Escape Hard, Inner Ninja

Blast from the Past

2010-08-04T14:15:00.000-04:00

In April 2008, Renee volunteered for the Takasegawa Canal Sakura Matsuri (follow the link to read Renee's original post about it). By coincidence, the area was also being filmed that day for a PBS documentary. Then, two years passed, and look what we just found on-line! (The real fun starts at roughly the 2:20 mark.)

In case the embedded video below is showing poorly in your browser, here is an external link: Video.

The Cherry Blossom Festival in Kyoto Japan

A Dental Story (Part 2)

2010-07-31T19:07:00.001-04:00

Warning: Be sure to read Part 1 first. It really sets the mood!

In the last few years, I have had problems with my teeth. I started biting my cheeks and tongue frequently while eating. Also, my only point of contact between top and bottom is with my front teeth -- this has caused excessive wear, and so temperature and pressure sensitivity to these teeth. It has also started causing painful headaches, for example, when I rest my head in my hands. So, when Renee and I moved to Connecticut, I found an orthodontist with lots of positive referrals, and started treatment this summer.

In order to fix my bite, the solution is to either shorten the space for my lower teeth (Boo!) or enlarge the space for my upper teeth (Not-quite-as-Boo!). Because of the cheek-biting, we're going to enlarge the top. This involves expanding the palate in the roof of my mouth. An appliance has been attached to my top molars, which contains threaded screws pointing at each molar. In the middle is a gear-box, which is turned using a small key. As the key turns, the screws push out, thus widening the palate. Using one or two turns a day for a few weeks should reposition my teeth enough to fix my bite.

This works in children, because the sutures that connect the upper jaw to the skull are still open; the pressure from the appliance can actually push the two halves of the palate apart. If you are past a certain age, then the device only works if you first have a surgery that breaks those sutures again. The procedure itself will not take too long; roughly two hours. First, I'll be put under general anaesthesia. Then, the surgeon will lift my upper lip and make an incision above my front teeth. This is to gain access to the palate. Going through that hole, the surgeon will insert a chisel and break apart the two halves of my palate. To be sure the break is complete, he'll go ahead and use the expander to widen my palate a little.

This will be the first time I am put under general anaesthesia, which probably has me the most worried right now. Even though I know the relevant statistics (such as, only 1-in-350,000 dental surgeries involving general anaesthesia lead to an anaesthesia-related death), I'm not too keen on being knocked out. "Irrationally terrified" is perhaps a better description.

The other fun part will be the gap between my front teeth as the expander goes to work. The gap can grow as large as the width of a full tooth. This is charmingly cute in a six-year old, but perhaps will not do so much for me. But at least Xavier and I should be able to match! I've never thought of myself as being too concerned with appearances, but now I spend a lot of time thinking about what my students will think when I go back to teaching in the fall. Eek!

So, I'm freaking out a little before my surgery this Thursday. Just thought a blog post or two might help calm me down.

p.s. - If you're like yesterday me, you didn't know that "suture" could refer to certain bone connections. Here's a wikipedia link which confirms my usage.

A Dental Story (Part 1)

2010-07-31T18:21:00.003-04:00

About ten years ago, in graduate school, I went to a dentist to get my teeth cleaned. After the cleaning, the dentist came in to do the oral exam. After a few minutes of poking around with her implements, she said, "OK, now bite down."
I complied. "No, bite down all the way."
"This is all the way down for me."
"No, your molars should touch."
"My molars can't touch."
My dentist's jaw dropped and she stepped backwards from the chair, as if I had said I was carrying the plague. See, apparently this is very abnormal, and very, very wrong. Immediately I was referred to an orthodontist. He was very professional and friendly. Unfortunately, someone had given him some very bad information about what a graduate student was going to be willing and/or able to pay for orthodontics. I don't remember exact figures, but his quote at the time may as well have been "Eleventy Bajillion Dollars." Still, we had a brief conversation about finances. He thought my joke about "interest free payment plans" was very funny. Finally, we came up with a solution I could afford: I decided to postpone treatment.
After a few months, and because it was financially convenient, I decided that I had just bumped into a well-meaning but over-zealous dentist, and that I didn't really need to fix my bite. After all, I was healthy -- I didn't have any problems eating, or any pain in my teeth. I mean, who knew better for my teeth? Me, a 24-year old with no formal training in dentistry? Or my dentist, who had been fixing teeth longer than I had been alive? Right!
Grad school came to an end, and Renee and I started bouncing around again. Each new city brought lots of new adventures. And new dentists! Annoyingly, they all seemed united in their desire to bring my molars together. It is as if the dentists all viewed my molars as star-crossed lovers, cursed to spend eternity apart, unless and until the dentist stepped in and (for a reasonable fee) used their god-like powers for good, and reunited them.
Uniformly, the dentists agreed something should be done. The only thing that kept me from believing them (besides the hefty price tag, which let me assure you, definitely helped) was that each dentist had their own ~~terrifying~~ creative solution for fixing my teeth. (For the record, I am not making any of these up.)
Dentist #2: We need to shorten your lower jaw. The operation is simple -- the surgeon removes your lower jaw, cuts a piece out of the center, and then re-attaches it. Afterwards, we will have to wire your jaw shut while it heals. Not too long: six to twelve weeks at most.
Moving on...
Dentist #3: We can definitely avoid surgery. We will simply file your back eight teeth down to pegs, and attach enlarged crowns to form a new biting surface. Of course, the life span of a typical crown is five to fifteen years, so you may expect to be replacing a crown once every 1-2 years after a while. But apart from that minor inconvenience...
Ah. Well, we'll put that in the "Maybe" pile.
Dentist #4: We will pursue aggressive treatment, first with a surgical operation in which we peel back your gum line, and razor thin cuts are made in the jaw bone between all of your teeth. This will let the teeth "walk" more freely and allow for more lateral movement via orthodontics. Because of the new positioning, some splaying will occur (that is, the top teeth will point out at an angle, not straight down). Nevertheless, your bite will be restored.
Wait... I only get to do this once? Pass.

Coming next: My upcoming surgery!

Rest In Peace, Leroy H. Rasmussen

2010-03-24T00:45:00.005-04:00

My grandfather, Leroy Henry Rasmussen, passed away this weekend. It is a sad time for me and my family, but I am comforted by the support of loved ones, and my fond memories of him. Known simply as "Pa" to his children and grand-children alike, he was born in Laramie, Wyoming, married young, received a Purple Heart for his service in the Navy in World War II, founded a school in Tunisia, and spent a career working for the State Department and its foreign aid missions to countries around the globe, such as Nigeria, Laos, Algeria, and Haiti. You might think that Renee and I are seasoned travelers, but check out the following page of Pa's passport from the height of his career:

Every page is more of the same, and then extra pages have been taped in as addenda. (In fact, my parents met in North Africa, as both sets of my grandparents' were working there when they were in high school.)

My grandfather is why I root for the Denver Broncos, and why I can solve a Rubik's Cube. When our enthusiasm for bridge outlasted that of my sister and parents, we invented a three-player version and roped my grandmother into playing it in the morning before I would go to school. He loved crossword puzzles, Garfield, Jumbles, and the Muppets. And as a result, I do, too.

It was by his example and encouragement that Renee and I took the plunge to live abroad, and Pa helped me meet family half a world away. I am grateful that he got to meet Xavier, and I hope and pray that he knew how much he was respected and loved by his family.

Career Planning

2010-02-27T21:23:00.005-05:00

What do you want to be when you grow up? Xavier's already thinking about his options. Looks like he's considering becoming an accountant or file clerk.

He was alone in the living room for less than 15 seconds and in that time managed to roll (I assume... since he doesn't crawl, cruise or walk yet) across the entire room over to our finances file box. He was quite proud to have his hands on the folders. Now, if only he'd start reconciling our accounts!

He's also considering careers in banking and financial advising.

Lyman Orchards Winterfest

2010-02-21T12:23:00.003-05:00

This weekend we went to the Lyman Orchards Winterfest. When I read the advertisement, I was so excited by the claims of ice sculptures, illuminations, an igloo village and sledding. It sounded a lot like the amazing Frozen Waterfall festival at Sounkyo in Hokkaido. So, we all dressed warmly and headed out for some wintry fun. For X-man, this fun included eating Puffs sneakily in his car seat.

As you can see in the photos, the two events weren't quite the same after all. For one thing, it was a fairly warm day for February and a lot of the snow had melted which really impacted the winter ambience. But, the medieval ice sculptures were neat. Xavier liked the knight slaying the dragon and the castle sculptures. He smiled a lot at the artist who was building a drawbridge out of ice. I liked the wizard best. As for Chris, I think he liked the delicious free samples in the Apple Barrel shop most of all. :)

Eight Months Old

2010-01-22T13:13:00.011-05:00

Xavier is eight months old. It is such a fun age! Not that his other ages and stages weren't fun too, but he's really starting to come into his own now.

We've seen signs that his personality is patient and sweet in this month that included way too many illnesses for our taste. He came down with a cold/congestion/cough right as we headed to NY. His cough got croupy and he started wheezing.
These symptoms prompted his doctor to suggest an inhaler for times of wheezing/breathing distress. In case you were wondering, seven and a half month olds don't really like using inhalers with face masks. It took about a week and a half for him to feel completely better - just in time to start day care - and start collecting germs again! We all caught the stomach flu, fevers, and another round of cold/flu illnesses with sore throats, coughs, and congestion. Poor Xavier also added an ear infection to the mix. After a run like that, we are so thankful for Alexander Fleming and his brilliant accidental discovery of antibiotics!

But, throughout it all, Xavier's spirits were fairly high. Some days, he really couldn't do much besides sleep, snuggle and whimper. You could tell he *wanted* to be happy. He *wanted* to laugh, smile and play. What a trooper! Just another reason why I love my patient and happy little man! All of the pictures in this post are from January 22 when he was home sick from daycare.Eating was very unpredictable this month. We introduced a few new solid foods - Applesauce, Squash and Bananas. He liked all three of them - at least at first. Then, he started refusing all solid foods - both at home and at day care. I think he just didn't feel well and didn't understand that solids are actually a food. It probably seems more like a game than a meal to him.

Sleep has continued to improve. Most nights this month Xavier went to sleep right around 7pm and slept through until 6am. Some days, he even "slept in" until 7:00 or 7:30! Twelve consecutive hours of sleep - I thought we'd never get here. But, we did! Go X-man!

Another huge development on the sleep front was that he's not always asleep when we lay him in his crib for the night. But, he doesn't cry or throw a fit anymore. It seems that he has learned to self-soothe and fall asleep on his own! He's also started napping in his crib a little bit. Many days he takes a morning nap and that's it. Other days he takes a morning, afternoon and/or late afternoon nap. It's completely unpredictable - but still SO much better than the zero minute average of yore.

Our first excitement of 2010 was my heading off to work and Xavier going back to daycare at Apple Tree! His old classroom filled up during his absence, so he joined the new infant class. So far, there are only three other babies and they are all younger than he is. Much like before, Xavier seems to enjoy the social aspects of daycare. His teacher, Miss Erin, is always telling us how he spends time flirting and rolling and "reading" books with his new girlfriend Juliette. :)

At home, his favorite activities are jumping in the jumperoo, playing with his stacking cups, playing with his Rock-a-Stack and hitting the piano keys on his Leap Frog musical table. It is excellent that he likes playing with these toys since they are all "strategic." Most of the toys encourage him to practice sitting up. He's pretty much mastered it now. Next step - learning to get into a sitting position on his own.

Dislikes worthy of mention this month include using his inhaler, teething, fevers, coughing and sleeves. Yes, sleeves.

He recently discovered tub toys - which makes it a bit easier for us to rinse shampoo (and sometimes conditioner!) out of his hair without too many tears. Speaking of his hair - Can you believe we have to blow dry his hair sometimes? How many eight month olds have to do that?!
A new trick that Xavier learned this month is coming towards us with open mouth and hands. It's kind of like a cat pouncing, so I call it his "Cat Attack!" Then he bites/open mouth slimes our cheek (or nose or chin...)while holding our face/hugging us. It's his intense version of kissing. He always seems ecstatically happy and affectionate when he is about to "attack." Let's hope these love bites stay friendly as more teeth come in!

Xavier's Baptism

2010-01-17T22:35:00.003-05:00

Today was Xavier's Baptism at Saint Sebastian Church in Middletown. This event has been in the works for a long while. It's so exciting that we are finally ready to celebrate!!

The day was off to a bit of a rocky start when X-man woke up very early and very fussy. He's been feeling under-the-weather since Christmas. First, he had some sort of cold/congestion/cough. Then, he caught (and shared) a stomach virus and now it looks like he's starting another cold. Poor little guy! Happily, his sweet personality won out and he let us give him a bath and get him ready for his big day.

The most important step in getting ready was choosing which baptism gown to wear. Xavier had the enviable choice between two beautiful, handmade, family heirloom baptism gowns with different histories. He tried on and took pictures in both gowns. I only wish he could have worn them both for the Christening itself!

One choice was the McNichols Family gown. It was handmade from an old wedding dress by Helen McNichols Hayes, my maternal grandfather's younger sister. This baptism gown was worn by several Mc Nichols babies including my Aunt Joan, my mother, several of my first cousins and several first cousins once removed. In the pictures, it is the gown with the long, long see through skirt and tight cuffs on the sleeves.
The other choice was the Le Febure Family gown. It was handmade for my father by Jeanette Grujon - a first cousin of my paternal grandfather. Worn only by my father at his baptism, the gown "escaped" Castro's regime when it was sent by Jeanette to my father in a French diplomatic package from Cuba. While I'm sure my father (single and in his 20's at the time!) probably questioned the utility of sending him a baptism gown, it's really nice to have it today! Key features on this gown are the shorter skirt, more lace details, and the loosely tied sleeves.

Xavier ended up wearing the Le Febure baptism gown - mostly because it fit him so much better. Seven month old babies are a bit older (and larger) than the average baptism recipient so it was nice to have a less snug garment. Another consideration was that Xavier loves standing up so much. The shorter skirt was a huge help keeping him happy and quiet during mass and the baptism itself.

Unknown to us, we learned that January 20th is the Feast of Saint Sebastian in the Catholic Church. To celebrate Sebastian's sainthood, local third grade children performed a play in six (long) acts highlighting many details of his life, miracles, conversions and martyrdom before the mass began. The Knights of Columbus also joined in on the processional in full regalia.

After the regular mass, Godfather/Uncle Charlie and Godmother Emily Smith joined Chris and I in baptizing Xavier. He did very well throughout the sacrament. In fact, when the priest was pouring water on him, he tried craning his head back to see the pitcher!

After the mass and ceremony we held a small reception at our place. Highlights included catering dishes from Illiano's, my favorite non-alcoholic punch (pineapple juice, diet ginger ale, OJ "ice" cubes, and orange sherbet), and a delicious cake from Front Street Bakery - the best bakery ever!

What a lucky little man to have such amazing Godparents, family and friends there to celebrate with him! God Bless Xavier James!

