It is already Sept 1st here in Japan... and the children were chatting in the streets down at the bottom of the blufff this morning as they walked along the street back to school. I too,am sending my Sept 1st HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES to my dear friend MICHELLE and great niece AMAYA JEAN..Hope you both have a great day and fun celebrating with friends and family. Make a wish and BloooooooW !!!
CJ and I had a nice relaxing weekend as we had nothing planned. We just lounged around and hung out in the house alot (still raining off and on), did some book work, made plane arrangements, completed work expense reports, watched a bit of TV, answered some Emails, chatted with the kids on the phone, went for a walk and did a little shopping...
We had fresh salmon or trout (we are not sure what the label said?) for supper last night.I can't write the name here for those of you who know Japanese to help me, as I don't have Japanese or Chinese characters on my compuer keyboard either. :-( CJ cooked it in our special fish grilling section of the stove. It was delicious! Sad to say, but that actually was our 1st fresh fish we have eaten since we've been here,...at home anyways. We talked of trying to buy, bake/grill and eat a different kind of fresh fish each week from here on out? With the special stove and vent, it did not smell up the house and that part I of course liked too,...so who knows maybe we will now eat it more often?
I know, I know..."we should be taking advantage of it since we have so much fresh stuff at our immediate disposable".....yadayada..don't ya think I have heard that one before? :-) haha
We also took a walk through Harbor Park for a view of the city since it was actually kind of a clear day on our way to the Homes store. We passed by a wedding getting ready to start and I wanted to get some pics of a traditonal Japanese bride. I got one through the fence and then my view was blocked as all the "tall" Japanese guests stood up when she got to the flower covered arbor and I then realized how very tiny she was. I could all at once see no more of her nor the man escorting her down the outdoor aisle.Darn!
We found a TV stand at Homes and so we can now get it up off the floor and more at eye level. That will be delivered when we return from China next week. "Lion" and "Tiger" the two guys who helped us with our other furniture purchases awhile back, were there again, and they were very happy to receive the little furry animal trinkets I got for them when back in the states. They both smiled,laughed,bowed and thanked me for the furry key chain like creatures as they stuffed them in the front pocket of their white work shirts. We too,finally purchased our other 2 guest bed futons and are now ready for our first guests to arrive. Guess making the plane arrangements earlier in the morning made it all real, and spurred us on to get that taken care of as well. :-)
It was finally a cooler and less humid night, with a little bit of misty sprinkling going on and so CJ and I sat on the track of our living room sliding patio door which overlooks the Japanese garden and enjoyed a bit of the fresh night air. We listened to all the crickets chirping away as the rain drops wet our bare feet and toes that were stretched out and sticking beyond the roof overhang. We are looking forward to the fall when we can sit outside on our lawn chairs and enjoy our patio and garden area more. It has been either too hot and humid or too darn rainy. As we sat there, I thought to myself, we really haven't been outside much at night nor have we had our windows open either...and so it is a whole other world to get to know and experience. :-)
It was so peaceful and private with all the trees and bushes around the perimeter of our lot closing off and making such a nice little haven of solitude for us. We too noticed that at night the cicadas sleep or at least rest their voices and the crickets take over and give us their own special musical version type concert. I enjoyed hearing my bell chime tinkle in the breeze too, but I think I like our style of chimes from back home better. I will have to bring my one off the back porch back with me...it has several different length tubes on it and it makes more melodic tunes which I find more soothing to my ears than the one single bell tone.
Today I am supposed to be packing for my trip to China on Wednesday, but I got on this computer again and can't seem to pull myself away from it. I need to do some laundry too and tomorrow I will vacumn, dust and clean the bathrooms, as I always like to come home to a clean and fresh smelling house when I return from a trip.
CJ will be home in a few hours, to go to the docter and have his elbow looked at. Hopefully it will be nothing serious? It has caused him a tiny bit of pain here and there, but we are more concerned about the fluid buildup and why it does not recede?
The sun by the way has been shining all day so far and already it is 2:00pm.Yea!!Maybe the rain is over for a bit? I hope it will be in China too.
It feels good to have the house windows all open today and to feel the nice gentle warm breezes blowing through the house and rustling the bright red curtains and blinds on the windows and doors. Yes perhaps fall is just around the corner here in Japan? Who knows, as it will be another first for us to experience, and we are looking forward to seeing how all the parks and garden areas will look dressed in their colorful fall foliage. I too am still waiting to see and wondering what happens to all the cicadas when their season comes to an end, or does it?...um so many mysteries to life here in Japan.
Ok I really have got to go and start my packing...because I just saw a bigger spider than I like to think is in my house. :-( He just posed for a photo with an eraser on the end of a pencil to show you his approximate size and then quickly crawled back into the air conditioner. I immediately turned it on cold so hopefully he will freeze to death and not come visit me in my bed later tonight as well. Go away daddy long legs I am not Miss Muffet nor Charlotte. Now how does that song go...The Itsy Bitsy spider went up the...down came the rain ...out came the sun..and dried up all the rain...and the Itsy Bitsy spider went...."NOT to Karla's house"...I'm telling you, that is not the way the song goes !!!
So my suitcase is packed and now for the backpack with my computer,reading supplies, Japanese language books so hopefully I can totally confuse myself while over in China with both the Chinese and Japanese languages... or who knows... maybe alot will be similar?
CJ just got back from the doctor and all is well just an aggrevated old injury and they drained the yellow fluid from his elbow and wrapped it. Doc told him to keep it wrapped tonight so it doesn't refill. It will probably refill again in the days ahead and he said to come back if it gets unsightly. Total visit 6500yen. CJ was flabergasted and figured the same procedure that was done in his regular office with CJ's arm hanging over the chair back would probably cost $400.00 or more back in the states. Now don't you think someone is making a bit more money than necessary?
Off to make dinner and maybe watch a movie since CJ is home early. Perhaps we can actually stay awake to see the whole thing ?
Kon ban wa
Karla and Chuck-san
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
August 30, 2008 KJ and CJ see The Movie Hancock
Hi all
Well it has been another rainy day and night here in Japan. I am a wee bit tired of all this wetness. We spent most of the day indoors doing bookwork and just lounging, since it is the 1st real day since we have been here, that we have had with nothing planned. Later this evening after dinner we decided to go and see a movie.
So with umbrellas in hand, we left for the subway. Luckily we did not have to use them on the way there, but we did on the way home as it was pouring out.
We saw the movie Hancock with Will Smith. It was ok, but not as good as I had anticipated.
When we arrived at the 109 theater complex near the Jack Mall, there was a live bad of 2 girls on keyboards singing and playing outside. Lots of people were sitting at tables near some other fancy building with all kinds of lights on the trees and bushes. It actually felt a bit like Christmas. It looked to be like some kind of church or something as it had a cross above the front entrance? CJ thought perhaps it was a place for weddings, as it looked similar to one we have like that in Motomachi?
Thankfully the movie was in English with Japanese sub titles. They had you look at a chart to pick your seat out like you do when buying a ticket to a rock concert. It cost $18.00 per adult ticket 3800yen. We then got a medium 1/2 and 1/2 popcorn and an orange soda special for 650yen. It was 1/2 regular yellow popcorn and the other 1/2 carmel like. I think I like our butter drenched and salted stuff at AMC better.
They also sold potatoe wedges, crossaints and poppy seed rolls? Odd I thought? I did not see any candy for sale. They also had a gift shop like area and were selling charms and other movie souvenirs. There was a Hagen Daz ice cream bar there too and another stand with those crepes like I had by the Tokyo Tower. CJ got one of those on the way home after the movie. Carmel with bananas, chocolate, ice cream with whip cream on top. It was good!
We got to the theater a bit early so we already had our popcorn gone before we even got into the theater. I went to the bathroom before hand and thought it was funny they had an automatic noise machine that made a flushing sound to make for more privacy and it went on as soon as you shut the stall door and made the motion to sit. It was very loud and actually made me jump when it first went off.
When we handed our tickets to the guy, you could take a child booster seat or a blanket with you into the theater as well, if needed.
The seats had lots of leg room, but were a bit uncomfortable on our lower backs. They actually had two rows a little further behind us that reclined a bit. I think you had to pay more for those?
On our way back to the subway we walked through a large book store with a coffee shop similar to Barnes and Noble and every table in the place was full of younger couples and friends chatting and drinking coffee. It was odd to see a whole book store of all Japanese books. Though, I did see a few travel and Japan info books in English.
Back home and a refreshing walk in the rain, typed up this post and now I am off to bed. I don't know if it is all the rain, but CJ and I are both pooped and can hardly stay awake past 10 each night. I guess I was up early today though, as I could not sleep when the thunder storm was rolling through.
Graham and Kalen are together this weekend in Chicago and they were having pizza when they called us this afternoon. CJ will go visit the Japanese doctor here on Monday afternoon for his swollen elbow. It is retaining some fluid on it. He fell on it quite hard, many months ago playing basketball back in MN and for some reason it has flared up the last few weeks?
More tomorrow
Karla and CJ
Well it has been another rainy day and night here in Japan. I am a wee bit tired of all this wetness. We spent most of the day indoors doing bookwork and just lounging, since it is the 1st real day since we have been here, that we have had with nothing planned. Later this evening after dinner we decided to go and see a movie.
So with umbrellas in hand, we left for the subway. Luckily we did not have to use them on the way there, but we did on the way home as it was pouring out.
We saw the movie Hancock with Will Smith. It was ok, but not as good as I had anticipated.
When we arrived at the 109 theater complex near the Jack Mall, there was a live bad of 2 girls on keyboards singing and playing outside. Lots of people were sitting at tables near some other fancy building with all kinds of lights on the trees and bushes. It actually felt a bit like Christmas. It looked to be like some kind of church or something as it had a cross above the front entrance? CJ thought perhaps it was a place for weddings, as it looked similar to one we have like that in Motomachi?
Thankfully the movie was in English with Japanese sub titles. They had you look at a chart to pick your seat out like you do when buying a ticket to a rock concert. It cost $18.00 per adult ticket 3800yen. We then got a medium 1/2 and 1/2 popcorn and an orange soda special for 650yen. It was 1/2 regular yellow popcorn and the other 1/2 carmel like. I think I like our butter drenched and salted stuff at AMC better.
They also sold potatoe wedges, crossaints and poppy seed rolls? Odd I thought? I did not see any candy for sale. They also had a gift shop like area and were selling charms and other movie souvenirs. There was a Hagen Daz ice cream bar there too and another stand with those crepes like I had by the Tokyo Tower. CJ got one of those on the way home after the movie. Carmel with bananas, chocolate, ice cream with whip cream on top. It was good!
We got to the theater a bit early so we already had our popcorn gone before we even got into the theater. I went to the bathroom before hand and thought it was funny they had an automatic noise machine that made a flushing sound to make for more privacy and it went on as soon as you shut the stall door and made the motion to sit. It was very loud and actually made me jump when it first went off.
When we handed our tickets to the guy, you could take a child booster seat or a blanket with you into the theater as well, if needed.
The seats had lots of leg room, but were a bit uncomfortable on our lower backs. They actually had two rows a little further behind us that reclined a bit. I think you had to pay more for those?
On our way back to the subway we walked through a large book store with a coffee shop similar to Barnes and Noble and every table in the place was full of younger couples and friends chatting and drinking coffee. It was odd to see a whole book store of all Japanese books. Though, I did see a few travel and Japan info books in English.
Back home and a refreshing walk in the rain, typed up this post and now I am off to bed. I don't know if it is all the rain, but CJ and I are both pooped and can hardly stay awake past 10 each night. I guess I was up early today though, as I could not sleep when the thunder storm was rolling through.
Graham and Kalen are together this weekend in Chicago and they were having pizza when they called us this afternoon. CJ will go visit the Japanese doctor here on Monday afternoon for his swollen elbow. It is retaining some fluid on it. He fell on it quite hard, many months ago playing basketball back in MN and for some reason it has flared up the last few weeks?
More tomorrow
Karla and CJ
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
August 28-29, 2008 ..JUMBO-shu prices are on the rise as rain falls here in Japan
Konnichiwa
Well, when I left you last night CJ got home after a loooooooong day with a bit of frustration and some laughs along the way.
First of all he brought home a Jumbo-shu which has now gone up in price from 105yen to 115yen. We must have been buying way TOO MANY of them and so they thought hey we can make some money off these Americans so let's up the price. haha It is still a bargin and well worth the $1.15. Our little warm fuzzy or reward for a tough day, long hike,...
When CJ got up in the morning and he went to iron his shirt for work,he could not get the wrinkles out. You see the dryer we have is little and I guess much littler than the washing machine and so the amount I can wash is obviously NOT the amount I can dry all at once. Oops...There too, is only one setting and so the stuff comes out cooked and wrinkled to S---!! He tried another shirt and with that one too, they would not come out. So after the third shirt was all pressed and he was buttoning it up he then noticed a big spot on the front. He was not a happy camper. I needless to say went out and bought an over the door drying rack at the store so I can air dry them and hopefully things will be better in the future. Poor guy, not a good mood to head to work where he is having some intense meetings all this week with different distributors throughout Asia on their quality and warranty issues.
I have been hearing more about work since I have been here then I ever heard the last 30 years. It is very interesting though, and fun to hear how he has to work around cultural and personal issues, translations.....
He has had trouble getting people to meetings on time and so he resorted to a money jar and you have to put a 100yen coin in if your late. He got a few coins in it the first week, but yesterday 2 guys were at his office door 10 minutes ahead of schedule. They all got a chuckle from that. :-) He is still struggling a bit with how far to push the envelope with these folks and trying to figure out if it is personal or cultural issues with many different situations. It is challenging and I can tell it is testing his patience a bit as of late.
Then on the way home he went to the Citibank where we opened an account so we can have a local credit card. They have no checking accounts here. This was his 4th time there and he called home after waiting 45 minutes to tell me he would be late. He was a bit annoyed and so decided to leave. When he was walking past the receptionist the lady stopped him and told him please don't leave. The lady will be right with you. So he waited and then she did help him and thankfully she could speak very good english and he had all his ducks in a row so it went quickly from there.
So after we ate a very late dinner at 9pm I said, "I cannot go to bed after just eating" so we took a walk to the 24 hour post office pick up window to get our Citibank credit cards that came in the mail the other day. I could not receive them as the account is only in his name with me as a 2nd card holder. They do not do joint accounts here either.
Anyhoo, I think we finally got the check deposited so we will have money in our account 15 days from now when it clears and then we will be good to go in using our new cards. It was a long drawn out process that is for sure.
It was a beautiful cooler night with a light mist in the air as we walked through Chinatown which was closing up for the night. Hey "MLE" we spotted some cute panda bear steamed dumplings which were still sitting on the steamer and waiting for someone to come and take them home? They aren't as fancy as the other japanese food pics you sent me in your email, but it was my first food with faces that I saw.
When we rounded the corner to the boulevard that the post office is on it was all lit up with lights on the tree trunks and flamingos of white and orange decorating the sidewalk gardens. We then walked a different way home past a big lit up church or something, then across the canal with light reflections off the water and back up the stairmaster steps, into the shower and then to bed.
This morning we talked with Grambo on the phone and he is doing well and on his 8th day in a row of work. He will go see Kalen in Chicago this weekend and then start his 4th year of college after labor day. I too got a video call from my buddy Huesos, Aubrey and Joey in IL and it was fun to catch up with all of them again as well.
It rained off and on her all day and so I never did get out of the house. Hopefully tommorrow? I did check on the EP NEWS website too for information on Santiago's visit from Honduras with the 2 HTS kids. They are in MN this week as guests of the old EP Legacy committee which is now Global Connect and it sounds like they have a very busy schedule. It will be fun to see what comes of this new partnership.
Friday Aug 29, 2008
It was partly sunny this am after the BIG midwestern thunder and lightning show I heard we had early this morning at 4am. I knew nothing about it, as I put in my ear plugs last night...yes more snoring.. so I guess the new bead bed pillow did not do the trick for CJ. :-( haha
After CJ left for work, I was busy chatting via Skype with my two dear friends Susan and Randee who both so courageously continue their battles against that darn Cancer.
They both have their good days and then some bad days as well, but overall their spirits are good and it was nice to reconnect with them both from afar. Thoughts and prayers are with you both as always.
I also wrote a note last night asking for someone in MN to clue me in on all the goings on there... guess I should have written a note sooner, as I woke up to 8 different perspectives on what has been taking place with the Honduras kids while in MN. YES! Thanks again to all of your for your notes. Sounds like they are having fun and enjoying their time there. Tomorrow is the big feast at the Ernst family home and it sounds like they are having a PIG for dinner. I too, got the good news that OMAR and Elisa from the Hogar had a baby boy this past weekend. He was over 8 pounds and has big feet like his papi. They have yet to name him? I will be excited to meet him when I go back to visit in February and March 2009.
I made my first Japanese dish last night with mini eggplants, peapods and I added onion to it. I stir fried it and then put this sauce in with it that I bought at the store. Thankfully they have drawings on the back of alot of their packages and so I had kind of an idea of what to do. It actually ended up quite tasty. My first time ever making eggplant.
It is still not raining outside,for the moment anyhow and so I think I will run to the store for some tomatoes for our TACO Friday supper. Wow,is it already that time again? This week has flown by...even with all the rain keeping me housebound for most of it.
Well I must say, it was good to get out of the house and off this chair. I went down on the back side of the bluff and just decided to walk down side streets through the little neigborhoods and see what interesting things I could find. I enjoyed looking at all the container gardens in front of each of the houses. These people love their plants and I am always amazed at how many some of them have 3 and 4 rows deep. I noticed too they are getting ready for fall and all the gravel, mums, marigolds, fall like plants are being put out at the stores for fall landscaping projects. I even noticed Halloween decorations were out at one little general merchandise stores. WOW..I wonder if the kids go door to door here as well and trick or treat? Something else to find out.
I went past a carport that had a bunch of chimes and white platic bags hanging from the netting above the minivan. When I crossed the street to look closer I see it was a grapevine with clusters of grapes hidden in the plastic bags. As I write this I am thinking where the heck was the dirt that it was planted in ?, all I remember seeing was cement. If that grew from a container..well,then that man or women has a heck of a green thumb I'd say. I wonder if they make wine,jelly from the grapes or if they just eat them?
Then I continued on and stopped at a few different mom and pop shops and bought an item or two at each of the places. Spread the wealth I figured..and give each of them a few yen. Met Charlie the very friendly produce man who wanted his foto taken. He asked in English if I was a traveler and I told him no I live here in Yamate-cho.He actually had some very nice looking watermelons for only 500y a piece. The store a few doors down had them for 1800yen, another for 3000yen. If I didn't already have my bags and hands so full I probably would have gotten one, as that is the cheapest I have seen a whole watermelon. I am wondering too if this is more their watermelon season now in August,as I seem to see way more now than before?
We have yet to have any watermelon since we moved here. Quite the change from the states, since I usually bought 2 a week in the heat of the summer back in MN.
I walked through and looked in alot of different food stores and fish markets looking for interesting food to take pics of.Graham's friends Emily sent us an email with fancy Japanese foods in it and so now I am looking to see if I can see any, kind of like a scavenger hunt. I did see some pretty pastal candies in animal and flower shapes and also some marzipan goodies. Everything is so decorated and detailed here.
