The End of Words

Visiting Home

2011-08-17T20:11:00.001+09:00

I've decided to take a job with my school and have returned home to change my visa. I'll be in Kazakhstan for another year starting September 1st.

Last night in America

2010-08-18T12:18:00.002+09:00

See that big green monster up at the top? It's a country I didn't even know existed, but that is where we will be starting tomorrow night, and for approximately 783 nights in a row after that. For now we are in the relative luxury of a Holiday Inn in Georgetown. I'm going to take about 4 showers and a couple of baths in this little tub here because they may be the last I get until our servitude is up.
Melissa and I signed up for Peace Corps last year and finally after so long in the application process, endless paperwork, and thousands of dollars in medical stuff, we're off to do our stint, change the world, make Peace our mission, and maybe eat a goat's eyeball.
I'm feeling a mixture of anxiety and relief, because all of our goodbyes are said, our stuff packed, and the wheels are in motion. Now I just hang on for the ride and do what they tell me to do. I don't know really what to expect in Kazakhstan, but I'll keep you posted as I can. Internet contact will be much more sporadic than it was in Japan, but we'll get some pictures up and let you good folks know how and what we're doing in a couple of weeks.

Feels like SPRING

2010-03-16T12:10:00.003+09:00

At long last the awful winter seems to be subsiding and I feel just comfortable enough to go outside and play. I have been really itching to get back on the bike but I left my bike in Lisbon so I had to find a new one. The bike guy here in Festus, MO is a nice old dude with a lot of long stories to tell, but he couldn't find a bike to meet my low low budget, though he tried. I have been going between here and KC to work for my bro on his new old house so I checked the Craigslist in both places for a couple of weeks. Lo and behold, I found a bike that works for me in Lawrence, KS. Thanks for the bike, Brian! It's a 1980 Takara, nothing modern about it but it was top of the line 30 years ago. It's a really lightweight but strong bike with quality components that have been taken care of, so it's fine by me. I like how nothing is plastic, so a bath in mineral spirits and a little elbow grease and actual grease was all it took to get 'er all shined up, looking and riding like new. Mel had an old Schwinn city bike that was in fine shape so we got suited up today and went out for a couple of hours. The weather was just warm enough to make it perfect with long riding pants on. I barely ever get to wear those unless its like 50 degrees ,they get too hot otherwise. That's too bad because I look totally awesome in them.

From New Album 3/15/10 3:43 PM

You know, Missouri isn't really a top destination for cycling, so I was wondering how the roads would be for riding. I was overjoyed to see this week that Google Maps now has a cycling routes option, avoiding the main road and steep hills to get from point A to B. We tried it out on a short run today and it was great! There were a couple of miles of state road Z that I'd rather not have been on because of the traffic, but you can go back and edit the route to avoid those roads and then suggest that they not be used. Most of the time we were on traffic free small roads, and though we had to make a lot more turns, it was interesting to go through neighborhoods we'd never seen. I found a nice looking BBQ place called Bobby Tom's in Herculaneum that I want to go back to. I think in time with a lot of input it will be an awesome resource. We want to take some longer trips and it will be very helpful. Try it out!

Cycling England

2009-12-02T00:28:00.002+09:00

After enjoying carnival in London we met up with our friend Joe that we met in Fukui. He was moving out from his university flat and taking a break before starting a real job so he joined us for 4 weeks of bumming around eating and cycling. We started out in the lake district, which was a very hilly way to get into shape. We had to push up a lot of hills, but the scenery was outstanding and the weather unseasonably wonderful. In fact in England we had only 3 days of rain! That must be a new English weather record. Well, as you know we always bring the good times with us whereever we go. We also met up with our friend Jess who joined us for 2 days of riding. It was a great way to start out the bike portion of the trip. We even had a bottle of champagne in the extremely picturesque campsite the first night. Joe was nice enough to get Mel and I bikes before we arrived in England. They took just a bit of tuning up, and while they were just average city bikes, they held up fine for all 2000 miles of the trip all the way to Portugal.
We had to do some medical stuff for our Peace Corps applications so Joe and Jess were very helpful and patient getting us set up for that. It was EXPENSIVE but we got it all done eventually and weeks of cycling stretched out before us.
In England the hills were many and we did about 30 miles per day average. At the end of each day we hit a campsite or small hotel and then headed to the pub. In fact most of the time the owner just told us the way before we asked, as it is assumed that that's where we want to go. Well no reason to fight it... So we drank a LOT of different ales, ciders, and wines from Yorkshire to Cornwall. Also the food was outstanding. We ate the best desert ever in the history of the world at the Highwayman pub called sticky toffee pudding. That and the Lankishire hotpot with lamb and well hopped pale ale made for an unforgettable meal I would love to repeat.
The nights and mornings were sometimes cold but once riding we warmed up fine. In Cheddar the cheese was plentyful and we walked around the gorge before settling down for a ploughmans with pickle and wonderful bread, then trying to sleep under a clocktower that rang every 15 minutes all night long... Oh well in Europe you are never out of earshot of a churchbell it seems. Also never out of a hot shower and a nicely groomed campsite. We had both every single night from London to Lisbon. Also ,the pastries started and never ran out every 15 minutes down the road. So much for losing weight. At least with all the tramping around we may average a zero balance!
We stopped at the legendary home of King Arthur at a windswept coast in Cornwall before heading south and saying goodbye to Joe at the train station to Plymouth. We really enjoyed England and felt extremely grateful for Joe's obsessive planning because we didn't have to think about the route for 3 weeks, we just went from one beautiful country village and charming old pub to another without a care in the world except our aching legs. Thank you so much Joe and Jess! We miss you and you are welcome in our homes any time.

London Carnival

2009-11-21T04:30:00.003+09:00

We flew from St. Petersburg to London via Riga on the first of September and met up with our friends Denis and Laura who live near London Bridge. Carnival was going on and we waded happily dancing along and buying 8 dollar beers and paying 6 bucks to use the porta-loos. I've never seen so many people in one place in my life nor do I ever need to again. It was simply mind boggling and I kept on thinking about the poor people who have to sweep up the sticky mounds of trash afterwards. Some enterprising residents were selling drinks or the use of their toilets. I bet they made a bundle, but perhaps not enough to make up for the 3 day party in their front yards. The amount of people forced them to close some of the Tube stations even and we had some weird troubles with our Oyster cards because one of the gates they just kept open. We were saying no no it was not our fault, we didn't ride for free! But they were kind of suspicious. At Laura's place we slept on a nice inflatable bed, so sweet! Watching Denis dance was awe-inspiring and we did our best to keep up, but the man is like a professional. We wandered around on a walking tour of the city center and went to the really nice and free London Museum as well as Westminster Abbey. London has some really nice places to eat and shop so we enjoyed the Strand and the ready to eat sandwich shop. Also Mark's and Spencer's food shops, wow. If only, America... you don't know what you're missing.

Moscow and St. Petersburg

2009-09-04T01:21:00.002+09:00

After a long train ride of 3 days and 4 nights, we made it into Moscow. The ride was kind of uneventful but it's one of those things I'm glad to say I've done. The bed was about 5 feet long and I'm 6 feet 3 inches so you can imagine 4 bumpy stinky loud nights later I was pretty glad to step off the train into Moscow. Along the way we passed inumerable country cottages and pretty fields with lots of trees, but we passed by the only mountains the Urals, during the night, so it was monotonous, but the time went by pretty quickly. I'm glad I did it, but next time we'll fly.
In Moscow we stayed with a wonderful couchsurfing host who has tons of guests so we were treated to a film night with about 25 people together in a small room, then a lot of people to meet hanging around. We toured the Kremlin and Arbat street, and our favorite was a lunch buffet soviet style canteen place with awesome salads and meatballs in GUM shopping center next to red square. The next day we just ate our way up Arbat drinking all kinds of beer and people watching. That was a treat.
Then we took the train to St.Petersburg, where we stayed in a downtown hostel. We got there late and then spent two days sightseeing around there. Day 2 was spent entirely in the Hermitage, an amazing collection of art in a spectacular old palace, and the largest museum in the world. The town is spectacular and we thought that the onion-domed multicolored church there looks a lot like St.Basil's in Moscow, but it actually better because of more detail and a more interesting setting.
Russia was probably the most difficult place we've been as far as the language barrier, and they are certainly not set up for tourism as much as other places. Also it's expensive in general. However, with persistence and patience we got what we wanted, and although the people in shops are kind of gruff and cold on the surface we had some really good and warm interactions with several people who we had the time and situation to get to have an actual conversation with. Two weeks was enough for us to get a good taste of Russia, though suprisingly we drank nary a drop of vodka! How strange is that? We had plenty of their delicious beer though.

Irkutsk and Baikal

2009-08-26T16:01:00.002+09:00

After a couple of nights on the train from Mongolia including a long series of border inspections we rolled into Irkutsk. The hostel set up a home stay with a nice lady named Svetyana in a old apartment block just across the street from a giant statue of Lenin. The town of Irkutsk has wonderful old buildings and an amazingly diverse central market, though not much in the way of sightseeing except a couple of churches. We hung around for a few days lounging and eating, then took a long minibus ride to and island in lake Baikal for two nights. On Olkhon island we stayed in a sort of homestead with chickens, a big garden, no running water, and a tough but hospitable old lady named Olga. Actually two of three women in Russia are named Olga, that's a fact.

We hiked up the coast and back and took a dip in the lake to wash, then headed back to Irkutsk in another cramped and tiny minibus. A day of relaxing and one more shopping trip, plus a bunch of difficult errands dealing with Russian civil servants later, we boarded the train for 4 nights to Moscow.

Mongolia

2009-08-18T14:20:00.003+09:00

Mongolia took some getting used to. It was very dirty confusing and seemed dangerous at first but we warmed up to it after a few days. In fact there is high pollution but it seemed clear after Beijing. People warned us about crime but we didn't feel particularly unsafe. They said the food is bland, but the beer is amazing and great food from all styles is cheap and they spoke English! That said the city is dismal compared to the amazing countryside. We tried to ride horses but I got saddle sore and about wet myself with nerves. The night out in the thin-walled yurt was cold but the owner lit a little fire in the stove and we warmed right up. In the morning we walked over the hills and ate mutton till we were ready to explode. So Mongolia charmed us in unexpected ways.

Beijing

2009-08-18T13:52:00.003+09:00

We spent three days in Beijing exploring and tasting everything possible. Our hostel was nice after we moved to escape the mosquitos on the first night. The road was under construction so we had to dodge heavy equipment and muddy holes to the sewer but we managed and had a fine time. Beijing is really spread out and Tienimen Square and the forbidden city are so large they made our legs ache. We met a nice Italian guy at the hostel who has pictures of us eating scorpions at a night market. They tasted like fried anything, but the thrill was unique.
It is really polluted there and the fresh air of the countryside on the overnight train was a welcome relief. We just travelled across a small part of China, but man it is large.

Shanghai

2009-08-11T22:49:00.008+09:00

I can't spend a lot of time to post now but we had an awesome time in China. I just want to put up some pictures so you can see that we're still alive. We took the boat from Osaka to Shanghai:

We happened to be on the same boat with some people from our town in Japan. And we enjoyed ocean travel. Shanghai looked dirty and wet when we got in but then:

This was the view from our hosts balcony in a fancy apartment! They were so nice I was stunned. They took us to eat tacos and chinese spicy hotpot:

After that we went on to Beijing on the night train. I'll post more when I have time.

6 weeks left!

2009-06-12T09:02:00.002+09:00

We only have until the end of July left in Japan. Mel's niece Samantha is coming to visit soon and we are really excited about that. I'm sure we'll have a lot of pictures next month to share. We are also trying to sort out all our summer vacation plans. It's so dumb that Russian and Chinese visas are like 3 times as expensive for Americans as other countries! Then again we don't even need a visa in Mongolia, so it's a trade-off.
If you haven't read this speech by Obama recently, give it a go. It makes me proud to be an American.
Also I'm sorry to be so glum with the last post. Some of my readers didn't like it much I guess so I apologize if it hurt your feelings.

The Meaning of Life

2009-05-19T10:29:00.003+09:00

Here is my entry for the art contest this weekend. I didn't win but I felt proud of my efforts and I think people got the message that I was trying to send with my work. I also sang a couple of songs and I realized I need to write some more music. I added a couple of lines to a song from a few years ago to make it more balanced, and I had an idea for a new one this morning. It may be called "the meaning of life" or "the purpose of it all" or "what to do on Earth" or something like that.
Basically we are animals. There is nothing of any significance that separates us from the rest of the animals on the earth, or indeed the plants and insects and fish and so on. Humans are just evolved in a way that our brains are too big. This gives us the ability to outthink other creatures to the point that we are at the top of the food chain, but also leaves us with way too much time to waste fooling ourselves that we are somehow special among the living creatures. It has even led to some amazingly retarded proclamations such as we are are created in God's image or the rest of the world was made for humans to use. That makes me laugh and then sigh sadly.
The purpose of life is nothing more than to reproduce. That is the reason that life exists and the only purpose it will ever have. We are form of adaptation of matter that has learned to reproduce very well, though not as well as, say, mosquitoes. Actually being so large is really a mistake, not only because it makes us vulnerable to gravity and other things, but we have way too much free time to think too much. That is an evolutionary mistake that will soon be phased out when humans' blip on the timeline of the universe is extinguished in a little while.
Since our big brains allow us the free time to have hobbies, having ones like caring and kindness and charity are fine ways to waste away the years. They don't actually MEAN anything, however. Not to the cold blackness of the void. There is in fact nothing that human beings or any life could do that would have any effect on our world of any significance as it will all be erased before long. We only fool ourselves into thinking that we are important. However, in the meantime before we die and are permanently erased from existence in all ways, we should amuse ourselves in every way possible. If you are amused by telling other people how they should not amuse themselves, please die in a fire immediately.
I am going to try to turn this sentiment into a song. Black metal comes to mind but I like soft acoustic guitar and melody.

Art Contest

2009-05-11T10:28:00.003+09:00

Every year our community organization FJET does some art contests. Well for this year there was a lack of general entries, and I thought "hay man, I can art!"
So I spent about 5 minutes throwing together this "piece" in MS Word. That's how true artists work, isn't it? Using any media at their disposal?
Well I thought I would submit it as a joke and the organizers would say that's funny (or not) and that would be it. However, they took it seriously and I won the contest prize which was some food I think. I don't understand that, but it really gives me encouragement to enter the next contest, but the deadline is in two days and I have no ideas.
I will try to use the force. Here is the winning entry from last time...

Wakasa Cycling

2009-05-05T22:51:00.002+09:00

We had three days off this week plus the weekend so what better way to spend it than a short cycling tour?!
We were going to leave early Saturday but slept in and drove down to Tsuruga to make up for the lost day. We rode 42k over toward Obama and camped in a long seaside park that was completely deserted except for us, nervously nestled in the one clump of trees away from the lights. Unfortunately it was right next to the road so we didn't sleep so well.
The weather was beautiful and not too hot as we went over low hills and through Obama, stopping at Amanohashidate for lunch to watch the tourist speed boats go by the rotating bridge. Also we ate some tasty hayashi rice and rested our bones a while. Then we crossed the sand bridge and continued on around the pennisula before stopping on a small roadside park high on a cliff over the sea for a total of 125k. We were so tired and it was nice and quiet on the deserted road, but we were still not comfortable and I was nervous about the monkey that screamed at us from the hillside above and sat on the road watching us. I had two bananas in my bag and I'm pretty sure he knew that. So I kept waking up thinking the monkey was trying to steal my bananas. He didn't, but neither of us slept very well that night either. Our tent is kind of too small, and I am 6'3" so I need a bigger tent which I am ordering today.
Anyway the next day we had trouble starting though the sea views were awesome and the road good. We had to climb a lot of hills, but got some nice fast descents down pine and bamboo hillsides. After 75k we made it to Toyooka and we were beat, so we hopped on the slow local trains for about a 4 hour ride back to the car in Tsuruga. We have to take the bikes halfway apart to put them in bags and carry them for the stupid Japanese trains, but we managed to make 2 transfers and get it all sorted. The station staff even held the train for us once and then made sure we knew about the transfers.
I had a nice chat with the only other dudes on the long local Obama line. People are always shocked that we live here, even after I explain where and why and how long. I think I'll miss being a novelty after we leave.
After that we reassembled the bikes in front of Tsuruga station and headed home, stopping on the twisty mountain road back to Fukui at a nice yakiniku place. They had a side thing with tortillas and salsa, so you could make a fajita! Well done Japan!

