tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35495450592924582012024-03-04T22:33:42.049-08:00Koman AdventuresKomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-38505520071043386672008-03-10T23:11:00.000-07:002008-03-17T12:55:54.904-07:00AGE: Niseko Skiing and Dead Poets' SocietyHowdy from Niseko! Niseko is on the north island of Japan, and it is renowned for its world class skiing. We saved this resort for the end of the trip so that everything would build up to this final location. We are near the end of our two weeks here and the skiing has been incredible. We ski almost every morning before having classes in the afternoon and early evening. After 4 weeks of cloudiness (although I can't complain, it also brought piles of snow), we have been greeted with blue bird skies every morning in Niseko.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178794588748717074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgYmVw7YXa_oT5GKbBfAI1IgnGl8MyJnY57Lfh0z_JzZ1mo4dJFEcv9wtPc8RHCL-nWD4otr01g_lKDRM6U5GRldvRUydbK6ld5racSrO79wgFJSkWi0iPjm0iL-nlduxbTjFJsB9UtQ/s400/IMG_1656.JPG" border="0" /> The ski mountain, Grand Hirafu, overlooks a massive volcanic mountain called Mt. Yohtei. It's so impressive that it is regularly pictured in advertisements about skiing in Japan. I frequently find myself staring at it in a daydream when I take a break from skiing or am riding up the single chair.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178794593043684402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqOxQ9OAH7-NsFG3aPH7R6gJ4QM5BRdo6vTUwqpKaV6dMCPBFOcTr6hXS_BrZR9leZxj4CuLpb5gzU4OiGVldEStpN4E0RzZkDE0iMoLZO_wVj6hJf-aqs_znvmSs9FQprB_0UHJZwfw/s400/IMG_1673.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178794593043684386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYub3TgzxojQdcG1oInWlS6INLX3EcjVvNMfFGfSWr49PxiEK6gmU8s_N8MFYH0VWnOWSFRY8K1hcOrNrrA94wgRNbv7marKNJnv-8Aq7IaOHGk6dXO0_rqAGvDGmZUsCWImF_cNAszc4/s400/IMG_1663.JPG" border="0" />Grand Hirafu has a vast amount of back country skiing, and there is a continual line of people hiking up to the top of the mountain to hit the fresh powder.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178793858604276738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiRIl27VNz1RmB-bsmdhF8axakagE6zCvVuIpsotAiulEuldz2nptdCs56KUaSPGll9DH7RoGcmbGsTv1OGNGZRfnzkIFWLKmXm_tSt7wPIwYuI6q8586kRv4MduJp2T0HkcE-UMVPS0/s400/DSC_0352.JPG" border="0" />The mountain also hosts a number of national and international events throughout the year, and we took in an aerial competition this weekend. Check out the crazy announcer in the cowboy hat on the left in the second picture.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjlw2y0NdZkwhDA3GFxxEgpfAKFIsDGnKLh6XWW9n2rM1Rn6iE2qxk8TmQjig_pSnNM_8HXgYTHmaCDueZAbKOWDuA0MFc4b55PM5oGg7BR7U1XsMNPY0iZLkrrgFecCv4fCZujHwrdk/s1600-h/DSC_0259.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178795237288778818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjlw2y0NdZkwhDA3GFxxEgpfAKFIsDGnKLh6XWW9n2rM1Rn6iE2qxk8TmQjig_pSnNM_8HXgYTHmaCDueZAbKOWDuA0MFc4b55PM5oGg7BR7U1XsMNPY0iZLkrrgFecCv4fCZujHwrdk/s400/DSC_0259.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIb-XGO5nKIycj4s2WO6lOiXGds0dRwvLBLh6nEg7ch9bzGHneHbkNTuiTr2MdwIMo7C27zRfcQR5_0F9S6e_gR2hyBJygpe28sk-4xrLQxgeuGL5cDUI7GSdXCYq2GRtAKv1WNe5zlY/s1600-h/flip.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178795241583746130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIb-XGO5nKIycj4s2WO6lOiXGds0dRwvLBLh6nEg7ch9bzGHneHbkNTuiTr2MdwIMo7C27zRfcQR5_0F9S6e_gR2hyBJygpe28sk-4xrLQxgeuGL5cDUI7GSdXCYq2GRtAKv1WNe5zlY/s400/flip.jpg" border="0" /></a> Finally, on the academic side, we've been watching <em>Dead Poets' Society</em> in English class and relating it to <em>Lord of the Flies</em>. It's a great way to end our time in Japan before spring break, and it gives me a chance to post a picture of a real teacher.<br /><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3C5T5DpVndUX9tQngAWNFA3EbZMLUMFfG-eouxYFz9JwKhId8duoYc7IOqbQc2sL3jfqAA6ssK71FN8CFCu6yLvmShq17BkN8qTz_QuBk8_kUOZ3NNWCLfYaOnfRakMn16M67qMk4xI/s1600-h/Robin+Williams+on+desks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174894660909536210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3C5T5DpVndUX9tQngAWNFA3EbZMLUMFfG-eouxYFz9JwKhId8duoYc7IOqbQc2sL3jfqAA6ssK71FN8CFCu6yLvmShq17BkN8qTz_QuBk8_kUOZ3NNWCLfYaOnfRakMn16M67qMk4xI/s400/Robin+Williams+on+desks.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-56352326549415565222008-03-01T23:34:00.000-08:002008-03-13T07:29:50.768-07:00AGE: Tokyo<div>On our way to the airport to catch a flight to Hokkaido, the north island of Japan, we got to spend a day in Tokyo! We spent the day walking to as many destinations as we could. Once we hit the streets, one of the first things we noticed was the frequency of bikes in the city. It seemed like half the people were biking instead of walking!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177143964097387362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Fx8u1hP04_yyjzklpqwIklrOlpbMlVPs4ohhulBgcG-0S1S9K5t2Hb63iBQCXOlxh_0rQ-GC2fI7p-32T3UunNmPZ2m76_rpBWCivKRGUwJOOgERir5JPH6vB3l9K6IRr-hpPfkJDTA/s400/DSC_0264.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>The sidewalks are made extra wide to give space to both bikers and walkers. Because of all the traffic, many of the people in Tokyo choose to ride on their bikes instead of in their cars.</div><div>After a little bit of walking, we found the largest open air marketplace in Tokyo. Everywhere you looked people crammed into every opening and alley. The crowds were so bad that you could barely make progress towards your destination. At one point I climbed onto a monument just to get a break from the crowd. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177143976982289266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MCCy8gv_bIBPZPV60jhxSEp3_MjZcz1NGZUop5yKFcTbZoXKO_aJCt2aBEhRsOzEZTy4RuiJKNKJ-NGA8LijKPJxLNDmroihALMB6V6zqoFZu7t33-FjNfRB3MZctFJ-2Hkygd75Wks/s400/DSC_0266.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>If you look closely, you can see that the sea of people seems to extend down the alley into infinity. </div><div>As we slowly worked our way through the marketplace, we were entering the heart of Tokyo. Massive electronic billboards and signs covered most of the buildings. The crosswalks were overflowing with people.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177155088062684130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JQUXTgJIOrjvAJwkk1fyBJ5Y9EVktzVxmnqtQKHp8SnkhYFI_zPpaQZF1kuTjdhhsEohN8QdPei8uxBVU2AYTg7fdDZc4OxWH5J0MQuP0Hgwqw5OeSB3bmaqj09g9dJ9Zk60gO-qaQI/s400/DSC_0271.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177144019931962242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDWM3Dskg7ux4zD2rKQXT05H2bdrdoPEPl-qchpeopYBBnuwDEU-igFSfWLfP0ek8lNodU4xhyBR6XMVsPkhebXXCijHDFA_72w_TYjrj6jPIRA8eKwkFF9s9q2wN9zLhZywTm6-PJ_w/s400/DSC_0275.JPG" border="0" /></div>We kept pushing through the crowds to get to the centerpiece of Tokyo: The Imperial Palace and Gardens. The grounds of the Imperial Palace and Gardens are said to be the most expensive land in the world. It is only 1.3 square miles, but at the height of Japanese real estate boom in the late 1980s it was worth the same as the entire state of California. Most of the grounds are off limit to tourists, but there are a few areas you can visit. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177144376414247826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFyKEEVwSY-vXr9zy8Ss4sMTJWCY5JN42NsdhxeqgBTmi3IpBzk_alBQShIeIfothrrlwLEBHEr_axSu1kbyY5CvxCmR537McGVDIxBrkoPb_b8_op8yEFFs_8gFdm8-5zWEFNwaDNMk/s400/DSC_0283.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177144453723659170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1Dqxcm4twBDzN4xEBb2L2jw5UvHiUjIzPImQ75bmyYaK2GzowEMv4s7EY2lfAV55lSwR75HXoHGXSRWQAyWazqR2QFYtJXNaPJEV7pm80cMMxXQgvev2caypyU7bxVe9xGG4VOIQ8IU/s400/DSC_0293.JPG" border="0" />After the Imperial Grounds, we made our way into the most congested region of Tokyo. It's so crowded, that it is home to the busiest intersection in the world. And here I am in the middle of it (the tiny man in red with his arms wide open)!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177145600479927218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLzUB3bj-y8SPoXhOmr2Lv_Nvy1n-iHY0IOJ_p_BluREK_hQnoC-1kpM3EGMyxzBx2bUNP-e_vTRn9LpL463I5kICm4M90P3pVvGIrbaoTQ8D3tdS2wtDJr3JGw04nLOPmPWZz0XtyeE/s400/DSC_0300.JPG" border="0" />The long walk through Tokyo ended when we hopped onto the subway and made our way back to our hostel. Greg, with his sunglasses on, stood out in the Japanese crowd.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177145909717572562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnYZzAwi8sncKy0ulD24rYxk0PREnJH8yTgkxBIxrqaJbkPflBElwRmR7HrHLERzx2pXdyM3yTcA0L-tYyWAvlL9Kl11bfo07Ma_kWhWI0HEtUpAcFV6iVioISc11qTLi8dbbqwLaUn8/s400/DSC_0318.JPG" border="0" />To complete the day, we visited a few different shrines and temples that evening. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday!<br /><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdmLhdixcPGxARE44cyPqDrXU9TqkiOqG00vAmJeG7AjfDMorem9pWELW3zXGcyhbsT3V77wEUSVRHbOw9LWFxKzsaRUb4xCr9dEZiMBg2Mhkm3sFDXovQOcL8oplI9HIldwDOSAhuGQ/s1600-h/DSC_0313.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177145892537703362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYdmLhdixcPGxARE44cyPqDrXU9TqkiOqG00vAmJeG7AjfDMorem9pWELW3zXGcyhbsT3V77wEUSVRHbOw9LWFxKzsaRUb4xCr9dEZiMBg2Mhkm3sFDXovQOcL8oplI9HIldwDOSAhuGQ/s400/DSC_0313.JPG" border="0" /></a></div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-68319600736286275942008-02-28T21:44:00.000-08:002008-03-11T06:48:31.284-07:00AGE: Snow MonkeysToday we went to a snow monkey preserve. We had to take a bus for an hour and then hike 20 minutes into the woods just to get there. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176451469340383938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQSDpq60gYi81_4Slx7XxhTRZpTY84I42zk238GSITFGGGD36DyCLUssdGA-TWQ9NiwUk7xX6vrA5pkR0n6wRiSkE-PTUXorBa33iOrhXP25gA2Cl6EU5Bjg6QjJHFNSdctJyYAcsslk/s400/DSC_0311.JPG" border="0" /> Once we arrived, the effort was well worth it. There were snow monkeys everywhere! The animals congregate in this valley because of its protected location between steep cliffs. The area also has a large food supply, fresh water, and even an onsen!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176451477930318546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg-BsXTyhM2Z-8JI-EmlYzLS2R6SAuCe90fKSvNUV3mnk7Dy1bgzjKolD0nc-ja58rC8gmYi8nU0hyphenhyphenSHeu74JxHMy3Ex5fUU03NFFTGMmrrRI1eizGvJX7Tsqvs1Nf5pb6otnRrZ0PGw/s400/DSC_0313.JPG" border="0" /> The area is a natural habitat for the monkeys and there aren't any fences to keep them contained. A lot of tourists visit them though, so it is obvious that the monkeys have become desensitized to humans. They were completely oblivious to all the people. Greg was able to get right next to them at the onsen to take a picture.