Why is it interesting, maybe even special, when someone spots the digital clock reading 11:11? What intrigues us about the quadruple ones, the double eleven? It could be knowledge of conspiracy or prophecy. It could be something only our subconcious knows. When I see 11:11, I even take note.
After waiting in line for my Vietnam visa, I noticed some numbers scribbled down indicating an expiration date. 28.01.11 or the 28th of Janurary, 2011. The new year being 01.01.11. Eleven : Eleven.
If the minutes and hours captivate us on the clock, imagine the next year. I'm not even sure where I'll be. Somewhere either in Cambodia or Vietnam! I'll be sure to take note. 11:11, I'm ready!!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
New Camera
I finally purchased DSLR camera. After dishing out over 80000 yen for the new Canon Kiss X4 (T2i), I think I may be eating bean sprouts for the next 3 weeks. However, I think the investment is worth it since I will be going to SE Asia next month and also want to improve my photography skills to have a career in photography in the future.
So without further ado, some images from the new camera.
A field of cosmos flowers
Stone face expression
Autumn at Eigenji Temple
So without further ado, some images from the new camera.
A field of cosmos flowers
Stone face expression
Autumn at Eigenji Temple
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
In Search of Red
Momiji is finally here. Momiji is to Autumn as Sakura is to Spring. It's when people enjoy the new colors brought by cold weather. Possibly the most beautiful being the Iroha Momiji or Japanese Maple.
A Japanese maple showing off on the trail.
On Saturday I decided it was time to visit Enryakuji. I've been meaning to climb Hieizan, which is the mountain that Enryakuji is built upon. The goal to climb up from Shiga prefecture and climb down into Kyoto was finally reached. It was also great timing, since the cooler weather helped keep me energized and the momiji were beautiful.
Something often not seen in Montana.
Makes me wish I was a monk.
Enryakuji itself was interesting to me. It is home to the Tendai sect of Buddhism. In 1571, maybe one of Japan's most bad-ass unifiers, Oda Nobunaga, set fire and and mayhem upon Enryakuji. Basically the monastery was powerful enough to be a threat to Oda Nobunaga. It must have been the fear of both mental control of the population through religion and the warrior monks who could oppose him physically.
A guardian of a small deserted mountain temple.
Besides this, it was also told that my favorite Japanese historical figure, Miyamoto Musashi, had a battle against over a dozen members of the Yoshikawa school of swordsmanship back in the early 1600s on Mt. Hiei. While climbing up the mountain alone, on a path that was nothing more than a dry river bed, I could only imagine what the forest around me has seen through the years.
A road less traveled.
After spending a few hours exploring the temple complex, it was getting late. With only about an hour left of daylight, I decided it was time to head down to Kyoto. A hike that would normally take 2 hours according to the trail marker. I didn't want to hike down in the dark, so I decided that I would inherit the spirit of the Hieizan Marathon Monks, and run down the mountain. Needless to say, I reached the bottom in about 40 minutes.
A view of Kyoto from atop Mt. Hiei.
After dinner in Kyoto it was home for an earlier night, for an early morning. The next day I would go to the Byoudouin. The temple so famous that it is on the back of every 10 yen coin.
The Pheonix Temple (Byoudouin)
After meeting my friend, Yuko, on Sunday at around 11AM we headed to Uji City to see the changing leaves and learn a little bit of History.
Yuko at the Byoudouin.
After some pictures and a tour of the temple complex we headed to a ocha-ya (tea shop) and had a green tea parfait. Since Yuko had plans to meet up with a friend in Kyoto later that evening, we headed back and parted ways at Kyoto station. From here I wandered around a nearby mall before heading home and preparing myself to once again be a teacher and not a student.
The art of tea
A Japanese maple showing off on the trail.
On Saturday I decided it was time to visit Enryakuji. I've been meaning to climb Hieizan, which is the mountain that Enryakuji is built upon. The goal to climb up from Shiga prefecture and climb down into Kyoto was finally reached. It was also great timing, since the cooler weather helped keep me energized and the momiji were beautiful.
Something often not seen in Montana.
Makes me wish I was a monk.
Enryakuji itself was interesting to me. It is home to the Tendai sect of Buddhism. In 1571, maybe one of Japan's most bad-ass unifiers, Oda Nobunaga, set fire and and mayhem upon Enryakuji. Basically the monastery was powerful enough to be a threat to Oda Nobunaga. It must have been the fear of both mental control of the population through religion and the warrior monks who could oppose him physically.
A guardian of a small deserted mountain temple.
