Embracing Winter in Mont Tremblant

Go big or go home, as they say. Winter is here, and instead of hiding from it, I accepted the invitation of some friends to go to Mont Tremblant, a popular winter (and even summer) retreat about an hour and a half north of Montreal. My friends are renting a lovely country home there with a lovely fireplace even. So, I spent a couple of days taking mountain walks (my muscles still remember hills and I did quite good at the walks!), and relaxing with a cold beer in the evenings.

Rocking on the Maverick Meercat (Ubuntu10.10 for the Netbook)

So, I am no longer relying on Windows on my Acer Netbook in any way - I am a 100% Ubuntu user now on this little machine.

Drawbacks are only that I cannot run iTunes, or Photoshop (I refuse to use WINE).

Other than that, I am having a really great time using only Ubuntu on all 500 gigs of my hard drive. I was not able to merge the disk partitions before, so I formatted the entire drive, and re-installed Ubuntu Netbook from my bootable USB stick, and have been very happy for the last few days. While at first I did not like the new user interface, I have quickly come to appreciate its simplicity and minimalism.

I also really like the new, native photo manager, called Shotwell. Totally happy with my Ubuntu-only machine.

Here is a screenshot.

Embracing Winter in Mont Tremblant

Go big or go home, as they say. Winter is here, and instead of hiding from it, I accepted an invitation to go to Mont Tremblant, a popular winter (and even summer) retreat about an hour and a half north of Montreal. Some friends are renting a lovely country home there with a lovely fireplace even. So, I spent a couple of days taking mountain walks (my muscles still remember hills and I did quite good at the walks!), and relaxing with a cold beer, and warm wine, in the evenings.

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Shaking the Winter Blahs in Montreal

While Brian enjoys some downtime in the lovely non-Christian, non-Christmas celebrating land of Thailand, I find myself a tad overwhelmed by the need to shop and to wrap and to visit. And to put on coats and gloves and boots and scarves....

But alas, there is nothing I can do to get rid of the snow, and really the best thing would be to embrace it.

To that end, I am reading an inspiring ebook by David du Chemin, one of my favourite contemporary photography writers, called The Vision Driven Photographer. I am inspired by David's photography, and he writes in a simple, engaging, inspiring style. You can download his books for $5 each - a steal for me for sure - at www.craftandvisiton.com.

I have plans to go up north to Mont Tremblant on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) to spend the day and night at a friend's place. I hope then to exercise my photography skills and remember a few tricks and get a few decent winter shots!

I really am doing my best to engage winter in a lovely, warming embrace!

Brian's pic from Mai Khao Beach

Brian is enjoying his winter break in a warm, sunny and sandy place. He sent me a photo, taken with his iPhone, of a morning on Mai Khao Beach.

Mai Khao Beach

Ubuntu, Solo

So...as I mentioned, I finally missed Ubuntu too much to do without it, and was attempting to install it on my Win 7 netbook. Well, the install was not smooth at all. Probably due to the way Microsoft set up the Win 7 bootloader, Ubuntu did not see my primary OS. So, I partitioned in Windows using Acronis, setting aside 40 gbs for Ubuntu.

Then I installed Ubuntu, choosing the manual disk partition option, since ist still did not have an option to install alongside my existing os. I chose to install on the 40 gig space, thinking my other 460 gigs were still all windows. But then after install, I did not have the option of booting into windows at all - instead it went straight to Ubuntu.

After lots of questions and answers in the Ubuntu forums, realizing I didn't really have any vital data on the Windows partition, I just scrapped my dual -boot project, and am now running Ubuntu only on all 500 gigs of my HD on my little Acer Aspire One Netbook.

This is the first time I've run Ubuntu solely, not as a dual boot, play-only, OS - and I'm excited by the prospect!!

Christmas in a Christmassy Place

A very brief post this time,  just to say that Christmas has really snuck up on me, and I really am not at all in the holiday spirit. This is because for the past many years, I've not even bothered to acknowledge the holiday, and more often than not, I'd wake up on a beach in a gorgeous, Asian and non-Christian country,  and enjoy a breakfast beer.

This year I am determined to still enjoy the breakfast beer, and I plan to do my Christmas shopping tomorrow, and will be done by X-mas eve.

I am not going to go into a rant about the superficiality of the season, and I actually to wish I were in the spirit.

Finally Quiet

After worrying that I might not find serenity on this big island, I surely have... The warmest locals on the quietest stretch of beach I've ever found. Can't figure out how to upload pics from my iPhone to this blog yet, but will try again later... My ear seems to have healed some from the flight pressure changes, but it might just be the absence of sound here except birds and surf; will check later with tone generators! Tomorrow I'll ride to Phan Nga province, and take pics there too:)

What I Miss

I've been in Montreal for two and a half months now, and as things here move toward the festive, holiday season, and temperatures drop to minus 15 Celsius, I can't help think fondly of a few things I love about Japan.

I miss:

• Onsen - the lovely hot spring spas where you lounge naked in a variety of deep baths (free of chlorine!!)


• The mild climate - I really don't think people were meant to live in sub-zero weather!


• Izakaya - the lovely, small, local Japanese pubs, especially the ones in the suburbs where no gaijin go!


• The shop-keepers I used to chat with, like the lovely ladies at the dry cleaner, or the old woman at the liquor shop

The Beginning of the End of a Dry Spell?

I have done, pretty much, nothing over the last two and a half months since leaving Japan. At least in Japan I was travelling and exploring and preparing for 'the big move'. Once here, I spent about a month adjusting to new things, getting back in touch with old friends, and participating in activities where I could make new ones. And of course, I was waiting for my big delivery from Japan.

And then....

I stalled.

I have been procrastinating pretty much since then, although enjoying my time doing little things like spending a week on a paid painting job (yay!), visiting a spa, doing dinner with friends, etc...

But I have not:

• Been maintaining my blogs


• Working on my new Joomla-run website


• Taking photos


• Working and developing my skills in Photoshop


• Working, period, except for the aforementioned week-long low-paid painting job

But this morning gives me hope that my dry spell is ending. I am currently working out how to install Ubuntu (again) on my Windows 7 netbook. As some may recall, I experienced a total hard disk failure last August or so, and had to replace the disk. I did not then install Ubuntu again, but realized last night that I was missing it quite a lot. So I started to install using the Windows Installer called WUBI. Which did not work no matter what. So, I figured to do a real install. That, it seems, did not want to work either, as it did not recognize my Windows OS. Seems that I have to shrink my windows volume first. I tried to do this, but had no luck as Windows decided it could only shrink the volume by 700 mb.Huh. So I am currently defragging, and will try to re-size again... Worst case scenario is that I lose all the data on my Windows side. No biggie as it is all backed up anyway.

