Osaka Marathon (email)

I just received the below email from Mr. S. I was relieved to hear that he finished the race.

I give both Ms. T and Mr. S a lot of credit. I am very impressed!!

Subject: Thank you for your support.

"Hi glenn.

I finished/ran to run THE Osaka Marathon yesterday.It took 4.5 hours
I am sorry,I could not clear my target time(under 4hours)yet.
But I satisfied it,becase I could keep to run 42km with a smile .
I wii never foget it,too.

Best regards.

Mr. S"

Complete!!!

I got the below email from Ms. T last night:

!hi!
i finished!
it was very tough!
i will tell you about it.
thank you! "

I am very happy for her and can't wait to hear all about her experience. 

In the meantime, here are some of my questions:

What was your time?

Did you hit "the wall" at around the 30km point?

I watched some of the marathon on TV, and it looked very tough to run smoothly cause there were so many people...around 30,000 people I think.  How was it?

What did you think about all of the supporters? 

Did you drink and eat a lot of the stuff which the volunteers at the "rest stations" offer?

How was the weather?

Did any friends or family come out to cheer you on from the sidelines?

How do you feel today?  Are your muscles; knees, achilles tendons, groin, joints...sore?

Do you want to run another marathon? :)

Anyway, great job Ms. T!! I am impressed!

Good Luck...

...to all of the participants, especially Ms. T and Mr. S, in the Osaka Marathon tomorrow!!! I will never forget the first marathon which I ran, the Fukuchiyama Marathon...

I hope Ms. T and Mr. S can do their best and be safe and healthy, and if they finish, then great! And if they don't finish, then great too!

Hiking Mt Rokko (Blog by Luis)

Last week I went up Mt Rokko with a friend. It was a sunny clear sky day and 25 degrees, it felt like Summer but without the disadvantage of humidity.

My friend has been hiking frequently so he was in good shape. In my case, I practice some sports but not as enduring as hiking 700m in a few hours (we took about 2h30 to get to the top). Did I mention my friend was in good shape? ;) -That is really fast!! - In the most steep parts of the trail I confess I struggled but it felt really good when we reached the summit, enjoying our sandwiches lunch while enjoying a stunning clear view over Kobe and Osaka bay.

Now, I'm already planning to go again soon while the weather still allows.

Do you know any good hiking trails?

And, to change the subject, recently there is a lot of news about bikes on TV and in the papers. I know a thing or two about bicycles, so I wanted to introduce the below article which I found online. Here is an excerpt:

"Bicyclists are on the increase, but so are accidents involving them as well as reckless, illegal riding, prompting Tokyo police to launch a crackdown.

The Metropolitan Police Department campaign, which includes designating more marked bikeways, comes amid an increase in accidents and violations that will now face stiffer penalties.

People who ride bicycles without proper brakes or run red lights may face a fine of up to ¥50,000. Failing to ride slowly and carefully on sidewalks can result in a fine of up to ¥20,000. Police plan to strictly enforce the new measures while at the same time enhancing safety."

For more, click on the below link.

Reckless cyclists face crackdown

(from The Japan TImes Online)

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111026f1.html

What do you think about this crackdown?

Do you ride a bicycle?

If yes, do you follow the "rules of the road"?

What do you think about the congestion on the sidewalks, and streets, because of the bicycles?

This is what Glenn said to me the other day;

"I never realized how dangerous bicycles are until I got my driver's license. When I am driving, I am always surprised that many bikes drive in the middle of the road, or suddenly swerve into the road. And, sometimes I say to myself 'What are you doing?! Are you crazy?' But after this experience, I reflected on my bicycle riding style and now ride my bicycle very slowly and carefully when other cars are around me."

Have you ever been hit, or almost hit, by a bicycle?

Have you ever hit someone, or almost hit someone, using your bicycle?

If yes to either or both of the above questions, what happened? What did you do after the incident?

If no, what would you do in either of the above two situations?

Anyway, let's cycle safely!!

Halloween Party

My friend Mike is holding a Halloween Party this Saturday. If you are interested, please contact him directly at mujinkun@softbank.ne.jp

Unfortunately, I already have plans on Saturday so I will not be in attendance. It is a shame, but I am sure it will be a blast even without me!

From Mike:

"The fall has come and with it the cool blustery wind which can mean only one thing...Halloween is near! Once again we are having a huge International Halloween Party this year! We are expecting 70-80 ghosts and ghouls from around the globe to help us celebrate the spooky event! Don't be afraid! Join us!

Place: White Bear in Kitashinchi
Date: Saturday 10/29 7:00-9:30
Menu: Free food and drink for 3000 yen
Dress: Wear a costume if possible, anything is OK, a funny hat, a silly shirt, etc. 

Best costume wins a prize!

Bring as many friends as you want.

See you there!"

37

Officially, I just became 37 years old. Why "officially"?! Well, let me explain.

I was born on October 23rd at 11:20pm at Albert Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia.

Now, there is a 13 hour time difference between Philadelphia and Osaka. (Note: Depending on Daylight Savings Time in America, sometimes the time difference changes to 14 hours.) So, Osaka is 13 hours ahead of Philadelphia. (Philly is 13 hours behind Osaka.) That means, that right now, at 12:20pm in Osaka on October 24th, it is 11:20pm in Philly on October 23rd.

When is your birthday?

What time were you born?

Where were you born?

Do you know the name of the hospital you were born in?

Ishigaki Questions

Yesterday in class, Ms. Y asked me a bunch of good questions about the trip so I thought I would put them on the blog. I recommend reading the Q and A's for your study.

1. Why did you choose to go to Ishigaki Island?

It was my 4^th time to Okinawa. I went to Ishigaki for the first time on my honeymoon. But, we didn’t have a car at that time because I didn’t have a Japanese driver’s license. So, every day we took a day trip, using the ferry, to a small island like Taketomi Island, Kuroshima Island, and Iriomote. Then, the next year we went to Iriomote, and the 3^rd year we went to Miyakoshima, which are also both beautiful, but both times a typhoon hit us! So we decided to go back to Ishigaki and this time rent a car (because I got a driver’s license earlier this year), and drive around.

2. How did you make your trip’s plans?

I didn’t make any of the plans. That is my wife’s job, and to be honest, she does a great job. Of course, she asks me for my opinion a little, for example “What do you think about doing a all-day snorkeling tour on the first day?” or something like that, but basically she decides the itinerary; the hotel, airlines, sightseeing spots, etc. But, I usually choose the restaurants because I am good at that. So, she is in charge of the planning, and I am responsible for paying.

3. Did you have to pay any extra-baggage fees or penalty fees for bags over the weight limit?

Fortunately, no we didn’t. Because, the weight limit of bags on a domestic flight is 20kg. We checked in two bags. One bag was 12kg, that was my bag. I pack light! The other bag was barely under the limit, at 19.5kg. That was my wife’s bag! She packs heavy!

4. Was the flight crowded?

Yes, it was. It was a full flight.

5. Please tell me the name of your favorite beach.

That’s’ easy! It’s Yonehara beach. The beach, and the ocean, and the view from the beach are all breathtaking!! If you want to know more about it, just google “Yonehara Beach”!

6. Were there a lot of people on the beach?

No, there weren’t. The beaches were practically empty. We were lucky! I think there are two reasons for this. One reason is it was cloudy or rainy every day. The second reason is October is not peak season in Okinawa.

7. What did you eat and drink at dinner?

We ate out three nights, at two different restaurants. We went to one of those restaurants twice. We ate a lot of traditional Okinawan food, for example “Goya-Champuru,” “Umi-budo” which are called “Sea Grapes“ in English but they are not sweet. Also, we ate a lot of tropical fish which Okinawa is known for. The other night we ate steak at the hotel’s restaurant. Except that night at the hotel, I was the designated driver so I didn’t drink alcohol. My wife drank Orion beer, Awamori, and Mango juice when we ate out.

8. How was the hotel? What kind of facilities does the hotel have?

First of all, the hotel was great. We stayed at Karuizawa Club Hotel Ishigaki Jima. It had a public bath and a sauna, a nail salon and massage shop, a souvenir shop at which you could get private weaving and sanshin lessons, and a pool.

9. Were the restaurants near your hotel?

They weren’t so far, but you have to drive or take a taxi there. They were too far to walk. That was the only disadvantage of staying at that hotel. The town, where most of the restaurants are, is about a 20-minute drive from the hotel.

10. How was driving in Ishigaki?

Driving was very pleasant and easy. There are only a few major roads which are all one lane. And, everyone drives the speed limit, which on most roads is 40kph(kilometers per hour). However, in town, some of the side-roads are very narrow, and the parking spaces are very small. I DO NOT LIKE THAT!! And my wife has to get out of the car and assist me every time we park the car. She waves her hands and says in Japanese style “Alrigh, alrigh, alrigh----sutop!!”

