Internet-less

It is rather freeing. Though I feel restricted because I cant check simple train times from home, I am forced to be as productive as I can be. Pain in the butt, but it hurts so good. That was awkward... so it goes.

Laundry list of events/ happenings from around here:

October 11- Hike with Hirata-san at Kuju! It was awesome and we bagged some peaks that neither one of us had previously done. Great views of Neko-dake and Taka- dake (Aso, Kumamoto) to the south and Yufu-dake (Yufuin, Oita) to the north.

October 17- Diwali Celebration (Indian Chanukah?) at Praju's. Fabulous food and fun presents.
October 18- Country Gold- YET AGAIN! My third year running. Just a good time as usual. I love country music.

October 22-23 Tokyo PA Conference. No time to play but enjoyed fabulous sushi in the Japanese capital!
October 24th- Cosmos flower viewing with Fumie

October 31st- went to Nagasaki to participate on...
November 1st- Kyushu regional Kimono Competition. I didn't place in the top three (of the 10 foreigners in the foreigner competition) so I am not eligible for the next round in Tokyo in April. But the experience was awesome and there are so many pictures of me in Kimono that its really not funny. I am happy to share them though ;)

November 8th- Hike with Hirata to Hiko-san. We missed the Kouyou 紅葉 but it was a great day to be outside.

November 15th- Easy weekend at home, went to Komyozenji 光明禅寺 (zen Garden near my house) to see the leaves.

November 21-23- Oita Zen retreat. Sat on my butt for three days. I never thought that that would be so hard, but it was! Amazing, in short.

November 28- Tacos in Kurume at Jamie's.
November 29- Fake Hike with Sawako. Houman-zan turned into a troll around Dazaifu looking at the amazing 紅葉。 We went to 太宰府 temple, 竃門 temple, and back to 光明禅寺。 Great pictures.

This weekend I hope to see a soccer game and the next weekend I hope to celebrate Chanukah with anyone who wants to get together!

Eventually, December 25~ Jan 3, I have plans to go to Nagano (home of the 1998 Winter Olympics) to ride the fresh powder of the Japanese Alps. 本当に白馬村で一週間ぐらいスノーボーを頑張っています。

Catch you on the flip side.

Peace.

Stuck somewhere between "I'm too busy" and "Be Patient"

one chance

this is the only opportunity that I got!

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment, you better own it.

And with that being said, I will merely comment on the emptiness I feel. An empty heart and a slowly emptying mind... and soon it will be all empty.. or close to it.

It is an end of a life I once knew (and still laugh about from time to time!) But one end is the beginning of something new. This is a very weird feeling.

I blacked out for the last 10 years (nearly exactly) and I am a bit lost. And this is good, but it is pretty scary too... confusing and new.

Weird and still emptying out... until... well, until its time to share and fill it up again.

Peace

Don't leave anything behind...

Not one single thing.

Because once you leave the island, you can never go back.

long time no blog

So, I have written a ton of things in my head and none of it has made it to this blog. Last I wrote, I don’t even remember (explained later). But it was before I moved, before Orientation for new Fukuoka JETs, before California, before I got into the madness of my new life here.

I don’t have internet in my apartment. I went to get it set up, but patiently avoided signing-up because I wanted to take my time. Then, I went back, with the necessary stuff… but I didn’t have a day-off during the week during which the company could come out and “check” my apartment. To make sure that there gear is compatible with my set-up. Funny note is that it only takes 10 minutes for this check. Follow-up funny note is that the guy who lived in my apartment before me had the same company for 18 months. To me, the details explain the silliness of the situation, but formalities are formalities… and that is the Japanese way and that is ok… and that is ok with me!

So, instead of walking out of Yamada Denki with the internet set-up, I smiled as I walked down the stairs… internet-less. I am going to give it a shot. One year without the internet. If it gets too painful or I am too disconnected, then I will sign-up with an expensive plan that requires no check or any major issues. But, I think I can do it. I can use my friend’s account from time to time, but I can take the time at home to think about what I am going to say, say it, save it, change it, edit and perfect it… so by the time I get to work, I can simply press send. I have wasted a lot of precious time surfing/researching/putzing but my time is up. I have been a lot more intense and present without it. It means no Skype… unless I get a special time that my friends’ give me. But, it is the way that I have to do for now.

Please excuse the lack of blogs… I am writing and thinking and moving and moving and traveling and moving and going, but I am focused on living here and now, instead of into the machine for the future and the later. No more dwelling about the past by finding out about friends or deals that I missed on flights. Only responding to what I have right now. This post totally went the wrong way… per usual!

My new life is kicking ass. Mine and everything else around here. I love my new job. I love the intense environment. Deadlines, priorities, thinking weeks in advance. It is pretty fun. A lot of preparation and work and no one will ever know how much I did to make meetings, presentations, events happen. And… I don’t care. Because I have to be onto the next project. There isn’t any time for me to earn the credit that I am used to hearing… I am too busy for that. At times it seems empty that I am working so hard and no one sees it. But it’s ok… (I can praise myself on my blog!)… But it’s completely new to me. To work and work and go and go and spend each second perfecting the projects that won’t even happen until I am two projects past. Case in point:

“David, I think your meeting on Monday will be fun. Are you ready for it?”
“Meeting? What meeti…? Oh yeah, that one. Yeah it was great.”
“It hasn’t even happened yet, what are you talking about?”
“Oh, I planned it already, so it will happen and that will be that. I have to figure out the logistics of the November seminar…”

Something like that, from yesterday. I do care how things are in the moment… but I am going with the approach that if everything is planned to perfection ahead of time, then the day-of stuff just goes with the flow. Any issues that do arise can be handled to perfection also because there is the time and energy to deal with them. This time of writing is the day before the said meeting, but I am not worried about the meeting until the meeting starts. This blog post may change based on what happens though!

My apartment was rather full when I moved in. After back and forth, my predecessor left the apartment as he had it, simply without his stuff. I cannot judge another man’s lifestyle choices. I just know that I have different choices than he had. And, with the last two weekends organizing and cleaning and organizing and cleaning and cleaning and throwing things out… I am steps away from the perfect apartment. I tied up pieces of the Bowflex and threw them over my balcony. Those were damn heavy. But that sofa was a wild project… Ripping off the foot was a great feeling, eventually jammed through the sliding door and the final thrust over the balcony was a heavy, dirty, cumbersome weight being heaved off my shoulders- but that is all literally, right?!

I have some work to do and I have to wait until the next Thursday to get rid of the non-combustible trash… but the tatami guys will be here next week too and perhaps they can fix the floor in the one room. I reckon it will take a while for them to plan a time to come and fix it all… but maybe after the three month mark; all of this will be tidied up. And in perfect time for the middle of the fall, when things are getting cold. And I will be spending more time indoors… and it will be a haven of peace and comfort that I have had before.

So far I have had 14 days in a row of greatness. And I have been home for 14 of those days. And when I naturally roll “home” off my tongue and it refers to Japan, I know I have been here too long…

As I get stoked for another hard week at work, I am counting down the days until Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. A time for spiritual renewal. All of this is coming together at the same time for me and I can’t help but think this is not coincidence.

And on a physical note, this means Kobe city for a day, then back to Kurume to see some students at their Sports Festival in the morning, followed by an afternoon in Kurume at a friend’s wedding and a three-day excursion to hike in Kirishima. One day teaching the cops about English and then a day to catch up on the work that piles up whenever I’m not looking. And… lo and behold another weekend.

As I have to plan my days, weeks in advance, I have to write this blog anticipating that I won’t have the ability to post again in the near future. I reckon the details and even logistics will change, but I have to keep at it- slowly and patiently- otherwise there won’t be anything at all.

