Many Adventures, and TRACK

This is long! But it covers many days.

The Saturday morning before last, Becca and I attended a field trip to the Tomakomai experimental forest just under two hours away from Hokkaido University. The field trip was organized by the professor of one of my HUSTEP (Hokkaido University Short Term Exchange Program) environmental science courses. Previously I had asked the professor if he would not mind Becca coming along, and he was excited for her to attend. Professor Koike also came with, and acted as a very knowledgeable tour guide. Becca and I stopped (unsuccessfully) at the post office, and then at a conbini to pick up lunch to pack with for the day. Then at 9:30AM we biked over to the International Student Center to board the Hokudai bus that was waiting for us students to arrive. We got on, and Becca was finally able to meet Koike-sensei. More and more students trickled in, maybe 14 in all, and I recognized many faces from my courses. As we headed out of Sapporo, Koike-sensei described many of the sites around us and the itinerary for the day. Koike-sensei really loves to explain things at length, and I found it somewhat humorous that the bus had a microphone and so it truly was as though he were our tour guide. As we drove, I began to get to know some of the other students better and to have conversations about the fall colors. Some students are from places where there are not four distinct seasons. I had not realized it, but of course it would be new and strange to experience the fall and the changes in plant-life. Not far out of Sapporo, we stopped for a quick bathroom break. Becca and I had fun playing music on acorns and blades of grass. Some may know of my secret grass-playing ability--many may even know the trick themselves. If you take a blade of grass--some blades are better than others, and I'm always happy to find a good one--and hold it between your thumbs, then blow into it, you can make a whistling sound. Over the years, I've tried to perfect it and now I can make a whole host of strange bird noises. Actually, I sometimes enjoy playing these noises, and seeing what kind of bird people think they hear. I can usually trick a few folks at least. Anyways, I also managed to perplex some of the students on the field trip. If we had more time at the rest stop, I would have liked to show people how to do it! Becca can perform a similar feat with acorn tops. I'd never seen that one before! Our next stop was lake Shikotsu. If you remember, Lake Shikotsu is also where I stayed with the German researchers, Koike-sensei, and some of my lab members at a Ryoukan (inn) and Onsen. In fact, I could recognize the red bridge by the shore that I had seen the morning at the inn. Everyone was very excited catching their first glimpses of the lake from the winding road.  (As an interesting side note, I learned the next day from Kotaro-san that Lake Shikotsu is also famous for ghosts.)The bus pulled into the parking lot and many of the students hurried to go see the shore. I was really happy to see their enthusiasm. The lake is surrounded by some still active volcanic domes. Not to big, of course, but as Koike-sensei pointed out, still potentially dangerous. Apparently, the lake itself is actually where part of a volcano once sat many years ago. There were shafts of sunlight breaking through the grey clouds. These are sometimes called "god's rays" or as I later looked up to refresh my physics memory, 'crepuscular rays.' There were also some people scuba-diving from the shore, and kayaking. After that, we drove a little ways to a plantation site. We pulled into a little dirt roadside and we all got out to go down the dirt path a little ways. Koike-sensei described some of the tree species to us, as well as some of their uses, and reminded us again about the 2004 typhoon that apparently did significant damage to the tree plantations in Hokkaido. (I've since heard that it also wiped out 30% of the trees on Hokkaido University's campus.) Next stop was Tomakomai, which I had in fact already visited with Koike-sensei and the Germans a couple weeks prior. Still, I was excited to come back. The weather way sunny, and I loved the feel of the warmth on my legs and skin. Before going to see some of the experiments, it was time for lunch. We took our lunches from the bus and many of us went to sit at benches and picnic tables next to the small pond. There are some salmon and ducks that live in the pond as well. Because the pond is fed by springs, Koike-sensei explained that the temperature is constant. The Tomakomai researchers have used it to conduct 1 degree (etc) warming experiments before. Becca and I sat on a bench by the pond and ate our lunch (I had inarizushi! Yum! Although not as delicious as usual, since it was from a conbini). Becca and Koike-sensei had a change to speak together at greater length. I had been excited for this, secretly, because Becca is so good at Japanese I thought that Koike-sensei would be impressed and enjoyed the opportunity. I think that I was right! They talked for quite a bit. And just as I had predicted, Koike-sensei remembered that he had brought chocolates to share and handed them out to us all. After lunch we had a little time to stroll along the pond as a group. We found the body of a beheaded salmon not far away, and I remembered that bears often eat only the heads of salmon. They find the brains delicious, it seems, but will often leave the rest of the body. Koike-sensei had only just reminded us all as the bus had entered Tomakomai experimental forest that there are bears present. I think