During our recent visit to Minnesota, my sister-in-law suggested we try a segway tour for Dan's Dad's birthday! We have always been curious and we jumped at the chance to try it. The tour was absolutely great and maneuvering the two wheeled machine proved to be pretty easy. Check out our family pictures as well as Kelly's article about the tour in the Minnesota Monthly: Minnesota Journeys Blog.
This summer we have been staying busy with weddings, baptisms, birthdays and driving Tri-state to visit family and friends. Did we mention we already put on around 3,000 miles on the car?! Good thing the Honda gets great gas mileage!
During our recent visit to Minnesota, my sister-in-law suggested we try a segway tour for Dan's Dad's birthday! We have always been curious and we jumped at the chance to try it. The tour was absolutely great and maneuvering the two wheeled machine proved to be pretty easy. Check out our family pictures as well as Kelly's article about the tour in the Minnesota Monthly: Minnesota Journeys Blog.
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We have been meaning to blog about the last trip in Japan for quite some time but with our crazy summer schedule we lagged behind. Round one of the playoffs brought us up north to the City of Akita. Our good friends, the Takahashis were gracious enough to let us stay with them at their family owned restaurant, the "Viking." My teammate Ken grew up in Akita, and invited us to a couple private dinners at their authentic Japanese eatery. Before dinner one night, there was a mini festival going on outside. We got to experience a fun Japanese twist to a street festival. Pictured below are some of the activities we gave a try, including goldfish and baby turtle fishing, some bizarre foods to try, and random kid toys to purchase. My teammates kids loved it, and I enjoyed winning a baby turtle for Joe Takahashi! Below is a picture of the Takahashi family and I in the entrance of the restaurant where they have a shrine of their first born son, Ken's professional basketball career. It reminds me of my parent's house as they love to show their support for my career as well as my siblings. Dominika was taking the picture, but they were very good to her, letting her stay with them for the weekend. We made life long friends with the Takahashi family, and loved to get an inside look at their family life.
The rustic escape we have been dreaming of..... a week full of doing nothing just sunbathing under the Thai sun and enjoying island specialties! We flew out of Sendai on Friday evening knowing full well that we had a lovely 25 hour journey ahead of us but we couldn't care less! It was vacation time. Three connecting flights as well as a night at the Singapore airport (seriously, an awesome airport with lots to do, even at 3am) brought us to Koh Samui, Thailand on Saturday morning. From there it was a quick 30 minute speed boat ride to the Santhiya Resort and Spa on Koh Phangan. We couldn't believe how beautiful the resort was! Simply stunning! Rustic, traditional, quiet, and had amazing Thai details everywhere! The resort is located on the northeast part of the island, the area is called Thong Nai Pan and offers a very laid back atmosphere. We were happy to spend the majority of our time at the resort but also explored a beach and village located close to the resort. We split our meals between two local restaurants where you could order $2 beers and delicious pad Thai for $5. A couple of times we went into town, a small village, to buy aloe vera as well as some $1 beers. Who would have thought that two people who haven't seen the sun in 9 months would burn, on the second day nonetheless!? We both did! The village was a bit rough around the edges but the locals seemed nice and there were lots of little restaurants as well as Thai massage places along the street. We got an awesome one hour Thai massage on the beach for ten dollars! Talk about getting a lot for your money! We spent a lot of time hanging out at a nearby beach. We were fans of the soft sand and cheap Thai meals! Plus, the taxi boats were absolutely beautiful. Elephant trekking The resort offers quite a few activity packages, one of them being elephant trekking. We were absolutely thrilled to try it. Who wouldn't want to ride an elephant on an Thai island?! We were in. Since the resort tour was all booked up the front desk suggested we book through the trekking company. (For those venturing to the resort, its half the price if you book straight through the company.) An unmarked vehicle picked us up at the resort, gee it didn't feel shady at all! The Toyota pickup with a friendly Thai driver wearing slick blue Ray Bans took us on a 40 minute ride through the rugged terrain of the island. The driver manuvered past pot holes the size of boulders on tiny dirt roads. When he came up to a turn he would honk to alarm the oncoming traffic and at times even drove on the