L’shana Tova… may we all be blessed and happy and strong this year.

Starting again...

Non-stop... new job, new folks, new apartment.

I am relatively destroyed... and I am about to go to bed at 9pm... instead of the recent midnight... and i bank on sleeping past 7am for the first time in a week! You don't have to feel bad for me... I am just trying to elicit some sympathy. In fact, this madness is what I thrive on! Since its summer, I have more energy to do this. In winter, however, I am gonna slow it way down... yeah.

Related to me by a friend

I happened upon a friend on a train and we shared a couple of laughs. Then, he informed me of his urgent need to use the toilet, which he had forgone in efforts to catch the very train we were on. I suggested he go to the 6th floor (why not?) of a department store adjacent to the train station where we would be exiting. The following is the text message that I received 8 minutes after we parted ways at the station.

"I get to Solaria......there is no 6th floor. i go to the bathroom on the 3rd. full. go to the 4th... empty! its a squatter. fuck! go to the 5th. empty! western style! a fist pump is done. sit. instant bomb! yes.... no tp... ahh fuck! frantically search. find a backup roll lodged up the dispenser. finally! longest 5 min of my life."

I assume it took 3 minutes to write this... and thus, 5 + 3 = 8 minutes.

And now that it's saved onto my blog, I can erase this funny message from my phone!

O

I blacked out two years ago... and I finally came to after a long dream of amazing-ness (seemingly lasting for one year) and then a nightmare (seemingly lasting for a year also). So many cliche JETs have said the same thing I am about to write. I will definitely laugh at myself and allow Wendy and whoever else chooses, to call me on my own pride and ego... because I said I would never say it and mean it. I even made fun of a friend of mine who has this phrase on his blog... I'll never know if Allison meant it when she cut it out and put it on my door before she left last year.

After everything that I dreamed happened over the past two years, I awake in an office, with only one week left in my current "life."

I don't know what these words actually mean, but they seem to encapsulate my feelings right now:

Everything has come full circle.

Day 6 in Solitary Confinement

post #201...

"There must be some kind of way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I cant get no relief"

But, "The first night's the toughest, no doubt about it. They march you in naked as the day you were born, skin burning and half blind from that delousing shit they throw on you, and when they put you in that cell... and those bars slam home... that's when you know it's for real. A whole life blown away in the blink of an eye. Nothing left but all the time in the world to think about it."

Do I feel rehabilitated?
"Rehabilitated? It's just a bullshit word. So you go on and stamp your form, sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit."

And, after only six days, my prison feels like home.
"These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized."

But
"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."

Day 5 in Solitary Confinement

Trying times call for trying measures. When the human being is placed under stress it acts in ways that preserve its health... and it is also at these times that it is at its most vulnerable.

Guantanamo torture, Bourne Ultimatim-esque brainwashing, solitary confinement, 1984-like labotomy.

When the prisoner is entirely reprogrammed and changed.

I have been here for the longest five days ever and I am at ends with myself. So much time to pace and think and circle and talk to myself and think about it and pack and think and circle and think.

I was in the cell with another prisoner today though. We shared the same space for half of the day- the guards turned a blind eye as we babbled on and on for hours. With a small bribe, we managed to acquire some pretty good burgers also! My mind was twisted amidst discussions with this other prisoner. I tried to keep him on his toes and at the end of our time I felt secure in my insecurity. Maybe the Gestapo planted him and arranged this "lucky" meeting so that they could use him as a vector for their message. I don't need to analyze it: in short, I blacked out and got a burger out of the whole thing, so that was pretty productive.

I managed to be completely honest with myself... and I let some of the other prisoners in on the honesty. It was not easy to do, but the past is done. I can only move forward with the future- one day at a time- being honest and open. I had been hiding in my cell for far too long and hiding from my smile too. Unacceptable. So that is in the process of changing. It may not be a pleasant transition from here on out, but at least it will be free.

And speaking of free.... One more day to go...

Day 4 in Solitary Confinement

Had a slow morning... on three hours sleep. The cage is getting more comfortable so I spent the late hours of the night making it look like I want. Whether or not the things moved around I don;t know, but my mind was going in circles trying to see the cell exactly how it was supposed to be. I was furious with another prisoner and that got me motivated too. The jail's priest gave me a couple minutes to vent my mind and I am not even a Catholic. He helped me see that I can't live in jail if I can't keep a focus on my life. (But the next step, I thought about afterwards) I can't win games with the guards if I am playing their game by their rules. So, I should focus on the games that I enjoy playing... and not trying to be the best at something I don't even like. It's like competitively playing one-on-one basketball with Kobe... I won't win. So, it's better to watch him play at his level; and to play on Wednesday nights with my basketball club.

Due to the heat, there was prisoner Popsicle and pool period in the afternoon. And we did exactly that! Of course, I was separated from the others, but it was so nice to sit back in that small, cool pool... that small plastic ring into which I submerged myself. And my knees got some sun also. I had a 20 minute argument/ negotiation/ discussion/ reconciliation with one of the Japanese guards. She didn't like where I parked my bike and I gave her a piece of mind about the placement of the guard vehicles also. We figured it out, but it was an intense showdown of East and West... almost like Bloods and Crips.

On so little sleep I am surprised to have made it this far. Maybe I am beginning to lose it. No, I must have it together... I mean I am still writing about being here... Rumor has it that there are only two more days left on my sentence, which, is, if you will recall, being in the wrong place at the wrong time and subjected to the last worldwide pandemic with a squeamishly high risk of coughing and premature pink-tail-sprouting-syndrome. It's an interesting life, the pariah life...

Boo.

Day 3 in Solitary Confinement

Woke up and took care of business- washed my utensils and tidied up the living quarters. Still haven't showered, maybe they will allow me to do that soon. Perhaps I can bribe the guard tomorrow with some of the American candy that one of my visitors smuggled in. There was no file in the croquettes, but I was happy to have fried goodness in my belly. I managed to pass some notes to other prisoners, as I found a pen wedged into the futon on which I slept. I wrote on some cloth and sent it out into the yard as they waited. Fortunately, the others have the ability to get out of their cells everyday for a little bit. I will get some responses from them I reckon.

I am allowed to leave the cell and go outside it seems. But I am not allowed to make contact too closely with others. I tried to hand off some compost today and I got zapped by a taizer. So, touching is out of the question... but putting down packages and picking them up seems to be fine so long as others are no where near. I am sure that the guards search the packages for paraphernalia but so far I am happy with the juices, foods and goodies I've been gifted.

My quarters are getting arranged. It is hard to organize years worth of prisoners' belongings, but slowly I am managing to separate the vital from the irrelevant. More work over the next day. I heard of a prisoner trip to the beach, but I don't think I have "done" enough time to be allowed out of the general vicinity. The humidity is still killing me, but I stay cool with the random bits of colored sugar ice sticks that are thrown to me. While I was on my alone yard time, the head guard left some ice cream for me... what a treat! I got out for a couple of well-needed hours and I was allowed to cycle around the vicinity (under close watch). The ice cream wasn't melted when I finally got it so that was fortunate.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Away from the creative for a second. I have two very direct things to say.

I love my mother. She is so incredible that my words are futile in their attempt to say how wonderful she is.

When one forgets about his true core, it is vital to have a way to be able to see it again. For, it is this true core that is my essence, my being, and it is the "pointer" to the way of my life.

