Shoulder saga cont.
Mood:  lyrical
Celebration time:
The doctor has given me “permission” to ride my bike again. yahoo, yippee, hooray. I wore out a pair of tennis shoes walking all over this town.
Progress:
* I can now get my ponytail in the center of my head.
* I braided my hair and put it up for the first time since my accident this morning although it was painful to do so.
* I can shave under my left armpit.
* I can wash my hair with both hands now.
* I can sleep laying on my side now.
* I can wash my right foot with my left hand.

Yet to come:
* Scratching and scrubbing my right shoulder would be so nice.
* Reaching above my head to get something heavy out of the closet.
* Hooking my bra behind my back.
* No more pain.

I’m still going to physical therapy twice a week and doing my strength training and stretching everyday. Boy, this gets mighty depressing but my hope is that i will get full motion back and that keeps me going. Small gains are still measurable and also keep me motivated. The thought of never being able to scratch my right shoulder also keeps me working hard.

Wise or Foolish, that is the question.
Mood:  cheeky
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Nagano Marathon
Mood:  energetic
Sunday, April 17th

Rats, i wrote a whole essay on this marathon, posted it and then it disappeared into the ozone. I don't have time or energy to write it again. phooey. So you will be spared all the details.

It was a tough decision to travel to this marathon. I went as a spectator instead of a runner. The course is wonderful. The city was beautiful with cherry blossoms almost in full bloom. The course is almost flat and the snow covered mountains surrounding the river valley are quite scenic and inspiring. The run into the Olympic Stadium was just as i had imagined. I cried when the starting gun went off, but the enthusiasm of the crowd pulled me out of the blues. I was so lucky to meet Jesseca who is from Atlanta. i got to run the race vicariously through her. I think i may have to figure out how to get back here to do this once i retire. I can't imagine a better marathon to run.

Nagano Marathon

Peace, brothers and sisters
Mood:  amorous
Oh, my gosh. I can?t believe my good luck! Finally a teacher?s room with NO CIGARETTE SMOKE! yahoo. There is a partitioned off place in the copy room reserved for smokers with plenty of ventilation. No one smokes in the teacher?s room and the air is fresh and clean. What a relief.


Monday, April 11th
First Grade Welcoming Ceremony

This day has no equivalent in America to my knowledge. The 2nd and 3rd graders came to school on Thursday and Friday to get started with the whole planning of it. As i walked to school this morning fresh, new - much smaller students - were filing in to school. You could see the nervousness in their faces and eyes. There are 194 new 7th graders this year. There were about 300 parents and relatives seated in the back of the gym to witness the beginning of their junior high adventure. The band played and speeches were made. Former principals and teachers from their elementary schools were also there. Each one was introduced and stood and wished the students well. As the new homeroom teachers called each student?s name each stood with a loud ?hai? for all to hear. At the end of this ceremony the kids all marched out proudly to applause and music..
Since the gym can?t hold everyone the 2nd and 3rd graders were in classes during this ceremony. After about an hour?s break (I?m sure to rearrange the gym seating) we filed back into the gym again. This time the 2nd & 3rd grade boys and girls were seated on the floor on one end of the gym. Seating for all the first graders faced the elder kids. As the lights were dimmed the band played and in marched the 5 new classes of 1st graders. Each class marched in like an Olympic team with a numbered placard carried proudly in front of them. Spotlights blazed down on them and applause was enthusiastic and continued till the last student entered. Now it was the 2nd and 3rd graders chance to welcome the new kids. The student council members planned this whole affair and it included a fun group quiz to help introduce the teachers. The quiz was an A, B, or C type (which teacher do you think is the oldest? Which teacher do you think taught a famous movie star when she was in junior high?) There was singing and a band performance and cheers led by the student cheerleaders. A slide show of the different club activities and highlights of the school was shown. Again at the end of this ceremony the kids all marched out proudly to applause and music.

Wow, I wonder what happens to our new junior high kids when they enter on their first day. I don?t think that they walk away with such a strong feeling of acceptance as they do here. We could learn something from these very ?traditional? Japanese ceremonies.

"The root of all violence is in the world of thoughts."
Sri Eknath Easwaran

Happy Birthday, Buddha
On this day numerous Buddhist temples throughout Japan celebrate the birthday of Shakyamuni Buddha with a ?baptism ceremony? called kambutsue. A statue of the infant Buddha, traditionally depicted with one hand raised towards heaven and the other pointing to earth, is doused with sweet tea poured from tiny ladles. The tea is made from hydrangea leaves, which are steamed and dried before being made into the brew. As it is considered good for both spiritual and mental health, the tea is given to worshippers to take home. During the kambutsue ceremony, a miniature, unwalled temple usually covers the infant statue. Decorated with flowers, it is called the hanamidera, or flower temple. I love this service and miss participating in it back in my temple in Spokane. Happy birthday, Buddha. Omedeto gozaimasu.


