A Comic Evening

Though UML is the largest gaijin venue in the park, we do have several Japanese natives in our team. One of the fellas who plays Beetlejuice in our show is very active in theatre outside of USJ. He had invited the Monsters cast to come see his most recent performance project and six of us obliged. We walked in the door from work at about 6:15 with a plan to shower, get ready and meet downstairs at 6:45. Mind you, there were three women in this group. I don't know who we thought we were kidding... I did manage to make it downstairs before everyone had assembled, took one look at the fabulous Japanese heels my castmate Morgan donned and decided to run back upstairs to trade my cute little red flats for my burnt orange, snakeskin 5 inch stilettos. By the time I got back downstairs, the rest of the group had assembled and we hopped on our bikes, (yes, in heels) and rode to the subway station. Right as we made our way through the ticket line, we heard the familiar melody announcing the train's arrival. We ran up the stairs to the platform and got onto the train.

We all checked our watches nervously, fearing that we would be late, (a HUGE faux paux in Japanese culture), while two of our cast members who were more experienced at navigating through the local subway system studied the map "Beetlejuice" has given to us to find our way. We had to make one train change and, once again sprinted to our next train barely making it before the doors closed. Once we arrived at our final stop, we climbed the stairs to the street and went in search of the venue. A good mile and a half walk later, we discovered we had in fact gone (WAY) too far and doubled back. All of three of the girls were whining while the guys laughed at our funny little prances in our 5 inch footwear. After passing the small street where the theatre was hidden a good three times, we finally found the place. Before we went inside we were handed a plastic grocery bag and instructed to take off our shoes. This is fairly commonplace in Japan, what was funny was there was no foyer for us to take our shoes off in. Instead, we had to take them off, stand in our bare feet in the street and then track the dirt that clung to them inside the theatre with us. We couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.

Once inside, we snuck into our seats. The production was in full swing. Japanese humor can be very over the top, so even though we had no idea what the characters were saying, we were all fairly entertained. The problem was, we were often watching with a puzzled expression when the rest of the audience erupted into laughter. What's more, we were often laughing when the Japanese spectators looked on in silence. There were often moments where the cultural divide in the style of humor and performance was so great, it was all we could do to keep from laughing in an effort not to appear rude or disrespectful to the performers on stage. There was even a moment where I looked and saw tears rolling down the cheek of one of my companions as his shoulders shook in silent laughter. Regardless of the language barrier and foreign style (no pun intended), we were able to appreciate the actors who were obviously committed to their work and delivering a top-notch performance. Our very own Beetlejuice portrayed the villain masterfully. After the show, we got to give him a hug, take a photo and express our love and support. He was very touched that we had come to his performance. We said goodnight and started home.

On our walk back to the train station, we laughed together about the downright absurdity of the spectacle we had just observed, but agreed that it was undoubtedly a job well done. It was at that moment I made the mistake of making the statement, "I am not running anywhere else tonight in these heels." Sure enough.... as soon as we got back into the station, our ringleader for the evening shouted, "Train's coming!!!!" and we started our race all over again. Each time we ran for a train, we seemed to have to climb or descend more stairs than the last set and scamper frantically through longer corridors than the ones we had navigated before. By the time we reached our final train, we all collapsed exhausted onto the benches inside and did the only thing we could do, dissolve into a fit of uncontrollable laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of the entire evening. Since we hadn't had a chance to eat anything throughout our hijinks, a few of us stopped into a local favorite restaurant to finish the night off with some great food and great conversation.

It was definitely one for the books. Stay tuned for the next adventure! :)

Seat warmers, sound machines and vending machine lattes

Jet lag.

I woke up around 4 this morning and managed to get back to sleep for a couple hours. When 6 AM rolled around, I gave up and decided to get up and unpack. I managed to get pretty well settled into my cozy little apartment, do a short workout and make myself breakfast before rushing downstairs to the lobby for 9AM orientation.

So far, one of my favorite parts of life in Japan is getting around on my bicycle. I definitely think that I will enjoy the active lifestyle that comes with one of my primary modes of transportation during my stay. Today was an absolutely GORGEOUS day out and our group biked to the ferry where we headed over to the park for a very long day of company policy education. We were all in good spirits though and managed to laugh a lot through the whole process.

