Sensei and Sensibility
Sunday, September 29, 2002
The Art of Reciprocal Giving
Last night, just as I was about to watch James Bond and dive into my beer and Buffalo wings, the doorbell rang. It was Mrs Fujiwara. She wanted to give me my birthday present a bit early. I was absolutely shocked and tried to refuse numerous times, but she kept grabbing my wrists. I accepted, for fear of the violence increasing.
It turns out that they had bought me a gorgeous silver and 18 K gold bracelet - MUCH too generous if you ask me. I was floored by their generousity! Not knowing what to do, I thrust my left-over chicken wings in her hands and mumbled something about them being very spicy and very famous in Canada.
I went back to my movie and admired my new bracelet, satisfied with the knowledge that I had managed to reciprocate.
You see, when someone gives a gift in Japan, the recipient must give a gift back. Last year, I brought a teacher back a tube of lipstick from Canada. The next day, there was a Harry Potter mug on my desk.
So there I was, wondering how a few left-over chicken wings could ever make up for a beautiful bracelet, when the doorbell rang again. There was Mrs Fujiwara with my tupperware in hand, telling me how delicious the wings were. I looked down. My tupperware had been cleaned and filled with stuffed green peppers. And there was a custard pudding in there for dessert.
Sigh. The cycle has begun. Next, I will bake them a loaf of banana bread. They will surely invite me for dinner after that. And so on and so on until I finally leave Japan.
For my next gift to them, I think I will wait a few weeks.....
 Sabine . 11:50 PM . Comments
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Um....
So busy, so busy. Running on Caffeine and instant Ramen. only get 15 minutes for lunch today. Working from 8am till 10 pm every day until the middle of November. No time for my own birthday. I actually hope that no one calls me - I won`t have time to take calls. Sigh. I just had my last free evening from now until November 16th taken up by a meeting. Gotta run now to teach elementary school. let`s see how many times I can play "What time is it Mr. Wolf " in one day.....
Sabine . 6:43 PM . Comments
Monday, September 23, 2002
Sadou
The Tea Ceremonly, known as chadou, sadou, or chanoyu is a custom in whic guests are invited to a special room and served matcha (a powdered green tea). It is a highly-developed art form with a strict code of etiquette, and it combines the ideals of Zen Buddhism with the uniquely Japanese concept of wabi (the avoidance of anything showy; the discovery of the true beauty that things posess when stripped of their superficial characteristics and reduced to their essence). The design of everything used in a particular school of chadou is based on a single, unified philosophy. Participating in the tea ceremony is therefore like entering a separate, self-contained world. (JTB - Must See in Kyoto, 1997)
So, there I was on a fine Sunday afternoon with about 50 of my closest friends from Japanese class at a small Ryokan (Japanese-style inn) on the edge of a lake, about to enter into the world of the Tea Ceremony. I wondered how they could possibly create a peaceful atmosphere for so large a group. As it turns out, they couldn`t. Still, it was fascinating, though very difficult to understand, as it was all in very formal Japanese.
We had two ceremonies - the first was the traditional Samurai, or man`s ceremony (very cool for me now that I just finished reading Shogun!). Basically, this was done in a large room, with Koto players, weaponry, and an area for a Kendo show. The theme of both the ceremonies followed the seasons. This ceremony was therefore dedicated to the moon, and the rabbit which is said to live there. Many people were talking: no doubt those who understood the ceremony were explaining it to those who didn`t.
It disturbed my wa.
The next ceremony was the ladies ceremony, in the traditional tatami-roomed Tea House. This was much more peaceful. The style was less showy than the man`s ceremony - I could look at the flowers, the scroll, the kimonos of the ladies, and at the handmade tea bowls and sweets platters. They were all quite simple, but were made by famous potters. The cheapest one was about 1000USD. I was almost too scared to drink from my bowl!!!
It was very difficult to do everything right, because everything is so highly ritualized. Basically, I can`t even explain how they make the tea - there is too much involved! As for my part, well, here it is:
1. Guests eat cake while they are waiting for the tea to be prepared.
2. When the host brings the tea to the guest, they both must bow lowly, placing the hands in a special position on the floor.
3. The guest lifts up the bowl with the right hand and places it on the palm of her left hand. She admires the beauty of the bowl.
