Following the Light

sunset surf

2006-07-02T16:41:00.000+09:00

i love surfing.

kuta beach

2006-07-02T16:38:00.000+09:00

damp bali

2006-07-02T16:35:00.000+09:00

2006-06-04T12:30:00.000+09:00

my favorite moment...

2006-06-04T12:10:00.000+09:00

its hot and our clothes are damp as we peel ourselves from the leather seats of the car and make the trek to the beach. it took us three solid times of getting lost before we found this spot. we walk on the small path through the brush, it feels like a mini-jungle with the wildly colored bugs and butterflies and slithery things that receed too quickly for our eyes but not for our ears. my friend says she spots some blue beyond the trees and we quicken our pace. the sand unfolds before our eyes and the sun shines down on that familiar but always awe-some cobolt infinity. the heat is melting and i absorb the moment of evernow with such depth and entireness. for me, this is the moment of Yes.

2006-06-04T12:04:00.000+09:00

typical situation here, an octogenarian cruising along on his bike. he clearly has no idea that we've been patiently crawling behind him for 10 minutes on this narrow road that he takes the liberty to swerve back and forth on. we finally come to a wider part in the road and slowly pass him and make sure to get a good look. this man had the sweetest expression on his face, smile gleeming in the sun, strawhat flapping in the wind. we all rolled down our windows and shouted a big "konichiwa!!!!!!" i think it made his day.

miyako island

2006-06-04T11:58:00.000+09:00

I personally think that Miyako has the most beautiful water and beaches ive seen in this country. i have been all over these islands, combing them for the most beautiful beach, of course. and whenever i arrive to one that i think is quite possibly the Most beautiful beach in japan, someone points out a hazy green speck in the distant sea and tells me that That island has a More beautiful beach. haha, well i have the rest of my life to keep looking, and ill let you know when i find it....or maybe i won't...

miyako island

2006-06-04T11:56:00.000+09:00

i am here

2006-05-27T18:06:00.000+09:00

in the 3rd one down you can see tokunoshima up on the left there, the largest island is okinawa, and i am on ishigaki. i have been to iriomote and the little speck north of it called Hatoma-jima. ill be making my rounds on the rest of the little islands inthe next couple of weeks.

2006-05-27T18:01:00.000+09:00

umbrella love

2006-05-27T17:24:00.000+09:00

what the hell is the use of an umbrella when im bombing down a hill at the speed of rain on a killer blazing orange bicycle that is too small for me and all the while my umbrella is desperately trying to cast its life away into the wind. but nonetheless im clinging for dear life on this lightening-loving-nylon-nuisance. the heavens are surely dumping buckets and the looming calm between thunder and its lover lightening is growing shorter with each ridiculous pedal of my bike. any moment now i should regain sanity and ditch the umbrella and pedal for my life, but no, id much rather hydroplane myself straight into a soaking wet giggling mess.