Day 2 in Solitary Confinement

Woke up in time for the guard check. Managed to put some rags in front of the window to try to keep out the early morning light and fell back asleep. Woke up very hot, they must have turned off the air- damn humid too. I pleaded for some air and at about 11 I arose from mid-morning slumber without too much sweat seeping from my pores. I decided to make the best of a bad situation and sat in meditation. I don't know why I did it, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

The guard called with an update and reminded me to wash my hands... my cell has its own facilities, but rather primitive ones. I helped myself to some leftover food on my tray and proceeded to communicate with the other prisoners. Some of this was through simple messages... tapping away... almost like a text messaging. I spent some time looking out the window after that. I was so focused on being outside it almost seemed that I was flying around outside- like on a bicycle around the neighborhood with the breeze rushing through my hair...

The guard must have felt sorry for me because when I came to, there was a bag of Mos Burger waiting in the front of my cell. Was that all a dream that I was outside of my cell? I couldn't take the time to think about it because my hunger took over and I devoured the two tiny fried chicken burgers.

In my dreaming I focused on a seemingly-real guards' conversation... it was about moving cells. I thought they were talking about me, so I started to put together my few belongings. I made piles of necessary and unnecessary things. When the time comes to move, if indeed this dream-conversation holds true, I will be in haste to leave and I have to know where the most important items are. So, tomorrow, barring any abrupt beatings or interrogations, I will get the piles more organized with the exit strategy clear in mind.

I communicated with a couple of more prisoners... i wonder if the guards know that we are managing to chat. Despite the confinement, it seems pretty lax. I won't say a word, because then they'll come in with the chains again... and that was altogether unnecessary. I said I would be a good boy, after all.

Day 1 in Solitary Confinement

I woke up late and spoke to the Gestapo in the morning. They said to stay put and they'd tell me more later. So, I took the opportunity to understand my cell. You know, look around, see if there were any marks of those who had been here before me. Learn the corners and feel the walls. They gave me some windows, so I managed to look outside from time to time, but a rain storm came and forced me to close all of the windows because water was pouring in. It soaked my bedding, so I reckon I'll have to sleep on the floor. Jail is not so bad, but I have to get used to the forced loneliness.

I got some visitors and we spoke though a computerized machine. I saw some friendly faces and heard a couple of familiar voices, but it is not the same as the human contact that I am so used to. I was even given Internet access (because I am a special guest?) so I could chat with other prisoners during the day- the privileged ones of course. One of the guards took a bribe and allowed a friend to leave a present outside the door. In the package I found a box of OJ, some sushi and other fried goodness. I hope that when I bite into the potato croquet I find some tool like a file- I hope to spend the time chiseling away at the concrete walls. Maybe a small rock pick-- and get out through the sewer system, like he does in Shawshank Redemption. Though he wasn't in solitary. Then again, no one is sodomizing or raping me. Perhaps with some hard work, maybe I can find an escape from this cell.

I was told that I can't join the party that was 50% planned for me. I can't return to the places I love because I am a danger. So I was told. I think I am OK, but the Gestapo has set the boundaries... in solitary... my cell is clearly affected by the blazing humid, heat... but Internet use is OK. Psychological control over the prisoner... I think this is an important way to ensure that I don't escape despite my likeliness to do so. The Gestapo is pretty clever.

Lots of time to think and pace the cell, so maybe I'll come up with a workout regiment that I can do... and maybe I'll see if I can barter with the guards...

Day 1. Not over, but this post is. hehehee.
----
A creative approach, don't you think? Any feedback?
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Infected by proximity

I "have" pig flu. I spoke to someone who may or may not have it. Solution: Keep me out of school for a week. Not a big deal unless it is the last classes I will ever have.

No goodbye speeches, no farewell and fun classes, no goodbye parties.

That news-created sickness paranoia was over months ago... but yet I get fucked by media nonsense. Great. Sweet. About as cool as SARS... or, as I coin this: It's about as rad as Swine flu.

Chalk one up for stupid American news media.

At least, I don't have to cry in public. Consider me quarantined.

普通の、 Futtsu

In the middle! Average, ordinary! Amazing. In a 24-hour time span, I was able to feel emotion and let it pass... while acknowledging it and continuing to live. Weird. But, recognizing the emotions, identifying them, saying hello to them, really worked. I have to still practice, but it's a sign of progress that I can even recognize that I was able to see what happened.

In essence, I treated people I cared for with the same attention that I treated with the people who I dislike. I treated them on the same level as folks who I haven't ever met... They were all equal in my eyes in the moment during which we interacted. And, I was curious about them in the moment. Being there and listening and responding and "seeing." This is weird to write about. But it was a sense of clarity. And yes, you CAN begin a sentence with "but." I just feel bad that Jamie had to be around in my moment of clarity to listen while I tried to describe in words what happened. Difference is that you, the reader, are more confused because you can't see what I am saying, whereas my hand movements and gestures gave her a sense of what I was implying.

This damn near two years in Japan has really changed me. Rather, this time has been an opportunity to explore a part of me that has existed since birth. Weird.

Stronger

Kanye is the man.

"Whatever doesn't kill me, only makes me stronger."

Bye bye Myojo... It was a great last day, week... two years. A great community of hard-working, caring teachers and energetic, good-spirited kids. And they were all so nice to me. It was hard to say goodbye. But uplifting at the same time.

I have some pictures of the last days... but no energy to post them now.

And I still have to (yes, Wayne, "have to") post some fotos from my Oze overnight trek two weeks ago. I think I am going to fill an absence in my heart with conveyor belt sushi- that will hopefully fill my stomach.

New link... to the Fukuoka JET website. It is what I am a part of... so take a gander why dontchya?

eternal student

everyday i learn. recently I have been learning about myself. weird topic. feeling feelings; observing actions; yielding when my natural reaction is to go. A challenge and an interesting learning experience. Now that this cycle has started, I reckon that i will have the opportunity to learn everyday from here on out...

happy 4th of July! BBQ ova hea!

everyday is a challenge

i want to blog about my weekend of madness in/near Tokyo. But i have to vent out the frustration i feel. at nothing in particular but everything in general. I am really tired, haven't been sleeping much (too much sunlight is amazing... but apparently its too much) and the small things are beginning to bother me. The smile I had in Thailand is beginning to fade away.

I recognize how i feel... and that is really cool. For instance, I hit my head on the light coming into my building and paused for a moment. I felt myself get angry, I checked the anger by realizing and then yelled "fuck" as loud as I could anyways.... but there was an interesting time lapse... I have practice to do regarding this "feeling" my feelings.

It is a challenge to be tired, traveled-out, and hungry... and to still be patient and friendly and calm. I have to do some more practice for sure. But, as is said about icy, windy days on the slopes with no vis and minus 10 degree temps: Practicing in the hardest of conditions make the good conditions that much nicer. Everyday still continues to be an adventure, but it is now becoming a challenge to strive for patience and calm.

I think another part of my anxiety stems from the fact that I will be leaving a lot of students very soon. As soon as I was whisked into their lives two years ago, I will disappear from them. And as the days get closer, I dread having to cry in public... in Japanese and English. I know it will be hard, but knowing that still doesn't make the inevitable "goodbye" any easier. One Thursday in the not too far distant future, I will have to make a goodbye speech in front of 370 students and teachers at one school. That night there is a goodbye party with my office of 60 when I will make a similar speech. The next morning, I will have another farewell speech in front of 500. The numbers are probably wrong. But that I know at least 50% of the people by name makes it even harder to say goodbye...

It will be a challenge. And it is an important part of this teaching experience. To give it all to the students with as much energy as possible and let it all go; never knowing what kind of impact I have made on their lives. If I can say goodbye to 900 folks in the span of 27 hours, then I should chalk it up for being efficient. I don't know if I'll have enough tears, but it will be a challenge to create more.