Shikoku Cycling

2009-04-04T13:57:00.003+09:00

Hi,
We just returned from cycling in western Shikoku. It was a blast, and though it was chilly most nights, the days were sunny except one day and the cherry trees were in gorgeous bloom all over. We spent a total of 7 days out and covered about 550 kilometers. We didn't take a break and did around 70k per day, but we camped 5 nights of 7 and did it prette y much on the cheap. It's easy to camp for free in parks and our route was along the same way as the 88 temple pilgrimage so there were a lot of walkers and everything was pretty easy to locate and navigate.
The route was from Onomichi on Honshu, the north end of a long string of bridges that connect via islands to Shikoku, which has a dedicated cycling path. It was a great way to start though the first night in a mountaintop park was freezing. Day two we started from Omijima and made it down through Imabara to Hojo youth hostel where the guy amazingly gave us a room for less than half price. I guess there wasn't much business this time of year. The next day we made it to Matsuyama for lunch and said bye to our friends Brian and Rachel who went to see their friend on the other side of the island. We made to a small park in Uchiko, went for an onsen and yakiniku and camped by some pilgrims.
The next day was 68k down to Uwajima where we puffed up a giant hill and stayed in the youth Hostel, only to go down and back up again to another yakiniku place that was recommended by a pilgrim staying in the hostel. Without our heavy bags, the ride back up the hill at night felt light and easy.
We were a bit short on time so we headed east from there to cross the mountains and stop over for lunch at Nametoko gorge, which has beautiful waterfalls. Then we coasted down the hill a little backtracking to the Shimanto river valley and found a nice roadside park with a perfect camp spot on a bluff over the river at Nakaba.
The next day was sunny and warm as we went downhill gently through endless sleepy looking farm villages on a tiny road with no traffic. It was perfect cycling conditions but the easy coasting made our butts pretty sore after sitting pedaling easily for hours and hours.
We reached the coast via Shimanto City rt 340 and took a little bit of busy rt 56 before hitting a tiny coastal road 325 to 326, finally making the seaside and a huge hill through cherry trees down to rt 25 and another free park over the sea for the night. It was our longest day at 85k.
The final day was all small hills and dramatic sea coast on 23 and 14 into Kochi. We were tired and decided to spring for a hotel, staying at the (relatively) posh Comfort Inn by the station and having a nice dinner at Mameya to finish the trip.
The next morning we managed to get all of our unwieldy bags onto the train and back to the car in just a few hours. The trip was excellent and now that we are home I just can't wait to get back on the road. It's nice seeing things up close, stopping easily whenever you want to look at something, and going down whatever small street or alley strikes your fancy. Also gliding down small one lane roads silently is relaxing and you see the place candidly. It's much cheaper being able to stop wherever and not needing gas, too! Our biggest expense was maybe trail mix ingredients because we ate pounds and pounds of it.
Also I ate one of the slimiest bowls of udon noodles I've seen, made of taro, okra, and natto toppings which was the specialty of someplace or other. I was so hungry even that tasted good, but thinking of it now makes me a little queasy.
We feel like we got a head start on training up for our European trip this summer, and hopefully we can stay on the bikes till August. It's cold and rainy here in Fukui now, but it's warming up and we'll get some weekend trips in soon. Here are some photos from the trip:

Spring at Last

2009-03-17T15:31:00.002+09:00

Spring is finally starting to show up in little ways. We have tried to get outside as much as possible and enjoy the fresh air, and, like, not freezing to death. Last week we had to go to Yokohama for three days and Mel had to take a test in Tokyo on Sat. so we did a 5 day mini citi vacation. It was grand and we ate a lot and well so it was a bit expensive, but may well be our last chance to spend quality time in the big cities. I love Tokyo and would like to live there but man it is hard to resist the lure of delicious 16 dollar tacos.

We are planning two trips, one next week to Shikoku, the hillbilly island of Japan. We'll spend about 10 days cycling around, some with friends. I hope it's warm. In July we'll head out to Hokkaido for cycling and then on to China, Mongolia, Russia, and Europe. It will be a major deal and being the worrier that I am I want to make sure all visa stuff is squared away asap. It's daunting but lots of people do it so I'll keep after it till it's done, then I can worry about something else. I have about 4 weeks off work now so I have plenty of time for that. Here are a few pictures of us lately.

Students' Posters

2009-02-24T13:24:00.002+09:00

I have started a few annual projects here at my high school. One of them is for the students to make presentations about Japanese holidays. They make a poster to go along with the speeches and they are colorful and amazing. At the end of the year the graduating students make a little motivational poster for the incoming 1st years. I just finished hanging them all up outside my classroom and I thought I'd share. Some of them are priceless. There's a lot of Obama references and quite a few English mistakes, but oh well, they are trying!

Winter Festival in Hokkaido

2009-02-18T16:36:00.002+09:00

It's been a while!
We went to Sapporo for the winter festival again this year. It was colder but otherwise about the same as last time. We tried to snowboard at Niseko but the wind was so strong and the snow so heavy it was all but impossible. So we settled into two more days of eating and drinking ourselves silly. I was kind of in charge of the transport this year so I was a little stressed but all went well. We only left one person behind and one more broke his ankle on the ski slopes. No deaths, so that's good.
In other news both of us passed our level 3 Japanese proficiency tests! YAY! Now I can put away my books and never try to speak or read this accursed language again. Just kidding but actually we are getting the winter blahs in a bad way. This weekend was a tease because we took a bike ride, then this week it is dumping snow. I hate you mother nature. The spring will come, though.
Until then we'll keep watching 30 Rock, Damages, Heroes, and Mel will keep studying for her foreign service test. Yahoo!

Winter Relaxing Fun Time

2009-01-02T23:45:00.002+09:00

We had a fun and eventful Christmas and New Year. We went snowboarding and to a few parties with our friends. Mostly we have just been sitting in our warm kotatsu and watching the snow fall. Ah, vacation, you are never bad...

Bad Dog Fufu 3

2008-12-22T23:39:00.003+09:00

こんな犬　だれかにもらってもらおうよ。
This kind of dog, whoever wants him can take him (?)
もっとかわいい子犬をかってよぅ
Go look for a cuter puppy
まさのりがたのむたびに、お母さんはこまった顔になる。
every time Masanori asked, mom got a troubled look on her face
どうしてそんなにこまった犬がにわにいるって、思わない？
Why is that troublesome dog in the garden, do you know?
じつはフーフーは、まさのりたしが引っこしてくる前にこの家にすんでいた人の犬なんだ。
To tell the truth about Fufu, before Masanori moved into this house, he was the person who lived in the house's dog.
大工さんだったそのおじいさんは、なくなるときに、犬をかってくれるひとに
When that old carpenter died, the dog came looking for a person (?)
家をかすようにって、たのんだそうだ。
the house was falling down, so he came looking (?)
フーフーは名犬です。
Fufu is a fine dog.
きっとすむ人をしあわせにしてくれるでしょう。
Surely a person (living there?) will happily (take him?) don't you think?
そういうて。
So (mom?) said.

Bad Dog Fufu 2

2008-12-21T15:20:00.002+09:00

でも、フーフーはだめ犬なんだ。
But Fufu was a bad dog.
けいがなにもできない。
He couldn't do any tricks.
オテ　オスワリ　というと、
If you say "shake" or "sit"
ポカンとしている。
(some kind of look) he would give.
ボールをなげたら、
If you throw a ball
ころがっていくのを
He would just go roll around
見ているだけた。
and look.
ほとんど一日じゅうねそべている。
Really, all day he was just sprawled out.
おじいさん犬だから、　しょうがないでしょう
Because he's a grandpa dog, it can't be helped
お母さんはそういうけれど、
mom said it's like that but
まさのりはなんだかおもしろくない。
Masanori didn't really think it was funny.
さんぽにさそっても知らん顔で、かきねのあなを
He tried to take him for a walk, but with an uncomprehending face, through a hole in the hedge
くぐって、ひとりでいってしまうんだ。
he went through, and went by himself.
いちどひもをつけたら、
One time he made a string (leash?) but
かんこじじいみたいに
like a stubborn old man
ぜったいうごかなかった。
he didn't move at all.
ぜんぜんいうことを
Anything you said
きかない。
he wouldn't listen.

-----------------------------
This is hard! I'll keep it up, though. The story is just riveting, don't you think?!

Bad Dog FuFu

2008-12-20T18:00:00.005+09:00

Well we have finished our Japanese test (level 3) and now we are shifting studying gears. I want to be able to read at least simple stuff so I'm going to start plowing through childrens' books to increase my vocabulary and up my reading level.
I went to the used book store today where they have a great variety of used childrens' books for about a dollar. Nice. That gives me no reason not to read a bunch of them.

I'm starting with a book called Bad Dog Fufu which is looking to be a great read. Seriously though, I needed to look up about 20 words on the first page alone and some of the grammar escapes me. It's humbling to think that this book was written for 5 year olds. Oh well, nowhere to go but up I guess.

If anyone would like help me out I'm going to attempt to translate it here. Help is greatly appreciated. I'm reproducing the line breaks from the book to help with places where I get lost. There's not much kanji at this level which is sometimes more difficult to figure out, and some words are not in the dictionary (why?) Anyway here we go.

だめ犬フーフー
Bad Dog Fufu
まさのりの家は　ひらやの古い家だ。
Masanori's house was an old one story house.
かわらのやねがボコンと　へこんでいて、　雨がふると、
The tile roof was crowded (with bokon??) so when the rain would fall,
ジャーッとたきがおちてくる。
(jaaaa??) and a waterfall would come down.

にわには年よりの犬がすんでいる。
In the garden lived an old dog.
キャラメル色の大きな犬で、
The big caramel colored dog
ほおひげがもじゃもじゃはえている。
had shaggy whiskers growing out.

犬ごやには、太いスミの字で
On the dog's house, in thick inked letters,
名前が書いてある。
a name was written.
フーフー、っていうんだ。
It read Fufu.
木でできた犬ごやはりっぱだし、
The fine doghouse made of wood
名前も風がひょうひょう
and light-hearted name (like wind?)
ふいてるみたいで、かっこいい。
(blew??) it seemed, and that was cool (good looking?).

----------------
As you can see I had a lot of trouble just in the first page.

Yet another bike ride post

2008-11-21T09:22:00.002+09:00

Hey, I like riding bikes, ok. And with the cold cold winter setting in, there will be 3 or 4 months where no riding will be likely. Also, I got a new flashy windbreaker that I want to show off. So we took a beautiful ride and went all through this amazing scenery that you have just got to see, and saw like 1000 year old villages and a unicorn or something, blah blah. Just look at the pictures.

Love,
Me

Terrible Jokes

2008-11-10T11:20:00.005+09:00

For posterity, I'd like to share these terrible jokes which I have collected.

A man came round in hospital after a serious accident. He shouted," Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!" The doctor replied," I know you can't, I've cut your arms off".

Two drums and a cymbal fall off a cliff
ba dum tssh

what is red and smells like blue paint?
red paint

what do you clean a tuba with?
a tube-a-toothpaste

What did the fish say when it hit a wall?
Damn

So Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, and Arnold Schwarzenegger decide to make a movie about classical musicians. But they all had to pick a part so Sly goes first and says he wants to be Handel because that's his favorite, Jackie goes next and says he wants to be Mozart because he kicks ass. Then Arnold said, "I'll be Bach"

Two peanuts walk into a bar, one was assaulted.

What do you call a fish with no eye?
a fsh

What's the best time to go to the dentist?
At toothhurty!

What do sneezes wear on their feet?
Ahhh-shoes.

What's Mary short for?
She has no legs.

Did you hear about the guy that had his whole left side cut-off?
He's alright now.

An Anteater walks into a bar.
The bartender asks him is he wants a beer, and the anteater responds, "Nooooooooooooooooooooo.."
The bartender says, "Okay, would you like a water?"
"Nooooooooooooooooo..."
Finally, the bartender says, "Hey buddy, what's with the long nose?"

whats the difference between a blue thing and a red thing
there both red except for the blue thing

A termite walks into a bar and asks, "is the bar tender here?"

A dog slowly limps into a bar and says "I'm lookin' for the man who shot my Paw!"

A cat walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender notes how ridiculous this is, because cats can not speak,nor are their thought processes complex enough to do even something as simple as ordering a drink at a bar. The bartender wakes up and realizes it was all a dream. Grateful to be returned to a world that makes sense, he rolls over and tells his wife, but she does not share his enthusiasm. Indeed, their 26-year marriage has begun to sour as of late. The bartender cries.

Why don't oysters give to charity?
Because they're shellfish!

How many Mexicans does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Just Juan.

Two cannibals were eating a clown. One said to the other does this taste funny?

Speech Contest and Fall Ride

2008-11-03T08:42:00.003+09:00

I work at a high school and many of my students take part in regional speech contests. I usually help them with their writing and pronunciation for about a month before the contest. I really love working with them one on one because it's usually in a class of 36. These are the students I'll remember most because I really get to share something with them and see them more often than the rest. This year we did very well, taking first and second in two different categories! They were great and worked really hard.

Melissa and I have been riding a lot especially on the weekends. It's getting cool outside and the leaves are changing, but this is a three day weekend and the sun was out on Sunday. So, we put the bikes on the car and headed down south to ride around the 5 lakes of Mikata, most of the roads were really small with no traffic, just the way we like it. The day was beautiful and we rode for about 3 hours. It's not a long distance, but we saw hundreds of people fishing, long quiet fishing towns, and then thousands of plum tree orchards with monkeys sitting around. All in all, a wonderful day.

Lost in Translation 翻訳で無くした物

2008-10-21T15:05:00.003+09:00

This post is bilingual (maybe 1.5 lingual) so if you see a bunch of question marks don't worry just install a Japanese font.

I have been studying Japanese for about 3 years.

三年ごろ日本語を勉強している。

The words and grammar I know best are about food because I love to eat.

食べることは好きからよく知っている言葉や文法は食事についてだ。

I think studying specific things that interest me is the best way to use the language.

きょうみの物を勉強するのは日本語を使ってほうがいいと思う。

Now I am studying every day using a practice book for the national test of Japanese, 3rd level.

さいきん毎日練習のテキストで漢字検定の三級に勉強している。

I will do my best on the test but I am not looking forward to it.

試験にがんばるけど楽しまない。

I thought that studying the language would help me understand this culture, but with every thing I learn, it becomes a little more confusing.

国語を勉強ので日本文化を分かりやすくなると思ったけど何か並ぶながら少しふくざつなる。

Is it real or is it レーゲー？

2008-09-30T11:02:00.004+09:00

We went to a reggae festival in Imajo, a little bit south of us in the mountains. It was smaller than we expected, but I got to see one of my former students sing a couple of songs on stage. It was a nice day to just relax and look at all the weirdos.. Japanese reggae culture is really strange, or so I thought. According to friends that know and have been to Jamaica, it was pretty similar to a dancehall style show. I guess I just don't like dancehall reggae.

There were no actual instruments except one drum group that no one danced with. Most of the acts including some famous ones that we didn't stick around for just sang to a record played by DJs. Some of the DJing was awesome, but I can never be sure if they are mixing stuff or just playing a record. I think there's a lot of tomfoolery in that dept.
Enjoy the show. And thank you for the cowboy hat, Dad.

