universalflo

虹のみさきまつり　Niji no Misaki Matsuri / Festival

2010-04-30T22:39:00.002+09:00

Some basic information in English about this year's festival and site (2010):

When: May 1-5
Where: Yakata 屋形 island in Oita Prefecture (a little South of the Southeastern shoulder of Kyushu)
Fee: 3000 yen for the duration of the festival *kids free

Things to keep in mind:

There are only three ferries a day (at 7:30, 12:00, ...and 16:00 at 300 yen per person), though you can charter one if you get together a group of 30 people at 500 yen per person. (The minimum was 10, but that was changed)

You can't drive to the island. There's no car ferry. Parking for the festival on the mainland side will cost 300 yen. Not clear if that's per day or for the duration.

Everything you take with you will need to be carried by you onto and off the ferry to the site. Of course, you're expected to cart your own trash home, as well.

There's a per bag charge of 100 yen for luggage carried onto the ferry.

From the island side of the ferry port, it will be about a 10-minute walk (this is according to the site, not confirmed by me) over rocks, pavement, and sand. It's suggested that you wear proper footwear for uneven terrain and have both hands free (though I don't know how one would manage that with say, a cooler -- because I'm definitely going to be bringing one of those).

There are no toilets or showers on the island. You can (are expected to?) dig your own pit toilet.

Personally, my request on this one is that people please dig their personal pits on the outer perimeters of the campground. There just isn't any reason to have your toilet pit right between my tent and yours. Or someone else's tent and yours. It's worth walking for a minute or two to keep your toilet away from living areas. Shit stinks. And if you don't put your toilet paper in a bag in your pocket, please burn it or at least bury it. No one wants to look at your used toilet paper.

Ahem. Moving on ...

The water supply is limited, so you may want to bring your own supplemental water supply in containers. (From what I can tell by the website, there's a hand-pumped well. Yes, that's singular.)

From what I can tell on Google Earth, expect for there to be no shade from trees. Bring a hat and sunscreen. The website warns of mosquitos.

It could get quite hot during the day and you should expect it to be very cold at night.

The island is famous for fishing and there will be a fishing competition. However, you're not allowed to dive for fish or other sea life.

There are stores for grocery shopping on the mainland port side. And there's a shower there, too, that you can use for 200 yen.

It's as likely as not that I've gotten some of this info wrong. Please post if that's the case.

The website seems to be getting updated regularly, so please check there for the latest information (in Japanese).

As always, there will be music (Seikatsu Circus!), workshops, a Children's Day tug-of-war, bellydancing, and amazing people.

I hope I make it there and that I see you there, too!

Peace,
Flo

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

If you're interested in reading an old post about the old site, you can find one here.

Undo this. Undo this. Undo this.

2010-01-23T11:29:00.000+09:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Prop 8 -- The Musical

2008-12-06T20:39:00.002+09:00

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

One day, I hope that the idea of gay marriage being illegal will seem just as ridiculous as laws against interracial marriage.

You're Egyptian, you must be a goddess!

2008-11-24T09:27:00.001+09:00

What do people say to you when they find out where you're from?

I was given Pisco and wanted a Pisco Sour

2008-09-16T11:52:00.001+09:00

So I was very lucky to have been given a bottle of Peruvian Pisco. I have fond memories of Pisco Sours from when I went to Bolivia, but didn't quite remember how to make a Pisco Sour. I went looking, and found a great website called CocktailDB: The Internet Cocktail Database. I highly recommend the Mixilator for bottle-shopping inspiration!
Cheers!

Gina Gershon as Sarah Palin

2008-09-12T11:34:00.002+09:00

Exactly.

See more Gina Gershon videos at Funny or Die

Happy Loving Day!

2008-06-13T15:35:00.001+09:00

Happy Loving Day!, originally uploaded by whileseated.

On June 12. 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the laws banning interracial marriage.

Photo by whileseated: http://www.flickr.com/photos/whileseated/

Originally seen on the flickr blog: http://blog.flickr.net/en

This is what I think of Nalgene now

2008-06-01T00:58:00.003+09:00

I'm really annoyed that I now have to go out and get new water bottles and really freaked out that I've been using my BPA-containing water bottles for over a decade.

I've decided to send my bottles back to Nalgene. Read my letter below for more details.

I suggest that you copy and paste this letter and if you have any of your own Nalgene bottles bought before April 2008, that you send your own bottles back to them.

If your plastic bottle doesn't say "BPA-free" and there's a #7 surrounded by a triangle of 3 arrows on the bottom, then it's probably not BPA-free.

Here's the letter I wrote (feel free to use it for your own returns to Nalgene):

Your Name
Your Address

Date

Nalge Nunc International Corporation
Outdoor Products Division
75 Panorama Creek Drive
Rochester, NY 14625 U.S.A.

To Whom It May Concern:

Considering the large body of evidence indicating the harmful effects of BPA, I cannot understand why Nalgene is continuing to sell any products that contain BPA.

For over a decade, I have associated the name "Nalgene" with my experiences hiking and camping.

I learned to trust my Nalgene bottles not to leak, not to break, and to be an altogether reliable way to carry my water with me. When I read ”The Adventure Life With Steve Casimiro
Special Report: Your Water Bottle IS Dangerous” on the National Geographic Adventure Blog, I was truly horrified to learn of the harmful and far-reaching effects of BPA.

I was doubly horrified to read that Nalgene is continuing to not only defend, but sell BPA-containing bottles.

I am not going to support a company that I feel is betraying the trust of its customers. I choose to carry my own water bottle with me because I believe in not only reducing waste but also reducing the harmful effects of plastic waste leaching into our water systems. I no longer feel I can trust the Nalgene company to conduct its business in a way which so clearly contradicts my beliefs.

My Nalgene bottles have taken many journeys with me, but I’ve come to the end of the road with Nalgene.

I do not think it should be my responsibility to properly dispose of your harmful products. I think you should be conducting a collection and recall campaign instead of continuing to sell any BPA-containing products.

To help you get started with your recall campaign, I am returning my Nalgene bottles to you.

Sincerely,

Florence Smith
A Sincerely Disappointed Customer

email: your email address

Toxic Plastic: Don't Drink the Water!

2008-04-29T18:56:00.001+09:00

The National Geographic Adventure blog has a very informative post all about bisephonal A, a manmade chemical found in polycarbonate plastics (included in the #7 category of labeling).
It's the stuff that Camelbak (until fall 2007) and Nalgene water bottles (until the end of April 2008) were made of.

Please clink on the title above to go to the article to get informed and decide whether or not you want to upgrade your water bottles to newer ones that are BPA-free. Or maybe just try to stop using plastic altogether.

Thanks to Rebecca for sending me the link!

The Cast of V-Day Hiroshima 2008

2008-03-17T02:56:00.001+09:00

The Cast of V-Day Hiroshima 2008, originally uploaded by flogently.

It was an amazing experience working with all of you, getting to know you better, and being inspired by you.

With love and respect,
Flo

U.N. Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict

2008-02-13T20:46:00.001+09:00

darfur_055
Originally uploaded by stoprapenow.

Stop Rape Now is a U.N. action against sexual violence in conflict.

The cross-armed gesture is used to take a stand and spread awareness of the issue.

If you can make it, please join us at Chuo Koen (Central Park in Hiroshima) in a photo shoot on Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 4:00 pm.

In correlation with V-Day Hiroshima 2008, we'll take photos to convey the message that all violence against women and girls must stop.

You can write your own message and/or simply take a stand against violence towards women and girls by being a part of our group photos.

Hope to see you there!

Culture Shock

2007-12-28T00:18:00.000+09:00

It's the winter holiday season and I'm feeling full of both holiday cheer and frustration. The holiday cheer ... well, because I'm seeing my family on vacation ...Holiday cheer because the weather in San Antonio (Texas) is just gorgeous (big skies, cold but not too cold, crisp air)...Holiday cheer because one my photos has received some recognition.

And...

Frustration because I let my driver's license expire and there is simply no way to get around this city easily without a license to drive! Frustration because my inability to drive has meant not getting out with my camera to take photos. Frustration because I really don't think it's that safe to walk around with my Nikon D200 in my neighborhood (to clarify, I think I would be safe in body, but that someone would likely watch to see where my camera lives ...) Frustration at coming back to the U.S. to see that there actually seem to be even more shockingly obese people than I remember ever seeing before (hello! mandatory nutrition classes for all k-12 students!). Frustration at the shockingly bad service just about everywhere I've been so far (yes, the folks sure are friendly in Texas, but please, bad service with a smile and a chat just doesn't do it for me!)

Frustration that we all have to wait til next year to hope that enough people have a clue to elect someone with a vision for compassion and the strength to lead us out of this mess.

I'll try and post something actually more cheerful soon, but until then, please do take a moment to watch the video below.

get some help with lifehacker.com

2007-09-04T12:54:00.000+09:00

I can't believe I've never seen this site before. If you, like me, are a constant list-maker who often seems frustrated with the number of times the same list seems to get written, this might be a good site for you, too!
Like the address sounds, lifehacker.com is full of advice on how to make your life easier with hints and shortcuts.
Check it out!

that wasn't so bad ... nevermind!

2007-07-14T19:58:00.000+09:00

What I had written:

Some typhoons in the past have been big and bad even here in Hiroshima, but this last one came and went past Hiroshima without much effect as far as I know.

OKAY ... now my revision:
Be sure to remember that the times on this site's projections are definitely not for Japan!

One good thing that's come of this typhoon is that I've found a typhoon weather site that I really like!

It's called HurricaneZone and it has projections, radar, and animated satellite imagery -- very cool!

Highlights from Grist

2007-03-28T03:49:00.000+09:00

Do you know about Grist magazine? I think it's a great source of environmental news. They send out a weekly email if you want it. The links below will take you to sites referenced by the Grist articles.

