In the line of questioning to separate me from my money, the children of Cambodia invariable led with, “Where are you from?” I would answer, “Japan.” Most paid no attention, but one clever boy proclaimed, “You are not!” I was humbled by the fact that most of these children spoke better Japanese than I did.

For some reason, there are many Japanese in my new apartment building. I recently met my next-door neighbor, a young Japanese woman, who told me she had just moved here from Tokyo. I told her, “I’m from Japan too.” She politely responded, “oh really.” Obviously, my sarcasm had been lost on her.

A monk at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. If I remember correctly the monks were not allowed to solicit donations but they certainly didn't decline any either.

A Tokyo subway "Manner Poster". At the bottom, for the benefit of English speakers, is written: "Good manners are not rules. They are born from consideration and respect for the people around us."

As a foreigner who has left Japan, I am able to claim back the pension tax I paid. As nothing administrative in Japan can be easy, I spent 5 hours today filling out the form. I noticed they did include a number to call with questions, however, written underneath was:

Now remember, this form is only for foreigners, not for Japanese. Yet, in order to get help they require you speak Japanese.

Here is the illustration from the Pension reclaim form. Little cute cartoons are found on almost everything in Japan and westerners are occasionally depicted with crosses for eyes, which I always thought was a symbol of death or drunkenness.

Interior of the Jaime Mascaro shoe store in Soho. This shop was featured in the Sex and the City episode where Carrie realizes she has spent $40,000 on shoes.

I moved to Manhattan in 1991 for business school and couldn’t wait to escape the suburbia of my childhood. The city was the utopia of my dreams, offering me anonymity, opportunity, and variety. It was pure magic. (So why does someone who values her anonymity fairly openly and candidly blog her life? This is a contradiction I cannot explain).

It was a miracle I ever left. In fact for 10 years I rarely left the island of Manhattan, then through the years, rarely went beyond the plot of land south of Houston and north of Wall. But leave I did, for 3 years in Tokyo.

Now I am back and the city is different… and the same, just a bit too familiar. I have been here two months and somehow that original excitement is gone for me. My question is: will it be magic again?

View from my old apartment in Tribeca where I lived for 8 years.

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