kinako mochi

Blog Break

2012-01-27T19:34:00.000-05:00

Internet up here is quite slow. This might be my last post for awhile, but I will be back :)

Back to Alaska's Arctic

2012-01-21T03:59:00.002-05:00

Photo taken by Jack in Wiseman

Packing up and getting ready for another adventure in Alaska's Arctic.

Java Days -- Part IV

2012-01-18T19:52:00.002-05:00

Ninth-century Hindu temple near Prambanan.

Borobudur, ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist Monument. I've wanted to come here for a long time.

Borobudur

On the bus, near Yogyakarta.

Yogyakarta

Charcoal in coffee. Yogyakarta.

Crater Lake, Kawah Ijen.

I am back in Alaska. It was -40 degrees Farenheit in Fairbanks last night. I hear it was -65 degrees up north (yow!), where I will be going in a couple of days. Although I am excited about spending another winter in Alaska's Arctic, I already miss Japan and Indonesia. Here are more pictures from Java (Lombok pictures are below). Photos from Japan will be up soon. I hope you're staying warm, wherever you are :)

Lombok Days

2012-01-18T19:10:00.002-05:00

Sweet Leni, cutest girl in the whole wide world. Senaru, Lombok.

Climbing Gunung Rinjani (my little yellow tent on the left). I was surrounded by monkeys.

One of my neighbors on Rinjani. Stefan from Switzerland.

Post-hike beverage. Rice wine from Senaru, sold in reused plastic water bottle.

Siblings in Kuta, Lombok.

Monkey relaxing.

Happy Weekend

2012-01-13T06:33:00.000-05:00

Love this girl.

Thank You!

2012-01-12T00:17:00.001-05:00

Goodies from aunt Toshie's organic garden! I am grateful that we are able to eat delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables that are uncontaminated, free of pesticides and free of radiation!　　幸せ者です、私。　

Bali Days -- Part II

2012-01-11T06:18:00.000-05:00

People in Bali are warm, welcoming, and extremely tolerant of oblivious foreigners. Here, strangers smile, wave hello, and chat with you. What a beautiful thing! Of course, there are dishonest folks who you should not trust...but I met so many people who were genuinely kind and good. I lost count of how many people who stopped to help me when I was lost, who took me out for food and refused to let me pay for any of it, who invited me to their house...even with my dirty backpack, stinky sneakers, and broken bahasa Indonesia. Terima kasih BANYA to all the amazing people I met, who make me look at the world differently and fill my heart with love. Thank you! XO

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Japan :)

2012-01-02T07:35:00.000-05:00

Happy to be with my family in Japan for New Year's Day 2012!

I am behind as usual...I have more to post from my Indonesia trip. Lombok and Sumatra photos coming soon. XO

Bali Days -- Part I

2012-01-02T07:08:00.000-05:00

Bali was a little overwhelming at first. Traffic, hordes of people, litter, stray dogs, men on the street asking if I need "transport, transport" every 5 seconds and getting ripped off again and again...but if you stick around long enough, the beauty of the island and the gentle and friendly locals will win you over.

Java Days -- Part III

2011-11-28T23:22:00.000-05:00

This morning's breakfast. 3,000 rupiah ($0.33) for rice, noodles, tempeh and tofu. Perfect.

Java Days -- Part II

2011-11-26T04:05:00.000-05:00

Indonesia is HUGE. The country is like a continent. I am currently traveling through Java and will be ending my trip in Sumatra. Man, time flies...Even though traveling in Indonesia has given me grey hairs and high blood pressure (more on this later), I am already thinking about coming back. One day, I hope to explore Sumbawa, Flores, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, West and East Timor, Maluku, Papua...There's too much to see!

Java Days -- Part I

2011-11-25T06:05:00.001-05:00

I am free and I feel privileged.

Indonesia

2011-10-27T10:11:00.001-04:00

Fire dance in Bali

Gamelan, kecak, Hindu gods, cacao trees, brugmansia flowers, kopi luwak (civet cat's poo coffee), strange tropical fruits and the sun...I like it.

***For some reason, I am not able to reply to your comments here. From the previous post, I would like to say thank you to Thomaru. You are too kind.

Later, Alaska!

2011-10-15T20:29:00.001-04:00

Biking around POW.

We camped along the way.

