Japan and India

Let’s make this clear: in many ways, Japan and India could not be any more different. I could swear that I could see about the same number of people in a block in Chennai as I did looking out the window riding 100km on a train in Japan! No joke. As well, while you are immediately gripped by the intensity of India—the smells, colors, poverty—the moment you walk out of the airport, here in Japan things are much more muted, bland, and subtle. Here people avert their eyes when you walk in public places and many seem to be lost in thought, oblivious to their surroundings, while in India you might have someone staring at you for minutes. Attention for Kaia? Forget it. Here he’s just another black haired kid, and it isn’t as if Japanese are as outgoing with strangers as Indians.

One result of the move has been Kaia’s constipation, which has resulted in a lack of poop that is now extended to three countries, and four international time zones. Packed into those little bowels are dosai, pad thai, sushi and a few different varieties of indica and japonica rice. The movement watch will continue…

Against, my better judgment, we’ve been staying at indiamama’s parents home since yesterday. Kaia has been enjoying himself and I’ve decided that I will not get in the way of his relationship with his grandparents. The reason that I am so opposed to being here is that whenever we do, indiamama gets sick—really sick. It is like her connection to family and this place is toxic, it literally poisons her. Sure enough, she’s contracted another illness that Kaia and I did not have (high fever) and we’ll be lucky to leave on time. It is so damn predictable—Day One is OK, Day Two she starts to feel worse, and by Day Three she’s spending most of the time on the futon while I lounge around watching Japanese TV and using the internet. This is partly why I have imposed a 2 day limit on these kinds of visits, but as this visit demonstrates, it cannot be avoided. Mind you, this is a woman who NEVER missed a day of work while working in an tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS hospital in India where the sanitary conditions are just north of horrific and worked under tremendous mental and physical stress. Whatever the atomic weight of family is, it must be tremendous.

Why I Love this Time: Tonight’s dinner of sashimi, sushi, and various crustaceans grilled over a charcoal pot on our table.