Springtime in Rain City

Hi! Its been nearly a year since my last post. Emily let me know that the day she flew into Japan was one year from the day of the horribly destructive 8.9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that has killed nearly 10,000 people to date. Over 17, 000 more are still missing. I have checked up on everyone I know there and I am pleased to announce that everyone is safe, though frightened and many without regular transportation or power. The impending nuclear disaster has many people leaving the country. I am glad to know that as of now, everyone is still safe. My heart goes out to them.
For life back in Kitsap county, I am doing just fine. About 6 months ago, I bought a beautiful condo in the tiny community of Manchester directly west of Seattle. It's a 1 bedroom 1.5 bath and about 1280 sq. feet. I have a nice view of Mount Rainier from my balcony. In front of the building, is a boat launch and the view is panoramic of the Seattle skyline across the water plus Vashon and Blake Islands and Mount Rainier. Stunning! Its been absolutely perfect for me. Because the kitchen is so massive and well-lit, I've even been trying to develop my cooking skills. They're minimal at best, but I am learning. Mom moved out here in July and we have had a great time exploring Seattle and Western Washington. We went to the rain forest and La Push beach, Friday Harbor, and Anacortes. She and I bought a joint membership to the Seattle Art Museum and have had fun going to plays, symphonies, and dance performances. STOMP! was an incredible percussive dance. We had so much fun watching the performers use garbage cans, brooms, and even lighters as musical instruments. If you've never seen this group, watch for them. So worth it!
Springtime is finally arriving here in the rain capital. It is gorgeous, sunny and warm outside. I'm hoping it'll stay that way. Last summer was cold and wet and the winter was quite the experience with power outages, snow and ice, rain, rain, and more rain. I'm ready for the sunshine.
I found this little bit of text saved but never posted from November 1st. I figured I would post it now. It's fairly descriptive of a typical morning in my life: "The rain was coming down again. It had broken for a beautiful Halloween day and begun again just after trick or treating. Impeccable timing. This wasn't the misty wetness characteristic of Seattle, but a cleansing rain, the persistent kind that lasts all day and leaves huge puddles everywhere. The precipitation splashed off my windshield and the hood of my car as my wipers worked to clear the glass. I was careful not to hydroplane, knowing that a wrong move could send my pretty car skipping like a rock into the Puget Sound. I reached the parking area and stepped out into a wide muddy puddle. It was going to be a chilly day.
As I walked to my morning ferry, I wished for the millionth time that I owned a rain coat. My cotton jacket was already half soaked and my jeans, well, I should know better now. I looked out over the water to the Shipyard. Work. It looked smaller than normal through the sheen of rain. The water would be absolutely placid, reflecting the industrial lights on a dry morning. Instead the tiny drops turned the surface of the Sinclair Inlet to a well-textured mass, the tips of tiny waves illuminated by the more powerful beams. The 6:05 Seattle ferry was coming in to dock, brightly lit against the dark sky and water. Ripples from the large watercraft began reaching the small dock as the Annapolis ferry neared the dock to pick us up.
As there was no fog, the sense of isolation was absent. Instead I noticed the puddles on the ground and the people standing uncomfortably around me while we waited for our ride. One gentleman was impatient, looking like he might bolt at any moment. Another was almost asleep on his feet waiting for our little boat to arrive. It came through the pre-dawn light with its single lamp, bobbing in the wake of the larger ferry. We boarded the boat, dodging umbrellas and the rivulets of water streaming off them. It's a short ride, only five minutes or so, but I had time to doze lightly, still mostly aware of the world around me. "
Anyway... that's my life: early mornings in the rain, all day at the shipyard, dinner and maybe a visit to the climbing gym, sleep, repeat.

Hiking Mtojingtake and Enoshima

36 hours prior to a previously cancelled trip I receive a phone call: "Hi! We changed our minds and we'll be there to see you soon!" Oh great! I have a day and a half to not only cancel my weekend plans, but also book hotel for 9 nights. I managed to find 5 nights of it right off the bat. The biggest problem was finding Saturday nights and there were two of them during the stay. The flight was delayed 3.5 hours which allowed me to go check them into the hotel and check the room out. Once I spent the 3 hour train/bus ride getting to the airport, I waited a scant 15 minutes before they appeared through the gate. Another 3 hours of trains and walking got us to the hotel around 2330! I dropped them off and made it home in time to crash.