?The cause of death is birth.?
Zen Shin Talks, Sensei Ogui

PT charges
Mood:  quizzical
Today i went to my regular physical therapy session. It's about 1 to 1.5 hours long. I'm doing exercises on my own and getting some massage and manipulation of my arm and shoulder. The charge is usually 1,010 yen. Today the charge was 1,240 yen - not a lot more but... When i asked why the increase in the charge i was told that it's the beginning of the month and they need more money! Good grief. Can this be? Maybe i didn't understand, but that 's what the lady said.

Vaya con Dios
Mood:  sad
Sunday morning "sayonara" to Sylvia. She's off to Tokyo.

Saturday, April 2nd
Bunraku Theater

Thank goodness for the English audio guide at this theater. We wouldn?t have been able to appreciate this work of art without the English narrative.
Bunraku is traditional Japanese puppet theater that has its origin in the Edo period (1603-1867). Bunraku and Kabuki are closely related with respect to the content of the plays. Bunraku plays are also accompanied by the music of traditional Japanese musical instruments. We heard shamisen, a 3-stringed instrument, and flute at our performance
The puppets are about one meter tall and are manipulated by up to three persons. Every person is responsible for a different part of the puppet. Through many years of experience they are able to make the puppets appear alive despite the fact that the puppeteers are visible on the stage. Puppeteers are dressed in black and wear black hoods.
Sylvia and I were most enthralled with the Tayu or chanter. This man is seated at a Kendai, stand or lectern off stage left. He not only narrates the story but also does all the voices of all the characters. His range of emotions involves chants, shouts, whispers and unearthly sobs. Way cool.

More about BUNRAKU

Today Kyoto
Friday, April 1st

Nijjo Castle (Nijo-jo)

This is one of my favorite castles. I like it because there are still tatami on the floors and scenes of romping leopards and tigers on the screen doors and walls. Of course, there were no such animals in Japan and the artists had to rely on imported hides to depict these exotic animals. Yes, some of the paintings seem to have been done in a hurry (like on the ceilings ? they sure don?t look original). The shoji (paper doors look very old) and the woodcarvings between some of the rooms are outstanding. My favorite is a 3-D wall carving that has two different scenes on either side of it. The scene is totally different when viewed from adjacent rooms. The nightingale floors still squeak when you walk on them and ladies in waiting are still bowing in full silk and satin garb in front of the Shogun in life size dioramas set up in the rooms.

The castle was originally built in 1603 to be the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu. It was completed in 1626 by the third Shogun, Iemitsu.. It was lavishly decorated and is representative of the Momoyama style of architecture. In its day, it served as a symbol of the power and authority of the Tokugawa military government. When Yoshinobu, the fifteenth Tokugawa Shogun, returned sovereignty to the Emperor in 1867 the Castle was given to the Imperial family. In 1884 it was renamed Nijo Detached Palace and in 1939 donated to the city of Kyoto and renamed Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo).

The gardens connected with the castle are lovely. Ninomaru Garden is a traditional Japanese design with a large central pond and contains stones in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. In the center of the pond are three islands; Horai-jima (Island of Eternal Happiness), Tsuru-jima (Crane Island), and Kame-jima (Turtle Island).

The Emperor's Palace too today, whew.
more later

Japanese Funeral & Wedding Gift trivia
Mood:  surprised
Thursday, March 31st
Himeji Castle (Himeji-jo)

We've been at Himeji Castle all day and Sylvia, Didik and i viewed the first tiny cherry blossoms popping out ever so slowly. Warmer weather today helped. Can't wait for the full blown blooming.

Himeji castle also called the ?White Heron Castle? for its white walls and gracefully imposing demeanor overlooks the plain below and is one of only four castles in Japan designated as a National Treasure. The first fort was built here in 1333. Over the years the fort changed possession numerous times and was eventually taken over, rebuilt, and enlarged by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1580. Considered one of the finest examples of Japanese castle architecture, Himeji-jo was enlarged and finally remodeled to its final state by Terumasa Ikeda. European castles dating from approximately this same period include Chenonceau and Chambord in France. All such castles, including Himeji, were actually lived in by lords. But where European castles were built of stone, Japanese castles were predominately wooden structures.

A total of 360 tons of wood and 75,000 tiles weighing 3,000 tons were used in the construction of Himeji-jo making it the largest extent castle in Japan.

