Tyler Mitchell

Turning Leaves

2005-11-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hello Peoples!

Just put some pictures on to my computer that I took while I was chasing autumn colors(紅葉) around Aomori earlier this fall. Because Aomori is situated on the northern most region of Honshu(本州) it is home to some of the most beautiful autumn leaves in Japan. Before coming to Japan I wasn't aware of what a great thing going out to see the turning leaves is. I feel Japanese people make a special effort to go out and view the leaves. Whereas in America there is a ton of beautiful locations, but we seems to prefer letting the leaves just change before our eyes instead of turning it into a special outing, of hiking, picnicking, and tours. I guess this became apparent to me when some of my co-workers were telling how I needed to go out myself and see. This year I took so many pictures. I would love to post them all, but here are a few from Lake Towanda and Mt. Hakkoda.

2005-11-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

A little island sprinkled with jagged rocks, autumn leaves, and a couple of shrines on top!

2005-11-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

We found this shrine about an hour and a half hiking back in to the woods behind one of Lake Towada's scenic viewpoints. The only other people that seemed to be catching a glimpse were having to take a special jet boat cruise. They were still at least a hundred yards further out than us. Lucky!

2005-11-18T18:51:00.000-08:00

As you can see Lake Towada hosts some of the clearest blue water in Northern Japan.

2005-11-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

Here is a covered bridge hugging on of the many cliffs protruding from Lake Towada.

2005-11-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

The little bright berries near the top of Mt. Hakkoda were displaying the most color when I went up.

2005-11-18T17:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a close-up. As you can see I have no Macro Lens. But did my best.

2005-11-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

Here is one of the few tricolored scenes I found on my way up Hakkoda.

Buddha's Halo - Mt. Fuji

2005-09-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

It’s 5:30 already?! I’m so tired, it has to be at least 10 degrees warmer than it was yesterday, and my body already aches thinking about climbing this early in the morning. My group and I wake up, get ready, and head to the station to catch the bus from Gotemba to the bottom of Japan’s highest peak, Mt. Fuji.

2005-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Off to catch the bus. We are ready. Are you?

Mt. Fuji (con't)

2005-09-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

“Excuse me could you please stop the bus?” we say. “You want to get out here?” says a baffled bus driver. “Yes please let us out here.” We reply. This would be the beginning of one of the most trying yet rewarding experiences of my life. “Is everybody ready?” “Quick, take a picture!” “Alright let’s do this!”

2005-09-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

Everybody! Ready! Set! Let's Go!

2005-09-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

Becareful of Poisonous mushrooms!?!?!?

Mt. Fuji (con't)

2005-09-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Prior to ascending Mt. Fuji I tried to gather as much know-how about climbing as one could to help me along the way. And with a full tank of energy, I start the climb. I kept a steady pace under the shade of the trees while they were still over me “1, breathe, 2, breathe, 3, breathe”. “Look it’s the 2nd station marker already! That went quick.” Enjoying the fresh air and nature all around me, I made my way up to the 5th station (the starting point for most individuals). After about 2 hours stopping only momentarily to rest I arrived. Once everybody had arrived at the 5th station, we rested for another hour before starting the most grueling portion of our trek.

2005-09-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here's everyone just happy to reach the 5th station and take a breather.

2005-09-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Paul, our most prepared climber, takes time to double check his gear before starting out from the 5th station.

Mt. Fuji (con't)

2005-09-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

As we start to climb towards the 8th station where we were going to stay for the night, I take another look up at the daunting yet almost perfect inverted volcanic cone. It wasn’t long before Fuji’s incline and each individual’s pace had separated our group in two.

2005-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

Mt. Fuji's volcanic cone slightly covered by a patch of clouds.

Mt. Fuji (con't)

2005-09-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

“Do your best!”, “Take Care!” Brisk words of encouragement from fellow climbers kept our spirits high and our bodies from tiring too quickly. Blessed with a clear day with hardly a drizzle of rain we reached the 6th station in just over 2 hours. The air was becoming noticeably thin and cool giving it a distinct fresh quality. By this time the intervals between stations had decreased and the upper stations were beginning to show themselves as specks near the top of the mountain.

2005-09-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

A good picture of the Yamamoto brothers at the 7th station. They accompanied me for the majority of the climb.

2005-09-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

A small flower managing to blume on Fuji's lava rock mountainside. Somehow life finds a way.

Mt. Fuji (con't)

2005-09-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

After a quick rest and mini bowl of pork soup, we were ready to advance. The paths steepened and vegetation had decided to take a more comfortable seat watching climbers from the lower stations. Tromping our way up the lava rock paths the cold thinning air forced us into a slower pace and frequent breathers. But around 3:30P.M., almost 8 hours after we embarked, we reached the 8th station where we could rest before climbing to the peak.

