Learning to Align Photos and Justify Text

So this post is going to be an experiment of sorts. Up until this point, my updates (all 3 of them!) have been my random thoughts/ramblings/rants about whatever came to mind, but at some point I'm going to have to figure out how to write a linear story with actual events and people. At least, this is what I think you all signed up for when I said this was going to be a blog about my trip to Japan. Too bad Emily Post still isn't around to write a book of internet etiquette because I am unsure of the unspoken laws of posting photos and talking about other people. For now I am going to grope (write?) about blindly, refine the art as I go along, and exercise whatever limited common sense I possess.

What is also weird is that I assume there are people I know from different times in my life reading this, but you all don't know each other. Therefore it seems presumptuous to refer to everyone by their first names and expect their character, the nature of our relationship, and the circumstances under which we know each other to be self-evident. Oftentimes, the point of a story or the crux of a joke relies on an idiosyncrasy or personality trait, such as the preconceptions (or perhaps, the pride and prejudice??) of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth providing the thrust of conflict when Lizzie turns down his marriage proposal, or that Homer's choice of the name Max Power from a hair dryer is hilarious because he's, well, Homer Simpson. But at the same time, to explain these details would be exhausting (and not to mention frustrating), and also tedious to the reader because they either already know who I am talking about, do not agree with my characterization, or they just don't care. Again, I assume I'll get better at it as I go along, and hopefully at this point in my life I am able to recognize when I need to provide more explanation. It shouldn't be too much different from what I do on facebook already, just perhaps with some more details as opposed to my snarky comments. And if someone objects to things I say about them, I am sure I will get an earful.

As my days before I depart for New York are numbered (ETA: er, 1 actually), I've been going around the last few days with saying good-byes. It's slightly anti-climatic since I will be returning to Seattle on the 18th and then departing for Japan 6 days later, but you know, I'm greedy and I want people to cry at my departure twice as opposed to just once. I met my classmate Gregory for happy hour in Capitol Hill (even though it is not necessary in this instance, at some point places also will need explanation), and then Saturday stuffed myself silly at brunch with Sarah, Frances, and Ryan Z at Portage Bay Cafe. Their toppings bar is epic, and I made sure to go in with an appetite; after taking a run in the morning and having no more than a cup of coffee, I devoured 3 giant slices of challah bread french toast and a mountain of fruit, syrup and whipped cream, not to mention a side of bacon and some more coffee (probably about a gallon). Good-byes are a good excuse to meet and talk with people that you know from your professional life (if you can call being a graduate student "professional." If you've ever been in the Jackson School grad lounge, you know what I mean) but do not see socially with any regularity. A Hello-Goodbye type situation.

There was of course happy hour to be had on Saturday evening too, and we headed to The Living Room, a great little bar on the lower end of Capitol Hill.* Cheap, tasty happy hour, budget cocktails all night long (one of which is a shot that looks just like a lemon drop, but then tastes like chocolate cake... mind fuck in a glass) and an atmosphere conducive toward just kicking back and hanging out. They are also pet friendly and one of group brought in his patterdale terrier (they looks like a lab puppies!) named Konbu (referring to a type of Japanese kelp) to the bar. Too cute, and also a big beer fan, as you'll see in the pictures.


* I feel like I should be charging some kind of fee for linking and plugging all these places, but I'm only going to do it for those places that are actually worth visiting. The Mariko Seal of Approval... I wish I knew how to use photoshop because it would be great for visuals in this blog, but at the very least it would include this image:

Konbu kept moving and I was too lazy to get up and get him to sit still for a picture.

Konbu then got a little curious. He also lulled me into a false sense of security because he let me pet him for awhile, and then he made a move for my gin and tonic. Sneaky pookie.

The surefire way of getting Konbu to pay attention to you was to tempt him with your drink, and Konbu showed his hipster side when he made a mad dash for Mike's PBR.

From there, we moved up the hill so that I could say my farewell to my iteration of Cheers: The Crescent. I know I have mentioned this place before, but it goes without saying that it's one of my favorite places in Seattle. Dark, divey, a group of grizzled bar flies, and karaoke all night long. I never thought I'd be one American-style karaoke, but apparently I have an inner attention whore because I just can't help myself. And I am also glad to have a group of people willing to go there with me on a regular basis since I've scared off more than a couple of people after taking them there. Between the group, we sang five songs: "Come on Eileen," "Bette Davis Eyes," "The Boxer," "Jessie's Girl," and "Start Me Up." What was ridiculous was that at one point I was looking up Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz" and the drums kicked in just as I was flipping to the right page; then Eve was supposed to give Dolly Parton a try with "Jolene," but the bartenders got up on stage and ol' Dolly a run for her money. Great minds, as they say.

"Oh please, no photography. I am shy."

Of course, you don't actually have to be on stage to sing.

