Recovering

Life is finally getting back to normal. Mr. kanmuri and I arrived from South Korea last Thursday and spent most of the day waiting for the night bus in Tokyo. We "slept" on the night on the bus and arrived home at around 7am; I changed and went to work directly. I don't know if it's because I was tired, but I managed to catch a small virus that put me out for the whole weekend. I still went to the international exchange event I had signed up for but felt like crap the whole time.

So tonight I'm taking the night off from my usual working out and studying to watch TV with Mr. kanmuri. I even took out the kotatsu (Japanese heating table) for more comfort! So I hope you will forgive me if I don't talk about my trip tonight; I found an interesting topic on blog this and want to blog about it first.

Challenge 18 - Pearls of Wisdom

I have been blessed with good friends and a great family who have supported me through many hardships. I've received many advices, but sometimes, it's the simplest things that opened my eyes.

I was 20 when I first moved out to live with my boyfriend. I was young, too young. I still believed in love fairy tales and had high expectations. The relationship proved to be a destructive one. My boyfriend was a control freak and would barely let me go to the restroom alone. We fought a lot and I cried a lot. My family didn't like him, but they respected my choice. I wouldn't have listened anyway. Still, I believed I was the problem and said yes when he proposed. The whole thing was a train wreck waiting to happen. One night, my dad was driving me back home from work and was listening to my problems. Then he said something really simple:

It's not like the two of you are married with children. You can always walk away.

It was so obvious yet I had never seen it like that. Soon after, I followed my dad's advice and walked away. I'm glad I did.

I soon got involved in another relationship. That one lasted longer, and had many good times, but in the end, it proved to be as destructive. We had a codependent relationship, and it was slowly but surely getting worse with the passing of time. We considered breaking up several times, but each time we stayed together. I didn't want to be alone and the shame of having to tell my family and friends that I was leaving the man they all loved was just overwhelming. So every time, I managed to keep it all together regardless of how humiliating it was.

One night, I was talking with my sister on msn messenger; I was telling her about our troubles and she popped this simple sentence:

We will still love you, even if you leave him.

At a time when my sister and I weren't really close, this brought tears to my eyes. That was what my heart had been longing to hear. I didn't leave my boyfriend right away but when I did, I was confident that I was going to make it; I wasn't alone.

My last pearl of wisdom is not love related and was given to me by a coworker. At the time, I was working as a customer service agent for a Canadian cellphone company and had been promoted to a new position. I had applied for it and was happy that I had gotten it, but at the same time I was sad to leave all the friends I had. We had been trained together and I liked everyone very much. One night, we were all going home after a late shift. I was talking to one of my colleagues about my mixed feeling towards the new position. He listened to me and said:

When you can move forward, don't stop to wait for those who stayed behind because when they have the opportunity to go forward they may not stop to wait for you. Real friends won't hold you back.

That was the last time I saw him. I believe that his advice had a great impact on my life and still does. I took my new position and made new friends. As for my former colleagues, I'm still in touch with some of them.

So that's it! These are the three pearls of wisdom that changed my life!

I love travelling but...

I WANT this!!! But I refuse to pay 20$ of shipping for a 7$ notepad T_T

I hate packing. Actually, I think I hate packing as much as I love travelling. I always wait at the last minute and thanks to that bad habit, I always end up forgetting something. I sometimes even manage to forget my camera! Luckily, I've never forgotten my passport (I'm probably jinxing myself as I speak.)

Friday, Mr kanmuri and I will be flying to South Korea. It's the second time for me but the first time for him. Actually, he's never been abroad but I think I'm actually more excited about it being his first trip than he is. Anyway, we're only going for a week and we don't need that much stuff. With that positive thought in mind, I've been trying to convince myself to pack my stuff since Monday. Putting our passports, insurance papers and plane tickets in a small pouch is as far as I got. I have a feeling I will start packing tomorrow night, in a hurry, before we leave for Morioka to take our night bus to Tokyo.

I think I hate packing so much because I try to travel light and usually fail. I usually start with the minimum and then start thinking about the "what ifs." What if I go to a fancy place? What if we go to the beach? What if I do some hiking? What if, what if, what if? After considering all the options, I end up with 5kilos of extra and that makes a huge difference when backpacking. I'm not a mule but sometimes sure feel like it! The other problem is that I tend to forget that I like to buy clothes. I often bring clothes of all occasions and end up wearing that new cute dress I just bought at bargain price. The dress I brought never gets to see the light of day.

In order to make the task easier, I usually annoy my best friend by asking her to help me over msn messenger. She's kind enough to spend about half an hour asking me if I have enough underwear and if I have packed my squeaky duck. She has saved me from disaster many time*. This is the best way for me to pack my bag but it still often (read: always) happens the night before I leave. I hate packing.

How about you? How do you feel about packing? Do you have a secret weapon that prevents you from forgetting anything?

