From the Heart of Tokyo 東京の中心から

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

今度、日本語で書けなかったです。この物語は長くて、難しいです。It's been hard for me to convince myself to write about this part of our Spring Break trip.  When Martin decided which locations we would visit, and I made the plans accordingly, I had no idea what I would encounter.  As he's very interested in geopolitics, and knowledgeable about world history, he thought he knew what to expect.  But we all four came away tremendously emotionally impacted by what we saw and learned there in Phnom Penh about the Khmer Rough regime.  I still can't stop wondering how it could have happened in modern times, that the leader, Pol Pot, could induce all those teenagers to act as his henchmen and exterminate a quarter of the population of his own country in less than four years.  In its quest to create a totally proletarian society, intellectuals and anyone not "working class", ie, doctors, dentists, teachers, engineers, merchants, etc. etc. were killed.  How can a country recover from that? Even after the regime was removed, there was no one with any education left to rebuild the country.  Certainly, the Khmer Rough is responsible for the poverty we see in Cambodia today. 

Back at the beginning of the trip, while still in Siem Reap, touring Angkor Wat with our wonderful Cambodian Guide, Rathana, I learned a bit about the Khmer Rough.  Being a truly cheerful and positive person, and an advocate for tourism, Rathana was reluctant to dwell on the negative, but several times he did note various impacts on the 1000+ year old architecture which have been attributed to the Khmer Rough, such as the stones which have been cut away between the statue guards on the way to Angkor Thom South Gate.  When we questioned him directly, we also learned that his parents lost several family members to the mayhem.  This was before they met, married, and started a family after the "Liberation" by Vietnam in 1979.

So, Rathana dutifully delivered us to the bus which would take us to Phnom Penh.  As we settled into our assigned seats in the first and second row, directly behind the bus driver, I looked out the window at the makeshift bus station, consisting of card tables set up behind pick-up trucks, amidst several worn but sturdy looking buses and various uniformed people running around with clipboards.  Several bottles of water were delivered to our bus for the passengers, as well as a small snack.  The seat was comfortable enough, and though it was very hot, there was air conditioning, which helped to some extent.  Besides the driver, there was an assistant, a woman who spoke both Cambodian and English.  Oh my.  That bus ride.  We had decided to take the bus for the six hour trip rather than the somewhat shorter trip by air, if you consider the airport time, as we thought this would be a good way to see the countryside.  Well, that was true.  The highway to Phnom Penh is basically straight, paved for the most part, and very narrow and crowded.  Because the bus is bigger than almost everything else using the road, people walking, on bicycles, scooters, cars and trucks, the method of progress is to drive very fast, weaving and dodging the moving obstacles and beeping the horn whenever the driver comes up behind something, or meets something coming the other way.  Which is pretty much constantly.  Half an hour down the road, we came across a similar bus which had been heading the other way.  It was pulled over to the side, and all the people were getting off.  In the road lay a flattened bicycle, and in the ditch lay an inert body of a man.    Well.  Let's pause for a moment here.

After that, our bus driver drove just as before, but used his horn even more constantly, I can still hear it now.  A raucous noise.  It was one HELL of a ride.  When I woke that night at 3am with the worst migraine I've had for some time, it was easy to blame the stress of the swerving, speeding six hour long bus ride with its constant loud horn honking, and exhaust smell as the culprit.  We survived.  Eventually, we reached Phnom Penh and pulled over.   We got out, and a mob of people were clamoring for attention.  I had to assume these were tuk tuk drivers looking for fares, but it did scare me a little.

When we saw our name on a piece of paper, we trepidatiosly let the two men take our bags, and followed themto a van.  Our tour guide, "Sam" was very different from Rathana, but also very good.  Actually he was perfect for the job, as his interest and knowledge of Cambodia's history, particularly the Khmer Rouge, was quite extensive.  He took us to our hotel and we talked about the plan for the following day, which we tweaked to include the Killing Fields, having to give up the National Museum.  (I had wanted to see all those Buddha's that had been removed from the Angkor Wat temples, but maybe there will be a next time... but not another bus ride, I can guarantee that.)

So the next day, we went to what has been termed the Killing Fields, which is different from the movie.  Choeung Ek Extermination Center is a little ways outside Phnom Penh, and is one of several places where people were killed by the Khmer Rouge.  Informative signs are in Cambodian and English, and the piles and piles of skulls, from just one of the numerous mass graves are entombed in a tall building to act as a memorial to all those slain.  It was a sobering event for us.  After that, even more upsetting, was a tour of the S-21, Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide, which had been a normal high school until the Khmer Rouge used is as a concentration camp.  We saw torture rooms, cells, and hundreds of individual pictures of the captives, all looking straight into the camera, holding a number.  Their expressions are unforgettable.  I found this informative post which explains it better than I can.   

