Continuing with happy thoughts, here are some quotes that bring a smile to my face and thought I'd share.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week!
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.
~Bill Cosby~
Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.
~Hedy Lamarr~
My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is. ~Ellen DeGeneres~
Cheers, everyone :)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Adventure gone bad...
Light warning: this is a bit of a vent, but something that I needed to get off my chest. Bad experiences tend to dwell in our minds, until we release them.
A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I headed off to a place north of here, called Kamikochi, with some friends.
Two of them are avid outdoor lovers, who hike, ski, cycle 100's of kms a day, etc.
The others were a family. Husband, wife and 8 year old son. All virgins to the 'outdoor experience'.
Then us two. Not virgins per se, but definite novices. We cycle, we walk, but this was our first time to actually camp in a tent and hike in the mountains. Although, camping has been on my 'want' list for a couple years, until I met my friends, I had no one to guide us.
So, my hubby and the father of the 8 year old, had a photography trekking trip Sunday morning with a tour, and the plan was the rest of us would go hiking, and then meet up with them later.
The initial plan was to leave Friday at 3 A.M, get there at 7 am. Set up camp close to the car, sleep for a couple of hours, then head out on our hike the first day, with campgear to go further into the mountains.
They told me the highway was offering the road for only 1,000 yen (10 dollars) for the weekend, so we all wanted to take advantage of it.
The next day, my hubby and his friend would go on their trekking tour and the rest of us would go in the other direction. We'd meet up in the afternoon. Have a camp/bonfire, sleep and head back the next day.
This is what actually happened:
We decided we would leave Friday at 9 pm, after work, because of the traffic. Leaving this early would get us there around 2 am and we'd have plenty of time to sleep and head out fresh in the morning.
My friend calls me Friday at 3 pm to say he and his fiancee decided to stay another two days, because instead of hiking up Mt. Fuji, they wanted to hike up Mt. Yarigatake, near the campsite. And since they are all going in the one car with the family, my hubby and I would have to either decide to stay for another two days or head back alone.
My hubby nor I read Japanese, so heading back alone would be an adventure, but we always do road trips. I said fine. My hubby had spent $150 to go on this trekking tour with his friend, so we weren't going to back out now. Especially when the initial trip was supposed to be them tagging along with us, as my hubby and his friend were doing the photography trek.
So, we get to our friends' house at 9 pm Friday night. They're not packed. We end up leaving at midnight. Driving there ended up taking not the 4 hours our friend promised it would take, but TEN hours. We arrived at Kamikochi at 10 a.m. I had begged my friends to stop and let me sleep for an hour on the road, which they acquiesced. I got 54 minutes before they hit my window to wake me up.
The two men in the other car, took turns driving, while their wives and the boy slept the whole ride there, in the backseat. I had to do this drive on my own, as my husband only has a motorcycle license and we were in the car.
So, we arrive at 10 a.m. Saturday morning and I've only had 54 minutes sleep since Thursday. I get ready to have my powernap, as was promised for an hour, before we head off hiking to the campsite.
No powernap, Aurora. We gotta get a move on. I ended up getting angry, so they reluctantly gave me 30 minutes. In the 15 minutes that passed, while they got their gear going, the murmurs were so blatantly obvious, I got out of the car and got my gear ready, not speaking to anyone.
We get to the bus and finally to Kamikochi entrance at mid-day. The first campsite is only ten minutes from here, we were informed. It was also only 10 minutes from the meeting point my husband and his friend had to go to the next morning to meet the photography school tour.
My friend insisted the other campsite was better. It was prettier, and safer and incidentally, practically at the base of the mountain he and his woman would hike in two days.
It was also an estimated 2 hours away.
With a family of 3 hiking virgins, a married couple who hadn't slept in 36 hours and 70 kilos to carry, we were not happy. My hubby's friend could barely stand. His wife looked like she was about to cry and my husband was fuming and walking as if the devil were on his heels, leaving everyone behind.
I had spoken with my friend to ask him to see reason. The two men would need to make this trek again in the morning for their tour. They weren't going to hike the mountain for another two days. Can we not camp at the first site today to make it easier and then head out to the next one tomorrow?
No, no. Really. The other one is better. Let's go everyone! We're here now and we're a team! Be with us!
