Home » Japan » Peace Marathon, Sandankyo Gorge, and Speech Competition

It has been a while since I have posted an entry, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy doing stuff and seeing things! Right now it is the end of Fall and the leaves in Japan are amazing. In Cali we really don't have an Autumn, so coming to Japan was a special surprise to see all the leaves change into beautiful red, orange, and yellow. I will also add that Japan is getting cold. I am not used to cold weather. Rigth now it is as cold as it gets in San Francisco...a nice crisp 40 degrees. Its going to be a heck of a lot colder in January and February!!! The problem with Japan is they don't have insulation in any of their houses. You would think a country that has some of the best technology in the world would have insulation in their houses. Well, someone forgot to give them the memo about that. Its going to be a cold winter!!! My very first! Soon there might be snow in my photos!<br />So the past month has been relatively mellow in comparison to October and August. This is my "home." No longer a vacation.

Peace Marathon, Sandankyo Gorge, and Speech Competition

Casey Lary
2006-02-20 15:30:00

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(gotta see it to think its funny). I trained all of October, and it sure paid off. I finished the 10 km race in 56:25!!! I was aiming for an hour, so I beat my time! Afterward we all rewarded ourselves with big greasy burgers, fried fish, and fries. Sushi just

Jen and I posing with large costumed people. This is a common experience in front of the PARCO department storewasn't going to cut it. That weekend I bought a bicycle! I am absolutely in love with my bicycle and love riding it around Kabe. I have already almost hit a person, a car, run into a ditch, run into a rice paddy, and flown over the handlebars. It may not be the safest thing for me, but it will get me to and from the gym! Plus its cream and has a basket! I also went to Hiroshima castle to see more Kagura and drink so Asahi beer.
In the middle of the next week I had the best surprise ever. Jenny and Shinya, Holly Irvine's sister and her husband came to visit me in Hiroshima and I got to see their baby Dakota!!! He is the cutest thing alive. It was nice to have a taste of Chico in my life. Plus they brought me Shubert's chocolate, life doesn't get much better than that....well maybe a top dog.... :-).
Saturday, Nov 12, it was a glorious day in Hiroshima. I took a trip solo up to the mountains in Hiroshima. You see, Hiro is like California. It has the mountains and the ocean close to each

My new bicycle! It makes me look good :-)other so you can enjoy skiing and swiming in one place! Right now the Fall leaves, called 'Koyo' in Japan are absolutely amazing. One of the best places to go see them is the Sandankyo Gorge. Lucky for me Kabe was on the way so I made the trek and it was totally worth it. The hiking trail was relatively busy with Japanese people all over the place enjoying the 12 km gorge and beautiful leaves. Hiking plus the beautiful leaves = lets face it I was in heaven. I turned on my ipod and i was cruising. Throughout the day I met different Japanese people. I did not have anyone else with me so I was forced to speak the best Japanese that I could. I did pretty well for myself. I covered the basics...where I was from, where I live in Japan, how long I will stay there, what I do...you know, what every Japanese person asks me :-). At the top of the gorge (or close to it at least I think) there was a beautiful waterfall. The best part was at the waterfall there were girls up there in full on stiletto heels!

More local dance. It is really cool, but a lot of its the same. Here the dancers are up closepaved for most of the way, but come on, heels! Then to the otherside of me were hikers in full on hiking gear, looking like they were ready to hike Fuji-san. There is no such thing as 'kinda' doing something in Japan. It's all or nothing :-). It was a beautiful Fall day well spent exploring this incredible place.
Sunday I had a very important role. I was a judge at Kabe Senior High School's speech competition. Coincidentally enough, some of Lisa's students were in the competition! I must admit I was very nervous to judge because I wanted to make sure I did a good job. Some of the students were absolutely terrible, others were fabulous, but overall they were super cute. Duties as an ALT; its tough but someone has to do it ;-).
So with the race, lazy weekends, visitors, hiking, and speech competition, my 2 weeks in early November were well spent. I also still enjoy salsa, running along the river, and am looking into karate, ikebana, and taiko. Life's good!

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