Love one Another
Mood:  amorous
"Two people who are really in love do not close their eyes to each other's weaknesses. They support each other in overcoming those weaknesses, so that each helps the other to grow." Sri Eknath Easwaran.

"Hey, people now, smile on each other. Everybody get together. Try to love one another RIGHT NOW." Jefferson Airplane.

Fuji-san
Mood:  celebratory
LOST before i get to Fuji-san

Ok, so it was a simple mistake. Leaving at 6am on Saturday i rode my bike to the JR station. Then i hopped on a train bound for Osaka. It was an easy walk to the tour bus area from the train station. I confidently walked up to a table and a lady found my name on a list...so far...so good. Oh, by the way, it's pouring rain and there is roaring thunder and lightning. That makes for some confidence-building on the day i am about to climb Mt. Fuji. She directs me to stand under an awning - out of the rain - with a number of Japanese tourists in "Group A". This woman takes my tickets and leaves which makes me a bit uneasy but what the heck. At 7:20am when we are supposed to board the bus a driver starts rattling off in very fast Japanese. I hear the word Fuji and half the people under the "A" awning head for the bus. I ask the others still standing there if that's where i should go, and they all enthusiastically send me off. As i board the bus i cautiously ask "Fuji-san?" "Hai" - which means "yes" and so i board the bus. I am a little nervous and confused since the other two befuddled Americans on this bus still have their tickets and i don't see the lady who took mine anywhere. What the heck. As we start down the road and head for the highway, a guide walks down the aisle asking for tickets. I tell him that i've already given mine to a lady (of course he probably can't understand a word i'm saying.) After studying my paper receipt, that i so luckily saved, the bus stops on the side of the road and the driver is on the phone. Uh, oh. So after quite a few tense minutes, the guide returns my paperwork to me and politely tells me that i've boarded the wrong bus and that the other bus is on it's way to Fuji. My heart just stops! He gets on the phone again... So will they just throw me off the bus and there goes $150 for the tour? Will they just let me stay with this group? It sure would be nice to be with two other English speakers... More tense moments as he talks on the phone again. Everyone on the bus is probably thinking - stupid American! Actually, i don't even think they noticed. ha ha. Then the guide comes back to me again. I can't help thinking that if the tables were turned and i was in America and a non-English speaker if i would have been treated so politely. Maybe. He has made an arrangement to meet the other bus at a place down the road and we'll do a switch-a-roo there. whew.
In Kyoto the apologetic woman who took my tickets in the first place meets me and guides me to the correct bus. Because others from Kyoto are boarding as well no one has to know that i made a mistake. To my amazement a young man boards the bus and takes his assigned seat across the aisle from me. Turns out he's a high school student from Poland doing a home-stay for a year here in Kyoto. He speaks Polish and English and now is fluent in Japanese. Amazing and lucky for me because he translates most of the important information to me as we are travelling. I don't know what i would have done without him.

Fuji-san
Due to very strong winds we didn't make it to the summit. We made it PAST Station 8 (we began the climb at Station 5 and the last station is 9) Fuji-san is 12,388 feet and we ended at the Fuji Hotel at 10,500. I am a bit disappointed because i really wanted to see if the altitude would affect me. Instead, because of the winds that blew all the clouds away we got some incredible views. "Ya can't always get what ya want."

I had been told that Fuji was littered and ugly. Well, maybe it was in the past, but i thought it was beautiful. The rain poured and poured and the thunder continued most all Saturday from the time we left Osaka till almost 5pm when we arrived at Station 5. I must have an angel on my shoulder because when we got off the bus, the rain became a shower and then turned to a cool comfortable mist.