The sun came out on our last day on the island.

Hi, how are you? It has been months. By sometime next year, I should be back in the land of unlimited internet. I recently left Ketchikan to go on a bike trip on Prince of Wales. I am now back in Fairbanks, but not for long. I'm heading east!

New Family

2011-05-26T03:21:00.000-04:00

Island kids--Apollo, CJ, Mary Jane

Mary Ann and Mary Jane

Mark--This little man captures my heart.

MJ fishing.

I love her.

The people in these photos make my life less lonely and bring a smile to my face every day.

New Town

2011-05-19T03:13:00.002-04:00

Saxman Totem Park

At the beach.

Sea vegetable. Bladderwrack, I think. I kind of want to try to eat it.

Where I live. I get on this boat to go to work.

Near downtown. Building that caught my eye.

Jayne

After the 3-11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, I almost changed my mind about accepting my new job in Ketchikan. The thought of being by the water was no longer comforting, but frightening. I seriously considered backing out. In my head, I was thinking of excuses I was going to use to get out of the job I had already accepted. Then I remembered the promise I made to myself, to never allow fear stop me from living my life and pursuing my dreams. Well, I am so happy with the decision I made. As soon as I arrived, I fell in love with the ocean and the island life again.

Good Bye, Fairbanks. Hello, Ketchikan!

2011-05-14T23:31:00.001-04:00

Haines, AK

On the way to Haines to catch the ferry

On the boat with MJ

Little person I get to see everyday

I drove from Fairbanks to Haines, then spent 2 days on the ferry to Ketchikan. I am working as a guide and doing boat tours for the summer. I went to work the other day and saw a HUMPBACK WHALE. Wow.
Ketchikan is on Revillagigedo Island, part of Alexander Archipelago. The island is 50 miles long and 35 miles wide. It's a rainforest, so it rains A LOT here. Keeps everything lush and green. I feel happy to be by the water again.

Work Vacation - Back in the Arctic

2011-03-30T04:01:00.012-04:00

Rather than arranging for a ride or a flight, I ended up hitchhiking. In most places, it's usually a bad idea to get into a car with strangers. I don't encourage it. Here, things are a little different. I will most likely get picked up by someone I know. Even if I get picked up by someone I don't know, chances are, that person will know someone I know. I like the freedom of not planning, but most of all, I like hearing stories. One on one, traveling for hours and hundred of miles together, people tend to open up and let you into their world. I like that.
I once got a ride with a trucker who took me to Prudhoe Bay. Joe was his name. He was a big guy, what you would expect a trucker to look like. He must have smoked at least 3 packs of Marlboro reds a day and drank Folgers out of a big gulp mug. He told me he was an outlaw. Joe and I bonded over The Beatles like we were 15 year old kids. He talked to me about his relationship with his girlfriend and about his teenage son. He talked about his cabin outside of Fairbanks and about his life on the road. We made frequent stops for wildlife. Joe liked animals. We saw a lone black wolf strolling through the tundra and a herd of musk oxen not too far up the road. He even stopped for ground squirrels, which he tried to convince me into believing that it was a marten. Joe let me drive his truck and asked me if I wanted to go fishing. It was a spectacular day. Joe the trucker and I connected. It was a nice feeling.
Anyway, this time I got picked up by a film crew for a TV show about truckers. I made it up north safe, with no problems. On my free time, I went snowshoeing, dog mushing, sledding...and celebrated the arrival of spring in the Arctic with my coworkers and friends.

Praying for Japan

2011-03-12T20:37:00.006-05:00

I can't believe what I'm seeing.

Cities under water. 10,000 people dead. Thousands missing. Violent aftershocks. Nuclear power plants exploding. Exposure to radiation. Another threat of tsunami...

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/

Family Time and Vitamin D

2011-02-27T22:44:00.014-05:00

Osaka at night. I had less than 24 hours in the city. I never got to go to the museum of takoyaki(octopus balls), but I ate it elsewhere and walked around.

From Osaka, I flew to Kagoshima to visit my dad and my auntie. From there, I took the ferry to Naha, Okinawa. It was about 25 hours one way. Lots of time for daydreaming. It's not such a bad thing to stare at the ocean all day.

It's already spring in Okinawa.

Got to see my bro for the first time in years. This is Naha, where he lives.

Hallo, ocean!