  Then we went to a pleasant air conditioned restaurant and ate excellent Cambodian food, though it was impossible to stop thinking about what we'd seen.  In the afternoon, we visited the splendid and serene Royal Palace, which is quite a contrast to the poverty and grimy bustle of effort we see elsewhere.  It is very interesting and suspicious that Pol Pot spared Prince Sihanouk and his palace during his reign of terror.  The palace has lovely architecture, a throne room with many buddhas, and in the elephant hut, there's several ornate seats for the king and queen to ride on elephants.  The current king is single and the country is poor, so that's not going on at all.  Later we had a chance to explore the Russian Market.  Monica's pretty good at bargaining, so I stuck with her and we picked up a few good things very cheap. 

The night we arrived, after the busride from hell, Martin walked outside the hotel and talked to a tuk tuk driver, and he took us to a safe place to eat.  A tuk tuk is an open cart pulled by a small motorcycle.  It's like a taxi.  They are all over, and you need to negotiate a price, the drivers can speak enough english for that.  Well this tuk tuk driver worked out very well for us.  He waited around till we finished, then took us back to the hotel, where we made a plan for the next evening with him to drive us around town for an hour for $5.00, which was very interesting, except for the car exhaust, and when we would stop at a light, very small children, maybe seven years old, would rush into the very congested six lane street and beg for money from us.  That was upsetting to me, and once I tried to tell them to get out of the street because of the danger, but they just laughed and mocked me.  I really can't imagine their life.

So, I took lots of pictures, and have many more in my mind.  Those few days in Cambodia will stay with me forever.  I'm glad my children had this chance to enhance their global perspective with this experience. 

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Spring Break Trip, part 1 of 3   学校の春休みの家族の旅行

   

日本語の略説が下に書きました。　We returned from the weeklong trip to Cambodia and Vietnam nearly two weeks ago, yet it's on my mind every day.  Traveling is both challenging and rewarding and this trip was very much the former.  The rewarding part will probably come in the form of perspective.  I'm still trying to sort it out.    Monica took the above picture of shrimp drying amidst the Floating Village of Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap, Cambodia.  It was an unforgetable experience, bumping along a makeshift road past some of the most obvious chronic poverty I've ever seen, to a small motorboat on a river which took us to this lake where families are clustered in ramshackle houseboats where they earn a meager living fishing.  Everyone was obviously very poor, but there were many smiles and the sense of family caring was strong.  Please see Monica and my pictures of the FLOATING VILLAGE .  Martin has many more and better photos, but he's so busy working, he hasn't had a chance to organize them yet. 

The day before, we had visited Angkor Wat and other century old ruins with our wonderful Cambodian guide, Rathana. Here, holding a village child.  This intelligent young man made our trip to Siem Reap very special.  He has seriously studied the complex history of the area, and is an expert on the temples of Angkor Wat.  That, in addition to having good English,  being perceptive of what his clients need and want, as well as a lovely personality, he endeared himself to all of us. 

The first morning, we woke up very early, before 5am, piled into the van and headed out to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat, a temple built in the 12th century and often mentioned as one of the seven wonders of the world.  The temple began as Hindu but became Buddhist as Cambodia's culture changed.  It is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs (stone murals) and numerous asparas and devatas which are dancing or standing female figures decorating the walls and pillers.  Rathana's explanations added so much to my appreciation of the experience.  Please see the pictures that Monica and I took of our ANGKOR WAT adventure.

  After that, we went to see nearby Angkor Thom which was built about the same time, but is a very different temple with over a hundred faces of the king.  See here, Monica kisses the king.

During the two full days we spent in Siem Reap, we saw several other very interesting ruins and sites.  I particularly enjoyed the Terrace of the Elephants which was used as a giant reviewing stand by the king, as well as Ta Prohm, the Jungle Temple which was built in the 12th century then abandoned some three hundred years later until "rediscovered" fairly recently.  In the meantime, the jungle has integrated itself among the ruins and the ambience is very interesting.  On the third morning, Rathana took us to see how fine Cambodian silk is made, starting with the caring of the silk worms, through the many processes including dyeing and weaving.  About noon we boarded a bus for Phnom Penh.  I'll recount that part of the adventure in a later post.

