Off to Japan

 After returning to Nairobi from the US, I would basically have a weekend to rest up before turning around and heading to Japan the following Monday. It wasn’t ideal but it’s the way things worked out. Our girls had a couple weeks of vacation at the French school and we wanted to take advantage of it.

* * *

The trip to Tokyo began with an 11-hour flight to Guangzhou, China. I’d never flown China Southern Airlines, and I’d never flown through China before. In spite of having traveled to around 65 countries, I have relatively little experience traveling in Asia. Given the Japanese heritage of my wife and children, this trip was something that was important for us to do.

Our approach into Tokyo. Is it me, or does it look like the pilot was smoking something?

From Guangzhou it was a relatively short 4 hours or so to Tokyo. I didn’t sleep much throughout the whole journey but I figured I could muscle through the day, have a good night’s sleep and be good to go the next day. It more or less worked out that way.

* * *

Japan Day 1 – Tokyo: Rise & Shrine

The city of Tokyo has over 14 million people. If you include suburbs, it’s more than double that, making it the third-most populous city in the world. Thankfully, it’s very organized.

We would have about two and a half days in to explore the city before moving on. We reserved a day or so on the back end of the trip for any last-minute shopping and sightseeing.

We arrived in Tokyo in the afternoon. By the time we sorted out all of the logistics (phone, train, etc.) and took the train to the neighborhood of our hotel, the sun had mostly set. It was actually a nice time to arrive. Tokyo is a beautiful city and our neighborhood, near the Senso-ji temple, was magical at night. Our plan was to drop off our bags at the hotel, turn around and head out for some dinner before calling it an early night.

The area around the temple contains some of the oldest structures in Tokyo. It’s also, naturally, a haven for tourists. But at night, tourist traffic thins considerably making it a rather nice place to walk around. The autumn weather was perfect and we were fortunate to have no rain.

Senso-ji

Senso-ji is supposedly the oldest temple in Tokyo though the origins are not entirely clear. Some legends date the structure to be from the 7^th century though the first documented reference to Senso-ji is in the 12^th century. Buildings in this period were generally made of wood and as such there were several documented fires over the years that required rebuilds. Earthquakes have also wreaked havoc on Tokyo architecture as have wars, most notably damage caused during World War II.

All this to say that it is difficult to know the age of the structures standing in front of you. However we got to where we are today, they are beautiful and, though the area is inundated with tourists, it is very much an active and important place of worship.

Buddhism and Shintoism

It's probably worth mentioning a bit about the beliefs that drove the architecture. I find it interesting. In Japan, Buddhist temples co-exist with Shinto shrines, and both share the basic features of Japanese traditional architecture. They share worship areas because they have a common history. When Shintoism first encountered Buddhism, it became more interpretive as it did not try to explain the universe as Buddhism sometimes tried to. The architectural elements of a Buddhist temple are meant to embody themes and teachings of Buddhism. Same for Shintoism. As a result, in Japan the beliefs, like corresponding worship structures, complemented each other. 

However, in 1868, at the end of the shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji era (return to emperor rule), the separation of the faiths was mandated by law and there was an attempt to separate the Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. But the shared history (and geography) fostered co-existence. All this to say that today’s temple and shrine areas are basically together but separate. And most worshipers to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines go for similar reasons, such as prayer and for good fortune.

How this influences the architecture

Buddhist architecture in Japan is not native and has been imported primarily from China over centuries. This has happened with such constancy that the building styles of all six Chinese dynasties are represented. Nonetheless, indigenous variations due to climate and the tendency to build with wood create a distinctive Japanese appearance.

They generally feature a torii (Shinto gate) and/or a romon or somon (Buddhist gates) that that symbolically mark the transition from the mundane to the sacred.

Torij gate and Shinto shrine

 

Worship areas contain a variety of other structures which serve various purposes. Some contain sacred objects and are not accessible to worshipers. Some are specialized buildings for certain rites, but these are usually open only to a limited number of participants. Shinto requires water ablution for ceremonial purification and these small pavilions look a bit like fountains near entrances.

More massive Buddhist gate

As I mentioned, these are active places of worship where adherents mix with tourists. I do wonder sometimes how that would be to enter what you consider to be a sacred space, washing yourself, lighting incense, communing with the god(s) and having people next to you with fake eyelashes taking selfies. 

* * *

For the first evening, we ran out of energy quite early. Understandable after all the travel. All four of us are huge fans of sushi and that was the plan at least for our first meal before returning to the hotel and passing out. It turned out that it would be our plan for many of our days.

Off to Idaho

The last evening of September, my final official day of my job, I boarded a plane for the US. The idea of returning to the US for a couple of weeks had been in my head since we visited in July. My brother and I had been working on the RV lean-to and, for various reasons, we were unable to complete it. Prior to leaving, we covered the structure with a tarp to protect the build from the elements during the winter, but I wasn’t very satisfied with the way we left it. Moreover, in the weeks that followed, my brother had noticed some structural weaknesses that had developed. It wasn’t entirely surprising given that we had suspended work on it midway through the build, but it was concerning and added additional motivation to return to complete the structure prior to winter.

The challenge would be to find a window of opportunity to make the trip. I was still employed through the end of September. We had also planned on a trip during the girl’s autumn break the second half of October. And by the time you are in November, it becomes questionable whether the mountain weather would be conducive for construction. The first half of October would be the only window for the trip.