4. Next, the guest rotates the bowl clockwise about 90 degrees - in 3 small turns. This is to decline drinking from the front of the bowl - the most beautiful side.
5. The tea is drunk in three mouthfuls
6. the place where the lips touched the bowl is wiped from left to right, then the fingers are wiped with special paper.
7. The bowl is admired for a few moments, then rotated so that the front faces outward toward the host.
8. It is placed on the tatami. Do not forget to bow when the host takes it away.
PHEW! So many rules!
Oddly enough - this is a good example of the extant of rules here governing every day life!!!
PS - if you want a better aesthetic description of a tea ceremony, there is a good one in the novel Shogun!
:)
Sabine . 7:14 PM . Comments
Thursday, September 19, 2002
Neighbourly Good Deeds
There is a lovely couple next door to me, the Fujiwara`s. In the winter, Mrs Fujiwara helped to shovel our parking lot, and in the summer, she helped me plant my tomatoes. They have invited me out to dinner and to onsen numerous times - they are really very generous people. I guess they may empathize with me because they have a son around my age, and must imagine what it would be like if he was living in a strange country all alone. They are the sweetest people, kind of like my Japanese family. Even though they don`t speak much English, and my Japanese still leaves much to be desired, they are not shy about communicating with me. They are a godsend, really.
Then they took a flying leap over THE LINE. Last weekend, I met up with them at one of my Elementary School`s Sports days. I already mentioned that my Japanese sucks, so I always try to find small things we can talk about, like the weather. This day, I thought I`d say something a bit different. I turned to Mrs Fujiwara and said to her, "The new teacher at this school is good looking, don`t you think?" I was just trying to do some `girl talk`. She got very excited and went running up to THE TOWN MAYOR and the Board of Education Superintendant to tell them that I have a crush on the new teacher. They peered over at me, shocked, and gave me a look which did not contain approval. She came running back to me to tell me that he is around 21 years old. She took off again, I don`t know where, and came running back to me. She had a lot of difficulty in finding me this time, as I had slunk away, totally mortified. This time, she brought the news that he is single and would love to find a girlfriend, so much so that he included this point in his self -introduction at the school. Meanwhile, all the teachers at that school (Except for the new teacher, who was running around setting up the taiko drums) were smiling and waving at me. Suddenly, I developed a splitting headache and needed to go home.
It gets better. Later that night, I was over at their place for dinner, and discovered that they had invited along a special friend - a teacher from that Elementary School. You can guess what the topic of conversation was for that evening!!! It turns out that the other teacher wanted to be my go-between in this match-making affair. It seems that I had no choice in the matter - my fate was sealed with those few careless words spoken at the beginning of this piece. They were all very excited. I returned home later hoping that they would forget.
Fat chance.
Last night, I got an excited call from Mrs Fujiwara. I had trouble understanding it, as many of the words were in the local dialect, Kansai-ben. I understood something about Asahi (a kind of beer here) and the morning and some dengaku, a local tofu treat. Were they coming over tomorrow morning for a breakfast of beer and tofu? I thought that I should confirm the contents of the phone message with Maeva - one of my fluent friends. It turns out that the teacher`s name is Mr. Asahi, that they had talked to him about me and we are to all go out together, that they would talk to me tomorrow morning (they usually come running out to say good morning to me when I leave for school), and that I should call them back (AH! renraku means to contact, dengaku is tofu - easy mistake!).
So, this morning I left my apartment a few minutes early, anticipating being delayed by conversation with the Fujiwara`s. Sure enough, they came running out shouting "Bachi, bachi!!" ( huh? Bachi is Italian for kiss, isn`t it?!) After some effort, we established that he was interested in the prospect of going out on a date with me, or rather, with us. As it turns out, the Fujiwara`s are going to come along too. And perhaps even the go-between teacher. I`ve been told that we are all going to go out to Karaoke together, and the Fujiwara`s will drive so that we can drink. It will be an escorted first date, and I am sure that those of us actually on the date will be completely uncomfortable while our escorts have the good time. In the mean time, they have taken a picture of Mr Asahi for me to cherish. They assured me that they can blow it up on their computer in case I wanted to make a poster or something.
All this from a poor attempt at breaking the ice with my EXTREMELY helpful neighbour.