Greener Muggles

What about my waffles?

Sustainable families

It's a scary time for bears

American Triptych Vol. 1 of 3: flogently

2007-02-15T23:12:00.000+09:00

American Triptych
アメリカ三部作

Photography by Florence Nobuko Smith

Vol. 1 of 3: flogently

Journey with three women photographers as they go on a three-week photographic road trip through U.S. National Parks of the Southwest and Northwest.

This first of 3 shows will feature the photography of Florence Nobuko Smith.

Opening Night, February 21, will feature a live performance by Bom and　梶山シュウ　(Kajiyama Shuu) from 8-9pm.

Where: The Shack (in Hiroshima)
When: February 21-April 20, 2007

For more information contact:

The Shack at 082 544 7676
or
Flo at flogentlyphotography at gmail.com

flyer designed by Naoko Mizumachi (thank you!!)

Have you ever seen anything like this?

2007-01-26T00:21:00.000+09:00

I saw this on the BBC news this morning and it actually made me leave the house 40 minutes later than I'd intended because I just had to see it again.

Pink Tentacle has written about it (I couldn't find it at all on the BBC World site).

You have to watch the video.

I can't help but wish it weren't dying.

What do you know about disposable chopsticks?

2007-01-17T00:47:00.000+09:00

So I was doing a lesson on the environment yesterday in a Discussion class and the topic of disposable chopsticks (わりばし/waribashi) came up. One of my students said that there was no problem with using disposable chopsticks because they were all simply the trimmings of lumber intended for housing. I didn't believe her and gave us both homework to find the proof of our convictions.

Here are 3 articles I've found that shed more light on the subject. All 3 say that most (96-98%) of Japan's disposable chopsticks come from other countries (mostly China). While a very small percentage of disposable chopsticks come from domestic sources which support anti-erosion and reforestation efforts in a very roundabout way, the use of disposable chopsticks is on the whole, simply a waste of natural resources.

Even using domestic sources, the fuel used to transport the billions of chopsticks from their manufacturers to their distributors detracts from any other justifications I've found.

The 3 articles are in PDF format from:

The Times Online

ABC News

Planet 2025 News

My student's assertions were not the first of the sort that I've heard. Even some very well-educated folks have been convinced that using disposable chopsticks is actually good for the world of soil and trees. This idea that "using small-diameter logs thinned from tree plantations as a raw material for disposable chopsticks would contribute to protecting Japan's steep mountain forests" seems very narrow-minded to me. Wouldn't these trees be better put to use in some non-disposable fashion? Surely someone has a better idea than this.

It seems to me that the Japanese media has been working overtime to justify an addiction to wastefulness.

A haiku on the meaning of minimum wage

2007-01-07T17:40:00.000+09:00

If "minimum" can't

feed and support families,

it's just not enough.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-06T11:58:00.000+09:00

I always enjoy the beginning of the New Year as a symbolic fresh start.

One of my many New Year's Resolutions for 2007 is to begin regularly posting again.

So here's to a New Year and a fresh start:

In the Chinese Zodiac, 2007 is my year, the year of the wild boar.

I hope this sign is an auspicious one for all of us.

Bionic Buildings

2006-10-08T09:49:00.000+09:00

From the BBC World website:

"Spiders make thread that’s as strong as steel, termites build intricate airways in dirt so they can survive in the searing sun. Over 3.8 billion years, nature has become the ultimate designer. Plants and animals have solved problems that allow them to flourish in some of the most extreme environments.

Charlie Luxton goes back to nature’s drawing board to explore how architects, designers and engineers are beginning to create bionic buildings through biomimicry (the act of copying or mimicking biology).

Five specific areas where we can apply nature’s lessons to architecture are examined. Charlie visits buildings which are proof that architects are already using nature’s lessons to build better and safer places for us all to live and work."

How much do you know about biomimetics? Take this quiz and find out!

Design affects not only our behavior but has a direct effect on our planet.

Respect yourself and respect the Earth!

I love you, Emily! Happy Birthday!

2006-09-21T10:16:00.000+09:00

Okay, I know that Emily's birthday was on the 19th of September, but if I didn't believe in "better late than never", I couldn't get out of bed in the morning.

I miss you terribly and I hope your birthday was absolutely fabulous!

I've missed tons of other birthdays this month ... I'm sorry!

Here are two of my most favorite photos of Emily and I and our always fun bathroom mirror shots:

The first one is from when we went to the Fuji Rock Festival in 2004 ... Incredible!!! (tequila, anyone? Em? Em?)

And this second one is from Claire's Snowball Party last December in 2005.

Later, I cried uncontrollably when it really sunk in how many of my best friends aren't actually within hugging distance anymore...

Meditation space: Apartment for Rent in Hiroshima

2006-09-12T03:53:00.000+09:00

Meditation space: West room detail, originally uploaded by flogently.

See details in previous post. Clicking on the photo will take you to its flickr page.

If you're not experienced with using flickr, here's some how-to information:

There are 3 main ways of looking at these photos:

1. You can view the photos as a slideshow by going here and clicking on "view as slideshow" on the top right.

If you want to see the title and description of each photo, click on it and the photo will become smaller and the description will appear on the right. The description appears quickly on some computers and more slowly on others.
Scroll to the top of the viewer to make your controls visible and to the bottom of the viewer to see small thumbnails of all the photos in the set. Scroll away to make these disappear.
The advantage of slideshow viewing is that you will see the photos larger and in a narrative sequence without having to do any clicking.
However, the disadvantage is that the hover notes are not visible at all and the descriptions might take a while to come up on your screen if/when you want to see them.

2. You can also view the photos as a set and in the order of your own choosing.

You can see each photo's title by hovering over the thumbnail image.
If you double-click on an individual photo, you will see it a larger size with a description beneath it. This larger size also enables you to see any hover notes I've written.
You can see any hover notes I've made by scrolling over the photo.
At the top right of the right photo is the "Apartment for Rent (Set)" link which will return you the Set page with the thumbnails all on one page.
"browse" below the thumbnails will also return you to the Set page.
You can also choose to continue viewing individual photos with titles, descriptions, and hover notes by clicking on the thumbnails to the right or "more" below the thumbnails.

3. Going to "flogently's photostream" takes you to all my photos, where you can see medium-sized versions (with titles and descriptions, but no hover notes) in random order.

The number of hover notes per photo is indicated below each photo.
Double-clicking on a photo takes you to a larger version of the photo with hover notes visible.
If I post more vacation photos, these apartment photos may no longer be on the first page, they'll be on later pages.

Apartment for Rent in Hiroshima

2006-09-11T16:44:00.000+09:00

About us and the tenant we are looking for:

You want someplace quiet, with all the benefits of living in the city, but without the hustle and bustle.

You'll keep the place clean because you want to reciprocate the positive energy that has been invested into your new abode before your arrival.

You appreciate wabi-sabi.

We believe in the honor system: if something breaks, you'll tell us. And if it was your fault, you'll own up to that fact.

The two of us lived here for 5 years and it was great.

We're not making any money off of this: we kept the apartment even after we moved because we think it's a great location and believe that there are good people out there who would also enjoy this apartment, but who can't/don't want to pay all the key money, etc.

It's a fully-furnished apartment in Eba-Higashi (see the green arrow), Naka-ku, Hiroshima City, Japan.

It's a 15-20 minute bicycle ride to the Sogo Bus Center/Pacela and a 20-25 minute bike ride to Hiroshima Station. It's less than a minute West of the Honkawa River and it's about a 5-minute walk East of the #8 Eba/Yokogawa and #6 Eba/Hiroshima Station streetcar terminus. In the neighborhood, there are both large and small grocery stores, small okonomiyaki shops, a sento (public bath), and a coin laundry if you want to use a dryer.

It's on the top/3rd floor of a 9-unit building, on the Southwest corner -- so there's only a neighbor below and to the East.

There are 2 6-tatami mat rooms next to each other. Each has its own door leading to the kitchen.

Both rooms have double sliding window/doors, making up the whole Southern wall of the apartment.

The Southern exposure provides lots of sunlight.

There's an excellent cross-breeze because the apartment is very close to the river.

You can just see the river and a small hilltop temple from the Southern balcony.

The Southern balcony is just big enough if you wanted to put out a small table and chairs for two.

The front (Northern) balcony entrance is decorated -- and has plants and a goldfish.

The apartment is fully equipped with furniture (sofabed with bedding, futons, cushions, vanity, low tables, floor desk, bookshelves, drawers, full-length mirror), appliances/electronics (refrigerator, stove, toaster ovens, coffee pot, rice maker, blender, juicer, washer, a/c unit, heaters, fans, TV, DVD players, VCR, stereo w/quadrophonic speakers plus bathroom speaker, lamps, hair dryer), kitchen essentials (dishes, glasses, cutlery, pots, pans, teapot), and other necessities like towels, etc. -- I've included notes on the photos in my flickr set.

Rent is 70,000 yen per month.

Bills are your own responsibility.

The apartment is ready for broadband internet.

There's a bicycle for you to use, too.

Ideally, you'd be able to stay in the apartment for a year or two, but please let us know and be up-front if you are interested in shorter-term rental (a week, a month or few).

We're also open to making the apartment available for a day or a weekend.

Please send me an email or comment if you're interested.

You can see photos by going to my flickr set.

If you're not experienced with using flickr, here's some how-to information:

There are 3 main ways of looking at these photos:

1. You can view the photos as a slideshow by going here and clicking on "view as slideshow" on the top right.

If you want to see the title and description of each photo, click on it and the photo will become smaller and the description will appear on the right. The description appears quickly on some computers and more slowly on others.
Scroll to the top of the viewer to make your controls visible and to the bottom of the viewer to see small thumbnails of all the photos in the set. Scroll away to make these disappear.
The advantage of slideshow viewing is that you will see the photos larger and in a narrative sequence without having to do any clicking.
However, the disadvantage is that the hover notes are not visible at all and the descriptions might take a while to come up on your screen if/when you want to see them.