EDIT: I'm leaving in less than 12 hours. I still haven't packed o.O


*My best friend and I actually got to know each other over suitcase packing stories. It dawned on us that we were cosmic twins when we discovered that we both rolled up our clothes when packing.

Gotta Love Mountains

Last Saturday, Mr kanmuri and I decided to climb Mount Hayachine in Hanamaki. Sure, with its 1913 meters, this mountain was nothing compared to Mount Fuji but it was still a challenging, yet fun hike.

We started climbing the Kawara no bo trail at around 11am. This course is probably the most challenging of the mountain because of its steepness. It is also the shortest. Although it was a demanding hike, it was actually quite enjoyable; Mr kanmuri and I were in good spirits. However, I think it would have been even more fun if it hadn't been raining on and off and if the wind hadn't been so strong. Nonetheless, we made it to the the top in about 3 hours. At that point, my camera decided that the batteries were not strong enough anymore and died on me before I could take pictures of the summit. I did take a few with my cellphone but I haven't uploaded them yet.

We didn't waste much time at the top and started our descent right away. Instead of going down the Kawara no Bo trail (which would probably have been a nightmare) we took the Odagoe course, which is longer but not as steep. There were some demanding sections but for the most part, it was an easy descent. To make things even better, the rain and the wind stopped. It took us about two hours to go down and about 40 minutes to walk back to the parking lot.

I would definitely climb Mount Hayachine again but our next adventure is going to be Mount Himekami!

Mount Hayachine

This could be Mount Fuji; I'm wearing the SAME THING!!

These little signs were everywhere.

The enemy

That was fun!

Mr kanmuri pretending to be in Resident Evil 5

Beautiful Scenery

Obstacle Race!

Last picture before my camera died

Camera revived! More obstacles!

For more information on Mount Hayachine, consult Hanamaki city's webpage.

To reach Mount Hayachine from Morioka take route 396 South and take a left on route 25 (at the Lawson). The parking lot is about 40 minutes away.

Conquering the Beast!

Look at me! All smiles and confidence! You almost can't tell that the guide is currently talking about the silly climbers who fell off the mountain and died this month!

Three months ago a crazy idea popped in my mind: "I have to climb Mount Fuji." Instead of dismissing the silly thought like a sane person would have done, I started thinking about it seriously. I had been in Japan for almost four years now. I was going back home next year. It only made sense, I had to climb the sacred pile of rocks before I left. Should I fail to do so, my honour as a foreigner in Japan would be forever tarnished. I could already hear my detractors speak: "You didn't climb Mount Fuji??? Shame on you!"

Luckily, my sanity beat the crazy part of my brain back into its box when I saw the price for such an expedition. With the guide, the cabin and the transportation to and from Tokyo, the little adventure would come up to way over 500$. Thanks, but no thanks. And so, sanity triumphed over craziness.

But craziness wasn't ready to give up just yet.

About a month later, a friend of mine (to whom I had talked about climbing the mountain,) asked me about the plans to climb Mount Fuji. Sanity told her that I had pretty much given up on it because it was kinda expensive and that I didn't want to do it alone. My friend assured me that she really wanted to climb the mountain and that she would go with me, 100%. Craziness pushed up the lid of his box and I swear I saw him smirk.

And so sanity had to declare defeat when she saw me make plans, look for deals and finally make reservations and payments. Luckily, she didn't go to far and I ended up finding good deals.

On August 28th, off to Tokyo we went and on August 29th, we reached (by bus) Mount Fuji's 5th station. My friend was scared but I was excited. Craziness was laughing maniacally.

The first leg of the climb - from the 5th Station to the 8th (where our cabin was) - took us about 6 hours and a half. We went at a slow pace and compared to Mount Iwate, Mount Fuji was a walk in the park. I never really felt out of breath and didn't feel any pain in my legs. Yes, it was a long climb, but it was bearable. After a while, oxygen started thinning and some people started to feel sick and or tired. I didn't experience any severe symptoms of height sickness but I did experience the climber's high. The last two hours of that part of the trip were a happy happening for me as I gave candies to fellow climbers I didn't know and talked happily to the members of my group. As for my friend, she was in her own private circle of hell.

Our first break. Chillin'

Thanks, I feel so much better now that I know...

Climbing up the Babel tower

The 7th Station.

Big smile. Crazy eyes. Climber's high.

Above the Clouds

Unfortunately, the sunset was on the other side of the mountain.

My high ended when we got to our cabin and saw our sleeping arrangements: I think sardines cans are roomier than our beds were. We all had to line up neatly, each futon shared by two people. For those of you who aren't familiar with futons, picture two adults sharing a single bed and you should have a fairly good idea of what if felt like. With about a hundred people in one room, you can imagine the concert of snores, the people coming and going, the chatting... We had about four hours to rest, but I didn't sleep at all. Somewhere in my head, sanity was beating craziness up with a stick: what was the idea to come to such a crazy place!?