Perhaps I`ll post up the article on my date when it appears in the town newspaper.
Suddenly, I am reminded of when my mom escorted my sister on a date once - IN GRADE SEVEN!!!
:) Sabine
Sabine . 9:50 PM . Comments
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Breathing - dock 2.5 seconds off my pay...
OK, lately I`ve been encountering bureaucratic nightmares when I have been trying to get vacation time to go home at Christmas. They are so darn strict here it is not funny. Basically, I need one extra day to be able to go home for the holidays and they WILL NOT give it to me, even unpaid. Then my lovely friend Christine sent me this forward. I peed myself laughing at its relevance to my situation, and may forward it to my Board of Education to add to all contracts for next year. Unfortuately, they don`t understand irony and sarcasm here, so it may not be such a good idea after all...
SICKDAYS
We will no longer accept a doctor's sicknote as proof of sickness. If you are able to get to the doctor, you are able to come into work.
SURGERY
Operations are now banned. As long as you are an employee here, you need all your organs. You should not consider having anything removed. We hired you intact. To have something removed constitutes a breach of employment.
HOLIDAYS
Each employee will receive 104 holidays per year. They are to be called Saturday and Sunday.
ABSENT FOR YOUR OWN DEATH
This will be accepted as an excuse. However, we require at least two weeks notice as it is your duty to train your own replacement.
TOILET USE
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilets. In the future, we will follow the practice of going in alphabetical order. For instance: All employees whose names begin with 'B' will go from 8.20 to 8.40 and so on. If you are unable to go at your allotted time, it will be necessary to wait until the next day when your turn comes again. In extreme emergencies employees may swap their time with a co-worker. Both workers supervisors must approve this exchange in writing. In addition, there is now a strict 3-minute time limit in the toilets. At the end of 3 minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper will retract, and the door will open.
LUNCH BREAK
Skinny people get an hour for lunch as they need to eat more so they can look healthy, normal size people get 30 minutes for lunch to maintain their average figure. Fat people get 5 minutes for lunch because that's all the time needed to drink a Slimfast and take a diet pill.
DRESS CODE
It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing fancy trainers or clothing we will assume that you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a pay rise.
Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternations or input should be directed elsewhere.
Have a nice day,
The Management
Sabine . 5:33 PM . Comments
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
One Fine Misty Morning...
...the incongruous happened.
I was puttering up to my school this morning. The valley was filled with mist, and the local monk was slowly walking down the street in his robes, as is his custom. I maneuvered my way through the winding roads, dodging obaachans on scooters and students on bicycles. I turned onto the narrow bridge which is the entrance to my school. Lost in a reverie, I was surprised when three men in suits stopped my car. I rolled down the window, raising an eyebrow in enquiry. They bowed to me and wished me a good morning and handed me a little green book. I drove off to park my car. Then I pulled out the mysterious book. Flipping the pages I thought it was odd for them to give me a book which I cannot read - Japanese takes many, many years to learn how to read. Then I see it - the sign. There, emblazoned on the front of the cover was the tell-tale symbol of the Gideons. I was handed a Gideon Bible - in Japanese.
My little town of 5000 people, nestled in the mist filled valleys of rural Japan, has Gideons!
At least I don`t have Jehovah`s witnesses....the town just north of me does, however, and the ALT there has a stack of The Watchtower in Japanese - anyone want a copy???
Sabine . 5:11 PM . Comments
Monday, September 16, 2002
Starbucks and the Randy Mama-sans
It`s really nice to excape to the city every now and again.
There I was, at Starbucks, sipping my espresso and nibbling on my biscotti (quite rare in little Ikuno). Really, I was trying to mind my own business. I was admiring the view from the patio - people were strolling by (Why do the women here all own the same Louis Vuitton bag and why do they dress in stilettos just to hang out?) and I was checking out the latest city fashion.
Just as I was enjoying the spastic flashing of the lights from the nearby pachinko parlours, a vision of a woman appeared. She was about 50, with an impeccable updo and she was wearing a white silk kimono with a very elaborate gold obi. I have never seen a woman with such grace. She walked to the sidewalk with a very handsome businessman.
It was such an amazing slice of life here. Kobe - big, modern city. A woman in a kimono, like women here have worn for centuries. I sighed and settled into my reverie, all the while watching the romantic duo.
