Well that's become my attitude about the Tokyo Subway. Underground is such a vast network of train lines and several different train companies, that sometimes what seems like a simple change over can end up being a 20 minute walk up and down flights of steps, through different gates to only find you are back where you started. On paper (ok, on my app), it SEEMS like some trips take 15 minutes with a simple train-line switch during your journey. But this does not account for stairs, escalators, ramps, or in our case, the forever search for the elevators to avoid unbuckling the stroller and encouraging a tired 2 year old up and down 4 flights of stairs.
So I have become 'lazy' and started skipping train lines altogether. I could take a train from here to there, but after the 8 minute walk to the station, the 26 minute hunt for the right entry/exit, the devastating realisation underground when the sign reads: Maranouchi Line, 950 metres (this is not even an exaggeration. This is how vast the underground is in Tokyo). For example, we are about a 7 minute walk from our closest station, Tawaramachi. It is small and has only one line, and only about 4 entrances/exits (yes, I think that's lots). It is 2 stops from Ueno, which is a huge station that services 12 different lines through two different train companies and the Shinkansen (crazy-ass fast bullet trains). It has several malls and also connects to another train station just next to it. Basically when you go there all you want to do is weep. It is also the train station that services gigantic Ueno park, which includes the Zoo, the Science and Nature Museum, several other museums and galleries, and connects to the fine art university. This station is like a wall of tunnels between our apartment and all that extremely fun stuff. Sometimes I will spend the evenings squinting at google maps on my phone, looking at various routes from here to there, and realise that for an extra 3 minutes walk, I can avoid train stations altogether.
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| Slogging up the overpass to avoid Ueno station. |
Like today. I realised that it was a mere 2 kilometres to dreamy Kayaba coffee and it's accompanying bakery, which is about the distance from my house in Kyneton to Sarah and Ross's house (not that far), if I simply walked in a straight line west, instead of weaving in and out of side streets to get to Tawaramachi station and up and down 47 elevators in between. As many of you may know, this pregnancy has been a pelvic stability nightmare, so I was dubious to see if I could walk it – but today was forecast to rain after 12pm, and after a day in the apartment with Viv yesterday, the cabin fever is really starting to set in.
Anyway. We fucking did it! The entire trip was flat, uneventful, except for this behemoth overpass (that I was convincing myself was a special underground tunnel that took us under the train lines instead of over – I was wrong).
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| Victory view from the top. |
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| So many sultanas have been consumed on this trip. |
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| A new irritating habit of Viv's is shouting 'It's not funny! Stop laughing at me!' every single time a stranger smiles at him. Today's conversation went like this: Viv (cowering into my lap): 'Stop laughing! It's not funny!' Me: 'I'm not laughing, I'm embarassed by how rude you're being to that lady, your behaviour is terrible.' Viv: 'I'm laughing.' Me: 'What are you laughing about?' Viv: 'I'm laughing about strawberries! Ahahaha!' |
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| Aaah. About 4 whole minutes of blissful self directed activity. |
I was so victorious from completing the walk without my uterus falling out, that the fact that Viv and I had to line up out the front of the coffee shop was a welcome gift for this wheezing preggo. Through a couple of experiments, tragically Kent and I have also discovered that Vivian is actually better behaved in cafes (only cafes – the streets are a free for all) when he is only with one of us. This proves true at home, and sadly is the go for Tokyo as well. I did also bring him a book and order him his own meal ... I wonder if that had anything to do with it ... Extra respect for the waitress who was concerned that the mustard in Viv's sandwich would be too hot for him, so asked if she could use mayonnaise instead. We have been so lucky to experience so much thought and care for this tiny human (especially given that our patience for him is so stretched).
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| Everyone is so extremely sleep deprived that I am starting to worry about the circles under Viv's eyes. The other day I said to Kent under my breath 'he's starting to look like a fricken smackie' to which our selective hearing naked angel wailed 'No! No I don't need a smack!' before running over and shoving his nude bum in my face and goading 'Do it. Smack my bum! Smack my bum!' |
Anyway, after this delicious meal, nothing could mar my spirits, even the devastation of Kayaba bakery unexpectedly being CLOSED. I suspect that my pregnancy hormones are really starting to dement me. It's either extremely high highs or low lows over here.
Anyway, I have decided to coin the term 'fit and fat' – because pregnancy aside, this is probably the chubbiest I've been in about 15 years – I mean everywhere but the massive belly – as a result of my slightly scary Tokyo diet of chocolate, butter, coffee, butter, hot chocolate, butter on toast, ham, bacon, butter on biscuits, eggs, butter, and a little bit of butter. But countering that, it is the most walking I've done in over a year, and it feels amazing. Our local digs in Kyneton mean that I don't ever have too far to walk (usually about 10 minutes max – any longer and I wait until I have the car), so am rarely pushing myself. Here there is less choice if I want to explore beyond the walls of kitchen utensils and the red playground (which really is the most boring one we have locally). While I am enjoying eating all the treats, I do dearly miss the access I have to not only incredible fresh produce, but also my sweet, sweet kitchen.
