Thursday, November 29, 2007

The First Day of Pre-Christmas


On the umpteenth day before Christmas, I am gradually getting into the holiday spirit. Thanksgiving has been my marker for holidays ever since I was a little boy. Then, my memories of the smells of Thanksgiving dinner with a huge turkey, ham, stuffing, orange-candied yams and pumpkin pie in Grandma’s kitchen were enhanced by the fitful beginnings of snow and my Dad and uncles passed out in a post-feast stupor in front of a random football game – usually involving the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers, or both.
Now, in Tokyo, the view of Christmas is different, of course. Japan has gradually taken in Christmas as a market opportunity that follows another more recent ''tradition,'' of Halloween. So, just after Halloween, it is time to put up the Christmas decorations. I have resisted. I stand by Thanksgiving as plenty soon enough.
But I am practicing for the real thing. I am considering the menu, having just about cleared away the last of the post-Thanksgiving leftovers. The tree is up and decorated. The table – well, the table is a work in progress, involving experiments with different combinations of candles and flowers, and a gift of cotton bolls on stalks from my special friend.
Christmas won't be what it was when I was a child, of course, or even what it was a year ago. Now, though, I can celebrate it with a glad heart. I can try, for example, to mumble all the words to The Twelve Days of Christmas, which were as hard to remember as the name of the little girl who played opposite Jean Reno in Leon (Natalie Portman).
Now I have them, though, and I share them with you, in the spirit of Christmas:
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree!
By the way, you may be interested (or not, I don’t care either way) to know that Jean Reno is making a Pink Panther sequel, which includes Steve Martin of course, and features Yuki Matsuzaki, John Cleese and the beautiful Aishwarya Rai.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Count Your Blessings


Things look different when viewed from just one eye. This makes me appreciate the fact that I have one good one while I await the prospect of sight returning to the other. Things like this and other events of the past few months make me especially thankful right now.
I could use the one good eye to prepare for today's Thanksgiving dinner, and there are many other things to put on the list. Way up high is the fact that I have met new people, whom I hope I will call friend in the true sense. Another chart-topper is good health, especially considering the other things that have come along.
There are several other thanks-worthy things that I won't bore you with. Some people who have come and gone from my life have made lasting impressions and given me moments of happiness beyond measure. Others have taught me useful or important or clever things, and these little skills, recalled at the right times, have proven invaluable. I'm learning to be less hasty, even though the clock is ticking. It's worth the time it takes to stop and consider the alternatives. Doing so makes the good things that much better and the not-so-good things less worth dwelling upon.
I have helped others without expecting anything, and, sure enough, have received nothing. I have given things in the spirit of affection and had them flung back at me or shattered before my eyes. I have loved and lost. I have been cheated, robbed, lied to, threatened with death. For all that, I have had others help me without any reason. I have had people give me things in the spirit of affection, sharing and concern. I have been loved. I may be loved again. I have been treated fairly, kindly, and with generosity. I have had expert caregivers help me guard my health. There is a balance. The balance is worth counting as a blessing, I think.
So if you have had or are having or will have Thanksgiving, I hope you reflect on the things you have to be thankful for. And even if you don't observe the holiday as such, I hope you will take time to count your blessings.
While you still can.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Words and Music


Shakira has something for everyone. Fifteen-or-so years ago, I read Gabriel Garcia Marquez in translation, first with Cien Anos de Solidad (One Hundred Years of Solitude), and then Love In The Time of Cholera. Both are love stories. The former, considered the author's masterpiece and the book for which he most justly deserves his Nobel Prize, is a history of Garcia Marquez's native Colombia and, in effect, a history of all Latin America. The second, Amor en Los Tiempos del Cólera, is, in terms of the span of time of the story, half as long as the first, and is a story of a love triangle. The latter, without giving away details to spoil it for you, is now a movie. And although I have only seen the trailer, it seems the film is faithful at least to the spirit of the book for me, with its steamy, dreamlike quality.

And, as I mentioned at the beginning, Shakira, who, as coincidence often plays out with such things, is also from Colombia, does the theme song. Perhaps the words (In Spanish) and the music and the backdrop of scenes from the film, will give you a reason to look for this or any of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's writing. His Florientino Ariza is a hopeless romantic and avid reader, which only fuels his romantic nature in an (utlimately) unrequieted love affair. Well, life is like that. Passion for sure, but, also as in real life, nothing sticks. Maybe true love is the purest form of suffering.