Then my arms and shoulders began to get sore as my bags were very full and it was now getting hotter after my 3 1/2 hours out and about in the ever warmin sun. So I purchased two flower pot containers for the front porch and will fill them when we get back from China in a week or so. I told the lady as she handed me my bag,"I had better go home as I don't have any more arms. I need to be a Taku with 8 arms to carry any more". She and the other 2 sales clerks laughed and understood my Japlish charades.:-)
Back home past my favorite veggie market as they are the only place I see snap peas and for only 100yen.Then up the long hill with many steps past the closed up and very quiet international schools,through the park and down the other steps still under construction to our newlsy paved street. Felt good to get home, unload and have my veggie tempura I bought for my late lunch. It was cold as there was really no park on my route to sit and it eat but it was still very tasty.
Downloaded my pics, recorded my bills, prepared the Taco fixins and now will relax till CJ gets home. Maybe finish reading my Geisha book I started on the plane when we came back after the funeral. I don't really read too much in the summer, it seems, as it is more of a winter thing for me when I find myself house bound. Though I could of this very rainy week, but I have this blog that seems to be keeping me busy instead.
We have no real plans yet for this labor day weekend. My guess is we will probably stay around home and try to get some of the plane arrangements made for upcoming trips to USA, CJ's mom in October, kids here for Christmas, me to Honduras in February. I need to do something about getting some Sumo tickets for us in Sept or October and I should email the men from the school I met. Perhaps go to Costco for a few items with CJ, as it is quite a ways to haul those bigger sized items 3 subway stations away and back all by myself. Maybe we will go for another bike ride too, if the weather is nice, or I think it would be fun to go to the zoo and see the Panda Bears....who knows...?
So I will close for now and wish you all in the states a happy labor day weekend. Suppose many of you will head to your cabins and begin to close up shop after another summer season comes to an end. I hope you have nice weather there too, and good luck to all of you getting the kids ready for school to start next week as well.
Konnichiwa
Karla and CJ
Well, when I left you last night CJ got home after a loooooooong day with a bit of frustration and some laughs along the way.
First of all he brought home a Jumbo-shu which has now gone up in price from 105yen to 115yen. We must have been buying way TOO MANY of them and so they thought hey we can make some money off these Americans so let's up the price. haha It is still a bargin and well worth the $1.15. Our little warm fuzzy or reward for a tough day, long hike,...
When CJ got up in the morning and he went to iron his shirt for work,he could not get the wrinkles out. You see the dryer we have is little and I guess much littler than the washing machine and so the amount I can wash is obviously NOT the amount I can dry all at once. Oops...There too, is only one setting and so the stuff comes out cooked and wrinkled to S---!! He tried another shirt and with that one too, they would not come out. So after the third shirt was all pressed and he was buttoning it up he then noticed a big spot on the front. He was not a happy camper. I needless to say went out and bought an over the door drying rack at the store so I can air dry them and hopefully things will be better in the future. Poor guy, not a good mood to head to work where he is having some intense meetings all this week with different distributors throughout Asia on their quality and warranty issues.
I have been hearing more about work since I have been here then I ever heard the last 30 years. It is very interesting though, and fun to hear how he has to work around cultural and personal issues, translations.....
He has had trouble getting people to meetings on time and so he resorted to a money jar and you have to put a 100yen coin in if your late. He got a few coins in it the first week, but yesterday 2 guys were at his office door 10 minutes ahead of schedule. They all got a chuckle from that. :-) He is still struggling a bit with how far to push the envelope with these folks and trying to figure out if it is personal or cultural issues with many different situations. It is challenging and I can tell it is testing his patience a bit as of late.
Then on the way home he went to the Citibank where we opened an account so we can have a local credit card. They have no checking accounts here. This was his 4th time there and he called home after waiting 45 minutes to tell me he would be late. He was a bit annoyed and so decided to leave. When he was walking past the receptionist the lady stopped him and told him please don't leave. The lady will be right with you. So he waited and then she did help him and thankfully she could speak very good english and he had all his ducks in a row so it went quickly from there.
So after we ate a very late dinner at 9pm I said, "I cannot go to bed after just eating" so we took a walk to the 24 hour post office pick up window to get our Citibank credit cards that came in the mail the other day. I could not receive them as the account is only in his name with me as a 2nd card holder. They do not do joint accounts here either.
Anyhoo, I think we finally got the check deposited so we will have money in our account 15 days from now when it clears and then we will be good to go in using our new cards. It was a long drawn out process that is for sure.
It was a beautiful cooler night with a light mist in the air as we walked through Chinatown which was closing up for the night. Hey "MLE" we spotted some cute panda bear steamed dumplings which were still sitting on the steamer and waiting for someone to come and take them home? They aren't as fancy as the other japanese food pics you sent me in your email, but it was my first food with faces that I saw.
When we rounded the corner to the boulevard that the post office is on it was all lit up with lights on the tree trunks and flamingos of white and orange decorating the sidewalk gardens. We then walked a different way home past a big lit up church or something, then across the canal with light reflections off the water and back up the stairmaster steps, into the shower and then to bed.
This morning we talked with Grambo on the phone and he is doing well and on his 8th day in a row of work. He will go see Kalen in Chicago this weekend and then start his 4th year of college after labor day. I too got a video call from my buddy Huesos, Aubrey and Joey in IL and it was fun to catch up with all of them again as well.
It rained off and on her all day and so I never did get out of the house. Hopefully tommorrow? I did check on the EP NEWS website too for information on Santiago's visit from Honduras with the 2 HTS kids. They are in MN this week as guests of the old EP Legacy committee which is now Global Connect and it sounds like they have a very busy schedule. It will be fun to see what comes of this new partnership.
Friday Aug 29, 2008
It was partly sunny this am after the BIG midwestern thunder and lightning show I heard we had early this morning at 4am. I knew nothing about it, as I put in my ear plugs last night...yes more snoring.. so I guess the new bead bed pillow did not do the trick for CJ. :-( haha
After CJ left for work, I was busy chatting via Skype with my two dear friends Susan and Randee who both so courageously continue their battles against that darn Cancer.
They both have their good days and then some bad days as well, but overall their spirits are good and it was nice to reconnect with them both from afar. Thoughts and prayers are with you both as always.
I also wrote a note last night asking for someone in MN to clue me in on all the goings on there... guess I should have written a note sooner, as I woke up to 8 different perspectives on what has been taking place with the Honduras kids while in MN. YES! Thanks again to all of your for your notes. Sounds like they are having fun and enjoying their time there. Tomorrow is the big feast at the Ernst family home and it sounds like they are having a PIG for dinner. I too, got the good news that OMAR and Elisa from the Hogar had a baby boy this past weekend. He was over 8 pounds and has big feet like his papi. They have yet to name him? I will be excited to meet him when I go back to visit in February and March 2009.
I made my first Japanese dish last night with mini eggplants, peapods and I added onion to it. I stir fried it and then put this sauce in with it that I bought at the store. Thankfully they have drawings on the back of alot of their packages and so I had kind of an idea of what to do. It actually ended up quite tasty. My first time ever making eggplant.
It is still not raining outside,for the moment anyhow and so I think I will run to the store for some tomatoes for our TACO Friday supper. Wow,is it already that time again? This week has flown by...even with all the rain keeping me housebound for most of it.
Well I must say, it was good to get out of the house and off this chair. I went down on the back side of the bluff and just decided to walk down side streets through the little neigborhoods and see what interesting things I could find. I enjoyed looking at all the container gardens in front of each of the houses. These people love their plants and I am always amazed at how many some of them have 3 and 4 rows deep. I noticed too they are getting ready for fall and all the gravel, mums, marigolds, fall like plants are being put out at the stores for fall landscaping projects. I even noticed Halloween decorations were out at one little general merchandise stores. WOW..I wonder if the kids go door to door here as well and trick or treat? Something else to find out.
I went past a carport that had a bunch of chimes and white platic bags hanging from the netting above the minivan. When I crossed the street to look closer I see it was a grapevine with clusters of grapes hidden in the plastic bags. As I write this I am thinking where the heck was the dirt that it was planted in ?, all I remember seeing was cement. If that grew from a container..well,then that man or women has a heck of a green thumb I'd say. I wonder if they make wine,jelly from the grapes or if they just eat them?
Then I continued on and stopped at a few different mom and pop shops and bought an item or two at each of the places. Spread the wealth I figured..and give each of them a few yen. Met Charlie the very friendly produce man who wanted his foto taken. He asked in English if I was a traveler and I told him no I live here in Yamate-cho.He actually had some very nice looking watermelons for only 500y a piece. The store a few doors down had them for 1800yen, another for 3000yen. If I didn't already have my bags and hands so full I probably would have gotten one, as that is the cheapest I have seen a whole watermelon. I am wondering too if this is more their watermelon season now in August,as I seem to see way more now than before?
We have yet to have any watermelon since we moved here. Quite the change from the states, since I usually bought 2 a week in the heat of the summer back in MN.
I walked through and looked in alot of different food stores and fish markets looking for interesting food to take pics of.Graham's friends Emily sent us an email with fancy Japanese foods in it and so now I am looking to see if I can see any, kind of like a scavenger hunt. I did see some pretty pastal candies in animal and flower shapes and also some marzipan goodies. Everything is so decorated and detailed here.
Then my arms and shoulders began to get sore as my bags were very full and it was now getting hotter after my 3 1/2 hours out and about in the ever warmin sun. So I purchased two flower pot containers for the front porch and will fill them when we get back from China in a week or so. I told the lady as she handed me my bag,"I had better go home as I don't have any more arms. I need to be a Taku with 8 arms to carry any more". She and the other 2 sales clerks laughed and understood my Japlish charades.:-)
Back home past my favorite veggie market as they are the only place I see snap peas and for only 100yen.Then up the long hill with many steps past the closed up and very quiet international schools,through the park and down the other steps still under construction to our newlsy paved street. Felt good to get home, unload and have my veggie tempura I bought for my late lunch. It was cold as there was really no park on my route to sit and it eat but it was still very tasty.
Downloaded my pics, recorded my bills, prepared the Taco fixins and now will relax till CJ gets home. Maybe finish reading my Geisha book I started on the plane when we came back after the funeral. I don't really read too much in the summer, it seems, as it is more of a winter thing for me when I find myself house bound. Though I could of this very rainy week, but I have this blog that seems to be keeping me busy instead.
We have no real plans yet for this labor day weekend. My guess is we will probably stay around home and try to get some of the plane arrangements made for upcoming trips to USA, CJ's mom in October, kids here for Christmas, me to Honduras in February. I need to do something about getting some Sumo tickets for us in Sept or October and I should email the men from the school I met. Perhaps go to Costco for a few items with CJ, as it is quite a ways to haul those bigger sized items 3 subway stations away and back all by myself. Maybe we will go for another bike ride too, if the weather is nice, or I think it would be fun to go to the zoo and see the Panda Bears....who knows...?
So I will close for now and wish you all in the states a happy labor day weekend. Suppose many of you will head to your cabins and begin to close up shop after another summer season comes to an end. I hope you have nice weather there too, and good luck to all of you getting the kids ready for school to start next week as well.
Konnichiwa
Karla and CJ
Aug 27, 2008 ..it rained for 4 days and 4 nights..
Hi all.... Not much has been happening here the last few days, but RAIN RAIN RAIN and more RAIN. Had me starting to think that September is not gonna be a fun month if that's all it does is rain, along with Typhoons. It rained from Saturday till Tuesday night. Did have a few shorts spurts where it stopped a bit yesterday morning and afternoon, but I actually never left the house on Monday or Tuesday.
CJ's work trip went well and he met a nice young Japanese man who is very excited to work for an international company and can speak English quite well. Yeah! He too had sunny weather down by Nagaskai and says it is gonna be a nice place for me to visit when he has to travel there again another time.YES!
I of course sat way tooooo long on this chair at my computer the last 2 days trying to get kid lists and Honduras padrino information organized for 2009. My feet actually felt a bit swollen I sat so long. Oops!
Had some long phone visits with the extended family back in the states while I was sitting as well. They seem to be doing pretty well overall, but a few chronic health issues being diagnosed for some and hopefully some new and exciting opportunites for others. More later on that when things start to happen for them.
Hey,do all of you know about SKYPE? If not you should check it out. I talked for 2 hours for FREE on my computer to the relatives computer. You can also chat by typing only-kind of like instant messaging, or you can even get a camera and see them while your talking. It is kind of fun, but you have to make sure you comb your hair, get dressed or take a shower daily so you won't scare them like I did. haha
You can also open an account and put money in it, so you can call land lines or cellphones from you computer and that cost 2 cents a minute. It is SO worth it!! We can have family phone conferences with both Kalen in IL ,Graham in MN and CJ and I here in Japan all at the same time. But the camera doesn't seem to work to well for us, if we have more than 2 areas talking at the same time.
This week at night CJ and I are hoping to get dates and planes in line for our first visitors to come visit us here in Japan. We are hoping we can get CJ's mom over here in October and then I am pretty sure Kalen, Mike and Graham will be here for Christmas. I think my gal pals from MN/Honduras Donna and Michelle will come in April or May after I get back from my trip to Honduras and hopefully see the cherry blossoms in bloom. Yoohoo! Who else?
So,today when I wokeup I was VERY HAPPY to see it was finally sunny and so I did a bit of housework and changed the bed linens, hung the futons to air out in the sun and fresh air. Opened up all the windows and aired out the house. Picked up the dead leaves up out of the pebbles in my Japanese garden. Hung my green bell chime out on a tree limb that I got in Kamakura and then darn if I didn't realize I forgot to put the daily science project out last night before bed.
Shoot,now I have to have this big bag of plastic bottles and cans sitting around the house for another whole week till next Wednesday. :-( UGH! It gets a bit smelly and just no real space for all this recycling we have to do. This is when I wish I had a garage. I think of having some containers outside,but there are so darn many cats in this neighborhood I don't know if they will get into it or not and I don't really want to be picking up old garbage that gets strewn around everyday. Um..what to do? :-)
I also went and got more groceries and a new pillow for CJ. He said he had this awesome pillow when he was gone and it had beads in it. So I think I found one,lets see if it helps at all with his snoring? :-)
It was so nice to see all the big bright yellow sun flowers blooming and Morning glories glistening in the sunlight down by the pool plaza and fountain as I walked past. Stopped at my favorite bakery and got 2 frosted cinnamon raisin buns for breakfast tomorrow and a loaf of french bread. Figured I had better stop early as they sell out of everything everyday. It is so funny to walk by later in the day and see the 3 people who work there, standing in the shop with 3 loaves of bread sitting on the shelf yet to be purchased. I always wonder if they sold everything before closing time do they just close up and go home, or do they still have to stay and do kitchen work. They do have delicious stuff, that's for sure. Yum! I took a different side road to the store and saw this big moth hiding in the hibiscus tree and 2 very sad dried up and left for dead bonsai trees. I to be honest have not seen many of those yet. I see larger hedges they cut that same way, but not minature ones.
Back home I got dinner prepped and now am up here folding more laundry and doing computer work for home. As I sit here now,at dusk of another day gone by, I notice how all the cicadas are singing again and the crows too. I actually missed that the last couple days when it was so wet and quiet. They all were asleep or hiding out somewhere I guess, as I heard nothing but the rain and fog horns from the bay. I wonder where do they go or what do they do when it is raining out? Hum?
Anyhoo,I best get this closed up for tonight and my last papers taken care of before CJ gets home and I have to finish making supper.
Hope you are all well and know I think of you all often and hope your enjoying my Emails too. I am sorry I send so many sometimes, but those are the ones I think are just TOO GOOD not to pass on. I get plenty more that I don't send you,if you can believe that, so be happy.
Take care and drop me an Email or comment on here and let me know what you and yours are all up to. Enjoy your labor day weekend and the begining of a new school year.
Oh yeah by the way I almost forgot.... Speaking of school and rain. Check out this story from another guy that CJ works with. His family (wife and 2 elementary age kids) just moved to Shanghai, China 2 weeks ago now I think it was. Here is their baptism by fire story CJ got the other day on Email.
Subject: Thought you might find this amusing (it will be for us in a year or so)
The kids had their first day today at school. A real disaster.
Rain and floods everywhere--total gridlock with cars stalling in the water.
No raincoats or umbrellas yet in the Johnson household. Susan walked in
from the bus stop completely soaked at 7:30AM (cardboard box didn't
holdup). The school emailed parents around noon to pick up the kids since
most teachers couldn't make it and parts of the school were flooded. It
took Susan three hours to get there and by then, the kids were already
heading home on the bus to an empty house. She called in tears saying she
hated this f***ing place. So I asked Henry Wu to give me a lift home at
3:30PM to receive the kids but couldn't get out of the parking lot so I
walked home (about an hour walk). I was half way home until it started
raining again and Susan called to say she would beat me home. Mr. Mi picked
me up at a bike shop where I almost bought a bike to get home but they
wouldn't take Visa. All this on top of a three hour ride for the kids to
school. And two hour ride home.
Who wouldn't want to live in Shanghai?
YIKES..When I hear that I know it would be much different moving here with kids.
We hope to have dinner with them when over there next week and so it will be fun to swap stories.
Tomorrow, I think I may go on a little exploration on my bike perhaps or walk somewhere I have not been yet? I will have to wait and see what the weather is like.
I hear CJ unlocking the front door
More tomorrow
KJ and CJ
CJ's work trip went well and he met a nice young Japanese man who is very excited to work for an international company and can speak English quite well. Yeah! He too had sunny weather down by Nagaskai and says it is gonna be a nice place for me to visit when he has to travel there again another time.YES!
I of course sat way tooooo long on this chair at my computer the last 2 days trying to get kid lists and Honduras padrino information organized for 2009. My feet actually felt a bit swollen I sat so long. Oops!
Had some long phone visits with the extended family back in the states while I was sitting as well. They seem to be doing pretty well overall, but a few chronic health issues being diagnosed for some and hopefully some new and exciting opportunites for others. More later on that when things start to happen for them.
Hey,do all of you know about SKYPE? If not you should check it out. I talked for 2 hours for FREE on my computer to the relatives computer. You can also chat by typing only-kind of like instant messaging, or you can even get a camera and see them while your talking. It is kind of fun, but you have to make sure you comb your hair, get dressed or take a shower daily so you won't scare them like I did. haha
You can also open an account and put money in it, so you can call land lines or cellphones from you computer and that cost 2 cents a minute. It is SO worth it!! We can have family phone conferences with both Kalen in IL ,Graham in MN and CJ and I here in Japan all at the same time. But the camera doesn't seem to work to well for us, if we have more than 2 areas talking at the same time.
This week at night CJ and I are hoping to get dates and planes in line for our first visitors to come visit us here in Japan. We are hoping we can get CJ's mom over here in October and then I am pretty sure Kalen, Mike and Graham will be here for Christmas. I think my gal pals from MN/Honduras Donna and Michelle will come in April or May after I get back from my trip to Honduras and hopefully see the cherry blossoms in bloom. Yoohoo! Who else?
