Snowy Landscape

The cherry blossoms are at half-bloom, and by this weekend we should be somewhere doing a lovely hanami, sitting under the cherry trees and contemplating ephemeral life.

However that may be, however near the flowers are, we still saw snow in Susono yesterday, and freezing temperatures overnight that left ice crystals in the puddles.

The snow, too, is brief, and I wanted to capture a view from our apartment of the yuki geshiki (??? ), or snowy landscapte, with snow covering the Ashitaka mountains and, of course, Mt. Fuji...

[caption id="attachment_1631" align="alignnone" width="384" caption="?????Snowy Landscape"][/caption]

Running and Resting

This weekend, Brian came to Shimada (as I mentioned in my previous post), and we ran 15 km along the Oi Gawa (river) on Saturday moring. We then went to the Horai-no-Yu, the local Shimada onsen or spa.

I actually haven't been inside that onsen for many years, as the last two times I went there I was unceremoniously thrown out due to my (albeit lovely) tattoos. This time, we demonstrated forethought and covered my tats with medical tape!

So, after a hard run and a hot bath, we then went out for Yaki-Niku at a restaruant in Fujieda. After eating all we could eat, it was time to get on the highway back home. We pulled in, exhausted, at 5 p.m.. on Saturday night.

Today, Sunday, I went shopping at the Outlet Mall, while Brian went to spend some time with a friend in Tokyo.

All in all, a weekend well spent!

Feeling Welcome in a Small Town

Please pardon my blogging haiatus! We had a great weekend in Tokyo last weekend, shopping in Shinjuku and eating at exotic restaurants.

As the workweek began again, I was working out of town and staying in a city called Shimada.

I love Shimada!! In fact, I love it so much so that I got Brian to join me on Friday night and we stayed an extra night just to enjoy running there on Saturday. But that is for another blog post perhaps..

Anyway, during my week away in Shimada, staying in a business hotel, I naturally had to fend for myself for dinner. Each night I would venture out and look for an izakaya or restaurant to enjoy that night. One night, I went to a small, local "kushi" place. Kushi is like shish-kebab - grilled food on sticks.

So, this little place is really cozy, and good. Brian and I have eaten there several times. The owner was doing the cooking as usual, but his wife was also working on the night I was there. She chatted with me a bit, asked where I was from and made some small talk. It was very pleasant and not out of the ordinary.

However, when I was leaving, she wanted to give me something and gave me a choice of three items that had been decorating the place. Having to take something, I chose a framed peice of artwork, which is really lovely and authentic. She also gave me a small bag/purse.

[caption id="attachment_1621" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Kushi Ju-Ban - on the 2nd floor"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1620" align="alignnone" width="506" caption="Framed Artwork"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1622" align="alignnone" width="524" caption="Another gift"][/caption]

It was a good week away - but I am happy to be home again, too!

Tokyo

We have a long weekend this weekend, and as the weather doesn't look quite inviting enough for motorbiking, Brian and I are going to spend some time in Tokyo.

I'm looking forward to fine dining and big city shopping, but as usual, I will likely be happy to get back to my quiet, sleepy town afterward!

A Quiet Mind

We haven't blogged much this week,  and perhaps having nothing to blog about is, occasionally, a good thing. Life has been quiet, and I have tried to enjoy that time by simply being rather than doing.

The past few months (years?) I have felt rushed, like I have had to hurry to be doing something. And yet, it seems that I am not actually being while I am doing. What I mean is, we have forgotten to slow down, and even while doing activity A, I find myself thinking ahead to activity B.

Do you ever drive anywhere, arrive at your destination, only to realize you have no memory of that drive? It was all about the destination, and it's scary to think how many people are not actually present when they are behind the wheel; there is nobody driving those cars! I realize I am more aware of the journey when on the motorbike, more in the moment.

And that brings me back to today's post. Today I just want to stop for a while, to look around and appreciate where we are on the journey. Jon Kabat-Zinn said that we are always at the crossroads of 'Here' and 'Now'. So tonight, this is the moment I will savour.

