And this bird you cannot change

Soon after publishing my wistful rainy morning post, a breeze from long ago blew through my in-box. It was the organizer of this year's 30th high school graduation reunion with an update on this month's event.

Anyone who went to an urban US high school in the late 70's remembers three groups of students: geeks, jocks, and stoners. I was never in the second group and might have ended up in the first if I hadn't first fallen in with the latter. Needless to say, I don't have fond memories of high school because, well, I have few memories at all.

Included in the email update was a request from the DJ who will be working the reunion party for a class song. I would imagine that the people organizing this event belong to either or both of the first two groups of students. I can't imagine many in the third group really caring very much one way or the other. And I would expect this organizing person to choose something upbeat and positive, a kind of Teach-the-World-to-Sing type song.

What was suggested instead was the stoner anthem.

If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be travelling on, now,
'Cause there's too many places I've got to see.
But, if I stayed here with you, girl,
Things just couldn't be the same.
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I can't change.

Oh, the sweet, delicious irony. The music of the group of kids who were always on the out is now the anthem for the entire class, geek and jocks alike. Now I wish I were going so I could hold up my lighter one more time. "Oh won't you fly high, oh Freebird!"

The timing also seemed perfect, with lyrics suited for the occasion of leaving, of traveling on. I'm as free as a bird now.

Strangely enough, I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Miami Sportatorium on the opening night of the Street Survivor's tour in October 1977 (about which I also don't remember much). Five days later the plane carrying the band crashed, killing three members.

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A few leftovers

Today is my last full day in Fukuoka and I still have a few loose ends to clean up, including this last batch of photos I had hoped to share.

Talmadge Memorial Bridge, Savannah River

Tree root, Newnan, Georgia

Beach, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Fukuoka Mountains, from my veranda

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Old friends

One of the pleasures of going home is seeing friends you've known for years. Visiting with them is like putting on your favorite flannel shirt, the one you've been keeping because you've haven't found another that fits and feels just like it.


Pictured here are three. On the left are Krit and Knot, who most recently finished advanced degrees in the US, Krit in photography, Knot an MBA. Mutsumi had the great fortune to meet Krit's sister back in the early 90's when we were briefly residing in Bangkok and since then we've gotten to know the whole family. They've visited with us in Japan, we've traveled together in Hong Kong, and we've met them in Thailand more times than I can now remember. I'll be stopping in Bangkok this weekend on my way to Nepal and plan to meet up with sister Peung.

Between us is Rebeca, a long time Atlanta resident who gave me a job at Kinko's while I was studying at Georgia State University. Rebeca is the big sister I never had, the one who looked out for me and encouraged me in so many ways. She suggested I visit one of the other Kinko stores to learn how to use a new machine being introduced in the mid-80's, machines that could be used to create simple graphic designs that would feed into Kinko's copy business. That was my introduction to the Apple MacIntosh and personal computers.

The photo here was taken (by Krit) in front of the Atlanta High Museum, where we spent the afternoon taking in the Annie Leibowtiz exhibit (which we can recommend if it ever comes to a city near you.)

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Mizu & Toki's wild ride

I haven't known Mutsumi's parents to be as active as the they were during our nearly three weeks in the US. We're glad we had the chance to help them get out and about and many of our memories of Hilton Head and Atlanta center around them.

Like the day we went to the Botanical Gardens. Mutsumi was pushing Tokiko in a wheelchair along a garden path when mom decided she needed a better vantage point for taking a photo - and we all wondered, does she really need a wheelchair?


Then there was the day in Hilton Head when my uncle Tom showed Mizuho how he could help Tokiko's sore back.



Or the day in Atlanta when Mizuho inisted on helping clean the house, resulting in one of the most memorable photos of our trip.

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American animals

Blogspot has been dropping photos. They're there one day and gone the next. So this morning I'm experimenting uploading to Flicker and linking here.

This summer when we got to our rental home on Hilton Head we looked out the back window and found this fellow in our pool.


A couple of days earlier we were walking around downtown Newnan (which doesn't take very long to do), when we noticed a whole army of these guys walking across the lawns of several homes. They were quite large, about the same as a good sized thumb.

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An American Evening at the Ballpark

One thing I've always wanted to do with Mizuho and Tokiko is go to a ballgame. During the season they watch baseball on television nearly every night, but they never go to the park. Their favorite team, the Hanshin Tigers, play a considerable distance from their home in Kobe, so I can understand their reluctance. On the other hand, even though we live a 20 minute walk to Fukuoka Dome they've never been eager to accept my suggestion for a night at the ballpark.

