Cabu Chan Does Japan

Goin' to the shrine, and we got married...

2007-06-18T15:31:00.001+09:00

Three cups of sake at the ceremony.
Originally uploaded by cabuchan

Saturday, June 9th, 2007. Aso Jinja, Kumamoto. More photos are up at flickr.com (^o^) v

You gotta fight, for your right, to Paaarty!

2007-05-29T20:36:00.001+09:00

Karaoke
Originally uploaded by globetrotter611

Another one for my portfolio...

2007-04-08T15:42:00.000+09:00

Check out 'Dotheads', a short film my buddy, Jason Ho, just made. (I've got a small role in it as well.)

Aso Caldera

2007-02-04T23:16:00.001+09:00

Aso Caldera
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

Here's a view of the caldera on my birthday this weekend, a beautiful, sunny Sunday.

There's a hint in this picture...

2007-01-06T16:16:00.000+09:00

There's a hint in this picture...
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

Snake Island.

2007-01-06T16:11:00.000+09:00

Snake Island.
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

Back from the Philippines. Click here to see more photos.

How to Eat Sushi

2006-11-09T17:37:00.000+09:00

This is a really funny video on sushi restaurant protocol:
How To Eat Sushi on Transbuddha

A site is born.

2006-09-24T23:12:00.000+09:00

Check out my new blog: http://the-way-in-k.blogspot.com/

It's about current research I'm doing in Kumamoto related to area temple activity during and leading up to WWII. I'm also covering local temple stay-overs as a separate in interest I've taken up recently. The pain and scoldings I received during my first stay-over are chronicled on the blog this week.

Taipei Massage

2006-08-27T11:06:00.000+09:00

Painful massage.
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

I never paid money to receive so much pain. Sweat dripped down as the muscles on her face flexed in varying contortions as she worked on my big toe. Rather than using the soft pads of her finger tips, she drove knuckles deep into my skin, separating muscle from bone. When she finished one toe, she precede to drive the stresses of the previous year of foot travel out of the next toe.
After 45 minutes of body wrenching corrections to my feet, legs, upper back and neck, logic told me that fundamental alterations must have been made to my sketetal, muscular, and nervous system that benefit my body like no Western medicine could ever do. Instead, I got some complimentary green tea and then a minor (but new) sharp pain in my left knee as I proceeded back out on the street.

Sachiko and Tomoko

2006-07-30T23:28:00.000+09:00

意外に
Originally uploaded by tomoko.k823.

Spooky...

2006-07-30T23:17:00.000+09:00

Spooky...
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

Rice planting in Amakusa.

An aid pitch on Washington's Column

2006-06-26T20:01:00.000+09:00

An aid pitch on Washington's Column
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

I just put up some old photos (here) of a month I spent in Yosemite climbing the summer before coming to Japan. I've had a strong experience and continue to have one here in ending my second year and phasing into a third and final year. I do miss the climbing though of the US. As I enter my last stretch in Japan my mind has been tracing back experiences from home. The strongest ones are inevitably my climbing experiences out west as well as my work with Outward Bound in CO. The sense of calm, awe and accomplishment I experience through climbing and the mountains is one I have found nowhere else. While I'm psyched on my last year here, I also look forward to returning to those roots when I move back to the US.

A man playing sax in the Yoyogi Koen.

2006-04-03T20:00:00.000+09:00

A man playing sax in the park.
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

I just wrapped up an awesome four days in Tokyo. Saw many old friends as well as my old hide-outs from when I was modeling. It was cool being in Tokyo again at a different point in my life as well as having some Japanese under my belt.

For my thousands of eager readers, I apologize for not posting lately. Instead, I've been more regularly putting up photos on my flickr page - flickr.com/photos/cabuchan. So if there's nothing new here, check it for new material.

February 4th, 2006

2006-02-27T19:15:00.000+09:00

Hyper!
Originally uploaded by Mr. Danieru.

I turn 28. Best birthday party I've had to date. Snagged this photo off my buddy, Dan's flickr page .

Shogakkou (elementary school).

2006-02-26T17:26:00.000+09:00

Yon nenseis at Takumabara Sho.
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

I'm just finishing up two weeks at my two respective shogakkous. I really enjoy teaching this age. My kids have great energy and are always up for a little learning. Its wipes me out but is well worth it.

More shots of shogakkou and others here .