Off we go.
We had hiked 3.5 kms in two hours when we stopped at a curry stop for food. When my husband's friend, who speaks Japanese advised us we hadn't hit even the halfway point, (the estimation was wrong), my husband blew his gasket.
He had words with our friend, who called us 'wimps' and insulted us. We ended up in a huge fight. We carried on until the end.
The hike took 6 hours total. We got there just before it got dark. Incidentally, the campsite had nothing but an inn, which we didn't use and a drink vending machine.
Our friend lends us his summer tent and says please don't eat food in the tent. So, it was dark, we had a few bites of a bagel and tried to sleep in the tent, before 8 pm.
It was 9:30 pm when I woke my husband from my shaking. I was absolutely freeeeezing!!
I thought my body was going to go into shock. I scared the hell out of my husband, who quickly took me out of the tent and made me walk around to get my blood circulating. He bought me a hot drink and we walked for hours.
So, it's Saturday night, I had slept a total of 54 minutes since Thursday. My friend, in his winter tent and sleeping bag, was snoring.
We met the boy's mother outside at about 11:30 practically in tears, because her son was sick. He was freezing cold and had cramps in his legs, she didn't know what to do. We were in the middle of nowhere, and our friend who is apparently an expert, was snoring away peacefully.
We ended up making it through one of the longest nights of our lives and at 3:30 with the first sign of light, my hubby wanted to pack up and go home because he was very angry.
I convinced him to stay and do his trekking tour. I wasn't going to stay another night either, because I was really angry as well, at my friends, for their complete lack of consideration for us novices.
My husband and his friend, who also didn't sleep that night, and looked like he was ready to keel over, left the site to start the hike back to the meeting point, at 6 am.
His friend said his wife would help me bring the stuff back to meet them in the afternoon. They wanted to leave as well, but couldn't since they had come in the same car as our friends.
I sat by myself on a bench eating a bagel and hot coffee and watching a group of over 50 year old Japanese people getting ready to hike the mountain.
My 'expert' outdoor friends of mine came walking up while I was talking to an Argentinian guy on the bench about how I admire the strength and tenacity Japanese people have to endure things, at an older age.
My friend went on to tell me that this experience shouldn't put me off doing something like this again. In his "24 years of experience" he knows what he is talking about.
I said that in his boasted "24 years of experience" he should've known better than to give a summer tent to us in the northern mountains, knowing we had just bought summer sleeping bags, been more considerate to my need for sleep (it was now on to 48 hours of no sleep apart from the 54 mins he allotted on the highway), and been more considerate to the family with a child and not expected two novice hikers to hike 6 kms in the morning, after no sleep to hike another 6 hours on a tour, to only have to hike back another 6 kms to meet us, all because he wanted to be at the base of the mountain.
I told him that if they were such pro's, they should've been the ones to hike 6 kms to the mounain to start their trek. They did everything to make it easier for them, the supposed experts.
At this point, an older Japanese man putting on his hiking gear beside us, turned to my friend and asked in English, "Have you ever rock-climbed? Or do you just hike up mountains?"
My friend told him no, he had never rock-climbed.
The Japanese man said, his exact words: "In your 24 years experience as you say, don't you think it's time to try rock-climb?"
We were all taken aback, because we had no idea he spoke English. So, it turns out this man, who happened to be 63 years old!!!!, understood everything we had discussed.
He made it clear to my friend that he didn't approve of what had happened on this trip for us novices. How could I have enjoyed this trip when we started out all wrong?
The man then turned to me, wished me good luck and left.
My friend was embarassed and I had to admit, I was a little delighted. He deserved that.
Anyhow, I ended up packing my bags and my friend helped carry everything back to meet my husband and we left.
One last thing my friend 'forgot to mention' was the road was being offered for $10 for those with magnetic ETC cards and accounts. Since I didn't have one, we ended up paying 17,000 yen, to use the highway to go on this hiking disaster and home. That is the equivalent of $150.00.
I was not happy.
What could've been an incredibly fun and adventurous holiday, turned into a real bummer.