Back to "Japan"

2009-12-28T13:16:00.007-05:00

Nihon e ikitai desu. Nihon e ikitai desu. Istu? Ima. Mochiron. Ikimasenka? Ikimashou!

It's been a year since we have set foot in our beloved Japan. And, while we enjoy living stateside now, we do miss LOTS of things about our lives in Kyoto.

Thanks to Pa, this Christmas, we were lucky enough to be able to return to "Japan" for a day.

With grandparents chomping at the bit for an extended babysitting opportunity and two fellow fun-seekers (Charlie and Erin) to share the day with, we headed out on an Asian Adventure in New York City.

Our first stop was Katagiri. Chris says that they are the oldest Japanese grocer in New York City. Sugoi desu ne! We stocked up on lots of Japanese favorites that we hadn't been able to find in the US - (real) Udon and soba noodles, Pocky, Sansai (Kyoto mountain vegetables), Tonkatsu sauce, (good) gyoza sauce, and kabocha, a Japanese pumpkin that my Dad said looked like a calabasa. Yum!! They even had a fridge full of C.C. Lemon!

Just in case we didn't have enough authentic groceries in our bags, we hit another Japanese grocer - JAS Mart. This shop was larger, but carried more snacks and non-food items as opposed to fresh foods. I was excited to find so many brands of canned Japanese coffee. Also, they carried the dehumidifying pouches and containers for drawers and closets. Not that I need them in the middle of dry winter, but I got a few anyway for when warmer wetter weather prevails!

Next, on the recommendation of my friend Dan, we went to Ippudo, a New York branch of a popular Japanese ramen chain. Even though we arrived before 5pm, there was still a bit of a wait. This place was SO popular, and rightfully so. Our ramen was **amazing!** Chris and Charlie both got the special and Erin and I both got the Akamaru-modern. Following the traditional custom we all ordered "Kae-dama onegaishimasu!" - a second helping of noodles for our ramen broth. As we were leaving, the lines of hungry diners filled the bar, lobby and poured out onto the street. Clearly, being early was the way to go.

Our final stop was Duet 35 - an authentic Japanese karaoke place near Penn Station. Japanese karaoke is so much cooler than a typical American karaoke bar because instead of putting your name on a long list only to have to then sing in front of a room of strangers, you get your own private room with a big screen TV and microphones for just you and your friends! We met up with a bunch of Charlie's friends there- all of whom were excellent singers. :)

Another fun feature, you can order drinks and snacks to be brought to your room. Chris and I each ordered one Kahlua Milk drink just like we did on most singing occasions with Muraki-mama, Sayaka and Dominikus! Natsukashii desu ne! Plus, the drinks made everyone sing (and hear) better! We stayed for over two hours, until our vocal chords begged us to hop on the next train home.

What a fun and nostalgic day! For the record, not having to take a 15 hour flight to enjoy these Japanese foods and activities is AMAZING! Anyone up for a repeat adventure?

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T13:11:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! Can you tell that Christmas makes us happy? X-mas definitely agreed with X-man. :)

Seven Months Old

2009-12-22T12:54:00.008-05:00

Today, X-man is seven months old. As usual, we are shocked and amazed by the continual passing of time.

This month was jam packed with exciting baby milestones. It's possible that more "firsts" occurred in the last few weeks than in the first six months combined!

Xavier celebrated his First Thanksgiving. He also "enjoyed" his first set of holiday road trip traffic. It took over eight hours to get to Baltimore! But, it was definitely worth it. We had so much fun staying with Sara, Julian, Catriona and Gareth. During this trip, Xavier also got to see his Rasmussen Grandparents again and meet his Great Grandfather - Pa. Of course, we took some great "Four Generations of Rasmussen Men" photos. On the way back home, we stopped in NY to see my parents and joined in the festivities of the traditional post-Thanksgiving dessert party with my cousins. Sadly, X-man was already asleep by the time guests arrived.

In other seasonal milestones, Xavier witnessed his first few snowfalls this month. Nothing huge, but enough to coat the world in white and be really beautiful for a few days! Plus, it was a great chance to go outside while wearing his super cute snowsuit. (Thanks again Sean and Kerry!)

Xavier had his first introduction to solid foods on 12-1-2009. He had rice cereal and was not all that impressed. Later in the month we also introduced sweet peas (hates them) and sweet potatoes (likes them). We can sometimes fool him into a few more bites by hiding peas inside a spoonful of sweet potatoes.

As you saw in an earlier post, Xavier had his first haircut on 12-5-2009. He did fine and looked so handsome once it was over. With his hair growing skills, I wonder how long the cut will last?
Another milestone moment was the eruption of his First Tooth. The lower right front tooth appeared on 12-15-2009.
Xavier's likes and dislikes this month remain pretty much the same. But, moving teething up to the top of the dislike list is in order. While we wait for teeth 2, 3 and 4 to erupt, poor Xavier and his swollen gums are trying to be patient. He manages the discomfort by pulling on his ear, chewing EVERYTHING in sight, and sticking out his tongue. High energy distracting, especially in the form of silly sounds, songs and dances also seems to help. A new favorite is the vibrating grapes teether shown in the photo above. Its great! He likes playing with the ladybug on the handle and biting it all day. Plus, it doesn't matter if it it loses its chill like other teething rings.

X-man's First Haircut

2009-12-05T19:14:00.005-05:00

It seems that one of Xavier's best talents is growing hair. It finally reached the scruffy point of no return - hair extending past his eyes, past his ears, and creating a baby mullet in the back. It was time for his First Haircut!

We went to Scissor Kids, a salon nearby that specializes in haircuts for babies and kids. There were novelty chairs shaped like cars, trucks and horses. Xavier was feeling a little too wiggly that day though, so he sat on my lap for his haircut this time. They even had tiny smocks with cute designs. Xavier's had zoo animals on it - very appropriate since he brought Sophie, his giraffe, and his little orange lion with him to the salon.

During the haircut, which took less than ten minutes, there were no tears at all - neither from mommy nor baby. We both did so well! Lisa, his stylist, was impressed by his big kid bravery and his big kid hair. She guessed that his hair will grow in even more thick and full as he ages based on the growing pattern she saw now. Not a big surprise given how much hair all the rest of us have in this family!
They gave us a "Baby's First Haircut Certificate", complete with a lock of hair and a photo. Now that his first haircut is done, what do we think of X-man's new look? We think he's more handsome than ever! Clearly, he, in all humbleness, agrees.

Twinkle Toes

2009-12-04T18:55:00.000-05:00

Check out the sweet kicks that I found for Xavier on babysteals.com. These shoes are SO cute! They were on special for 54% off. Plus they keep his toes warm, which is perfect for winter in Connecticut. Lucky little man.

Baby Zagat

2009-12-02T14:37:00.012-05:00

Court Street Cafe

Food = 2/30

Decor = 28/30

Service =13/30

Cost = $0

The "less than astronomical" cost of eating here makes this establishment ideal for "deal-seeking" babies in Central Connecticut. Keep in mind, "you get what you pay for" though. The “service can be hit-or-miss” and the waitstaff seems to take it as their personal mission to make sure you finish (or at least attempt to finish) your meal. This makes for a "less than pleasant" dining experience. The Precious Planet highchair decor was both "comfortable and entertaining." The suction cup animal toy set up for diners at each table was a "charming touch" that added to the restaurant's overall ambiance. Just a “touch above ok”, diners may leave feeling "unimpressed" by the sparse menu consisting of their "signature dish" of rice cereal and nothing more.

Six Months Old

2009-12-02T14:32:00.008-05:00

On November 22 Xavier turned six months old! We're not sure where the time is going, but it is getting there in a fast and very fun manner!

We've made some slow but positive progress this month on the sleeping front. Primarily using the strategies outlined in "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth, we kept moving Xavier's bedtime earlier and earlier until he started to sleep through the night with more consistency. Daylight savings time helped us out nicely with this. We got to make a 90 minute change with only 30 minutes of "effort". Bedtime is between 6:30 and 7:00 these days and X-man wakes up 1-2 times each night while logging 10-12 hours of sleep. Much better than last month! Naps are still a challenge most days, but we're taking things one step at a time.This was his last full month of nursing exclusively. I am both excited and a little apprehensive about introducing his first foods soon. If he likes solids even half as much as he likes milk, we'll have an eating champ on our hands.

Each week our little social butterfly becomes even more interactive. In addition to clearly loving people, he has finally noticed his "brothers" of the feline persuasion. He will laugh and squeal at the cats, and always smiles when Ventura walks into a room or pays attention to him. A Venty sighting will even (temporarily) stop a meltdown. Yeah! His repertoire of sounds has increased a lot this month, but so far, most of the "words" he uses resemble cute pterodactyl noises more than human ones.
At night, we have transitioned from using our beloved Pea Pod swaddle to a fleece sleep sack. Xavier seems very glad to have his hands at his disposal at night. Sometimes, he can grab his paci and successfully put it in his mouth. This is a key skill to have. Other nights, he will find his tiger lovey and snuggle and hug it to soothe himself. It's SO cute!

Getting one last milestone in just under the wire, X-man began rolling in both directions (front to back and back to front) on his six month birthday. And, now there is no stopping him. He constantly rolls to reach toys, to get a better view of us or the cats and to try to sneak a peek at the TV or the computer screen. Illegal activity, mister! :) He is also working on sitting up unassisted. He can sort of sit up for a few seconds and then he either lists to one side, folds in half at the waist (sometimes using his arms to support himself and other times going way beyond "nose to knees") or falls over completely (which can be painful when he topples headfirst onto a toy!)
Pat-a-cake, baths and eating continue to be favorite activities. New favorites are singing "Pop goes the Weasel" (he anticipates the "Pop!"), watching the "Magic Flower" paper toy as we open and shut it, playing with his frog castanet toy from Nadine in Japan, getting "thrown" up in the air, (don't worry - we don't actually let go, we only play this over a soft surface and we are careful to mind his head and neck) and being kissed on his chest/tummy on the count of three. He will usually be laughing by "2" before the kisses land!

He also likes chewing on everything, "standing", being held upside down and watching the leaves when we go for walks. He does not like the wind.His six month stats from his pediatrician appointment on 11/30 were 16 lbs, 14 oz, 28" tall and 45cm in head circumference. (He weighed 16 lbs, 4.6 oz on 11/24 - Can you guess when his growth spurt occurred?)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T09:15:00.002-05:00

As you can imagine, we have a lot to be thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Mini-Michaelangelo

2009-11-23T14:20:00.004-05:00

Xavier's artistic side is developing nicely. He seems to enjoy "painting" a lot. He also enjoys getting covered in paint and trying to eat the paint. Don't worry, Mom - his medium of choice is Crayola non-toxic kids' paint!Abstract Work - Hands and Feet
Lobsters in the Ocean
Two Ducklings
Hands and Feet Wreath

Weekend in Waltham

2009-11-09T20:10:00.000-05:00

Our good friends, Emily and Andy, recently bought a house in Waltham, MA just outside of Boston. We really wanted to visit and see their new home! Over fall break, we had the perfect opportunity to do just that.

It was a great vacation. We arrived at the hotel late on Friday night so that we could enjoy full days of fun on Saturday and Sunday. We went to Wilson Farms in Lexington to check out their pumpkins, mulled cider, fall mums etc... and to pick up some delicious fresh veggies for dinner. Then, we checked out the town of Lexington- the site of the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War. It is also the site of some gorgeous fall foliage!

The next day, we took the MTA into Boston to see sites along the Freedom Trail. Xavier seemed to enjoy public transportation as much as we do! Andy read us excerpts from a great walking guide as we arrived at each new place. I had been wanting to check out the Freedom Trail for a long time now. It's odd to have a degree with a concentration on Colonial American history and never have been to any of the Revolutionary sites in Massachusetts. Thanks to the Smiths, I've seen a bunch now!

The MA State House was cool. The gold dome is so ~~beautiful~~ ostentatious. It was designed by the same architect that designed the old State House in Hartford. Knowing that, I can see the resemblance. The Granary Burying Ground was a very interesting cemetery. Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Ben Franklin's parents and several other Bostonians of note are interred here.

We also got to see the Old North Church and Paul Revere's house. It was neat to see the steeple of this church, where lanterns once signaled the approach of the British regulars on the night of Paul Revere's famous midnight ride. "One if by land, and two, if by sea" indeed! Some of the more interesting facts I learned while visiting Paul Revere's house were that he had 16 children (8 with each of his two wives) and that he was tried on charges of cowardice and insubordination in a court martial. (He was eventually cleared.) Wow!

Most importantly, we got to visit with Andy and Emily and see their lovely home firsthand. It's great! And, soon, the impressive bathroom renovations will be complete and their house will be even more wonderful! Yay! I am already looking forward to our next visit.

Shakespearean Actors

2009-11-07T19:56:00.000-05:00

Romeo and Juliet - Act 1, Scene 1Zeta: Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?
Xavier: I do bite my thumb, sir.

Walking

2009-11-06T16:09:00.000-05:00

Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much.

A new walking aficionado, Xavier suggests that Ralph Waldo Emerson forgot two key elements for a perfect walk - namely, a stroller and a pacifier!

As part of our new sleep training strategy, stimulating the senses with a daily walk outdoors is recommended. Apparently, it's good to expose him to rustling leaves, birds, moving clouds, barking dogs, wind etc... all from within the safe, warm confines of his stroller or the Baby Bjorn.
My current walking routes of choice are the paved loop trail at Haddam Meadows State Park and the paved grounds of the Indian Hill Cemetery.

Haddam Meadows overlooks the Connecticut River. From part of the loop you can see a boat slip. Several times I have seen folks out fishing or canoeing.

At Indian Hill Cemetery, there is so much to take in while you are walking. For one, the trees are beautiful. Transitioning from lush greens in the summer to vibrant autumn hues - I feel like taking photos almost every time I'm there. I haven't felt inspired in this way since I left Japan, so that's nice. Noting the subtle changes in the landscape as time passes is very relaxing. I like knowing which trees are likely to have birds in them, where the wind picks up momentum on the hills and when/where to expect shadows that provide shade.

Secondly, tombs are fascinating. I love reading all the names and epitaphs. (The most intriguing name I have found so far is Youghaper Bodozian. I discovered that it is a popular Armenian name, but one I had never heard before.) Likewise, it is interesting finding out when people were born and how old they were when they died.

I discovered that several soldiers have been interred at Indian Hill. For example, Joseph Fenno King Mansfield - a Civil War Union Major General who died following the Battle of Antietam is buried here. So are many Connecticut and Massachusetts Vols. As for politicians, US Congressmen including Ebenezer Jackson Jr., and Samuel Larkin Warner are buried here.

I've also found names of people associated with Wesleyan University throughout the graveyard. For example, you can find Wilbur Olin Atwater, a chemist that studied metabolism and human nutrition. He was Wesleyan's first Professor of Chemistry. And, there are no fewer than six Presidents of Wesleyan University buried there including Paul Raymond Bradford (Pres from 1889-1908) and James Lukens McConaughy (Pres from 1925-1943). McConaughy was also a Governor of Connecticut.

