the sea

Sunday was a beach day! I woke up and realised that the summer is almost already over. Time flies, eh! It really does. Originally I planned to spend ever available day at the beach this summer. But I've actually gone less than last year! So I jumped at the chance to go.

The waves were HUGE! It was unlike anything I've seen before at that particular beach. But it was a lot of fun getting thrown around like a rag doll. It kinda made me want to take up surfing.

After the beach we had a barbeque.

There are too many people to name in this picture. Some are old friends, some new. There were people playing baseball in a field next to the place and the biggest benefit of having a BBQ in Japan is the Yaki-soba. It's like chow-mein, I guess. Barbequed noodles! SooOOOoooOOOO tastey!

Afterwards we went to the beach to shoot off some fireworks. The end of rainy season is marked by intense fireworks displays all over th country.

This is Yoshimi.

Unfortunately taking pictures of fireworks always sucks...but here is a token one.

blue skies

Last night there was a MASSIVE fireworks display. Rainy season is officially over, and we were met with oppressive heat, and bright, boundless blue skies.

I took the chance to take some pics of the man measuring the sky at the 21st Century museum.



here's a close up!

Also the plant wall nearby is pretty cool. Most people go directly for Leandro's pool, but I like the plant wall.

one side is plants from all over the world, the other side consists of plants ONLY found in Ishikawa prefecture.

Anyways, today I'm going to the beach, so I'll post some pics of that tomorrow.

secrets...

wanna read other people's dirty secrets? ...Well, click the link! What are you waiting for?!

I found this site and thought I would share it with you. I'm thinking about sending in a post card myself. Though, I haven't put much thought to which of my dark secrets I'd write down.

Either way, it sounds like fun.

tea garden

I have been slacking on my Japanese recently. I have barely spoken it in the last two weeks. So yesterday I decided to have an all Japanese day. It was kinda like when mama-bird kicks baby-bird out of the nest to make him fly...except, I was mama AND baby bird.

I met my friend, Keiko and went to drink some macha, traditional Japanese tea. It was served with a delicious sweet treat and the tea itself was actually a macha latte!

The shop had a traditional garden in the back. The window was open and you could hear the hushing of the canal flowing behind it. The waves would sometimes lap into the old well, covered by bamboo, and a gentle wind cooled the place down.

This show must stand just outside the original city since the background is the old wall and the canal might have served as a moat once upon a time. Now it's a quiet stream.

We decided to go for a walk around the castle. Yes! More castle pics! Hurray!!! But don't worry, it's froma different angle this time.

cheap post, i know...

today, there's only a link:

Carl Sagan Speech

I was very touched when I read this though. I've often felt that seeing the entire planet from space would dramatically change your perspective on things.

breakdancers, bums, and loitering musicians

Here's a video late one night at Kanazawa Station. Those breakers are always there, having carved their niche between groups of musicians (I even heard a full drum set!!!), and drunken bums. Kanazawa doesn't have that many homeless people, but they all end up around the station. Some guy tried to talk to me, while I sat there. It was funny, because I pretended not to understand at first, but he was using such rude language to me, that eventually I started replying in english, with random insults thrown in...Which is pretty much what, I think, he was doing.

The italics are translated Japanese:
He was like "Where are you from?"
"Canada."
"Canada? where's that?"
"North of America. Next to it."
"America sucks! (shitface)"
"Uhh...Yeah, but Canada's not America."
"Europe's the best!
"I agree, fuckstain."
"I want to go play in Europe, (you bastard)."
"Too bad you'll never see it, Old Man McShits"
and so on, and so on...

Actually, it was rather civil all in all. And he even thanked me for talking to him when I left.

reflections and zombies

So last night...or, this morning, I guess, there was an earthquake in Niigata. I was woken up by the shaking and remember feeling scared because it had the feel of a 'BIG' earthquake. But the shaking wasn't increasing, so I went back to sleep.

My friend, Amy lives in Joetsu in Niigata. She told me about the water jumping out of her fish tank in gulps and waves. She's OK. And in comparison to a similar-sized quake 3 years ago in the same place it was relatively tame.

This weekend, I did nothing. It was a good change from all the activity recently. I needed it. I also saw Dawn of the Dead and realised Mike Barry, who I went to high school with, was in it. Last time I saw him I was walking around Queen West at Bathurst. The sketchiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. We said hi, asked a few questions about each other, then walked off in separate directions into the future.