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176452104995543778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQ7spfMeoP2Ryw7jqZu9fNrBLaswmP87u6kyZrr6aVY_8eepii0Mz6UmBhgmzHjdDN1DmDVCMYJSD0OOSAwM6q4Ka-OTtG9irIgS0xZOuVZrzOgBvQwhdoKTzC-LVu5ajCkAKcO6cyRg/s400/DSC_0314.JPG" border="0" /> The monkeys were feeling quite photogenic, and I was able to get a couple of pictures of them cleaning each other and hanging out on a fence. I even got one of the babies to come out of the water for a picture!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176452594621815570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pm18pVIbDV0DKHwAO_OpuM_eqGprX5dAPmCyuCFWV_YNgXLEkmwUzTR6vWrjoRNtrc8W_5oD-gmzk84kpNp9l1egyAOt90AM3xy1m076f6lfkndzAMwQKBUIUjY0v_23MDlqJNqISRo/s400/DSC_0320.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176452113585478386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Yy30MhXgyomWzvAkyp3lmFJBP1nC2sM9XLduLY2slSM2y7bHybUmv2mf8XRO3epKUXeRIp3OcYy6wruJOh7jbJaIHzJ3hd-WXqLkn3W565IlDgFerlETQfYPJeo_ZKvP9XuFwa3lDRY/s400/DSC_0323.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176452586031880962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmRhn4AL_d8ZLrVFxkcP8HdtGJLKRpUMeBD5YeAvpdV6i4llHWX6DoekLcNT0Qbth-LLsZDE44b-SmC4O19YJgphrCGuC6UoXBPpdPJWnGLRyKe-biK-XFCczXDNevms6my45GEpG-yk/s400/DSC_0319.JPG" border="0" /> Nick, one of the AGE students, spent his time quietly observing one of the monkeys alone. After a few minutes, he realized that it was digging into the snow for seeds that had fallen from the trees. Nick quickly decided to climb into the snow and join the monkey in its search. When Nick found seeds, he would put them into his hand and gently open his palm towards the monkey. As the monkey reached for the seed, a moment of two conflicting worlds in beautiful harmony prevailed. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176453307586386738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJY7oPpIk-8XU1tIltGXuL683w7E8CrJ4NUAsZCw_xu4OogAXwrsJNVdIxbvaZAx9Fyzzha1XPTc-GMZ670dczCSUdvHDHLZFpQmI8RO7F4sH_uc_B-Jjyi6ulVIcdT6uGbGE2K13A8g/s400/DSC_0332.JPG" border="0" />Not one to miss out on the experience, I quickly climbed into the snow bank with Nick and started digging. After I collected a number of seeds, I found a new friend to share them.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176453298996452130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKf6kkBblBUVPTXSVj7X97W6Y38RTKcsmEkQSMOcN-Y10BMFqK-MM9Ljj2tK97Z3zUYuUXwRd59JDBM32uI3Tixjy8LuF0AtCap0UaHw2k0qwwxSKFgbhOhxJvaNlKMuHcSnytCkIVdA/s400/KomanMonkey.jpg" border="0" /> <p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176470856822758226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmL1nAPVusgUsJOuQYOTLHCBTB25ab8TqdRIAUl1u2qWahrZOkOp0t6xpZ4WICeEW-HidmHV2RRN3VwZbOR69_BYFbAZD6crI1Rr84KHZEHiwKAoVF5JFSoRcRjqyGS9uuCN5PBu0B9NI/s400/IMG_1395.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>After visiting the monkeys, the day trip was complete with a stop to the most popular onsen in Japan. Despite its popularity, I was able to have it all to myself during the lull of a Thursday afternoon. One look let's you know why it is Japan's favorite. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKghP2Y3TIZDg1V68RIvAu3ZLwyxdoFss70nIyTuIi8BBfqUL4bd34C1pesi7H5Jxi5MjZUm6LRLgtXSU-bEyIE26ZD-ehG2u5zglE7ruN9QwfXiC0XpriX0x8yq5yPlRrBAwC_OcZpho/s1600-h/DSC_0355.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176453943241546562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKghP2Y3TIZDg1V68RIvAu3ZLwyxdoFss70nIyTuIi8BBfqUL4bd34C1pesi7H5Jxi5MjZUm6LRLgtXSU-bEyIE26ZD-ehG2u5zglE7ruN9QwfXiC0XpriX0x8yq5yPlRrBAwC_OcZpho/s400/DSC_0355.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-22295556165409954952008-02-27T21:29:00.000-08:002008-03-07T06:22:27.142-08:00AGE: Skiing and CalligraphyWe have been skiing about every third day in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Nozawa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Onsen</span>. There is a lot to do in the town, so we have spent more time doing different cultural activities than skiing. Still, here's a picture from yesterday.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE8Y3InWH8cF1Hko6g57mNPkJzh6UIpVXC5ZpyxghhUOTO6wQgCTTYEcP27UrbL5CpS_eCVaUM0OJMKkYdqoWnZL6KOgbmug4joxtpd7x8X2XprLz9mtLDGMuJtMj1SILpxgwKxFc9MY/s1600-h/DSC_0301.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174992417410325090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE8Y3InWH8cF1Hko6g57mNPkJzh6UIpVXC5ZpyxghhUOTO6wQgCTTYEcP27UrbL5CpS_eCVaUM0OJMKkYdqoWnZL6KOgbmug4joxtpd7x8X2XprLz9mtLDGMuJtMj1SILpxgwKxFc9MY/s400/DSC_0301.JPG" border="0" /></a>As one of our cultural activities, today we had a local expert in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">calligraphy</span> come to the lodge to teach us how to write Japanese characters.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174992980051040882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C279W9oe-SRVoYiiZH2_n91tR8UdNQdhSyPi61_6BOTHT92nMJc0Ke0hZfxNVcxbcXgvq5KkA8eHf1_EADMr2cvFS0EMxyLJwd2t-Ymx8Ke7RdIWckdXfCz86TpW7OMPHuuWh6FWG6k/s400/DSC_0302.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174993169029601922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_2fRSb11xvWlpmxdo6a3avvyOOJ_hRhE1BAqGe2cDhcVfc4ju6o2g4ikSkcqq19X548HphMZaHSqjmDZ5o4gyKzSCPbBoKoiIs8VvDZvlIBmRmGrALvm2IJvDOBfqE6EZ1KANOnyYhw/s400/DSC_0303.JPG" border="0" />As if the characters aren't hard enough, it turns out that proper Japanese <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">calligraphy</span> has to be completed in a certain order with just the right pressure and timing. More pressure results in wider marks, while slower movements (which sometimes involves blotting) result in a thicker layer of ink. One example is in the word "dream." "Dream" is two characters. The one on the left is my pathetic attempt and the one on the right was made by our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">calligraphy</span> teacher. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174995260678675122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBrZ3rnUjVyy_LazRxSqAq4jhKXTCSLwZYmxNMUVw2W-sJ38DNCfzadi_oJEZp_00aclcrBzp6WlRzEC4oy8mZZrSsZqG4sDMuNkM3rbMT1mbmxl377ZXgebqF3pd5KP0ytgaaQfWswM/s400/DSC_0307.JPG" border="0" />As you might have noticed, parts of her strokes barely appear. That's not sloppiness; it's perfection. The characters are supposed to be written that way. What seemed difficult at first now seems impossible! Still, we continued to ask her to write a few of our favorite words for us to try to duplicate. Here is "nature." The one on the left is hers, the one on the right is mine.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174995088879983266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaciIWxBykdl-JFUzWsxuLQjLW28LIl8rdlpFFvWG6Cx3tkIe5v2cyFhQe28ZVPGm0XaGydOlLvF3S9EBx7-bwhNPTOb1HQQlJJGiVC_U6MEjGhEokI4eSw5PRVlC778V_fqHn7JMejs/s400/DSC_0305.JPG" border="0" />Finally, I realized the one word I really wanted to learn how to write: spirit. The one on top is hers, the one on the bottom is mine. In Japanese, you pronounce it "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">tama</span>-she." <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174994848361814674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFetBYlHnQ1HJfN0gr-shMQzY2TmImqIr-xArXfG3so-Qpc-c-NytDwMBZHy4ROYmB3FNh6LwdY_laQODD7i60lHSpQVYJPw7UIWKQ_BCTRXMleKnrfSgztBbGleZ6f3wiUTtw1ySf5bc/s400/DSC_0304.JPG" border="0" /> </div></div></div></div></div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-57441226008298686612008-02-25T20:37:00.000-08:002008-03-07T03:20:28.776-08:00AGE: Nozawa Onsen Elementary SchoolToday we had an incredible experience attending a few different classes at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Nozawa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Onsen</span> Elementary School. We went to participate in some of their lessons and to teach the students a little bit about us. It was mostly an excuse to have some fun and play games with the kids. The first class we went to was a sixth grade class. They sang to us a couple of songs and then we played card games with them.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174862676288082866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLso6iYSUpVOnsD5uYp_46cFJ5hQjOVkO2gvAXW6GCd2aJQVqogJEiXFHCJ0WU8m4XWZHvAAQCXoObQfbK_5SCoYUN3ob7NV9oWFlsIl2m6jawDZdvVcauyphbn4TkU_6ABfHRO_o_UQ/s400/DSC_0278.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174862684878017474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsxShcebN-YDYbeoyqB8o3uPOfA0haqUZSamX_5pKgTjLUz-XW6DGgucYx-1XKV0ZzR6AO3pO5ipW_ZsZpa4_xBYxcoiQu7jmOE4HzuOfQ6qtwGqqYE4yCxKyUS2cRge7dxOxy_MlV4E/s400/DSC_0279.JPG" border="0" />I still don't know how the game works, but I'm pretty sure I was in the lead for a while! We also played a game of "rock, paper, scissors" to decide who would draw first. I guess the really important games are known throughout the world!<br /><p>We next went to a science class. The students were doing a fun lab that involved using very cold salt water to make fresh water freeze. Joey worked hard to ensure that his group did the best.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174858866652091250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAfBijz7ej8wqPhf3unBkI98dQK4EfhTwoRDnpmtk8emqa8ftoVZ2zhkqfxs7F2MsJ_7qhlR0Gr7BLuaVsi0YvXdcTZyRixBxsJ8CuC95CnI4MsLPdoDneOxHnPPxuDUKrXyE6MtwDJ4/s400/DSC_0281.JPG" border="0" />If you look closely at the picture, you'll notice that the boy in red is actually wearing a Boston Red <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sox</span> shirt! I was so excited that I started rattling off all the Japanese players who have played for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sox</span>: "Dice-K <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Matsuzaka</span>? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Hideki</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Okajima</span>? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Tomokazi</span> Oh-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ka</span>!" The boy just blankly stared at me with a tinge of horror on his face and then ran away. I guess that while most students wear clothing with English writing, they rarely know what it means. Oh well. Before class ended, Tom challenged one of the students to an arm wrestling match. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174859296148820866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0bSCXOUly-TbmX6wrVMeYdoZn_IPRV4zWaJTGVwzxgqgybU-UcWTOHk8nQ7aoQweUqlrc-irNZWW6QVcJTLFULpF48mziEWJi10v8JOMZdqCIUS1YHU2aNU8uWgz11TLX0LeoGvpFUI/s400/DSC_0284.JPG" border="0" />Tom claims that he let him win. We still sent him to the back of the class for letting things deteriorate so much.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174859558141825938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUswDug3MyaWCpDVewpn1AaQS0WqgU4gqz2HdR0XI-K3mHbg4RvKfN2pJkxfU_ZjMGS5mXBKhk0Qc2uZm1OoWj_zdx6MCtEDxBptIVVvZZhQtpjhkNO47KIFCGLXfy3Bey4oECosjyn4/s400/Picture065.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><br />The last class we attended was physical education. We started the class with a p<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">owerpoint</span> presentation about ourselves.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174857067060794194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgG33_C_dwCtpfamm2nU8vUJe62MYo7aKxkSB_-yeqTkGDopPhG5YJrYZ18TSNzaaftV0QNUMidrZTMgSojT2yaLELgbrePBgxhoCS_uPrrPxFoQmTaxY-UcXhkdDX4gXYTMHYRGvZcE/s400/DSC_0286.JPG" border="0" />And then we taught them a few different games we play in the United States. Here's one of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Japanese</span> students playing Duck-Duck-Goose.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174857054175892290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkh5_CD7AR_McJ7jJiKWb7nhDvsO7JwFrSUXxmVT_KmBxs88hw9qnpVQebZdDp00zRZClQp15Nh4WcfKHjkdx9VKiRmIzBusyXNMOfaSOtiE2OX5I3OL-Sjf76TWC08Dc2L7dY2OZ4e0/s400/DSC_0290.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Even though our time in classes had ended, we saved the best for last. We stayed at the school a little longer so we could eat lunch with the students. We were each seated separately at different tables in the lunch room and served a standard Japanese school lunch. It consisted of fried tofu nuggets, seaweed soup, salad, bread with marmalade, and milk. The most interesting portion of the meal was the salad. It seemed like a pretty normal salad until you noticed that the things that looked like bean sprouts were actually tiny, whole fish. We had read that it is rude to not finish your entire meal, so I had only one option. Over the lips, past the gums, look out stomach, here she comes!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174859648336139170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxJZhQk78iRmRAD0FtIRcQ8MyqYJARWwOf_px8JuDo5qAHRCJ0Q_aiXZpPCnSXhrfb6Y_hgYhfK8UHDckP5kVFaN4BQOwY1gTS5JrNo4hgSE03e5nArhdAv39-Pc3C7MacHCkbUAYIz0/s400/Picture069.jpg" border="0" />During lunch I tried communicating with the students but it was difficult since they know about ten words in English and I know even less in Japanese. It ended up becoming a game of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">charades</span> to try to explain that I liked baseball and basketball (I couldn't think of the motion for sailing). I felt like Kevin Costner in "Dances with Wolves." "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Tatonka</span>! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Tatonka</span>!"</div><div></div><div>As I sat there at lunch taking it all in, I was overwhelmed by the experience. I realized that I would never again be in this situation and that I would enjoy it while I could. As Jack London said, "I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time."</div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-25185391480602546052008-02-23T16:35:00.000-08:002008-03-02T21:27:04.898-08:00AGE: Japanese Ski MuseumNozawa Onsen is known as the birthplace of skiing in Japan, so it hosts a museum about the history of skiing in Japan. We visited the museum this morning. It's actually part of the way up the ski mountain! They had all sorts of memorabilia from different time periods and types of skiing.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173310139876957282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_HWkxQSUqQF3z_AnKW9fVE4mqQNRVhMui8Zu2MhytvFXjJPzeb02gp5OYrFQgFIM1BiXCMv_LTSUomp0PvWIS0Zs4WPneyokTKS1SaE8bfaxld8OzJ9WVt1IBbJOoKNXv8j0V6WX_fM/s400/DSC_0270.JPG" border="0" /> <div><div><div>The coolest exhibit in the museum was the one about the Olympics, which included a feature about the 1998 Nagano Olympics. </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173310367510223986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSji4X7QKiaAD8M2NE_caLkFTFr814mL-z0Xd6RRNF54GMIBsogRwtxt8sh39rEbAdzvGUnz1tpYheH9sR8k2nGCa_BWr8l_4mTIEotpQqQpcwq0R6M2Q9nOZbbtgIfYQpGfAA3BQ3mKk/s400/DSC_0273.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>Here are the Olympic medals from 1998.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173310371805191298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZmypcWf4-vR7ZDHXh6G80CNYdDSuv8yVvU4k9vlMWM9YdVg_CtfDlRYyUDxY-ppXcCadzkbkXECQnzhxT1p1m6v7fSLMhKMPL2H5CcS0-utOZQ9YcUAlB2wcVoU8DBJExzeNtMgDwMls/s400/medals.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Nagano also hosted the paralympic games in 1998, and had a section for that as well. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173309985258134610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhni7RqgepjsQRuC1-cTGqLwrExUmVnmXi-XTRauiAG1PQJcsw2KlgQoBU0iuhiK6cqdzbkDsPDfz3TtfyjUdHaGx0U6v9Krtl3lo9fV9PopvmHacgyMVKGWGiEwtQQ99wjv7hIscchniI/s400/DSC_0268.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-21178288030897062682008-02-22T22:41:00.000-08:002008-03-02T05:22:48.523-08:00AGE: Horse TongueTwo of the students really wanted to eat in town tonight, so I took them out. The boys were looking to get some meat (Japanese food is a lot of noodles and seafood), so we asked one of the employees at the lodge for advice. When we got to the Yakiniku Barbeque restaurant that he suggested, these were the first five items on the menu:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173128454170401842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlp_0V1OEm2awb9hgdfiAw_XGJsdLHet2a-zWr0x0f8hnwNTKc6-77OBAIUZ_a5XA_lqUlV6hANSVeQzls0LFmGIgV2aqAWejLyP3pOWoLxkRP_GtHdmrgXkAamX_XOxGIOu78-5ultk/s400/Picture083.jpg" border="0" /> <p>Yes, that's mutton, entrails, beef, horse tongue, and pig tongue. One of the students went for the beef, while the other one went for the mutton and horse tongue. However, he only got the horse tongue under the stipulation that we all tried it. They brought the raw meat out for us to cook at our table. Here's a picture of a cooked piece of horse tongue with all the raw pieces waiting to be cooked.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173128110573018130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QFe2bwj4Xmhcw98RK5DAi35XGPF4lZq6nKjQvcorqJ_0fGPgG6EkYQ_9qGw28KxUJgT8xGFyeGpLhQc3aKT9L_G1SXjXoyAyHgXr2YhahxSN8knH1SFldHf7zHcvNKPg5Id5JeJZp_Q/s400/IMG_1325.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>And here I am about to try my first piece of horse tongue!</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173128338206284834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMq-_5O5KNB2QdWJWT-cY5Gt_IBLEIaVjE1uSHwXShyphenhyphene3G1ibVQcfsyf1QhLTsbD0unSqGxRcJrrIWIA9ebl8J3uHC9sx871VjnV1ClXhXmdQPQJp5s9p_sadGwakk_Yi_eSg6QZrnqw/s400/IMG_1326.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>I had two pieces. The first was to try it. The second was to go the whole hog.</p>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-27761685402886301222008-02-20T18:18:00.000-08:002008-03-02T05:35:07.903-08:00AGE: Nozawa Onsen<div>We are currently in a town called Nozawa Onsen for two weeks. It is nestled in a dead-end valley that is surrounded by mountains. "Onsen" is the Japanese word for hot spring. The town is called "Nozawa Onsen" because it is an onsen hotspot with 13 of them. To be specific, onsens are public buildings with hot spring water. They are a very sacred part of the Japanese culture. They have separate sides for men and women, and you must rinse yourself off with buckets of water before you enter the hot spring. Once you are in the onsen (for rinsing and the hot spring) you cannot wear any clothing. </div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173126860737534978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejD0RKY2-bj6uljI0n2Ra7ABsT6POynaB0SNI4wI5veQZkutl9hzJGCQwQmUvVEKwhbLUyMZ_QV3fxaHrSxKuEQj2yKMlaFn_owAolDtpe9X1pbHccE2nk0tMG2A91J7ugkhBOacE5vo/s400/Picture078.jpg" border="0" /> <div>While it isn't the most romantic experience when you packed into a small onsen with a bunch of men, there is definitely something beautiful and sacred about it. Some outdoor onsens are even used for boiling food. Here's one that the locals use to cook freshly boiled vegetables and eggs:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172407707118525394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQleKAwsbv2DduHddjxfRxdIV-f2fhtugnDt3Zyt7RhlQFOzREhIup4Lc0yrZvKS7OqpOPGLHLxOYQ8R6QoCHxgA7I1K_ZyziVu7UnQmP0dcdnCzCcLOMajApC1HVw2PB7T-8mER67K4/s400/DSC_0260.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>The onsen water is also used in foot baths that are located around town. Here's Tom and Nick enjoying the experience with a local.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173136421334735938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBc7bwmg9tA_PksrtaVdgwbNDKNwgUO6tklwUvY8mZjiJmWxzFGMlSaJjTHEVgUnFytxd0KCwtI-1Jli9m8spjRha9kKfZPSQFNn3dj4jBXDKw3DynztsCrG4PktQiQQCYCz_RO55j1Lk/s400/Picture064.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Nozawa Onsen seems like the perfect Japanese town. It has a huge ski mountain, a beautiful downtown, and a number of different outdoor activities. It reminds me of Church Street in Burlington a bit. Even though the main street is open to automobiles, it is mostly filled with foot traffic.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgONftfv4kMjA2AY6OAFdUzMHHZrPmBtMmF6fIvxnWhyphenhyphenToNywqn3c9Z38NJJVdoP5_WKmEXk-rypLZKiGRF_SvH_T3iKAfp09lLsLJV4gt79JiV6VtHSIxhxss9EbcYKEhWPAsWZrxig/s1600-h/DSC_0259.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172407689938656194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgONftfv4kMjA2AY6OAFdUzMHHZrPmBtMmF6fIvxnWhyphenhyphenToNywqn3c9Z38NJJVdoP5_WKmEXk-rypLZKiGRF_SvH_T3iKAfp09lLsLJV4gt79JiV6VtHSIxhxss9EbcYKEhWPAsWZrxig/s400/DSC_0259.JPG" border="0" /></a> On the quieter, remote mountain edges of town are some ancient temples. We were unable to go inside, but just looking at the intricate woodcarving on the outside was amazing.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EnONGiY8RfblYOvqyF_yQjE22p6rOKtaB-QynIzl9PViZs1dXmQqNAUz7em1Ma00jWwq2TP5lNYL5tIzdyYfFIt84mM2T2EI2rk3pdQv_S_5jiLTGCqHRpg-SQWmKCrLaAMpw4dFfVY/s1600-h/DSC_0261.