And then there are tombs that are just generally interesting - like gravestones for people who were lost at sea!

It is safe to say that we're hooked! Until the weather gets too cold and snowy, count on finding us wearing out our shoes and stroller treads on these great paths.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T23:30:00.007-04:00

Check out Pea Pod at the Babies Halloween Party at the hospital. I think he had a lot of fun with his friends. And, he didn't mind wearing his costume. Yay! Xavier really seems to love big crowds -even more so when there are lots of other children. Can you tell?

Five Months Old

2009-10-22T21:45:00.008-04:00

Xavier turned 5 months old on October 22nd!

This month was a pretty challenging one as far as sleep goes. For a variety of possible reasons, Xavier's napping right now is quite poor and his night sleeping has regressed. He has been waking up two or three times most nights leaving me exhausted! (That's why the blog has been so quiet lately.) Thankfully, we have many friends who have offered help and dozens of suggestions and theories. I have hope that better, longer nights of sleep will return soon.

X-man also had his first low-grade fever coupled with congestion. So, we went to the pediatrician. Everything checked out ok, but to be safe we were sent to the hospital to have some blood drawn. :( Besides being a bit traumatic, the bloodwork didn't show anything. In the end, it was probably just a virus and it went away pretty quickly. I was very happy to have my parents come and visit while Xavier was under the weather - definitely helped keep us calm while he fought his fever.
Sleeping and sickness aside, Xavier has been pretty busy. We went to a Math Department dinner at Firehouse. X was such a flirt. He went around the table charming everyone as he went. We've also been going on lots of walks in the Indian Hill Cemetery and Haddam Meadows. Gotta get as much fresh air as we can before it gets too cold! Often, we are joined for our walks by friends - especially Jaime & Ryan and Steph & Matty!

We also enjoyed our first "Baby Pictures." It's not a photo shoot. It's a Parents/Baby movie event where the theater has baby-friendly dim lighting and quieter sound. Everyone expects/accepts that there will be crying, nursing and diaper changes throughout the film. Thus, you get to pay a lower price! I saw Couples Retreat (it was so-so) while Xavier spent the whole time playing with his friends.

The highlight of the month was our trip to Virginia for Sarah & Shannon's baby shower. We got to visit with lots of good friends from college as well as Charlie and Erin. Of course, we had a blast!

On Xavier's 5 month day, we attended an Infant Massage class. We learned about the benefits of massage as well as several techniques. We were told that massage may even promote sleep and a healthy immune system. Not so sure about that, but we both did enjoy it!

And, as always, for the statistically inclined - Xavier now weighs 15 lbs, 8.8oz. Looks like he's right on schedule to double his birth weight by six months.

Go Mommy Go!

2009-10-19T15:00:00.002-04:00

This week, I had an amazing stroke of luck in the fantasy football game I'm playing.

I made several "safe" picks in the early weeks of the season and even though I had no losses, my score placed me in the middle of the pack. Usually, I base my pick on the Las Vegas line as compared to the power rankings. It looked like Philly was the obvious choice since they were playing Oakland and the line was -14.5. But, to try to separate myself from the others, I chose Green Bay. I hoped, but certainly didn't think this strategy would work.

Quite unexpectedly, Green Bay beat Detroit 26-0 while the Eagles lost to the Raiders 13-9. Eleven of the nineteen players in the league chose the Eagles and lost. So (for now) I'm winning. Yay!

Leyendo con Abuelo

2009-10-10T17:46:00.004-04:00

Colorín colorado, este cuento se ha acabado.

Meeting Gareth Eli Milburn Cheslock

2009-10-04T08:50:00.006-04:00

Last weekend we had the pleasure of meeting our new nephew/cousin Gareth for the first time. He's a cutie! Instead of having either family drive all the way to CT or MD, we met in Rockville Centre - the "midway point" as defined by free lodging rather than by geography. We had a really fun time playing and visiting with Sara and Gareth... as you can see in these photos. We enjoyed a tasty home-cooked Cuban meal and got to catch up on all sorts of things including a hilarious presentation from Sara's graduation roast. I can't wait to get together again soon.

Dirty Laundry

2009-10-03T10:20:00.002-04:00

As you can imagine, having a rarely napping infant in your home changes your priorities. For example, pacifiers, bottles and pump parts are constantly being washed and sterilized, but laundry seems to pile up until someone needs clean underwear, socks or onesies.

But, when your dirty laundry looks this cute, is it really a problem?

Budding Artist

2009-10-02T18:00:00.005-04:00

Pumpkin Bag (front side)
Pumpkin Bag (back side) Fall Leaves
Pumpkin Plate

Here are Xavier's first works of art. Maybe, just maybe, Miss Gina and Miss Amy helped a little.

Tummy Time Update

2009-09-28T11:14:00.000-04:00

We are still NOT a fan of tummy time! However, X-man can now balance on his elbows, prop himself up on his arms, do push-ups, hold his head up and roll to his back. He'd just prefer not to. He has no choice though, thanks to all the developmental benefits that tummy time offers. I guess if he hates it that much, its all the more incentive to roll over.

Four Months Old

2009-09-23T16:08:00.006-04:00

Xavier is four months old! So, I tried to do a photo shoot with this wiggly little guy. Rather than sitting still in his chair, X-man had fun falling over, smiling, kicking and doing back bends. I might not have gotten any traditional shots, but his sweet personality definitely came through.

This month, as I mentioned earlier, Xavier started daycare. He really enjoyed it! Even though he was the youngest baby in his class, Xavier charmed everyone with his smiles and laughs. Several of the older babies would cry or wave goodbye when I came to pick him up each day. How sweet is that?

X-man's favorite things about daycare were his teachers, Miss Amy and Miss Gina, spending time in the swing and making art projects. His teachers said that he especially liked "painting" with both his hands and his feet.

At home, his favorites include playing with his colorful rattle, cuddling with (or chewing the ears on) his tiger blanket, playing Pat-a-cake, taking baths and eating. Pat-a-cake often results in bunches of giggles - so it's fast becoming our favorite game too!

For the statistically inclined, Xavier's four month stats are: 14 lbs., 12 oz. and 25 inches.

Enjoy yet another set of photos!

Lady Luck

2009-09-22T10:43:00.004-04:00

I haven't made a blog post in a long time. Excuses, excuses. But, I have an interesting story as to why I've been so slack.

The story begins with a very pleasant surprise. I was offered a job that I never applied for! Talk about lucky!

Given 14 hours advance notice, I began working in the Romance Languages and Literatures department at Wesleyan as their administrative assistant. It's a perfect blend of finance, tact, organization and getting to use my Spanish. Sadly, the position was only temporary and an internal candidate has been chosen for the permanent spot. My assignment ends this coming Friday.

It was an awesome opportunity though as I've made some great contacts and Xavier has tried out (and loved!) day care. Even though he's so little, they still have "lesson plans" involving games, tummy time, art projects, etc... It's really cute. Knowing that X-man thrives even when I am not there with him all day, will make things easier when I do go back to work full time.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog reading. At least until I get lucky again.

Three Months Old

2009-08-22T10:42:00.006-04:00

Enjoy these latest photos.

We're In For It

2009-08-15T16:45:00.004-04:00

Check out X-man's already perfect pout. Who could possibly say "no" to this face? We're doomed!

I Spy

2009-08-12T14:17:00.001-04:00

World Breastfeeding Week

2009-08-04T16:19:00.004-04:00

August 1 - August 7, is designated as World Breastfeeding Week. Supported by UNICEF, the WHO and La Leche League among others, World Breastfeeding Week began in 1990 and is celebrated annually in over 120 countries as an outreach to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It serves to raise awareness and try to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

This year's theme was "Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response - Are you ready?" stressing the importance of breastfeeding as a life-saving intervention, especially during emergencies. One interesting thing we learned was that even decades after having children, there are reports of grandmothers being able to re-lactate to feed their grandchildren during crises. How awesome/crazy is that?!

Today, Middlesex Hospital's Breastfeeding Support group celebrated with a fun event. We began with a parade and then had a meeting complete with snacks, drinks and a raffle with several door prizes. It was great to see such a large turnout!

What a Peach!

2009-08-03T13:41:00.008-04:00

This weekend we had a fun visit with our friends Rafi & Rachel. They came on the train and tested out the NYC- Meriden route on Amtrak. They had to change to a shuttle (short train with maybe two cars) in New Haven, but it was very straightforward and much cheaper than renting a car. From our perspective, the Meriden train station was close by and easy to find. Good on both counts. Happily, we now can attest that train is a viable option for those looking to visit.

What did we do? We went to Lyman Orchards to pick our own peaches. It was a little tricky to find the place since the directions we had were very wrong. But, once we finally arrived, it was a lot of fun! We also learned that this place has several seasons on their "picking calendar." We can return to pick pears, apples, pumpkins, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and (we've never heard of them until now...) jostaberries! They also have a sunflower maze in the late summer and a corn maze in the fall.

As usual, Xavier had four adults at his beck and call. You can see a great example of this in the big picture above. Chris is holding and feeding him. Rafi is actively admiring him. Rachel is shading him from the sun and I am photographing his every move for posterity. He sure keeps us minions on our toes. :)

They had several types of peaches and nectarines ready for picking. Between us, we picked over three pounds of fruit! Luckily, the orchards were giving out sheets of "Recipes with Peaches" for folks whose zeal for harvesting outpaced their ability to eat peaches before they go bad. Whew!

Xavier was tired out by all the sun and excitement. Awww. On a less adorable note, so were we.

Two Months Old

2009-07-29T15:48:00.007-04:00

It's hard to believe how fast time is flying... Xavier is already nine and a half weeks old. And, he's doing great. At his two month well-baby appointment on Monday he weighed in at 12 pounds even and was 23.5 inches tall.

The doctor said he was doing well with all his milestones. We're most excited about his ability to sleep. In this regard, he's definitely a Le Febure! His record is nine hours and fifteen minutes! We're pretty sure that this was his commentary about our recent purchase of a window AC unit for the bedroom. Of course, this doesn't happen every night, but he will usually sleep for somewhere between 5 and 8 hours. We are so grateful for such a good sleeper!

And, because I'm clearly obsessed with uploading photos... enjoy these!

Good Food, Good Friends, Good Fun!

2009-07-27T22:05:00.001-04:00

Photos from our trip to Reading, VT

Caroline & Matt's Wedding

2009-07-17T23:59:00.003-04:00

Photos

Latest Installment of Photos

2009-07-11T15:55:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! Check out these new photos of Xavier from the past three weeks.

Sunny Day

2009-06-27T20:49:00.006-04:00

Here's some proof that Connecticut can have weather that doesn't involve rain. Finally, we have some blue sky and sun mixed in with our clouds.
To take advantage of this (potentially) rare gift, Xavier and I went for a long walk around Wesleyan. We both enjoyed the sun, the heat, the breeze and just the chance to be exercising a bit outside. What a nice day!

Five Weeks Old

2009-06-26T21:30:00.007-04:00

It is amazing how much can happen in just one week. Since our last post, Xavier had many exciting firsts.

He had his first bottle.
He met Grandpa Ras and Grandma Barbara for the first time.
He helped Dad celebrate his first Father's Day.
He stopped by the Community Health Center on Main Street to meet my old co-workers.
He met our friends Sarah and Shannon. We're all looking forward to his first trip out west!
He went on his first outing to a restaurant. He slept peacefully through our entire visit to O'Rourke's Diner, as featured on the Food Network's show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
He went to his 1 month well-baby checkup. He now weighs 9 pounds, 14 ounces and he's 23 inches tall!

New Photos!

2009-06-18T13:54:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone! I'm turning four weeks old tomorrow, so Mom and Dad posted some photos. Feel free to take a look at them: Pictures. Frankly, I think family portraits are a little dull (as you can see), but there are still some cute shots of me over there.

Three Weeks Together

2009-06-12T10:50:00.000-04:00

Eventually, this will be a real post. But for now, here are some new photos!

Introducing...

2009-05-27T10:45:00.002-04:00

Xavier James Rasmussen

Born May 22, 2009 at 4:32pm

8 lbs 2 oz, 20 inches

Welcome to the world little man! Eventually, we will have photos up on our personal site; for now, please enjoy some shots on Shutterfly.

Before and After

2009-03-18T07:30:00.023-04:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I've written anything on our blog. To reward you for checking in with us from time to time despite the lack of new posts, I shall reveal my latest "makeover" results.

I cut off almost twelve inches of my hair to donate to Locks of Love, a charity that makes wigs for disadvantaged kids with cancer or other illnesses that make them go bald. I am happy with the results. It will be enjoyable re-growing my hair and discovering the fun of short and medium length styles again. Plus, it should take a lot less time to wash and dry. Yay!

I've been able to grow enough hair to make donations in 2003, 2006 and now, in 2009. Anyone want to venture a guess as to when I'll probably be donating again?

Japan Movie

2008-11-30T12:01:00.003-05:00

Renee made a video montage of our time in Japan over the summer, and we've been meaning to post it for a while now. Here it is (roughly 10 minutes...):

Si Se Puede

2008-11-03T18:25:00.001-05:00

Happy Election Day! Get out there and vote - podemos sanar el mundo!

Wicked good time in Chowdah-town

2008-10-13T01:00:00.005-04:00

In order to enjoy a big group dinner, a breakfast that included "Evan's famous french toast" and a day of sightseeing with friends, we headed up to Boston for the weekend.

My old college housemate, Andy, and his wife, Emily, were kind enough to let us stay with them in Cambridge. Thanks guys! I was really impressed by what a fun (and very walkable) town they lived in. I hope they like house guests, because I will definitely have to visit again soon. :)

Our sightseeing day included a great tour of Fenway Park, walking through downtown Boston and checking out Quincy Market area. The Fenway tour was a lot of fun. I enjoyed soaking up all the crazy trivia. For example, did you know that the longest homerun ever hit at Fenway was 502 feet by Ted Williams? It's commemorated with a red seat in Section 42 under the Ford advertisement. Or did you know that there is a "secret" morse code on the left field scoreboard that says "TAY" and "JRY", a memorial to now deceased former owners Thomas A. Yawkey and Jean R. Yawkey?

Next time, I want to really check out all the American Revolution stuff in Boston like sites along the "Freedom Trail", the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the nearby Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Old North Church (One if by land, and two if by sea...) and Paul Revere's house. Looking forward to it already!

Lindsay and Andy's Wedding

2008-10-05T22:00:00.001-04:00

On October 4th, Lindsay Skay and Andy Whitacre got hitched in a beautiful ceremony at St. Agnes Cathedral. Hooray! Never was there a couple more deserving of a perfect wedding day than these two. And man, did they get perfect - what an extravaganza!

The cocktail hour and reception were held at The Royalton at Roslyn Country Club. The food can only be described as pure deliciousness. Some examples of the taste sensations were wild mushroom tarlets and panko-encrusted striped bass with herb risotto and sautéed spinach topped with a lemon caper sauce. I wish I were able to create meals like these. Seriously.