外国人の英語教師について

2008-09-24T20:38:00.002+09:00

たいてい高校と中学校の外国から英語の教師が日本へ来るの理由はかんたん。　でも　日本の学生の将来の夢をたすけることのためじゃない。　ある人は外国の大学で最近卒業したから自分の将来にはぜったい計画がない。　多分ちょっとストレスを亡くしたいがいい給料とやさしい仕事したい。　日本の政府は田舎の村に英語教師が必要けどたいてい教師は大きい市まで行きたい。　それで政府はいい給料が支払わなきゃ。　若い人、最近卒業したでもぜんぜんほしい物分からないから日本にかんこうすればと同時にいい仕事するとやっはりする。　

書道

2008-09-22T22:25:00.002+09:00

最近書道の授業を始まった。　まだ字を書き方があまり分からないけど本を買った。　書道クラスに友達四人ぐらいもいる。　ある人一年間ごろ書道を練習しているから彼でちょっとアドバイスがくれた。　彼は「がまんするとどんどん好きな漢字が書ける」と言った。　ほんとの先生の話はあまり分からないけど彼女は優しい。　小さくて古いおばあさんだから書き方のせつめいが分からない時先生に「も一度とかゆっくり言って」と言いたいけど難しそうだ。　古い人はちょっと怖い。

　私の日本語の決めた言葉はたぶん丁寧じゃないけど私のいけんはアメリカ人のだからたぶん日本語で言ったら日本に住んでいる外国の方のほんとな経験は分かれる。　いい？
おそらくこの作文ぜんぜんばか。　それでじょうだんみたい見て。　

レーゲーは？

2008-09-21T10:28:00.005+09:00

I forgot to write an explanatory note yesterday, but here's the deal. I'm going to try to write a daily diary in Japanese for practice and to get some feedback if possible. Regular posts on our fun adventures will continue, so if you don't want to read my terrible attempts at Nihongo, just look at the funny characters and skip to the English.　

昨日友達八人ぐらい日本のレーゲーフェスチバルへ行った。福井県の今庄スキー場にだった。最初に小さそうと思ったけどどんどん人々が来たからステージの前は込んだ。　私のそこへ行くの理由は去年の卒業した生徒がステージに歌うのだった。　彼女は英語が上手あるから生徒いった時よく私と話した。　彼女はジャーメーカとレーゲーの音楽が大好きだったからある日外の英語教師に会った。　その人は私の友達とジャーメーカー人いる。　生徒はその時にちょっと恥ずかしくて静かいたけどレーゲーとジャーメーカーの文化に興味が上げた。　生徒の幸せで私は満足できた。　時々生徒は私の子供見える。　おかしいですか？

初めて日本語のブログ

2008-09-19T11:00:00.002+09:00

今日初めて日本語でブログを書きます。三年間福井市に住んでいるけどこれまで私の勉強があまりがんばりませんでした。いろいろな気移りがあるからたいていインタネトなどで時間をひつぶしです。

しかし私の生命はよくいきたい。よく勉強したい。それでこれかれ毎日このブログで日本語を練習します。まだ上手がないからもしあなたは分歩が言葉を直せればどうもコメントで助けるくれてください。　やはりまちがいが多いと思います。　　はい、がんばりましょう!

Universal Studios Japan

2008-09-09T21:55:00.002+09:00

On the fourth anniversary of our blessed holy matrimony, we visited Universal Studios Japan in Osaka! It was fine, very much like the one in the US I imagine. The rides were cool with a lot of 3D movies and synced live action parts. The Terminator ride dubbed into Japanese was funny, and the rides mostly weren't any less exciting because I couldn't understand what they said. In fact maybe they were better because I imagined they were saying really cool things and not the lame action dialog that they really were probably saying. Anywho enjoy the pictures!

The Internets

2008-09-03T09:11:00.003+09:00

It's no secret to anyone who knows me a little, I love the internets. I use the mistaken plural of "internet" for a couple of reasons. One, I like to poke fun at the poor lingual skills of hicks and soon-to-be-ex Presidents. That's a given, considering my cynical attitude and irrepressible need to mock and deride all things accepted and popular. The other reason is that there are really several levels to surfing online. When you spend enough time surfing, you find a whole seething underworld, where the people who invented most of the technology that makes it all possible go to escape YouTube and Yahoo. On Usenet, the Tor network, the ~Chans, the various file-sharing methods, and IRC, you find a level of online interaction with (sub)humans that is light years removed from the surface. I have spent a lot of time trolling these areas of sometimes questionable legality and morality in my search for ultimate meaning in life via a "never say no" approach. I think I have literally seen it all, as nothing's shocking anymore. In a nutshell, I think we are all doomed to burn in hell.

In other news, I love Google. I use iGoogle homepage, Gmail, blogger (oh yeah, it's owned by Google), Youtube (also Google's), documents, Reader RSS aggregator, and Picasa/ Photos. Probably some other stuff I forgot, too. The point is they all work and work well together. And they're free.

Now Google has released a browser, Chrome. One of the main reasons I am testing out this browser even though I am very happy with Firefox, is that Scott McCloud did PR work for it. I love love love McCloud's books on sequential art. If you like to investigate the world and discover how the things you like work, please read "Understanding Comics". For a slightly geeky intro to his style, see http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/ for a promo book he did for Google Chrome.

Maybe I should work for Google.

Sayonara 08

2008-07-21T15:20:00.003+09:00

Once again it's time to say goodbye to a bunch of our friends and get ready for a whole new set. I'm really sad because this year I've made good friends with Darcy and he is going back to Canada at the end of August. It's super hot but we've been trying to make the best of every weekend and spend a lot of time with our friends who will be off soon, many we'll never see again. Boo-frickin-hoo, right?

I've got a bad sunburn on my legs from snorkeling this weekend, but man it was worth it. If there's one thing I love, it's snorkeling.

Tonight we'll make dinner for our friend and neighbor who will go back to Texas tomorrow. Here are some pictures of our good-bye parties (there are a lot).

Post 153

2008-06-16T16:32:00.002+09:00

I have been only posting events and slowly slowing down my posting over the last year, down to about 1 per month, and that's just not fair to you, dear readers. I know you just want to keep up with me and see what's up in Japanland. The truth is I am settling into a routine here and the time is slip-sliding away. That's why I'm glad that this will be our final year here. I am still enjoying it here but the novelty of Japan has definitely gone and now it looks just like the sameold-sameold from before.

Next year after we leave Japan our plan is to cycle around Europe, and I want to go from eastern Europe around the Mediterranean then up through Germany and Switzerland and finally to London, but we'll see. We've been riding and getting our stuff together for it, and we'll not be taking vacations this year to save the money. That will come after we finish next August. Depending on the gap between finishing here and starting the Peace Corps, we also want to try to do some longer hikes in the US, like maybe the Appalachian or Pacific Crest or Colorado trails. I guess I want to do Colorado because there aren't many bears and I am terrified of bears.

The bottom line is we are building our careers, Mel more than me, but we need change. My birthday was last week and though we have great friends and they all came to my birthday party and made me happy, meaning we are really happy here, this population is transient. They'll all except for 2 be gone in August. I sort of wish we were moving on, too, but I have big time student loans to pay off and need to focus on that this year, too. Anywho things on the old bloggeroo may shift toward smaller matters instead of big world travels, but I'll try to keep on squeezing out the words and whispering in the great void of the Intertubes.

Also Happy Father's day, just a day late. Hug yer pop today.

Seidaiji

2008-06-12T18:13:00.003+09:00

Seidai temple is kind of a strange one. It's set in an absolutely picturesque location on a mountainside surrounded by a lush pine forest, overlooking a narrow plain with a small town, hilltop castle, river, and mountains in the distance. Inside is a huge main hall that covers one of the largest Buddah statues in Japan and probably the world. Nearby is a towering pagoda between a Chinese-style wall of 9 dragons and a walking path around a pond in the shape of the Kanji for "heart". Around the parking lot and entrance are beautiful paving stone streets with old-style shops and restaurants leading to covered walkways up to the expansive central square. It's like the ultimate temple, a culmination of all that is temple in my mind. Yet, on an absolutely beautiful Sunday afternoon, we saw no one else there. The echoing chambers and stunning views were all ours. There's only one reason for the lack of visitors that I can think of. It was built in 1987 for 371 million dollars. Unfortunately the wealthy benefactor (owner of a taxi company) didn't leave enough money to pay for taxes on the place, and it was subsequently auctioned for a mere 35 million. I'm assuming it's still for sale if you're interested.
Seidaiji was one of the last major sightseeing spots in Fukui Prefecture that I still hadn't seen. If you ask someone about it, there seems to be negative opinion generally. Personally, I couldn't care less about that, it wasn't old, OK, but it was awesome. I'm going to have to get more creative about my weekend outings or start going further from home I guess, because I've seen it all!

It was lovely to spend the day with Mami and Darcy, too. We will really miss them when they go to Canada this summer. :(

Biwako Cycling

2008-06-08T13:44:00.003+09:00

Brian and I decided last weekend to ride around lake Biwa, which is about 200 kilometers and mostly flat. The weather didn't cooperate on the first day but the riding was easy and we had a nice hot shower and delicious dinner back at his house. (Thanks Nui!) The next day was longer but the weather was perfect and views of the lake beautiful all the way. We made it almost all the way until my bike stopped cooperating. I tried to patch a tire twice and it wouldn't hold air. Without a new tube and out of patience to take it off again, we jumped on the train and went about 15 minutes back to the car. Dangit! Oh well, we ALMOST made it completely around. Don't tell anyone, OK?

Back in Japan

2008-05-12T10:27:00.002+09:00

We had a wonderful time visiting our friends and families in the last couple of weeks. Our vacation was rather short, so we're really sorry if we didn't get a chance to see you. You'll just have to visit us in Japan!
One thing I noticed a lot this time going back to the US is how crappy the customer service is at most places. Granted there are exceptions but for the most part servers and clerks in the places we went were disinterested, distracted, or downright rude to us. It really baffles me how business owners can allow their customers' only human contact to be so low quality and still survive, but I guess people have no choice. In the rare instance that we received a nice attentive waiter or store clerk, I was really appreciative. We flew Northwest, which I was really disappointed by because of lousy food, wrinkly crabby stewardesses, no free wine, impossibly tiny seating, long wait for the toilets, no personal TV screens and terrible sound on the earphones. To top it off, when we got back to Japan, as we taxied out for 30 minutes for a short connection from Tokyo to Nagoya, our plane blew a fuse and we had to wait around for about 90 minutes before being told that we had to get off. Also I am terrified by flying in general so that didn't help.
At that point we had been awake for over 24 hours and only wanted to go home to sleep off the jetlag, but were stuck in Narita. I was cursing Northwest in my half-conscious state until we actually got off the plane and were well taken care of by the Japanese staff. They paid for our train home, hotel for the night, and shipping luggage home. The hotel was nice and included dinner and breakfast. So they kind of redeemed themselves, but I will definitely look for another airline next time.
So now we are back at work catching up on backed up work. Of course my job is so simple I actually don't have much extra to do, but Melissa will have more to sort through most likely.
Here are a bunch of photos that I've neglected to put up till now from the last few months of random activities. It's turning warm here and we went out to exercise this morning early and are committed to eating healthy food this summer.

Going home

2008-04-18T15:10:00.003+09:00

We've sort of dropped off the map blog-wise, but it's not because we're doing nothing. Work has become more and more consuming and we've been sort of repeating patterns so we figured no one really wants to read about the same thing as last year again. To keep a little something up for you to check in case you want to know what's up, I've taken a cue from Justin and added a twitter feed at the right of the page. Now when I update you can see what I'm doing in a nutshell.
Also recently the cherry blossoms came and went. Here are a few pictures of the always lovely sakura.

We'll be going home for a visit next Thursday, for the first time in almost 2 years! Wow, I hope the family hugs me instead of punching me for the long absence. Will they still remember what I look like? One can only hope.

Winter Inside

2008-02-17T21:31:00.002+09:00

Well this blog has become pretty much dedicated to our travel pictures, but since we went to India we haven't done much traveling. Actually last weekend we went to Kobe with Brian, but he took all the pix, so still waiting on those. In spite of having a pretty mild and dry winter until February, in the last week it has done nothing but snow. Now we are two feet deep in the stuff and having flashbacks of 2006 when we were just buried. I don't mind the snow but I am so ready for spring, to get back on the bike and outside under the cherry trees. Ah, well it will be soon enough. Cycling really gave me an entertaining way to exercise regularly and when it's too cold and snowy I just feel cooped up and unhealthy, like my heart and lungs are clogged.

I have started a new project at FJET. I am the president of a community group and we are trying to make our website a better resource for our members with English guides of a lot of things around the area, forums, and teaching stuff. Making it all work together is a big complicated job, but I am enjoying learning about it and don't really mind the details. After reading more about setting up the website, I got diverted last week with a project at home.

I have an old IBM laptop that I resurrected from the dead that is my experiment machine for lots of nerdy stuff that I like to try. Strange as it may sound, I really enjoy the challenge of installing different operating systems and software just to see if I can make it work. In the end I often don't even use it that much. For example, last week I tried turning the old laptop into a dedicated server, on which I could store my own stuff to be available on the web. I have experimented with Linux before and I knew from reading that it the best to use for old equipment at this kind of task. Well after attempting several varieties of that, some with just a command line, no "windows" style GUI at all, and experiencing varying degrees of failure, I found one that worked perfectly. Instead of a lot of editing config files and updating dependencies, it was just install, turn on, and it worked! Now I have a server using Damn Small Linux, a distro that runs totally in RAM, and a total package LAMP called XAMPP. So I was able to create a little wiki, make it mesh with mysql and serve up pages in fine working order. I thought it was all set to connect to the internet, but come to find out after fiddling with my router, changing firmware to English to be able to forward the ports, and doing some testing with Azureus, that I have an extra router which is NTT's.

NTT is the Japanese phone company that is our ISP. The router I was able to configure is an international brand and just had to have English firmware put on it. I was able to log on to it from the start, but the NTT router doesn't even have any markings on it, and definitely no information about it in English that I've found. I am going to continue to try to log on to it to forward the ports, but actually I think it may be impossible. I doubt setting up a home server is in our internet plan anyway, and since NTT has a total monopoly around here, if we were to lose service for exceeding bandwidth or any reason that would be it, no other way to connect at home. In our large collection of boxes in a corner to make our internet connection work are a modem, router, VoIP box, TV over IP box, and finally to the wireless router. I have poked around in it and learned enough to exclude some neighbors who were leaching our wireless connection, but there I can see that the IP address from this apartment is not the one the router is set to, therefore the other router is the outside firewall, and yet disconnecting it leaves the connection dead. It must be NTTs way of controlling the service. That makes me angry, but there's absolutely nothing I can do about it.

So I made my server work but have never really been able to test it in public. I have started a long online tutorial about html, php, mysql, and so on, which is really very interesting. I tend to try a lot of different things and never become an expert in any one thing, but this is really fascinating to me so we'll see. Hopefully I can use the knowledge to improve the FJET site. In any case I am enjoying learning about it and the terrible cold weather is passing more quickly. Sorry if this post was completely boring, but that's what I've been up to lately.

