Now Kyoto Seems Far Away


We have been home for a little over a month.  Our life here is very much more complicated than it was in Kyoto, giving us only a little time, so far, to put the experience in perspective.  We feel both that we know much more about Japan and Japanese culture than we did a few short months ago, and also that we can be certain of even less.  We have joined the ranks of countless Westerners who will always feel a bit in love with, but also, as has been said before, "Wrong about Japan".  We miss the people we began to get to know in Kyoto, and hope to stay in touch, but know from experience that keeping lively communication going between two such different worlds is easier said than done.  We have heard from Ibata sensei that he is willing to keep giving us calligraphy lessons via the fax machine.  We are hoping for a return invitation in October, but know not to count on it.  We miss our slow but steady progress in the Japanese language, and the visual world is emptier without all the hiragana and katakana everywhere, which I was getting pretty good at sounding out, even though the meaning of the sounds usually remained  beyond me. Awakening from a dream, we know the sense of loss that can accompany the fast-fading of strange and fascinating visions.

Much love to all who have read these posts.

That's all for now...