So long Stinky

So there's this dog that I ride my bike past almost everyday on the way to the gym or grocery store. I have named him Stinky, well, basically because he is very very stinky. I'm not just talking wet dog kind of stinky, I'm talking mouldy foot/cheese smell combined with beer gone bad. You can literally smell him a block away. No matter what time of day I ride past, he is ALWAYS outside tied to a rope. And when I say always, I mean I've passed him at 9:00am, 3:pm, 10:pm, and even on the way home from the bar at 5:00am. It is definitely dog abuse, especially in the summer where the heat humidity is unbearable. I don't think I have wished for an animal to die, as much as I have wished for Stinky's death. He is old, and stinks, and I feel so so bad every time I go past. But Stinky has become my friend, and I usually buy dog treats to give to him when I ride past. He is kind of like my Japanese muffy. Well for the past week he has been constantly crying outside when I ride past. BUT for the past two days in a row, there has been no sign of Stinky. No smell....no sad dog....no Stinky. Could it be true, has Stinky finally kicked the bucket?? Fingers crossed he has passed away peacefully, FINALLY. But I will be sad not to see my smelly friend every morning.

Hat saw the sunset...

On Monday I went to my usual afternoon yoga class with Marie sensei. She seems to be wanting to punish us lately. Who can casually do the front splits with both legs while trying to look like one isn't in agonizing pain. Who I ask?
Then in the afternoon a bunch of us went the the beach to enjoy the sea and watch the sun gracefully set. Hat was happy to be roaming the streets of Japan again, it's been a little lonely hanging on my wall.

Takatsu sunset
Then we decided it would be fun to all ride bikes into town to watch the fireworks that mark the end of festival fun times. We stopped at a bridge and saw the fireworks in the distance.
After that we all met at Bears Bar for some drinks and karaoke. Owen is back in town for a week, so it felt a little like the old gang was back together.

Fukui Fenix Festival 2008

Last weekend marked the beginning of August, as well as the beginning of summer festivals and celebrations. In our little city of Fukui we had the Fukui Fenix Festival. It is basically four days of traditional dances in the streets and on the stages, lots of lantern decorations, people of all ages and sizes in Yukatas (summer Kimonos), and lots of festival food stands. I'm not sure what it actually celebrates, and neither did anyone else, but it sure was a lot of fun.
On the first day we all dressed up in traditional festival attire. I wore a 'yukata'. It is similar to a kimono, but not as hot, and much easier to put on. I borrowed it from one of my students. We headed for the centre of it all to drink and be merry with friends. They set up a huge stage in the middle of the park, and people basically sit and watch the show, eat and drink with friends and families. There were sooooooooooooooo many cute tiny children running around in little yukatas, I wanted to steal them all.

We also had a visitor from Australia. Steve's friend Phil came to stay with Lesley for the week. So we basically dressed him in a Jinbe (men's summer outfit)and handed him a fan. Initially objecting to the fan for fear of his manliness being diminished, but after a couple beers was more than ready to pose for pictures.

Yes this is a traffic guard hard at work. I was just doing my drunken part to raise the moral of the underpaid city workers.

After the festival was over for the night we naturally headed to Bears Bar. And then I ended up walking home at around 4 am, minus one yukata. Try walking fast in one of those things.
A bunch of high school girls in yukatas.
The second day of the festival was a little more subdued. We walked around for a bit, and headed for the park to our usual spot to watch the hip hop competition, as well as some cheerleaders doing their thing. After the traditional dances called yosukoi were over, we hopped on the bus home.
Taiko drums.

cold water

So I did it, I finally did it. I plunged into the cold water bath at my gym. This might not seem like a big accomplishment, but to me it was a small victory.

At my gym, which I have successfully been going to every other day for the past 7 months, there is an onsen. An onsen is like huge open a public bathroom with showers and a really large bath area filled with hot water. But there is also a very small bath made for only one or two people, and it is filled with freezing cold water. I have watched the ladies get quickly into and out of the bath for months, but being too scared to enter myself. Finally since it was fairly not busy with the usual ladies, and it also being summer, I felt like it was time. I walked right over and plunged in. Was it cold? yes, did it remind me of many times in the lake? yes, will i do it again? most likely yes (only when no one is around to witness the agony in my face).

