"Just Be Yourself....but with a GEISHA Twist!" Geisha_Girl's Profile

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA GIRL

A GEISHA RETURNS.......

It had been 7 years since I was last in Japan, and during my recent business trip, I was determined to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji in all her glory. I wanted to get as close to her as possible, so we made the trek to the country hillside town of Hakone.

We settled into our room located right on Lake Ashi, and pictured above is the view from our room as we awoke the next morning.

Peace. Serenity…….the calm before the storm.

Not too long after this photo was taken, we were hit with monsoon rains and Patagonian-style winds!! Mt Fuji was nowhere in sight, but we did not let that dampen our good times.

It became one of the most memorable trips for the books. This story about a Geisha in Japan ---caught in the middle of a monsoon.---with her Protector, a bowl of ramen, and the Dior that survived everything……

This is my wish for you:

Comfort on difficult days
Smiles when sadness intrudes
Rainbows to follow the clouds
Laughter to kiss your lips
Sunsets to warm your heart
Hugs when spirits sag
Beauty for your eyes to see
Friendships to brighten your being
Faith so that you can believe
Confidence for when you doubt
Courage to know yourself
Patience to accept the truth
Love to complete your life......

One day your life will flash before your eyes---
Make sure it's worth watching....

In life's eternal adventure, you must know what you are doing...
or know the woman who does.

"Charm is arranging kindness, teasing, and wit into something that will please the ear."
--Shizuka Geisha

"A Geisha is like Prozac for your soul."
--Shizuka client.

It was Oscar Wilde who once said, "I prefer women with a past. They're always so damned amusing to talk to." Well, I'm sure this past year in the life of the Geisha_Girl would make Oscar quite amused ....
if he wasn't so dead.

These pages are dedicated to the friends...
(Hey Lemon-Drop crew, this includes ya'll!) and strangers from around the world who have touched my life throughout these journeys.

This is the world as seen through my eyes. This is the world that makes me smile.....

Above the Clouds

Le Pont

By ‘special invite only’ we were given the opportunity to climb to the top of a very famous landmark – where few privileged men (and Geishas!) have climbed before!

It was an awe-inspiring and eerily exhilarating feeling to be suspended 746 ft above. You can hear the sounds of fog horns and the rush hour commute below, but all you could focus on is infinity and beyond.

Well……actually, all I could focus on was hanging on to DEAR LIFE and not being blown off the platform by the wind, and all he could focus on was how to put his mad Navy SEAL skills to the test by rappelling down!

It was a Golden moment indeed……..

La Geisha Pura Vida

Fresh Coffee!

In between the hillside towns of Sarchi and Naranjo and tucked away amongst 640 acres of prime coffee plantation, is where the ‘secret’ of a real cup o’ java is held……

Tumaini's Amazing Journey continues

Moon and Stars

Following the lives of this incredible little "Angel of Hope" from Tanzania and her amazing Mother, their story just keeps getting better and better.

Our little “Tum Raider” will soon be reaching the age of 7 and is thriving and enjoying her life to the fullest. She began her journey in Tanzania where she was rescued as an infant and her “Mommy” made the brave expedition to follow her heart and bring Tumi to America.

She lived a rich and abundant life in California, found her way to be close to her “Bibi” (Grandma) and “Babu” (Grandpa) in Oklahoma, and through some of life’s further twists and turns, her incredible journey brings her back to her homeland to be with the man who made everything possible for Tumi and her Mommy and become one family.
Call it fate, call it destiny, call it Kismet…..Whatever you call it, there is love all around.

This photo was taken on her Mommy’s wedding day, and Tumaini was the Flower Girl. They married the gentle man who was responsible for pulling the adoption in Tanzania together and putting light into a potentially lengthy and disastrous process.

He is native to Tanzania, educated in Kansas (near his wife’s hometown!), and 100% in love with both of these amazing ladies. From the moment the three of them met, they knew they were meant to be one family.

