A little bit about everything...

This is an old post, of an old blog which I translated from portuguese.
This was written one and a half years ago, just before my trip to Japan and expresses the feelings and impressions of being on the verge of such a journey. It was the first time I travelled by myself and planed a trip from beginning to end.
Later I would find out that this experience would change the way I see the world not only completely but definitively. And, as my father says the journey begins in your mind, much before you take the first step.

Agust 15, 2006

As my dad would say, the journey has already begun... Quite a while ago, by the way.
The amount of preparations necessary to such journey are simply overwhelming. It is a short trip, a little over 3 weeks, but it will take me to the other side of the world, no kidding, from São Paulo to Tokyo.

This friday it begins, and I am more scared of the american paranoia (or estado unidense as the mexicans say, perfect definition by the way*) when I stop in New York than of Japan itself.

Matter of fact I still can't believe I am really going, inspite of the half-packed suitcase on my bedroom's floor and the passport on the desk... I think it will only seem real once I step in Tokyo, forced to quickly decide if I go to Kyoto by air or train. Weird anagram... Which takes me back to a bus stop and a cultural moment by Saa: Tokyo is an anagram of Kyoto, which means something like capital city, very useful information isn't it?

Anyway Kyoto. I found out that the ICM** was going to be held in Kyoto 3 years ago, after long time crying because the previous one took place in Roma and there was no way I could have attended 'cause I was just an undergrad at the time... Bad timing.
Back then I was simply attracted to the fact that I would have a chance to see the other side of the planet! But after having the patience to read the one book which is a match to São Paulo's yellow pages, it became something of a dream. In case you are wondering what is the name of this miraculous book, it is Musashi. And it's uses are many, other than reading, of course. To name a few: hold the door open or the other books in place and knock someone out, literally. Although I can think of more efficient artifacts, as our beloved democracy. Democracy is a baseball bat, named this way in explicit analogy to the way the north-american democracy was enforced on latin american countries not so long ago... Something out of RPG players twisted minds who named a student’s house after Khazad Dum (amongst which I am included). We also had the solution, a winchester 32 gun, but enough of this.

Musashi takes place during the time when Kyoto was still the Empire's capital city and Tokyo (known as Edo back then) was flourishing. His descriptions of the many temples that this Samurai visits are something out of an awake dream.
Anyway, Musashi’s Kyoto is simply beautiful, and will completely blow my camera’s memory stick. Thankfully I will be in Japan, where even dog houses are computer-controlled and is the home of Sony. Which happens to build cybernetic dogs… Go figure. I cannot understand this thing japanese people have for machines... And on the other hand keep the most ancient traditions. Puzzling, I would say.

Well, back to the last minute problems like printing the poster I have to present, the only thing which justifies all the money I am being allowed to spend… Thank you Fapesp!***
And to the fact that my supervisor has (again) vanished on thin air.


*Why estado unidense is a great definition to those born in the United States?
Very simple, american defines the citizenship of an entire continent. Those born in the United States claim that citizenship exclusively for themselves and in that misuse take alway from us (all other americans) our birth right. Therefore this definition is simply perfect.
**ICM stands for International Conference on Magnetism, and is held every 3 years. I would have posted the link here, but I just (sadly) found out that the website no longer exists.
***Fapesp is the funding agency which paid for this little extravagance.