how did i get myself into this? it all started this morning when i arrived to Ishigaki island on a 9 hour ferry from Okinawa. i met a woman named Satoko on the ferry ride and it seemed as though we were moving on the same schedule (which is no schedule, no plans whatsoever)so we decided to wander together. we ended up choosing to go to a nearby island called Iriomote that has the population of my high school graduating class. its famed for its mangrove forests, rivers and wild Iriomote cats. we called the first guesthouse that we saw a sign for, dropped off our stuff, and packed our bathing suits for a sunny day at the beach. on our way out the door is started to rain, but we were so antsy to get out into the wilderness, that we hastily left in a brief interval between pours. so sure enough it drizzled the whole way to our destination - Yubu Island. Yubu Island is a small hiccup of sand and mangrove trees about 550m from the shore of Iriomote. there is a water buffalo taxi service that brings you across the shallow sea to the island, but we chose the cheaper route - walking across. Rolling up our pants we slowly made our way across in the mid-calf deep brown and green piss warm water. there we were, two broke backpackers walking in between buffalo taxis to an island in the distance. once on the island we realized it was a botanical garden and mini zoo! have you ever seen an emu? waht a strange looking creature. anyway, once we made our way to the other side of the island that faces the China Sea we peeled our sweat soaked clothes off and jumped in...well not really. we walked in, and walked and walked...until we were 500m away from shore in the ocean that never rose above our thighs. The sun cam out and we must have spent an hour submerged in the water regretting the moment we had to get out. the sun started its slow dive into the western mountains and so we started to leave. half way across the island, the belly of heaven, in one swift and mocking motion, ripped open on us again. we waiting under at awning but eventually the impressive symphony of rain sounding all around us was rudely interrupted by an anouncement that the park was closed and that we (surely they were speaking directly to us because i hadnt seen anyone in hours) had to leave. we grabbed two available umbrellas and made our way to cross the waterway again. With such an action packed day we failed to remember that the ocean has tides and that the tide might come in, and of course it did. The remainging park workers were preparing to cross in their knee high rubber boots and rain suits. when they saw us they gave us a nice hearty laugh. we were quite the sight-two careless and naive girls sporting our worthless umbrellas like they would protect us from anything. Rolling up our pants again, this time much higher, we marched back into the murky sea to find that is had risen a little over a foot. the first couple of meters i took each step with such deliberation as to not get my pants wet. who was a kidding?! somewhere around step number 113 i became mesmarized by the patterns in the surface of the water. not a single space was left undecorated by the concentric waves of the drops. it was a beautiful kind of private squaredance of rain, except it was a circle dance, and a very public one at that. at around step 537 we reached the shore where we asked the gate attendant if we could borrow the umbrellas. he responded by laughing at us, but when he noticed we were dead serious, he said OK. mounting my japanese-sized bike, it took me a good five minutes of wobbly riding before i found a barely comfortable position for the pointless umbrella. i was struggling with the damn thing the whole time we sluggishly battled our way through the relentless storm. which brings me back to that moment of pure dripping wet delirium. finally laughter took hold of us, the umbrella became an absurd accessory and we steered our bikes straight for the biggest puddles. this is the end of my rainy day story.

2006-05-27T17:21:00.000+09:00

beautiful local butterflies and their golden nugget cocoons on Yubu island, walking distance from Iriomote island, check the map above

2006-05-27T17:19:00.000+09:00

2006-05-27T17:18:00.000+09:00

a chinese garden in okinawa

infinity

2006-05-19T09:45:00.000+09:00

2006-05-19T09:30:00.000+09:00

le ninjette des carrots

every once in a while i would come across lover carrots, thats what we called them, "lovers." i was comforted in knowing that even carrots seek out the companionship of one another. occasionally i pulled a couple of "lover" carrots that were doing obscene things not suitable for my webpage, but im sure you can imagine....

2006-05-19T09:27:00.000+09:00

my going away party. Mr. Koichi on the left, Sebastian, Mr. Fuku, Mr. Azuma, Mrs.Noriko Yoneda, Mrs. Azuma, and me! lots of laughs. Mr. Azuma played his shamisen and Noriko taught me a folk dance. One funny moment in particular- everyone spoke a little english, so they would help fill in the gaps for those that had trouble understanding. At one point we were on the topic of hermit crabs when someone asks me "how do you call them in english?" to which i replied "hermit crabs." a brief moment of confusion was passed when i saw a light pop in one of their heads and they made the motion of putting a helmut on and said "ohhhh, HELMUT crab." and everyone followed by motioning that they were putting on a helmut and driving a motorcycle. now that i think of it, it makes much more sense that the crab is wearing its shell like a helmut, rather than living in it like a hermit.

Tea Time with the Azumas in their barn

2006-05-08T01:25:00.000+09:00

this was by far my favorite place on the whole island. i spent many days in this nook in the rock formations overlooking the pacific writing, singing, reading, dancing, sleeping... one day when it was very clear out, i thought i could make out california in the distance, but then realized its probably just hawaii.

KuroSato

2006-05-08T01:19:00.000+09:00

I went to a sugar cane festival where they made raw black sugar the traditional way -with a bull. the man squatting at the machine is feeding sugar cane into the gears, and the juice is squished out. then they cook it in big vats. there was a line around the park of people waiting with cups for a taste of fresh hot black sugar. i didnt have to stand in line because so many people came up to me and offered their cups. delicious!

Noriko!

2006-05-08T01:16:00.000+09:00

such a sweet lady. this was my host for the month on tokunoshima. she was so generous and happy, and had the most impressive tupperware collection ive ever seen. im going to miss her (and her cooking!)

