Phew

"Don't know if Rachel has contacted you about Tristyn yet but the news is great. She had her abdominal surgery Monday and after 48 hours of excruciating pain and nausea she perked up enough to come home Thursday. She's eating and walking (very slowly) and looking 1000% better than pre-op The surgeon said it was the least complicated scenerio and restored blood flow immediately to the stomach and surrounding area by snipping a ligament around the celiac artery. We didn't even know the human body had a celiac artery! Her 5" scar is now a badge of courage and future great poolside topic of conversation . We are, of course, overjoyed."

I couldn't be more overjoyed either, man.

It's hard watching your friends suffer from overseas. That's how I segue this post to my Japan blog. I hope the next time I see her she is fat as can be and back to normal health so we can do pilates poorly together!

Journey to the North : Day 4

Lauren and I find an airport transportation autobus and climb aboard for the 90 minute journey to Chitose Airport. The weather is fine and we have no troubles finding a vessel to take us back to Kansai on the Main Island of the Japans. Exhausted from our travels, we do not speak much on the trip back. Instead we reflect on the many wonders seen over the past three days; strange beasts, sculptures in the snow, and a candlelit canal.

On our arrival to Kyoto Locomotive Station, we meet our companion, Ian. Ian helps us find proper Western food; burgers! Lauren is under the spell of the East and continues her descent into madness by eating okonomiyaki while Ian and I feast on meat, bread and too much sauce. Full and gay, I leave my comrades and find a locomotive North to my vehicle. I sleep on the ride up, full of mirth and memory.

Journey to the North : Day 3

February 10, 2009
Sapporo, Hokkaido Japan


Lauren and I slept away the morning hours after our long, eventful days previous. Finally rising from our soft, warm bed, we dress and go out into the Susukino area to find luncheon with a friend of Lauren’s – Corey (yet another out-of-place Hawaiian). We decided on râmen, a special delicacy noodle dish of the area. Slurping down hot noodles in miso broth with pork and a dash of spring onions seems just the way to enjoy the cold climate and continuous snowfall.

The Sapporo City Hall

Lauren and Corey head out to the beer distillery while I wander around Sapporo City, admiring the architecture. Soon after, I decide to visit a small artisan area known as Otaru to the North. I find a locomotive to take me there and stare in awe as, ever so unexpectedly, the sea appears. The train winds northward up the snowy coast, and passed the icy waters of what must be the North Sea. Not long after, we arrive at Minami Otaru, the southern patch of the town. I depart here, not knowing where exactly I’d like to go.

After walking for some time along the snowy sidewalks and slippery streets, I find a bustling intersection. A steam-powered clock stands in the middle of the area and historic plaques give tourists information about the town itself. I see a newly wed couple, not even dressed in their winterwear, taking photographs in front of a large, snow cake (complete with painted strawberries on top). It is quite beautiful and I manage to take a photo. I continue my stroll along the chocolate shops, toy stores and glass blowers. Finally the sun sets and I reach the Otaru Canal, which is lit up with candles. Here, I believe photographs will aid me with description, as my words could not express the beauty of this spectacle.

Frozen through, I decided to head back to the Locomotive Station in the City Centre. I meet Lauren and we sip coffee, warming ourselves from the inside. Lauren suggests we meet her friends Geetika and Naoko once more for a crab supper. I happily agree and we meet them at a cosy seafood restaurant high up in a restaurant structure. We feast for the next two hours upon fresh Northern Crabmeat and toast to our success. Afterward, I retire early to pack up my belongings and get a night’s rest before the journey back to Kansai. Lauren does not join me until the wee hours of dawn.


I dream of worrisome unpleasant things –causing me constant anxiety. A friend’s botched surgery leads to her sudden death. Most unpleasant. I am inconsolable for hours the next day.

Journey to the North : Day 2

February 9, 2009

Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Asahiyama Zoo, Asahigawa, Hokkaido, Japan

Our first full day in the Nörth begins with an early morning breakfast in the underground sector of the accommodations. The hotel has provided us with the necessities: a spread of strange, eastern foods – most of it pickled or from the sea. Lauren (pictured with her explorer game face) partakes, her hair shining with the gleam of the Orient. At last I spot some Western Delicacies: eggs, toast and instant coffee. We snack on provisions while waiting for Kristin and Jian-wen to find us in the basement corridor.