2005-09-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of Gotemba from the 8th station.

2005-09-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

A picture of everyone together at the 8th station.

Mt. Fuji (con't)

2005-09-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

It was pitch black and freezing cold outside when we woke up to finish the final leg of our journey to the peak of Mt. Fuji. It was 1:30A.M., but surprisingly enough we were already a few hundred people behind the first climbers ascending the peak. Passing those stopped huffing on cans of oxygen and those regurgitating from lack thereof I think to myself how everyone around me has the same goal in mind; make a lemming like dash for the peak to catch a glimpse of Goraiko, or sunrise, from the highest point in the land of the rising sun.

2005-09-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

Fellow climbers encourage each other through the dark cold morning.

Mt. Fuji (con't)

2005-09-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

After reaching the peak above the clouds we stake out a suitable location to sit and wait for the sun to show itself. As the sun tried to peek out from between the clouds I couldn’t help reflecting on what this trip meant to me. The climb up was hard on my feet, knees, and back. But the spiritual and emotional sense of accomplishment overshadowed the aches and pains ten fold.

諺：虎穴に入らずんば虎児を得ず
(Koketsu ni Hairazunba koji o ezu)
Proverb: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

2005-09-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, we reach the top (12,387.23ft.)

2005-09-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

Our view from on top of Japan

2005-05-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a 2nd year taking advantage of the shade to complete his worksheet.

2005-05-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

I think this one... right... here needs a little attention.

2005-05-23T23:41:00.000-07:00

Check out these blossoms! We were surrounded on all sides by them.

2005-05-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the our guide filling up the kids bottles with pollen. It was bright pink.

2005-05-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

One quick snapshot of Mt. Iwaki before we head out. I took this picture from the front door of the school.

Pollinating Flowers

2005-05-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hello It hasn't been that long since I've posted but I have been pretty busy lately so there should be plenty to talk about. Just the other day I was invited to go on a field trip with the students at Tateishi Elementary. Tateishi Elementary probably has one of most well rounded programs in my area. Alongside the average science, reading, writing, and arithmetic, its academic spectrum also includes life studies and horticulture.

On this occasion the students, faculty, and I made our way to a nearby apple orchard to partake in pollinating(受粉) some of the apple trees. One of hundreds Aomori is so famous for. With the clouds in check a slight breeze kept us cool while neighboring Mt. Iwaki watched over our eager bunch. There really couldn't have been a better day to make this happen.

We were told by the resident farmers (one of which had been to Iowa) that they pollinate each to induce developmental stages of fruiting on the apple trees. The particular orchard that we were at also housed several bee hives to help in the pollination process.

So each student was given their own stick pollinator and a small vile (reused energy drink bottles) of last year's pollen. The older children were grouped with the younger as this had been their 5th or 6th time participating in this activity. Groups were assigned to ladders and the kids took turns pollinating the apple blossoms in full bloom.

We spent nearly 2 hours with 30 or so individuals helping pollinate 3 trees. Where some of the more experienced apple farmers and their helpers can get to 10 or more trees by themselves in one day, if you can believe that. Anyways, check out the pics!

2005-05-01T01:58:00.000-07:00

This is our human chain allowing us to reach the moat and retrieve Chris' Frisbee without falling in. Yeah it was that steep!

2005-05-01T01:54:00.000-07:00

A evening view of the moat as we made our way outside of the castle.

2005-05-01T01:52:00.000-07:00

Here's the majority of our group enjoying themselves under the sakura.

2005-05-01T01:50:00.000-07:00

A shot of the castle from right by our location.

2005-05-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

Paul, Myself, Chris, Yuki, and Kevin making it happen early in the morning.

Hiraosaki Hanami

2005-04-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

Hello People! I have just experienced probably the most enjoyable afternoon/evenings since landing on this island almost 9 months ago. Every year as Mother Nature starts to shift her seasons from winter to spring, inhabitants of Japan ready themselves for cherry blossom viewing, or Hanami(花見). Sakura(桜), or cherry blossoms, are probably one of Japan's most treasured flowers as well as the driving force behind the customs and traditions of Hanami.

The practice of hanami is said to date back several centuries to the Nara Period(奈良時代) in Japanese history. This was a time when Japanese customs were greatly influenced by the Chinese Tang Dynasty; one of which was the custom of enjoying flowers. Castles all over Japan were adorned with these trees. Often hundreds of species and/or thousands of trees line every inch of a castles courtyard and gardens. The tradition of actually going out and enjoying oneself under the sakura was first celebrated by the aristocratic class of Japan's court, and written about as an actual occasion in the famous Tale of Genji(源氏物語).