Agra and the Taj

2008-01-19T18:05:00.000+09:00

That's right, when you are in the know and have seen and done it all, you can just call it "da Taj". It's more commonly known as the Taj Mahal, but not many people who haven't been know that it is really a giant tomb. Some king or other had a wife who died after birthin' him 14 little babies! Well, that made the king sad, maybe since it wasn't 15. He built da Taj for her and some have called it "a teardrop on the face of eternity". I think, for once, it was a completely satisfying place to visit. I wasn't underwhelmed at the size like at Mt.Rushmore, or mobbed by crowds and disappointed in the views like at Mt.Fuji. It was just as advertised, big, white, intricately carved, and picturesque. Unfortunately the reflecting pools had no water, but we didn't mind. Did you know that across the river, the foundation for another Taj were laid, supposed to be made all in black!? To bad that wasn't built because it would be like Taj times 2.
Our trip in India came to a fitting end, then, and we started the long series of waiting uncomfortably in airports back to Japan. To sum up my India experience, I'd say it was more of an education than a relaxing vacation. The poverty is everywhere and crushing and saddening. We saw so many people living in conditions that it is impossible for us to fathom. Every time we came to a traffic light or walked around, we were thronged by begging people and touts. Most often we just had to ignore them, and it made me feel guilty and conflicted. On one hand, they tell you not to give to beggars because it will only help them in the short term, and on the other hand the short term looks like all they have sometimes. I often thought about how my pocket change could make their day or week so much better, but then I don't actually know where it would go. In the end I decided it would be better to contribute money to an organization that is trying to make more lasting improvements in living conditions. The problem is I don't trust them mostly. Anyway the giant gulf between my resources and theirs made me think a lot about how I could help, and now I know that someday I want to go and work on volunteer projects to dedicate some time to helping people live better lives.

Udaipur

2008-01-16T16:43:00.000+09:00

Heading back eastward over a steep mountain range and spending one night in a chilly mountain retreat among monkeys, we came to beautiful Udaipur. This city's claim to fame is the stunning lake palace, used in a James Bond film. Of course every tourist spot shows the movie every night, so we could hear the intro music echoing around everywhere at about 7PM. We watched one night on the very tip-tip of our hotel roof in a small patio, with the famous sights from the movie all around us. The hotel had very cheap rooms that were maybe the best we had, with amazingly detailed paintings all over the place, murals and decorative borders around all windows and doors. We spent time just taking in the view and eating a lot. Also we managed to fit in time to tour the sights and get a massage. There are a lot of Hindu temples scattered around and a huge one right in the middle of the city. From our lofty perch, we could hear the chanting and bell ringing starting way early, followed by the somewhat off-key warbling of the Muslim mosques' call to prayer. Occasionally the call to prayer was very high, ringing, and mysteriously beautiful, but most often it sounded like the old guy who had lost his voice had seniority or something, because it was somewhat less than a holy sound. Maybe the goal was that he would stop if enough people came to pray.
Many of our group's favorite moment happened on New Year's Eve. We wandered around frantically trying to locate the source of party music and lights we could see in the distance, but with the twisting streets ended up at another party very near to midnight. So, we joined it instead, and it was all Indian families. They quickly welcomed us and brought us up to dance with them. After a while we toasted new year's and there were fireworks, but then after a pause in the music a guy in red leather pants and black tank top started dancing alone. Someone said he was Micheal Jackson, so that's what we called him. He was dominating the attention of everyone around as he strutted his stuff and pulled off some nice breakdance-style moves with just a little hesitation. Then we all danced together in awe of his greatness as some people in traditional costumes joined in and the tablas and harmoniums took over for the slammin' dance tracks issuing from one small broken horn speaker. As we retired from the floor happy and sweating a little, MJ hugged me and then ran off into the night, doing a high-kick over the buffet table as he exited the party without looking back. It was definitely one of those "pinch-me" moments.

Desert Nomads

2008-01-14T22:56:00.000+09:00

While staying in Jaisalmer we booked a camel safari out into the real desert. On the way out to meet our camels, we stopped by some more breathtaking ancient buildings, la dee da.. There are a lot of captions on the pictures so I'll let them do the talking.

Jaisalmer

2008-01-14T17:56:00.000+09:00

Jaisalmer, "the golden city" was ultimately satisfying for us, maybe the highlight of the trip. Yeah, the Taj Mahal was cool, but Jaisalmer is like a fantasy land. Tourism is just starting to make an impact there as it is waaay out in the desert, pretty close to Pakistan. We checked into the Shahi Palace hotel and went up to the rooftop restaurant to relax, and were instantly in a desert paradise. The view of the mesa-top fort was stunning, and the food cheap and delicious. The rooms were new-ish and decorated like a sandstone palace with old wood fittings and colorful fabrics (which we bought some of). On the second day, we went for a camel safari, which will be in the next post, but after that we returned and went to explore the fort. It was unreal, as if it hadn't changed for hundreds of years. Walking though its narrow twisting streets felt like being in a movie, and we didn't have time to see but just a small portion of it. With all of the architectural details and amazing shops, it is still a living, breathing city.

West from Delhi

2008-01-11T00:31:00.001+09:00

After flying to Delhi, meeting up with the rest of the gang, and hiring a car and driver for the next couple of weeks, we set out on a big loop of the western state of Rajasthan. Our first destination was two days drive away, but there was lots to see on the way. Driving in traffic in the city was thrilling, like being a fish in a swarming school, but on the highway it is a whole other story. Big trucks and animal carts lumbering along slowly must be passed if you want to make any progress. Every time we passed a car or camel, we accelerated head on toward another vehicle, often passing at the same time. At first I flinched each time we narrowly avoided being smashed to bits, but after a while my nerves just gave up and I accepted my fate: we were all definitely going to die. However with incalculable near misses and a couple of times swerving off into the desert dust or quickly slamming the brakes and forcibly merging back into our lane to avoid being crushed by mere inches, I began to trust the skill of our driver, Ranjeet. All told, we never had a single mishap, nor did I see that many crashes on the road at all. The chaos must be some kind of predictable for those who have grown up with it, so I was just glad we didn't try to rent a car. I wouldn't have made it a mile.
Our butts were numb as we pulled into the first of many dusty and ill-lit hotels, but the spicy masala chai tea was good and we toasted Christmas with friends and a plate of curry. Deeper into the desert we were bound, and the endless miles of clear blue sky and sun-baked sand seemed to separate us mentally as well as physically from the city.

Into India: Kolkatta

2008-01-09T21:05:00.000+09:00

The English called it Calcutta, but the city now calls itself Kolkatta. It sounds to me like the old colonial masters just heard the natives say something and wrote down whatever they could make of it, and the mis-transliteration stuck for the duration of their heavy handed rule. This was the start of our journey in India, and it was a smack in the face kind of introduction. Kolkatta is loud, dirty, and bewildering, but we were there to explore. We set out on foot from our hotel for a couple of days just wandering and rubbernecking, and soon the polluted air, crushing poverty, and endless stream of touts blended into the background. In the midst of so much mind-numbing human chaos, moments of beauty and clarity shone through. The city has so many amazing and beautiful buildings, but almost without exception they were grown-over, falling down, and inhabited by wandering cows and sleeping homeless people with their little campfires built everywhere. Where we could see construction, it seemed to be done in the most primitive way possible, with bamboo and rope supports around a building going up one slow level at a time. Bamboozlement and confused awkwardness abounded as we tried to shop and eat, though English was everywhere. In fact the spoken English in daily conversations seems to blend with Hindi seamlessly, to the point that I wasn't sure if what I was hearing was English or not.
Once we were led to the upper floor of a building by the watchman in search of a restaurant from our guidebook. We went to the front door only to be turned away. Behind us was a dirty stairway with a bunch of smoking waiters staring down at us. We tried to exit but were led through the back door by another doorman and then straight through a carpeted dining room set up for a buffet with some kind of private family gathering going on and shown a table to the side of them. We stared at each other and the family stared at us, and we proceeded to walk back out the front and into the elevator without a word. This kind of total confusion seemed to be the norm, broken only by a few moments of near-understanding, mostly when we were in specifically designated tourist areas where the prices were up to ten times what the locals paid. Trying to blend in was mostly not an option, so after a while we sort of made our peace with being a little discombobulated and paying a bit more.
One of the strangest phenomenons about Kolkatta are the upper-end shops located right in the heart of the poverty-stricken streets. On a sidewalk that's half dirt, strewn with rubble and cow patties, just behind a homeless family's burlap and garbage lean-to, would be a Bose electronics store, with the latest audio gear at normal western prices in the window. An armed guard hovered outside, smoking and looking bored, because with all the destitute and no doubt mistreated people around, I never encountered any kind of threat. I'm sure there is crime, but we never saw any indication of criminality. On a similar street in a downtown area of St.Louis or Chicago, I would definitely have feared for my safety. Maybe I was just too stupid to see the danger, but there I did not have any fear, even after dark. Indian people have a very direct and down-to-business way of interacting with strangers, as if they are all part of an ongoing conversation. It sounds rude to our ears, especially now that they are accustomed to Japanese ultra-formality with it's million unnecessary words just to say hello, thank you, etc. For example when our driver stopped to ask for directions, there was no hello, excuse me, etc, it was just pull up to a random group of guys and say something like "where's the so and so hotel" and they all point and say different things at the same time, and without a thanks, off we go. Also, I know pickpocketing is supposed to be so widespread, but none of the 6 of us in the group had anything stolen, with just the basic precautions taken to not appear as easy targets. Maybe it's just too easy to make money multiplying the prices of things for foreigners to bother taking from their pockets against their wills. Everything was still so cheap at 10 times the price that we really didn't mind our money being spread everywhere as we walked and sampled this and that.
Well, there's much more to come as we headed off into the desert, so stay tuned.

KFC Videos

2007-12-05T12:27:00.000+09:00

Way back when I was in this band called The Kingdom Flying Club and we took a tour to Iowa and round to New York and then the van broke down, well many times actually. I'm still mad at that van. Well we made some good music and we had a lot of fun. We also made several videos, and I found one on YouTube. Check it:

Also there was this one, which was fun to make but turned out rather silly. Anyway maybe it will bring back a memory.

Happy Birthday Melissa!

2007-11-25T19:08:00.000+09:00

Well, as you know, we get a little older each day. Nothing can stop that from adding up. So we celebrate getting older, wrinkly-er and wiser once again. Well, two out of three ain't bad.

Bike Riding Saturday

2007-11-11T00:00:00.000+09:00

Today we took a ride up into the mountains and around a lake. It was tiring, and I think I'm getting old, hip replacement time soon? The fall colors are brilliant and the weather was cool. We found a nice small road that followed a stream up into a steep canyon and rode uphill until we got too tired. We saw some old people taking pictures of the waterfalls with enormous cameras. Ahh, nature. Sorry for bad quality, but it's a cellphone camera and a free converter so it looks somewhat worse than Super8, but at least it fits in my pocket. Enjoy, happy fall.

Ise and Osugidani

2007-11-04T20:52:00.000+09:00

This weekend we went down to Ise with Brian and had a good 'ole time. Check it out.

Also, in our hotel was the most advanced toilet I've ever seen, and there are some real technological marvels in Japan.

Halloween 2007

2007-10-29T09:11:00.000+09:00

We had a great time at our Halloween party this year. About 10 people bought their costumes from the same shop as us, but there were no duplicates! How lucky is that?

Bike Riding Videos

2007-10-20T11:46:00.000+09:00

I took a nice bike ride this week up a winding mountain road past some lovely little villages and farms. Eventually the sun was setting and I had to turn around, so I coasted the 20k or so back down to Fukui city. I made a couple of videos with my cell phone while riding to give you all a sense of how nice the road was. The videos are kind of shaky and there is a lot of lens flare, but you maybe can get the idea. The fall colors are starting to show and the day was just perfect for riding. Enjoy!

Nagashima Spaland

2007-10-10T09:08:00.000+09:00

Since I am an adventurer and eager to try new things, to see what's around the next bend, to experience the rush, to climb every mountain so to speak, I just had no excuse to stay behind and watch while the whole gang lined up to hop on the Steel Dragon 2000 at a themepark near Nagoya. I couldn't bear to be the only one who would not ride, but my heart was trying to come out of my ribcage. I'm not sure whose idea of fun it was to build a machine thats sole purpose it is to make people think they are about to die, but I would like to kick him or her one in the kneecap. The only good result of going through with this torture was that Mel consented to ride the ferris wheel with me in return. Now why is that scary, enclosed in an air conditioned box going 2 mph with a lovely view, when rocketing straight down while barely held by a frayed little belt on an articulated death-car is fun?

Soccer Tournament

2007-10-10T08:55:00.000+09:00

Well our old purple car died just before we were supposed to drive up to the mountains to play in this year's soccer tournament, so we replaced it with this smaller, yet still sporty Mazda. It's not nearly as luxurious as the purple Eunos, but at least the AC works...just in time for the weather to start cooling off, of course.
Anywho the ladies team did well, winning about half of their games. All the pictures are of them because the men are lazy I guess. I'm actually hunting for men' pictures now. The men's team was split into two and I joined the less-serious, drinking-whiskey-on-the-field, zero-points-scoring B team. I was happy about that because we felt no shame forfeiting and sitting out the second day when it started to rain. HA HA you go-getters on the A team! Who's warm and dry?

Cycling Around

2007-09-25T16:54:00.000+09:00

Recently we bought better bicycles to use for exercise. Being the gear-nerd that I am, I immediately started customizing and outfitting our bikes. I really like riding and have done a lot of loops around our area just exploring mountain roads and getting lost, almost dying of heat exhaustion, you know, normal hobby stuff. We have been getting up early before work and the day gets too hot to ride for about an hour, and lately the rice is being harvested and a light mist is rising from the valleys in the nearby mountains. It is really beautiful and the quiet empty roads in the morning are a pleasure to ride. A couple of times we have ridden out to the coast, but it seems no matter if we choose to ride north or south, the wind is always against us. I guess that just makes us stronger, but it seems logically impossible. I suppose I need to start checking the weather beforehand. We have just a few pictures of our travels because we're too busy getting all buff to stop and pose. These will have to do for now, though. We are trying to make time for a longer possibly camping trip before it gets cold, but we'll see. Anywho, biking is fun, I like biking, let's bike.

Here is a map of our cycling routes, a couple anyway. Never tried this before so I'll keep my fingers crossed. It doesn't seem to want to display my info correctly, but I'll keep working on it. True, I am a total geek.

View Larger Map

Fukusho Festival 2007

2007-09-08T19:25:00.000+09:00

Again this year the festival at my school was one of the highlights of the year. I love the enthusiasm that the kids put into every little thing. The only downside was that every kid I asked what they did this summer, they said, "I went to school everyday and prepared for this festival." Hmmmm. Not my idea of vacation, but some things I will never understand...thank God.

UK Holiday

2007-08-22T10:25:00.000+09:00

I played guitar in a band here in Fukui for the last year. Well our drummer Joe has finished teaching here and went back home to Southport (near Manchester) at the end of August. Dan the bassman also finished and will go back to the US. For one last fling together we all went to England on holiday for about two weeks. I had never been to Europe before but the other guys had so it was extra novel for me. Joe did a lot of work booking hostels and campgrounds, as well as an awesome exclusive tour of parliment and Big Ben in London. Everything went smoothly and a splendid time was had by all with much merriment, little rain, and a lot of pints consumed in a no-holds-barred whirlwind tour of England, Wales, and Scotland. Also I finished Harry Potter and cried a little.

I realize I have been very lucky in the past few years getting to travel so much but it has been my lifelong dream to see the world and doing it is every bit as fulfilling as I imagined. My only regret for this trip was that Melissa couldn't come along, as she has a real job now and is outrageously busy. The upshot is that now I have an idea of where we should go when we return together. I particularly liked the lake district and London. Actually, one more regret is that I didn't eat any haggis. But I did try black pudding, kidney pie, and crumpets, so that almost makes up for it.

Fujirock

2007-08-01T18:22:00.000+09:00

Heit Rasch Finale

2007-07-10T12:21:00.000+09:00

It's better to laugh about what you had than to cry about what you lost, but I am crying now...

Slideshow and captions by Daniel the bassman, check out his blog over there to the right.

Takefu Knife Factory

2007-07-02T13:50:00.000+09:00

This Sunday we went down to Takefu to make kitchen knives by hand from raw steel. How manly is that? Well just take a look: pretty frickin' manly. Oh also a lot of girls, did it, too, but they didn't make knives in as MANLY a way as the MEN, of course. I was almost overwhelmed by the awesomeness of making my knife. It took all day and was hot and tiring and expensive, but how many people have MADE a knife from a chunk of steel? About 10 more people now, all a lot tougher than before. I really wanted to go to a dark tavern or slay a dragon or something after fulfulling my medeival fantasies, but actually we just went to a Korean Barbeque. We cooked and ate bloody-red beef, though! That's manly, too. Even for Melissa. She's a man now.

