All I need to know I learned from a once-in-a-millennium magnitute 9 earthquake

Have an emergency communication plan with your family.

Keep an extra cell phone recharger at your office desk.

Don't keep waiting to give your dad the 3-day earthquake survival kit that you bought him 6 months ago.

If your train stops running right before Friday evening rush hour, have a drink with friends at the local standing bar to think things through.

You may need to cancel your wedding. And your engagement party, rehearsal dinner, ladies' bridal tea, family reunion, and wedding dinner. You may end up with a living room full of unused daisies, daffodils and chrysanthemums that you got for a great wholesale price, and your two dogs may eat them. You may not get to wear your wedding dress and recite vows in front of family and friends. You may need to replace a honeymoon with a panicked nuclear evacuation at your uncle's house. You may need to get your sister's coworker to be a witness for the marriage papers and go to city hall on a Tuesday morning in jeans and a hay fever mask instead of to a church on Sunday afternoon in a white dress and tux. But you can still be happily married if you like and love and respect each other, keep a sense of humor, and get the down payment back from the priest.

If you're jogging, you don't feel aftershocks less than magnitude 5.

Aftershocks are a great alarm clock.

Donate to a trustworthy charity.

Don't watch CNN.

Watch NHK World.

Life goes on.

Day 21

These long business trips are fun, and for the most part I change zip codes too often to get bored or lonely. It does help to have family and friends living in many of the zip codes that I visit.

Most recently, I saw cousin Quinn and Uncle Bish in Park City, Utah. Last time I saw Quinn he was 12 years old and at least 12 inches shorter.



Uncle Bish is a super cool dude, lives to ski, and makes a mean spinach fettuccine and caprese. His house is full of good music and books, a cat named Tom Tom, and photos of Quinn.





Sometimes I get to see relatives I've never even met met before, like cousin Kai a few years ago in Germany. I had known about Kai for many years because he used to be my sister's pen pal growing up, and we are all Facebook friends. He lives outside Frankfurt with his wife, Jessika, and dalmatian, Gidget.



Kai was a great host and took me around to see many cool things: ancient castles, hillside vineyards, beer halls, a German male volleyball team, and swans swimming down the Main River.



Kai sometimes flies to Japan (I mean literally flies a plane to Japan: he is a pilot for Lufthansa), so hopefully I'll get to show him around Tokyo someday, too.

Going to the West Coast is always nice. Last fall, I was lucky to be in L.A. just when cousin Ashley was visiting cousin Nicole in Hermosa Beach. We spent a Sunday at Nicole's local sports bar, Barnacles, watching football, eating pho, and talking about boys. (Speaking of boys, dude on the right is CUTE)



Laney also lives in L.A., and having just seen her in Tokyo, it was great to continue the fun times. Which of course includes jumping photos, preferably with the Hollywood sign in the background.



Laney has been a friend of the family since she and Ai went to high school together. The three of us spent one summer all taking classes at UW, and I have many fond memories of us eating lunch after class at Saigon Deli, sunbathing and smoking at Golden Gardens, and critiquing each other's fashion. She's coming BACK to Tokyo in a few weeks to attend the wedding of the century.



With Facebook, Skype and email, it's easy to keep up with family and friends even if they live thousands of miles away. That being said, nothing beats seeing them in person.

And that being said, nothing beats going home after a long business trip.

All I need to know I learned from my business trips

It's that time of year again. Business trip time.

I have learned a lot about packing and traveling efficiently from my current job. Among other things, it's one of the reasons I am happy that I do what I do.

Take packing: how much do you need for a month-long business/leisure trip that spans 2 continents and 4 countries? Would you think it all fits in a carry-on? I didn't, but it does. (Proof: Washington-Oregon-Italy-Germany-Switzerland Fall 2009. One very durable Samsonite rolling suitcase.)

I actually prefer to take a bigger, half-full suitcase, even if it means checking my luggage. Business trips are prime opportunities to stock up on shoes and clothes that fit, Arm & Hammer toothpaste, Aveda products, maid of honor dresses, Clif bars, Rice-A-Roni Mexican Style mix, Magic 8 balls, Swarovski crystal earrings, and other treasures from Nordstrom, Trader Joe's, and Banana Republic outlet stores.