The bus was comfy and we slept most of the way. Frequent stops for bathroom breaks were much appreciated. We had a light traditional Japanese dinner at 5:30pm, changed clothes and packed our packs, filled our water bottles, and stashed stuff in the bus to be left behind before we headed out around 6:30pm on our hiking adventure. Everyone else is in small groups of family/friends. I am the only solo climber which is a bit awkward and the language barrier makes it even harder, but i try to remain positive and as friendly as i can be in my broken Japanese. Antony, the Polish student, is very good about filling me in on important details along the way, but he is also very busy flirting with all the pretty girls who are crazy about him. He has such a bubbly personality. What a joy he is. It's a comfortable temperature so i start out in shorts and short sleeve shirt. High tech fabrics are so wonderful. Even in the mist my clothes stay fairly dry (evaporation thru body heat - magic) At this altitude there is lush vegetation. Azaleas are still blooming under a canopy of hemlock and other trees that i can't identify. Bird sounds are so welcome here. I don't know bird names but their songs remind me of melodies that you would hear from a music box. I miss bird song. Fuji-san is a dormant cinder-cone volcano. The paths are mostly all made of crushed lava rock. This surface is not so hard on your feet as solid rock and doesn't get muddy in the rain but on the downside it is like walking in sand. Going down hill the following day was especially difficult. The forest quickly gives way to lava rock formations with a scattering of granite boulders. Yes, it looks rather stark but it's a volcano! Because the clouds have drifted off we can see the path zigzagging up and up. There is a red tori (Japanese gate) at the top of the green belt which indicates Station 7. It looks so far away but that's where we will spend the night.

In three hours of easy hiking with plenty of breaks along the way to take pictures and check out the views and acclimate we make it to our night's desination. We have been given a small obento earlier on and told to put it in our packs. I thought that we would eat this when we arrived but i was informed that we eat it when we get up at midnight. I am disappointed because i am starved. A peak in the box reveals white rice wrapped in seaweed and some pickles - oh, my gosh, that's all we get to climb on! Luckily i have packed a banana and carefully stash it away for a bit of energy as a midnight snack.

Now the fun part. We are lined up and guided to our bedroom. How do i explain this? The room consists of two giant bunkbeds (one on each side of the room) that run the full length of the room. So picture a large shelf that is more than body length wide running down the sides of the room with a narrow walkway between the two shelves. We either sleep on the floor under the shelf or on the shelf.

One by one we take our packs which are stashed at the foot of the bed or alternately hung on a nail on the wall and we lay down head to the wall, next, feet to the wall, next, head to the wall, next, feet to the wall.... Ok, picture a can of sardines. Got it?

Then we are covered with a heavy futon that covers about three of us at once. Nighty, night, it's 10:30pm, sweet dreams, see ya at midnight!

It doesn't seem like i slept much. Lots of excited conversations going on and others climbing in bed over the next hour or so. I'm guessing that they can easily fit over 100 people in this room if they had to . The wind is howling outside. We are gently aroused with a bell and dim lights turned on. After much discussion in Japanese a vote is taken. Of course, i haven't understood a word that was said. Antony is nowhere near me so the others around me try in their limited English to explain that the wind was so strong at midnight that they decided to let us sleep till 1:30am. Now we have to decide to go on as far as we can get in windy and cold (41 degrees) conditions or go back to sleep and head back down in the morning. About half of us decide to go for it. Guess what my decision was.

I have a slight headache but i'm pretty sure it's from lack of food and a bit of dehydration. I gobble the banana in hopes that it will give me enough energy for the climb. We are hiking by 2am and arrive around Station 8 as the sun comes up (about 5am). Oh, my gosh, what a view. Everyone is in such a great mood. We do the "Bonzai" cheer a number of times and sing the Hanshin Tigers baseball team theme song enthusiastically and with feeling.

The wind and cold are not bad at all. We have all had to strip off layers of clothing while we hike. It's a scramble in the dark over rocks and stone steps. I am very glad that i had Nola bring me a headlamp from REI. It would have been dangerous climbing without it. We climb on a bit higher after sunrise and reach the Fuji Hotel (not much more than the place we stayed). This is where we eat our breakfast of white rice and seaweed. Luckily the Fuji Hotel has some hot udon which I down in one gulp. I wish i would have brought some food.