Suddenly, her hand moved in what can only be described as an unlady-like fashion. She was squeezing his bottom!!!! Next, she patted him on the bum and said "Mata kitte kudasai!" Please come again. I wasn`t too concerned with this part of the conversation yet, as it is a standard formality here - like our "See you later". I was however, shocked to see an open display of affection.
I crunched my biscotti in wonderment.
Time passed, and once again the mysterious kimono lady came down. This time, she was accompanied by a lovely young girl in a ball gown and a wealthy-looking businessman. The ladies bowed to the man. He turned on his heel and began to walk away. In unison, the ladies shouted to him, "So sorry we couldn`t raise it for you! Please come again!"
Slowly, I turned my head to look at the signs for the building next to the Starbucks patio and began to read the Japanese characters for the businesses there. Momoko`s love lounge. Heaven Petting Parlour. Dream Snack.
Hmmmm.
Hostess Bars? Brothels?
I don`t quite know what is housed in that building, but I do know that we sat there for an hour or so and watched as numerous businessmen and men`s parties went up the elevator, while numerous men and women came down together. The women stood right beside us on the patio and all shouted with great affection to their patrons. All the patrons were invited to return. Some (usually the ones who looked more wealthy) got little pats on the bottom and the like.
Probably the most interesting Starbucks out there...
Sabine . 7:48 PM . Comments
Sunday, September 01, 2002
Mt Fuji and the Best Sunrise on Earth !
We did it!!! FINALLY! After months of trying to get a group of people together, we finally got a trip to Japan`s highest mountain together! We conquered the beast (3776 metres high, or around 13 000 feet) after 7 gruelling hours of climbing in what only can be described as various forms of pumice. There was sandy pumice, gravelly pumice, boulder-like pumice, and then solid, rocky pumice. Under those conditions, one`s mantra becomes "Do not fall down" - I continually had visions of me climbing, dripping with blood from a nasty scrape. Luckily, that never happened.
The Details
It took a few months to get a committed team together, but we finally had the plans, the weather was co-operating, and we were all psyched. I was to spend the next 24 hours with the following cast of characters (listed together with their hiking attributes):
Andrea and Tammy - these girls were evidently built for hiking, as they could pretty much jog up the mountain and were unaffected by the altitude. I am very jealous of them. I thought that the climb was too dangerous to go any faster than I did, and while Tammy held back with us for a lot of it, they both were jogging up sections. They made it up in 5.5 hours, but could have done it in 4.5.
Michael and I - we were your average hikers. We found the climb difficult at times, but at no time did we think of giving up. We stopped frequently at the difficult parts and were mildly affected by the altitude (both of us felt nauseous at times). We made it up the mountain in 7 hours (including breaks).
Shelley and Auggie - both these gals were novice hikers, and they did fabulously. I believe that only by climbing mountains can you train for climbing mountains (it uses weird muscles), so they found that their muscles fatigued sooner than the rest of us. I was truly impressed with their perseverance and ability - there is no way I would have done so well on any of my first hikes!!! The best thing is that they remained cheerful the entire time! It was a shock that they stopped at the 8th station (about halfway up) because they weren`t complaining or showing us that they were feeling any pain. I hope they continue with hiking up mountains - I think they`d be great at it!
So, there we were, the six of us. We met at the Baskin Robbins in Himeji (always a good starting point) at around 1pm on Saturday, August 31. Andrea had rented a jumbo van, so that we could take turns driving (7 hours) to the mountain. We talked, we sang along to Sarah McLaughlan, we ate candy - it was the perfect setting to the road trip.
6pm - we arrived in Fuji city and immediately stopped off at a convenience store to stock up on water and nummies for the climb. We realized that we had no idea how to get to the 5th station from where we were, so we asked for directions. After we watched the gas station people point us in the exact opposite direction from the mountain to what was "the fast way", we were concerned that we would`t even get there and made alternate plans to continue on to Tokyo (only 100Kms away or so).
