Dinner and a Concert

Last Friday evening, January 29, I had one of my occasional Friday evenings in Boston. It was typical in overall format, but it was special in several ways.


As usual, I went to Scollay Square for dinner. Wendy the waitress was there. She told me that she had not been scheduled to work that evening, but when she realized I'd be there, she made a switch with someone. Actually, my schedule is not as regular as she thought — every second Friday — but she happened to be right about that day. She wanted to let me know that it would be her last Friday evening there. From now on, she'll be working at lunchtime on Fridays, on Saturday evenings, and maybe another weekday evening.

She waited on me and we had a couple of nice chats. She asked about the book I was reading. It's one I had just begun, Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo, by Matthew Amster-Burton. It tells of the month he, his wife, and their eight year old daughter spent in Tokyo, living in a small apartment in Nakano, on the outskirts of the city. The principal topic seems to be the varieties of food available in Japan — along with a fair amount on Japanese culture and customs. He loves the food and the city, and, as suggested by the title, he also has a sense of humor. I had Wendy read the following paragraph:

Tokyo is not a beautiful place, but it metes out its charms with almost scientific regularity. Each time one of us went for a walk, we came back with exciting news: a peculiar old building, a funny sign, a family of cats, a new kind of yogurt-flavored candy. Yes, Iris [the daughter] went out often for unaccompanied walks; to my knowledge, she was never forced to join the yakuza [the Japanese mob], although she occasionally came back with a suspicious tattoo.

 He adds that "Good food is so easy to find in Tokyo that the city itself seems like a restaurant. In over a month, we had one meal that I found disappointing, and it wasn't actually bad, just bland."
Asking me about my book is one of the things I liked about Seth, and when I'm alone I like that sort of personal interaction.

Wendy also told me that the miso-glazed salmon, which I once called "Best. Salmon. Ever." in a review can be requested the original way they did it, which is over saffron rice and sautéed spinach. Now it comes over lobster mashed potato, which is okay, but the rice & spinach was better. Wendy said that at lunch, it still is served with the rice and spinach, and they should be able to do it that way for me at dinner.


By the time I got to the Harvard Musical Association, the concert had begun, so I had to listen from outside the opened doors until they finished their first numbers. Then I got a seat. The performers were a men's singing group called Renaissance Men (RenMen for short) — a name which refers not to their repertoire but to the term "Renaissance man" used to describe a person with wide interests and learning. Except for one song, they performed a capella and almost all was music composed since 1800. There were a lot of drinking songs, and it was a very enjoyable show.

Afterwards, there was wine and dessert. Usually, I don't stay for the post-concert goodies, but this time I did and spoke with several of them, including Kilian Mooney, who is named for the Irish monk who is the patron saint of Würzburg, Germany. St. Kilian went there as a missionary and was martyred along with his companions Kolonat and Totnan. He had visited the city, as had I, so we had something to chat about for a couple of minutes.


As I headed for the subway afterwards, I was thinking what an enjoyable evening it had been, and how blessed I was to have had not only this evening but my entire life, with all the good things I have been able to enjoy. The title of one of Razz's posts came to mind: "My Life Has Been Perfect."

Columbus Day

I think Columbus Day is still worth celebrating. "In fourteen hundred and ninety-two/ Columbus sailed the ocean blue/ [and on the twelfth of October/ landed on Hispaniola]."

People rightly point out that other Europeans had seen and visited the continent(s) of America. But none of those led to the settlement to which most of us owe our presence here. So unless we wish to leave this hemisphere, we must consider ourselves in some way the beneficiaries of Columbus.

People also point out the undeniable bad results for the native populations. But, whatever his personal cruelty toward natives in subsequent years, that was not Columbus' purpose in his first voyage. Furthermore, it seems that on balance, over time the Spaniards were less hostile toward and destructive of the native populations than the English. Above all, the evils, intended and unintended, are counterbalanced by the surpassing  good of the bringing of Christianity to the native peoples.

To me, then, whatever the evils brought by Europeans to these shores — not all of which can be justifiably laid to the personal blame of Columbus — on balance no Christian and no one of European descent who continues to live here can honestly wish Columbus' "discovery" of America hadn't happened.

My celebration will probably take the form of having meatballs for lunch, spaghetti for dinner, and Grand Marnier (for the reason explained in an earlier post) either as an ingredient in my cocktail or as an after-dinner drink.