Fish port (squid hanging out to dry).

2006-02-26T17:20:00.001+09:00

Fish port (squid hanging out to dry).
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

I took a teacher trip with about 20 of the teachers from Takumabara Elementary. Really fun time. I also learned new things about Japanese culture. For example, when Japanese men have got a few beers in their system, they crave ramen (kind of like we crave pizza I guess).

Dan and I - Geihoku, Hiroshima.

2006-02-26T17:20:00.000+09:00

Dan and I - Geihoku, Hiroshima.
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

Nine of us went skiing at Geihoku, Hiroshima for two days last weekend. Awesome time. This shot's a little fuzzy, but you get the idea.

INDIA

2006-01-12T20:02:00.000+09:00

India turned out to be an amazing trip, if only for three weeks. During that time the intensity of life - the food, the music, the culture, the poverty - got into my blood and left a strong impression. Being back only five days now, I'm still processing the experience. This week I've been opening my lessons at school with a brief intro of India and some shots I took there. Its a fun way for me to share the experience with my students and they've really enjoyed learning a few things about one of their fellow Asian countries.

I don't have time to post all the photos so please visit www.flickr.com/photos/cabuchan to see the rest .　（ここにクリックしてインドの写真を見てください！）

Below are a few diary entries from the trip with some attached photos.

Christmas Morning Race: Ananda Marga School, Panskura, West Bengal

2006-01-12T19:55:00.000+09:00

Rajastan by scooter.

2006-01-06T00:24:00.000+09:00

We've been in the beautiful city of Udaipur for the past four days. Its situated on a lake, surrounded by mountains on the western edge of Rajastan.

The culture here feels like another country apart from central, cowbelt India. In fact, the Udaipur kings never ceded power over the length of their 51 generation dynasty (the longest in the world), including the great Mughal empire (builders of the Taj) and the Brits. The Rajputs have always been fiercely independent, known as great warriors with chilvarious pride - characteristics which strengthened them and at the same time dispersed their power due to inner-warfare.

Against an arid backdrop, women here wear brightly colored flowing sarees and carry jugs of water and bundles of sticks balanced perfectly on their heads. Men ride tough, old motorcycles with velvet patterned seats. Their skin is the texture of tanned leather and they sport giant swash-buckling mustaches.

Yesterday, Sachiko and I got a glimpse of Rajastan outside of the usual tourist confines, risking our luck through the countryside on two old scooters! We drove 50 km south of Udaipur through desert and patchwork fields to reach Jaisamand lake, the largest artificial lake in Asia - built by a 17th century maharaja (Raji king) as a retreat and hunting ground. Today we continued along the loop, following winding old roads where traffic hazards were cows, potholes, water buffalows, sand, burrows and a herd of camel! We passed through some truely picturesqe villages too, fed by water from the lake.

In the town of Jagat we visited a 10th century temple with magnificant marble figure carvings displaying stories of Hindu gods. Outside of town, Sachiko's bike broke down. After walking it back into town, a couple of teenage boys at the one bike garage there got it running after an hour or so of tinkering. We didn't stop the engines until safely arriving back at the hotel (50 km).

That said, independent travel is the way to go. You meet unaffected people and see amazing things off the tourist-beaten path. Next tour of India - buy motorcycles in Delhi and travel the country over a several month period, finally arriving in the mountains of Nepal.

We'll be back in Japan in three days. Should have some good photos up shortly after arrival. Until then, Namaste.

New Years

2005-12-31T20:07:00.000+09:00

I kicked my illness and am back on the beat again!

The group arrived in Calcutta at 1 AM last night after our boat tour into Sundarban Reserve - the mangrove delta that is inhabitated by one of the largest tiger populations in the world. No tigers, but a relaxing boat journey.

Today I walked around Calcutta. The vibe here is very different from Delhi and Agra. People are more friendly and you don't get hassled the way you do in the former cities, which feel quite seedy at times. There's an open air spirit here and contrary to the West's stigmatized image of it being the epitome of Indian poverty and squalor, I see more development and less homelessness here than Delhi. The province of West Bengal is actually famed for its intellectual spirit, poets and political movements.

Tonight we fly to Delhi, spend New Year's there in a cushy hotel with a bottle of Indian champagne, then continue by night train on to Rajastan's Udaipur tomorrow night, alleged to be the East's Venice. Spirits are high and we're looking forward to the next leg of this journey.