2. You can also view the photos as a set and in the order of your own choosing.

You can see each photo's title by hovering over the thumbnail image.
If you double-click on an individual photo, you will see it a larger size with a description beneath it. This larger size also enables you to see any hover notes I've written.
You can see any hover notes I've made by scrolling over the photo.
At the top right of the right photo is the "Apartment for Rent (Set)" link which will return you the Set page with the thumbnails all on one page.
"browse" below the thumbnails will also return you to the Set page.
You can also choose to continue viewing individual photos with titles, descriptions, and hover notes by clicking on the thumbnails to the right or "more" below the thumbnails.

3. Going to "flogently's photostream" takes you to all my photos, where you can see medium-sized versions (with titles and descriptions, but no hover notes) in random order.

The number of hover notes per photo is indicated below each photo.
Double-clicking on a photo takes you to a larger version of the photo with hover notes visible.
If I post more vacation photos, these apartment photos may no longer be on the first page, they'll be on later pages.

The Environment IS a Peace Issue: Our Oceans Need Our Help

2006-08-22T16:37:00.000+09:00

I hope you have a few minutes to go to HiroshimaGab and read the August 19th post on making peace with our oceans.

Photography Basics

2006-08-18T12:54:00.000+09:00

Here’s my Crash Course on Photography:
(everything that follows applies to both film and digital cameras unless I say otherwise).

Settings:
If you’ve just bought your camera or you don’t know how to operate every function available, sit down with your manual and figure out how everything works. It sounds really simple, but I know that a lot of people just use the Automatic setting on cameras which are capable of far more.

Using the Automatic setting on a good camera can be an easy way to take good photos, but usually, learning how to adjust the settings on your camera will result in even better photos.

If you bought your camera here and the manual is only in Japanese, go to DeoDeo and see if they can order you a manual in English. You might have to pay for it, but it’s probably worth it. Or you can get online and see if you can download a manual for free.

Light:
Taking notice of lighting conditions is one of the easiest ways to improve your photos.

One of the main settings to adjust on your digital camera is your white balance. If you take a picture outdoors on a cloudy day and you leave your camera on the sunny setting, it just won’t look very good. The same goes for using a fluorescent setting with incandescent light (or vice versa). Notice your lighting conditions and adjust accordingly. If you check the outdoor photo that you just took and you notice a cold (blue) cast, try changing the setting to cloudy – that usually just means the camera is adding a warmer cast to the shot.

For both digital and film cameras:
As you begin to take notice of lighting condtions, the best times of day to take photos outdoors are from sunrise to around 10am and then again from around 4pm to sunset, depending on the season. Look for a nice warm glow at the beginning of the day and the end of the day. The broad light of full noon/afternoon light washes everything out, but morning/late afternoon/evening light gives definition to your subjects by providing shadow contrasts because of the angle of the sun. You will get more color saturation by avoiding taking photos outdoors in the middle of the day. More color saturation means brighter colors, greater contrast, and better photos altogether.

Be careful that your subjects aren’t still in shade in the morning because that will often result in a usually unwanted blue cast to your photo.

Architecture and nature especially benefit from the warmth of morning/evening Golden Hour Light.

When you’re taking pictures of people, you’ll often get squinty subjects if they are facing the sun, but backlighting results in dark portraits, so have your subjects turn to have their backs to the sun or pose at an angle and use your flash even in broad daylight to prevent unwanted backlit silhouettes or excessive squinting. Using the flash in this way also helps you to avoid having all your photos of friends wearing sunglasses all the time (fashion is fun but sometimes it’s nice to remember your friends eyes, too!)

Composition:
I found a wonderfully concise explanation of composing (framing) a photo in WIRED Magazine (August 2006).
Okay, nevermind, I’ll need to scan that because the online version doesn’t include the framing bit. argh.

Sharing your photos:
The key word is EDIT.
Your mantra is EDIT EDIT EDIT.
If you have taken 3, 5, or 10 shots of say, Hiroshima Castle, only show people your best 1 or maybe 2 if they’re significantly different from each other.
Of course, your friends will want to see every party pic that they’re in, but that’s another thing entirely.

Make 2 separate albums/edits:

1) all the pictures where everyone wants to remember all the silliness of your night out/ your road trip, etc.

2) only the best 1 of each of your shots of each person/place/thing. Simply editing makes you a better photographer.

On taking enough photos and editing:
Using a film camera with Hiroshima Castle as an example: For an assignment/job, a professional photographer could easily shoot 10 rolls of film on just the castle.

How could you shoot 10 rolls on just the castle? Well, you want to make sure you don’t make a mistake in metering your light, so you would change aperture settings (this is called bracketing: the aperture/ f-stops are what determine how much light you allow in and the depth of field), composition, focal length (shooting a wide shot -- say, 18mm-50mm including all of the castle; or coming in tighter and focusing on a detail of the castle like a rooftop tile at say, 70-105mm or higher).

By walking around the castle, looking for good light, interesting details, local people or seasonal elements to include in the photo, and then changing any/each of the 5 main factors of a photo for each shot (composition, f-stop/aperture/depth of field, shutter speed, focal length – the size of the lens, and film speed), it’s easy to shoot tons of pictures of one subject.

However, that same photographer would never show all those photos (except maybe their editor) to anyone. From 360 photos, she might show 20 of her best.

Of course, you probably won’t have to take that many pictures to get some you’re very pleased with, but I hope that my example gives you an idea about not only editing, but taking enough photos to make sure that you get the photos that you want.

Thankfully, all this is much cheaper these days with digital cameras. However, if you do like to take lots of photos, investing a large memory card (1 GB or 2 GB) is worth it so you don’t run out of space at the wrong moment!

Aperture/f-stops:
As I mentioned before, your aperture/f-stop settings determine how much light you are letting into your camera as well as the depth of field. A low number like f2.8 or f4.5 means that your aperture is open wide and lots of light is coming in. This is good if you are taking photos in low light.

You would also choose a wider aperture if you want only 1 element of your composition to be in focus. A wider aperture (small number) gives you a shallow depth of field – so you can focus on something in the foreground and let the rest of the photo be a little out of focus – this often makes for a more interesting photo.

If you are taking a landscape photo of say, a mountain range, then you might want to choose a smaller aperture (and use a tripod) so more of the photo is in sharp focus.

Film Speed/ ISO settings:
If you know you’ll be taking pictures in bright light, you can choose a film/ISO setting that’s slow (like 50 or 100 ISO) for nice sharp pictures.
For variable light conditions, 400 ISO is a good choice.
Low light would warrant 800 ISO.
Remember that low ISO numbers usually mean sharper (more detailed/less grainy) images.

Also, remember that low numbers are slow: this means you don’t want to choose a slow film or low ISO numbers if you want to capture a non-blurry image of a moving object. A high ISO (fast film) will freeze action more effectively. On the other hand, sometimes a blur illustrates action better than anything else.

Speaking of blur:
Camera shake is the worst. It’s so frustrating to think that you took a nice photo only to look at it later when it’s back from the lab or on your computer screen and realize that it’s blurry. To prevent blurry photos that are your own fault, use a tripod or just take a deep breath and hold it, steadying yourself against a pole or even your elbows against your sides and don’t move until after you’ve taken the photo. A lot of people, especially with snappy digital cameras, will point, shoot, and then already be moving even before that photo is even finished being taken.

Okay, for review, I’ve talked about lighting, composition, editing, aperture/f-stops, focal lengths/lens sizes, film speeds and shutter speeds.
Once you have more control over any/each of these elements, you will have more control of your photography and greater satisfaction at your successes.

Taking pictures on automatic can be fun for snapping away, but turning the dial to manual and knowing that an image is good because you made it good will make you feel good!

Sharing your pictures:
So you’ve had some amazing experiences and put together some awesome images and you want to share them with friends, family, and the whole world:

My favorite photo sharing website is flickr I like the fact that it’s a global community of photographers (both amateur and professional) with lots of different special-interest groups. You can tag your photos with keywords, decide which photos are public, and which are available only to friends or family. There are oodles of options to play with.

Some people prefer sites like snapfish, kodak gallery, or shutterfly to share photos with a limited number of friends/family. These sites offer more options for others to customize cards/gifts/prints. However, they lack options in online presentation, tagging/keywording, and are not as open to browsing/exploring other peoples’ photos for armchair travels, laughs, or inspiration. It all depends on what you want from your site.

Community sites like myspace can be a great way to meet like-minded creative people if you just filter out all the players -- unless that’s you ;)

Sharing your experiences through your writing and photography by networking/blogging on myspace or posting blogs on sites like this one can be a great way to meet new people and keep in touch with your loved ones from back home.

I hope that you'll let me know once you've started your blogs so we can broaden our linked community here in Hiroshima!

peace,
flo

Soccer Mom Knows All

2006-08-17T15:10:00.000+09:00

Everyone has questions that need answering.

This site has answered a few for me.

peace,
flo

Making the Most of It: Life as a JET in Hiroshima

2006-06-28T18:35:00.000+09:00

I feel compelled to begin with a disclaimer:

Okay, sometimes I feel totally chuffed at my own mad computer skills (ha!) and at others (like today), I just find myself wondering whether I just imagined everything ... like did I completely hallucinate saving all my formatting and the order I put everything in ... or what?
While I think this is the worst jet-lag I have ever had, that still doesn't explain where my files have gone...

All the same, sooner than later is usually a good policy, even if it means continuing to inflict terrible abuse on my own inner perfectionist by posting what is essentially my old working draft.

