I read Bill Brysons's "A Walk In The Woods" this weekend (well in less than 24 hours, acutally) and now I am desperate to go hiking! Tom's next trip was delayed a few days so we're hoping to get in an overnight hike this weekend. If the weather holds and I don't get called to interview on Monday then we'll go... I've never been so torn: interview or hiking??? Obviously the interview, but I would hands down rather go hiking. :D

So yes, I've got another interview, thankfully. The wine office job is on a temporary (and probably infinite) hold... apparently the position isn't as open as I'd thought. Bummer, but perhaps for the best. The job I could be interviewing for next week is for a position called "Business Travel Manager". More details if I get it, ok? This would technically be my first interview with them, but second for the job since I went through a screening interview with the recruiting company this past weekend. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

I'm also starting to get cracking on finding a place to live. Several of my friends live on the east side of Tokyo and have reasonably priced (though tiny) places. I'd like to go check the area out the next time in town. I'm also starting to research sharing a house or an apartment-- usually furnished and utilities are shared by several residents. It would be a break not to have to furnish another apartment.

Otherwise this week has been seriously boring. The second grade left for Hida Takayama on an overnight field trip this morning- which means we have no regular classes (since a 3rd of the teachers are gone)- and I have NOTHING to do. I'm catching up on e-mail, news, and generally bored out of my mind. It stinks because I'd like to do just about anything... I'd rather not end my tenure here cranky bored, but heck if I can find anyone who needs help or is doing something at all interesting. I'm seriously tempted to sneak out the back door and go rollerlbading.

More later, I'm sure!

I read Bill Brysons's "A Walk In The Woods" this weekend (well in less than 24 hours, acutally) and now I am desperate to go hiking! Tom's next trip was delayed a few days so we're hoping to get in an overnight hike this weekend. If the weather holds and I don't get called to interview on Monday then we'll go... I've never been so torn: interview or hiking??? Obviously the interview, but I would hands down rather go hiking. :D

So yes, I've got another interview, thankfully. The wine office job is on a temporary (and probably infinite) hold... apparently the position isn't as open as I'd thought. Bummer, but perhaps for the best. The job I could be interviewing for next week is for a position called "Business Travel Manager". More details if I get it, ok? This would technically be my first interview with them, but second for the job since I went through a screening interview with the recruiting company this past weekend. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

I'm also starting to get cracking on finding a place to live. Several of my friends live on the east side of Tokyo and have reasonably priced (though tiny) places. I'd like to go check the area out the next time in town. I'm also starting to research sharing a house or an apartment-- usually furnished and utilities are shared by several residents. It would be a break not to have to furnish another apartment.

Otherwise this week has been seriously boring. The second grade left for Hida Takayama on an overnight field trip this morning- which means we have no regular classes (since a 3rd of the teachers are gone- and I have NOTHING to do. I'm catching up on e-mail, news, and generally bored out of my mind. It stinks because I'd like to do just about anything... I'd rather not end my tenure here cranky bored, but heck if I can find anyone who needs help or is doing something at all interesting. I'm seriously tempted to sneak out the back door and go rollerlbading.

More later, I'm sure!

I wish you all could have checked out the festival I went to on Saturday night! It was positively magical.

Danielle recommended that we go to the Tatsuno Firefly Festival, after enjoying it last year. Saturday afternoon, Jaclyn and I decided that we wanted to try to go in our yukatas (summer kimonos). We called our Shodo teacher, who in turn called one of her friends... who agreed to dress us (there is NO WAY I can tie the obi-waistband-myself). We looked like little Japanese dolls- until you looked at our faces, anyhow. Tatsuno is about an hour from Misato so we had to drive the whole way there sitting straight up so as to not mess up our bows. It was exhausting.

When we got there, at first we didn't see anyone else dressed up so we were really worried. I felt like I was walking around in my pajamas or something. When we got to the actual street the festival was on, there were many other girls and couples dressed up, though. We were greatly relieved!!

The first section of street looked like any other Japanese festival- brightly colored booths selling food (yakisoba, yakitori, beef/chicken on sticks, takoyaki, crepes, cotton candy...), balloons, and even goldfish (catch your own!). We watched a little girl dump *almost* all the water out of her poor goldfish's bag- I wonder if the fish made it home!