I've now been on 8 overseas business trips and have come up with a pretty solid checklist to make packing easy and insure I don't forget anything really essential:

Passport
credit cards
driver's license
cash (these 4 are really all you need, plus the clothes on your back)
camera
phone
laptop
dressy flats
sneakers
one suit
Enough business-OK shirts, socks, undergarments, etc. to last between hotel washing machines
Yoga pants and a long sweater for days off
sunglasses/eyeglasses/contacts
swimsuit (should your business trip include Hawaii)
Puffy jacket that can be stuffed inside your luggage (should your business trip include Alaska, or Utah in February)
One set of simple jewelry: earrings, a necklace, a bracelet
Conditioner. Some hotels don't have complimentary conditioner, and I find that a fro is not acceptable for business meetings.

For a long flight, I make sure to bring these on board as carry-on:
Water
Small towel
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Face lotion and face mask. I find the dryness of airplane cabins even more unbearable than the limited leg room, Northwest Airlines flight attendants, Chicken or Beef.
Ear plugs. These make a huge difference. Have you ever noticed how LOUD an airplane is in-flight? What? You can't hear me? あんだって？
Earphones and an MP3 player, preferably loaded with a new playlist chosen by a friend with musical tastes similar to yours, or a Jack Flanders adventure.
Eye mask
Sandwich and snacks
Travel pillow. I recommend the REI self-inflating one. It has silicone grippers on the back for stability, can be half-inflated for easy folding to adjust size, and ... it's self-inflating! How cool. I have never been able to use those horseshoe-shaped pillows comfortably, but this one actually lets me take a nap.
A stylish travel wallet to organize your travel documents and foreign currency.

Interestingly, I find that I almost never read on flights. I much prefer to zone out on movies, music, or, if I can, sleep. As much as I enjoy a good novel or In Style magazine, I find it makes the time go slower. I wonder why.

Keeping packing to a minimum is essential, since I have to unpack and re-pack every few days. It feels good knowing that I can survive comfortably for weeks at a time with a simple but well-chosen set of essentials. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery, one of my favorite authors, says: He who would travel happily must travel light. Especially to make room for all the shopping I will do before I head home.

Long time, no see

It has come to my attention that this blog actually has readers, even though I haven't updated in oh, a year. Thank you, especially those of you that take the time to read through the entire archive.

I thought I didn't have anything very interesting to post, but actually, a lot has happened since December 2009.

1) I moved out of beloved Shinonome Hills. I didn't quite make it to Kamakura, but I did make it to Kamata, which kind of sounds similar.
2) I visited several new countries, a principality and a Special Administrative Region: mainland China, Hong Kong, France, and Monaco.
3) My sister got a new boyfriend, and then a new fiance, and then a new house, and in just over a month I will be the maid of honor at their wedding!
4) I started snowboarding, Tibetan Heart Yoga, and running. I used to think that if a sport didn't involve hitting something, I would not enjoy it. You never know. I have also continued to surf, though not as much as I'd like to.
5) I turned 30, lost 6 kilos, and am in better shape than I've ever been, physically and mentally.
6) I continue to enjoy my job, Tokyo, my family, my friends, my coworkers. That sounds pretty good to me.

Thanks, 2010. 2011, yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Gambarimasho.

Flashback 2009

Anyone within 5 meters of me at last year's New Years party at Propaganda heard my resolution that I would get married in 2009 (woooooo!). I had had a few.

Unless Benicio visits Tokyo next week, sadly this will go unrealized. BUT, I made another resolution that I would travel more in 2009--if possible, every month. I didn't do too shabby.

JANUARY



On a 3-day weekend I took the train to Tochigi Prefecture, to Yunishigawa Onsen. That night a blizzard dumped a foot of snow on the ground, which I got to enjoy from the rotenburo.

FEBRUARY



To Gunma with Tokyo Gaijins for snowshoeing in Minakami. Snowshoe up the mountain, slide down on your bum!



In between, homemade curry and real snow-cones with blueberry syrup. (OK, this was March 1 but close enough)

MARCH-APRIL

I housesat for my coworker in Kitakamakura for two weeks, looking after their pets. A nice 45-minute trek away is Yuigahama beach. Their Plott Hound, Chico, and I spent a sunny Sunday watching surfers brave the chilly ocean.