2006-05-08T01:10:00.000+09:00

ah, one of my favorite people ive met so far. Mr. Azuma, the farmer i worked with on the carrot farm. here he's playing his shamisen and trying to teach me the words (in the island dialect) to the folk song "Nada-so-so." he, his wife and i shared many laughs on the field. good times. you may notice that his right thumb looks a little weird....32 years ago he provoked a local poisonous viper snake, and the snake didnt like it very much, so it took off with half of his thumb. oops! i like to think that he caught the snake in the end and used the skin for his shamisen.

the best seat in the house

2006-05-08T01:00:00.000+09:00

i found this little perch of grass that overlooked the crashing ocean some 30m below. it was a perfect spot to sit- the earth craddled my half-lotus. i felt like i was sitting in the Seat of Enlightenment. but i chickened out, sitting on the edge like that with the strong winds was too scary for me. no enlightenment this time. darnit.

2006-05-08T00:59:00.000+09:00

hermit haiku

2006-05-08T00:57:00.000+09:00

dancing in the sun
faint pattering of feet
the flight of the hermit crab

2006-05-08T00:55:00.000+09:00

picutre of the famous and late Shigechiyo Izumi-the oldest man in the world. 120 years old, and so happy!

2006-05-08T00:54:00.000+09:00

other wwoofers Johanna from Sweden, and Daniel from England.

2006-05-08T00:51:00.000+09:00

a welcome home dinner for the new wwoofers, daniel and johanna.

2006-05-08T00:45:00.000+09:00

typical dinner at Norkio's. on the left we have some fishy stuff, in the middle theres burdock root, pork, carrots, and potatoes, upper right hand corner theres bitter cucumber with tunafish and ponzu, top middle is my favorite-home made pickled eggplant and green papaya with young black soy beans, and finally rice and miso. oishi! (yummy)

2006-05-08T00:36:00.000+09:00

One morning Noriko, my host, told me we were going to a traditional "rasberry event." she instructed me to wear pants that i could roll up. i was so confused, were we going to smash the rasberries with our feet? soon, all questions were answered when we arrived at the annual tokunoshima "rice paddy event." her thick accent got me all excited to stuff my face with fresh rasberries, but this was not the case. the event is for the celebration of the first rice planting. many people from town, young and old, roll up their pants, jump in and help plant the first rice seedlings of the season. there was a group of elders, who were all clearly octogenarians, singing island folk songs in the native dialect. they were all singing in different keys and beating their tyco drums at different speeds. i didnt blame them because i noticed their leader was staggering around, shochu in hand, flailing his arms about.

2006-05-08T00:33:00.000+09:00

my buddy Mr. Horns the Fighting Bull.

2006-05-08T00:30:00.000+09:00

these native lillies generously spotted the hills and roadsides. on a good day, the wind would mask the smell of manure with its sweet fragrance.

where's cory?

2006-05-08T00:29:00.000+09:00

Kaminomine Beach

2006-05-08T00:21:00.000+09:00

Yay, im finally on Tokunoshima island after a few days in transit and on the sea. This was the beach i visited after work if it wasnt rainy. It was a pleasant bike ride from the house i stayed at, and was rarely occupied. sometimes id see a farmer walking his fighting bull on the sand to give it some exercise. plenty of tide pools and coral reef to keep my eyes busy for days. i walked and walked looking for that perfect piece of sun-bleached coral, but sure enough, there were too many perfect pieces for me to choose. after a while, i would just find the longest piece and go a-poking at the seablobs in the reef. seablobs are fascinating!

Sakurajima

2006-05-08T00:18:00.000+09:00

To continue my journey further south on the islands, i had to ferry it back north to the main port in Kagoshima City. I stayed in the cheapest place in town, which happened to be on a volcano. coincidence? nah. this is a view from my room of the majestic and active lava factory, Sakurajima

crooked sea

2006-05-08T00:12:00.000+09:00

this was my last day on Yakushima. I hitched a ride on the one road from an elder couple. they had about 5 teeth between the two of them, and didnt speak any english. we listened to the scratchy AM radio play classical music for the 40 minute drive and they drove me right to the beach front, even though im sure it was out of their way. I hung out on this deserted Nagata Beach for hours waiting for a sea turtle to come ashore and lay their eggs. no such luck

2006-05-08T00:06:00.000+09:00

This was K's son, i forgot his name! but he and his twin brother were so well-nautred. this one in particular had such a serene-air about him, and a fierce and wise look in his eye.