opposite side of the road to avoid holes. It was very impressive to watch but also a bit nerve-wracking. Scooters jetted past us sometimes carrying two adults and a small child in the front basket. How did these people do it?! Steep mountains, narrow dirt roads and a hell of a bumpy ride. We read that motor bike accidents are the most common type of accident on Koh Phangan and scars from such accidents have become known as the "Thai tattoo." Glad we didn't rent a scooter! So there we were, in an unmarked vehicle on the roughest roads we have ever been on - sounds safe, real safe. All I kept imagining was a news story about two American tourists getting kidnapped in Thailand. We kid, we kid, well sort of. Thankfully we arrived at the elephant trekking spot in one piece. The area had a few huts where (we assume) the owners lived and four elephants were chained to trees. One of the tour guides grabbed Babar, the king of the elephants, and brought him near us. Man, those are some massive animals! You don't realize it until you are standing inches away from them! The guide then climbed up on his trunk and sat down behind his ears. Lucky for us we were told to climb up on a wooden platform and didn't have to perform acrobatic moves to sit on the elephant. We spent the next hour joy riding around their property, up hills and through the jungle. The guide took our camera and kept taking pictures of us while telling the elephant to pose with his trunk up. We couldn't help but to laugh but when the elephant wouldn't follow him it seemed he would say, "get your ass over here boy" ha! He made the elephant do little tricks, such as crack a coconut with his foot and we both took turns riding up front on its neck. Riding such a big animal felt surreal and we are both glad we could experience it! Check that off our bucket list! Back at the resort, we enjoyed a late dinner with some furry friends. There were dogs everywhere on the beach and we still don't know if they were strays or actually belonged to those that ran the restaurants. They were all friendly and even took a nap at Dan's feet while we ate dinner. We really couldn't have imagined a better honeymoon! Sun, beach and complete relaxation! Thai fun facts, aka an etiquette guide from the Santhiya Resort and Spa.
In our years of traveling we had plenty of moments where we would just look at each other and say "never in my life did I think we would experience...." It's been anything from taking a traditional Japanese naked bath, getting a Kia Soul to go 200km an hour on the autobahn or simply eating and enjoying chicken heart. The last year proved to be full of adventures and first because we were totally out of our element, across the world in a completely new culture. Continuing with our blog we will be posting small entries titled "things we never thought we would experience," here are a few older newly tagged entries. Enjoy!
Our friend kept telling us about a chicken resturant in Ishinomaki that served the best chicken in the world. We were intrigued and jumped at a chance to go one Monday evening. Ishinomaki is located about an hour north of Sendai and was one of the worst hit by the tsunami. (If you would like to see some photos of the damage check out our blog entry on tsunami clean up in Ishinomaki.) The restaurant was beautiful! It had a few tables and a main grill in the middle along with a wooden bar area surrounding it. The wooden bar was actually salvaged from the previous restaurant and restored. We were excited to try "the best chicken in the world" and soon discovered our friend wasnt exaggerating. The chef prepared each piece of chicken with precision and served it on skewers. We were told the restaurant specializes in yakitori (translation, grilled chicken.) the food just melted in our mouths and we couldn't be happier to try all of the local specialties! The Japanese eat all parts of the animal which sometimes to us and many westerners can be a little too much to handle. But I'm happy to say that in our time abroad we ventured past our comfort zones and will gladly try anything once. Chicken heart, liver, skin, stomach, cartilage, as well as regular chicken wings were all part of our meal! All of the food was delicious and we particularly liked the heart, valves and all! The time slowly passed by as we all enjoyed the delicious chicken, grilled veggies and cold beer. Conversation was lively and laughter was abundant! We felt so thankful to be part of such a heart warming experience and be welcomed by such great hosts. We were eating the best chicken in the world at a restaurant that a year ago was completely flooded by the tsunami, such a surreal, unbelievable yet rewarding feeling. Rewarding in the sense that one really felt that Japan is rebuilding, the process will surely take a while but it was special to see people laughing, eating and rebuilding their lives with one restaurant at a time. A truly special evening!
