from our apartment so we can go there often.

Below is an example of a small shop on the street near us that leads to Myoshin-ji. This one, obviously, sells beans. There are many small shops, many of which sell one thing - beans, or tatami mats, or meat , or vegetables, or umbrellas. I love the picture - Bill is reflected on his bicycle behind the beans.

Then my birthday dinner. We biked over (far) to Pontocho to the restaurant, Misogui-gawa. We were led through tatami covered hallways to a porch over the river and seated on the floor. The restaurant features a French version of the Japanese kaiseki style meal, which is many small, beautifully arranged dishes.

There were four servings of appetizers, little elegant bowls of a few items served in exquisitely delicate sauces. The foie-gras was the best I have ever had anywhere, even in France.

I know, foie-gras in a Japanese restuarant! The food was a fusion of French and Japanese, so each little serving was a surprise. Scallops and Japanese beef and lamb were the "entrees," but even these were small little slices, cut to accommodate chopsticks. Near the end of this wonderful meal, the chef came to speak with us, kneeling down so we would be eye-level. I tried to speak some French with him, but only a few phrases came to me from my past (he is Japanese but speaks fluent French). Fortunately, he had one of the many serving girls with him. All of them spoke excellent English. His pride in his work was very evident and engaging. He engaged us for quite some time, asking us which of the dishes we had liked best. How on earth to choose from among some of the best food we have ever had! At dessert, six of the serving girls came into our private room (by now we had moved from the roof). They formed a "choir" and sang "Happy birthday" to Terry. Great fun to end a perfect day.

Nara Koen

Today we took the train to Nara, set up in 710 as the "permanent" capital of the nascent Japan. "Permanent" turned out to be 74 years when the capital was moved to Kyoto, but that short time made Nara the center of Japanese crafts, arts, religion, and literature, and much of that influence remains today. Its relative obscurity for the past 1200+ years has allowed the old parts of Nara to stay somewhat unchanged. In some places (the few not overrun with visiting school children), you get a sense of how things used to be. Most of the old city remains in Nara Koen (Nara Park), which is notable by being overrun with deer. Legend has it that Takenomikazuchi-no-mikoto, one of the five gods of the Kasuga shrine, once landed atop a mountain riding on a white deer. The deer are thus sacred messengers and are designated "treasures" of the park. They are most frequently found around food stands or nuzzling the schoolchildren who buy packets of "deer crackers "to feed them.

Besides the deer, the attractions are many and increase in spendor as you walk the many kilometers through the park, beginning with two huge pagodas - a 3-storied one and a 5-storied one (pictured above). But the center of attraction is Todai-ji, the most important temple in Nara, founded in 743, with its Daibutsu-den, a huge temple of Buddha, which is the largest wooden structure in the world. That's it behind me. Inside is a monumental statue of the Great Buddha.

The picture can't capture its vastness, and oddly despite the crowds, the stillness. It was always clear that these were religious shrines, not just tourist places. Many people stopped to pray in front of the various statues.

As we walked around the grounds, we were frequently approached by a couple of schoolchildren who said (it was always the same, as they were reading from a notebook), "Do you mind talking to me?" "What is your name?" (then they gave us their names in English--"My name is xxx") "Where are you from?" etc. After this brief conversation, in perfect English, we were asked to sign the notebook. So we became Japanese "homework." Once I said back to one, "Watashi wa kyoshi des" (I am a teacher). The students' faces took on a look of astonishment that Japanese was coming out of my mouth--it was like a monkey had begun to talk!

Here their teacher insisted on a picture so we asked him to take one with our camera. The boys don't look so thrilled.

Now the day gets weird. One reason we had travelled to Nara was to see a painting that was listed in our "1,001 Paintings to See Before You Die" book. It's called Kichijoten by an unknown artist and painted sometime before the 14th century. It's in a Nara temple, Yakushi-ji, which is quite a way off the beaten track. So outside of Nara Koen, we jumped in a taxi ("Kono takshi wa kushi des ka?"--new phrase of the day) for a long (and expensive) ride to Yakushi-ji. Like most temples, this was a huge complex of many buildings and we searched through all of them--no paintings at all! Yakushi-ji was, though, filled with worshipping people, including a group in one central building listening to a sermon from a Buddhist monk. Finally, searching through my phrase book, I figured out how to ask if there was a painting and added the name Kichijoten. "Ah," said the monk behind the counter of a small gift booth, "it's a 'secret' painting that is only shown once each year--in early January." That darn book sure leaves stuff out! But the monk did show us a poster which featured a reproduction of the painting. Bill insists that's good enough and counts for having "seen" it!