The narrow wooden staircase is quite different from Osaka-jo?s modern elevator. There are signs everywhere to ?Mind your head? from low overhead beams. Once you reach the top the six flights of stairs are worth the view of the entire city. I am mostly drawn to the moats around the castle walls. The koi are so colorful and big. If you clap your hands they will all come running ? so to speak.

Just outside the castle is Himeji Koko-en. It actually consists of 9 separate gardens each enclosed by its own stonewall. Different styles are displayed in each. Some have running water, ponds, a teahouse and a dry garden. I think they are well worth seeing.

Nara
Mood:  caffeinated
Wednesday, March 30th
Nara

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. It was considered the cradle of Japanese culture, arts, and crafts. Buddhism first flourished here under the strong patronage of successive emperors and empresses. Many sights here are now registered on the UNESCO?s World Heritage List as an irreplaceable part of the cultural heritage of all humanity.

The city is not large but packs in quite a few temples and shrines within a comfortable walking distance. One of the most memorable scenes on postcards of this area is the cute little tama deer. They have full reign of the park and can be seen peaking out behind tombstones or just lounging on the grass. There are many stands where tourists can buy biscuits to feed the deer, and some of these critters have become quite the beggars. Many Japanese children are traumatized every year by their insistent behavior. We saw a few little kids in tears. Most of the deer are very well behaved though.

Nara Park was created in 1880 and contains many of the sites designated by UNESCO including Kofukuji Temple (which includes a colorful 5 story pagoda), Kasuga Grand Shrine, and Todaiji Temple (the largest wooden building in the world). Todaiji contains one of the great Daibutsu (statues of Buddha). Most of the principal statues in big temples are 4.8 meters tall, and are called Jorokubutsu. All Buddha statues taller than Jorokubutsu are called Daibutsu [ Great Buddha ].

More about NARA

Tuesday, March 29th
Takarazuka Review
This was better than Las Vegas except we couldn't understand a word.
This dance company has been in existence over 90 years.You really need to see pictures of this phenomenon. It's an all women dance revue.
Check it out: Takarazuka Home Page


Sunday, March 27th
Koyasan (Mount Koya)

Koyasan is one large seminary of Shingon Buddhism that has kept its lanterns burning since its founding in 816. At 3,200 feet elevation it is in snow during the winter, and we still saw traces in the shade. Kobodiashi sailed to China at the age of 31 in 804. He studied Tantric Buddhism there and returned in 806 to Japan. He taught Shingon ? True word- sect Buddhism till he founded his retreat at Koyasan. Legend has it that he entered Okunoin cave at age 62 to begin ?eternal meditation. Some believe that he is still meditating there today. hm. Traditions are still carried on by 117 sub-temples including 53 shukubo, temples that provide lodging and dining to tourists and pilgrims. Sylvia was game to try staying at one of these. I was so excited because this was one of the things i really wanted to do before i left Japan. We stayed at Rengejoin because it has a couple of priests who speak a bit of English. Our temple featured ancient looking wall paintings and traditional shoji, paper doors. They had an enclosed Japanese garden that will look even better in a few weeks when things start sprouting and blooming. We slept on futon on tatami. Our dinner was a special Buddhist vegetarian cuisine called shojinryori and was surprisingly delicious. It is skillfully cooked without any use of meat, fish, onions, or garlic. Some of the delicacies are tempura, aghe, Koya tofu, Goma (sesame)-tofu, Miso soup, sweet and sour seaweeds in vinegar, and wild potatoes. We did a 40-minute meditation before dinner. At 6:30am, for those who were interested, there was chanting and a lecture in Japanese and English. This was very popular with standing room only on the morning we attended. The lecture was really far-out. The priest presented these ?scientific photos? of ice crystals formed from drops of water that had been either positively or negatively meditated on in some way. Of course the ?good karma? water had gorgeous crystals and the ?bad vibe? water had really ugly unnatural crystals. His conclusion was that since the human body is mostly water that we should send out ?positive vibes? to all. Well, duh.

Considering this is the off-season we were surprised to see at least 30 or 40 people staying at just this one temple on a Sunday evening. We ate dinner and breakfast with an interesting couple from Singapore. She was Chinese and he was Italian. There was a group from Israel and a Japanese group as well. This experience isn?t cheap, but i think it was worth every penny. Lodging and two meals was about $100, actually very reasonable in Japan.

This was the second visit for me to Koyasan but i still didn?t get to explore it all. The first time because we ran out of time after hiking with the Kansai Ramblers all day to get there. This time the weather was cold and rainy and just wasn?t conducive to strolling under cedars viewing centuries old tombs. We did get some cool pictures but retreated quickly to a warm restaurant for some okonomiyaki.

Welcome to KOYASAN