perhaps a few students were a little nervous about it! But maybe also excited to see a bear! I really enjoyed getting to know everyone better. We returned to the Forest Museum again, and I must say once more that trees amaze me. Their abilities are simply fascinating. More than that, the diversity and beauty of life on this planet also astounds me. Next we were off to the crane experiment I spoke of with such fervor. I feel so lucky to have gotten to see it twice already. I had mentioned it to Becca, and so I was really hoping that we would get to go up into the canopy again. Sure enough, the helmets and harnesses were brought out, and up we went in groups of four! Ah, it was such a privilege. Koike-sensei explained to those on the ground about the experiment, and shared more of his seemingly boundless knowledge of plants in the area. On the way back we stopped very quickly (only for about 10 minutes) at Lake Utonai which is a bird sanctuary. There were ducks and swans sitting on the beach, generally looking cold from the wind that had grown throughout the day and the grey clouds that had moved in. On the way out, I bought a huge squash for only 200 yen. I get so excited over inexpensive vegetables. They are rare in Sapporo, but common in more rural Hokkaido. I had big plans for this squash, as you will learn. The trip was so much fun, and I am so glad that I was able to meet and learn more about many of my fellow classmates. I am so honored by the new friendships formed on this trip, and the many deep and amazing conversations.

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    Although we had just returned from one adventure when we pulled back into Hokkaido University, we were actually only just about to embark upon another. That evening after running a few quick errands, eating some snacks, and showering, Kotaro picked us up from the International House. We went over to his apartment, from which point we would begin our nighttime journey to Asahikawa. It was about 10:30PM when we arrived at his apartment. The plan was to cook some late night banana gluten-free pancakes with peanut butter (and real maple syrup which we had purchased that evening) and then drive through the night to reach Asahikawa. Kotaro told us we would have some time before we needed to leave, and also Zenta needed to finish up some reading so he could join us (we forced him to come along and I am glad he did!), so we should take a nap. I wasn't too excited about the idea of a nap, because I felt it would only make me more tired rather than energize me, but Kotaro was very kind to give up their beds for me and Becca to get a couple hours of sleep. We went to bed at about 11PM and were going to wake up at about 1:30AM. I don't know if I really slept all that much, but resting is good, I suppose! At some point I must have fallen asleep, though, because Becca somehow turned into Kotaro when I woke up. She had gotten up to start the pancakes. The four of us ate banana pancake peanut butter sandwiches with the delicious syrup for our 2:30AM breakfast, then packed into the little car. I had brought my just-purchased-that-night big soft blanket. Zenta and I sat in back and it was a little chilly out, so we were happy to have it over our legs. The city was pretty empty and dark so early in the morning, and the streets were open. A little ways out of the city, Kotaro-san flicked off the headlights for a moment as a joke, and it become startlingly pitch. Resting my head back and peering through the rear window, I glanced stars and Orion. We listened to music, watched the night landscape, and drove, drove, drove. At about 4:30AM, we pulled over. We were at a little oceanside rest stop! We all got out to use the bathroom and then headed onto the sand and into the pitch black in the direction of the beach. The air was a bit chilly. There were sticks, anchors, and plastic containers strewn about. Luckily, I had my phone with me so we had a small globe of white light around us as we walked towards the ocean. Becca took off her shoes and ran around on the shore, getting her feet wet. She claimed the water was not cold at all, and Kotaro-san believing her stepped in as well. He disagreed! We made our way back to the tiny car and headed on again. As we went, the first blue hints of the coming sun started to appear in the sky. On either side of the road it was forested, with pale birch trees and dimmed fall leaves, gliding into high-climbing hill tops, and little farms. As we curved around the winding road in the hesitant light with the beautiful forest and empty road around us. Pink and faint purple ghosted across the sky in the perfect semblance of a watercolor palette. I realized at that moment that many of the beautiful sunrise and sunset skylines in Japanese art are not exaggerations, but in fact very accurate. I also remembered a comment by one of my Chinese labmates, who claimed that Japanese sunrises and sunsets looked different from her home. Whereas Minnesota generally shifts from inky black to glowing blue, and then the sun begins to climb, in Japan it seems things at least in the countryside are all delicate pastels. Or maybe I was just lucky! Becca and I really wanted to find a place to stop. The sunrise colors were hovering perfectly behind a small mountain mound. We found a straight stretch of road and jumped out. The clouds were rolling quickly along behind the crown of the hilly skyline. Towards the west the colors shifted to hot pink. The roads were empty and silent. It was wonderful. We had a ways to go, and we climbed into the car again. Now the sun was breaking over