Sunday morning flowers

It is a stunning Sunday morning in Tokyo. It rained for the whole of Saturday into Saturday night and the city has emerged from the wet with a shining face and breezy clime.

Sydney and I went out for a walk (okay - true confessions: destination Starbucks...but a walk nonetheless...) and found these stunning flowers. The flowers surround the traffic safety mirror and signal light of an apartment garage. It is the perfect combination of the mundane with the sublime - traffic safety and purple blooms.

Enjoy.

An Ode to my Toilet

How I love thee, Toto Toilet. Thou art the comfort of my life. Your heat is so cozy in the dead of winter. Your control panel with its shining lights is a beacon of magnificence. The water that you spout keeps me clean and fresh at all times. The temperature guages let me set the seat and water temps to my current desires and the force gauge ensures that your trickle is soothing and never painful. Oh I know that there are more oppulent versions with the up and down seat feature or the big flush versus little flush options or air-dry button. I'm sure there are toilets in the clean-obsessed country of Japan that pat dry or auto-wash or even make coffee while you sit and wait. And alas, I cannot read the Japanese symbols, yet a kind friend mapped out the choices for me in English and said map is safely stowed. I am sure that English versions could avail themselves. But nevermind; you dear, simple Toto toilet with your promise of comfort and care is the kindest of all luxuries after all the brutality of life as an expat in Tokyo. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to which I must attend.

Bali!

The trip to Bali was, for lack of a better word, amazing.  It was the perfect combination of sightseeing and relaxing. We walked through ancient caves; we washed our hands in holy water; we walked through part of the Indian Ocean to get to the temple of Tanah Lot; we fought monkeys to see a cliffside temple; we crawled through bustling, teeming markets; we marveled at rice paddies terraced into the side of a mountain; we admired handmade crafts; and we even shopped a little.

There are just no words with which to describe the sunsets.  The red and gold sunk into the sky just touching and traipsing over the deep azure of the rolling waves.  Teh rays of the sun outlined the wispy clouds like gentle kisses of jewels.  

One great part of the trip was spending it with our good friends Charlene and Jamey Lamanna and their kids, Joey, Laura and Alex.  After a week together, I'm pleased to report that we're still good friends!

A highlight of the trip was the Dolphin Lodge.  We were able to swim with, play with and pet the gentle animals in their own environment.  It was an unparalleled experience.

In lieu of a bunch of photos, I've attached a short (I promise) slide show here.  Enjoy!!