“Radio, someone still loves you!”

In which I had some sushi, and it changed my life.

How do you wake up? I don’t mean figuratively, like what motivates you to get out of bed and change the world (though that interests me too, nosy as I am). I mean literally. What wakes you up? Is it the shake of a kid asking for breakfast? Is it the paw of a cat or the bark of a dog? If you’re my parent, it’s probably the rooster’s early crowing. Maybe you’re of the rare breed who can rise with the sun without the assistance of any alarm at all. Maybe you're like me, and you wake up to your cellphone’s buzz, chirp, ding, or song. If it’s the latter, or has ever been, how do you feel when that happens? Personally, I hate it. I hit the snooze button at least twice. I roll back over to catch glimpses of a dream already fading, and I try to cherish the final moments of warmth under the duvet. I push the limit of my laziness further and further every week. It’s getting dangerous. I don't wake up dreading the day ahead - I have been there though - but I don't feel engaged in life when my phone wakes me up. When I do open my eyes, the first thing I see is a bright screen. Even when I get up extra late, I usually find a few moments to scroll through notifications and watch a TikTok or two (or ten). We have all seen cheesy headlines like “Don’t Choose the Snooze!” or “TikTok Goes the Clock’ The Negative Effects of Doom-Scrolling in the Morning.” I can definitely say that I am the target audience of such articles. Maybe you are as well. 

It wasn’t always like this for me. I have always used an alarm and remember switching to my phone as soon as I got my first smartphone in High School. For years before that though, I used the radio. At 7:00, as the sun rose over a frosty Michigan morning, I’d wake to talk radio and Top 40 hits. I laughed along with Mojo in the Morning and hummed to the same songs that my friends heard. Not only did my radio alarm clock wake me up, but it also immediately connected me to the world in a way that my current phone alarm simply can’t. I remember talking with my friends at school about the crazy stories we heard during the morning talk programs. I am sure many of these stories were a tad inappropriate for a kid my age, but who cares? It’s radio! Even now, die-hard Spotify girlie that I am, I love my Philly radio station, WXPN. Every week I tune in online at 9 AM my time to catch the now two-hour Friday night 80’s punk and new wave radio show, Land of the Lost. I look up every song I don’t know and add them to my running playlist of favorites. I am even in a very active Facebook group with thousands of other listeners. We comment on songs and tell stories of what each one means to us. As much fun as I know all of this is for me, I think it has become rare. I think we would rather spend our time with visual entertainment. If we choose music at all, we want it to be ad-free. We want curated playlists and a shuffle button. We want to hold the reins and not let go.

I think Freddie Mercury of Queen foresaw this issue. The band’s 1984 song, “Radio Ga Ga,” is a stirring ode praising the emotional experiences we find in radio in a world increasingly devoted to screens. “You made ‘em laugh, you made ‘em cry/ You made us feel like we could fly,” he sings. And who among us hasn’t felt like that listening to the radio? Who hasn’t laughed at the broadcaster’s jokes or cried at the stories that touch your heart and songs that make you stop in your tracks? What an amazing way to start a day, right? To connect immediately with the world and feel real emotions before your first cup of coffee…that is powerfuly stuff! So, I have decided to make a change. No longer will I use my phone. I return to radio!

Why now? What has changed?

About two weeks ago, on February 3rd, I experienced my first Setsubun. Setsubun is a Japanese holiday that celebrates the beginning of the lunar spring. It has been observed in Japan for centuries and has many components. I ate my Ehomaki sushi roll in silence while facing northeast. I also ate cooked fish to scare off the demons of winter. My favorite part though, was the bean toss. Yes, actual beans. The little dried soybeans skittled and pinged across my floor and under my furniture as I shouted “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Devils out, happiness in!”). Not only did I then have to pick up all of the beans I so enthusiastically tossed, but I also had to eat one bean for every year of my life. Thirty beans for me. Crunch, crunch! I haven’t felt the presence of any demons or negativity in my home since, so something must have worked. 

As much as Setsubun is about casting away the bad from our lives, it is also about inviting in the good. I like this part. With so much going on around us, a little extra happiness would be welcomed by anyone, I expect. But how do we get it? Shouting the words and throwing the beans can't be enough on thier own. For me, Setsubun was a nice reminder that sometimes finding happiness takes a little intention and purpose.

Hence, the radio. 

It is my intention to wake up each morning ON TIME and ready to engage in my day. However, I have not set myself up for success with my phone practically (and sometimes actually) under my pillow every night. So, I ordered a Sony radio alarm clock. Thankfully it arrived quickly, and the one special battery it required was available for purchase at the pharmacy down the street. It only has two features: a digital clock and an AM/FM radio. It does not have Bluetooth, the sound quality is not great, and once I turn the radio on, I can’t figure out which button turns it off again (there is a sleep timer, but that can’t be the only way). I absolutely love it. 

During my first afternoon of station surfing, I found that Japan’s radio options are much more limited than back in the US. I don’t expect to find Mojo in the Morning or a single US Top 40 program, let alone indie or alternative music that I normally listen to now. There is no classic rock or country, but I have found a kawaii music station, two classical stations (only one that isn’t grainy), a Japanese oldies program for my City Pop cravings, one hip hop program full of Japanese music, and a lot of talk radio. Altogether, I have access to up to 8ish stations, depending on the time of day and the weather. As I said, options are limited. I cannot understand more than a few words and broken sentences in the speech, but just hearing the voices is enough.This morning, I woke up to two women talking about music in a studio somewhere. They laughed and played some upbeat tunes. I felt welcome and like I was part of something with them. Isolation, often self-imposed, is something I’ve long battled, but today I created a new sense of community as I invited in some good.  Fuku wa uichi, Fuku wa uchi! I am throwing beans and singing into the void, “Radio, someone still loves you!”

Maybe you aren’t ga ga for the radio - pun intended - but what are you ga ga for? How do you invite happiness into your life? Do you throw beans to welcome lunar spring, or do you have different rituals? As always, I invite you to think about it and share if you feel compelled to. I love reading your comments, messages, and emails! I know this time of year can feel long and dark and cold, so hang in there and cherish the minute of sunshine every day. Until next time, cheers!

Ending Notes

Listening To: I must be on an 80s kick this week. I hope you enjoyed the video of Queen performing “Radio Ga Ga” linked above. If you’re interested in what I’m finding on Japanese radio, I’ll give you a little introduction here to City Pop, a jazzy pop genre popular in Tokyo during the 80s and 90s. Think neon signs, hazy cigarette smoke, and sunny days driving through the city in a shiny pink convertible with the top down. There are tons of artists to enjoy, but if you’re new to the genre, I’d start with Anri’s 1983 album, Timely!. Dancing is not required, but it is heavily encouraged. Enjoy!

Recent Eats: I mentioned that I ate Ehomaki sushi for Setsubun, so here is a brief description. It is a long, thick sushi roll made from 7 different fillings. Each filling represents one of the Seven Gods of Fortune. The filings can vary, but fish or eel, egg, and vegetables are common. You are supposed to eat it all at once without slicing it into smaller rounds the way other rolled sushi usually is. If you slice it, you may cut your fortune short. “Eho” means “lucky direction” in English. So while you eat, you should sit in silence and face the lucky direction that the God of Fortune is facing. It changes every year, but this year it was northeast. The silence is also important. If you speak, your good fortune may escape. Overall, it was a fun and delicious dinner to have. I am already looking forward to next year’s Setsubun holiday! 

New radio, Ehomaki sushi, thirty beans for thirty years!