Here it is in the rough (without clickable links, in no real order, unfinished, etc.), for now, to be returned to final revision status (better organized, tricked out, and amended) as time permits.

Thank you for bearing with me and please feel free to comment.
If you want to email me directly you can do so by clicking on the Super,ThanksForAsking link and going to my profile there.

I hope that those of you who were at Hiroshima Orientation on Wednesday, August 16, each got at least a little something out of the hour I was there.

Thanks to everyone and thanks especially to those of you who took the time to give me feedback.

peace,
flo

Hiroshima websites:

GetHiroshima is an invaluable resource run by extremely dedicated and genuinely nice people. If you ever have a question about anything at all in Hiroshima, just do a site search or post it in the classifieds section and you will very likely get the answers you need without much of a wait at all.

GetHiroshima also publishes a very useful map of Hiroshima city (updated quarterly) that you can find at a lot of different locations around the city.

They are always looking for contributors, so why not share your writing/artistic skills (plus add to your resume) and submit something?

Hiroshima Online
(just started within the last year by a long-term Hiroshima resident)

The Hiroshima Convention & Visitors Bureau website provides information on sight-seeing, lodging, etc.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan has an informative and concise article on Hiroshima.

Let your friends and family know how cool Hiroshima city is by sending them a link to a piece titled HipHiroshima from Bangkok Airways’ inflight magazine, FahThai (it ran in their first issue, January 2006).

For regularly updated Hiroshima Club information in Japanese:
sunloop

niteowl

The following are not oriented towards the Hiroshima/Chugoku Region, but full of interesting information about living and traveling here in Japan:

The Weekender: Japan’s Quality English Magazine

The Foreigner – Japan

JapanZine

If you have visitors coming, but you can’t meet them at the airport (Haneda, Narita, Osaka (Kansai), or Hiroshima) this website/PDF (published by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research) is an excellent bilingual resource which can direct your friends/family to you.

Hiroshima Travel:

One of the best ways to enjoy your life in Hiroshima is to travel within the prefecture and beyond. Not only will you see more of Japan, but the sense of accomplishment that you’ll feel in figuring out how to get places on your own is awesome. This is a great site to get you started on using the trains to your best advantage (be sure to follow “view a list of rail passes” and the “click for more details” links).

Unleash your Creativity!
Living in Japan is your chance to unleash your creativity – whether it be in your way with words, flair for fashion, talent for tunes, pursuit of painting or photography.

For Fashionistas: Hiroshima has no Harajuku fashion scene, but people do converge on Alice Garden behind Parco to either be seen or engage in fabulous people-watching.

For writers: The Dead Parrot’s Society meets monthly in Hiroshima City. You can email the club president, Robert via their website.

For musicians: Check out as many of the music venues and events as you can and once you figure out where you want to create your own scene or fit in, then just start talking to people about making arrangements to do your own thing. If you’ve got any measure of talent (acoustic or digital), it’s really easy to find outlets for artistic expression in Hiroshima. The city is big enough to have a wide variety of venues, but small enough that there’s still space for you. It sounds oxymoronic, but it’s true. One of the easiest ways in is to go to Koba (located on the 3rd floor of the building next to Stussy on Namiki Street). The Stussy store is on the northwest corner of the only intersection with a stoplight on Namiki (between Peace Boulevard and Parco). Bring a recording of your tunes/beats and ask the good folks there (Bom, Kenta, and Shinbara all speak English) where they think might be a good venue for your sounds.

For painters, photographers, visual artists.: Again, Koba is a good place to start. The owner, Bom, believes in supporting all kinds of artists, and if he likes your stuff, you can arrange a show at his restaurant/bar for free.

Also for free (maybe a very minimal usage fee), are your local community centers (kominkan or bunka centers). Use your art as a real means of communication and let people know that you’d like to have a show. Make flyers and not only will people come to see your work, you’ll meet people with similar interests in your area. Win win!

If you want to have a more formal show and you’re willing to shell out some serious cash to do it, Tengu Gallery (on the north side of Hondori, near Peace Park) is popular and many artists successfully sell their work there.

Another gallery that lets you lease space here in Hiroshima is Gallery 718.

If anyone else knows of other foreigner-friendly art venues, please let me know!

Art and Exhibition Space in Tokyo:
Design Festa is a freestyle International Art Event open to all artists, both professional and non-professional from all over the world to exhibit their creative talent. Design Festa is the biggest art event in Asia, with approximately 51,000 visitors and 6,000 exhibitors. (info taken directly from their website)

The next Design Festa event (vol. 24) will be held on December 2 (Sat) & 3 (Sun), 2006 at Tokyo Big Sight. If you want to exhibit, you can reserved a mini-booth for one day for as little as 10,500 yen. there are a lot of different options you can explore on your own via their website (different exhibition types/fashion/performance stages). The deadline for applications for the next Design Festa is September 27.

If you just want to go and look (it’s really a must-do if you have the time/money to go to Tokyo and you’re not taking the Japanese Proficiency Test), you can get tickets in advance for 800 yen for 1 day or 1500 yen for 2 days (Ticket PIA : P code 607-491 or LAWSON Ticket : L code 37369)

At the Design Festa Gallery (near JR Harajuku Station), you can show your work year-round (except on Design Festa Event weekends twice a year) in an 80x80cm space for the following rates:
1 piece 525 yen/day
1 piece for 3 consecutive weekdays 1050 yen
1 week 3,150 yen

Contact information: 03-3479-1442 or gallery@designfesta.com (I’m not totally sure about calling in English, but I’ve successfully made inquiries via email in English)

On Cameras and Photography:
From my experience here, whenever you take film to be processed for prints, you always get a free paper photo album. Very nice!

Japanese photo sizes are different than the print sizes I am familiar with in the U.S. (I know nothing about print sizes in any other countries).

For regular prints, you’ll usually be choosing from L (small), KG (medium-sized), and 2L/LL (a little large).

More specifically and especially for those of you who are interested in enlarging photos for gifts/exhibition or printing from slides, Akira Sakamoto posted the following information on photo.net:

Here are most basic and popular sizes and their corresponding names of print papers in Japan (sizes in milimeters, referred to website of Fuji Film)

Print papers for machine prints:
view print (57x86)
L (89x130)
LL (130x190)

For Fujichrome Super Digital prints (laser print on photo paper):
L (89x130)
2L (127x178)
6PW (pronounced: Waido Mutsu-Giri) (203x305)
4PW (pronounced: Waido Yotsu-Giri) (254x381)
Mutsu-Giri (203x254)
Yotsu-Giri (254x305)

Conventional manual prints:
6PW
4PW
kyabine ("cabinet" in french pronounciation) (130x180)
Mutsu-Giri
Yotsu-Giri
Dai-Yotsu-Giri (279x356)
Han-Giri (356x432)
Zen-Shi (nothing to do with Zen:-) (457x560)
Dai-Zen-Shi (508x610)

Camera Stores (in Hiroshima and beyond):

Saeda
Located on Rijo dori just south of Hondori in downtown Hiroshima (it’s a local chain so there are other locations around the city as well as in Itsukaichi, Kure, Fukuyama, and Miyoshi). The site is in Japanese, but this address will let you click on different locations for maps. From this page, you can click on the top right ホーム to get to the Saeda homepage if you’re interested.

Saeda has a point card, good prices, a great warranty on cameras (I asked lots of questions and was told that even if I dropped my Nikon D70s in the toilet within 3 years, I could take it back to the store to get worked on for free. Hopefully I won’t have to put that to the test.) They also have good sales on large prints. When I first started to go to the Hondori location, I found the staff fairly rude, but after many regular visits, I started to recognize which faces were consistently helpful and friendly.

Kitamura
Kitamura is a national chain, and there are more locations all over than any other large camera/processing store, so your point card can travel more. You can buy cameras/accessories/do processing/get prints at Kitamura.
I stopped using them even though they seem to have the lowest prices on enlargements because 1) none of their many locations are convenient for me and 2) I don’t like the way they handled my negatives/slide film. Others I know have not had any negative experiences.

Sigma (site in Japanese only)
Sigma is a processing/print lab in Hiroshima, on the west side of the street near the Funairi Saiwai-cho streetcar stop (near Joyfull). (I really don’t know if it’s at all associated with the lens/camera manufacturer) Sigma is a little more expensive than Saeda or Kitamura, but it is the only store I use for processing or printing my slide film (unless I need to make a lot of large prints and Saeda is having one of their sales on enlargements).

I have always gotten very friendly service there and they have a locker service so that if your processing/prints are ready after hours, they’ll give you a locker number and combination so you can pick up your stuff after 7pm. Highly recommended.

Yodobashi Camera (site in Japanese only)
Yodobashi offers online shopping in Japanese and if you go to a major city like Osaka, Fukuoka, Tokyo, or Sapporo, you can shop at a real store. Film/equipment/accessory prices on camera and computer equipment are very good and they also have a point card.

B&H Photo Video
B&H is a New York store with great prices on everything related to your audiovisual life. They ship to Japan, but if you order with a non-U.S. credit card, you’ll need to fax them a copy of the front and back of your card the first time you order before you can use it. Even if you don’t actually order from them, the site can be useful for researching prices and specs on equipment you may want to buy here in Japan.
Art and Stationery Supplies/Services:
Tokyu Hands on Aioi dori is great for one-stop shopping but be warned that it can get expensive.

Office 24 has cheaper photocopies and a great selection of pens/pencils. As the name would suggest, it’s open 24 hours.

There are also 2 Kinko’s/FedEx stores in the city: one on Rijo dori, south of Hondori, and another on the Hakushima streetcar line on the way to the Prefectural Art Museum.

