風力発電機 (Fuuryokuhatsudenki)

I recently had the pleasure of escaping my office and working in an 'isolated location' for a few days. The hotel room was away from the actual office, but beside the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station (which was ordered to idle since the recent unpleasantness, and to review nuclear plant safety). I was surprised to find that the area has sprouted lots of wind turbines since my last visit, two years ago.

Here is my gas-guzzler contemplating a sustainable energy future:

Blowtorch Breakfast

It is still rainy season here, so not 'summery' hot yet, but hot enough that turning on the stove for more than a minute can push morning apartment temps to uncomfortable heights. Experimenting with ways to cook more quickly led me to the blowtorch; it works for my sous vide steaks, gives the local bacon a bit of a crisp, and makes short work of eggs, as seen here:

Beauty of the Early Morning

Starting yesterday, I am now working days rather than evenings. While at first I had been a bit disappointed at the idea, as I had really been enjoying the evening shift and found that I was, overall, much more energetic and productive in my personal life, already, only on day two, I am happy with the day shift, happy being back to normal.
What is normal? Well, for one thing, I am up today, with no alarm, at 5:20 a.m. And one thing Montreal and my Japan city have in common is that they are both ethereally quiet at this time of the morning. There is a kind of peace over the land that makes this time of day special for me.
Other normalities that have already returned include being active in the evenings rather than the day time.

Yesterday after work, I sat in the yard and read my book, I went roller-blading for an hour, ate a good dinner and prepared a good lunch. This evening I've got plans to see friends and be social. So - maybe the day shift is a good shift!

Beauty of the Early Morning

Starting yesterday, I am now working days rather than evenings. While at first I had been a bit disappointed at the idea, as I had really been enjoying the evening shift and found that I was, overall, much more energetic and productive in my personal life, already, only on day two, I am happy with the day shift, happy being back to normal.

What is normal? Well, for one thing, I am up today, with no alarm, at 5:20 a.m. And one thing Montreal and my Japan city have in common is that they are both ethereally quiet at this time of the morning. There is a kind of peace over the land that makes this time of day special for me.

Other normalities that have already returned include being active in the evenings rather than the day time. Yesterday after work, I sat in the yard and read my book, I went roller-blading for an hour, ate a good dinner and prepared a good lunch. This evening I've got plans to see friends and be social. So - maybe the day shift is a good shift!

Where Are the Vending Machines??

Some things you start to take for granted once you settle in somewhere. For example, I had begun to take car ownership for granted since I'd had a car for most of my Japan years. Moving back to Montreal, I had been car-free for several months, and finally gave into the need for wheels.

The car is something that was in my power to remedy. Other things are out of my hands, however. Other things, such as the dire lack of vending machines. Yes - I who may once have thought the ubiquitous "jidou-hanbaiki" (vending machine) a blight in nature, found even at the peak of Mt. Fuji, had certainly grown dependent on and appreciative of their presence. And now, with summer and humidity finally here in Montreal, I rue the loss of the "ji-han-ki" (short for jidouhanbaiki, aka vending machine).

As I walked to a workshop downtown this morning, I quickly became parched, having forgotten to bring my bottle of water. I found myself casting hopeful -even expectant - glances around street corners, having to remind myself several times that, no, I would not find any vending machines here. I would have to wait until I hit the city centre, and then I would have to join the hordes of trendy city-ites in long lines at Tim Horton's...

Perhaps this is not out of my hands...perhaps I can start a petition. Would anyone consider signing a plea to have vending machines places every few hundred feet across the country??

Next post - Lack of any 24 hour convenience stores. This may be a Canadian or a Quebec phenomena, but there are no 7-11's, no Circle Ks, no Family Marts... A person could starve or die of dehydration right here in the middle of so-called civilization, just for the want of vending machines and convenience stores!

Another Year of Britannica!

Once again, we are very fortunate here at Japanrider.com, because, as web authors, we have qualified for another year of free access to Britannica Encyclopedia online. Our free subscription includes the ability to share full articles with our readers. So, for today's perusal, you can check out Britannica's information on the earth quake and tsunami of 2011...

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1761942/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-of-2011

Rolling Thunder?

As a fun project, I decided to try to fine-tune my bike's power curve while keeping an ear out for change or improvement in the tone and timber.

With less than $2 in hardware, I put together an adjustable lollipop baffle, and now have a wide range of tunability:






For tight mountain rides, a 45 degree angle is ideal as the torque noticeably increases allowing fewer shifts with stout pull under steep but relatively short sections.

Turning the baffle to 180 degrees still creates some back pressure and improved torque, while allowing the engine to spool up quickly in longer sections of road and straightaways.

The sound is improved, a little lower tone over the rpm range and a little quieter, too. Still wakes the neighbors tho!

What I Did Today

Because I often feel that I'm doing nothing, I have decided to write a bit about things that I HAVE accomplished.

Wrote two emails
Attended a workshop at La Passerelle about harnessing the power of Linked In for a job search
Walked my dog
Cleaned the yard
Did groceries
Set up my D90 for the first time in ages and did some self portraits for my Linked In profile

Ok-not much, but not bad either!

Time

I just cruised here to post, and saw that I haven't posted in two weeks. Where does the time go? Why is it that when I should have so much more free time, I seem to have less?

This weekend, at least, went by in a blur. I played in a dart playoff tournament, and then enjoyed the post-game party. I spent Sunday morning recovering, then spent some time with my mother on Mother's Day. Then dinner with a friend. Then time to crash early so I could wake up early to go paint doors and baseboards...

Now home again, and posting here in order to kick-start my creative juices again!

I will be quite busy all this week with painting, and then maybe get out of the city for the weekend...

And so it goes.

Planting Season

Although I've sworn off rice and other seed-based foods, there is no doubt that Japanese society has necessarily relied on wet paddy agriculture to sustain its population on an otherwise mountainous island, lacking non-seafood game.

The resulting planting traditions continue today, and in my area it is now time to plant the most common rice varieties. While this can be mechanized, many farmers rely on family and friends' manpower to plant.