So,today when I wokeup I was VERY HAPPY to see it was finally sunny and so I did a bit of housework and changed the bed linens, hung the futons to air out in the sun and fresh air. Opened up all the windows and aired out the house. Picked up the dead leaves up out of the pebbles in my Japanese garden. Hung my green bell chime out on a tree limb that I got in Kamakura and then darn if I didn't realize I forgot to put the daily science project out last night before bed.
Shoot,now I have to have this big bag of plastic bottles and cans sitting around the house for another whole week till next Wednesday. :-( UGH! It gets a bit smelly and just no real space for all this recycling we have to do. This is when I wish I had a garage. I think of having some containers outside,but there are so darn many cats in this neighborhood I don't know if they will get into it or not and I don't really want to be picking up old garbage that gets strewn around everyday. Um..what to do? :-)
I also went and got more groceries and a new pillow for CJ. He said he had this awesome pillow when he was gone and it had beads in it. So I think I found one,lets see if it helps at all with his snoring? :-)
It was so nice to see all the big bright yellow sun flowers blooming and Morning glories glistening in the sunlight down by the pool plaza and fountain as I walked past. Stopped at my favorite bakery and got 2 frosted cinnamon raisin buns for breakfast tomorrow and a loaf of french bread. Figured I had better stop early as they sell out of everything everyday. It is so funny to walk by later in the day and see the 3 people who work there, standing in the shop with 3 loaves of bread sitting on the shelf yet to be purchased. I always wonder if they sold everything before closing time do they just close up and go home, or do they still have to stay and do kitchen work. They do have delicious stuff, that's for sure. Yum! I took a different side road to the store and saw this big moth hiding in the hibiscus tree and 2 very sad dried up and left for dead bonsai trees. I to be honest have not seen many of those yet. I see larger hedges they cut that same way, but not minature ones.
Back home I got dinner prepped and now am up here folding more laundry and doing computer work for home. As I sit here now,at dusk of another day gone by, I notice how all the cicadas are singing again and the crows too. I actually missed that the last couple days when it was so wet and quiet. They all were asleep or hiding out somewhere I guess, as I heard nothing but the rain and fog horns from the bay. I wonder where do they go or what do they do when it is raining out? Hum?
Anyhoo,I best get this closed up for tonight and my last papers taken care of before CJ gets home and I have to finish making supper.
Hope you are all well and know I think of you all often and hope your enjoying my Emails too. I am sorry I send so many sometimes, but those are the ones I think are just TOO GOOD not to pass on. I get plenty more that I don't send you,if you can believe that, so be happy.
Take care and drop me an Email or comment on here and let me know what you and yours are all up to. Enjoy your labor day weekend and the begining of a new school year.
Oh yeah by the way I almost forgot.... Speaking of school and rain. Check out this story from another guy that CJ works with. His family (wife and 2 elementary age kids) just moved to Shanghai, China 2 weeks ago now I think it was. Here is their baptism by fire story CJ got the other day on Email.
Subject: Thought you might find this amusing (it will be for us in a year or so)
The kids had their first day today at school. A real disaster.
Rain and floods everywhere--total gridlock with cars stalling in the water.
No raincoats or umbrellas yet in the Johnson household. Susan walked in
from the bus stop completely soaked at 7:30AM (cardboard box didn't
holdup). The school emailed parents around noon to pick up the kids since
most teachers couldn't make it and parts of the school were flooded. It
took Susan three hours to get there and by then, the kids were already
heading home on the bus to an empty house. She called in tears saying she
hated this f***ing place. So I asked Henry Wu to give me a lift home at
3:30PM to receive the kids but couldn't get out of the parking lot so I
walked home (about an hour walk). I was half way home until it started
raining again and Susan called to say she would beat me home. Mr. Mi picked
me up at a bike shop where I almost bought a bike to get home but they
wouldn't take Visa. All this on top of a three hour ride for the kids to
school. And two hour ride home.
Who wouldn't want to live in Shanghai?
YIKES..When I hear that I know it would be much different moving here with kids.
We hope to have dinner with them when over there next week and so it will be fun to swap stories.
Tomorrow, I think I may go on a little exploration on my bike perhaps or walk somewhere I have not been yet? I will have to wait and see what the weather is like.
I hear CJ unlocking the front door
More tomorrow
KJ and CJ
Sunday, August 24, 2008
August 23-24, 2008 KJ and CJ Climb MT. FUJI-san
Alrighty then, so my day had already been made and what we came for had not even begun yet. Yipee!
We got off the train "ressha" in Kawaguchi went and bought our tickets "chikettos"for the bus, I got my warmer clothes, shoes and socks on and then we watched as more and more youth "wakamonos" in all their original outfits came and went on trains and buses. All headed I supposed, to the concert "konsato". WOW, would I have loved to been there for a photo opportunity of a lifetime and of course more questions to be answered.:-)
We then boarded our very colorful Thomas the Tank Engine Bus "basu" which took us up to the 5th Station of Mt Fuji. It was quite a long ride and we ended up getting there about 4pm I think. The windows "mados" were so fogged up on the bus, that we could see nothing "nani mo...nai" as we rode along.:-( So already we had put in a long day of travel "tabi" and our hike was just about to begin.
We first went into the store and bought our Japanese walking sticks "tsue" which we had read about and some ankle wader like shoe protectors to keep rocks from going in your shoes. The sticks come with a flag "hata" and some bells "suzus" on the top and then as you walk along and you get to each station or level they give you a stamp for that specific spot you attained along the way. The book suggested you take the bells off too, before someone on the hike hits you over the head with their stick; so after our BEFORE "mae ni" hike pictures were taken we removed and tucked those away in our backpacks for a Fuji souvenir "omiyage".
We decided we then had better eat "taberu" before our trek "tsurai tabi" began so we bought some pot stickers "gyooza" and noodle soup. It was very good and the hot soup was very warming to our already cooler and slightly damp bodies. When you get food at some restaurants here, you first buy tickets in a machine where you punch in the number of the dish you want and then you present the ticket to the cook. They call out your number when it is ready and you go to the counter and pick it up. There are no real waitresses "ueitoresus" and no tipping "chippu" here in Japan which is nice as well. Heck, you probably wouldn't have any change to give for a tip, as you need it all to pay for for the trains, buses, subways, toilets...This is one thing I am getting used to, and that is working with cash "genkin" all the time. I was a check "kogitte" and credit card "kurejitto-kado" user back in MN and so this is very different for me. Seems like I am forever taking more cash out of the ATM machines here. Another new and different thing to get used to.
After our pics were taken with a very foggy "kiri ga oi" backdrop we went off into a land unknown and one that we could not see either. So much for our thought,if the bad weather "tenki" holds off we plan to hike "haikingu" Fuji. The annual hiking season is only 2 more weeks long, and so we had to do it this weekend as we will be going to China and they call for rain "ame" all this week and possibly next,so we figured we will just have to deal with what comes. And so that is what we did, and with that the rains came and they never once stopped. In fact it is still pouring out right now at 1 pm in the afternoon on Monday. My guess is this is what all of September "kugatsu" and parts of October "jugatsu" are going to be like with Typhoon "taifu" season just around the corner. One more thing to get used to. Like CJ said as he left this morning "An umbrella "kasa" the BIGGER THE BETTER, will be our best friend in the upcoming days". I wonder what I am going to look like when I come home drenched from the grocery store in water, rather than sweat? Oh boy, so many new things to discover each day here in Japan.
Oh by the way we felt our first earthquake "jishin" on Friday night when we were eating our Tacos. I said to CJ, "Are you shaking "yureru" right now or is it just me"? We then both stopped a minute and sat still and sure enough there was some movement taking place. Turned on the TV and saw it was a 5.1 somewhere "dokoka" north "kita" of Tokyo. Thank goodness for maps "chizus" as I don't have a clue what they are saying. No harm done here, and it was actually kind of cool to feel it. My first since, riding out the BIG one back in in 1989 in San Francisco. I can still remember how sore my legs felt that next day after bracing myself in the doorway of the kitchen as the linoloeum floor seemed to roll under my feet.
Ok sorry, got off track anad I am not even on it yet for heavens sake :-)...So we headed out into the mist and big cloud of fog and were in it for the next 12 hours. We hiked as daylight fell around us and then CJ turned his head lamp on to help navigate our way up the steps, over the rocky lava slopes,along the chain link railing and into the ever darkening night sky. It did get dark very quick and there was no moon to guide us so thankfully we packed that headlamp and my flashlight "furasshuraito". We were not alone as there we many others crazy fools such as us that wanted to say we did it, especially when there was only a 10percent chance of us seeing the sunrise tomorrow morning. It was very pretty as we looked up above us or down below to the numerous switchbacks we could kind of see and to catch a glimpse of the rainbow of color made by all the nylon colored rain gear every smart person was donning. Those that were NOT dressed for the weather were crazy I think, to even attempt it, but there were as always many who were in shorts and hooded sweatshirt only.YIKES ? How they did not get hypothermia I do not know. It was colder than a witches T--! up on top. We,thought we had enough clothes packed, and still could have used more pairs of gloves, and dry socks. We each went through 2 pair of each.
We had planned to walk all night at a very slow pace, but at 9 pm we were already up at station 8 and we did not know what was available at the top and I did not want to sit outside from midnight till 4am to wait for the possible "kano" sunrise "hinhode". So we asked at one of the station lodges if they had room, nope all full for the night. We kept walking all alone at this point through the dark, foggy, rainy night. Excited to pass under the next red Shinto Tori gate before arriving at the next station. It was kind of nice being out there all alone, as long as there was no lightning and every once in awhile another lodge to hide behind a wall and get out of the elements for 5 minutes or so.
At station 9 the guy there said it would take about 1 and 1/2 hours to get to the top from there. We asked if we could sit inside for a bit to warm up and he said no. We then asked if they had room and he said yes. How much? It was 6900yen per person for the night and 7900yen each if you wanted breakfast in the AM. No way! I at this point though, was soaked to the bone through my 4 layers of clothes and that is 3 layers under my waterproof raingear. I was drenched from sweat and rain that got into places, well I am not exactly sure how ?, but it did.
So we grabbed a banana for 150yen each and went outside to eat it, out of the wind while taking a bit of a rest. Unless you are staying overnight, you can not sit inside the buildings. You can use the bathrooms for 100yen which are in a seperate building,but you have to rest outside. So you look for a place up against the building out of the wind. Some people sit and wrap themselves in foil to stay warm. While we sat there eating our bananas, the rain picked up and the wind seemed to blow harder and CJ then looked at me and said we are not going any further. We are getting a room even if it is $140 for a few hours, as we know NOTHING about what is further ahead.
So in we went and thankfully they took Visa. They made us take off all out wet outside gear and hiking boots right there and he then put them in a big plastic bag...so much for drying out for the next morning.:-( It was so funny when I handed him my pants and he held them up and they came almost up to his shoulders. He just shook his head when I held my BIG jacket up in front of him after that.
Once we were partially undressed,and had our muddy boats off, he gave us slippers and then took us up to the 2nd floor to our room. When we walked across the dining area/lobby in our slippers, we had to TAKE THOSE OFF, before going up the steps to our sleeping quarters. Well, we soon found out, it was not a room exactly, but one of 2 long hallways with lofts on each side of the hall and with a row of about 20 sleeping bags or more, lined up one right next to the other and people were sound asleep and some sad to say, sawing logs. Darn...I forgot to pack my earplugs, and the bad thing is CJ wasn't even asleep yet and his head was going to be right next to mine...YIKES...will I ever get to sleep?
The man of course gave us the two blue down sleeping bags, with gold blankets and a pillow right at the top of the steps where the big hallway light would shine right in my eyes and no door to close out the sound from down below. For those of you who don't know. I cannot sleep with any light in my room. I actually sleep with my blanket over my head since I have been going to Honduras as the sunrises too darn early there, and now it is the same here in Japan. Any bit of light wakes me up.
So needless to say, I am thinking this has just gone from bad to worse. I just paid way too much money and now I won't even be able to sleep. UGH! I was a little happier when he went to walk away and he pulled a curtain across the foot of our bed, I mean bags and it shut out some of the bright glaring light. YES!
So while CJ went down and out to the bathroom, I first quickly turned my sleeping bag around as I thought my head will be better at that end and less light will shine directly in my eyes. I too then realized it will be opposite CJ's as well, for hopefully less snoring in my ear. (um..maybe I should do this at home too?) Well, when CJ got back he said Why are you sleeping that way?" I said the light is shining less here and so he started to turn his bag too and then I said "NO". He was a bit sad I think, but I said "I have no ear plugs and you aren't even asleep yet". So he went to bed with my feet in his face and his in mine. No he did not even kick me in the night, though he might have thought about it.:-) He did snore though and so did a few others.So of course now I am wide awake, shivering and then all of a sudden there seems to be lots of talking in Japanese going on down in the dining area which was totally empty when we came in but the 4 men who worked there. I almost got up to see if they were letting others sit in there and warm up. They would not let us foreigners "gaikokujin" warm up inside, but were they now letting others in? Was it a Japanese thing? I was too cold to get up out of my warm bag and look, and then I remembered I too had packed my Ipod. I immediately plugged those into my ears and was thankfully able to get a few hours of sleep before 3 am rolled around and my let's get going, adventure energy was back in full force.
We had another banana and then were off for the last 1 and 1/2 hour climb to the summit. I don't know why but I wasn't even really hungry, perhaps too darn cold. It was a long slow train of people we then joined,in their colorful gear zig zagging their way up the fog covered switchbacks and through the blustery gusts of wind and rain. It had to be in the 30's with the wind chill I am sure. I kept looking for snowflakes, but never saw any. We made it to the top and quickly crowded into the shelter building with everyone else, and to get our 1st and only station stamp on our stick. Supposedly when it is raining and the sticks are wet, they don't work, or at least that is what the girl at station 6 told us. That I am not so sure about now, as they are like a branding iron and the guy at the summit hit it into the wood with a sledge hammer. He had no problem putting it into my soaking wet stick. I think the others perhaps, just didn't want to bare the cold and rain as it looked like there equipment was outside of their buildings? By the way the other stamps are 200 yen a piece and the summit one was 300yen. So they do make some money out of it. 1200yen for the stick with flag and bells and then 200yen per stamps and there are staions 5-10. We saved money, but it would have been fun to get all the different stamps on it too. I was just glad they put the SUMMIT "chojo" stamp on mine. At least it shows we did get there. YOOHOO!!!
It was like a shinto gift shop and so we bought a wood tablet with Mt.Fuji on it for our souvenir. We went into the next very crowded room and bought a bowl of hot noodle soup to warm us up a bit. A nice young man who was climbing for his 3rd time took a few photos of us and our flat Harriman pic of Graham, Kalen and Michael, so they too can say they made it to the top of Mt. Fuji-san in Nippon.We shared some of our fruit and nut mix with him and he seemed to enjoy that.
Then we went back outside in the blustery cold wind to get a photo of us at the summit pillar. A guy just took his friends photo and I asked if he could do one more and he said he was freezing to death. Oh Please I said and then when I looked down here he was one of those crazy unprepared dudes and he was standing there in shorts and had a light jacket on,NO hat NO gloves!! Well NO S--T SHERLOCK, why didn't ypu come prepared? I still can't even imagine how he made it up there and did not freeze to death. Some people are really hardy. It always makes me wonder days later what happened to them, if anything and if they are sick in the hospital with pneumonia "haien"? Hope not.
Anyhoo, so off we went down the descending path that nevvvvvvvvvvvvver ended it seemed. I told CJ when we woke up after our 4 hour cat nap, that I did not feel sore at all and either did he.YES!! Going up is much easier than going down. That is a for sure fact, after this hike. Oh my God... my right knee and little toes on each foot hurt so bad after the first 2 hours going down the easy flat gravel slopes. I tried walking every which way was possible just to give my legs a change of pace and nothing seemed to work. It would have been nice to have stairs or something to step up on or over at some point along the way. But no,it was all downhill. "OH,AH, OUCH"... is what I said each torturous step of the way.
It would have been so fun for it to be clear so we would actually know what we just had climbed for the last 12 hours. As of right now, I don't think I ever want to hike that again, to find out,...just a heads up for those of you planning to come here and visit us. :-)When we got back home I looked closer at a wet brochure we had and said to CJ,"Did you even know that's what it looked like where we were hiking?" Crazy!
So the last 3 km never ended and neither did the rain. In fact,they both got harder each step of the way. I tried to take a short cut at one of the curves in the switchback and ended up falling and when I tried to get up the weight of my back pack and the slope I fell again and almost ended up doing a somersault. Fell hard enough to tear a hole in my new HUGE rainpants and scrape my knee 3 layers under. The last mile the mudslides actually began to wash out the path right under our feet. It was like a big cement truck had just opened the chute and the cement came tumbling down the slope just inches from our feet as we jumped as far to the side of the path as we could, while digging deeper and deeper ruts in the path. YIKES...it was a bit scary and I was glad there were not really steep drop offs along the edge or that would have been mighty frightening. It was creepy enough when a big mass of mud was coming and some people ahead of us were trying to quickly climb the side of the path and all the volcanic ash under there feet just kept giving way. They couldn't get a foot hold at all. That right then and there, made me grimace harder and walk as fast as I could to get off that mountain. Thankfully we rounded a corner and there was a cement walkway built and then I thought hum... this must happen alotand that is perhaps why they built this cement structure. Whatever, that walkway had steps and come to find out I couldn't at this point step down...the pain was too excruciating for me and so I kept trying to walk faster than the muddy Mt.Fuji River that was now flowing quite rapidly next to me.
When we got to the very end there was a group of people standing on the left side of the path all hanging on to a rope and watching the mud slides come right up to them and past them washing more of the path away each time. Why were they NOT moving out of that area I wondered? As I got closer I saw that there was an older lady sitting in some kind of a wheel chair or cart and they looked to be pulling her "UP" the hill. Well there was no "FRICKEN" way they were going anywhere any time soon, especially now with the path disappearing right before their very eyes. That was just plan stupid I thought. WHY, what was going on, did they ever get her out of there, did they all get washed over the edge? It was scary to think of them all being tied to that one rope and if one went they would all go along, wouldn't they ? Just past them was another cement walkway and across the "river" more of a severe drop off which was now starting to wash away. CJ and I actually had to cross the "river currents of flowing mud" to get to the other side as the cement walkway itself was full of overflowing cement. I ran quick as I did not want to get pulled off, or the ledge to break off and then a damn of mud would have surely taken me down to who knows where?
As we walked a bit further out of harms way, we stopped to look back and I couldn't really believe my eyes and it left me wondering what would happen to all those people that were still up there walking down behind us. Would someone warn them to go another way, or if there even was another way off at that point? We thought of climbing up and going another direction but when we saw that lady who could not get footing beneath her, well it made you wonder what would you do if it did wash away the path? All I know is I am glad to be off there and hope all the others got off safely as well.
When we got on the cement path back to station 5 we noticed a couple people on horses going that direction, as well as, 2 police men walking. I wonder if they were going to help that lady or at least try to control the situation there as best they could. I wanted to stay and watch, but then again my feet were so sore and my clothes were once again completely soaked.I was drenched to the bone and getting colder by the minute. I just wanted to click my very muddy heels three times and be home in my hot shower.