At least have a look at Shakira's video preview:
http://music.aol.com/popeater/2007/11/16/shakira-despedida-video-exclusive/

Patches of Fashion


Daryll Hannah could pull off this eyepatch thing and look brutally sexy. When I do it, I look like Santa as a weekend pirate. I think I am not the eye-patch type, or at least I haven't found any fashion eye patches that have the right look. This is especially hard to make work as a fashion statement when you have to wear eyeglasses.
Eye surgery to repair a detached retina in my right eye went well, the doctor says. By well, she means I can see a kind of watery light in my right eye, and she tells me the liquid that makes images look like I am half-submerged and the gas that keeps up the pressure inside the retina so it will (eventually, if not sooner, we hope) stick to the inside of the eyeball, will gradually fade away. I am not sure what it will leave me with, in terms of being able to see again, but that is for later.
For today, I am still mostly face-down, except for this brief interlude for breakfast and a pee break before being face down again. Tomorrow, the stitches (yes, stitches on the eyeball) come out, and we shall see (har har) what I can do about getting on with life. Thanksgiving is coming, and believe me, I am thankful I can even see the watery light, which is much better than being in darkness. And I am thankfull I still have a pretty good left eye.
I almost look forward to being able to see Kill Bill 2 again if I could do it with proper eyesight. Being basically blind in one eye and able to see only vaguely without correction in the other is not a way I would like to serve out the rest of my time if I have a choice. Unfortunately, eyes, once damaged, are harder to recover full use of than other body parts. so take care of your body parts--all of them.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Eye Candy


Life would be a lot more pleasant if things would stop breaking. My most recent medical encounter was eye surgery today to repair a detached retina in my right eye. I write this little entry with a patch. I should be face down on the bed now so the operation can do its work to (I hope) restore some vision.
This sort of thing usually happens as the result of a sharp blow to the head. I have not had one of those in about five months, when I got whacked on the head with a dinosaur, so I am pretty sure that isn’t the cause. The doctor said the main thing is not the cause but the cure, so I should focus (har har) on obeying the rules of recovery. That means I should not be writing this, but I thought it might be a good cautionary tale, reminding those who read me to take care of eyes. I have learned a lot in the past three days about how difficult it is to function without good vision. I am fortunate to have good care and prompt surgery. Dr. Sano says I have a good chance of recovering my sight, or at least most of it. That sounds really nice right now.
By the way the eye in the U.S. dollar bill, grotesque as it seems, is part of the Great Seal of the United States, adopted by Congress June 20, 1782. It may have something to do with Masonic symbolism, as we were told by Nicholas Cage and friends in National Treasure. Then again, it may just be because Masons were fairly well represented when the United States was founded, with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and probably others, among the members of the order, and those symbols were a lot better-known than they are now. Anyway, the eye was considered important enough to make it to the dollar bill, so I reckon eyes are important enough to take good care of, too. One piece of advice I can give for free is that if you notice that your vision is blurred or impaired in any way, get a thorough eye exam from a competent eye specialist (not the corner contact lens shop!!). There are several things that could cause your vision to fail, and I hope you don’t have any of them.
The National Eye Institute has more to say on this subject:
http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/retinaldetach/index.asp

Friday, November 02, 2007

光歩, La Luz De La Aurora


I was humming a couple of songs today. It's something I haven't done in awhile, and I take it as a good sign. One that is still in my head is Carole King's You've Got a Friend. The notion of friendship and where it starts and how far it stretches has been on my mind recently as sails on the distant horizon.
Ok, songs and poems and images. One of the images in my head is of Claude Monet's ''Sunrise,'' which is, as irony would have it, a painting of boats on the horizon at dawn in the harbor at Le Havre. It was a painting he did two years before an exhibition of what came to be known as Impressionism--a term he disliked immensely. Critics chose Sunrise as the target of scorn for the style that Monet and colleagues used to show light.
Monet, not surprisingly, was subject to radical mood swings, which I think we would probably call bipolarism these days. When he was up, his work showed it. One of the problems he had was cataracts, which dimmed and muddied his sense of color, both in the way his sight was impaired, and in the way he painted. Look at a body of his work next time a Monet exhibition comes your way and see how light dimmed in his work and how it re-emerged after he had corrective surgery.
This wasn't about eye problems or even mood swings, but about friendships and where they can go. I am not really sure, despite many trials and errors. But I have a good feeling, which I am guarding like the eternal flame right now, about the dawn that I faintly perceive on the horizon.
Yes, I am preternaturally optimistic. But a serendipitous encounter recently brought something sweet at the conclusion of an otherwise not-very-good day. A return engagement is on the horizon too, so to speak, and I am looking forward to it as nothing I have anticipated in months.
So Carole King's lines about doubt and trouble and needing a helping hand are all valid, of course. And when I see or say the name in the title of this particular entry, I get the clear sense that the hand is being extended. It is the hand of friendship. It is light on the horizon. I pray that it will shine brightly for a very, very long time.