And I'm still in love. I think this first month has been pretty rockin'. I can't really even begin to comprehend all the wonderful things that have happened in a month.
I've climbed Fuji, visited Yokohama, seen the sights and beaches of Kamakura/Enoshima, travelled to the shrines of Nikko, seen the natural beauty of Chuzenji-ko, rehearsed, opened and closed Summer Party, nearly opened "Big Band Beat", made some wonderful Japanese friends, learned a little bit of Japanese myself, and also seen various neighborhoods and sights of Tokyo, including Shibuya, Harajuku, Asakusa, Ueno, and Aki-Habara. Not half bad, ne? Even better if you understood that run-on list of a sentence.
And yet I still haven't gotten a bike, mopped my floor, or finished putting up pictures of home.
But I mean, that's pretty ridiculous when you think about the fact that I got off a plane and couldn't speak a lick of Japanese 31 days ago. Wow.
So today, we had a brief rehearsal at BBB that consisted of a show observation and shadowing backstage. Which left me ample time to stop by the hotel and say "Gambate" to everyone for their last 2 shows. I also confirmed that most everyone would be at the Otksare Summer Party Party on Tuesday, and even found myself learning choreography for a little Sayonara skit! I managed to also come home and get laundry washed and some dinner cooked before the real event of the day.
So I met the cast down at Ikspiari (the mall in between the Disney parks) and because many of the bars were calling it a night, we stopped at the international market, grabbed some beers, chu-hi's and snacks, and found a little alcove where we could convene. You see, there's this brilliant thing about Japan that we don't have in the States. There aren't any open-container laws here! And since the people are very polite and respectful, it really isn't a big deal if you wanna walk down the street with a beer in hand. (Except for the fact that culturally they don't walk and eat or drink, which is also why there aren't really any trash cans, but I digress...). Basically, this means, if you can't find a bar to have your cast party in, you can just grab some cheap drinks from the store and throw one yourself at some benches outside the mall!
So we did.
And what ensued was one of the most hilarious and truly wonderful parties of my life. The Japanese can party, and still manage to catch the last train home before it leaves at midnight! It's like they're completely different people from the uber-dedicated people you work with, but hanging out with them was literally some of the most fun I've had in my life.
And so here I find myself, still morose over the fact that I won't see many of these people again. And while that's the nature of our business, somehow it hurts more when you can't even figure out how to say "Stay in touch" to them. You simply grasp the memories and hold on. And maybe take a few tipsy pictures.
So all I can say is thank you. To everyone who was a part of the crazy, insane and magical experience that was Summer Party. I'm so glad we get to celebrate and send it off "Sayonara" style on Tuesday, but for now, I will miss you dearly Summer Party. Thanks for the memories!