We made it back to No 5 and had a quick bit of spaghetti, some curry rice and boiled soybeans before the bus took us back on that long ride to Kawaguchi. We then took our 3 trains back home and I slept most of the way as I tried ignore how cold I really was and to stay warm in my soaking wet clothes. I looked for Sayna on the way towards Tokyo, but did not see her. I did see lots of others who must have stayed the night after the concert and now were on their way back home as well. i hope they had as much fun as I did. We finally got home at 4 pm after stopping for our Jumbo-shu reward when switching to the subway in Yokohama. I immediately jumped in the hot shower. It wasn't even hot enough at the highest setting...that's how bloody cold and froze to the bone I was.Burr......
We ate some supper, unpacked our drenched bags and watched a bit of the TV. I was hoping to see the closing ceremony of the Olympics, but at 7:30pm I was in bed and fast asleep. We did not wake till CJ's alarm went off this morning for work. I guess we were very tired.
Now it is 4pm and I have been sitting here writing this all day and need to go hobble downstairs to switch over the laundry again and get myself something to eat for dinner. I have yet to put all the paper stuff away as it is still laying on the floor and table to dry out. It was unbelievable to me, how things inside of things inside of my covered backpack got wet? So with that, I will close for tonight and do know I wish you all well and hope life is treating you and yours good. What is new with you? Feel free to comment on the blog or drop us an email. I would love to hear what your all up to these days as well. I promise I will write you a personal reply back if you write us. This is just an easy way for me to tell it all at one time and for those who are interested in what we are doing.
Sending you good wishes and hopefully sunnier skies than we have here right now in Japan
Karla and CJ
We got off the train "ressha" in Kawaguchi went and bought our tickets "chikettos"for the bus, I got my warmer clothes, shoes and socks on and then we watched as more and more youth "wakamonos" in all their original outfits came and went on trains and buses. All headed I supposed, to the concert "konsato". WOW, would I have loved to been there for a photo opportunity of a lifetime and of course more questions to be answered.:-)
We then boarded our very colorful Thomas the Tank Engine Bus "basu" which took us up to the 5th Station of Mt Fuji. It was quite a long ride and we ended up getting there about 4pm I think. The windows "mados" were so fogged up on the bus, that we could see nothing "nani mo...nai" as we rode along.:-( So already we had put in a long day of travel "tabi" and our hike was just about to begin.
We first went into the store and bought our Japanese walking sticks "tsue" which we had read about and some ankle wader like shoe protectors to keep rocks from going in your shoes. The sticks come with a flag "hata" and some bells "suzus" on the top and then as you walk along and you get to each station or level they give you a stamp for that specific spot you attained along the way. The book suggested you take the bells off too, before someone on the hike hits you over the head with their stick; so after our BEFORE "mae ni" hike pictures were taken we removed and tucked those away in our backpacks for a Fuji souvenir "omiyage".
We decided we then had better eat "taberu" before our trek "tsurai tabi" began so we bought some pot stickers "gyooza" and noodle soup. It was very good and the hot soup was very warming to our already cooler and slightly damp bodies. When you get food at some restaurants here, you first buy tickets in a machine where you punch in the number of the dish you want and then you present the ticket to the cook. They call out your number when it is ready and you go to the counter and pick it up. There are no real waitresses "ueitoresus" and no tipping "chippu" here in Japan which is nice as well. Heck, you probably wouldn't have any change to give for a tip, as you need it all to pay for for the trains, buses, subways, toilets...This is one thing I am getting used to, and that is working with cash "genkin" all the time. I was a check "kogitte" and credit card "kurejitto-kado" user back in MN and so this is very different for me. Seems like I am forever taking more cash out of the ATM machines here. Another new and different thing to get used to.
After our pics were taken with a very foggy "kiri ga oi" backdrop we went off into a land unknown and one that we could not see either. So much for our thought,if the bad weather "tenki" holds off we plan to hike "haikingu" Fuji. The annual hiking season is only 2 more weeks long, and so we had to do it this weekend as we will be going to China and they call for rain "ame" all this week and possibly next,so we figured we will just have to deal with what comes. And so that is what we did, and with that the rains came and they never once stopped. In fact it is still pouring out right now at 1 pm in the afternoon on Monday. My guess is this is what all of September "kugatsu" and parts of October "jugatsu" are going to be like with Typhoon "taifu" season just around the corner. One more thing to get used to. Like CJ said as he left this morning "An umbrella "kasa" the BIGGER THE BETTER, will be our best friend in the upcoming days". I wonder what I am going to look like when I come home drenched from the grocery store in water, rather than sweat? Oh boy, so many new things to discover each day here in Japan.
Oh by the way we felt our first earthquake "jishin" on Friday night when we were eating our Tacos. I said to CJ, "Are you shaking "yureru" right now or is it just me"? We then both stopped a minute and sat still and sure enough there was some movement taking place. Turned on the TV and saw it was a 5.1 somewhere "dokoka" north "kita" of Tokyo. Thank goodness for maps "chizus" as I don't have a clue what they are saying. No harm done here, and it was actually kind of cool to feel it. My first since, riding out the BIG one back in in 1989 in San Francisco. I can still remember how sore my legs felt that next day after bracing myself in the doorway of the kitchen as the linoloeum floor seemed to roll under my feet.
Ok sorry, got off track anad I am not even on it yet for heavens sake :-)...So we headed out into the mist and big cloud of fog and were in it for the next 12 hours. We hiked as daylight fell around us and then CJ turned his head lamp on to help navigate our way up the steps, over the rocky lava slopes,along the chain link railing and into the ever darkening night sky. It did get dark very quick and there was no moon to guide us so thankfully we packed that headlamp and my flashlight "furasshuraito". We were not alone as there we many others crazy fools such as us that wanted to say we did it, especially when there was only a 10percent chance of us seeing the sunrise tomorrow morning. It was very pretty as we looked up above us or down below to the numerous switchbacks we could kind of see and to catch a glimpse of the rainbow of color made by all the nylon colored rain gear every smart person was donning. Those that were NOT dressed for the weather were crazy I think, to even attempt it, but there were as always many who were in shorts and hooded sweatshirt only.YIKES ? How they did not get hypothermia I do not know. It was colder than a witches T--! up on top. We,thought we had enough clothes packed, and still could have used more pairs of gloves, and dry socks. We each went through 2 pair of each.
We had planned to walk all night at a very slow pace, but at 9 pm we were already up at station 8 and we did not know what was available at the top and I did not want to sit outside from midnight till 4am to wait for the possible "kano" sunrise "hinhode". So we asked at one of the station lodges if they had room, nope all full for the night. We kept walking all alone at this point through the dark, foggy, rainy night. Excited to pass under the next red Shinto Tori gate before arriving at the next station. It was kind of nice being out there all alone, as long as there was no lightning and every once in awhile another lodge to hide behind a wall and get out of the elements for 5 minutes or so.
At station 9 the guy there said it would take about 1 and 1/2 hours to get to the top from there. We asked if we could sit inside for a bit to warm up and he said no. We then asked if they had room and he said yes. How much? It was 6900yen per person for the night and 7900yen each if you wanted breakfast in the AM. No way! I at this point though, was soaked to the bone through my 4 layers of clothes and that is 3 layers under my waterproof raingear. I was drenched from sweat and rain that got into places, well I am not exactly sure how ?, but it did.
So we grabbed a banana for 150yen each and went outside to eat it, out of the wind while taking a bit of a rest. Unless you are staying overnight, you can not sit inside the buildings. You can use the bathrooms for 100yen which are in a seperate building,but you have to rest outside. So you look for a place up against the building out of the wind. Some people sit and wrap themselves in foil to stay warm. While we sat there eating our bananas, the rain picked up and the wind seemed to blow harder and CJ then looked at me and said we are not going any further. We are getting a room even if it is $140 for a few hours, as we know NOTHING about what is further ahead.
So in we went and thankfully they took Visa. They made us take off all out wet outside gear and hiking boots right there and he then put them in a big plastic bag...so much for drying out for the next morning.:-( It was so funny when I handed him my pants and he held them up and they came almost up to his shoulders. He just shook his head when I held my BIG jacket up in front of him after that.
Once we were partially undressed,and had our muddy boats off, he gave us slippers and then took us up to the 2nd floor to our room. When we walked across the dining area/lobby in our slippers, we had to TAKE THOSE OFF, before going up the steps to our sleeping quarters. Well, we soon found out, it was not a room exactly, but one of 2 long hallways with lofts on each side of the hall and with a row of about 20 sleeping bags or more, lined up one right next to the other and people were sound asleep and some sad to say, sawing logs. Darn...I forgot to pack my earplugs, and the bad thing is CJ wasn't even asleep yet and his head was going to be right next to mine...YIKES...will I ever get to sleep?
The man of course gave us the two blue down sleeping bags, with gold blankets and a pillow right at the top of the steps where the big hallway light would shine right in my eyes and no door to close out the sound from down below. For those of you who don't know. I cannot sleep with any light in my room. I actually sleep with my blanket over my head since I have been going to Honduras as the sunrises too darn early there, and now it is the same here in Japan. Any bit of light wakes me up.
So needless to say, I am thinking this has just gone from bad to worse. I just paid way too much money and now I won't even be able to sleep. UGH! I was a little happier when he went to walk away and he pulled a curtain across the foot of our bed, I mean bags and it shut out some of the bright glaring light. YES!
So while CJ went down and out to the bathroom, I first quickly turned my sleeping bag around as I thought my head will be better at that end and less light will shine directly in my eyes. I too then realized it will be opposite CJ's as well, for hopefully less snoring in my ear. (um..maybe I should do this at home too?) Well, when CJ got back he said Why are you sleeping that way?" I said the light is shining less here and so he started to turn his bag too and then I said "NO". He was a bit sad I think, but I said "I have no ear plugs and you aren't even asleep yet". So he went to bed with my feet in his face and his in mine. No he did not even kick me in the night, though he might have thought about it.:-) He did snore though and so did a few others.So of course now I am wide awake, shivering and then all of a sudden there seems to be lots of talking in Japanese going on down in the dining area which was totally empty when we came in but the 4 men who worked there. I almost got up to see if they were letting others sit in there and warm up. They would not let us foreigners "gaikokujin" warm up inside, but were they now letting others in? Was it a Japanese thing? I was too cold to get up out of my warm bag and look, and then I remembered I too had packed my Ipod. I immediately plugged those into my ears and was thankfully able to get a few hours of sleep before 3 am rolled around and my let's get going, adventure energy was back in full force.
We had another banana and then were off for the last 1 and 1/2 hour climb to the summit. I don't know why but I wasn't even really hungry, perhaps too darn cold. It was a long slow train of people we then joined,in their colorful gear zig zagging their way up the fog covered switchbacks and through the blustery gusts of wind and rain. It had to be in the 30's with the wind chill I am sure. I kept looking for snowflakes, but never saw any. We made it to the top and quickly crowded into the shelter building with everyone else, and to get our 1st and only station stamp on our stick. Supposedly when it is raining and the sticks are wet, they don't work, or at least that is what the girl at station 6 told us. That I am not so sure about now, as they are like a branding iron and the guy at the summit hit it into the wood with a sledge hammer. He had no problem putting it into my soaking wet stick. I think the others perhaps, just didn't want to bare the cold and rain as it looked like there equipment was outside of their buildings? By the way the other stamps are 200 yen a piece and the summit one was 300yen. So they do make some money out of it. 1200yen for the stick with flag and bells and then 200yen per stamps and there are staions 5-10. We saved money, but it would have been fun to get all the different stamps on it too. I was just glad they put the SUMMIT "chojo" stamp on mine. At least it shows we did get there. YOOHOO!!!
It was like a shinto gift shop and so we bought a wood tablet with Mt.Fuji on it for our souvenir. We went into the next very crowded room and bought a bowl of hot noodle soup to warm us up a bit. A nice young man who was climbing for his 3rd time took a few photos of us and our flat Harriman pic of Graham, Kalen and Michael, so they too can say they made it to the top of Mt. Fuji-san in Nippon.We shared some of our fruit and nut mix with him and he seemed to enjoy that.
Then we went back outside in the blustery cold wind to get a photo of us at the summit pillar. A guy just took his friends photo and I asked if he could do one more and he said he was freezing to death. Oh Please I said and then when I looked down here he was one of those crazy unprepared dudes and he was standing there in shorts and had a light jacket on,NO hat NO gloves!! Well NO S--T SHERLOCK, why didn't ypu come prepared? I still can't even imagine how he made it up there and did not freeze to death. Some people are really hardy. It always makes me wonder days later what happened to them, if anything and if they are sick in the hospital with pneumonia "haien"? Hope not.
Anyhoo, so off we went down the descending path that nevvvvvvvvvvvvver ended it seemed. I told CJ when we woke up after our 4 hour cat nap, that I did not feel sore at all and either did he.YES!! Going up is much easier than going down. That is a for sure fact, after this hike. Oh my God... my right knee and little toes on each foot hurt so bad after the first 2 hours going down the easy flat gravel slopes. I tried walking every which way was possible just to give my legs a change of pace and nothing seemed to work. It would have been nice to have stairs or something to step up on or over at some point along the way. But no,it was all downhill. "OH,AH, OUCH"... is what I said each torturous step of the way.
It would have been so fun for it to be clear so we would actually know what we just had climbed for the last 12 hours. As of right now, I don't think I ever want to hike that again, to find out,...just a heads up for those of you planning to come here and visit us. :-)When we got back home I looked closer at a wet brochure we had and said to CJ,"Did you even know that's what it looked like where we were hiking?" Crazy!
So the last 3 km never ended and neither did the rain. In fact,they both got harder each step of the way. I tried to take a short cut at one of the curves in the switchback and ended up falling and when I tried to get up the weight of my back pack and the slope I fell again and almost ended up doing a somersault. Fell hard enough to tear a hole in my new HUGE rainpants and scrape my knee 3 layers under. The last mile the mudslides actually began to wash out the path right under our feet. It was like a big cement truck had just opened the chute and the cement came tumbling down the slope just inches from our feet as we jumped as far to the side of the path as we could, while digging deeper and deeper ruts in the path. YIKES...it was a bit scary and I was glad there were not really steep drop offs along the edge or that would have been mighty frightening. It was creepy enough when a big mass of mud was coming and some people ahead of us were trying to quickly climb the side of the path and all the volcanic ash under there feet just kept giving way. They couldn't get a foot hold at all. That right then and there, made me grimace harder and walk as fast as I could to get off that mountain. Thankfully we rounded a corner and there was a cement walkway built and then I thought hum... this must happen alotand that is perhaps why they built this cement structure. Whatever, that walkway had steps and come to find out I couldn't at this point step down...the pain was too excruciating for me and so I kept trying to walk faster than the muddy Mt.Fuji River that was now flowing quite rapidly next to me.
When we got to the very end there was a group of people standing on the left side of the path all hanging on to a rope and watching the mud slides come right up to them and past them washing more of the path away each time. Why were they NOT moving out of that area I wondered? As I got closer I saw that there was an older lady sitting in some kind of a wheel chair or cart and they looked to be pulling her "UP" the hill. Well there was no "FRICKEN" way they were going anywhere any time soon, especially now with the path disappearing right before their very eyes. That was just plan stupid I thought. WHY, what was going on, did they ever get her out of there, did they all get washed over the edge? It was scary to think of them all being tied to that one rope and if one went they would all go along, wouldn't they ? Just past them was another cement walkway and across the "river" more of a severe drop off which was now starting to wash away. CJ and I actually had to cross the "river currents of flowing mud" to get to the other side as the cement walkway itself was full of overflowing cement. I ran quick as I did not want to get pulled off, or the ledge to break off and then a damn of mud would have surely taken me down to who knows where?
As we walked a bit further out of harms way, we stopped to look back and I couldn't really believe my eyes and it left me wondering what would happen to all those people that were still up there walking down behind us. Would someone warn them to go another way, or if there even was another way off at that point? We thought of climbing up and going another direction but when we saw that lady who could not get footing beneath her, well it made you wonder what would you do if it did wash away the path? All I know is I am glad to be off there and hope all the others got off safely as well.
When we got on the cement path back to station 5 we noticed a couple people on horses going that direction, as well as, 2 police men walking. I wonder if they were going to help that lady or at least try to control the situation there as best they could. I wanted to stay and watch, but then again my feet were so sore and my clothes were once again completely soaked.I was drenched to the bone and getting colder by the minute. I just wanted to click my very muddy heels three times and be home in my hot shower.
We made it back to No 5 and had a quick bit of spaghetti, some curry rice and boiled soybeans before the bus took us back on that long ride to Kawaguchi. We then took our 3 trains back home and I slept most of the way as I tried ignore how cold I really was and to stay warm in my soaking wet clothes. I looked for Sayna on the way towards Tokyo, but did not see her. I did see lots of others who must have stayed the night after the concert and now were on their way back home as well. i hope they had as much fun as I did. We finally got home at 4 pm after stopping for our Jumbo-shu reward when switching to the subway in Yokohama. I immediately jumped in the hot shower. It wasn't even hot enough at the highest setting...that's how bloody cold and froze to the bone I was.Burr......
We ate some supper, unpacked our drenched bags and watched a bit of the TV. I was hoping to see the closing ceremony of the Olympics, but at 7:30pm I was in bed and fast asleep. We did not wake till CJ's alarm went off this morning for work. I guess we were very tired.
Now it is 4pm and I have been sitting here writing this all day and need to go hobble downstairs to switch over the laundry again and get myself something to eat for dinner. I have yet to put all the paper stuff away as it is still laying on the floor and table to dry out. It was unbelievable to me, how things inside of things inside of my covered backpack got wet? So with that, I will close for tonight and do know I wish you all well and hope life is treating you and yours good. What is new with you? Feel free to comment on the blog or drop us an email. I would love to hear what your all up to these days as well. I promise I will write you a personal reply back if you write us. This is just an easy way for me to tell it all at one time and for those who are interested in what we are doing.
Sending you good wishes and hopefully sunnier skies than we have here right now in Japan
Karla and CJ
August 23, 2008 Karla's chance encounter with Harajuku Girls
WE DID IT !!!!! CJ and I climbed to the top of MT. Fuji in the dark, cold, rain and fog and down the along the "FUJI River" in the same nasty weather the next morning. YES !!! :-)
It was a loooooong cccooold hike, but one well worth our sore and aching bodies this Monday morning 8/25. Today as the rain continues to fall outside, I will keep busy in the dry and warm house updating my blog,unpacking and doing the laundry,uploading Fuji Facebook photos and video...CJ left early this morning for a two day road trip for work down by Nagasaki and Osaka. More planes and trains are on the agenda for him today and tomorrow.
OK, so we left the warmer temps of Motomachi Saturday morning and headed to Mt Fuji via 1 subway to Yokohama. At Yokohama station we got on our 1st train to Hachioji, and after a 40 minute or so ride we switched to another train to Otsuki. In Hachioji we ran into a few Harajuku girls up close and I was so excited! I figured they were on their way to strut their stuff on the cat walk in Tokyo.I assumed this is maybe where some of them lived and thought WOW, that is quite a ways to travel each weekend to get to Tokyo. I wonder where they get all their money from, to pay for the trains, buy the fancy outfits? Do they work, how old are they?
