Remembering Japan

Have just finished watching 'Lost in Translation' on DVD and looking at old pictures from 10 years ago in Japan. We were all so young and innoncent!

'Lost in Translation' is a fabulous film and seeing it after having just been to Tokyo made me realise just how much Japan is a part of me. It's very hard to explain - just that the beauty, the ugliness, the serenity, the craziness - all of that exists side by side in Japan and exists within me. Just like India and Nepal are a part of me. It's somewhat odd being here in San Francisco looking at photos that were taken 10 years ago - so much of it seems like a dream, that it happened to someone else not me. Even Sydney seems like a dream at the moment and looking at photos of my house in Erskineville (which I have on my notebook) it was very strange to see my house and realise that I only left a week ago and will be back there in 3 weeks. Time and place is so fluid.

Last night I managed to get in touch with Qurban. He's doing well and had just got back from Karachi. His sister has been sick and he had to take her to Karachi to have some tests done. He said that he's looking forward to being back in Australia, but of course is sad to be leaving his family again. Insha'allah, they'll be able to join him in Australia.

Apart from feeling depressed because of the election results in Australia I had a wonderful weekend with Dan, Steve & Guy. Yesterday we went for a drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to a small town called Tiburon and today we drove to Sonoma, which along with the Napa valley is famous for its wines. The landscape in Sonoma reminded me so much of Canberra and yesterday sitting by the water in Tiburon I could have sworn I was at Watson's Bay. All that was missing was the Manly Ferry!

3 more days here in San Francisco then back to Japan - this time to Osaka. I can't wait to see all my friends again.