Today, Hanami is celebrated by anyone interested, young and old. On a beautiful day or day before a holiday several tens of thousands of eager flower watchers will head towards the nearest castle to partake this event. But, because of the delicate nature of sakura blossoms the blooms only last as long as they can stay attached to their respective branches. Often the flowers are stolen by strong winds or even the lightest rain. Therefore this fleeting beauty is forecasted, watched, updated several times a day, and reported with the national and local weather to utilize every possible moment one could be viewing the blossoms.

So that's little background information. How was my experience, you wanna know? Well, the morning of, Paul, Kevin, Chris, Yuki, and I woke up at 6:30 and made our way to Hirosaki Castle to go claim ourselves a spot for everyone to sit. A sunny high of 62 degrees with zero to minimal wind blessed us with some of the best weather I have seen since coming to Tohoku(東北). We were able to find a gorgeous spot right next to the castle moat with two sakura that already had countless flowers on them. Next all we had to do was wait until all our friends showed up. We made small talk with each other while Kevin read us some of the DaVinci Code. People started showing up around 12:00 noon, and continued to arrive all the way until 4 or 5 in the evening. In total there were around 30 people sharing the moment with us, and more people came, the more grins and laughter there was.

There was a group of gymnasts from Hirosaki University by us putting on quite the exhibition of stunts and flips. Children playing on either sides of us. I guy with an accordion charging people for accompanied karaoke. And we even had our own situation involving a Frisbee and the castle moat. We spent the entire day eating, drinking, and enjoying each others company. By the time we left, there had been a noticeable increase in the amount of visible sakura around us adding to the atmosphere. Altogether, we were within the castle walls for a good nine and a half hours, and when it was all said and done I felt that it had ended much too soon.

2005-04-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

The infamous inspection checklist. Notice you are marked pass or fail on the left side.

2005-04-26T05:57:00.001-07:00

Undercarriage Inspection.

2005-04-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

Emissions Test

2005-04-26T05:56:00.000-07:00

Here is the inside of the inspection garage.

2005-04-26T05:55:00.000-07:00

Shaken

Shaken!

2005-04-26T05:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! It's been awhile! Anyways, thought I would update my blog and let everyone in on one of Japan better kept secrets, Shaken(車検) or vehicle inspection. I just recently had the pleasure of taking this little test myself. Why would getting and auto inspection be fun you ask? Well let me fill you in some of the lesser known details about Japan's favorite checkpoint inspection, and how you too can enjoy having perfectly aimed headlights!

It starts off with your mandatory reservation no earlier than one week prior to the actual test itself. Now, if you're extra clever and have anticipated failing one, if not several portions of this assessment, your will have reserved a spot for yourself early in the morning. And this is all before the fun even starts.

Next, get your pocketbook ready because Japan's Land Transportation office is fully prepared to explain every application and fee you are responsible for before you can legally drive your vehicle again.

Now, you head over to the administration building next to the Land Transportation office where the real financial magic takes place. First you purchase all the necessary application forms you're going to need during, and after the test. After 10 to 30 minutes filling out the proper forms (Depending on Japanese Proficiency) you will be able to pay all pre-inspection fees. Hooray! Some cars are different, and depending on the expiration date of your mandatory liability insurance you will be paying either 3 or 4 fees. Insurance renewal fee, the weight tax depending on the tonnage of your auto, the auto inspection fee itself, then last and definitely NOT LEAST you pay Japan's new recycle fee. This law is part of the government's solution to meet the rising cost of disposing of car-related scrap as landfill sites become scarce.

Finally take all your receipts, and the reservation number you got last week over back to the Land Transportation Office to receive a checklist for inspection. Now, buckle your seat belt, you're ready for Shaken!

In my case, after waiting about 45 minutes in line, one of the certified inspection proctors starts your exam with a brisk round-the-car checkup that takes place just outside the long car wash looking garage. This test includes: headlights, parking lights, high beams, front and rear blinkers, reverse lights and hazards, tire pressure, window wipers and fluid, rev your engine, now HONK!

Proceed into the garage for emissions approval. You stick a long emissions probe into your muffler from the tail pipe, wait for the beep and stick your inspection checklist into the tester up to the dotted line and remove to see if you have passed emissions.

Next proceed to braking and acceleration. Depending on whether your car is front or rear wheel drive, advance until the proper set of tires are sitting snugly between the acceleration rollers and put your car in neutral. Keep your eye on the monitor now and on its command, shift into Drive and accelerate to 40kh. After this, brake back down to 0kh and throw it into Neutral again. Look BACK up at the monitor and engage your foot brake when it says. Then decelerate back to 0kh. Look back up at the monitor a final time and engage the parking brake on its command, and back down to 0kh.

