Golden Week - the precious cluster of national holidays - is here again. Though only Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are holidays, Brian and I are planning to get away a little ealier, and to some camping somewhere in Japan.
I say "somewhere" because we haven't decided on a place to go just yet, but we're thinking of heading towards Nigata, and maybe the coast of the Sea of Japan.
And, like last year, we are leaving the bikes behind. The reason for this is that the bikes, while great for exploring new territory, and very demanding space-wise and seriously limit our ability to pack-up and relocate on a whim. So a bike free camping trip it shall be.
This week-long trip means a blog hiatus, but we do plan to bring our cameras, though, and will have pics to post when we get back next week.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
They Paved Paradise...
..to put up a new freeway (sing to the tune of Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi)
Once upon a time, long, long ago, the mountain bikers of Susono would gather for a weekly ride, not very far from here.
They would sweat, and laugh, and pedal through the pain, to reach the top of the mountain. If they were lucky, they would see deer. They would see life come into being as the "slime" became tadpoles, which then blossomed into frogs.
But more than a year ago, this paradise ceased to be. Little by little, the mountain bikers were edged out of their territory, forced to disperse, crowded back into the city.
This is their trail today:
The paradise is becoming part of the Dai-Ni Tomei (Tomei Number Two), which is cutting a swathe through Shizuoka Prefecture.
Once upon a time, long, long ago, the mountain bikers of Susono would gather for a weekly ride, not very far from here.
They would sweat, and laugh, and pedal through the pain, to reach the top of the mountain. If they were lucky, they would see deer. They would see life come into being as the "slime" became tadpoles, which then blossomed into frogs.
But more than a year ago, this paradise ceased to be. Little by little, the mountain bikers were edged out of their territory, forced to disperse, crowded back into the city.
This is their trail today:
The paradise is becoming part of the Dai-Ni Tomei (Tomei Number Two), which is cutting a swathe through Shizuoka Prefecture.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Perspective...
OK, I've been pretty busy lately, and haven't really had time to blog, ride, or surf the net even. The Golden Week holidays are just around the corner, but I can't even think about what to do with them!
I did manage to snap a few shots over the last few days with my Lumix(dmc-lx1), and then combine them for an HDR effect. This is a shot of Mt. Fuji peeking over some drying bamboo:
And this is a similar study in perspective, using our extensive wine collection:
More to come, but conditions might not allow for interesting subjects until the holidays begin!
I did manage to snap a few shots over the last few days with my Lumix(dmc-lx1), and then combine them for an HDR effect. This is a shot of Mt. Fuji peeking over some drying bamboo:
And this is a similar study in perspective, using our extensive wine collection:
More to come, but conditions might not allow for interesting subjects until the holidays begin!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Our Weekend in Pictures
We cleaned the apartment early on Saturday morning:
No Photo Available
We rode a great ride! We went up to the fire road on our Rigs (in case any one has forgotten, the Gary Fisher Rig is a 29" single speed mountain bike, we each have one, and we love them), and came back down by our favourite challenging trail- lots of dirt, mud, roots and rocks. We went at a leisurely pace, and stopped for a break in the warming sunshine:
Saturday afternoon, I decided to hit the bottle; the hair dye bottle, that is! I went to the hairdresser for a bit of colour. In the evening, we went to a margarita party at our neighbor's place:
Sunday was a day of rest - working on computer projects, watching The Discovery Channel (I now know all I ever wanted to know about lions and hyenas), and taking pictures of a neighbor's flowers:
Not a bad weekend, huh?
No Photo Available
We rode a great ride! We went up to the fire road on our Rigs (in case any one has forgotten, the Gary Fisher Rig is a 29" single speed mountain bike, we each have one, and we love them), and came back down by our favourite challenging trail- lots of dirt, mud, roots and rocks. We went at a leisurely pace, and stopped for a break in the warming sunshine:
Saturday afternoon, I decided to hit the bottle; the hair dye bottle, that is! I went to the hairdresser for a bit of colour. In the evening, we went to a margarita party at our neighbor's place:
Sunday was a day of rest - working on computer projects, watching The Discovery Channel (I now know all I ever wanted to know about lions and hyenas), and taking pictures of a neighbor's flowers:
Not a bad weekend, huh?
Friday, April 21, 2006
A Nightrider is a Better Rider
I see a rock, a curve, a precipice
each thirty seconds apart
those seconds allow me to adopt the right technique to deal with the obstacle (or life-threatening fall!), with agility and focus because
it's all I can see for that second. My mind is uncluttered, undistracted, dealing only with what is immediately before me, not worrying (not seeing!) what is under my front tire, or far down the trail.
I can't worry about things too far in the future - all that will do is distract from the now; I can't worry about what has already passed under my tire, for it is done. All there is, then, is now.