Near the Prefectural Art Museum, there are a few art/frame shops you might want to check out.
アイデア (IDEA) Magazine
This is a gorgeous Japanese semi-bilingual art eye-candy magazine. It features amazing graphics/art and superior quality papers and printing. I’ve found it at various bookstores, but most consistently at HMV.

Art It: Art in Tokyo and Japan

Japanese/English bilingual art magazine with interviews, articles and information on contemporary art from/in Tokyo and the rest of Japan (and Asia). Available at HMV.

Tokion is an art & music magazine that used to be bilingual but is now only available here in Japanese and abroad in English (http://www.tokion.com/). First published only within Japan, Japanese artists are often featured.

The Telephone:
Especially if you don’t have an internet connection, the phone is your lifeline. If you don’t already have one in your house, go to the International Center (Crystal Building, 4th Floor)and get yourself a copy of the English Town Page phonebook. If they’re not available, ask and find out how/when you can get one. The listings for Hiroshima are fairly sparse, but personally, having a phone book in English feels kind of comforting to me.

The English Town Page website has all kinds of other information besides phone numbers (including a JR route search! very very useful!)

On the subject of phone books, once you learn the alphabet (Hiragana and Katakana), don’t be afraid to try using the Japanese white pages to find out useful information on your own. It can be frustrating and time-consuming, yes, but also intensely gratifying when you first successfully make a phone call to find out what time a store opens/closes.

Click for a list of useful phone numbers for Hiroshima City

Computer Stuff:
I think that internet access is essential to life here in Japan. Whether it’s for keeping in touch with friends and family via email, webcam, blogs, Skype; looking up the answers to grammar questions; getting ideas for teaching; reading/watching the news; downloading your favorite television shows, or all of the above, having your own computer and internet connection can make all the difference.

If you have to sit in the office all day or sit at a school all day with no discernible duties, then being able to surf on the internet or use your own computer to create lesson plans can make all the difference in the world in your overall quality of life and ability to create your own job satisfaction.

I helped a friend get a wireless PC card at DeoDeo (the main store across from Sogo) with unlimited monthly internet use for around 10,000 yen per month. Many schools have internet connections now, but you may have to worry about sharing computers, clearing your History, firewalls that limit your use of free email sites, etc.

Do some research and ask your JTEs, fellow JETs, your predecessors, store staff, I say just do anything you need to do to get yourself connected and online. When I was told that I needed to pay the 20,000 yen construction fee to get my old apartment wired for a high-speed connection, I paid it and never regretted it.

Yahoo BB is the most popular and users can also call other YahooBB users for free on their landlines. However, some apartments are wired in a way that YahooBB can’t be used. Ask ask and ask until you can find out what kinds of services are available to you where you live.

Of all the stores in Hiroshima, I have found that the DeoDeo Computer Store (on Hondori across from Lawson) has one employee who has been the most helpful in answering my questions. It actually really depends on who you talk to, but I’ve had the most luck there. Maybe other people have had better luck, but I wouldn’t even bother asking any questions at BestDenki stores. They have good prices but (again, this is only my opinion) terrible customer service.

When I’ve had questions about my mac, I’ve found the MacAddict Forums very useful.

Ecards are a good way to make sure your loved ones to know that you’re thinking of them without worrying about mailing time. Care2 is a site with Ecards that helps you to support the cause of your choosing as you send your love around the world.

Another good one is Birthday Alarm. Once you register, you get an email which lets you know when birthdays are coming up so you can send cards on time.

I never really watched TV before I came to Japan. However, since I’ve been here, I’ve found that watching TV in English really helps me to relax and laugh. Of course, getting together with new friends is great, but sometimes all the socializing can be tiring. If you just want to stay home and relax and give yourself a break from all the small talk or even if you want to share some at-home on-screen laughs with friends, then a satellite TV connection (SkyPerfect) or downloaded shows (http://www.mininova.org/ if you have/get a high-speed connection) can be great.

If you don’t have money to buy a computer right away, there are a few centrally-located media/internet cafes around (Hiroshima Mall Best Denki near Hiroshima Station has one and Popeye Media Café has a central location on Hondori and many others around the prefecture (http://www.mediacafe.jp/branch/chugoku.html has more information on different locations, along with maps, in Japanese).

Other Online Magazines I Love:
http://www.seedmagazine.com/ About Seedmagazine.com (from their website):
Seedmagazine.com aims to provide our readers with the most relevant, insightful and entertaining original science content on the web. Updated 6 days a week, our site includes everything from breaking news and in-depth features to columns and reviews
The print version is available at Kinokuniya.
http://www.salon.com/ (worth paying for membership, or you can just put up with the pop-up ads each time)

Not Safe For Work due to Adult Content:
http://www.nerve.com/ Here’s their mission statement (from their website):
Nerve exists because sex is beautiful and absurd, remarkably fun and reliably trauma-inducing. In short, it is a subject in need of a fearless, intelligent forum for both genders. We believe that women (men too, but especially women) have waited long enough for a smart, honest magazine on sex, with cliché-shattering prose and fiction as well as striking photographs of naked people that capture more than their flesh. You've waited long enough.

Books and Magazines in Print:
Hiroshima Library has books in English. There’s also a great little Children’s Library attached to the Children’s Museum between the baseball stadium and the Family Pool. The Manga Library at Hijiyama has a small section of bilingual manga (comics). The entire library system in Hiroshima is free and you can check out books for 2 weeks and then return them at any city library, no matter where you checked it out from – aside from the great little library at the International Lounge in the Peace Memorial Park (I may be wrong on this).

Both the International Lounge at Peace Memorial Park have new magazines and newspapers in English and provide loads of information on Prefectural and City events and sightseeing. They are also good places to meet people for language-exchange.

The Book Nook is a very small buy/sell bookstore that is basically the lounge of a conversation school called TheOutsiderZone. Book selection is limited, though you can sometimes get lucky. The main benefit of the BookNook (2nd floor location between the Kokusai Hotel and Lawson north of Hondori and south of Aioi dori) is that it’s a free, quiet escape from the elements with couches and free coffee (if you can find it: look for a very basic map on gethiroshima.com)

You can order books/music/DVDs from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.jp. Personally, I like to look for a book on Amazon.com first and then look to see if I can get it faster (and with free shipping in Japan) from Amazon.co.jp. Not all books are available directly through the Japanese site, so you may have to wait longer for them to be shipped from abroad.

Junkudo is a national chain which sells books in English. There are two locations in Hiroshima -- one in the Fukuya across from Hiroshima Station and another in the Diamond City mall (within walking distance from Tenjingawa station, one stop east of Hiroshima Station – or you can take the bus from Hiroshima Station)

Kinokoniya has both magazines and books in English. It is in the main Sogo building on the 6th floor.

HMV in Sunmall on Hondori (on the west side of Rijo dori/street) has a small selection of magazines in English), as does Tower Records in Parco.

Weather:
These two sites are in Japanese, but give you much more information than a lot of other foreign sites:
Tenki.jp for Southern Hiroshima Prefecture: http://www.tenki.jp/yoh/y6710.html
Tenki.jp for Northern Hiroshima Prefecture: http://www.tenki.jp/yoh/y6720.html
NHK National weather forecasts: http://www.nhk.or.jp/weather/ (Hiroshima is 広島)

Metric Conversions:
http://www.metric-conversions.org/

Earthquake Information:
Hiroshima doesn’t generally get very big earthquakes but there have been two during my time here that have made me cry. You’ve probably been told some general information on what to do in an earthquake, but I advise you to specifically ask the JTE in charge of you to tell you where you should go and who you should actually try to contact if there’s a really big one.

For information on the latest earthquakes around the world: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ If you feel an earthquake and you want to know more about it, the first thing you should do (if you’re not actually in any danger) is turn on the TV. NHK will have a news banner at the top of the screen within minutes telling you the location of the epicenter and the Japanese magnitudes.

For more information on the differences between the Richter scale and the Japanese scale, go to http://geology.about.com/od/quakemags/

Shoe shopping for men and women:
If you have family/friends in the U.S., then Zappos is your friend. (I’m sorry I don’t know of any great sites that ship to here!) Zappos has free shipping both ways within the U.S. and a great tool on their site that lets you see shoes from all angles. And you can return your shoes for any reason (unworn, of course) within 365 days.
http://www.zappos.com/
Of course, if you’re lucky enough to have Japanese-sized feet, that’s wonderful, but even though I have very Japanese-average 23.5cm feet, I don’t necessarily always want the styles or materials (so much pleather!) available here.

A site that does ship to Japan is LLBean (http://www.llbean.com/). While you may find their clothes/shoes are pretty utilitarian, men especially may find that shopping for taller sizes here pretty difficult, so a pair of LLBean pants or a shirt could mean the difference between wearing something tattered and stained or something new.

For tall women here in Hiroshima, Zara (just east of Tokyu Hands on Aioi dori) has longer lengths in pants/trousers.

For inexpensive everyday clothes, Uniqlo is the Gap of Japan (different from Gap in that they sell yukata in summer!). There’s one on the 2nd floor of Sunmall and other locations around the prefecture. More monochromatic is Mujirushi – with stores in Parco, AlPark, and Diamond City. Gap does have a wider variety of sizes than many other stores here – located in Parco and at AlPark.

For women’s lingerie, there’s no shortage of little boutiques around, but many women find the excessive padding of bras unnecessary and annoying. Victoria’s Secret ships to Japan, though shipping expenses are high so you might want to get together with some girlfriends and place an order together.