Since we were in America and could see a different version of the game than they are used to, as they might not ever be in America again, as we had to do something with our time in America besides sit around the house, and because planning was up to Mutsumi and I, we decided - actually, I decided and Mutsumi relented - to go to a Braves game at Turner Field. Mutsumi wasn't sure it was such a great idea. But it was. We all had a great time and it was for me one of the best nights at a baseball game I can remember in many years.

It helped, of course, that the Braves beat the Giants, and to make it more exciting, did so in the bottom of the ninth. Barry Bonds had broken Hank Aaron's homerun record only the week before and fans of the game angry with his drug use, as well as hometown fans protective of Aaron, booed vociferously whenever his name was announced or came up to bat. So much for southern hospitality.

It was also Law Enforcement Appreciation Night, and the Atlanta Police had a nice display of gear outside the stadium, including bomb disposal trucks and robots, police dogs, and helicopters.


I found in one of the stadium parking lots this amazing tree. Amazing because it has managed to thrive despite all the construction that has gone on around it, despite its neighbors having been bulldozed, despite the day to day pollution from traffic and threat of being hit by an out of control truck, bus or automobile.


We had an amusing collection of neighbors, from the guy in front who sat through the evening playing games on his mobile phone, to the family of what my mother (who sat directly next to them) described as the "morbidly obese." They spent a good portion of the evening eating.



Towards the end of the evening I ventured up to the top of the stadium for some shots of the city skyline.



That makes two baseball games already this year. Haven't done that, I don't think, since the late '80's.

And we also made it on to the Braves website. Click here and order your own mousepad, coffecup, or calendar.

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Atlanta Aquarium

It's been a while since I've had jet lag this bad. Mutsumi's got it, too. We put our heads down at around 23:00, woke up at 01:00, rolled around in our futons until about 04:30, then got up, made tea, and watched Baraka, a wonderful film for jet lag - no story, just beautiful scenery and serene music. Then it was time for breakfast and Mutsumi was off to the office. I've been at home cleaning up old messes, like piles of cds and stacks of old bills, credit card statements, and investment summaries. Haven't yet slept a wink, though I have had to lay down a couple of times. I feel about like this jellyfish looks.




These photos were shot at our visit to the Atlanta Aquarium last Monday.

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Carolyn & Harvey's 50th Anniversary

Mizuho, Tokiko, Mutusmi and I arrived home yesterday evening following two uneventful flights from Atlanta to Seoul to Fukuoka. I can't say Mutsumi and I feel rested yet, but as we don't have any pressing engagements, we're free to get caught up at our own pace. Mizuho and Tokiko are still here in Fukuoka and spent the night at a hotel. We'll be seeing them this evening for a farewell dinner.

Our visit to the US this year was the best ever and I think most everyone wished we could have had a few more days together. Perhaps because we were so busy and the time passed so quickly. But perhaps even more so because we had a chance to speak more openly than we're used to, to talk about things we don't often talk about, and therefore to connect more deeply and meaningfully.

Besides the typical reminiscing that goes on during family get togethers, there was also a dinner celebrating my parents' 50th wedding anniversary at which many of us shared with Carolyn and Harvey what their lives have meant to us, a wonderful, weepy evening more memorable for what was said than for what was served. That was preceded by a ceremony on the beach at which the celebrants renewed their vows, a lovely affirmation of 50 years of trust, faith, and love.



There were also more sober discussions in Atlanta about wills and advance medical directives, discussions on mortality that helped us appreciate simply being together and the time that we have now.

It's a visit we'll always remember and I'll have more to share in the days to come. Stay tuned.

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Atlanta Botanical Gardens

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Morning Sky over Newnan

We arrived safely in Atlanta on the evening of 31 July and are now residing in Newnan, a small town south of the big city where my parents moved about four years ago. Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day, with clear skies and very comfortable temperatures, very much unlike I remember Atlanta in summer.

Yesterday was a fairly quiet day around home. After renewing my Georgia driver's license, we stopped by Wal-Mart to pick up a few things we hadn't packed and amazed Tokiko and Mizuho, Mutsumi's parents, with the size and scale of American supermarkets.




They also had a good time driving around the store.

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