Misa and Kazumi, "The Katsuragi Girls"

Thursday, August 28 2008

It was hisashiburi night [hisashiburi = long time no see]!

Last evening my marathon running mates

Misa Shimizu and Kazumi Kawamoto

drove into Wakayama City from there town, Katsuragi, about an hour's drive away.

Misa (in plaid) has been an English student at Aire English School for over 5 years now; that is how we met. She is a great student who works very very hard, at everything she does. Kazumi (in red) is Misa's best friend, and I met her when the three of us ran in the annual Wakaura Jazz Marathon last October together. Running with the two beautiful and athletic girls gave me the motivation and power to continue on even when my legs were screaming out in agony " for the love of future mobility, STOP NOW". However, I was part of a team and couldn't let the other members down! I completed the marathon because of Misa and Kazumi, and because I was dressed as Super Mario (but that's another story)

Last night the girls and Atsuko and I met at & Legumes in Wakayama City. There we talked, laughed, and enjoyed some good food and drink. It was great to see you girls.

See you next time in New York when we run the NYC Marathon together, okay!!

Thank you for everything.

Love always

Atsuko & Bill

Adam & Jenni in Oregon

The handsome couple and spectacular scenery are

Adam and Jenni

in Oregon, United States of America

Adam Marlow and I have been funk soul brothers since high school,

about 17 years ago.

Adam is a good man, but just isn't fit to be spoofing on Chunk from Goonies. Adam, Chunk and you share absolutely no physical characteristics in common. Although, I did hear at one point that "Chunk" had matured, grown out of his baby fat, and become quite a handsome man. If that is the case, well then maybe you two do have something in common!

Adam is originally from Brooklyn, New York and his lovely girlfriend Jenni is from California. The two met some years ago out west, migrated up to the Pacific Northwest, and have been living in Oregon for a good while now. recently they moved from Eugene to Portland.

Adam is a fellow educator and Jenni is working on completing her own education at the moment.

I'm looking forward to being on the same continent with you guys again! You had better make room in your apartment for Atsuko and I.

Sometime in the not too far future, we'll be dropping in on your party.

Thank you for all your help with my job application Adam. You da man!

Adam in front of "Mikey's" house, doing his rendition of the "Truffle Shuffle"


This is where the classic 80's movie "The Goonies" was filmed
"Hey you guys!"
Wow!

Maria's Gardens

These lovely gardens are the work of my friend

Maria.

Maria Mascaro lives in a beautiful home on a small lake in rural New Jersey in the United States.

Maria and I met about 9 years ago.

She is a great woman. Maria has been a single mom to her son for about 22 years. Her passions include writing, reading, gardening, painting, acting, and travelling. She makes a living as an art teacher, and must surely be a damn fine one too!

Your gardens and waterfall are awesome Maria. I can't wait to get my hands back in the ground again, cultivating gardens of my own someday soon.

Thank you so much for your help with my job application matter.

Couldn't have done it without ya!

Yukarito (Eucalyptus)

Tuesday, August 26 2008

Yesterday, some friends and I went to

Yukarito Restaurant.

Yukarito is a Japanese pronunciation of "Eucalyptus".

The beautifully landscaped restaurant is so named because of the owners' love of plants and gardening, and yes, there are Eucalyptus Trees growing outside. The gardens have an English/Mediterranean feel. There are many fragrant herbs, brightly colored Mandevilla, and an assortment of other lovely flora surrounding the cozy eatery located in Kokawa.

The first part of the course consisted of beautifully presented H'ors deurves including

Melon wrapped in Prosciutto and Chili.

This was followed by a Mushroom Cream Sauce Pasta!

Scrumptious!!

For desert; melon ice cream, cake, and fresh fruit

I'll tell ya what's wrong with that -

NOTHING

Chikako san, Yuko san, Bill, Kumashiro san, his son Yuuki san

It was great to see the beautiful and charming girls again!

Kumashiro san and I met only a couple months ago through our mutual barber Tsunemi san. The 53 year old man has travelled all over the the world and is fluent in English. He lived in America (New York & California) for about 5 years. While in L.A., he worked at the Olympics, which were being held there sometime in the early to mid 1980's. Kumashiro san has also travelled and lived in various countries throughout South America, the Middle east, and Europe. His 20 year old son Yuuki is studying to be an actor at university in Tokyo.

Yuuki is half Brazilian.

for a Thank you my friends for another wonderful time!

Please come to New York to visit Atsuko and I.

REALLY!!!

Weekend In Hiroshima with the Family PART II

Sunday, August 24 2008

DAY 2

The beach just in front of our Japanese-style hotel.

Across the bay is Hiroshima City.

It was a fine summer day.

A small dead Fugu (Japanese Puffer fish)

Somebody may have caught the fish using a fishing pole and then, knowing of it's potential danger if eaten, left it to die on the beach.

A comparatively quite large Fugu

This one was about the size of an American Nerf football

Miyajima Shika (Miya Island Deer)

They're literally EVERYWHERE on the island.

It would be difficult to go somewhere without seeing at least one deer anywhere on Miyajima.

I observed something very interesting - a survival behavior among these deer.

Because of the dense population of deer in such a small island habitat, the deer have taken to eating things other than nuts and berries and other vegetable matter as they usually would in a more spacious, less competitive environment. As I sat in the hot sun watching the deer on the beach, I noticed one was eating the stinking remains of a rotten fish (not a puffer) that was washed up on the shore. This really surprised me, as I had believed deer were strictly herbivorous.

Bambi

At the Miyajima Aquarium








Garden Eels


Electric Eel

The Bulldog of the fish world

The Axolotl

An evolutionary wonder

It is actually the immature aquatic stage of the Tiger Salamander, but in Mexico City the gilled larvae never reach adulthood

Who doesn't love Penguins!

Across the sand at low tide, Itsukushima Shrine
The

Itsukushima Jinja Torii

in daylight.

It certainly is grand at any hour.

Pagoda at Itsukushima Jinja
Itsukushima Jinja is a Shinto mecca
And a tourist mecca as well!

It was a fun and educational family trip.

Miyajima is gorgeous!

Thank you very much Otousan & Okaasan