Letting the entire life go... the apartment, the job, the friends, the life.... and moving into a different one... it is so free-ing.... and so scary. I used to do it all the time but I am a bit out of shape nowadays. And it will be a challenge... every day will be a challenge. Everyday is a challenge and an opportunity to be free... and to fly

NOT broken! Yes!@ ridiculous ramble

A dislocation... that's all! X-ray was negative! A purple toe, some awkward walking and a cancelled basketball practice and game later, I should be back in working order! Stoked on that! Yes! Exclamation point!

My original Japanese teacher, Hiroko-sensei, Jen's mom, bombarded me with Japanese in the month before I left to come here. That was over two years ago. I can remember clearly that I didn't understand much. She is visiting her parents in Nara now and she called me in the middle of her vacation to say hi. We spoke in Japanese damn near the entire time! From zero to conversational (despite some missed vocab... ok, a bunch of vocab) in two years.... DAMN. Nearly two years! Ahh.... this is the longest I've been in one place in ... ... ... ... well, since 2000-2. Damn. Feels like home... except that everything is still the exact opposite! Never gets old! Point is, before I lost track of the point, I think my Japanese is slowly improving, despite not having studied in three (gulp) months. I have been thinking about going to class again, but ... well, Mitsuo Aida says it best, "I'll do it later; I'll do it later; And while I sit here making excuses; the sun goes down." Today was the longest day of the year. For the next six months the days will be getting shorter. Albeit slowly, but I need it to slow down because getting up at 4:30am on Friday was ridiculous. Up with the sun is a hard lifestyle... but it hasn't been much of a choice. Blah blah blah! Awesome! Ramble ramble and ramble.

I am at a loss right now. I am loving life for the most part and excited to give it my all each day, except for that small irritation on Thursday at school when I wasted the day as a way of getting at the lazy fucker who wouldn't plan a class despite my planning the last dozen classes. Easier for him to cancel them than to plan something. Bottom line: students didn't get to have fun in class... and I didn't get to putz around with them. Pride got in the way and my innate sense of justice got the upper hand... at the kids and (lo and behold) my expense. I am practicing with the ego, but it is a challenge. If it were easy then it probably wouldn't be worth doing.

One a bitch note: I planned my trip to California and cut it short three days to make a meeting that was scheduled. So be it. Another committee member just planned a vacation- he asked to miss the last meeting so that he could stay longer. While I made a personal sacrifice for the group, he willingly and selfishly disregarded the group to get his rocks off. And, as I practice with the ego, I will smile at him and accept my feelings of irritation and see if I can let them dissipate into the energy field from which they came.

And I will be in California from August 8-25. I arrive at LAX and I reckon that Wayne and Reut are taking me to dinner. Whether or not this is true, I have no idea. But the 9th is Nick's Wedding in San Juan and then I have a couple of days to spend in San Diego. I believe the best bet is to get back to Irvine mid-week to prepare for the backpacking trip and to get all of my personal shopping done (for ANOTHER year on the island)... and suits fitted, etc. Week in the woods and a couple of days to pack up and beach up in OC. Its gonna go quick and I wont be able to see everyone. But i don't care. Selfish-sounding... I don't have a car, nor do I want to drive one all that much. Moreover, I am not that important... I have "left" my friends and been out of town (read: traveling the world) since... well, 2000? So, I may feel pangs of guilt... but I am basically going to the beach and eating Mexican food when possible. throw in the backpacking trip and the necessary shopping (and tie-raiding from Dad's closet--- hehehe) and that is the vacation for which I am leaving in another six weeks! Going to California with an aching in my heart, indeed! Oh, and I am walking with Charlie every day that I can physically make it up that hill! And him too!

Rambling.... fuck. serves me right for listening to DJ Tiesto at night... its like my own personal rave party except I have taken a break from dancing (which I certainly was doing) to dance with my fingers on the keyboard. Blah!

Camping this weekend was fun. I ran the grill last night... and fed a bunch of hungry drunk! And made the rotations... and took no prisoners and ... OWNED the grill. Fortunately I didn't have to prepare anything, I just got to cook and entertain when the drinking games had any lulls... which were few and far between. Thanks Baltzfag... Hey, "Phruck you!"

And I learned about an important technique that has changed my humor forever... It is called the "Dutch Rudder." If you know it, then you know it... and if you don't, then I will be happy to show you! Throw in a "Swiss Zipper" and an "iDutch" ... and you got yourself a ridiculous weekend indeed! I have to teach kids tomorrow! Ha!

fixen and broked

My thumb still hasnt healed completely... but with some effort and rehab I will eventually get there. Good thing is that I accidentally kicked my basketball shoe (that was drying) this morning and broke my toe! No professional opinion needed per se... the purple and augmented digit reminds me of what my thumb looked like in February. The best way to fix something is to break something else, no? Clutz!

Shame I didnt get a chance to watch it...

I had to give an introduction speech for my new job today, in front of over a 100 people. And, as I was handing the mike back to the MC, I pulled it back and asked... "Anyone got an update on the Laker game? how'd we do?" I got some grumbles and then heard something like "... -86" I reckoned they did it. I did a fist pump and then took my seat again.

Formalities aside... Nice Lakers... I am so happy for them and with my association with that team... its hard to describe, but watching your team win can really be a personal thing sometimes... for me it was yet another reconciliation of a truth that I had been waiting to see. Nice work guys! Playing basketball as a TEAM!

a long week

it was a long week that never ended... many weekend day-trips that flowed into school weeks. I dont think I had relaxed since Thailand　タイ... and eventually I fell asleep at elementary school 小学校　during lunch time. It was a short 15-min nap, but a sign that I was running out of steam　汽. Genki 元気三年生third graders usually fire me up, but this time they wore me completely out. Maybe I am checked out a little bit too, because this job is winding down and a new job begins in a little over a month...

At any rate, I did nothing this weekend. It was a clear calendar sort of weekend that got filled up, but with low-energy activity. I was present in each moment, but the ability to rest weaved its way into a large portion of the time I enjoyed.

Met some teachers for Yakitori 焼き鳥on Fri night金曜日夜. Greg introduced me to Djembe on Sat and we made noise in a park. Hitomi and I went to Waka 和華　and saw the fireflies ホタルin Joyo 上陽町machi that nite. Da solo, I went to Pisolino for Tabehodai (all-you-can-eat) Italian goodness today. And that about sums it up. I am rather stuffed.

Here are two pictures of a garden 畑　that was created two weekends ago. Steve, from who I will take the reigns as Prefectural Advisor, and I took Yamato's seedlings/plants, structured some rows and organized an amazing plot of space. I hope that it will take form in the next month and a half, as I will then be able to take care of it a little bit more (after I move in, over there!)

(Steve and I pose next to the Daizu　大豆- edamame 枝豆plants, Foreground: lots of pretty flowers that Steve arranged [tulips, cosmos, others]

(Yeah I'm rocking an Angels hat. Reverse angle of the garden... Foreground: veggies like Daizu, green beans and onions玉ねぎ)

oops!

I almost forgot to smile today! Ha...

New post, dated June 3rd, about "Ecological Lifestyle"

Gym membership revoked

At 8:15pm tonight, I asked the front desk folks if it were ok if I could swim despite having a tattoo. They said no, but it might be ok if I were able to cover it up (in hindsight, a rashguard would do the trick). So, they would have to speak to the manager about it and then next time we could work it out. I went back to the locker room to change. Upon leaving at 8:26pm, I was informed that the manager had been consulted and that my membership was being revoked. One of the rules of the gym is that members cannot have a tattoo. I got my money back for two months, despite having attended for nearly an entire month. I insisted upon paying but I was politely rewarded back my payment.

