Life is a Kaleidoscope, Part I

For my regular readers, this post will make a move to the present time, and tie in my past years in Japan to life in the present. I had described the blog as covering 4 years of adjustments and adventures in Japan and related events.  The truth is that the past is always related to the present.

Kaleidoscope, there's just something that I like about this word.  It comes from the Greek meaning "beautiful form".   I love to look through a kaleidoscope, as fragments of glass in all colors jump and roll, clackety clack, then fall into a momentary place of random beauty.  I think life is like a kaleidoscope.  A moment in time, fragments of here, right now, and places and moments from long ago, collapse into a moment of joy, or another of the range of human emotions, and that moment is suddenly captured, only to be shaken and moved onto another moment in one's life.  All of my happenings are fragments floating in my subconscious, and as new random moments are captured, the kaleidoscope clicks into new patterns.  It is unique to me and only me, and your kaleidoscope belongs to only you. 

The joy I found in Japan, those random moments of beauty, continues my theme of gypsy at heart.  The stars aligned, hubby had vacation time, reservations at desired locations were made, friends across the country had free time to share with us, and suddenly we were off on a vacation to Los Angeles, California, and Phoenix, Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona.  My kaleidoscope was ready to capture the added adventures.

We traveled via Amtrak, out of Union Station in Washington, D.C. and took the Capitol Limited overnight to Chicago.  A six hour layover there left time to go the mile to the Chicago Art Institute's outstanding museum.   I like to admire art, but my husband is a lifetime student of art, especially the old European Masters.  We spent a couple of hours there, though he could have stayed longer.  He gave the museum a thumb's up and can't wait for the next visit there to revisit some of his favorites and see the rooms we didn't see on this first visit.

Hat Shop by Degas

We went back to the station to board the Southwest Chief, which would take us from Chicago on Sunday afternoon and arrive in LA on Tuesday morning.  Yes, it's a long journey, but the scenery and the company for the points in between is outstanding. Just what exactly is there to do on a long train trip?

 Most trains have view cars with snack lounges and dining rooms with options like marinated salmon and steak with truffle sauce.  The meals are quite good and filling and tables always take 4 passengers, so unless your family of 4 is traveling together, 3 meals a day become chances to make new acquaintances from around the U.S. and abroad.  This trip had 30 some tourists from England who were heading out West to explore, a lost Russian I found downstairs looking for the attendant, and fellow Marylanders that we would meet up with again at the Visitors' Center in Sedona, Arizona.

When we travel long distances by train, we get a small room called a roomette, with one pull down bunk, and two comfortable, adjustable seats that make into a lower bunk.  There are several roomettes to a car, with a shared sink and toilet at one end, along with some larger rooms with private bathrooms, and on the lower part are additional bathrooms, a shower, a couple of more roomettes and one or two rooms with access for disabled passengers.  Attendants make the beds and put them up in the morning, and are happy to get meals from the dining room for passengers not able to handle the movement of the train, who might be unwell or unable to move freely between the cars. The attendants are assigned to one car and are generally pretty cheerful,  knowledgeable, and happy to answer questions and do their best to help with individual's needs.

We arrived on time in Los Angeles and were met by two wonderful Japanese gentlemen, one of whom was my husband's former boss in Maryland but is now retired and living in the LA area. The other gentleman was his guest and visiting with him for a few days before leaving for Tokyo.  I had some misgivings at first about 2 days with 3 older Japanese men.  Would I be in the way, while they talked quickly in Japanese and left me out?  Would I feel uncomfortable as the only gaijin  (foreigner in this set group?    Hah, those fears were quickly set aside, as instead every wish I had was granted and we were whisked off to the local tourists' hotspots.- first to Little Tokyo, then to Beverly Hills, Sunset Blvd., Rodeo Drive, and up into the hills where the stars live.

In front of Union Station, Los Angeles

Sunset Blvd. Best Western Hotel with cascades of bougainvillea 

They took us to their favorite Japanese eateries, ramen noodles for lunch and off to "Iccho", a super popular eatery in Torrance, California which has a large Japanese and Korean population.  At Iccho we had the best time and the best food, like my favorites agedashidofu, a fried tofu in sweet sauce, tonkatsu, or fried pork, a curry dish, chicken teriyaki and delicious eggplant with minced pork in a sauce.  We shared it all and finished it all, went back to our friend's home and called it a night.  The next day would be filled with activities as well.

We woke up and made some toast and tea and nibbled on ham and pickles as we got ready to leave for the beach and lunch.  I had requested dungeness crab and that wish would be deliciously fulfilled at a place on the pier at Redondo Beach.  First we admired the Pacific coastline, some surfers and pelicans and then went in search of crab!  We found a large restaurant offering Japanese style dishes,  and super-sized crabs.  We decided to order only one and share it, since it was 2 pounds, and ordered a seafood platter and a spicy squid dish to go along with it.  Again, we were not disappointed.  The crab and all the other dishes were wonderful. Then our new friend spotted a curlew playing in the surf just outside our window.  They were even helping me bird watch!

Friends enjoy good food and fun at Redondo Beach.

Wonderfully fresh dungeness crab!

The next part of the tour was to Venice Beach which is filled with tourists and locals and has the reputation as the hippies' hangout from the 60's.  I think some of them are still there.  We enjoyed the sights but the beach was windy and actually chilly.  I toyed with the idea of a temporary henna tattoo, but didn't take the time to explore that adventure.  I might still do that, if only to get a rise out of my sons and their families.  Grandma with a tattoo???   SHHhhhhh, I will save that idea for another time.

Artsy scene at crowded Venice Beach

We next went to the Japanese dollar store, DaiSo near our lodging in LA.  I found some notebooks, little kittens dressed in silk kimonos  for the granddaughters and a few uchiwa, large, flat, round fans for the coming summer.  And then it was back to our friend's home so the men could go to the jacuzzi while I packed for another night on the train, this time the Sunset Limited which would take us to Mariposa, Arizona, and the next leg of our vacation in the desert.

Life is a Kaleidoscope, Part II  is coming soon, as the vacation adventure continues.  I wish you all moments of joy as your inner kaleidoscope captures the various moments of your day.