the horizon and the mountains ahead of us, a tiny brilliant yellow and white sphere. I watched it as we went, until the day was at last upon us. Kotaro had switched with Becca to drive for a while, because he had driven all night. Eventually, we stopped at a conbini in a small town. Kotaro grabbed a bite to eat, and while we waited I showed Becca the upsetting trailer to the upcoming Lone Ranger and Tonto film. I never imagined such a thing would happen, to reinvigorate that awful old story. We were both upset about it. Everyone began to seem very sleepy except for me, for whatever reason. I felt pretty well awake. Kotaro admitted that his eyes kept closing as he drove, so I offered to switch. I had brought my International Driver's License with me, after all. Since we were in such a rural area, I decided that although I was very apprehensive, I ought to take my chance to drive now. It felt very odd to sit down behind the wheel. When I shifted into drive, I didn't realize the emergency break was on either, so that was embarrassing! I also kept confusing the blinker with (which is on the LEFT?) and the windshield wiper (which is on the RIGHT?). I was also very nervous that I would end up on the wrong side of the road. But I had tried to observe everything and acclimate to the roads as Kotaro drove, and since I was so nervous I think I was extra cautious. I just told myself, keep the driver's side towards the line. Fortunately, Zenta stayed awake in the passenger seat to help with the directions. I had no idea which way to drive or what turns to take, so thank goodness for that. Since the speedometer is in km/hr and not m/hr, I tried to take my cues from the drivers around me. But in general the speed limit signs were between 50km/hr and 80km/hr on larger roads, which is actually fairly slow compared to the United States. We passed through Asahikawa, which is a bit of a city, and I was sure apprehensive on these streets. The stoplights I feel are very small and hard to spot, but also numerous, so I was afraid I would miss one. Fortunately, I was vigilant. We exited the city again (although we had to make a few turn arounds not knowing the exact route because the snoozing Kotaro-san was actually our navigator), passed through more lovely farmland, down smaller roads, and then Zenta-san told me we were there, and I should pull over in front of a gate. The gate was closed for the moment, but beyond it was a cluster of sprawling forest center buildings, a large hilltop for skiing behind it, and a little golf/croquet course. It was still early in the morning, so we had to wait until about 8:30 when the center would open. When it did, we parked and headed towards a building with Kotaro-san leading the way. We still had absolutely no idea what we were going to do at this place. Kotaro had only told us that we would be headed towards Asahikawa, so both Becca and are were a little bewildered. We entered what seemed to be a main building, with a little gift shop attached. It looked like a place where little classes or demonstrations might be held. A few more people and folks that I assumed to be staff milled about. Then everyone there, maybe about 15 people, formed a circle and the staff leader started to talk. I still had absolutely no clue what was going on or why we were there. The leader spoke in Japanese, of course, and although I could understand strings of what she said, for the most part I listened in confusion. Everyone went around one by one to introduce themselves. Following Kotaro's example, Becca and I said that we were Hokudai students and named our research departments. It felt very odd to introduce myself for something I knew absolutely nothing about--for all I knew, we could be going on a hike, helping with forestry, mountain climbing, building a house. Who knew! My best guess, though, was that it had something to do with wood. Kotaro wants to become a woodworker, and so I tried to piece things together. Because of this interest, we were put into a group with some of the "artists" who had introduced themselves as wood workers from what I had understood in Japanese. We were brought across the sidewalk to a large, wide-windowed building with a view of the fields outside. It was chilly, and they started the stove in the building, and started rearranging tables and bringing in some craft supplies. I would have liked to have been more helpful, except I still had no idea what was happening. Eventually a vague image of our purpose there began to form. It seemed that the forest center was hosting some sort of activity day for local children and families, in order to learn about forest products and forests in general. There were three artists in the "wood" group--one was a very tall, slender, artsy hipster kind of fellow in a cap who said he would help to make wooden toy cars. The next was a broad-shouldered middle aged man who would help to make wooden dolls. The last was a slim older fellow with big rimmed glasses and a shock of grey, tousled hair. He would teach how to make wooden animals out of wooden blocks. For those of you who know my uncle Gaylord, I swear to you this man was his Japanese doppelganger. We were supposed to learn the steps to these crafts first in order to help the kids who were to arrive. I was overwhelmed by this prospect a bit--I had no idea how to build these things! Fortunately, as it turns out, the crafts were very simple. First the broad-shouldered man showed us how to make "dolls" out of sticks. You shave off the bark at the tip, carve it into a point, then drill some holes to thread string through for arms and legs. It