Next, turn on your high beams and prepare to have your headlight projection tested. This is the easiest shaken test to take, as all you do is turn on your lights, yet also the most failed. After the mirroring system finishes checking your beams get out of the car and stick your inspection checklist into the next tester to see whether or not you have passed acceleration, braking and headlight tests. Isn't this fun? Were almost finished!

Finally, you pull up to another set of rollers that will test you suspension. Make sure to keep your eye on the monitor because after this test, another proctor will be performing and undercarriage exam from the basement of the garage. Once this is completed, get out of the car one last time; stick your checklist into the tester to see if you have or have not passed your shaken. Then take your inspection checklist up to the Shaken supervisor in a glass booth at the end of the garage for his stamp of approval.

To trim an already long post, I did not pass my headlight inspection. I wanted to. But hey! What can you do? Well, I'll tell you. You can wait for the mechanics at the nearest auto shop to finish eating lunch! (This just happens to be right behind and funded by the Land Transportation office. What a surprise!) After they have made all necessary adjustments to your automobile, you get BACK into the Shaken line and wait your turn to go through it all again taking the tests you did not pass. Once you have passed all required inspections you receive a final "OK", certificate, and sticker for the front of your car, and you are free to go.

As I said before, each car and person's experience is different. So I'm not going to give out any totals on the internet, but I saved over US$200.00 by doing this all myself instead of having a mechanic do it for me. Yeah it's that expensive! But hey, at least you only have to do it every other year. Enjoy (^-^)

2005-03-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

Two young ladies serenading the evening with some 津軽三味線 !

2005-03-11T07:10:00.000-08:00

We Kanpai ("Cheers") with にごり to start the event.

2005-03-11T07:08:00.000-08:00

Here you can distinctly see sake rice after different degrees of polishing.

Ajigasawa Rice Wine Tasting

2005-03-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! I know you're completely surprised I have posted twice today. Well I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to put your names on your comments so I know who it is. Well, this was an interesting event put on by the same man who runs the local stationary store, Mr. Jin. He put together an event where local could come and try some traditional sake(酒)(Sa-Kay), while enjoying food and conversation with friends and/or watching the various performances that happened throughout the event. There was traditional Tsugaru(津軽) dances and Shamisen(三味線) performance going on as well as, a raffle where you could win anything from a bathtub scrubber to a small refrigerator.

Paul, Kevin, Jeff and I all walk over to a big performance hall on the 2nd floor of the Pal building downtown. As we hand the receptionist our tickets, we are all given our Masu(升) to drink from.

Masu are square boxes that hold exactly 180ml(6 oz) and were used long ago for measuring the portion of rice needed for one meal. Masu are often served on a dish and overfilled as a sign of hospitality and welcome.

The masu we received were fresh cedar and gave an interesting woody flavor to the sake. Each sake had its own distinct flavor determined by the amount of rice polishing that goes in to its creation. So why is polishing important? Because the outer layer of the rice grain contains fat and protein that spoil the flavor of sake. Whereas the center contains a starch pocket that gives each sake its delicacy and fragrance. At the event there were three types of sake available.

Nigori(にごり)(knee-go-ree)is the way sake first appeared when it was brewed for the Imperial Court in Kyoto as well as for most of its 2,000 year history. It is coarsely-filtered with a noticeable rice content and one of the sweetest variants of Japanese rice wine. Named for its murky impure consistency. I thought this sake would complement very spicy foods.

Junmai(純米)(june-my) refers to pure sake, pure in the sense that no adjuncts (starches or sugars other than rice added to the fermenting mixture) are used, and that no additional alcohol is added. Because of its full and rich flavor I thought that this rice wine would go well with some sort of flavor packed pork or other meat dish.

Ginjo(吟醸)(geen-joe) Ginjo sake seemed much more delicate and light than the above two. This probably due to the fact that the rice has had at least the outer 40% of the grains polished away, leaving the inner 60% left. On top of that, special yeast, lower fermentation temperatures, and labor-intensive techniques this a more fragrant rice wine as well as my top choice for any meal.

2005-03-11T05:23:00.000-08:00

I give you GTO!

Basketball Season has Ended

2005-03-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody thought I could take a few minutes and post for everyone. Well, we just finished are playoff game against Saikai Propane(西海プロペン). And unfortunately we came out of the game defeated unfortunately. But the season wasn't all a loss as we did end up making it to the playoffs. I was surprised at the level of competition and how organized the tournament had been put together. The shot clocks scoring fouling and just about everything else was run by a three man scoring team on the side of half court. The name of our team was GTO and we were comprised of some teachers and administrators from some local school districts. And by the time the season had come to a close, I felt like I had become closer with many if not all of my teammates. So here are a few pics.

2005-02-14T01:59:00.000-08:00

What a view from the Top of Sapporo Television Tower.