I caught this scene behind my apartment yesterday morning, including the flooded paddies, hardworking planters, and even an egret. (The egrets and ducks flock to the newly flooded fields for the frogs, fish, leeches and bugs that suddenly abound when warm and wet!)

Tiger Beetle (ハンミョウ 斑猫)

It is possible to take great photographs with any camera, but it's definitely easier with better equipment! I haven't been carrying my DSLR around like I used to, especially since switching to a motorbike (no windows to roll up if it rains, etc.). While the iPhone camera isn't primitive, it puts the challenge back into snapping even acceptable images, and I have yet to capture anything 'great' with it.

On a recent outing, I stopped for a quick dip at a mountain stream 'swimming hole', and found a tiger beetle that must live nearby. It would sit still long enough for me to consider taking a picture, but would run away if I got too close for too long, and then return as soon as I looked away. It also wouldn't let me look it in the face, always turning away... I really wanted to see its sabre teeth!

I finally got one picture that was acceptably focused and exposed:








I found out later that these can live for three years, eat ants and other insects, and 'can bite if mishandled'. The full Latin name is Cicindela chinensis japonica.

Spring Blues

Not sure if it is missing Japan, the inability to find any kind of job, even a crappy kind, still sofa-surfing at my mother's house, or just the crazy, changeable weather of spring. But the spring blues are in full force this week...

Dexter's Spring Haircut

Dexter is doing quite well, although he (like me!) is slightly overweight still. He does look very cute with his new haircut, though.

Mountain ride on VRX

My bike isn't really good for touring with its stock pair of upswept exhaust pipes, which interfered with any saddlebag options. My first big change then was to switch to a two-into-one header, and then a single muffler.

After playing around with the silencers, I found better sound and more hp (above 5000rpm!) with the silencers installed, and unchanged torque. I captured some of the testing with my iPhone and GoPro.

With some time on the last rainy Saturday morning, so I assembled some footage and sound files into a bite-sized video:

Brevity of Time

Easter is here. This is the first time in about thirteen years that I have been in a pre-dominantly Christian country, and where Easter is even acknowledged. For me, I find it pleasant enough just to have a reason for people to be off work (I, of course, am off just about every day!). My mother has gone to Ottawa to enjoy some time with my brother and sister-in-law, and will very likely have a nice dinner. I will be going to my friend's place for a ham and pineapple - neither of which I have eaten in a very long time.

While Easter is associated with spring and with re-birth, in Japan we celebrate hanami - the lovely sakura (cherry blossoms) that bloom only very briefly before blowing off into th spring breeze. People go out and sit under the trees, sing songs and drink lots of beer. It is the Japanese way to acknowledge the brevity of life, and to appreciate what is present, even if only very briefly.

While I too, am appreciating the day, I am also pleased to have a rebirth. Spring is a great time to start fresh, to make spring resolutions, and get healthy.

 

Inaugural Bike Ride

Although the weather the past few days has been cold, windy and rainy, last week was actually bright, sunny and warm. Beautiful enough, in fact, that I took out my 29er single-speed bicycle, a custom Clockwork Bicycle, out for the first ride in at least a year.

What I've been doing

Mostly, I've been spending my time actively seeking to get back into the workforce here. Lack of French is an obstacle, but I'm confident that I can overcome it!

I've been attending a Career Transitions program at a place called La Passerelle. It is, happily, a government-sponsored program and I, even more happily, qualified to participate. It is a twelve week program, and has so far provided me with more confidence, and a deeper understanding of myself and the job market, than I had previously had.

Who knew that all the other participants felt so similarly to me? The disillusionment caused by the former job, the feeling of being a bit lost, not knowing where to go next, avoiding looking for work... these are all common feelings to newly unemployed professionals in their forties and upward.

So - this has been good, and keeping me busy.

Ich bin satt...

I remember this phrase from my study of German years ago, and it really made an impression... it was contrasted to the alternative (but considered vulgar) Ich bin voll...

Until recently I had forgotten about these phrases and their distinction, especially as I didn't really understand the difference, and filed away the distinction as just polite rather than technical.

I now completely understand the difference.

The short story is that I found myself living in an ever-tightening cycle of eating, and needing to eat. I would wake up hungry, eat, run or bike, eat again, go to work and endure an irritable itchiness that could only be satisfied with a sugary snack, eat a 'healthful' large lunch, snack again, and be starving again by dinnertime.

This continued for years, until the cycle tightened to me waking up twice a night to either eat, or drink, something and sleep again, or stay awake and suffer from fidgety dissatisfaction.

After eating, I could count on a one or two hours of focus and concentration, but that yielded to irritability if I couldn't quickly get a cookie, rice-ball, can of cold beer or hot cocoa. Exhausting.

For the last eight weeks, I have eaten nothing but meats, fats, and vegetables, completely avoiding sugars, carbs and grains. Within 4 days I was in ketosis, and I haven't faltered, or been tempted to falter, yet.

Ich bin satt..

Since then, after my meals of eggs, beef or pork and some veggies sauteed in butter or coconut oil, a sense of well-being... satiety,... washes over me. I can think. I can concentrate. Not only don't I crave snacks, I can skip meals without even noticing. When I am 'satisfied', I am done eating.

Actual differences that I should have recorded are many, but I entered into this as a trial, not really a test, so I didn't record or measure hard data. What I can report though, are these:

1) My body temperature is spot-on 36.6 deg now. It has always been a full 1 degree Centigrade lower unless in a fever state.

2) I can sleep through the night, and wake with a rested feeling. Previously I woke only to jump up in search of a sweet danish or coffee.

3) Now, no need to snack: I usually needed to eat sweets, or drink a beer, several times a day to maintain a calm disposition. If I couldn't carry something sweet / carby with me, I'd do anything to get to a shop and buy something.

4) I wasn't worried about my weight or skin, but once cutting carbs and sugar, I immediately lost all my belly fat (pants are loose) and my skin has cleared up completely.

I don't plan on giving up on this regimen; it will become my lifestyle instead of just a temporary experiment. Here is a pic of my now usual breakfast (taken on a particularly sunny morning, so with good light!); bacon and eggs, with the pumpkin, string bean, asparagus and broccoli glistening with coconut oil. Satisfying!

