Getting out of Osaka for a Day

It is hot and humid in Osaka, and thinking of what to do for my next job/career attempt is stressing me out, so we all took a trip to the beach. The waves were pretty active and just big enough to wipe-out poor Alex in the surf a few times. He learned not to face the crashing waves the hard way when getting in and out of the sea at Suma Beach. We had a great time, but Luna wasn't having any of it. The wave action was pretty constant and the water really murky as usual.

Lots and lots of mostly naked girls there, and I enjoyed that for a few minutes before all of them began to look the same. Nami says that girls come to the beach in bikinis because they have breasts, and "because they CAN". So I too began to wonder if the girls who come here purposely come here to show that they have breasts. It is a thought that an older guy would have isn't it? But it is true, J-girls just are not that well-endowed, yet there are plenty of gals on the beach who are. I know, a younger, single me would only think "I wonder if she wants to come swim on me?" But now, I mostly think "Gosh 19 is young". Of course Japanese girls ONLY wear bikinis -- only little girls or gals in swimming classes wear one-piece suits. I didn't take any bikini photos because ...well, there are enough photos of Japanese girls on the net then aren't there?

Ok, well there you have it. Start a post about a family outing and switch to talking bout bikini girls. Guess they made more of an impression than I thought.

It was a good day despite the cloudy Kobe skies.

Movie Review: "Biker Boyz" (2003)

Hmmm... Interesting.

I never even heard of this movie until last week, and being a six year old motorbike movie I never heard of, you'd think it couldn't be any good. 1. I am not really all that into modern race bikes so much*, and 2. I am definitely not into hip-hop culture at all. Still, it was a movie about bikes, so I had to try it on, and it wasn't a bad movie. While the soundtrack was awful, motorcycles almost always make up for bad music, bad acting, etc. Oh, and for the record, "Biker Boyz" is the dumbest name for a movie since "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man".

Throughout much of the movie, I kept thinking "Black-sploitation movie!" Because even though it did not present a stereotype of black people, I got the odd sense that putting all of the coolest black actors all in one movie -- that isn't the type that so many people would wanna watch -- was just a ploy to sell more race bikes to young black people. Yes, I saw the TWO white guys in there. Still, most everyone was painted in a relatively cool light except the lead, but that was due to his own lack of acting skills. Who hired this guy Derek Luke? Awful...or is it just that the character blows?

Laurence (Morpheus) Fishburne and Djimon Hounsou make the movie. Orlando Jones is fun and Lisa Bonet...well, she had her skinny ass in there too. Kidd Rock? I don't know or care to hear his music, but he made a fine bad guy -- hated him. So, this movie not only has motorbikes, but it has some cool movie stars and one SERIOUSLY gorgeous girl ... no I mean that, she is super-woman... so I think maybe you might wanna watch it. Meagan Good. Holy buckets! Giggity giggity.

The movie reminds me of that car racing movie with Vin Deisel. That one had a phat vintage hot rod at the end which made it nearly worth watching. Biker Boyz would have been better if a vintage bike won at the end...but I dunno of any vintage race bike that could beat a Hayabusa -- do you?!

So is it worth watching? Sure, why not. If it sucks, take a bigger bong hit and call it fabulous!

*Side note: The reason I say this is not because of the bikes themselves, but because of the "Crotch-rocketeer" macho attitude of so many dumb-asses who ride these bikes, etc. Ty was the guy who made me realize that race-bikes are just bikes, not the guys who are on em.
And is another pic of Meagan Good-lorrrd.

Airplane Boobies

Just enjoying a giggle here. You know, there are many toys, games and stickers lying around the house here and today I found a sticker with this female airplane character on it. The sticker says "Sky Kids BOOBY"...and it is a pink plane with a black nipple on the end.