Cultural Tour in Fukui

2007-06-30T18:36:00.000+09:00

Today we had signed up for a Cultural Savoring Tour, so despite hangovers all around, we headed off at 830AM. I often consider when signing up for things if I would enjoy laying in bed more, but I can do that when I am old and don't live in Japan. Luckily we met some very nice people and our friend Roxanne from Jamaica was on the tour, too. We made and ate soba, did a body cleansing ceremony (which I was in desperate need of) got to try out kyudo-Japanese archery, and finally had tea ceremony in a nice garden in town. I saw a couple of places in Fukui that were awesome that I've never been to, and Brian got to do some required cultural experiences. Also the girl he is with in the photos is really nice and we will be friends with her now. I hope to continue my decision to say "yes" to things I may be doubtful about, because it is working out well so far. Better to regret doing than not doing or something like that... CUE SLIDESHOW!

Road Cycling Echizen Coast

2007-06-18T10:57:00.001+09:00

This weekend was one of the fastest of my life, and yet Friday seems so far away. I don't pretend to understand the strange effects of my perception of time, but I know that generally the more fun I'm having the quicker the days slip away. All I can do is make the most of each day and try to live without regrets. I read about a guy who started saying YES to every question just to see where it would lead him and he ended up high in some gay bar in Amsterdam within a week, so maybe a little moderation is wise. However, this weekend I said yes to a bike tour organized by a friend who lives down south. This couple is very into road biking, and planned out a beautiful route of about 50k through mountains and along the coast. About 15 people went along, from strong to weak (me) bikers, and it was fantastic. The wind was fierce along the coast, so I think I actually cycled about 100k based on effort, but the barbeque, scenery, and sense of accomplishment at the end was worth it all. I borrowed a friend's mountain bike for the trip, but it was a lot more work than a road bike because of the high gearing and knobby tires. I am considering buying a dedicated road touring bike now, but actually I have a lot of hobbies and not a lot of money. I always want to do something new, but sticking to for a long time is not really my thing, so I'm not sure if investing in a bike is so wise. Plus it would sit around all winter looking sad because of the cold and snow. On the other hand, I need more exercise and there are a lot of good roads to ride near Fukui, so I am torn. Should I buy one?

Noto Pennisula Camping

2007-06-14T14:21:00.000+09:00

Up north of Fukui is Kanazawa. North of that is basically nothing, but the coastline makes a big swerve out into the sea forming what's known as Noto. Well, it's not exactly known since very few Japanese people and only about 4 foreigners could point to it on a map. However, there is one star attraction that makes it all worthwhile; The Longest Bench in the World. Stretching nearly 500 meters along the windswept coast facing the sea of Japan is possibly the most ill conceived tourist attraction in the world. Chiefly for that reason, we visited the site and sat on said bench. "Wow, that's a long bench," some said. "Why?" said many more. Well, there appears to be no justification for the bench, but at one time, over 1000 people sat on it at once. That's because Japanese people have very small butts.
Besides the bench, we camped, went swimming in the cold sea, and generally enjoyed the countryside in spite of the rain. Yay!

Osaka Birthday Bash

2007-06-04T22:52:00.000+09:00

Wow, I love the city. Osaka is a bustling den of excitement and when we went down to visit this weekend for my friend Dominic's birthday party, we lived it up in style. The highlights were two nights of Mexican food, an awesome night of dress-up karaoke which rivaled any debauchery hitherto known to man, and the most wicked jacket ever made which Melissa bought for me for an early birthday present. Pictures of said jacket to follow, but for now be satisfied with another dazzling slideshow.

Mikuni Festival

2007-05-20T22:27:00.000+09:00

The Mikuni Festival is a nearby happening that I missed last year, so I am very happy that I made it this time. Our friend Joe is obviously famous as I heard his name from random young and old people all day. "Hello! Joe Sensei!" That's about all they could manage, but the kids were cute so whatever, that is good in any language. Anywho, now that I can post slideshows, I will let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy...

Kaga Excursion with the Kids

2007-05-18T17:51:00.000+09:00

Hi,
In my school all the students take a field trip which they call an excursion, but is really just a bus ride to a barbeque. Well I went again this year and had a blast. We went to pick and eat strawberries and then to a beachside barbeque spot for waaayyy too much picnic food. I had a great time talking to my kids outside of the school setting, where they open up more and relax enough to express themselves and make more jokes, etc. Also they can cook well, but I brought and shared the mother of all imports, KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce. A little bit of home as well as a cultural sharing experience, it was very popular, and must be handled with care around here, as its clear superiority to Japanese BBQ sauce could destroy thousands of years of subtle refinement in one quick sweet thick meaty spicy triumphant blow.
I hope this slideshow works as it give me a way to share more pictures. If not, I'll switch back to the old way next time. Enjoy!

The Departure of Brian

2007-05-17T21:54:00.000+09:00

Well crap! We lost him! Even though Little O decided to head to the great Northwest to try his luck with the loggers and Starbucks, we had a great time while it lasted.

You may be thinking, "Is that what he does all the time, is make funny faces?" And the answer is definitely, "Yes." There is a reason I love my brother, and it's because he makes me laugh by looking like a monkey.

Ha! Beer and heavy lifting on a hangover empty stomach at 10 in the morning? It's Japan baby! No prisoners!

Well Brian we will miss you (again) Good luck, and the doll says, "Thanks for the bike."

The Arrival of Brian

2007-05-07T15:29:00.000+09:00

Well my brother Brian has come to Fukui to look for a job and try to stay for a while. This week we have been completely wearing him out hurrying all over central Honshu with various friends. This photo is from an island in the middle of lake Biwa where we camped for a couple of fun nights and ate unhealthy quantities of barbeque. Today it's back to work for me and onto the job hunt for Brian. Good luck!

I really wanted to crop that picture with Brian's face and the girl (?) and send it to Mom with a note that says, "Check out your new daughter in law!" but that would be cruel, wouldn't it.

Fukuoka

2007-04-05T17:46:00.000+09:00

This spring vacation during the last couple of weeks we drove all the way down to Kyushu and visited the major cities and sightseeing destinations. First stop was late at night in Fukuoka where we stayed with a nice guy we contacted through couchsurfing.com, which you should check out if you travel on the cheap.

Fukuoka is a big city with a bunch of really modern buildings. Since it's the closest to mainland Asia, it has a lot of foreign residents and really open and inviting city center. I was impressed by this tower which as you can see I held in my hand.

In between some housing blocks which we were wandering around to find the gas flame museum of art (which has maybe been torn down???) there were a bunch of large outdoor modern art exhibits. Not bad and it beats the broken asphalt exhibit in front of our building in Fukui.

I can't tell if the creepy giant concrete poodle-like blob is making a mess here or coming back together like the liquid Terminator in T2.

Robosquare!?! You KNOW I'm there!

There were a lot of robots to look at for free, and the robotic pet dog was responsive, but I guess we have a long way to go with home robots. I was kind of expecting the Jetsons' maid, but instead found a bunch of overpriced glorified Furbys.

Fukuoka has a city-block sized mall called Canal City with the works, restaurants, cinema (where we saw Parfum which was terrible) and a river running through the middle. It was mallarific. We ate in a small cafe where the waitresses put a giant stuffed animal in a chair at each table with the diners.

I think the best part, which I didn't get a good picture of, was the nightlife on the river. The city is famous for night stalls. We ate some decent ramen at one that looked like a proper little restaurant but was actually all collapsible onto a cart for hauling away in the daytime. Fukuoka made me jealous, especially since it was warm.

Sumo!

2007-03-19T11:50:00.001+09:00

So, finally after all this time we had the chance to do one of the essential Japanese experiences, sumo! The Grand Tournament was held in Osaka, and we went to day 7 out of 15 total. I didn't know much about it, but learned a lot and got excited for the matches. We couldn't find our way to the arena and were wandering aimlessly when an old couple heard us asking directions and kindly led us all the way to the entrance. We called them Grandpa and Grandma, and I miss them already. Outside the arena there were a bunch of awesome banners that I totally couldn't read at all! They look like sponsors, though.

The matches started out fast and furious as the lower ranked wrestlers don't get time to do a lot of screwing around. I was in awe of this gentleman on the opposite side as he was possibly the largest I'd ever seen. We affectionately dubbed him "The Whale", but as you can see, he got thrown. That proves something, I'd imagine.

At the start of the day the stadium was kind of empty, but it filled up as the higher ranked wrestlers started to fight.

Before the second class (juryo) began they had all the dudes come out wearing their super expensive silk apron thingys and stand in a circle looking tough.

That's a lot of man.

One exeptionally awesome thing was when the higher ranked fights were getting started, they took a long time having staredowns and slapping their bellies. Even above the murmuring of thousands of fans, you can hear the slaps and stamps loudly. Someday I want a belly like that. Dare to dream!

Occasionally a draw would occur and the judges came up on the ring to confer, sometimes calling a rematch. Then, the intensity would peak and the crowd would become unruly, which in a Japanese way means that a couple of older men shouted loudly.

Finally, a video of a boisterous wrestler called "Robocop". This guy was pumped!

Hounen Matsuri

2007-03-15T20:44:00.000+09:00

To tell the truth, we did know what we were getting into. The festival at the Tagata Jinja is one of the most famous in Japan for a reason, it is frickn' strange. There were tons of foreigners there, as I now regrettably can understand many Japanese people around me commenting on. Due to the nature of the festival, which celebrates you know, like fertility and stuff, I wondered what the locals thought of all the strange tall white gawkers and why they came to this small event, one of thousands happening all through the year in much more scenic and easy to navigate locales. Beata and Dan went with me! Yay, I have at least 2 friends!

The giant banner was a nice touch, in case you forgot what a man's thingy looks like. (Who was the model, a giant klingon?) Also, models were everywhere. Wishful thinking there, eh buddy?

In case you wondered, these are probably pillars of the community, and carrying the giant wooden dongs is likely a great honor.

Of course the strapping young men of the town carried a wooden member so huge that it took a rotating crew of about 30 of them to move it less than a mile down the road.

The old men of the town, not to be outdone, carry their somewhat more aged replica and rotate it so that people can rub the tip. Yes, I rubbed it, and now I am extremely virile.

After that, the souvenir shopping began. I didn't actually eat any of the chocolate covered bananas, but I am man enough to. It doesn't threaten my manhood, because I could like totally eat one and not be gay. I just wasn't hungry, that's all. SO what is she going to buy from a table full of ceramic genitals? Most likely ceramic genitals.

I think the experience was enlightening in many ways. At the festival we saw lots of little kids on shoulders and lots of husbands and wives praying for children and old people rubbing giant yings and yangs. (Oh yeah there were yangs, too.) I also saw a lot of people laughing, having a good time, and celebrating, but didn't see anyone getting emotionally scarred for life or perverted. Well actually there was one guy. SO I came to understand that Japanese society is very open in some ways that are shocking to us westerners. On the other hand, the sheer gusto and over the top ridiculousness of parading a giant dong down the street reaffirmed my belief that Japanese people are crazy.
This is a video I took that hopefully will be viewable, it's my first stab at youtube.

Obama Fire Festival

2007-03-08T16:14:00.000+09:00

Last weekend we headed down to Obama on a Friday night with a few friends and went to the water sending ceremony. At first, hundreds of people walk a couple kliks down the road with big dangerous torches, literally old women and children carrying burning sticks of wood with embers flying in the wind and no one got maimed or killed miraculously. When we passed by some houses, the owners were standing out in front with buckets of water.

At the end of the road, everyone tossed their torch into a huge bonfire and some dudes in white hoods pour sacred water into a river and play old fashioned music on horns made of unicorn horns or something. I made that last part up. The water arrives at Nara a week or two later where they have another fire festival about water (I am obviously missing an important piece of the puzzle here)

The fire was all well and good, but why not mix it with some alcohol? Traditional square wooden sake cups gave it a nice pine flavor and assured maximum spillage as we tried to drink from them.

Karaoke at 2AM, I am belting out some classic Journey with my friend and drummer Joe, who hopefully I will visit next summer in England.

Sapporo Snow Festival

2007-02-20T20:48:00.000+09:00

Last weekend we took time off work along with about 40 other teachers and headed way up north to Hokkaido to check out the famous Yuki Matsuri. This is a low snow year, strange since last year was very heavy snow, but anyhow we forged on. It was a slow 19hour ferryboat ride on rough winter waters, but we made it finally.

You liars! There was tons of snow there. Chris had to push a couple of kids out of the way, but he managed to get a ride down the snow slide. Yay.

Doug and Chris show the obviously mentally challenged ski patrol who's boss.

Huge corporate sponsored snow sculptures. Need I say more?

Kat, your cute switch doesn't have an "off" position.

We visited a chocolate factory, reminicient of Willy Wonka's, except for the disturbing lack of chocolate inside. Instead they make an exclusive souvenir cookie that is a requirement to buy yet profanely expensive. If I owned it I would at least hire a couple of oompa loompas.

One day, we went to the top of snowy mountain in a cable car and found a bar made of ice, for realz.

Drink up, those are 10 bucks a pop! Yowza! They were pretty good, though.

All you can eat and drink for 2 hours for about 25 bucks is a great deal when there are over 100 things on the menu. I think there was a couple we missed, but next time we will catch them. Spectacular tabe/nomihodai action was had by all, and we learned a bit too much about the strangers at the next table. I'll leave it at that.

Print club (purikura in stupified kanaized eigo) is an obsession to some. I unfortunately am just an innocent victim. Basically, you can decorate photobooth pictures and get them as stickers. Yeah. Oh, and a lot of people base their lives around it.

Am I turning Japanese? You be the judge. I drink unfiltered hot sake, so that's plus one I believe.

Sapa

2007-02-18T23:01:00.000+09:00

As we rounded the corner and headed up up up through the mountain mists to Sapa. We stopped to ask this woman what she was doing along side the road. She was making cassava wine for a new years party with her family. She let us try a little and now weeks later I think I can still taste it in my mouth, in other words it was uniquely strong. Maybe some diesel fuel was left in the barrel. OH well, you only live once. Thanks lady!

Sapa is kind of a tourist oasis in the north mountains, with big hotels and lot of English everywhere. The cute as heck little girls from the neighboring villages who spoke about 4 languages each made friends with us quickly and we spent the day with them. Of course they were trying to sell their handmade bags, clothes, and blankets to us, but after we bought or didn't buy stuff (actually I bought a TON of stuff) they just hung out with us for the day and we browsed the huge markets with stuff from everywhere around from food to animals to Chinese trinkets and medicines, etc. Basically it was incredible to explore.

Left to right, Chu, Melissa, Moon, Amiena, Shu, Zi, and Beata. Our new best friends. We got an email from Moon, who was a charming and unforgettable individual. SHe told us that she got a job working in a restaurant and they payed her about 30 dollars a month, which goes further there, but is wayyy less then she can make selling bags to tourists.

We spent 3 days doing a trek to the villages way down in the valley below. It was a challenging trail with all kinds of amazing things to see, like the terraced rice fields, small housing groups and farms, and families living a really rural and hard life. But it was the homestay host families that really made it wonderful, with a huge feast every made for us and cool all-bamboo houses. We also bathed in a natural hot spring next to a huge rushing river in a picturesque valley.

One of the highlights that we didn't get a picture of was on this night when we went next door to see a wedding ceremony getting ready. Upstairs an old lady shaman was chanting with candles and incense. There was a big table with all kinds of gifts laid out, including a pigs head and colored rice cakes and tons of other stuff. It was mystifying and an electrical charge was in the air around the whole thing of something deep and essential to their lives, the daily inclusion of ritual integrated into their normal view of the world. I was a little jealous of their colorful and centralized culture, something easy for the kids and everyone to identify with and be proud of right there in front of them all the time.

