Rat-parrot

A rare shot of the elusive Rat-parrot. For my wonderful Uncle Steve.
(There is a story behind this for those wondering)

THE hike

Starting out

The day before I left for Kagoshima city Kamada sensei invited me to go hiking with him and two others (his young daughter and a mountain pro). I was a little nervous to accept because the destination was Miyanoura dake, the highest peak on Yakushima (and also all of Kyushuu). I'm not in good shape for all day hikes but who could say no to the offer.

Keiko Chan, amazingly tough little girl

We head out at 4 30am and reach the trail head at exactly six. We hiked for an hour, ate breakfast, and hiked for another few hours until we got high enough to get out of the dense forest. We rarely took breaks, saw few deer and no monkeys... and just kept going up and up.

The inner peaks hide behind gorgeous hills of granite

The sights were amazing and after about 5 hours we came to the path that leads to Miyanoura peak. But instead of simply tackling this one mountain, our group heads for a peak in the other direction. I have to say that this first peak was more fun to climb than Miyanoura but I was so tired after the first one I honestly felt ill trying to make it up the second.

A buck watches us pass

The first peak we climbed had hardly any kind of path at all. It was just pushing through thick vegetation that was anywhere between two and six feet high. Keiko chan got pushed through it more than once because the bushes were almost always taller than she was and she didn't weigh enough to push through them. On top of that we had to step very carefully because the mountain below us was full of crags and pits we couldn't see.

The first peak, we bouldered to the very top

We ate lunch at the top and headed down, back to the fork in the road. It had taken us seven hours to get to this point and we were just starting up the final path.

Just a few more peaks beyond this one

It wasn't easy, and I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but eventually we got there. I don't remember if it was beautiful, I just remember being hot. And I remember thinking to myself, how the hell am I gonna make it back.

頂上。 That's right, the summit

We made it back to the car in about four grueling hours. I had been comfortable almost the whole way up, but the trek back was more like a death march. We just kept going, five minute breaks once an hour. There are about 50 Japanese sayings for "Just keep going" and I think I heard them all. Little Keiko chan was doing about as well as I was, but she hardly complained at all, I was really impressed. She's super tough.

And that was the Hike. I don't at all regret going, I just wish I had been in better shape. (I do regret our fish breakfast and lunch, however). I don't doubt that I'll be back to the top again.

Situation Under Control

This is a notice to inform everyone that there are no longer giant insects lurking behind every dark corner. Matsuda san and I smoked 'em out and then encircled the entire house with poisonous white powder, no joke. I personally looked behind every dark corner and I can assure you that they have left the premises. So please, everyone, it is safe to pack your bags and come visit me.

Thanks, The Administrator

Adora Lanphere

I thought this angle would give me a good challenge but it ended up a little wonky even after all the work I put into the sketch. It was good practice anyway, kinda makes me think of Lyra Silvertongue.

*Jovie, I found the Golden Compass in Japanese at the library here, woot woot.

Paris

This is a character I'm working on for a story. It's a rough painting, done directly into Photoshop. I'll try to scan something else later. I've got tons of sketch pages of but not many are post worthy.



I want to Thank everyone for checking out my blog and leaving all the nice comments and emails. It makes me want to write even more. I recently changed the settings so that anyone can comment without having to sign in. (because I love comments). Note that I'll respond to comment questions on the comment pages.

The Battle

(Warning: Disgusting and Overly Dramatic *with pictures)

The giant centipede comes first, sliding it's way across the floor, tiny legs creeping forward in unison. It's speed is remarkable. It runs past my bare foot, up the wall onto the door and pauses in the shadow, it's arching antennas search the air. Something has to be done. I consider relocating it into the backyard but I'm certain it'll be back. It has to die. I throw a book at but it won't die, it keeps scuttling along trying to escape while oozing something yellow-green. Eventually I bring it to the ground, it's body nearly severed, twisting and writhing. The battle is over, one fewer giant centipede. Somehow I don't feel any better.
... And then I go into my kitchen to clean up and I see this.
This disgusting giant spider in full daylight, I had to get my camera. After a couple photos it spider sensed me and took off running... fast. Faster than that damned centipede. "Oh well" I thought "at least it's outside".