2005-02-14T01:57:00.000-08:00

This is a snow model of Nagoya castle almost to scale!

2005-02-14T01:56:00.000-08:00

Don't look them directly in the eye. They can smell fear.

2005-02-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

Here we are! Enjoying the cold weather.

Sapporo Snow Festival

2005-02-14T01:17:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody! No I haven't forgotten how to post on my own website. Well, Paul Akiko, Kevin and I have returned from Sapporo's famous snow festival. I must tell you all it is a MUST SEE if you are ever in Northern Japan during February. Honestly I had no idea the magnitude of these sculptures as the train arrived in Sapporo last weekend. We decided to take the train this time instead of driving just to eliminate some of the hassles we experienced when in Sapporo during December. Also, I hope I'm not just speaking for myself when I say that the Hokkaido AJETs really extended some hospitality our direction when they let us join in on their Enkai(宴会) Saturday night. We all had a chance to eat uber amounts of Genghis Khan(ジンギスカン), a meal named after one of the infamous warlord's favorite dishes. Anyways, enough of my blabber. Check out the pictures.

2004-12-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

Here we are poised to steamroll over all in our path. GO DESUI!

Volleyball

2004-12-02T06:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody,
Wow I am so happy to hear that so many of you are wanting to see more from my site. I guess I'd better get on the ball, ehh? Anyways, I guess this is a better time than any to update you on the turn out of the last three Volleyball tournaments I was in. First of all I was fortunate enough to be invited to play for my coworker's team after I kept drilling him to see what types of sports clubs were happening in Ajigasawa. This first tournament I joined half way through. Guys were in the secondary and only allowed to underhand serve. So outside of practice I was playing a type of volleyball I had never played before. We did OK and finished 5th, but after showing a little determination and dedication, I was invited to play with some of the guys in a night volleyball league/tournament that started soon after. This tournament was comprised of teams from all over Ajigasawa and neighboring villages. The competition was a lot stiffer and there weren't any sex related regulations. Because of height and experience we were definitely contenders for 1st place in the tournament. We had a few struggles, but overall we only lost one match which placed us second!

My team won 10,000 yen(about $100), some dish soap, and I even got our teams MVP award.

I was sooo stoked! On top of all that, the 1st and 2nd place teams from our Ajigasawa tournament and 1st and 2nd place from another neighboring town's(Fukaura) tournament were invited to take part in a West Coast Playoff. This was our chance to show we were good enough to be #1. We only lost once and took first place amongst the four best teams in the area. WooHoo! Got a nice certificate and HUGE trophy!

2004-11-30T06:41:00.000-08:00

Kanji Certification for 2,000,000 people

Kanji Kentei

2004-11-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody,
Wow I haven't posted in the longest time. Well to let you know I'm doing fine and just finished taking 4 Kanji Kentei tests. Paul (my coworker) and I both decided to take the first four levels of the tests to test our ability at reading Chinese characters. There are 12 testing levels starting at level 10 with pretests in between levels 3 and 2, and 2 and 1. I took levels 10, 9, 8, 7. Up through level 7 tests an individual on 640 different characters, including On yomi and Kun yomi, antonyms, homonyms, idiomatic phrases, and kanji compounds. Whew! It's finally over and even though we still don't have the official results, I'm sure I passed the levels 10-8 and 7 is a little ぎりぎり(close call) but I can take more tests in February. So I am in fine shape.

2004-10-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is where I told taught them how we erect buildings with No. 2 pencil shavings... Just kidding explaining similarities between Aomori and Iowa.

2004-10-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

This is me working the crowd for enthusiasm!

Rotary Club Speech

2004-10-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Ok this will be my last post for the evening I know that you're all tired of reading my posts. It's 12:20AM and I have an important volleyball match tomorrow so I'll give you a quick break after this one. Today I finally got to present the speech I have been preparing for the last two weeks in front of the local Rotary club. Memorizing my intro and outro wasn't as hard for me as I remember giving speeches in College. I guess that's a good thing. After they fed me a delicious lunch, I told Rotarians a quick story about the first time I came to Japan and what impressions I took back home with me that made me want to continue my study of the Japanese language. After this I continued by introducing my country and state, and explaining some of the differences that I've encountered during my stays in Japan and other foreign countries. I concluded with a formal dismount and waited for the regular "What do you think of Ajigasawa?", "What is your favorite Japanese dish?", and "Do you like Japanese girls?". It was silly of me to expect this profound sense of accomplishment in a quick Q&A session following my speech. However, I do feel I made a good impression and honestly that's what counts. And I got a dual-action chrome pen for being their guest for the afternoon. So check out the pics, and till next time.

2004-10-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Almost ten and only 50,000 miles!