エコ 生活、Ecological Lifestyle

After getting back from the tournament at 1am and having a hard week or work, gym (yes, I just joined one and it WAS awesome...) and miscellaneous engagements, commitments and obligations, I hit another weekend. Continuing the average 6 hours of sleep a night, I woke up with the sun on Saturday 土曜日to get the housework going… and then headed to the city at 9am. Bagels and books were bought by me (that is passive sentence structure) and I met folks at the Noko Ferry terminal 能古フェッリターミナルfor an afternoon on Nokonoshima with other JETs. I haven’t been to many of these events, but an all-afternoon outdoor BBQ at the beach sucks me in about 99% of the time.

The weather was cold 寒かったand cloudy曇り, but it was a lot of fun to hang out and kick a soccer ball around for some hours. Lots of BBQ’d goodies and an American football and we were in business. Left there at five pm to get back to Kurume 久留米by 7, but arrived 20 minutes late. So, from the train station Sawako 沢子and Naoko尚子 picked me up and we drove into the night (3 hours) to get to Amakusa天草. Sawako and I had kayaked there in April and made friends with various folks, including the owner of the guesthouse, who happens to be an organic farmer. We stopped by Keita’s awesome restaurant/bar for a Curry course and then arrived to Chez Nousチェヌー before midnight. Crashed for a bit and woke up early for the Sunday 日曜日adventure.

(Here is the field)

Taue田植え, or rice planting, is a very important part of Japanese culture日本文化. As it is THE staple food here, its production is very highly valued and respected (I can only assume based on how much it costs!) Well, it used to be at least… such is the way of all agriculture nowadays- folks have disregarded its importance. And most people probably will until there is no food available in the grocery store…

(Each sprout may turn into a rice-yielding plant)

We planted organic riceお米, by hand手で, in his rice field田. It was a muddy, wetぬれた, rad adventure. There were seven of us and it took damn near six hours 六時間to plant the area. I can’t gauge the size, but it wasn’t THAT big… and it certainly wasn’t too small either. We had a nice afternoon break 午後休みto eat onigiri おにぎり(rice balls) and pickles漬物… all organic stuff that had been produced by Tobase-san and his farm(s).
(getting down and dirty)

My experience planting rice… “ewww, this is soo slimy! Ahhh” Stepping into mud and water until my feet finally settled with the surface of the gooey rice field up to my lower knee. And pulling each leg slowly out of the sludge to replace it a little bit more forward every minute or so, in order to get to the next row, about 30 cm further along. It was slow and tedious to peel away one rice stem from the patch of turf that I held in one of my muddy hands.

(Representin!)

But each step of the process was a meditation: step in, slowly, right foot. Peel 1, plant 1、peel 2, plant 2, peel 3, plant 3, peel 4, plant 4, slowly out with the left and back in the sludge (breathing deeply) peel out one, two, three, four… back out with the right and step forward (mind the frog!) 1,2,3,4 and now move the left (keep your balance) 1,2,3,4. (Make sure to breathe as you go forward with the right) 1,2,3,4 and (oh my god what IS that red flatworm-like thing swimming around) now one, two, three, four. Stand up straight, enjoy the sunny weather (yeah I am definitely getting burned, I will put on sunscreen when we take a break) one, 2, three, 4. (This is tediously enjoyable) …2,3… (Jeez, what is THAT bug?!! Why is it getting so close to me?!) 1, two, 3, four. (Settle into the mud, settle into the planting rhythm) 1,2,3,4. (Where did I leave off again?) Count it out loud: 1,2,3,4. (I am right on track now, wow this mud is gooey.) 1,2,3,4. Ok. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. (Whoa, nearly slipped there) 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. (Tobase-san: “Are you ok?” 「大丈夫ですか？」Me: “Yeah, everything is ok!” 「はい、大丈夫ですよ」) 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4…

(Tobase-san is just super cool)

Awesome. When I explained this to some teachers, they commented, “David it seems you are more Japanese than Japanese people.” I just think it was a lovely day to spend outdoors learning how to work with the earth.

I got back shortly after midnight on Sunday and of course stopped by Mos Burger モスバーガーon the way home. A nice way to cap off an action-packed weekend.
(Naoko, Sawako and Mika after a job well done!)

I write this on the Wednesday following that Sunday. I still haven’t averaged more than 6 hours of sleep a night… the sun is just up for too long!

I harvested the potatoes I planted in March. I have about 60 left which isn’t bad considering I brought 80 to school to give away last week and another 30 to my Japanese teachers last night. Actually the numbers are not real, but I can tell you that I have had quite a few of them…
(potatoes for teachers)

Turns out, I got sick from all of the field work. Though I enjoy the soil and the growing/harvesting process, perhaps I am not cut out for this type of work. A small garden should be fine, but my current soil is really strong and it has caused me to get sick a couple of times. Perhaps there is a mold or fungus growing in the soil, but I am battling off this sickness using the old technique… try to kill myself with as much activity as possible and collapse into sleep to kill off the rest of it! So far so good! If I were farming every day, then I might not have a problem with the soil… but it is only once or twice a week and that isn’t enough for my body to adjust to the new microorganisms.
(Another angle of the rice field)

I made mashed potatoes last night. Potatoes and garlic from my garden, and fresh rosemary from Shibata-sensei’s 柴田先生sister. Add butter, salt, pepper, milk and the special secret ingredient… and mash it all up and mix by hand… and there you go. And I will continue to eat that delicious recipe for the rest of the week…

(Tobase-san marking the field into square plots. We planted the stalks at each intersection)

Once again, I have reconciled a dream that I had had when I arrived here about living off the land. This year “on the farm” (not really) has been a great learning experience and something I am really glad to have had tried. I hope to start another garden at my new apartment and to enjoy the fruits (and veggies!) that come with the labor of tilling the soil. Just enough to add some flavor to my meals and to give me fresh stuff to eat.
(Mari-chan used her free-time wisely!)

I have been practicing resourcefulness and waste management too. So far, with the exception of a half-carrot that I let sit in my fridge for just too long, I haven’t wasted any of the food that has entered my apartment since I got back from Thailand nearly a month ago. All of the organic waste goes one place and all of the edible stuff goes into my belly. From there it gets sent back to the earth and then the food process starts again. By slowing down and getting dirty with the aspects of this process, I have managed to use all of the resources that I am allotted. It’s easy to go to conveyor belt sushi,回転寿司 but I am keenly aware that I have two eggs 卵in my fridge that will go bad… and in an effort to not waste, I have to forgo the sushi. Nope, I can eat it! And make the eggs quickly to box them up for lunch. YOSH! I am on this no-waste kick and it’s my small part to ensure my peaceful action towards the earth.
(... and so did Yuko-chan)

I have gardened: planted, harvested, weeded; composted: with my household waste, prepared the soil with fertilizer; cooked: experimented with various recipes and styles of cooking this year; jammed: made strawberry jam twice!; reused: purchased and used recycled soap instead of industrially-produced stuff; been “eco” by riding my bike every day… only driving a car one day (in Hawaii in March) during the past 10 months. In essence, really learning how to live self-sufficiently and efficiently.
(Workin hard! Yeah!)

