And just in time for the heat wave...

[rkold]

I will no longer be attending Volks events, visiting their stores or buying their products new (once I finish paying off my Yos from Tokyo Dolpa) because I am extremely disappointed in the company's behavior towards me. I'm not going to go into details, but suffice it to say I do have very good reasons and this decision saddens me but I feel like is the only one I could make. I am also extremely disappointed by the other FDQ volunteers. If you are one of them, I think if you examine your decisions you will know why. I'm not going to be saying any more on this subject because I'd like to move past it and I don't wish to discuss it. I feel like I've already spent more energy on it than it deserves.

In happy news, I survived my Japan trip and had a wonderful time! This was a big deal to me because I was very worried about my abilities to actually manage to get around and do things as I've been quite inactive now for months. I did have to change plans a few days (I still get motion sick on the train, so Matsumoto was out and got hit with pouring rain the day I wanted to go to Nara) but overall for me the trip was a huge success. Mostly, I got to see my friends, particularly dilettantka and chocolate_chip who I truly appreciate taking so much time out of their lives and schedules to hang out with me and go to wacky places I wanted to eat. I also loved getting to see hinoai, akaisakura, and jougetsu. I wish I could have see misspaulette and triplepunch but so things goes. I also got see Aya-san! This was really lovely because it made me feel like she wants to see me outside of the whole doujinshika circle milieu. I'm really hoping we can get together when she comes to the US, even if it involves me trying to do things with a newborn, at least the weather will be better!

Among the things I did get to do was karaoke 3x! This was one of the things very high on my list as well, since I know it will be much harder to do in the future if I go back to Japan with a baby. I still can't believe how well my hotel reservations worked out. I paid on average 7000 yen a night for my single hotel rooms in Kyoto and Tokyo. My Kyoto room was the most convenient (aka a 5 minute walk from Kyoto Station, nearly all of it underground so rain could be avoided) My Tokyo rooms were the nicest, a huge nearly queen size bed with lots of pillows, mattress pad, and non-Gundam bathrooms! For about the first week I kept track of how much money I spent in Japan this trip. I have the receipts still but hands down I spent the most on: tea (much of it gifts), transportation, and food. The amount spent on everything else pales in comparison. I did make sure to eat well in Japan and made it to: Loving Hut, Pure Cafe, Eat More Greens, DevaDeva, Chien Fu, Nataraj, Proverbs, and Sunshine Cafe. I feel bad I didn't get to go to anywhere 2x, but still so many favorites and I rarely make it to Chien Fu! I also got Mexican at the Mexican place in Osaka and went to Dean and Deluca. And even more wonderful, other than the plane trip to and from Japan and one morning when my vitamin set me off, no puking!!!!!!!!!!

I had a pregnancy moment, where I was convinced I had left my conditioner in Tokyo and was heartbroken as I did not have it to use in Kyoto when the entire time it was sitting in my bathroom at home.

I am also finally showing! I now look pregnant, which is just so happy. Not only do I look pregnant but my daughter kicks more all the time!

I am glad to be home and I missed my husband terribly., thank goodness for Skype! My only true sadness is CT is actually more hot and humid than Tokyo was o_O; Luckily, I have central air.

Comments

[dilettantka.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry about the Volks thing. And I know you don't want to talk about it, so I'll leave it at that. ♥

It's been steamy here too! and non-stop rain... crazy rain!!! This is a for-real rainy season this year :D I kinda like it, though I got caught in POURING rain the other night with no umbrella... I had to dash to the nearest convenience store with a plastic bag over head.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

*hugs* ♥

It is like over 39C here. 39C!!!!! Though it is supposed to cool off over the week end thankfully and just be warm, not purgatory. It was pouring in Kansai so I guess now you are getting it too. I noticed all the rivers seemed much higher than during other trips where they were just sort of dinky lol I admit I sometimes think the rain feels nice when it is so warm, though it does bad things to whatever I am carrying.

I so should make some ice tea before I go to bed.. again..

[spazzygirl19.livejournal.com]

Yay! Welcome home!

I'm so glad you had a great time! (and for the most part, no longer sick & now able to eat!)

And I'll email you later about some other stuff ...

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I can mostly eat, I still have occasional bad moments, but overall it is so so so much better and I can even eat a variety of foods which is just so incredibly happy!

If it is as hot and humid tomorrow I am so going to see if I can get my hubby to take me for ice cream. :3

[nikittin.livejournal.com]

Karaoke is so much fun! I can only imagine what it's like in the original country it came from. X3 And Mexican food in Japan? That sounds so interesting! Is is much different than what were used to in the US?