Websites for JETs/ex-pats/English teachers:
jetsetjapan

http://www.ithinkimlost.com/

http://www.bigdaikon.com/

2005 JET AA Southeast U.S. Chapter PDF

Teaching Resources:

These are excellent resources:
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/

Game ideas and song sheets available for free:
http://www.eslkidstuff.com/ (Flashcards and worksheets are only accessible with paid membership of $25)

A fee-based site ($29.99/6 months) with printable images for flashcards:
http://www.esl-images.com/index.asp

Crayola has a great website with tons of things you can print out for kids’ classes (could also be good for ESL activities with junior and senior high school students):
http://www.crayola.com/

Links to sites for teaching children:
http://www.davidenglishhouse.com/linkskids.html

Lessons, games, quizzes, forums, chat, lesson plans, jobs & more:
http://www.englishclub.com/index.htm

Printable phonics activities:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/clusters/print/index.shtml

Many many materials for Teaching and Learning:
http://eleaston.com/

A nice list of links to sites for ESL educators:
http://www.education-world.com/foreign_lang/classroom/esl.shtml

May be helpful if someone asks you about the origin/meaning of a phrase and you draw a total blank:
http://members.aol.com/morelandc/HaveOrigins.htm

Articles for students educators and tools for writers (a little more esoteric):
http://www.virtualsalt.com/

Global slang and dialects directory:
http://www.aussieslang.com/directory/default.asp

Newspapers:
Almost every major newspaper now has an online version in addition to the print version, so you can keep up with news from back home.
The major Japanese newspapers are:
The Daily Yomiuri http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ (click on “English”)
The Mainichi/Daily News http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/ (now associated with msn)
The Japan Times http://www.japantimes.co.jp/

I recommend The Daily Yomiuri because there deadline for submissions is the latest, ensuring that the newspaper that comes to your door has the most recent news available in print.

Miscellaneous Reference Sites:
Here’s the site for Google’s language tools:
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

There are lots of dictionaries available online, but I find that the one I use most often is The American Heritage Dictionary http://www.bartleby.com/61/

If you want to know exactly how much you’re earning/spending/saving:
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html
http://www.xe.com/ucc/ (more currencies)

If you have questions about the mail in Japan:
http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/fee/

If you want to know about paper sizes in Japan:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/iso-paper.html

If World Weather interests you
http://www.worldweather.com/

Time Zone Converter:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

For calling internationally (Country Codes):
http://www.countrycallingcodes.com/

For making free calls from computer to computer:
http://www.skype.com (or you can use SkypeOut to make calls to real telephones very very cheaply)

Camping and Hiking in Japan:
An easy place to buy camping/hiking/climbing gear in the city is Kojitsu – it’s a basement store just off of Hondori near the Lawson closer to Parco.
Sports Authority (at Diamond city and in Ujina) both sell Coleman and Captain Stag brands.
Your local DIY store (like DIK) probably sells some basic camping/BBQ equipment as well.

Lots of older teachers at your schools are very likely hiking enthusiasts. Even if you have nothing else in common, letting people know that you enjoy hiking and you’d someone to show you good places to hike will probably get you invited for an early-morning start to some beautiful places. Popular trails tend to get very crowded during the fall when the leaves are at their best. Going early can be a good way to avoid the ant-like throngs, but since so many people seem so adept at early starts here, staying late can sometimes be the key to enjoying a site with fewer people.

From my experience, most of the camping that my Japanese co-workers engage in is Auto-camping – which means that you pay to drive your car to a site and pitch your tent on a very small site right next to your neighbor. I’ve had better luck pitching my tent on beaches and driving around in the countryside to find out-of-the-way mountain spots that suit me. Unlike in Texas, people aren’t carrying around shotguns waiting to shoot trespassers, so as long as you’re quiet, no one will probably even notice that you’re there and the worst that would happen is needing to say you’re sorry for the intrusion.

There are some good climbing spots west of Hiroshima city (in Otake, for example) and there’s a climbing wall at Green Arena. As always, be persistent in asking around and you’ll find out what you need to know and probably make some friends in the process.

Especially if you’re living in the city, I think it’s important to make a point of getting out and visiting your country kin – the mountains and beaches here are beautiful – and if you go and stay with friends in the inaka (countryside) from time to time, you’ll make better friends and you won’t resent it when they want to come and stay with you in the city. Some of my best memories of life here in Japan are as a JET, living in relative inaka, and going to house parties/BBQs out to experience other friends’ versions of inaka.

If you like to mix music with your camping, there are several parties to look out for: the Full Moon Party at Miyajima in September, the Kaze-no-Matsuri in September, the Niji-no-Misaki Matsuri at Aso in May, and the New Moon Party at Miyajima in June. These are all super chill events that welcome families.

If you live outside the city and you’re stuck waiting until your first train out, then you do have a few urban “camping” options:
** There are many love hotels (many of which are named after fruits and vegetables) along riversides that you can spot looking south from near Peace Park (the main lights usually turn off when no more rooms are available)
** There are two different capsule hotels in Nagarekawa (the drinking/red-light district downtown) – one for women and one for men, across from each other (sorry I don’t the names!)
** Media Café Popeye is an internet café open all night long and you can even shower there for cheaper than getting a hotel (downtown locations on Hondori and Ebisu dori)
** Many large karaoke places are open until dawn (cheaper than a hotel and you can order food!)
** Chain Izakaya restaurants like Shirokiya are open until 5 – giving you only an hour or two to wander around waiting for your train
** There are a few bars which regularly stay open until dawn (I’ll give you hints: one has an impressive CD collection and another serves popcorn)
** I’ve seen many Japanese men fall asleep at ramen counters – you could try that, too!

Other sports/outdoor activities:
Hiroshima city has lots of martial arts groups, running clubs, football clubs (both kinds), basketball clubs, a Capoeira group (http://www.geocities.jp/nativa_hiroshima/), and
more. Even if you live outside the city and have no desire to constantly travel to pursue your interests, persistent inquiries will yield results. Be prepared to travel a little. Naturally, lots of high schools offer a wider range of sports clubs than junior high or elementary schools. If you really want to do something and you know that a school in your area has a club, ask around and see if you can participate once a week. It may entail more cultural immersion, but if you’re up for it, that can mean more language skills for you in the long run. If you keep running into brick walls, see what you can do about making your own group and make it happen on your own. People might travel to you. This applies to absolutely anything you want to do here.

on Japanese film:
http://www.ryuganji.net

On food/eating in general and being a vegetarian in Hiroshima:
While it can be intensely gratifying to cook for yourself, it can be frustrating to search for the ingredients you want or to not understand the foods available here.

The following books are all either fully bilingual or feature the Japanese writing of food names/ingredients and have been useful to me:

A Guide to Food Buying in Japan by Carolyn R. Krouse (ISBN 0-8048-3472-5)
A Dictionary of Japanese Food by Richard Hosking (ISBN 0-8048-2042-2)
Japanese Family-Style Recipes by Urakami Hiroko (ISBN 4-7700-2962-4)
100 Recipes from Japanese Cooking by Hata Kouichiro and Kondou Kazuki (ISBN 4-7700-2079-1)
The Elegant Art of Japanese Food and Manners by Teruaki Tamura (ISBN 4-89361-184-4)

I’ve also put together this list of websites which I hope will help you in your food shopping and preparation.

Japanese Cuisine Glossary:
http://japanesefood.about.com/library/blgloAB.htm

Obachan’s Kitchen & Balcony Garden is a blog featuring frequently updated pictures of Japanese food, recipes, and writing (all in English)
http://kokonuggetyumyum.blogspot.com/

Through this links page you can find many many other Japanese food blogs and recipes:
http://web.mac.com/lucasburns/iWeb/nihonnoryori/Links.html

This is a great site and the address below will get you started on a super refreshing recipe for summer:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=64
(I made it using only what I had in the house at the time – and even without the tomato, scallions, or ginger, it was still wonderfully cooling in the summer heat) I’ll give you the recipe here for those of you starting off without internet, but I suggest going to the site later so you can see exactly how healthy it really is for you!

Cucumber, Seaweed Salad (from the world’s healthiest foods website)

This salad is a very nutritious accompaniment to many main dishes without having to spend much time or effort. It gives you an easy and tasty way to enjoy the healthy benefits of seaweed more often.

Cucumber, Seaweed Salad Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

* 1 TBS dried hijiki seaweed
* 3 cups cucumber, peeled, seeds scooped out and sliced
* 1 medium tomato, seeds and excess pulp removed, sliced
* 1 TBS minced scallion green or green onions
* Dressing
* 3 TBS rice vinegar
* 2 TBS soy sauce
* 1/2 TBS finely minced fresh ginger
* 1/2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
* extra virgin olive oil to taste
* Salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse and soak hijiki in warm water while preparing rest of ingredients.
2. Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds with a small spoon and slice thin.
3. Cut tomato in half crosswise and squeeze out seeds. Quarter and cut out excess pulp. Cut into slices about 1⁄4 inch wide.
4. Whisk rest of ingredients together. Squeeze out excess water from seaweed. Chop if necessary. You don't want hijiki pieces to be too large. Toss everything together and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Healthy Cooking Tips:

This salad is best salted right before serving. The salt will draw out the water from the cucumbers and dilute the flavor.

http://www.recipezaar.com/
http://www.cooks.com/
http://allrecipes.com/

For the foods you know from back home:
http://www.fbcusa.com (there’s a brit shop and aussie shop)

Jupiter is a store that sells a wide variety of foreign foods – located in Shareo (underground shopping in downtown Hiroshima) and on the Shinkansen (bullet train) side of Hiroshima Station.
Yamaya is mostly a discount liquor store, but they also have a decent selection of canned/dry/instant foreign foods with locations around the city (and maybe elsewhere? ask around)
The basement of Sogo also has a small selection of foreign foods.
Peter Pan on Hondori and the Sony Plaza store on the 2nd floor of the A’qua section between the old and new Sogo buildings also have foreign sweets, snacks, some Old El Paso products, and foreign cosmetics and stationery products.