After the meal we were presented with a gift from the host. Shouldn't it be the other way around we thought? Not only did we get fed but also snagged a gift along the way! But we were told it's given to guests as a good luck symbol for the restaurant on its opening. They were two beautiful glass sake glasses with a Japanese symbol of "Chicken-Dragon" on it, the name of the restaurant. We will cherish those glasses forever! The whole evening felt truly special for so many reasons and it's definitely going to be a memory we will never forget. Thank you to our hosts and the chicken dragon himself for giving us the opportunity to try the world's best chicken! Arigatou gozaimasu! ありがとうございます "So when was the last time you saw your mom naked?" asked a Japanese friend. "Ummm what? (hesitation and puzzlement) I don't know at whatever age it's no longer appropriate to shower with a child." She looked puzzled. My mind started wondering, should I rephrase my question or just go with it. Was something lost in translation? We are in Japan after all, maybe it's different here. "What about you?" I asked hesitantly. "Oh we take baths all the time, she washes my back, I wash hers. It's really nice." Now I was puzzled and so began my first Japanese hot spring experience. My mom came to visit us in late March/early April (lots of photos coming soon!) and one of our friends, we liked to privately call them our Japanese parents, invited us to a Japanese hot spring in the mountains near Sendai. Reading up on what to expect at a Japanese hot spring made me a bit nervous, naked bathing in natural hot springs... Oh boy! Do we get a towel or do we just let everything fly? By the way, guys have it so much easier, just one body part to worry about covering!
We arrived at the Yuzukushino-Yado Ichinobo on an overcast Monday morning. The resort was beautiful, very grand yet serene. We paid our dues and then quickly left our shoes in a little storage locker where we were also given a towel. Hallelujah! No naked walking around for us, I thought. Our hosts also gave us a small long towel that one could drape over intimate parts. In our slippers we walked through the big resort to a changing room where we put on traditional hot springs robes. Then it was off to the hot springs. My mom and I followed our host to the first bathing area. We took off our robes and here we were standing naked (so much for that towel!) in a room with other ladies waiting to shower before entering the bath. Awkward doesn't even begin to describe it! The traditional Japanese shower is much different than in the west. Its very low and you actually sit on a stool while showering. Strange at first but very convenient and comfortable the second time around. We showered and then draped our long towels over our bodies before entering the bath. My awkward feeling began to ease, and bathing with others made it strangely comfortable. Hey we were all in this together! The ladies all smiled and their sincere smiles made my mom and I feel welcome. There were three different baths, ranging from hot, very hot, to burning hot! The hottest one topping off at around 115 degrees Fahrenheit. We took our time sweating perfusely and checking out the different baths. We alternated between the baths and a cooling station, cool water never felt so wonderful! From the first indoor bath we checked out two more bathing facilities. The second one was semi outdoors with a nice nature view of a forest. The facility was all made out of stone and wood. Very traditional Japanese design - simple and beautiful! The last bath was probably our favorite, all outdoors surrounded by rocks. The natural mountain hot spring actually flowed straight into the bath. We were all thankful it was a little chilly outside because otherwise we wouldn't be able to stand the 100 degree water. At the hot springs I finally learned what it means just to "be" with someone. In the West we are so occupied with talking that sometimes we forget to take a deep breathe and just "be." To the Japanese, silence is golden, and many just enjoy ones company by sitting in silence. Like many westerners I was uncomfortable with silence until I came to Japan, the lack to understanding the language and only being able to express myself with limited English taught me the importance of spending quality time with people without verbal communication. So the three of us were just boiling in the bath, relaxing, taking in the scenery and feeling comfortable in our own naked skins. Not only were our minds at ease but so were our bodies. The hot spring water relaxed our muscles and let us put our guard down. After the baths we met our male companions(the husbands) at the hotel restaurant for lunch. Cold soba noodles (buckwheat noodles dipped in wasabi and soy sauce ) never tasted so delicious! I have to admit, my first Japanese hot bath experience was amazing! Not sure if the personal connection is the same for males, who just cover the old fella with a hand towel and hang out in the hot waters. But for a female, the experience was very personal and moving. Never in my life did I think I would take a bath with my mom when I was 27 years old nor with a plethora of Japanese women, but the experience proved to be very rewarding and I can't wait to do it again! I got a chance to experience a part of the Japanese business world, one of the team sponsors hired me to photograph their manufacturing process. So a few weeks ago, I boarded a Shinkansen (bullet train) and headed north to a the sponsor's factory. As the train zipped past small towns and snow covered mountains I couldn't be more excited to shoot. It's been a while since I had a real opportunity to work and I've been missing the constant client interaction.