Rock and Roll?

The earthquakes and aftershocks (and ensuing public announcements) have been relentlessly constant. Yesterday, for example, Japan endured 23 earthquakes, releasing 537 Tera-Joules of energy. Some of those were quite noticeable here in Shizuoka, but many were felt as a swaying or rolling motion, just slightly dizzying.

Here is a snapshot of a graph of the energy release since the big one, March 11th. The interactive version is here.



Another interesting graphic depiction of the seismic events has been compiled, with the interactive version here.

The Brighter Side of Japan

My 10-minute commute to and from work under the cherry blossoms!

Rad, rem, gray, seviert, becquerel

The media, government and industry here are quite cozy, and this reality is a tolerated aspect of Japanese society that is widely acknowledged and seldom criticized. There is wisdom in leaving big decisions to experts with a benevolent long view, and not loudly second-guessing with only arm-chair qualifications.

It may seem outrageous to Western minds, for the Japanese public to continue trusting these entities considering the continuous series of embarrassing missteps. However, this may be the very reason that Japan's history is measured in 1000's of years, even with limited and fragile resources, typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, and even atomic bombings.

I'm not an expert, but I would counter that the Japanese accept that there may be immediate hardship, but will endure rather than panic.

On the other hand, it is interesting to witness the variety of confusing, contrary, or just nonsensical information being released to the public. None of it is sufficient, accurate or whole enough to actually quantify the threat of the radiation leaking from the Fukushima reactors.

I've done the math, and based on official reports, my 30-minute jog tomorrow morning will be as dangerous as three ripe bananas, a Winston menthol, and a mammogram. Whew.

Outside sources of information are an interesting contrast. This projection from the German Meteorological Service isn't something being shown here, for sure. (This is based on the weather conditions that would spread the radiation; the actual intensity can't be certain as it is based only on the Japanese officially released measurements.):

Daylight Saving Time

As I have mentioned in other posts, somewhere, I've been going to bed later and waking up later here than I used to do when in Japan. Part of this is likely because I am still not working, and therefore have no need to be up at 6 a.m. But part of it is just that, here, people go to bed at 11 p.m., not 9 or 10 like I used to do. And they certainly never EVER get up at 4:30 a.m. on a sunny, Sunday morning.

And now I see why. The sun does not rise here early in the morning, even now in spring. But, I noticed for the first time last night, even though it is still March, the sky was still light even just before 8 p.m. So - when you can ride your bike or go jogging at 7 pm and not be in the dark, it makes sense that you go to bed later and wake up later.

 

Is the Genie out of the Bottle?

Despite the incredible devastation, suffering and loss of the earthquake and resulting tsunami, Japan is in full-steam-ahead mode. People, families, companies and cities are cooperating to share the sacrifices and inconveniences, which are obvious but trivial at the same time when considering the scope of this disaster.

Immediate relief efforts and the anticipated recovery and rebuilding of the affected areas are underway, and there is serious progress in those areas, which is great news.

A frustrating complication, besides the unseasonably cold weather and continuing earthquakes, has everyone on edge: the uncontrolled reactors in Fukushima. The news media is reporting progress and setbacks in real time, creating a palpable emotional roller-coaster for the normally-reserved citizens. I am monitoring the situation as well, trying to make sense of the changing outlook. This isn't a real-time resources, but here is an interesting graphic that shows what is on everyone's mind:

Spring Irony

Today is the first day of spring, and I sit here, gazing out the window, and see... a huge, huge snowfall.

I will admit that I am becoming discouraged by the constant snow and home-bound lifestyle it is leading too. But what can we do about it, really? I mean, short of moving to a more live-able climate? Which, by the way, is what any sane person would do...

But no. I will grin and bear it. I guess I wouldn't mind so much if I hadn't promised a friend that I would use her car to pick up her disabled husband tonight; during rush hour, of course. I am still not at all accustomed to driving in this weather, and if I am going to wreck a car, I'd rather it be my own, not someone else's. But as I still have not bought a car, that is out of the question.

So I either break my promise and cry chicken, or I drive really carefully and try not to fishtail into anything!

Where to find Real News on the Japan Quake

Brian will be blogging soon, describing some of the ways that the earthquake, tsunami and reactor damage is affecting life for normal people even outside of the 'at risk' radius.

From watching CNN here in North America, I find many things frustrating. For example, the reporters always say, "Here in Japan, you can see tsunami washing over the car in this video provided by the driver...". And "Here in Japan, the massive damage is devastating..." Here in Japan. Uh-Huh. I know Japan is a small country, but it's not that small. Luckily, the clips being shown, often from NHK Broadcasting, contain the city name in kanji in the upper-right corner. I was able to better understand the tsunami, as the video was taken in Chiba.

Also, Brian says that CNN has too much hype but few facts. He sent me this link, and this is more real, Japanese reporting:


http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv

It contains live broadcasts from NHK World - Japanese news in English!

Comparing Amazon Kindle2 (old Kindle) and the New Kindle

I have been spending time between being distracted by multi-tasking, job-searching and generally symptoms of cabin fever which I associate with being cooped up indoors. Thankfully, the weather here has warmed up considerably, and the snow finally seems to have stopped falling.

Still, the snowbound months were good for reading! And this is a post I've wanted to write for a while, ever since I received my new Amazon Kindle from Brian.

I first bought a Kindle last year, around May or so, and, despite my earlier misgivings about electronic vs. paper books, I fell in love with it instantly.

A couple of months ago, I was lucky enough to get the new Kindle as a birthday gift, and I noticed many improvements over the earlier (white only) model. For one thing, it is a little bit slimmer, and a little bit smaller, but the screen is just as big as the earlier model. Another thing I prefer - the buttons feel much less cheap and plasticky compared with the earlier version. Additionally, the new Kindle seems to turn pages noticeably faster.

This is not to say that I was ever unhappy with the older model - it was and is performing great. The screen is beautifully easy on the eyes, and I love the ability to carry around a hundred (and more!) books in one small package. I also love being able to log in to Amazon and buy something on the fly (like I did from the airport when returning to Canada and I had nothing I felt like reading!).