We sadly had to go on the other side of the tracks to get our 2nd train to Otsuki and there I was able to catch a photo in the train window of a typical Japanese girl all decked out and checking her cell phone with charms galore hanging from it. Then CJ realized, that the train she was on, was in fact our train too, and so we ran back up the steps over the tracks and down the steps to get on the car just before the doors closed behind us. YES, we got to ride with the young girls and hopefully see what was going on and where they were all headed. It wasn't Tokyo we knew that or at least we hoped so as we were headed in the opposite direction. Yahoo!
As we rode in the correct direction to Otsuki we passed a river and rice paddies all along the river bank, and below the fog covered mountains in the background. It was now beginning to rain and the temps were starting to feel a bit cooler. It reminded me of my trip in Norway when Jean and I were going on the Fjord trip and I had my shorts on and felt perhaps, I was not dressed appropriately for the weather? I again had shorts and flip flops on as I did not want to put my hiking clothes or shoes on till the very last minute. I do not like to wear shoes and I get hot with all those layers on.
When we arrived in Otsuki, we were greeted by a "BUNCH" more Harajuku girls and punk rockers all dressed in their finest and many pulling their colorful suitcases and purses behind them. There was a rainbow assortment of umbrellas and under those a sea of pink,lace,bows,Bo-peep dresses,Hello Kitty,polka-dots,heels and platform shoes of all kinds, plaid, black, safety pins,piercings,studs,black eyeliner, dog and wrist collars,sunglasses...outfits of all types.
What was going on and where were they all going? I was in hog heaven as you can imagine, and wanted to snap away with my camera, but something just made me take it all in with my own eyes. (OK, so most of it anyway,...I struggled a few times and couldn't hold myself back and did get a couple snaps in.)They were so VERY CLOSE to me, and so many of them, I think I was actually a bit dumbfounded.
Ok,so now my curiosity is REALLY peaking and I am thinking I have got to talk with one of them at least? I mean heck we are going to be in the same train with a car load of them, for who knows how long, how can I not? This is the opportunity I had hoped for, but here on my way to Fuji--who would have thought it, not me?
So, we all waited in the rain on the platform deck under our umbrellas for the 3rd train to Kawaguchi to arrive. As we waited, another train passed by with Thomas the Tank Engine characters painted all over the outside of it. As it passed many of the young kids giggled, ohhed and ahhed and made comments to one another on the different names of the cars I think...at least I thought I hear one or two of the names? It surprised me that they knew or even had that book over here. It was a good reminder for me though, as "I think I can, I think I can"... was probably going to be something running through my head soon, as I began to climb the mountain.
A few minutes later our colorful red, white and blue train arrived to more ohhs and ahhs and we all get on board. CJ and I each grabbed the first available seat and so we ended up a row apart. It of course was jam packed and so many kids ended up standing in the aisles. The two girls in the pink standing waiting for the train on the platform ended up right next to me! YES!! It was so fun just to listen to the chatter and you could feel the enthusiasm in the air. They were excited about wherever it was they were going. They talked, laughed, primped in their compact mirrors, combed their hair, put on more eyeliner, checked their phones every few minutes or so, texted a friend I guess,practiced some arms cheers or dance moves or something?
CJ and I shared the bento box lunch he bought before we got on the train. He ate one half and then passed the other 1/2 to me. It was good sticky white rice, a piece of chicken, 1 sausage, some pickles,noodles w/ginger,..Good! So now I am done eating and enjoying the show and my up close and personal encounter with this little, animated and lively one in pink. It was so good just to hear everyone talking with one another and it wasn't another quiet, dull train ride of silence. Family and friend weekend trains are THANKFULLY very different and much more alive and active than the opposite dull and silent work day, commuter ones.
This girl must LOVE the color PINK. Everything she had in her pink purse which was almost in my lap, was pink. Her pink cell phone was covered in pink,red and white studs that looked like frosting. She had a candy bar for later, pink compact, pink hanky for dabbing at her perspiration,...It was fun watching her go through all her rituals. The other girl was in her Hello Kitty Yukata Pj's and was less feminine looking or acting as this one. Plus, she was behind me so I could not really see out of the corner of my eye what she was up to. HaHa!
So I thought to myself, how do I start a conversation with them, will they speak english, I want to ask them the 1001 questions, would love a photo..something. But those two girls chatted the whole time, I could not have gotten a word in edgewise if I had tried. So I just watched and listened, but could not decipher a thing.
We then made a stop and the very quiet lady who was sitting next to me got up and got off. An OPEN seat,WHO is going to take it? I tried to get the little pink ones attention as she had just been squatting down and I thought perhaps her legs were tired from standing, but to tell you the truth I think she was so busy talking she had no idea the lady even got up and off the train behind her.
Then the girl in front of her who's back had been to me the whole time until CJ passed the food back and then now when the lady got off, looked at me and I motioned to her to sit if she liked. She smiled and then looked away and then when she looked back again, I motioned again and said sit if you like. She looked away and said something to her friend ahead of her and then came towards me and said "May I sit?" I of course said "SURE" and tried to keep myself from jumping in her lap. Ok so here I was and sad cause the trip I was sure, was almost over and I had not even begun the 1001 question interrogation yet.:-)
So I had no time to waste and had to get to work. I asked her if she spoke english and she said a little and smiled timidly. I asked where all the kids were going and she said to a concert. I asked her what kind of music they played if it was Japanese pop, J-pop,or what kind ?? She then showed me a picture on her cell phone of a punk band. When she said the name of the band I could not understand what she said, so I asked her to write the name in my notebook "The Gazette". Oh so it is punk rock or hard rock band I said and she said "Yes". Cool! I asked her if she was excited and she said "OH YES", with a VERY BIG smile and sparkling eyes!! I asked her if she knew of any punk bands or other bands from the US. She said she liked Red Hot Chili Peppers and I said, "Oh me too, we have a few of their CD's at home". "Anthony Kedis and Flea they are so cool, and do you know the song Californication".."YES,yes" she did, she said.
She then asked where we were going and I said to Hike Mt Fuji. She asked if hiking made me excited, and I said "Yes, and especially cause it is a new place for me, so I was very excited".
I asked her name and it was "SAYNA". I am not sure if that is how she spells it, but that is how it sounded when she said it. I should have had her write that as well.I asked her if she was about 20 years old and she said no only 16 years old and she is from Otsuki. She asked where we were from and I told her USA, from Minnesota just below Canada. She did not know where that was. I told her we now lived in Yokohama now for 1-2 years and we are enjoying her country very much.
I told her we had been to Harajuku a couple weekends ago and she smiled and said as she motioned at her friends "We are going there tomorrow". I told her I LOVED it there, and was so "INTRIGUED" by all the kids and their creative ways of dressing and expressing themselves. She smiled and said she likes it there too. So who knows maybe another day if I go back, I might see her there? I wonder, if I will recognize her,or if she will be dressed up in some kind of character outfit, unlike her normal self? She was actually quite "normal" looking. I could tell she had a little punk edge to her, but definetly not hard core or at least today she was not dressed that way.
She thanked me for talking to her and I then asked her if she had a computer or if she might like to talk on the computer and she could practice her english. She said maybe, so I looked for a business card, but didn't have one so I wrote my name and Email on a piece of notebook paper and gave it to her. Just then her stop came up and she had to go, so I was not able to get her Email. Darn ! :-( I asked if I could take her picture as she was climbing past my legs and she said sure. I sure hope she writes me,but if not, I had fun the short time I had my chance encounter with her. I hope Sayna enjoyed and saw more of her concert than I did of my hike in the fog. As she left the train and walked passed our car, I waved to her and she smiled and waved back. YEAH...that was so fun!
So we continued on,and as we pulled out of town we could see a BIG amusement park, so we assumed that is probably where the concert was going to be held. The next stop was ours and so we got off and then got on a bus to take us to Station 5 at Mt. Fuji.
The Fuji climb is coming up next.....
It was a loooooong cccooold hike, but one well worth our sore and aching bodies this Monday morning 8/25. Today as the rain continues to fall outside, I will keep busy in the dry and warm house updating my blog,unpacking and doing the laundry,uploading Fuji Facebook photos and video...CJ left early this morning for a two day road trip for work down by Nagasaki and Osaka. More planes and trains are on the agenda for him today and tomorrow.
OK, so we left the warmer temps of Motomachi Saturday morning and headed to Mt Fuji via 1 subway to Yokohama. At Yokohama station we got on our 1st train to Hachioji, and after a 40 minute or so ride we switched to another train to Otsuki. In Hachioji we ran into a few Harajuku girls up close and I was so excited! I figured they were on their way to strut their stuff on the cat walk in Tokyo.I assumed this is maybe where some of them lived and thought WOW, that is quite a ways to travel each weekend to get to Tokyo. I wonder where they get all their money from, to pay for the trains, buy the fancy outfits? Do they work, how old are they?
We sadly had to go on the other side of the tracks to get our 2nd train to Otsuki and there I was able to catch a photo in the train window of a typical Japanese girl all decked out and checking her cell phone with charms galore hanging from it. Then CJ realized, that the train she was on, was in fact our train too, and so we ran back up the steps over the tracks and down the steps to get on the car just before the doors closed behind us. YES, we got to ride with the young girls and hopefully see what was going on and where they were all headed. It wasn't Tokyo we knew that or at least we hoped so as we were headed in the opposite direction. Yahoo!
As we rode in the correct direction to Otsuki we passed a river and rice paddies all along the river bank, and below the fog covered mountains in the background. It was now beginning to rain and the temps were starting to feel a bit cooler. It reminded me of my trip in Norway when Jean and I were going on the Fjord trip and I had my shorts on and felt perhaps, I was not dressed appropriately for the weather? I again had shorts and flip flops on as I did not want to put my hiking clothes or shoes on till the very last minute. I do not like to wear shoes and I get hot with all those layers on.
When we arrived in Otsuki, we were greeted by a "BUNCH" more Harajuku girls and punk rockers all dressed in their finest and many pulling their colorful suitcases and purses behind them. There was a rainbow assortment of umbrellas and under those a sea of pink,lace,bows,Bo-peep dresses,Hello Kitty,polka-dots,heels and platform shoes of all kinds, plaid, black, safety pins,piercings,studs,black eyeliner, dog and wrist collars,sunglasses...outfits of all types.
What was going on and where were they all going? I was in hog heaven as you can imagine, and wanted to snap away with my camera, but something just made me take it all in with my own eyes. (OK, so most of it anyway,...I struggled a few times and couldn't hold myself back and did get a couple snaps in.)They were so VERY CLOSE to me, and so many of them, I think I was actually a bit dumbfounded.
Ok,so now my curiosity is REALLY peaking and I am thinking I have got to talk with one of them at least? I mean heck we are going to be in the same train with a car load of them, for who knows how long, how can I not? This is the opportunity I had hoped for, but here on my way to Fuji--who would have thought it, not me?
So, we all waited in the rain on the platform deck under our umbrellas for the 3rd train to Kawaguchi to arrive. As we waited, another train passed by with Thomas the Tank Engine characters painted all over the outside of it. As it passed many of the young kids giggled, ohhed and ahhed and made comments to one another on the different names of the cars I think...at least I thought I hear one or two of the names? It surprised me that they knew or even had that book over here. It was a good reminder for me though, as "I think I can, I think I can"... was probably going to be something running through my head soon, as I began to climb the mountain.
A few minutes later our colorful red, white and blue train arrived to more ohhs and ahhs and we all get on board. CJ and I each grabbed the first available seat and so we ended up a row apart. It of course was jam packed and so many kids ended up standing in the aisles. The two girls in the pink standing waiting for the train on the platform ended up right next to me! YES!! It was so fun just to listen to the chatter and you could feel the enthusiasm in the air. They were excited about wherever it was they were going. They talked, laughed, primped in their compact mirrors, combed their hair, put on more eyeliner, checked their phones every few minutes or so, texted a friend I guess,practiced some arms cheers or dance moves or something?
CJ and I shared the bento box lunch he bought before we got on the train. He ate one half and then passed the other 1/2 to me. It was good sticky white rice, a piece of chicken, 1 sausage, some pickles,noodles w/ginger,..Good! So now I am done eating and enjoying the show and my up close and personal encounter with this little, animated and lively one in pink. It was so good just to hear everyone talking with one another and it wasn't another quiet, dull train ride of silence. Family and friend weekend trains are THANKFULLY very different and much more alive and active than the opposite dull and silent work day, commuter ones.
This girl must LOVE the color PINK. Everything she had in her pink purse which was almost in my lap, was pink. Her pink cell phone was covered in pink,red and white studs that looked like frosting. She had a candy bar for later, pink compact, pink hanky for dabbing at her perspiration,...It was fun watching her go through all her rituals. The other girl was in her Hello Kitty Yukata Pj's and was less feminine looking or acting as this one. Plus, she was behind me so I could not really see out of the corner of my eye what she was up to. HaHa!
So I thought to myself, how do I start a conversation with them, will they speak english, I want to ask them the 1001 questions, would love a photo..something. But those two girls chatted the whole time, I could not have gotten a word in edgewise if I had tried. So I just watched and listened, but could not decipher a thing.
We then made a stop and the very quiet lady who was sitting next to me got up and got off. An OPEN seat,WHO is going to take it? I tried to get the little pink ones attention as she had just been squatting down and I thought perhaps her legs were tired from standing, but to tell you the truth I think she was so busy talking she had no idea the lady even got up and off the train behind her.
Then the girl in front of her who's back had been to me the whole time until CJ passed the food back and then now when the lady got off, looked at me and I motioned to her to sit if she liked. She smiled and then looked away and then when she looked back again, I motioned again and said sit if you like. She looked away and said something to her friend ahead of her and then came towards me and said "May I sit?" I of course said "SURE" and tried to keep myself from jumping in her lap. Ok so here I was and sad cause the trip I was sure, was almost over and I had not even begun the 1001 question interrogation yet.:-)
So I had no time to waste and had to get to work. I asked her if she spoke english and she said a little and smiled timidly. I asked where all the kids were going and she said to a concert. I asked her what kind of music they played if it was Japanese pop, J-pop,or what kind ?? She then showed me a picture on her cell phone of a punk band. When she said the name of the band I could not understand what she said, so I asked her to write the name in my notebook "The Gazette". Oh so it is punk rock or hard rock band I said and she said "Yes". Cool! I asked her if she was excited and she said "OH YES", with a VERY BIG smile and sparkling eyes!! I asked her if she knew of any punk bands or other bands from the US. She said she liked Red Hot Chili Peppers and I said, "Oh me too, we have a few of their CD's at home". "Anthony Kedis and Flea they are so cool, and do you know the song Californication".."YES,yes" she did, she said.
She then asked where we were going and I said to Hike Mt Fuji. She asked if hiking made me excited, and I said "Yes, and especially cause it is a new place for me, so I was very excited".
I asked her name and it was "SAYNA". I am not sure if that is how she spells it, but that is how it sounded when she said it. I should have had her write that as well.I asked her if she was about 20 years old and she said no only 16 years old and she is from Otsuki. She asked where we were from and I told her USA, from Minnesota just below Canada. She did not know where that was. I told her we now lived in Yokohama now for 1-2 years and we are enjoying her country very much.
I told her we had been to Harajuku a couple weekends ago and she smiled and said as she motioned at her friends "We are going there tomorrow". I told her I LOVED it there, and was so "INTRIGUED" by all the kids and their creative ways of dressing and expressing themselves. She smiled and said she likes it there too. So who knows maybe another day if I go back, I might see her there? I wonder, if I will recognize her,or if she will be dressed up in some kind of character outfit, unlike her normal self? She was actually quite "normal" looking. I could tell she had a little punk edge to her, but definetly not hard core or at least today she was not dressed that way.
She thanked me for talking to her and I then asked her if she had a computer or if she might like to talk on the computer and she could practice her english. She said maybe, so I looked for a business card, but didn't have one so I wrote my name and Email on a piece of notebook paper and gave it to her. Just then her stop came up and she had to go, so I was not able to get her Email. Darn ! :-( I asked if I could take her picture as she was climbing past my legs and she said sure. I sure hope she writes me,but if not, I had fun the short time I had my chance encounter with her. I hope Sayna enjoyed and saw more of her concert than I did of my hike in the fog. As she left the train and walked passed our car, I waved to her and she smiled and waved back. YEAH...that was so fun!
So we continued on,and as we pulled out of town we could see a BIG amusement park, so we assumed that is probably where the concert was going to be held. The next stop was ours and so we got off and then got on a bus to take us to Station 5 at Mt. Fuji.
The Fuji climb is coming up next.....
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Aug 21-22, 08 ..getting caught up Honduras paper work
Just popping by to say HI to those of you I know that check this daily. Sorry I have been kind of busy and tied up reading about Fuji and trying to get my padrino/sponsorship information updated on the computer and organized in my files. Haven't left the house since Wednesday.
It has been very cool as of yesterday and today ,or at least it feels that way as it is about 30 degrees lower in temperature. I think it is in the high 70's today and cloudy. It started out very clear and sunny at 5am this morning. Yep, I am now an early riser and go to bed at 10:30 pm if I can keep my eyes open that long. I guess I finally succumbed to CJ's time clock. haha
Had rain again last night. It has been very nice to work in the office with the windows open, even though it does get a bit noisy at times with the construction machines running out front. The earth is shaking the last couple of days too, and at first I thought it was an earthquake, but my guess it is just the vibration from the machines. I heard we had did have one in Tokyo on Wednesday when I was probably on the train coming back from the embassy...I never felt a thing.
Tomorrow CJ and I are hoping and planning to go and climb Mt. Fuji-san if the weather holds out. CJ is busy visiting local distributors today and will do a two day whirlwind trip to southern Japan somewhere next week. I will NOT go along as he is flying and taking 3 trains in 2 days. I don't call that fun.
In the first week of September though, we will be going to China for his work. I will go then for sure. The dates keep on changing, so I am not exactly sure what is up now. I will keep you posted on our departure and my adventures there as well, as I should have computer access at the hotel and CJ will most likely be busy with dinner meetings and such at night, so I will pretty much be on my own.
Well, I had better get up and go take a short walk just to get outside, some fresh air and up off this chair. Want my legs to work tomorrow for the big climb.
more updates soon...
It has been very cool as of yesterday and today ,or at least it feels that way as it is about 30 degrees lower in temperature. I think it is in the high 70's today and cloudy. It started out very clear and sunny at 5am this morning. Yep, I am now an early riser and go to bed at 10:30 pm if I can keep my eyes open that long. I guess I finally succumbed to CJ's time clock. haha
Had rain again last night. It has been very nice to work in the office with the windows open, even though it does get a bit noisy at times with the construction machines running out front. The earth is shaking the last couple of days too, and at first I thought it was an earthquake, but my guess it is just the vibration from the machines. I heard we had did have one in Tokyo on Wednesday when I was probably on the train coming back from the embassy...I never felt a thing.