BTW, in an earlier post about this holiday, I think I said that in Japan it is Culture Day — based on what I understood my brother to say. But it's actually Sports (or Health and Sports) Day, with its date based on the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Japan Diary, Part Five

June 5 & 6  Wednesday was trash day. Stuff had to be at curbside for pickup by 7:30, so it was my first order of business after waking up at about 5:00 a.m.. In mid-morning I went food shopping at the stores nearest to the house. Had breakfast when I got home, watered and misted the plants*, brushed the cats, was surprised when Minka licked my hand. In mid-afternoon, I had lunch, worked sudoku and crossword puzzles in the newspapers.

*Yang Yang decided it was a good idea to drink the water in the dishes under the plants. I decided it wasn't. When I picked him up and was carrying him to his water dish, he struggled and scratched my arm.

From about 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., I took a nap, then watched some baseball on TV. Unlike my country, they don't have baseball games on TV every day. It seems that every Japanese major league team has one or two American players. A noticeable difference in crowd behavior is that when each team is at bat, there are numbers of fans wearing team colors who sing the team pep song. So there's no quiet time (except maybe between innings and halves of innings).

I got to dinner about midnight.

Cod, sauteed peppers and mushrooms, salad, black coffee (in pot), manhattan, white wine.

Thursday morning, having gone to bed at about 2:30, I was awakened at about 5:00 to feed the cats. I got up at about 6:00, and Yang Yang paid a brief visit at about 6:30.

At about 7:30 I went out to take a walk along the pedestrian promenade.

A view of a side street across Shiroyama Dori (the street the promenade parallels) from the promenade.

Near the farthest point of my walk, perhaps a mile from the point where I started.

I find it a little surprising that they put it in English. This is in an area where I think there are very few English speakers, and few of them who would be unable to handle the Japanese.

A tile embedded in the promenade. This looks like an old map of the area.

Hollyhock.

I saw a couple of maps which showed a fairly direct route from near the annex back to the house via regular roads, so I decided to try it. At one point I became uncertain which way to go, but I knew that going right would either get me where I wanted to go or back to the promenade. Eventually I arrived at an intersection a couple of blocks from my brother's house and got back to the house just after 9:00. After that it was a relaxed day of newspapers and TV and occasionally looking in on the cats. They spent most of their time in the main bedroom, but Yang Yang also liked to spend time looking out from the breezeway between the two houses. Once in a while Minka joined him for a moment.

Yang Yang in the bedroom.

Minka on my s-i-l's bed.

My brother and s-i-l were due back late that evening, so I had dinner early and cleaned up the kitchen.

Chicken livers and hearts (they came attached to each other) sauteed with mushrooms etc. on toast points. Usual beverages.

When the folks got back we had a little collation which included some German cheeses and pastries I had bought. I got to bed about 1:30.

June 7  Friday was my return to the States (via Toronto).

My brother in what I understand is a fairly typical pose with the cats. Minka doesn't curl up in a lap, just drapes herself over one thigh. Yang Yang is not a lap cat at all. (If you recognize my brother, please keep it confidential).

My sister-in-law drove us to the station, where my brother and I caught a train to Shinjuku. There my brother made sure I found the train to Narita. It turned out my flight was delayed, which meant less time in Toronto. So I decided just to stick close to the gate. After an hour or so I realized that the gate I was at was my seat number, not the plane's departure. Fortunately, there was plenty of time to recover from that misreading of the boarding pass.

The flights were smooth and uneventful, although the Tokyo-Toronto leg went well south of the normal route, making the distance considerably longer than normal, but the pilot made up for it by flying about 100 mph faster than normal, so our flight time was about as scheduled. I suppose the change of route was to avoid rough weather.

I arrived home in a downpour from a tropical storm and got drenched just going from the van to my front door.

It was a pleasant and relaxing time in Japan, and my brother was very grateful. He said that if I hadn't come, he'd either have cancelled his trip or spent the whole time worrying about the cats.

Well, that concludes the trip. I may post a follow-up, with some words about the cost of the whole thing and pics of the loot I picked up, but these five "diary" posts give you the basics. I hope it was somewhat interesting.

Japan Diary, Part Four

June 2  I woke up about 5:30, fed the cats, shaved, said my morning prayers, generally relaxed, and finally had breakfast at about 8:30.