My old Kindle I kindly passed on to my mother, who surprised me by being so pleased with the device that she has been reading at least three books a week. For her, the best feature is the ability to make the text much bigger than in a regular book, so she doesn't need her glasses or have to squint!

Here's my old Kindle:

And with the cover that I loved because it makes it feel more like a real book:

And my new Kindle:

And while I couldn't find the ideal cover, this one is okay - it lets me prop up the book on a table so I can read hands-free:

Comparing Kindle 2 and the All-New Kindle

I have been spending time between being distracted by multi-tasking, job-searching and generally symptoms of cabin fever which I associate with being cooped up indoors. Thankfully, the weather here has warmed up considerably, and the snow finally seems to have stopped falling.
Still, the snowbound months were good for reading! And this is a post I've wanted to write for a while, ever since I received my new Amazon Kindle from Brian.
I first bought a Kindle last year, around May or so, and, despite my earlier misgivings about electronic vs. paper books, I fell in love with it instantly.
A couple of months ago, I was lucky enough to get the new Kindle as a birthday gift, and I noticed many improvements over the earlier (white only) model. For one thing, it is a little bit slimmer, and a little bit smaller, but the screen is just as big as the earlier model. Another thing I prefer - the buttons feel much less cheap and plasticky compared with the earlier version. Additionally, the new Kindle seems to turn pages noticeably faster.
This is not to say that I was ever unhappy with the older model - it was and is performing great. The screen is beautifully easy on the eyes, and I love the ability to carry around a hundred (and more!) books in one small package. I also love being able to log in to Amazon and buy something on the fly (like I did from the airport when returning to Canada and I had nothing I felt like reading!).
My old Kindle I kindly passed on to my mother, who surprised me by being so pleased with the device that she has been reading at least three books a week. For her, the best feature is the ability to make the text much bigger than in a regular book, so she doesn't need her glasses or have to squint!
Here's my old Kindle:

[caption id="attachment_2024" align="alignnone" width="207" caption="Kindle 2 (old Kindle)"]<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/kindle2.jpg"><img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/kindle2-207x300.jpg" alt="" title="kindle2" width="207" height="300" /></a>[/caption]

And with the cover that I loved because it makes it feel more like a real book:

[caption id="attachment_2027" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="My (now my mother&#039;s) book cover"]<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/photo-2.jpg"><img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/photo-2-300x229.jpg" alt="" title="photo (2)" width="300" height="229" /></a>[/caption]

And my new Kindle:

[caption id="attachment_2025" align="alignnone" width="201" caption="New Kindle"]<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/kindlenew.jpg"><img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/kindlenew-201x300.jpg" alt="" title="kindlenew" width="201" height="300" /></a>[/caption]

And while I couldn't find the ideal cover, this one is okay - it lets me prop up the book on a table so I can read hands-free:

[caption id="attachment_2026" align="alignnone" width="231" caption="Propped up"]<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/kindlenewcover.jpg"><img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/kindlenewcover-231x300.jpg" alt="" title="kindlenewcover" width="231" height="300" /></a>[/caption]

Seismic Update from Susono

It is hard under these circumstances to be happy about much, but it is comforting to know that our own friends and acquaintances have not been harmed, even though so many others have, and many are still suffering.

My home-base in Susono is geographically 500km distant from the epicenter and the tragic results, and people around here have kept their 'ganbatteiru' (persevering) attitude in the face of the relatively minor sacrifices and local inconveniences. For example, it might be easy to complain about the train lines being inconsistent or even suspended, but instead people and companies are working together to assess priorities and find alternatives.

The foreign news reports I have seen (in English) don't seem to appreciate the depth and breadth of effort the Japanese people and institutions have put into disaster preparation and response... within hours, my electric company implemented this plan for 'rolling blackouts' in blocks of 3 or so hours each, for 10 million households. I am in Group 2:

These blackouts are to apportion the electric power fairly and to minimize the obvious disruption, while allowing the power company to repair the grid safely and quickly. In addition, people are voluntary heeding the plea to avoid unnecessary usage as noted by dramatic drops in the demand for power. (This city has also turned off street lights, so the night sky is brilliant with stars, for a change.)

Closer to home, this area hosted a large earthquake last night. People are still a little nervous from the big earthquake last Friday and the dozens of quite noticeable aftershocks that have continued since, so the 6.0 really shook folks up. Again there were no injuries among my friends or co-workers, but this one did damage some of our office buildings and sounded alarms across town. The rest of the night included aftershocks strong enough to wake those who could sleep again at all.


After an incredibly busy last few days and sleepless nights, I am actually looking forward to stable sleep tonight. Tomorrow morning I'll again drive co-workers to their offices (trains through this town will not run again for weeks) before getting to my own desk, and then get as much done as possible before the planned daytime blackouts.

As I rest tonight, rescuers continue their search in the tsunami zones, and Tokyo Denryoku does their best to control the reactors in Fukushima. I am confident in the sincerity of their efforts.

The Quake of 2011

Everyone by now has seen on the news the extensive damage caused by the massive earthquake that hit Japan on Friday afternoon (March 11th, 2011). Reports now say that the death toll just in Miyagi may exceed 10,000 people. Thankfully for us, though, our area and the region where most of our friends live, was not badly affected and nobody we know has been hurt.

Here is a photo that Brian took of the Numazu Harbor after the earthquake and tsunami. It is very calm - but of course, as he said, the city had closed the storm doors to protect against waves!

The bigger worry now is the overheating reactors at two nuclear power plants; again, neither is near our home base. However, our city is, indeed, scheduled for rolling blackouts in three-hour periods twice daily

I, however, was very, very far removed from the danger and inconvenience, as I have been snow and ice bound in Montreal since October...

Oddly enough, even with the earthquakes, tsunami, malfunctioning nuclear power plants, and rolling blackouts, I miss my Japan life....

Daylight Saving Time

Last night at midnight marked the beginning of Daylight Saving time here in Montreal (Eastern Time). Since Japan does not have Daylight Saving time, this was the first time in thirteen years that I changed my clocks - everything sprang forward one hour.

And now, at 7:15 p.m., I see that the sky is still reasonably light, and I guess, after all these years of early-onset darkness, I appreciate it!