Happy New Year! c

Sick.

2005-12-28T15:16:00.000+09:00

Today is our last day in Panskura, the rural village outside of Kolcata where we've been teaching English now for the week. There's 24 of us teaching here with kids from the Ananda school (where we're based) plus students from neighboring schools. Overall, they're great kids, ranging from 7 to 16. Its a lot of fun teaching them and interesting seeing how different they are from my Japanese students - less behaved but much more comfortable speaking out and picking up the language. My favorite kids are the orphans (about 24) who live at the school. They're very sweet and are a tight community among themselves. We had a Christmas party for them a few days back and gave them gifts from Japan. Considering they have nothing, it was really exciting both for them and us.

This afternoon is the closing ceremony (5 hours!) and then the group heads out tomorrow for a two day boat cruise on a large nature preserve south of Kolcata that forms the delta of the Ganges and several other major Indian rivers. Its one of the largest tiger preserves in the world - it would be cool to see one in action!

After being up all night last night with the runs and thus sapped of energy, I'm laid out today but hoping to be on the up and up for the ceremony this afternoon. Right now though, typing these words is laborious enough!

First days in India...

2005-12-21T00:40:00.001+09:00

Second day in India... Where to start? Yesterday, Sachiko and I cruised around Old Delhi's streets by rik-shaw, bicycle rik-shaw and foot. Delhi's a city with mad hustle. Tens of millions of people all vying for their piece of the pie. As a foreigner, you become an obvious target in the sale of goods, services, drugs, scams, you name it. On a broader scale, you're just fitting into the chaotic rhythm of barter and trade that commerce is founded on here. Making a buck (I mean rupee) is interwoven into daily encounters, but that said, its not always the precedent to an exchange. After two days here we've already met many really friendly Indians, simply curious about where we're from, what we do, our perspectives on things, etc - with no ulterior motive. Thus, its an intricate balance of always staying on your guard, but too much that you miss out on many a kind or helpful face - one of the coolest aspects of being here.

Today we've been in Agra - after taking a 5 hour train from Delhi that got us in at 11pm. Taj Mahal is here and absolutely stunning! After hearing so much about it over the years, I expected to be set up for disappointment--- but it is the most breath-taking work of architecture I think I've ever seen, especially at sunrise with virtually no one there. I'm looking forward to posting shots of it when I get a chance. Afterwards, we saw several other magnificent sites as well: Agra Fort, the 'Baby Taj', to name a few. Its been a whirlwind of a day, not to mention exhausting with the worst (at times scary) street-hawking I've ever experienced. I think this is India though - dizzying extremes on both ends of the spectrum. Despite a fair share of traveling up to this point, nothing compares in terms to the intense assault on the senses one finds here.

Tomorrow we take a train to Calcutta. Given that we didn't reserve in advance, we're on the slowest express train there. That translates to 30 + hours! Giddy-up...

Climbing at Mikura Dake （三倉岳）

2005-11-08T22:17:00.000+09:00

yours truly
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

Fantastic three days of trad climbing. Routes were 'exciting' at times but excellent quality. Weather was also perfect and Japanese maples (もみじ）were in full effect.

Too busy to paste all the photos to my blog, so just click on www.flickr.com/photos/cabuchan to see the goods!

Australia, Part II

2005-09-26T21:56:00.000+09:00

DSC00095
Originally uploaded by cabuchan.

Another 8 days in Australia. Ahh... I might have to start talking with my broker about an early retirement.
This time we headed due north from Perth through vast stretches of uninhabited outback as well as canyonlands to reach our final destination, Shark Bay, a natural World Heritage Site. There, we camped on beaches, swam, snorkeled, collected shells, and hung out with dolphins.

The Australian Outback

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The drive up from Perth was 10 hours straight north and if you didn't stop at the occasional 'road house', you might find yourself high end and dry.

Kalbarri National Park

2005-09-26T21:43:00.000+09:00

Shell Beach

2005-09-26T21:39:00.001+09:00

This beach is famous for being comprised of only tiny white shells. Apparently, the high salt levels of the bay allow these crustaceans (?) to flourish until they eventually wash up on the beach here.

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Our campsite at Eagle Bluff.