My friends are now not talking to us, because they are angry my husband freaked out. We are wimps, according to them. I told them he and I had every right to speak up. We should have made decisions as a team, rather than he taking over everything. I told them they are inconsiderate and condescending and that I cannot understand why it is beyond their understanding that they acted in total disregard for the others on a trip that initially didn't even include them.
So, after almost two months of 'happy thoughts' and 'new resolutions' to be more optimistic, I have broken down and vented in a pessimistic manner.
As much as I have been let down in the past from so-called friends, people always amaze me. I am starting to think dogs truly are man's best friend. And to hell with homosapiens!
I promise I will not harp on this, but I wanted to include it here in my blog. I needed the vent, and to just get it off my chest.
My husband went out and bought a really nice tent of our own. We have our camping gear ready, and we will be heading out to Fuji Five lakes and will be camping around the base of Mt. Fuji, for a few days next month.
We will camp...our way. We will hike, our way. Getting plenty of rest, proper nutrition and proper gear.
*phew*
There, I'm done. Sorry for the vent, but I promise to be much more uplifting in the next post....
Sometimes, we just need to let it out of our system. And what better way than through writing...
I hope everyone is having a good week and catch up with you all soon!
Now off to make myself some green tea.
Happy thoughts!
A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I headed off to a place north of here, called Kamikochi, with some friends.
Two of them are avid outdoor lovers, who hike, ski, cycle 100's of kms a day, etc.
The others were a family. Husband, wife and 8 year old son. All virgins to the 'outdoor experience'.
Then us two. Not virgins per se, but definite novices. We cycle, we walk, but this was our first time to actually camp in a tent and hike in the mountains. Although, camping has been on my 'want' list for a couple years, until I met my friends, I had no one to guide us.
So, my hubby and the father of the 8 year old, had a photography trekking trip Sunday morning with a tour, and the plan was the rest of us would go hiking, and then meet up with them later.
The initial plan was to leave Friday at 3 A.M, get there at 7 am. Set up camp close to the car, sleep for a couple of hours, then head out on our hike the first day, with campgear to go further into the mountains.
They told me the highway was offering the road for only 1,000 yen (10 dollars) for the weekend, so we all wanted to take advantage of it.
The next day, my hubby and his friend would go on their trekking tour and the rest of us would go in the other direction. We'd meet up in the afternoon. Have a camp/bonfire, sleep and head back the next day.
This is what actually happened:
We decided we would leave Friday at 9 pm, after work, because of the traffic. Leaving this early would get us there around 2 am and we'd have plenty of time to sleep and head out fresh in the morning.
My friend calls me Friday at 3 pm to say he and his fiancee decided to stay another two days, because instead of hiking up Mt. Fuji, they wanted to hike up Mt. Yarigatake, near the campsite. And since they are all going in the one car with the family, my hubby and I would have to either decide to stay for another two days or head back alone.
My hubby nor I read Japanese, so heading back alone would be an adventure, but we always do road trips. I said fine. My hubby had spent $150 to go on this trekking tour with his friend, so we weren't going to back out now. Especially when the initial trip was supposed to be them tagging along with us, as my hubby and his friend were doing the photography trek.
So, we get to our friends' house at 9 pm Friday night. They're not packed. We end up leaving at midnight. Driving there ended up taking not the 4 hours our friend promised it would take, but TEN hours. We arrived at Kamikochi at 10 a.m. I had begged my friends to stop and let me sleep for an hour on the road, which they acquiesced. I got 54 minutes before they hit my window to wake me up.
The two men in the other car, took turns driving, while their wives and the boy slept the whole ride there, in the backseat. I had to do this drive on my own, as my husband only has a motorcycle license and we were in the car.
So, we arrive at 10 a.m. Saturday morning and I've only had 54 minutes sleep since Thursday. I get ready to have my powernap, as was promised for an hour, before we head off hiking to the campsite.
No powernap, Aurora. We gotta get a move on. I ended up getting angry, so they reluctantly gave me 30 minutes. In the 15 minutes that passed, while they got their gear going, the murmurs were so blatantly obvious, I got out of the car and got my gear ready, not speaking to anyone.
We get to the bus and finally to Kamikochi entrance at mid-day. The first campsite is only ten minutes from here, we were informed. It was also only 10 minutes from the meeting point my husband and his friend had to go to the next morning to meet the photography school tour.