To work off all the calories, there was a lot of dancing. If you wonder where Lindsay got her dancin' skillz, check out this video of her and her father. Apparently it's true - the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Later that night, there was an after-party at the Glen Cove Mansion, formerly known as the Harrison House. It was fun to investigate what had changed since I was last there... just over six years ago, for my own wedding reception. I'm happy to report they still have the shuffleboard and Foosball tables in the pub!

Have fun on your honeymoon guys! Congratulations and Best Wishes!

Weekend in Virginia

2008-09-28T21:00:00.007-04:00

This weekend, we headed south for Virginia and several fun events including spending the night with good friends in Leesburg, attending a bridal shower in Williamsburg, getting to see my brother, Charlie, in Arlington and finally meeting his very awesome girlfriend, Erin.

Beth's bridal shower was a lot of fun. It was a nice treat to get to see so many of my college friends, especially since living in Japan made it tough to be around for any major events in the past year. Beth's matron of honor, Beta, planned a really fun party with a theme of "Marriage and the Magic Box." Considering how much Beth loves TV, this was a brilliant idea. :) We even played a DVD-based TV trivia game as part of the celebration. After the shower, we all headed to New Town Williamsburg to catch a showing of the new Ricky Gervais/Greg Kinnear/Teá Leoni movie, Ghost Town. The movie was fairly funny and more of a romantic comedy than I expected. Look for a small role played by The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi.

While I was living it up in Williamsburg with the ladies, Chris stayed behind in Leesburg so that he and Evan could go canvassing for Obama and Congresswoman Judy Feder in Loudoun County. They also had a Guys Night complete with homemade lasagna and board games.

It's nice to be able to drive to visit friends and family instead of having to fly across the country or across the world! This may explain why we will be taking weekend road trips on four of the next five weekends as well.

Help America Vote!

2008-09-13T09:00:00.005-04:00

Today I volunteered a few hours of my time to help with a Voter Registration Drive in Middletown. The drive was co-sponsored by the Obama campaign and the local campaign for Matt Lesser. He's running for State Representative of CT's 100th district.

I was pretty nervous about it in advance. I didn't really like the idea of getting assigned a small section of my town and then knocking on doors to ask people if they wanted to register to vote. Also, I was apprehensive about my fellow volunteers since I used to think of politically active people as scary moonbat super-enthusiasts.

As it turned out, I didn't need to worry. The other volunteers were mostly retirees and college students who were inspired to take action because of the importance of the upcoming Presidential election. As far as I could tell, no one was a nutjob. :)

I was given the best possible assignment. No random walking and knocking on doors for me! Together with two older women, I got to register voters at an upscale assisted living community. We talked with loads of friendly old folks who were very interested in signing up to vote. Many of the residents were already registered and in between their bingo game and having their nails painted they were convincing their friends and the senior center employees to register too. It made our job very easy.

All in all, we registered about two dozen people while we were there. It's not a huge number, but it was worth it since each of the people that did register was genuinely happy for the opportunity to exercise their civic duty in November without having to deal with the hassle of signing up on their own.

Fish and Ships

2008-09-01T22:00:00.006-04:00

Over the Labor Day weekend, we had our first three house guests - Sara, Julian and Catriona. Thankfully, they didn't mind that the guest room (and every other room) was still filled with boxes and essentially unfurnished, undecorated and un-baby-proofed. What patient souls! :)

While they were here, we tested out some restaurants and coffee shops in Middletown that we had been meaning to try. La Boca on Main Street was pretty good Mexican restaurant. The grilled mahi-mahi tacos were killer. And, when Catriona got fussy, the waiter made it all better by bringing over a red balloon. Hooray for being easily amused!

We also went to Mystic Seaport on a day trip. Mystic Seaport's other name is "The Museum of America and the Sea." Who wouldn't like that? They have so many things to check out. For example, there is a 19th century whaling village, a preservation shipyard, a planetarium, several special exhibits and a waterfront complete with lots of boats!

But, the highlight of the seaport is probably the old wooden whaling ship, the Charles W. Morgan. You can come aboard, go below decks, and even go into the hold to see where the barrels of whale oil would have been stored. You can see trypots on the deck which were used for processing whale blubber into oil and you can see the captain's quarters, the officer's quarters and the cramped bunks for all the other sailors in the fo'c'sle.
If you are me, this is very cool! The annual membership was reasonably priced, so if anyone else wants to visit Mystic with me between now and next September, we've got guest discounts.

150 Years

2008-08-26T09:00:00.001-04:00

The year 2008 is a special one for my parents, aunts and uncles. It is the year where the eight of them combine to celebrate 150 years of marriage. (45+38+34+33=150)

Having realized the interesting addition of the year, my mother threw a surprise party. The only hint as to the theme of the celebration, was that she asked her sister and brothers to bring their wedding albums with them.
Everyone had a good time going through the photos and sharing stories about how they first met and started dating. After feasting at a "classic" wedding BBQ, all four couples cut their wedding anniversary cake together. Aww!

Congratulations guys!

Yankee Doodle Dandies

2008-08-13T21:00:00.007-04:00

As of this morning, we are now Connecticut residents, having pulled into Middletown with our U-Haul truck. So far, so good!

After a brief search on the internet, here are some of our favorite facts about Connecticut:

Connecticut never ratified the 18th (Prohibition) Amendment.
The name Connecticut comes from a Mohegan/Algonquin word which means "long tidal river."
The state insect is the Praying Mantis. I didn't even know states had state insects!
The state song is "Yankee Doodle".
Nathan Hale is the official state hero.
The whole state's population is roughly 3.5 million. That makes CT the 29th most populous state.
Most importantly, the state is a battleground for the fans of the Boston Red Sox, the NY Yankees and the NY Mets. We will have to try our best to win over our new neighbors. :)

I caught a fish THIS big!

2008-08-11T09:10:00.009-04:00

While we were recovering from jet lag in Morgantown, we went to Chris' parents' farm. At the farm, there is a lot to do. They have a fruit orchard, a vegetable garden and two large ponds, where you can fish. The ponds are stocked mainly with bass and bluegill, but there are a few catfish too.

Chris' father, Chris and I arrived early in the morning to go fishing. We were equipped with a container of live worms. Due to the high quality bait and our fishing prowess; everyone met with success!

Chris and his dad each caught some bass and bluegill. But I definitely "won." I caught a huge catfish. As you can see, I'm not lying when I say "I caught a fish THIS big!" He was pretty heavy and took a while to reel in. Yay me!

I got the chance to help in the scaling/gutting process. It's so messy, but I love it. In the end, the catfish (and his laughably small bass/bluegill buddies) were also filleted, breaded, baked and devoured for dinner.

Later in the day, Chris' mother and the golden retrievers (Tanit and Livy) joined in the fun. We harvested peaches, early apples, and two huge baskets of blackberries. So fresh! So delicious! It's enough to make anyone consider renouncing their current job to become a farmer.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

2008-08-05T18:30:00.003-04:00

With two hours to spare before the Kansai Airport bound MK Shuttle came to pick us up, we squeezed in one last quintessentially Japanese experience -- an earthquake.

Since we were excited/nervous about our trip back to the US, we were both inadvertently awake ahead of the alarm clock which was scheduled to ring at 6:30am. This was good since the earthquake struck at 6:26am. If we weren't awake, we probably would have missed it.

Other than being an earthquake, it was not noteworthy and thankfully only measured a 3.8 on the Richter scale. In fact, at first, Chris was convinced that the rumbling was caused by a truck driving by. Because of the simulations during my field trip to the disaster center I was pretty sure it was an earthquake. We stood in a door frame and in about 10 seconds, the whole thing was over. In the end, all that happened was that one more thing got checked off our "things to experience in Japan" list. Talk about down to the wire... almost missed this one. Whew! :)

The online news article from the Mainichi Daily News was taken down quickly in favor of more recent news, but here is the text, if you'd like to read it.

A moderate earthquake jolted Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo Prefectures early Wednesday morning, the Meteorological Agency said. There was no report of casualties or damage to property. No tsunami warning was issued following the quake.

The temblor that struck at 6:26 a.m. registered 3 on the 7-point Japanese intensity scale in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, and Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture. It also measured 2 on the Japanese scale in extensive areas of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures. The focus of the earthquake, which is estimated at 3.8 on the open-ended Richter scale, was located about 20 kilometers below the ground in southeastern Hyogo Prefecture.

Awesome Itinerary

2008-08-05T09:00:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow is the big day! We are leaving Japan and returning to the United States. I still can't believe it.

We're really sad about leaving Japan, but we have a lot to look forward to as well. For example, it's so much easier to visit friends and family by taking a drive or hopping on a train than it is to fly across continents and oceans. And, it is much easier to call people who live in nearby timezones. So, that's exciting. :)

Chris's ticket was purchased by the Japanese government. They attempted to get him as short and direct a flight as possible. So, his itinerary is simply: KIX - DET - PIT. He will leave Osaka on Wednesday and arrive in Pittsburgh later that same day.

I've already unveiled my exciting return itinerary to several of you, but I'm still so tickled by its sheer awesomeness, that I must share it further. Since my ticket purchase was coming straight from our wallets, I aimed to get the cheapest and most fun alternative available, and I think I succeeded. I will be taking the following route: KIX - PEK - LAX - Costa Mesa - San Diego - SAN - SFO - PIT.

I will get to spend five hours in the Beijing Airport, which is exciting because it will be only two days before the Olympics begins. I hope I get to see some athletes while I am there. But, the absolute best part is that I will get the chance to see and stay with friends of mine in Costa Mesa and San Diego while still paying less for the trip. I'm lucky to know such cool folks in such convenient locations. :) Can't wait to get my travel on!

(Update: I did see some Olympic athletes in Beijing. Sweet! Also, I missed my connecting flight in SFO and had the opportunity to wait nine additional hours before catching a red-eye flight to Pittsburgh. This little switch resulted in my leaving Osaka on Wednesday morning, but not arriving into Pittsburgh until Saturday morning. How awesome is that?!)

Firewalking, Kyoto Style

2008-07-28T21:00:00.016-04:00

Tonight was the Hiwatari Matsuri at Tanukidani Fudo temple in the northeast mountains of Kyoto. (For those that care, this event is also sometimes referred to as Sennichi Mairi Hiwatari-sai.) It was a really fun festival - one that we had been looking forward to for months. The basic idea was that everyone walks across ash and hot coals while praying for protection from illness and misfortunes. A chance to walk on hot coals! Who could possibly pass that up?

The festival was officiated by a group of yamabushi, or mountain monks. They chanted several sutras and said prayers while lighting a huge bonfire of wooden planks arranged in a square and covered with cypress leaves. They also had one priest wave a haraigushi (wand with zigzag strips of white paper) over the area to purify it. Even though the evening was rainy, the bonfire still sprang to life almost instantly upon being lit. While the fire roared, stacks of gomagi (wooden sticks with prayers written on them) were thrown into the fire. The yamabushi, together with Buddhist pilgrims in white robes, continued to recite prayers over the burning flames. Adding to the other-worldly atmosphere, were the sounds of monks blowing on conch shells and drumming.

When the fire calmed down somewhat and the wooden planks started to collapse, the monks broke down the bonfire with rakes. Then, the ash, coals and remaining wood pieces were spread and raked to form a path. I'd guess the path was about 10 meters long. Most of the red coals and embers were pushed to the sides of the path. So, it wasn't really that long or that hot.

Finally, it was time to begin the firewalking. The monks and pilgrims walked across first, cutting the ropes at both the beginning and end of the path. Behind the monks, a long line of eager participants followed. We placed ourselves near the back of the line hoping to get an idea of what to expect before we were called on to take part. Before setting out across the embers, each barefoot participant was given a red paper amulet and blessed. Upon successfully walking over the coals, each person was blessed again.

We were surprised to find that the coals did not feel hot on our feet. Most days, the sand at any given beach is hotter! At the outset, I was almost giddy with anticipation and had set up some pretty high expectations. I'm happy to report that the experience did not disappoint. I challenge you to go firewalking, Kyoto style. You'll be purified and protected... and you'll like it.

Happy Japanniversary!

2008-07-22T21:00:00.012-04:00

As of today, we have been in Japan for one year. It is amazing how fast the time has gone and how many experiences we were able to squeeze into those twelve months. While it is fun to reflect on all the blessings and adventures of the past year, it's also foremost in our minds that we will be leaving Kyoto in two short weeks.
Twelve and a half months was not long enough for us to experience everything that Japan has to offer. I guess we'll just have to come back someday. :)

Here is an abridged list of things I will REALLY miss:

Japanese festivals
My students (こんにちはひふみーさん,のりこーさん,みほーさんとみほーさん.)
My landlords
My friends in Japan (Special shout out to Sandra and Rieko)
The friends I made in Japan who are also no longer in Japan
Ikebana-sensei and ikebana class
Tea Ceremony class (Mochi and Matcha)
Walking/Biking all over Kyoto
Relaxing by the Kamo-gawa River/Uji-gawa River
Daimonji-yama
Incredibly fresh and cheap sushi
ごま ice cream
Fireworks
Wearing yukata
Cherry Blossom season
Special regional foods and sweets (ie: Okonomiyaki from Hiroshima, Momiji manjuu from Miyajima, Tonkatsu ramen from Hakata/Fukuoka, Takoyaki from Osaka, Sudachi mochi from Tokushima, etc...)
Good (STRONG) coffee
Onsens
Karaoke
Infinite photographic inspiration (See example above from Katsura Imperial Villa)

But, of course, we are getting excited to begin this next chapter too. I'm sure Connecticut will be fun, and it will be wonderful to see all of our family and friends in the US again.

Maiko-san! Maiko-san!

2008-07-13T10:00:00.010-04:00

Today was a great day. I discovered that I REALLY like feeling like a princess (or in this case a Maiko-san). It's the kind of fun that makes your eyes sparkle and lets your glee radiate out in all directions.

I went to Studio Shiki, a maiko transformation photography studio. The transformation from Gaijin to Maiko (Kyoto Geisha in training) was fascinating, and the preparations only took about 40 minutes which was a big surprise considering how different the "Before" and "After" were.

The process began by changing into a pair of tabi (two toed white socks) and a thin linen kimono undergarment which tied through the left underarm and around the waist. Once changed, I was hurried off to the makeup room. A very talented makeup artist got started by concealing my hair in a net and covering the netting with a cloth.

Then, she sprayed her "canvas" with something that I think was stage makeup wax. She began to coat my face, chest and back with a thin layer of Oshiroi, white makeup. Using brushes and sponges, she made sure everything was completely snow white. Then, she drew the trademark sensual design at the nape of my neck. It tickled. I liked it.

After the Oshiroi was done, the makeup artist added blush highlights of pinks and reds around my eyes and on my cheekbones. She continued by applying more pink blush, red eyeliner, liquid black eyeliner, and mascara to my eyes, and red and black eyeliner to my eyebrows.

