Hello Substack subscribers!
It has been a while. Very sorry about that. I can explain! But first… the BOTD (Bento Of The Day).
October came and went and then it was November! October felt like the first month of actually being settled -- in my routines, work, and more. I had some fun times exploring Osaka with other JETs and started to become friends with Japanese people who I met at music-related events or from going out. A group of my coworkers and I had a barbeque along the banks of the Yodo River, I got to see the cosmos in bloom at Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park. I am remembering more and more of my student's names and am starting to feel like I have a good grasp on areas of Osaka that I like. There is still much more to explore, but I feel confident navigating my way into the city after work or on weekends. October felt like a month of transition -- transitioning from the hectic first few months of life here to actually leading a life here.
At the beginning of November, I flew to Shanghai for the opening of the Shanghai Biennale. My sister, Hallie, was on the curatorial team for the show, so when I accepted my offer with the JET Program, we put it together that I would be just a quick flight from China and able to visit for the opening. My other two sisters, Liza and Phoebe, made the trip from the states. We started talking about the possibility of our reunion in China back in March, so it felt surreal to be there all together. The Biennale is centered around the theme 'Cosmos Cinema,' which takes on various meanings and forms throughout the exhibition space. The show itself is absolutely massive (would take you 8+ hours to walk through the entire thing reading every wall text/watching every video piece) and takes place in The Power Station of Art -- the first state-funded contemporary museum in China housed in a converted power station that sits along the Huangpu River. The exhibition is expansive yet cohesive and powerful. Seeing the culmination of my sister and her team's months and months of hard work felt very meaningful. Hallie had been in China for a month or so before the opening (meaning we were on similar time zones), and I know that she had many nights of little to no sleep; I would often receive texts at the wee hours of the night when she was just finishing up work at the museum.
Our time in Shanghai was mostly spent at The Power Station of Art as there were various artist talks and performances. Shanghai, especially the art scene, is vibrant and bustling, and I enjoyed getting glimpses into a few of the distinct neighborhoods. People are friendly and take advantage of the little pockets of green space in the city -- men sit out on sidewalks playing cards and there is always a group of people practicing choreography or aerobics or martial arts in the park. China overall felt a bit more informal than Japan which was a nice change even for a few days.
After China, Phoebe came back to Osaka with me and stayed for about 2 weeks while Hallie and Liza continued to travel around China. After their travels, all four of us shared 5 nights in my little apartment before they left last Tuesday. We spent the weekend in Naoshima, the famous art island where Yayoi Kusama's polka-dotted pumpkins sit on the shore. We rented a car (and I drove!!) and were able to stop at a few spots along the way, including Awaji Island which is famous for its onions. See photos attached for this hilarious onion-themed hilltop rest stop/store. In Naoshima, we stayed in a yurt on the beach and spent Sunday between the museums that scatter the island. The general consensus was that The Chichu Museum was our favorite. Its name 地中, or 'Chichu,' translates from Japanese to '‘underground’ or ‘inside earth.' Designed by Tadao Ando, the museum sits in the earth itself. Light pours in through slits in the large concrete slabs, lighting up the rooms that house a James Turrell Skyspace, Walter De Maria installation, and Monet's Water Lilies. Naoshima was wonderful, and I was happy to get out of Osaka for the weekend and explore a new region. I think renting a car might become a regular thing for me....
As we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly rarer for my sisters and me to all be in the same place at the same time. Yet, because we have to make more effort to see each other now, our reunions have turned into longer trips together, rather than just a few days here and there. Having them stay with me, all four of us sleeping in a row on futons in my bedroom, felt particularly special. As the youngest, I'm usually the one going to visit my sisters in interesting places. I vividly remember visiting Liza and Hallie when they were freshmen at Vassar, and staying in Phoebe's college house at Brown a few years ago. At both of these times, I remember thinking the lives that my sisters were leading were the coolest ever. Having my sisters visit me this time, and in Osaka, Japan, made the fact that I live here feel real. I got to be the one showing them my favorite spots, telling them about my job and students, and cooking for them in my kitchen. They even came to school one day with me and visited a class. My students went absolutely crazy and couldn't believe that there are four of us. Sometimes I can't either!
The day that my sisters left Osaka was particularly difficult, especially knowing it will likely be months and months before I see them again. Yet, it was a drastically different experience than when my family left me in Tokyo after we had spent our winter break together traveling around Japan in 2015/16. Obviously, the circumstances are very different -- then, I was 15 and living with a host family (whom I enjoyed living with but felt ready to move to my second host family), it was the height of Japanese winter, and all I wanted was to return home to warm Austin with my family. Now, I'm 23 and living on my own, working full time, and able to explore Osaka and my surroundings with full autonomy. On that day in 2016, I remember sitting in the hotel lobby after my family left on the airport shuttle, crying and crying and crying. I felt very isolated and alone. This time, a few tears were shed, but overall I felt ready to get back into the swing of things here. I am sad that our time together came to an end, but not necessarily sad that they left me here.
It is now early December and Osaka is quickly cooling down. Fall feels like it was just a blip of a season -- last month I was in short sleeves and now I'm realizing I might need a bit of a bigger winter coat than the hand-me-down jacket I came here with. The leaves in Japan turned pretty late and most trees are still red and orange which is helping me refuse that winter is here. I’ve made plans to go to Tokyo for the Winter Holiday which I'm excited about. I'll be able to see friends and my host family from study abroad. If you can't tell, I've been reflecting a lot on my time here in Japan, from being 15 to now, so returning to Tokyo for the celebration of the new year only feels fitting.
I hope you are all staying warm wherever you are! Thanks for reading! I promise it won’t be so long before I post again.
Xoxo
Miranda
Love this post! Who would have guessed that being in Tokyo in 10th grade would lead to living there eight years later! Proud of you! ❌⭕️💕
So happy you all had a great time together! Happy you are settling in and happy you are happy! 😊