On the job front, despite being told two days ago that I was not a good fit for a particular job, I am still feeling motivated and getting my cv out there. The big thing holding me back is my absolute lack of French. Anything I had thirteen years ago is now gone. I did start taking private lessons, but the teacher was - pardon my French - a real bitch. I was about to find another, better, more centrally located teacher, but a friend insists I could learn by just speaking more with him an others.

So that's what I'm doing - using French whenever I can, and not taking the easy (English!) way out.

Snow Photo

Truckloads of Snow

In case I wasn't quite certain that I was, indeed, back in Montreal, the 25cm of snow dumped on us, and the -10 degree weather, has reminded me.

I want to post pics - although cold, although disrupting traffic and general get-out ness, the newly fallen snow is quite beautiful.

My very short term goal is to definitely post a photo tomorrow! (Another reminder that I am back in the north, is that it is pitch black already, and not even 5p.m.

Cold, Snow, and Learning to Paint

In case I wasn't quite certain that I was, indeed, back in Montreal, the 25cm of snow dumped on us, and the -10 degree weather, has reminded me.

I want to post pics - although cold, although disrupting traffic and general get-out ness, the newly fallen snow is quite beautiful.

My very short term goal is to definitely post a photo tomorrow! (Another reminder that I am back in the north, is that it is pitch black already, and not even 5p.m.

In other news, although I am still among the unemployed, I have an interview at an agency next week, and, more fun than that, every day this week I was working on a temporary (but paying!) job as a painter's assistant. Sounds lame, but I had never even held a paintbrush before, so I am learning a lot this week, and was even praised for my work. I'm sure I won't be allowed to paint the first coat of straight lines or anything, but exciting just the same.

I took this in one of the newly painted rooms with my new iPod Touch (4th Gen), which I had to buy last week to replace my old one, which had become faulty, and then which I completely destroyed when trying to self-repair!

December 1st (w/PSE9)

As warm weather is holding out here, recent sunny days have brought a swarm of insects, caterpillars and spiders. While not as exotic as the 'Christmas Snake' of a few years ago, I am still excited at signs of life despite the late date!

I had a chance to be out of the office during the daylight hours, and snapped some shots with my iPhone... Later, playing with Photoshop Elements' 'Style Merge' I distilled these two keepers:

A big weaving spider was waiting at eye-level during my sunny lunch walk:

Mt. Fuji with the winter-indicating snow stripe at the one-third mark:

December in Montreal

Today is December 1st.

I do not know how time has slipped by me so quickly, or how it can already be December. But the weather here has been mild so far, and today it is 10 degrees Celsius. Even though it is raining, I intend to hit the streets for a long-delayed run and hopefully even get to the gym later.

First Real Snowfall

Yesterday, November 27th, was the first real snow of the year here in Montreal. Not that much fell really, just about 3 cm, but it was enough to coat the streets with a slippery slickness that made driving a little more challenging. It also coated the now-bare trees with a beautiful, almost mystical dusting which made for a lovely Saturday spent indoors watching the snow fall.

And of course, I have not yet taken any photos, but now I can see a lot of great possibilities for photo ops in the upcoming months.

Bronzage

I am really missing the sunshine. These shorter days are taking their toll on me, and it is only November!

In order to keep my body topped up with sunshiny happiness, I have been taking my vitamin D every day, and I just had my second visit to the bronzage (sun tan salon).

I know it is artificial, but I don't like looking like a pale ghost; seriously, I turn practically transparent in winter!

I went to a bronzage that I really liked called Bronzage Bishop. Just a few minutes will do ya!

http://www.bronzage-bishop.com/index.html

Desperately Seeking Onsen

I've been in Montreal for nearly two months now, and have settled in quite well. Am I missing my former home, however? You bet I am.

Although I am content with things here, I do miss a lot of things from Japan. And Susono. Of course I miss my material possessions like the car and motorbike, but really I miss cultural things, like the way people communicate, like izakaya (especially tori-ichi in Susono), and, especially especially, onsen.

In my search to replace what I am missing, I found a spa in the mountains north of Montreal. Actually, there are several, one of which is even called O-Furo (which means bath in Japanese!). And on Sunday, I went to a spa called La Refuge, which comes as close to an onsen as I'm likely to find here.

It is a lovely spa, less than an hour's drive from the city. Yes, different from onsen - people have to wear bathing suits unlike in Japan where we go naked; the water was not as hot; and, the worst thing for me - it smelled like chlorine. However, as long as I turn off my comparison-meter, La Refuge was excellent. A wet and a dry sauna, a cold bath, including a cold river plunge!, and two hot baths. Big comfy sofas to relax on, herbal tea on demand - a very relaxing day, really, and I hope to go again for sure. Or even, maybe I could check out O-Furo!

http://www.spalerefuge.com/index.php

Desperately Seeking Onsen

I've been in Montreal for nearly two months now, and have settled in quite well. Am I missing my former home, however? You bet I am.

Although I am content with things here, I do miss a lot of things from Japan. And Susono. Of course I miss my material possessions like the car and motorbike, but really I miss cultural things, like the way people communicate, like izakaya (especially tori-ichi in Susono), and, especially especially, onsen.

In my search to replace what I am missing, I found a spa in the mountains north of Montreal. Actually, there are several, one of which is even called O-Furo (which means bath in Japanese!). And on Sunday, I went to a spa called<a href="http://www.spalerefuge.com/index.php"> La Refuge</a>, which comes as close to an onsen as I'm likely to find here.

It is a lovely spa, less than an hour's drive from the city. Yes, different from onsen - people have to wear bathing suits unlike in Japan where we go naked; the water was not as hot; and, the worst thing for me - it smelled like chlorine.  However, as long as I turn off my comparison-meter, La Refuge was excellent. A wet and a dry sauna, a cold bath, including a cold river plunge!, and two hot baths. Big comfy sofas to relax on, herbal tea on demand - a very relaxing day, really, and I hope to go again for sure. Or even, maybe I could check out O-Furo!

<a href="http://www.spalerefuge.com/index.php">http://www.spalerefuge.com/index.php</a>

Oops!

Huge huge lapse in blogging!!

I really hadn't realized how much time I let go by between posts.

Dexter has been keeping me busy of course - and he is healthier now, too.

More updates to come. Just wanted to say that I'm still alive.

Holidays in Japan

As my first Halloween in more than twelve years approaches, I realize that Japan does not celebrate many of the holidays the North Americans do, such as Halloween or Thanksgiving (then again, neither do the Brits, or anyone outside of North America!); I reverse thought about all the holidays and festivities that I will miss by not being in Japan.

One of the things that made working in Japan quite pleasant was the sheer number of national holidays - fifteen per year. That is not including the regular summer O-bon holidays. But more striking to me than just having a day off work, I liked the reasons behind these holidays. For example, in March (around the 20th), there is Shunbunnohi (春分の日）、and in September, Shubunnohi (秋分の日) - the spring and autumn equinox. Now who else has days off work to recognize the equinox?