Two years ago I got a chance to go to Atlanta, Georgia and assist my boss as he captured the gum manufacturing process for Wrigley. With that under my belt, I somewhat knew what was expected and how a factory worked. The Japanese experience, however, felt very different and foreign to me. When we arrived we got greeted by quite a few people and the bowing competition began! Konnichiwa! (bow) Please take off your shoes (bow) Please sign in (bow) Please wash your hands (bow) I was taken back by how respectful everyone was to each other and how spotless the factory was. No shoes were allowed, we changed into slippers and got escorted to the upstairs bathroom to wash our hands (yet again) and gargle. Yup, gargle! I just followed the lead! Next came a meeting with the president of the company as well as two advisors that were showing us around. Tea was served, presents exchanged and small talk started. I couldn't understand a word but smiling and nodding will definitely get you by. I have to admit I felt a bit out of place at times ( I'm sure my lack of understanding Japanese played a huge role in that) but everyone was extremely friendly and kind to me. I was also secretly praying that I wasn't breaking some Japanese business customs. Plus, note to self, always bring a gift! After a short meeting we were escorted to a changing room where we changed into white suits, masks, hair nets, and shoes. We all looked like Frosty the Snowman's distant cousins that were perhaps doctors. Our gear in hand we each took turns going through an air shower! Great way to clean the dust off my camera! The factory tour consisted of going through the manufacturing process from beginning to end. I was in awe to see how clean and sterile everything was. Most of the manufacturing process was done by hand! (Very impressive!) Anything from weighing, bottling and putting the labels on the product. I wonder how many US factories still operate this way. I've never seen such care being put into making a product. These products were not just being massively pumped out but instead were perfectly inspected to guarantee the consumer was getting the best product possible. The Japanese are known for being perfectionists and this was clearly visible at this perfectly run factory. After the grand tour we came back to the conference room where more tea was served as well as a Tokyo Banana. The factory president, the two advisors as well as some of the staff walked us out. Thank you (bow) Arigatou gozaimashita (bow) Please put on your shoes (bow) Thank you very much (bow) As our car pulled out I looked back and everyone was still standing by the door, waiting for our car to dissapear into the snowy mountain path. I have never seen such hospitality on a business trip! Overall, I couldn't be more astounded on how the factory operated and the quality of the products they produced. I definitely add this to my "never thought I would experience" list. In December I received an email from a fellow Marquette Alumnus and former MU athlete, Kristin Stonecki. She was currently stationed near Tokyo and knew that Dan and I were also living in Japan. Its great to know that Marquette alumni can stay connected all over the world! Kristin wanted to know if I was interested in joining her and a volunteer group that was heading up to Ishinomaki, to help with tsunami cleanup. Ishinomaki is a city located about 35 miles north of Sendai and is one of the most affected areas by the March 11th 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. I was delighted to go and help with such a great cause. I also wanted to see first hand what we have been watching on the news on March 11th, 2011. However, as soon as I agreed my fears began to creep in, it didn’t help that while talking to my mom she kept reminding me to prepare myself for the worst. “You know, they are still finding bodies along the coast, are you prepared to see that?” No, I wasn’t. I actually wasn’t prepared to see any of the destruction and visit an area where close to 10,000 people died. I arrived at the Ishinomaki train station at 8 am on December 12th , it was a cold yet sunny morning and I couldn’t wait for the KBF (Kurume Bible Fellowship) bus to pick me up. My hands were already freezing and I was kicking myself for not bringing my warm gloves. KBF informed us to dress in warm clothes, since we would be spending some of our time outdoors, and to wear clothes that we wouldn’t mind ruining. So here I was in my sweatpants, a hoodie and old gloves. Not a smart way to start the day, especially since it was December in northern Japan! The KBF bus picked me up and we headed toward the coast of Ishinomaki. I was happy to be reunited with Kristin. We knew each other in college and spent a lot of time training at the Old Gym as well as the Al McGuire Center but in reality its been five years since we spoke, other than the occasional Facebook conversations, and I didn’t know what to expect when we met again. It’s a funny feeling of happiness and uncertainty. In our years of traveling abroad we had