2006-05-08T00:00:00.000+09:00

After exploring around, we stopped at a sea-side onsen (hot spring). Jourgen on the left, K in the middle, and Riko on the right, with K's baby Tefeno. K drummed along with the sweetly familiar tunes of Bob Marley as we had an afternoon dip.

2006-05-07T23:49:00.000+09:00

In english its pronounced "yaksugi-land" but the Japanese pronounce is "yaksugi-Land-O" so thats how its written on all of the signs. funny stuff. This national heritage forest contained ceder trees that were 2000 years old. we spent our time wandering around it, admiring how the earth can age with such tenacity and grace.

2006-05-07T23:46:00.000+09:00

over the weekend on yakushima, a family visited my host and invited me to come along with them while they explored the island. Ellen on the left, Natalie and Fabian. Gems. we went hiking in YaksugiLando and i could barely keep up with them.

2006-05-07T23:44:00.000+09:00

Senrip-no-taki waterfall

2006-05-07T23:41:00.000+09:00

Kyoko, on the left, and I shared a room for the week on Yakushima. She was such a beautiful woman. We connected on some deep levels even though she didnt speak any english, and i hardly any japanese. Her friend on the right was visiting from Osaka, and loved to take us out for sushi. lots of fresh local fish and island brew of shochu.

My 6am-blue&gold-Macaw-alarm named Jerry

2006-05-07T23:37:00.000+09:00

Jerry was one of my housemates during my stay on Yakushima Island. this bird was a talker. unfortunately for me, all he could say was "konichiwa" and "jerry" and he loved talking in the early morning.

weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

2006-04-21T18:28:00.000+09:00

Here on Kaminomine Bichi, on Tokunoshima Island (some 20 hours by ferry from mainland) I am drawn to write. I finished work early today and took the opportunity to go for a nice bike ride to the beach. Biking on the country roads singing aloud along with the tunes on my ipod,　Ｉ meet the gawking eyes of children fresh out of school with silly faces and correctly pronounced "konichiwa!"'s. This beach is a special beach. It is accessed by a long dirt road that comes equipped with two killer dogs ready to tear flesh at a moments notice with their killer jaws. Every time I come here I try to think of new ways to outwit them and pass unscathed. Today I thought I could soundlessly creep by, ready to bolt if the time came. I was wrong-as if they could smell my cockiness-they were waiting for me. I zoomed past them, but not without bellowing a primal scream that fueled my escape to the beach. Ah, yes, living on the edge-what a great cardiovascular workout.
Finally on the beach. No one is here, or ever is, except for the lone fisherman wading out in the shallow water along the reef. I walk along the water on a wide white band of coral, hearing it sing under my feet like the dirty dishes of the Mad Dutchess (and if you can tell me where that reference is from, ill send you a prize). My favorite spot is some 20 minutes from where I left my bike. It allows me enough time to meander though the tide pools in the seaweed-covered reef, and investigate the spotted, spikey, and slimey things, as I listen to the snap, crackle, and pop of the exposed shellfish reluctantly handing over their beloved sea water to the thirsty sun.
Where the hell am I? I ask myself this question often. I can accurately point out on a map the pimple of land Im sitting on, but no matter how many hours I spend staring at the sea, I cannot SENSE my displacement on the globe as one can sense from the popping of their ears that they are moving underground on the LIRR from Jamaica, Queens bound for Penn Station. And at this point in my inner dialogue, I usually settle for the answer "I am here, wherever I am."
And just what have I been doing here? Im glad you asked. I am staying with a jolly woman named Noriko. We enjoy cooking for each other and exchanging language lessons. Every Monday evening, in the dining room of her home, I lead an English class for four lovely ladies. They are in their 50s and 60s, and are eager to learn
English. As one woman put it, "I want to keep my mind active so I dont go senile." Their favorite phrase to use in class whenever they draw a blank is "I am having a senior moment." Cute. By day I work with Mr. and Mrs. Azuma on their carrot and sugar cane farms. Azuma-san and I also exchange language lessons on the field. When the weather is nice he will bring his Shamisen-a 3-stringed traditional Japanese instrument close to the banjo-and sing me old folk songs from Okinawa. Three days a week we are joined by four ladies, each steadily climbing into their late 80s. They speak a native island dialect unique to Tokunoshima, and not a lick of Japanese. We work rain or shine, and its usually raining. Im out there in my white rubber boots and rain suit trying to stay relatively clean, and the ladies are practically rolling in the mud. When we convene at tea-time and lunch, they love to giggle at me with their shining gums, occasionally punctuated by a gnarly chunk of enamel-the trophies of their remaining youth. It is not uncommon for people their age to be working. They grow 'em old here, averaging in the high 90s and up when they pass on. In fact, the oldest man to ever live lived up the road from my house (everywhere is up the road). On his final day he was clocked at an impressive 120 years and 237 days.
My days are filled with laughter. Second only to bullfighting, laughing is this island's favorite pastime. Life is slow and easy. Dont get me wrong, I break a sweat everyday, bit its always paired with tea and snacks. Tea-Time is the best part of the day...
With sugar cane being this island's major crop, there is an abundance of sweetness. They produce "black sugar" which is raw, unrefined dark brown sugar that is pressed into thick sheets and then crumbled in bags to sell on the mainland. Apparently it contains many minerals. People eat it raw throughout the day and use it liberally in their cooking. Mmm. And here I am thinking this is as sweet as life gets - with unlimited 'cane, giggling elders, live folk music on the farm...but then again life is full of surprises.
Being here (wherever that is) is like laying back in the hammock of IS-ness, swaying to the breath of God.
pictures come soon…
Love and Light.