was beyond me why you would want to teach a kid to sharpen a stick into a point for the head of the doll. I told Becca that I feel as though most kids do this on their own, and it's generally considered a BAD IDEA. The tall, slender fellow next showed us his crafts--one was a box of sticks that you could puzzle together in a criss-cross pattern, which would fall apart when you removed the correct stick. It was meant for kids, but it was too tricky for me. The other involved a box full of various wooden blocks and pieces which you could assemble into a car. He could tell that I was very overwhelmed, I think, partly because I was so quiet. He handed me a sign and told me to hold it, but not to look at it. I wasn't sure what was going on. Then he told me to take a picture with him, while holding the sign. I was dubious. He showed me the picture--the sign read "Free Hugs." That made me laugh, and definitely cheered me up. My first impression of this slender man, when everyone had introduced themselves in a circle, was that he was a bit standoffish. It turned out that he was actually incredibly kind, quirky, and really sweet with kids. Actually, all three of the artists had very unique personalities, but were so kind. I was still a little hollow myself while there, mostly because I wasn't really sure how I could help. I hate situations when there isn't something useful I can contribute. I tried to preoccupy myself with making the crafts. I aimlessly carved a wooden block, while I felt very much scrutinized by three Japanese ladies who somewhat rudely talked amongst themselves as to whether or not they thought I spoke Japanese. I absolutely HATE being watched closely while working on something, by the way. For whatever reason, I really shut down, and don't do much of anything in such instances. I carved even more aimlessly, because when watched I'm not generally able to plan things artistically as I normally might. When I kept looking up at the ladies when their conversation touched upon me, they realized that I could speak. I told them I understood some Japanese, but oddly enough they just continued talking about me off and on. They stuck around in the class room for quite a while. My wooden block ended up looking like a horses head, somehow, so I stuck it onto a base, gave it some wheels, and that was that. The hours passed fairly slow. Eventually, I tried my hand at making a wooden animal. I drew the design onto a wooden block. You were then supposed to cut carefully along the lines with a jigsaw. This seemed like the most fun of all the three crafts, because you ended up with a toy animal! Unfortunately, I had to end up deferring to the run ladies before I could carve mine, since they were technically the guests. I would normally have been just fine with that, except I was still a little annoyed with those ladies. We ended up going to lunch anyways. Apparently, the ramen from the area we were in is renowned for being delicious. So we went to get ramen. The restaurant was tiny, and packed. Even worse, some even more rude ladies actually budged us! Eventually, we got to sit down. Everyone ordered so quick, I hadn't really even gotten a chance to look at the menu. One thing that tends to bother me is that, being a vegetarian, people often tend to make decisions for me even if I don't necessarily want them to. This happened again, which made me a little down, but no one had meant to do it so I understood. On the tiny television on the wall there was a girl's ekiden (distance relay) being shown. I want so badly to run one. The ramen was pretty good, though nothing to get too excited about. There were of course "meat bits" floating in it, which is always obnoxious. I gave them to Kotaro. Still, since it was chilly out, I was happy for a good meal. We returned to the workshop, where I finished my wooden animal (a bear) very very very slowly and unskillfully. Actually, I feel that mostly the spectacled-man directed the block, and I tried not to cut the block to pieces. He was very patient as I continuously went off of the guidelines I had drawn. We both silently concurred that I had no natural talent with jigsaws. I think if left on my own, I would have done better. As I mentioned before, I really freeze up under close scrutiny. Still, I was happy with my wooden bear. By about 3:30PM we started wrapping things up. Yet again, I had no clue as to how to help, which is such an awful feeling of uselessness. I dislike to appear as though I do not want to help. But there was not much for me to do except shuffle my feet. Finally, after wasting time, and helping Kotaro finish icecream, we all circled up as at the beginning, thanked everyone, and at last we were free. To be sure, it was fun to help out, but it certainly began to get long (we were there from 8:30AM to 4:00PM). Becca and Zenta had already konked out in the car while Kotaro and I attended the thank you's and closing remarks. Kotaro asked if we should stop at an onsen on the way back, and I was excited to do so since it was chilly. He really wanted to find one too. There was one right on the top of the ski hill, and he drove the car up to the top. But Becca and Zenta were too tired and so we ended up just heading back towards Sapporo. The drive back felt very long, and of course it gets dark so early. It started raining some on the homeward journey, and also a piece of the front bumper started falling off of our car, so it was a bit of a dreary ride back. Still, I have to express my true gratitude to Kotaro again, for being so willing to take along and for being such a friendly, welcoming person.