Besides this, it was also told that my favorite Japanese historical figure, Miyamoto Musashi, had a battle against over a dozen members of the Yoshikawa school of swordsmanship back in the early 1600s on Mt. Hiei. While climbing up the mountain alone, on a path that was nothing more than a dry river bed, I could only imagine what the forest around me has seen through the years.
A road less traveled.
After spending a few hours exploring the temple complex, it was getting late. With only about an hour left of daylight, I decided it was time to head down to Kyoto. A hike that would normally take 2 hours according to the trail marker. I didn't want to hike down in the dark, so I decided that I would inherit the spirit of the Hieizan Marathon Monks, and run down the mountain. Needless to say, I reached the bottom in about 40 minutes.
A view of Kyoto from atop Mt. Hiei.
After dinner in Kyoto it was home for an earlier night, for an early morning. The next day I would go to the Byoudouin. The temple so famous that it is on the back of every 10 yen coin.
The Pheonix Temple (Byoudouin)
After meeting my friend, Yuko, on Sunday at around 11AM we headed to Uji City to see the changing leaves and learn a little bit of History.
Yuko at the Byoudouin.
After some pictures and a tour of the temple complex we headed to a ocha-ya (tea shop) and had a green tea parfait. Since Yuko had plans to meet up with a friend in Kyoto later that evening, we headed back and parted ways at Kyoto station. From here I wandered around a nearby mall before heading home and preparing myself to once again be a teacher and not a student.
The art of tea
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Media in Chevuru, India
When I went to India in May to build houses for the "Dalits" in the small town of Chevuru, Andra Pradesh, I never imagined that I would be able to see familiar faces almost 6 months later.
CNN covered a story about volunteers going to Chevuru, India and building houses. I think it is a great opportunity for both ARV (Association of Relief Volunteers) and the people of Chevuru to get this kind of publicity. Hopefully, getting the word out will create more interest so more people can be helped.
Here is the segment about ARV and Chevuru:
CNN covered a story about volunteers going to Chevuru, India and building houses. I think it is a great opportunity for both ARV (Association of Relief Volunteers) and the people of Chevuru to get this kind of publicity. Hopefully, getting the word out will create more interest so more people can be helped.
Here is the segment about ARV and Chevuru:
Monday, October 25, 2010
Traditon
This last weekend I spent some time learning about Tradition. My tradition of riding a 50cc motorbike for extended periods of time on a quest to find something unknown to me. Saturday afternoon after an oil change I headed out to the rural town of Shigaraki, about 30km south of Hino. After passing through Minakuchi I started climbing the twisting mountain roads. It was at this time that I was glad I just had clean oil to lubricate the little engine that could.
The goal of the day was to learn about pottery. Very old pottery. Shigaraki is known as one of the locations of "The Six Old Kilns" of Japan. Records show that potters developed specific kilns and techniques there dating as far back as the early Kamakura and early Muromachi period (circa 1333 - 1573). One thing is for certain, these were some old pots.
Ancient ceramic wrapped in the arms of time.
Upon arriving at the Shigaraki train station, which services a train that runs on diesel, I parked my motor bike in the free parking courtesy of rural Japan. From here I walked to the information center and was greeted with an English "Hello!" by an elderly woman. My guess is she was somewhere in her 60s. She immediately volunteered to take me around the town and show me the old kilns of Shigaraki. Considering her enthusiasm, I thought it best to agree to the proposal. Turns out she has only studied English independently, and her recent study material is an American TV show called "Brothers and Sisters." A show I have never heard of in my life, but impressive considering her English ability.
My Shigaraki tour guide and the ancient kilns.
The kiln interior.
From her I learned that Shigaraki-ware began as a necessity in agriculture but eventually became popular in Tea Ceremony due to a tea master named Murata Juko. The reason for the sudden rise in popularity in tea ceremonies, was due to the simplicity of Shigaraki-ware. Shigaraki-ware is not glazed, nor painted in any way. The colors are natural from the temperature, kiln and ash from the specific types of wood used during the baking process. This went along perfectly with the tea ceremonial concept of "wabi-suki," which emphasized such simplicity.
However, looking around Shigaraki shows a different form of popularity in Shigaraki ceramics. Nowadays Shigaraki is famous for Tanuki, a Japanese raccoon dog. Famous in Japanese folktales for being extra cunning and having magical powers including that of shape shifting, people seem to easily fall in love with this cute character. Unfortunately they are becoming rarer and rarer due to urbanization, and cute as they are, are considered pests.
Giant Shigaraki ceramic tanuki.
At the last kiln, I was introduced to the owner's daughter. My guess is she is somewhere around 22 years old, since she is attending university. She wanted to try to explain the kiln to me in English. After all, she is the next in line to take care of the ancient kiln, starting next year. After an explanation that went quickly from English to Japanese, we sat down in a rustic room and enjoyed tea out of Shigaraki tea cups. Here the conversation was light and with no real topic. Honestly I can't even recall saying much at all, except that I was surprised that the old wooden table I was sitting at was once a boat. Before I left, we exchanged contacts. She goes to school in Kyoto for ceramics, but every weekend returns to Shigaraki to learn from her grandfather. However, one thing I have learned is that the world is small so who knows when we will meet again.
When we left, the old woman showing me around asked me if I knew what the Japanese phrase, "ichigo ichie" 一期一会 meant? Surprisingly, I did know. Its directly translated as "one time, one meeting." However, I feel it is better translated as "one chance in a lifetime." The phrase was developed to describe sharing a tea ceremony with someone, and if you were ever to meet that person again the experience will never be the same as the first. Nowadays it is used for any meeting of this sort, not just tea ceremonies. I personally like to draw parallels to photography and the moment that is captured after the shutter opens and closes, never to be 100% the same again. She told me that that meeting was like "ichigo ichie."
After saying our goodbyes, I headed back to Hino to watch a Shamisen concert in a Buddhist temple on the night of a full moon. In Japan, its traditional to have parties during Autumn, called otsukimi, which translates simply as moon viewing. While uncreative in name, it is unique nonetheless. At this particular concert I was invited by a teacher at my school who has played the Shamisen for most of her life.
At the end of the day, I realized I spent most of my day learning and doing things very traditional. Something that I usually don't have the opportunity or real desire to do very often since the traditions most available to foreigners are temples and statues of the Buddha of mercy. Thankfully to an open invitation from a couple older women, I was allowed to grasp a deeper sense of such things. I guess most of my meetings this weekend resembled "ichigo ichie."
The next day was spent watching a Sumo exhibition. It was exciting to see the strongest certified sumo wrestler in the whole world, Hakuho Sho!
Sumo hair style
The living warrior god, Hakuho Sho!
The goal of the day was to learn about pottery. Very old pottery. Shigaraki is known as one of the locations of "The Six Old Kilns" of Japan. Records show that potters developed specific kilns and techniques there dating as far back as the early Kamakura and early Muromachi period (circa 1333 - 1573). One thing is for certain, these were some old pots.
Ancient ceramic wrapped in the arms of time.
Upon arriving at the Shigaraki train station, which services a train that runs on diesel, I parked my motor bike in the free parking courtesy of rural Japan. From here I walked to the information center and was greeted with an English "Hello!" by an elderly woman. My guess is she was somewhere in her 60s. She immediately volunteered to take me around the town and show me the old kilns of Shigaraki. Considering her enthusiasm, I thought it best to agree to the proposal. Turns out she has only studied English independently, and her recent study material is an American TV show called "Brothers and Sisters." A show I have never heard of in my life, but impressive considering her English ability.
My Shigaraki tour guide and the ancient kilns.
The kiln interior.
From her I learned that Shigaraki-ware began as a necessity in agriculture but eventually became popular in Tea Ceremony due to a tea master named Murata Juko. The reason for the sudden rise in popularity in tea ceremonies, was due to the simplicity of Shigaraki-ware. Shigaraki-ware is not glazed, nor painted in any way. The colors are natural from the temperature, kiln and ash from the specific types of wood used during the baking process. This went along perfectly with the tea ceremonial concept of "wabi-suki," which emphasized such simplicity.
However, looking around Shigaraki shows a different form of popularity in Shigaraki ceramics. Nowadays Shigaraki is famous for Tanuki, a Japanese raccoon dog. Famous in Japanese folktales for being extra cunning and having magical powers including that of shape shifting, people seem to easily fall in love with this cute character. Unfortunately they are becoming rarer and rarer due to urbanization, and cute as they are, are considered pests.
Giant Shigaraki ceramic tanuki.
At the last kiln, I was introduced to the owner's daughter. My guess is she is somewhere around 22 years old, since she is attending university. She wanted to try to explain the kiln to me in English. After all, she is the next in line to take care of the ancient kiln, starting next year. After an explanation that went quickly from English to Japanese, we sat down in a rustic room and enjoyed tea out of Shigaraki tea cups. Here the conversation was light and with no real topic. Honestly I can't even recall saying much at all, except that I was surprised that the old wooden table I was sitting at was once a boat. Before I left, we exchanged contacts. She goes to school in Kyoto for ceramics, but every weekend returns to Shigaraki to learn from her grandfather. However, one thing I have learned is that the world is small so who knows when we will meet again.
When we left, the old woman showing me around asked me if I knew what the Japanese phrase, "ichigo ichie" 一期一会 meant? Surprisingly, I did know. Its directly translated as "one time, one meeting." However, I feel it is better translated as "one chance in a lifetime." The phrase was developed to describe sharing a tea ceremony with someone, and if you were ever to meet that person again the experience will never be the same as the first. Nowadays it is used for any meeting of this sort, not just tea ceremonies. I personally like to draw parallels to photography and the moment that is captured after the shutter opens and closes, never to be 100% the same again. She told me that that meeting was like "ichigo ichie."
After saying our goodbyes, I headed back to Hino to watch a Shamisen concert in a Buddhist temple on the night of a full moon. In Japan, its traditional to have parties during Autumn, called otsukimi, which translates simply as moon viewing. While uncreative in name, it is unique nonetheless. At this particular concert I was invited by a teacher at my school who has played the Shamisen for most of her life.
At the end of the day, I realized I spent most of my day learning and doing things very traditional. Something that I usually don't have the opportunity or real desire to do very often since the traditions most available to foreigners are temples and statues of the Buddha of mercy. Thankfully to an open invitation from a couple older women, I was allowed to grasp a deeper sense of such things. I guess most of my meetings this weekend resembled "ichigo ichie."
The next day was spent watching a Sumo exhibition. It was exciting to see the strongest certified sumo wrestler in the whole world, Hakuho Sho!
Sumo hair style
The living warrior god, Hakuho Sho!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Eqinox
These last few weeks have been extremely busy. I was hoping to post a story about the bike ride that almost killed me, but haven't found the time. Even now I write this update on my iPhone. So here is what has happened the last month or so for those that are wondering.
At the end of September I went on a bike ride around Lake Biwa. I was going about 40km an hour when I had to make a sharp turn to avoid a car. I was coming down a montain road, the car was going up. There was a blind spot. The sharp turn caused my bike to slide out from under me. As I slid 2 meters on the pavement, I avoided the car in exchange for road rash. I was lucky not to hit my head because I was wearing no helmet! After about 2 weeks and about $40 worth of bandages I was on my way to recovery. It probably would have been cheaper to go to the hospital with my national health insurance and given bandages and antiseptic.
I bought the iPhone 4 after realizing it would only cost me $5 more a month.
I bought tickets to Thailand to volunteer at Baan Unrak again this year. I plan on riding a bus through Cambodia from Thailand to Vietnam and seeing Angkor Wat along the way. Then a train from Saigon to Hanoi, with the goal to spend a night in Halong Bay on a Junk Boat.
My passport is being renewed because there are not enough empty pages.
I'm studying Japanese to take the Japanaese Language Proficiency Test (N3 Level) in December.
I've been teaching like a mad man, and sleeping less than 6 hours a night.
I've put nearly 1500 kilometers on my motorbike within he last 2 months.
I'm practicing a dance routine to preform on Halloween.
I went to an art festival in my town and found a bakery where the grain is harvested and then baked by the same woman.
At the end of September I went on a bike ride around Lake Biwa. I was going about 40km an hour when I had to make a sharp turn to avoid a car. I was coming down a montain road, the car was going up. There was a blind spot. The sharp turn caused my bike to slide out from under me. As I slid 2 meters on the pavement, I avoided the car in exchange for road rash. I was lucky not to hit my head because I was wearing no helmet! After about 2 weeks and about $40 worth of bandages I was on my way to recovery. It probably would have been cheaper to go to the hospital with my national health insurance and given bandages and antiseptic.
I bought the iPhone 4 after realizing it would only cost me $5 more a month.
I bought tickets to Thailand to volunteer at Baan Unrak again this year. I plan on riding a bus through Cambodia from Thailand to Vietnam and seeing Angkor Wat along the way. Then a train from Saigon to Hanoi, with the goal to spend a night in Halong Bay on a Junk Boat.
My passport is being renewed because there are not enough empty pages.
I'm studying Japanese to take the Japanaese Language Proficiency Test (N3 Level) in December.
I've been teaching like a mad man, and sleeping less than 6 hours a night.
I've put nearly 1500 kilometers on my motorbike within he last 2 months.
I'm practicing a dance routine to preform on Halloween.
I went to an art festival in my town and found a bakery where the grain is harvested and then baked by the same woman.
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