Tumaini knows where she came from and knows how lucky she is. The family splits their time between their home in Arusha...their country farm near the Ngorongoro Crater where corn and dairy is aplenty...and their home in America. Tumaini is attending the International School , plays music all day, loves watching Bollywood music videos, and is taking classes to “Dance like Beyonce and Shakira.”

Simply Phenomenal……

The NEXT CHAPTER

Chateau Geisha

A Little Bit (French) Country.......

“The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.”
(Emerson)

Fait Accompli

Sent from Above.....

What keeps the permanent SMILE on my face?

-Lacin' up the HIKING BOOTZ!!!

-I have 18 more pages to fill up on my brand-spankin' new passport!

-He always gives that look to me as if I "Hung the Moon"

-I always give that look to him because I know he "Hung the Moon"

-After a 60-hour work week he knows the best remedy for me is a glass of champagne and a back rub

-I know that when I tell him "I want to parachute into the Gobi Desert" or "Help build houses in Mongolia" he doesn't flinch or laugh. It can be done. He's been there....done that.

I smile knowing he can challenge me to journey beyond myself....to reach a bit further than I ordinarily would.....to feel SAFE in taking more risks as I know that I had safe arms in which to land.

Just Be Yourself....but with a GEISHA Twist!

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

September 20, 1998 - March 11, 2009

***NOW ON VIDEO***

"YOU'LL BE IN OUR HEARTS"
(A Tribute to Miyamoto Musashi)

Ode to the Samurai Bulldog

Brain Candy........

My favorite role as: "Coolest Aunt on the Planet!"

But today the way I play the game is not the same
No way
Think I'm gonna get me some happy

"We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come."
- From Kundera's "Unbearable Lightness of Being"

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life."
- J. Kerouac

"It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable."
- Moliere

"Total absence of humor renders life impossible."
- Colette

"I feel that there is an angel inside me whom I am constantly shocking. "
- Jean Cocteau

"...contrary to what the cynics say, distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough..."
-Anonymous

"The happiness of day is not possible without the happiness of night. Happiness is a shared nirvana......
I Think, and that's why I do Love"
-Manuel E. Brito

And all I wanted was the simple things
A simple kind of life.....

How'd I get so faithful to my freedom?

Intro Updated Jul 19, 2012
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Comments (573)

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atufft Mar 18, 2013 at 10:21 PM

We miss your musings and love for SF :-)
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Toyin Dec 3, 2012 at 5:27 AM

Dearest, you haven't changed a bit since Paris, always happy!!! Except you are looking more beautiful.
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Agraichen Sep 13, 2012 at 2:34 PM

I was roaming through some old photos of the "SF Dine about Town" and decided a check in was way over due. Hope life is still outstanding. Cheers.
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DaHongHua Sep 5, 2012 at 10:08 PM

I revisit your pages found you have so many friends, 232 of them. Wish you can become my 18th VT friends and 1st friends from France, I have just clicked.
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SFHulaGIrl Aug 24, 2012 at 10:02 PM

Bonjour G_G, or is that Gigi?! Happy Birthday, although I seemed to have missed it by a few weeks. Desolee!! I've been wondering where your latest travels & travails have taken you to, & what joy you've been bringing to others. I don't need to hope that all is well - I KNOW that all is always well with you, the trailblazer!
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janetanne Aug 8, 2012 at 10:51 AM

Happy Birthday Rochelle. Hope you are having a great day and celebrating with lots of friends. Another year has gone by!!! Greetings from a very hot day in Greece.
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VA_Dave Aug 4, 2012 at 9:05 PM

Happy Birthday!
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xymmot Aug 4, 2012 at 6:14 PM

GG will be birthday girl soon....have a happy one and keep that smile in your travels...happy birthday
Oh oh. ...it is your birthday missy....happy, happy birthday of double happiness

Cheers tommy x
cheers tommy x
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tushar.kpatra Aug 4, 2012 at 5:49 PM

Happy birthday to you.
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850prc Aug 4, 2012 at 3:47 PM

Happy Birthday, GG. You on Facebook?