Finally, we took the night train back to Hanoi and headed down to Hoi An for 2 days to have some clothes made. We ended up getting some great stuff for cheap and eating more awesome food and drinking the best coffee in the world. I bought some so you can try it if you come visit me, but do it soon because I drink a lot of it. They use sweetened condensed milk and make the coffee really strong. Anywho, that's our Vietnam trip, sorry for the delay but hope you enjoyed the report!

Guitar Wolf

2007-02-05T14:27:00.000+09:00

This weekend we went to a searing rock concert by an amazing group called "Guitar Wolf". YOUTUBE their videos for the rundown and download "Wild Zero" their rocktastic zombie-killing movie with lots of explosions and leather jackets. I love the retro-greaser culture in Japan a la the film "Mystery Train". Unfortunately, my camera is malfunctioning, so head over to http://dan.jaquette.net/blog/004979.html "Lil' D" Jaquette's page, to check out photos of the carnage
I put a video up on youtube, just a clip but you get the idea.

Northwest Loop Day 2

2007-02-01T01:13:00.000+09:00

On the second day of our tour we woke up early-ish and went to an old French prison. Vietnam was a French colony for a long time and of course the evil conquerors made slaves and political prisoners out of the smart Vietnamese people. They also brought excellent coffee and bread, but unfortunately they built this really awful prison on a hill complete with dungeons and torture rooms. Cheery way to start the morning!

On down the road we started climbing into the mountains and saw that rural Vietnam looks a lot like Japan probably did a long time ago, with flat rice fields and steep forested mountains. When I mentioned this to my students I got blank looks, like "but Japan is unique and special". YOU ARE ASIAN! Accept it.

One of the most idyllic spots was this village. They had it all, men fishing, water buffalo in the rice fields, women washing clothes, a bamboo bridge, the works. We saw an elementary school just across the road and we up to take a look at the request of our guide.

The kids were so cute and very excited to see us. I think that foreign travellers stop here occasionally, but it can't be too often.

They sang a couple of songs for us and then we did "head, shoulders, knees and toes" for them, and "twinkle little star" I think.

The school was just a thatched roof with bamboo slat walls and a couple of posters hung on the wall. But, the teachers and kids were distinctly less weirded out by us than a comparable Japanese classroom. I don't understand the difference, really, but the acceptance of us in this really out of the way place was heartwarming and we wanted to stay forever.

A little further up the road we stopped to chat with some junior high kids getting out of school. I liked their bags. These kids start with their tribal language, then learn Vietnamese, then English, and finally German or French, so I am jealous. Why can't we learn more foreign languages in the US?

Later, we stopped to look at at a bridge and these women were coming down from somewhere going back home. They were really impressed by Melissa's luxurious backside and immediately wanted to take us home for dinner to their houses. I was just floored by the curiosity and unassuming generoisity of these people who live a life so different to our own.

Finally we stopped for the night. We didn't know where to eat, so Ameina went to find some rice from the restaurant which was closed. She came back and said we were invited to dinner. Then we had 10 instant best friends, who were giving us delicious food, rice wine, their tabacco pipe, and incredibly good English conversation out of the clear blue sky. I have never met anyone so generous in my life!

There was no pretense, just a desire to have a good time and share what they had with us. We did offer them some money at the end of the night, but they only reluctantly accepted it. The next morning they were preparing their restaurant for a wedding feast and made us breakfast on the side. Then they gave us all presents of scarves to send us off! Unbeliveable!

To everyone at this hotel in Den Bien Phu who made us feel so welcome and loved, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You are the best!

Northwest Loop Day 1

2007-01-20T10:27:00.000+09:00

After saying goodbye to half of our friends who set off for the warm beaches of Thailand, Melissa, Matt, Ameina and Beata piled in a this lovely Land Cruiser for a 5 day trip to the furthest depths of rural north-western Vietnam. Our driver spoke no English, but we opted for a tour guide as well, so there were 6 people in the car for the long bumpy ride. That said, our transportation was luxurious compared to the staggering variety of improvised travelling contraptions we saw along the road.

I didnt get a good picture of our guide this day, you'll have to wait till tomorrow for that, but he was not quite as cute as our first guide had been. We half-joked that we should have been able to choose our guide from a lineup based on looks, but that didn't happen.

Anyway, we bonded with the driver over cups of really really strong tea. Also, in this place we ate some of the best yogurt we've ever tasted. It was like cream from the cow out back put into the fridge for a couple hours or something, but it was heavenly. We also picked up some dried squares of hardened condensed milk, which the drive was addicted to apparently.

For lunch, we stopped in a village of stilt houses and enjoyed the homey ambiance while sipping from Tiger beer and chowing on some obligitory spring rolls and rice.

This town was cool, but the concrete roads and tons of stuff hanging out for sale made me think it was kind of made for tourism. But at least we got to try the bamboo bong for the first time.

There's our guide, Kao, looking on wondering if Melissa can produce a proper cloud of smoke. Well, none of us foreigners could hold a candle to the locals in that department. I guess a lifetime of breathing dust and wood smoke makes you a better smoker. Relax, Mom, it's tabacco.

That night we stayed in a totally craptastic totally communist style concrete block hotel with hard beds, cold showers, and paper thin walls. We took a walk through the empty dark streets (they have a curfew nation wide I believe) until finally happening on a restaurant with a goat meat special. It was the first time for me to eat the goat meat. The meat was OK, fried and dipped in spicy sauce and rolled in various fresh herbs. The sour goat-feet soup, however, was somewhat untouched when we left the table.

It gets better tomorrow! Stay tuned.

Vietnam Part 2B: Halong Bay continues...

2007-01-11T00:45:00.000+09:00

Well, Halong Bay was just too gorgeous and we have far too many pictures to be so skimpy as the last post, so because we either gotta show these things or, I don't know, bathe in them, I'm going to add a few more images. Below you see our fine friends and loyal kayak buddies, Amiena and Beata. Watch as they pass through a solid stone, er, cliff face.

The approach. Note their hands-at-the-sides, ever ready to flick a floating flotsam technique.

Aaaaannndd, weeeellllll..., it takes too long to upload photos, so in the extremely abbreviated version, let's just say they made it and this is what they floated through. Ta-DA!

Aaaahhh, fishing, the national past time of many a dude. Could you imagine just fishing all day long from morning to night, just you and your stink bait alone in your boat? Sigh...

Or maybe you and your stinkbait, your significant other, your grown son, his wife, their three kids and your two fish guard dogs surrounded by your like-housed neighbors in the middle of a bustling bay. Whatever, it's all home, eh? Here's some floating houses in a fishing village that's quite literally on the water. That's no carport to the side, it's a fish farm, one of which our boat pulled up to right before dinner so the cook could select his fish, conk it on the head (or beat it repeatedly with a stick, however you want to put it), threw it in a bag and dragged it aboard. I'm not sure if we were buying dinner or kidnapping a mermaid, but one or the other was delicious.

Even if your floating home is a little soggy, at least the scenery is nice.

And now, for just that, some scenery. Yaaaayyy boat rides!

This next one is from the top of the little island we climbed .

And obligatory sunset shots. They are pretty nice, though...

P.S. Did I mention this is how we spent Christmas? And you thought you're grandma's house was sweet...

Vietnam Part 2: Ha Long Bay

2007-01-10T18:00:00.000+09:00

Before we left Japan, we booked a tour on Ha Long Bay, a collection of more than 1000 small mostly unihabited islands just off Vietnam's northern coast. We arrived to the chaotic dock and waded through the throngs of people to one of the nicer looking boats along the long stretch of masts, luggage, cameras, crew members in white, and confused-looking tourists. After we set sail, though, the busy world just sort of faded away and we settled into our luxurious floating home for three days. The boat wasn't that big, but it was ample for just the 8 of us and our beer, which was later used to prop up the christmas tree that fell over with the waves.

Our guide, Khahn, was really nice and a large percentage of us were ready to marry him almost immediately. The food started rolling out the the nice linened tables and did not stop for 3 days. Its a wonder we were afloat at the end.

We were treated to things like this, supremely prepared spring rolls with citrus-chili dipping sauce.

Shaped in a heart, no less. But it wasn't all eating, we also paddled over to a mountain island with a hilltop shrine.

The walk up was totally worth it to reach the top just in time for sunset. I am blissfully aware that we lead a privileged life. I try to appreciate each moment. Those sails on the boat are just for looks, its a diesel, but hey they look pretty.

My passtime of choice was sitting on the rooftop deck watching the cliffs, fishermen, floating villages below, and sipping a Tiger Beer. Now this is Christmas.

The crew were so nice, and the girls even presuaded them to stay up late drinking and playing cards, what a swarthy bunch of scallywags! My favorite was Hai, the cook on the left. Thanks for the memories, my friend.

Back in Hanoi, our guide went out with us for one last night, eating pho (best noodle soup in history) and drink BIA HOI (daily fresh beer) for 12 cents a glass!!! 12 freeking cents! That alone is reason to love this country, and its better than a lot of beer I've paid a lot more for. Sometimes you have to ignore the sanitary procedures, but as Amiena said, "the alcohol will kill bacteria, right?"

Finally I leave you with this. Beggars are everywhere, but to really stand out among your peers, you have to dare to be different. Nose flute playing man, I applaud your originality and award you my spare change plus a little something extra for the effort and a memory that may never die.

Vietnam Part 1

2007-01-09T13:17:00.000+09:00

First, I'd like to apologize to everyone for the lack of posts in December. I know some of you check regularly to see what we are doing and lately we haven't been very communicative. But rest assured, we have been busy, and the flood of pictures and stories is about to begin anew in 2007. Secondly, I'd like to apologize to everyone who took a winter vacation that was not with us to Vietnam, because, sadly, yours was surely second best to the incredibly awesome, dream fulfilling, fun-fest that we had in the land of Ho Chi Minh. Now, on to the pictures.

As we left the airport in Osaka filled with Japanese Xmas glitz and busy awkward people, I had no idea what to expect from this trip. I had never considered Vietnam as a vacation destination before joining a community of expatriates who recommended it highly. But in the spirit of adventure and seeking something more exotic and perhaps frightening than the sterile safety-land of Fukui, along with 6 of our friends we headed into the mostly unknown and hoped for the best.

Hanoi is a bustling city with a trillion motorbikes, carrying everything imaginable. We rode motorbike taxis and it is not for the easily freaked. Every intersection looked like a crazy accident waiting to happen, but somehow worked with efficiency according to rules I was unable to comprehend. I only saw a couple of foreigners driving and they looked scared. Walking across the street is an exercise in trust, as the best way is just to walk at a normal pace as all the traffic avoids you sometimes by inches. As long as you keep moving, you wont get hit. As much.

Officially, Vietnam is a communist country. All around were statues of workers, Marx, Lennin, HoChiMinh, and scores of reminders of the state's mottoes. However, on the street, the myriad shops, trinket and food hawking travelling vendors, and upscale to no-scale variety of business was as capitalist as can be. Also, while the red star displays and green-uniformed police around every corner made me feel like a real westerner out of my element, the people themselves made me feel more welcome than anywhere I've ever been. It's no exaggeration to say that these are the friendliest people I've ever met. At first I thought it was because we were spending money and they smiles were just fishing for dollars, but on numerous occasions we asked for help or were offered things for free with no money involved. It was just downright heartwarming, especially after coming from Japan, where it is proper to keep your emotions hidden. In Vietnam it seems that they are more honest about their feelings, and generally they seem to be laughing and joking far more often than we have gotten used to. In a matter of hours, in each place we visited, we made friendships that had no tinge of superficiality, only of genuine sharing and openly inquisitive goodwill. I would not have believed this impression had I not formed it myself, but I can truly say that I love the people of Vietnam.

BIrthdayBirthdayBirthday!

2006-11-28T20:38:00.000+09:00

As most of you know, I turned the ripe old age of 28 the other day. Matt, with mad fox-like skills, put together a surprise party. Matt and my friends are awesome and this was definitely one of the nicest, most special birthday parties I've ever had. Especially since just about everyone in this picture is wildly hung over thanks to a big ALT party we'd had the night before, but they all managed to crawl out of bed long enough to hang out with me. Thanks so much!

Zee birsday cake. The owner of the place even made me my own sign. It says, "Merissa tanjobi omedetto," which means Happy Birthday Susan, but you know, it's the thought that counts. Oh, now, I'm just kidding, that really is my name up there first in Japanese.

Kat and that dirty Scot, Colin. I owe Kat a big wet kiss cause she totally helped Matt set everything up.

We were all fascinated with the wine decanter. The owner here speaks awesome English and really goes out of his way to make everybody feel special.

Once we finish teaching Colin how to use a fork, we'll move on to chewing and swallowing.

Lovelies!

Now, it's time for the Gallery. See, Matt got me a dandy digital camera, so I had to try it out and since it was birthday, I get to be in every picture. Maybe on your birthday you'll get your own gallery too. Maybe. If anyone gets you a camera.

Matt couple!

Laura couple!

Sarah couple!

Mari couple!

Colin couple!

Beata couple!

Amiena couple!

Steph couple!

Kat couple!

Illicit Fish

2006-11-28T20:01:00.000+09:00

My husband may be the funniest man alive. "Hey, Mel, quick get the camera out. I wanna picture of the fish on the train... Okay, the conductor's not looking now. Shoot!" I just follow along, people, I follow along.

So, anyway, we had another invitation from the teacher at Matt's school for some fishing in the Sea and Matt decided I had to go with him for moral support this time, even though I'd had a very late ladies nite the evening before. Which meant I looked like this most of the time ( and that would be the entire 7 #*%!ing hours I got to "enjoy" our cruise). Good times.

While I tried to still the rapid swirling of my internal organs, Matt and Mr. Shida kept an eye out for the gi-normous jelly fish that patrol the Japanese coast. You can see its large in this picture, but you might not realize that it's as large as you, which it is. Like it could totally eat your head. If it it had teeth. Or like a solid body. Matt did catch one in a net though, which was the most exciting moment of the trip. It looked like jelly.

The results of our trip. Mighty tasty. Too bad these were the only 2 fish we caught in 7 HOURS!!!

I'm also using this post to add onto our Osaka pictures because I feel like it. This is the view from the top of Osaka castles. It was only impressive to me because there's actually green space around the entire castle, the first I've seen in Japan.

Jill, Beata and I flipping you off in Japanese. Jill (middle) is Matt's co-ALT at his school. She's from South Africa and I don't have anything else to say about that. Just that that's where she's from and do you know anybody from South Africa? Cause I do. Jill. That's her.

Matt and our buddy Chris outside a packed bar in Osaka. That's why we're outside. Because it was packed. They had Yagermeister, though, and even though it's disgusting, I always feel compelled to take shots of it, especially since it's not too common round these parts. Tasted nasty as ever.

Steph and I, full of natural sass. Japanese people think we're sisters. Because we both have short hair. Of course.

Oh, the results of beer festivals. Creative camera work. That's Colby, Denis, Matt and Laura. They are very happy.

We're pretty sure that's not what they meant...

Oh, I forgot one

2006-11-28T19:55:00.000+09:00

This is my friend Kazumi. I think she was supposed to be Yoko Ono. Or a Japanese Elvis woman. Or something.

More Halloween cuz it's funny

2006-11-28T19:21:00.000+09:00

Thought I'd try to do some picture updates. Halloween is long past, I know, but you're still wildly interested in our every breath, yes? So up first is an impromptu sumo match of a rather disturbing, um, fashion. Those lads would be Chris and Dom, in obviously fine form.

Here's Melanie and Mari who get my solid vote for most creative costume duo -- a peeping tom, and the um, peepee? I don't know how Mari managed to keep her towel firmly wrapped around her all evening, but I do know she is one brave lady.

Laura smiles pretty for the camera.

This is my neighbor Stephanie. We live in the same building and we find that incredibly amusing. No, I'm not sure why.

