Narusawa, Yamanashi, Honshu, Japan, Asia, Earth
May 5th, 2007This is where I’m currently living:
Meeting People and Doing Things in Rural Japan
May 4th, 2007I’ve learned that there is no such thing as a typical day on this farm. The unique work I’m doing changes everyday as we get closer to the festival. It keeps the days fun, but the real magic of this place reveals itself at night. As Jake described it, the Solar Café is a place where people come together. I don’t think he could have said it any better way. In the weeks preparing for the festival I’ve met the most unlikely cast of characters who have provided exceptionally interesting interactions. Read the rest of this entry »
5.14 – Mō Atode…
May 1st, 2007Sorry for the lack of regular updates these past couple weeks. Between farm work, the rave, children’s festival, and a short trip to Tokyo (which I’m still now on) I have been sooooo busy that I’ve hardly found time at a computer. I plan to take it easy this next week and catch up on some blogging and tell you about my adventures in Japan, but if you can’t wait for more verbal descriptions you can check out the several hundred photos I’ve taken recently by clicking here. After all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Farm Life: Q&A
April 30th, 2007
So… about farm life in Japan! A lot of people have been asking what I’d be doing here, and up until this week I really had no idea. Let me start by answering some of the more common questions. Read the rest of this entry »
SAT 4.21.07 – Typical day in the life of an independent traveler
April 21st, 2007Disclaimer: Today’s entry is not a witty story recalling any humorous anecdote. There were no major attractions visited. There were no photos of the weird or beautiful taken. Rather, the following is an account of the type of events that occur during daily life when you break away from the corporate mold and begin to experience the world day by day. For anybody who is too nervous adventure away from their homes, I hope this will serve as insight that everything eventually works out… sometimes better than you could ever have planned.
A taste of old Japan
April 20th, 2007A blaring speaker in the capsule woke me, reminding me it was time to check out. Great start to a day of wandering Tokyo with a massive hangover. I set out in search of a new bed for the evening and a tattoo artist who would help further brand me as a member of the “Gaijin Yakuza”. I expected to meet with aggravators for my headache, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the opposite… gardens, shrines, serenity, and sake! Read the rest of this entry »
Culture Shock!
April 20th, 2007Aside from the minor technological improvements and obvious difficulty reading signs, there wasn’t too much in Japan that I considered strange. I’ve traveled alone to countries where I don’t speak the language. I’ve seen Asian décor and writing before. I’ve seen pictures of schoolgirls and armies of black-suit clad businessmen. But none of that prepared me for the first night I returned to Tokyo. Read the rest of this entry »
The Snow Hike
April 19th, 2007I awoke at 7am this morning to the cries of a rooster. It’s still cold and looks like 4” of snow. Hmm… perfect day for a hike… Why not? I layered up my clothing, unpacked my waterproof gloves, made a cup of tea and headed outside. Grey clouds still shroud Mt. Fuji, but there is a small mountain behind the farm that looks climbable. Read the rest of this entry »
Welcome to the Earth Embassy!
April 18th, 2007After two hours of bus transport, I found myself the sole passenger dropped off on the side of a two lane highway in the middle of the woods. It was late and the day’s light was beginning to fade. I literally walked through a cloud, following vague directions towards the farm. Through the heavy snowfall I spotted a few signs in English… Solar Café… Closed!?!? The last bus of the day had long since sped off, and feared the worst: stranded in a foreign country’s wilderness with no shelter as frozen water fell and accumulated. Read the rest of this entry »
Eigo o hanasemasu ka?
April 18th, 2007Everything is going better than I could have hoped for. I wouldn’t exactly define Tokyo as exotic, but it is definitly a different world. Similar in many ways to a typical American metropolis (with the obvious oriental twist) but much more technologically avanced. Excellent public transportation makes getting around is easy and it’s much cheaper than I imagined. Read the rest of this entry »
Adam Shane