Christmas Cake

Photo of Toky by Munar Kumar (via David). I do not otherwise know Munar but understand that he is a successful hedge fund manager and travels to Japan. His image captures the strangeness of the world's largest metropolitan economy with 35 million people (source: PricewaterhouseCoopers). NYC, by contrast, has 17 million. To put Tokyo's size into perspective, London the largest city in the world from the 18th century to 1952 when Tokyo surpassed us becoming the world's second city with over two million.

My love affair with Japan formed in the second or third grade when we had a wonderful nanny Taka (my mom remained in contact with Taka until recently). Taka was a gentle soul who patiently taught me some Japanese and was always Katie's and my confidant. Then it seemed perfectly normal to have her in our house, though how strange in reality - this was the 1970s, after all, and being a single Japanese woman in America .. unusual. Taka a member of our family and the real gift she gave me was Godzilla. For several years I dreamed of the green, fire breathing lizard and his pals/enemies King Kong, Mothra, Destoroyan and Rodan, who had claws like Alexander McQueen. The movies strictly pulp but how I loved them. Mandatory trips to San Francisco's Japan-town followed where yours truly spent his allowance on Japanese action figures and comics, all words in Japanese, but so what? There were fabulous photographs of dudes dressed up in monster suits doing battle on top of miniature cities which all seemed very real to me. This my Harry Potter or Manchester United moment.

I have not visited Japan yet I am fascinated by their culture so one day I will. Most Westerners suggest Tokyo a difficult city for outsiders: no English and citizens unhelpful if not racist. Of course I love Bill Murray's "Lost In Translation" but Tokyo only a hint of the film's intended disorientation; really that was about Scarlett and Bill longing for something, mainly each other. Allow me: final exams, junior year at Brown in springtime. I am studying in a deserted brownstone next to Sayles Hall on the main campus. The hours unusual since, well, cramming. I meet a woman doing the same and we hang out for three days and nights, mostly studying but also talking and smoking and looking inside. Nothing physical but oh, the possibility - yes, to be 20 years old. I never saw her again after that. This is what I think when I see this photo of Tokyo city.

Madeleine knocks on the door. Me: "Who is it?"

Madeleine: "Me!"

Me: "What's the secret password?"

Madeleine: "Let me in."

I open the door for her and Sonnet.

Madeleine: "Can you believe I got it the first guess?"