This not seeing is seeing. It is seeing with a clarity, a focus, that we lack in our hectic, multi-tasking lives; that we lack in the "bright light of day".
Training ourselves to focus on now- that is key not just to better riding, but also to better living.
Bonus points go to lyn, who "guessed" - or rather "assessed" - correctly!
each thirty seconds apart
those seconds allow me to adopt the right technique to deal with the obstacle (or life-threatening fall!), with agility and focus because
it's all I can see for that second. My mind is uncluttered, undistracted, dealing only with what is immediately before me, not worrying (not seeing!) what is under my front tire, or far down the trail.
I can't worry about things too far in the future - all that will do is distract from the now; I can't worry about what has already passed under my tire, for it is done. All there is, then, is now.
This not seeing is seeing. It is seeing with a clarity, a focus, that we lack in our hectic, multi-tasking lives; that we lack in the "bright light of day".
Training ourselves to focus on now- that is key not just to better riding, but also to better living.
Bonus points go to lyn, who "guessed" - or rather "assessed" - correctly!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Yoga Does the Body Good
Thankfully, Brian's rapidly-improving health (he's gotten over the leg surgery, allergies, abscess and a cold!), and the better weather has encouraged more activity.
Of course, I spent two days healthfully walking around Kyoto with 9 kilos on my back (note to self: pack lighter next time:-)) But last week Brian and I also went out for our first night ride in ages - we got to use our new Shimano lights (fantastic!), and I got a reminder that I was, actually, a better rider at night (I'll post soon about why I think riding at night makes a better rider).
And the gym! I can't say enough good things about the new gym, and the yoga classes offered on Wednesdays! I'm off to celebrate "hump day" with a bike ride to the gym and a little yoga to help keep things in perspective.
Of course, I spent two days healthfully walking around Kyoto with 9 kilos on my back (note to self: pack lighter next time:-)) But last week Brian and I also went out for our first night ride in ages - we got to use our new Shimano lights (fantastic!), and I got a reminder that I was, actually, a better rider at night (I'll post soon about why I think riding at night makes a better rider).
And the gym! I can't say enough good things about the new gym, and the yoga classes offered on Wednesdays! I'm off to celebrate "hump day" with a bike ride to the gym and a little yoga to help keep things in perspective.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Kyoto Solo
Though Brian was working, I had decided to take Friday off, with no plan in particular. When the weather report indicated that Kyoto would be sunny on Friday, however, I decided to take the (relatively) inexpensive overnight bus to Kyoto on Thursday night (arriving Friday morning at 6 a.m.). After many phone calls, I finally got a reservation for one at a small, simple and affordable minshuku near Kyoto station for Friday night.
I spent two days walking and riding the buses and subways around Kyoto, one of the most historic cities in Japan. Though I was expecting sunny weather, it was very cloudy all day on Friday, and rainy all day on Saturday. That didn't dampen my days of sightseeing, however, and I got a few pictures to boot:
My first stop on Friday morning was Kinkaku-ji:
I took a walk around Gion (the famous Geisha quarter) on Saturday afternoon and evening, and caught just a glimpse of this Geisha (or maybe Maiko):
A little later, still in Gion, I took this photo of some of the establishments around the area:
I spent two days walking and riding the buses and subways around Kyoto, one of the most historic cities in Japan. Though I was expecting sunny weather, it was very cloudy all day on Friday, and rainy all day on Saturday. That didn't dampen my days of sightseeing, however, and I got a few pictures to boot:
My first stop on Friday morning was Kinkaku-ji:
I took a walk around Gion (the famous Geisha quarter) on Saturday afternoon and evening, and caught just a glimpse of this Geisha (or maybe Maiko):
A little later, still in Gion, I took this photo of some of the establishments around the area:
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Kosa!
Hello all!
After a great sunny Sunday, dark weekday rain dampened my blogging spirit while providing a little time for 'photomanipulation'. Here is a shot from Sunday's cherry blossom viewing (Ohanami) bike ride:
Today the rain finally cleared with a dawn lightning display, and I went to Tokyo under sunny skies at lunchtime. By the time I arrived, though, the dreaded 'kosa', or yellow dust storm had arrived to blot out the sky. The dust is actually airborne soil from the Gobi desert region in China, and is blamed for everything from asthma to economic recession. Mostly though, it just makes the sun seem depressingly weak... here is a picture of the Shinagawa river I snapped on the way to my meeting:
Both of these images were made by combining shots at differing exposures, either by auto bracketing on the camera (the river) or by exposing a single RAW file at three different points (the shrine), with Photomatix.
Japanese folks can monitor the 'kosa' daily with updated maps displayed here:
http://www.jma.go.jp/jp/kosa/index.html and now you can, too!
