After a month of blogging silence, you were probably wondering if I had been kidnapped by my students and forced to remain in Japan, or tangled in a Thai drug scam straight out of Brokedown Palace, or perhaps immediately caught in gang crossfire upon entering Los Angeles. But no, I've just been busy doing the kinds of unexciting-yet-strangely-exciting things one does when returning to the USA after two years in Japan. Things like getting a cell phone and actually TALKING on it (as opposed to obsessively emailing), making pleasant small talk with strangers without feeling like an obtrusive crazy person, and eating cheese. Good cheese. There was also a bout of the flu in there, a couple dinners with friends and of course a lot of time with Rob, during which we did an array of unexciting-yet-strangely-exciting activities like watching episodes of Human Weapon, eating breakfast at 1 PM, and calling each other just to check in because we can, because we're in the same country and that's kind of a revelation. It's been good.
I'm in Seattle now, visiting my mom, step-dad and sisters, who all moved here last year after returning from India. A week of sister sleepovers, no obligations and my mom's fresh peach pie has been pretty much exactly what I needed in preparation for my return to the (almost) full-time work week and a commute that is most certainly not a ten-minute bike ride through quiet rice fields. Oh, and I don't have a car. I'm not saying "I don't have a car YET" because I'm not planning on getting a car, which in Los Angeles is kind of declaring you are going to purposely amputate a leg. Except that in addition to looking at you like you're a little insane, people will also most likely think you are poor and probably sad. Unless you were talking to Ed Begley, Jr. He'd understand that after two years of using only bicycles, buses and trains, I'm reluctant to rekindle my messy, expensive, often-heartbreaking relationship with the car. Instead, I'm getting a scooter. (No need to warn me about the dangers, as my mother and Rob have already got that covered.) And I have a bicycle on its way. And Rob gives me rides sometimes. He's nice like that.
Hm...this post was supposed to be about the first part of my trip to Thailand, but it looks like I'll have to save that for next time. At least you can now continue your day safe in the knowledge that I haven't been kidnapped, shot, or wrongfully accused. What more could you ask for in a blog entry?
...Oh, a picture of my friend Carol and me on elephant? Very well.
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Comments (13)
glad to see you back in the US safe and sound! saw your pics on flickr. awesome.
Posted by gleek | August 23, 2007 8:22 AM
Anjali! Welcome back to the US and welcome back to the blogosphere, you were mightily missed. Good luck with your next adventure!
Posted by Lori Magno | August 23, 2007 12:06 PM
While you are in Seattle, you should go to Jade Garden for dim sum if you haven't already. I swear they are the best dim sum place in Seattle and they're pretty cheap.
Posted by Jessica | August 23, 2007 12:43 PM
Whoa! That's scary, the attempted banana yoink...
Not sure if you watch Scrubs but in the later seasons Zach Braff drives a scooter and there is a lot of good scooter pride.
Posted by Cirilia | August 24, 2007 2:31 AM
Glad you are back safe and sound!
...I was just reading stuff on Wikipedia about Brokedown Palace yesterday. Glad your visit didn't turn out like THAT! :)
Welcome back, and enjoy all the little things.
Posted by Julie | August 24, 2007 2:49 AM
Awesome. Glad to see you're ok and settling in. Sounds like you had some fun times and I can't wait to read more of it. Till then... (~_^)v
Posted by amigurumigirl | August 24, 2007 5:42 AM
I'm so glad you are back and doing well!
Posted by Mariko | August 24, 2007 7:17 AM
That's so cool you're going to avoid the car. My friends live in Pasadena and use mostly bicycles (one car between the 4 of them). It's not always easy to use a bike in Pasadena, which is unfortunate. I used one when I lived there and didn't have so many situations though, and only when riding on sidewalks (my bad). But I thought that I would point you to their recent post about "How bicycles are not transportation", according to our Sec. of Transportation. How utterly sad! I loved biking in Japan.
Not transportation article
Posted by JustaRabbit | August 24, 2007 7:23 AM
Welcome back! I would sooo love a scooter, but I couldn't take it on my oh-so-long commute on the 405 and 10. If I could, I'd totally ditch my car and get a light green scooter with a matching helmet. Weeee!
Posted by Ally | August 24, 2007 3:51 PM
Oh yay! You're back to blog! Your friend Carol and the elephant seem to be mirroring the same facial expression...
Posted by Jeannie | August 24, 2007 4:25 PM
In my mind's eye, I was re-reading the sign that I had seen earlier that said: "Please feed the elephants a bunch or half a bunch of bananas at a time to prevent the elephants from getting impatient." What do elephants do when they get impatient???? I wondered, as I alerted Anjali to our new friend's trunk which was now waving animatedly in front of our faces. Uh oh.... we fumbled with the string around the bananas, pulled off a few, and held them out. The elephant's trunk wrapped around them, and disappeared. Still fumbling with the string around the bananas, the trunk re-emerged swinging back and forth, presumably wondering why we were taking so long. "Uh oh!!!! He's getting impatient!!" Anjali managed to unhook a few more bananas from the bunch, and offered them to the waiting trunk. Again, the trunk disappeared and re-emerged before we were ready. This time, Anjali managed to remove the string entirely, and offered the trunk the remaining bananas, which he accepted readily. At this time, I was starting to panic very quietly. I was wondering what we would do now that we had run out of food to pacify the trunk with, when all of a sudden, without warning, the trunk failed to reappear. He knew he had received the bunch in its entirety and was satisfied with that. I spent the rest of the journey laughing at intervals, at the thought of the elephant's potential internal weighing machine.
"How did he know???" I would ask Anjali repeatedly, when she would turn to raise an inquisitive eyebrow at my stiffled giggles.
Posted by carol | August 24, 2007 6:12 PM
Woow, that's awesome! Thanks for the additional narrative - I quite enjoyed that image xD Elephants are such fantastic creatures...
Posted by Jeannie | August 27, 2007 1:52 AM
Wow! That is some picture! You gotta put that on your wall! Sounds like you are having a really nice time with your family. We don't always have to be busy to have a bountiful life.
Posted by wendi | September 4, 2007 9:43 AM