Thursday, August 17, 2006

Karate

Exercise (5/6): Karate
Time: 1:30 (It is actually 2 hours but there was a 30 min break)

It was a good steady workout tonight. We started to learned Heiyansandan. (for you Karate buffs...)
The kids did really well tonight even though it is HOT. It is especially humid tonight because of a typhoon south of us. We don't have the storm...just heavy air and sometimes a dump of rain.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Cliff Jumping in the Neo

What a wonderful day! To beat the heat we went to the mountains for a picnic with some friends. We spent the afternoon cliff jumping and "swimming" upstream on the Neo (Nay-oh) River and then BBQ-ing supper. The Japanese sure know how to picnic! Yatta! When it got to be dusk, we finished the picnic with the children smashing a watermelon like a pinata, blindfolded and all just with the watermelon on the ground. Then we at huge chunks! After that we roasted some marshmallows and set off some small fireworks.

Exercise(4/6): Swimming/cliff jumping (which includes climbing)
Time: all afternoon

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

A True Cultural Experience

We travelled to Gero town in Gifu prefecture yesterday. This is what it is all about! Not a bus tour, or pre-planned trip being "touristy". We went and stayed with the family of a student of mine in their little hometown to see their ancient yearly festival. They fed us traditional Japanese food for supper...what a spread! I ate fish on a stick...literally! River fish cooked whole on a stick. I ate skin/flesh/bones...everything! (aren't you impressed, Mom?)
We saw men in towels riding on a platform representing their fire god, and later fireworks. Today we were in Takayama 高山 (means "tall mountains") and saw their local temple and walked the streets. They call it "Little Kyoto". Keep your eye on our family blog...we will post pictures and stories there.

Anyway, my exercise...
2/6: Walking all over Gero
3/6: Walking all over Takayama

Tomorrow we are going to the mountains for a BBQ with our Karate-sensei. Should be fun...and hot. I am enjoying all this fun stuff but I am starting to crave routine again. I look forward to going back to school in the regard that my workouts will be of a more consistant variety.



Sunday, August 13, 2006

Obon

Exercise (1/6): cycling
Time: 45 min or so
Av Heart Rate: 157 for 26:33

No Karate today because it is the Japanese time for Obon. It is not an official Japanese holiday due to seperation of religion and state, but everyone takes it anyway. They celebrate their dead ancestors and pray to them. Often there are all night dances. All the cemeteries are lit up with lanterns/candles and other streamers and stuff.
So, I went cycling. I didn't go for long because it got dark on me! Oops. But I went all out. One direction I was flying (I thought, wow! I've improved!). Then I turned around...Dang! Riding into the wind sucks! Oh well, I guess I just have to look at it as extra exercise. I sure got my heart rate up tonight. :-)