Backpacking in Japan

It was an absolutely beautiful weekend, and although we had several major challenges, I could not have enjoyed this trip more! After months of talking and dreaming about hiking in the southern Japanese Alps- specifically up Kita-Dake, the 2nd highest peak in Japan (3,193 meters/ 10,476 feet), our trip finally became a reality. Turned out, early October was by far a better time to visit the mountain anyways! I went with 2 friends from my social apartment, Kyohei and Kazuma. We made a really good team. We didn't get discouraged when we made some major mistakes- rather seeing the adventure and challenge in everything. We made decisions together regarding safety and our own physical limitations. We saw the positive in everything and kept reminding each other to enjoy the surroundings and take it all in. We were about the same fitness level and kept up a really good pace. I got my peace and quiet alone time when they would carry on in Japanese and I could just tune them out. Overall it was nice to hang out with people who love the same things that I do, or who go along with taking goofy photos, and who appreciate nature, and like a challenge.

Kita-dake is the tallest peak in a series of a mountain range in Yamanashi Prefecture. (The same prefecture as Mount Fuji). There are hiking options for multi-day trips so as to hit all the major peaks in the range. With only a 2 day/1 night weekend, we opted for just the main mountain. Our second decision was whether to camp in a tent just below the peak or stay in the mountain hut. I might think I'm hard-core, but staying in the mountain hut was a very wise decision!

We left early Saturday morning- 5:15am train from Eda to the capital, Kofu, of Yamanashi prefecture (a 2 hour ride). From there we had about an hour to wait for the 9am bus that would take us 2.5 hours up the windy mountain road to Hirogawara- the start of the trail!

"The air was crisp, the sun was warm and a hint of color on the leaves (at the trail start). Already giddy with excitement, we had no idea what was in store for us. The scenery and surroundings were magical, breathtaking, out of this world. The Japanese word for it is pam-pa-ne!" (from my journal).

The colors, the scenery, the majestic chain of mountains surrounding us, the intensity of the climb and elevation gain (we started at 1,500 meters). The river, the massive rocks, the trees. We all just couldn't stop gushing. Not to mention, we had the trail entirely to ourselves!!




Due to a massive error on all our parts, not reading sign posts or the map I had, we were forced to back-track and basically added 2.5 hours of extra strenuous hiking to the already long day's climb. The upside? We got to watch a cloudy sunset from the trail and enjoy the magic of the descending dusk and hike with headlamps. Once we reached the ridge line, we only had about 30 minutes to go. By this time it was pitch dark- 6:30 pm, but the cloud cover in the valley below was like a misty illuminated sea. Although my lungs were burning and my ankles felt weak, I loved every minute of it.

We made it to the mountain hut- stinky toilets right outside, access to clean water and a small hut with tatami floors for sleeping, an area for cooking and about 30 other hikers. (Japanese over the age of 40). We cooked our veggie/chicken/tofu/udon soup to much delight and then lights were out at 8:30pm. Our goal was to wake up at 4am, and start the final ascent to the peak at 4:30- with the intention of watching the sunrise. When we woke up at 4, it was cloudy, foggy and pouring rain.

Change of plans!

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then just climb back down. Full rain-gear was absolutely necessary as it rained the entire 3-hours down. In fact, its still raining 24 hours later as I write this (we are in a typhoon). The trail was incredibly steep, small rivers and puddles and miniature waterfalls collected and cascaded down the rocky/muddy trail. Each step seemed to potentially be a death-trap. This went on for 8+ km. Then it was a quick change out of my wet clothes, and back on the bus by 10:20 am.

Enjoying the start to autumn weather

Lexi's and Abba's recent blog posts of exploring their cities gave me the ganas to do the same. The temperatures have been perfect recently and so it was extra incentive to get out and about.

On Thursday night, after work, a coworker organized an excursion to watch a professional baseball game. This is one of the lower ranked Tokyo teams- the Swallows (so cute) and they were playing the Hiroshima Carp- a much better team. The stadium was small and intimate and we were sitting right next to the cheering section and when the Swallows were up to bat, the fans had a unique clapping cheer for him. At several points everyone knew to bring out their miniature fan umbrellas and wave them in the air to the beat of the chant! Since it had been raining earlier that day, I also had an umbrella (not really the correct size), so I waved it right along with everyone else.

On Saturday, Katy and I explored a new park that boasted a beautiful field of cosmos. The cosmos didn't disappoint! The park was huge- with a large lake with people in small boats. Wide open fields for BBQs and picnics. Plenty of walkers with their little dogs, and even paths for cyclists. We enjoyed catching up and taking in the autumn weather and greenery. 

Back in the Classroom

I've been working for three weeks now!  

Hectic? Yes! Rewarding? For sure!

My school is called Yoyogi International School . It is a small pre-school

to 2nd grade school. Classes start for children as young as 18 months. 

The school is expanding each year, and I currently have the oldest class. 

