My birthday

My birthday

(Jason, Me, Leslie and Martine) at the airport

So I remember when I was in Up With People I had my birthday with a new group of people.  Very different.  I believe that I will have the same experience once again.  There was a girlscout saying that I remember it went something like, "make new friends but keep the old, some are silver and the other gold.  

Me and Big Momma!  Yes this is her amazing restaraunt 

I so will miss not spending this special day with my friends and family in the states.  And I hope that the day is a good one for me.  July 29th is the day that I emerged into physica

l form.  I remember as a baby asking my father, "daddy where was I before I was here?"  He would always laugh at me.  He would often say to me, "Sis whatdoya think I did for 33 years before you were born?"  I just don't know, I have never imagined a state of my not being.  

I am prompted to set up some intentions for the coming year.  Ummmmm.  Well, Beck and Dannie (Autralia), Lateefah (guess) are the girls from Big Band Beat.  They organized along with Jason a dancer in the show originally from DC and gathered some cast members old and new from the show and we got together at Monsoon a restaraunt at Disney and we celebrated my birthday.  It was so nice and a bit unexpected.  It felt  bittersweet, so kind to have about 15 people that I have not known more than two weeks come together to celebrate with me.  I felt special, ya know with friends it's like well it is under

stood that you will come together and celebrate.  But the understood were missed and the misunderstood welcomed.  

Chris one of the male singers fr

om NY asked, "Matt do you have any wishes for this year"  I told the group, judging it at first as being a bit corny, that I was reading the Louise Hayes book and that she suggested that all of our dreams and ability to manifest them lie in loving yourself.  If I could have everything I want by loving myself then that's it.  I want to love myself more and more each day.  Love myself into my blessings.  Love myself into an Oscar? W

ell if I believe it possible, believe that I deserve it and the world would be blessed by experiencing me on stage, on screen or via audio waves then I would be getting out of the way so that is my intention for this next year in my life.  To really love, honor, keep and treasure me!!!  

Wonderful learning

Okay so call me ignorant but part of the urban landscape is a nail shop right?  Lucky Nails, Nails, Imagine Nails you name it there is a nail shop on almost every corner and esp. in LA it is relatively cheap.  So I ASSUMED that since most of the shops are owned and operated by Asians, that since I was coming to ASIA that I would get an even bigger discount.  So in I go with my gesturing and 5 words of Japanese by myself feeling quite proud of myself.  Uhhhhh....not.  I am too embarrassed to even say how much my nails cost.  I will just say it was a small fortune.  No joke in that one.  I wonder if this will last the whole 9 months. Looks just like my regular nails right.  Guess how much this cost me.  You will never guess

So I have started a bit of exploring.  I know how to catch the train to Disneyland where I will be working.  And watch this video to take in the cultural differences.  It's interesting to say the least.  But I will say that we are all truly free to be.  

And you know among some of the other cultural differences here the Japanese seem to me to be extremely efficient and have an impeccable work ethic.  During our orientation to working at Disneyland Tokyo we were politely told that being even 15 seconds past call time was indeed being late.  There is something that you can get right from the train station in the event of a wind storm or earthquake called I think a Chien tick

et.  That means yo butt is late and you better have a dag on good behind excuse!  Well there is an office dedicated to such events.  And below take a peek at the toll that such dedication can take on one.  You gotta give it to this guy, that is true dedication.  

I hope I know what I am doing........

This is a map of ...... um lemme see Urayasu-shi the city that I live in.  It is a couple of train stops from Tokyo.  I sorta live in Tokyo but not really.  It's like living in LA but you really live in Culver City or Santa Monica.  

I am great besides still getting over the jetlag.  The ignorance of being a Gijin (foreigner), walking so much that the bones in my feet hurt and it being hot as Hades.  I thought Africa was hot!  It's HOT.    I have already been through 3 whole earthquakes!!!  Ahhhhhhh!  

Culture shock isn't a shock but just interesting.  More to come.  Anybody who is coming to this country who has a shoe size larger than an 8 you are in trouble.  I so regret not buying two extra pairs of shoes I was eyeing last week at DSW.  I sooooooo need them.  

Thanks for reading and post here if you would like.