Out of the Fire...

And not really into the frying pan at all; but still, even with the earthquake, tsunami, failing nuclear power plants and rolling black-outs, I'm a little bit sorry that I am not in Japan still, although my mother has expressed several times how happy she is that I am not there at this time.

Thankfully - Brian is totally fine and only mildly affected (rolling blackouts, non-running trains).

Everyone by now has seen on the news the extensive damage caused by the massive earthquake that hit Japan on Friday afternoon (March 11th, 2011). Reports now say that the death toll just in Miyagi may exceed 10,000 people.  Thankfully for us, though, our area and the region where most of our friends live, was not badly affected and nobody we know has been hurt.

Here is a photo that Brian took of the Numazu Harbor after the earthquake and tsunami. It is very calm - but of course, as he said, the city had closed the storm doors to protect against waves!

<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/izu-marine-harbor-after-quake.jpg"><img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/izu-marine-harbor-after-quake-300x222.jpg" alt="" title="izu-marine-harbor-after-quake" width="300" height="222" /></a>

The bigger worry now is the overheating reactors at two nuclear power plants; again, neither is near our home base. However, our city is, indeed, scheduled for rolling blackouts in three-hour periods twice daily

I, however, was very, very far removed from the danger and inconvenience, as I have been snow and ice bound in Montreal since October...

Oddly enough, even with the earthquakes, tsunami, malfunctioning nuclear power plants, and rolling blackouts,  I miss my Japan life....

Everyone by now has seen on the news the extensive damage caused by the massive earthquake that hit Japan on Friday afternoon (March 11th, 2011). Reports now say that the death toll just in Miyagi may exceed 10,000 people.  Thankfully for us, though, our area and the region where most of our friends live, was not badly affected and nobody we know has been hurt.
Here is a photo that Brian took of the Numazu Harbor after the earthquake and tsunami. It is very calm - but of course, as he said, the city had closed the storm doors to protect against waves!
<a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/izu-marine-harbor-after-quake.jpg"><img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8641912/uploads/2011/03/izu-marine-harbor-after-quake-300x222.jpg" alt="" title="izu-marine-harbor-after-quake" width="300" height="222" /></a>
The bigger worry now is the overheating reactors at two nuclear power plants; again, neither is near our home base. However, our city is, indeed, scheduled for rolling blackouts in three-hour periods twice daily

I, however, was very, very far removed from the danger and inconvenience, as I have been snow and ice bound in Montreal since October...

Stuff White People Like = funny

I just started reading the book, Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander, based on the blog of the same name, and am thoroughly enjoying it!

It is a list-style book, and oh so accurate. hahaha.

Running in the Rain

I woke up this morning a little after 7 a.m. Sadly, these days, I tend to wake up as late as 8:30 or even 9:00; gone are the days when I was up and active at 5:00! Hopefully that will change when summer comes here to this arctic land. But anyway - as I was saying - I was up a little after 7, enjoyed two hot cups of tea before taking Dexter for a run.

Now, due to his having had pneumonia when I first adopted him, and then the holidays, and then the surgery, and then the snow and cold, Dexter has never been for a real jog before. He loves to run, of course, but has only ever run for a few minutes at a time. This morning the temperature is above freezing for the first time in ages, so I wanted to get out and figured to take Dex with me. However, it was raining. I'd forgotten, but Dexter absolutely hates the rain. So, the run became more of an enforced walk, before I dropped him off at home and then set off again on my own. I then ran just under 5km in the rain which alternated between rain and snow.

It was my first outdoor run in months. I realize now that the treadmill and gym workouts just do not free the mind and spirit as much as real outdoor exercise.

Running in the Rain

I woke up this morning a little after 7 a.m. Sadly, these days, I tend to wake up as late as 8:30 or even 9:00; gone are the days when I was up and active at 5:00! Hopefully that will change when summer comes here to this arctic land. But anyway - as I was saying - I was up a little after 7, enjoyed two hot cups of tea before taking Dexter for a run.

Now, due to his having had pneumonia when I first adopted him, and then the holidays, and then the surgery, and then the snow and cold, Dexter has never been for a real jog before. He loves to run, of course, but has only ever run for a few minutes at a time. This morning the temperature is above freezing for the first time in ages, so I wanted to get out and figured to take Dex with me. However, it was raining. I'd forgotten, but Dexter absolutely hates the rain. So, the run became more of an enforced walk, before I dropped him off at home and then set off again on my own. I then ran just under 5km in the rain which alternated between rain and snow.

It was my first outdoor run in months. I realize now that the treadmill and gym workouts just do not free the mind and spirit as much as real outdoor exercise.

I woke up this morning a little after 7 a.m. Sadly, these days, I tend to wake up as late as 8:30 or even 9:00; gone are the days when I was up and active at 5:00! Hopefully that will change when summer comes here to this arctic land. But anyway - as I was saying - I was up a little after 7, enjoyed two hot cups of tea before taking Dexter for a run.
Now, due to his having had pneumonia when I first adopted him, and then the holidays, and then the surgery, and then the snow and cold, Dexter has never been for a real jog before. He loves to run, of course, but has only ever run for a few minutes at a time. This morning the temperature is above freezing for the first time in ages, so I wanted to get out and figured to take Dex with me. However, it was raining. I'd forgotten, but Dexter absolutely hates the rain. So, the run became more of an enforced walk, before I dropped him off at home and then set off again on my own. I then ran just under 5km in the rain which alternated between rain and snow.
It was my first outdoor run in months. I realize now that the treadmill and gym workouts just do not free the mind and spirit as much as real outdoor exercise.

No Comments

Hmmm - I recieved an email, and it seems some people are not able to comment on this blog. I cannot figure out what the problem is, but maybe it's because I've made this one unsearchable/private?? I'll troubleshoot this and try to find (and remedy) the issue.

Return to Mindfulness

I have been back from New York and New Jersey since Monday night, and have recuperated well from the 13.5 hour return train journey. Yes, 13.5 hours! The train was stuck at the Canadian border at Rousse's Point for more than three hours, I'd say.

