(I am Robin Modlin, a friend of Ana, Isa and Andrew for almost 20 years. I was invited to go on this trip to Japan to support my friends in their endeavor to raise awareness about organ donation, transplant and cystic fibrosis. I am also mother of another friend of theirs, 28 year old, Anna, who lives with cystic fibrosis and the hope of one day having a successful lung transplant.)
Day 3
At 2:30 today we realized that we had been in Japan only for 48 hours. That was hard to believe. So much was already packed in. Ana and Isa have given 4 talks, and we were already present for 5 events. I am still taking it all in. I am at the mercy of those I am with as I am only one of a very few Caucasians and the only one with curly hair and just English coming out of me. I do have company though in Andrew, Marc and Nickolas. I can say konnichiwa, and arigato.
Today began again with our breakfast in the lobby. I sat with Marc and enjoyed coffee with salad and a conversation learning that his parents retired in Folsom, CA as have my in-laws. From his description of the neighborhood they may live very close-by to each other. This is an interesting coincidence like the connection with Matt and Nick who both lived in Bellingham, Washington as I did when I was young and in college. Sometimes it seems when you meet people that you like and enjoy you find ways that you travel on the earth in similar ways. There is a sense of a larger family that is growing day by day with this group.
I do want to say that Marc Smolowitz, the film’s director, is a very impressive, warm, sweet man who exudes obvious talent, commands leadership and has a self-assurance that makes you feel this project is in the right creative hands. His quality is also reflected in the selection of a fine film production crew. They are all kind, bright and engaged in being in Japan and the mission of the trip and film. One other member of the crew I did not mention is Chika who joined us in Tokyo. She is an photographer who lived in San Francisco for eight years and is a stunning, gorgeous young Japanese woman with fine classic features, very natural and with a quiet gentle strength.
At 10AM with Naomi and her sister we left for the large stadium once the home of the Olympics in Tokyo to attend the green ribbon running festival to benefit and bring awareness to transplant. I was thinking I would enter a short race but participants had to have signed up in advance so I sat on the sidelines. Ana, Isa and Andrew competed in a relay each running 1K. There were donor families as well as transplant recipients present.
My experience of being along for the ride has been comfortable in spite of the language barriers. The dedicated volunteers and core group who are the transplant community are sweet and loving people, welcoming and accepting. I feel that I am a part. I have been just letting myself be with no expectations, letting things happen and the time flow. This seems to be working.
At the event, the former head of the transplant organization, Harue set up a mock living tree out of a hat stand and green netting with paper ornaments colored, drawn and decorated with inspiring words by any who wished. It was expressive art therapy. This felt so much like something that I would do, so similar to my flag making projects. I was struck how this idea and the need to connect with visual arts and creativity is everywhere.
At the event there was a large eco friendly balloon release that was quite beautiful and meaningful. I think its symbolism seemed particularly poignant to the Japanese. I saw donor families moved to tears at the opening of the event as they were given flower bouquets as gifts and the balloons rose into the air. All eyes were upward with hearts in reflection and memories of love and hope came alive in all of the 4,000 attendees.
As the races continued, we gathered at the top area of the stadium where the booth for the book and the transplant organization had literature displayed. People walked by. Then we saw the nurse coordinator we had met the morning before at the conference with Annette, a nurse scientist researcher from Packard Children’s Hospital who we had also met. Being in this foreign environment that had connections of home made it all seem so boundary-less. A song played on a small CD player nearby and Ana and Isa said, “that is Anna’s (referring to my daughter) song. We gave that song to her when she was 20 it reminds us so much about her.” I had to stop to listen to the words about a child born with illness who is a miracle. My family, my heart was there. A warm and very wet release of tears washed away any more sense of being in a foreign place. I could feel the love, commitment and communion with these lovely people. People like Taka, waiting for a kidney transplant and Uko, celebrating the life of her son by staying involved and telling her story to help others.
Another long day and we took the subway home this time with Andrew finding the way back. Ana, Isa, Andrew and myself freshened up and went out to find dinner, Japanese, Japanese food this time. It was Sunday night so some restaurants were closed. We decided on a little place down some steep stairs. It was traditional style with a Korean influence this time but it looked so good. At each table was a long tube vent coming down from the ceiling for the smoke that rises due to cooking on a small charcoal grill. We ordered some thin beef and chicken to grill, rice and two bowls of bimbo. The dinner portions of meat and rice served for all four of us, was enough for an appetizer for two in the US. So delicious but lets you know that this is why no one is fat in Japan. It also lets you know that to have CF and a high calorie diet with at times being on prednisone and having the munchies, would be definitely tough to survive and thrive by getting enough traditional food to eat.
The bowl of bibimbap was so delicious. The bowl was made of stone and hot enough from the oven that when rice and veggies were placed in it the heat cooked them. Some of the rice had a small layer of crunchiness mixed into the spinach, carrots, seaweed, and others. It smelled so good. We could imagine a cold December night and coming into this place to sit around the hot coals cooking our meat and eating out of the hot bowl. I also had some hot sake that warmed my cackles and relaxed my mind. Ahhhhh, this is what I was looking for, wonderful Asian.
Isa wanted desert. We went to Lawsons, a western style quickie mart for a Japanese treat. Mmmmmmm. We got mochi. One was like a marshmallow filled with chocolate. Oh was it good. The other was mochi filled with red bean. I love this stuff. It is just so good. Anna and Sara, I will have to get the chocolate filled ones for you. I know, I know, I have to get both…….. Doug, how about some sake?
What a day. Tomorrow we go exploring and shopping until the concert in the late afternoon.
Robin
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