Peppa and Laura in happier times.

I have no idea who this guy is, but after I looked at these pictures and remembered I'd even met him, I also remembered that we were really good friends for like 30 minutes. It was awesome. And yeah, he's wearing a horse head.

The ladies certainly like it. Whatever it may be. Wildly inappropriate for public viewing? That might be it. And he did a LOT of stretching that evening, which was just uncalled for.

Enjoy the Heit Rasch

2006-11-28T16:21:00.000+09:00

I have started to play in a band with some fellow English teachers here in the Japanese boondocks. We are the best thing to hit the Hokuriku hills since sliced fish, and we call ourselves Heit Rasch. Last weekend, we played our first three shows in one glorious day of massive rockitude, including an early morning festival crowd consisting of seven old men, an afternoon radio show with seven listeners, and then a bar at night that could only fit seven chairs. I'm proud to say that we remembered all the songs, but unfortunately I have no pictures because I'm lame. The good news is that our bass player Daniel is a good boy and lent someone his camera. You can view the damage over at HIS BLOG
Also, Happy Thanksgiving

A Blur of Activity

2006-10-29T19:37:00.000+09:00

Recently we have been getting involved with a lot of volunteer and social groups. Last year I stayed at home too much and felt that I missed out on a lot of fun stuff because of my agoraphobia, but now I'm thinking it can be beat with practice. Last month we went to Nagano to play in a soccer tournament. I have a nice picture here of me in action, but no scanner, so later maybe. The only shot I have is this of the girls on the way to the game.
Good times.

Also, as Melissa wrote about before we went to Osaka to the beer festival. That was great. We also went to a big aquarium and castle, etc in Osaka, which is a stunninly lively city famous for its food and drink and hard working hard partying baseball fans. We know hot international girls!

Finally, this weekend was our Halloween party. We had a night out in costume and a lot of dancing was done, even by me. I felt comfortable in the hockey mask, enough to get out on the floor and shake my stuff.

My huge axe murdering stuff. That's my friend Junichiro. He's not really bald, but he will be someday. About his costume, he said, this is my future.

Melissa and Amiena are looking good. Cat, and dead beauty queen. Notice the knife sticking out.

Then today we woke up to a house full of hung over partyers from last night and had to stumble out to fulfill our duties at the city international festival. Facepainting and a bakesale for charity were the activities of the day. It was fun, especially because we had a monkey to make us pancakes. Dance monkey!

Took a little trip

2006-10-23T17:21:00.000+09:00

Among about a billion other things, Matt and I visited the wonderful city of Osaka about 2 weeks ago. The stated purpose was to take advantage of an international beer festival since $5 bottles of Budweiser are about as international as our lovely city of Fukui ever gets. Of course, though, you don't have to be at a festival to drink, so we wondered about the city more than we visited the festival. Osakans have a reputation for being warm, funny and laid back (all anomalies in Japan) in addition to absolutely loving food and drink and having a good time. The city certainly didn't disappoint. We took full advantage of Western style eating places and gorged ourselves on pancake and egg breakfasts and deli sandwich lunches and Mexican dinners, only to have our mouths watering again as we walked down the many shopping arcades, all overflowing with sidewalk vendors hawking tasty morsels of Japanese street food. Our protruding bellies kept our indulgences in check, but good grief, how I wished I could have started my eating day all over again.

This is from the top of the Sky building in downtown Osaka. The picture's blurry, but you get the idea. That tall red blur in the middle of the photo is a huge ferris wheel perched on the top of one of the big shopping centers. And yes, we totally rode it.

Sorry, the formatting for this post is going to look, um, I guess to be sensitive to my younger readers, let's just say, not good. Despite the vicious offensive I waged against my cursor, it will not go where I tell it to, and now I'm telling it to go someplace not found on blogger. ANYWAY, bear with me. Below you will see one of the main shopping streets in Osaka, or what I like to call food paradise. Guess what they feature at the restaurant on the left.

It's become really popular in Japan, and in Osaka especially, to attach some sort of carnival attraction to buildings. The large loop below features carriages that slowly wind around, allowing those with time and yen to kill a slow ten minutes with a dizzying view of the city.

Mmmmm, octopus balls. Better known as takoyaki (literally: tako = octopus and yaki = cooked). You can find these everywhere in Japan, but they are a particular specialty in Osaka. We didn't eat at this stand (though we were mighty tempted -- darn those sub sandwiches!), but we did go drinking the night before and stumbled into a tiny shop that specialized in them. I usually don't like them because at festivals you get ones that have been sitting a bit, and just a few minutes ruin the texture, but hot off the grill, they just melt in your mouth (or melt your mouth, depending on just how hot off the grill they are). Just to be clear, they are made mostly of a light batter, sometimes with onion and pickled ginger mixed in, with a small piece of octopus meat tucked in the center. When you get them fresh, they are slightly crispy on the outside and the batter is just cooked enough to be solid on the inside, but still soft. The octopus meat is just a little chewy, but once again, the fresher it is, the more succulent it is. They are usually topped with a drizzle of mayonnaise, a drizzle of a thick, dark sweet sauce and bonito flakes. Bonito flakes are less than paper thin shavings of smoked fish and they seemed to dance in the heat of the food they top. Sounds weird, I know, but really delicious.

And here's Matt doing what he does best...
The odd Japanese (clown?) figure has actually become some sort of strange tourist attraction in Osaka. People are lined up in front of it to get their picture taken with it. Why is it famous? Well, because it's famous. When you come to Osaka, this is what you do people, simple as that.

Fukusho Sports Fest

2006-09-11T18:26:00.000+09:00

My students still look cute even when they are straining at the tug of war and getting blisters on their hands. There is no room for mercy in this cutthroat competition, though. The looks of innocence are only a clever distraction.

The students design and make their outfits, and choreograph the dance. This half of the dance-off is the modern style.

Some of the races are downright cruel, I think only invented by the adults to laugh at the kids.

In the traditional dances, the boys looked, how shall I say it.. totally awesome.

My teachers are even cute! These are the English senseis chillin' in the shade. Way cool.

I love this student, but he is one of the baseball boys who doesn't care about English, so our only interaction is a gruff "harro!" in the morning and occasionally they try to grab me in inappropriate places.

This race is a recipie for nausea if you ask me.

I had to sneak into the upper floor of the gym to get this shot reminicent of a Chinese military exercise. No one can explain to my satisfaction why they dont have grass on the field.

I was on the red team, and we lost horribly. But I'm still a winner inside my heart.

Somehow the kids dont get joint injuries running on the rock hard dirt, which is a mystery.

Finally, in this cruel game, one must chug a soda, eat a snack with no hands, then get candy from a flour tray, and then run to the finish line. This year, only a couple of kids passed out from the heat, so it was a triumph over nature and ourselves. I feel so much stronger, but at the same time, so much of my grip on reality has slipped away. If this kind of behavior is normal, I don't know what to call strange. That's the greatest gift this experience has given me so far.

Summer Vacation Part 1

2006-09-02T18:55:00.000+09:00

I have so many pictures to post from this August in Missouri with our families and friends that I will have to keep the comments slightly brief. If your picture is up here, consider yourself famous, and loved.

Thanks to Linda and Tommy for everything, especially sticking it out to see my show so late at night! You are obviously still very young and hip.

On the other hand, Craig looks about 50 in this picture. How many kids do you have?

Brock will always remain ageless, and, hey, you have really nice teeth, did you know that?

Nate is good looking, but with such a great style of your own, stealing a patented Steve Davis camera look is beneath you, man. I'm just saying....

Seth, we miss you, keep it real, and sorry about you getting poked in the eye. Oh, you were winking? Oh, yeah, uhh, cool.

Christina, you stayed out late rocking and rolling as well, I have even more love and respect for you now. ALso, cool shirt. No, not you Dan.

Thanks Dan and Margret for coming up to Columbia and pretending like you like us goofy people. Folks, I am really sorry about any lasting emotional scars you may have due to being seen with me with that hat on. It is less of a fashion choice than a cry for help.

Sarah, cute! Enough said.

We played a Japanese game called suika, watermelon, and Brent was the man who bested the fruit, when we finally broke out the axe handle after destroying several inadaquate broom handles.

I miss you Mom and sis!

Our show was way fun! Staying awake for 30 hours afterward and not sleeping till Fukui was awesome, too! But not in the same way.

We had a great visit to the Zoo and Science Center in STL with Grandma and the girl gang.

Dont make fun of Brian's lip, he is sensitive. But, hey, thats what makes him uncle #1, right?

I had to wear another stupid hat to keep from getting burnt to a crisp on the lake at the boathouse in forest park. WHat is it with the hats?

It always was a comedy contest among the ONeill kids, but Brian and I must admit that Amy taught us everything at a young age about being funny.

Hey, that's my hat!

I have a little known obsession with trains after spending hours playing Transport Tycoon, so although I am not visible in this picture, you can hear me quietly saying "choo-choo" to myself.

Oh my gosh! That is a bad sunburn. It looked like red paint, honestly.

And who doesn't love monkeys?
Many more pictures to come from Melissa's side of the river of our love, so stay tuned.

Fishing with Shidasensei

2006-08-24T06:47:00.000+09:00

This post is quite late, but better late than never, or something. "Terry" Shida is a teacher at my school who I talk to from time to time. He invited me last year to go fishing, but we never found the time. Well, finally, this summer we set the date and took off for the sea. I met him in Mikuni, about an hour away by train and a big fishing port for like centuries or whatever, everything is historical and the best and so on in Japan, at least that's what they tell us. SO, we drove to the docks, and then into a parking lot and right up next to a boat which was on a big steel roller-rack type thing. The Sea Duck, yeah!

So, we piled all the gear into the boat, and then Terry says, OK, lets get in! I was just looking at the boat, and at the parking lot, and at him, and thinking this has to be a mistake. I know this is a different culture and all, but certainly fishing must involve at least a little water here, too. Then a guy came around the corner in a forklift, hooked up to our boat, and pulled us over to a ramp on the edge of the seawall. The whole ramp slid down into the sea, Terry started up the engine, and away we went.

Once we reached a good distance from the shore, we started driving around in a sort of mutated spiral trying to find a school of fish on the sonar. Eventually we dropped anchor and began and actual fishing. Our equipment was basic, just the essentials, a thick rod with a computerized distance meter on the reel, a tacklebox with line and hooks, and a big bucket of tiny frozen shrimp.

So, in other words, by view didn't really change too much for about 6 hours. Also, I was hungry soon and didnt bring anything to eat, but neither did Terry, so I didnt complain. I decided to just "gaman" or perservere and try to beat my hunger by staring at the swirling soup in the bait-bucket. The only problem is, it looks kind of similar to some things Ive eaten this year in Japan, so after a while I was not as much grossed out by it as appetized. I joked to Terry that if we didnt catch anything, we could just eat the bait, and he looked at me, down at the shrimp, and just kind of nodded. I was kidding!

Anyway, this wasnt our lucky day, I guess, so we pulled up anchor and headed on in. I had a dinner function that night, which I barely made it to, and when I got there I realized I smelled slightly like a fish, but maybe people thought it was just cologne. I often make jokes like that, and then the next day, actually see fish cologne in the store.

Well, we didnt catch a frickin' thing, but we will try again someday, or somenight, when Terry goes fishing for squid with a big spotlight and a net. If it is a particularly beautiful squid, many fisherman lay it right on the deck, slice it up and eat it. I am looking forward to that.
Thanks Terry! Better luck next time.

Daianzenji

2006-06-25T09:45:00.000+09:00

Before I get started on another set of vacation type photos of yet another beautiful temple, I'd like to share this image of a chalkboard at my school. Love love love. Summer, etc. Most of the Japanese stuff is kids names, I love our class, and so on. You are my destiny? This must be a song lyric because analogies are way beyond what I'm teaching. I volunteered this weekend to go help students prepare for speech contest, which involves them reciting a four minute speech they wrote. Japanese is very evenly stressed and intoned, especially for preprepared material, and it is fun and challenging for me to convey the tonality of interesting expressive english speech. Compared to Japanese, english stress and intonation can sound like a rollercoaster, but we have fun with it and the students are patient and diligent. I wonder how instructive it is for their regular communication, but it can't hurt I guess. Plus, we get a lot of time for conversation while talking about improving their ideas and delivery. It's a fun job. I can only imagine I would be so happy if all my students were so enthusiastic.

Hey there, do you like waterfalls? Because I know of an incredible spot where we can, you know, commune with nature and stuff.

Daianzenji is one of the last big nearby temples we had to visit. It is tucked away in a mountain valley just above Fukui.

After being here almost a year and seeing countless shrines and courtyards and so on, scenes like this have become familiar to the point that I don't think of them as so foreign or unusal anymore. I see temples as a working and living environment, full of life and change, as opposed to a museum.

This temple is focused on art. There are a lot of paintings, sculpture, calligraphy, and flower arrangements everywhere. These paintings in black and red really caught my attention, though.

The script and picture are done in such a similar style it gives new meaning to the words. That is if I could read them. I can ID only one character in this highly stylized script. There is a certain tolerance for how far out from the standard you can go with personalizing Kanji and Kana and still keeping it legible, but the way to read really wild brush strokes like these involves knowing which order the strokes were written in. I'd guess that is hard even for many native speakers.

These impliments are standard monk's tools. The gourd on the right is for tapping to keep time with chanting sutras, which makes a distinctive and haunting sound that echoes through the valley. The stand, brush, ink stone, and water pot are for writing, and the bowl on the left I couldn't tell ya.

Out in the grounds of this temple were water gardens with raised wooden walkways. The flowers were kind of sparse, but some were intense little bursts of color.

I love scenes like this. You just want to know what is up the stairs.

In this case, it was a waterfall! Do you like waterfalls. I do.

Tokyo Conference Time

2006-06-15T19:35:00.000+09:00

Well since we have been here almost a year, it was time last week to go to a recontracting conference in Tokyo. It was the first time for us to ride the shinkansen (bullet train) and of course we were very excited about the bright lights and good times in the capital city.

We didn't have a whole lot of free time, but we arrived a day early to see a few things we'd been meaning to. For example, the world's largest fresh fish market in Tsukuji! This place was way more than I expected. You have to get there early, so I was still half asleep, but I soon started stepping quickly to avoid being run over by motorized cart-trucks zipping through the tiny lanes and slopping through the ubiquitous fish guts. We felt a little out of place among the stalls of styrofoam packed sea life of all sorts, but there were other tourists there. It's not a family friendly attraction, really, since a small child could easily be loaded up on wooden table and sliced to bits in a matter of seconds. I have never seen fish this big in my life.

Among the recognizable, but huge, tuna and mackerel, we saw many kinds of fish and crustaceans I could not begin to identify. I have eaten this, though, it's frickin' tasty, but expensive, some kind of internal organ of a huge aquatic creature.

Well, it was early and the fish slop took a toll on our appetites, but we had to have some fresh sushi, so a row of shops like this one was just what the doctor ordered. The fish was great. Maybe not the best I've ever eaten, but top of the line, and the atmosphere was unbeatable.

We wandered around a bit and found some famous sights in the city, such as Harajuku where all the costume players hang out and wait for people to take their pictures. These people are dressed in the very popular French maid style, and yes, that is a man.

At one of the most famous shrines in Tokyo, Asakusa, these college students were looking for victims, I mean foreign tourists, to practice English conversation with while giving a tour of the shrine. Well, despite my initial skepticism, we loved it. They were nervous, as the guy next to me kept telling me, but also very cheerful and interested in us, so it was a great way to know more about the shrine than I could guess from the badly translated signs. Thanks, whoever you are!

Akihabara is the place to geek out and buy cheap electronics. All I wanted was some cheap anime videos and a Nintendo DS and a PSP and an iPod and a new cell phone and a personal robot slave, but I didn't find the price that was right, so I didn't get anything. A lot of the stores had girls in costumes (well, half costumes) trying to get people to come in, which worked extremely well.

