That is where I am. Out of the bazillions of times Michael has come here to visit family, starting when he was two years old, he has never ever been here in the spring to see the Sakura in full blossom. How lucky am I to experience this with him?
It is hard to describe this place in terms of U.S. neighborhood definitions. I grew up in a planned community, built in the 70's, in a small town of 130,000. Most of my adult life, I have lived in the Bovine Metropolis of Denver, CO. My architect friends tell me Denver is not the kind of city you have to be afraid of in terms of crime, etc. but it still feels like a city to me, I lived in the heart of downtown, near the art museum and the botanic gardens.
Anyway, Tokyo has these very interesting communities, which are regular houses next to pretty parks and lakes. But it is truly city - everywhere. And the real kind of city. Crime is low, but you know what I mean, C-I-T-Y. People crowded on trains, bicycles parked everywhere, all imaginable types of outfits, shapes, hurry-scurry, CITY! I read that if you put LA and NY together, Tokyo would still be a bit bigger people-wise. A few blocks away from Obaachan's house (that means grandma:) is one of the main train stations, but two blocks in the other direction there is a huge, beautiful lake filled with Sakura.
I only have a couple of more days here, and it is questionable whether I will ever get to come back, as family is a fragile age here. How can I open my eyes wider and let my soul soak in a bit more? Is that possible?
No comments:
Post a Comment