2004-10-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce the two of you. \(^-^)/

Name my Car!

2004-10-07T07:33:00.001-07:00

Alright everybody I haven't posted anything about my car yet. So now is the time. However, there is one thing missing from this post and my life, a name for my car. He/She is almost ten years old and I promised him/her a name their birthday. So, for good luck, safe driving, or just something to throw into conversation please post comments on this post telling me what you think I should name my car. Anyways, he/she is Forest Green, as you can see from the pictures. Weighs in at just under 2500 pounds, 5-speed automatic, Boxer two stage twin-turbo, four-wheel drive, ABS braking, powerbar for increased suspension, 17 inch custom wheels, ground effects, and dual sun roofs so the back seat passengers don't get bored behind the smoked-out windows. Plus there's enough room to fit a couple friends, a Sumo wrestler, the entire high school table tennis squad, and camping gear to put everyone up for the night on Mt. Iwaki. We love how he/she gleams in the moonlight, and the kicker is that there are only 49,625 miles under his/her belt. Check out the pics!

2004-10-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

Mike and I "Doing as the Romans Do!"

2004-10-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

Mel and Mike getting their Big Suprise!

Mel and Mike's Birthday

2004-10-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hello again everybody, it's good to see that so many of you are still checking out the webpage. Well just to get you up to speed I had better post a couple of times. The Saturday before last our Prefectural Advisor and another Third year JET had birthdays. So a couple of JETs in Aomori helped plan a Toga Party in near-by Morita Mura where Eric the president of Aomori AJet lives. He has a huge house all to himself and offered to host their birthday there. (What a Gentleman!) Since Morita is only about a 15 minute drive from Ajigasawa I offered to help set up the party since I lived near by and it sounded like the girl in charge could use some help. Everyone showed up in high spirits presents in hand and dressed to impress even the most critical Roman. Melanie and Mike ended up coming after everyone was already at the party so when they showed up, we decided to throw them a big suprise even if they saw all the lights on and people in Togas. More than anything this was another rare occasion where several Aomori JETs could get together and share stories about life in other parts of The Blue Forest (Aomori). Check out the pics

2004-09-21T00:43:00.000-07:00

Remeber this temple is at the TOP of the mountain. The TOP!

2004-09-21T00:41:00.000-07:00

Yamabushi procession heading to a temple for prayer.

2004-09-21T00:40:00.000-07:00

Five Story Pagoda at the base of Mt. Haguro

Mt. Haguro

2004-09-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we went camping at Mt. Haguro or Black Feather Mountain. It is in Haguro city about 38 kilometers East of Tsuruoka where I was staying. It wasn't too eventful because we got to the camp grounds somewhat late, and it already getting pretty dark. But as I set up the tent and prepared Chahan (炒飯) for dinner we were befriended by a band of curious Japanese children in search of anything that might be lurking about. We were very polite to them, and consequently invited to eat dinner with their families and talk about our lives in Japan. On Monday morning we decided to visit the mountain itself. Originally, I just wanted to go and see a famous five story pagoda at the foot of the mountain. However, after being enamored by scenery and not exactly knowing how far it was to the top of Mt. Haguro we decided to try and climb it. Anyways to make a long climb short 2,446 steps later we reached the peak where several Japanese people were praying for their ancestors and celebrating respect for the aged day. This was the first time I had ever seen Yamabushi actually conducting a ceremony. It was really quite interesting. The climb to the top was difficult but after it was all said and done the spiritual experience was well worth the effort.

2004-09-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

Here are two of the Taiko drummers at the bazaar.

Yamagata Night Bazaar

2004-09-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

In Japan, September 15th is Keiro no Hi(敬老の日) or respect for the elders day. It is celebrated on the third Monday in September each year. This equaled a three day weekend for Tyler and the chance to go visit a prefecture I had never been to. So I decided to go to Yamagata and meet a Russian JET I met in Tokyo during orientation that lives there. I takes about five hours to get there by car but route I took was along the Sea of Japan and there were no tolls so I was happy about that. On Saturday evening we went to a night bazaar in Tsuruoka where many of the town merchants set up shop on the street and sold anything from stoneware to Japanese food stuffs. I guess this bazaar happens every third Saturday of the month. So when I saw all the games and entertainment that was going on around me, I couldn't help but think that the bazaar played more a role in boosting a sense of community rather than making money by selling various goods on the street. By the way, this was the very first time I had ever seen someone walking a rabbit on a leash. ('o')