My friend insisted the other campsite was better. It was prettier, and safer and incidentally, practically at the base of the mountain he and his woman would hike in two days.
It was also an estimated 2 hours away.
With a family of 3 hiking virgins, a married couple who hadn't slept in 36 hours and 70 kilos to carry, we were not happy. My hubby's friend could barely stand. His wife looked like she was about to cry and my husband was fuming and walking as if the devil were on his heels, leaving everyone behind.
I had spoken with my friend to ask him to see reason. The two men would need to make this trek again in the morning for their tour. They weren't going to hike the mountain for another two days. Can we not camp at the first site today to make it easier and then head out to the next one tomorrow?
No, no. Really. The other one is better. Let's go everyone! We're here now and we're a team! Be with us!
Off we go.
We had hiked 3.5 kms in two hours when we stopped at a curry stop for food. When my husband's friend, who speaks Japanese advised us we hadn't hit even the halfway point, (the estimation was wrong), my husband blew his gasket.
He had words with our friend, who called us 'wimps' and insulted us. We ended up in a huge fight. We carried on until the end.
The hike took 6 hours total. We got there just before it got dark. Incidentally, the campsite had nothing but an inn, which we didn't use and a drink vending machine.
Our friend lends us his summer tent and says please don't eat food in the tent. So, it was dark, we had a few bites of a bagel and tried to sleep in the tent, before 8 pm.
It was 9:30 pm when I woke my husband from my shaking. I was absolutely freeeeezing!!
I thought my body was going to go into shock. I scared the hell out of my husband, who quickly took me out of the tent and made me walk around to get my blood circulating. He bought me a hot drink and we walked for hours.
So, it's Saturday night, I had slept a total of 54 minutes since Thursday. My friend, in his winter tent and sleeping bag, was snoring.
We met the boy's mother outside at about 11:30 practically in tears, because her son was sick. He was freezing cold and had cramps in his legs, she didn't know what to do. We were in the middle of nowhere, and our friend who is apparently an expert, was snoring away peacefully.
We ended up making it through one of the longest nights of our lives and at 3:30 with the first sign of light, my hubby wanted to pack up and go home because he was very angry.
I convinced him to stay and do his trekking tour. I wasn't going to stay another night either, because I was really angry as well, at my friends, for their complete lack of consideration for us novices.
My husband and his friend, who also didn't sleep that night, and looked like he was ready to keel over, left the site to start the hike back to the meeting point, at 6 am.
His friend said his wife would help me bring the stuff back to meet them in the afternoon. They wanted to leave as well, but couldn't since they had come in the same car as our friends.
I sat by myself on a bench eating a bagel and hot coffee and watching a group of over 50 year old Japanese people getting ready to hike the mountain.
My 'expert' outdoor friends of mine came walking up while I was talking to an Argentinian guy on the bench about how I admire the strength and tenacity Japanese people have to endure things, at an older age.
My friend went on to tell me that this experience shouldn't put me off doing something like this again. In his "24 years of experience" he knows what he is talking about.
I said that in his boasted "24 years of experience" he should've known better than to give a summer tent to us in the northern mountains, knowing we had just bought summer sleeping bags, been more considerate to my need for sleep (it was now on to 48 hours of no sleep apart from the 54 mins he allotted on the highway), and been more considerate to the family with a child and not expected two novice hikers to hike 6 kms in the morning, after no sleep to hike another 6 hours on a tour, to only have to hike back another 6 kms to meet us, all because he wanted to be at the base of the mountain.
I told him that if they were such pro's, they should've been the ones to hike 6 kms to the mounain to start their trek. They did everything to make it easier for them, the supposed experts.
At this point, an older Japanese man putting on his hiking gear beside us, turned to my friend and asked in English, "Have you ever rock-climbed? Or do you just hike up mountains?"
My friend told him no, he had never rock-climbed.
The Japanese man said, his exact words: "In your 24 years experience as you say, don't you think it's time to try rock-climb?"
We were all taken aback, because we had no idea he spoke English. So, it turns out this man, who happened to be 63 years old!!!!, understood everything we had discussed.
He made it clear to my friend that he didn't approve of what had happened on this trip for us novices. How could I have enjoyed this trip when we started out all wrong?