Two hours pass... darkness falls.

I step into the kitchen and hit the light, something flies across the floor, up the stove and hides behind the burners. I attack with my newspaper weapon but he's too quick and escapes. The previously innocuous items on my kitchen table become projectile weapons and giant spider is knocked upside down. I approach to check if he's dead but of coarse he's not and in typical villain fashion he makes another run for it. After I finally destroyed him I took a closer look an realized that this was no ordinary spider. It was in fact a a face-grabber from the Alien movies as can be clearly discerned in the picture below.

Life on the Isle

Before leaving for Kagoshima city Brittany and I drove around the island, stopping now and then to inspect the wildlife. Photo credit goes to Brittany, who took most of these from the passenger side of the car. The western side of the island is cluttered with monkeys, though they can be seen anywhere. I haven't been attacked by one yet, but I've still got lots of time so I'm not giving up hope.
The cutest little baby deer you ever did see.

I couldn't establish eye contact. But I will, just you wait monkey!

A Few Things

I just wanted to put up a few pictures from the week before last.

A nice leaf bug. I'm pretty sure I've seen these in the States too but he was big enough to earn a picture.


Brittany and I drove around our island and visited this waterfall along the way. There are quite a few in the area but this is the only one I've seen so far. The water falls into a gorgeous emerald pool.


These deer come and hang out in my backyard. Fully grown they are only half the size of the deer on the mainland and in the States. There are no predators here so I'm surprised that they aren't taking over the town.

Kagoshima City and beyond

Rooftop housing w/backyard

It was nice getting off the island but I'm honestly glad to be back. We had 2 days of orientation at the local city office, 4 days of language and culture classes at a mountain retreat and one more day to spend in the big city before leaving. I made some good friends, learned some new Japanese and even got to do a little speech in Japanese at the closing ceremony. While I was in Kagoshima city I had the famous Tontoro Ramen, which kinda tasted like bacon soup. I also got some art supplies, Japanese manga, sunblock, and a Naan Taco (think tostada but on Indian naan).

Kagoshima City Canal

A free trip off the island

Shiratani Forest

I've been pretty busy for the last few days, climbing mountains, swimming, frolicking with the local fauna. School should be starting any day now. Tomorrow I'm going to the mainland, to Kagoshima city, for some more orientation and training. I'll be there for about a week and then only one more week till the kids go back to school and I finally get to work. Check back in a week for stories about monkeys, deer, and 12 hour hikes of wonder and pain.

The other ALT

There are two JET English teachers on Yakushima. The other is Brittany, who lives on the south side of the island, about 45 minutes from me. She's really sweet and funny and I'm looking forward to being good friends with her. She's from Minnesota, has a slight accent (cute on girls, hick on boys) and, like me, has no experience teaching English. Her side of the island seems to be a little more strict regarding work hours and car usage. For example, she's been going to the office for the last two weeks despite having absolutely nothing to do there. She also has to leave her car at work while I can use mine pretty much whenever I want, for free.

Neighbors

I was sitting at my kotatsu, low Japanese table, when this thing scurried by me. It's pretty big, and pretty scary... but it's also pretty cool so I herded it into the middle of the room and took a few pictures. It was about 5 inches long and surprisingly quick. It's a local centipede, or mukade as I later learned. When I told the other English teacher about it she informed that they are quite poisonous and that the previous English teacher was bit by one and had to go to the hospital. So, I won't be herding them around anymore, but I'm glad I got a few pictures at least. For the non squeamish please click on the photos to enlarge them (any picture can be enlarged).

Into the thick

A few days after I arrived I took the car and slowly pulled out onto the left side of the street. Looking at the map the trail head seemed to be only a few kilometers away, no problem I thought, this will be good driving practice. Well, like any mountain road this one switched back and forth and forth again and ended up being about ten times longer than I had wishfully thought it was. The road narrowed into one lane and I hoped that the signs I had just passed weren't telling me something important.
After quite a bit more winding and praying that I didn't run into oncoming traffic I made it to a little parking area and took off into the woods. It was wonderfully cool and overcast while I wandered deeper into the old ceder forest (on paths). I hiked for a few hours but didn't go nearly as far as I could have. I'll save the peek hikes for another day.