8pm - thanks to Shelley`s awesome driving, we finally navigated our way up to the 5th station. It was a beautiful drive - as we got higher, the stars were shining so brightly. There were a few puffy clouds below us, and all around were the sparkling lights of the cities and towns around Fuji. We were so excited - it was finally going to happen! We went to the washroom and bought wooden sticks (with annoying bells on the end) to help us climb up. Only later did we realize that these sticks are absolutely necessary for the ascent. We donned our jackets, packs, and headlamps. We felt like the greatest adventurers who ever walked the earth.
The 5th station is at 2400 metres. It was about 15 degrees, and we already were adding on more clothes than what we had worn in the car (the daytime temperature was about 30). We stretched a little, did a group cheer, and excitedly made our way up to the next station. It is absoutely an amazing view going up the mountain. All you can see from the 5th station is a bobbing trail of lights slowly winding up the mountain - these are the headlamps of other hikers. There is no vegetation on Fuji San from this pint up. We departed at exactly 8:32pm. Periodically, we saw the glow of lights of the stations (rest points). The first place we arrived at was actually not a station, but a washroom. Here, we stretched some more. The terrain was pretty gravelly up to the 6th station, but the incline wasn`t so bad. We still had to be careful, as we were slipping quite a bit.
6th station - There was nothing here but a closed shack. We sat and rested for a while and then continued up. Now the terrain was becoming more rocky - it was slow going, as we had to find footholds and were still slipping on the gravel. I decided that I liked the rocky bits better. There is something so disconcerting about taking a step, and then sliding back down. It took us about 1.5 hours to get to station 7.
Station 7 - there was a little old man sitting in a cabin stamping people`s walking sticks for 200Yen. He was also selling other provisions (well, he had a can of oxygen, 4 bottles of water, and 6 bottles of cold green tea), and washrooms. It was chilly, but we decided to go to the toilet and have some of our snacks here. Little did I know (I have itty-bitty bladder syndrome) that this was to be the last loo until the 9th station (the only other station open the whole hike!). When the stations are closed, so are the bathrooms (and what disgusting bathrooms they are!). Snacking was perhaps a bad idea for me. I almost immediately got nauseous and had to stop pretty frequently between the 7th and 8th stations. All of us were starting to feel the effects of the altitude as well. I discovered that I would get enough oxygen if I breathed twice as fast (like hyperventilating). My nausea was beginning to dissipate as I breathed harder and faster. It was getting quite rocky now, and many times we were having to use our hands to help hoist ourselves up rocks. Remember - this is all happening in the dark! It was also starting to get very cold. We had discovered another closed station (the old #7) which had a sign posted - we had hit 3000 metres.
At this point, we also had begun to discover who of our group was best suited to walking together. We were quite lucky that everyone had someone who was more or less at the same level. I started to get vertigo - the mountain is steep, and looking downward, I could see the lights of the city. The climb was also getting steep, and it seemed that if I lost my grip on the ground, I would fall down into the sea of twinkling lights. So, I looked up at the flickering stars and the line of lights progressing up the mountain. The trail was marked by ropes, and many times (in fact, every time I took the lead) we found ourselves wandering away from the meandering ropes rather than towards them. We would then have to stop and try to find the trail. It seemed to be very odd terrain - like that of the moon - almost completely featureless, and it was easy to get lost. The flashlights that hikers ahead of us carried became our map in the night. Between 7th and 8th station (we thought we would never find 8th) we ended up finding a cave and took a bit of a break in the shelter. My guess is that it was about 5 or 6 degrees out - and a lot colder with the wind. We put on our mitts and toques and jackets.