Saturday morning came bright and beautiful. We moved their luggage to my room, grabbed some water and lunches, and went to the train station to meet my favorite hiking guide. We took a train to a train to a train to a bus to another bus to the trail head to Myojingtake. The hike began in a lovely cedar forest and climbed steadily, steadily out through ankle deep mud to a view of Hakone and Fuji-San! Part way up we came across a group of French hikers and a group of Japanese teenagers. Immediately it became a race to the top, though I was the only one competing. I would like everyone to know: We won that race! Yes, I am that silly. Emily was in full performance mode, so we had a great time playing off each other with movie quotes and impressions, singing songs, and playing "remember when...". We had lunch at the top and ended the hike with another seriously long bus ride to a train to a train to a train. Finally, we finished the day with dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant and piled into my tiny shoebox hotel room. Let me tell you, 3 people in that room was absurd!

Sunday we took a trip out to Kamakura to see the bronze Buddha and Enoshima Island. I've posted a million pics of Buddha, so I will skip to Enoshima. I've been dying to get out to this little island for months! Its a total tourist place with street performers, gardens, a temple, etc. To reach the island we had to traverse a fairly long bridge surrounded by restless waves. Since the wind was still blowing like crazy, the waves were crashing against the walls of the bridge, occasionally spraying little droplets of water at us. Once we arrived, we immediately met Davinci, who is a street performer. Davinci wore a multi-hued bodysuit complete with awkwardly different booty shorts and topped by shiny, silver chaps. His black thong was clearly visible and the gold cape blew in the wind like a banner. He was enormously entertaining to Emily and I. We took a photo with him, though he exchanged the cape for a hot pink boa. Past the performance area, we walked through a market full of strange (to us) foods and all sorts of trinkets. Beyond the market stairs begin to lead through gates to the temple at the top of the hill. We climbed up and up and up and came upon different views and interesting objects at each level.

At the top, there were gardens, a cave shrine with a dragon, and more food. I bought Dad and I each a skewer of grilled baby octopuses. Emily took a tiny bite and couldn't stand it, but at least she tried. We found a little nature trail that leads to an entire fence covered in padlocks. They ranged in size, color, shape, and amount of rust, but all had initials on them. Lovers professing their undying love. When a section of fence is filled, it is moved to another area near the trail. There are thousands of these locks. Next we walked around to the beach side of the island. The waves were crashing on the rocks while the wind whipped at our hair and clothes. It was incredibly beautiful with the sun beginning to set over the water and each wave glittering as if it were not full of salt water, but gemstones. We made it back to shore and the beach while the sun was still up and returned to Yokosuka with just enough time to grab everything and go to Tokyo for the next hotel.

Winter visit to Kamakura and Yokohama

Last week was the family visit to Japan! I was very very proud of Mom for finally having a passport. The first weekend they were here we visited Kamakura, Yokohama and toured the USS George Washington. I have posted on Kamakura before, so I will only add a few pictures.

Kamakura was different this time than last in that it is now winter and all of the gorgeous and brilliant fall leaves have long since disappeared from the trees. Now, the cherry blossoms are beginning to appear! Mom enjoyed the place immensely, feeling the very peaceful aura the temple grounds exude. Diana found the graveyard and spent a good amount of time wandering around among the tombstones. These are generally stunning polished granite shrines that put to shame modern headstones. We drank maccha (green tea) at the top of the hill where a huge bell hangs ready to ring. There were views of the valley and it was lovely!

We took the Enoshima Line train to Hase to see the Great Buddha. He is a super cool bronze statue that was cast in 1252 AD. He's gorgeous and I always love visiting him.

Then we headed back to Yokohama where everyone was staying. We walked to Landmark Tower and ate dinner in the converted dry dock next to it. This is seriously the coolest place! Its an old tiered dry dock reminiscent of the ball courts of ancient Mayans. Inside all of the old tunnels and pump rooms are now restaurants and bars. The dock itself is lit with blue light. I love it. The photo is a little blurry.

Across the street is a very well kept tall ship used for training. The water in the dock was absolutely still and made for a perfect photo op! The cool lit up ferris wheel in the background is one of the largest in the world and holds 480 people! Amazing! The lights change color and pattern on a pretty log cycle. Yokohama is a very nice, very cool place. Definitely worth a visit.