We kept walking the direction everyone else seemed to be going. Finally, the booths peetered out and we walked down a tiny lane passing through a quiet neighborhood. There were some dim festival lanterns hanging on one side of the street. We followed this street for a couple of blocks until we went down a hill and were on a path wandering through some fields. The lanterns stopped and there were no lights at all. If I hadn't have been surrounded by hundreds of other festival-goers I would definitely have thought I'd taken a wrong turn. We continued walking, and started to hear group "ah!!!"s as there were random firefly sightings. There were little kids trying to catch the poor bugs and men futily attempting to take pictures of the fireflies with cell-phones. We walked up a small hill and looked back into the field. Our eyes had adjusted and we started to see tons of fireflies!! In one spot- there were so many it looked like we were looking up into the sky- instead of down at the ground. We just stood there watching- it was just such a unique moment to be dressed in yukata, standing out in the pitch black summer night with hundreds of people and thousands of fireflies!

It was one of those times when I truly feel that I Am In Japan. When I woke up on Sunday, I had to decide if it had all been a dream or not... my feet, sore from walking so far on my wooden geta, assured me it had been very, very real.

This week is just moving right along! (cue the music)

I had an awesome weekend split between here and Tokyo. On Saturday, Jaclyn, Angie and I went to see some of the area sports games- our schools were all playing each other to decide who goes to the Middle Nagano Championships. We watched boys and girls volleyball (the girls won their division) and kendo. It was very cool.

After doing some errands we headed to Tokyo for weekend Part II. We spent all of Sunday at Disneyland! I'm usually not such a big fan of Disney, but it was really a blast. Jaclyn and Wakaz (her Turkish boyfriend) and Tom and I hit all the major rides. Tom and I stayed until the park closed at 10pm. We got Space Mountain in three times- whopee!! Also checked out the new Buzz Lightyear and Winnie the Pooh rides. Very cute.

Monday morning everyone but me had to go work. I had the day off because of the sports meets on Saturday. Jaclyn went back to Misato Sunday night, but I got to sleep in in Tokyo while Tom got up and left for work. Actually, I got up and went shopping in Shibuya. It was absolutly fabulous weather-it cleared after the two day typhoon on Friday/Saturday. I didn't end up buying anything but just bummed around and enjoyed some Starbucks while watching the people.

After meeting up with Tom for some delicious hand-made Chinese noodles for lunch (hot stuff!) and more Starbucks ;), I finally headed back to Misato on the bus. There's not a lot going on here this week. I am trying to get back to running after a week of a cold, and that hasn't been easy. I've also been sending boxes of stuff to Tom's house as I try to move it all out of mine (so he can store it until I have a new place). My house here is begining to look a little sad and bare, especially since I took down all my posters last night!

It's a big week for birthdays!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Jerry!
Happy Birthday Grandpa Richard!
Happy Birthday Jaclyn! (not me, silly- the OTHER one!!)

I am really having a hard time with the fact that we're already into June. I knew the time was going to go fast after Christmas... but... this just hurts! I'm not ready to leave yet! I'm definitely not ready to deal with bills and shipping and switching bank accounts, etc. I need a job so I know where I'm going but both people who are interested in hiring me are out of the country so I am STUCK waiting.

ahem. Breathing deeply here.

So, this week is going fast (shocker). I still have my cold though my legs are finally feeling back to normal. I've also managed to have a pretty busy week. Adult English class on Tuesday night, Shodo class last night, tonight we will be partying with Jaclyn, tomorrow we're going to try to go get massages, and I haven't yet decided what to do with my weekend. I have Monday off so I'm tempted to make a run over to Tokyo to dump more stuff off... but I also need some quality catch-up time at home. We'll see what happens.

Happy Father's Day (Early because otherwise I'm bound to forget!)!!

Wow- check the weather link if you want to see what rainy season looks like! Rain, rain, rain.. as far as the eye can see.

Well, I ushered the season in in style. Took one look at the forecast and another look at my calendar and said to myself, "Self- we need to get up there in those mountains ASAP!". Yes, indeedy, I was ready for a hike and needed to do it pronto. So- Tom being on the way to China, Jaclyn being occupied with her Turkish friend, Danielle being caught up in Soccer tournament insanity- I called some random JETs that are well-known for hiking but with whom I've pretty much never hung out. It was the begining of an adventure. And a bad cold. Ah... but I get ahead of myself.

