Waiting Around

Milton wrote that “They also serve who only stand and wait.” He must have spent some time on the road. It is ironic, or at least counterintuitive that when you are traveling you spend the most time waiting. You may be waiting in different places but are waiting nonetheless. Airports, train stations, hotel lobbys, taxi stands. Waiting to board your airplane, waiting for your room key, for sound check, for your clothes to dry, waiting for someone to pick you up. Waiting to be told how long the wait is going to be.

Yokohama

I will always remember that I was in Yokohama during the election of 2008. This city is quite close to Tokyo and our hotel was just a couple blocks from the Chinatown area and also the harborfront. So it was fun just walking around, not to mention offering some great Chinese food. Just as many Anglos may mistakenly view all Hispanic cultures the same, they are, in fact, very different. The same is true of Asia. Japan is not Korea, is not China, etc. The Korean audiences make a hooting noise when they applaud. The Japanese clap like the ocean and have a lot of stamina. Three wonderful days in Yokohama came to an end with a great concert last night. We're off to Kanazawa!

The Dark Night of the Seoul

I'm headed back to Japan in the morning after 6 days in Seoul, Korea. We had 5 great concerts here, had a wonderful party and met some great people. Our promoter was fabulous and we had wonderful, supportive sponsors. Sejong Center is a jewel. Korean passengers on the subway offered help to us in finding our way. People would walk up to us as we were looking at our city map to point us in the right direction. A guy on the subway got up to give Karen his seat and then moved the lady next to her so I could sit there! On the other hand I have been pushed, bumped, jostled, and muttered at by passersby, cab drivers and shopkeepers. Waiters have cordially ignored my gestures for service and our Korean interpreter openly gave me a bad time on stage. I know that it doesn't help that I don't speak a word of Korean and that it is unfair to expect the real Korea to fulfill my theme park expectation of what I wish Korea to be. It is what it is. Living just a few kilometers away from a nuclear-armed nutcase (Kim Jong Il) doesn't help things either, I'm sure. I'm processing all this and hoping to have another go at it if I am able to return next year. I hear China is even more free-wheeling so maybe this is preparation for that someday. On to Yokohama!

Parties/Speeches

To many Westerners the Japanese may have the reputation of being stoic, almost Spartan in their cultural outlook. It is true that on the street, subway or other public places the average Nihonjin keeps to himself. But peel back the aloof public veneer and you meet a group which is deeply social, enjoys laughing, eating, drinking, and singing. In this setting no one is more fun to be with. There are events in hotels where everyone sits at tables and enjoys a meal which are more staid affairs. But the ones I’m talking about are at a restaurant or izakaya (family restaurant/pub) where everyone takes off their shoes and sits on the floor at long tables. In addition to abundant laughter, food and drink each gathering includes speeches. If there are dignitaries present the speeches may be limited to them. Each will be enthusiastically applauded. But if it is “just us” then EVERYONE makes a speech. This may be 60 people or more! In this scenario the speech may just be a line or so but each is greeted with wild cheering and clapping. This can take some time but hey, who’s in a hurry? The evening concludes with a traditional farewell cheer which sends everyone out into the night in fine spirits.