Entries this day: AM_before_waterfalls TOP_waterfalls takaragawa_onsen while_driving_back zz_ragdoll_videos

AM before waterfalls

7:24am JST Sunday 10 September 2006 (day 13318)

So, today I'm going to go waterfall climbing with a guy named Naoki who I met at EV!! I'm quite excited about it, with visions of the waterfall climbing I enjoyed in Jamaica, and the amazing waterfall Zach and I engaged on Kawai'i. Holy shmoly wow. I'd like to go back.

But for today, this new (to me) waterfall in... somewhere!

But that's not why I'm writing.

Last night he encouraged me to bring my insurance card if I have one.

I still don't have insurance.

I'm still going to go, trusting my feet and hands to keep me intact.

(I basically 100% attribute my TJ Bike crash to brakes that had worn down to useless; that won't be a factor today.)

Underwater camera (with charged battery!): check

Francois:

7:30am JST

shit I can't find him...

7:32am JST

Dammit. I think I left his floppy ass at EV.

Welp, sorry rabbit, not pics for you today.

TOP waterfalls

6:10pm JST Sunday 10 September 2006 (day 13318)

Really glad to go waterfall climbing with Naoki, Tomo, Kazue　(かずえっち), and Aiko (よろちゃん)。

The tour itself was far too controlled and Japanese for my liking overall, BUT I did get to hang upside down like a monkey before dropping into the river.

The water was.. cold, so wetsuits were nice to have. But the rapids were for babies and we all had to stand over here and wait over there and blah blah blah to make sure we stay safe even though we had signed waivers saying it was dangerous.

There were lots of people there, so we didn't get to do all three sets of falls, but perhaps that gave us more time on the monkey vine that I enjoyed.

I *think* we will end up with digital photos of the event.

I brought my camera, but they wouldn't let me use it because it would take their business of photgraphing us. Grrr. There's *other* stuff to photograph as well. And perhaps I would give a better recommendation than overall it was lame.

BUT, really really I enjoyed and am enjoying chillin' with these friends of Naoki's who I met at EV. Good times, and I hope to hang with them again.

takaragawa onsen

6:20pm JST Sunday 10 September 2006 (day 13318)

宝川温泉 was quite beautiful, set in a gentle valley of a mountain river with rocks creating whirls and pools and eddies. There were a couple of strange points, though (well, one strange point and two notable points): 1) (strange) we didn't bathe before getting into the hot spring! I thought that was totally forbidden in Japanese culture. 2) (interesting) there was a women's side and a mixed side. No men's-only side. 3) (sad) four bears are kept in little cages; at least two of which have no real protection or privacy. I was not super impressed with that.

I don't want to poopoo the day; I'm really enjoying this chance to meet new people and see new parts of Japan.

while driving back

8:26pm JST Sunday 10 September 2006 (day 13318)

New words:

きかい　(機械）

けもの　（獣）

りゅう　（竜）

そらまめ　（空豆）

メンチカツ

つばめ　（燕）

めいろ　（迷路）

じだいげき　（時代劇）

きばみ　（黄ばみ）

みんしゅく　（民宿）

くび　（首）

びょうぶ　（屏風）

ぼうずが　びょうぶに　じょうずに　ぼうずの　えを　かいた。（坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を描いた。）

ブス　ブズバスガイドバスガス爆発。

す

す

スパー

パーマンにご

9:19pm JST Sunday 10 September 2006 (day 13318)

We played some fun car games, including the word game of saying words that begin with the last letter of the previous word (in Japanese), and then someone suggested a game of trying *not* to say 21, but being able to say up to 3 consecutive numbers and the next person picking up where they left off. Kazue was made to lose that game; I quickly said I had a better game: the seven game, where we say numbers in sequence, but clap and reverse the order of speakers on numbers that include 7 or are multiples of 7.

We played that game like 10 times until we completed to 100 in Japanese, and then got to 48 in English. Good times.

Then a grouping game: a topic is announced and everyone says the most popular item in the topic, and those who say something unique lose points.

(Very interesting, the Japanese rules of that game. The corresponding game I know in English rewards people for uniqueness per topic, and the loser each round is the one who can't think of an item that others have already said.)

zz ragdoll videos

3:59am JST Monday 11 September 2006 (day 13319)

ragdoll avalanche 1

worse and worse

precision (lucky) limb removal

game freeze at perfect moment

cocky Mr Shrimpy

last one tonight

And this cartoon I made with some semi-random pics I made: