Today just some things that I read

These are some ways to be well!!!

what wonderful things to share !

1. coloring (yes, grown-ups can do it, too)
2. crisp cotton sheets
3. soft skin
4. old family recipes
5. the first daffodils of spring
6. sleeping in
7. an exercise endorphin high
8. window boxes
9. a perfect cup of coffee
10. a genuine compliment (giving or receiving)
11. the way babies smell
12. a handwritten letter
13. waking up in a good mood...for no real reason
14. singing in the shower
15. finding a couple forgotten dollars in your pocket
16. doing something nice for your neighbor
17. a home cooked meal
18. laughing
19. movie theater popcorn
20. playing hookey
21. a bubble bath
22. swimming
23. an afternoon nap
24. street musicians
25. your favorite song
26. saying thank you
27. helping someone in need
28. old fashioned photo booths
29. fresh whipped cream
30. inspiring blogs
31. a glass of wine
32. rainy afternoons
33. the funny things kids say
34. a novel you can get lost in
35. finding the perfect piece of clothing...on sale
36. clean laundry
37. the wind in your hair
38. treating the person behind you at the drive-thru
39. sharing an umbrella
40. the smell of lavender
41. a long walk that clears your head
42. a bear hug
43. The Beatles
44. smiling at a stranger
45. eating with chopsticks (Chinese food optional)
46. butterflies
47. staying in your pj's all day
48. singing along to the radio and knowing all the words
49. fresh herbs
50. ordering in pizza
51. happy endings...even if they're fictional
52. flying a kite
53. puppies
54. root beer floats
55. holding open the door...
56. ...or having someone hold the door for you
57. fountain soda
58. white, fluffy towels
59. sunshine
60. spending an afternoon at a museum
61. really great advice
62. green lights all the way home
63. the sound of rain hitting the windows
64. sitting in a booth
65. holding hands
66. a great hair day with no effort
67. building a fort with your kids
68. when someone falls asleep with their head on your shoulder
69. fireflies
70. the perfect taco
71. geraniums on a windowsill
72. slow dancing
73. the smell of fresh-baked bread
74. cheesy, uplifting musicals
75. great stories
76. the smell of gasoline
77. the cold side of the pillow
78. love letters
79. old friends...
80. ...new friends
81. a pull-through parking space
82. a baguette -- crisp on the outside, airy on the inside
83. when a dog licks your hand
84. sitting at the counter at an old-fashioned diner
85. using your favorite dishes
86. reading your child a bedtime story
87. Girl Scout Cookies
88. flossing
89. kissing someone you love
90. the smell of onions and garlic cooking
91. hot chocolate
92. jumping in puddles
93. old photographs
94. birds hopping on the sidewalk
95. Ella Fitzgerald
96. a spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar
97. your softest t-shirt
98. a new magazine in the mail
99. fireplaces
100. having exact change
101. bacon and pancakes cooking on Saturday morning

To Sheep!!!!!!!!!!!

I would love to write a book. Sometimes I sit on the floor in my apartment with a pencil and paper and just try to think of words to say. The heater with it`s orange glow just kind of stares back as if waiting for me to write the words. Sometimes when I`m sleeping I come up with ideas and I think to myself in my dream. Wow when I wake up I should write a book about that. When I wake up though the idea is washed over like clouds hanging on mountains on a foggy day. Clouds do different things here. About 2 weekends ago I was driving up the highway and the clouds were below me as I continued on. It was really much like a dream. So now one year has almost past and I have decided to remain for one more year. When I finally do leave Japan this is what I will miss:

1. 711 Shops- These shops are really convenient. They have lovely little rice balls, food you can cook at home. They sell shampoo. They are perfect and small and have great trash cans. You can pay your bills there too.

2. Onsens!!! I love hotsprings and in Japan there are lots and lots and lots of hotsprings. I will miss the feeling of sinking into deep water and feeling very oriental like a monkey in Baraka. You all should see that movie.

3. My car. I love my car and cars in general in Japan. They are so small and can squeeze through tight spaces and make big turns and they don`t guzzle gas. I will miss my car

4. Gosh I`ll miss a lot of things here. When I leave I know I will always think to myself ``why did you ever leave Japan``  but when I`m here I`m asking myself the same question sometimes. Ahhh to be a world traveler!

Allassss though live here and now. Here is the place to be!! and so here I am sitting at my desk writing this to you. I am staring out at Naraha`s playground in the middle school office. I am continuing my job as an ultimate observer. Although my Japanese has improved I still drowned out most conversation. Sometimes I make a conscious effort to pick up words, but my brain has been adapting to my environment and now just kind of sees it as static on a TV screen. Actually as I am observing right now. The office is always very quiet. Nobody says much to each other. We just sit next to each other and work or pretend to work. I drink lots of tea during the day. When in doubt be hydrated is what I say. I love the kids here. The 3rd years graduated and I`ll miss them very much. They are very intelligent and are very friendly. I love teaching Elementary school here. I actually have my most in depth conversations with Japanese people outside the classroom. That is where I get some of my most rewarding moments in Japan. I`ve met many interesting people.

1. A guy who works for the Nuclear Power Plant - He commutes from Tokyo every Tuesday to work. That is a 2 hour drive. He stays in Naraha while he works for a few days and then commutes back. That would be a hard life

2. A father who works for Playstation- He gave me a pen and pencil made of the plastic that Playstations are made out of. He has a son who lives in Hokkaido and Daughter as well. He lives right next to Mt. Fuji.

I`m meeting a lot of people through trying to discover the Japanese music scene here. Yes I do speak a lot of Japanese outside of school. I really don`t speak much inside school. I would if I could. I`d love to get up and just have a conversation with the staff. I think they would like that too, but the environment itself does not lend itself to conversation. Maybe what I`ll do is this. I will make a survey and then go around and ask all the teachers the questions. It may get some response I will try it.

I`m reading two books right now. The first one is about the origination of the zipper and the paperclip and the second is a story about finding a sheep in Hokkaido. Both books are complete opposites of each other. I find that amusing. I am playing music in Tokyo this weekend. I`ve got a treasure map and the path is set. Music has been that for me. It is kind of like an endless adventure. It`s as though I`m skimming on the surface of humanity weaving in and out of the gears of human progression and popping up into the sunlight to play what I love to play. I`ll leave you with that. It`s really like Sheeep right now!!!!

Well Hello All. It is snowing outside and the mountains are getting snow. Lately I've been having fun with a camera and have found some pictures too isn't that wonderful. Gosh I love when you find pictures that you thought you lost. It is always way neat when that happens. The Japanese music scene I am slowly getting into and as I meander I'm finding in the nooks in crannies some more music. Let's get down to business shall we?!

First off I'm doing some music playing with my friend Mark who loves music. We're playing together in May in Tomioka should be fun. Tomioka is a bigger town about 10 min from my little town. It has a bigger supermarket there and I frequently go there to buy food, hang out with some other chill teachers and now play music.

And here is a Japanese candle just because. It's a Japanese candle because it's in Japan otherwise I'd say it's an American candle if I was in the U.S.

That is a lot of sushi plates right there. I think this is what fast food should be. The hot water for the tea actually came out of the table. I hung out with the Ashiguchi family. You can see the faucet in back of me on the table. It was pretty convenient. Earlier that day I was playing music with Mark... yes the one above and his son mentioned that he worked at a Sushi restaurant. Guess what Sushi restaurant he worked at.

He ski's, plays music and I teach him English. His English is pretty good though. Just jammed last night at my house. You should always play music with people I think.

So I've just found these pictures that I thought I had lost. Here was the beginning of Thailand. The flight was long. I mostly remember getting to Phi Phi at 10 pm at night somehow we got on a van aka taxi and after many detours were led to our accomodation. Parties were in full swing. The humid air hit our eyes and made us squint even though it was night. Really loud music came from every corner and we dodged motor bikes to get into our hostle. Upon first arriving I thought the place I had researched to stay at had been a bad place, but it turned out to be a wonderful establishment. The guy was really nice. Phuket is bustling explosion right now. I remember falling asleep that night to a ceiling fan slowly jingling and cool air blowing on my shirt. The lights in the hallway went off at 6 am that morning. As I awoke the party was still going, but had died down and by the time Val and I hit the streets morning has started and Phuket was in breakfast mode. We snapped some pictures. There is no traffic lights in Thailand or very few and seldom followed. Lots of tourists still rent motor bikes here.

Yep the 711 lives on in large numbers serving many different purposes. It was very convenient here as well. Ok well gonna leave you with that more story to come.

Went Climbing!

A notebook and a pencil. I went biking today. The wind was blowing right after I started and so I switched directions and went the other way. It was warmer today and spring is creep'n in I can feel it. I love Japanese pencils and their little notebooks here. They are perfect. There is something to be said about a new notebook just the way it feels in your hand. It seems to speak possibility.

That was lunch today. Gosh it is good. That there is called Katsu Curry かつかれ. I eat at this little restaurant that's pretty close by. I love this meal with just a little Miso Soup too on a cold day mmm mm mm.

I sat right by that heater it was cold yesterday. Today it is much warmer. They put water on top to humidify the air. One day at school I lifted the pot up and was going to pour my self a cup of Joe. They quickly showed me it's purpose learn something everyday!

Here is class today. It was sunny sunny sunny. These are 2nd year students and the lesson was "shall I" Shall I open the window it's hot in here. I read that to them a whole bunch of times. Sometimes I pretend I'm a music conductor when they repeat the sentences back and move my hands like so...... I know you really can't see. They laugh and it's fun.

Here's my town and cute little cars. This road is called route 6. In japanese Rokunomichi.. or that's what I call it. I think they actually call it something else and laugh when I say that. It's pretty fun to say. In translation that would be equal to saying "road of 6" That's how it's constructed in Japanese. For instance if I were to refer to my house I would say "The house of John" and that is why Star Wars reminds me of Naraha sometimes... or one of the reasons...or Japan. I also visited a lovely climbing gym yesterday that was 2 hours away by car and it was raining cats and dogs and every time my car hit a puddle it surprised me! The road I drove on was called Nipapa and it's one of the oldest roads in the area. It's comparable to Independence Pass in my hometown except it's in Japan. The climbing was exquisite!

To Iwaki!!

Last night I took some pictures. I'm starting to love the expressway in Japan. Granite you do have to pay to ride, but it is smooth sailing once your on. So that is the way I arrived at Iwaki yesterday evening. The night soon came and the city lit up. It is a quiet night life here. It is always happening yet it whispers where as Tokyo's nightlife shouts. Here's some examples

There's a Mcdonalds on the corner. Sometimes there is this musician that sits out on the corner in the cold and plays. You can hear him for blocks. He wasn't there last night it was quite cold. Everybody's steps could be heard more easily.

It was fun to be out and in the town. I love the library here as well. There is an English stack I like to dig into. They have every subject from time travel to biology to classics in literature. I read the Toyota Story just a little ago. The company is a good one I feel even with the trouble.

Mostly I'm just having fun with pictures right now. Right now I just noticed I am writing in blue. I don't know how that happened. I didn't change the font. I'm running with it. Finally I ate some delicious Yaki Niku. The people were nice and I told him that Colorado was in the middle of the U.S. They knew about Denver and immediately remarked that there are lots of car factories there. I guess they are correct. I will ponder on that for next time.

mmmmm yaki niku. Well to close it up lets hear it for the Japanese vending machine with hot and cold drinks anytime of the day!

You follow the bird and he leads you too a small field. The rest of group continues on their way and you soon lose sight of them. You feel like you should follow the group, but you countinue to follow the small little bird. He leads you to a cave inside an old tree and you follow him inside.  Down many steps you go and he leads you to a small room with desk and a drawer. He looks at you and blinks and chirps for you to open the drawer. You open the drawer and inside is a glowing yellow wheel. It is small though. You pick it up and it sings to you.

``you have found the wheel that stores singing and secrets a prize for any to find

use it to reveal pathways and find what there is to find

For you are the only carrier and all others are really just fakes

Do not mistake it for another for some will surely do wrongly and lead you into swamps and

lakes`` 

You store the wheel in your pocket and the bird bows for some reason. Soon you rise back into daylight and are happy to do so. The inside tree cave was quite gloomy. The bird quickens his pace and you follow faster. Soon you come to a clearing and you see far in the distance the rest of the bird party making there way to circle of trees in the middle of a fast field of green. The bird gives one tweet and spreads his wings wide.  flutters away leaving you to catch up on your feet. You break out into a run and soon find the path that the convoy had just made. You dart across the field maneuvering over rocks and stumps and soon you are quite close to the bird party. The little bird glances at you but quickly looks away and signals with a wing tip for you to be careful. You are very quiet and sneak back into the line. The rest of the bird group seems unaware of your presence as you catch up to the group and you act as if nothing has happened. Soon you stand at the foot of 400 foot trees stretching up into the late afternoon sky. At the top of the tree there seems to be platform. The millions of birds break out into song once again and it is a beautiful song. It fills the field and things start happening. The birds clear out from around you and you notice a flower that is growing out the ground next to you is growing longer and longer. A bird mimics for you to grab the stem of the flower and you do so. Soon you realize the reason. The flower is not one flower, but a small branch of a flower tree and it is growing out of the ground with increasing speed. You are soon in fact lifted above the ground and your grip on the branch remains strong. The platform is slowly growing closer and seconds later you find yourself at its entrance. You step out onto it`s large wooden surface and soon all the birds surround you, but they are not on the plat form but flap their wings effortlessly surrounding the wooden surface.  They all gather around you and soon you are encased and take center stage in this world of birds. One single bird assumed to be the leader of the group you suppose enters the platform and ceases flying he comes up to you and speaks.

   ``I have learned the language through constant study and am one of the few. You can understand my language I do presume. Well here you are at our home plate in the sky a place for gatherings and joymaking arise. I present to you upon your welcome the wheel of secrets. It is our most sacred treasure and we would like to give it to you. You see the yellow glowing wheel that the bird pushes towards you with his beak. You try to find the small bird in the crowd of flapping wings. Do you take and touch the yellow Spinning wheel? 

So you stand your ground. You notice that all the birds are not only different colors, but are changing colors as well. The song is beautiful that they sing. There are no words but just sounds. They seem to tell the story of the forest around them and each note rings true. You stand there in awe listening and enjoying the sun as well. Just moments before snow filled your scenery and now green is everywhere you look. The end of the music comes and the birds clap their wings together. the biggest of the birds wears a crown on his head and he makes his way forward to you walking proud, beak raised high. He bows before you and in his wings is a letter that he places at your side.

``hello kindest friend that has listened to our beat

we welcome you to Forest Land and hope that you find it neat

fear not wise sir for you are in a land of green and breeze

we are the bird people of Sorowndow and only like to sing.

We sing secrets that help in other times that you can store if you have the wheel

We`d like you to join us at our tree top perch for some local food, a meal!``

You you do not pass up the request and follow your new bird friends. As you are walking through the forest a small bird comes behind and beckons for you to follow him off the trail. Do you follow him or remain with the group?