* * *

My plan for the two weeks would be to have a half-week in Boise, a week in the mountains working on the lean-to, and then another half-week in Boise to wrap things up. The key assumption was that five working days would be sufficient to complete the project. It was a bit of a roll of the dice given the need to make sure that the RV was sufficiently sheltered for winter and that the lean-to itself would be protected and structurally sound. I felt like I had enough time, but you can’t predict what snags you might run into. These things always take longer than you think they should. 

 

* * *

I arrived on a Thursday afternoon and slept well enough that night such that I didn’t have much jet lag. The following morning, I was ready to go, joining my sister in running errands with my mom. By Sunday, I would take my mom to church and lunch before heading to the mountains.

I made a brief stop at our property to scope out the status of the lean-to before heading to my sister’s in McCall where I would be staying for the week. There was a dead mouse in the shed where the tools are stored. Rodents have been a big nuisance in the area apparently so part of my task would be to do what I can to protect the RV and the storage shed from the destructive little critters.

The shelter was definitely leaning more than when I had left it in July and a couple of the joints were compromised, but it all looked like it could be fixed.

The next morning, my brother and I met at the lean-to and went to work. Day one would be devoted exclusively to shoring up the structure and making sure it would be strong enough to survive the challenging mountain winters.

The weather was chilly in the mornings and hot in the afternoons. It’s the time of year where there are significant temperature swings, but at least it was consistent throughout the week.

On day two, there was some more bracing to do, but by afternoon the work shifted towards the roof. This would involve the removal of the tarp (which took longer than I expected) and then picking up where we left off with the wood panels (OSB). The day was cut short due to some other obligations, one of which was the gathering of my siblings by late afternoon. It’s always special to have all five of us in the same place at the same time. This time would be to acknowledge/celebrate the fact that my younger sister and I left the workforce the exact same day (six days prior).

dinner with siblings

By day three, the panels were all in place and we began the water-proofing underlayment and metal roofing. We seemed to be on track but it was hard to say. Neither of us had built a lean-to before so every day was a new adventure.

On day four, we continued the roofing work and it was clear that it would roll over into the next day. Though Friday was projected to be the final day, I did leave the door open to working on Saturday if I absolutely needed to. I was hoping that wouldn’t be necessary given that the weather was expected to take a turn for the worse on the weekend.

By Friday afternoon, it looked as though we were indeed going to finish as scheduled. After the final metal roofing panel was screwed in, there was not much time to celebrate as there was still the lattice work which was saved for last. This would only need to be done on the north and west sides, and, given that evening was drawing near, I simplified my expectations (a single row of lattice panels rather than two).

 

The last screw was in and the RV was parked inside the shelter just before 6:30pm. After a full week of effort, we had crossed the finish line. We cracked open a couple of beers, made ourselves comfortable in lawn chairs and enjoyed the sunset. 

* * *

finished lean-to left of center

 

As expected, temperatures dropped precipitously the next day and it was clear that we had finished the shelter just in time.

I was a bit tired and sore and happy to take Saturday morning off. But by afternoon, I would need to load up and head back to Boise. I wanted to accompany my mother to church and lunch again the next morning. I also had loads of errands to take care of prior to my departure Wednesday morning.

My last couple of days in Idaho were uneventful. I ran errands, took my mom to dinner, and spent time with my sisters. So nice to have the time to just sit and chat. Hopefully in my post-work life I’ll have time to do more of that.

* * *

The travel back to Nairobi was pleasantly uneventful. I would have a couple days before traveling again, this time with my family.

And So It Ends

The Events

Altogether I ended up having four different farewell parties: one in Zanzibar, one in Mogadishu and two in Nairobi. It is not something I would have wished for. I think I would have been happy riding off into the sunset without any sort of party, speeches, cakes, gifts, etc. Some people like that sort of thing. They make me uncomfortable.

Group photo from Zanzibar

Having said that, I must admit that there were some enjoyable moments. The Zanzibar event emphasized the long journey with the organization going back to the beginning in 2006. The Mogadishu event pulled together colleagues and friends from different parts of Somalia. The first Nairobi event focused mostly on my team and colleagues based in Kenya. The second Nairobi event was organized by friends (and my wife) unrelated to my job.

Nairobi with dear colleagues and friends

 While I’m uncomfortable listening to people make speeches about me, it was sort of fun to take a trip down memory lane and reflect on the many things that we have gone through together: accomplishments, tribulations, humor, etc. A lot happens when you do this sort of thing for a living.

Nairobi with friends (and family)

One thing you realize is how much impact one can have, whether you realize it or not. Several people made comments about things that I said or did over the years. Some of the statements I remember making. Some I don’t. Either way, these are things that had an impact on people and they have stayed with them over the years. While it’s gratifying when it is positive, it makes you wonder how many things you said that possibly had a negative impact on people. When you’re in a position of influence, there will always be both.

 

The Cakes 

(there was one in Zanzibar but I don't have a photo) 

Nairobi - staff/colleagues

 

Nairobi - friends

Somalia - staff, govt. & other agencies

Idaho - family (shared with brother's birthday)

* * *

Overall, I must admit that the timing of my departure could not have been better. It is not only good timing for me, I think it is good timing for the organization as well. Mentally, I’m more than ready to step aside. Ten years is a long time to work in Somalia. Twenty-one and a half consecutive years in East Africa. It’s time.

But it’s also a good time for the organization to have a change. I think it will be mostly healthy. I’m just hoping that my emphasis on gender equality will continue and that the fears of potential clan bias that have been expressed to me won’t be realized. This has been an issue that has impacted other organizations that have made a similar transition and it’s something I didn’t have to deal with.

* * *

And so it is that I end my blogging about my humanitarian career – at least for now. On to new adventures.