The man then turned to me, wished me good luck and left.
My friend was embarassed and I had to admit, I was a little delighted. He deserved that.
Anyhow, I ended up packing my bags and my friend helped carry everything back to meet my husband and we left.
One last thing my friend 'forgot to mention' was the road was being offered for $10 for those with magnetic ETC cards and accounts. Since I didn't have one, we ended up paying 17,000 yen, to use the highway to go on this hiking disaster and home. That is the equivalent of $150.00.
I was not happy.
What could've been an incredibly fun and adventurous holiday, turned into a real bummer.
My friends are now not talking to us, because they are angry my husband freaked out. We are wimps, according to them. I told them he and I had every right to speak up. We should have made decisions as a team, rather than he taking over everything. I told them they are inconsiderate and condescending and that I cannot understand why it is beyond their understanding that they acted in total disregard for the others on a trip that initially didn't even include them.
So, after almost two months of 'happy thoughts' and 'new resolutions' to be more optimistic, I have broken down and vented in a pessimistic manner.
As much as I have been let down in the past from so-called friends, people always amaze me. I am starting to think dogs truly are man's best friend. And to hell with homosapiens!
I promise I will not harp on this, but I wanted to include it here in my blog. I needed the vent, and to just get it off my chest.
My husband went out and bought a really nice tent of our own. We have our camping gear ready, and we will be heading out to Fuji Five lakes and will be camping around the base of Mt. Fuji, for a few days next month.
We will camp...our way. We will hike, our way. Getting plenty of rest, proper nutrition and proper gear.
*phew*
There, I'm done. Sorry for the vent, but I promise to be much more uplifting in the next post....
Sometimes, we just need to let it out of our system. And what better way than through writing...
I hope everyone is having a good week and catch up with you all soon!
Now off to make myself some green tea.
Happy thoughts!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
My next article!
Hey everyone!
I hope everyone is having a good weekend. My weekend started out lovely as I checked my mailbox on Saturday morning and found copies of the magazine with my next article published inside.
I don't want to be a sourpuss, but I am a little disappointed in the mag. Their editing machines must have been on havoc mode this print session, as throughout the entire magazine, the apostrophes were missing 90% of the time, there were separations mid-word and it just looks very poor.
This is the first time I've ever received an edition of the mag like this, so I think it must have been a problem with the print press. Unfortunately, that poses a dampening balloon on the writers who had articles this month, me included.
I was hoping to give the editor at the Toronto Star a call about the article I submitted to him last month, using this article as a tearsheet for him to look at. Well, that's not going to happen now.
I am happy with the write, just not the presentation.
Nevertheless, it is another tearsheet and I am grateful for that! Happy thoughts!
So, here is the article. Just click on it for a larger view. Enjoy the read!
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Back to the world of blogging:)
I'm sorry I haven't been around for awhile to write anything.
To be honest, there wasn't much new to write about until now.
Okay...*taking deep breath*...where do I start?
Well, I can start by saying I'm very proud of myself for keeping up with embroidering and have finally finished the picture!! yay!!
Now, I have to look for stuffing (Lord only knows what that is...I'll have to ask someone at the store) and sew the zipper and I will have finished my first piece! I promise once I stuff it and 'zip' it, I will add a picture, so I can share this small but satisfying triumph with you all. :)
Another wonderful "finishing" triumph is that I've finally finished my first draft of my novel!! DOUBLE YAY!! It is finally finished!
Okay, yes, it's a month later than I had hoped, but I'm not stressing about that, I'm just happy it is finished.
I am now on my next goal of editing it by the end of June. I will have to make some phone calls to get some "expert" advice on certain things in the book, to make sure it's credible. I'm a little nervous about phoning doctors and agencies, but hopefully I will find someone nice enough to lend me a few minutes of their time, free of charge.
I can't complain that it took me longer than usual, because when I wasn't focused on my writing, I was focused on my husband's paperwork to get him to Canada. Another triumph!
We have everything ready to go!! FINALLY! We will be going to a medical appointment at the end of the week and then sending in the application. It will finally be out of my hands and the waiting will begin.
Please keep us in your prayers since I honestly don't know how I will react if he gets rejected to coming to Canada.