The hike back down is the toughest. It's steep switchbacks that are all crushed lava rock. If it was a little finer texture you could almost get your boots set right and slide down it - like surfing. But unfortunately i couldn't surf it so i resorted to a technique of digging in my heels and leaning on my staff to keep my balance when my feet slipped out from under me. What a thigh burner! The walking stick, made of a very light wood, is purchased at the beginning of the climb. Tradition is that you pay 200 yen (about $2) at each check point to get a unique stamp burned into your staff. It's quite cool to have different designs and altitude marks growing on your hiking stick as you climb. So for $8 and 12 stamps later I have a $32 piece of wood now. Everything is expensive but rightfully so. I'm not sure how they pack things up to this place but it looks like it might be by horseback. It's a suggested 100 yen each time you use the bathroom but there are generators running to dry out the wastes and i'm sure that isn't cheap. I really enjoyed the climb. No real aches and pains. My headache didn't go away until we were back on the bus and made a stop where i could get some food and water in me so i don't think that it was altitude related. phew.

The bus ride back was as pleasant as they could make it, but it was difficult to be on the bus much, much longer than the climb. We first drove to a traditional Japanese bath house. There was time to shower, soak in the spa and get an ice cream. Then back on the bus. Next we drove to a restaurant where we had another traditional Japanese meal. Boy, was i sick of white rice. I usually do pretty well with Japanese food but after this much excercise white rice just doesn't do it for me. We made another stop to buy omiyagi (presents). It is traditional when on a trip to buy presents - usually food - for your family, kids, friends and coworkers. It can get rather expensive. I try always to bring something back for the teaching and office staff at my school.

To summarize:
Cost: 16,800 yen
Saturday
Bus travel to Fuji: 10 hours
Hike for 3 hours
Sleep for 3 hours
Sunday beginning at 2am..
Hike for about 3 hours to the Station 8
Hike back down to Station 5 - about 5 hours
Bus back to Osaka: 10 hours including some stops.
Ah, and back to work on Monday! whew.

And a great time was had by all.
PHOTOS SOON TO COME

Yellow Fever Inoculation Story
Mood:  celebratory
So in December when i was in CA i tried to get all the recommended shots for the upcoming Africa trip. Yellow Fever was not on my list for some reason, and so it was very disappointing a few months ago to discover that i should probably get vaccinated against this disease as well. Ok, i'll start early. How difficult can it be? I called and found out that there was a clinic in Osaka that had info on the shot. I called 3 times on three different days and used the best Japanese i could muster but with no luck at making an appointment. I did understand that the shot is only given in two locations on two different weekdays only at 1:30pm. Now, that's real convenient for working folks like me! I finally asked one of the Kobu teachers to call for me. After two attempts on her part (she was getting nowhere) she called the International Center in Nishinomiya for their help. If it hadn't been for their patience and persistence, i would have just given up and maybe contracted and died of Yellow Fever! Ha ha.

So here's the deal. First you have to have an application faxed to you which you have to fill out. I think it's impossible to fill it in correctly the first time so expect that you are going to have to fill it in and fax it at least twice (which i did). Then you have to call a week before you want the shot to make an appointment (not one day earlier). Even though you make the appointment you still have to go in as early as possible to sign up because they take people in numerical order. The serum is mixed at 1:30pm and if it isn't used within an hour it's no good. In that case, go home and start all over again. Arghhhh.

When I was faxed the application, a 2-page information sheet was sent along also.
Here are just a few sample sentences that were so graciously translated into English for me:

"It is receptionist start at 1:30pm every Tuesday. After receptionist end, I inoculate it into number order (when Tuesday becomes a holiday but, the week does not do an inoculation)." GOT THAT?