The last step in the makeup transformation was painting on the deep red lips. The crimson was very wet at first and I had to hold still for the lip color to set. When the color was dry, we discovered that some of my teeth were also coated in crimson. When I asked what to do... she said たべてくだしさい or eat it, please. It didn't actually taste that bad, but I do wonder about the nutritional merits of lipstick.

When the makeup was finished, I was given the near impossible task of choosing a kimono. There were dozens upon dozens upon dozens of beautiful silk kimonos in every color with all sorts of designs and flowers. I wanted the prettiest one, so it took me a while to decide.

Finally, I was ready to get dressed. Two women helped me put on additional kimono undergarments and then the kimono itself. Once the kimono was on, it was easy to see that it was a furisode kimono - the kind with the really long sleeves. Sugoi! After the kimono was in place, my dressers moved on to the obi (kimono sash or belt). For maiko, the obi is tied in a different way, allowing it to dangle. There were also at least two separate sections to attach in addition to the outer decorative cords. As far as I can tell, this only makes it feel a lot heavier.

When the obi was tied to perfection, it was time to put on a katsura or maiko style wig. The katsura had several benefits: being the proper color, taking only about five minutes to put on as compared to the two hours it typically would take to create the same style in a salon, and it was already adorned with all the appropriate kanzashi (hair ornaments). I think the ones in my wig were primarily red and white plum blossoms (usually worn in February, but very popular) and an Ogi kanzashi or metal, fan shaped ornament with aluminum streamers.

The last step before heading out was putting on the okobo, or the particularly precarious wooden (usually willow) sandals worn by maiko. These sandals are also called pokkuri or koppori because of the sound they make when you walk. Because of the way the wood is carved, it felt a little bit like walking on two small rocking horses. Very interesting! I was happy to find that while they were a little tricky to get used to, they weren't as uncomfortable as you might guess.

The breathtaking (!) transformation complete, it was time to begin the "on-location photo shoot" in one of my favorite areas of Kyoto. We wended our way through the small stone streets and alleys of Ninen-zaka, Sannen-zaka and Nene no michi (near Kodaiji Temple and the Ryozan Kannon) with very typically Kyoto backgrounds of traditional Japanese-style houses, walkways and the palpable ambience of the streets all around us. The photographer was really friendly. I had a great time with her.

While the photo shoot was going on, tourists and locals alike were pausing to squeal "Maiko-san! Maiko-san!" and take a few pictures on their cell phones and cameras. It made me feel like a princess and a rock star all at the same time. I could definitely get used to this! :)

After the professional photographer was done, we were able to walk around the Kiyomizudera/Higashiyama area on our own for about half an hour taking our own pictures and luxuriating in the few moments of celebrity and the total confidence which comes with it.

The maiko transformation was unspeakably fun and now I have loads of great pictures which I know I will love for years to come. If, for some reason, you actually want to see more, I promise I won't be shy about sharing. For anyone planning to visit Kyoto, I unequivocally recommend this photo studio and this experience for you or any girls joining you on your travels. Honto ni, tanoshikatta desu ne!

Nagoshi no Harai - Purification Festival

2008-07-11T06:28:00.005-04:00

You may remember that on New Year's Eve in Japan, many temples and shrines have "Joya no Kane", or a tradition where a bell is solemnly rung 108 times. This follows the Buddhist belief that man has 108 sins and that by hearing the bells toll 108 times people can undergo a purification and rid themselves of their sins and troublesome desires at the end of the year.

Now that the year is half over, we have all had time to rack up a new set of bad deeds and sins.

So, of course, there's another purification festival - Nagoshi no Harai. This festival is held sometime in the last weeks of June or first weeks of July each year. Each shrine has a slightly different schedule.

In Nagoshi no Harai, people atone for their sins in the first half of the year, and pray for their health in the reminder of the year by walking through a chinowa, a giant circular wreath made of a kind of rush called chigaya (ちがや) in Japanese.

I went with my friend Sandra to Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, the shrine with the largest chinowa in Kyoto, for this festival. I'm not sure that I completely believe in the ability to be purified and to have the next six months of good health guaranteed by walking through a wreath. But, I like the idea - so I tried it.
As you can see from the diagram, there is a specific way you must walk through the chinowa. First, you walk through the wreath towards the main building in the shrine complex. Then, you walk to the left and around the outside. Next, you walk through the chinowa again, but this time you walk to the right and around the outside. Then, you pass through the wreath a third and final time, leaving by walking to the left.

Fascinating, desu ne?

Mosaic Meme

2008-07-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

I ran into this mosaic meme project on several blogs and websites. Next, I learned what meme means. Then, feeling accomplished, I made a mosaic and had Chris make one too.

Can you guess whose is whose? If you can't, wow, you must not know us at all. Even more interesting is trying to guess which answers yielded these results. I challenge those of you that feel like it to make your own mosaics. It's fun!

Here's how it works.

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page of responses, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Labs mosaic maker. We used a layout using square tiles in 3 columns and 4 rows, but you can do what ever you like best.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school/college did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your favorite celebrity?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. Your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your username, screenname or nickname (the original questionnaire wanted your Flickr name, which I don't have, so I changed the question to suit me)

Tanabata Matsuri

2008-07-07T09:30:00.001-04:00

I haven't told you about many festivals lately, so I thought I'd let you know about today's fun festival... Tanabata. It is a star festival derived from an old Chinese holiday called Qi Xi.

This festival is one part astronomy, two parts love story.

Part 1:
In the night sky, there are two constellations that only meet once a year, on July 7th. These constellations are Vega (Orihime - a weaver princess) and Altair (Hikoboshi - a cow herder).

Parts 2 & 3:
Orihime and Hikoboshi were both young workaholics. She weaved beautiful cloth all day and he tended to his cattle all the time. One day, these two met and fell instantly in love. Thus, they spent all of their time together and neglected their jobs - no new cloth was woven and the cattle all became sick. This angered her father, so he separated them. Then, they were so sad, they couldn't work anyway. So, Orihime's father decided to allow them to meet once a year. That way, the work could be done and they could see each other again. (Wow, what a deal!)

To help us learn about the celebration, my Japanese class threw a Tanabata party on Friday.

We learned that the way that this festival is celebrated is more fun than the story. Typically, you write wishes on colorful paper strips (tanzaku) and hang those wishes on a Tanabata bamboo tree. Other colorful decorations are also put on the tree. For example, people often hang origami cranes symbolizing long life, nets symbolizing fishing, good harvests and the Milky Way, and long streamers symbolizing the threads that Orihime used to weave.

Later, the tree and all the decorations can be burned or floated down a river so that the wishes all come true. Although, I'm pretty sure that the Tanabata tree that we decorated in my Japanese class will just be dismantled and put away. No fire for us. :(

I made a delicious cheesecake decorated with strawberries and blueberries since the date of our party was also the 4th of July. I figured it would be fun to learn about Tanabata while teaching my classmates and senseis the words to Yankee Doodle and America the Beautiful. They were both received well, but I'm pretty sure the cheesecake was a bigger hit. Then, the senseis taught us all a traditional Tanabata song.

ささのは　サラサラ　のきばにゆれる (Bamboo leaves are rustling under the eaves)
おほしさまキラキラ　きんぎんすなご (Stars are twinkling like gold and silver sand in the sky.)
ごしきのたんざくわたしがかいた (Some pieces of fancy paper on which we wrote out wishes.)
おほしさまキラキラそらからみてる(Stars are twinkling and looking at the scene on the earth.)

You can try to sing along with my senseis. They are doing the 3rd and 4th lines here. Good Luck!

China Photo Pages

2008-07-05T22:24:00.004-04:00

Without further ado, here is the first of the photo pages from my trip to China. I'm sorry it took almost two months to get this posted. Life has a wonderful way of making you live... so there's not much time to document said living. I've been very busy "extracting maximum value" out of Japan and loving every second of it. Maybe, I'll find time to go into detail about that someday. :)

Shanghai

Let's Science Dialogue!

2008-07-02T08:56:00.004-04:00

Today, I really had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Japanese government has a program ("Science Dialogue") for promoting scientific careers for young students. Foreign researchers are invited to give lectures in English on their research fields at Japanese high schools. I was invited to participate earlier this spring, and today was the day!

My talk was at the Akashi College of Technology, which is a school for students aged 16-20. Roughly speaking, it combines three years of high school with two years of college. My audience was a class of about forty 16-year-old students. (Incidentally, the textbook for their class was fantastic. It weighed about half a pound and cost about $15. Now think about your freshman algebra or calculus textbook, and compare...)

Giving the lecture was a lot of fun, but it was also quite difficult. First of all, I gave a presentation (see the slides) instead of using the chalkboard, which was a first for me. Using slides was necessary so that I could add Japanese translations for the terms in my talk. Second, it was important for me to speak slowly, so that the students could follow my English. My normal lecture style is very quick, and I like to walk back and forth as I talk. Now, I suddenly had to stay in one place and deliberately speak very slowly. This was pretty disorienting for me.

My research collaborator also came, and acted as a translator during parts of the talk. (He also helped me in translating my slides.) After the talk, I took questions from the students. This involved a lot of giggling, because the students were required to ask their questions in English, and this appeared to make them nervous. One girl in the audience impressed everyone by spotting an error on one of my slides... (I had written 41616 = 194^2 instead of 204^2. The slide appeared on-screen for perhaps a minute at most -- how she spotted the error is beyond me!)

Most of the questions were rather off topic, but still fun to answer. One student wanted to know what Japanese food I liked, another wanted my opinion of their textbook. A third student asked how long I had been married!

Here is a picture we took afterwards. I am sitting between Renee and my collaborator. On the other side of Renee is Matsumiya-sensei, the class's teacher. (We're all holding up three fingers in celebration of triangular numbers, which figured prominently in my talk.)You can get more pictures of the event from this link. In a couple of months, I'll get a report of student evaluations. I hope they liked the talk!

I Love the Whole World

2008-06-29T10:48:00.004-04:00

This commercial for the Discovery Channel made us smile. And that's a very good thing. Enjoy!

We will miss you, Chief!

2008-06-23T23:26:00.006-04:00

In times of celebration and tragedy, it is especially difficult to be away from your family and friends. Today, we are feeling that truth... hard. Jessica Bungard, a good friend of ours from college, passed away on Sunday morning after being hit by car as she was cycling near her home in Fredericksburg,Virginia. Link

Knowing that her family, her wonderful husband, Cody, and all of our many mutual friends are also hurting makes dealing with this shared loss even harder. I wish that we could be together to share our tears, hugs and wonderful memories. We love you guys and I know I don't say that nearly enough.

I can still remember the first time I saw Jess. It was move-in day on my first day of college. My father and I caught a glimpse of her from the third floor balcony of Maupin dorm. She was conducting the VA Pep Band as they played for all the new students and their parents. An absolute zest was readily apparent in the way she moved and shouted. She was having fun and anyone watching her couldn't help but feel a bit of that joy.

Since the moment we heard the sad news, great memories have been flowing back. I can hear Jess saying so many things like "Awww, yeah!", "Word", "Ow, ow", "I was just kidding...", "Fooled you!", "It's time for $240 worth of pudding.", "Calling Andrew Rader... Calling Andrew wrong", "Let's go Boogie Down! Ah!".... It's hard to grasp that we won't get to hear these catchphrases again.

To everyone that knows Jess, please keep blogging, e-mailing and updating things on Facebook. Especially for those of us who are not nearby, it helps to share in this way. Memorial Link

We will miss you, Chief!!!

(In the above photo from our August 2006 trip to Costa Rica, Jess is the fourth one from the right in the back row.)

Three Gorges Dam

2008-06-15T22:36:00.007-04:00

In Yichang, we boarded the Victoria Star ship and headed west on the Yangtze River. Our path took us past the Gezhouba Dam and the Three Gorges Dam, Wushan, the Daning River tributary, Wanzhou and Feng Du before arriving in Chongqing. We only traveled 660 km (410 miles) along the river but somehow that took four days!

Our first shore excursion was to see the Three Gorges Dam in Sandouping, China which is in the middle of the Xiling Gorge, the first and longest of the three gorges on the Yangtze. Despite the fact that they say the dogs here bark at the sun, our weather was nice and allowed for a nice view with minimal mist/fog.

We took a look at the dam from both sides and got to enjoy a small museum with a 1:850 scale model of the whole project. There were also a few lookout areas and several nice landscape features - rocks, sculptures, fountains, flowers. I guess the tourism of the dam is as important as the whole electricity, flood control, irrigation package.

Here also, was a hilarious sign suggesting that we should not climb over the fence. Oh English as a second language, how I love thee!

Throughout this excursion, we were bombarded with reasons why the Three Gorges Dam was awesome and why Sandouping was such a perfect location for the dam. Here's a brief rundown of the facts...

The dam is huge! The signs said it was 2335 meters long, 185 meters high, 18 meters wide at the top and 130 meters wide at the bottom. That's damn big. Ha!

In Sandouping, the river is wider, so you can install more generators. Also, there was an existing island which helped with river diversion after the dam construction was underway. Lastly, there is a geologic advantage - the rocks are mostly granite near Sandouping compared with limestone elsewhere in the gorges. You can add the granite that you blast from the mountains into the cement needed to make the dam.

The Three Gorges Dam has a very large system of locks. It took ten years to build and has both an upstream and downstream chamber path. Each chamber can hold 4-10 ships and it takes roughly three hours for a ship to pass all the way through the locks. Also, they are nearly done with building an express ship elevator (will only take 4o minutes) which will be able to lift 12000 tons!

The construction plans were set into three phases: 1993-2003, 2004-2008 and completion in 2009. The Chinese government thinks they may be able to finish the dam ahead of schedule and under the originally estimated cost of $28 billion. Wow!

A funny story about the first phase of construction is that in the #1 Powerhouse (14 generators) the turbines and generators were built by foreign contractors from Germany, Switzerland, France and Canada. Then, in the #2 Powerhouse (12 generators) the Chinese were able to copy and backwards engineer their own after closely studying the foreign technology. The local guide, Echo (Wu Shin), refused to say which country's design they copied.

One crazy aspect of the second phase of construction is that the dam will be raising the river to a level of 175 meters above sea level to create a huge reservoir. This has flooded/will flood lots of cities, villages, farms, etc... and 1.5 million people are currently being relocated. I'm sure the local residents will find it weird to be able to sail over their old homes.

The Great Yichang

2008-06-14T09:43:00.010-04:00

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

After visiting Shanghai, we flew to Yichang (宜昌), a city at the Eastern end of the Xiling Gorge (西陵峡), one of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River.Our local guide, Tiger (Li Hu), told us that the city's name means "Easy and Prosperous." Evidently, it was so named because many crops thrive in the area (Spring: Wheat, Corn, Rapeseed (Canola), Summer: Rice, Fall: Tangerines, Winter: Cotton) and the city has long been a distribution center of goods, as well as a thriving port making trade easy.

As far as I could tell, the main focuses of local industry were the Gezhouba Hydra Project (1970-1988) and the Three Gorges Dam (1994-still not quite done). They even have a place called the "330 Area" which commemorates Chairman Mao's 3/30/56 visit to check the site of the first dam on the Yangtze River. Because there are so many dams in the area, it is considered the "Electricity Capital" of China.

Their local tourism slogan cracked me up. It was simply, "The Great Yichang." The idea was that when someone hears the slogan, they will be reminded of the better environment in Yichang - for example, that they have many green trees, cleaner air and thus a longer lifespan than other cities in China. I think they could use a little marketing help.

While not particularly relevant to the history or culture of the area, my favorite part was a local park that we visited. It was very local - not a tourist spot by any stretch of the imagination. It was nice to see what people might do on a lazy Sunday in Yichang. There were old men playing cards and Mah Jong in one area. There was a jumping castle and some arts and crafts tables for little kids in another area. But, best of all, there was a hybrid gym/playground for "kids of all ages."

Here we can see Ana and Damaris, two awesome ladies from our tour group, trying out some of the sweet cardio machines. There were swings, upper back and oblique machines, standard jungle gyms, ellipticals, monkey bars, and so much more. The most fun I had was using a machine that was something like a Gazelle Strider. It definitely felt great after all the time we spent going from bus to airplane to bus again. Seriously, if more gyms were as much fun as this, everyone would exercise all the time!

Patience is a Virtue

2008-06-12T20:45:00.012-04:00

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. There's so much to report on and yet no reporting. I will leave you with a few representative pictures to end this posting drought. Enjoy!

The locks system of the Three Gorges Dam. This is where we were when the earthquake in China's Sichuan province near Chengdu hit. The two locations are quite far apart.

My dad dressed as a traditional fisherman on a sanpan boat. He navigated us through the Small Gorges of the Ma Du River (a tributary of the Daning River which is a tributary of the Yangtze River)
Empress Renee and Emperor Campbell of the Awesome Dynasty

One of many adorable pandas at the Chongqing Zoo.
WOW! The Terracotta Army of the First Qin Emperor in Xi'an. (dating from ~210 BC)
Me and Dama on the back of a resting camel along the Sacred Way at the Ming Tombs in Beijing.
My parents on the Great Wall of China.
Enjoying the "view" from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. I still say it's just fog. Yep. Fog.
Who loves Phuket, Thailand? This happy girl! Sun + Sand + Surf = Perfect

Wanted: A Shanghai Husband

2008-05-29T07:43:00.005-04:00

I'm beginning to think that every country has its own special brand of tourism humor.

Just like every tour operator in Costa Rica tells you that it's the bus driver's first day on the job, every tour guide in China (every one that I met, anyway...) jokes that the best souvenir to bring home with you is a Shanghai husband.

Shanghai husbands are notorious for treating their wives very, very well.

When dating, a future Shanghai husband has to be very attentive. They often go shopping, carry their girlfriends' purse and anything she buys, and plan excellent dates.

Before they are even "eligible" to propose, a Shanghai husband must own a car and an apartment or condominium. This is no small feat since apartments are expensive and you usually need to have 30% down before securing a mortgage in China.

Then, when they do get married, these men usually do all the cooking, dishes and laundry in addition to being the main bread-winner for the family. Wow!

Why is this the case? The main reason is that China's One-Child policy (which began in 1979) caused a gender imbalance - leaving many men to choose from a limited pool of potential wives. This gave power to the girls who can be more choosy and demanding than ever before when selecting a boyfriend or husband. So, now, if men in China want to get married they have to meet ever increasing requirements from their future wives. Poor guys!

(The above photo is of Haibao - the mascot for the 2010 World Expo Shanghai. Of course, he must be a Shanghai husband in training.)

Children's Palace

2008-05-28T09:00:00.008-04:00

Not a typical tourist mecca, one of the more surprising stops on our tour of Shanghai was the Children's Palace of Xuhui District.
There are several such schools throughout the city.

This particular Children's Palace and its grounds were the former residence of Rong Desheng, a famous Chinese industrialist. In the 1950's, this residence was converted into an extracurricular activities center where children can go after school or on the weekends to study things like the Beijing Opera, theatre, ballet, dance, singing, chess, calligraphy, painting, sketching, music and martial arts.

The Children's Palaces are not free of charge, but the class fees are fairly cheap and anyone who can pay can attend. You don't need to be elite or a child prodigy. I wish I could enroll in some of these courses - what fun!

We got to look in on a couple of classes and watch the students at work. In several classes, mothers and fathers were there to provide extra instruction and encouragement. Because it was completely new to me, I found the erhu class especially interesting. Erhu is something like a two-stringed violin. It is a very expressive instrument, often used for playing sad songs.

Chinese 101

2008-05-25T05:35:00.006-04:00

Once I arrived in Shanghai, I was very interested in learning some Chinese. With all the conflicting vocabulary and grammar from English, Spanish, French and Japanese floating around in my brain why not try to learn a bit of Chinese too?

Our local Shanghai guide, William (Hong Wei), and our national guide, Rocky, were happy to help us learn a few words and phrases each day.

To impress us, or maybe to scare us, we learned about the importance of Chinese being a tonal language right off the bat. The awesome example they used was the five pronunciations and meanings of ma:

ma = flat, no emphasis = sentence ending particle that indicates a question
mā = high, level, long tone = mother
má = high, rising, medium tone = hemp
mă = low, dipping, long tone = horse
mà = loud, falling sharply, short tone = curse, scold

Using only one syllable but four tones, you can ask "Did mother curse the horse?" (Mā mà mă ma?) How cool is that?!

But, of course, with the meanings being so diverse and the pronounciatons being relatively close, it would be very easy for a new Chinese language learner to get themselves into hilarious and unintended linguistic nightmare situations. Sounds like a fun challenge to me. Bring it on!

We've been Shanghaied!

2008-05-24T10:45:00.000-04:00

The word "shanghaied” means to be deceived or tricked and it comes from the 19th century practice of shipping companies hiring unsavory folk to get other men drunk in order to abduct them and force them to work on a ship bound for China. Thankfully, I am not an indentured sailor in China. But, my parents and I did start our tour in Shanghai, the most populous city in China.

The above photo shows a view of the Pudong area of Shanghai as seen from the Bund. Pudong means "east of the (Huangpu) river" and Bund means "riverside, embankment and waterfront." There is a scene in Mission Impossible 3 where Tom Cruise jumps along this skyline from building to building. It seemed a little ridiculous in the movie, and now, having seen the actual size and location of the buildings, it seems even more ridiculous. I guess we were shanghaied after all. Thanks a lot Tom!

We crossed under the Huangpu River (via the cheesy but nonetheless amusing Bund Sightseeing Tunnel) to get to the Pudong side of the city. Our main goal was to have a drink in the Grand Hyatt Hotel's Cloud 9 Bar. We had it on good authority that the skyline views from this bar were unrivaled in the city and were definitely worth an overpriced drink or two.

To achieve this mission, we had to get to the Jin Mao Dasha Building. The photo to the left is a shot of the Jin Mao Dasha Building from the bottom looking up. It was built in 1998 and is currently the third tallest building in the world at 421 meters high. To arrive at the entrance of the building, we had to cross an extraordinarily busy street without the aid of a crosswalk. We followed a crowd of locals and other bewildered tourists into the street and somehow managed not to get run down in the process. An additional benefit to this exercise was that we confirmed the healthy functioning of all of our adrenaline receptors.

Cloud 9 did not disappoint. From the vantage point of the 87th floor, the views of the Bund and the Pudong area were stunning. It was easy to pick out the highlights of the Shanghai skyline like the Oriental Pearl Building and the Westin Hotel. Plus, we got to experience the full Friday brightness of the cityscape. In an attempt to conserve electricity, Shanghai made the decision to turn off all "landscape lights" except on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:30 to 9:30pm. How lucky that we could enjoy the skyline in all its neon splendor.

Introducing... The Friendlies!

2008-05-23T08:07:00.011-04:00

I'm back from China with lots of new and exciting stories to tell. But, I am not feeling very well thanks to the fun souvenir illness that I brought back with me. So, slow and steady will have to do for now.

I'm starting with an introduction to the "Fuwa" or The Friendlies: the five adorable mascots for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

One of the slogans for this year's Olympics is "Beijing Welcomes You!" When you write this slogan in Chinese, it takes five characters to complete the phrase (北京欢迎你) and it is pronounced as "Běijīng huānyíng nĭ" When naming the five Friendlies, they doubled each syllable to form a name: BeiBei, JingJing, HuanHuan, YingYing and Nini.

BeiBei is the blue mascot. She represents water and the blue Olympic ring. And, even though it isn't that clear, she is a fish. Specifically, she is a Yangtze river sturgeon and she is in charge of the
aquatic sports events.

JingJing is the black mascot. He's a giant panda. He represents wood and the black Olympic ring. He is the mascot for sports like judo and weightlifting.

HuanHuan is the red mascot. He represents the Olympic torch, fire, and the red Olympic ring. HuanHuan is the mascot for "ball sports."

YingYing is the yellow mascot. He is a Tibetan Antelope and incorporates some elements of the costumes of two of China's ethnic minority groups. He represents earth and the yellow Olympic ring. He is the mascot for Track and Field.

NiNi is the green mascot. She is a swallow that represents the sky and the green Olympic ring. She is the mascot for sports like gymnastics.

As the Opening Ceremony to the Olympics approaches (08/08/08), I expect you will see these Friendlies in more and more places. Learn their names now to impress your friends and co-workers later.

My weekend in Shikoku

2008-05-14T11:25:00.007-04:00

This weekend, I took a trip to Kagawa Prefecture to participate in a seminar in Takamatsu. Takamatsu is one of the northern-most towns on Shikoku, Japan's smallest of the four main islands. I met up with Hiraoki, another speaker for the seminar in Okayama, and we took a train across the Great Seto Bridge (Wikipedia). This is actually a chain of bridges across several small islands, but the whole construct is about 13 kilometers long! Unfortunately, it was already after dark as we went over it, but I got a better view on the return trip on Sunday.

Saturday morning, Hiraoki and I went on an Udon tour. You see, Shikoku is considered to be especially famous for its udon cooking. Udon is a Japanese noodle dish, usually served in a broth with some extra dish on top, like a cooked egg, vegetables, or fish. You can get it anywhere in Japan, but Shikoku is filled with small udon restaurants, each owned by one family with their own personal recipe for both the udon itself, and how they serve it.

So at about 10 a.m., we headed out. When you get to a restaurant, you pay in advance (maybe 200-400 yen, typically) for a bowl of udon. There are large bins of boiling water with metal colanders hanging in them. You transfer your noodles to the colander and stir it for a few moments in the water to reheat the noodles. Then you drain them back into your bowl and move on to a large vat of broth to add to your noodles. Finally, you add whatever extra you might have paid for (like tempura kabocha, in my case). You grab a seat at a bar and dig in!

Udon is just a thick white noodle, so I was a little skeptical that it would taste different in various restaurants, but that is definitely the case. I had one mediocre batch (too salty) and one fantastic batch (but see below). We had to get back to the University for our talks in the afternoon, so we didn't go all out. But we finished up with some Hiroshima-style okinomiyaki before catching a taxi.

My talk went fine (a 90 minute presentation -- a first for me), and there was a colloquium dinner afterwards. We went to a sushi restaurant and some of the faculty recommended that I check out the shrines atop Zozu mountain before leaving Shikoku. This was great advice!

There are two shrines on the mountain, Kotohira-gu and Izutama (the inner shrine). The colloquial name is Konpira, and this is considered one of the 88 shrines of the pilgrimage inside Japan. The trek up takes 1368 steps, and it is considered traditional to count the steps on the way up (Folk Stories). I miscounted both on the way up and on the way back down, but in my defense I was trying to do it in
Japanese.

Kotohira-gu is the more impressive shrine, and it takes `only' 700 steps to get there. There are several exhibits on display: a pair of horses, the propeller of a Japanese war-ship, a scientific boat that was blessed at the shrine, traditional Japanese drums, and -- for some reason -- a set of fun house mirrors. Check my Facebook photos for more details.

But of course, you can't go that far and not finish. So I trekked on to Izutama. Really, the shrine at the very top is very humble in comparison. But there is a magnificent view of the Sanuki plains from the top. After a very long hike back down, I bought a few souvenirs and was heading back to the train station. But a little old lady in front of an udon shop came up and invited me into her restaurant. Too tired to consider my other options, I followed her in and ordered a Sanuki-Udon. It was amazing -- far better than the udon on Saturday. I chatted with her briefly in Japanese and then headed out. I got some black sesame ice cream on the way out of town and headed back to Kyoto...

Exciting Contest Conclusion

2008-05-14T11:08:00.006-04:00

Renee is off with her folks in China (thankfully unaffected by the tragic earthquake), and told me to wrap up the 100th post contest. Without further ado, the official answer is that it is an anagram, in this case for:

"Chris and Renee in Japan."

I'm not sure who gets credit for the win, however. Cam went with "Darn, Chrenee is in Japan," and he was the first to post an anagram solution. But that's not quite right. Rafi basically got it right (once you remove the trailing rant). Since we'll see Rafi in Hong Kong in June, we'll just declare him the winner and save on postage. Thanks to all of you who posted many other answers, all hilarious. My two favorite answers were Paradox13's, followed closely by Derek's.

I know Renee promised an actual real prize, but she didn't tell me what it was going to be. So maybe she'll update us all when she has the chance.

100th Post Contest

2008-05-01T23:41:00.003-04:00

In honor of this being our 100th blog post, I'm holding a contest.

As I am sure you have noticed, the title of this blog is Escape Hard, Inner Ninja. In addition to sounding cool, this title is a riddle. The first one to explain the riddle will win a "fabulous" prize of my choosing.

Contest Rules:
1) Answers must be submitted as comments on the blog.
2) Each person can only submit one answer.
3) If you read this blog every day, you must submit an answer. :)

Good Luck and Happy Puzzling!

Meeting Hikonyan

2008-04-30T02:46:00.006-04:00

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Hikone Castle in Shiga prefecture (an area to the northeast of Kyoto, around Lake Biwa) there was a contest to create a mascot. The result was Hikonyan. Hikonyan, whose name is a combination of Hikone and "nyan," the sound of meowing in Japanese, is an adorably cute white cat wearing a samurai helmet.

As far as I understand it, the mascot mythology is as follows: 400 years ago, Ii Naomasa, the daimyo of the region, was resting under a tree. Hikonyan beckoned him to come over. When the daimyo did so, he narrowly evaded a huge bolt of lightning that struck the tree under which he was resting. The daimyo was so thankful that Hikonyan saved his life that he made Hikonyan into a samurai. Later, the daimyo's eldest son, Ii Naokatsu, constructed Hikone Castle in thanks. Hmm. I wonder if Hikonyan wouldn't have rather received some tuna?