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A totally secluded beach. We went for a swim at one point. After getting out about 20 m (still shallow at that point), I came across a group of black-tipped sharks. After seeing one torpedo towards its prey, I bolted for the beach - apparently not the smartest maneuver when confronted by sharks. I later learned that these one were harmless.

The Pinnacles

2005-09-26T21:26:00.000+09:00

Miles of limestone pillars rising out of the sand. Very cool place.

2005-09-26T21:19:00.000+09:00

2005-08-30T23:40:00.000+09:00

DSC00058
Originally uploaded by calebswift.

'No one can give anyone else the gift of the idyll; only an animal can do so, because only animals were not expelled from Paradise. The love between dog and man is idyllic. It knows no conflicts, no hair-raising scenes; it knows no development. Karenin surrounded Tereza and Tomas with a life based on repetition, and he expected the same from them.'

- 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being', Milan Kundera

Jiffy, may you rest in peace, love, C

2005-08-30T23:31:00.000+09:00

2005-08-30T23:29:00.000+09:00

States Summer Tour

2005-08-13T16:34:00.000+09:00

DSC00059
Originally uploaded by calebswift.

I just returned from three awesome weeks in the States, split between ten days of climbing and surfing in California and the rest back on the Eastcoast with my folks.

These first pictures are from a week of climbing in the Needles with my buddy, Joe. Awesome, if not intimidating, climbing. Splitter granite cracks in the Southern Sierra Nevada range.

More photos can be seen at by clicking on any of the photos below (Dozo).

Joe topping out on the first pitch of 'Igor Unchained' (5.9).

2005-08-13T16:28:00.000+09:00

DSC00003
Originally uploaded by calebswift.

Our campsite.

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Plush with rent-a-car seats.

Joe leads up the first pitch of 'Thin Ice' (5.10b)

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Me on the second pitch (10a).

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Summit shots.

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Joe on top of 'Thin Ice'. Another route we did can be seen in the distance just left of the farther branch of the dead tree, distinguished by its vertical crack system.

2005-08-13T15:56:00.000+09:00

Here's the bike I bought in CA (along with this sexy T-shirt I won with purchase).

2005-08-13T15:54:00.000+09:00

New York

2005-08-13T15:50:00.000+09:00

I spent a few days in New York between California and home. I took this shot on Houston Street, Soho.

Pru

2005-08-13T15:46:00.000+09:00

This is my friend, Pru, who lives as a painter in the city. She's standing here beside one of her latest works, 'The Four Horseman' .

A quick watercolor Pru painted of me.

2005-08-13T15:15:00.000+09:00

A week in camp (Adirondacks, NY)

2005-08-13T15:10:00.000+09:00

Booze cruise: Dad and Mom

The J-man; Camping on St Regis Pond by canoe

2005-08-13T14:58:00.000+09:00

Jacob (and I) on Bear Pond.

2005-08-13T14:56:00.000+09:00

Lake Spitfire from the porch.

2005-08-13T14:55:00.000+09:00

Geeg, Poppy and Jacob

2005-08-13T14:53:00.000+09:00

Upper St Regis

2005-08-13T14:51:00.000+09:00

Western Australia

2005-07-09T17:45:00.000+09:00

DSC00262
Originally uploaded by calebswift.

I guess everyone thinks of kangaroos when they think of Australia, so here's your kangaroo. Its chomping on a carrot I gave it. This one's part of a family of kangaroos at a backpacker we stayed at one night. I did see one out in the wild too. They are really cool!

Anyway, I just spent 10 incredible days down in and south Perth, visiting Sachiko.
We were in the city for half the time, eating out, shopping - saw Cirque du Soleil (amazing), etc. Then we rented a car and did a southern tour from Perth - a beautiful and diverse region. Most of the shots here are from this trip.

The Busselton Jetty

2005-07-09T17:30:00.000+09:00

This jetty, complete with railroad, recedes 2 km out to sea and is the longest one in the Southern Hemisphere. Its also where Miyazaki Hayao got his inspiration for the train in 'Spirited Away'.

Ngiling Cave

2005-07-09T17:25:00.000+09:00

A bit of a weird shot (sorry), this was a giant underground cave we checked out. There were different passages leading in all directions. It took us an hour or so to walk through all of it. The cave is entirely made up of limestone stalagtites (ceiling) and stalagmites (floor).