On to other topics, I'm changing lives one Japanese woman at a time. I have a new student named Kaori. She is a new bride, and also new to my small town. We were talking about her daily schedule and how she basically has to wake up at 5 am to make both her and her husbands lunches, make them both breakfast, and then do laundry before getting ready for work. Not sure if you are aware of Japanese men, but many of them don't even know wear their underwear is kept. Many wives basically lay their husbands clothing out on the bed for them to change into. Men: don't make breakfast (or any meal for that matter), don't do household chores, basically just go to work, and that's about it. Women on the other hand do EVERYTHING. Both Kaori and her husband work full time, but when they come home, SHE basically starts her other job- the house. I kindly alerted her to the fact that they are unequally contributing to their family and relationship. The next week she came to class beaming. She told me about how she made a list and sat down with her husband to show him how basically everything that needs to be done is done by her, he realized this too, and has started to help significantly with the household chores. She said she is sooooooooo much happier and less stressed. One life made easier is worth it.

I often feel so much more than a teacher here in this little city called Fukui. I'm a therapist, a friend, and generally someone who listens to the daily lives of all my students. I don't always have answers or good advice, but I listen (and correct their English of course).

This weekend is festival time!!!!!!!!! Expect some Yukata clad pictures to be put up soon.

Tsuruga つるが, and Mikata Go-ko

So when the Wicked Witch of the West said she was melting, I'm pretty sure she wasn't in OZ, she was in fact in Fukui, Japan. It is sooooooo hot and humid. I am never not sweating. No wonder Japanese people stay so skinny, it's because they sweat away any fat they might gain from unhealthy food.

What better to do on a hot sunny day than go to the beach? Lesley, Kathy, George and I set out to Tsuruga at about 8:00 am. Our first stop was Mikata Go-ko, which means 5 lakes of Mikata. It is apparently famous. It was very beautiful, but at 32 degrees all I wanted to do was get my bum to the beach.


This is apparently the new pose I have adopted. At least it is better than the peace sign. Notice the little locks surrounding my legs. They are all from people locking up there love on top of this mountain, or hopes of love.
A surprise wave hit me.

We decided to find some shade after a while, and ended up with our very own private rock pool.
Great day in the sun :)

白山 Mt Hakusan

Wake-up 2:00 am
Board bus 2:30 am
Arrive at Mountain 5:00am
Start climbing the largest Mountain I've ever climbed 5:30am.

I have such mixed feelings towards this mountain climbing experience. On the one hand there was amazing scenery, fresh air, and a summit triumph. On the other hand there were bugs, sweat, thirst, freezing weather/rain at the top, and a trail down that never seemed to end... and don't even get me started on the days of aching leg muscles.

Hakusan mountain is 2702 m high, and it is one of the three holy mountains in Japan. The others are Tateyama, and Fuji. We are climbing Fuji next month. The climb up the mountain was great.There is nothing better than the unknown, and a goal ahead of you. We passed waterfalls, areas of snow, mountain flowers, and rocky cliffs. It took us about 6 hours to climb to the area where we had lunch.

Keiko and I resting on one of our many much needed breaks.


This is still early on in the climb when we don't look exhausted.
Snowy trails
Finally reaching the summit at 2702 m. No rain or cold breeze was going to stop us :) Once we were above the clouds the rain stopped.
This does not look as dangerous as it actually was.
I made an aniakchak(sp?) for Kylie. "Now the people will know we were here" ahahah
My adorable students at the top :)On the way down, slipping through the snow.
Our guide, Sakai-san

The whole group.

I'm not going to lie, the way down was not easy. We went a different way down, and it took us just about as long to get down as it did up. All I could think about was what I wanted to eat when I got off the mountain. When you are tired it is hard to concentrate on your footing, and down is tricky with all the rocks and stray trees. It felt so good to finally reach the bridge where we had first started over 12 hours ago.

Time everyone made it down the mountain 7:30pm
Arrival at home 9:30pm

Sleep was soooooooooo very good that night.

Nagashima Spa Land

My boss decided to cancel all the classes this Wednesday and take us all to a theme park called Nagashima Spa Land. What a great day at work if I do say so myself. My boss even had to wear his suit because he didn't tell his wife he was going to a theme park instead of working. We went on many roller coasters, rides, etc, I think they also had the worlds longest roller coaster.