One man's public art is another's only hope of fixing his Gremlin

I still don't care much for swans

This way!

Fallow fields in Winter

Cabbies and Cursing, Beamers and Buddha

The other night, I was out having a drink, at one of my favorite shot bars in Ube, "Healing Box Bigi". Whilst chatting with some of the other patrons I discovered that the fellow sitting next to me enjoying a beer and a smoke happened to be a monk, I took down his temple and number, told him I would visit the next day and exitied the bar. I flagged down the nearest cab and told him to take me to the 7-11 (or, as it's now known in Japan, 7 & i-Holdings) nearest my house. I was a little curious when he asked if I was a university student, but I payed it no heed. However, either he wasn't listening well or I was not speaking well but he took him quite far out of the way to a 7 & i near the local university. I corrected him and exited the cab some minutes later at the correct convenience store, grumbling to myself about a cab fare just a thousand yen short of my bar tab.
The next day, awaking at the crack of noon I set out to take some fresh pictures of Tokiwa. Only to realize that even though I had taken a cab home, I had rode my bike out to the bar the previous night. Thus, I had to walk downtown to retrive it before making my way to the lake. Eventualy though I was able to accomplish my picture taking mission to my statisfaction, so I decided to call my new friend and man of the cloth, Yoshi. As the temple was hard to find he arranged to pick me up nearby. He arrived some minutes later in his BMW, explaining, when I complimented him, that "I like cars." We arrived at the temple, which his grandfather built and where he lives with his parents and grandmother. He was kind enough to give me a tour and show me the tombstones he'd built, the kimono he wears when he prays, and even to identify the statuary for me. After this I joined him and his parents for a cup of tea and an hour or so of pleasant conversation. Unfortunately the conversation was limited to the scope of my Japanese, however they seemed to be lovely people. Early in the conversation his father asked me if I liked nihonshu, and when I replied in the affirmative he handed me a giant bottle of said fluid, from Niigata Prefecture. I'm saving it for hanami, when I will be surrounded by sake, barbecues and cherry blossoms. His mother, as I was leaving, told me to come again, I hope to be able to take her up on that. I shall just need to remember how to get there.

Only use your heating devices for their intended purpose

I had just made a cup of coffee and then decided to run out to the vending machine; I thought to myself, "I can just set this cup of coffee on top of my space heater and it will keep warm warm while I am out." No such luck. I returned and I picked up my mug, expecting a pleasantly warm cup of coffee. But, the space heater had heated only the handle. I was forced to drink my lukewarm coffee while wearing a leather glove to protect my hand. Let this be a warning to everyone.

It's easier to fast and meditate when you're warm

The biggest ice machine I've ever seen

Downtown Kottoi

The middle of nowhere reveals its secrets (or lack thereof)

About two weeks ago I was talking with some students about Japanese history; I mentioned my interested in seeing Kofun and asked if there were any in Yamaguchi. He told me that there were some near Kottoi, I took down the name and planned a trip. Thursday last I set out with Beth, and after two and a half hours of train travel and our transfers we arrived. As we disembarked we found all the locals sitting around the front of the station waiting for a bus, and, as the vibe was not a friendly one, I demured from asking if they knew where as kofun around there was. Moreover, knowing nothing of the local area, we decided that taking a bus would not be in our best interest as we could end up up a creek sans paddle. So we chose a direction and set out on foot; we soon saw a sign saying that there was civilization a mere three kilometers down the way.
After a pleasant walk, in pleasant weather, circled by pleasant hawks we arrived in Kottoi-mura. I was quite hungry and we set out upon a search for resturants and found all three of them to be closed. After purchasing our food at a supermarket, I left and went outside to wait for Beth. She took an inordinate amount of time inside and when I questioned her on this she said, "As soon as you left the cashier started speaking to me in English." (Naturally I was confused by this, was I that intimidating, or did I merely leave too soon?) The cashier told her that the resturants, for some inexplicable reason, were closed until school got out for the day. Mustering what remained of my courage, and hope, I entered the post office and asked there about kofun. Nothing. We then walked back to the train station and took the train home. I have questions I need to ask the student that directed us to Kottoi.

Update (2/14):
So, I related my misadventure to some students in class today and after some initial confusion ("I went to Kottoi." "Eeeh? Why?"), it came out that the kofun and history museum I was promised in fact were located some twenty kilomenters south at Doigahama, which is also apparently a famous and incredibly beautiful beach town.

Fixin' a box

Bowling for factories

The JGSDF springs into action

Last week, Jim (my roomate) and Beth (the new teacher) took a spur of the moment trip to Yamaguchi city. It was already late in the day and we arrived after dark; whlist looking for Rurikoji we became slightly lost. But, to our pleasant surprise, we happened across a Japanese Army (the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force) base. It was decided that, as the person least afraid of the military, I should ask for directions. The gate was about the size of a two lane road, with a spiked portable barricade in the center. The gate guard, and all the other soldiers I could see, was wearing camoflauge fatigues and a helmet. I walked up to the gate, waited for a bicycle and car to exit, then walked toward the guard. He saluted, I nodded back, and walked toward the office - at this point everyone became very surprised and alarmed. The exact thoughts running through their minds are, of course, a mystery to me; however I would suppose they were approximate to: "He walked past the guard! What'd we do? People aren't supposed to do that!" His CO ran over, to asses the threat I assume, and so I just asked directions from him. As we walked off I could hear them laughing at me.
I learned two lessons today, the first, as Jim so eloquently put it, is, "ALWAYS TALK TO THE GUY AT THE GATE!", the second, and aphorism of my own devising, "Where courage won't take you, obliviousness will."