Consequently, that means when I arrived, there was virtually no resources

or pre-made materials for my grade level. The photo below shows the room as I saw it on day 1. Luckily, I had 2 weeks of "in my classroom" time to put it all together. I have a 3-inch thick binder of curriculum information, plenty of teacher manuals and unbelievably great colleagues who are hard working and incredibly dedicated and supportive. The only thing that seems to be lacking? enough time to get it all done!  

On my floor are three classes. 2nd grade (me), 1st grade with Jo (from the UK) and Kindergarten with Adam (UK) and Seiko (Japan). On the other floors are the 4 levels of pre-k classes. Only Jo and I teach alone. The rest of the classes have a team of 2 teachers- one native English and one native Japanese.
I teach all subjects to my students except Japanese which they receive 3-times a week. I have both native Japanese students as well as foreign students. All their parents speak fluent English and one of the characteristics of the students in my class is that they are verbally fluent (aka: chatty). This has been both a blessing and a curse! (And its only week 1).

Where are all the chairs and more tables you ask? Well, that's because I only have 5 students this year! That's right! 5.

We hit the ground running and I have now completed a full week with this group. They are definitely problem solvers, they love to read, they love to ask questions and sometimes they stay focused! 

We have a full-time Literacy Coach who comes in to work with us teachers and do presentations for the students. He is a great resource and I feel like I am going to grow exponentially as an educator because of the best practices that he is sharing with us. 

Like at all schools, there is still a TON of paperwork! 

My day starts at 5:40 (when I wake up). I leave my apartment at around 6:40 and catch the 6:50 train (even in the women's only car, I usually have to stand the whole time). Its a full hour-with one transfer to my school station exit. From there its a 3 minute walk to the school. I get to school by 7:55 am. Students don't start arriving until 8:35/8:45. Since everything is so close together. Jo is right next door. The entire school is in a narrow 5-story building- so having the 30 minutes or so in the morning has been great. The parents come in to drop their kids off, the kids change into their indoor shoes and I usually have a morning assignment for them to complete quietly at the table. Parents often have questions, comments or just want to chat a bit (that's new for me). Then they kiss their kids and we can get started. 

The school day runs without a break- Jo and I team up to monitor recess and lunch (they eat in the classroom and we have a roof-top play area). Then there is a basement gym for PE time. We cram all the kids in the narrow elevator to transport them around the school. Class ends at 3:15 and if I don't have Crossfit, Japanese class, babysitting or English tutoring, then I stay until about 6:15 or so. 

Whole 30 day 5!

When I'm prepared, I'm successful.

I have a meal plan calendar and I did a big load of shopping and cooking on Monday and consequently have had 5 successful days on this new plan.
Breakfasts for me are the easiest. A combination of a 2-egg omelet and I've started frying up some veggies in butter before adding the egg. In this example its shredded carrot and pre-steamed broccoli. If I have a fresh tomato, I chop that up and throw it on top.
Snacks have ben fruit mostly: peaches, pears, and bananas.  


 Dinners I can make big enough to tupperware for school lunches on the subsequent days. Below is my version of Veggie Marinara- no pasta, I used potatoes as the base. The sauce is made of: chicken, broccoli, carrots, and eggplant in a tomato spaghetti sauce. And those purple sprouts?? Well, they were pretty :)

This was left-overs, but the left-side of the plate was my Indian yellow curry with chicken, carrots, eggplant, onion, and sweet potato, all on a bed of cauliflower "rice."

It makes me excited to come home and eat.
Another snack recommendation? Left-over baked sweet potato. Even eating it cold, it tastes delicious.

Whole 30- day 1.

I have a new goal. A one-month body cleanse and detox regime called the Whole-30. I need to post it here so I am accountable for my actions and I guess I will be looking for support when the cravings kick in.
Why, you ask?
1. Improved sleep
2. Clear skin
3. Mood elevator
4. Cooking more
5. Change my relationship to food
6. Eliminate sugar cravings
7. Increase energy

With the start of a new school year, it feels like a good time to establish healthy eating habits.

So, what can I eat???

1. Meats, chicken, fish (we shall see), seafood, pork, (any meats)
2. Vegetables (carrots, kabocha, spinach, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower...)
3. Root vegetables (potatoes, yams)
4. Fruit (grapefruit, pear, banana, apples...)
5. Nuts/Seeds (cashews, almonds...)
6. Fats (coconut oil, avocados, ghee, olive oil...)

And on the NO list???

• Sugar- juices, candies, 
• Carbohydrates- pasta, bread, rice
• Dairy- cheese, milk, yogurt, 
• Soy
• Legumes

So its definitely not vegetarian friendly. But the goal here is to see how I feel after 30 days, do I notice any changes? Then I can start to add back in certain food groups as necessary. 

There is lots of online support, one of my other friends is going through it right now as well and they all recommend being very prepared. So I've got tomorrow to plan out my meals and do the necessary grocery shopping. 

