There and Back: Part 1

In July, we returned to the U.S. the first time in three years. But in a sense we did not return at all, because we went to Texas, a place I've never lived but where my parents now live. It's a place where an exaggeration of American stereotypes can be found. A place that will deliver if you want to immerse yourself in reverse culture shock. 

E and I left Tokyo first and were joined by dad H and sister M a week later. It was my first time traveling alone with either kid. I was lucky though, because E is a great traveler and loves riding airplanes - it's the time/place vacuum in which there's free-flowing juice, Häagen-Dazs (we fly ANA, and it's their thing to serve that ice cream), endless televisions, crafting, and whatever else she wants to do. On the twelve-hour flight, she fell asleep during our descent singing along to Disney's Wish and stayed asleep for exactly 22 minutes. After barely sleeping for 24 hours, she slept 14 hours on the first day. What a travel companion!

Arrival in Texas

The thing I had forgotten about the U.S. is how wastefully cold it is indoors during the summer. First thing to greet us was the artic blast of air conditioning. Half the plane being Japanese, you could hear echoes of "Samui, samui!" as the passengers made their way to immigration. 

The second thing was how large the toilet seats are. This may sounds fussy, but the Japanese are singularly particular about the toilets. So the big toilets, the confounding seat gap,  the startlingly loud flush - these mundane elements of public toilet life jumped out in stark contrast. American toilets are unique too. 

As we made our way to my parent's house, speeding along more than 20 lanes of highway, the third and scariest thing of all was the driving. Vehicles are absolutely massive and drivers zip past at breathtaking speeds. And most terrifying of all, you will find a good number of drivers with one hand on the steering and the other holding their mobile, glancing down every so often. This was a thrill ride no one wants to be on. I don't remember driving in the Midwest to be so scary. 

Ballet class, a mall, and plenty of good food

One of the reasons for our trip was a summer ballet program for E. Ballet culture in Japan is pretty different. Her school was very choreography-focused, very corps de ballet, and I thought she would enjoy the more creative aspects of ballet and benefit from more individual attention. And the program was indeed good. It rekindled her excitement for dance, and she made a few friends too. 

On our second day, we went to a mall to escape the heat. The crowds, the food court, anxiety-inducing open spaces - nothing nostalgic here. Maybe it's an age thing? One's capacity to enjoy malls may be inversely correlated with age. This seemed to be true for E, who enjoyed it quite a bit. She was tickled at how friendly the sales clerks were (Americans are so nice!), the eye-glazing smells from Annie's Pretzels (It smells soooo good!), and of course, the indoor skating rink. The girl could have skated all day long. It wasn't crowded at all by Japanese standards, which was true of most places we went and what I enjoyed most about being back in the States.

You hear all sorts of interesting stories about memory and how strange and unpredictable it can be. After three years of working myself up over the idea of Five Guys burgers, Chipotle, etc., I can confirm that my memory of these things warped so to barely resemble the thing itself. My taste buds confirmed that they tasted as I knew they always did but my mind was surprised that they weren't as delicious as my memories kept suggesting.

Bur we did eat some very delicious food that we had been missing a lot in Japan. Some things must be served in hearty portions for the full experience.

Lebanese food - our hearty appetizer sampler. I have dreamt of platters of hummus and pita. 

Tex-Mex. It's the whole package - chips, salsa, fajitas, music, portions. The girls were enchanted by this meal. 

Few things beat a big warm bowl of pho. Did you know that Texas as some of the largest Vietnamese communities?

Abundance has an odd effect on me. For instance, I will crave berries, but if presented with an abundance of berries, my craving will dissipate. Faced with an abundance of food, my appetite plummets. Hence, I cannot eat at buffets. Give me morsels! Ration my servings! 

That's it for now from the land of the free and the big portions. We had an incredible time at the Children's Museum and a mental roller coaster ride at the local DMV. I've dedicated the next post to these two divergent experiences.