Happy Biking

I'm back in Japan! I landed on Friday night, and Brian and I were glad to be able to spend the weekend together after my two week absence. Thankfully,jet lag coming back to Japan is never as bad as going to North America (haven't researched why that is yet), and though a little tired from spending twenty-four hours in taxis, airports, airplanes and buses, and from the fourteen hour time difference, we didn't let it slow us down!

We went for a good run (nearly 10 km) yesterday in hills, and this morning we took our motorbikes out for a little exercise. We went up and along the fireroad (the official name of which is the Yamanami Rindo), that curves along the mountain ridge between Susono and Hakone. We then came home through Gotemba, skirting along Mt. Fuji, all the while in warm sunshine. We even switched bikes for a while, and I rode Brian's Honda VRX for a few kilometers while he had my bike. It was fun but I think we each prefer our own rides! I hadn't been on my Estrella in about five weeks, and had forgotten how much I enjoyed twisting the throttle of that lightweight Kawasaki.

Since buying our motorcycles last summer, Brian and I have also invested in more and better riding gear. Especially as the weather became colder, we realized we needed warmer clothing, and so we ordered some good leather pants from Make Your Own Jeans.com and sturdy leather motorcycle jackets from New Enough.com. The better gear makes it possible to ride in weather chillier than we had today, and is safe and pretty stylish to boot!

[caption id="attachment_1610" align="alignnone" width="430" caption="Tracy in Leather Gear on the Fireroad"][/caption]

Cabin Fever

Two weeks of straight rain is driving me crazy, but I should be at least thankful for the wind and sleet that brought variety to the drizzly norm. To make the most of the cold and dreary evening outside, a photography project seemed in order, so I tried snapping small objects on glass to get a reflection as well as the object captured... Here are my results:

If I have a chance to do it over, I'll keep to the idea of only using the light of a single candle: http://gizmodo.com/5488484/133-photos-lit-by-a-single-candle

As it was, I used diffuse light from my bedroom's warm 12W single CFL... but next time I'll do the candle thing for sure!

A Parking Ticket, a Greasy Spoon and a Morning Run

Though I brought my good camera with me to Montreal with the intention of getting out and taking some photos in and around the city, I haven't even taken it out of the case! Although the weather has been mild since I've been here, I just haven't felt inspired.

However, I have had my little Nikon Coolpix in hand a few times to recount my wonderful adventures, which began with this parking ticket that I got while parked outside the Verdun General Hospital when visiting my mother there.

[caption id="attachment_1584" align="alignnone" width="360" caption="Parking ticket issued in Verdun"][/caption]

I had paid for a day pass, but apparently, there were about five spaces reserved for regular permit holders. Of course, I happened to park in one of those spaces. At least I was able to pay the ticket online and not have to make a special trip to any "financial institution" to pay the damn thing.

Happier adventures included lunch and catching up with Bernicky and his daughter at a little local greasy spoon in my old neighborhood.

[caption id="attachment_1585" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="In the Diner"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1586" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Us in the diner"][/caption]

I have also been trying to run when I can. The weather has been perfect - sunny and warm, and the ice has even melted off the sidewalks - it would be a crime not to be out when possible. The bicycle/walking path along the Lachine canal was clear enough, too, though you can see that the canal itself is still rather frozen!

[caption id="attachment_1587" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Lachine Canal"][/caption]

Recovering

My visit to Montreal is going well, as is my mother's recovery.

She had surgery two weeks ago, and, after a bit of a setback, was released from the hospital on Monday. We've been taking things easy, staying home and watching lots of Maury Povich (an awful, awful show!).

The weather, though, has been really beautiful - sunny and mild every day; so today we ventured out to Kahnawake for breakfast, then did some grocery shopping. This got us out without being too taxing.

We don't have any big plans for tomorrow, but if it's nice again, we might go for a little walk.

Comfort Food

I was only in Montreal a few months ago, and being back after such a brief absence, I don't feel an overwhelming yearning for comfort food - but just the same, there are some things, distinctly Montrealish, that I can't resist. Though I haven't had a poutine yet, I have had two of my old-time favourites:

[caption id="attachment_1576" align="alignnone" width="471" caption="Kraft Dinner (a.k.a. Macaroni and Cheese)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1578" align="alignnone" width="506" caption="All Dressed Ruffles Potato Chips"][/caption]