And like North America, there are also numerous events and festivals and celebrations that are not actually holidays - such as Setsubun (節分) on February 3rd. This festival is to celebrate the beginning of spring, and is now largely for kids. They cast beans while shouting, 'oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!' ('Demons out! Happiness in!'); in temples and shrines, someone may dress as the demon to be chased away.

Even though I'm no longer in Japan, I will definitely continue to recognize and appreciate the customs - let's face it, throwing beans to make sure the devil is gone with winter can never be bad luck!

For a complete list of Japanese Holidays and events, visit the Japan Guide here http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2062.html

Short, Dark Days of Winter

Although it is still only October, we've already had our first snow of the season; it was just a little snow, but after having spent so much time in a place where snow only occurred once every two years or so, it is a bit of a shock! However, more than that is the difference in times for the sunrise.

The days here are already quite short, and so dark. I woke up at 5 a.m. today for the first time in weeks; I've been sleeping in because the world is still so dark. And in fact, even now at 7:10 a.m., it is not exactly bright yet.

I did a quick comparison of sunrise and sunset times for Japan and Montreal:

October 31st

Montreal - Sunrise: 7:32 a.m.; Sunset: 5:43 p.m.

Japan -Sunrise: 6:02 a.m.; Sunset: 4:47 p.m.

Okay, so Japan will see sunset a half hour before I do, but as a morning person, if I could choose, I would have the early sunrise over the early sunset.

In either case, I realize that I need to re-stock my Vitamin D tablets:)

Japan Motorcycle License not Transferable to Quebec

My re-patriation pains have been bearable so far - and, I was even able to get my Quebec license based on my Japanese license! I needed several things though -

A translation of the Japan license from the Consulate of Japan in Montreal
Six months worth of bill statements (preferably in French or English) showing proof of residency in Japan
A proof of address here in Quebec

Unfortunately - my motorcycle license, that I worked so hard for (and, um, paid so much for!) is not transferable. The Quebec Government is determined to get their piece of me - I'll have to actually take motorcycle courses here ($$$) and then pay for and maintain a license.

Just for those who do not know - Quebec is exorbitant. I paid $120 CAD for my driver's license alone last week; that is good until January, 2012, when I'll have to pay another $100 or so for yet another year...

Sigh.

Dexter, the Smoking Dog...

Dex is doing great. He is home from his hospitalization at the SPCA clinic, and is more energetic and cheerful every day.

Though I've had dogs before, he is my first shelter dog; and six months is the oldest I ever started with a dog. My little Brutus, for example - an immortal dog if ever there was one! - I took home when he was only a week old (long story - he was the runt, his mama tried to move him to let him die, so...there I was).

Dexter is not Brutus. He is not like our other dogs at all (Poochie, Chico, etc). He is an individual. And I really don't know what to do with an older puppy. And Dex really doesn't know what to do with us. I was reading about rescue dogs, and that it takes about four months for them to settle in. I think Dexter is doing better than that though...He already acts like a member of the family!

Refexions: A Brief Post

• Life is great!


• Life is even better when you choose to be where you are (as opposed to always thinking about where you are going to be...!)


• We always have choices, so, always - Choose Joy!


• Eat what you want - just make sure you really want it, and then savour it with relish.


• Never judge a person's spelling until you check whether maybe they've been educated under the British systme (HINT).

Dexter the Dog Update

Dexter's been with us for just over a week now, and he is really a smart, good dog.

He is, unfortunately, also a sick dog. His kennel cough has not improved, and had even worsened. Wanting to have him assessed by a vet anyway. Now - long ago, when I had a couple of small terriers, and before them an amazing pussy cat, I had a favourite vet - Dr. Jasmin. I loved that old guy - he was a straight shooter and cared as much for the people as the animals. Unfortunately, he passed away some time ago, so my search for a new vet was begun.

I took Dexter to a nearby animal hospital, where he was assessed and where he had to stay in overnight, and later X-rays showed some signs of pneumonia. For the record, my vet search will continue, as I really did not like this one. I felt it to be impersonal, and kept being told how busy they were. It made me feel like I was imposing, although I was a client.

I took Dexter home to continue his course of Doxycycline, but by Wednesday he was still really lethargic and had a poor appetite. I decided to take him to the SPCA clinic, since I was not satisfied with the vet and I did, after all, have a 30-day free health care guarantee.

Now - I think the SPCA provides a valuable service, and I know the people there have to work hard. However, I am very disappointed with the personnel there; they have been frequently rude, often unhelpful, resenting my very presence. I can and will go into detail at some point - but at least I am happy that I took him back to the clinic there.

The SPCA vet saw him, and said it's not very serious. But he suggested leaving Dex there for a few days, to be put on IV anti-biotics, which would get into his system and make him healthier faster. I hated to leave him yet again, but I knew it was for the best. I hope to go collect him in a few days!

Once he comes home, my vet search will start again!

About Dexter

Um - so I ranted in that last post, completely neglecting to say that Dexter is on IV anti-biotics to fight the severe kennel cough/mild pneumonia at the SPCA clinic, but his prognosis is very good!

And that is a very good thing, because, although he only came to us last week, the house feels sadly empty without him in it.

Spoiled by Good service

On the Japan Rider site, I posted about Dexter's pneumonia and hospitalization. I had to work hard not to let it become a rant against the new vet that I tried, or the SPCA.

I love the SPCA, but I find the personnel very unpleasant people. I also found the receptionist at the new vet I tried to be rather rude. And the vet staff kept saying how busy it was there....really people? Am I not paying a small fortune for a bunch of unnecessary tests??

As for the slap-in-the-face treatment at the SPCA - hello, but if you want people to want to adopt from the SPCA, you had better start treating us with a modicum of politeness!

And lest you think I'm just ranting about the animal care - actually, I've been finding so much unpleasantness and poor service  here. I went out for dinner with some family last night. Water was not brought to the table - we had to ask. When the waiter brought it, he haphazardly splashed the water into the glasses and slammed the pitcher down on the table. Um? Sorry for bothering you, WAITER! A few other things happened as well, and resulted in me not leaving much of a tip. I'm sorry - I know the waiter was tired and busy and doesn't make much. But I am not going to pay for that.

Now, in addition to the poor waitering, one of us ordered the chicken brochette, and actually, the chicken had gone off. It turns out at least three people had returned it in the past half hour, so not just our fussiness. Then, we ordered a dessert - but they were out of that one. Okay, we can be flexible - how about this one? Um, out of that too...Overall a disappointing dinner.

I have to think that it is a combination of a few things: 1) I haven't been going to the best places, and the service industry here is substandard in general; 2) French Montrealers are ignorant and rude; 3) I've been spoiled by exemplary service in Japan.

Can Schnauzers Ride?