After a great sunny Sunday, dark weekday rain dampened my blogging spirit while providing a little time for 'photomanipulation'. Here is a shot from Sunday's cherry blossom viewing (Ohanami) bike ride:
Today the rain finally cleared with a dawn lightning display, and I went to Tokyo under sunny skies at lunchtime. By the time I arrived, though, the dreaded 'kosa', or yellow dust storm had arrived to blot out the sky. The dust is actually airborne soil from the Gobi desert region in China, and is blamed for everything from asthma to economic recession. Mostly though, it just makes the sun seem depressingly weak... here is a picture of the Shinagawa river I snapped on the way to my meeting:
Both of these images were made by combining shots at differing exposures, either by auto bracketing on the camera (the river) or by exposing a single RAW file at three different points (the shrine), with Photomatix.
Japanese folks can monitor the 'kosa' daily with updated maps displayed here:
http://www.jma.go.jp/jp/kosa/index.html and now you can, too!
Another Picture from Sunday
Yes - we did spend more time picture-taking than riding:-) It was a great day though, and we were thankful for the warm sunshine that fell on the sakura in full bloom.
One of our stops along the way to do o-hanami we found a little scenic garden with daffodils and a flowering tree. Unfortunately, it was also home to abandoned bikes and trucks:
I spent some time working on this in Photoshop Elements 4.0, trying to capture the glimpse of hope amidst the ashes.
One of our stops along the way to do o-hanami we found a little scenic garden with daffodils and a flowering tree. Unfortunately, it was also home to abandoned bikes and trucks:
I spent some time working on this in Photoshop Elements 4.0, trying to capture the glimpse of hope amidst the ashes.
Monday, April 10, 2006
O-hanami in Gotemba
It was so good to have a weekend where at least one day was sunny, and we were both more or less healthy again.
Brian and I took out the Rigs for a good ride yesterday morning. We decided to take a round about ride up to the Gotemba Kogen Beer Hall, where the cherry trees were expected to be in full flower. We packed our cameras in our Camelbaks, and stopped frequently for any picture opportunity that presented itself.
Five hours, two beers, and 21 kilometers later, we got back home content, tired and with a few good photos to boot.
Here is one photo for now, while Brian works on some of his for later blogging:
Brian and I took out the Rigs for a good ride yesterday morning. We decided to take a round about ride up to the Gotemba Kogen Beer Hall, where the cherry trees were expected to be in full flower. We packed our cameras in our Camelbaks, and stopped frequently for any picture opportunity that presented itself.
Five hours, two beers, and 21 kilometers later, we got back home content, tired and with a few good photos to boot.
Here is one photo for now, while Brian works on some of his for later blogging:
Friday, April 07, 2006
TGIF!
Although this weekend holds the promise of warm temps and sunny skies, I spent this Friday evening waiting for a grocery order (I love the internet!) placed a few days ago. Tracy escaped to the gym, but I waited here at my desk, and managed to get picture of it in the slow moments.
The medicines on the left side are for my leg (still healing!) and the right side is for the wide range of maladies I've suffered this winter (laryngitis, sinusitis, and associated sleep deprivation). Hopefully my view will soon be clear of medicines and bandages!
Surely tomorrow we'll find something more photo-worthy...
The medicines on the left side are for my leg (still healing!) and the right side is for the wide range of maladies I've suffered this winter (laryngitis, sinusitis, and associated sleep deprivation). Hopefully my view will soon be clear of medicines and bandages!
Surely tomorrow we'll find something more photo-worthy...
The Art of Blogging
There are rules that "govern" the blog-world. Rules, I say. Actually, they are more like "guidelines", or rather, even, "suggestions". What these suggestions say is:
Blog every day
Keep your posts fairly short - that way people will actually read them
Keep your identity a secret
There are a lot of "suggestions" for successful blogging, and I suppose what you do depends on the goals of your blogging. Winner of the 2005 Bloggies "Best Article" award, this article gives you the low-down on how to blog successfully.
Blog every day
Keep your posts fairly short - that way people will actually read them
Keep your identity a secret
There are a lot of "suggestions" for successful blogging, and I suppose what you do depends on the goals of your blogging. Winner of the 2005 Bloggies "Best Article" award, this article gives you the low-down on how to blog successfully.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Mother's Comments
Thanks to Brian's mom for the comments! MY mom still hasn't made it to the comments section:-) Looks like she still hasn't figured out how to leave a comment)
We really love comments from all moms and friends - makes us feel like the blog actually has an audience:-) So comment comment comment:-)
Other news - Brian and I are both feeling a bit better. My cold is running its course, and I feel worse when lying down than being upright - which makes sleep a bit of a challenge:-)
But the warm weather today has encouraged us to charge up our bike lights for our first night ride this year! Just a few more hours before the sun goes down and we can hit the trails!