Watching a zombie movie, made me realise that I have yet to make one of my own. It's always been my dream to make my own zombie movie. I even had a plan to film one last year, but one of the actors moved (co-incidently enough) to Niigata! After that plans fell apart. But before I die, I'd like to make one good...er, 'bad' zombie movie.

whiteboard art!

I draw and write on a whiteboard everyday, and man! do I wish I had thought about this first! Super cool, though!

On a different note: Today, being Friday the 13th, started out with my building catching on fire at 6am. I ignored the alarm at first, thinking that it was a drill. Then eventually a fireman knocked on my door and told me to get out right away. So I went downstairs barely clothed to wait for them to finish their shtick.

It took about 2 and a half hours before they let us back in. So desperately tired, I try to sleep for at least one more hour. But as soon as my head hits the pillow, some dude in the house just outside my window starts sawing up metal...I got up to see exactly what kind of action could make such an absolutely annoying sound. And I almost threw the lawnchair from my balcony onto him.

I guess, the universe really wanted me to leave my apartment today...I mean, it's 11:00 now and he's still grinding these metal tubes. I mean, really! Come ooooon!

Fuji-san

Image from wikkipedia It was too cloudy to be able to see the whole mountain. From the bottom you just saw clouds.

The first stop was the shrine where pilgrims traditionally pray before climbing Fuji-san. It is surrounded by dense forest, and the path leading to the shrine is lined by hundreds of lanterns. We also saw them making a samurai movie in the forest! (Erin's prayer: "Please don't let me die, please don't let me die!")

Since the experience of climbing mount fuji is absolutely inexpressable through pictures, I've posted some that would give you a feeling of the walk on the way up.

There were many signs all over the mountain. I especially like the "Don't walk straight!" signs and this "watch your step" sign.


Way above the clouds I found this weather vane. It was bent a little from the strong winds near the top. We were incredibly lucky and had marvelous weather. Actually, it was truly idea for climbing: cloudy near the top, warm, and almost windless. But the clouds prevented the great view, from which you're supposed to be able to see Tokyo on a clear day!

Here you can see the team at the summit. From left to right: Yuka, Me, Erin, and Taija.

This is a panorama showing the crater. On the opposite side, you can see the weather station. The colours of the rocks varied from each past explosion. Some were black, others red, and yet others were this sky blue colour.

This is me posing in front of the 8th station on the way down. Way above the clouds. You forget how tall the mountain is because you can only see so far through the clouds.

All in all, it was a great experience — never climbed a volcano before! And the colours were magical through the mists. Also, when you got near the top, climbing on the volcanic stones was like walking on wind-chimes.

digging and climbing

So...Rainy Season is still here, but we've made a serious attempt to go climb mount Fuji. So this upcoming weekend me and 3 other people will set out to climb the second highest free-standing mountain in the world. We'll be a rag-tag team of mixed nationalities: Finnish, Japanese, and Canadian.

I'm very excited. It's a good thing I got so much exercise at the beach on Canada Day. I woke up the next day and it felt like I went to Billy Blank's Bootcamp. My entire body was so sore.

So here's what happened: The beach closed the public washrooms while we were there for some reason, and when the girls drove to a conveni to go pee, me and Remi found a shovel on the beach. So naturally, we started digging. When the girls returned we had a hole about a meter and a half deep. It was spectacular. We were standing in water about 30 cms deep when we were inside. But I guess all the pirate...er, I mean 'manly' work sure had it's price.

Here are some pics from the picnic on the beach:
Diggin' the hole! This is about half way...You can see the determined look in my eyes.

Me, Kazuyo, Erin, Michiyo, and Remi. Yuka is taking the picture.

Remi, putting the finishing touches on our sand-ziggurat.

Yay! Fireworks.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!

So yes! Happy Canada Day (wherever in the world you may be)!!! The weather is fine today and so we're going to the beach to drink beer, eat poutine, and shoot fireworks.

I know technically it'll be a day early, but to make up for it, I'll tell you a little secret: Yesterday (tonight for any of you in Canada!) was a blue moon. Yes, this rare event when there are 2 full moons in one month. So look up in the sky and enjoy the wonder and amazement of the 2nd full moon you'll see in June.