Monday, April 28, 2008

My Isumi



As i walked my dogs along the usual route this evening-starting off past the love hotels, venturing up amongst the local houses and their surrounding small fields, crossing between bigger rice fields and then finally to the long stretch of beach that backs onto a quaint oyster-rich river-I was thinking about how I never dreamed in a thousand years I would ever live in such a place. Sure, I had magical images of living in Japan, and yes rice fields came hand in hand with that image, but I never imagined I would be amongst such a real visual of Japanese culture at work.

Isumi is a magical place. Being only an hour and a half drive from the hustle and bustle of Japan's international Concrete Jungle Tokyo, Isumi is tucked away on the Pacific ocean side of Japan, and in particular, my area is somewhat secluded from the rest of reality.

From my garden I can see the light house peering at me from the top of the lush green dense cape, and to my right at night the neon glow of the love hotels next to me sting my eyes. If I am really unlucky, on a Friday night the local farmer's will be over the road at the Snack 'Sakura' Bar, where they seem somewhat compelled to frolic with a dangerous mix of sake and karaoke....

At the moment, the rains of spring have filled the vacant rice paddies with developing frogs, who sing their tune during the night in an attempt to drown out their farmer friends croaking away at the snack bar. I like the frogs.

Spring is indeed here, if not a little late this year, as we are still huddling in the lounge around the kerosene heaters, and wearing 5mm wet suits when we surf. But this week is looking like a warmer one, and already I have been out there in the garden fighting the weeds that have threatened quite effectively to take over my modest vegie patch. I'm sure my little old lady neighbor friend has been terrified lately noticing my lack of interest to my now-sprouting organic delights. I promise to take more care from here on in!

5 minutes drive back towards the road to Tokyo, you can find yourself smack-bang in the middle of what I consider to be the coolest surf town in Japan-yes yes I know there are many more beautiful places with perhaps better breaks, but what I'm claiming is the whole picture-consistent swell, local surf shops, cafes and restaurants providing every kind of fare imaginable (well, for Japan's standards anyway), and of course, the local pro surfers and their families. The kids really make me smile-their passion for surfing is compelling, yet growing up in a Japanese family where dad is a pro surfer you gotta wonder if they really know how lucky they are. Perhaps one day they will.

Golden Week-the country's most beloved week where hard work dissipates to several national holidays all filled with energy and play (and for the other majority of the nation, sleep) is now upon us and can be detected by the number of surfers in the water, fancy cars with Tokyo plates cramming up the town's main street, and the full sign lit up at the love hotel next door. Most Japanese escape for their once only opportunity for travel for the year, but for me, I am going to hide away in my little quiet Isumi town, walk the dogs to the lighthouse, let them free along the beach, and enjoy a BBQ in our freshly weeding garden with close friends. Sure, we may take the camping car out for a few days down south for some warmer water, but no matter where we go the waves are going to be crowded, so perhaps it's a good time to revert to introspective mode and really take in my little piece of heaven I so luckily stumbled across.

Japan sure is a incredible place, and there is still so much I have to see. At least I know I have the time. But before I get my feet moving again, I think I'm going to just sit by and take in those small wonders around me, because we all know how easy it is to take such things for granted, and how sorry we are when they are whipped from us without notice.

Life's to short I say, so live it, but take it in at the same time!

happy golden week!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

New Job! 新しい仕事だよ!


I have started my new stint as Part time Advertising sales account executive at Business World Corporation, working for the division that covers J-Select magazine, the biggest selling English Language Info Magazine in all of Japan-like the sales pitch practice! He He

Kuni is away in Bali at the moment, so even though I am only working 3 days a week, at the moment it's intense as I have to commute from Chiba all the way into tokyo. It will be so much easier once he gets back so I can stay in tokyo at his mum's on my working days. Someone's gotta take care of the pups you see!

Haven't appreciated looking forward to Friday 6pm for a while-for the past 6 months or more I usually don't know what day of the week it is, and usually just work out it's the weekend when the main beach road gets ridiculously packed with amateur Tokyo kids...he he!

So in my spare time I guess I am doing this job, and the rest of the time I am writing the main summer surfing article for Outdoor Japan, running an Aussie Travel Co-ordination business and translation company, being a full time mum to 2 pups and a wife/house cleaner/insanely good cook to my darling husband, who is in turn working his ass off so much that he has been out of the country more days than in it so far this year! oh yeah, and I've been modelling for Oschman's, Labrador, Cloveru, etc. fun fun busy busy!

Time to go to bed, another stupidly early wake up to ride a sweaty/steamy/germy packed train all the way to concrete land.

nighty night-oh yeah, and there's been a spider in the bath again....apparently they eat the mozzies...he has another few days to prove his power...

kuni-missing ya babe.

xo

新しい仕事出来たよ!暇なときにやってるけどね、週3回!東京ベースの英語マガジンのアドバタイズメント(?)セールスやってます!まじ面白いけど、今クニはバリにいるから、毎晩犬達のために千葉まで帰ってますよ。疲れた!クニも頑張ってるから、アンジーも頑張るね。

朝ラッシュー電車きらい。。

そのあと、ともちゃんとPartyPeopleを頑張ってるとOutdoor Japanのマガジンでsurf/travel writingもやってるね。あとマタドルというのトラベルウエッブサイトね。後、たまにモデルね。。Oschman'sチェックして!LabradorもCloveruもね!!!ハッハ!
http://matadortravel.com/travel-blog/australia/realsoulsurfin/yoga-surfing-retreats-byron-bay

ね、忙しいでしょう!Gotta work hard!!!
でも、全部は好きな仕事から、楽しいいい!!!

もう眠いから日本語も英語も書けないよ!!!

お休みちゃん!!!

oh yeah-that photo is from last year! thanks kim! keepin the love alive. real style, real fam!
P>S写真は去年ね。まだ愛強くて、幸せために頑張らなきゃ!ハッピーなレアール スタイル フアミリー!
高波スタイル。

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I love Beach Pro! 海大好きプロ!




Kuni and I went away for 3 days to Chikura, South Chiba for the first leg of the 2008 Japan Pro Surfing Long Board Tour. And yes, the name of the contest was I love Beach! he he! Horrid weather had myself and the dogs hauled up in the camping car for most of the weekend, whilst poor Kuni worked his cute butt off 12 hours a day, photo taking. Anway, this is how we do it when we are in Japan-travel/working/family style.

JPSAの海大好きプロのために、クニと犬達と一緒に千倉に行ったんだ。天気も良くないし、ずっとキャンピングカーの中いろいろやったけど、クニがずっとビーチで写真撮った、かわいそう!頑張って、良い写真撮れたから良かった!これから、まだJPSAでいろいろな所に家族で行っちゃうね。仕事でファミリーと一緒にいろいろな所行けるから最高ね!良い天気あればね。