I had been meaning to check out Hikone Castle for a while now. So, on my birthday, Hunter and I went to see the castle and its cat. We arrived just as one of Hikonyan's three daily scheduled appearances was beginning and the ticket salesman urged us to hurry over. I knew that Hikonyan was popular, but I had no idea... Hikonyan basically walked around, made several cute poses and pretended to have a hanami picnic. Meanwhile, the majority of visitors were extremely enthusiastic, repeatedly shouting "Kawaii!" and "Hikonyan! Hikonyan!" They also shrieked "Bye bye!" when the public appearance was over. But, what I haven't pointed out yet, is that besides two or three little kids, I was probably the next youngest one there. Love of kawaii knows no age limits. :)

To sleep, perchance to dream

2008-04-29T10:00:00.001-04:00

If one were to make a list of uniquely Japanese things that every long term visitor MUST try before leaving Japan, spending the night at a capsule hotel would be near the top.

Mission Accomplished!

While Hunter was in town, we went to Tokyo for 2 days to visit Tokyo Disneyland and to do some sightseeing. This provided the perfect opportunity to stay at the Capsule Inn Akihabara.

A "room" at a capsule hotel is a single occupancy modular space (roughly 2m x 1m x 1.25m) where you can sleep comfortably for the night. Despite the small size, I had everything I needed. For example, there was a radio, alarm clock, mirror, shelf and a TV in my capsule. The below picture shows a view from inside the capsule looking towards the lowered shade or "door."

Upon entering the hotel, you put your shoes in a locker on the first floor, trading your shoe locker key for your room key. Then, there were lockers on each (gender-separate) floor where you could leave your bags and change into the provided yukatas. Access to the women-only floors was tightly guarded to provide a sense of security. We had to lock our hallway every time we entered or exited.

As with many Japanese hotels, there were also gender separate communal baths and shower rooms with all the amenities. They even had a computer lounge on the 10th floor just for the ladies. It was nice to check my e-mail in peace.

Maybe I'm crazy to think capsule hotels are so awesome, but I really liked it ... and not just because of the cheap rates!

Face the Stove...

2008-04-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

We had a busy weekend! On Saturday, we tried our hand at shodou (Japanese calligraphy). Verdict: Insanely difficult, but fun. On Sunday, we attended an international cooking class. There were about 30 people, including a few folks we've met on other outings. The menu featured five courses spotlighting the cuisine of Kumamoto prefecture (on Kyushu, the southwestern island of Japan). The menu:

Sansai Rice
Dango Jiru (Dumpling Soup)
Higo Dengaku (Tofu with Miso)
Na-ya-ki (Fried Vegetables)
Ikinari Dango (Sweet Dumplings)

(The entire meal was vegetarian, except that the soup stock in the Dango Jiru was fish-based.)

We split into groups of six to eight, and each group made one dish. Renee and I were assigned to different dishes. I made the sansai ("three year") rice, and assisted on the Higo Dengaku. Renee made the Dango Jiru, which looked really complicated to me...

The rice was extremely simple: Rice is washed and placed in a rice cooker with an appropriate amount of water. Then soy sauce, sake, and salt are added and mixed. Finally, a wild vegetable mix of mountain mushrooms, ferns, and bamboo shoots is placed on top, but not mixed. Then you let the rice cooker do all the work. You mix the vegetables into the rice afterwards.

The Higo Dengaku was certainly more interesting. The tofu is essentially boiled in soup stock, and then served with a Miso and sesame sauce. To make the sauce, white miso, sugar, sake, and ground sesame are simmered in a saucepan while you constantly knead and stir the mixture (which has the consistency of peanut butter). The most delicate part of the procedure is retrieving the tofu from the pot without breaking it -- the experts had an amazing technique using a slotted spoon and a pair of chopsticks.

Once the food was prepared, we all dined! All of the food was delicious, but my favorite was probably the dumpling soup. There was only one other native-English speaker at my table, so it was a good opportunity to practice my Japanese, too. (Breaking News Update: my Japanese is horrible!). It was a really fun three hours, and quite the bargain, too. (only $3 per person, and you get a feast for your hard work!).

Miyako Odori

2008-04-26T21:00:00.010-04:00

Besides cherry blossoms, April in Kyoto is also synonymous with the Miyako Odori at the Gion Kaburenjo Theatre. This popular event is a spring dance performance by geiko and maiko. Some of the other geisha districts in town (Pontocho, Kamishichiken, Miyagawacho) have similar spring dance events, but none are as big as Gion's.

This year's Miyako Odori was based on the Tale of Genji (源氏物語 Genji Monogatari) because 2008 marks the 1000th anniversary of this classic novel.

We took our college friend, Hunter, to see this breathtaking performance. To make sure that he overdosed on Japanese culture, we got tickets which included a tea ceremony that was prepared and served by geisha! The tea ceremony wasn't as formal or as intimate as the ones I've had in my class, but having a geisha involved was really cool. We also got to keep the plates that our sweets were served on as a special souvenir.

The show had eight scenes, each with beautiful new scenery and colorful costumes. Along the sides of the stage were musicians singing and playing the shamisen, flute and drums.

An amusing advertisement about this event claimed that "you might feel like you have come out of a dream when the show is over. It will surely become one of your most spectacular memories of Japan!" We ruthlessly mocked this ad. But, in the end, it turned out to be right.

Big Ass Cup o' Tea

2008-04-16T07:42:00.010-04:00

This Sunday, Rieko and I went to a really fun festival - the Ōchamori-shiki at Saidai-ji Temple in Nara. The festival was basically a tea ceremony, but one like no other in Japan. In this festival, which is held every April and October, they use giant chawan (tea bowls) to serve the tea.

Not only were the tea bowls huge, but so were all of the utensils used in the tea ceremony. They had a enormous natsume filled with over a liter of matcha powder. They purified it with a ridiculously sized fukusa (square silk cloth). It was funny to watch the monk try to fold it perfectly given its unwieldy nature. The chasen (tea whisk) was massive! Instead of holding it sort of gracefully between his thumb and forefinger, the monk had to use his whole hand. And, the chashaku (tea scoop) was epic. Just imagine how much matcha he added with each scoop and a half. Sweet! Whisking the tea with the massive chasen had to be fun. The monk looked like he was enjoying himself, even though he really had to put some elbow grease in.

Since everything was so gigantic, each chawan held five servings of tea instead of just one. Due to the size and weight of the bowl plus the tea (roughly 7-8kg), the first few people to drink from each chawan needed to have their neighbors help them to hold the bowl while they took their sips. Thankfully, the sweets were normal size.

Looking back on this post, I guess I used a lot of "technical" tea terms... sorry! So, let me sum up the experience for you. I had a big ass cup o' tea prepared by a monk using comically oversized tea utensils. I loved it!

Imperial Hacky Sack

2008-04-14T10:30:00.001-04:00

This weekend, Kyoto Imperial Palace's grounds were open to the general public. In celebration, they held a kemari demonstration. They said kemari was a form of football from the Heian period (794-1185) using a large deerskin ball. But, to me, it's a game of hacky sack with imperial robes. Sweet!

Pretty Trees with a Cherry on Top

2008-04-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

The last two weeks have been filled with a ridiculous amount of hanami. I have seen more cherry blossoms than you can imagine. And, it's not quite over yet. I'll be searching out the late blooming trees in the region this coming week so that I can show them to my friend who is about to visit Kyoto. My photos don't do justice. I can't seem to capture the zen-like relaxation that you feel when surrounded by blossoms in mankai. But, trust me. It's chill.

Here is a brief list of the best places I've seen cherry blossoms this month.

KYOTO
Tetsugaku no michi (Path of Philosophy)
Okazaki Canal
Heian Jingu Garden
Takasegawa Canal
Kamogawa River
Arashiyama (Nakanoshima Park)
Maruyama Koen
Kyoto Imperial Palace Grounds

OTHER NEARBY CITIES
Uji River
Byodoin Temple in Uji
Saidaiji Temple in Nara
Osaka Castle (Nishinomaru Garden, Grounds, Park by the Moat)
Ookawa River in Osaka

Takasegawa Canal Sakura Festival

2008-04-09T09:00:00.010-04:00

On Saturday, I volunteered at the Takasegawa Canal Sakura Festival on Kiyamachi Street. The festival was held by the Old Rissei School machi-zukuri (~Neighborhood Planning Committee) and some very friendly people that I met on Facebook.

The idea of the event seemed to be two-fold: informing people about the history and significance of the Takasegawa River/Canal, and (of course) enjoying the cherry blossoms.

The part of the festival that I was helping with was a boat ride in the canal under the sakura blossoms. Before the event began, several of the volunteers assembled a takase boat and jury-rigged the canal to increase its waterlevel in the area of the boat ride.

A kimono-clad band of five girls helped to lure visitors. Then, we offered rides on the boat to passers-by and gave them information and a quiz about the canal. People seemed to have a really good time. Two maiko even stopped by to see what was going on!

While "volunteer patrolling", I was given the special task to look for foreign tourists and to give them the information sheet about the canal so that they could "more thoroughly enjoy their experience" in the area. This was uneventful as a surprisingly low number of English speaking people passed by the canal. However, I did meet one fun couple from Issaquah, WA who were filming a series about Japan for a PBS show called Discoveries Asia. They shot a quick interview with me about the canal, the event I was volunteering for and why I was in Japan. It will probably end up on the cutting room floor, but there is a small chance that I could be on their show. How amusing!

Some other things I learned are that the Takase boats (Takasebune) are well-known from the title of a novel by Ogai Mori. These boats were used on the canal and as such, the name of the canal came from the name of the boats. There is also an old popular song called Takasebune that we were playing on a CD all day. Even though it was a beautiful song, by the end of the day I was so tired of hearing it.

It was a fun experience to try volunteering at this festival, especially since all of the event planners and all of the other volunteers were Japanese. A few of them spoke English, but even so, the day was a good chance to test my Japanese skills. I still have a long way to go, but as long as I kept my sentences simple, people seemed to understand what I was saying. Sugoi desu ne!

Under Kyoto's Sakura Spell

2008-04-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

This time of year in Japan is MAGICAL. It's so hard to pay attention to anything these days besides the cherry blossoms. Kyoto has me completely under its sakura spell.

The Cherry Blossoms are in mankai (peak/full bloom) and it seems that on every street in Kyoto you're bound to glimpse a sprinkling (or more!) of these beautiful flowers among the other trees. Even more amazing is that many parks and pathways, especially those lining the Kamogawa river and the canals, are completely lined with sakura trees. One such example is the Tetsugaku no Michi (Philosopher's Path) just south of our house. These pictures were taken along the Tetsugaku no Michi and Honen-in Temple just as the first blooms were appearing last week.

For the sadly short sakura season, we along with thousands of other Kyoto-ites are enjoying hanami and yozakura (hanami at night) non-stop. This means I'm running all over the Kansai region on foot, by bike, by bus and by train to view the cherry blossoms in many of the most popular/gorgeous spots. Expect more photos and updates assuming that I can break myself away from the beauty and peacefulness around us to blog again.

Disaster Prevention Field Trip

2008-04-03T22:15:00.004-04:00

My Japanese class went on a field trip to a surprisingly fun place this week. We went to the Kyoto City Disaster Prevention Center to learn about well... preventing disasters and preparing for/surviving them when they do occur.

They had several hands-on activities where we could realistically experience several types of disasters. For example, they had an apartment (a lot like ours) that you could enter which would then simulate the experience of an earthquake. My group survived a 7.0 magnitude quake while carrying out all the tasks they had given us ahead of time.

As the quake began, we had to protect ourselves by ducking our heads under the kitchen table and hugging the table legs. Next, as the shaking subsided, we had to scurry around to turn off the heater, gas stove and other appliances. Then, we had to open all the doors and crawl back under the table before the aftershocks arrived. It was fairly violent and surprisingly realistic! A few people were a little scared, I think.

There was a typhoon simulation with winds of over 30 meters per second. That's equivalent to roughly 70 miles per hour for all you metric system impaired folks. > Besides thinking of all the roof tiles that the wind would be whipping around had this really been a storm in Kyoto, the typhoon simulation was fun... and made all the girls' hair look fabulously "windswept chic."

We got to use fire extinguishers to try to combat virtual fires. Essentially, we shot water onto videos of fire on a giant screen. The scenarios were hilarious and usually resulted in the fire winning. It was really useful to see what it feels like to use a fire extinguisher. Pulling the pin out and puncturing the pressure seal was easier than you'd think.

The least fun simulation was the Smoke Simulation where we had to escape a hotel fire. They had a maze of hotel hallways filled with (non-toxic) smoke. We had to navigate our way to the exit. It was fairly difficult though as the hallways were dark, many of the Exit signs and all of the lights were realistically burnt out and the smoke was um... bothersome. My group escaped the most quickly which I attribute to our decision to crouch/crawl instead of walk. The smoke filled the hallway from about shin height upwards, so it was less lung-crushing along the floor.

They had an arcade type area with several firefighting video games, a 3-D ride about the "Great Kyoto Earthquake" and a Air Rescue Helicopter Flight Simulator where you could fly around Kyoto extinguishing fires and saving people during disasters. The difficulty of these games resulted in our being seriously impressed by real-life firefighters and helicopter pilots.

It was a fun and very practical field trip. I think every big city should have one of these centers - an informed and educated public has to be a much better thing in time of a disaster than, say, for example, FEMA.

Flowcharts

2008-03-31T09:55:00.006-04:00

My position in Kyoto is funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, which is essentially Japan's version of the NSF. Although their main mission is to distribute and manage the scientific research funded by the government, they also have many outreach and publicity campaigns, to keep Japanese students interested in pursuing careers in the sciences.

In one of their programs, "Science Dialogue," they send researchers funded by the JSPS out to give talks to high school students about their research fields. On Friday, I was asked to give one of these presentations at a school in Kobe this July. After discussing it with my supervisor, I've decided to accept the invitation/request -- I'll be sure to follow up and let you know how it goes.

But this is really just the backdrop for what I really wanted to talk about: Flowcharts! Flowcharts are everywhere in Japan, dutifully mapping out to concerned citizens just exactly how they should open a bank account, start a business, operate a washing machine, or rent a movie. And I don't mean old school diamonds-and-rectangles flowcharts you use to outline programs. Flowcharts here are finely-tuned masterpieces of graphic design, impressively squeezing as much harmony, synergy, and information into one area as possible. For example, this is a picture of the flowchart illustrating how the "Science Dialogue" program works:

And here's a flowchart from the International University of Japan, diagramming the interconnectedness of their research programs:

They also show up in day-to-day life, such as at banks and government offices, although I unfortunately could not find good examples online to post.

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

2008-03-29T09:58:00.003-04:00

March is fulfilling its proverbial destiny. Yet again, the month is ending in a much more pleasant and less ferocious way than it began. Spring has arrived along with brief moments of lovely weather. I've taken this to mean that I don't have to wear jackets anymore and that it is time to wear skirts, short sleeves and sandals. I might be a little bit cold, but you won't hear me admit it. Instead, I'm busy seeing, doing and photographing everything again.