Again, it's kind of ironic that we are staying in a place with the least functional kitchen I've ever experienced (and we spent 5 weeks with a roll away hot plate in Italy 10 years ago) but I have never bought so much kitchen crap in my entire life. I suspect that's partially due to 'bored housewife' syndrome – there's only so long I am willing to sit in the playground, so treats for me include going back into that utensil shop again and buying another fucking baking tray or cookie cutter. I don't even eat the food that these items create, but now that I have no oven, I long to make cakes and biscuits and slices and more.
I've been chatting to Viv about having to get the baby's room ready when we get home (a bit unfair seeing as Viv's baby room was this when he was born), and the recent conversation went like this:
Me: 'How should we decorate it?'
Viv: 'Uuuuum ... make it all nice. And snugly.'
Me: 'Good idea. What do we put in there to make it snugly?'
Viv: 'Uuum. Some food!'
Me: 'What kind of food?'
Viv: 'Uuuuum, chocolate cake. And bananas ... aaaaaaaaaand, potatoes!'
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| Flashback to our tiny Kyneton cottage 2014. I would love to say that this is an exaggeration and that we totally cleaned Viv's room up before he was born, but, no. Bottom left hand corner you might be able to see the edge of a chair, maybe? Yeah, well we moved that to the shed so we could wedge the pram in instead. Maybe the nesting instinct is finally starting to kick in ... I mean ... I have bought a LOT of baking trays ... |
Much of the rest of our adventures over the past two days have revolved around wandering the back streets of Asakusa, photographing all the roller doors (many Bonus Card ideas are brewing) and quelling tantrummy little turdheaps.
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| Another perfect Tokyo sky – this is the traditional area of Asakusa, not far from us. Loads of temples and about a billion tourists to go with – this is the quiet section. |
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| Lots of mini shrine-houses. I should have put something here for scale, like my coffee cup. That beautiful brass/gold door seal is about 2 inches long. |
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| I try to chat to Viv about the various sights we can see around us. This was near an amusement park in Asakusa, where Viv noticed a little castle turret on one of the rides. Viv: 'Look mum! A little castle!' Me: 'Oh yeah. I wonder who lives there?' Viv: 'I do!' Me: 'You do?' Viv: 'Yes! When I was a little girl!' |
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| Forever the disappointing parent: 'Daddy pushes higher than you.' (Sighs.) 'That's enough swings now mummy, I want to get out.' |
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| Again, I continually forget how soothing and meditative I find painting. Every time I put Viv down for a nap I look longingly out of the (usually) sunshiney window and think 'Are you kidding me? This is how I'm spending my time in Tokyo?!' But then enjoy laying down some colour, drinking some tea and just thinking about what I have enjoyed. For one (my child's enthusiasm may be rubbing off on me), I am totally obsessed with the trucks and taxis here. They all look like brand new versions of 20-30 year old cars with amazing shades of orange, cream, turquoise and the brightest greens, blues, yellows I've ever seen. And they are pristine. |
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| Earlier yesterday morning I bought Viv some balls with a very famous Japanese character called 'Anpan man' (I think), or as Viv refers to 'Eggy Man!' He was being such a weird whingey shit I just put them aside and forgot about them until he discovered them last night, was so excited that he gathered them up and said 'I'm going to take these to your bed' (getting into our bed for playtime is a thing now for some weird reason) and promptly started kissing one. Okaaaaaay... |
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| I think I'm the only one who is enamoured by these bubblegum building colours – Japan just splashes that shit anywhere and everywhere. |
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| I know some of you have been feeling a bit envious of the fine cuisine we've been enjoying, so I thought I'd bring you back down to earth. Did I mention how much I miss my kitchen and my fruit shop? |
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| New playground for the win today. Another golden quote from Viv from the other day (as I was telling him to look out for the orange sign ahead, as that's where Kent would be waiting for us): 'I can see it really hard with my eyeball peas!' |
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| And we will not rest until we have tested every slide in Tokyo. |
Those who are getting a little tired of my descriptions of slides, tantrums and cookie cutters may wish to duck on over to the submachine.net where Kent has been prolific in his accounts of studio visits, interviews with artists and reviews of shows. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I'm not entirely sure how he has crammed so much in in such a short time, but he has definitely squeezed every opportunity out of his time here that he has been able to. Those of you who know him will probably appreciate that he is abuzz with energy, the cogs are churning – scheming scheming, figuring out how to hatch his next plan.
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| Artist ob with Kent – she was so impressed with the review he wrote about her exhibition that she got in touch. Kent asked if he could interview her, and then found himself among interpreters and professional photographers at the very prestigious KaiKai Kiki gallery, snuggled among Embassies in Azabu in south east Tokyo. Just a little bit of puffy wife pride. |
We are starting to wind down and prepare for the end of our trip – Kent's residency officially ends tomorrow and we have a little over a week to try and smash out some clothes shopping and sight seeing before checking out first thing Tuesday week (despite not flying out until the evening). I suspect the world's slowest dawdle to the airport is in order. Those baking trays aren't carrying themselves after all.
xox
Lj.
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