Finding My Peeps

Woke up yesterday with plans to visit a couple of museums in the neighborhood. There was the Toyota Technology Museum, and the Nagoya City Science Museum. Both up my alley.

However, I, woke up too early for either. They both open at 0930 and I was out the door seeking adventures at 0700. I guess that’s the downside to waking up early. The upside is waking up at all. I read an article yesterday that showed I am currently older than 90% of the population of the USA.

Collectively get off my figurative lawn.

What to do for a couple of hours? I head to Meijo park, figuring it’s a place to see if I can spot some birds, read my book (The Women — an excellent read). On the map, it’s near Nagoya Castle, has a flower plaza that is noted for its large number of benches to sit on. Perfect. It’s a 2 KM or so walk in the humid morning, and rather enjoyable. I snapped a few photos as I skirted around the castle. Pretty.

Views of the moat and walls around Castle Nagoya

I pulled into the park proper and lo and behold…runners. Bunches of them. Some doing sprints across the plaza, some stretching, most, natch, running. Of course, there were walkers, dogs, and kids everywhere too. A lovely place.

I walked in the direction of the flow, and saw they even had signs for the distance on the loop. Sweet. I kept walking. Stopped. Checked myself. Hmm.

• ✅ Tom-approved length running shorts

• ✅ Tech shirt (Beautiful blue Flume Trail race shirt)

• ✅ Appropriate footwear (runners are my only shoes, actually)

I didn’t really have to be anywhere today, and the museums will still be there in the afternoon. On a Saturday, it’ll probably be better later, anyway. The route looked lovely and tree-lined.

Decision made.

I stashed my tote bag stuffed with phone, wallet, monocular, tripod, Kindle and raincoat next to a bench, started my watch app (WorkOutDoors, if you’re wondering) and took off for a fast-for-me 5K (four laps) around the park. In most of the places I’ve been — including most in the USA, I wouldn’t have given the merest thought to dropping my bag with all that inside and taking off running. No way. Here? Yeah. Aside from runners’ bags everywhere here in the park, I’ve seen people leaving their belongings in seats and on tables in restaurants, train stations, airports — virtually everywhere. Always with the expectation of the bags and belongings remaining when they return. And they are. Society here is good that way.

Run completed, I picked up my stuff from exactly where I’d left it and walked my now sweat-soaked self back to the hotel for a much needed shower.

Oh, I did make it to the Science Museum.

1-2 views of the science museum, 3. statue in the adjoining park: "Hare on ball and claw" - obvious title is obvious

Aside from being architecturally interesting (the sphere is a planetarium), it’s a fun hands-on kind of place, filled with kiddos running around discovering the basic principles of science. I enjoyed myself immensely watching it all from the sidelines.

I’d walked and run 20+ kilometers by then, so I decided to figure out the subway and get a ride back. I find it easier to learn the system from the vantage of a smaller station than the major ones. It’s less complicated, and less crowded so I feel a little less stressed about it for the initial introduction. There was also no pressure. If it got to be too much, I could bag it and walk.

I didn’t. Now that I’ve got it down a little bit, starting from Nagoya station another day is doable, if necessary.

After a lovely dinner of Vietnamese food, I was back in my hotel before the rains came for an evening of something streamed online and baked goods. Yeah, the bakeries are really good here.

Take care of yourselves. Tell the ones you love that you do. Call that friend you haven’t talked to in a while but who keeps crossing your mind. Hug your kids and pets. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and we’re all wearing Milkbone underwear.

Slang, out.

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