I had my pack ready when I went to bed on Friday night: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, tarp, tent poles, food, clothes, flashlite, etc. etc. etc. Unfortunately, I still hadn't gotten the word as to whether we were actually going or not. I went to sleep half hoping I'd get to sleep in, half hoping we'd get to go climb. I didn't sleep well and during one of the times I woke up to check the clock realized I'd developed a sore throat. An annoying spring cold has been making the rounds but I thought I'd missed it. Not so... grumble grumble. I thought I was off the hook at 6:05am with no call, but just as I'd fallen back to sleep the phone rang and the trip was ON. I had to wake Jaclyn up to go drop me and my stuff off and then David and I were headed to Omachi to meet the rest of the team. Eric, Zac, his girlfriend Haru and the two of us then headed further north to the trailhead. We'd planned to climb Kashimayari, home of one of my favorite ski resorts.

We spent the rest of the day going UP. The trail wasted no time on flat spots and was steep from the begining. I was instantly soaked from the humidity and my own sweat. After being worried that I'd be left behind by the guys- I was happy to find a comfy pace right behind Eric- who was leading the pack. After one break, we soon came across regular sections of the trail that were still under feet of old snow. It was rather treacherous- the snow was left in valleys- which we were crossing over. If you looked down- the snow stretched out below- All The Way Down. Eek! With my balance somewhat compromised by the large pack on my back, I was quite nervous. There were also many random trees bent over by the snow- the branches of which we had to climb over... without Tipping over.

We took another big break for lunch when we reached the first hut. It was up on a ridge that we'd been working our way toward all morning. Totally surrounded by snow- it looked like a ski lodge. From this hut, we could see the rest of our trail- up and down over 4 peaks to the next lodge, then up and down a couple more to the tip-py top of Kashimayari.

We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking towards the lodge. Eric was way out in front and the others were scattered out behind me- I really enjoyed the peace and quiet of being alone with the view. The amazing thing about being up there is how it can really be anywhere- there is absolutly nothing about those mountains that scream "Japan" or anywhere else- they are just mountains- bare but for the snow, trees, animals and few lodges. The views of the mountains and back down into the valley we'd come from were impressive.

Once we reached the second lodge it was another cruel 10 minutes uphill and over snow to the tent site. It was worth it- the tent site was also on the ridge- so it offered views of the mountains on one side and down towards home in the valley on the other. If we looked back we could see the first lodge and the trail we'd come on and if we looked forwards (sorry-I'm directionally challenged) we could see the final challenge- the peak of Kashimayari. We took a break for re-fueling, threw up our tents (I was so proud of myself for mostly getting mine up alone) and headed up for one last push. Man- push was what was required too. We'd been hiking for over 7 hours already and I was BEAT. It seemed like forever before we reached the top. I kept looking at the sun and begging and pleading it not to move. I was afraid it would set and we'd have to climb down in the dark. I spent a lot of time thinking about my Grandma Em and Grandpa Jerry- about how much time they used to spend in the mountains and how my love of the Nagano mountains stems from my love for visiting them and their mountains out in Colorado.

Fortunately, "forever" only turned out to be an hour (I was shocked!). The top was incredible. It really felt like The Top- a tiny platform with sky all around- a couple of man-made piles of rocks, and sign proclaiming it The Top at 2889.1 meters(9478.67 feet). We sighed, rested, drank water, then turned around and headed down. It felt so much easier- no pack (we'd left our stuff at the tents) and working with gravity- I seriously bounced (within limits) all the way down.

We were exhausted. David, struggling with a cold all day, skipped dinner and just went to bed. I headed back down to the lodge to use their bathroom and re-fill my water bottles then dragged (literally) myself back up the hill to make some dinner. I enjoyed a lovely meal of curry rice with a fruit roll-up courtesy of Jaclyn's care packages from home (Thanks Jaclyn's mom!). We stayed awake long enough to watch the magnificent sunset behind the other mountains then see the first stars come out and then we all crashed. Crawling into the tent alone made me really miss Tom- we make such a great camping/hiking team. It was cool to be hanging out with new people- but there was so much of this trip I wished I could have shared with him.

I slept horribly. Sore throat had developed into stuffy head, runny nose and I spent the night sniffling and dripping and trying to find a comfortable position in my sleeping bag. It was impossible. I was awake more than I was asleep and for the first time in my life I was grateful to see the clock read 5am. Hot tea and oatmeal soothed my throat and unblocked my nose a bit. We quickly packed up and began the trek back. I was so thankful that we'd headed up to the top on Saturday instead of leaving it for Day 2.. I never would have made it. The uphills on the way back to the first lodge made me feel like an 80 year old emphezema patient. I thought my lungs were going to pop and I thought my breathing sounded funny. It was one of those moments when if I had any choice what-so-ever I would have just quit- but there was no alternative- there was no option BUT to keep going, no matter how miserable I felt. It was all I could do to keep moving forward. David was still really having problems with his cold too, so the two of us stuck together and somehow finally made it back to the lodge. I felt terrible and the wind had really kicked up, but the rest of the way was downhill, so I knew we were beyond the "hard part".