2006-04-01T09:42:00.000+09:00

staring at the sea. we went to this small strip of pebbled beach to collect driftwood for firewood. the beach is littered with discarded remnants of slippers and shoes brought in from the typhoons from japan, taiwan and the phillipines. so many slippers.

2006-04-01T09:33:00.000+09:00

deep in the island. this is not my picture, i found it on the web. but i thought it did the island justice.

approaching the island from the ferry

2006-04-01T09:30:00.001+09:00

A day in the Island life...

2006-04-01T09:30:00.000+09:00

After one 15 hour ferry, a 3 hour bus, another 10 hour ferry, and an hour drive, I find myself in the village of Onoaida, on the small island of Yakushima. Its located in a series of islands about 110km south of the southern most tip of Kyushu (the south main island). Its 7:30am and i need a shower and breakfast. I cook my new host, Rainer-san, and my new roomate, Kyoko breakfast - Mountain toast (one-eyed-jack, egg in a hole, yoni bread, etc...). It was a first for them and they loved it. The host gives me a brief tour around the property. Just the view from his house is well worth the 28 hour journey here.
To the north is the mountain. The few mountain peaks tower over the coastline, green and dramatic, as if in a hurry, the earth climbed straight to the sky to flirt with the clouds. To the south about 50m and 50m down a steep cliff is the cost, jagged, calloused and alive. There is no beach, just giant and ancient statements of lava jutting out of the ocean. And beyond the igneous guardians of the sea is the unending blue horizon. Ive lived near the ocean all of my life, but ive never seen one that strechted to far, so wide, so blue. There are supossed to be more islands out there, but i dont believe it to be so. Between the mountain and the sea rolls a dense subtropical forest. Always green, but not too tall - the annual typhoons make sure of it. Small villages make their home on the narrow bits of flat land the mountain left it its wake.
So here i am.
In the mornings i work in the garden. The noon bell relieves me from the sun to go and make a hearty lunch of freshly picked greens, beans, and carrots. The one oclock bell nudges me back out. Sometimes i`ll take a siesta and climb down the cliff side to swim in the ocean. There is no shallow ground so i wait, squatting on a rock, for a wave to come in so I can jump into it. With the borrowed goggles, i see the dark ocean bottom some 30m below me. I feel so small as the waves whip me back and forth. Underwater, the rock face wear`s the birghtly colored corals, sponges, and slimey things like a mask. On days when the water is too rough ill jump into one of the many natural hot springs. some are tucked in a hollowed out boulder on the ocean, some in the forest. Out of the water, and back up the cliff, i finish up in the garden. in the two weeks i was in Japan before i cam here, i had yet to see an insect . It was nice at first, but quickly became bizarre. In the garden i am facsinated by all of the crawly things new to me. My attention focuses on two giant green grasshopers mating. The male is perched on top doing all the work as the female is chomping away at a juicy piece of leaf. Typical.
The 3 oclock bell sounds from the hidden speakers in the trees. The Administration plays a song that leads a midday exercise. Apparently all of the workers in the island take a 5 minute break to stretch along with the strangely pleasant voice instructing them to do so. Although i was too young to remember, i am reminded of 1984. In a few more hours the work is done and the host takes me for a drive. We pass through the town (the 3 stores). Let us not forget that a tiny and remote Japanese island would not be complete without its fair share of vending machines! Anyway, he is a bee keeper and we go to check on his hives that are scattered out over several small fields. I stand back and watch him, barehandedly, check each box for new queen cells. There should only be one cell per hive, or else the bees will leave with the new queen to find a new hive.. He locates a few and plucks them out. We enjoy the yogurt like royal jelly fresh from the cell on the ride home. Its a bit sour with grassy overtones, but does the trick - i felt like a queen.
Back at the house i climb to the roof to watch the sunset, catch a last glimpe of the ocean and write a little before its time to make dinner. Tonight we make soup with freshly caught Aji (spanish mackeral) from the market, garden veggies, a side of rice and a salad. Kyoko and i make some tea and watch one of her many videos on Ramtha. Theres nothing like a dose of channeled wisdom before i hit the sack. Slipping off, the motion picture show on the back of my eyelids displays tomorrows adventure jam packed with monkeys, giant spiders, swinging from vines, hiking alond the river up the mountain, hot springs...