Today's breakfast: omelet: 

two eggs with carrots and ginger 

Lunch: (this was meant to be a snack, but my timing was bad). 

banana, almonds, cashews and jasmine tea 

Tonight's dinner: green salad.

Ingredients: ground chicken seasoned with olive oil and salt/pepper, butterhead lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, steamed broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cucumbers, dressed with olive oil and salt/pepper.

European Capital- Berlin

Lex and I had some sister-tourist time in Berlin. New and exciting for me, and with so much to see, there was plenty of new things to explore for her too. We totally wore ourselves out, walking almost 60km in the three days. There was just so much to see. So much history to listen and experience as well as the modern chaos. 

 I think we did a great job of combining a bit of all things Berlin- old, new, cultural, historical, gastronomical, vivid, bizarre, thoughtful and fun. We got audio guides at the museums, a very energetic tour guide took us around East Berlin, and overall we were able to navigate ourselves around with ease. 

Along Bernauer Strasse is where the longest section of the Wall is kept as a memorial. In the photo on the left, Lex is looking at the faces of victims who attempted to cross the wall while it was erected. The restrictions for passage became worse and worse, and soldiers guarding the wall were told to shoot on sight. 

Throughout our excursions we were constantly moving between West and East Berlin...

The Reichstag building is the seat of Parliamentary proceedings in the capital. We were able to climb in the glass dome and get a great panoramic view of the city- and identify all the landmarks we had seen.  

A seemingly popular hangout- beer garden and sausage stand under the train tracks! The line was long, and since nothing served there appealed to Lex, we moved on to Turkish falafels and humus- totally satisfying. But I had to get this shot- only in Germany...

 Another point right at the edge of East meets West- and here is the Berlin car- something of nostalgia for the past...

Love these city bears!

An hour outside of Berlin we visited Rococo palaces in the city of Potsdam. The French-style gardens, fountains, long tree-lined paths and 'orangerie' recreate the era and desperately made me want to don a hoop skirt and travel by carriage.

Not pictured- we made our own Ritter Sport at the factory (much like the Cup Noodle museum in Yokohama). Ours was: milk chocolate with cocoa nibs, dried raspberries and vanilla cookies.

Traveling in north Germany Kiel and Amrum

Clearly I'm not ready to start work yet! I took advantage of my ongoing time off, and traveled to northern Germany to visit Lex and Elmar. They were the best of hosts, had a room for me to stay in, took time out of their scheduled lives and we did local and overnight adventures, in addition to plenty of exercising and good eating. 

There is a local farmer's market just a few minutes walk from their apartment 2xs a week. We picked up fresh fruit, and bread and enjoyed your typical German breakfast spread! Of note: cheese, Nutella, and coffee- of course!

Having started training with Crossfit in Tokyo, I went ahead a found a box in Kiel too! I joined them for a work out on day 2 (after I arrived). As a box, they have only just begun...but the workout was intense none-the-less! After a quick warm-up... 60 jumping jacks, 50 lunges, 40  overhead presses, 30 sit-ups, 20 box jumps and 10 burpees, and a short weight lifting practice, we got to the main workout. 

For time: 90 wall-balls, 70 kettlebell snatches, 50 box-jumps, 30 toes-to-bar, 10 hand stand push-ups. I think my red face (in the photo) can attest to the difficulty of this workout! 

The following day, all three of us took bikes and rode right out the front door! Primarily on bike paths of different material- paved, cobblestone, wooded, sandy... we circumnavigated one of the large lakes just outside of Kiel. A good 50km through forests, small villages, along the lake-side and near some canals too. Whenever there was water opportunities- Lex and Elmar donned swimwear, and jumped in! I cautiously changed behind a tree, and tip-toed into the icy cold lake water. (So NOT the German style!)

The following day, we headed out to the beach along the North Sea, about 30 minutes from Kiel City-Center. The sand bar stretches out for a long ways, so the water here was very shallow. We enjoyed the long stretch of beach, lunch on an outdoor veranda overlooking the sea, and a few dips in the water. 

We did a camping overnight on the island of Amrum. Traveling by ferry, we arrived around 10:30 am, I rented a bicycle and we rode over to the camping platz. It was quite the crowded village of tents and campers. We found ourselves a small area of sand to set up the "it just barely fits" 3-person tent. 

 We enjoyed the beach atmosphere of this island too. Long stretches of desert-like sand, dunes and gentle waves (once we reached the water! About 1 km across the sand from where I'm standing)
We rode our bikes around the island, and with the sun staying up until after 9pm, it really doesn't get dark until well after 10pm.

Another natural treat was this Watt- an excursion during low tide across the mud flats. The most awesome sensation of squelching and squishing through the toes and well up to the mid-calf. The trek was tough-Lex and I were constantly worried about slipping, and each step required careful placement.

 Next post...off to Berlin