Our New Friend

The old Japanese man approaches just as we're leaving the buddhist shrine. "Where are you from?" he asks in a thick accent.

When we tell him we're from New York City, a wide grin splits his face, and he lifts his cane in triumph. "I am going to take you for coffee or a beer," he says, "and you will help me practice my English."

I Feel The Jerk

Jet lagged as I am, I've still already managed to catch one fish at the restaurant that allows you to catch your own dinner, so now I'm just fishing for fun. Katie pulls up a flounder she's caught by a fin, but she throws it back because she wants to catch it "for real," meaning through the mouth.

But when the pole twitches indicating I've caught yet another fish, by the gills this time, I'm at a loss as to what to do - I don't want to deny Katie her moment in the spotlight catching her own fish, but I feel like it's against the rules if I throw it back.

Before I can really figure out what to do, though, a very helpful server has come up and whisked my fish away for deep-frying, and the disappointment in Katie's eyes at my stealing her thunder is crushing me.

Final Push

The Japan Airlines check-in process is doing us no favors, nor is my tiredness from the day's flea market. Technology seems to be intent on thwarting us - the computer reboots twice for no reason I can see, and the website kicked us out just as I was about to get our tickets.

Finally everything is finished, and Katie and I are showering, exhausted and a little punchy.

"New York is obdurate," I say, leaning against the wall of the shower.

Performance Anxiety

The space on the busy street looks almost big enough for me to park the van.

But after pulling ahead to the next car, turning on my blinker, and throwing it into reverse to let everyone know I'm serious, the traffic immediately begins piling up behind me, and suddenly a whole host of folks are watching me try to parallel park a cargo van in what may or may not be an appropriately sized space.

I inch backwards, cutting the wheel hard like I was taught, but it's a tight fit, and the turning radius isn't great, and now I can feel people getting impatient as the traffic light ticks through its cycle yet again.

When the cop car going the other direction slows down to watch the show, all my nerve deserts me and, sighing, I put it back into gear to circle the block one more time.

Holey Soles

The cobbler is using the shoe he's currently working on to avoid meeting my eye. "So you wanted the half sole?" he says about the shoes I was supposed to pick up yesterday.

When I remind him that I asked for a full leather sole, he says, "Oh, I think we may have misunderstood each other."

"Okay, let's talk about that," I say firmly.

Dog v. God

The sign on the churchyard fence reads, "We're in this struggle TOGETHER," over a picture of the current pope (Francis, for our readers coming from the far reaches of time and/or the internet) embracing a brown-skinned woman. It's a pretty basic sentiment, but it touches me, nonetheless.

And the building behind the wrought-iron fence, a solid church of the white stone Brooklyn variety, early 20th century, simultaneously unassuming and slightly ostentatious, suddenly seems very important too, and I can feel the weight of all that stone and all that time and history in the carvings of angels, in the tall stained-glass windows, in the steeples crowned with crosses.

The dog walks by, completely unconcerned, sniffs a corner where other dogs have almost certainly peed, and then looks up at me curiously where I stand, transfixed by something like an epiphany that has no meaning attached, and waits for us to move on.

Not Great

I finish walking the dog and feeding the cat. I'm dead on my feet and impatient with the entire thought of being awake.

"Do you want to take a shower?" Katie asks, sticking her head out of the bathroom. When I explain that I really just want to finish getting ready for bed, that I'm tired and cranky, her face instantly falls in disappointment and she disappears back into the bathroom with a parting, "Great."