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172407724298394594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EnONGiY8RfblYOvqyF_yQjE22p6rOKtaB-QynIzl9PViZs1dXmQqNAUz7em1Ma00jWwq2TP5lNYL5tIzdyYfFIt84mM2T2EI2rk3pdQv_S_5jiLTGCqHRpg-SQWmKCrLaAMpw4dFfVY/s400/DSC_0261.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's a close-up of one of the designs.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxjXG9EpfKXn62710ElP2QBqPTaaDEUCSmq2GdHlQpu4Dizd_3qW0AS3vjd7LhRAUi9on3pP3Rxw3zgEwRazBRpeIlJwtuX5_cSDPtkHZc9VDFMA19GOhleButLQlYF_mC40aEz7fJIs/s1600-h/DSC_0266.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172407737183296498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxjXG9EpfKXn62710ElP2QBqPTaaDEUCSmq2GdHlQpu4Dizd_3qW0AS3vjd7LhRAUi9on3pP3Rxw3zgEwRazBRpeIlJwtuX5_cSDPtkHZc9VDFMA19GOhleButLQlYF_mC40aEz7fJIs/s400/DSC_0266.JPG" border="0" /></a></div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-53310178527886759602008-02-17T12:56:00.000-08:002008-02-29T06:17:04.967-08:00AGE: NaganoI just wanted to put up a couple of pictures from yesterday when we stopped in Nagano for a couple of hours on our way to Nozawa Onsen. Nagano is the name of a prefecture in Japan and it is also the name of the biggest city in the prefecture. The city was the central location of the 1998 winter olympics. <div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172325355415591858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmRleqpZzj3_UbCQUC7P9zzquComVUZIwJfqNQK6Zh1dma5m3rfr6meJWKSDfmlEc-chDIjNl7qlJK5hJ8ONYQgNnQnrVOwwh5zl1YeCAPBnrgg5vsMnB3BwWYsZSG1dpD-yTFa7tVY8g/s400/DSC_0258.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><p>While at the bus terminal, we found this massive area of bicycles. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172325342530689938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsl3oN-GLwu-BVXPFpv74JRPtio6p6tv5wTlBkgz75iBkd_1mKC5-yRIT3rLxBUqMK_56lXvrvnQ6f28a9YN9yrhVrZxsb3sBImlyN3SWHOdzPCAusqTtuz4mIAnMTs-GaYd6zaXs-AU/s400/IMG_1283.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>Since teaching environmental this semester, I've been thinking a lot about the environmental impact of humans, particularly in the United States. Unless you are really observant, you would never notice the little things that the Japanese culture does to save electricity. Yet they use half of the energy (per capita) than the U.S. This picture is probably the most extreme example I've found. Instead of a line-up of car rental agencies, it's an outdoor bike rental agency. Here I am trying out the smallest one I could find:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172325351120624546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EicE9eEY_HCahHiFYWvnjRUD1WLdbBZg24CdNLP2h2WSOUZYTi5zvjNLb5jqKETd62X31u-JyNlsbB7MJcA5Cw0QkbTAqOP-Sht9mNufMvYRVb-d9j_gXhjvTKgqgOKFHydxvf611a4/s400/IMG_1284.JPG" border="0" /></p>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-28335366129677420002008-02-17T11:23:00.000-08:002008-02-23T04:16:36.934-08:00AGE: Otari, Japan<p>After spending the previous week in the English speaking comforts of the Santana B&B, we have just finished up a week immersed in the culture by living in a Japanese-style minshuku in Otari. The minshuku is maintained by an old Japanese couple, Izowa and Hisako, who did not know a word of English. Our rooms had tatami mat floors and cushions we had to lay on the floor in order to sleep at night.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170068241498668386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_WLG-EppUVj8SpAfRqEO9OzriU4tDnNcYq8dlCP5mTUWv2rpYC-sKg6rcxRr2K16J2NRnVPC1ulIoYYwoHx4E5BU_HhAMM_EAYtPh1kacJvDZuogDSsxfBHIlaJ0g_b9137RlypBdjU/s400/DSC_0297.JPG" border="0" />Our meals were served in the traditional Japanese style of sitting on the floor in tatami mat rooms with traditional Japanese meals like cured, salty fish for breakfast and a type of crab dish, served right in the shell, as part of dinner. Even though I was usually craving pizza with a side of fries, I embraced the experience whole-heartedly and tried all of the items that were served at every meal. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170068228613766482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweRVpKFDhU55GE0pAow909Fowj40BePBP1XQXllLWf4xMqGbJmIIYW1nem0APtrwj7MV4qKFeGwX6x1sF0rDZhJI4a2Yz833C7dOIgGlDYN1q1dS3ENglmG8QaE0_-DPCVL2VzlI2gtg/s400/DSC_0299.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p>Our week in Otari was highlighted by new snow and skiing almost every day. Each morning we would wake up to anywhere from a few inches to nearly two feet of snow, and a few times we even managed to make first tracks through the fresh powder. On most days we would have one class right after breakfast and then hit the slopes for almost four hours of skiing. Around 1pm we would head back to the minshuku to conclude our classes, have dinner, and spend the night relaxing and getting work done for the next day. The ski lift was just a one minute walk from the minshuku, so it was easy for us to maximize skiing and class time.<br /><br />One day we took a field trip to visit some students at an extracurricular program that teaches English and U.S. culture. The Japanese students were very excited to meet our students and exchange some words and knowledge from each of our cultures. To thank us for coming, they wrote each of our names in Japanese calligraphy. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170068262973504914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObK0y794aXYgTOt3rUn9oKw9GhmrOBpdSmdZaa5rQlONY6mRhlXnTGse1Eht8hag36GyGxpxfmkv85RO7lsXnKyXHe86-HStxJOri9x6UqI2uQ5jpEwUnWG0Wo4LXpQhiMuplPllgLuw/s400/IMG_1253.JPG" border="0" />The funniest thing about the field trip was a miscommunication we had with the teacher, Fumiko, when she came to pick us up. She didn’t realize that seven of us were planning on visiting the students and Fumika showed up in her 5 passenger Subaru Impreza with her daughter and dog already occupying a couple of spots. Since the class was about to start and we all still wanted to go, we decided that we could squeeze into the Subaru for the short trip. We had two (Greg and Nina) in the front seat, four (myself, two students, and Fumiko’s daughter, Karyn) and a dog (Sophie) in the backseat, and two more students in the hatchback. It was like a clown car. If you look closely, you can see everyone but Greg.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170068258678537602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd6JBz_DbzwsneJReFA-V5FCixmiuSyIw2xrEN5gJwNPTBlnFtyHNdVr7DNqmH8rnFjwrvLKqpZuyOZk35fMTuFX_ggIM46a_6S_RzAENXJ5tZmBvKtcdFZ7UlKsQRPOsjMSJJ2IFWyQ/s400/IMG_1231.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>As the week progressed, the whole group became enamored by our gracious hosts who not only started serving us slightly more American-style meals, but even started to learn English to better communicate with us! It’s embarrassing to admit that by the time the week ended Izowa and Hisako might have learned more English than we had learned Japanese, and they even took the time to teach us about their culture and language. Our cultural experience with them has been the highlight of my trip so far, and I left their minshuku yesterday hoping that they understood how completely grateful we were for their hospitality.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170068245793635698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2Vlnf842GlO60tSP0EVUXjDT8_5f6TTQLoIE-yHwcxAMqbU2I5ErlwBPweL-14xvypOnhEql5zkeU722_blksN-ER4nFXWrJH2g1eBWsM7MmlKugZ4m9ATdtgrmuIr1e-Itwo3FPoN0/s400/DSC_0318.JPG" border="0" /></p>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-80189970353816456142008-02-09T10:30:00.000-08:002008-02-17T05:07:44.670-08:00AGE: Hakuba, JapanWe are just finishing up our first week in Japan in the town of Hakuba at a Bed and Breakfast called “Santana B&B.” The Santana B&B is owned by a native New Zealander and his Japanese wife. The inn gets great light all day and is really warm and sunny.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167796470087056706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGb1dyVbW-oH9rz0H-Ln9BsBsfCQ-y91iU0zhGSW86d9-6HhksLej7nFlKOgPhJB4agInWwnmfR3JeDEnNF9G1vepYFAuCa9fNOodQHciVgl0RzKIl6ADaeS7tvbuxOCwJl7rNvl8vRPk/s400/DSC_0293.JPG" border="0" />While there are many things about Japan that are quite different, we haven’t had much of a culture shock since most of the other people at the lodge are from Australia or New Zealand and speak English.<br /><br />The local mountain, Hakuba Goryu, is a short walk from the lodge. It’s so close that we can ski right down the street back to the inn. The mountains are called the Japanese Alps, and the mountain has plenty of beautiful views.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167790358348594418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_kDLUgaVvlj6fPGO7LjF7_iIpnX4DuSJRujxneLqBRWpiYBcGQ_inKVkP8G79JdVFEMoDLvm1QC3a0wKo6uw6_-s89c4VhcGMEQcUadYSkZeoYb1Tt0M_rOHjWFLeHKF9EYciIgK08c/s400/IMG_1183.JPG" border="0" />The town of Hakuba is in a prefecture called “Nagano.” Nagano is where the Winter Olympics were held in 1998, and Hakuba Goryu held several events. Here I am trying to navigate us around Hakuba. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167795881676537138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53BH6DwCk2ajP-nx6Q3Cd9w-eF44aVNrmPoIl4qXfOcsx1LwLMH5aCy9F_OmTpAsjdPy4VK4eFVzUAmJ3QuzxeZ4wnDVdM6l6bd2tZHea7zX4XOeavETaGQ3mtqK4TSfP8pGTjRxPmC4/s400/Picture260.jpg" border="0" /><br />We went into Hakuba last night and had dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant. Every part of town supplies a beautiful view of the mountains.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167790379823430946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09J_8ANf69d3aPW29FaWrt4w-338db03ZfJVEQSmbHx_iPbenQb-L8LOkQsOJNLc06tF0JKABFFisc3tI75jF2JdGGp-TRzfYwk4l84hQbR7qTGM_9RtTK0CDLcIo_l6kWZLsoR7wkMA/s400/DSC_0287.JPG" border="0" />At the restuarant, we sat on tatami mats and tried to guess which meal would taste the best based on the Japanese symbols on the menu. Tom, on the right, ordered a squid pancake with a side of mutton that he had to cook himself. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167790366938529026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSs6E7RzaF0p73-Mp5C-v1QjzPocWHg1vt4K5FPp1k4RpUSfKFDNOe0HvvKwCwzZyaCxLNSTQQoYCliMjiApjQLPqPICQHj-S6peW_DoZ9cBRa98Z0w3hAjwx0CQ3tOUYblVuoeRqCMY/s400/DSC_0292.JPG" border="0" />I think I got some kind of chicken fried pork. The meal also came with a bunch of little sides. At one point I ate something that I thought was a piece of pear, but ended up being some kind of raw seafood chunk that tasted like foot fungus.