We were far from the central train station, but near a local one--a different line that purportedly went to Kyoto. So we got on that train, crossing our fingers and praying to the Great Buddha that we would actually see Kyoto again, and after a change made it back to Kyoto hungry and exhausted.

Right--we're doing too much. So today (my birthday, by the way), we are laying low, doing a little local shopping and checking out a painting in Myoshin-ji (local temple). For dinner we're trying a new restaurant with $$$$ next to it in the guidebook, which will take us to Pontocho, the geisha district. I've been watching a YouTube version of a BBC documentary called "Becoming a Geisha." It's fascinating--check it out.

Japan's oldest bell, cast in 698, hangs at Myoshin-ji and we often hear it peal the hours.

Thursday dinner on Ichijo-dori

We went just up the street for dinner and stuck our heads in a bizarrely painted place on the corner. The cook said (his English was quite good) that there was no English menu but he could make us "anything." We sat down and began to suspect that there was not even a Japanese menu. We asked what he had and he placed out a lovely big square plate and said "My idea is" (his hand went to the upper corner of the plate) "salad here"--he moved his hand to the opposite corner--"fish here." We said we didn't want fish so he offered pork or Japanese beef and we chose beef. He proceeded to cook right in front of us while I drank a beer and Bill sake. He told us his name was Akira and gave us a card (of course) and we gave him our cards.
Bill taking over--the little rectangular room (a kind of bar with chairs and Akira behind the bar) had hundreds of CDs on little angled shelves, so I asked him if he was a musician, but he responded that he was "a cook." By the end of a very delicious meal we had seen 3 YouTube versions of him playing guitar or drums in different local venues. Otherwise, through the meal we were listening to Bob Marley off his computer. Oh, back to the food - the beef was covered in sprouts and shoots but once you found a slice, it proved to be wonderful. All in all a very odd little nook of Jamaica, Japan, and the 60's.

Terry again--the food was fabulous! And we were thoroughly entertained by Akira. Bill says we're going back once a week.

At 1 a.m. I turned over in bed and said to Bill--"If we had food poisoning, we'd know by now, right?" We're fine--healthy and very well fed.

This morning Akira sent Bill by email 2 photoshe took--one of us and one of the food. I can't figure out yet how to get the pix on the blog but I'll keep trying.

Shrines, Temples, and Yu-dofu (oh yes, and teaching)

Tuesday morning we went early to Kitano-Tenman-gu, a 1oth century shrine, for the antiques/flea market that takes place on the 25th of every month to commemorate the poet and scholar Sugawara Michizane.

The beautiful grounds are taken over by hundreds of booths selling everything from old kimono to fish. At the same time, towards the back of the shrine grounds, monks are chanting and rushing around to make it to meditation.

That evening (6-7:30), I taught my first class. I have 18 students, 9 enrolled and 9 auditing. I can tell that they are reluctant to speak English so I began class by saying "Watashi wa amerika jin des. Nihongo ga scossi wa ka ri mas. Demo mata ju zu ja a ri masen (I am American. I understand a little Japanese. But I am not very good at it yet). My terrible Japanese put them somewhat at ease about trying English. They each introduced themselves and said a little about themselves. Many said "My English is not so good, but I will try my best." "I will try my best" seems to be a theme for these students and it's a wonderful teaching atmosphere. Last night, Wednesday, I taught the second class and afterwards I invited the students to join me in the cafeteria for the "American Law table" where they could practice their English and ask questions about the class. About 10 students came and they were relaxed and delightful. They told me lots of things about themselves and about Japanese culture. They told me my Japanese was good (!!) and so I said everything I knew how to say in Japanese and they corrected me and taught me a few new things like i-ta-da-ki-mas, a kind of grace before eating that everyone says.

Today, Thursday, Bill and I went to two of the top attractions in Kyoto, both quite close to our apartment: Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) and Ryoan-ji (Temple of the Peaceful Dragon). The Golden Pavilion was built in the 14th century by Shogun Yoshimitsu Ashikaga as his retirement "cottage."

I'm running out of superlatives for these places--I am truly at a loss for words to describe the beauty and the peacefulness. I've decided to stop saying "the most beautiful . . . ." and embrace some Zen silence. The pictures don't do the spaces justice but they will have to speak for themselves.