To get to Mass at St. Francis Xavier chapel at Sophia University, I needed to get to Shinjuku (a major rail hub in Tokyo) via the Odakyu Line, then take either the Chuo Line or the Maronouchi Line to Yotsuya Station. There was a change of trains on the Odakyu Line several stops before Shinjuku, which my brother had told me about. I had forgotten about it, but when the announcement was made on the train, I knew what it meant. I had hoped to take the Maronouchi Line, because in January 2010 I had taken the Chuo Line. But I couldn't follow the directions to it in the station, so I took the Chuo Line and got to Yotsuya with no difficulty. It helps that station announcements are made in Japanese, Korean, and English and that station signs are in Japanese and Korean and in Roman alphabet. The church is just across the intersection from the station exit.

The church is a fairly large, oval, gray brick building, with tall stained glass windows.

A general view of the interior, including pulpit, altar, tabernacle, and several of the windows.

(Click on photos to enlarge for greater detail.)

The window the the left of the altar in the previous photo.

Another window.

Detail of one of the windows in the rear of the church.

The noon Mass was in English. I made the mistake of putting ¥5,000 in the collection basket, rather than 500 (i.e. about $50, rather than 5).

In the courtyard outside, they were having a bazaar, with all the usual sorts of stuff — mostly handmade cloth articles.

A banner announced the event (I think).

There were a few musicians, including this guy.

Here's the section where they had food. Most was typical Japanese items, but I settled for a hot dog.

It was explained to me that this table had ceramic wares made by the clients of a program for the developmentally handicapped, which operated in the area near Mt. Fuji. toward the left are bowls with a blue design. These may be the ones that seem to show a stylized cat's face. I bought one for my brother and sister in law.

I also bought this smaller bowl for myself.

I returned to Shinjuku via the Maronouchi Line. Then via the Odakyu Line to Kyodo, where I bought a large bowl of noodle soup at a semi-automated noodle shop. (There's a numbered menu with pictures of the items. You put money into a machine and click the number of the item you want. The machine produces a ticket which you take to the counter. They ask if you want soba or udon noodles in your soup. When your order is ready they call you.)

After I got home, I watched some baseball on TV. The teams all seem to have one or two Americans on them. I had a nap, watered the plants, said my evening prayers, and had a steak dinner, which I forgot to take a picture of (sorry).

June 3 & 4  The next two days included some reading, a fair amount of TV watching (costume dramas mostly), watering the plants, doing the sudoku and crossword puzzles in the English language papers my brother gets, and grocery shopping.

The cats were good about letting me know when they were hungry.

They also knew how to relax.

Monday evening I had salmon with asparagus on toast.

Tuesday I bought some sandwiches at the university student coop. The one in the bun was pretty good and so was the cutlet sandwich. The one in the middle was mainly veggies and not very tasty.

At the cash register the clerk opened a drawer under the register and said something which included the words "go en." After a few seconds I remembered that my brother had told me that he was annoyed that they charge five yen for a plastic bag. I then remembered that "go" is Japanese for five, and "en" is Japanese for yen. Somehow I managed to convey that I was willing to pay the extra ¥5, and I got a bag to carry the sandwiches and a bottle of beer brewed by a company founded by a graduate of the uni.

Tuesday evening I watched the highly anticipated soccer (football) match between Japan and Australia. Keisuke Honda, a big bleached-blond player, got to take a penalty kick in extra time when an Aussie touched the ball with his hand. His scored a goal, which created a tie, enabling Japan to qualify for the World Cup, and that had people celebrating in the streets and pubs all over Japan.

My dinner that evening was pork cutlets with mushrooms on toast points and some leftover beans. They're sort of like edamame, but bigger. You take the beans out of the shell, and then you take the membrane off each bean.

On each of these days, I went to bed between 12:30 and 12:45, whereas earlier in the trip I had been retiring well before midnight. I suppose it has to do with the fact that when I'm alone, I tend to put off dinner until late in the evening.

This leaves three more days, which I expect to cover in my next post about the trip. There will be some kitty pics and some additional ground covered in a walk along the promenade, and then bro and s-i-l got back, and I had my return flights.