a lot of those experiences, it’s great to see someone you know or knew of in college and then see them in a foreign country. You automatically feel a connection even though you hardly know them. Seeing Kristin was absolutely great! I have to admit; I am disappointed in myself that we didn’t hang out more in college. She is a great girl and I definitely missed out! The closer we drove to the coast the more visible the damage became. Buildings showed signs of cracking, streets were uneven, and construction sites were set up everywhere. The closer and closer we drove the damage became overwhelming. There was debris scattered everywhere, houses missing walls, piles of cars, piles of boats and piles of objects that you would never see in a pile! Cars were completely mangled and one couldn’t help to think about the massive force that swept through. It’s been estimated that the wave that hit this part of Japan was close to 33 feet high. We pulled into the Samaritan's Purse International Relief makeshift office and a member briefed us about what we will be doing. Our group would be cleaning up one house, knocking out walls, taking out the insulation and preparing the home for complete remodeling. Samaritan's Purse International Relief has been in Ishinomaki since March helping locals rebuild their lives one house at a time. The volunteer group we came with, the KBF Tohoku Relief Team, is a Christian organization from Tokyo that has been coming up weekly to Ishinomaki to aid with the cleanup. Many of the homes in the region were completely knocked down but others survived. The ones that did survive are now being renovated so the owners can move back in. The house we were cleaning up was right on the coast, about a five minute walk from the Pacific Ocean. We spent five hours cleaning up, removing debris, insulation and knocking down walls. I was completely shocked when we removed soaking wet insulation, which has not dried out in the nine months since the tsunami! During lunch Kristin and I walked around the area. I felt a mixture of emotions; I was sad and felt guilty looking at peoples' personal belongings scattered everywhere. Honestly, it looked like a bomb went off and people abandoned everything. There were toys, bikes, dishes, silverware scattered on every corner. Peoples' homes were completely on display! An errie feeling sat in when we walked by homes that were missing walls and you could look into someone’s living room, their chair still placed in front of the TV, a coffee cup sitting on the table and magazines scattered on the floor. You could imagine what those peoples' lives looked like. Words can not describe the destruction and painful feeling I felt while walking around the Ishinomaki coast. Even while facing such a great disaster there was absolutely no looting in this area. I even found a bag of money that had probably been sitting on the ground for nine months. There were memorials set up in front of some of the damaged houses. Someone in our group mentioned that some were dedicated to kids that passed away because there were traditional Japanese dolls called Kokeshi next to the tea offering. The homeowner was very welcoming and at first very overwhelmed. I couldn’t image twenty some people sweeping through my house and tearing it to pieces. She was very grateful and even bought us lunch. Fried pork, rice and salad! We all took a break from working and ate lunch on the second story of their house. The homeowner also talked to those that spoke Japanese about their tsunami experience, above is a photo of one of our group members recounting the homeowner’s stories in English. Thankfully everyone in their family survived, they escaped through a rice patty. They said they had friends that stayed behind and were trapped in their homes. The water was so high up that they were on the second story of their house completely trapped by the high water. They described it as being stuck in a washing machine. Some survived but a lot of them didn’t. People are still missing to this day; their remains have not been located. At times like this I felt a little relived that I did not understand Japanese, it was hard enough for us to be there but hearing personal accounts of life and death would bring me completely to tears. Below is a photo of the homeowner speaking to our group. Below is a photo of all the debris we took out of the house as well as Kristin and I in front of the home. Group shot with the homeowners. I was so thankful to be a part of such a wonderful cause! I think anyone who is living in Japan or will be traveling to Japan needs to see the coast of Miyagi. The damage will take your breath away and truly leave you speechless. Words can not describe what this nation went through and how gracefully they handled the worst tsunami disaster in the 21st century. Here are a couple more photos of the Ishinomaki sea wall. Crazy how peaceful the Pacific Ocean was the day we went to volunteer. For more information about the KBF Tohoku Relief Teams please visit their website or their Facebook Page. |