Tokyo – Days 11 & 12 – 03/29/2018
While training ended on Tuesday, there is no reason not to have a good time – with Rope – while in Tokyo. Last evening, myself, Sensei, Dakota, and another student and his partner all met at one of the kink clubs last night for some socializing and tying.
I intentionally got there a bit early, and just a few minutes later a grey car, spouting flames from its rear, and smoke from its brakes (kidding – but not much….) pulled-up. We went down into the club, enjoyed a (soft)drink, and snack, and proceeded to tie.
We all went for dinner afterwards at an amazing Udon restaurant, complete with ice cream for dessert.
But that was it. Handshakes with T&T, a nice hug from Dakota, and a warm, firm, and lingering one with Sensei…… These past couple days have been hard – knowing I have to leave tomorrow. Remembering the feeling of saying farewells last night has me a little choked-up again. Mata ne…. See you…. Soon – maybe September.
Today, my last day in Tokyo, was mostly spent in Ginza. I had a couple shopping items to find. Walked the streets, enjoying the sights, sounds, and people of Tokyo. Then ate a great lunch – ended up having a long conversation with a Google employee who has lived here for 17 years. Working in the same field, I did suggest we switch places. But didn’t end up doing so. Dangit…
The Kami visited me one more time this morning. I was sitting in Kashiwagi Park, as I often do after breakfast. The nursery-school kids play there sometimes, and a variety of people come to pause for a bit. The Sakura are starting to shed petals now. Like a gentle pink snow, they were falling – a few at a time – with every puff of breeze. Something made me extend my hand, and a single pink petal landed in the middle of my palm. A businessman, near me notice, and stared for a moment. I just stood there, looking at it – breathing-in the moment. Once again in total awe of the magnitude of experience this trip has been…..
It’s about 1600 now – time to stay off the trains while commuters start going home. So I’m back at my apartment sorting, and starting to pack. My bags will be heavy tomorrow. I can’t seem to visit Tokyo without shopping.
Tonight, I will run back up to Ikebukuro to eat Sushi one last time – at least for this trip. Maybe go out to another of the clubs. My apartment is situated pretty perfectly. I’m a 5min walk from just about everything in Kabukicho – including three of the best rope clubs in Tokyo.
I’m going to miss this place.
There are things and people I look forward to seeing back in NM. But some I’m not.
And beyond this brief note, I’m not going to comment further on all the ego-driven bullshit that has been going on there for the past couple days – though I may at some point. Tokyo is not without conflict in the “rope community”, for lack of a better term. There are egos and differences in philosophy. But at the end of the day, they all move on, and do…..
Mata ne……