2004-09-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

This is Anne and Jeff

Camping in Fukaura

2004-09-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

Hello I have made it back to Ajigasawa but I am still like three posts behind so I will try and post them today. Anne, one of our lovely British JETs, decided to have a small camping get together by home host town, Fukaura. Fukaura is about a 30 minute car ride down the coast from Ajigasawa. Giant rocks protruding from the water make the treacherous coastline breath taking during the day. Anyways, Paul and I got ready to go while we waited for some JETs from Hachinohe and Aomori City to come by so we could car pool together. It was great to see some of the people that I hadn't seen since our orientation in Aomori. Recently I have been camping out a lot. The weather still isn't that cold and it's the perfect reason to get together and catch up on what's going on around Aomori. This trip had a dual purpose though. Jeff from Australia that Paul replaced last month was finally getting ready to ship off so this provided everyone that came camping an opportunity to say their last farewells. I was lucky enough to meet Jeff on several occasions and really enjoyed his company and hearing about his various adventure during his tenure in Ajigasawa. Just check out the pictures.

2004-09-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Students from Dai I Chu

2004-09-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

Students from Dai Ni Chu

Intermediate Speech Contest

2004-09-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Whoa it has been some time since my last post. What can say. Well, today I am taking my friend Paul to the Airport in Aomori City so that he can go and visit his girlfriend that he hasn't seen in awhile in Hyogo Prefecture I'm happy for him because I know how much it takes out of you when you girlfriend lives far away. Anyways, early last week some of the Ajigasawa Intermediate school students participated in a speech contest at the Kyotenkan. To make a long story short both of the schools' students did their best. However, one of the schools invited the JETs to help them practice after school about two weeks in advance. Here are pictures of the two schools' participants.

Goshogawara Japanese Study Hour

2004-09-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hello again. I posted yesterday evening but I thought it would be nice to tell everyone about the Japanese study hour I attended on Monday evening. Basically, several Japanese that are quite proficient in Japanese come to the Goshogawara local community center to help English speakers with their Japanese. This week I am Saiaku (最悪) because I forgot to bring my camera. Next week I'll take pictures so that you can see who comes. If you didn't already know, I am taking the 2nd level Japanese Language Proficiency test this December and it's not gonna be easy to pass. So from 7PM - 9PM Monday I studied variations for use of Sore with two Japanese. "Sore" was the first chapter of my Japanese Grammar textbook. So, I felt like I really got a lot accomplished. Hopefully this Monday was the start of something I can use to my advantage. Anyways, thought you might be interested in what I'm doing to progress my Japanese. Heba!

Mongolian Concert

2004-09-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody, It's been a grip but yet again I have added to my list of new experiences. Last weekend I was invited to help out at a traditional Mongolian instrument concert at the Kyotenkan. When I say traditional Mongolian instruments I mean: Erhu, Morin-Khur-, Yangqin, and some type of bamboo flute and reeded oboe. I wasn't really sure what they were called. But the concert was interesting to watch just the same. There was traditional Mongolian dance that seemed to be a interesting combination of Russian and Chinese dance, very entertaining. Along with the music and dancing there were some singers that were equally talented. The female singer had a range I've never heard before and a voice that could crack a mirror in half. Also, the Mongolian oboe player specialized in this traditional stomach singing that was just unbelievable.

Honestly I thought he was using a synthesizer at first, but when I heard him gasp I knew he was the real deal. From what I could tell, He sang a low-pitched bullfrog type sound/melody and a high-pitched cricket whistle/tune.

If that makes no sense, don't worry I took a couple of short videos with my digicam. Oh there was also a 14 year old contortionist that could support her own weight with her teeth. But that was just an added bonus. Guess ya had to be there. Till next time. Peace!

2004-09-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here's me the entire cast.

2004-09-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

Here is that guy singing along with the Erhu.

2004-08-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

Some of the other campers kids gained interest in us late on Saturday. This one liked to do a little Hawaian dance while we played the guitar.

2004-08-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

This is Eric, Me and the Birthday Boy, Koji

Camping with Koji

2004-08-29T03:42:00.000-07:00

Otukaresama (Thanks for the effort) Well Everyone, I completed my first full week at the kyotenkan and It was pretty tiring to say the least. But one of the second year JETs was nice enough to invite me to go camping with him and celebrate a friends birthday. It not only ended up being one of my favorite trips of the year so far but I bonded with some of the other JETs, got in a little relaxation, and celebrated a friends birthday. Japanese camping is slightly different than camping in the states. There are sinks, showers, paved parking for cars, and an onsen (hot spring) real near by. So we weren't exactly hittin the sticks. But we had a great time nonetheless. On Friday Eric and I drove into Aomori City on Friday and chilled out and spent the night at Melanie's house before camping on Saturday. Saturday came quick and we got up early to help Melanie prepare food and other odds and ends for Koji's birthday. Saturday was brilliant. There was an alpine slide and plenty of Frisbee bowling for everyone to do. Koji graciously let me stay in his tent for the night. Then when everybody woke up, we cooked breakfast, and I went to the Onsen (hot springs). The whole weekend was a beautiful thing. I hope I can do it again soon.