We bought our international plane tickets from Tokyo to Siem Riep and from Hochiminh City to Tokyo from No 1 Travel in Shibuya.  They were really easy to work with, as usual, and we did all of it by phone and email in English.  For the actual tour itself inside Cambodia and Vietnam, we used and can recommend Banyon Tours.    This was arranged entirely via email, over the course of several weeks as our plans evolved and we determined what we really wanted to do.  The three tour guides they assigned in the three different cities were all good, each very well suited to their area of expertise.  They also arranged the hotels, and all transportation other than the international flights.  If you are only going to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), you should contact Rathana directly.  Besides guiding, he can arrange your hotel, driver, etc.  I'll be happy to give you his contact info.

Now for a summary of the above in Japanese.  二週間前に子供の学校の春休みで、家族はカンボジアとベトナムに行きました。あの経験はとても面白かったです。今まで、毎日それを考えています。とくに、旅行前に、カンボジアの貧乏ような見たことがありません。この物語はアンコールワットとかについてです。そして、浮遊の村落もとても忘れられないです。カンボジアの人々はすごく悪い事を我慢したが、家族はいいだし、一所懸命と思います。

Ｓｉｅｍ　Ｒｅａｐで、ガイドはとてもいい人です。彼の名前はラテャナアです。２３歳だけど、古い神殿を勉強したから、知識のあるです。よく知っています。彼の英語も上手だので、モニカとジョナの友達になりました。

もちろん、たくさん写真を撮りました。モニカと私の写真はここ　FLOATING VILLAGE　とここ　ANGKOR WAT 　　　　　です。見てください。マーティンの写真は私たちより上手だけど、彼の忙しい仕事から、今までできません。　この物語はＳｉｅｍ　Ｒｅａｐだけについて、後に、旅行残りについて書くつもりです。

Fallow

休閑地

This blog is like a fallow field. 

Well, it's a winter, of sorts.

Yes.

Necessary for the spring.

ブログは休閑地のようですね。

じゃ。冬そうですね。

ね。

春のために、必要ですね。

Ah, where does that path go? 

To a decision, I think.

Or an opportunity.

え、　小道はどこへ行きますか？

たぶん、もう一つ決定ですね。

または、機会だと思います。

＝＝＝

Growing Up

発育している

For several years in a row, Monica's Grandma Mary Kay would give her a beautiful party dress for her birthday in December.  Monica would then wear the dress at the Father-Daughter Dance which is held in February around Valentines Day, a special event that she attended with her Dad several years running.  Last year, however, she decided she was too old to go to the dance, which saddened Papa but he accepted it with grace.  And then this last birthday, Grandma didn't send a dress, knowing that now Monica likes to make her own choices about clothing.  Yes, she is growing up.  This is a good thing, of course, the natural progression of life.  But it is also, sigh... a somewhat bittersweet thing for Mom and Dad to deal with.

We are always telling our daughter  to clean up her room, but when, a couple of years ago, she boxed up her collection of Barbie Dolls and said they were just taking up space in her room, I wasn't glad.  Silly dolls, so disproportionate, almost all with long blonde hair, either overdressed in the latest fashions or laying around naked, they had been a fixture in her life for quite awhile.  Now, instead, she has her coke collection, which contains a coke bottle or can from every country she's visited, plus a bunch of other stuff with the red and white logo.  Apparently Coke is cool, Barbies are not.

And just this week saw the first mass exodus from Animal World.  For most of a decade, the children have used their active imaginations and played out very complicated scenarios with their stuffed animals, mostly beanie babies or the like.  Each of the animals has a name, (sometimes the name that was on the tag, but usually a more suitable one), a profession, special talents (or powers) and a partner.  I would love to explain more, but suffice it to say that Animal World has been a very positive relationship building game between the children and a constant delight for us parents.  For some time, though, Monica's interest in Animal World's magic has been waning.  Her favorite toys now are her cell phone, her ipod, and the computer.

Just as we must accept the normal changes that our children pass through on their way to adulthood, we must also accept other even more bitter truths.  Tomorrow is my birthday.  And not just any birthday, but a significant one.  One that ends with a zero.  One of those birthdays that makes you go "OH NO!!...I am running out of time!"  I've been trying not to think about it for maybe two years, and yet time marchs right along, picking up speed even, bringing changes whether you are ready or not.  So, after much urging from Martin, I finally consented to letting him and my friends have a party.  Trying to avoid it wasn't working.  Maybe bravely facing it with friends will help me find the silver lining that I know is there somewhere.

