Hiking @ Minoo no taki
Mood:  bright
I went hiking at Minoo to the waterfalls with another wonderful family: Yoshie, her daughter, Miki, and her husband, Takemura-san. The new Japanese maple leaves were glowing light green in the sun. It's a marvelous thing to see leaves that are just unfolding - so clean and fresh. The chlorophyll hasn't done its thing yet, and so the leaves are almost yellow turning into green. We had a yummy lunch prepared by Yoshie. Sitting on rocks next to the creek in the shade we enjoyed the view, which included the appearance of a harmless looking monkey who sat staring off into nowhere land for quite a while. I took a few camera shots of him while he posed aloof up on a road above us in the shade. Slowly, as we ate, he managed to move closer and closer. Before we knew it there silently appeared a second monkey. Then, before we knew it, they both were meandering towards us still rather "uninterested" it seemed to me, when all of a sudden Miki had a monkey hanging off her back! Dad kicked it off her while we all tried to stash our food as quickly as possible into our packs. While we were struggling with food scattered all over, i discovered that one of the monkeys was at my back and another in front of me. Thanks to Takemura-san who positioned himself back to back with me, we were able to gently kick (and maybe not so gently drop-kick) them away. This is an experience that i don't care to repeat.

Today's hike was an easy stroll with food stands and beer stops along the way. Kids were playing in the stream. It was a comfortable day. Not so hot and definitely not too cold. The waterfall was magnificent. An amazing new phenomenon for me is that I seem to attract "older" gentlemen lately. Maybe it's my gray hair, i don't know. A cheerful interesting "young man" of 83 caught up to our group and began talking to me in some pretty broken English. His enthusiasm was genuine and contagious. We ended up hiking back down with him to the train station with a stop for coffee along the way. He called himself an amateur photographer but when he opened his case and pulled out a German made Leika and a rather impressive assortment of lenses, he looked rather professional to me. He gave us all some tips in how to frame pictures and helped Miki, Yoshie, and i do some shots with our digital cameras. What an inspiration to be hiking these trails carrying a fairly heavy pack at 83. He says that staying challenged and always learning is his secret to long life and health. I believe him. What a blessing it is to discover such a gem on the trail! The Takemura's were so gracious to share a day of their Golden Week with me. What a pleasure and a gift.


Sunday, May 2nd
Bloomsday

Frankie and i just HAD to run Bloomsday this morning. We took off from our apartment and ran to the Shukugawa and down to the ocean and back again. We visualized every mile along the way as if we were actually in Spokane. Frankie's Mom followed us on a bike. Gorgeous, warm day. Typical Bloomsday weather. Came back and had hearty whole wheat pancakes with fresh pineapple, yogurt and maple syrup with Frankie and her Mom. Back at my apartment there was still something missing so i called my girlfriend, Margaret. Margaret and Terry have had a Bloomsday party after the race every year for the last few years and i was missing the after-race glow of visiting with friends all dressed in our new Bloomsday t-shirts. Surprise, surprise, Margaret was having a PRE-Bloomsday-carbo-loading party and so i got to visit with her and her husband, Terry, and my "Ex" who was the last to leave the party! What a surprise. Now the day's complete. Well, except that i didn't get a t-shirt this year, but I feel like I finally finished first this year (about 17 hours early!) Sylvia sent me a description of the t-shirt later - she says it's my virtual Bloomsday t-shirt.

False Alarm
Mood:  on fire
Floaters caused concern but i'm a-ok. I've been experiencing drifting shadows in my vision for a few days. They call them "floaters" in the states, but i like the Japanese term "flying flies" better. This has been very distracting. It's difficult to read when every time you blink there is a "fly floating" in front of the words. I catch myself ducking quite often because it feels like there really is a fly flying towards my eye. The eye doctor is a woman who speaks English well. She was very thorough, and i've been warned to watch out. These floaters can be a sign of a detached retina but everything is alright for the moment. Whew.
Eye exam cost 2,500 yen (about $25.) 　Not bad.

Groceries today included:
$1.00 for 6 cherry tomatoes.
$3.50 for a wonderful fresh pineapple
$4.50 for a small basket of strawberries (about 24 berries).

Hikingu
Thursday is a holiday.

Didik, Masao and i go hiking up Achiyayama. wow.
We met at the train station in Ashiya, Hankyu line, and walked a very short way up hill past gorgeous, expensive homes. I would love to see the view from some of those windows and also take a stroll in the lovely gardens. We noticed BMW's and other fancy cars driving by while we hiked. Ah, for only a moment to dream of being so rich! Onwards and upwards to a hiking trail that very soon turned into a scramble over rocks which kept getting bigger and bigger. Before I knew it we were facing an outcropping that, had it been just me, i would have turned around and said, "No way." Well, actually, in fact i think that's exactly what i said, but Masa and Didik were very reassuring. While they were talking me into this craziness two young women scrambled up those rocks without any hesitation. I couldn't back down after that. I did have a small panicked thought half the way up this first challenge that if i had to get back down this way i would surely fall to my death. Masa assured me that there was an easier way down. Good grief, then why are we climbing this way? There were quite a few moments of my stomach doing flip flops. Wondering how i would explain to my family and friends when i ended up with all the bones in my body broken after a fall off one of these rocks but the beat goes on. It got worse, and i found myself hanging onto a rope a few times to get up and down some very "hairy" parts of this hike. Lounging on a gigantic bolder at lunch was a thrill. A 360 degree view made it all worth while. The hike down was amazing. My feet gained more confidence. I still clung to the rocks but not quite so tense. This was easy for these two twenty-something guys, but for me it was the most difficult hike i've ever been on. It's a great feeling to push yourself a little beyond your comfort zone. I came back in one piece feeling a bit sore in legs and arms but a little bit stronger and more confident thanks to my two encouraging hiking buddies.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