Here's my favorite:
"Attention matter: chicken egg, chicken, a person of gelatine allergy, babies and young children for and after birth less than 9 months of the pregnancy inside are inoculation taboo mourning." SAY WHAT???

It would be funny except that there were serious health issues involved in this and my anxiety level kept increasing.

The good news is that Connie (downstairs) accompanied me for some much needed moral support. We got to the clinic very early and were the first ones in line. Of course, even though i'd faxed my application in twice already, i still had to fill out the same application again at the clinic - go figure. The doctor and receptionist spoke very good English so i was able to clarify some of my questions about when this vaccine actually becomes effective (yes, before i get to Africa!). All's well and now i don't have to worry about Yellow Fever.

Another exercise taking me closer to Buddhahood don't ya think?

Philosophy 101
Mood:  bright
Here's another Willie Weir quote (if you haven't read anything by him, I'd highly suggest looking up one of his books).

"Adventure is rarely determined by the destination you choose, but by the method of travel and the route you take to get there.

Is it worth using our limited travel time to see all the archaeological or tourist sights simply to check them off a list? Or is it better to see a handful of wonders that send shivers up your spine?

The bad road, the road less traveled, the hard way. Call it what you will, but be forewarned. Once you've tried it, you may discover that it's the only way."

Bike Friday Story
Mood:  a-ok
3 am and it was 33 degrees in my apartment. That's 91 degrees Fahrenheit for those in the U.S!

So I'm a bit tired this morning but ready to write an update about my Bike Friday.

Here's an excerpt from the letter that i sent to the company:

"First let me list the things that went wrong with my order:
1. My bicycle arrived in Japan without the Terry saddle that i ordered and paid for.
2. I emailed you but there was no response so i had to make a long distance call from Japan to request a saddle to be sent to me.
3. I carefully unpacked my bike after reading and watching the video. The chain was somehow packed against the frame and there are gouges out of the paint right over the Bike Friday logo on the side of my new bike down to the metal. (photos enclosed)
4. The chain also crimped the rear brake cable and there is a gouge in the cable down to the metal casing.
5. The front derailleur was not adjusted and the arm of the derailleur was positioned in between the outer and middle cogs so that there is no way it could shift.
6. Again i emailed you with no response, which entailed another long distance call.
7. When i put my trailer together i discovered that the holes hadn't been drilled out of the suitcase for me to attach the wheel shafts. (This wouldn't be a problem in the states but it cost me $10 for a drill bit in Japan, and i had to find someone with a drill and borrow it to do a 10-second job that you should have done before you sent it to me)."

Can you tell that i was more than a bit irritated after spending over $2,000? I finally received a phone call from a rep. at Bike Friday. They have agreed to paint my bike when i return to the states. They are going to reimburse me for the cost of replacing the brake cable that i have to get repaired before i leave for Tanzania. They assure me that this is not a normal occurence with their orders. I sure hope not. Despite the irritation and bad feelings displaced on this poor bike. My butt is breaking into the new saddle. It maneuvers easily and is responsive and comfortable to ride. I've only folded it down once and put it in the suitcase - a very easy procedure. I will practice a few times before i leave. A bike can be a real problem on the plane and this should be a piece of cake. The suitcase is tough and has rollers and can be checked just like any regular suitcase - no extra charge. I just hope security treats it with kid gloves.
So the Bike Friday story so far has a happy ending.
I hope to give a glowing report after the bike trip to Africa - only 18 days till take-off. yikes.

Tanabata - Star Festival
Now Playing: Hopeful
On this day two stars (Altair and Vega) that are usually separated from each other by the Milky Way, come together.