We really love comments from all moms and friends - makes us feel like the blog actually has an audience:-) So comment comment comment:-)
Other news - Brian and I are both feeling a bit better. My cold is running its course, and I feel worse when lying down than being upright - which makes sleep a bit of a challenge:-)
But the warm weather today has encouraged us to charge up our bike lights for our first night ride this year! Just a few more hours before the sun goes down and we can hit the trails!
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
The Plague
The time has come, and the end is near. The end, I hope, of this cold/allergy bug that's been going around.
Brian has been under the weather for a while, and our recent bout of social activities (involving beer, sausages and other evil food) probably hasn't helped; and now, it seems that I, too, have a stuffy nose and sore throat. So I can only hope that sooner rather than later will see the end of this whole thing.
Brian has been under the weather for a while, and our recent bout of social activities (involving beer, sausages and other evil food) probably hasn't helped; and now, it seems that I, too, have a stuffy nose and sore throat. So I can only hope that sooner rather than later will see the end of this whole thing.
Indulgence
Another party last night - this one a fairly low-key dinner at Aladdin, an Indian restaurant in Numazu, to see off a friend who will be working out of Japan for a while:
Monday, April 03, 2006
New Gym
Parties on Friday and Saturday meant being rather tired on Sunday. Though a good bike ride would have been just the thing to help us recover, the steady downpour prevented any outdoor activities.
Luckily - a new gym has just opened a few kilometers from here. I signed up back in January and have been eagerly awaiting the April 1st opening - a rainy Sunday was perfect for a workout.
The gym is amazingly nice - a lot of weight machines and a lot of aerobic machines (stationary bikes, treadmills, trekking machines). Each stationary machine comes equipped with an individual flat-screen TV, complete with a headset and a remote control for changing channels and volume - sweeet!
After a hard work out, what could be more relaxing than soaking in a massage bath, or perhaps spending a few minutes in the sauna? Naturally - this gym is fully equipped!
Brian hasn't joined yet - there aren't many free-weights, and the machines are generally too small for Brian. But he is going to come with me on my visitor's pass at least once to check it out for himself before he completely writes it off.
Luckily - a new gym has just opened a few kilometers from here. I signed up back in January and have been eagerly awaiting the April 1st opening - a rainy Sunday was perfect for a workout.
The gym is amazingly nice - a lot of weight machines and a lot of aerobic machines (stationary bikes, treadmills, trekking machines). Each stationary machine comes equipped with an individual flat-screen TV, complete with a headset and a remote control for changing channels and volume - sweeet!
After a hard work out, what could be more relaxing than soaking in a massage bath, or perhaps spending a few minutes in the sauna? Naturally - this gym is fully equipped!
Brian hasn't joined yet - there aren't many free-weights, and the machines are generally too small for Brian. But he is going to come with me on my visitor's pass at least once to check it out for himself before he completely writes it off.
BBQ Party
Saturday brought with it the much awaited April Fool's BBQ, hosted by our company president. It was an outdoor event, there was food and drink in abundance, and the weather was all that could be hoped.
And - I had my camera set correctly for a change!
Here are some of the BBQ-ers around the BBQ pit:
Brian is still battling allergies and a cold, but he made it to the BBQ to enjoy some fine wine:
And - I had my camera set correctly for a change!
Here are some of the BBQ-ers around the BBQ pit:
Brian is still battling allergies and a cold, but he made it to the BBQ to enjoy some fine wine:
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Manual Focus!?@?#?
The weekend is finally here - we've been rather busy lately with work, spring parties and catching up with old friends.
Last night I went to dinner with some friends and students of friends - it was very nice, sociable, and "a good time was had by all".
I would love to show you the pictures that I took, but, though I thought I was shooting in Automatic Focus mode, I must have moved the switch at some point to the Manual Focus mode. All the time I was shooting last night, and couldn't figure out why the photos were so terrible, it never occurred to me to actually make sure that I was in Automatic mode! As a result, not one photo turned out well.
But here is one of the less bad ones:
Hopefully, I'll get better photos at the BBQ party today!
Last night I went to dinner with some friends and students of friends - it was very nice, sociable, and "a good time was had by all".
I would love to show you the pictures that I took, but, though I thought I was shooting in Automatic Focus mode, I must have moved the switch at some point to the Manual Focus mode. All the time I was shooting last night, and couldn't figure out why the photos were so terrible, it never occurred to me to actually make sure that I was in Automatic mode! As a result, not one photo turned out well.
But here is one of the less bad ones:
Hopefully, I'll get better photos at the BBQ party today!
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