Just a brief post! I dropped by my local SPCA on Monday, and I walked out with an unkempt but very well-behaved Schnauzer mix!

I had gone in thinking that I wanted to get a larger dog, a dog good to run with or skate with. But sometimes, things have a way of working out on their own, and along a different path.

While my little dog Dexter has a touch of kennel cough right now, and he's only a puppy still, so I can't really drag him along on my skates or my runs, I have hopes that he will be a great walking companion, and even eventually a slow jogging companion!

In any case - this is the most amazing little dog. Mostly house-broken already, very quiet but still playful, never bugs you at dinner time, I can't believe there was someone out there who did want him!

PS - A Rant:
I do not and will not buy animals from pet stores. Nor will I buy pet supplies from a pet store that sells animals. Ever. Those poor pups come from puppy mills, not reputable breeders, and buying from there just perpetuates the inhumane crime. Likewise, I won't buy puppies from newspaper ads. There are plenty (PLENTY!) of unwanted but perfectly adoptable dogs at shelters and rescue groups all over. And as you can see - you can get a pretty amazing mutt out of one of those sad places.

From Bikes to Skates...

I have now been out of Japan for almost three weeks. They have, for the most part, flown by. But I greatly miss many things - for example, riding. I miss riding my motorbike, and I miss my bicycle, too. My bicycle - the infamous orange Clockwork 29er,  is currently in a box, in a shipment, sitting in a 'ship jam' in Vancouver. As for the motorcycle - I sold that more than three months ago, along with my precious car. And while I will have my bicycle again in a few weeks (hopefully!), I am beginning to realize that getting my motorcycle license here is not going to be so easy, and am still having to jump through hoops just for the car license!

And so...How am I surviving?

Fairly well. I'm not attaching to things (such as the car and the bike and the bicycle!), and am instead finding new ways to stay healthy and active.

So, at least for a few months of the year, I will still be on wheels - sorta riding! - and will keep posting about Japan and Japan considerations. Oh, and I DO have another little web project in the works. Hopefully I can go live (beta) in a week or two!

A New Family Member: Dexter, an SPCA Rescue Dog

I've been very busy in both concrete ways as well as emotional ways re-settling in Canada. I don't know how permanent I will make my Montreal base, but I've been making new friends, and making an effort to improve my French (without which, I will never be able to work here!).

And though it may seem a rash decision, indeed it was a very very long time coming. I've always had an animal companion, but had to relinquish that during my life in Japan; this was due to apartment restrictions, lack of kennels or reliable friends, and basically being away more than not. However, now that I am back in Montreal, and my mother is retired, we agreed to welcome a dog into our lives again.

To that end, on Thanksgiving Monday, while I still had the rental car I used to get to my brother's place in Ottawa, we dropped in to the SPCA. Just to look, of course...

But then we saw Dexter - a small, scruffy mutt. Actually, it was the playful Labrador-mix puppy in the next cage that I initially enquired about, but realized he might not be a good match for our small home. Oh - I would have been very happy to invest the effort required for the over-active Lab, and,  in fact, he would have been very suited to my own personality - y'know, a bit high maintenance! No, seriously, the lab would have been great, but I did actually notice the scruffy mutt in the next cage first, and my mother, though not complaining, would not have been as happy with a dog that ate her sofa, her shoes, her carpets...we have been through all that before, and I would be cruel to subject her to it again.

So, when I mentioned instead the, and I quote the way I indicated the dog to the SPCA staffer working the adoption desk, the 'old, small, scruffy dog', we got the low-down on his history.

• He was not old, we were told, only 6 months old, in fact, despite his gray beard and calm demeanor.


• He was brought in by a family who had found him wandering their neighborhood, kept him for a week, then brought him in (the SPCA is actually suspicious - they said that maybe the dog belonged to that family and they were embarrassed about abandoning him)


• He was friendly, only barks sometimes when he sees strangers


• He was a Schnauzer mix


• His name was Bambi (gag~!)

We went into a little room, and 'Bambi' (who we would later rename!) was brought to meet us. We spent some time with him; he loved my mother instantly, was very calm and friendly, and a little bit stubborn! We loved him! And there was no way I could send him back to that cage, in that smelly room with all the barky dogs.

While waiting to complete the adoption procedures, we thought that his name, Bambi, did not suit him at all. And really, it was so saccharine that I think I would never have been able to say it! So I suggested Dharma (as in the teachings of Buddha). A few minutes later, my mother said, 'Oh, what did we name him? Did you say Dexter?' Hmmmm....nope, I had not said Dexter, but I quickly realized that it was a great name for this little Schnauzer mutt. So - meet Dexter! (Click images for larger view)

I've had him home for less than two days, and he so far is completely trouble free. Almost more like a cat - so calm and undemanding. We spent the afternoon together in the yard, where I did some work to make it usable again after not being maintained for about the last five years, and Dexter played a little on his own, occasionally getting underfoot when he wanted to see exactly what I was doing. He is chubby and scruffy, and needs a good bath. However, he has a touch of kennel cough; once his medicine is done and he has stopped coughing, I'll have him straight to the groomers!

PS - A Rant:
I do not and will not buy animals from pet stores. Nor will I buy pet supplies from a pet store that sells animals. Ever. Those poor pups come from puppy mills, not reputable breeders, and buying from there just perpetuates the inhumane crime. Likewise, I won't buy puppies from newspaper ads. There are plenty (PLENTY!) of unwanted but perfectly adoptable dogs at shelters and rescue groups all over. And as you can see - you can get a pretty amazing mutt out of one of those sad places.

Lots Going On!

Okay, I know I know I know. But since I'm actually conversing more with people who tune into my blog, I've become a tad bit lazy and need more focus.

And I HAVE had a lot going on (despite - yes, you know I'm going to say it - being unemployed!).

I've been working on bureaucracy and cutting through red tape, getting re-registered as a Canadian resident. My dealings so far with the Regie de L'Assurance Maladie du Quebec (Quebec Health care) went way too smoothly; my application for my drivers' license is still in progress, but it is making progress! I picked up my license translation from the Consulate of Japan just today, then spent some time shopping downtown before heading back here to well...I'll tell you in the next post other stuff that is keeping me busy!

Koyasan and Ryujin Onsen

Koyasan

Monday, September 21st, was a national holiday -keiro no hi, or, Respect for the Aged Day. Actually, this week in September has become known as Silver Week as the 23rd is also a holiday - shubun no hi, or the Autumnal Equinox.