I'll miss you in the Volks threads on DoA. You are always so informative and quick to (oh-so-politely) swat butts when it's due. :P Although I'm super curious about your reasons for no longer supporting the company, I understand your desire to get along with life.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I admit I've only done it a few times here in the US and tend to prefer it in Japan where it's all box style so that you can sing more songs. >>; I also got free drink bar 2x and in Osaka got a larger selection of drinks so I got some wacky iced coffee thing.

The Mexican place in Osaka, I forget its name, is sort of an institution because it has an English and a Japanese menu and is quite popular with foreigners. Remember, I live in NY/CT so for me, the Mexican is quite yummy. I am sure if I was from CA or someplace with lots of good cheap Mexican, I would find it overpriced, underspiced, and overrated. But as it is, I like it and they have a large vegetarian selection! Though my favorite places in Japan are probably Cafe Proverbs and DevaDeva. ♥ Though I think Nataraj is great Indian and the lunch buffet in their Ginza branch is a tremendous bargain!

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Ohhhhh thank you! I remember we went to the yummy Mexican place in Roppongi, and other than it being immortalized in a chatlog I do not trust myself to ever make it back there on my own since Roppongi confuses me ;;_;;

(Though I guess I keep going to Eat More Greens and that is AzuJuban)

If you ever know someone who is going to Japan who is a vegetarian just let me know since I really can now recommend a lot of places. I tried a new place in Osaka that was a bust because it DID NOT HAVE A/C!!!!

(Pay more and get Indian at Nataraj, it's a better bet)

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Hahah, not as much as I want the heat and humidity to vanish! 103 is just way too hot. Though at this rate I am so dragging my husband to the homemade ice cream place today!

I'd love to give you some hotel recs. Personally, and these are questions you need to ask yourself, are what amenities do you require in a hotel and how do you rate them. (does convenience to a station outweigh a private toilet?) I use to stay in a lot of budget ryokans without private bathrooms and without all the amazing services ryokans are famous for. (I loved my real ryokan in the Towadako area. It was soooooooo worth the money!) Now I prefer business hotels since I want my private bathroom and my internet. Occasionally, I've stayed at more luxury hotels when I've gotten a good deal. I got an amazing price for the place in Takayama and for the place I stayed in Hakone. A lot also depends on where you plan to stay. I knew when I picked to stay in Odaiba for most of my time in Tokyo to budget in the additional 800-900 yen in travel expenses every day. But it was so worth it, my room was incredibly nice and for me right now a comfortable bed is a *HUGE* priority.

Also some hotels are fine for singles but not as good for doubles as most of their doubles are termed "semi-doubles" and really just a single that they're charging more for because 2 people are in it. :/

[gokumew2.livejournal.com]

Welcome back! Sorry we didn't get to meet up. Sounds like you had a wonderful time though so glad for that. .^^

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Awwwww I'm sorry too! I think I ended up spending Saturday in Shinjuku as I had spent some time in Ikebukuro the day before looking at the sales.

I had no idea this was such a huge time for sales in Japan! :D

[twotone]

I'm glad you made it home safely and had a good time in Japan!

The weather has been absolutely INSANE this past week. Summers in CT are usually not this bad. I am still in disbelief that our car's computer claimed the in-car temperature was 104 C on Monday...

It's a pity, because I was going to ask if you were up for blueberry and peach-picking, and... no. That would be a VERY bad idea right now.

Please keep well-hydrated and stay indoors! Enjoy the central air!

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I figured this was not normal, since it's not usually like this in Westchester either! I know we got up to 103 on Monday!

Actually I would love to go fruit picking. On the 13th I have another doctor's appointment and I have a few things coming up but nothing else definitive. Are you going to Coventry? I sort of want to, the cheese tour sounds interesting!

It's no longer over 100 here, and I can be out and about in the upper 80s/low 90s since I did it in Japan. I just need to take rests and watch myself and it helps I have a new sun hat and parasol! :D It's upper 90's/100's where I just really do not want to be out and about.

Our A/C is struggling with the temperatures but Kennis went and found a massively strong fan and it makes a huge difference! And I am definitely drinking a lot of water.

[isachi.livejournal.com]

Welcome Home! :D I still think you are completely ~insane~ for flying so pregnant, but I'm glad to hear you had a good time ^_^

Your postcard came yesterday :D :D :D Email me your new address so that when I go back to the Czech Republic in October (which will happen even if I have to swim *determined*) I can return the favor :3

[rkold.livejournal.com]

The worst part of flying pregnant right now was the motion sickness. Other than that it was really not that bad, I got bulkhead aisle seats in both directions. I need to share pictures, but I've really only just started to look more pregnant. Now the trip to my brother's wedding for Labor Day... that will be more of a challenge since I will be around week 30 something. In Japan I had a special tag to use the priority seats and I did take advantage of that. For the most part, people are super nice when you say you are pregnant. I learned a bunch of Japanese phrases around the subject.