This is a festival in which children and young women find much enjoyment. The legend says that on the eve. of July 7 Shokujo, or Weaver Princess Star, is supposed to meet Kengyu, or Herdboy Star, on the bank of the Amanogawa (River of Heaven), or Milky Way, for their annual tryst. Veda is the Princess Star, Altair, the Herdboy Star - the stars known as Lila Aquila. the legend behind this meeting is that the celestial princess, daughter of the celestial king, a most skillful weaver and the embodiment of industry, while engaged in weaving cloth for the king's garments, fell in love with a handsome lad, a cowherder, and as a reward for her diligent industry the king allowed them to marry. But so much in love were they that the princess gradually neglected her weaving and the herder allowed his cows to stray, which so exasperated the king that he finally separated the couple forcing them to remain on opposite sides of the Milky Way, and permitting them to approach each other only once a year. But there is no bridge over the Milky Way and the princess, on her first visit, wept so bitterly at the impossibility of meeting her husband that she roused the sympathy of a Kasasagi (magpie) who assured her that a bridge would be contrived for her. This was done, the magpies with wings spread forming a bridge on which the princess crossed. The legend also says that if the eve. of July 7 is rainy the magpies will not form the bridge and the celestial lovers must wait another year before meeting.

Tanabata began a few weeks ago with the appearance of branches of bamboo posted around town and in people's homes and outside one of our classrooms. Tradition says that if you tie your wish (written on colored paper) to this bamboo branch that your wish will be sent to the prince and princess on Tanabata and your wishes will come true.
I tied my wish to our branch. It's a secret - but it's about voting in November. Get it?

Tanabata Info


BLOOD IN THE HALLWAY

Surprise, surprise, i thought that Kobu was immune but, no, this morning we were interrupted during our morning meeting with a phone call to the Vice Principal. Before i knew what was happening teachers were scurrying into the halls and coming back with bloody towels. A quick glance and i could see blood all the way down the hall. Later, after a few discreet questions, i managed to put together a somewhat sketchy idea of what happened. There is definitely a broken window, and there most definitely is a boy in the nursing station with a bleeding hand. It seems that he had been teased by some boys and had reached a breaking point and put his fist thru a window. In the States the fist may have gone into the antagonist's face. Here it seems that you injure yourself when you get angry. I guess he was angry, frustrated or who knows what emotion. It's so sad to see these kids hurt themselves over other student's behaviors. This boy did not appear to be a trouble maker. I feel helpless and sad about these situations. Japan has no laws and/or procedures to deal with bullying it seems and it is such a problem. I am proud that we have come a long way in the States to begin to put an end to discrimination and harassment in any form. I hope that Japan will follow the U.S. in this at least. These kids deserve to feel safe and protected from viscious physical and verbal attacks by their peers. Another shocking thing about this is that no AIDS precautions were taken. I was shocked to see blood all over teacher's hands. Good grief. That's really dangerous in this day and age! I wonder how many people will have to be infected before they learn some safe procedures for dealing with blood.

Kilimanjaro and Trepidation
Mood:  not sure
I never seem to be able to do anything the easy way. Decades ago, after a preliminary short bike trip on our 10-speeds with cardboard boxes bungee corded to our rear racks - my first serious bike trip was across the U.S. When i decided to take a stained glass class the instructor advised us not to use more than 5 pieces of glass on our first project - I used 11! So I don't know what possessed me to tackle a bicycle trip and climb in Tanzania but it fits my pattern, eh?

This trip would have been a challenge to put together in the states. The difficulties are compounded by being here in Japan. Luckily, i planned to get most of my shots while in the states over the winter holiday. I have my malaria pills and high altitude sickness pills ready to go. Yellow Fever was not on the list in December and it's a long story about finally succeeding in getting this shot in Japan.

I ordered a new Bike Friday (custom-made folding bike). It fits inside its own Samsonite suitcase and will be a breeze to transport on the plane. That was initially a rather unpleasant experience due to some mistakes by Bike Friday. The problems have been resolved now, but i went through some anxiety resolving them (another story).