Ishigaki - Day Two

We went on an all-day snorkeling tour. It was great!

Then, we went to Hitoshi-the best restaurant in Ishigaki!

First, about the snorkeling tour company.

I really recommend the "Snorkeling Expert" Marine Service 'YA-RU YA.' The owner and Captain is a guy named Aoi Hideki. He started this business about 6 years ago. At that time he looked a little younger and fit. He said that his body fat percentage was about 3% at that time. Now, I don't know for sure, so I am guessing, but I think it is about 18%. Still not bad for a guy in his early forties I think. His wife, who is a very sweet lady, helps him out with all aspects of the business. The boat's name is Miss Isana, and is about 35-feet long and a real beauty!!! One staff member, a lady, was also very helpful and friendly.

Now on to the snorkeling. We did to two dives, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Both were excellent, but personally, I prefer the spot in the morning because the coral reef was really beautiful. My wife agreed with me.) In between the two dives we went back to the port for lunch. I know, you are thinking "Soki Soba AGAIN?!" YES!! I can't get enough of Soki Soba when I am in Okinawa. I could eat it every day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Well, actually, that is a bit of an exaggeration. :)

About the other tour members.

It was funny. There were nine participants on the tour in the morning, and nine in the afternoon. In the morning, 7 of the eight members were from the Kansai area. Two were from Osaka, two from Shiga, and two from Nishinomiya(=me and the Mrs.). One guy was from Tokyo and one couple was from somewhere else. I forget where. In the afternoon, the couple not from Kansai left, and a new couple, also from Osaka, joined. So, in the afternoon, 8 of the 9 participants on the tour were from Kansai. It is strange and a big coincidence I think.

If you click below, you can see the Captain's blog and a photo of use after the morning snorkel, plus his story about the "Birthday Surprise!"

http://www.x-py.com/archives/2011/10/post-458.html

Hitoshi- What a great restaurant and what a surprise! After the snorkeling tour, I asked the Captain's wife and two of the "veteran" participants "Do you recommend any good place for dinner?" Almost simultaneously, the three of them said at the same time "Hotoshi!" Then the wife added, "Hitoshi is a must go if you are in Ishigaki. But you need a reservation!" So we looked up the number, and called immediately and made a reservation for 7:30. (But we were 45 minutes late cause I got lost on the way there, and I parked VERY far away from the restaurant...about a 20 minute walk. I am not good at parking the car in tight places, and this spot was very wide, so I took it. But it was far...FYI, from one end of the main eating district of Ishigaki to the other, it is only about 20 minutes...This means that I parked in the farthest possible spot from the restaurant.) Anyway, back to the restaurant. In a nut shell, it was FANTASTIC!! I really can't say enough about it. The food, service, atmosphere...EVERYTHING was the best!! If I have to choose three of the best dishes...it is very difficult to choose, because there are sooooooooo mannnnnnnnny good ones, but here I go: The raw seared bonito with the "special sauce," Goya-Chanpuru (which is eggs and Okinawan tofu and some vegetables are sauteed together), and the "Maguro sushi Set!" And, I almost forgot about the price...very reasonable!! As the Captain's wife said, "IT IS A MUST!" But if you go, don't forget to make a reservation or you will regret it! Cause it is always crowded! (I know cause we went there again on our last night in Ishigaki, and it was packed again.)

There are some photos of some of the dishes at Hitoshi below, but to be honest, I don' think the photos do justice to the place!

http://r.tabelog.com/okinawa/A4705/A470501/47001373/

Ishigaki Island-Day One

Departure time was 8am sharp, so my wife and I arrived at the airport around 7:15am. It is only a domestic flight, so 45 minutes is more than enough time. We checked two bags, and luckily both of the bags were under the weight limit of 20kg. But just barely!!! A few more kilograms and we would have had to pay an extra fee... =Not happy!

After checking the boarding time and the gate number, we grabbed a quick bite to eat while having a coffee. We got to the gate(which was the farthest gate from the security check!) about 10 minutes early and boarded the plane. Because we reserved our seats too late, we couldn't sit together, which was a shame. I got an aisle seat, and she sat in a window seat in the row in front of me.