We had planned ahead, and had a reservation at Ekouin Temple (???) in Koyasan. We took the very comfortable Koya-Go train from Nanba station to Koyasan, arriving at about noon. Koyasan is the seat of Shingon Buddhism, and was founded by Koubou Daishi (a.k.a. Kukai) twelve centuries ago. I've had a very strong Buddhist bent for a while, and I'd been wanting to do shukobo (sleep in a temple) for a very long time, so this was the perfect opportunity. Using Jalan.net, a Japanese online hotel reservation site, I found a really good price for a night at Ekoin. This is just lucky timing - every month on the 20th, they offer shukubo for 5,000 yen per person (yes, this is very cheap!). The catch was that we had to share a room with others, so for sleeping, I was in the ladies room, and Brian was in the men's room! But this actually worked in our favour, as the pricier, private reservation options seemed to be flooded with foreigners. I know, as a foreigner myself, it seems snobby to not want to be around other foreigners - but it is just a nicer experience when it feels less touristy. Our shared rooms had only Japanese guests, giving us each an opportunity to learn about Koyasan and Buddhism from people who were really in the know, and to practice our Nihongo. There were ten women in my room, and four in Brian's - it was just fine with us, and we both slept great!

Actually, the whole experience was unforgettable, and I do want to write about it in more detail later, but the basics are:

* Simple but excellent shojin ryori (vegetarian 'monk' meals) for dinner and breakfast
* Pleasant evening walk around Okunoin Temple and all 200,000 graves/tomb stones, including the mausoleum of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
* Participation in morning prayers and meditation (zazen)
* Because it was the 21st of the month, there was also the added, special 'fire ceremony' in honour of Kobou Daishi (Kukai)
* Overall soothing, peaceful, spiritual atmosphere.

After a night of shukubo, I felt more at peace, more prepared and accepting of the recent changes in my life and life's path.

After such a relaxing evening, and cleansing morning ceremony, we prepared for the next leg of our journey. We checked bus schedules, and boarded a bus from Oku-no-in-mae (in Koyasan), and rode through the most spectacular mountains to our next destination - Ryujin Onsen.

Ryujin Onsen

As the bus wended its way up and down the windy mountain road, we sipped a beer and marvelled at the sublime beauty of these wild mountain ranges - they are quite different in scope to the ones we are used to on the other side of Japan, stretching in rolling hills as far as we could see. It was almost sad to arrive at the Ryujin Onsen bus stop.

Ryujin Onsen is a small onsen (spa) village in Tanabe, Wakayama prefecture. It is not at all a city, of course - just a small cluster of traditional ryokan on the Hidaka River. The idea of this kind of town is to provide a relaxing getaway for travellers, where they can rest, eat amazing food, and indulge in the natural hot spring baths. The hot springs here are actually one of the most famous springs in Japan, being one of the 'bijin no yu', or Beautifying Hot Springs. I suppose my skin did feel a lot softer, and did look a little younger, after so many baths!

But actually, the most amazing thing is where we stayed. Also using Jalan, we got a reservation at Kami-Goten ryokan, which is actually very, very famous and has a rich history, having been opened in 1657 for Tokugawa Yorinobu. It is now registered as a 'precious cultural heritage'. And this is where we stayed!!

We had a spacious tatami room, and we even got a room with an engawa (sitting room) overlooking the river. We took long baths together in the rotenburo (open air bath), which we could lock and have as private use; and we over-ate a magnificent dinner, and had a lovely evening stroll, walking around outside in our yukata and geta.

We arrived too early for check-in due to the bus schedule, so we went for lunch at a small shokudo (diner) on the hill...(there's a photo in the slideshow)

The next day, we woke up a bit later than usual at 7 a.m., but then hurried to the baths for a pre-breakfast soak in the rotenburo. We then had an extravagant breakfast with the usual fare of raw egg, rice, miso soup, pickles, tofu, and other delicacies.

As you can guess, it was really hard to finally tear ourselves away from this place, but one night of superiour luxury had to suffice. Our next move was to catch the bus to Tanabe city, where we hoped would be a cute seaside city. Unfortunately, Tanabe does not have much to recommend it - it is a city. That is all. However, we did find a great little shokudo (diner) where we had a good lunch and a cold beer before taking the cozy reserved train from there back to Osaka. Once in Osaka, we did some window shopping around Den-Den town, and stopped for a cocktail at a Mexican restaurant, before going out for dinner at yet a different Mexican place.

Finally, we checked into a love hotel* in the Nanba area, where we were awoken at 4:30 a.m. by the sound of loud, cracking thunder. We opened the one window we had, and listening to the pouring rain, enjoying the lightening and earth shaking thunder.

A lovely few days around Kansai!

Photo Slide show! I'm trying something new, and instead of inserting the photos, I am inserting s slide show. If you hover over the pics, you can see captions.

[Update: the slideshow no longer works, so, here are just the photos!]

Getting there:

The train and cable car to Koyasan from Nanba (Osaka) is very quick and comfortable and convenient, and run frequently. However - buses from Koyasan only run from April through November, and only twice per day. You need a reservation. See the link below for the schedule, and call the number for Ryujin bus for a reservation, or make a reservation at the bus terminal window (Koyasan station), or the tourist information at Oku-no-in mae.

LINKS

* Koyasan Information - http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/index.html
* Ryujin Onsen Information -http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/onsen/ryujin.html
* Bus schedule between Koyasan-Ryujin Onsen-Tanabe - http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/transport/pdf/Kii-Tanabe-Ryujin-Koyasan-bus.pdf
* Ekoin Temple (???) (Not to be confused with the Tokyo Ekoin ???) - http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/mount_koya/eko_in.htm
* Kamigoten Ryokan - http://www.aikis.or.jp/~kamigoten/

*A love hotel is a hotel that can be rented for a 'rest' or a 'stay'; we usually choose to stay overnight. Most do not take reservations, and some (a very very few) have cute, kinky rooms, but those ones have largely disappeared.

Benefits of Repatriation

My last post was a lot of venting, explaining some of the tediousness, and unpleasantness, associated with repatriating to Quebec. I did not say earlier, but when I first fled Montreal, I swore I would never, ever come back Quebec. Montreal I loved, Quebec I loathed.  However, maturity softens many points of view, and despite some hard moments, I have to acknowledge that  repatriating to the place of one's birth, to the place where all formative years were spent, also has some advantages.

One of the advantages, that can't be given too much emphasis, is a large, loving (if neurotic!) family, and lots of old friends. I mean close friends, not just acquaintances. I've already rejoined a dart league (yes, I'm a great, big nerd), and have been invited to join another on Monday nights. I've got a dinner and bowling invitation for Saturday night with  two friends who I haven't seen in eight years or so. Oh, Friday night will be a girl's night out down town with a friend I see every time I make it back to town - we will likely drink a lot of beer on tap, and sit in a corner and talk only to each other!

And next week, I'm going to hang out with my uncle and his long-time partner, probably having a long chat, drinking chai, and doing some networking since his partner is a successful manager of Telus. I should be able to find out about jobs to be had...