Kristin and Jian-wen are prepared and ready to face the early morning chills of Sapporo. We leave the lodge and trek northwards towards the transportation vessel. Our tickets are purchased and we have brought everything we need to make the three hour journey to Asahiyama Animal Park. Cameras in hand, we board the highway vessel. Joining us on this voyage are some young, native women. They apply copious amounts of make-up (no doubt to blend in with their snowy environment) and giggle, as though they are small children. Lauren and I posit that this is in order to attract the men of the Japans. The island gentlemen must find this high-pitched noise instinctively alluring, and can hear the frequency from a long ways off. Sure enough, a male and his female companion join the ranks. He wears sunglasses inside the bus – perhaps it is a genetic eye condition, or perhaps he looked into an eclipse, thinking it was Amaterasu calling to him from the heavens. His hair is slicked back with seal blubber, and he is growing a weak beard. It seems queer to me that in such bitterly cold climates, the indigenous men seem incapable of growing thick beards or facial hair of any kind. Though, perhaps their skin is tougher than my own. The engine starts revving and our vessel gets on its way.

Lauren sleeps during most of the journey while Jian-wen attends to Kristin’s blistering headache. Perhaps she ate too many pickled sea creatures and is feeling the unfortunate consequences. The ride is long. I stare out the large, glass windows as the mountains and tall trees fly by. Memories unexpectedly emerge from my mind… playing in the snow as a child in Northern Virginia… trudging through the tundra of Western New York Territory… my first Oshõgatsu (Japanese New Years) atop the shrine of Yasaka Village (covered in snow, of course). It feels like a dream to be out in the middle of such grand nothingness.

We arrive at a rest stop and see a great crowd of visitors from every imaginable village in the Japans. They are in a frenzy; shopping, eating area delicacies (most of it iced cream, naturally), and taking daguerreotypes of snow sculptures outside. Wee ones play and frolic on the man-made sliding ground and elderly women simply take in the view and have their photos taken from inside a Japanese-made igloo.

Our first sighting of a snowbeast!

Another hour or so on the steel vessel and we find ourselves at last at the entrance of the expansive Asahiyama Animal Park. At last the opportunity to see indigenous beasts in their natural environments! Sadly for our group, the park is extremely crowded with more natives. Seems curious that they should be so eager to see their own wildlife. Though I suppose if I ever saw a Nörth American moose, elk or raccoon I would be equally delighted.

We decide to find provisions and hike up the mountainside to the very peak. The view is breathtaking – snowcapped, vast mountain ranges for all the eye can see. We find shelter and food inside one of the huts atop the mountain. Other visitors seem to have the same idea, but our timing is key and we find seating and nourishment in the form of hotdog, soup and rice.

After eating, we press through the building crowds and gallivant off to see the wildlife. Such variety of fauna, indeed! No explorer could have imagined how many indigenous species call Hokkaido their home. Chimpanzees, Hippopotamus, Rhinoceros, Wolves, Polar Bears, Seals, Lions, Tiger and even Giraffe! Whereas in my African travels I have many a time seen lions eat giraffe and giraffe eat leaves from tall trees, in the Nörth, the giraffe eat the very snow they live in! The lion simply paces around his paddock, growling at those who dare to peer inside. The hippos and rhinos seem a tad less active than those in my previous studies. They simply lie down atop the frozen wasteland. Perhaps their lack of hair prevents them from activity. Surely their natural fat stores keep them warm, however. I do not worry. On a side note, I instruct Lauren on the correct way to identify an ostrich. Emu, indeed!

After a strenuous three hours, we encounter something most curious indeed. A parade of small penguins makes its way through the crowds, ever so slowly. Many people take photographs (our troupe included, surely) and in a moment the penguins are gone. We are left with our growing frostbite and seek out another native delicacy – warm meron pan (bread that tastes of melon). Tea and meron pan in hand, we board our vessel once more and instantly fall asleep for the three hour journey back to our lodge.

And what do you suppose they're looking for?

Tiger tiger burning bright, he will eat some snow tonight.

Madonna and Child: Macaque

The March of the Penguins

Egads! A grasslands animal that eats snow naturally!