All of this boils down to the following: It means taking action with each and every moment of life. Being engaged with my actions and living a lifestyle that really does what I feel is best for the earth. Not “buying organic” or “purchasing carbon credits” or “green automobiles” but living each day in the most effective way of living in harmony with the earth. Riding one’s bike in the minus 2 degree winter sucks, but using a car sucks a lot of gas. Riding a bike during rainy season is a wet experience, but with board shorts and a raincoat it means that every trip is an opportunity for fun. The time is now to live an “Eco” lifestyle. And any excuse is a lack of commitment to do so. It’s not easy to treat the earth well, but it is certainly worth it…

Wow, I got completely off course with that one… well, onto a different course than I had intended to steer. YOSH! 頑張りましょう　ばい！

Awajishima 淡路島 and Western Japan Soccer Tourney

Awajishima 淡路島was awesome. To date, I have never played in a game in which FGU (Fukuoka Gaikokujin United), now more resembling FAU (Fukuoka- Aichi United), has ever lost. In the first tournament we won all games and lost 1-0 in the final… OK, my stats are wrong… we did lose a game. Well, bear with me anyways.

The next tournament we won all of our games and made it to the finals, losing on Penalty Kicks. Shoganai. In the third tourney, we hadn’t lost and got eliminated again, by PKs in a lightning and thunder shootout… finishing third. In this last tourney, we finished 5th place… winning and, would you believe it, losing on PKs. In this tournament I feel vindicated. I had always been on the sideline during the penalty kick time and I had been practicing for months at both schools on perfecting my shot. This time around, I was on the field, eligible to shoot and readily accepted the call to shoot 3rd of three kickers for the quarter final match.

(This year's crew... only 4 foreigners, only two foreign-looking players! In fact, 5 of us from Fukuoka, 5 from Aichi prefecture, 2 from Mie and the sole Yokohama representer!)

A win would have put us into the semifinals. We shot first and scored first. They matched. We missed wide and then our goalkeeper made a save. Still tied 1-1. I went up to shoot. Didn’t make eye contact with the keeper, already had my spot in mind. Placed the ball on the spot, marched back seven steps- dead center. Ref blew the whistle, I side-stepped, like I had practiced. I still didn’t look up, but I noticed that the keeper froze… confused by my move… like I had anticipated. I approached the ball slowly and in rhythm… perfectly calculated steps. I struck the ball. I noticed it was a bit softer than I had anticipated, but I put it left. And high.


(Sam, Hiroshi and Matt relax at the onsen after the game)

Too high... The ball struck the under part of the cross bar while the keeper watched and then we all noticed in a silent moment as the ball bounced a foot in front of the line and then back towards me. Their next shooter scored and sent them into the semifinal match and us out of the tournament much earlier than even the last time. Fortunately, we got to play a friendly in an unofficial 5th/6th place match… and we didn’t lose that… so, we ended the tournament with a win, despite losing in PKs in the quarters.


(from L to R: Koji [hidden], Atsushi, Sam, Tera, Ma-chan, Samurai [whose name I still don't know], and Hiroshi hidden behind him)

I feel pretty good, however, and for many, many reasons. I had my chance to shoot that PK that was haunting my thoughts. I had practiced for the moment and had an opportunity to take it. I am not happy that I missed the shot, but I am happy that we didn’t have to play against a dirty team in the semifinal match. We had played them in a dirty game the day before and drew with them. I was pretty beat up (as were many players) so the early exit wasn’t necessarily bad, as a preventative measure against injury- especially against a team that had no class. I played defense… stopper and sweeper, which was a change for me. I don’t think I did too badly, but it was a rough time. I definitely got shoved to the ground unnecessarily and hit pretty hard by guys who were out to win, by hook or by crook. I gave a couple back, but I hadn't expected that I would have to hit people in order to keep myself safe.


(Getting ready to order the steak course)

I am happy with myself for taking punishment pretty well. And controlling myself and taking the hits allowed my team to hold the line and prevent scores from the other team. I got angry a couple of times, but I controlled my temper. And that was the greatest victory from the tournament for me. On a personal note, I was able to refocus my anger into correct and hard play despite my initial ideas of vengeance. I even apologized to a guy after a game because we had had some words and elbowing. His response, “you kicked me hard,” not “I’m sorry for pushing you to the ground when the play was over and your back was turned.” I flicked him off when he turned his back and his friends on the sideline laughed at him. He got his… in the semi game that we would have played against him, our team had to referee… and so I was a linesman. And, I watched as that guy scored a goal… that was what he wanted all tournament-long and he hadn’t gotten. And in the second half, I did my job and called him offside when he was offside. It was a close call, according to my teammates, but I put my flag up anyways. He didn’t get another goal then, but I also didn’t make a bad call. It wasn’t personal either; I had kept a tight line the entire game. So, I got my little bit of revenge, but not really because I was doing my job. His team won and my actions kept the game fair. He got his goal, I got my call and, later on, his team lost in the finals. Justice takes care of itself.



(Choosing the best value for the taste buds)

I deeply bowed, to the ground in fact, when I missed that kick. And my team may have been a bit disappointed by the loss. But everyone was pretty cool afterwards, “Don min, Debbito!” And, then, banged up and bloody, we made it to an onsen 温泉to clean up for the Kobe steak 神戸牛meal. I had put aside a lot of money for it and ended up with a cheaper course meal… and it was better than the last one. The show was impressive, the chef was a samurai and we were full for the Shinkansen 新幹線ride back to Kyushu九州.

(Samurai chef pepperin' up my meat! You shoulda seen him sling that grater around when he was done- it was awesome!)

Again, though the 5th place result is on paper, this was the best tournament for me. I reconciled even more ghosts and thoughts during this time. I saw a couple of friends who I met at the first tournament and not seen since. I kept my anger in check- letting it arise and then breathing it out. I got a chance at the PK I had been working on. I played defense despite my initial fear of failure in doing so.


(Yummy steak- 180g worth- with fresh garlic chips)

I had an opportunity to see some cool friends who I see only twice a year. I got that Kobe steak I had been saving for (kind of!) and it was more delicious, filling and amazing than I imagined it would be. To put into words the feeling of satisfaction and completeness is rather hard, but perhaps you understand a bit of where I am coming from. And writing it out now is the final step in this process of reconciliation and “full-circle-ness” (hehe)

too busy

I havent had time to write a blog... I keep wanting to and there is just one more thing to do or try. I havent stopped in about 3 weeks... or wait, is that months? I am losing track. Since my last post, the 18th of May, I have participated in a soccer tournament (#4!) in Awajishima, eaten yet another Kobe steak and had a fabulous experience with the guys doing both. I will get some pictures and specifics in another post. The following (last) weekend, I participated in a nice beach party, despite the cold cloudy weather. After leaving my house at 9am, I beached and then made it back to the station (20 min late) so we cuold drive back to Amakusa- where I went kayaking a month and a half ago. This time the mission was different. We were there to plant rice... so Sunday, we woke up and planted that stuff. More pictures and specifics in another post. If I didn't write this now, then I would keep postponing doing anything. More later, but this for now.

accidentally!

I didn't mean to do it. I totally was just going about my business as usual. I was tempted by the offers and so I went for it. I had no idea it would amount to this!

I actually ate the three most famous and important foods from my region... on the same day!!!! Ahhh... I couldn't help but buy the Unagi Seiromushi (Freshwater eel with a sweet sauce, over shredded, fried egg and rice) ... it was so much cheaper than I'd find it in the restaurant. I hadn't planned on that being dinner... but that's how it turned out. And, when I got up to head over to the ramen shop at 10:45am, I didn't realize the coincidence that was taking place. But, it is my local hangout and they invited me to come (along with the other first 999 people who would receive a free bowl of Kurume/Chikugo/Fukuoka- famous Tonkotsu Ramen.) It was pouring rain and I stood on line for two and a half hours to get in for that broth! Foolish, silly and chest- hair-putting-on'ing! Great Ramen, and they gave me a Tatsunoya Ramen Soup spoon as well as coupons for dumplings and extra noodles for next time. And I only went to the yakitori guy, Ochida, because he is a friend of mine and I had some gifts from Thailand for him. While we were talking I nonchalantly ordered mixed sticks of yakitori.... and polished it off. In the span of seven hours (from the time I actually ate the first bite of ramen) I managed to sample Chikugo's best. Rad.