Vegetarian and Organic Shopping:
http://www.ambikajapan.com/ (you get a free bollywood dvd with every order)
http://www.alishan.jp/shop/nfoscomm/catalog/

Vegetarian and Organic Websites:
http://www.fatfreevegan.com/
http://www.vegparadise.com/

Japanese food:
Sushi & Sake http://www.sushiandtofu.com/ This website has lots of information about sake. You can also go to http://www.sushiandtofu.com/recipes/recipesArchives.htm for a list of Japanese recipes)

Bento.com: http://www.bento.com/ (click on “Japanese cuisines” for recipes and vocabulary)

eGForums is the the EGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters’ forum on Japanese food: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showforum=19

Authentic Japanese Food http://www.authenticjapanesefood.com/index.php
This website introduces you to essential Japanese ingredients and gives recipes, too.

Food shopping in Hiroshima:
Andersen on Hondori has a good selection of cheeses and great bread. You can order bread in advance to be made fresh for you on the day you request. This can be useful, if say, you really like the Variety Grain Bread (which is often sold out if you go there late in the day) but you live in the countryside and you know you are going to be in the city on a specific day).

If you’re vegetarian and you want to eat out, there are several good Indian restaurants in town – you can decide which ones you like, everyone seems to have a different favorite: Tandoor in Pacela, Nanak near Hondori, Spicy Bar Lal’s near Hondori, Ganesh has several locations; falafel at Churi in Nagarekawa; Italian restaurants almost always have non-meat dishes and better salads; Kemby’s and The Shack both have a few vegetarian options; there are tofu restaurants in both Fukuya department stores (at Hiroshima station and downtown) and one in Hijiyama (sorry, the name escapes me -- near the Contemporary Art Museum); all rotating sushi restaurants offer non-fish options (cucumber rolls, pickle rolls, natto, egg, sometimes avocado), Creative Sushi Nobu on Rijo dori (south of Peace Boulevard on the west side) can fix you up with California rolls (English-speaking chef), Warung Matahari near the covered Takanobashi shopping street is an Indonesian restaurant with a killer papaya salad; Tabeni Kinsaiya offers great lunch sets (all-vegetarian all-the-time) between Yokogawa Station and the Yokogawa 1-chome streetcar stops (on the west side of the streetcar street); and there’s always okonomiyaki which is really easily made vegetarian (niku nashi kudasai). Two of my favorites are Lopez (English –speaking chef) near Yokogawa station and Atom (has an English menu) on the 4th floor of Okonomi-Mura near Parco.

Health Issues:
You really can’t underestimate the toll that acclimating to your new life in Hiroshima can take on your health. Eating new foods, adjusting to a different climate, being away from family and friends, and dealing with your new working environment, can all get you sick. The best way to not get sick is simply to not overdo things. If you’re feeling rundown, just don’t go out until you feel more well-rested.

I’m actually looking for better doctors than I’ve been seeing for the past few years, so if anyone finds a General Practictioner, Dentist, or Gynecologist that they’re really happy with, please let me know!! I won’t give names here, but I’ve found that the medical attention I’ve received here in the city has been depressingly impersonal – and sometimes even incompetent. I don’t want to be negative, but really, please do let me know if you find someone good!

Impersonal or not, sometimes a visit to the doctor really is warranted, so don’t be afraid to go and even drag along a JTE or Japanese-speaking friend if necessary. One thing to remember is that medication dispensed through a doctor’s prescription is significantly cheaper than when you go to a pharmacy on your own.

Birth Control for Women:
http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/bcp-hormones/tricilest.html
Friends and I have used this website for years without any trouble from customs authorities.

Yoga:
When I first got here to Japan, it took me a while to find friends I was really comfortable with. This actually turned out to be a blessing because I picked up the yoga books I’d brought over from the U.S. and became more flexible. Yoga helps you to increase flexibility both literally and metaphorically as it teaches you to meditate on your life.

To help you get started or to encourage you in your practice while you are away from organized classes:

http://www.yogajournal.com/
This is an excellent website which not only breaks down the Asanas (poses) for you, but also has a non-intrusive weekly e-newsletter edited by Andrea Kowalski, who used to teach Kundalini yoga in Okinawa.

I’m not a big Nike fan, but I did get an excellent yoga mat at the Nike store on Hondori. Yoga mats can also be found at Sports Authority, at Tokyu Hands, and at a variety of other sporting and discount stores.

My two favorite yoga books for practice (they’re the ones that got me started):

Richard Hittleman's Yoga: 28 Day Exercise Plan by Richard Hittleman (originally published in 1972)
All you need is space for a mat to do yoga at home. Especially if you’re stuck in the countryside without access to yoga classes, this book gives you 28 days of guided self-practice that starts slowly and advances day-by-day. It includes advanced breathing exercises that will serve you well in dealing with stress. I really can’t recommend this book highly enough. I like the emphasis on only doing what your body is ready to handle. If something is too difficult for you, the author makes suggestions for easier poses. Overall the tone is positive and the 70s photos and leotards make me smile every time!

The Sivananda Companion to Yoga by Sivanda Yoga Center
This book gave me my introduction to Sun Salutations. I find that they are the easiest way to just do one bit of yoga when you’re short on time and energy to help you get focused, energized, and more relaxed.

You can also go to GetHiroshima to find a good review for Neila, a Hatha Yoga teacher in Hiroshima City.

For smokers: Those of you who enjoy hand-rolled cigarettes (like Drum) or cigars, there is a tobacco shop near Hiroshima station. I’m sorry I don’t remember the name of it, but it’s right across from the big pachinko parlor, near the fruit and vegetable market (also a great place to get cheap and fresh locally grown vegetables).

Putting The Fear into Women

2006-06-18T12:36:00.000+09:00

I watched Looking For Mr. Goodbar for the first time last night and it really freaked me out. File this one under "Anti-date Films".

Movies like this one always leave me wondering who I should have watched them with. Watching with a man you don't know very well: definitely out of the question; watching with a man you're in a commited relationship with: who wants to have sex? not!; watching with girlfriends: everyone ends up being skeeved out; watching by yourself: yikes! deadbolt, chain, and lock lock lock the doors!

I like Diane Keaton well enough, but she never seems to be acting so much as being herself pretending to be someone else. So there she was, being goofy, serious, smart, caring, looking for sexual awakening and adventure, and all the while the portents of doom kept me cringing/waiting.

I prefer less cringing in my cinematic tales of sexual adventure. Morality tales of this nature always seem to be trying to put the fear into women. I have a dream that one day none of will ever feel the fear of sex crimes.

I really hate earthquakes!!

2006-06-12T05:59:00.000+09:00

Especially when they wake me up at 5 am!

It took me forever to clean up the glass from the lamp that broke. We had some books and a few other random things fall, but overall not much damage since even though it was strong, it wasn't a very long one (read the stats).

I highly recommend the Humanitarian Early Warning Service site as a place to find out about what's happened/happening all over the world. It says it's a Global Multi-Hazard Watch Service to Support Humanitarian Preparedness (developed by The World Food Programme).

There's also the U.S. Geological Survey site (which is where the HEWS site sent me for information on our earthquake this morning).

Be well.

Daryl Hannah talks about sustainable living

2006-04-29T20:44:00.000+09:00

Here's another take on the water issue and more:

Daryl Hannah has a website with video podcasts.
Her current video is about the need for access to fresh water and the plight of gorillas in Rwanda.

Check it out:
http://www.dhlovelife.com/

I especially like the Week 1 video on biodiesel.

Neil Young on Living With War

2006-04-29T17:13:00.000+09:00

Neil Young, as true as ever, speaks out on CNN:

Does anyone remember Jacques-Yves Cousteau?

2006-04-26T08:12:00.000+09:00

I don't know about you, but I grew up on Jacques Cousteau specials. We had his photo books in our house and I think they really influenced my appreciation for water and all the creatures that depend on clean water (not just us humans). Here's a good article on water from Salon.com:

http://www.salon.com/books/int/2006/04/25/pearce/index.html

peace, flo

© Florence Nobuko Smith

16th Nijinomisaki Matsuri

2006-04-22T22:41:00.000+09:00

２００６
にじのみさきまつり
(The End of the Rainbow Festival)

Aso Sunset © 2004 Florence Nobuko Smith

Everyone I know who has gone to this festival has been excited about this year's all winter long.

It's officially Spring, though you might forget we just had Hanami Season with all this rain we've been having!

Anyway, this year will be my 4th time going and I can't wait! Nijinomisaki Matsuri signals the beginning of Festival Season for me here -- yeah!

Information in English on this Festival is almost nonexistent, and as I am a firm believer in lots of fun, comfort and good camping, here's what I know about the Nijinomisaki Matsuri and staying comfortable while camping:

Location:

The closest train station is the very small JR Akamizu St. (赤水)
(Aso-cho 阿蘇町, Kumamoto Prefecture 熊本県).

The festival site is 赤水百姓村牧場
(Akamizu-Hyakusho-mura)

Here's a Google Map to Akamizu St.
There's supposed to be a marker indicating the station, but it seems to have disappeared. Just keep hitting the magnify + button until you see あかみず on the train line.

I'll try and post train times to give you an idea how long it will take and how to get there from Hiroshima (later).

The campsite is the size of a couple of football fields, with a large stage set up in the middle. Majestic Mt. Aso can be seen from the site.

When:

The festival is officially from May 1-5, 2006.

The culmination of the festival is Children's Day on May 5.

Kids are an integral part of the joy of the festival.
It's always wonderful to see so many young children having so much fun, behaving so well, being so curious, and generally helping to clear away any built-up cynicism.
There's always a huge tug-o-war on the last day.