Of course, the "easy part" still involved all those valleys of snow- not to mention 2 straight hours of Down. Imagine being on stairmaster with a heavy pack for an entire day, getting no sleep and then the next day going DOWN stairs for the whole day. It was grueling. Every step I took was becoming more and more painful. This hike really convinced me that I need some new, cushier shoes! The forest was beautiful on the way down, but I was so eager to finish that I didn't take much time to enjoy it. We actually finished the hike by 11:00am on Sunday, which was great news since it left the whole day to recover.

Which is exactly what I did. I got home, soaked in a hot bath and then took cold medicine before a 3 hour nap. I awoke feeling almost back to human. Today I'm really stuffed up and stairs here at school have been rough, but I'm feeling much better. And, as the forecast predicted- it is pouring rain and supposed to continue to do so for the rest of the month. I'm so glad that I got out there and got this hike in when I could. It was more than I was ready for but it was so worth the pain! Check the photos!

Running in this rural Japanese village famous for its apples is slowly stealing my love for the Chicago lakefront and turning me into a mountain lover. Every day this spring- whether I'm running, biking, walking, or blading.. I've fallen more and more in awe of the view of the Northern Alps towering in front of me and the valley of rice paddies and apple orchards.

I go for a run as a minor celebrity- the freaky white girl who teaches English at the junior high school and runs in all kinds of weird weather. I make it a point therefore, to toss a "konnichiwa (hello)!" to all the hunched over, straw-hatted "obaachans" and "ojiisans" (grandpas & grandmas-affectionatley in japanese) as I pass. My greeting is always returned with a surprised smile. Their gardens are magnificent- with so little land they have created a botanical festival for me to enjoy as I pass. There are violet and yellow iris, red poppies, purple tufts of some odd Dr. Seuss like plant all reflected in the water of the rice paddies. Of course, earlier it was the tulips and cherry blossoms and later on I will be greeted by the friendly sunflowers.

As I pass out of the north side of town, I leave the gardens and am in the midst of larger (for Japan) rice paddies. I see white cranes, blue herons, and sometimes if I'm looking carefully- a frog. With no buidings in the way I can see the entire valley- from one range of mountains (including the beautiful Mt. Jonen- on top of which I stood with all my cute new 7th graders last September) all the way down to me then back up the other side. If I look far out in front of me- I can see more mountains- the home of some of the best skiing in Japan - with mountains regally defined by patches of remaining snow.

It's amazing, awe inpiringly, magestic... a view I never imagined existed in Japan, even after living elsewhere in the country for an entire year... I feel like a tiny pin prick on a gigantic world map. My heart feels huge in my chest and running feels like the only natural mode of transportation in the world. I feel like singing the opening bars of the "Sound of Music". I enjoy the feeling that no one I know back home could possibly imagine where I am or the beauty I'm out here witnessing. I feel sorry for them. But for now- for the next two months- I will be out here as much as possible.. and I will keep being thankful for my runs out in the middle of nowhere Japan.

Paging Luc... Mr. Luc D., please e-mail me!!

Happy Wednesday All! Just so you know- I'm working through software issues with my digital camera but I think I've kind of figured out an alternative. So- my Malaysia photos are now online! I forgot to bring my camera for most of the trips Mom & Dad and I did, but I think I have several that I should be able to upload later this week.

It may have been something of a false alarm on rainy season, as this afternoon we are back to sun and blue skies. It still isn't very hot though, so I'm looking forward to my run. I think next week might be the real deal on the rain though, I just checked the weather online and its supposed to rain (thunderstorms) every day next week. Hopefully it stays nice this weekend so I can get in a little hiking. Jaclyn and I have tentatively planned to re-tackle "Utsukushigahara", a major day hike up to an open plateau-field near Matsumoto. It is one of Japan's 100 famous mountains that Tom and I have been targeting. Last summer Tom and Jaclyn and I got stuck in a thunderstorm most of the way up and had to bag it, then later in the summer Jaclyn, Danielle and I thought we climbed it, but when I got home and looked at the map (which I'd forgotten to bring) we'd climbed a different peak. So- I want to officially check it off my list! Of course, now the map is at Tom's house... so I need to find a new one quickly!!