Tomorrow CJ and I are hoping and planning to go and climb Mt. Fuji-san if the weather holds out. CJ is busy visiting local distributors today and will do a two day whirlwind trip to southern Japan somewhere next week. I will NOT go along as he is flying and taking 3 trains in 2 days. I don't call that fun.
In the first week of September though, we will be going to China for his work. I will go then for sure. The dates keep on changing, so I am not exactly sure what is up now. I will keep you posted on our departure and my adventures there as well, as I should have computer access at the hotel and CJ will most likely be busy with dinner meetings and such at night, so I will pretty much be on my own.
Well, I had better get up and go take a short walk just to get outside, some fresh air and up off this chair. Want my legs to work tomorrow for the big climb.
more updates soon...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
August 20th, 2008 China Visa and Tokyo Tower
Hi all
I had a nice leisurely day strolling around the Roppongi District after picking up our passports with China Visas from the Embassy. I took the train all by my BIG self up to Tokyo and even made it home from a new and different train station. Cool! :-)
It was a very quiet train ride as they all seem to be. I am not kidding, if you were to LISTEN, you can almost literally hear a pin drop if there isn't a group of friends traveling together chatting with one another. Everyone who is on there solo,is either busy reading a book (with a book cover, so you have no idea what book it is), sleeping, listening to their I pods or texting on their cell phones... If they are in an area of the train car that allows that. It is as if they are sitting in a clear bubble and you don't enter that zone. No one makes eye contact either, except for me.:-) I don't hear or see anyone talking on their phones either. It is almost as quiet as a good library.
Do you know how hard that is for me not to try and strike up a conversation with the person sitting right next to me, almost in my lap? Well, it is not so bad now, beacuase I can't speak Jpanaes, but wait till I have my "Japlish" down...then what? Hum,I wonder if I would get kicked out or off by the "librarian" I mean conductor, if I did try talking to someone? It is a very DIFFERENT experience that is for sure.
So once I left the Embassy I just decided I would wander around, and see what I trouble I mean things I could find...I headed in the opposite direction from the cemetary where I think I got that rash the other day...
I first visited the Arisugawanomiya Memorial Park and the one half of it was very nice and quiet with a rather murky pond, ducks and Coi swimming, turtles sunning, men and kids fishing, ladies painting pictures of the waterfall, cicadas singing, and lots of people starting to arrive to eat their lunches on the numerous benches scattered around the greenery and along the creek.
It also had a library in the middle of it and I was going to go in and see if they had any books in English as this is the area where all the embassies are, but I never did get in there. I guess I was too preoccupied reading all the "DONT DO this"...signs or seeing what kind of figures I could make out of the bird poop splotches on the sidewalk. I know some look up at the clouds and I look down at the ground and see.....Call me crazy, but there was nothing else I could do..I mean,I am not kidding, there must have been 12 different signs telling you not to do something or other. YIKES!:-( DON'T walk your dog off the leash, DON'T swing a bat, DON'T play baseball or soccer in this area, DON'T go in the bushes, as there has been a swarm of harmful insects, DON'T go in the bush,mind the caterpillars they are dangerous insects (wonder what kind those are), DON'T feed the crows,pigeons or cats, DON'T play with fire, fireworks,or fire crackers, DON'T ride your bike, DON'T climb the fence,DON'T pick the flowers and last but not least DON'T forget to pick up your dog's feces...:-)
It felt like the "DON'T PARK" (and will be called that from now on by me), once I got to the other side and so I exited after sitting for a bit to call CJ and let him know I got the Visas OK. I sat near the fenced in kids playground area where it looked like they could actually play on the equipment and have a little fun? YEA!!!Unless you have a child with you, you can't enter the fenced in area, so I only saw them playing from a distance. A rather sad place it felt like as I left and so different from feeling I got as I walked through the other side where it was tranquil,peaceful and quiet..perhaps that is why ?
I then wandered down the streets and passed many more different Shinto Shrines and more graveyards. I saw a little tiny hummingbird busy sucking nectar from a pretty pastel pink hibiscus, and butterflies flitting about as I walked by the Forest Apartments.
I then noticed the Tokyo Tower was not too far away when I saw it between some buildings up ahead and so I decided to head in that direction. Our nephew Justin wants a photo of the Tokyo Tower so I will go and try to get him a few shots at different angles.
Along the way, I stopped at what I thought was an information booth when I saw this little character out front,because I was looking for a map in english about the area. The guy went into the office and looked around,but could find nothing. He did not tell me till he came back out that this was the fire station.I came from the opposite direction so I had not yet passed the open doors with the big red trucks sitting there all shiny and bright. I told him no problem and then asked him who the character was and he said "Kuki". So, I thought what the heck I may as well take his picture, but the guy insisted on taking my photo with the mascot, so I obligued him. :-)
Alot of the city services and companies, restaurants... have their own cartoon like character that they use for a mascot and advertising. It is actually kind of cute and brings some color and faces instead of just word signs to the neighborhoods.
So I trudged on down the street and through another park and then crossed the street and up the big hill to the Tokyo Tower. Did not go to the top for a view of the city as it was rather cloudy and I would rather do that with CJ another day. I did look in the souvenir shops downstairs and also walked past all the fast food restaurants. McDonalds, 31 flavors Ice Cream,a competitor to Jumbo-sho I think, but I did not give in and try theirs ..I remained loyal. There was one Curry Lab restaurant that looked interesting though and I think CJ and I may have to try it out when we come back.
I got pics from every angle ..go figure ...and then I spied a crepe shop like the one we passed up in Harajuku a week or so ago and so I treated myself to one with strawberry ice cream, whipped cream,sprinkles and peaches. It was made right then and there and was Delicious.:-P On my way back to the train station I tried to help a muslim (she was wearing a burka..so I assumed they were)couple figure out where a bank was by their map, but it was not where it was supposed to be. Darn! They were a bit flustered as "No one speaks English here "..and so we looked around a bit and then we asked another younger guy and he said, "It looks to be an old map and it hs moved down the street". He was going that way and so he took them as I then went down the stairs and to my train home. I wanted to beat the rush hour train commuters. I did not feel like being pushed in and then riding home in a sardine can,especially since I had been profusely sweating for the past 4 hours.
Hey,I even figured out how to find a new subway station I had never been to before and was able to get on the right platform and train car going in the correct direction. YooHoo!!
I saw a girl with glittery silver shoes on this morning when I boarded the train and I thought right away of Dorothy and her ruby red slippers and it made me wonder if I was going to need to click my heels three times in order to get myself back to Yokohama later in the day? I am happy to say, I had no trouble what so ever. So now, I am ready to go explore another district of this very BIG city of Tokyo. Bring it on!
CJ just called and he is on his way home and so I had better go get the salads made to go with our last 2 mini pizzas from Costco. We are starting to carbo load, as were planning to try and hike Mt. Fuji-san this weekend. We will have pasta tomorrow night, so to have lots of energy when we head for the hills.
I need to read info that I pulled off the web this morning about Mt Fugi while we check out more Olympics coverage on TV. I feel a bit wind and possibly sunburned as well, from my 4 hours wandering the city in flip flops no less and so I am sure once I take my nightly shower I won't be awake too much longer after that.
So with that, I will leave you till tomorrow. I have no idea what my day will bring, except to get things ready for the Fugi climb.
More soon
Karla and CJ
I had a nice leisurely day strolling around the Roppongi District after picking up our passports with China Visas from the Embassy. I took the train all by my BIG self up to Tokyo and even made it home from a new and different train station. Cool! :-)
It was a very quiet train ride as they all seem to be. I am not kidding, if you were to LISTEN, you can almost literally hear a pin drop if there isn't a group of friends traveling together chatting with one another. Everyone who is on there solo,is either busy reading a book (with a book cover, so you have no idea what book it is), sleeping, listening to their I pods or texting on their cell phones... If they are in an area of the train car that allows that. It is as if they are sitting in a clear bubble and you don't enter that zone. No one makes eye contact either, except for me.:-) I don't hear or see anyone talking on their phones either. It is almost as quiet as a good library.
Do you know how hard that is for me not to try and strike up a conversation with the person sitting right next to me, almost in my lap? Well, it is not so bad now, beacuase I can't speak Jpanaes, but wait till I have my "Japlish" down...then what? Hum,I wonder if I would get kicked out or off by the "librarian" I mean conductor, if I did try talking to someone? It is a very DIFFERENT experience that is for sure.
So once I left the Embassy I just decided I would wander around, and see what I trouble I mean things I could find...I headed in the opposite direction from the cemetary where I think I got that rash the other day...
I first visited the Arisugawanomiya Memorial Park and the one half of it was very nice and quiet with a rather murky pond, ducks and Coi swimming, turtles sunning, men and kids fishing, ladies painting pictures of the waterfall, cicadas singing, and lots of people starting to arrive to eat their lunches on the numerous benches scattered around the greenery and along the creek.
It also had a library in the middle of it and I was going to go in and see if they had any books in English as this is the area where all the embassies are, but I never did get in there. I guess I was too preoccupied reading all the "DONT DO this"...signs or seeing what kind of figures I could make out of the bird poop splotches on the sidewalk. I know some look up at the clouds and I look down at the ground and see.....Call me crazy, but there was nothing else I could do..I mean,I am not kidding, there must have been 12 different signs telling you not to do something or other. YIKES!:-( DON'T walk your dog off the leash, DON'T swing a bat, DON'T play baseball or soccer in this area, DON'T go in the bushes, as there has been a swarm of harmful insects, DON'T go in the bush,mind the caterpillars they are dangerous insects (wonder what kind those are), DON'T feed the crows,pigeons or cats, DON'T play with fire, fireworks,or fire crackers, DON'T ride your bike, DON'T climb the fence,DON'T pick the flowers and last but not least DON'T forget to pick up your dog's feces...:-)
It felt like the "DON'T PARK" (and will be called that from now on by me), once I got to the other side and so I exited after sitting for a bit to call CJ and let him know I got the Visas OK. I sat near the fenced in kids playground area where it looked like they could actually play on the equipment and have a little fun? YEA!!!Unless you have a child with you, you can't enter the fenced in area, so I only saw them playing from a distance. A rather sad place it felt like as I left and so different from feeling I got as I walked through the other side where it was tranquil,peaceful and quiet..perhaps that is why ?
I then wandered down the streets and passed many more different Shinto Shrines and more graveyards. I saw a little tiny hummingbird busy sucking nectar from a pretty pastel pink hibiscus, and butterflies flitting about as I walked by the Forest Apartments.
I then noticed the Tokyo Tower was not too far away when I saw it between some buildings up ahead and so I decided to head in that direction. Our nephew Justin wants a photo of the Tokyo Tower so I will go and try to get him a few shots at different angles.
Along the way, I stopped at what I thought was an information booth when I saw this little character out front,because I was looking for a map in english about the area. The guy went into the office and looked around,but could find nothing. He did not tell me till he came back out that this was the fire station.I came from the opposite direction so I had not yet passed the open doors with the big red trucks sitting there all shiny and bright. I told him no problem and then asked him who the character was and he said "Kuki". So, I thought what the heck I may as well take his picture, but the guy insisted on taking my photo with the mascot, so I obligued him. :-)
Alot of the city services and companies, restaurants... have their own cartoon like character that they use for a mascot and advertising. It is actually kind of cute and brings some color and faces instead of just word signs to the neighborhoods.
So I trudged on down the street and through another park and then crossed the street and up the big hill to the Tokyo Tower. Did not go to the top for a view of the city as it was rather cloudy and I would rather do that with CJ another day. I did look in the souvenir shops downstairs and also walked past all the fast food restaurants. McDonalds, 31 flavors Ice Cream,a competitor to Jumbo-sho I think, but I did not give in and try theirs ..I remained loyal. There was one Curry Lab restaurant that looked interesting though and I think CJ and I may have to try it out when we come back.
I got pics from every angle ..go figure ...and then I spied a crepe shop like the one we passed up in Harajuku a week or so ago and so I treated myself to one with strawberry ice cream, whipped cream,sprinkles and peaches. It was made right then and there and was Delicious.:-P On my way back to the train station I tried to help a muslim (she was wearing a burka..so I assumed they were)couple figure out where a bank was by their map, but it was not where it was supposed to be. Darn! They were a bit flustered as "No one speaks English here "..and so we looked around a bit and then we asked another younger guy and he said, "It looks to be an old map and it hs moved down the street". He was going that way and so he took them as I then went down the stairs and to my train home. I wanted to beat the rush hour train commuters. I did not feel like being pushed in and then riding home in a sardine can,especially since I had been profusely sweating for the past 4 hours.
Hey,I even figured out how to find a new subway station I had never been to before and was able to get on the right platform and train car going in the correct direction. YooHoo!!
I saw a girl with glittery silver shoes on this morning when I boarded the train and I thought right away of Dorothy and her ruby red slippers and it made me wonder if I was going to need to click my heels three times in order to get myself back to Yokohama later in the day? I am happy to say, I had no trouble what so ever. So now, I am ready to go explore another district of this very BIG city of Tokyo. Bring it on!
CJ just called and he is on his way home and so I had better go get the salads made to go with our last 2 mini pizzas from Costco. We are starting to carbo load, as were planning to try and hike Mt. Fuji-san this weekend. We will have pasta tomorrow night, so to have lots of energy when we head for the hills.
I need to read info that I pulled off the web this morning about Mt Fugi while we check out more Olympics coverage on TV. I feel a bit wind and possibly sunburned as well, from my 4 hours wandering the city in flip flops no less and so I am sure once I take my nightly shower I won't be awake too much longer after that.
So with that, I will leave you till tomorrow. I have no idea what my day will bring, except to get things ready for the Fugi climb.
More soon
Karla and CJ
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
August 20, 2008 ...LISTEN......
I got this beautiful article from my daughter Kalen in the mail the other day and it has me thinking alot. I would like to share it with you and I hope you will listen "kiku".
QUALITIES OF DEEP LISTENING
"Listening for essence"
"Perhaps one of the most precious and powerful gifts we can give another person is to really listen to them, to listen with quiet, fascinated attention, with our whole being,fully present. This sounds simple, but if we are honest with ourselves,we do not often listen to each other so completely.
Listening is a creative force. Something quite wonderful occurs when we are listened to fully. We expand, ideas come to life and grow, we remember who we are. Some speak of this force as a creative fountain within us that springs forth; others call it the inner spirit,intelligence,true self. Whatever this force is called, it shrivels up when we are not listened to and it thrives when we are.
The way we listen can actually allow the other person to bring forth what is true and alive to them. Sometimes we have to do a lot of listening before the fountain is replenished. Have you ever noticed how some people seem to need to talk? They go on and on, usually in a very superfical, nervous manner. This is often because they have not been truly listened to. Patience is required to listen to such a person long enough for them to get to their center point of tranquility and peace. The results of such listening are extraordinary. Some would call them miracles.
Listening well takes time, skill, and a readiness to slow down, to let go of expectations, judgements, boredom, self-assertiveness, defensiveness. I've noticed that when people experience the depth of being listened to like this, they also begion to listen to others in the same way.
Listening is an art that calls for practice. Imagine if we all spent just a few minutes each day practicing the art of listening, being fully present with the person we are with. There would be a collective sigh of contentment and joy. Listen!"
This is such a POWERFUL article and it seems to mean even more to me these days, as the only person I really talk with and listen to on a daily basis is CJ. I find I am listening alot to the sounds around me, but have yet to master the Japanese language and so my communication with others at this point is very little to non-existent.
I do love listening to the cicadas, my music CD's, the chimes and fog horns in the distance, and the melodic tones of the Japanaese language as I try to decipher what they are saying to me and/or each other.
I hope this article leaves you thinking and perhaps reflecting on how you do or don't listen to those you come in contact with each day. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we lived in a world of very content and joyful souls?
Thanks for being a good listener "kikite" and have a great day with whomever you come in contact with.
Karla
QUALITIES OF DEEP LISTENING
"Listening for essence"
"Perhaps one of the most precious and powerful gifts we can give another person is to really listen to them, to listen with quiet, fascinated attention, with our whole being,fully present. This sounds simple, but if we are honest with ourselves,we do not often listen to each other so completely.
Listening is a creative force. Something quite wonderful occurs when we are listened to fully. We expand, ideas come to life and grow, we remember who we are. Some speak of this force as a creative fountain within us that springs forth; others call it the inner spirit,intelligence,true self. Whatever this force is called, it shrivels up when we are not listened to and it thrives when we are.
The way we listen can actually allow the other person to bring forth what is true and alive to them. Sometimes we have to do a lot of listening before the fountain is replenished. Have you ever noticed how some people seem to need to talk? They go on and on, usually in a very superfical, nervous manner. This is often because they have not been truly listened to. Patience is required to listen to such a person long enough for them to get to their center point of tranquility and peace. The results of such listening are extraordinary. Some would call them miracles.
Listening well takes time, skill, and a readiness to slow down, to let go of expectations, judgements, boredom, self-assertiveness, defensiveness. I've noticed that when people experience the depth of being listened to like this, they also begion to listen to others in the same way.
Listening is an art that calls for practice. Imagine if we all spent just a few minutes each day practicing the art of listening, being fully present with the person we are with. There would be a collective sigh of contentment and joy. Listen!"
This is such a POWERFUL article and it seems to mean even more to me these days, as the only person I really talk with and listen to on a daily basis is CJ. I find I am listening alot to the sounds around me, but have yet to master the Japanese language and so my communication with others at this point is very little to non-existent.
I do love listening to the cicadas, my music CD's, the chimes and fog horns in the distance, and the melodic tones of the Japanaese language as I try to decipher what they are saying to me and/or each other.
I hope this article leaves you thinking and perhaps reflecting on how you do or don't listen to those you come in contact with each day. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we lived in a world of very content and joyful souls?
Thanks for being a good listener "kikite" and have a great day with whomever you come in contact with.
Karla
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Mon and Tue Aug 18-19, 2008...catching up on TSSI computer work and home billing
Slept in this Monday morning after a restless night of tossing and turning. Why,I am not sure? I am beginning to think it's because I now have all these possible opportunities knocking at my door and I am hoping they will all work out and there won't be alot of time conflcits involved?..will have to wait and see what transpires..
It did by the way, feel good to finally sleep with the windows open last night.
CJ was off for another week of work this morning and I was back to the computer to get some work done for the kids at Tierra Santa in Honduras.
Enjoyed a long skype chat with Kalen and then a phone chat with Graham while he was driving from Duluth to Mpls to take a friends senior pics tomorrow in EP. Our kids are both doing well and Kalen is busy with massage school and tests, work, friends, looking for a new apartment and looking forward to Michael being back with her in September. Graham is working alot and will soon be a server at Baja Billie's in Duluth. He is looking forward to visiting with Kalen in Chicago later this month and then his senior year of college starting in Sept.
The sun is back out, cicadas are singing, chime at the pool is ringing and it looks like it's going to be another nice day here in Yokohama.:-)........
I spent all day in the house yesterday and 1/2 of today-Tuesday is gone as well, so I will close for now and take a walk outdoors and to the fruit and veggie markets for some more salad ingredients and some much needed fresh air.
The water is off here from 9am-5pm today as the construction workers are very busy out front.