Kyoto-ites are all abuzz with excitement about the "Sakura Front." Yes, that's right. The arrival of first bloom and peak bloom times for the cherry blossoms are forecast on the news each day alongside the weather. They say the first blooms hit Kyoto and Uji on March 24th and the first blooms arrived in Osaka and Nara on March 26th. The estimated peak cherry blossom viewing times for our region are estimated to be between March 30th and April 10th this year.

I'm looking forward to my first hanami experience! Hanami means flower viewing (hana= flower, mimasu/miru= to see, to look, to view) and it is a uniquely Japanese custom of taking time out to enjoy the beauty of flowers. Although, flowers, in this case, almost always means cherry blossoms!

The Way of Tea

2008-03-28T09:15:00.005-04:00

For the last few months, I have been studying tea ceremony at the Kyoto International Community House. We just had our class demonstration this week. The above picture shows the awesome Beginner students on the last day of class.

The class is intended to be a way for foreigners to immerse themselves in Japanese culture as well as a chance for Japanese to experience a cultural exchange. But, one thing that fascinates me (especially given the cross cultural harmony shtick) is that the class is roughly three times more expensive for Japanese students. Huh.

We are learning about the elements in a tea room, the tools needed to perform a tea ceremony, how to serve sweets and tea, how to eat sweets, how to drink tea, how to walk, how to enter and leave a tea room, and how to open/prepare/close a tea ceremony.

Each week, we have a new calligraphy scroll and a new flower arrangement placed in the tokonoma (scroll alcove) in the tea room. These items are specially chosen to correspond with the season/weather outside or to reflect an important truth. Our sweets are different each class too and similarly reflect the time of year. I expect that this week or next week, we will have a sakura (cherry blossom) themed class.

There are many detailed rules, prescribed phrases and gestures for both hosts and guests, but somehow it is still relaxing. My cool and fun classmates have a lot to do with that. In fact, I have enjoyed the class so much that I have signed up for another twelve week session.

When the cat's away, the mice will play

2008-03-20T07:00:00.004-04:00

Squeak! わたしはねずみです. :)

Rieko and I took advantage of Chris's recent jaunt to a math conference in Tucson to go on a fun weekend girls' trip.

We headed to Akashi to see the famous Tako Ferry (a very cute car ferry painted with octopuses and dolphins) and Uontana which is a covered shopping arcade like Teramachi in Kyoto. Akashi is famous for tamago-yaki (similar to tako-yaki but softer and dipped in a soup before eating) which we enjoyed for lunch in one of many little restaurants that were serving it in Uontana.

We took a bus over the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge - the longest suspension bridge in the world! It links Honshu with Awaji Island. Then, we continued across all of Awaji Island to it's southern most point - Awajishima Minami. In Awajishima Minami we walked to Ibi Port to get to our amazing minshuku. A minshuku is a Japanese bed and breakfast type hotel, similar to a ryokan.

The dinner at the minshuku was crazy! We had sushi, sashimi, nabe, dried fish, grilled fish, crab, shellfish, and a live Naruto Red Snapper. It was a little creepy to see him flipping around on the plate. But once they took him away and returned with half of him filleted into sashimi and the other half delectably grilled over hot stones, we recovered admirably! It was enough to turn a person into a pescetarian.

Before dinner, we took a boat ride at high tide into Naruto Strait to see the Naruto Whirlpools in action. The picture above is a famous Hiroshige woodblock print of these whirlpools. The eddies are caused by a combination of tidal currents and the meeting of the Pacific Ocean with the Inland Sea at the straits. March and April are the best time of year to see this phenomenon as the spring tides can cause the whirlpools to spin up to 20km/hr. It was really neat to see!

Also, I was struck by the quiet. Both Shikoku Island and Awaji Island (especially the tiny Ibi Port) were quiet, relaxing escapes. It's rare in today's world to find places where you can be totally relaxed and able to enjoy nature alongside the silence of your own thoughts. It's nice.

The next day, at another tidal extreme, we were able to see the whirlpools from 45 meters above the sea at the Uzu no michi, an observation deck under O-Naruto bridge.

After enjoying the whirlpools, the Eddy and Bridge Museum in Naruto and some delicious free samples of wakame seaweed, we adventured towards Tokushima City on Shikoku. (Woo! Another island of Japan checked off the list.)

We rode the Bizan Ropeway (basically a cable car) up Mt. Bizan and got a beautiful view of Tokushima with Awaji Island in the background. On a clearer day, you can also see the Kii Peninsula to the east. Tokushima was a cool city - it had palm trees, tall buildings and an unexpectedly large number of Italian restaurants. All around there were signs, posters, statues, etc.. having to do with the Awa Odori Festival. It looks like fun! If we are still here on the right dates in August when it occurs, we should definitely check it out.

When Irish Eyes are Smiling...

2008-03-17T03:56:00.004-04:00

they might look something like this!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Basically, I'm using the holiday as an excuse to post this fun picture from my cousin's Irish-themed wedding back in July 2005. Do enjoy. :)

As far as I could tell, none of the Japanese, ex-pats or tourists that I saw today was purposely wearing green besides me. It's lucky for them that I'm not a pincher. Perhaps the wearing (and eating) green things on St. Patrick's Day is an exclusively American tradition? Sláinte!

Plum Blossoms are in Bloom!

2008-03-14T07:34:00.007-04:00

On February 25th, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine held its annual Baika-sai Plum Blossom Viewing. This festival is a "Nodate" or outdoor tea ceremony hosted by geiko and maiko beneath the beautiful plum blossoms at the shrine.

Because of my Japanese class and tutoring schedule, I missed the actual tea ceremony, but I was still able to enter Sugawara Michizane's plum orchard, enjoy some plum blossom sweets and admire the blooms on my own. They say there are about 2000 plum trees in the orchard with most of the blossoms being either pink or white. It was beautiful and very peaceful.

Perhaps you were wondering... Who is Sugawara Michizane? Well, he was a scholar and politician from the Heian-era (9th c.) who is sort of the patron saint of Kitano Tenmangu shrine. In fact, his nickname "Tenjin-san" is the also the name of the monthly flea-market held on the shrine grounds. The Baika-sai festival has evolved from a prayer ceremony held at his death to ask for repose for his soul. It is said that he was crazy about plum (ume) trees!

I can understand his enthusiasm because the plum is associated with the start of spring, being among the first flowers to bloom. For Kyoto residents, the arrival of spring should mean finally being able to turn off our wimpy space heaters (glorified toasters) and to stop wearing fleeces and/or coats inside. I can only assume that winter felt even colder in the 9th c. since heaters and the like were not around. It's no wonder Tenjin-san loved this harbinger of warmer days.

All together now... Welcome Plum Blossoms! Welcome Spring!

Golden Dolphins of Nagoya

2008-03-10T08:14:00.012-04:00

About two weeks ago, Stefan, a good friend of ours from Rice, came to visit. Together, we took a trip to the nearby city of Nagoya to do some exploring.

The sightseeing highlight was definitely Nagoya Castle known for the golden dolphins on its roof. The fact that these dolphins have teeth is both amusing and troublesome to me.

The castle was built in 1612 but unfortunately most of it was burnt down in 1945 during the World War II air raids. So, what we see today is a rebuilt/reinforced version of the original. Some tour guides joked about how Nagoya Castle was also destroyed by Godzilla, Gaos and Battra. Even the revered dolphins were not immune to the chaos, as their gold scales were often the target of theft.

The golden dolphins were not just adorning the castle's roof. They appeared everywhere around the city - as cookies, as mascots, on receipts, on signs, on sewer covers...sugoi desu ne !

One other thing worthy of visiting in Nagoya was the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. Half of the museum was devoted to the Toyoda family's beginning in the textile machine industry. The other half was devoted to their current automotive focus. In addition to the obvious learning of facts, we also saw a robot that could play trumpet amazingly with its special mechanical lips and hands, we played with an extremely large lever and spent some quality time in a wind tunnel. (obligatory pun) Needless to say, we were blown away!

Chris and Stefan were also great sports to accompany me to the Orchid Garden, a pretty neat botanical garden type place which advertised itself as "a dreamlike oasis in the city, a pleasurable and resourceful place to visit for garden enthusiasts." The brochure said there were 20,000 orchids from 250 species on display. Based on the number of sweet photos I took, I'd have to guess they were correct.

Girly Flower Fun

2008-03-08T09:47:00.005-05:00

In honor of Girls Day (especially since it isn't a National Holiday like Boys Day on 5/5!), we made special Hina Matsuri arrangements this week in ikebana class. I liked the arrangement because it is colorful and feels springy, it was easy to make and everything carries a special symbolism.

To begin with, we used peach blossoms. As the flower most associated with the holiday, using the pink blossoms made a lot of sense. Here, we used two clusters of branches - a tall set on the left representing the male doll, Emperor or O-dairi-sama and a shorter set on the right representing the female doll, Empress or O-hina-sama.

Two pink sweet peas symbolized the O-hina-sama's feminine kimono while the three purple sweet peas represented the O-dairi-sama's masculine kimono. This symbolism seemed especially apt to me since it matched with tea ceremony where women use red fukusa (silk cloth) and men use purple fukusa.

Using origami adornments, we gave the O-hina-sama an open fan and the O-dairi-sama a folded fan similar to the always-folded fan in tea ceremony that shows respect and politeness and represents being a guest. Neither ikebana-sensei nor any of my fellow students could remember the name of this ceremonial item. If, for some reason, you know what it's called, please clue me in. :)

The three ranunculus (red flowers) in the front represented the three maids/court maidens that serve the O-dairi-sama and the O-hina-sama.

The rape blossoms (yellow flowers) were placed on both sides to represent bonbori - special lights that usually have painted shades. We also added origami balloons to represent these.

Then we added the rape blossom leaves and other feathery greenery just to even things out at the bottom of the arrangement.

Happy Girls Day!

2008-03-03T04:59:00.005-05:00

Happy Girls Day everyone!

Here in Japan, we celebrate Hina Matsuri/Girls Day (also known as Dolls Festival), on March 3rd.

The most obvious thing that I've noticed about the holiday is that putting dolls out for display on a tiered staircase-like stand is common. The displays are in people's houses as well as in some stores/businesses. They are meant to protect the future health and happiness of the family's daughters. The top row of these displays (regardless of whether they are 1, 3, 5 or 7 tiers tall) always has an Emperor and Empress doll on a red carpet in front of a gold screen. Our landlords gave us this awesome origami display for Hina-matsuri. Sweet!

My ikebana sensei mentioned that peach blossoms are traditionally associated with Girls Day as are the colors red and white. There are also special Girls Day sweets - mostly diamond shaped mochi rice cakes and small rice crackers in red/pink, white and green. She also showed me a musical display where all the doll figurines were anthropomorphic rabbits that played a special Girls Day song called Ureshii Hinamatsuri. It was, as expected, absurdly cute!

One of my Japanese teachers added that amazake (sweet, non-alcoholic sake) is a customary drink and that families typically put the displays away quickly after the holiday ends because of a superstition that to fail to do so will result in their daughters having a hard time finding a husband!

The doll sets can be quite elaborate and sometimes are considered "family treasures" that are passed down from generation to generation. And, if there is no family heirloom set, one doll up to an entire Hina Matsuri display is a traditional present for grandparents to give to granddaughters on the 1st Hina Matsuri after she is born.

Yuki Matsuri Photos

2008-02-29T09:28:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone,

Renée put together a web page of photos for the Sapporo snow festival (not to be confused with the Hokkaido photos previously mentioned). The link is here. This festival, in the heart of downtown, certainly had the most impressive sculptures. In addition to statues by individual artists, there were several large works (the Sphinx, Big Ben, and a Japanese castle).

You can read more about this particular festival on their own (English!) web site.

Sapporo Snow Festival

2008-02-29T03:36:00.007-05:00

Rounding out our trip to Hokkaido earlier this month, we attended the 59th Sapporo Yuki Matsuri or Snow Festival. Actually, this awesome festival was inspiration for our long weekend trip.

Beginning in 1950 with six small statues, this festival has snowballed (ha!) into something of epic proportions. Each winter, numerous ice and snow sculptures now line the streets around Odori Park, the grounds at Sato-Land, and the main street in Susukino.

We only had a chance to explore Odori Park, but since that is the location for the largest, most detailed and most impressive sculptures, we were not too disappointed. (Although, there was a snow maze in Sato-Land that Chris and I had really hoped to see. Next time, I guess.)

The Odori Park area was made up of 12 square blocks with a huge sculpture or statue per block.
Since we were visiting the large festival area as part of a tour, we had limited time and had to hurry around a bit. I learned that icy ground and hurrying do not combine well. And to think... I laughed at the "suckers" on our tour bus who actually bought snow-spikes from the guides to snap on to the soles of their shoes. Whoops!

As the afternoon turned to dusk, things lit up. Christmas lights were in all of the nearby trees. Several of the ice based sculptures were lit in bright colors and the snow based sculptures were mostly lit in white light to show off the attention to detail. Better still, were the few sculptures like "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" that were part of the "Pageant of Light and Sound." We didn't actually stay to see this, but the idea was that moving lights and music would bring the sculptures to life to tell a story. Similarly, the Nissin Cup O' Noodles sponsored "Freedom" sculpture featured a continuous DVD of animated shorts projected on an incorporated flat wall.

To sum up, even with the slipping and falling, the Sapporo Snow Festival lived up to my expectations. Considering how high they were, that's an impressive feat!

I will make a photo page of this festival soon. Stay tuned.

The Full Monty

2008-02-27T05:05:00.010-05:00

While we were in Sounkyo in Hokkaido, I finally went to an onsen. The hot water was a welcome contrast to the snow and ice at the Frozen Waterfall festival. And, it was a typically Japanese cultural experience that I am very glad to have had!

But, I definitely wasn't sure about the whole thing going into it. Reconciling being naked in front of strangers and being able to enjoy the relaxing/calming effect of the water seemed impossible.

The basic rules of onsens are as follows: most baths are separated by gender, you cannot wear anything into the bath, you must shower thoroughly and rinse before entering the bath and you cannot let soap, shampoo, or your towel touch the bath water. When the onsen is in a hotel or spa, most bathers go to the changing rooms wearing only the provided yukata.

I paced around the changing room for a very long time - reading and re-reading the onsen etiquette rules. In other words, I was stalling big time! Finally, I entered the bathing room where maybe two dozen Japanese women were already enjoying the showers and the hot springs.

The room was warm, steamy and actually quite pleasant. The showers were were accompanied by small stools that you could sit on while you scrubbed. There were also buckets that you could fill with water for rinsing. As was the case here, it is common for shampoo and body soap to be provided. After the showers, it was finally time to enter the hot spring itself. It was really relaxing and the temperature was just right. Goldilocks would have approved!

The best part -- my fears were completely unfounded. No one was being creepy. No one was staring at anyone else. No one left the onsen because I had arrived. Being a foreigner in an onsen wasn't the curiosity I had heard it might be. So, to any of you future Japan travelers - I highly recommend trying out an onsen. You'll be glad you did.