Japan Diary, Part Three

This post will have lots of pics, mostly from early morning walks I took. I hope they give you some idea of what it's like in a basically residential area of Tokyo. When my grandmother was alive and I'd show her pics from my travels, she'd say, "That's lovely, Joe," at each one. Finally it dawned on me that what she meant was, "This is very boring, don't linger on it." So if you find these "lovely," feel free to skim. If you're not bored, I hope the captions will be adequate. I'll be happy to answer questions (if I know the answer). As always, click to enlarge. (I recommend it.)

May 31 I woke up early again (about 4:00) with the sky beginning to brighten, but I tried to get back to sleep. I got up at about 5:30 and headed out for a walk at about 6:00. There is a street which runs past my brother's side street, goes down a hill, crosses a main street, and then goes uphill to the railroad station. Unusually for Japan, both streets have names. Nodai Dori goes to the station, crossing Shiroyama Dori along the way. In earlier times there was a river running through the low area, but now it has been placed in an underground channel, and there is a pedestrian promenade along its former course

Nodai Dori near my brother's house, looking north. The pedestrians give some idea of the width (i.e., narrowness) of the street.

Notice the absence of front yards. If a building doesn't come up to the street line, there is usually a wall or fence. Possibly with shrubbery.

Hydrangeas just beginning to bloom at an intersection.

Continuing along toward the station, approaching the dip.

The tall building in the distance is next to the station. It houses the Peacock department store, which is one of the places my brother showed me to shop for food. There is a bowling alley on the top floor, and you may be able to see the large bowling pin on the roof. (Actually, I can't see it even when I enlarge the pics, but I know I saw it when I took the pics.)

Side street. Fairly new buildings.

Street level sign board for Gotsui restaurant, where we ate the previous evening. The restaurant is upstairs, and you can see the stairs to the right.

Another sign board for Gotsui. Pictured on it is the section where we ate. They pushed the tables together for us.

At this point I have crossed Shiroyama Dori, the former river area. From here to the station, the street is lined with shops. At times, it is a pedestrian zone.

Streetscape.

English adds a bit of cachet. (There are a number of schools nearby, and many students may be studying English.) During a previous trip I was fascinated by the name and ate there. Food was very good, for a burger joint, and cooked to order.

Coincidentally, the place where my brother took me to lunch later in the day is on the second floor, right over this place.

The station comes into view.

The tracks are elevated at this point, and there is a roof over them.

Station, with plaza.

The sign identifies the train line and the station. From the part of the plaza you see, one goes down three shallow steps to get to the roofed ares, where the doors are to the left. Notice the sculpture to the right.

Beyond the station, to the left, is a several story building housing a number of shops and an Odakyu OX store, which also included a supermarket

This side of the station was something more familiar to Westerners.

A side street not far from the station.

Another shot of Nodai Dori, now heading south, away from the station.

The wall and fence look modern, but the exterior of the building has been made to look traditional, at least at a glance to a Westerner.

After breakfast, I did some laundry, mainly so I'd know how the machine worked if I had to wash something while they were away. I also read some of my book by Voegelin and worked the newspaper puzzles.

For lunch my brother took me to a place called Cozi Cozi. He had the five item special (quiche, pate, meatball, potato, salad  with a roll.) I had the borscht and piroshki. Each cost ¥1,000 (about $10).

In mid-June they had a party there to celebrate my bother's becoming a Japanese citizen.

In the evening, I lent a hand in the kitchen as my sister-in-law prepared a dinner of seafood curry (with mushrooms) and salad.

After dinner, the taxi arrived to take my brother to the airport.

Picture taken without flash. To the left are my s-i-l's brother and mother. My brother and s-i-l to the right.

June 1  On Saturday I headed out even earlier, about 4:30, and walked a bit of the promenade where the river used to be. There were a few other people out walking too, including a young couple (end of night or beginning of day?)

I like the tape to warn walkers of the overhang — instead of cutting the tree down.

I think this is an alley off the promenade. The Japanese like to have trees and shrubs in their yards.

The promenade winds between buildings.

There are small garden and playground areas.

It is suitably marked where it crosses a street.

Flowers are planted in spots along the way.

After another relaxing day of newspapers, TV, book, food shopping  and nap, dinner was a fairly simple affair, ordered in from the sushi place (but not sushi), and then it was my sister-in-law's turn to take a taxi to the airport. 

Now I was alone with the cats.