It's Good to be Home - Ogikubo, Tokyo

It's good to be home. I've lived in Ogikubo, on and off (mostly off, rather than on) since I was 8 years old. My dog, Ogi Kubo, is named after this area on the western edge of Tokyo. And, although my last name is Kubo, my family has nothing to do with the name of this area, Ogikubo! Just a coincidence, I guess.

For entirely opposite reasons than why I love Alabama (post on the most relaxing place on earth), I also love Ogikubo because everything is accessible within 5 minutes of the house - major train station, huge retail center, small quaint side streets with restaurants, bars, entertainment - basically, everything that you will ever need and want...to the point where my dad rarely ventures out past the train station to go anywhere else. If we wanted to go elsewhere in Tokyo, it only takes about 20 minutes to get to Shinjuku - the city center - by train.

Ogikubo residential neighborhood where house is.

Why should anyone visit Ogikubo? Well, good question. It's really not a tourist destination. Just a great place to live. However, Ogikubo is known for its place in ramen history, as this is the birthplace of Tokyo style ramen. (Don't think instant ramen. The art of making ramen noodles and broth in Japan is equivalent to the art of barbecue in the States. Every region has its distinct style and broth, and no two are alike. There are ramen fanatics and books written about ramen, but more on that later.) A visit to Haruki-ya Ramen would be a worthwhile trek. Ogikubo also has an Anime Museum, for you Japanese comic/animation enthusiasts. Other than that, it's my Japan hometown, and that's why I love it.

Our futon beds in tatami mat in downstairs bedroom.

Supper at home: last night we made Japanese curry with rice, green salad, and bought fresh maguro (tuna) sashimi at the fish market.

My dad welcomed us with a nice green tea ceremony at home. Using matcha (powdered green tea), the tea and hot water is beaten to a froth with a bamboo frother in special matcha stoneware. Japanese sweets (youkan = red bean paste dessert) complement the tea nicely.

Beautifully displayed fruit at the supermarket...

More grocery store finds:
At Seven-Eleven convenience stores
Various seafood
More groceries...
...and more seafood, wagyu beef, fruits and veggies

Day 16: Welcome to Tokyo, Japan

Sometimes, there are experiences that make the world feel small, and sometimes not. It's definitely NOT a small world when it takes 22 hours to get from Atlanta, Georgia to Tokyo, Japan. But we made it! We will be visiting Akiko's dad in Tokyo for a few weeks. We will mostly be in Tokyo, with a couple of days in Kyoto. Lots of blogging to follow.

AT&T International Phone Plan

Before we leave the States, we need to get our AT&T international cellular phone plans figured out.

-What we want is to be able to use the available WiFi for data. 
-What we don't want is to have to pay for an international data plan.
-What we want is to be able to make and receive calls on our phone in an emergency. 
-What we don't want is to have to pay international roaming fees every time someone calls or texts us, especially unknowns such as telemarketers.

For an extra $5.99/month/phone, we added the AT&T World Traveler Plan, which is the international cellular service that allows us to make and receive calls. 

We opted out of any international data plans.  We will solely rely on WiFi access for data usage.  Which also means that we will not be able to text. 

With WiFi accessibility, we will still be able to FaceTime other iPhone/iPad users. 

Here's the information from AT&T on setting up our iPhones to ensure we aren't surprised by outrageous international  charges:

>>> Mail, Contact, Calendars: turn OFF "Fetch New Data" > turn OFF "Push" notifications > Change the "Fetch" schedule to MANUAL.  We don't want the phones constantly searching for data and automatically pushing items to our phones.

>>> General Settings > Network > Enable 3G, Leave ON.  In order to be able to make or receive calls, this needs to be left ON.  Unfortunately, by leaving this on, we risk taking calls from people we don't want calling!  To prevent this, AT&T suggests activating Airplane Mode, which will send all calls automatically to voicemail - avoiding any charges.  Of course, Airplane Mode also disables any use of WiFi....My brother told me that we can still enable WiFi in Airplane Mode - nice to know.

>>> General Settings > Network > Cellular Data, Leave ON....which makes us nervous.  We definitely do not want to incur huge data costs, but AT&T reassures us that we will not because we did not purchase an international data plan.  AT&T explains that we need to have this left ON in order to send and receive phone calls. Soooooo, why is this called "Cellular Data"????  Who knows. To be careful, we can monitor data usage through General > Usage > Cellular Usage > Reset Statistics and keep track.

>>> General Settings > Network > Data Roaming, Leave OFF.  A precaution to avoid roaming charges. 

So, we'll probably keep the above settings, and leave our phones in Airplane Mode, unless we want to access WiFi. 

FAQ Sheet from AT&T

Week 2: We're Glad (Serenbe) Georgia Is On Your Mind

So far we're enjoying our time winding down and catching up with friends and family who we hardly ever get to see. We made it to Georgia - our last stop stateside - before flying to Tokyo on Tuesday. We've been enjoying some local brewskis (Sweet Water Road Trip Ale) and some games of pool in our friends' Alabama Roll Tide game room!

In Georgia, you might expect a goat or two riding down the interstate. However, what you may not expect, 30-miles south of Atlanta in the hills of Palmetto, Georgia is the most manicured farmstead I've ever seen on 1,000 acres of land.

Imagine an exclusive country club, except in place of a golf course, there are: organic sustainable farms, experimental energy efficient homes, bed and breakfast cottages, farmers' market, pastures with horses, stables, farm-to-table restaurants, and quaint shops. This destination spot for Atlantans is called Serenbe - a made up word by Marie Nygren (Mrs. Owner) because you cannot help but Be Serene in this environment!

The Nygren's story of how they started Serenbe in the 1990s is accidental, but very forward thinking for their time. Their vision of creating a high-class sustainable living community has attracted a lot of press. An article in the New York Times Travel titled Outside Atlanta, Utopia Rises is a good read for understanding this idyllic community.

It is so idyllic that I felt like I was in a photo shoot for a catalogue - the carefully crafted modern country charm of Restoration Hardware, crossed with Ralph Lauren's refined prairie ruggedness. Yet, it felt very authentic, quaint, and not contrived.

We had lunch at The Farmhouse, which serves a limited menu featuring local ingredients. On the weekends, it's fried chicken and fixins'. After all, we are still in the South!

We got an interior look at a few energy efficient homes for sale in Serenbe. This is also the community in which the 2012 HGTV Green Home was built. Since we can't really afford to live in this community, perhaps a stay at one of the 19 cottages would be a perfect way to enjoy the food, pastures, horses, lakes, kayaks, shopping, etc.

If you are ever in the Atlanta area, take a detour to Serenbe and experience the hidden serenity of the south!