So Long, Farewell, I Hate to Say Goodbye

Above: The Japanese half of the Tako Tomodachi

Above: Tako Tomodachi dinner in Fuchu (our new hometown)

Above: Sashimi dinner with Tsukoshi in Shimokitazawa

Permit me to go in reverse for one second. I mentioned in the blog yesterday that Beleza played their last regular season game on Sunday, November 1st. I also mentioned that after the game we partied late into the night, celebrating the successful season. And, I included impressive statistics about the 15,865 steps we walked, jumped, and danced that day. What I didn’t tell you was that the two days before were also action packed.

___________ Saturday morning, before training, we had to move from our comfortable thirty second floor living arrangement in Tsukishima into a bare but adequate Caesar Business Hotel (nicknamed, Caesar’s Palace) in Fuchu. Ganchan’s birthday dinner the night before, left us still packing at 2:00am. And when Saturday morning arrived earlier than usual we were anything but happy to wake up and lug our bags across Tokyo, only to have to drop them off and rush the rest of the way to practice to avoid being late. Needless to say, we were operating on a significant sleep deficit when Sunday’s festivities began. Whenever I felt exhaustion weighing down on me, I looked to Jo and her endless enthusiasm to help me rise to the occasion.

_________ Of course, on Monday, after all the moving and shaking, I crashed and slept the entire day away, curtains drawn, enjoying my “luxurious” western style twin bed (my first bed in nearly two months – a truly indescribable feeling).

_________ Tuesday rolled around, and I wasn’t sure if I was recovered enough to get through another week of soccer practice. I was relieved when Mr. Hoshikawa began with a playful speech that, when translated, sounded something like, “this is Becky and Jo’s last week; communication must be high.” Usually dividing players according to their starter or reserve status, convention was cast away and the teams were intermixed. Jo and I were separated, and everyone was encouraged to make the most of their last week with their American teammates. However playful soccer practice started that day, when the skills portion of practice got sloppy and the passing became imprecise, the tone was quickly revised as Mr. Hoshikawa’s stern voice and serious tenor snapped everyone into shape.

_________ Tuesday night we had dinner in Shimokitazawa with Tsukoshi. He is the fitness coach for the men’s team, Verdy. As bad luck would have it, he cannot work because he is in the beginning stages of rehabbing his knee from a torn ACL. As good luck would have it, this injury put him in the weight room, during a time of relative quiet, prime for Joanna to strike up conversations in her fledgling Japanese between sets of squats, lunges, and curls. Tsukoshi has aspirations to continue his soccer specific fitness education in the US, England, Germany, and/or the Netherlands. If he comes to the US, we intend to help in every way possible. Tuesday we celebrated our new friendship with Tsukoshi and expanded on our never ending list of exotic and raw foods.

_________ Saturday night was reserved for the Tako Tomodachi to spend together (as was Sunday night, but that will be included in the next blog). All week, the girls had been hearing stories about our new apartment: no hot water, a “broken” rice cooker, and a kitchen devoid of pots, pans, plates, bowls, knives, forks, and everything else you need to use a kitchen properly (or even at all). They were curious to know how we were handling our “atarashii chōsen” or “new challenge”. And so, the Japanese half of the Tako Tomodachi resolved to visit Caesar’s Palace and check up on their American counterparts.

_________ Starving from training earlier that day, we stopped to gorge ourselves on Chinese food before foraying into the walls and halls of Caesar’s Palace. Our friends only made it halfway through our front door when our un-Japanese behavior stopped them in their tracks. Our shoe closet, mostly empty of shoes, had one shelf stacked with books and two shelves stocked with the packaged food that didn’t fit in our tiny kitchen. The “ooo’s”, “aah’s”, and laughter that followed made it apparent that we had misused the closet space. After our American-ness was examined and explored, we passed the time eating ice cream and various salty and chocolaty snacks from the convenience store, watching YouTube videos of Ganchan singing and dancing with the FC Gold Pride, and sharing pictures of Moms, Dads, Bothers, Sisters, Grandparents, Nieces, and many other important people.­­­ Bidding Mai and Ganchan goodbye around 8:00pm, it was time to pack, yet again.

________ Next Blog: (1) Last Practice with Beleza & (2) Tabe-ho, Nomi-ho with the Tako Tomodachi