By the way, I was number 345... and I got in at 1:20pm... if you think I am stupid, you should have seen the amount of "baka" mothers who had their toddlers out in the same pouring rain for the same amount of time, standing behind me. And I had proper outdoor rain gear. And those kids get sick and then go to school and infect other kids and eventually... yup, their teachers, like me. Idiot parents. They exist in every country. And there is a huge scare about the Swine Flu over here... well, I reckon it stems from the mothers who force their 3-6 year old's to stand in the rain for 2.5 cold hours... Despite the passion to blame outsiders and foreign countries, the problem has a root in the very culture that blames. Whoa... I didn't mean to get here... but, I did. So there.

Getting older

It's true... not me, but other people. In fact, many people I know are actually getting younger. But in the truest essence, folks are maturing into their life-roles... and that is really cool. In the last week, I found out about eight marriages of friends/ acquaintances... and that is amazing! I am so happy for all of them, including that bad boy from Dallas... Mr. Feldman: present's in the mail buddy! Cousin Rachel, Mazel Tov to you and Tom... such wonderful news!
--
Thailand was a life-changing experience for me. It is hard to go into detail, but here is the gist: Many different paths of my life converged at once and the energy was on the same wavelength. I had the ability to "be" in the moment and be the same "person/ego/character/etc" at the same instants. In essence, I was free and comfortable with in my skin. No pressure, no worries, no self. Words are getting in the way of this discussion about energy, but it all came to fruition... and I have a goal, a plan and a dream.

I am once again excited to wake up everyday and live it to the fullest. I had had a lot of introspective figuring in the months leading up to this vacation and it just happened that the humidity of southern Thailand let all of the thinking melt away. In its place came the "feeling" that had been missing: the true, "gut instinct" that has gotten me this far- the same intuition that I am told to ignore by the "civilized" world. Anyhow, it's back... I reckon, a vacation is sometimes all that is needed to get refocused, fired-up and passionate with a desire to live. But one has to be ready to feel, otherwise the vacation can be more entrenching than liberating.

Naoko sensei told me that she noticed a difference in me while we had Yufuin water the other day. I joked that it's my sunburn/tan... and she said that wasn't it (It also wasn't the typical Japanese answer that "You've lost weight..."). I laughed and she caught it immediately... "Dave, we have missed your smile.. It's important that you do it more." I guess Thailand is the "Smile Country" because in my short time there, it is the only part of the language that I was able to speak fluently by the time I left. I forgot it during times in the week I have been back, but every time I remembered and it resurfaced, the attitude of the entire world around me seemed to transmorphimigize into peace. You think that one's attitude about the world is the direct reflection of the world back to that person?

Golden Week(s), facts and figures

Three days in Tokyo = 20000 yen (~$200)
Ten days in Thailand = $420
All flights included = $100.25 + 16600 yen (~$166)
Three days with Katsu and his family = priceless
Ten days with Benjamin "8th wonder of the world" Schechter = radical!

Total of 10 days in Thailand and only 7 pictures to show for it! = mendokusai!

Two weeks to travel... to think, feel, be, act = perfect timing.

Three dives (first in three years!) was a first time in tropical waters- and wow the life was incredible... those lionfish are so pretty and so deadly; catchin' up with old and older friends and new ones too; 'yakin' damn near all day and then for another sunset; saved two lives in two countries; pad thai and masaman curry- yes, life changing; caveman coconut cracking-into; tanning into the dark brown I used to always have (summers in SoCal); down 1-4 in five games of chess (I should have quit when I caught up after the second game); re-energized to live in this life and the next(s); read 3.3 books: "White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga, the Memoirs of the Dalai Lama, Hemingway's "To Have and Have Not," and into the first third of "Three Cups of Tea," by Greg Mortensen; got to working on the patience that I had lost... and I have a long way to go!

Back at home in Japan and well rested after an intense six months of international travel, seemingly back-to-back. And, as we landed at Narita, we were informed about the quarantine that we had coming... fools in masks rushed aboard to check on the sick passenger in the back... turned out to be motion sickness after all... my flight was safe that day, but apparently there were three infected fools on a flight right after ours!

And with that... Happy Spring and Peace be with you.

"you don't need to make waves, the ocean does it for you"

Hawaii shashin #2

As usual, the problem is ME, not the computer or the website... etc. Good for a laugh, indeed! Anyways, on with post #2...

A great picture of the Strich men (specifically the Irvine branch of the Strich's). Cheers, welcome to Hawaii!

How the west was won... No. This is how our time was spent about half of the time.

Family portrait at a Hilo-side cascada.

Family portrait (albeit dark) at the top of Mauna Kea (13,300+ feet!) with Haleakala and Maui in the background... off to the left are two of the dozen observatories that litter this snowy space-scape from ten different countries... the stars up here are pretty visible apparently.

Family portrait at Roy's... don't mind the flash in the window even though, "I told you so!"

Started with the boys and dad and ends with the boys and mom at, where else, the beach! Obviously I have all the chest hair in the family... Jake simply got all of the muscles!

Hawaii shashin #1

Well, I have another post for later because I couldn't upload them all at once. Damn.

Northern Coastal valley... went here,on my first day... to the end of the road!

On the way back over to the west side I took the high road over to Waimea Valley... here is a view from 3000 feet, looking over the Waikoloa area

Our favorite beach, Day 1!

Day 3 abouts... to the top of Mauna Kea volcano! It is something like 13, 364 feet... and that is Maui in the background... Haleakala, more specifically.

Would you believe some dude from Oahu brought his snowboard to the Big Island? Neither could I , but he was a real bro about letting me get a ride with his gear!

Taking a run in Hawaii... it has been a joke for years and now it is legit! Check THAT off my list! Yosh!

"Throw up the Shaka, brah!"

Hilo-side (east side of Hawaii). Usually it rains, but we got a nice bit of sunshine!

Some waterfalls from the wet east side

Back to the dry west side... I hiked from the road to a beach using a forgotten trail through fresh lava fields

Said beach... this is apparently the King's ole fishin' hole! And black sand beaches... and a ton of turtles too! Pretty water, pretty day, pretty fun to hitchhike back to the condo to meet the family!

Sunset view from said condo!

Typical breakfast: strawberry papaya with lime, toasted bagel with butter, island bananas, Passion-Orange-Guava (POG) juice, Kona coffee... out on the lanai... paradise?! Yes.

A self-portrait of my brother and I. Those are our (second) margaritas and beers... Too bad Syracuse lost that game, but it was rad to watch basketball in real time! Ohh yeah, that IS a tub of hummus!

I saw this in the Honolulu airport and figured it was a good way to describe the vacation!

No doubt, Drew

Dude, it's like a Facademy in this place.

Shame on Maneschevitz

So, I just ate a box of matzo for the holiday... and in the tiniest letters on the front of the box, there is a disclaimer... "Not for Passover"

Well, when the hell else am I supposed to eat it?

Too cheap to make it the real thing? Money really does rule things these days... poor religion, you used to be so pure...

Trapped in my head

I mopped myself into a corner... the floor sure looks good, but I have to stand here and wait for it to dry!

thinking

I have been doing it so much lately... and it's funny to laugh at myself for getting so caught up in the social interaction of energy, instead of the energy itself! Silly, Dave!

Different Influences

I truly enjoy moving around. Traveling in actuality and in mentality. This means always putting forth one's best in effort and in manner. It also can be interpreted as simply seeing a lot of cool stuff, or enjoying the stuff that one sees for what it is... without judging and without taking sides.