(I'm sure many people will keep on camping through the weekend, just with no scheduled stage performances)

Live music is scheduled for the stage every day of the festival from usually late morning/early afternoon til dark/around 9-10ish.

It's a very family-oriented festival, so while lots of music will be played at campsites throughout the night, the amped shows are scheduled to finish for families to have a regular bedtime.

Cost:

The festival costs 2500 yen per person.

That 2500 yen is for the duration of the festival, making it the cheapest big amazing party I know.
After you pay, you'll receive a performance schedule and a simple hand-made amulet to indicate that you've paid.

It's possible not to pay, but really, so much work goes into putting this together, it's just really uncool to cheat like that when they've made it so cheap.

Food and Drink:

There are always people selling a variety of food and drink (including alcohol).
Prices are reasonable and the grub is good, but if you plan on not doing any of your own cooking at all, you'll end up spending a fair bit of money to keep yourself fed and well-hydrated.

Even if you've brought your supplies with you, but run out of food or beer/wine/sake, you can stock up on a short drive to town.

Both the sake and the shochu in Kumamoto Prefecture are excellent because the water is so good!

Don't miss out on Mongol-pan (savory tofu or tuna wraps) made by the members of Seikatsu Circus (they're playing on the 3rd this year!)!!

Water:

There's fresh water (a large communal real sink) set up near the entrance to the festival.
You'll want to bring containers to transport your water from the sink to your campsite. The water is very fresh and tasty, so there's really no reason to buy water from stores for this festival. PET bottles are littering the planet enough already.
Runoff from the sink makes the area around it pretty muddy pretty quickly, so if you're not comfortable with having muddy bare feet, then bring wellies or shoes you don't mind getting muddy.

Showers/Baths:

There are no showers at the site, but you can easily walk to Aso Farmland (the hot spring baths are at the far end, past the huge complex of souvenir shops), drive to a local public bath, some nearby hotels to use their hot spring baths, or venture further (possibly facing terrible Golden Week traffic) to the incredible Kurokawa Onsen town.

Toilets:

For the past couple of years, there have been latrines dug for festival-goers' communal use. Not porta-potties, but latrines dug with closed cabana-style privacy. These have candles for light at night and there's toilet paper. They can get pretty full near the end of the festival (especially now that more people know about and are going to the festival).

While there's usually TP in the latrines, it's always a good idea to have your own supply of TP/tissue handy just in case.

Surely well-intended, the past couple of years have also seen an increase in people setting up their own personal latrines throughout the campsite. While I'm sure this means the communal latrines get full just a little less quickly, it just seems pretty gross to me to have someone's latrine set up right next to where someone else is camping.

Going in the woods alone or with friends can have its own pleasures. Whatever your reasons, if you decide to go in the woods instead of using a latrine, just make sure you don't leave behind any "white flowers".

What do I have against "white flowers"? "White flowers" = the little wadded-up tissues littering and stinking things up!
Yuck yuck yuck!

Wiping is good, so just bring a plastic bag for your used TP.

If you've just peed, then put your TP in your bag and take it back to your campsite to throw in the latrine. If you've had to poo, then put the TP in a bag and carry it back to throw in a latrine. If you're too squeamish to carry it back in a bag (or you're in a situation with no latrine at all), then use as little TP as you can and use a stick to mix it up with the poo, the dirt you dug out of the hole to poo in, and bury it all. Burning your TP is also an option as long as it's not too wet to burn. I'm not a fan of burning simply because it means that I'm holding on to and having to look at my used TP for longer than I'd like.

Here's a good site about taking care of toilet business in the woods:
Adventure Network Hygiene Questions

Here's a good site about building latrines if you're interested:
How to Shit In The Woods

The info on the site above is all related to the Rainbow Festival and has some really beautiful photos of some serious festival people.

Just so you know, don't expect a bunch of naked people at the Nijinomisaki Matsuri (from my experience, hippie-style Japanese festivals seem to be non-nudist. They're not exactly prudish, I've definitely seen some naked people, but it's just not common. Personally, I'd like to see more people being totally comfortable with being naked. Most people just get their naked fix by going to the fabulous hot springs or baths nearby)

If you're menstruating, then consider using a DivaCup or Keeper to avoid dealing more than you have to (I wholeheartedly recommend them):

(If anyone wants a new, smaller-sized Diva Cup, let me know: I have one that was given to me and it remains unused and in the box, looking for a home)

The Elements:

Temperature:
Daily temperature can range from really hot to really really cold at night so be prepared.

Sun:
Beautiful forest surrounds the site, but there isn't any shade to speak of around the stage area, so if we're lucky and we get lots of sunshine, it's important to bring a hat, sunscreen, and an umbrella/parasol to keep from getting sunburnt/staying cool.

Not only do UV rays age you, but you know they cause skin cancer.

My father has skin cancer -- but that's because he's spent all of his adult life working outdoors ...

so I just don't understand why so many people confuse partying outdoors with willful ignorance of and resistance to the simple preventative measures of hats, sunscreen, and the classically beautiful parasol. I understand that parasols might be too girlie for some, but come on, sunscreen? a hat?

Even smart people get drunk and forget to put on or reapply sunscreen, so always bring aloe vera gel. It'll help cool down and heal sunburns as well as campstove accidents.

Cold:
The best way to stay warm and comfortable is to layer.

Bring several pairs of warm socks. You can save on packing space by bringing a couple pairs of good thick outer socks (my current favorite is Smartwool) to re-wear a few times and bringing a fresh pair of thinner inner/liner socks to wear for every day you want to have the feel of fresh clean socks.

Bring a fitted synthetic (see below under Rain) or silk (it feels so good!) as an inner layer to wear next to your torso.

Bring longjohns (again, synthetic, not cotton if possible).

A fleece vest with pockets is a good way to carry your essential stuff with you (money, tissue, headlamp/flashlight, lipbalm, personal chopsticks) and stay warm without necessarily having to wear a lot of clothes if it's just chilly, not outright cold.

Bring a hat, scarf, and gloves.
Keeping your head and neck warm keeps you significantly warmer.
And who likes cold hands?

Rain:
It's liable to rain a whole helluva lot. Anywhere from daily constant drizzle to full-on huge storms that completely flood/blow away poorly pitched tents.

Proper raingear and fleece are your best friends.

If you only bring jeans, you will likely find yourself cold and damp.

I had a conversation with a friend the other day and realized that not everyone realizes why fleece, performance fabrics like capilene/polypropylene and even wool are superior to other fabrics (like cotton, corduroy) for outdoor comfort. Briefly, performance synthetics (and to a lesser extent, wool) will wick away moisture from your body, keeping you dry and warm even when it's really damp and cold out.

This site is intended for runners but does a good job of explaining performance fabrics.
Keeping your body warm and dry is as important for campers as it is for runners.

Bring rubber boots/wellies because if it does start to rain hard and long, cold damp feet suck -- no matter how cool the people/party.

An umbrella is always a good idea for when you don't feel like wearing raingear and you're just going from one campsite/teepee to another.

Tents and rain: A well-pitched tent and properly laid ground sheet will ensure a dry tent interior.

Two problems I keep on seeing (it really can rain a lot during festival season in Japan) are:

1: Problems with rainflys.
Even if it's just a light drizzle, it's really important to go back to your tent and make sure that the rainfly is zipped up, no matter how far away your tent is or how much fun you're having where you are.

Staking out your rainfly so that it's taut and not just lying slack next to the actual tent walls will mean that any moisture which seeps through or collects due to condensation will only be on the rainfly, not soaking through your tent and creating a damp/wet interior.

And 2: Problems with groundsheets.
A groundsheet is essential.
It can be tent-specific (sold with your tent), tarp, or cut heavy-duty plastic.

If it came with your tent, then you're set. Even if it's not raining, using it will prolong the life of your tent.

If you're using heavy-duty plastic, then set your tent up before you set out and cut the plastic to match the footprint of your tent. Trace around the the edges of your tent, then cut it so it's just a little smaller than the actual footprint.

It's important that the groundsheet not actually extend beyond the edge of the tent so that when it rains, water won't collect at the edges and then pool under your tent, creating a little pond under you and all your stuff.

If you're using a tarp, just make sure that it's folded under (so the edge is next to the ground, not next to the tent floor) and doesn't extend beyond the bottom edge of the tent walls.

Here are a few sites if you're interested in learning more about tents:

For backpackers

For if you wanted to know the things that Scouts know

For if you're thinking of buying a tent/general tent info

For probably more than you ever wanted to know

Trash and Waste:

Bring your own trash bags and be prepared to cart away all of the trash that you create.
There is no place to dump your trash at the site when you leave.

If you buy something from a stall, you can take the trash or empty bottle back to the stall where you bought it.

Disposable chopsticks (as well as fresh-pulp TP) are one of the saddest uses of trees that I know.

Be prepared and bring your own to re-use. You can re-use any kind of chopsticks, but here's my favorite {you can buy them at Tokyu Hands in Japan, at Kojitsu (basement campstore on the sidestreet at the corner of Lawson on Hondori), or through REI.com}:

They're a little pricey for chopsticks, but you can use them forever.

I think that just about covers it! Being prepared means you can have more fun!

People come from all over Japan to enjoy the Nijinomisaki Matsuri.
It is a fantastic place to meet like-minded folks and spend some quality time with the people you love.

The free-spirited Caroline has written an excellent piece on the festival for GetHiroshima and you can find it here:

And the Amazing Nicky has some great photos of last year's festival here:

I think I've covered just about all the essentials, but feel free to email me if you have any questions.

peace and love,
flo

It's Spring, a time for new things and time for this new blog

2006-04-22T21:28:00.000+09:00

And it's really about time for some Spring Cleaning!
I've got a bunch of Japanese language textbooks and miscellaneous computer things that I'll be posting to sell/trade/give away.