8th station - For some reason, the climb to 8th station seemed to take forever. This station is the main one, and the largest, and we were looking forward to a nice cup of hot coffee. It was after all, midnight, and we were only half-way through our climb. Imagine how we felt - we had been climbing for 3.5 hours already, and there it was just ahead of us! It was strange climbing at night - we couldn`t see our goals (the stations). Just as we were about to give up, we would look up and see the lights of a station only about 10 minutes ahead of us! Imagine hiking on the dark side of the moon, except with gravity, and that is Fuji at night. We were so disappointed when we reached the 8th station only to discover that it was closed. There were about 30 or 40 bodies huddled against side of the building (even the first-aid centre was closed! Sure, it was the last weekend of the climbing season, but this was a bit crazy). We finally found Andrea, who for some odd reason was able to practically jog up this mountain. She had been waiting for us for an hour and a half, and was absolutely freezing. Unfortunately, we couldn`t rest here for long, as we were now behind schedule (the goal was to get to the top in time for the 4:30am sunrise), and there really was no practical reason for us to stay. At this point, Auggie and Shelley told us that we were on our own - they were going to stay here to enjoy the sunrise and they`d meet us back at the car. So, the four of us plodded onward, with Andrea and Tammy racing ahead to the next station (really, it had become somewhat of a goal to find a station that was actually open!). I had to attend to mother nature, and finally found a suitable rock - there really was no where to hide. I almost killed Mike. I put him on guard to direct people away from my squatting figure (you know, in a kind of "Move it along, folks, there`s nothing to see here" kind of way). He ended up striking up a conversation with the people who went by, making them pause even longer. Finally, I bobbed my head up and told them (in Japanese) that I am about to use what facilities I could find and could they please move along because I am a bit to shy. Sheeesh! Needless to say, they scrambled off.
Now, it was downright freezing - even while hiking! We had on almost every thing we had brought (which for Mike, was not a heck of a lot. Despite warnings from everyone, he decided to prove his manliness and do the climb in a t-shirt and jeans. Crazy boy! I was fully decked out for winter in Saskatoon and was still freezing my tush off! The nausea was getting to me more and more. Looking up, watching the trail of bobbing flashlights made me dizzy, looking down at the city lights gave me vertigo. I decided to try a puff of the oxygen I brought along and see if that helped (we were now at around 3200 metres). It did. In no time (well, in an hour or so) we had made it to station 9.
Station 9 - It was 1:15am, and we were cold, tired, and thirsty. We were certain that station 9 would be closed, but were overjoyed to find out that it wasn`t. I didn`t really care that I had to pay 5 dollars for a small cup of instant coffee in order to sit inside, I really didn`t! In fact, $5 seemed like a bargain to me. It was nothing more than a cabin with some tables and stools in it (and about 40 other climbers, about half of whom were foreigners - mostly English teachers!) We rested for about 30 minutes here. I was starting to feel the exhaution of climbing when I should be sleeping, and my nausea was preventing me from even eating a power bar. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that the next station, station 10, was at the top of the mountain. I was almost there!
Oddly enough, after relaxing for 30 minutes or so (our longest break yet), having a cup of coffee, a puff of oxygen, and being able to use proper facilities (well, a hole cut into a few 2 X 4`s) made my nausea dissipate. I felt great! Really! Here I was, at 3500 metres sipping coffee and trading travel adventure stories with other foreigners. I realized that the hiking hadn`t been that bad - my muscles weren`t even sore. My lungs were fine and not raw. After the nausea left me, I felt regenerated, if still a bit cold. Alas, there was still a 2.5 hour push to the top! It was now 1:45 am, and we were planning on being at the top by 4:15 (someone told us that the sunrise was between 4:00 and 5:30. This didn`t make sense to me until I was at the top watching it).
Dejectedly, we left the warmth of the station. I used the facilities one last time, for good measure. You may well be thinking that I have a problem here, so let me explain. It is so windy and we were breathing with our mouths open, so we were constantly taking a sip of water. Oddly, we were so cold that we were hardly sweating, so a sip was all we needed to clear out the dust. In fact, I only drank 1.5 litres of water the entire trip up and down the mountain! In any case, We weren`t sweating, but we were still drinking - you do the math...
Station 9.5 - yes folks, you read it right. We were so excited when we saw the vague outline of a building ahead that we practically raced there. We had been walking for what felt like an eternity. It was 2:30 am, and we were so certain that we had reached the top - after all, there are only 10 stations! Nope, it was a very closed station 9.5 - and the sign said "You`re doing well! You`re almost there! 1.5 hours to the top!" Sigh. I had a weird energy. I really wanted to sleep so badly, and was a bit excited about the prospect of getting there early to grab a snooze before sunrise. Another part of me was still energetic and thinking "Yah - you are a mountain climbing WOMAN - weehooo - I could do this forEVER!" I also wished that Auggie and Shelley had climbed with us to the 9th station - they would have been much happier resting in the warmth of an open station! Needless to say, we trudged onward. We were disappointed that we still had so much farther to go, but we realized how far we had come and knew we couldn`t give up. Our bodies were thinking of nice warm beds, but our minds were firmly focussed on the top of the beast. It was tricky going, very steep and rocky. We kept stumbling over jutting pumice and such. We had no idea how Andrea and Tammy could run up this thing. I was going steadily now that my altitude sickness had dissipated a bit, but now Mike was really starting to feel it. He gave in and took a puff of oxygen too. We kept looking up (BAD idea) and getting dejected with what seemed like a never ending path. Every other time we thought we were at the end of our rope and looked up, there was a station there. It didn`t seem fair - now, we just saw more mountain.