Thankfully, having not had any solitude in the past five months, and having my new-model Kindle fully stocked with tons of trashy reading, I took advantage of the cozy seats, listened to some Sara Brightman, and read a good mystery novel, all in relative solitude. Oh, sure, there were hundreds of people on the train, and the car was packed, but still, I'd rediscovered some mindfulness techniques, and was, in essence, alone.

Re- and De-motivated

My trip to New York and New Jersey was a really good chance for me to regroup; to get my own self back together, to form an action plan for employment, for remembering that the biggest part of my problem was lack of mindfulness. I, a creature who really does need to be alone, had not had even half an hour of solitude since my return in September. Sofa-surfing in your mother's home, while a blessing, is also a bit of a curse!

The extended train journey to and from New York, and the chance to spend lots of girl time with Cheryl (who, it turns out, I had not seen in five years!!!) provided me just a little bit of relief and a bit of focus.

But my current focused job search is not going so very well. My lack of French is a very big detriment, and unless I knuckle down and truly dedicate myself to studying and improving, I may find myself moving yet again. Moving to another province where French is not the main language...

And to tell the truth, I returned here, to my hometown, for a reason - I have an extended support network here. I do not want to relocate and find myself alone in a foreign city again just yet. Oh sure - in the future, I may become bored, and need a chance of scenery, but for now, here is where I want to be.

So - although demotivated by recent responses to my job equiries, I intend to press on. In happy news - I have another three day paid stint as painters-assistant coming up next week!

Too Old for New York

Blogging from my iPod touch isn't easy! But it's convenient...



Anyway, I'm spending my final night in New York snuggled up with a good book and cable TV in my luxurious hotel room!

My excuse? Tired from New Jersey shopping, and it IS Sunday, after all!!


Here's my hotel room:

A nice day in New Jersey

Cheryl and I spent a lovely day in some quaint areas on New Jersey, and she even brought me to her stylist in Little Silver called First Impressions http://www.firstimpressionstudio.com/

We then enjoyed a late lunch at an Irish pub a few miles away.

Today we are shopping, then I'm heading back to New York city.


Tonight I decided to splurge and have booked a room at the Wingate Hotel, just a couple of blocks from Penn Station, from where I'll be departing on the 8:15 Amtrak on Monday morning!

A nice day in New Jersey

Cheryl and I spent a lovely day in some quaint areas on New Jersey, and she even brought me to her stylist in Little Silver called First Impressions http://www.firstimpressionstudio.com/

We then enjoyed a late lunch at an Irish pub a few miles away.

Today we are shopping, then I'm heading back to New York city.


Tonight I decided to splurge and have booked a room at the Wingate Hotel, just a couple of blocks from Penn Station, from where I'll be departing on the 8:15 Amtrak on Monday morning!

Afternoon Tea in New Jersey

I did not mention it here, but I have actually left Montreal for a few days, both as a need to escape the claustrophobia that is winter and to simply have variety again. In Japan, Brian and I have never spent consecutive weekends at home-we always went somewhere or did something. So when Cheryl invited me to go see her in New York, I jumped at the chance!

Actually, even better, I'm staying with her in New Jersey, a place I've never been before. Today she took me to the lovely Lilligard hotel for a very civilized afternoon tea.

BTW -I came to NYC by Amtrak and spent the 1st night at The New York Loft Hostel. It's fun and an adventure to travel on a shoestring :)

Off to NYC

I've been really wanting to get away a bit, and my dear friend Cheryl gave me the opportunity when she invited me to her place in New Jersey.of course I will also spend quality time solo in my favorite city!

Wanting to be frugal, I'm going by Amtrak and will spend the first night in a hostel in Brooklyn before heading to Cheryl's place. I find that I'm really looking forward to the 11 hour trip and have stocked my Kindle full of good reading!

Memories and Memory

Brian and I often find ourselves reminiscing. We always did remember fun, interesting, bizarre, or other events or places, but the memories, now that I have left my home of more than twelve years, have a poignancy that was not there before. But still, remembering fondly the day we tried to walk to the video store in a very rare snowfall, or how we got lost the first time we drove to a place we eventually became so familiar with that we could drive there in our sleep, gives me a warm and happy feeling of nostalgia.

On the hand, while my memories remain powerful, I find that my memory itself is fading. What I mean is, I find myself now searching my mind for place names; like the other night, I had a dream that we were on our motorbikes, resting at a pass in Izu. I could not remember the name of the pass, although we'd been there so many times... several days later, I remember it was Kameishi, at the entrance of the Izu Skyline.

There are other gaps too - I couldn't remember the beautiful temple village we visited just in my last week in Japan (Koyasan), and I still can't remember the name of another pass in Izu that we often took scenic drives over, although for some reason I think it has something to do with cows.

This loss of simple memory saddens me, but the more important memories are intact, and that matters more to me anyway!

Photography - searching for inspiration through David duChemin

I'd like to blame the bleak Montreal weather for my lack of photography. I have not even snapped a photo in weeks. However, when I look back at some photos taken over the past few years,  I see that my photography had become lacking in creativity and vision at least a year ago, if not longer.

I realize now, when I am out with the camera, I am just rushing, or feel like I'm rushing, to take shots, but not feeling anything. I have lost my vision. But all is not lost! I discovered a photographer/author a few years ago - David duChemin. The tagline of his blog would let you know why I like this guy so much; not only is he a great photographer, but the tagline says, "Gear is Good. Vision is Better."

I bought several of his e-books over the years, and a few months ago, he published a new one called The Vision-Driven Photographer. I bought it immediately, but still have yet to read it, although I know it is exactly what I need. So, given that today is too gloomy to actually shoot anything, I plan to spend a couple of hours reading David's new ebook!

David duChemin's blog is here. And you can purchase the new ebook for $5 here.

Renewed Vow to Blog!

I hereby solemnly swear that I will blog at least three times a week, even if I have nothing to say!