The Margaret River

2005-07-09T14:02:00.000+09:00

We went bouldering along some beautiful sandstone cliffs right below these trees. Directly behind me right here is the coast which boasts world-class surfing.

The Leuwin Estate

2005-07-09T13:55:00.000+09:00

The Margaret River area is a perfect region for vineyards with at least a hundred of them starting up in the past 40 years. We took at tour at this one, which is family-owned and one of the largest and oldest vineyards in the area.

The Indian Ocean off the Margaret River

2005-07-09T13:54:00.000+09:00

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Wildlife

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An albatross (?) here over our boat.

Whale watching

2005-07-09T13:46:00.000+09:00

The first marine life to join our tour were a dozen or so of these longnoise dolphins who played with our boat for the rest of the morning.

Humpbacks

2005-07-09T13:35:00.000+09:00

Definifitely one of the trip highlights - we took a whale watching tour the in Augusta Bay where the South and Indian oceans meet. There were about 50 whales in this small bay, resting for a few days on a 16,000 km journey from Antarctica to waters north of Australia where they give birth to their calves. Looking around, one can see water spraying out of their blowholes from miles away. This pair was accustomed to the scientific observation boat we were on and played with us for over an hour. They even headed our boat off from another pair of whales at one point who were competing for our attention.

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(Big) ostriches

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The Bicentennial Tree

2005-07-09T13:24:00.000+09:00

Rebard bars circling up this giant conifer take you to a 70 meter (maybe 250 ft) high perch that overlooks an old-growth forest in Southern Australia. These trees are the fourth largest in the world.

You don't want to fall between the bars.

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One cool tree house

2005-07-09T13:17:00.000+09:00

On the upper branches rests a five story tree house, vertically clearing the highest branches and all nearby trees. The view up top was awesome.

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This was a cool tree-top walk that took us up 40 meters into this forest canopy of soaring eucalyptus trees. We saw some beautiful green parrot-like birds feeding in close proximity (in even closer proximity, I accidentally took out one of their cousins on the highway the next morning).

Sunset over the Southern Ocean

2005-07-09T13:03:00.000+09:00

We just caught the sunset on this protected coastline outside of Denmark, Australia. After running a flew laps on the beach here, I removed my fleece (and other various articles of clothing) and took a chilly dip in the bay.

Rottnest Island

2005-07-09T13:00:00.000+09:00

This is a beautiful island off the coast from Perth, largely uninhabitated with scenic biking roads criss-crossing it.

Perth from the bay

2005-07-09T12:57:00.000+09:00

I got beef!

2005-06-16T22:53:00.000+09:00

050531_2039~01
Originally uploaded by calebswift.

Kobe beef, that is. Damn good! For only 6500 Yen ($65) I got the best steak of my life. Incredibly tender, juicy, rare, ohhhhhh (Homer lapse).
But 'steer'iously folks, these next shots are from my weekend in Nara a few weeks back. Nara is a beautiful ancient city, adorned with parks, bowing deer, and the oldest Buddhist constructions in Japan - definitely worth a visit if you make it up, down, or over that way.

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Let's see. I can make out a 'big' here... Ugghh....

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All this site-seeing sure works up an appetite!

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Nara houses

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Burning incense at the entrance of Todaiji.

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Todaiji (Great Eastern Temple)

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The largest wooden structure in the world (and most likely the largest convergence of Japanese middle schoolers in the world).

Inside Todaiji

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A Five-story Pagoda

2005-06-16T22:27:00.000+09:00

Beach Boys: Tanegashima's Eastern coastline, Golden Week.

2005-05-10T19:51:00.000+09:00

For four days over Golden Week, Kame-chan and Nabe-chan - hailing from Tokyo - , Saleem and myself hit the surf on Tanegashima, a long island south of Kageshima, stretched out by beautiful coasts and lush hillsides.
Here are some photos from our trip...

Incidentally, I have many photos of us posing with boards, but no shots of us actually surfing (I swear it happened though...).

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Saleem and I get psyched up for another round wave pounding.

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Evening surf

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This was our hang-out - the 'East Coast' Bar & Restaurant.

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Kame-chan taking a rest.

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Here's the crew

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myself, Saleem, Kame-chan, and Nabe-chan stirring up trouble in Tanegashima's inaka.

Our discovery of this huge abandonded ship quickly led to an imprompto hip-hop video shoot.

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Eh yo,

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They call me Mike D!

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