In this entire process there are a lot of influences. Memorable scenes, fun experiences, and unforgetable people. The people can be the coolest cats on the planet; they can be the most mediocre folks that put a pattern in any place; they can be the despised people that no one hopes to ever be like. It's addictive to be with the rad ones, easy or difficult to get along with the mediocre folks (based on my given attitude at the time), and really fucking hard to put up with the parasites. Regardless, they each play a super important role in my life.

I have to recognize the influence and let it act accordingly. In turn, it is my responsibilty to re-infuence the influence. This is the "transfering of energy" that I am studying and trying to feel. Not so easy... but slowly and surely, ne.

And that leads me to Patience, but that is another blog post entirely.

In the meantime, working with the influences and influencing back. Energy.

No wind helps a sailor whose boat has no direction.

long time no blog

Long time no blog… I was on vacation. After judging an English Speech recitation contest, I packed my backpack and head to Tokyo「東京」. Spent two fun days there and caught an overnight flight to Hawaii「ハワイ」. From Honolulu 「ホノルル」to Kona 「コナ」on the first fight of the morning and, three days after leaving my apartment, I found myself driving (on the right side of the road mind you) to a week in paradise.

I had the first day to myself to get familiar with the Waikoloa area and explore a bit further north. After dropping my backpack in the condo, I took my rented Mercury Grand Marquis (borrowed cop car) and took off towards Pololu, at the end of the northernmost road on the island. I like extremes… so I went to the end. I had no hiking gear and my board shorts and t-shirt were not appropriate clothing for the windy and sprinkling northern coast!

I drove up and over to Waimea, bought some “natural” “organic” food from an overpriced hippy/yuppy (same thing these days) market and got back to the place with enough time to write a sign in Japanese, used to greet my family at the airport. I picked them up and a week-long wonderful wacation (three “w’s”) ensued. It was great to see my folks and my brother after a long eight months. And with all of us away from our daily-life drama (well, nearly) we took the time to unwind and enjoy each others’ company as we explored one of our favorite places to be… the Big Island of Hawaii.

Highlights include: (1) EATING-- fresh fruit, fresh fish, fresh meat, POG juice and Kona coffee. Yummy appetizers, good salad dressing, and outrageously small portions at some places-making for a hearty laugh. Big burgers and feet in the sand while eating. Simple sandwiches, a carafe of hummus, lots of flavored sunchips and other goodies. One bottle of Jose Cuervo Gold (finished in a rush on the last day) and some Kona beers as well. All in all, we ate well. It was in typical Strich fashion.

(2) Beaching-- every other day we managed to beach. We tanned, read, walked, swam and enjoyed the partially overcast but warm weather. I got dropped off on the side of the road one day (at my request) and hiked to a beach with turtles… lots of pretty places to chill.

(3) Snowboarding-- yes, in Hawaii there is snow. We drove to the drop of the Mauna Kea volcano (roughly 13,364 feet) where there are numerous observatories. There was plenty of snow and luck had it that an Oahu resident brought his board to the Big Island. I borrowed it and took a run off of the top of the volcano… with a view of the ocean and Haleakala (Maui’s big volcano). Yet another place I have snowboarded. The list keeps getting bigger! Later that day we coffee'd and toured the Hilo-side waterfalls. Such a gamut of climatic differences in one day!

(4) Snorkeling and Kayaking—despite not seeing the dolphins this year, we managed a successful excursion in Kealakekua Bay… and, despite shredding open my hand on some coral (idiot!) while snorkeling the kayaking back was enjoyable too. Fortunately the bloody hand wasn’t the broken-thumbed hand… I love ocean kayaking! And the fish were kool. Maybe I will get those pictures from my father sometime. I remember seeing a zebra moray, among many others. The one that had me frozen for a minute, staring at it, was a really cool black one with neon blue trim, a yellow and white spot and an orange stegosaurus-like spike cluster on its tail.

(5) A week in paradise. Period.

*(6) Added bonus: flying business class from Honolulu to Narita 「成田」(Tokyo’s International Airport). It was amazing. Room for my long legs, the ability to recline, a side compartment for my stuff. After a horrendous flight over, the flight back was its antithesis. China Airlines… you really hooked it up!


TOKYO

Before going to Hawaii, I spent two days in Tokyo「東京」. The weather was bad and then great, so I endured the rain at first in Asakusa 「浅草」and then went to Nikko 「日光」for an afternoon. Turns out I need like a week in the Nikko area because there is a lot of hiking and it takes forever to get there. I was on a train for 5 hours and only enjoyed 3 at the actually location! (Though I did bag two more prefectures to add to my list of Japanese places visited!). I met some folks and they suggested that I come back in the fall. Maybe not a bad idea for the hiking and the autumn foliage. I arrived late and filled up at a tiny, stand-up sushi bar in Asakusa. I ate a lot and pretty damn well too, for only $16. Maybe $17 because the exchange rate is still not quite at 100… I am playing semantics with myself!

I crashed at Ame-ko’s 「雨子」place in Oshima「大島」. Eri-chan 「エリちゃん」actually met me at the station and we all went back to Ameko’s. They were the two who gave Vinnie and me our first ride when we hitchhiked in Shikoku「四国」last May「５月」. They are still willing to help me out- and it’s super nice! Though, Ameko’s cat「猫」made sure to it that my sleep was awkward because he dived onto me from a shelf in the middle of the night. I definitely yelled.

Day two was spent in Ueno Park「上野公園」… and I got a first taste of the 「桜」Sakura (cherry blossoms) that started to bloom. I left Japan at nearly the perfect time, because this is when the spring has officially arrived, though it is still pretty chilly. Such is life. From the park straight to the airport.
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After a week in paradise, the weather in Tokyo was glorious enough to enjoy again. Customs was quick and I trained it back to Ueno and met Ame-ko and her friend Maki-chan「マキちゃん」. We ate under the sakura and had a mini-hanami 「花見」party in between my flights. I later went to Tokyo’s domestic airport, Haneda 「羽田」, and got my flight to Fukuoka「福岡」. And, after having dinner at the Mexican restaurant, La Borracha, with Hitomi「仁美」, I eventually managed to be on my futon- exactly 24 hours after I had left my bed in the condo in Waikoloa. And, page 2 is complete!

Aloha

I'm about to go back in time... and then come back a week later, one day later!~ in the words of Dan Levy, quoting a movie that we have in common: "Catch you on the flipside."

favorite flowers

In order:
1) 梅　Ume [Japanese plum blossom] amazing smell
2) Daffodil (these smell awesome too)
3) Magnolia (cause the one blooming outside my door is gorgeous)

Not surprisingly, this is also the order in which they have bloomed this year! Welcome to spring baby! We've been waiting for you!

jam on it

Yeah, it was like Home on the Prairie weekend. Wendy joined me on the farm as we prepared two new rows for plantin'. We also got our hands dirty in the weeds... not before we planted a row of Spinach and a surprise. I don't expect the surprise to work too well, based on what I've heard... but we did it anyways... We'll see who is laughing- "us" (and crying- "us") come July!

We got homemade Cole slaw goin' with the abundance of cabbage and carrots from the last harvest.

Then, in a barter/gift from a strawberry-growin' friend, I came up on just-under-a-kilo of strawberries... so, we jammed on it:

Beheading the berries and beginning the dicing/slicing/mushing/crushing session.

Posing while we stir in the sugar and wait for the boil.

The final jarred product. It yielded 18 oz, split evenly into two separate jars (boiled and sterilized to preserve the jam! Yosh! It is an intense jam, super red and "gaba" sweet... (should have used a bit less sato and sukosh more remon ju-su.