I want to come home. And I want my husband with me. Is that too much to ask?
Another wonderful triumph, although more for my husband rather than me, is that his photography is coming along beautifully. I've failed him miserably in his studies with an American photography school, to be his translator to help him with his assignments. As such, what should've taken four months is now going on a year. And I admit it is completely my fault.
I am just too tired to teach English all day, then come home and translate all night. My brain is fried.
So we have now found a Brazilian photographer who has his own school and offers courses in Brazilian Protuguese...my hubby went on a trekking tour offered by the school and learned more in that one day, then in the months I've been translating half-backwards, the assignments.
And in that one day with what he's learned, his pictures are improving. I'm so proud of him. He's getting more excited as each day passes that he has finally found 'his calling'...it's much like writing. He is taking pictures every day. Much like we should feel the need to write everyday.
So, we are now contemplating in enrolling him in the Portuguese school. It is an opportunity I think we need to take advantage of while we are here, since he probably won't be able to do this in Canada as classes are offered in English, which he doesn't speak.
Of course, it is a decision not to be taken lightly since I am the only one working and we have just paid a fortune for the documents needed for his Canada papers.
But we are are continuing with happy thoughts, of course:)
*phew*
Well, it feels good to be able to write something on my blog, which I haven't done for awhile. I've missed it! I tell ya' this blogging is addictive!!
My next article is coming out this month as well. So I promise to put it up for you all to read.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
Happy thoughts :)
To be honest, there wasn't much new to write about until now.
Okay...*taking deep breath*...where do I start?
Well, I can start by saying I'm very proud of myself for keeping up with embroidering and have finally finished the picture!! yay!!
Now, I have to look for stuffing (Lord only knows what that is...I'll have to ask someone at the store) and sew the zipper and I will have finished my first piece! I promise once I stuff it and 'zip' it, I will add a picture, so I can share this small but satisfying triumph with you all. :)
Another wonderful "finishing" triumph is that I've finally finished my first draft of my novel!! DOUBLE YAY!! It is finally finished!
Okay, yes, it's a month later than I had hoped, but I'm not stressing about that, I'm just happy it is finished.
I am now on my next goal of editing it by the end of June. I will have to make some phone calls to get some "expert" advice on certain things in the book, to make sure it's credible. I'm a little nervous about phoning doctors and agencies, but hopefully I will find someone nice enough to lend me a few minutes of their time, free of charge.
I can't complain that it took me longer than usual, because when I wasn't focused on my writing, I was focused on my husband's paperwork to get him to Canada. Another triumph!
We have everything ready to go!! FINALLY! We will be going to a medical appointment at the end of the week and then sending in the application. It will finally be out of my hands and the waiting will begin.
Please keep us in your prayers since I honestly don't know how I will react if he gets rejected to coming to Canada.
I want to come home. And I want my husband with me. Is that too much to ask?
Another wonderful triumph, although more for my husband rather than me, is that his photography is coming along beautifully. I've failed him miserably in his studies with an American photography school, to be his translator to help him with his assignments. As such, what should've taken four months is now going on a year. And I admit it is completely my fault.
I am just too tired to teach English all day, then come home and translate all night. My brain is fried.
So we have now found a Brazilian photographer who has his own school and offers courses in Brazilian Protuguese...my hubby went on a trekking tour offered by the school and learned more in that one day, then in the months I've been translating half-backwards, the assignments.
And in that one day with what he's learned, his pictures are improving. I'm so proud of him. He's getting more excited as each day passes that he has finally found 'his calling'...it's much like writing. He is taking pictures every day. Much like we should feel the need to write everyday.
So, we are now contemplating in enrolling him in the Portuguese school. It is an opportunity I think we need to take advantage of while we are here, since he probably won't be able to do this in Canada as classes are offered in English, which he doesn't speak.
Of course, it is a decision not to be taken lightly since I am the only one working and we have just paid a fortune for the documents needed for his Canada papers.
But we are are continuing with happy thoughts, of course:)
*phew*
Well, it feels good to be able to write something on my blog, which I haven't done for awhile. I've missed it! I tell ya' this blogging is addictive!!
My next article is coming out this month as well. So I promise to put it up for you all to read.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
Happy thoughts :)
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