Had a nice walk to the store and back. Gone long enough to get the sweat glands to kick in. Spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up papers, ogranizing and will see what is on the Olympics tonight after dinner, Feels good to just slow down for a few days and catch my breath.
Hope all is well with you and yours? Are you all enjoying the Olympics, where did you go on your summer vacations? Here is a photo of one of the drawings people are doing in Japan of the athletes. They show them each night on their Olympic ccoverage.
Tomorrow I go back on my own to the China Embassy to pick up our completed passport with Visas. Yoo hoo!
Have a good night...go USA !!
Karla and CJ
It did by the way, feel good to finally sleep with the windows open last night.
CJ was off for another week of work this morning and I was back to the computer to get some work done for the kids at Tierra Santa in Honduras.
Enjoyed a long skype chat with Kalen and then a phone chat with Graham while he was driving from Duluth to Mpls to take a friends senior pics tomorrow in EP. Our kids are both doing well and Kalen is busy with massage school and tests, work, friends, looking for a new apartment and looking forward to Michael being back with her in September. Graham is working alot and will soon be a server at Baja Billie's in Duluth. He is looking forward to visiting with Kalen in Chicago later this month and then his senior year of college starting in Sept.
The sun is back out, cicadas are singing, chime at the pool is ringing and it looks like it's going to be another nice day here in Yokohama.:-)........
I spent all day in the house yesterday and 1/2 of today-Tuesday is gone as well, so I will close for now and take a walk outdoors and to the fruit and veggie markets for some more salad ingredients and some much needed fresh air.
The water is off here from 9am-5pm today as the construction workers are very busy out front.
Had a nice walk to the store and back. Gone long enough to get the sweat glands to kick in. Spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up papers, ogranizing and will see what is on the Olympics tonight after dinner, Feels good to just slow down for a few days and catch my breath.
Hope all is well with you and yours? Are you all enjoying the Olympics, where did you go on your summer vacations? Here is a photo of one of the drawings people are doing in Japan of the athletes. They show them each night on their Olympic ccoverage.
Tomorrow I go back on my own to the China Embassy to pick up our completed passport with Visas. Yoo hoo!
Have a good night...go USA !!
Karla and CJ
Sunday August 17th, 2008 It's raining in Yokohama
We slept in till 7am and then up and watched some more Olympics before I got to work on, laundry, updating the last few blogs and CJ was off on his shopping trip to Yotobashi Camera.
We were happy to catch USA men's Relay team and Michael Phelps race, win and then receive his Special Award as well as the Gold Medal on the awards Platform. We assume he completed his record of 8 gold medals in this game,and how ever many medals in the last game four years ago, but my Japanese is not that good yet. We don't know for sure what they said, so if anyone can please clue us into his final standings that would be awesome? By the way what country is ahead in the medals race? We have been seeing alot of Japanese women wrestlers doing quite well and caught some swimming events today too.
It has been raining or more like misting off and on here all day. The clouds are gray and thick and we keep hearing the fog horns blow in the distant harbor. Something I have never really heard except for today. CJ said they must only blow the horns on arriving/leaving cruise or other ships when the weather is not sunny. I also hear trains along the tracks and highway traffic noise from across the lowland area.
CJ just got back from Yokohama station with his bag full of goodies. He said it felt nice to walk in the cool rain and air and there were lots of people out and about even in the inclement weather.
He is busy putting together his external speaker and new Ipod which he got free with his point card points. It is about 5 pm here now on Sunday night and so I had best end this and get some tandori chicken and rice made for dinner. CJ said he got us a Jumbo-sho for dessert. Yipee!
The breeze is getting even cooler now that night fall is near. Perhaps we can sleep with our windows open tonight for the first time ever? I wonder how noisy it will be with all the cicadas still singing away in the rain. I have been curious to know if they are similar to the may flies back in MN by Lake Mil Lacs and if their bodies will be covering the ground once their season is over? I will keep you posted.
Gotta go change over another load of laundry.
I am not sure what tomorrow will bring for me, perhaps some house cleaning and a possible bike ride ? CJ is back to work after a 5 day vacation and anxious to get more things moving along.
We were happy to catch USA men's Relay team and Michael Phelps race, win and then receive his Special Award as well as the Gold Medal on the awards Platform. We assume he completed his record of 8 gold medals in this game,and how ever many medals in the last game four years ago, but my Japanese is not that good yet. We don't know for sure what they said, so if anyone can please clue us into his final standings that would be awesome? By the way what country is ahead in the medals race? We have been seeing alot of Japanese women wrestlers doing quite well and caught some swimming events today too.
It has been raining or more like misting off and on here all day. The clouds are gray and thick and we keep hearing the fog horns blow in the distant harbor. Something I have never really heard except for today. CJ said they must only blow the horns on arriving/leaving cruise or other ships when the weather is not sunny. I also hear trains along the tracks and highway traffic noise from across the lowland area.
CJ just got back from Yokohama station with his bag full of goodies. He said it felt nice to walk in the cool rain and air and there were lots of people out and about even in the inclement weather.
He is busy putting together his external speaker and new Ipod which he got free with his point card points. It is about 5 pm here now on Sunday night and so I had best end this and get some tandori chicken and rice made for dinner. CJ said he got us a Jumbo-sho for dessert. Yipee!
The breeze is getting even cooler now that night fall is near. Perhaps we can sleep with our windows open tonight for the first time ever? I wonder how noisy it will be with all the cicadas still singing away in the rain. I have been curious to know if they are similar to the may flies back in MN by Lake Mil Lacs and if their bodies will be covering the ground once their season is over? I will keep you posted.
Gotta go change over another load of laundry.
I am not sure what tomorrow will bring for me, perhaps some house cleaning and a possible bike ride ? CJ is back to work after a 5 day vacation and anxious to get more things moving along.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Saturday August 16th, 2008 ..A day to rest...??
I woke up way too early and so I got to see a very colorful sunrise from the office windows. It was so bright, colorful and pretty in it's hues of blue, orange and pink. Once that was over at 4:45-5am I went back to bed and slept in till 9 I think. CJ and I then hung around the house while doing work, book work, blogs and watching the Olympics. It was another hot day and so it was good to just be at home for awhile and not out and about trying to beat the heat. We spent all day inside and then we decided to get out later in the afternoon and go see if we could find the annual USA Navy Bon Dori party at the military base south of here in Negishi.
We took the train to Negeshi station and then walked towards the base or so we thought. We walked and walked through many little narrow streets and nice neighborhoods, then up a long set of steps only to come to the border fence into the base, but with a locked gate. UGH! So back down we went and headed toward the main road to ask for more directions. As we walked along the sun was setting and so we got to at least watch that for a bit before it dropped behind the houses ahead of us. I hoped the next corner we turned at, I would get a glimpse of it going down below the horizon and so that kept me going while trying to keep up with CJ's faster pace; but we never did see that happen. It was nice to see the sky change to a golden and blue color though.
Back on the main road we stopped in a 7-11 like store and the nice man there pulled out his very detailed neighborhood map and showed us where to go next. We actually were just two blocks short of the road to the entrance gate. YES, only come to find out, it was all straight up a big long hill. At this time,I realized I wore the wrong sandles as my left foot, right knee and hip were killing me. Oy e vay? I told CJ this is our practice for Mt Fuji-san in a few weeks. All I can say is, I hope it is a much cooler day when we climb that dear mountain or I am not sure I will make it. And yes I will wear my hiking boots,not flip flops.:-)
Once we got to the top of the hill and the "real" base entrance gate we found it was not through this "rear" gate, but down the street to the left and and at the park through the "front main gate". So away we went,now in the dark of night and under the light of the full moon high over head. It was a beautiful cooler and breezy night so at least that helped some.
We walked and walked some more and passed the big huge cemetary . We thought we could hear the drums and music in the distance, but perhaps we were hallucinating, as we kept going and going up and down and around curves, past a big temple and then ended up on a main street and still no festival. :-( We stopped in another corner drug store and asked where the gate was and the lady there told us if walking, it was about 20 minutes up the road to the right or you could take bus 103. We figured we walked this far, what is 20 more minutes. It was now 7pm and the festival ended at 9pm so I hoped we would arrive soon and at least have an hour there to soak up some of the festive atmosphere.
We walked up another hill and alas there across the street was the big blue entrance sign all illuminated and shinging bright. I think by now we had walked around the entire perimeter of the Navy Base. Oh my God my feet hurt so bad !!!! So much for a day of rest and not walking our usual 10 miles a day..or that is what we feel like we walk anyway? There were people leaving and walking down another long slope towards us in their colorful yukatas. We finally arrived hot,very sweaty and ready for an ice cold beverage of some sort at the top of the hill security gate. The men in camoflauge checked our alien registration cards, my purse, Cj's wallet and cell phone and then we were let in. CJ of course bee lined to the beer and hot dog stand, while I got a lemonade and immediately got enthralled by the folk dancers doing that hypnotic bon dori dance we saw in Chinatown a few weeks ago. They had drummers of all ages,2 dragons dancing, breathing fire and smoke and some cute little japanese ladies in some very unsually shaped woven hats playing music and dancing. Lots of people young and old were circling the stage many dressed in Yukatas, colorful crocs and/or western fashions of shorts, tank tops, sandles or tennis shoes. We noticed there were alot of asian american kids and they were so darn cute in their little japanese gowns.
This festival went from 3-9pm and we finally got there at 7:30 pm. They had lots of food stalls with those delicious lomain noodles and ginger,hot dogs,grilled chicken on a stick, corn on the cob, broasted whole chickens,burgers,okinawa doughnuts in flavors of vanilla, sweet potatoe or brown sugar. CJ got a vanilla one and it was similar to our cake donuts in the US, but in a big ball shape. It was a bit dry, but would have been great with a cup of coffee or tea I am sure. They had the usual goldfish,kids games and the entertainment I mentioned above. I was too hot and tired to eat and so I just enjoyed watching, listening and taking pics of the music and little kids who were now up on the stage dancing with the little ladies. CJ was happy with his beer and enjoyed chatting in one of the buildings with some of the navy guys. When he came back out to find me I told him I had to at least try and do the dance before the party stopped. So I got in line and tried to do it behind one of the cute little ladies with the strange shaped hat. I right away showed I had two left feet I guess, and a very nice little man was so willing and happy to help me as he walked along side me and counted out the steps as we circled the stage. I got the feet part "a little", but could not even begin to add the arms. I of course will need much more practice before my next debut in August 2009. It was FUN and to have my own personal "sensai", well who could ask for more. Just as soon as I tried to dance the music was over. Hum....could I have been the reason why..? Just kidding.
We were on our way out, but decided to ask for directions as I COULD NOT walk all that way back. I would take a taxi before I did that. So we asked one of the military personal and we met Petty Officer Favors from Alabama. She was a very nice African American lady who is here for 3 years. She has twins and an 8yr old who is having a birthday in September and so she said she would invite us to the party so we could meet some more american folks. We swapped phone info and I gave her one of my TSSI business cards and she told me they go to an orphanage here and do community service work. I asked if civilians could ever come along with them and she said sure. So who knows? They do painting too, and so CJ told her Graco might have some old paint sprayers to donate to them also. She also said there is a possiblity they could send stuff to Honduras from military base to base as well so who knows maybe ther military here in Japan will end up helping out the Hogar Tierra Santa kids in some way? Cool!
So,I of course am anxiously awaiting her phone call or email, which she said she would do next week after she shared the information with the other military staff.
So we left happy and with another newly made friend. We are getting some pals already since we have been here a little over a month, and are being noticed on the streets as we pass by. Last week when I was out exploring I had the TV delivery man Torkio from the day before, beep at me when he and I were waiting for a stoplight to change at the intersection/crosswalk. Then, when CJ and I were on our way to the embassy the other morning early we were getting on the train and off came Takeuchi the manager of Yamate 111 house and she stopped and said hello.
Just last night on the way to the Negishi train station Leo the owner of the Lazer Rush Bar stopped on his moped and told us to stop by the pub next weekend and visit with his wife Pauline who is now back from Scotland and will be working again. He was on his way to watch his friends play squash at the YMCA. He had a knee brace on and told us of his MRI and possible surgery. We told him he can't keep pretending to be 20 when he is really 40 or 50 something.haha
So another military guy went and got us a nice map and were happy to find we actually were quite close to the train station. We had taken a left when we should have taken a right. We ended up being only 2 blocks down from the station up an alley and a very long set of steps and then down the road a bit to the base. Boy was I ever happy to find if and when I go back to visit with PO Favors it will be a much shorter travel time. Yahoo!
Back home and more Olympics, a cool drink, hot shower some tiger balm on my very sore feet, knee and hip and then to bed to rest my weary head and body I went
Kon bon wa
Karla and CJ
We took the train to Negeshi station and then walked towards the base or so we thought. We walked and walked through many little narrow streets and nice neighborhoods, then up a long set of steps only to come to the border fence into the base, but with a locked gate. UGH! So back down we went and headed toward the main road to ask for more directions. As we walked along the sun was setting and so we got to at least watch that for a bit before it dropped behind the houses ahead of us. I hoped the next corner we turned at, I would get a glimpse of it going down below the horizon and so that kept me going while trying to keep up with CJ's faster pace; but we never did see that happen. It was nice to see the sky change to a golden and blue color though.
Back on the main road we stopped in a 7-11 like store and the nice man there pulled out his very detailed neighborhood map and showed us where to go next. We actually were just two blocks short of the road to the entrance gate. YES, only come to find out, it was all straight up a big long hill. At this time,I realized I wore the wrong sandles as my left foot, right knee and hip were killing me. Oy e vay? I told CJ this is our practice for Mt Fuji-san in a few weeks. All I can say is, I hope it is a much cooler day when we climb that dear mountain or I am not sure I will make it. And yes I will wear my hiking boots,not flip flops.:-)
Once we got to the top of the hill and the "real" base entrance gate we found it was not through this "rear" gate, but down the street to the left and and at the park through the "front main gate". So away we went,now in the dark of night and under the light of the full moon high over head. It was a beautiful cooler and breezy night so at least that helped some.
We walked and walked some more and passed the big huge cemetary . We thought we could hear the drums and music in the distance, but perhaps we were hallucinating, as we kept going and going up and down and around curves, past a big temple and then ended up on a main street and still no festival. :-( We stopped in another corner drug store and asked where the gate was and the lady there told us if walking, it was about 20 minutes up the road to the right or you could take bus 103. We figured we walked this far, what is 20 more minutes. It was now 7pm and the festival ended at 9pm so I hoped we would arrive soon and at least have an hour there to soak up some of the festive atmosphere.
We walked up another hill and alas there across the street was the big blue entrance sign all illuminated and shinging bright. I think by now we had walked around the entire perimeter of the Navy Base. Oh my God my feet hurt so bad !!!! So much for a day of rest and not walking our usual 10 miles a day..or that is what we feel like we walk anyway? There were people leaving and walking down another long slope towards us in their colorful yukatas. We finally arrived hot,very sweaty and ready for an ice cold beverage of some sort at the top of the hill security gate. The men in camoflauge checked our alien registration cards, my purse, Cj's wallet and cell phone and then we were let in. CJ of course bee lined to the beer and hot dog stand, while I got a lemonade and immediately got enthralled by the folk dancers doing that hypnotic bon dori dance we saw in Chinatown a few weeks ago. They had drummers of all ages,2 dragons dancing, breathing fire and smoke and some cute little japanese ladies in some very unsually shaped woven hats playing music and dancing. Lots of people young and old were circling the stage many dressed in Yukatas, colorful crocs and/or western fashions of shorts, tank tops, sandles or tennis shoes. We noticed there were alot of asian american kids and they were so darn cute in their little japanese gowns.
This festival went from 3-9pm and we finally got there at 7:30 pm. They had lots of food stalls with those delicious lomain noodles and ginger,hot dogs,grilled chicken on a stick, corn on the cob, broasted whole chickens,burgers,okinawa doughnuts in flavors of vanilla, sweet potatoe or brown sugar. CJ got a vanilla one and it was similar to our cake donuts in the US, but in a big ball shape. It was a bit dry, but would have been great with a cup of coffee or tea I am sure. They had the usual goldfish,kids games and the entertainment I mentioned above. I was too hot and tired to eat and so I just enjoyed watching, listening and taking pics of the music and little kids who were now up on the stage dancing with the little ladies. CJ was happy with his beer and enjoyed chatting in one of the buildings with some of the navy guys. When he came back out to find me I told him I had to at least try and do the dance before the party stopped. So I got in line and tried to do it behind one of the cute little ladies with the strange shaped hat. I right away showed I had two left feet I guess, and a very nice little man was so willing and happy to help me as he walked along side me and counted out the steps as we circled the stage. I got the feet part "a little", but could not even begin to add the arms. I of course will need much more practice before my next debut in August 2009. It was FUN and to have my own personal "sensai", well who could ask for more. Just as soon as I tried to dance the music was over. Hum....could I have been the reason why..? Just kidding.
We were on our way out, but decided to ask for directions as I COULD NOT walk all that way back. I would take a taxi before I did that. So we asked one of the military personal and we met Petty Officer Favors from Alabama. She was a very nice African American lady who is here for 3 years. She has twins and an 8yr old who is having a birthday in September and so she said she would invite us to the party so we could meet some more american folks. We swapped phone info and I gave her one of my TSSI business cards and she told me they go to an orphanage here and do community service work. I asked if civilians could ever come along with them and she said sure. So who knows? They do painting too, and so CJ told her Graco might have some old paint sprayers to donate to them also. She also said there is a possiblity they could send stuff to Honduras from military base to base as well so who knows maybe ther military here in Japan will end up helping out the Hogar Tierra Santa kids in some way? Cool!
So,I of course am anxiously awaiting her phone call or email, which she said she would do next week after she shared the information with the other military staff.
So we left happy and with another newly made friend. We are getting some pals already since we have been here a little over a month, and are being noticed on the streets as we pass by. Last week when I was out exploring I had the TV delivery man Torkio from the day before, beep at me when he and I were waiting for a stoplight to change at the intersection/crosswalk. Then, when CJ and I were on our way to the embassy the other morning early we were getting on the train and off came Takeuchi the manager of Yamate 111 house and she stopped and said hello.
Just last night on the way to the Negishi train station Leo the owner of the Lazer Rush Bar stopped on his moped and told us to stop by the pub next weekend and visit with his wife Pauline who is now back from Scotland and will be working again. He was on his way to watch his friends play squash at the YMCA. He had a knee brace on and told us of his MRI and possible surgery. We told him he can't keep pretending to be 20 when he is really 40 or 50 something.haha
So another military guy went and got us a nice map and were happy to find we actually were quite close to the train station. We had taken a left when we should have taken a right. We ended up being only 2 blocks down from the station up an alley and a very long set of steps and then down the road a bit to the base. Boy was I ever happy to find if and when I go back to visit with PO Favors it will be a much shorter travel time. Yahoo!
Back home and more Olympics, a cool drink, hot shower some tiger balm on my very sore feet, knee and hip and then to bed to rest my weary head and body I went
Kon bon wa
Karla and CJ
Friday afternoon August 15, 2008 Ueno Park
Hi all..it is now Sunday Aug 17th and boy what a difference a day makes. We woke up to a very cool 70 degree day with thick overcast skies and some misty rain falling. It feels so good to have shut all the air conditoners off and to have the windows open and a nice breeze wafting through the office. Ahhhhh.....:-)
I will now finish up the second half of our Friday adventure to Asakusa and then on to Ueno Park.