Update and Tsukiji/Spa

So I was informed this morning that I've gotten lax and forgotten completely to post on my blog this whole month! Part of that is attributable to the fact that my hard drive gave up on life and I am waiting for a new one from HP. *crosses fingers* Secondly, I've just been busy with Mom, Wayne, Diana, and Shelley coming to visit. Lastly, I am just a bum and you'll have to forgive my laziness. :P

Updates... I think I will separate this out to a few posts. I visited with a friend of a friend, Mayumi, who took my to Tsukiji where they have a fish market, but it was already closed for the day so we just had amazing sushi instead. Mine was expensive, but I had 10 different types all served on a leaf! We saw tuna heads for purchase. Its really a great deal! Only 500 yen (~$5) for half a tuna head! Not for me. Then we went to Ginza to an art museum where we saw gorgeous lacquer paintings.

Finally, we went to Tokyo something-or-other huge mall where there is an enormous two-story spa called LaQua. So, I spent a day bathing in an onsen with a ton of naked Asian ladies. (no photos, sorry Aaron.) It was very relaxing and had all sorts of cool showers. The mall covered what seemed to be a triangular city block. It was surrounded by roller coasters and rides. (Sweet ferris wheel doesn't have spokes!) The roller coaster had huge drops and wove into the building! Very cool! When we left the spa, it was dark and all of the winter (not Christmas) lights were aglow.

We tried on funny glasses too. :)

Tomorrow I'll add more, promise. I now have to go to work early instead of mid-afternoon. Blah.

Hiking from Lake Tanazawa to Yaga

Yesterday I went hiking in the beautiful Japanese mountains with Bill, a friend from work. We left at 7 am and, after 2 hours of trains and another 20 miutes on a bus, made it to our hike site around 10 am. The hike began across the street from beautiful Lake Tanazawa whose serenity is unparalleled. The water was still and silent, the mirror of its surface broken only by someone rowing a boat near the opposite bank. Turning to the trailhead, a marker noted that the hike is 5.7 km to the top. Steep stairs and trail lead to the ridge that we followed in a huge elevation gain in minutes. Each small rest we took resulted in beautiful scenery and surprise at how far above the lake we'd come.

Once we reached the first peak the foliage abruptly charged to bamboo. With the sun shining through, it was an absolutely gorgeous, inviting sight. The towering evergreens soon regained their dominance over the area, and we had crossed to another peak this one had views into the valley below and the minuscule town of Yaga. The mountains seemed to layer forever into the distance appearing through the haze in various shades of blue.

Shortly thereafter we ended up following a hard-packed dirt road which lead to the end point of the 5.7 km hike. This place had a startling up close view of Fuji. Unfortunately for me, the clear morning had given way to the threat of a storm which covered all but the base of the volcano. We had a light lunch there surrounded by other hikers and those picnicking with their butane stoves and ramen noodles. I must say, those made my crushed PB&J look even less appetizing. The wind had picked up and, combined with the altitude, not to forget winter, was ice cold on our necks as we ate.

Our descent was of mixed light as the clouds drifted lazily across the sun. The trail was surrounded by tall dry grasses and views of Yaga and the surrounding mountains. We passed a place to buy fresh fruits and veggies on the honor system. People here are really that honest that you can leave food and money out without much worry of theft. Re-entry into the beginnings of civilization included a tea farm and rice paddies. Tea farms are rows and rows of round green bushes. The rice paddies were serene and beautiful even in their winterized state. A short train ride from the smallest train station i've ever seen left us in the town wed caught the bus at. I cant quite remember the name, but there was a wonderful tiny sushi place. After a dinner of tekka and tekka maki (tuna) and the strangest dessert ever, we headed home. I slept the whole way back.

2010 Tokyo Auto Salon

Last week Dave came to visit on his way to his big China adventure. We visited Tsukuihama, Shibuya, Akihabara, and went to the Tokyo Auto Salon. The Auto Salon is a huge event which juat further drives home the idea that Utah has no idea how to put on a car show. Upon entering the first of 3 exhibit halls, I was assaulted by light, color and sound. I soon realized that instead of the next year's models the Utah dealers like to trot out, this was Pimp My Ride on crack! Each booth was a different vendor or race team showing off their products. These ranged from rims, to paints, to vinyls that make you car look like brushed steel or fire, to what I can only describe as someone having way too much fun with his daughters Bedazzler. Many of the displays used lovely Japanese models in generally small outfits to show off their products.

Drifting is HUGE in Japan and has caught on worldwide. If you don't know, this is a sport that burns an absurd amount of rubber. Cars are slid sideways in complete control and at high speeds around corners. Check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZfQ4EtNAgk and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKRC51PSsgY for more info. Anyway, outside the Expo, there were drift races around a small course and inside were little remote control versions of the cars that you could actually drift around objects. These were amazing, but at $250 each, I couldn't justify buying two so we could race. Someday... :D

My favorite of the vehicles I encountered were a metallic magenta 350Z Nismo, Lime green Murcielago, and black and orange Gallardo. We came across Prius's that were race cars, Camaros and GTRs that had been souped up with sweet rims, metallic paint and vinyls. There were places advertising opalescent paints that change through multiple colors. Most people have seen the ones that are purple/green/ brown. Now imagine orange and magenta, green and pink, lime to forest green metallics.