So I looked this up to find the .jpgs for my post, and see that "Booby" is actually a male plane, here at the bottom right (wtf?) and the pink Booby character is named "Luli". The "Booby characters" are the official mascots for the Kansai International Airport! Now if that isn't f**ked up, I dunno what is. Ya know there are lots of English speaking staff members there at the airport...none of whom understand what boobies are apparently. Then again, maybe boobies are cute to them? ...now I'm getting a giggly-stewardess booby flashing party scene in my head...I'd better go.

Wakasu Kogen Touring 09'

I am back from the hills! For now anyway, I have made use of the caption option in my web album to write down the base of my tour report. There isn't anything left that I am planning to share, so CLICK HERE to view my pics and to read my comments about the trip. Very pleasant ride both days!

Addendum:
Getting back to nature is expensive here, but it really is a necessary cost. Without getting away from Osaka every now and then I am absolutely unmanageable. Much harder to maintain a positive outlook in the face of my current life situation without forests, mountains, rivers or the sea. Just like back home, touring really is a "retreat" and a "re-centering" time.

This time, I kept it at 75mph on the highways. 120kph in other words, which just happens to be straight up on my bike's speedo. I imagine it's because the arrow points straight up at 120 that it became my standard highway speed, but it is also a comfortable speed. The only trouble is, it isn't really that fast to ME -- or those around me -- but the speed limit is 80kph! Dude? That is 50mph. No way. When touring alone in the countryside I generally ride at a medium speed (which ends up being right around the speed limit) because it is relaxing. I think this is why I was not prepared for Splendor type riding when I got together with them at first. Go with this bunch of middle aged dudes on their Kawis into the mountain roads, and they think they're on the Isle of Man!

High points of this ride were the smooth country roads, the tree-covered mountains, getting away from Kujo, clean air to breathe, and just camping in general. I really like this spot because they have a hot spring, though admittedly I would enjoy that part more in the spring or fall. The folks I camped next to gave me a generous sampling of their salt-taste chicken, to which I responded by giving them a bit of grilled pork and my extra firewood and charcoal. I LOVE campers like them!* Sometimes I wish that were the norm.

I also had the new fire-pit which many campgrounds in Japan require us to use. The shape or the brand are not important, just that you do not build fires on the ground directly. I have never actually seen a "Fire-pit" here, or not at least what us Yanks would recognize as a rock-ring** fire-pit.

*A similar thing happened once before, when I was alone at the Columbia Gorge. A member of a large family brought me A PLATE of food, with TWO biscuits! That was my dinner, I didn't even cook what I brought! PLUS they brought me breakfast in the morning!

** Little side info here for you non-redneck raised folks. If you make your OWN fire-ring out of river stones? Do not use ones that were actually IN the river. When they heat up in the fire, there is a good chance they will split, and sometimes that can be a bit dangerous, especially if shards fly!

The only "bad" point was the bug bites. I didn't see one mosquito, so did not burn off the bug-repelant incense I brought with me. My mistake, as some other kind of bug actually BIT me and the bites are still itchy on Wednesday morning.

A mild annoyance at the time was that by 11:30pm it was SO windy that the tent was bending inwards against me and I had to move it waaay back away from the edge of the ravine where I had pitched it earlier. This is the easiest to put up tent I have ever owned, but the challenge was moving it against a heavy wind, with my stuff inside. Still, this part of the event almost goes into the category of fun, since I didn't get hurt and I had something interesting to do. Only got some deer shit on my pants re-staking the tent, and the ground is FULL of rocks, so it took quite some time to get the tent stakes pounded in. That night I wished I had IRON tent stakes and a metal mallet!

This was actually only the second time to use this tent too! So, I am still getting used to the small size! It is just a two-man, so just big enough for me and my gear.

Anyway, the details are with the photos in my web album, I just wanted to write a bit here too. This trip really points out how bad I want to take all my kids camping too! There were oodles of family tents out here this weekend! Almost all of them were the Coleman family tent, with the matching breakfast/dinner tent. I left my cooking/rain fly
out this time, and after that high wind, I am reaaaally glad I left it at home! The guy next to me said that two of his Coleman type dining tent poles were bent. So THAT is why the home center here sells STEEL poles instead of alluminum?