The flight to Naha was smooth with no turbulence. We arrived a few minutes late, about 15 minutes after the E.T.A. (=expected time of arrival), but we made our connection and arrived at Ishigaki Airport at around 11:50am. Btw, we flew ANA which is my favorite airlines in the world!!

We rented a car, so one guy from the rental car agency, Orix, picked us up at the airport and then drove us to the Orix Office. After filling out some forms, finishing up the insurance paperwork, and inspecting the car for scratches or marks, finally we got in the car, a black Mazda with one of those new "remote control keys," and off we were.

We headed straight to get some lunch! We were famished!! (After all, our last meal, a Subway Avocado Sandwich was ONLY 4 hours earlier). Thanks to navigation, we found the restaurant in no time! (As I have said before, the car navigation system is truly a great invention!!! Without it, I would be completely lost every time because my sense of direction is about as bad as it gets!!) We both ordered Soki Soba, which is famous is Okinawa. Basically, Soki Soba is soba in a hot, soy sauce-ish broth with marinated pork "spare ribs" on top. If you want a more detailed explanation, google it!! I like Soki Soba a lot, and I hadn't eaten it since the last time I was in Okinawa which was last year. And this restaurant's Soki Soba was delicious!! So I was satisfied. The we walked off the lunch by taking a short stroll and left for a beach to go snorkeling. It took about 10 minutes to get there from the restaurant. Then we put on all of our gear. We have it all!! Fins, rubber shoes, rubber gloves, a mask and snorkel, a long-sleeve insulated shirt and pants(actually I don't have the pants, only my wife does) and life jackets! The life jackets were my wife's idea-she is really into safety!! But as the proverb goes, "Better be safe than sorry!!!"

First of all, the beach itself if beautiful!! And quite big! Long! The moment I set my eyes on the white sand and aqua water, it became one of my top three favorite beaches!! And the water wasn't so cold either. And the fish---there are so many different kinds of fish, all different sizes and colors. I don't know so much about the names of fish, but during this trip I thought that I should learn a little...In all about 2 hours of snorkeling and about 1 hour of talking to a nice guy I met on the beach. Besides us, he was the only other guy on the beach. His name is Dr. Y, and he is also from Osaka. What a coincidence!

Around 5pm, we said good-bye to the beach (but we would come back a few days later) and set off for the hotel to check in.

We stayed at Karuizawa Club, Hotel Ishigaki Jima. It was VERY NICE. The rooms were huge and clean and had a nice balcony and view. FYI, when I go on vacation, I rarely watch TV. Instead, I prefer to spend my time quietly while relaxing time on the balcony. And the service, all of the staff, were extremely friendly. I honestly can't say enough about the staff!! Plus, a very nice breakfast buffet every day, and one dinner, was also included in the fee. The hotel also has a nice hot bath, cold bath, and sauna room which I took advantage of every day. To say the least, we really liked the place and definitely recommend it!

After an hour of R & R in the room, we went out to dinner. Mr. Y recommended a restaurant with live Okinawan Music (one guy played the "sanshin", which is like a banjo, and another guy whistled, and everyone-the guests- dance!!). The food was good, and the atmosphere was very fun and "Okinawan." We had a great time there too!

It was a great day, and a great night, and I passed out on the bed the instant I got in the room...I was exhausted in a good way!!!

(Please note: I have a feeling that Day Two~Day Fives blogs are going to be much shorter!!)

M & M's wedding photos

They are pretty much self-explanatory!

Enjoy and looking forward to seeing you all when I get back from Ishigaki Island!

The Bouquet

The Exit

The Welcome Board

The Wedding Cake

The Drawing-They look much more handsome and beautiful in person!!

Chill (Vocabulary/Expressions Study)

Recently it is quite chilly. I forget exactly when, but a few days ago the temperatures suddenly drastically dropped. Since then, I have put my summer clothes; short-sleeve shirts, shorts, and "ankle socks" away in the closet, and taken out my fall/winter clothes; long-sleeve shirts, pants, sweaters, and "thick" socks. How about you? Have you re-organized your summer and winter clothes yet? And now, on to today's study. The word "chill" has many definitions. Use the below example sentences to test your vocabulary!

1. When I felt the tremors, a chill went down my spine.
2. Chill out and take a chill pill!
3. I like my beer in a chilled glass.
4. The temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but with the chill factor, the temp feels like only 10 degrees!
5. I spent a chill evening at home last weekend.