Of course, as soon as Denis (Bernicky) can manage it, we are going to meet for coffee or tea or whatever. He's been really under the gun the last few months, and any time I want to whine about my life, I'll remember his fortitude as he deals with all the crap on his plate (his wife has been battling breast cancer for more than five years, and now needs almost constant care; he's got two teenage children with all the accompanying needs of teenagers; he's holding down a full-time job and trying hard to make ends meet; the list goes on..). But Denis and I have been great friends from way back, and I hope that being back here, I can maybe lend a hand when necessary.

My family, too, have been good. I'll be renting a car to drive to Ottawa for Thanksgiving at my brother and sister-in-law's house (Thanksgiving here is October 10/11). And my mother, who is still recovering well from lung cancer and surgery and chemo, is so very happy to have me here, she has no intention of ever throwing me off her sofa, and even brings me home beer from the store!

In addition to having such a good lot of friends and a great support network, I have access to lots of good facilities.  I've already joined the local YMCA; being unemployed, I do not want to splurge on the fancy gyms, but actually the Y is really good, so I don't need anything else. I met with a personal trainer today, had a good work out and feel inspired to lose a few pounds.

Other good things...I ran 10 km yesterday, along the St. Lawrence river, noticing how the trees are starting to change colour; the local supermarket is just a 10 minute walk away, and has a huge variety of food, including curries and other exotic goodies; red wine here is not as expensive as I'd thought; although my French sucks, people are quite friendly if I show a willingness to try to speak. And finally - even though I felt that the Zen Centre woman was quite snotty, I feel fortunate that there is a Zen Centre at all.

Trials of Repatriation: Losing my Wa

I've been here for less than a week, and I am already contemplating rebording the plane and seeking refuge in my familiar Japan!

I've been back to Montreal several times in the past twelve months, but those were temporary visits, a two-week hiatus from my real life in Japan. But now I am here, without a plan to return, instead trying to repatriate, to start life again in a new (old) place.

Letting go of life in Japan was a tough decision, and selling the car and bike and moving away were all parts of the letting go.  I thought I was done with it - but as I deal with a lot of the bureaucratic bullshit that is Quebec,  I frequently find myself wishing for all my Japan life back again.

I called the drivers' license office today about getting my Quebec license. It is possible to convert from Japanese to Quebec license, as I knew it was. However, retardedly, because I am Canadian, I need to have six consecutive months of past bank statements or bills in Japan as proof that I lived there.

I am a minimalist, and do not keep statements generally. Also, I just moved overseas, and transporting a bunch of extraneous paper across the ocean didn't seem necessary. So, I do not have any paper bills at all. I tried, at first calmly, to explain this, and to explain that it was clear from my passport that I've spent a total of less then two months in Canada over the last dozen years. Also clear from my passport is that I have held a valid Japanese visa for the past twelve years. Also, I am a holder of a Japanese Alien Registration Card, which served as my proof of address for all nearly thirteen years that I spent in Japan.  No go.

Now, if I have learned anything in Japan, it is to be patient, polite. Do not blame the messenger. But seriously, this woman on the phone today was an ignoramus who was not 'just doing her job', she was doing the absolute minimum. Maybe that was no excuse for my outburst - but my outburst did provoke greater action and finally got me something that maybe made more sense: a tax statement, translated, I was told,  would be okay.

Okay. Tax statement - Brian is able to send me the last year or two, so that should be okay. I also called Citibank and asked them to send me the last six months of my statements (although I do have the past four months still in my email box). It would be good to have both as a precaution.

So why am I jumping through these hoops? Why not just retake the Quebec license? Apparently, to do so would take one year (??), but driving courses are not a pre-requisite for new licenses acquired in Quebec. Another glitch - I am only legally allowed to drive for 90 days after my arrival in Canada. Yes, now I remember - I did leave Quebec for a reason all those years ago!

And I forgot to ask what kind of paperwork I needed to transfer my motorcycle license over...god only knows what I'll have to do for that!

Fortunately, my visa is still good. If the Quebec license bureau has not issued me a license by December, I will fly back to Japan for a short vacation, and return to Quebec again, buying me another 90 days!

Anyway, after this, I called the Montreal Zen Center. I would never have lost my temper if I'd been practicing, sitting every day. On the phone, I was told I'd have to attend a beginner's workshop, followed by the beginner's course. I said okay, no problem, but I did have some experience in Japan, and practiced at several temples. The woman got snotty and told me that I should practice humility. HUH!

Already I was in a pissy mood. Determined not to let it get worse, I said, 'Mustn't we all. Could you please register me for the workshop, then?'

What the hell? When was simply explaining that you were not a beginner wrong? I guess she thought I was bragging. I wasn't, or didn't think I was. I was stating a fact.

Added to this that I'm only just recovering from jet lag, and still living out of two suitcases...my wa is out of wack!

Things are certainly not all bad, tough. I will post separately about the pleasurable aspects of repatriation.

A Summary of my Final Week in Japan

It is now Sunday, sort of. It is 2:30 a.m. in Montreal; I'm jet lagged, and I have some time, inclination and an internet connection so I can finally post a little, to recap my final week in Japan.

Saturday, September 18th

Last Saturday, September 18th, Brian and I started the day with long, leisurely cups of tea and coffee, before  driving into the mountains for a good run, and then some resting in the sun. Afterward, we met a friend and spent the entire afternoon drinking beer on the lawn of the Gotemba Kogen, one of my favourite weekend places and past-times.

Brian and I then walked a few kilometres to an izakaya where we had dinner, before then walking the final five kilometres home to Brian's place.

Sunday, September 19th

Sunday - we got up early and caught the Shinkansen to Osaka, where we spent the day at my rental flat at Banana House, waiting for the Takkyubin delivery guy to come pick up my suitcases for shipping to the airport, to be ready for my Friday flight. We later went out for dinner near Sakai Higashi station - it was a cute little izakaya (whose name I forget!), and we got our own little private booth. Very cozy, good food, and, of course, great service.

Monday, September 20th ~ Tuesday, September 21st

Monday was a national holiday -keiro no hi, or, Respect for the Aged Day. Actually, this week in September has become known as Silver Week as the 23rd is also a holiday - shubun no hi, or the Autumnal Equinox. Brian had these days off of work, and he also took the rest of the week off for us to spend together. So, no longer having big suitcases to worry about, and not needing my rental room anymore, and not wanting to have to come back if we didn't want to, I checked out of Banana House, never to return.