Anyway, this is just a ramble, so , so go over and look at the photos if you haven't already!

My notes:
7/18
Tolls: 700 for Hanshin Hwy.+ 2100 on Chugoku Hwy.
Gas (lost receipt guessing 1000yen)
Campsite+firewood+charcoal=3000yen

7/19
Tolls: 2250 Chugoku Hwy.+ 700 Hanshin Hwy.
Gas: 1122yen
Waterfall stop: 200en

11k yen ($100) for this trip. Not including food or the new grill.

P.S. After I got home and washed my sleeping bag, I learned what the expression "Top loading agitator machines can damage a sleeping bag" means. It means that the agitator (spinner-thingy) can rip holes in your bag. Fortunately, though the TWO tears were each an inch long, they were at the opening of the bag, and I can sew. But something else weird happened...all sorts of soap and dirt got trapped in one corner...the one that got torn. So I am guessing this is the corner that got stuck in the agitator somehow. Word to the wise: Use the front loader big machine at the coin laundry.

2009 Isle of Man ...electric?

Weeeeeeeiiird... electric motorbike race at the Isle of Man. TTXGP.

White Peach Roll Cake

Ok, so YUM!
I am trying really hard...really I am...to bring more fruit into our diet and at the same time make deserts less about pure cane sugar. True, there is plenty of sugar in whipped cream roll-cake, but there are at least REAL peaches in here. The trouble is the COST of produce here.

So check it out... fruit in Japan is something for giving as gifts or eating when you feel like being fancy. I can feel my blood pressure rise when I think about how stupid this way of thinking is, and I miss how cheap fruit is in America.

I used 2 peaches for this desert and they were...$5 for two. Not even the most fancy and expensive in the store. They are good peaches, I can tell you that, but pretttty spensive. CANTALOUPE ...fucking melon...is commonly seen at the run of the mill grocery store for $20! Somehow, leaving a piece of the vine on the end too makes it all extra lovely...wtf. Cretins. $10-15 is common. Never saw one for $2 here like in Seattle, but then...I don't get into cantaloupe (simply called "Melon" here) at any price.

Yes, I just posted a similar story before when we used grapes instead. Grapes are typically $6 for a bunch...apples are $1.50-$2 a piece...but could easily fetch $15 for ONE at a downtown department store. I have personally seen strawberries for $6 a BERRY downtown before too. Fucking decadence here has just made people stupid...it is FRUIT for crissake!

Gearing up and Revin'

Yowza! I am getting totally psyched for this weekend! After morning classes I will be heading into the hills with my mighty steed to camp! Just one night...which is actually kinda...well, typical... but it turns out that it will be a 3 day weekend, and Nami is off Monday, so actually I could have stayed out there another day and rode a bit further. Another day would not cost much more than for food, since it is the highway tolls getting OUT of here into "motorcycle land" that costs so bloody much...

But this is neither here nor there, I will be dining out with the mountains and my bike, testing out a new grill and eating fine, fine food! I actually intend to pork out...though pork is not on the menu...I plan to salmon and beef out! Yes, that is right, two main dishes! Why? Because I am going to all the trouble to grill something, I hate to waste a good fire.

Anyway, I just watched a crud-load of touring videos from last year and I am actually ready to go NOW! My biggest issue at the moment is whether to bring the full-face at all. I don't want to wear it in this heat, but it is the only way to listen to my TUNES! The halfy is best for this sweltering weather, but with that, all the lovely wind in the face also prevents me from hearing my music, no matter what kind of earphones I use. That sounds like a personal problem yes, but I love this part "Which helmet to wear on my MOTORCYCLE RIDE THIS SATURDAY?" Saturday is the day, and it has been toooo long! Tango was really only 2 months ago? That is waaaaay too long.

