Hi Mike! *s* So I guess you work as a tour guide? I love your soft-sell approach. We have not finalized the itinerary as of yet, but will likely have a stop in Kyoto. Kyoto is coincidentally the name of a truly outstanding Japanese restaurant where I live. Given your description, perhaps I should skip the bath-houses there? Sadly, the vending machines and the shift in traditional diet there can be blamed on the USA and western influences. The native Japanese diet is among the healthiest on the planet. Emphasis on fish, sea vegetables and so on, enabled the people there to live long and productive lives. Trust McDonald's to end a thousand-year tradition.. I remember watching a video of a Japanese zen monastary. The winter months there appeared brutal indeed. Their only reprieve was a bedtime drink of rice wine to warm their weary bones. As you have children-- how are they adapting to life, school, language and culture there? Kristy
--- On Mon, 10/11/10, mike brown <[email protected]> wrote: From: mike brown <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: Don't pray in my school and I won't think in your church. To: [email protected] Date: Monday, October 11, 2010, 7:38 PM Kristy, Japan in January will be bitterly cold, but then again each season has its own atmosphere and charm. Which city will you be visiting? I live in Kyoto and work in Nara. Although I'm getting more used to living here every passing year (this is my sixth), it still feels like 'Lost in Translation'. If you want your house to really feel like the genuine Japan, just include a vending machine on each wall and a drunken salaryman being sick in the garden. Mike