<br /><br />We are about to leave for an old fashioned minshuku that we'll be at for the next week in a small village called "Otari." It's only about 30 minutes from Hakuba, but I think the experience will be quite different. Hope everyone is doing well!Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-28468611406675328612008-01-25T21:38:00.000-08:002008-01-25T22:56:20.496-08:00AGE: Skiing and the Elementary SchoolEvery school day at AGE we have fitness. It is usually the very first thing we do when we wake and it can consist of many different activities including running, ultimate frisbee, and yoga. Earlier in the week we found out that we were going to get some snow Wednesday night, so we decided to alter our schedule yesterday to have skiing be our fitness. Classes normally proceed through the morning and into the middle of the afternoon (like most schools), but yesterday we had classes from 8-9:15, then departed to Mount Ashland to ski from 10-2pm. Afterwards we went back to the house to finish the school day. Our last class was from 7-8:15, but the students didn't seem to mind since we got to take the field trip.<br /><br />Today we went to the Bellview elementary school in Ashland and spent an hour with Ms. Laura Rogers' second grade class. We introduced ourselves and told them about our trip to Japan.<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159660011093055714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1hQAzOx7uqg-FDiTKmOJk49ykj2EiyJtcb82m4Y8KGFHPlQyXYjSaLClpa4kkNiVGLZiVOJWgIgDlzmJbOH0i8bq1Gi6ZphfTCzyRgA7EzwVXbkv5LdlEJuD8mKfPPfoA_sEEJ8uWg8/s400/CIMG1148.JPG" border="0" /> The kids are going to write letters to us while we are abroad so that we can write back to them about our experiences. It has been a number of years since I really interacted with students of this age, and I forgot how curious and excited second graders can be. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159659985323251906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdEakFvYuvAHuwnX23q-FbceZjOnAar6F6Ie_yaKvKfFzhORDmv3aleqXLRn4Q5GscTF8FgaK0Dc_Hh8MtOQ8vi1jXUegaGUrkzMVcaxzCxgsr_skSCxm3_BUqMr5tOC2YTBX7xXiafo/s400/CIMG1144.JPG" border="0" /> After we introduced ourselves, we answered questions from the students. Actually, we really listened to them make statements while we asked them questions to try to dull the awkwardness. Here's one exchange:<br /><br />Student: "I have a question for GKO."<br />GKO: "Yes?"<br />Student: "I was born in New England."<br />GKO: "Okayyyy....Do you know what state you were born in?"<br />Student: "New York." </p><p>After questions, our AGE students all broke up into groups and played with the kids. Here's Tom, a senior, playing math games: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159660002503121106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4c62SZkj-fv_nB-fwsxx9iSYAFZ_bbeSNF7y2Y72I-uj6cKYULV53vevogYTJRLyx2LLh9C0ZxY0FdOiwLguJqD11V7Al4qzI30_YB50bu1J7Q6X3CT_aV-j97lnpbMYBqe5EBtv0nM/s400/CIMG1146.JPG" border="0" /></p>The second graders were really excited to have us there, but I think our students may have enjoyed the experience a little more.Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-23878498637196920172008-01-22T09:54:00.000-08:002008-02-16T20:56:42.151-08:00AGE: Orientation Weekend<div align="left">This semester's students arrived on Friday! The semester has begun! The first thing AGE does when a new semester begins is we have an orientation trip. This semester's orientation trip was to a cabin in the mountains. The trail was about 6 miles into the woods, 5.5 of it being uphill. So, with our skis/boards on our backs and our boots on, we trudged into the woods.<br /></div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159486292550834226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7TiwNRH36V8OH2JD8hXxPaKJmcw694ZcoSz2FkjHqf_aPQd9DXxcKZkeN-zs99KDyBizifwFfWssVLWtSwvpa3eHqMm172Xg5gSe-Tb7sYQmEsrjogbfFIIIJx2OnQ80hdwCufE3zXQ/s400/DSC_0315.JPG" border="0" /> In truth, we probably only hiked about a mile or two while taking turns getting pulled by the snowmobile. Still, a mile or two uphill in ski boots and deep snow can be a pretty tough trek, and much of the group was tired by the time we got to the cabin. It took us 3.5 hours. Once we got there, the students made a jump and took turns going off it.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159486314025670754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbV-SXm7ZbRrnzykWwvW-Khcop9HZ0MurQI_f6upABawwYu8rZ7x0si3Q6EQgQbWsGArTocxrsFRYUUF_FaDqW10M-KGaTF22imnL0zmRWJ0J971Di77yysK1zq21b5rz2iCBGGCO_TYg/s400/DSC_0323.JPG" border="0" /> The cabin is just four plywood walls with a wood stove in the middle of the room. It has a picnic table and bunkbed-like platforms for visitors to sleep on. There was an outhouse with no door about 200 feet from the cabin.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159487280393312418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4elLC5vn1GKvVvdnjDyQnmyMZG43lRBtoQvBusXrYuRLcFw7f6Iu2sdlg47ZKCnfv5FMmxmZIdv3-Z_OvJEKyySUkvfVERriDyxj4VJGsOZphToj6PqRvltrhgItAxUHuBH54g69Xlhg/s400/DSC_0331.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159487267508410498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkm1pkDxkShHdcLDOMg7TRh3QRy0AVjuM2IrhbPCX0vaFf65BJdgpjE80bczSE6mDdRNgBXGJnmVi8AF8XP7ueRWqKLDEq-oNtqZqZbaUhXgRzYcHrcU9MCFFzKKeLeQUF0SVsr7-zXQQ/s400/DSC_0330.JPG" border="0" /> After the sun set, we huddled around the stove, had dinner, went over the student handbook, and then went to bed. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159486309730703442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWbdg1pWGXI9MrPIzALPdw_W74AD0gKu7h8YRAhOi8ag-jIfTWUaUPabxexf49LDtmH0YIZyjoBBaAvSy5p5LGOIbqusjpFKMcyVtPXsOREp1RSHU97es3bNMeiuwGTj0qn7iYQtW4jw/s400/DSC_0318.JPG" border="0" />During the night the cabin got a little below freezing. The next morning we woke up to a snow storm. This didn't change the fact that we were leaving, so we had oatmeal, packed up, and headed out. After a short climb/snow mobile tow, we were rewarded with 5.5 miles of gentle downhill skiing as the snow quietly fell on the landscape. I can still hear its light rustling sound. For the most part we were each skiing separately, alone with the mountains. As I skied and took breaks to enjoy my surroundings, I could hear James Taylor's <em>Secret O' Life</em> playing in my head. Those 5.5 miles were among the most peaceful moments of my life. </p><p align="center"><em>The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time<br />Any fool can do it<br />There ain't nothing to it</em><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159487271803377810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBqp2aY1ixOgPhR1DLeudzT3g35V-uJ_MmewfxdShiEUoNVx8KOeMf-TOh4UMXM8ikCnBFbIuDUC1kMR25vemtQflVGxkm82eDiahY5PynF9V5unoPEso1XaKWzHkjvZ0VPAx7h5c3YU/s400/DSC_0334.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="center"><em>Nobody knows how we got to</em></div><div align="center"><em>The top of the hill</em></div><div align="center"><em>But since we're on our way down</em></div><div align="center"><em>We might as well enjoy the ride</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159487288983247026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0MQcNGgTRGnQzYiBYaAlD5D_K7Rjvoh7rFmAz2fwh0HOpP12vHlIwkH_d0P-1OEBqZkXwY1GtyJo_qtG9k_ohljTYLJ5TAieTlTI4WZHgRijCC15fjLWOVcKBPPxQ4cvIkKjDgijhKY/s400/DSC_0335.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="center"><em>Isn't it a lovely ride</em></div><div align="center"><em>Sliding down</em><br /></div><div align="center"><em>Gliding down</em><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159486318320638066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSpROv1bI9g4IF8CTInB5QdlbCZt59Da8ZLWVz_mjQ4fiFj7cBQedhGWZqLGhsH3xrNo0Iwe9BrcNvrdkGcEpMCKrLm7X6wvRdLZwu8k-JIB33JnbWuIBHsKLLyoHHL2_j2A-oAwC5yg/s400/DSC_0326.JPG" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><em>Try not to try too hard</em><br /></div><div align="center"><em>It's just a lovely ride</em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"></div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-65875634524608605332008-01-17T20:20:00.000-08:002008-01-17T21:31:31.346-08:00AGE: The first few daysI've been in Ashland, Oregon for a few days now and it is unbelievably beautiful! The AGE house is on 81 acres at the top of a hill with a 360 degree panaramic view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Here's a picture I took from my window yesterday morning:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaMAqGq7JQpNyk1QkxYaGT9R9BQtY8x6r4S8YDVQCwEWTzeMcIGKMtYu3U679a5z5IfnsTVxC3qa_qQyfO4zmaMeKveXy3n8zgUNtKy0Kfu-j69NNXmlrzb0HD2g8QXFjFDh4bRuolLo/s1600-h/DSC_0313.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156672132630429202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaMAqGq7JQpNyk1QkxYaGT9R9BQtY8x6r4S8YDVQCwEWTzeMcIGKMtYu3U679a5z5IfnsTVxC3qa_qQyfO4zmaMeKveXy3n8zgUNtKy0Kfu-j69NNXmlrzb0HD2g8QXFjFDh4bRuolLo/s400/DSC_0313.JPG" border="0" /></a> And another one in a different direction in the evening:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPebxELia_X1EZeAHsX4CIp9B_jQzYoMkX01dA8YjggFcKKUETNbJKrwWUNuVQe5mpQaYshhYcG9qJIOIdfwe451g9-mGkXDrd-0RYLM7nzCNSYQQaSI6G8tEE0VCy8B0okbwow6zKD4s/s1600-h/DSC_0319.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156672145515331122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPebxELia_X1EZeAHsX4CIp9B_jQzYoMkX01dA8YjggFcKKUETNbJKrwWUNuVQe5mpQaYshhYcG9qJIOIdfwe451g9-mGkXDrd-0RYLM7nzCNSYQQaSI6G8tEE0VCy8B0okbwow6zKD4s/s400/DSC_0319.JPG" border="0" /></a> The town of Ashland has a population of 20,000 people and is just a few miles from the campus (it's in the clouds in the first picture). Ashland is a really vibrant, outdoor-oriented town that reminds me of a small Burlington. Like Burlington, magazines regularly proclaim it one of the best outdoor adventure towns in the nation. The difference, though, is that the mountains get more snow while the town rarely gets below freezing. It's been 50 degrees all week and feeling more like April than January! Ashland is also home to Southern Oregon University and a world famous Shakespeare festival (which we take the students to in the spring).<br />The courses I'll be teaching this spring are modern American literature, website design, physics, and enviromental science. I'm really excited to teach these courses because it's nice to have some diversity in my curriculum. I basically make the courses from scratch so I get to pick my own texts. This spring we'll be reading many of my favorite books including Walden, Civil Disobedience, Cathedral, and The Solace of Open Spaces.