Edit: I decided to take off the rear box, and glad I did! I bought it to go riding with Mika, for safety reasons, but after riding with her here just a couple times, and one of them being a near-death experience, I think that the only way I would feel safe riding with her is if I had a biker gang around me and we were all carrying grenade lauchers, lazer guns and my bike could FLY out of trouble. That said, without Mika riding along, there is no need for the unsitely dad-bike box. If I could I would get some big ol' leather bags for the beast, but these hard cases ARE useful.

The Never Ending Concentration Camp

I just watched "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and that was a harsh movie. Made very well I thought, and I enjoyed it most of it -- appreciated the rest -- but the movie makes up for the sweetness of the little boy with a brutal ending. The movie has been criticized as portraying Auschwitz as a place where a boy could walk up to the fence and talk to another little boy...when in fact those not strong enough to work (children and old people) were gassed immediately upon arrival.

But as movies go, the acting and all that was good. Is not a "feel good" movie though. Definitely was nothing like Valkyrie...another installment of the Tom Cruise "Best ____ in the world" series (he is older now so the best Nazi traitor fails and doesn't get any girl.) The feeling I got from Boy in the Striped Pajamas was more like watching "The Never-ending Story" where the kid is befriended by that long white dog-faced dragon? Only while the boy is laughing and having a great time the dog-faced dragon turns and swallows him whole, then the credits roll.

Let me stand next to your white-man fire

You may or may not have read in previous posts of mine that while camping in Japan I found that most places do not allow campfires. I even called around the neighboring prefectures to find places where it was OK, but couldn't find but one. It turned out to be a problem with the question I asked -- you cannot build a campfire directly on the ground. Often times in Japan I don't get the full story on things. I don't always know the exact words for what I want to ask, and I think that because I am not a native speaker, the people on the other end don't put extra effort into recommending things or providing extra info that say...American park rangers would. (I miss ranger stations.) Still, you would think someone would be cool enough to just say, "No fires directly on the ground, but why don't you bring something to put the fire IN?"

It turns out that campfires are OK in most places IF you have a campfire stand. If you camp in the U.S. are you aware of such things as portable pyramid BBQ & campfire stands over there? I had never heard of such a thing but the standard BBQ or a Hibachi, both of which you CANNOT bring on a motorcycle unless it is a Gold Wing or you have a trailer...or you are obsessed with bringing large junk with you. One guy at Vibes last year had made a fire stand out of a WOK and some very long bolts and carabeeners. Oh, sooo cool. Too bad it is sooo big.

So, my reason for posting today is that I have been wanting one of these Logos brand pyramid-shaped fire/BBQ stands since I began touring in Japan, and yesterday I just happened to walk past the Logos store and saw that they were 1000 yen off! ...so I bought one! 3900 yen ($39) is still a bit more than I wanted to pay, but it isn't 4900 yen now is it? I was all peppy about saving $10 until just now, when I saw the same thing sold online for $37. Hey, oh well huh? I have it now! Did a Google search and found a Japanese blog where the guy had written up a comparison of 3 different types of fire stands. The one I bought was one of the three, and it turned out that it wasn't the most expensive one out there. One made by Snow Peak is $90!! It is aluminum, and that is pretty sweet, but it doesn't even come with a grill...and it's $90!!! Ninety dollars????

The one I got is funny in that it is extremely compact...but the grill top cannot fold up, so you still need a big space on the bike somewhere to carry that part...or to cut it in half, put a couple rings on it to hold it together, and bring 2 metal sticks to hold it on top...could do that. But, I actually bought it for the FIRE itself, not really to cook on, so I "could" leave the grill at home. My gas burner is small enough to fit in my pocket, but the gas canister and the pans take up space. So I am considering whether or not to bring just the grill and leave the fry pan and gas at home next time. (Still need one pot for boiling coffee water though). It is not a perfect replacement for a stove, but then as I said, I wanted it for the fire. Growing up American, I feel a bit lonely without a campfire. Japanese feel "off" when there isn't a hot spring to bath in. If there were no beer or a hot spring, I bet most Japanese would give up on touring altogether. Haha.

Here are the other options for non direct-contact campfire stands. To the left is the Snow Peak Campfire Stand for $92.40. WTF?!?! And at the right is the Logos "Lotus Fire Base" for $9.90. Looks like this one would scorch the ground pretty bad, so I probably would not go for this one.

Wakasu Kogen Video...2 Years Late (笑)

I took this video back in October of 2007*, but I thought the video footage was minimal and it wouldn't make a very interesting vid for anybody but me to watch. But, last fall I was playing around with some of the video editing programs in Ubuntu** and began dubbing music over the parts where I actually filmed while riding with the camera attached to my helmet or in my hand. The sound in the riding parts is nothing but extremely LOUD wind, so I messed around with adding a soundtrack. This video is one of those where I later added music to make it more fun. I think it turned out pretty good. Oh, and by the way, in the vid I say that it is 14C degrees out and that I will tell you what that is in Fahrenheit "later". Well, it is later now, and 14C is 57F. It was October when I visited this place.

*Part of the reason it took so long to post this vid to my blog, is that it is 470Mb. At the time I made it, I was still using a video upload site that would not support such a large vid. Vimeo has a 500Mb per week limit, so I am free to post it. Also, I am thinking that as soon as rainy season is over I will go back to Wakasu and camp again. Maybe in a couple of weeks, so the video will be relevant to a "current event" again. I imagine that such a high altitude camp area will be much cooler than Osaka, and quite a refreshing retreat from the summer heat.

**Probably used Kino, maybe a little bit of Kdenlive?

Google to launch operating system

Bout goddamn time. Ubuntu is my choice for taking Microsoft down several notches...or all of them...but it isn't gonna happen I am afraid. But Google is going to help me outwith the notches part as the title here says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8140594.stm

Weirdo Wooden-Shoes White Man in Kujo

Here's something you don't see everyday in modern Japan: Geta (wooden shoes). And what's more, you sure as hell don't see any white boys wearin' em'.

The story goes like this, I went to the kimono shop to get some wooden sandals to wear with the kimono my mother-iin-law got me, and for when I wear my Jinbei (imagine a more stylish karate-uniform made of thin material, in a variety of patterns and colors). It is hot as fuck over here right now, and will be until October, and I am not a shorts and t-shirt type of guy...yet somehow I am fine with being a TOTAL weirdo and wearing traditional Japanese summer clothes. I fetch a comment like "Hey! That really suits you!" So, I wanted some stylin' wooden sandals to wear when I go native.

BUT! I am a size 12. In a country where the standard is adhered to like a religion, size 11 is "too big" and size 12 is "Oh my god, them are some big-ass feet." Size 30 over here (30cm) so that makes my feet sound even bigger. So there are NO wooden sandals. I had my eye on a 2800 yen pair in the shop, and the guy says, "No way Mr. honorable customer sir, those feet of yours are huge." So I asks if I can special order some. Ok, so he was SUPPOSED to check on that, but instead, he took the liberty of having a pair MADE for me. They were not 2800 yen anymore, suddenly they were 5800 yen. I had said that I would like either the more low profile (and physically lower too) version, with rubber bottoms, but would be fine with the traditional type if that was all that could be had in my size. That was how it went down, and I ended up with probably the biggest pair of wooden shoes in Osaka City.

At 30 centimeters in length, these look as if the cobbler took down a couple of his shelves from the wall and made me a pair of shoes. Very big. But the size is not the real issue here, nor really even the cost for that matter. The real story here is these require a whole new kind of walking on my part...one that I don't know.

I put em' on and walked down to the convenient store and asked a young dude who works there if he ever wore Geta before. He looked down at my feet and said, "Naaaah dude, I never wore them before...and in fact there is just no event for me to wear such things." "Well, I need to learn how to walk in these." I says. He retorted, "Maaan, Japanese don't even wear shoes like that any more", which I knew.

Fun conversation piece(s) but I still need to learn how to walk in em. I have seen goth-hippie-weirdo types wearing this style of geta before, with their velvet shirts, striped pants and hemp straped bag hanging across their chest...which was a very interesting look. If I can get past the embarassment, I may make these part of my new odd-guy look. But then again, I really prefer my combat boots...