What I've Been Doing

• Working out pretty hard at the gym four days a week


• Taking Dexter for longer and longer walks to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather


• Going out for dinner with my mother


• Having a beer with the folks at the Legion


• Watching the Superbowl game at a local bar


• Trying to maintain my Japanese by speaking with Masa, a young guy who is here to study French

What I haven't been doing:

• Sticking to my diet


• Finding work

Fujiya Hotel Hakone

Many people, who are actually from this area, surprise me by their having never climbed Mt. Fuji, despite its obvious, daily presence. Well, I am similarly guilty of having largely ignored Hakone, which is geographically closer and has so much to offer!

Last October my family visited, and before setting of on a few days' tour of Izu we took a quick helicopter ride above Hakone for an aerial perspective. The ride was a few minutes long, and I wish I had recorded the whole trip. Here are the few seconds I caught with my iPhone, including Mt. Fuji, the Hakone range and crater, and the valley in between:



Last weekend my company had a 'retreat' of sorts, and the venue was the famous Fujiya Hotel in Hakone. This was the first western-style hotel in Japan, and while its 140-year history is long, Hakone is home to traditional inns, some having operated for more than 500 years! This hotel offers an experience unlike any other, though, with its blend of architectural styles and amenities. It consists of a large complex of 5 main buildings, all interconnected by paths and breezeways, and all constructed between 1890 and 1960. Here is my pic of the Flower Palace (花御殿) built in 1936:


Besides that building and others in the complex being National Cultural Heritage Assets, the hotel houses the register for the 'Moustache Club':


Overnighting here is normally out of reach for common people, and for real luxury there are many other more affordable nearby options, so I'm grateful to have had the chance to stay!

This weekend I again went to Hakone, this time with the intention of circling the entire crater by motorcycle. I set out yesterday hoping the recent sun and warm days would have cleared the route of ice and snow. The pass I needed to take became slick with ice and snow above 930m elevation, so I changed my plan and circled the lake by roads that were clean and dry! Here is a section of the Odawara Skyline warning of monkeys:



And my route (thanks to Runkeeper app on my phone)! I went counter-clockwise, and elevation ranges from 130m to 930m, and speed 0 to 100Km/H:

Main Topics of Discussion in Montreal...

 And

Shipping within Japan

I could and should file this under "annoyances". Well, it is an annoyance in Canada, especially after I have become accustomed to such excellent service in Japan. Seriously - not only is Japan Post super excellent (I have dropped a letter into the letter box in the morning and had it arrive the same day in Tokyo!), but the Takkyubin companies (express delivery companies) are very affordable and very, very fast, and they pick up and deliver anywhere. When I was travelling by train from Susono to Osaka, I simply had the takkyubin company pick up my suitcases and deliver them to my new address. This service cost me 2,500 yen. Peanuts!

Also, they deliver at very specific times, as determined by you, the customer. So, for example, if I tell them to deliver between 4p.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday night, that is when they deliver. If, for some reason, I miss the delivery, they leave a fuzaitodoke (不在届け）notice, with the driver's phone number. I simply call that number, tell the driver who I am, and he swings back by to drop off my package.

Not at all the case here in Canada. Yesterday I missed a UPS delivery. They left a fuzai, with a little box ticked that said "1st attempt". I am allowed up to three "attempts". Huh. So then I looked for a phone number to call, and I finally finally found it deeply buried in really fine print on the back of the card.

I visited the website and had options to pick up my package myself, or change the delivery address!

On Being Cold Again

In Brian's last post, he mentions that the mornings in Susono are about 2 degrees Celsius these days, so running is a bit tough. I remember the days of 2 degrees, and would stay snuggled in my futon, and then linger over tea.

The temperatures in Montreal, needless to say, drop much (much!) below 2. Yesterday we saw a low of -27.9°C; today we had a high of -13.4°C, which was, oddly, pleasant!

Birthday Celebrations

Saturday, January 22nd, was my 39th birthday. Yep - 3. 9. Which means that in less than twelve months, I will be ... well, FORTY!

When I was really young, I remember counting the years on my fingers to see if I would still be alive in the year 2000, or if I would have already died of old age. Less long ago, I remember dating a guy who was 25, and who said that women his own age (as opposed my my 19!) were old and out of shape ... shamefully, I thought he was right!

And now, at the ripe old age of 39 - I feel young and energetic and fit and happy!

And, it doesn't hurt that I spent my evening at a really good steak house called The Keg, eating fantastic steak, and drinking good wine! Pics will follow when I take them off the camera but for now, check out The Keg here

http://www.kegsteakhouse.com/en/locations/QC/montreal/old-montreal-keg/

Brisk Morning Run

I've been intending to improve my running distances while retraining to run 'barefoot'. After a few months of carefully abbreviated shorter sessions, the shorter days and colder weather have been against my staying out longer.

To truly run barefoot, I prefer the smooth and dry stripe of asphalt hugging the mountainside above town (yamanami-rindo)... no distracting traffic or painful gravel.

Beginning from home, I inevitably encounter broken or crumbling concrete no matter how carefully I plan the route, so I have been wearing my huaraches as a compromise when I can't get to the ideal 'rindo'.

My last outing started from home (early, to beat the forecasted wind and clouds). Despite the 2deg C air temperature, my feet weren't the least bit uncomfortable without shoes or socks, and I was able to reach my new minimum goal of 5k, no problem!

Blogging

I know I have been lax about blogging at www.japanrider.com recently, but I have actually visited the blog several times to search for specific information. This is not rare - Brian and I regularly refer to our blog when we want to remember where we spent a specific holiday, what restaurant we might have eaten at, or the name of a cheap minshuku we stayed at during various trips.

Our blog has been very, very useful to us for these reasons, as well as for keeping family and friends up to date with what we've been doing.

However, in order to be useful to us, we do have to title our posts clearly, and remember to list details like mishuku name and phone number, in the posts. For example, take Brian's last post, which includes a scan of the post-card advertisement for the Toyosaki hotel in Matsuzaki. It has the phone number, address and website. Or, take this post which details a good weekend ride we did in October, 2009 http://www.japanrider.com/2009/10/riding-without-maps.html

This post details exactly what we were doing on that weekend, including photos so we can see what we looked like and how the weather was, and the name of the minshuku we stayed at (although, I did not include the phone number...).

I often visit the blog just to search specifics like this - I simply enter a search term in the search field in the upper right hand corner of the blog, et voila!