Jessica looks like you've offended her sensibilities and Eve wants her tonsils checked... I'm not sure what the emotion was supposed to be here.

At the end of the night, I was feeling pretty good and the DJ that works Saturdays has always recognized me, so I headed up to say my farewells. Let's just say their tip jar has a five-pointed leaf on it and her eyes were more than slightly unfocused. She seemed sad to see me go, but I promised I'd come back some time next year when I'm back in the States (I'm leaving more than a few things behind in Seattle and I expect to reclaim them. What kind of Asian girl would I be if I didn't have a rice cooker?), and to also send my buddies in my stead while I'm away. You hear that guys?

After a late night turned into a late morning (hey, I got up before noon), I headed out to meet the Barbers for another BBQ, this time out in Woodland Park at the south end of Green Lake. BBQ's have become a staple Japan Studies activity this summer thanks for Brittain and his grill,. I've gotten a good tour of Seattle parks as a result. Here's hoping the tradition continues. As usual, I beat everybody there by about a half-hour because I never learned the meaning of the phrase "fashionably late." I only understand "unfashionably early." Unfortunately, it's gotten pretty cool here even for a Seattle summer and it was supposed to rain straight through the weekend, but fortunately it started clearing up as we set up the BBQ. It was a nice afternoon and a fair number of people showed up to chow down. I ate a lot more than I expected to, and everyone brought something to share. Ken and Eve generously made bacon-wrapped dates and a few meat kebabs, there was pork tenderloin, broccoli burgers, and hot dogs from the Barbers, and there was an assortment of chips, fruit, veggies, hummus and cookies from Brandon, Sarah, and myself. I had filled up on snacks by the time food was coming off the grill, but I managed to eat until I wanted to undo the top button on my jeans (after a summer of living alone, I have grown unaccustomed to having to wear pants for extended periods).

Ahh, sibling rivalry: if one has it, the other one wants it. It also amused me that Kanata got cranky and started crying at one point, but then immediately calmed down the second he saw there were hot dogs on the table.

Bacon/date skewers are in the back, the pork tenderloin's in the front.

Eventually we started putting anything we could get our hands on and stuck it on the grill. Those would be grape skewers on the far right.

That would be me and my hot dog.

This is how we do hot dogs in New York.



This would be the Brandon Seal of Approval.

Uh yeah, then we put clementines on the grill. I dunno, there's something about jabbing food with skewers and putting it on the fire that's endlessly amusing. Asami though the oranges tasted kind of rotten. Meanwhile, the grilled cookie was like having one fresh out of the oven: melty and delicious.

The Barber children conquered that tree. I am pretty sure that not too long after this, there occurred the most amusing exchange of the day between Asami and Kanata.

「かなた、うんちした？」　("Kanata, did you poop?")

And then Kanata gave the biggest smile and wandered off. I wish I had a picture of that face because it sums up so many things about being a little kid. Ain't nothin' that can bother you, not even poop in your pants.

And at the end of it all, it was time for marshmallows. Any time I have ever done BBQ with the Barbers (which was a few times this summer, and as Asami pointed out, I have earned the "perfect attendance" crown for BBQ), it seems that all the meat, veggies, and games are just a opening act for Yukine's main stage activity: roasting marshmallows (ETA: Kanata's katakana pronunciation was really cute, マシュマロル). After that, there was much else to do but start packing up and heading home. I said my first round of good-byes to some people, and then walked with Eve and Ken around Green Lake, and then onward to home.

It's weird to think that in 2 weeks I will be gearing up to get on a plane that's going to take me to Japan. The summer has flown by, and the school year before that went even faster. I had this weird moment last week when I was walking toward Hall Health to pick up some prescriptions. I thought to myself that I was moving too quickly and if I took one more step, I would be in this same place, except it would be the summer of 2011 and I would have just spent the last year in Japan. Time really is that way sometimes. There are certain spots in Seattle where if I go past them, I'll feel like I was just there and blank out a little, remembering who I was with and what we were doing.

And obviously it makes me pretty sad to be leaving this all behind. I know I am not going away forever and I will be back in Seattle sometime next summer, but it won't be under the same circumstances. I'll just be a visitor at that point, not a Seattleite, a Japan Studies grad student, or even the social coordinator any more. People I have known for the last couple of years have left, and there will be even fewer of them here when I come back. I generally adapt well to change, but that doesn't mean I have to like every part of it. At least amongst the Japan cohort, we built our own little community, despite grade/dick-measuring contests, ego clashes, and funding competitions. I'm really going to miss it next year.

Yes, I know I am quite sentimental about things. And it's a good thing I have all of you around to remind me that I have a lot to look forward to for the next 10-months and beyond. As Brandon said as I was whining that I wouldn't be around for the parties he is sure to host at his new townhouse with Sarah:

"Let me flip this around on you, Mariko: Boo hoo hoo, I'm getting paid to go to Japan."

Fair enough, fair enough.