We met our friend Amena and browsed the shops and people watched for the day, then at night went to a decent Mexican restaurant. The conference itself was super boring, and then we went back home. Yay Tokyo!

School Excursion to Mihama

2006-06-02T16:08:00.000+09:00

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round...
Well, that's what I used to sing on my school field trip, but this was somewhat different. Instead, my students did some screechingly off key caterwauling to some popular JPOP hits on a very short and often repeated mix tape. Apparently it was very funny.

What they may lack in singing ability, they more than make up for in enthusiasm and sheer cute factor. All the students in my school went on seperate busses with their class and had a barbeque cookout somewhere "in nature". I went with one of my favorite 3rd year classes to Mihama beach, about 90 minutes from school on the luxurious bus, with a classy chandelier, sound system, coolers, the works.

We pooled our money and went to the gorcery store, all 35 of us. It was pandemonium in the aisles, but I'm told other stores had 3 classes at once in them. The horror...

The food product of choice was meat meat meat, pork, beef, seafood, chicken, etc.

When we go there it was so windy that lighting the fires was crazy difficult. Thankfully we had an awesome product called Hijeru which means fire-gel and they need it all over the world. Imagine flammable toothpaste. There you go. I bet we could barbeque underwater with it.

So, after battling to get the grills going, we set to eating. Then it started to rain on us, but you can't tell in the pictures because no one paid any attention to it. We just huddled closer around the grill and continued to eat with chopsticks right off the grill, dunking in a sweet spicy sauce on the short trip to our mouths. These kids have been looking forward to this for long time and they are not going to let a little typhoon stop them. Yakiniku is a state of mind more than a cooking method. You have to WANT the meat. BE the meat, etc etc....

The sea was cold and choppy, but we went down and ran on the beach a little before packing is all up in record time and jumping on the bus for more mobile Karaoke. I was falling asleep by that time, dreaming of delicious delicious meat.

Tea and Kimono

2006-05-15T22:41:00.000+09:00

This is my host family, the Ota's. There's Masami, Yoshifumi and the little one is Natsumi. Next in line in Yoshifumi's dad and then his niece. Aren't they cute?

I bought a kimono as a gift for someone, but I didn't have a clue as to informing the future recipient how to put the thing on. It's definitely not a bathrobe. Luckily, Masami, though not so much the traditonal Japanese woman, loves kimono. She brought me here to her in-laws' house for a little dress-up party. The wonderful surprise about her in-laws though, is that they are part of a long line of Buddhist priests and their family has lived here, in the temple complex, for generations. This big building is the actual temple building.

It took me nearly an hour to get that thing on, but Masami is a patient teacher. I don't think I passed the final exam, though, because she told me we'd practice again sometime... Anyway, this is Masami, big white woman, cute niece, and Ota-san, Masami's mother-in-law. This is the elder Mrs. Ota's home, so she wanted us to walk through her garden and snap a few pictures in our finery.

Me and my old man looking chipper. I really don't think I'm cute enough to pull off the kimono, but you know what, my mom is just tickeled to death right now looking at all these pics of her baby all dressed up in Japan, so the rest of you will just have to bear with us as we have a sort of squishy over-aged prom moment through the wonders of the internet, okay? I've got a lot more.

Like this one for instance. Quick, mom, copy and paste it on your desktop and print it out. Oh, no wait, you're at work right now, so you've probably already called in the other ladies and forced them to ooh and ahh at the screen. Proceed.

Yoshifumi wanted to get a pretty shot of Masami all dressed up, too, but he had to settle for the playground look because Natsumi and his cousin were REALLY excited about kimono, pictures, and, most thrilling, rocks.

This is the garden going around the back of the house.

One thing I really like about being in Japan and having a host family is that I get a better sense of people's day to day lives and perspective. For instance, yes, this is a temple, yes, the oldest men in the family are priests, but this is not a museum. For the kids, this is where they live, it's their playground. It's a home. So I wanted to include these shots of us just playing a bit in the front yard.

And this one just because this little girl (Masami's niece) is just an absolute doll.

I'm running around the side of the house to look at the tadpoles grandma and Ken (Masami's incredible nephew) want to show me.

I know this photo isn't the most professional looking, but I wanted to give y'all a look into a real, live, Japanese house. I should mention that this is not typical anymore. The alcove behind me is a very traditional element in most Japanese homes, though this one isn't as austere as many would be. Usually they include a vase or some sort of natual plant/flower arrangement, maybe some other seasonal element or a small table and a wall hanging, often calligraphy. The wall hanging behind me was painted by Yoshifumi's grandmother and it shows the Buddha's funeral -- a very common subject of buddhist art. Grandma is quite a character and though she doesn't speak a word of English, she loves to show you her paintings and chatter away about them. The flower arrangement on the right, though not so clear, is ikebana -- Japanese flower arrangement -- put together by Yoshifumi's mom from flowers in her garden.

I had no idea when we went to the Ota's house that we would be treated with a formal tea ceremony, but Mrs. Ota had laid the whole thing out in advance and seemed really happy to explain everything to us. Though my Japanese is non-existent and my host family's English is kind of spotty, we were able to communicate well enough to appreciate the ritual. Our little helper here was deadly serious in all her duties. It was great.

After making tea for us, Mrs. Ota had me come over and learn how to do it. I'm such an attentive student. A side note, the room we were in was huge and after sitting in seiza for well over, i don't know, 2 minutes, standing up, keeping my kimono closed, crossing a room and not looking like I had just learned to walk that morning was quite an accomplishment. So while I look attentive here, I'm really thinking about how awesome I am. And wondering if I'll ever feel my feet again.

Ooh, look at me learning about another culture. I'm so hands on! I know I did a really lousy job of whisking the tea and I was a little dubious of serving my husband as instructed, but hey, I think I'm qualified as multi-cultural now. And apart from the fact I felt like a big American oaf at, well, a tea party, it was a totally amazing experience to share part of the Ota's culture with them and they did everything possible to make me feel relaxed and enjoy myself. I'm really in debt to them.

While I was getting dressed, the Otas showed Matt around the temple and surrounding buildings. After we had changed, Masami and I went in search of everybody and finally found them up in the attic of a storage shed connected to the main living space. Most traditional Japanese houses have these to store all the different display items that take their turn in the main house. This is one reason traditional Japanese houses look so spare -- they don't keep all their stuff in one place. Only a piece or two is brought out at the appropriate time of year. Anyway, Mrs. Ota was showing Matt the treasures hidden in her storage place -- like two hundred year old wedding chests with huge, flat wooden wheels used to literally roll the bride's trouseau to her new home and massive, hand painted ceramic plates the size of car hoods, once used to serve heaping piles of fruit to guests. Amazing. More amazing is that the entire temple complex burned down about 80 years ago and the store house was the only building to survive and along with it, the material history of about several hundred years. Back in the house, rebuilt in the years after the fire, we were shown one last family relic, the growing wall. From Yoshifumi's grandpa at the age of 15 in the 1940s to little Natsumi, who's not even two yet, the wall was scratched with the growing spurts of four generations and Matt and I were invited to add our heights to the collection. What a great day.

Now I just want to say hi to my mom one last time. Hi mom, I love you. Happy Mother's Day (again).
(tissue?)

Purdiest Little Fish Shanty This Side of Asia

2006-05-15T10:40:00.000+09:00

Our lovely excursion around Tango Peninsula had us driving by this little spot, a tiny fishing village called Ine.

The entire town consists of two strings of houses squeezing the coves and coast road.

The roads were only for we few out of towners, though, as the garages of these houses were built for marine craft only.

I should mention that since this was Golden Week here in Japan and that meant everyone in the entire country was on vacation en masse, finding lodging for a night without reservations can take hours of town hopping. We arrived in Ine just as the sun was sinking and we had already made peace with the idea of sleeping in our car when we thought we'd give our search one last shot.

And in the picture above you can see our Shangri La. The wooden building there at the end of the wharf was the aptly named Water Front Inn. It doesn't look like much from this angle, but inside, it was a cozy, traditional style Japanese inn. The three small windows on the bottom giving off the orange glow look out from the dining room, a tiny, warm space that almost makes you feel as if you're in the belly of a big boat. The side of the room facing the water had a near eye level view of the cove. In the morning we sat and watched gulls dive for their breakfast as we enjoyed our own. It was lovely.

The town as the sun set.

The view from our room. I know the inside of the shot is dark and we did have another with better lighting, but I also looked like I was being poked in the eye, so well, you'll never see that picture.

The view leading out to sea. Ahhhh...

Tenki Tenki Tango

2006-05-15T09:33:00.000+09:00

No, I'm not being clever. That's really the name of the place Matt and I camped in on our way round the fabulous Tango Peninsula. I mean, really, with a name like that, wouldn't you have stopped too? Luckily, the view competed fairly well with it's imaginative name, so the fact that we choose destinations by how much the name amuses us paid off once again.

The sun was hot and the beach looked good, so Matt and I decided this was the day to do a whole lotta nothing while sipping on a whole lotta cheap beer. Our planned proceeded splendidly, and soon Matt was feeling courageous enough to brave the beautiful but icy waters. Because I want to make those of you at home feel as close to the action as possible, I've created the following moment by moment account of Matthew's dramatic transformation into a merman, followed by his triumphant return to mere mortal.

Oh! the glory of a tail! (or else the freezing off of one)

He chokes up over the specialness of it all.

He has fought the lure of the Sirens and returned victorious.

His reward shall be Asahi. In a can. A big one.

After all that fun in the sun, we were famished and decided the barbecue in a box from the local supermarket was a great idea. Literally, it was a barbecue grill and charcoal in a box and you basically set the whole thing on fire and put some meat on it, and well, there you go, barbecue. Anyhoo, the grill wasn't the only thing that came in a box. Matt and I hadn't brought a cooler with us and while the supermarket will sell you a barbecue pit in a box, they didn't have the least of coolers, so with the help of a thermal blanket and a decent amount of cardboard, we constructed our own. Oh, parents, look at your children's ingenuity and bow your head in silent pride.

Ah, rough'n it. . . What, you don't bring a laptop on your camping trips? How the heck do you check your e-mail? Sheesh . . . But seriously, we looked like total hoboes compared to the camping complexes set up by our Japanese neighbors. I mean, we didn't even bring our kitchen sink, let alone more than one tent per person.

But we managed to have a fine meal on the world's smallest BBQ grill and at the end of the day, that's all that matters.

Obama-rama

2006-05-08T16:04:00.000+09:00

I couldn't resist the title, even though it is an awful bilingual perversion. Last week we had three days off in what is called Golden Week or just GW here. It was 5 days we had to spend traveling, because that's just what you do here. We went back and forth on the idea of travelling down to Kyushu, and finally headed out about 8 hours behind what would have been a good time to leave. Well, the holiday traffic was crawling around Kyoto, so we changed the plan and headed north to the San-in coast. Fukui Prefecture hugs a small bit of territory around the bend to the south of our city and includes Obama, which we had never seen before. We headed up there through a fairly undeveloped valley on the west side of Lake Biwa that had a few campsites. We brought our 15 dollar tent and a futon, so we decided to stop early and take a break from the headache of traffic. It was a bit chilly and night so we drove to a place we saw that looked good, and got a pizza and salad that was actually pretty much passable. Italian food in Japan is popular, but they dont add enough tomato sauce to anything.

The next morning was a short drive into Obama city, where we took in the popular sights. First on the list was Myotsu-ji, a stunningly beautiful temple with a great garden.

I dont know what these little guys are, but I'm guessing some sort of charm, I'll get back to you on that. I do know that they are cute, so that's something.

Also, in Obama, they have boat tour around the coast to see famous rock formations. Well, they were neat, but the pictures are not so great. What really impressed me, though, were the fishermen and fisherwomen. If you look to the bottom right of this picture on the tip of the rock, you can see one. They look like an ant.

This one gives an idea of their position. Some of them were even out on islands away from the shore, with the waves washing over their boots. I guess there are boats that taxi them out to their perches at the base of the cliffs, because no trail could go to where they were. They must be catching fish, too, to make it worth the risk of being stranded on a rock when the tide comes in. It's a mystery that was only answered by the tour guide in Japanese, so, in other words, still unsolved.

Ato Sakura, Hinosan!

2006-05-02T19:27:00.000+09:00

Sakura (cherry blossom) season is a national obsession here, and now I think it's for good reason. They truly are stunning in full blossom. We finally had our party here in the cold north, and nature even graced us with a few warm sunny days toward the end of the blossoms to sit under the trees by the river for a picnic. This bridge here is by the prefectural government offices, over a moat around old castle walls.

Here are a couple more random shots I wanted to throw in. Just after the bamboo forest shot, a ninja jumped out and disappeared in a puff of smoke. These are frog eggs, I think, but I dont really know. They freak me out.

We have been hiking up a storm in gleeful observance of the coming of warm weather, but more importantly, the passing of the harsh snowy winter. There's something about living in a concrete box with no insulation that really puts one in touch with the passing of the seasons. and stuff.

Well, this past weekend we conquered a local landmark and last of the nearby notable mountains we haven't climbed. Mt. Hino is called the Fuji of Echizen because it's roughly Fuji-shaped. We hiked up the wrong path at first, but then found the trail. It was overgrown, but we forged on as usual, letting nothing, including a guy warning us that he'd seen a bear, stand in our way.

Thank GOODNESS that someone had put up cute little cartoon character (Doraemon, actually) signs every 50 meters for the 3.1k hike up the mountain. Actually, the trail was so slick and branch covered I might have given up if not to see the next cute hand painted sign.

Hinosan, SLAM! (I hope you appreciate that, Cheryl, wish you were here)

The last three pictures are from Asakura castle ruins, yet another ruined castle. Why cant they take care of their castles around here?

Hikey Dikey Doo

2006-04-27T19:54:00.000+09:00

Near Fukui is a beautiful old temple called Eihiji. Above the temple is a road up the valley leading to this ginormous dam. It's typically Japanese to put a huge concrete monstrosity in this sacred place, but then maybe the spring runoff would wash the whole town away if they didnt control it. Anyhow, we saw a map of a trail above the lake and decided to give it a try.

As we expected, the rain was falling heavily, and our path was blocked by several large mudslides which covered the road. Not to be defeated, we trudged on up the hill.

The path was beautiful, with a rushing stream next to the rustic wood rail, and we spotted some fiddlehead fern sprouts, which Melissa knew were edible, and we took them home and cooked them up. They tasted like asparagus, but a bit more nutty. The brown stuff just comes off under water.

At this point, we were committed to reaching the top, and we saw a sign for 1.6k to (something in kanji I couldn't read) but it looked like dera which is temple, so the promise was there.

Well, we trudged and trudged and got all muddy and our knees started hurting and we still didnt give up, because we are insane! This little buddah was one of many we saw tucked here and there among rocks and trees. Near the top, we were just following footprints in the dirty melting spring snow, and occasionally holding on to a rope to climb steep parts.

And finally, we reached...another sign, which also said 1.6k to the temple, but along a ridge. Well, maybe next time, this summer. That smile is real, though, and relentless determination is just one of the many qualities I love about Melissa. Wet, cold, tired, hungry, and glad to be alive, that's not a bad place to be at all.

l33t?

2006-04-22T09:34:00.000+09:00

I will be turning 30 this June and I feel the typical feelings of suprise and sadness at how I can possibly be that old. Well, in the big picture it's pretty young, but I still haven't got it really into my head that I'm over 20. I wonder if there will come a time when I feel my age. Hopefully not, because I went through a period of depression about my own mortality when I was a teenager and I don't want to repeat it. If there was a way for me to forget about my age entirely and have no idea how I should feel about my position in life, I would do it in a heartbeat.
ANYWAY, someday I hope to have children, and I found something that makes me realize that if and when I do, it will be a full time occupation just to try to keep up with them. Still, I can read about it, and so can you. I give you hax0r or for a more editorial analysis, try the straight dope