On another note - the project that I started last summer - an interactive website that is supposed to have all photos and travelogues etc neatly organized in one place has, unfortunately, made no progress.... oh me, the great procrastinator!

Dexter

No only do I have to lose 15 to 20 pounds, but Dexter, too, needs to lose a good 10 pounds.

I took him back to the SPCA last week to have him neutered (which is included in the adoption fees), and when I walked into the clinic, the lovely vet said to me, "Um, you DO know he is obese, right?"

Well, taking her advice, I soon went to the pet shop and bought some high quality, light dog food, and poor Dexter is now on a diet, limited to 1 and 5/8ths of a cup of food each day. I also am getting him to run a bit more, and do more and longer walks. Perhaps he and I can shed a few pounds together.

Diet and My Plate.com

Okay, I know I've been talking about dieting for a few months, but now I really mean it:)

Seriously, I gained 10 pounds in the space of one month last July - basically, the minute I left Susono (and beautiful mountain runs!), I balooned up. It was instantaneous. What is surprising, though, is that I haven't gained weight since being in Montreal. Despite drinking ten beers a day, eating bagels and cream cheese at midnight, and sitting my ass on a sofa most of the day due to the winter blahs. So what's the problem if I have not gained more weight? The problem is, I have a muffin-top. I have never muffin-topped!!

So, time to get serious. Oh, no way will I become a food nazi, no no no. I will still enjoy a cold beer or a fine bottle of red wine; I will still have a nice steak dinner (oh yeah - I've been eating so much meat since I've been here...weird!); and I will still have a fried egg sandwich occasionally. But I will simply refrain from eating any form of potato chips; no more pepperoni pizza; and I'll cut back from ten brewskies to one or two!

One of the tools I really like using (when I'm in the mood to watch what I eat!) is the My Plate section of Livestrong.com here http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/. I find it really makes me think twice about putting something in my mouth when I am aware of how many calories it contains.

A few simple lifestyle changes will be good and will probably have results fairly quickly....

Colours Update

I guess it was about time that I update the colour scheme - it's only been winter for a few months now:)

New Year's Card (Nengajou)

The tradition of New Year's Cards continues in Japan despite the temptation to transition to an "e-" replacement (as e-mail has replaced postal mail).

This Oshogatsu (New Year) season, I received one card, specifically an 'otoshidama-tsuki nenga hagaki'. It has the same function (maintaining a good relationship) as a usual 'nengajou', with the added benefit of a code to be used in the national lottery held every January 15th.

It is from my favorite place to overnight when in southern Izu:

Usually such cards feature an animal likeness, reflecting the appropriate spirit from the Chinese Zodiac (2011 is year is the rabbit), but cleverly this card features a delicious fish called 'kasago' in deference to their town's fishing economy!

Cold, flu, gastro, or none of the above?

What I had thought was post-celebratory fatigue was, I think, the onset of the seasonal flu.

Montreal is experiencing two outbreaks at the moment - gastroenteritis, and an earlier-than-usual season flu outbreak. On Monday, after a long day of soicalizing, but realizing I really did not feel like drinking much, I thought I was just tired. That night, I fell into a restless sleep at 9 p.m. or so, and woke up freezing in an icy sweat.

On Tuesday, I was still certain that I was just recovering from the holidays which involved a fair amount of late nights.

Tuesday night was another night of tossing and turning, and by 2 a.m. I had a massive sinus headache.

By Wednesday, I gave in and admitted that maybe I had a virus, and was not just exhausted!

I haven't had the flu, or even a real cold, in a long, long time. But perhaps the dry, cold winter air, and the even drier indoor heat, combined with a holiday-weakened immune system, left me susceptible.

I don't feel too bad at all - just constantly tired, and achy, and fevery. And coughy. Okay, I don't feel great. And I look kinda bad, too!

My New Year's Resolution, which is the same as every other year, to get healthy, will have to wait a few more days!

New Year's Day morning run

The 31st and the transition to 2011 was seamless, and VERY quiet here... except for the booming of fireworks at midnight. Unlike the beautiful displays of summer festivals, these were the　simple flash and bang mortar shells, which are quite loud even at a distance.

On the morning of the 1st there was crisp air, and frost on the rooftops... I went for a run in spite of the nippy air, and used just my simple huaraches... I am still taking it easy and keeping the barefoot runs shortish, but it felt great to get out at all.

I put my iphone to work too, as it kept me company with an audiobook, tracked my run and allowed me to catch a picture or two along the way... here is the valley on the way up:

And the stats for the run:

No Hatsuhinode, but still a good New Year!

In Japan, we always welcome the new year by going out to somewhere scenic and watching the sunrise, while sipping a nice hot sake. Watching the sunrise on New Year's is called, of course, hatsuhinode - 初日の出. This is a tradition that I had come to treasure, and had thought to maintain here. But - to be honest - here, unlike in Japan, New Year's Eve is a party time, and after lots of partying, I just was not at all interested in getting up before dawn in the hope of having a sunrise. And actually - it was a bit too cloudy a day and there was no sunrise really. And although I sort of missed having a hatsuhinode, I followed more of the traditions of North America.

I won't forget my Japanese traditions, and especially not the mentality - such as that the new year is truly a new beginning, and letting go of any unpleasantness from the past year - but I think, too, that it is important to be where we are, and not try to live where we are not.

Happy New Year 2011!!

It is now January 2nd, and I only now have a few moments (and am coherent enough) to blog a bit.

New Year's Eve I spent not out partying exactly. No, me and an old friend, Isabelle, went to an Irish pub downtown at noon. And we had our first beer at 12:01. We drank continuously, running up a bill of 180 dollars, by the time we had to stop at 5 p.m. or so. We taxied home - her to her grandmother's, and me to a friend's place where there was a house party that continued until 1 a.m.

Really, I've come to the conclusion that, at nearly 39 years old, I just can't drink like I used to! No more 13 hours of drinking for me in the new year:)

Otherwise, it was a lovely way to bring in 2011 although I was able to make myself wake up to watch the sunrise. I think this is one of the first years when I did not watch the sunrise - a.k.a. hatsuhinode....