Sardines

At eleven thirty, I had had enough and got up. I woke up my friend who had been dozing on and off and we got ready for the last leg of the climb. We were out and ready by midnight. There was a surprising big number of climbers outside. We followed after them on the tracks, thankful for their headlights. Without the group and our guide, we were able to go at our own pace and made frequents stops along the way to rest, get my walking stick branded and eat bananas. At some points, the Yamanashi and Shizuoka trails met. I witnessed the biggest human traffic jam of my life. From that moment on, we moved really, really slowly. It was nice, tho, to see the neat line of headlights flickering down and up the mountain.

Midnight at the 8th station

I look soooo sleepy

At about three thirty, I was fed up with the waiting and decided to take the fast lane. Ditching my friend (I felt bad about it afterwards, but at that moment, I just wanted to be at the top,) I started to climb as fast as the human mass would allow me and finally reached the top at 4:15am. Quickly, I grabbed a good spot to watch the sunrise and sat, looking down the path for my friend.

Only one hour to sunrise.

I didn't see my friend come up but, without knowing where I was, she miraculously managed to come and stand within one meter of me. In the cold, we waited for the sun to poke its head off the horizon.

Slowly but surely, the sky became lighter, painting the sky with beautiful colours. The cloud below looked like the see and the city lights were beautiful in the darkness of the lingering night. I heard sanity make peace with craziness, saying this was one of the most beautiful sunrise she had seen since Australia.

Breathtaking

Sea of clouds

Out at last

The summit. Always make sure you have proofs.

The sun out, we warmed our freezing bodies with some warm hot chocolate and soup. Then we started what would turn out to be four hours of nightmarish descent. Sanity broke the truce with craziness as soon as she saw the long gravel path winding down the mountain. To be honest, this descent is the worst of my personal history of going down mountains. I hated every minute of it.

When we finally got down, my friend paid for us to take a horse-cart ride back to the 5th station's meeting area. I was glad. And so against all odds, I had done it. I had conquered the beast and that, without a moment of sleep for a total of 36 hours.

I usually can't sleep while sitting up; on our way back, I slept in the bus. After our stop at a local hot spring to wash up (we were covered with grime,) I slept in the bus. On the bullet-train, I slept, too.

I don't regret having listened to the voice of craziness. Climbing Mount Fuji might have been a crazy idea, but it was a crazily amazing one!

Saturday Picture Post: Hachimantai City Summer Festival

Wow! It's been ages since my last Saturday Picture Post!! This week I bring you pictures of my city's natsu matsuri (summer festival.) Apparently this was the fourth edition but I had never heard of it!!

Living the Life

With summer keeping me busy (and my usual laziness) I haven't really updated often lately. Please forgive me, I promise that.... No, I can't promise; it will probably happen again. That having been said, let's roll.

At the end of August, my sister came to Japan to visit me. It wasn't her first time in Japan so we hadn't really planned anything touristy. Except for one thing. Although my sister had come to Japan several times in the past, she had never had the chance to enjoy real hot springs. So I decided that I would take her to a really cool one I had been to with work.

The hot spring we went to is in Ashiro and is called Shikikan Saito. Recently renovated, the place is decorated in a simple traditional Japanese style. Everything is clean and the rooms still smell of tatami. The room I chose for ourselves was huge. We had our own bathroom, a tatami room and a nice veranda with our very own foot hot spring! It was beautiful.

As soon as we were done unpacking, we went to the baths and soaked for about two hours while chatting of this and that. For those who don't know, bathing suits aren't worn in Japanese hot springs. Yup, everyone is naked! I'm so used to it now that I don't really mind anymore but it still made me happy that we had the place to ourselves. The marinating done, we went back to our room and passed out until dinner.

Dinner, yes, that was quite an experience. Starving, we were really excited about the food (well, I was at least.) In our yukata (similar to a bathrobe) we sat at the table in the veranda and waited patiently for the waitress to set the food in front of us. The presentation was beautiful and the flavours exquisite; some of the dishes I had never tried before. This is when it started to get ugly for me, tho. My sister didn't like most of the dishes and so, I started to eat her serving. I would have felt too bad to let such a good meal go to waste. The second service came and the third, and the fourth... The food just kept coming and since I had been eating my portion and part of my sister's all along, I felt like my stomach was about to explode. My sister, who's not a big eater, felt the same. Every time we were done with something, we feared that the waitress would come back with more. She did. Finally, the last service came and we, sadly, barely touched it.

After that endless feast, we managed to survive the massages we had ordered and went to the baths one last time before going to bed. We had planned to go to the baths in the morning but in the end, we didn't. After breakfast, we reluctantly said goodbye to our beautiful room.

If you ever are in the Morioka area, make sure to make a small trip to Shikikan Saito. Even on a day trip, the place is worth it!