Getting in shape is another challenge in Japan. Luckily i have been running regularly and have just upped my mileage to try to increase my lung capacity and strength. The only challenge with the running is the heat, humidity and rain. By running year round here i seem to have acclimated and running 8 miles in 90 degree weather this last weekend barely bothered me. We have experienced an "empty rainy season" this year and so i haven't had to battle running in heavy rains like i feared. Trying to get a 50-mile bike ride in is next to impossible around here. Because of traffic, stoplights, overpasses and pedestrians i can't seem to get the miles in. I spent 6 hours riding on Saturday but only logged 30 miles. Ah, well, my butt seems to be getting used to the seat on my new bike and i'm sure that i will survive the few 50 mile days in Africa.

The main anxiety that i'm having is the Kilimanjaro altitude. I am at sea level in Japan and have done some hiking in the mountains but they are just mole hills compared to what i will be attempting. Next weekend i will hike Fuji-san for the practice. It is over 12,000 feet elevation and hopefully this will go well and i will gain some confidence that i can handle the elevation. Technically, it's not a difficult mountain to climb but the air will be thin and some people just don't do well at high altitudes. The good news is that I've been to 12,000 feet many times in the past and experienced no difficulty. Still, i must admit i'm a bit nervous.

There have been clothes to purchase in a country where the large size looks like it might fit a petite back home. Long sleeves just make it to my elbow and i almost cry trying on pants and realizing they just don't have thighs like mine in this country!

Despite all the challenges i am so psyched for this trip. For the last two months i have been emailing two of the other women who will be going so i feel like i know them already. I just found out that we three girls are going to be accompanied by two men. Five is a nice number, i think. If you want to read more about the itinerary check out the organization, Bike Africa. This will be my second trip with them. My trip to Zimbabwe with this organization was/is the best trip that i've ever been on.

Atsui
Mood:  caffeinated
6am and 90 degrees in my apartment!
After attending temple this morning at 7:30am i went for an 8 mile run anyway - still trying to get a bit of extra strength training in for climbing Kilimanjaro next month. While running along the Shukugawa River, the familiar cacophony of the infamous cicadas struck my ears. Oh, no, they are back! When i first arrived in Nishinomiya last August i thought there was some horribly ancient machine close by my apartment that ran 24 hours a day and was in dire need of some lubrication. Then when i took my first walk through the neighborhood a few days later i was shocked to discover that the machine was actually these incredibly noisy insects. I am trying hard to find some redeeming qualities to these obnoxious critters but the only thing that i can come up with is that they die after only about a month. They hatch, mate and die and then their off-spring crawl into the ground and wait from 7-14 years to crawl back out and make all this racket. I guess if i were underground for that long i'd make a lot of noise too.


CICADAS



We had a good old-fashioned BBQ at the beach for the 4th of July this afternoon. Thanks to Frankie and her boyfriend, Yosh, they managed to drag 3 BBQ's down to the beach with all the charcoal etc. We had traditional hot dogs, veggie burgers, and some not-so-traditional octopus and other assorted treats. I took my first swim in the ocean. It was a bit cool but felt so good after such a hot and humid day. I actually got a bit chilled as the sun went down. After watching the gorgeous display of lights on the Awaji Bridge (the longest suspension bridge in the world). It looks a lot like the Golden Gate except not red. They have lights outlining the cables and every hour a different color is displayed and for the first 5 minutes of every hour it goes to a rainbow of 7 colors. Quite spectacular. We ended with some fireworks and then wearily made our way back home. Happy 228th birthday, USA.

Cell Phones
Mood:  incredulous
Daily Yomiurui quote for today: "More than half of middle and high school students who own cell phones said they felt uncomfortable when they did not have the devices at hand, according to a survey by the National Police Agency released Monday.

The survey also found that nearly half of the respondents preferred not to turn off their cell phones even while sleeping and suggested that children have become dependent on such technology."

Great Quote
Mood:  vegas lucky
Here's a quote that i just received from a good friend.
I am adopting it as my motto!

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body; but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly
proclaiming,' WOW, what a ride!'"

GO FAST AND THE WRINKLES WON'T SHOW!