Kristin and Jian-wen decide to leave the North the next morning, much to my dismay. Lauren leaves our group to meet some friends from her homeland while Kristin, Jian-wen and I are left to our own endeavors. We wander over to Õdõri Park to see the famous ice and snow sculptures.

Such wonders are these in the darkness! The native Sapporians have set up lights in order to bring out the smallest details of their festive seasonal installations. Carvings in the snow of famous castles (Hamamatsu Castle), famous people (various athletes, animated characters), and even an international section where various nations have submitted their own artists to sculpt strange things from the frozen ground. My own nation has constructed something most repulsive and strange… a combination of Wisconsin Indigenous Mythology and Frank Lloyd Wright. Whereas Jian-wen’s nation, Singapore, has tendered a most delightful snow sculpture of an animal… or a person… it’s quite hard to tell, actually. The clear winner of the statues is that of Thailand, an eagle fighting a giant serpent. Certainly worthy of the gold medal! Even Lithuåniå has crafted something – a tall rodent leaning on what appears to be a mitten. The description tells us the folk story of a mouse who found a glove and shared it with the other creatures of the forest. The tale ends with a bear crawling inside, ripping the glove. The mitten must have been spun from most elastic yarn. Rather, that which only Lithuania can produce.

We finish off our busy day with fried noodles with meat and cabbage, purchased from a local vendor stand in the midst of the festival. The hot noodles slip down our throats and give us strength enough for the walk home. I bid farewell to my traveling companions as they retire for the evening.

In my accommodations, I fall asleep almost at once, only to be awoken by Lauren returning after a night of frivolity and intoxication. Lauren spends the evening in the bathroom, perched over the privy, as I drift off into a warm and deep sleep.

Journey to the North : Day 1

February 8th, 2009 (Sunday)

Kyoto --> Kobe --> Sapporo

Laüren and I braved the hördes of spatially unaware Kyoto-jin to take pleasure in COFFEE.
After replenishing our caffeine levels, we met fellows Kristin F and Jian-Wen C. and hopped the locomotive to Köbe city. The sky is eerily blue today.

Kobe as seen from the Port Liner locomotive
A swarthy crew, indeed. (Kristin, Jianwen, Rachel & Lauren)Posing in front of Kobe Port

The earthquake long ago has done wonders for this bustling metropolis. Its appearance resembles of a mixture of Seattle and Disneyland. We sit crouched next to a time-inappropriate Christmas tree, surrounded by our various parcels. The information sign says,

"ANA 403 Sapporo -- Weather Check".

Weather looks fine to me...

The frigid winds of the Nörth are somehow preventing the checking-in of our personal items! But we shall overcome this temporary hardship in time. Patience is of the utmost importance on this, our maiden voyage day! We can only hope the meager sandwiches will last us until we reach 27,000 feet and are rewarded with tea. *** We have made it to Chisöte Aérpört! The landing was most exciting and received applause from the natives. Fresh off the flying vessel, the four of us made our way by another locomotive to the Kita Hötel -- our primitive accommodations. Indoor plumbing and electric lights should suit us just fine.

Dressed in our warmest, we brave the bleak and frigid climate.

We dress in our furs and journey out into the Winterländ. It is night, and the darkness turns the wind into a piercing, penetrating gale. We seek shelter and warmth in the red-light district of Susükinø [薄野], where the indigenous tribes of Sapporo have staved off insanity by carving the shapes of animals into the ice. We observed actual sea-creatures (crabs, fish, etc) freshly encased in the blocks of ice.

frozen monstrosities!

Fearing our own capture and encasement, we seek shelter in an 'îzakåyä', where we meet a kindred explorer from the subcontinent of Néw Jërséy. Her name -- Geetika. She and her indigenous squaw, Naöko, regale us with tales of frivolity with the local peoples of Tokyö. We fend off the cold by downing exotic "cöçktaëls" and partaking in traditional dishes such as sashimi, kara-age, and pizzå. Laüren decides to befriend this explorer and continue alcoholic indulgence, whilst I (as the Japanese say) "cash in my chips" and head back to the inn for rest~ I'll need it for the frozen days ahead.

Post dinner! (Naoko, Gittika, Lauren, Rachel)