<br />Since the head of schools is also named "Greg," we've quickly had to make up a nickname for me. I told them all the nicknames I've had, the most frequent one just being "Koman," but they admitted that they've already been referring to me as "GKo" ever since seeing this picture on my website:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156672145515331138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OsL-czsjLtchr9UPt5q1aDCxuFUypGa2Efb5boIcwLd9e1XFrTCNeOCjZh3mSJXGaMsHN8hPXuhetULOWZOYL8yw48Y6f_vrT8rQEu4DghBIvDCjS_njnHewMGUwjvPzXethlk9lrQo/s400/Red3GKOs.jpg" border="0" />Lise and Callie, two red geometry students from last year, decided to mock the way I dressed by wearing khaki pants, coral necklaces, and golf shirts with fish on them. Since they always called me "GKO," I made the caption for the picture on my website "The three GKO's." It looks like the nickname will live on because it's definitely sticking with the staff.<br />The students arrive tomorrow, so I'm frantically trying to get the rest of my materials together before classes start on Monday. This weekend we are hiking into the moutains to ski the slopes of Mount Ashland. We'll spend Saturday night in a cabin and then hike back out on Sunday. We have a snowmobile to carry all the gear, so it should be an easy hike.<br />Finally, AGE has two mottos. One is "the world is our classroom" and the other is "what did you learn at school today?" I particularly like the latter motto because it suggests why AGE's education might be superior to traditional education. In most classrooms you learn by being told. Here you learn from experience. Most educations tell you the facts about the Sistine Chapel. Maybe they show you a picture or two. AGE takes you to the Sistine Chapel.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156672136925396514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmktU3b86zh2Wa4P4JAW0w3MqwjSgeZAS1WNyA91a3Ahk9EO1oSz0CFGXXERWeAfJ7bItjk1c3eEUf1nIoLpbvVZKJzKbnnIYcRQgVYMD8x-VOb_DIkO1rh82K3pgzUeClmldGIb42-fY/s400/DSC_0316.JPG" border="0" />Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-80534601188992001662008-01-09T18:55:00.000-08:002008-01-27T14:10:47.066-08:00AGE: Totally New Plan!I've completely changed my plans since leaving my teaching job at Dover-Sherborn, but that was kind of the idea. I didn't leave Dover-Sherborn because I wanted to get a master's degree; I left because I wanted to try new things. This fall I tried graduate school, but it just wasn't doing it for me. So now I'm taking a job with the Academy for Global Exploration (www.agexplore.org). I will be teaching English, physics, and environmental science while traveling to different parts of the world. American students who are enrolled in normal public and private high schools come to AGE for a semester or a year and continue their studies while traveling the world. The program always spends about two months outside of the country. I fly out to Oregon on Monday to start the Spring semester. This semester will have us in Oregon for 2 weeks, skiing in Japan for 6 weeks, a 2 week vacation, then rock-climbing in the American southwest (California, Nevada, Arizona) for 5 weeks before we finish back up in Oregon for the last 2 or 3 weeks. My last day is May 25th. If everything goes well, I will stay on for next year. Stay tuned for updates, but as of right now, this fall is surfing in Central America or rock climbing in Peru! Check out my bio at http://www.agexplore.org/content.php?id=10, and keep an eye on www.gregkoman.com and this blog as I'll be updating it regularly during the semester. I also hope to help the program with their website and recruiting, so spread the word!! Whole hog!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159293654677674018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuyzmtUP7NuIiJoscebN7ZIOijqgG0FwkXgKjO7StL7SsmK9wYLQ0fIRxW2O-rxQ6qF_mvua8UUf7NvRGp0pdcp0MD_wOupIj4Q5ynD1XCq9oJcBzVUyvUAoJTLL9aH4rfjCsu5FFqLk/s400/AGE+image.jpg" border="0" />Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-20791266285378850792007-07-16T13:52:00.000-07:002009-05-10T14:58:15.055-07:00Sail Caribbean: Chili Cookoff Wedding and a Homemade SpinnakerI hope everyone is doing well. Things are great in the caribbean. My first group/program ended this past Thursday (the 12th) and they were one of the best boats I've ever had. Traditionally, most boats do something that Sail Caribbean calls "storming" which is when the kids start bickering about things because they're tired of being cramped on a 50' foot boat with the same people for every hour of every day. Occationally some boats/kids click so well that they never storm and that's what happened with my boat this time around. As one of the kids put it, "we don't storm, we rainbow." Kind of cheesy, but true. Here are two new stories:<br /><br />Every program we do something called the "Chili Cookoff." It's a presentation where we make the best chili we can and find some creative skit to present it. The program director and fleet captain (the two highest ranking people on the program) dress up and go to each boat to judge the chili and the presentation. It's probably my favorite thing that we do at Sail Caribbean and I always get my boat really excited for it. We've come up with some great ones in the past like an Indiana Jones themed Chili Cookoff where Indiana fights some evil-doers to eventually capture the sacred bowl of chili, and a redneck-themed cookoff with trash (tires, kitchen sinks, etc.) and a hoe-down. We were determined to do one that was just as good, if not better, and we decided to do a wedding where I married my home-mate, Margaret. To start, we had a ceremony with a flower girl, bride's maids, best man, maid-of-honor, and a preacher. We said our vows (mostly centered around our love for chili) and then had a reception. At the reception, the maid-of-honor and best man spoke (mostly about our love for chili), we had our first dance, a toast (with bowls of chili), and Margaret and I smeared chili in each other's faces. Finally, it was time to depart and we drove off in our dinghy with nalgene bottles trailing behind and a sign that said "just moored." It was probably the most involved chili cookoff I've ever done, but it was worth it because we won! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160287793577810162" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaJbIo9VWYPL9jkQqaZ-u6-a8ZoXyH7DJSAEd3hM4S9U6sEWoFXs1CBmEJmmdz9NSyEMVTxitNzF5r50gzal9sIoSA3HXXu1SU1kRjGBeKv9HRvcPkXXu_lrOrJsgtRUJtY8y7Hd7nro/s400/chilicookoffwedding.jpg" border="0" /><br />The second story happened on race day. Most programs have a race day that the staff can be pretty competitive about. The deal with race day is that mild cheating is allowed if you are creative enough. For example, we normally have to drag our dinghy in the water as we sail from one destination to another, but it creates a lot of drag. A good, competitive captain will find a way to get the dinghy out of the water before the race begins. In my case, we hoisted the dinghy out of the water using our spare halyard and tied it onto the foredeck of the boat. This time around, I wanted to do something more though, and I've always had a dream of making a spinnaker (a big, usually colorful, ballooning sail that you can hoist when you're traveling with the wind). So we decided to put the dream into action. A bunch of the kids on my boat spent a couple of hours in the morning before the race stitching together four large bed sheets with thick thread to make our spinnaker. We also decided that we needed to write a large message in duct tape to display to the other boats that would represent our boat. On the first night of the program we talk about some of the big rules of Sail Caribbean (no alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc.) and we tell the kids that if they are ordering a drink at a bar to be sure to emphasize that it must be virgin, and I somewhat jokingly told my boat that you had to say the word "virgin" at least 3 times to get the point across. It quickly became a joke on our boat that whenever someone would swear or say something inappropriate, we would yell "VIRGIN!" at him/her. Sticking with this theme, my kids decided to write "VIRGIN!!!" on the spinnaker for the other boats to see.<br />When the race begins and we are immediately off the starting line with a good lead, but the other boats slowly catch up and one gets ahead of us while we are neck-and-neck with the second one. As we round an island and start heading with the wind, the kids call for us to "unleash the virgin!" and my mate of the day, Jenny, and I hoist our spinnaker (which I called "the whomper," for those of you who have seen the movie "Wind"). Even though it didn't help our speed much, we got it flying and it was all about the presentation. It was glorious. After a few minutes, though, the spinnaker began to rip under the pressure of the wind, but we were still able to keep it flying through the finish, giving us enough of a boost to edge out the other boat for second. I was so caught in the moment, that I forgot to take pictures while the spinnaker was whole, but I have some of it flying ripped. It was awesome. It was so exciting that we almost forgot that we were racing. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160287802167744770" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWaKb8Jidjs7ahgr2esz9cOBhdhLleoMbfRt0g5RlimK2xpO7S2QLudPafsUzyechMz0PIUnI1wa_YwV0aJTEeWwg1h7XKecmLlQoC-dD9Q11tEWo0DYoTSbS_ZIkD3-8bRYy1XMRF1o/s400/DSC_0260.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160287810757679378" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcbQtUQGhsMd2p_iavdXJKNuAmJrotIj8eoP9nSK2doKqu_TWo_BmMrZInpjrtP1KErNV0gMJjm7rip1pVl2YEsAv5fcwrSC2Iv7OAd664aMRO2_MIBWtuKMmWvXRnT48ZFIaS0NoqVg/s400/DSC_0261.JPG" border="0" />That's all for now. I hope everything is going well and I hope you're having a great summer!<br />KOMANKomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-40047141694007093222007-06-28T16:56:00.000-07:002008-01-27T15:30:32.421-08:00Sail Caribbean: Night Sail and Jet Exhaust<span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >This year with Sail Caribbean, I have been put on the Delta Program, which is the most adventurous/diverse program on Sail Caribbean. We travel to a number of the Leeward Islands including St. Barts, Saba, and Nevis. Right now we a</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >re a few days into the the first program and have been traveling around St. Martin. There are 27 kids on Delta for program 1, and my 50' boat (named "Aigue Marine") has 7 girls a</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >nd 2 boys. I have the oldest </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >group of students, meaning that they are either 16 or 17 and are either going to be juniors or seniors in high school or freshmen in college. They are a real</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >ly re</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >ally great group, so I'm very excited to have them on Aigue Marine for 17 days! I also have a really awesome mate named Margaret. The kids on the program call us Mom and Dad.