Later in the month, just as the cherry trees blossomed, I went to the States on business. First to the Southwest, including Colorado Springs and its magnificent Pikes Peak.



Next to the Arizona deserts cities of Tucson and Phoenix.



Then up to Seattle, where the UW Quad was in its full glory.



I made it as far north as Victoria before heading back home.



MAY

No traveling in May, but I did start yoga during Golden Week. Let's count this as traveling... to enlightenment.

JUNE

Ah, June. June was Bali.



JULY
Back to the U.S. for bidness, this time to Baltimore. Hi, Mom!



I love frozen margaritas.

AUGUST
I turned 29. Traveling... to my thirties? In the meantime, meet my coworkers!



SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

Back AGAIN to the U.S., this time to the Sunshine State. I do love me some beaches.



SoCal included lunch with cousin Nicole and a stroll along Hermosa Pier.



OCTOBER-NOVEMBER

2 weeks catching up with office work in Tokyo, and back again, AGAIN, to the U.S. First to the Pacific Northwest, including a drive across the great State of Washington.



A perk of traveling so much for business is that occasionally, they send me to cool places I've never visited, like Europe. First stop, Italy. When in Rome, eat as the Romans do.



Overnight train to Germany, where I met cousin Kai for the first time.



Cities visited for work: Milan, Rome, Frankfurt, Munich, Hannover. Then a week of vacation, starting in Berlin.



With my Eurail Pass I made my way through Germany, down to the heart of the Alps in Interlaken.



Back to Italy to once again eat as the Romans do.



DECEMBER
It's been a busy year. I am going to enjoy this city I call home for the holidays, and stay put. Merry Christmas all, see you in 2010!

Dreams of Bali

You know those dreams that are amazing and seem so real, and then you wake up and have to go to work?



I did have to fly back to Tokyo and the job, but I'm still dreaming about Bali.



My visit to Bali was decided rather quickly. I "had" to use up a week of vacation that expired in June (I know, woe is me). It being the slow time of year in the office, the timing was good.



My usual travel companion was busy. Hmmm, where can I go by myself but still meet people and have a good time? I'd started yoga again, had always wanted to surf, and my nomad of a coworker raved about Bali. Let's see how Google handles "Bali surf yoga retreat".



Go on, try it



After thinking it over a few days, I decided yes, I want to be a surf goddess. So I requested the time off, wired the money, bought the plane tickets, packed my bikini and sarong, and flew to paradise...



When you wake up to tropical birds serenading the sunrise, and someone makes you bacon and mango/coconut pancakes every morning with fresh-brewed Indonesian coffee, and drives you to the beach for surf lessons, and tells you where to find the best 10-dollar, 1.5-hour reflexology, and you come home to your private villa and freshly made bed every night, it's really easy to have a blast.









I had the best time surfing. I really, really loved it. It was like flying. The water was warm. The waves were crashing. The sun was hot. So were the surf instructors. And oh, what a workout.



Maybe I'm recovering from 16 years in Seattle, but the sunlight on my skin was like oxygen for my soul. And the sweet smiles of the Balinese, wherever I went. And the lithe kittehs strolling through the villa courtyard, staring at me with their squinty, kohl-rimmed eyes, as if to say, "Yes, yes, this will make excellent memories."



My week in paradise ended and I was back in Tokyo. I was bummed at first, but when I close my eyes, I am back on the beach. And there is surfing in Japan. And Bali is only 6.5 hours away.

To America

I went back to the Southwest this spring. A quick drive outside of Denver is Red Rocks.



After Colorado I went to Arizona. I love the desert.



Outside of Phoenix is the stunning Bryce Thompson Arboretum.



I met some cutie pies on the trail.





The flora and fauna were just gorgeous.





Heeeey, Macarena.





Giant eucalyptus trees.



Teeny tiny pineapples.



!




Tucson was my favorite.



I got to see a friend from Tokyo who happened to be there (thanks Facebook!), and met Joe Odagiri's look-alike.

After that, off to Seattle and the great country of Canada!