Station 10: The top! - Finally, we came to the torii gate that marked the peak, and walked through it without fanfare. We looked around for the post office, ramen (hot noodle soup) shop and vending machines we were told about. They were all closed. There were no washrooms, only a little temple and numerous other buildings. Inside each and every building, it was dark. A padlock was on all the doors. We were told that there would be thousands of people here - instead there were only maybe a hundred. It was September first, a Sunday. The climbing season officially ends on August 31st. They aren`t kidding! We had hoped that they would keep it open for the last climbing weekend of the season. That would have been too logical, though.
The sky was beginning to lighten, so we made our way to what we thought would be a good viewing point. We seemed to have a ledge on a cliff all to ourselves. I dumped out my bag and put everything I brought with me on. I really was dressed for winter in the prairies! I was still shivering uncontrollably. We had pocket warmers, but they were of no use. My hands were shaking in my gloves so badly, that I dreaded taking pictures. We were basically two lumps staring at the lightening sky, shivering and shaking and dreaming of getting back down to the bottom.
The sunrise was so beautiful, but it really did take a long time to come up! We kept thinking that we would leave this beast as soon as the sun poked its head over the horizon, but it never did. There was a small line of red that grew larger with every passing moment. I think that it took so long because of the altitude - we were sitting at a point that would be just a bit less than halfway between the earth and the cruising altitude of a jet. We could, in fact, see the curve of the earth`s horizon from where we were! I had so many hopes for this moment - to send e-mails from my cell phone (though the freshly charged batteries were now dead, thanks to me getting numerous phone calls on the way up), to write letters and to grab a bite to eat. It was so cold that this wasn`t possible - I could barely steady my shaking hands long enough to take a picture. It was probably only around zero, bit with the gale-force winds, it was actually far below that. It was here on our perch that Andrea caught up with us. She had been here around an hour before us and could only think of one thing: getting down to warmth again. After 1.5 hours of wating for the sun, we decided to go down. We stopped at the rim of the crater - a perfectly round, vast and deep hole. We shrugged and decided to get going.
We arrived without fanfare or congratulations, and we left in the same way. We were too cold to even acknowledge that we had reached the top (although I think that Andrea was surprised to see us - she didn`t think we would make it). Believe it or not, I found that going down was more strenuous and difficult than going up. I twisted my knee not once, but 4 times on the way down. I envisioned me at the bottom with tears streaming down my face drinking a can of cold coffee from one of the ubiquitous vending machines. I ate more dust coming down than I have eaten in my 27 years before this. It was treacherous, and we fell numerous times. It took us 7 hours to get up the mountain, and 4 to get down (If I wouldn`t have hurt my knee, we probably could have done it in 2.5 - sorry guys!). I vowed that I would never climb this mountain again.
Oddly enough, it wasn`t that difficult. It is hard to describe. It was certainly difficult at times, but that was due to the altitude or due to my aching bladder and stuff. My exhaustion wasn`t from climbing, it was from being awake at 3am. My hands were more sore from holding onto my hiking pole, than my legs were from climbing. The cold was the most difficult of all. On the way down, the heat and the dust were difficult. In short, it was a long slog up a dusty hill. One foot in front of the other. Watch out for falling rocks. Keep going. That`s all you need to know about Fuji San. Will I ever do it again? Probably. Do I want to ever do it again? Certainly NOT. Am I glad I did it? Absolutely!
Now pardon me while I go to sleep. I was never very good at pulling all nighters (never did it, even in University). I am the one who falls asleep at a dance club as soon as the clock strikes 1:30am. O-Tsukaresama deshita. Nighty night.
Sabine . 11:28 PM . Comments
all journal entries
This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?
|