2006-04-01T09:16:00.000+09:00

This was one of the kids that was on the first ferry with me. I showed them a card trick and that was the end of me, they wouldnt leave me alone all night. More card tricks! more games! they could play Go Fish all night long. The boy in the picture and i played rock paper scissors, and i will gladly admit, he beat me every time. In the morning when i woke up (i was in a shared room that fit 15 other women and children) the children ran over to me with cards and toys. i pretended like i went back to sleep, but they just poked away. Kawai ("cute" in japanese).

Higashi-Honganji Temple

2006-03-24T21:10:00.000+09:00

can i get an amen?

sakura

2006-03-24T21:07:00.000+09:00

ah yes, the season of the cherry blossom. Kyoto is buzzing with tourists here to see the blossoms. People walk around the park for hours studying and soaking in the beauty of each unique flower.

2006-03-24T21:03:00.000+09:00

OG Pigeon Lady at Higashi-Honganji Temple. I stayed several nights at a hostel that was down the block from this massive temple. A nice sight to walk by everyday.

2006-03-24T20:55:00.000+09:00

This is a 300 year old section of a houseboat (boathouse). It is trimmed in gold leafing. This was at the Sorakuen garden in Sanomiya (downtown), Kobe. The garden was built by the mayor of Kobe in the 19th century to be his primary residence. It spanned a couple of acres and included several houses, a lake with 80 year old coi fish, a palm garden, and beautifully pruned old trees. Quite the estate to be located downtown

2006-03-24T20:52:00.000+09:00

Box displaying all the different types of moss at Ginkaku-ji. there were about 3 sets of boxes, and above this particular one a sign read "Very Important like VIP!"

view of Yasaka Tower from the Festival of Lanterns on Jingu-michi street

2006-03-24T20:48:00.000+09:00

Ikuta Shrine in Kobe

2006-03-24T20:46:00.000+09:00

Nyakuoji Shrine

2006-03-23T21:27:00.000+09:00

Ginkaku-ji temple

2006-03-23T21:11:00.000+09:00

roots baby

2006-03-23T20:56:00.000+09:00

the old old trees at Nanzen-ji temple

A Day in the Life...

