Kaeru

August 10, 2014
Tohoku Shinkansen – Shin-Hanamaki to Tokyo

Ka-e-ru: to return; to go back; to go home.

It’s been a quiet, wet morning. The remnants of last night’s typhoon trickle down from the sky in light rain drops, half-heartedly making their way to the pavement. Lulls in the rain allow the clouds to pull up slightly and the bottoms of mountains emerge from the grey. Floating curtains of mist still wrap themselves around their tops and in the narrow valleys between, creating a picturesque scene that only further romanticizes my departure. I’m already looking for meaning in every rice field and street light we pass on the way to the station. I swear Japan has never been so green as it is this morning.

Unhappy Endings

Thursday, July 17, 2014
Flying Beaver bar and grill, Vancouver, B.C.

It’s impossible not to make comparisons. Being back in Canada for the first time in a year and a half, and busy waterfront pub no less, is like being hit in the face repeatedly with a book. It won’t do any lasting damage but it’s… irritating.
Differences leap out. Why are people so loud? Why didn’t I get a wet wipe with my meal? When did everyone here get so fat? I’m revolting against my own culture but this is just a prelude of the months to come.

Ninja Training in Akita

June 30, 2014

My hands burned as I gripped the ropes and a trickle of blood ran down my knee.  My muscles seared in protest and my arms shook involuntarily as I reached for my next grip. Holding on was the easy part though. Now I had to somehow transition from dangling on the underside of this cargo net to climbing through a hole and ending up on top it so that I could slide down some treacherous logs and be done with this obstacle. How did I ever think that this ninja training obstacle course would be a good idea, and on my birthday of all days.