Welcoming Party 2
Mood:  a-ok
Just got back from a 2nd "Welcoming Party" with the Kobu junior high English teachers.
We went to a really nice Japanese steak house tonight. It is much more than just steak. I had shredded jelly fish, raw beef, giant prawns, grilled tofu, shitake mushrooms, onions and giant garlic cloves, a broth with different types of mushrooms and small shrimp and fish steamed in it, fish cooked with an egg batter over it, and I won't even go into the stuff we ate AFTER the dinner while enjoying karaoke. Oh, and did I mention beer and wine? Oh, and I had a 1/2 hour bicycle ride to get back home.

Nighty, night.

Stormy weather
Mood:  not sure
The azaleas were gone in a flash.
The rhodies and dogwood blossoms and we are getting pummeled by torrential rains and pounding winds.
The first rosebuds of the season are tentatively peaking out through the rain drops.
We are getting a taste of the rainy season to come, and we look forward to it with trepidation.

Dental Checkup
Mood:  a-ok
I wonder what it would cost in the U.S. I am covered under the national health care program in Japan while I'm here. The trip to the dentist yesterday consisted of a check up including a full x-ray of my teeth and a lesson on how to brush and use a special appliance to keep my gum disease under control. I was given a full explanation of how important it is to follow the instructions including full color pictures of examples of gum disease. My teeth were gently and thoroughly cleaned and a small cavity was filled all in the space of one hour. The cost - 3,500 yen - which included the specialized appliance and enough brushes to last me 6 months. That's about $32 US.

My first doctor visit cost about $30 also. This doctor did full blood work on me and reported my cholesterol etc. as well as prescribe some medicine for a stomache ailment that i couldn't shake (must have been something i ate!)

Why can't we, in the U.S. have full health care for our people? We're rich enough to build bombs and fight other people's wars but not rich enough to take care of our own. Sad.

Wonderful weekend
Mood:  energetic
Now Playing: Good day sunshine
It's a weekend and the sun is shining. The typhoon strength winds have ceased and I have nothing to do. yahoo.

So that's why I'm so tired!
Mood:  d'oh
Just finished my second of 12 Japanese language classes this evening. I made an incredible discovery. In conversation practice it came up that the "kids" half my age are getting 1-2 hours extra sleep a night than i am. Oh, my gosh. I try to sleep longer but there just isn't enough time in the day. ah, well. Oyasumi nasai. (nighty, night) I guess i'll go to bed now.

Just rolled over 1,500 miles on my bike odometer. That's miles logged since August, 2003. Not bad, eh?

Personal Introductions
Mood:  quizzical
So confusing sometimes.
I guess like in the U.S. every teacher is different.

Picture yourself presenting a self-introduction lesson for 9 times in a row to the same level of students. There are 10 sections of 3rd graders at Kobu - that's 9th in US. On the last - 10th time - you've got it down to a science and you can do the lesson in your sleep and end it exactly when the bell rings. Now picture doing this for the last time with your Japanese language teacher observing and watching you as you keep checking the clock to make sure that you have time for the whole lesson when suddenly the bell rings for the end of class 10 minutes ahead of time. A blank stare and "Oh, we are on a shortened schedule today." Is the only explanation you get. No "sorry" or "Oops, I forgot to tell you that there was a change today." The Japanese teacher just gathers her things up and leaves you there. You feel like an idiot left on second base with no time left on the clock. I take a deep breath and chant my Japanese mantra, "Don't take it personally," over and over again. Quien sabe.

Now picture yourself doing introductions in the 1st graders class. This Japanese teacher gives me time to do a personal "Hi, my name is______" with every single student (that's 4 sections of about 35-40 kids each) i get to look each student in the eye and have her/him tell me her/his name and then get a personal handshake. Nice!

And picture yourself with the 2nd graders - that's 8th grade in the US - hearing each student get up and introduce themselves to you in the front of the class even before you introduce yourself to them. By 2nd grade they can tell you their name, how old they are and what club they are in and what their favorite hobby is. Most are very happy to tell you in fairly good English that they like sports.... and don't like English! ha ha (only a few say that!)

And then the 3rd graders ... they have been working diligently on their introductions. You've seen their papers with not only the sentences written out but a picture of themselves carefully drawn by each student. You are scheduled in their class but they just turn in the paper to the teacher and the lesson starts in the book. A bit confused, you ask the teacher the next day if the kids are going to do their introductions. Answer: "Why, yes, but you aren't going to hear them." Hm. "Don't take it personally, don't take it personally."

Shorts and t-shirt weather
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Why can't this last forever?
My first day of the season running in shorts and a t-shirt.
Sakura and tsutsuji, cherry blossoms and azaleas, everywhere.
It's a flower blizzard, hana fubuki, as they say here. It's "snowing" cherry blossoms. Absolutely incredible.

I BOUGHT A BIKE FRIDAY. Yippee. It's being custom made in Eugene, Oregon. If you decide to buy one, please tell them I sent you.

I'm off to meet Miwa, Miki, Tomoko and Akemi, my Japanese girlfriends for another lunch under the cherry trees. yahoo, yippee, hooray.