2006-03-21T12:34:00.000+09:00

Its 8am and everyone else in the room i was sharing is awake. In a dorm room at the Costa Del Sol guesthouse, Kyoto, Japan, I linger in bed catching a last glimpse of the familiar faces in my dreams and then im up. it looks like it might snow today so I bundled up. After a brisk walk through the tiny alley ways i make my way to the pastry shop on the corner for a warm croissant. Im off to the bus stop to catch the next bus to Ginkakuji temple. Wow. I am stunned at how simple, perfect and real this place feels. Im searching for words that could do a zen garden justice, but im at a loss right now. i:ll post some pictures. Slowly strolling on the paths i soak it all in. the patterns, the patience, the coexistence, the integrity.

Ok...the day is geting warmer and its time to start walking on Tetsugaku-no-michi (Philospher's Path). Its a 6km long stone path along an old aquaduct where 20th century philosopher Nishida Ditaro is said to have meandered along the path "lost in thought." I can feel why. Several of the side streets are littered with little shops and of course i visit each one, but i have yet to buy anything. I visit several other temples and a few shrines that are short walk from the path- Anrakuji Temple, Nyakuoji Shrine, Eikando Temple...to name a few. The sounds of slurpling and the scent of hot soup lure me into a little Udon house with enough seats for about 10 people. SO GOOD! Next temple is Nanzen-ji, probably my favorite one. I spent several hours wandering around, following the waterways. It starts to flurry with some afternoon snow. priceless.

The sun starts to set and i notice the path is lined with lanterns. Just my luck, its the last day of the festival of lanterns. Walking down the stone laiden street Jingu-michi, i spot a businessman accompanied by a geisha. hmm, once again hard to think of words to describe such a special and beautiful sight. I pass the strikingly lit Yasaka Shrine and tower and make my way to the heart of downtown Kyoto- Gion. Huge boulevards, neon, lanterns, shops, PEOPLE! in between the main streets are the old little alley ways that twist and wind around. I notice another geisha flip flopping her way down the street to an appointment.

I subway it back to the hostel where the hostel manager and his buddy are about to go get some Ramen. perfect timing. We pile in his old VW Bug and listen to Janis Joplin on our way there. I LOVE RAMEN....not the cup of soup style, im talking about the real deal. we waited in line outside the small restaurant for 15 min before we were sat. im hooked.

back at the hostel im in the mood for a bath. Around the corner is the Hakusan-yu Sento (public bath house). I pay my 370￥and take my time in the different tubs and sauna. When i walked into the sento, it was like the women in there had seen a ghost. i think i am the only blonde that has EVER stepped into that place. I just ignored the stares and relaxed while reflecting on my day.

and the lights are out by 1am. phew!

2006-03-08T01:53:00.000+09:00

the friendliness card

2006-03-07T15:35:00.000+09:00

one of the last days in sf, my partner pulled the friendliness card from our osho tarot deck, and i thought i'd share it with you.

"first meditate, be blissful, then much love will happen of its own accord. then being with others is beautiful and being alone is also beautiful. then it is simple, too. you don't depend on others and you don't make others dependent on you. then it is always a friendship, a friendliness. it never becomes a relationship, it is always a relatedness.
you relate, but you don't create a marriage. marriage is out of fear, relatedness is out of love. you relate; as long as things are moving beautifully, you share. and if you see that the moment has come to depart because your paths separate at this crossroad, you say goodbye with great gratitude for all that the other has been to you, for all the joys and all the pleasures and all the beautiful moments that you have shared with the other. with no misery, with no pain, you simply separate." -osho

notes on the actual card itself which depicts two flowering trees with their ranches mingling in the wind:
"the branches of these two flowering trees are intertwined and their fallen petals blend together on the ground in their beautiful colors. it is as if heaven and earth are bridged by love. but they stand individually, each rooted in the soil in their own connection with the earth. it this way they represent the essence of true friends, mature, easy with each other, natural. there is no urgency about their
connection, no neediness, no desire to change the other into something else.
this card indicates a readiness to enter this quality of friendliness. in the passage, you may notice that you are no longer interested in all kinds of dramas and romances that other people are engaged in. it is not a loss. it is the birth of a higher more loving quality born of the fullness of experience. it is the birth of a love that is truly unconditional, without expectations or demands."

i am grateful for the love, respect, and support my tribe has unconditionally offered to me. my family is in my heart always, and i will walk this earth in search of you, to inspire you, to learn from you, and to find new ways to serve this evolving tribe. in the name of the light, i am your warrior.