Ryoan-ji is most famous for its Zen rock garden, 15 rocks set on white gravel. The walls around the garden are made of clay boiled in oil. As time went by, the oil seeped out and created the design. In the Buddhist tradition, 15 symbolizes completion. As you sit along the garden, you can never see all 15 stones at once: completion is not possible but always somehow present.

The rest of Ryoan-ji grounds are astonishing. We stopped to eat in a small secluded restaurant that served only one thing--Yu-dofu (boiled soy bean curd with vegetables). Yes, Bill ate Yu-dofu, and even found it delicious. You dip the custard like squares (like tofu) in soy sauce and ginger.

Rainy days and Mondays

Heavy, heavy rain yesterday and today (Sunday and Monday). Sunday, just to get out, we took the local JR train to the Kyoto station (picture) to do some shopping at the many stores there. We walked through the huge Isetan Department store. A beautiful store - every corner is colorfully and aesthetically arranged. Lots of very trendy Japanese women and girls shopping away. Very dressed up - high strappy heels - the kind you only see in magazine pictures or once in a while on my daughter, Karen, and tight cropped pants. We ordinary folk bought 2 pillowcases. Here they are in our cozy bedroom:

And here's our cozy living room. By "cozy," think basic graduate student housing.

Today we walked to an electronics store (we need a "router." Whatever that is) and on the way we passed 4 temples and shrines. We walked in one - you walk through a gate, actually under a gate, and enter a world apart. Lovely pathways, small gardens, and several buildings. No pictures yet; I didn't have my camera with me. Who knew we would pass these places on little ordinary back streets - but that's the essence of Kyoto.

Tomorrow is my first class and I am very over-prepared. That's what anxiety does to me. I made the best Powerpoint ever - spent lots of time on Google Images. Someday, if you find yourself wanting an introduction to the American legal system, I'll show it to you.

Meanwhile, here's more about Myoshin-ji, our "local" temple. It was built in 1337, when the Hanazono Emperor changed his imperial villa to a Zen temple. It contains 46 small temples. Buddhist monks train here (we saw one on a bicycle). To get a chance to study here, people need to beg for approval, bowing down for 2 or 3 days at the entrance. Monks wake at 3:30 am, recite a sutra, have a humble breakfast, practice Zazen (meditation in Zen Buddhism), clean the temple, and study and recite another sutra. After a "humble" lunch, they clean some more, have dinner, and more Zazen. They go to bed at 9:30. Any takers?

first days,a spectacular Buddhist Temple, and the best steak ever

We finally arrived on Friday morning. Our flight from Detroit to Tokyo was delayed so we had to spend the night at the Nikko at Narita Airport outside Tokyo. Then we had to get up at 4:30 am to take a bus an hour north to another airport for an early morning flight to Osaka. Then a 2 our van ride to Kyoto. My assistant Natsumi met us at the apartment, we dumped our bags, Natsumi quickly explained how to work all the appliances that are labelled in Japanese, and we went to lunch at the law school with the Dean and 5 other faculty members. I think we remained reasonably coherent, but if not, perhaps they'll think they just didn't understand our English.

Yesterday (Saturday) we went to Myoshin-ji Temple, which is just a couple of blocks from our apartment. It's actually a park-like complex of of 47 temples (see 2 pictures). It is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. I expect we will spend lots of time there.

Then we shopped for things the apartment didn't supply - enough hangers, pillows, etc. I showed Bill one of my favorite places-the Sanjo covered market, which is a mish-mash of shops selling everything from very weird fish to housewares (my fav is the 100 Yen Store - just like a Dollar Store). We ate waffles shaped like fish and filled with sweet red bean paste--a culinary delight!

We decided that we had earned ourselves a really good meal --- Bill will take over here. Indeed! After a 30 minute bike ride, we walked through some tatami matted hallways into a large room with counters circling five or six chefs. We sat down (on pillows in front of the counter) to an amazing meal of many courses, each prepared on the metal grill in front of us. The basic ingredient was beef - hand-massaged beef. The fillets were incredibly tender, almost like eating butter, literally melting in your mouth. The cold sake was terrific; we tried three different kinds, but they were all equally excellent. Scallops, fried vegetables, miso soup and other delights accented the meal, but the star, by far, was the most amazing beef imaginable (Omi beef--beer fed, and --really--hand massaged). Supposed to be even better than Kobi--Omi has 2 new converts!

we leave tomorrow

Sun setting on lake;

Morning half a world away.

Here to Kyoto . . . .


Well, we can't say "what are we forgetting?" one more time. We're off tomorrow. Stay in touch.