As I walked up to the lime green Murcielago, I noticed a smaller version sitting next to it. This little vehicle is basically an ATV with a green Lambo body. Think of the Power Wheels versions you've seen and multiply the coolness factor by a million. Dave asked if I could sit on it and take pictures. The answer was yes and I jumped up on it and smiled while cameras flashed at my blonde hair. The owner/ person running the booth had his camera out the instant I jumped on. After a minute or so, I stepped down and said thank you to the man. Dave said thanks as well but immediately asked if I can sit in the real version. Not only was the answer yes, but absolutely! The owner walked around and unlocked the door for me, swinging it up instead of out in classic Lamborghini style. I slid onto the matching green seat and giggled for sheer giddiness of sitting in a $350,000 vehicle. More photos and a thought that I could really get used to Italian cars, and I decided it was time to move on.

The show was amazing and we had a blast. After dinner with Darrow, Satoshi and several of their friends, we headed home on the trains, missed the last one to Yokosuka after a mad sprint through Tokyo Station and had to take a cab. No dull moments on this day.

Mikasa Park and Chinatown

Most people went home for the holidays, but those of us who stayed still made time to go out to see some of Japan. On Christmas Day, everyone seemed to lock themselves in their hotel rooms to watch TV and call home. So, nearing sunset, I finally decided I'd had enough of sitting around for one day and walked to Mikasa Park. This park is built right next to the Base and contains the Japanese battleship Mikasa sunk into concrete as a memorial. She is the last remaining pre-dreadnought ship. This ship was a flagship and fought in the Russo-Japanese war. In the Battle of Tsushima, she led the Japanese fleet against Russian ships. She took more than 30 hits with only limited damage and the Japanese pretty much just stomped Russia's fleet out of existence destroying 21 of their 38 ships, disarming 6 more and capturing an additional 7. This is especially impressive because in comparison to the 4500 Russian sailors who died in this battle, only 116 Japanese were lost along with 3 torpedo boats. So they saved this cool old ship as a matter of pride and in memorial of the brave and excellent sailors. I thought it was a pretty remarkable story.

The park is right on the water and a series of waterfalls and statues guided me there. It seemed like only Japanese couples were out, enjoying the views and walking hand-in-hand. Since they don't celebrate Christmas, nothing was closed. Arriving in the park, my eyes were immediately drawn to the old battleship in her concrete tomb. Mikasa stands proud and haunting. She is on just one edge of a park full of artistic metal arches and fountains. Walking around in the sunset, the arches were lit up orange and and glinting in the last few rays of the day's light.

As I was leaving the park, I came across a black steam engine I hadn't noticed before. I'm not sure of its significance, but it was pretty cool looking in the dusk light, so I took a photo. I made it to the market in time to buy some fresh fruits and veggies. If I haven't mentioned it before, Japan has absolutely amazing produce.

The next day, the few of us got together and hit up Chinatown in Yokohama. There are a total of 10 Chinese gates in the area, and I managed to find 7 before it was too late to wander anymore. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a riot of color and smell. Everything is just as you'd imagine: elaborate, curvy, and cloaked in reds and golds. Fresh roasted chestnuts were being sold on every street corner and free samples were readily available. Between those, the pastries also available everywhere, and the Chinese buffet we had an hour after arrival, I thought I might burst.

We visited a Chinese temple which is remarkably similar to a Japanese temple in layout, but not at all in style. The Chinese temples are red and gold with intricate statuettes covering much of the roof. Large pillars styled with dragons guard the main entrance to the temples. Inside is a golden maze of design with red and green for accents. Its amazing.

Next we approached a large shopping center full of little trinkets and interesting things. A dragon dog and Hello Kitty in a panda suit guarded the entrance. I don't think I mentioned before, but Chinatown has everything panda that you could possibly imagine: keychains, toys, hats, tupperware, stickers, etc. (And Japan is simply stocked full of Hello Kitty.) After spending time browsing, buying funny panda cups, and viewing another temple that was very similar to the first, we wandered a nearby shopping mall and found a cool honey store. Inside were a myriad of honey flavors. One had the largest bee I had ever seen preserved inside. That pretty much marked the end of the day.