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160302602625046834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjj08hjrdNyYqvRULjoTBu8mZ261Q8HtRF9d1AFwdaTlnuFxDhsDjjKQk-oeZwyp89oA7gClgJHceLKKKcewDW_EzCHKM3R5bpHtdKn6CtNkjeTLpe_ynWD97ufQurwcPvUSBv3v_hcao/s400/margaretandme.jpg" border="0" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4TPlNF34o6GBNIdOzGNBcNugfXx-3L5EmrkeKlJi9b0u98xqInUFJ4xzzIt1-TqOelpbzK0cbY0KLd8dKwcxVEjefkuBKWn6UhFMcZayjgbdwTL1QTqScskS3ikA-JnCKqICBEVN3Cw/s1600-h/Aigue.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153980150208511442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4TPlNF34o6GBNIdOzGNBcNugfXx-3L5EmrkeKlJi9b0u98xqInUFJ4xzzIt1-TqOelpbzK0cbY0KLd8dKwcxVEjefkuBKWn6UhFMcZayjgbdwTL1QTqScskS3ikA-JnCKqICBEVN3Cw/s400/Aigue.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >To get to St. Martin, we had to do an 18 hour sail through the night from the Virgin Islands. It was pretty cool except that I got sea sick for the first time in more than 6 years. The seas are much bigger in the leeward islands than they are in the virgin islands. It was the first time in years that I was able to head out on the ocean and lose all sight of land. The Delta program that I'm on actually does about a 12 hou</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >r night sail with the students. They are really excited for it.<br /><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >One quick story:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >While at a restaurant on St. Martin that's right by the airport, we noti</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >ced these signs that said "DANGER: Extreme Engine Exhast Winds from Jet Engines" with a drawing of a guy getting blown over by a plane's exhaust. A few minutes later, when a plane was about to take off, a bunch of people lined up along a fence to see if they could stand the strength of the exhaust. When the plane took off the people held on for dear life and a few ended up tumbling over and down a hill by the beach. The exh</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >aust was that intense. You know where this is going....the next 747 to take off had me and 3 other sail caribbean employees lined up along the fence. It was really intense, little stones sma</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >cked all over your body, and I still smell like exhaust, but when the plane took off and we were still among</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" > the group to hang on, we all celebrated as if we had joined some elite club. It was awesome. I had a tourist take some pictures of it:</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJ2Wwld3udUB1ewmZ73iKxbWmBII3KYv7h_CIVnwGXGMT6CRl_CpdJsiMxZABdsvbSWcpvh-IakGyBgGQiExJbf8gufrLy_uMy2-eSawLS0DhL1jcUfNOHREzUvd8ua8H_TC4ci2yNLw/s1600-h/DSC_0028.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153980154503478754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJ2Wwld3udUB1ewmZ73iKxbWmBII3KYv7h_CIVnwGXGMT6CRl_CpdJsiMxZABdsvbSWcpvh-IakGyBgGQiExJbf8gufrLy_uMy2-eSawLS0DhL1jcUfNOHREzUvd8ua8H_TC4ci2yNLw/s400/DSC_0028.JPG" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApSLWMrcbjVXTksJWCHiH-xTsDo6waeh21K39K6kx6540H-f7NGVwGTkvdSD6bkMFW5qpsPyMgyvaoTD1ypliWqSf4aYJpUXI8RmB11a3Bu1a-EiNyJLM0eX3WYtYkRFwCvFuC65dGL4/s1600-h/DSC_0034.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153980163093413362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApSLWMrcbjVXTksJWCHiH-xTsDo6waeh21K39K6kx6540H-f7NGVwGTkvdSD6bkMFW5qpsPyMgyvaoTD1ypliWqSf4aYJpUXI8RmB11a3Bu1a-EiNyJLM0eX3WYtYkRFwCvFuC65dGL4/s400/DSC_0034.JPG" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVuSjP6UCoWbXtm-nTcG7eaBxvlZUk-JDaA0BSu4kKckqoJv6mGaXxZlz9pxtYqCd7ejGkozyYBVkxkN__KwtoBq52yQrXonR5-4KbOfZljpl9KnivWmlcjFwT8jr_W3KKQxPJdJ5Dwo/s1600-h/DSC_0037.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153980167388380674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVuSjP6UCoWbXtm-nTcG7eaBxvlZUk-JDaA0BSu4kKckqoJv6mGaXxZlz9pxtYqCd7ejGkozyYBVkxkN__KwtoBq52yQrXonR5-4KbOfZljpl9KnivWmlcjFwT8jr_W3KKQxPJdJ5Dwo/s400/DSC_0037.JPG" border="0" /></a></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >That's all for now! Stay well!<br />KOMAN </span>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-64403295210745624322006-08-04T14:43:00.000-07:002008-01-27T15:55:00.376-08:00Sail Caribbean: Chris and Chili<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></td></tr><tr><td width="10"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img height="1" alt="" src="http://doversherborn.org/Icons/0" width="10" border="0" /></span></td><td><span style="font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;color:#dd0000;">Well, we survived Tropical Storm Chris. We couldn't get dock space anywhere and were stuck on mooring balls, which worried a number of us, but Chris just barely missed us. It's center got as close as about 40 miles away, and we got some gusts and a lot of rain, but it just sneaked around the BVIs without really hitting them. It looks like the storm is dying now, but it was almost upgraded to a hurricane when it was next to us. We were lucky.<br /><br />Even then, Chris gave us two days of boredom at the Bitter End Yacht Club. It was too close to risk moving, so we had to stay. It was wonderful for the staff because we got to catch up on sleep. The day before we had sailed about 50 miles and got up at 3:30am for a night / early morning sail. I took my group on Pine out to the open ocean until we lost sight of the mountains of the BVIs. Doing that gives such a great sense of freedom. The last time I was able to experience that was when I did my SEA semester.<br /><br />We had the chili cookoff for this program about 2 weeks ago, and although they aren't going to announce it until the end of the program, there's a good chance Pine was able to pull it out again. We ended up winning last program with our "redneck trailer park" theme and this time we did an Indiana Jones theme. The presentation started when the staff judges pulled up in their rib. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160307193945086322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEluQGziqsA5eQOBz-pGwfnaCGOx_QzrplKLqUTbTY8GCuwumU8gFecybOtKcloGRl3ifb2f-RuW6hX0oAj7Q5PGpVCTZhOXaubsc9jbwnXfYHeBmE7717T4OdTRdqEsxPla9Y6voOckw/s400/DSC_0123.JPG" border="0" />Indy immediately greeted them and took them on a trek around the boat. First they went through the jungle (from palm branches I chopped off on shore) where Indy was attacked by a couple of evil scuba men. Indy used his rope off the side of the boat (held up by a raised boom off the side of the boat) to avoid one and swing back in and kick over the other one. He them preceded to punch both of them off the boat into the water. Continuing around the boat, he freed a couple of damsels in destress who were tied to the mast. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160304337791834434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOeE3UaJo6vBRJgS3vFrHrNM-USZM0Bm4h1q-Y-kasKGNadayyrqJONH7-JEe0bRPijIyQA7mnBzDMyVspFn41cfRwFGks-UNrZEAgTVufw7Z07tAUMOnyd3-65nos70RvBtaKpaBpZU/s400/DSC_0120.JPG" border="0" />Immediately after that, another group of crazy invaders attacked from the open ocean in a dinghy but were again beaten by Indy. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160304346381769042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4e0jy0ESPPEJw4eyfcUITBjwygyuTXxmgu8jR0-PiXdWlQU5sf7QgH4kPpy-cxysINo3IpZAEBH68mWgEu84uxZLFHfXjqps4dBR4Ih-3dAcuS96wXz0gopYG3K2sWg5oq3yCw2p7vc/s400/DSC_0121.JPG" border="0" />Finally, Indy made a mad dash down the companionway (stairs) and just managed to avoid a giant boulder that chased after him (a big trash bag full of towels..Think opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark). Once below, he worked through the cobwebs (toilet paper) to his treasured bowl of exotic chili under a single light! He made a fast switch, replacing the chili with just the correct weight of water in his nalgene (again, opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark), to make a mad dash back up the companionway to his escape vessel (our kayak). As he departed, the boat sang the Indiana Jones song. It was sweet. We'll find out in a few days, but hopefully Pine will make a chili cookoff sweep!<br /><br />That's all for now! Coming home in 5 days, then it's on to Hawaii!<br /><br />Hungry Hungry Huey</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-51152021817039665682006-08-02T09:32:00.000-07:002009-05-10T15:04:15.155-07:00Sail Caribbean: Hungry Hungry Huey<span style="color: rgb(221, 0, 0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >My boat, Pine, is hanging out waiting for tropical storm / soon-to-be-hurricane Chris to pass by. It looks like the center will just miss us 60 miles to the north, but we'll still get a bunch of rain/wind. We're hunkered down on a mooring ball at the Bitter End Yacht Club. It's currently sustaining 60 knot winds with gusts to 75. Could be fun!<br /><br />So, I mentioned in my last email that I got my open water certification for scuba diving, but I failed to give the complete story. One of the things you have to do to get your certification is pass a multiple choice test. So I took the test and my buddy, the diver coordinator Sam, was correcting it and looking it over with me. We got to one question where there was a picture of a guy underwater with his hand going towards his mouth and the question asked "Does this motion mean: A) Are you hungry? B) I need to buddy breathe C) Let's talk or D) None of the above." Basically, it was the easiest question on the exam, and I swear I knew that it means buddy breathing, but somehow I bubbled in "A) Are you hungry?" Want to know the best part? I failed the exam by one question. Quickly word got out to the staff, and my old handle (or VHF call name) of Huey as now been updated to "hungry hungry huey." <br /><br />By the way, I took the make up exam for my certification and passed, WOOO HOOO!!