What's your current email or is it still the aol one? My addy should be good until March or April when we hope to move.

October ♥ I can't believe that is when my daughter is coming. I totally can understand why you want to go back. The Czech Republic will always be very special to me from our second honeymoon. Will you stay in Prague or be elsewhere? BTW if you ever want to meet during the summer drop me a line and you can see my ever expanding belly!

[paleonaturist.livejournal.com]

Hurray!

Glad to hear you're once again home safely, and that Ryu-chan is growing strong (and large enough to be recognized!) Also, it sounds like Japan was (once again!) a wonderful time for you.

I'm very sorry to hear your decision about VOLKS, though. I've always felt that they're just amazing people, with a remarkable outlook on life, the ever-expanding world of SD - and the world in general. I started volunteering with Pat, FDQ and VOLKS to help bring the joy of Dolpa to folks and (at the end of the first NYC Dolpa) because the volunteer team at that time, mostly dear friends of mine, were visibly exhausted. I just couldn't _not_ help them out that night. Being invited back to work alongside them, Pat, the staff of VOLKS and the Shigetas has been an honor I've treasured. I've found a lot of joy on that journey, and you've been a part of that joy. I will assist people like the VOLKS staff whenever the opportunity arises.

~Bruce, who sleeps in a non-air conditioned attic bedroom in CT - when he gets any sleep at all!

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Bruce, I am not going to share most of my thoughts on your response but suffice it to say I have very definite reasons for my disappointment in Volks. I am trying to be nice about everything since those people who are close friends of mine who I've shared details with have been pretty flabbergasted.

As for the FDQ volunteers, I just want to say: OCTOBER, you all picked OCTOBER. It's not bad timing or bad luck it was all of your decision and I find it insulting that you can talk about the joy of working with me and not have the consideration to apologize to me for making a choice that disincludes me.

[cc-lemon.livejournal.com]

If you'd never been to Japan at all, or to Tenshi no Sato, how long would you have been willing to wait for one person, who'd already been there numerous times? Having had children myself, I can tell you that it's completely unrealistic for you to believe you'll be traveling in March, with a nursing infant in tow, to an event that's not even scheduled yet. Or even a year from now. Even if bringing a very young child on a trip like this, which is essentially a working vacation, were appropriate. Be a little fair here, Rachel. Should we all be willing to wait indefinitely for a time that's convenient for you?

You've said repeatedly that this is probably for the best - that you don't like touring with large parties of people or on someone else's schedule. You've said in the past that you were only ever volunteering to be a good representative of Volks and FDQ and didn't expect anything in return. All of us have been given gifts at previous events and have been given the privilege to shop LE goodies before any of the other guests arrived, including at this event. I get that you're disappointed and that you feel Volks should have somehow thanked you personally. They certainly would have done so if you'd attended the thank you dinner. You chose not to. Valid as your reasons may have been, YOU made the decision not to be there, not Volks.

I'm sad you can't go in October or any of Volks' other suggested dates. It would have been lovely to have you along. But I'm incredibly joyful that you've got a wonderful new addition to your family coming and while it's a little unfair that this gift may have to be sacrificed, parenting is about sacrifice. Happily, you've been to Japan many times, including just a few days ago, in fact.

I'm sorry you're so angry at the rest of us and that you're letting this damage your relationships with Volks, FDQ and your friends on the volunteer team. I guess when things like this happen, everyone reveals his or her true colors.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Marsh, how is it fair for you to say I can't go any of the other dates, YOU and the other FDQ volunteers made this decision without consulting me! I am insulted that YOU made this decision and not me. There are plenty of people who DO travel with infants and just because you don't think it is feasible does not give you the right to make this decision FOR ME.

I am sure I have made a lot decision in my life you would not and I know you have done likewise.

And if you are all going to pick a time without even giving me a vote then yes, I think you all should take the time and consideration to at least drop me a line SAYING sorry we picked a time inconvenient for you instead of pretending I have no idea what is going on and leaving me out as is par for the course.

And again, so the fact I pick to spend my money on going to Japan rather than something else (clothes, make-up, cars, more dolls, whatever) means I have no right to give input?