Breakers

On my second day I found a store yard full of these huge cement breakers. There had to have been around 80 of them arranged in a grid.

The Cat

The girl that lived on the island before me adopted a street cat while she lived here but had to put it out again when she left. She told me to keep an eye out for it and maybe feed it and I love cats so I said ok. Well, on the first night the cat found me. Just as I was going to sleep I heard mewing at the door so got up and let him in for a few minutes, just to say hi. After I put the cat back outside I could not make it leave me alone. It meowed, loudly, for 30 minutes at least while I laid silently hoping for it to give up and go away. It clawed at the glass door, tore at the screen, paced back and forth, kept me awake. Something had to be done, simply shooing it did nothing but confirm to the cat that I was still inside. Now, I can understand that this cat had lost its home a few weeks ago and was probably pretty ecstatic about someone being home again. My mom used a squirt gun to stop her cats but I only had glasses of water. So, imagine me, a veritable cat lover, throwing glasses half full of water at a homeless cat meowing at my door. And I have no doubt that the cat will be back again tonight. (Written on the 2nd Day)


And it did come back. When I woke up I found it sitting in my laundry room. It had torn a hole in my shower screen and was patiently waiting for me.

To the Island

We met up in the hotel lobby in Tokyo at 830. There were about 25 JETs going to Kagoshima prefecture with me. During the previous two or three days in Tokyo I hadn't made too many real friends, but by the time we arrived in Kagoshima there were 3 or 4 people that I was truly upset to have to leave, including one girl in particular who gave an air of mean coolness but was in fact just wonderful.

My first glimpse of Yakushima

We passed out of the terminal into a sea or signs and billboards, many with our national flags, names or final destinations. Kamada sensei didn't have a sign but he found me right away somehow. I kept trying to introduce myself with formal Japanese but couldn't seem to get it out with Kamada Sensei cutting me off. "Let's go here" oh ok. He didn't seem to be too much interested formalities, ok by me. On the propeller plane from Kagoshima city to Yakushima he told me he wanted to go to America someday but was afraid, it seems like a dangerous place to him. He was genuinely surprised when I explained to him that, no, I did not have a gun, not even at home somewhere. No, my parents do not have a gun and my friends don't all carry guns. (not all true).

The island port town, Miyanoura

There was a small contingent of local teachers and administrators waiting to meet me at the airport. I bowed and greeted my boss politely, and was then informed that my boss was standing just to my left. So I started again, bowing and greeting my real boss. We stepped out of the airport and I was handed some car keys, "you can drive right?" "uh err, I guess" "hahahaha, just kidding". It was my company car they were driving after all. I'm gonna go out and practice a bit today as driving on the opposite side could cause a few problems.
I was taken to the local school office where I was introduced to the whole of the staff and told, "speechi". Speechi ka? I intermittently introduced who I was as Kamada sensei kept saying, "wait, ok....... wait, ok........wait...go ahead" I'm still not quite sure what I was doing wrong.
And then in a whirlwind I was taken around the town, to see the gas station attendants, Kamada Sensei's family, the local grocery, the trash and recycling area, the electric and gas company... and then I came to my new home.

TOKYO

Our orientation took place at the very nice Keio Plaza Hotel. This was the reception on the last day.


I finally made it to Tokyo. The 12 hour flight wasn't so bad, but by the time I got through customs, on a bus and into Tokyo, which is far from the airport, I felt like I had been up for a few days straight. Instead of sleeping, however, I went out to enjoy the lights a little. Shinjuku is more brightly lit, louder and more crowded than I remember it being. Walking around the city again kinda feels like visiting a dream. I have so many memories here but when I'm in the states they don't seem real. Needless to say I'm thrilled to be here and doing great. I've got orientations all day for the next few days so I'll be pretty busy.