Indian Feast last night at Satyamo and Sambodh’s house. We did the sounding meditation at 4 pm instead of the usual 11 am. Everyone brought a plate (potluck in Amerispeak). Fresh chapatis. Filled my plate with 20 different choices. I brought two chutneys. A sweet Tomato one and an Orange and Apricot tangy one. Put on a Bollywood dance dvd after dinner and danced like mad. Made some new friends. A Great Night.
Here’s my itinerary so far:
I will be leaving the fair shores of Oz on 23 March en route to Japan. For five weeks, I will be enjoying another shakuhachi intensive in Chichibu. I will then sling a pack on my back to hitch-hike for a further four weeks. I intend at that time to visit Kyoto, Hiroshima and Kyushu. I will be experiencing the Couch Surfing network along the way. Much unknown involved.
The first of June will find me once again boarding Singapore Air for a flight to California. Visiting family and doing short trips on the west coast for the summer. It looks as if my sister Mary and I will be heading up into the Northwest together as she had already planned such a trip toward the end of June. My birthplace of Billings, Montana may be graced by my presence once again.
31st of August finds me leaving LAX to return to Japan. Right now, it looks like a couple weeks of more travelling around Japan by thumb. Heading north this time. Then, six weeks of shakuhachi before returning to the land down under.
There is enough space in my plans for a good deal of unexpected adventure!
Tossed it around some more and, barring unforeseen circumstances, I will give Europe a miss this year. It was a great plan. Still is! However, it would be hampered by my attempts to put in the amount of shakuhachi practice that I am now doing and want to continue for the immediate future. I’m at a stage in my learning/playing where I feel the need to be more stable. The beauty of the Europe Cycling Plan is the movement and exploration.
So, I have decided to do a Brisbane- Tokyo- LAX- Tokyo- Brisbane trip. I will do some travelling; hitching in Japan, train trips in the US, however, these will be of shorter duration with the northern summer mostly spent at my brother or sister’s.
That’s how it’s looking. I just need to settle on the dates.
The Jim Experience of Life 