The Autopsy Report of Drowned Shrimp

This is video of the show I missed on the weekend. Which I wrote about on my blog.
Long story short.

One of the coolest bands in Japan. I have only seen them live once but I very much want to see them again soon.

PART 1



PART 2



PART 3

Reminding me of a Dream

Maaaaan you really snagged me by posting a photo of a red convertible!! I am so worked up I had to do some image searching, and I am "seeing red"!

I always wanted a convertible, but ever since I became a family man I started seriously thinking about getting one. You know I really love touring -- riding my bike out to the edge of nature, enjoying the wind, the road, camping out -- but on a bike, I cannot take my family with me. I took Mika riding before, but want to take everyone. A typical "cager" would just be a place for kids to be bored for hours until you GET somewhere, but I think a convertible would be the next closest thing to a motorbike, and would make GETTING there more fun for everyone. Everyone together, with the wind in our hair... very rad, very bitchin'.

The first car that comes to my mind, in the "I want it" category is a late 60's Cougar, but a 1971 Cougar rag top (left) would fit my family nicely. Clearly I am not getting a family of FIVE into a 64 Corvette convertible (right)... even if somehow I had a gajillion yen to buy one with. But I have always liked the bigger cars. Hey, we aren't talking "daily driver" here, I want a car for touring with the kids in, so it can be a gas-guzzler, doesn't really matter since this is all wishful thinking right now anyway.

Yes yes yes, I understand that ANY kind of convertible will be expen$ive. And any kind of 60's car will be even more... expen$iver. But hey, even an old convertible would be cheaper than a Harley* and it would certainly provide one with something to work for! And give me yet ANOTHER reason to move the family back to the US!!! (*odd comparison since I would never ever buy a Harley.) I used to drive a 1966 Ford Falcon, Futura, Sports Coupe -- long name means that parts don't exist -- and I saw this red Falcon and wish it was mine! Talk about your car porn. Falcon, Galaxy, Tbird...don't care. Shoot, I would even drive a Fairlane right about now...could even be white or black.

If only there was a car I can live with???

I am going to buy a car someday soon. I am tired of driving trucks and vans and utilitarian vehicles. After we buy a house...... the truck will go!

These are cars I will be happy with....though I hold reservations and my thoughts may change.

Porsche 986 Boxer. If you look close Carlos is driving and I am barking out the corners just like in WRC. This is Carlos'es pride and joy, and yes I am very envious. Though a Silver color will suit me better.

Porsche 914. Yes it is a poor man's Porsche, but with a little vision one could look like this red/orange/black one.


Datsun Roadster 2000. I have always wanted one since I was a kid, and someday it will be mine, though it will be blue and not red like this one.

And a 65 Volkswagen Notch-back in blue. One of the most beautiful cars that I have ever seen! I would be the happiest dork in the world with this old beast.

New Bathroom Sink Cabinet!

Bathroom Sink (Cabinet) Project

Yucky mold. Our old sink has been in this house 20 years or so, but our family has put it to some major use over the past 7. Really dumb how Japanese houses just kinda drop the drainage pipe into a HOLE without sealing it properly with tape or anything. This really contributes to excess moisture under the cabinet unit. A problem I need to fix, but not sure what I can do other than sealing the gap with tape. The other issue was that there was no caulking between the wall and the sink, and that there is no TILE around the sink, just WALLPAPER. I was not really excited about ripping out the sink unit and building a new cabinet, but I am nearly done with the construction part, and the doors are done too. Today I will make sure all the hinges, etc. go on fine, remove them again, sand it all and paint it. But this seems like it is not enough. I will have to consider whether some kind of plastic (?) or some kind of protection should go onto the wall. Cannot deal with tile right now, so not sure what can be done other than just putting the new cabinet right back where the old one was. The mold will be gone for a while, but I imagine that even this amount of effort will not be enough. Hmmm...