Outside of someone's house. This kid has cool parents.

Colors!

Lots of pork.

Not too crazy about pork, but the food was still amazing.

I ordered a bowl of soba noodles with bean sprouts and chives. It also came with pork.

Oh yeah, these babies were everywhere. Some dressed up as pigs and other animals. Some were fruit. Kind of creepy.

The photos below were taken in Fukuoka, near my mom's hometown.

And back in Kagoshima. This is my great aunt Toshie in her garden. 92 years old and kicking ass.

!!!

Mr. kitty cat giving me evil eyes, but still adorable.

There are always flowers at my dad's place.

Vacation

2011-01-27T01:00:00.001-05:00

Got my traveling hat on. Going to hang out with the sun for awhile. I should be packing right now.

Winter

2011-01-10T18:00:00.003-05:00

This was my playground up north.

Lady and Shaggy :) I miss all of them. As a kid, it was my dream to live in the country and go on my version of Huckleberry Finn adventures. As an adult, it turns out that I still want the same things.

I still have this where I live now. Can't complain.

It's almost silly not to ski here, considering there is a trail right by my cabin. I went skiing for the first time in my life yesterday. Today, I am immobile. Ouchie...but fun!

My first winter in Alaska's Arctic was magical. Spending the entire winter in the foothills of the Brooks Range, 260 miles away from civilization and surrounded by millions of acres of pristine wilderness was no doubt one of the best experiences of my life. Sky full of stars and dancing aurora, dog mushing in -40F degrees, hearing sounds of winter only audible in silence, bonfires with Arctic friends...That was last winter. In October, I left my haven and came back to the real world. I now live in a real town with grocery stores, restaurants, a university, WAL-MART... I came here thinking that it was time to get a real job and hoping to get some use out of this degree I got.

Winter in Fairbanks has been difficult, in every way. Leaving my life in the country had quite an impact on me. Also, mourning the death of two people who were very dear to me in a cold and dark place with no close friends or family around made the transition extremely challenging, emotionally and mentally.

Things will get better, I know. The sun will come back and it will be very welcomed. I look forward to going into the mountains, away from cars, traffic, strip malls and crabby people. Until then, I plan on spending the rest of the winter skiing, making delicious and nutritious meals for myself, my sweetheart and our friends, making music and art…and taking care of myself.

Hello, 2011

2011-01-02T04:24:00.012-05:00

In 2010...

I drove to Alaska from Michigan.

I packed everything I own into my car and drove out west. I drove over 4,000 miles with a Chinese harp in the backseat. Imagine driving with a car load of infants or litter of helpless kittens. One must pay attention to the temperature inside of the vehicle, avoid bumps in the road, and gently place the hand on the body of the instrument when suddenly braking. At night, I covered my baby with a blanket and I slept in a tent.

Saw many incredible things along the way.

I felt very lucky to see this grizzly bear on the side of the road, eating some kind of animal. I was close enough to hear him tearing and shredding the flesh and chomping on the bones. Awesome!

Sorry...

In Alaska, I also met this fellow. I am quite smitten with him.

Left hand 10 o'clock. Right hand 2 o'clock. Good job. In the summer, we drove north towards the Arctic Ocean.

There are no trees up here.

On summer solstice, we sat on top of a hill with a bottle of wine and ate mangoes and watched the midnight sun.

Got used to driving on the Dalton Highway. Living and working up here, I met the film crew and the stars of the TV show Ice Road Truckers. Apparently I am in one of the episodes. Life is funny. In the back is Mount Sukakpak. It was fun climbing that one...

We had 2 litters of puppies! This is me holding Bella and looking fashionable in my snowpants.

Chunkiest of the bunch. He could pass for a pig.

With mama Jenna. So cute, it hurts.

Spring in the Arctic. Best time of the year to see Aurora Borealis.

Later in the year (obviously not in chronological order), I went back to civilization. I moved into my own little log cabin, about 260 miles south of where I was living. I don't have running water, but I have internet! Try to imagine this cabin without the ugly furniture sitting on the front porch.

...and many more things happened. Good and bad.

It's been months and months since I last posted on the blog. I am back and I hope to keep it going, for real this time. I hope it will make my dad happy to see where I am and how I am living up here. I hope you enjoy it too :)

Happy New Year! XOXO