After looking at all the temple and shrine buildings in Asakusa we headed towards Ueno Park and tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. We walked along many a narrow little street with shrines and grave yards here and there, of which I had to of course poke my head in and see what cool grave stones or statues they had. It must be the season of the red bibs, as they seem to be everywhere.
When we got to Ueno Park the first thing we did was to get a melon flavored snow cone and sit in the shade for a few minutes to cool down and catch our breath. Then we walked along the tree covered paths towards Shinobazo Pond. On the way we stopped to listen to a group playing a pipe pan flute and some spanish style music. Saw some soccer team doing foot agility drills and a kids statue with lots of origami paper crane decorations in a rainbow of colors hanging nearby.
When we arrived at the Pond it was full of large pink lotus blossoms. We visited the octagon shaped Bentendo Temple that sits on a pennisula that protrudes out into the pond. The principle icon here is Happi-Dai-Benzaiten (the 8 armed Buddha Goddess)who is worshipped as the God of Longevity, Good Luck and Entertainment. We then crossed over a little bridge which was full of people observing all the turtles and ducks below in the water. We saw lots of people peddling swan shaped paddle boats around the pond with their feet and then crossed back over the bridge and headed up to the north end of the park. We passed a few other shrines, one with lots of red tori gates and another one with a rounded pagoda type cone top. We were going to walk to see the 5 story pagoda and yet one more shrine but when we looked down the walkway and it looked to be 2 footbal fields away we decided to save it for another visit. The zoo was next and that too we will check out later as I do want to see the Panda Bears that were given as a gift from China.
We stopped to watch a man who had his audience very captivated while he was making some very cool balloon animals--Minnie Mouse, The Pink Panther... We saw the one man bike music man playing all his different instruemtns at once. Kind of like Bert in Mary Poppins. Remember him ?
We then exited Ueno Park which is the place to be they say, during cherry blossom season in March and April for the hanami viewing parties. Continuing on we walked through Yanaka District on our way to the train station. Yanaka is a very quiet area and there was hardly any people around as we walked through the empty little streets. They all must have been at the Shrine or the Park? It was a bit like a ghost town actually and many businesses were closed as well with their metal doors pulled down over the glass windows. We passed many more little neighborhood shrines and cemetaries all along the way. This area survived the 1923 earthquake and WWII bombing as well and so preserves some of the old Shitamachi with tight packed houses and narrow alleys.
Like I said earlier, we had planned to take the train back to the Shrine for the evening prayer and blessing ceremony but we were zapped of every last bit of energy and so we headed home for Taco Friday and more Olympics. We found out later,it was actually 102 degrees when we were dragging ourselves through the park. YIKES !! No wonder we were pooped. The tacos by the way, were delish and the shower felt extraordinarly good as did my bed when I finally plopped down in it.
Another day under our belts and more sights checked off on our Japan Bucket list.
More tomorrow......
I will now finish up the second half of our Friday adventure to Asakusa and then on to Ueno Park.
After looking at all the temple and shrine buildings in Asakusa we headed towards Ueno Park and tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. We walked along many a narrow little street with shrines and grave yards here and there, of which I had to of course poke my head in and see what cool grave stones or statues they had. It must be the season of the red bibs, as they seem to be everywhere.
When we got to Ueno Park the first thing we did was to get a melon flavored snow cone and sit in the shade for a few minutes to cool down and catch our breath. Then we walked along the tree covered paths towards Shinobazo Pond. On the way we stopped to listen to a group playing a pipe pan flute and some spanish style music. Saw some soccer team doing foot agility drills and a kids statue with lots of origami paper crane decorations in a rainbow of colors hanging nearby.
When we arrived at the Pond it was full of large pink lotus blossoms. We visited the octagon shaped Bentendo Temple that sits on a pennisula that protrudes out into the pond. The principle icon here is Happi-Dai-Benzaiten (the 8 armed Buddha Goddess)who is worshipped as the God of Longevity, Good Luck and Entertainment. We then crossed over a little bridge which was full of people observing all the turtles and ducks below in the water. We saw lots of people peddling swan shaped paddle boats around the pond with their feet and then crossed back over the bridge and headed up to the north end of the park. We passed a few other shrines, one with lots of red tori gates and another one with a rounded pagoda type cone top. We were going to walk to see the 5 story pagoda and yet one more shrine but when we looked down the walkway and it looked to be 2 footbal fields away we decided to save it for another visit. The zoo was next and that too we will check out later as I do want to see the Panda Bears that were given as a gift from China.
We stopped to watch a man who had his audience very captivated while he was making some very cool balloon animals--Minnie Mouse, The Pink Panther... We saw the one man bike music man playing all his different instruemtns at once. Kind of like Bert in Mary Poppins. Remember him ?
We then exited Ueno Park which is the place to be they say, during cherry blossom season in March and April for the hanami viewing parties. Continuing on we walked through Yanaka District on our way to the train station. Yanaka is a very quiet area and there was hardly any people around as we walked through the empty little streets. They all must have been at the Shrine or the Park? It was a bit like a ghost town actually and many businesses were closed as well with their metal doors pulled down over the glass windows. We passed many more little neighborhood shrines and cemetaries all along the way. This area survived the 1923 earthquake and WWII bombing as well and so preserves some of the old Shitamachi with tight packed houses and narrow alleys.
Like I said earlier, we had planned to take the train back to the Shrine for the evening prayer and blessing ceremony but we were zapped of every last bit of energy and so we headed home for Taco Friday and more Olympics. We found out later,it was actually 102 degrees when we were dragging ourselves through the park. YIKES !! No wonder we were pooped. The tacos by the way, were delish and the shower felt extraordinarly good as did my bed when I finally plopped down in it.
Another day under our belts and more sights checked off on our Japan Bucket list.
More tomorrow......
Friday, August 15, 2008
Friday August 15th, 2008 morning in Asakusa District
We got up early and made our way to the China Embassy so we could beat the long lines we assumed there would be. After going through the security checkpoint and having them search our bags and ask us if we had any scissors we took the elevator up to the third floor. We got there at about 9:20 am and were out of there by 10am. Another model of efficiency. We also had all our forms filled out, so that helped. It was pretty cool how they had photo booths to take your passport size photos on the first floor and copy machines, glue and scissors to prepare all your needed forms on the third floor. Nice you did not have to leave to do anything. Picked up a couple brochures on their current Olympic Games only it is in Chinese not English. Cute little colored characters they have for each of the different sports,like the drawings I saw in the tunnel here just below the bluff. :-)
We then went back to the train station and took it up to Northern Tokyo and first explored the Asakusa District and then over to Ueno Park and surrounds.
This area is what remains of Tokyo's old Shitamachi (low city). Once the heart and soul of Edo culture. It has "Ukiyo-e"wood block prints (of which I just realized we saw none ?), Kabuki Theater and the Yoshiwara pleasure district near Asakusa. They say these are the best parts of Tokyo for strolling and observing, and that is just what we did, and in what turned out to be 102 degree weather no less. Just let me say here and now...IT WAS HOTTER THAN HELL on EARTH!!
So we made it to Asakusa and walked first by the Sumida River for views of the landmark gold looking Asahi Breweries LTD building which is supposed to represent a glass of beer with foam at the top and then has some big gold artsy blob ? next to it. Kalen called us right then, so CJ talked with her a bit while I took pics around the river of men sleeping, recycling cans, selling junk, river boats, flowers...CJ hoped there was a brewery tour and free samples of his favorite "Asahi Super Dry", but sadly only restaurants which were not yet open as it was only 10:30 am or so. CJ also had a phone chat with nephew Jacob when we tried to call his dad Brett who was busy and to wish him a Happy Birthday.
As we stood on the bridge in the warm breeze it was bearable, but after we crossed the bridge and went into some covered side streets on our way to the long "Nakamise" shopping lane which leads to the Senso-ji Temple it was heating up pretty darn fast. YIKES! We looked at numerous little shops along the way and then as we saw people lined up in front of restaurants we ducked into a little local cafe for some Tempura lunch. I had veggie and fish tempura with rice, soup, pickled ginger and pickle relish. Most of it was very good. Again the chewy piece of whatever ? CJ ate and I could not quite deal with the seaweed wrapped thick fish of some kind or other. The tempura covered green bean, egg plant, 2 shrimps and some other thin flaky white fish were very good. The clear broth with parsley and onion in it was tasty as well. It was a slam bam serving/eating style as people were lined up out the door waiting to get in.
Back out into the heat and down the very busy and crowded shopping lane to the temple where it was a shoppers paradise. Now this kind of crowd is what I was anticipating I'd see when ever I walked down the streets on a day to day basis. I am VERY GLAD it is not reality. All kinds of fans, yukatas, kimonos, trinkets, foods, key chains etc... were on sale . This is the place to buy souveniers that is for sure. It was fun watching people make and sell different Japanese treats. Apricots dipped in some pink dough and then fried. Another man sat and was hand filling molds with batter,then a blob of bean paste I think and then more batter. He then closed up the 2 sided cast iron mold and heated it. Once cooked he dumped the 4 little baked pastries out and then brushed oil in the molds and repeated the process over and over again. He had a HUGE bowl of dough and it was kind of nice to see it being done by hand and not automated. He would continue to be an extremely busy worker all afternoon, as people were buying bags of his treats as fast as he could make them it seemed. I guess the heat really did not leave us with much of an appetite, as we passed up many different eating opportunities I'm thinking now, as I write this a day later. A good reason to go back another day!
Saw my favorite "Tako-Yori" Octupus Balls being sold by another lady just outside the temple entrance. Some colorful ball game for kids, shaved ice, just about any kind of meat and or fish on a stick ready for the BBque when ordered.
We then entered the gates of the Sensoji Temple. This is the oldest Temple in Tokyo and was said to have been built in 628. The GRAND Maninarimon Gate with a large lantern is a landmark. We were NOT alone here as you can see. There were people everywhere and it kind of took away for me anyway, the tranquil peaceful like feeling I get when I have been to other smaller temples and shrines. It kind of felt more like I was in the midst of a BIG, BUSY tourist trap then a place to worship or remember. It was the height of Obon, so I guess this is perhaps how it was meant to be, but it took me by surprise a bit I will say that.
They were going to have a big prayer ceremony later in the night at 6:30pm and our hope was to go back to it, but as you will find out we walked alot and the heat just zapped our energy. I looked around at all the different parts. The Gods on either side of the gate, the big lanterns hanging in the gate entry,and the 5 story pagoda to the elft of the entrance. The dragon font where people of all ages were busy washing their hands and rinsing their mouths. The incense cauldron where people waft the smoke towards them with their hand to cleanse themselves, and then the slatted large offeratory box where they drop coins inside and then stand behind it as they say their prayers or offer gratitude while looking towards the center alter. There were candles to be lite and placed in a tree like candle holder. Chopsticks in a jar with a number on it and when you shook a stick out of the silver bottle you matched it up to one of the many drawers with the same number. Inside was a wish or message that you then tied to a string after reading it. Other people had prayers or wishes they wrote on wood sticks and or bought another more expensive block of some kind which will be blessed later in the evening by the monks. Oh how I need to find a good book in English of course, that can explain all these different rituals, procedures, objects... to me; so I can find out what it all signifies and represents. It is all quite stimulating to me and I find it very "captivating". Hey did you see how I used a new word. Thanks to Kalen who sent me a synonyms list for Intriguing! haha:-)
Once we were done with the BIG temple I made my way around to all the littler Shrines, gardens,on the surrounding grounds while CJ sat in the shade of a tree. When we were walking to the bathroom we passed a man sitting on a rock ledge and he was sleeping but all of a sudden fell over and took a nose dive right into the pavement. We stopped to make sure he was ok and all was good, perhaps a slight bit embarrased but no open wounds of any kind. "I fell asleep he said".
I once again saw the fox statues and I over heard a girl telling her friend it is like the spirit of this one god. So if you see the fox you know they are worshipping that god. Of course I did not catch the god's name. The next little shrine had a couple of white foxes you could buy 2 for 1000yen. One was a boy and one was a girl. They were sitting up on the alter with some bread of some kind and bottle of liquid. I asked the girl if she had a brochure in English, but sadly none were available. More research to do.
I don't think I made it into all the different buildings, as I was starting to get Shrine overload and perhaps the heat was draining me a bit, but I actually said to CJ I was starting to get the "I've seen 1 shrine I have seen them all" attitude. :-(
I hope it was the heat, cause GOD knows I have MANY, MANY more to see here in the year to come. This is only the beginning!
Hold on a minute my samuari in his yukata lounge wear just delivered a chicken salad to me so I must take a lunch break now...and then I guess it is time for us to be on our way to visit the US Navy Yard for their Bon Odori Festival. I will have to finish the rest of this tomorrow...
We then went back to the train station and took it up to Northern Tokyo and first explored the Asakusa District and then over to Ueno Park and surrounds.
This area is what remains of Tokyo's old Shitamachi (low city). Once the heart and soul of Edo culture. It has "Ukiyo-e"wood block prints (of which I just realized we saw none ?), Kabuki Theater and the Yoshiwara pleasure district near Asakusa. They say these are the best parts of Tokyo for strolling and observing, and that is just what we did, and in what turned out to be 102 degree weather no less. Just let me say here and now...IT WAS HOTTER THAN HELL on EARTH!!
So we made it to Asakusa and walked first by the Sumida River for views of the landmark gold looking Asahi Breweries LTD building which is supposed to represent a glass of beer with foam at the top and then has some big gold artsy blob ? next to it. Kalen called us right then, so CJ talked with her a bit while I took pics around the river of men sleeping, recycling cans, selling junk, river boats, flowers...CJ hoped there was a brewery tour and free samples of his favorite "Asahi Super Dry", but sadly only restaurants which were not yet open as it was only 10:30 am or so. CJ also had a phone chat with nephew Jacob when we tried to call his dad Brett who was busy and to wish him a Happy Birthday.
As we stood on the bridge in the warm breeze it was bearable, but after we crossed the bridge and went into some covered side streets on our way to the long "Nakamise" shopping lane which leads to the Senso-ji Temple it was heating up pretty darn fast. YIKES! We looked at numerous little shops along the way and then as we saw people lined up in front of restaurants we ducked into a little local cafe for some Tempura lunch. I had veggie and fish tempura with rice, soup, pickled ginger and pickle relish. Most of it was very good. Again the chewy piece of whatever ? CJ ate and I could not quite deal with the seaweed wrapped thick fish of some kind or other. The tempura covered green bean, egg plant, 2 shrimps and some other thin flaky white fish were very good. The clear broth with parsley and onion in it was tasty as well. It was a slam bam serving/eating style as people were lined up out the door waiting to get in.
Back out into the heat and down the very busy and crowded shopping lane to the temple where it was a shoppers paradise. Now this kind of crowd is what I was anticipating I'd see when ever I walked down the streets on a day to day basis. I am VERY GLAD it is not reality. All kinds of fans, yukatas, kimonos, trinkets, foods, key chains etc... were on sale . This is the place to buy souveniers that is for sure. It was fun watching people make and sell different Japanese treats. Apricots dipped in some pink dough and then fried. Another man sat and was hand filling molds with batter,then a blob of bean paste I think and then more batter. He then closed up the 2 sided cast iron mold and heated it. Once cooked he dumped the 4 little baked pastries out and then brushed oil in the molds and repeated the process over and over again. He had a HUGE bowl of dough and it was kind of nice to see it being done by hand and not automated. He would continue to be an extremely busy worker all afternoon, as people were buying bags of his treats as fast as he could make them it seemed. I guess the heat really did not leave us with much of an appetite, as we passed up many different eating opportunities I'm thinking now, as I write this a day later. A good reason to go back another day!
Saw my favorite "Tako-Yori" Octupus Balls being sold by another lady just outside the temple entrance. Some colorful ball game for kids, shaved ice, just about any kind of meat and or fish on a stick ready for the BBque when ordered.
We then entered the gates of the Sensoji Temple. This is the oldest Temple in Tokyo and was said to have been built in 628. The GRAND Maninarimon Gate with a large lantern is a landmark. We were NOT alone here as you can see. There were people everywhere and it kind of took away for me anyway, the tranquil peaceful like feeling I get when I have been to other smaller temples and shrines. It kind of felt more like I was in the midst of a BIG, BUSY tourist trap then a place to worship or remember. It was the height of Obon, so I guess this is perhaps how it was meant to be, but it took me by surprise a bit I will say that.
They were going to have a big prayer ceremony later in the night at 6:30pm and our hope was to go back to it, but as you will find out we walked alot and the heat just zapped our energy. I looked around at all the different parts. The Gods on either side of the gate, the big lanterns hanging in the gate entry,and the 5 story pagoda to the elft of the entrance. The dragon font where people of all ages were busy washing their hands and rinsing their mouths. The incense cauldron where people waft the smoke towards them with their hand to cleanse themselves, and then the slatted large offeratory box where they drop coins inside and then stand behind it as they say their prayers or offer gratitude while looking towards the center alter. There were candles to be lite and placed in a tree like candle holder. Chopsticks in a jar with a number on it and when you shook a stick out of the silver bottle you matched it up to one of the many drawers with the same number. Inside was a wish or message that you then tied to a string after reading it. Other people had prayers or wishes they wrote on wood sticks and or bought another more expensive block of some kind which will be blessed later in the evening by the monks. Oh how I need to find a good book in English of course, that can explain all these different rituals, procedures, objects... to me; so I can find out what it all signifies and represents. It is all quite stimulating to me and I find it very "captivating". Hey did you see how I used a new word. Thanks to Kalen who sent me a synonyms list for Intriguing! haha:-)
Once we were done with the BIG temple I made my way around to all the littler Shrines, gardens,on the surrounding grounds while CJ sat in the shade of a tree. When we were walking to the bathroom we passed a man sitting on a rock ledge and he was sleeping but all of a sudden fell over and took a nose dive right into the pavement. We stopped to make sure he was ok and all was good, perhaps a slight bit embarrased but no open wounds of any kind. "I fell asleep he said".
I once again saw the fox statues and I over heard a girl telling her friend it is like the spirit of this one god. So if you see the fox you know they are worshipping that god. Of course I did not catch the god's name. The next little shrine had a couple of white foxes you could buy 2 for 1000yen. One was a boy and one was a girl. They were sitting up on the alter with some bread of some kind and bottle of liquid. I asked the girl if she had a brochure in English, but sadly none were available. More research to do.
I don't think I made it into all the different buildings, as I was starting to get Shrine overload and perhaps the heat was draining me a bit, but I actually said to CJ I was starting to get the "I've seen 1 shrine I have seen them all" attitude. :-(
I hope it was the heat, cause GOD knows I have MANY, MANY more to see here in the year to come. This is only the beginning!
Hold on a minute my samuari in his yukata lounge wear just delivered a chicken salad to me so I must take a lunch break now...and then I guess it is time for us to be on our way to visit the US Navy Yard for their Bon Odori Festival. I will have to finish the rest of this tomorrow...
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