We had planned ahead, and had a reservation at Ekouin Temple (恵光院)　in Koyasan. We took the very comfortable Koya-Go train from Sakai-Higashi station to Koyasan, arriving at about noon. Koyasan is the seat of Shingon Buddhism, and was founded by Koubou Daishi (a.k.a. Kukai) twelve centuries ago. I've had a very strong Buddhist bent for a while, and  I'd been wanting to do shukobo (sleep in a temple) for a very long time, so this was the perfect opportunity. Using Jalan.net, a Japanese online hotel reservation site, I found a really good price for a night at Ekoin. This is just lucky timing - every month on the 20th, they offer shukubo for 5,000 yen per person (yes, this is very cheap!). The catch was that we had to share a room with others, so for sleeping, I was in the ladies room, and Brian was in the men's room! But this actually worked in our favour, as the pricier, private reservation options seemed to be flooded with foreigners. I know, as  a foreigner myself, it seems snobby to not want to be around other foreigners - but it is just a nicer experience when it feels less touristy. Our shared rooms had only Japanese guests, giving us each an opportunity to learn about Koyasan and Buddhism from people who were really in the know, and to practice our Nihongo. There were ten women in my room, and four in Brian's - it was just fine with us, and we both slept great!

Actually, the whole experience was unforgettable, and I do want to write about it in more detail later, but the basics are:

• Simple but excellent shojin ryori (vegetarian 'monk' meals) for dinner and breakfast


• Pleasant evening walk around Okunoin Temple  and all 200,000 graves/tomb stones, including the mausoleum of Toyotomi Hideyoshi


• Participation in morning prayers and meditation (zazen)


• Because it was the 21st of the month, there was also the added, special 'fire ceremony' in honour of Kobou Daishi (Kukai)


• Overall soothing, peaceful, spiritual atmosphere.

After a night of shukubo, I felt more at peace, more prepared and accepting of the recent changes in my life and life's path.

O-Jizosama at Oku-no-in

Oku-no-in at night

Autumnal Moon over Ekoin Temple

Vegetarian Breakfast at Ekoin Temple

Tuesday, September 21st~Wednesday, September 22nd

After such a relaxing evening, and cleansing morning ceremony, Brian and I prepared for the next leg of our journey. We checked bus schedules, and boarded a bus from Okunoin-mae (in Koyasan), and rode through the most spectacular mountains to our next destination - Ryujin Onsen.

As the bus wended its way up and down the windy mountain road, Brian and I sipped a beer and marvelled at the sublime beauty of these wild mountain ranges - they are quite different in scope to the ones we are used to on the other side of Japan, stretching in rolling hills as far as we could see. It was almost sad to arrive at the Ryujin Onsen bus stop.

Ryujin Onsen is a small onsen (spa) village in Tanabe, Wakayama prefecture. It is not at all a city, of course - just a small cluster of traditional ryokan on the Hidaka River. The idea of this kind of town is to provide a relaxing getaway for travellers, where they can rest, eat amazing food, and indulge in the natural hot spring baths. The hot springs here are actually one of the most famous springs in Japan, being one of the 'bijin no yu', or Beautifying Hot Springs. I suppose my skin did feel a lot softer, and did look a little younger, after so many baths!

But actually, the most amazing thing is where we stayed. Also using Jalan, we got a reservation at Kami-Goten ryokan, which is actually very, very famous and has a rich history, having been opened in 1657 for Tokugawa Yorinobu. It is now registered as a 'precious cultural heritage'. And this is where we stayed.

We had a spacious tatami room, and we even got a room with an engawa overlooking the river. We took long baths together in the rotenburo, which we could lock and have as private use; and we over-ate a magnificent dinner, and had a lovely evening stroll, walking around outside in our yukata and geta.

Hadaka River lines with Ryokan

We arrived too early for check-in due to the bus schedule, so we went for lunch at a small shokudo (diner) on the hill...(pictured)

We walked down these stairs, beside our ryokan, to access the river

We sat beside the river in our yukata

Dinner at Kamigoten Ryokan was as regal as the hotel itself

Our room was spacious and beautiful

One of the stairways inside our sprawling traditional ryokan

We could have private use of the rotenburo, which overlooked the river. It was nice to be able to bathe together."]

Our ryokan (Kamigoten) had the most authentic, historic front.

Wednesday, September 22nd ~Thursday, September 23rd

We woke up a bit later than usual at 7 a.m., but then hurried to the baths for a pre-breakfast soak in the rotenburo. We then had an extravagant breakfast with the usual fare of raw egg, rice, miso soup, pickles, tofu, and other delicacies.

As you can guess, it was really hard to finally tear ourselves away from this place, but one night of superiour luxury had to suffice. Our next move was to catch the bus to Tanabe city, where we hoped would be a cute seaside city. Unfortunately, Tanabe does not have much to recommend it - it is a city. That is all. However, we did find a great little shokudo (diner) where we had a good lunch and a cold beer before taking the cozy reserved train from there back to Osaka. Once in Osaka, we did some window shopping around Den-Den town, and stopped for a cocktail at a Mexican restaurant, before going out for dinner at yet a different Mexican place.

Finally, we checked into a love hotel* in the Nanba area, where we were awoken at 4:30 a.m. by the sound of loud, cracking thunder. We opened the one window we had, and listening to the pouring rain, enjoying the lightening and earth shaking thunder.

We finally checked out at about noon on Thursday, and proceeded to spend the rest of the day shopping in Osaka - several more hours in Den-Den town, and then a pit stop to a Yamaya shop, where Brian stocked up on big-city goodies and exotic beers, and I picked up a bottle of wine for us to enjoy together that evening in our hotel room.

Thursday, September 23rd

We managed to enjoy the entire week without dwelling on the fact that this was a whole bunch of lasts. But Thursday night was my truly last night in Japan. And as I had an early flight out of Kansai International, we made a reservation at the Washington Hotel near the airport in Rinku Town...

The hotel is not really near anything, but, luckily, Brian located a coin laundry on the map, so we brought several days' worth of well-worn clothes to the laundromat. The machines were amazing! They were washer/dryers - no need to transfer the clothes; and were soapfree. And the machine would phone your cell-phone when your clothes were done!!

So we put in the clothes, typed in Brian's number, then walked around looking for somewhere to eat. Once again, as often happens for us, we found a great little local izakaya. We had a couple of beers, ate lots of really good food, like kushi-katsu and yakitori and renkon-kinpira, and more. All too soon, Brian's phone rang, and we had to finish up and think about picking up our clothes and heading back to the hotel.

We finally went to sleep after midnight, having set the alarm for 5 a.m. Neither of us minded having so little sleep - I would have stayed awake all night if I could have, to enjoy the time we had there...

Friday, September 24th

I had an uneventful, and even a comfortable, flight - Osaka to Tokyo; Tokyo to Chicago; Chicago to Montreal.

My mother is happy I am here. I am happy to be in a place where I can now truly think about what my future holds...

Getting there:

The train and cable car to Koyasan from Nanba (Osaka) is very quick and comfortable and convenient, and run frequently. However - buses from Koyasan only run from April through November, and only twice per day. You need a reservation. See the link below for the schedule, and call the number for Ryujin bus for a reservation, or make a reservation at the bus terminal window (Koyasan station), or the tourist information at Oku-no-in mae.