この物語は発育しているについてです。モニカは服や玩具が大きくなった。生活は早く過ぎていますよね。そして、年を取っているについて考えています。明日は私の誕生日だので、複雑な気持ちがあります。説明しにくいです。私の日本語は足りない。

Racing yourself

自分で競争についてです。

８月から学校でジョナはクロスカントリーを走っている。３回毎週学校の日後に練習をしている。毎土曜日に皆さんと外の国際の学生と集めて、走って、競争します。いろいろ理由にいい経験だと思います。

When Middle School started for Jonah in August, he decided to join the Cross Country team.  They practice three days a week after school, and then have meets every Saturday with other international schools.  It is always interesting to see the young athletes together. 

Developing the habit of fitness at an early age will benefit them for life.

And, at this juncture of development, it helps them build their own character.  The students are running with a group, so they are in competition with each other, but that part is just additional motivation, pacing.  The true competition is within the individual athlete.  Each week, he or she tries to better their own time.  The coaches help them set goals during the practices and then remind them of these goals before the meet.  The runners joke around with their friends, that's the group thing.  But then a few words with the coach, talking seriously about attaining that personal goal, helps them bring out their best effort.  You can see it in their faces at the finish line.

How can I translate this into a life lesson for myself?

Martin took all these pix at Saturday's meet.

Jonah's goal this week was to run the 2.1 mile course in under 21 minutes.                 His time: 20:40. 

Martin's been bugging me to ride my bicycle, but it really puts a strain on the wrist, and I prefer to avoid pain.  Finally this weekend I gave in and rode for the first time since my injury, 3 months ago.  We rode by the Imperial Palace Moat, and over to... yes, you guessed it...  BIC Camera.  ( where Martin goes to daydream and drool.)  It went okay, the biking, I mean.  I was careful, let the arm rest as much as possible, tried not to lean on it.  I'd say I'm pretty well recovered now.  Still can't do some yoga moves, like downward dog, but it will come with time.  Not only have I been wearing my wrist guards since I started skating again, but I've been promoting them to my friends.

Oh, look... in the background you can see the Diet where the newly elected prime minister will work.  I'll miss Koizumi and his lovely hair, but maybe he'll get his own talk show or something. 

Our route back from Yurakuchyo took us through Ginza and by some high end used camera shops.  "This will only take a minute", he'd say, hopping off. 

I think you'll find this interesting.                                     Pumpkins for sale in Tokyo.   Let's see, 3150 yen is about $26.65. 

飛びたいです。

Recalling Parasailing in Phuket

昨晩面白い夢を見た。それの中に現実が中断された、長くて複雑冒険だった。それでは私は通常のヘリウムの気球に紐を握り、空に飛んだ！　それはすばらしかった。それはとても自由に感じだ。

それは今年の春にプケッとに私達の旅行でパラセイリング初めてしたことがあったと思い出した。　それは少し分の間しかなかったが、決して感じを忘れていない。　飛ぶことができることを望む。

私達のParasailingのSMUGMUGの写真見て。。。　　（See the photos)

Last night I had a very interesting dream.  In it, I held the string of an ordinary helium balloon, and, since this was a dream, and reality was suspended, I flew up in the air.  It was a long and complicated dream full of adventure.  I felt totally free.  It was wonderful.

It reminds me of our trip this Spring to Phuket, Thailand.  There, I parasailed for the first time.  I've always wanted to do it, and every day, on the beach, I watched them, and wanted to go up.  Finally, Martin agreed.  It was only for a few minutes, but it was an amazing feeling to be up in the air above the water and land.  The agile Thai boy, without harness or anything, steered the sail.  All I did was look around and enjoy the feeling.  After that, Monica and Jonah also took a turn.  Martin kept his feet firmly planted on earth, but took some very nice photos, don't you think?

              I really wish I could fly. . . .

Serene

安らかな

Martin took this photo in Niseko.  It looks so serene, this chapel nestled in the snow.  But with a moment of consideration, you see that it is not so tranquil, really.  Though the air remained crisply cold on your face, as the sun touched the rooftops, the glacier shaped snow slowly slid down, abruptly making muffled thumps throughout the day.  No bright colors here, seemingly no action, but there is so much beyond the obvious.  Like life. 

Just as New Years is the time for rethinking ones values and redirecting ones actions towards achieving the goals which are consistent with those values, Mid January is the time when we are often surprised to find ourselves already back in prior patterns.  It is a good time to reinforce those recent resolutions so soon neglected. 

Though I'm not a student of philosophy,  as the years pass, I think more and more about life and what it all means.  When the children were babies, it seemed like every day was so long and solid, but then time speeded up and the moments passed in a blur.  Just as the newborn infant's face changes every day and he becomes himself, every day of our lives bring opportunities for growth and renewal.

So, there is the dilemma.  We know  what we want to achieve.  How do we maintain the balance between living each day to its fullest and achieving our goals, while keeping the serenity in our heart that truly brings tranquility.