I was not doing it for the gift, but I do appreciate the thanks. And I like to be treated like an equal, which is not what happened at all. I think Volks could and should have made sure I received my invitation. I think if Volks wanted to wish me a good pregnancy they should have written it to *ME* since Pat most certainly didn't forward it on and you weren't originally going to. If Volks is going to spout off about how dolls make you a better person and think about others more, they should try practicing what they preach.

You are 100% right, I would not have enjoyed a group trip and I am sure that the things I would want to do in Japan are not even on offer. I am upset that I was NEVER OFFICIALLY INVITED, NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO DISCUSS DATES , AND HAD A REJECTION SENT IN FOR ME without MY INPUT.

And yes, I guess when things like this happen people DO reveal their true colors.

[cc-lemon.livejournal.com]

I find it curious that instead of addressing and joining the decision process discussion with the FDQ volunteers and Pat on the NYDP Volunteer email chain, you've chosen to air your complaints on LJ, where only two of us are on your F-List. I'd already contacted you privately about this trip-gift before a decision on dates was finalized. If you'd had input to offer, you should have emailed us. Why didn't you?

[rkold.livejournal.com]

You are the one who told me to wait to see what Volks said or did! And it seems a little awkward to start emailing all the FDQ volunteers when I still have not officially received an invite. I was also getting ready to and went to Japan in the intervening time and since I STILL have not received the invite I had no idea of the deadline for picking a date. NY Dolpa ended the night of June 20th, June 22+23 I was in transit and according to the email you forwarded to me, Cassiel was already writing back about the final decision on June 25th.

Your trying to foist the blame on me seems disingenuous and when I mentioned the idea of moving it to March to you, *YOU* never responded one way or another.

In the end, I feel like you made your decision based on the fact that I have been to Japan plenty of times and was going again, so it didn't matter if I didn't go on a trip. You wanted to attend a Sato event and that was all that mattered to you.


This is my LJ and I wanted to share my frustration and unhappiness with a situation. I asked to not discuss it and I kept the information short and obtuse. You are the one who picked to respond with details.

[cc-lemon.livejournal.com]

Actually, Rachel, I asked you several times to please keep this discussion in private emails. If you want to demonize Volks and your friends at FDQ on your LJ, in public posts, that's certainly your privilege. I'd much prefer to keep this a private discussion, honestly, but I got a little tired of reading how horrible the FDQ team is, so I commented finally. I'm done defending myself and others to you. You obviously have a full head of steam so it's useless.

No one denies your right to be unhappy. I just wish you weren't so bent on making this a public drama.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

And I don't think I should have to suffer in silence just because it is more convenient for you. I've put up with horrible treatment from some of the FDQ volunteers in the past and just kept quiet.

I've not done anything to demonize anyone, any demonizing that has occurred has happened because of decisions you or the other FDQ volunteers chose to make.

I do not consider:

I am also extremely disappointed by the other FDQ volunteers. If you are one of them, I think if you examine your decisions you will know why.

"demonizing" in the slightest. That is what I wrote in this LJ post, there is nothing "horrible" about that.

[mec]

I'm sorry things went so sour for you with Volks. *hugs*

Glad it was a good trip in the end and pregnancy didn't slow you down too much. Is that the same very cute Aya from the Suzaku event? She's going to the US?

Ah, you did well on the food front. I think you might've got me hooked on DevaDeva, you know. I've never had a drink quite like that latte, I must figure out how to make it! ^_^

[rkold.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

Wellllll I didn't make it to Matsumoto, which I was really sad about. But it felt wonderful to be out and about and do things. And I definitely am doing better energy wise since I did my leg lifts and weights this morning and they didn't make me feel awful like before.

Plus I went to the Birthing Center yesterday and they were selling liquid pre-natal vitamins!!!!!!!!! ♥ ♥

Yes, the Aya who was sitting next to us from the Suzaku event! We went to lunch in Yurakucho together and she is hoping to come to NY at the end of October so depending on when my daughter comes I would love to find a way to meet her for even just a day. I wish I could get her up here just because it is so different from Japan/Tokyo. I was so glad I brought a small gift for her ahead of time. :D (There are two other Ayas I know at the Suzaku event... The Aya who cosplays from Osaka and my other circle friend Aya. lol)

Maybe your Kat-tun boy will be doing something in NY then and you could come for your birthday on a short trip and get to see my daughter! :D

DevaDeva is possibly my favorite restaurant in Japan though I also have a huge adoration for Proverbs. I suspect you would like it as well if you could ignore the music. Last trip I got the most amazing root vegetable ramen, it was soooooooo good! I tried the kale juice smoothie this time and it was so light and refreshing and tasted much better than it sounds. Though I was so happy the Juicer Bar specialty juice was White Peach from Yamagata ♥