One thing I have learned already is that Japan is the land of abundant convenience. I suppose when a country has as many people as Japan does, there is no choice BUT to implement such accommodations. Everywhere you look there are vending machines with anything from cigarettes, to bottled water to HOT (and DELICIOUS) instant coffee. And it's CHEAP too. It's about the equivalent of $1USD for a piping hot cup of just about any kind of coffee drink you could want. They've even got caramel macchiatos in these machines. It's pretty great. :)

The funniest discovery we made today by FAR was in the public restrooms. As soon as you close and lock the door to the stall, a sound machine kicks in with waves or running water to mask the sound as you do your business. Not only this, but we were startled at first, to discover that the seats are equipped with seat warmers to make your experience more comfortable. Suffice it to say, we all had a good laugh about this together throughout the day. Why, I ask you, haven't we adopted the same amenities in the states? It really does round out the entire experience. lol

(Forgive me if this entry seems awkward or disjointed. Jet lag has reduced my brain to utter mush. I just wanted to make sure to write while this stuff was still fresh in my mind.)

I look forward to tomorrow and whatever new adventures the day brings. :)

The Ultimate Test

It's a funny thing: the dynamic between men and women. With adulthood comes a whole new set of rules (and exceptions to them) in this game of love we are all clamoring to play. We realize that things are not nearly as black and white as we once believed them to be when our heads were filled with the image of the ideal romance painted by every one of our favorite childhood fairytales. With adulthood comes an understanding that though the basic framework of the game remains the same, the rules have changed entirely.

In today’s world, one’s lifestyle is often completely defined and dictated by their career path. Mine is no exception. I work as a professional entertainer and while I love what I do, it is not exactly conducive to building and maintaining committed relationships. Not in the conventional sense, anyway. People who work in the entertainment industry have long since come to peace with the fact that distance is an inevitable hardship they will have to endure if they ever hope to be a part of something lasting. In order to survive in this kind of dating environment, one must develop a certain casual approach in the earliest stages of courtship. Due to the fact that working performers are rarely in one place for longer than four to six months at a time, they must learn to appreciate any time they get to spend with someone they care for at face value. While passions often develop quickly and run deeply between these artistic types, they must understand that they can’t really trust their feelings until they have stood the test of time and distance. One thing that is very common of interpersonal relationships among performers, (theatre performers, especially) is that due to the nature of our jobs, we are constantly moving from one temporary community to another. We have grown very accustomed to developing deep emotional ties at an accelerated rate (due, in part to the exorbitant amount of time spent together in the rehearsal process) and having to say goodbye to our new found friends just as quickly. Romantic relationships within this realm reflect much of the same pattern. Often, these affairs fizzle as quickly as they were ignited.

Occasionally, one will find that they’ve stumbled upon a romance that is worth exploring beyond the end of the performance contract. Then comes the question of whether or not to remain exclusive in spite of the physical distance. No matter what decision a couple reaches about this matter, they will endure their own unique brand of heartache. If they choose to remain entirely committed, they will no doubt suffer great pains from the separation. They will, however, be able to take comfort in the knowledge that their significant other is not seeking the company of anybody else. Another approach is to leave the relationship undefined. To freely acknowledge their feelings for one another yet remain open to whatever (or whomever) may come along in the other’s absence. While this method awards each party certain freedoms, it can be a breeding ground for insecurity and distrust. It is important to remember that though it very closely resembles a relationship, it is missing a vital factor: commitment. It is crucial to keep things in perspective and guard one’s heart if they choose to move forward in this type of arrangement.

As grim as either of these two scenarios may seem, there are the rare occasions when time and distance do not serve as a means of tearing two such people apart but instead solidify their union. The funny thing about the heart is that is knows what it wants. No amount of separation can convince it otherwise when it has chosen to devote itself to another. There is a point at which we must choose to let go and trust that if it is meant to be, it will be no matter what odds are stacked against our promised happily ever after.