<br /><br />Adios,<br />Hungry Hungry Huey</span>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-38876954562529774552006-07-07T16:06:00.000-07:002008-01-27T16:23:57.238-08:00Sail Caribbean: First weeks on the Charlie Program<span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >I'm emailing from Soper's Hole on the West End of Tortola. Soper's Hole is the place Blackbeard once made his home. Nothing too exciting has happened so far this year, but here's the general overview:<br /><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >I'm working on the Charlie program this year which is the Sail Caribbean program that emphasizes scuba diving. On more than half the days, the kids on my boat will leave for about 3 hours to go scuba diving. This is pretty cool because it allots me a few hours a day of free time, which is something I never had on Bravo. The program is a little bit smaller than Bravo, but is still pretty sizable with 6 student boats and one staff boat.<br /><br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(221,0,0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >Almost all the boats that we used last year got shipped to Greece by Sunsail, but a couple remain including my boat Pine! Even more uniquely, Pine happened to be assigned to the Charlie program, so I'm psyched to captain my old boat again. I'm the only captain this happened to work out for. My mate is a girl named Allison and so far things have been working out great, although there is the potential for things to go sour since she's from New York and a Yankees fan... <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160315848304187794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizm-GQziqVeTyNQK2rfsxovhprnCF2La7Xu-z10gcKe9ye780_sCc6-yUOGkPwSRB8FSGS3vevHdpTjZHaBSQAD3o8LxvetkSu2GOVk6rgEMo78EHaM_IOkhfSXjDcfCy0H2ytkf1igjM/s400/allisonandme.jpg" border="0" />We are about 2 weeks into this session with a week to go, and I have a really good boat. I have 6 boys and 5 girls (almost all the other boats only have 3 girls...the scuba program is the only one that has more boys than girls).<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153978780113944002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYsvBg2KFzngBGiRC5TFrcS99YwHZTG6Ohi_SIRU1PKrAio3nKmHyJ0yY4ftxK3YbImqEi6cTt4EoMaTAcQauQH3DZimb0Mun2ca6SGuh-tWrT-P7itGdXTdm2qEBZa7GPOmLxTUxJUw/s400/DSC_0053.JPG" border="0" />So things are going well. The staff on Charlie is really awesome. Many of them are dive masters and I think (if I'm still on Charlie next session) I'll start getting some dive certifications.<br /><br />That's all for now! Hope all is well!<br />Greg (Huey)</span>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-52470507832884958642005-08-15T08:55:00.000-07:002009-05-10T15:13:28.119-07:00Sail Caribbean: Mohawks<span style="color: rgb(221, 0, 0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" > The day after our Chili Cookoff, Pine won another race (now there are only 5 boats), and we might get one more in a few days at olympics. Olympics will be the last competition, so Pine will try to complete the full sweep!<br /><br />I guess the only other thing to mention is that the day the kids left from program 2, Alex (another captain), Paul (The fleet captain), and I got mohawks for the heck of it. We only kept them a few days because we took them off before session 3 began, but I had a mean mohawk. Now my hair is all trimmed to about a quarter inch.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hs.doversherborn.org/hs/koman/Sail%20Caribbean/SC%2005/Mohawk.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://hs.doversherborn.org/hs/koman/Sail%20Caribbean/SC%2005/Mohawk.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hs.doversherborn.org/hs/koman/Sail%20Caribbean/SC%2005/Mohawk2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://hs.doversherborn.org/hs/koman/Sail%20Caribbean/SC%2005/Mohawk2.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hs.doversherborn.org/hs/koman/Sail%20Caribbean/SC%2005/alex%20mohawk_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://hs.doversherborn.org/hs/koman/Sail%20Caribbean/SC%2005/alex%20mohawk_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style="color: rgb(221, 0, 0);font-family:Comic Sans MS;font-size:100%;" >That's about it! See you all soon.<br />KOMAN</span>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-90476692679787931322005-08-12T19:45:00.000-07:002022-01-23T09:38:06.004-08:00Sail Caribbean: Tarzan and Jane<div>I mentioned the Olympics that Pine won in the last email, but I forgot to mention the best part! Going into the last event, we were in the lead but we had several boats close behind. The last event of olymipics was the dress up the captain and mate as a famous pair or duo for our late afternoon staff meeting. So, sporting a thong with leaves taped on it, I made my debut as Tarzan, and Rob, with the same outfit but also a leaf bikini top, was my Jane. We even rigged up a tarzan like vine swing off of the boom and made the program director and fleet captain come and pick us up so I could swing into their boat and then go back to carry Jane into the boat too. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160325022354332066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTS-8aHYzJB4gqzQqewF4jpQ5S4DNHo056dBqQ1xDdiVeTlaO7faTx2Eso9lh8gEB1foTokhCGpV3X8ruVJP3SUcewxITEb6Pp7VVgwmd1n35JyYPo0Iiw2uIv6BeQdQw8TZ1Y-keZo0/s400/Tarzan+and+Jane.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" />The Piners on the boat made great costumes, decorated the vine with leaves, and played jungle drums as the whole presentation went on. That clinched the olympic victory!</div><div>That's all for now. Hope all is well!<br />Huey</div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549545059292458201.post-16228510418862084462005-07-30T13:27:00.000-07:002008-01-27T17:28:06.582-08:00Sail Caribbean: Program 2, Chili Leprechauns, and Free DivingHi All!<br />It’s been a while, so here’s an update:<br /><div> </div><div>Last session I was a mate and a medical officer, and now this session I’m a captain on a 50’ Beneteau called "Pine." <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160330867804822018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-THYeqR1FT9mqJyuLtSP72yyJkGXq3gw-2-O_GPq-0O4BaBw9M0wsyGyL_ShLNWsSd0uSICJcoxjbxTcykBMHWtfVoVFQixvMrpRU_eIYCp9ttAVPPyTDKYaxuxErsSo2XM6SNwJ1e0/s400/pine3.JPG" border="0" />I have a great mate who works for Sail Caribbean year round and is a former captain, Rob Hadadorn. He has to travel to all the programs (I’m on the biggest program, Bravo), so he left a few days ago and he’s basically gone for the last week of this session which means that I have the boat to myself in the evenings (myself and 11 students that is). The boat itself has been giving me some problems with water pressure/loss, the engine not going into gear, and the fridge/freezer not working, but things are pretty good at the moment. I’ve actually learned so much while fixing the problems, that it's not so bad. I know these boats really well now inside and out. </div><br /><div>I have the oldest students of the seven boats this session. They range from going into junior year of high school to going into sophomore year of college. I have 7 girls (one from Ireland) and 4 boys (two from Ireland), which is par for all the boats. For some reason Bravo always brings in many more girls than guys. The two boys who aren’t from Ireland are brothers from Pittsburgh and they are cousins with one of the boys from Ireland. So all the boys knew each other ahead of time. The kids on my boat are really awesome. They really want to learn, are considerate, and work hard. It’s a really great boat. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160330850624952770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gtYN3_kEqAQm9Bd_OhgV1kYdw3m4dxhby5Y2t88FqsHbTuc4oXtIoSRGbwueIPB1mq1T_OnNZYOjkqyczdDPyeaRkSVfhyphenhyphen4l0sIRooGMlgeTbsjpinYh5uRQCHilSuZj6b31mA7Qhx8/s400/Pine2+boat+pic.jpg" border="0" /><br />During the end of the first week of the program we have a chili cookoff competition. We serve chili and have a whole presentation to go along with it. My boat came up with this story of the Irish potato famine (we called it "The Legend of the Irish Leprechaun") and the kids each acted out nursery rhymes (little bo peep, jack and jill, etc.) where the characters were all having problems because of the famine. Finally, the chili leprechaun appeared to save the famine with his chili and they all lived happily ever after. It was an awesome presentation with crazy costumes and signs and our boat (and one other, Aigue Marine) won the chili cookoff! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160330859214887394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViI3lNbpQlAKQym1HbMjOo5-Xx1dEAg-JBESWff64-D4XNAFujmNGl6pu_kFrqvZowBqsA8-DeXCsKd0l5O5WYBa_oIyAjHJkIP8bDJEeH9NdBlISUaqdrQ0lQQqskPZaV_Ryrxu9vlI/s400/Chili4.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160330854919920082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA31C1pXhHgsEG70N1r0vKhwPmkAOKZ3y-do2jBISSlQH7ScHYgK7VSyCgzASspQlUjmXxSNpQcrHh_0u2_yKvgodUZ6n6LKBViBpjM5qHUJG0l9cNKMCm0wVwtpZq-8_oPg9FHAYeHA/s400/Chili2.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div>Probably the most important/serious part of Sail Caribbean is docking. The boat carries so much mass and momentum that you can do some serious damage if you don't pull into the slip correctly. That aside, a few days after the chili cookoff, Pine decided to dock at Marina Bay, Tortola dressed as pirates. We managed to stay attentive and on task as the boat docked, but as soon as we were in the slip we let out a big "AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!" and blasted music from the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean." All the other people at the marina were a little confused...</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160330859214887410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGADgYdr1E43Vr8po6tXktnDBstI7aXfzQjUIjin1udTm2Z7w295SlKreoWjFdnQQJfqX6NquKB6KYxSlQFczyDz3mYBFV5gprsgHZ3t6TIIUFchilTFVFoBPfLl4p7vE98iP_4JTTBh0/s400/pirates.jpg" border="0" /><br />I’ve been working on my free diving a bit and I can now hold my breath, dive down about 40 feet (w/o flippers), hang out for about a minute, and then come back up. I can hold my breath with all this activity for about a minute and a half. I couldn’t even do it for 15 seconds when I first got here, so I've greatly improved! I’ve been doing a bunch of swim-throughs too, which are underwater tunnels. The longest one I’ve done is about 20 feet down, and then 40 feet long at Anegada. I did it on my birthday in fact, so it was awesome when got up the nerve to swim through a dark underwater tunnel and complete it.<br /><br />Everthing is going really well. I still have one more session before I come home in a few weeks.<br />Hope all is well!<br />Huey</div>Komanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11702823922247157305noreply@blogger.com0