2004-08-29T03:40:00.000-07:00

Here are the little ones in their lunchtime garb.

Minami Kanazawa Elementary

2004-08-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Again sorry I didn't post anything yesterday I was swamped with work that had to get taken care of before today. Anyway, yesterday I visited Minami Kanazawa Elementary. The atmosphere was very similar to that of Nakamura but instead of leaving right before lunchtime the school invited me to stay and eat with the 2nd graders (Way too much fun). So, after finishing up with the 5th and 6th graders I made my way back downstairs to indulge in some curry with the 10 or so little ones. Little did I know that I would be walking in what seemed to be some type of surgical operation. Those in charge of serving lunch were dressed in white scrubs and all others were responsible for wearing the proper sanitary masks until all the food had been served. Then, Thursday's designated student led us in the proper way to pray for our meal so we could start eating. Like my other schools you get the typical barrage of questions like: "How many centimeters tall are you?", "How old are you?", and "How many kilometers do you weigh?". However, today at lunch when one of the students asked, "Do you live in Japan?", it reminded me how young second graders still are.

2004-08-25T01:27:00.000-07:00

1st Graders Practicing Saying Hello

Nakamura Elementary

2004-08-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! I just got back from Nakamura Elementary school today. I held three lesson today from 9:30 til 12:00 after introducing myself in front of the entire student body and faculty. The experience was great and I think the faculty was happy to see that I could hold my own in the classroom. I was nervous at first but after speaking in front of everybody, my nerves calmed and I did my best to make a good first impression. Classes proceeded as follows: First and Second, then Third and Fourth, then finally Fifth and Sixth to end the morning. I'll post a few pictures so you can get a feel for what the classes were like. But anyways now that I have my self intro down for the rest of the schools, I need to start working on my newspaper article that's due to be publish at the begining of next month. I guess we'll talk later. cheers! Heba

Gearing up for some school visits

2004-08-24T01:43:00.000-07:00

What's Up? I'm doing my best to keep everybody updated on my Aomori Blog so hang in there. Yesterday and today I have been trying to get prepared to make a few self introductions at three of the local elementary schools. School starts for Japanese students at different times throughout this week, so I will be heading to Nakamura, Minami Kanazawa, and Tateiishi primary schools this week from Wednesday on. My partner in crime Paul has lucked out and doesn't have to visit any until next Monday. He wants to tag along so I guess I get to be the hurried guinea pig for the both of us. /(-_-)\ Oh well, I don't mind. Got a pep talk from the elementary master herself last night so I'm not that worried. You really have to check out how cute Japanese kids can be. They are almost always in uniform and you just want to make em smile. Well that's all I really have for now. Post in a few days.
Heba Ty

2004-08-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

This is Tricia and I preparing ingredients at my kitchen table.

2004-08-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

Here is everyone at the party

Pizza Party

2004-08-22T04:25:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Just back from Aomori new JET conferences in Aomori City, so I didn't get to post anything about the pizza party we had last Tuesday just out of town at two artists, Mio and Shuhei's, house. They are involved in planning an art exhibition every year just out side of the Kyotenkan and receive English lessons from Tricia each week. I guess they had called Tricia wanting to set up some time when they could throw pizza party at their house, because they enjoyed the last one so much. So Tricia and I prepared all the ingredients for the pizza at my apartment then Abbey, Paul, Tricia and I drove to their house to show some Japanese how to make and eat one of Americans favorite foods. Since it was Obon while we were there One of our coworkers and some of her visiting family members also joined us. Mio and Shuhei's friend Keiko also came and wanted to show us a real traditional tea ceremony. The whole experience was more than I could have ask for. It also gave us a great reason to make some good pizza (^-^). Here are some pics.

2004-08-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

Some Japanese Enjoying the Sea

2004-08-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Rocky Coastline

Setting Up My New Life

2004-08-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

What's up everybody? I wonder how much everyone is actually getting from this website, because lately I haven't had the time to work on my other website. Anyways, I have met several people in the community and Paul and I have been going around with Oku to register us as aliens. It's really quite the process, but we are thinking that we will be registered by the 19th. Basically what this means is that we have identification like and ID card for living in Japan. This is what we need to open a bank account, purchase cell phones, order internet to our homes and such. So it will be a relief to finally have it done and over with. Next, I am off to Ishikawa prefecture to meet up with Aoi and take in some of the rich culture Kanazawa City has to offer. Kanazawa is in many ways a little Kyoto with some cultural sites that date far back into Japanese past. I'll post some pictures after I get there. Here is a picture from the train that I'm riding that follows the coast of the Sea of Japan. Heba