LINKS

• Koyasan Information - http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/index.html


• Ryujin Onsen Information -http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/onsen/ryujin.html


• Bus schedule between Koyasan-Ryujin Onsen-Tanabe - http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/transport/pdf/Kii-Tanabe-Ryujin-Koyasan-bus.pdf


• Ekoin Temple (恵光院） (Not to be confused with the Tokyo Ekoin 回向院） - http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/mount_koya/eko_in.htm


• Kamigoten Ryokan - http://www.aikis.or.jp/~kamigoten/

---

*A love hotel is a hotel that can be rented for a 'rest' or a 'stay'; we usually choose to stay overnight. Most do not take reservations, and some (a very very few) have cute, kinky rooms, but those ones have largely disappeared.

Netvibes as an alternative to Bloglines, Google Reader

Brian and I have been using Bloglines, a web-based RSS/Feed reader, for so many years that it had really become part of our tech requirements for keeping up with various news sources and blogs. However, when Brian opened his browser last week- whose home page is actually set to Bloglines - he got an unpleasant surprise: As of October 1st, 2010, Bloglines will no longer exist. There is no explanation, but a net search reveals that Bloglines has been failing as a business for a long time, and even being acquired by Ask.com did not help (and dare I say, it may really have hurt!).

Without a reliable reader, how would we keep up with all our news??

I quickly got looking for a viable alternative. Our main requirement is that it be a web-based application, not a program that must be downloaded to each pc - which, considering how many pcs we use, and multiple operating systems, would just be too messy. What my search turned up is that it seems that most users out there prefer Google Reader to anything else. I actually do use Google Reader a little, mainly just to follow friends' blogs. And it is okay, but merely okay. I have never considered it anywhere near as good as Bloglines - but that might just be because I loathe the interface! Others love it, so it can't be so terrible.

However, in all my searching, I found one aggregator that I think fits the bill perfectly, and that I might even come to like better than Bloglines. It is called Netvibes (www.netvibes.com).

When you first see their homepage, it looks confusing as the biggest piece of information is a blank search bar with the unhelpful function inviting you to "Dashboard it!". What the heck does that mean?? Netvibes calls your collections of feeds a 'Dashboard', and you add feeds to your Dashboard. Well, don't be daunted. It really is worth getting past the front page and setting up an account.

To set up an account, click on the upper right corner where you are prompted:" Already have an account? Click here". Yes, very unclear, but there you have it.

Still, once I got my account set up, I've been loving Netvibes. I liked it better once I changed the default Widget View to Reader View - but I think I will go back to Widget View to play with it a bit. I also like that I can change the color schemes or themes in one click. And I really like being able to set up various Dashboards, or collections of feeds and widgets, that I can choose to display or not.

For all the research I've done, I have to rate Netvibes as the best Bloglines replacement.

Here's a screenshot of one of my screens (or dashboards) in Netvibes (click image for a larger view):

Update: I've recently tried two more readers - Activoro.us, and Feedshow.
I did not like Activoro.us. It places limitations by insisting the user have Firefox (indeed a superior browser) with Greasemonkey add-on installed. And then, once you jump through these hoops, the interface is just not that nice.

Feedshow, however, I really like. It is a highly-streamlined, clean, easy-to-use web-based reader.

I still, though, love Netvibes.

Drinking, Running and Cooking

As my time in Japan finally comes to a close, I decided to make one more return Shizuoka, where Brian and I met up with some of my old OL friends for dinner and drinks (For those who don't know - OL means 'Office Lady'!). Of course, I'm spending a few days at Brian's place, and am enjoying several aspects of this return. One thing I'm loving is being surrounded by the lovely Hakone and Ashitaka　mountain ranges, and running through the rice paddies and up into the mountains. I did an easy 7km this morning, and hope to get out again tomorrow. Brian still shouldn't run, but we'll get out together for a very light jog in the morning!

Another thing I really like about being here is living in a real apartment rather than a guest house. Brian's apartment is very welcoming and cozy, with a really homey atmosphere. Especially nice is having a kitchen! I've been pretty much living on convenience store food and pre-prepared meals, and had forgotten how relaxing, and pleasurable, cooking could be. Not to mention the fantastic variety of food one can prepare in a full kitchen! For lunch today, I fixed us a couple of beef tacos, complete with guacamole. Dinner will be yaki-tori (some with chicken, some with beef), and a fresh green salad.

I'm going to hang here with Brian for another day or two, then we are both going to head back to Osaka, and from there, do some really fun travelling for two days in Wakayama Prefecture!

Fuji Safari Park

Last weekend, I was able to briefly re-visit my old stomping ground. It was a great weekend, with lots of relaxing, and falling into the comfort of old routines - like soaking up mountain sunshine, drinking beer on the lawn of the Gotemba Kogen. And it even had something new - our very first visit to the nearby Fuji Safari Park, which turned out to be really good - neither of us had ever seen lions up quite that close before, and they were downright bold, walking right in front of our car, and standing there, blocking our progress!

We were really lucky, actually, as coupons had been given out to Susono citizens a few months ago, so although the usual admittance price is 2,500 yen, we both got in free of charge.

Though we, of course, chose to do the safari in Brian's own car, it is possible to ride the Safari Bus through the park as well, so having a car is not a pre-requisite to going to the Safari Park. We got some good photos, too - albeit through the window glass, as no way was I about to roll it down, even for a second.

[gallery link="file"]

A Weekend in Susono

Okay - so I finally got my Miyajima post posted!

After my computer meltdown, which, with Brian's help via telephone and texting, I had fixed by Friday morning, I decided to go hang out in Susono anyway. So, I guess I could have left the computer unfixed until I got there, and fixed it together, but I needed a project anyway!

I went to Susono on Friday night, and just relaxed with Brian, who is still taking medication and trying to recover from ear/hearing damage incurred when swimming in Fukui several weeks ago. On Saturday, we packed a couple of books and a couple of 'cold ones', and went to sit in the sun in the mountains for a few hours. After that, we went to the Gotemba Kogen, where we sat outside and enjoyed some sausage and German beer. A very pleasant day, all in all.

On Sunday, Brian spontaneously suggested that we go to the Fuji Safari Park. The safari park is actually quite close to us, and easy to get to as there is no traffic on the back roads we use. We've driving and ridden past it so many times, but it just seemed kinda lame, so we never went. However, a few months ago, Susono citizens were given coupons for free entry to the park, in celebration of its 30th anniversary. So, why not?

And frankly - it was really good! As Brian said, it wasn't educational, as there was no information about the lions or tigers as we drove through them, but it was the first time we'd ever seen a lion or a tiger or even a bear quite that close up. All through the park there were signs warning people to keep the windows up and the doors locked...when seeing how big and frisky those lions were, I double-checked the door locks!

Again, Sunday was a great day, a lovely way to spend the weekend. And we even got some photos through Brian's car windows!