On the Monday before last, in the morning I did some grocery shopping with Becca. While packing my groceries into my backpack (I refuse to use the plastic bags that are so abundant here in Japan) and looking down, I could see someone out of the corner of my eye set their basket down on the table. A man's voice said "konnichiha!" I thought, how odd, who could it be? It was Satoh-san, one of our building supervisors! He is by far the friendliest and quirkiest of the three building supervisors, who rotate daily. Whenever I see him, as I come and go from the main entrance, he always says hello and talks with me. Especially, he is impressed when I go out for a run, concurring with me that "yes!Your health is the most important thing!" I'm often doing odd things when I run into him, like being that weirdo who does wall-sits on the outside of the dormitory building. I love talking with him! In fact, you may remember, when I returned from the apple orchard, I brought an apple just for him since we had spoken about my plan to go to an orchard. It made me so happy that he came up and said hello! Becca came over too, and we talked for a little while before heading back to the dorm. I tried to squeeze in a run just before my 4:45 lecture plans. When I got back, I ran into Satoh-san again. He always asks "how long did you run this time?". I told him since I had class soon, not very far, and he informed me that I was truly "erai" ("excellent/well-minded") to go running before class. As I walked through the main entrance, I peeked into my mailbox. To my great pleasure, I found two letters! They made me so happy to read. I changed quick, packed my giant squash into my backpack, and headed off towards the agricultural building. At 4:45PM, I was to attend Mao-san's second PhD defense examination. Koike-sensei had invited myself, Diao, and Nana to attend. The other attendees were a handful of very stern looking Japanese professors. It was such a tense environment, and after Mao-san presented her project and explained everything (very well, I thought!) they started asking her extremely specific chemistry questions to test her knowledge. We all felt that their questions were a little harsh and unfair. Mao-san did her best to stay calm. It was also a little unfair because, while everyone was using English, some terminology and questions that the professors used they could not properly express in English, and still wanted Mao-san to answer. I felt frustrated for her. But in the end, I still think she did well. After the examination, Diao-san and I had plans to cook together. We stopped briefly at a grocery store so I could pick up cinnamon, which I had forgotten in my room. I planned to make squash with marshmallows on top. Diao-san planned to make vegetable curry and pudding. The Chinese residents using the kitchen at that time, I think, were a little amused when I boiled the squash and then mashed it up like potatoes. I felt that they were watching my cooking with bemusement. I added cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter, and tried to explain what these ingredients were. Everyone was also amused by the marshmallows. Normally, I would lay them out on the top of the squash and put it in the oven so that they become toasted brown. However, there was no normal oven, so I just melted the marshmallows and put them on top. The dinner turned out so well. Diao-san's curry was absolutely delicious. She used chinese peppers from home in it, and she said they turned out much spicier than she had anticipated, but I'm not like most Minnesotans! I like spice! Afterwards, we even ran into Magali and one of the French exchange students who had just received chocolates in the mail. So for dessert we had some yummy french chocolates too! So good. I was in such a great mood as I got on my bike to head back to the dorm afterwards, that I actually missed my turn and got really lost on my simple (straight line!!!!) ride. I was lost for about 20 minutes, even though I was only really a few blocks off. It was dark, and I couldn't get my bearings. I was so frustrated--it had been such a great evening, and I just wanted to get back. It was as if I had been transported to a completely different place. But at last, I made it back. I had enough squash left to eat for many days thereafter.

Tuesday was rather quiet. I went to Kanji class, had a quiz, mailed some important letters, paid my water bill. That evening I worked on another painting. I shared some squash with Becca, too. We agreed to try to meet to go find the gym after class the next day. I brought my gym gear with me to my grammar class on Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, Becca ended up going early while I was still in class because she wanted to make sure she would be ready for her 1PM class and that she could finish a lot of homework. But she still met me to show me the way to the gym. It was definitely not where I thought it was. There is a building labeled 'gym' on the main street, but this building was actually tucked far away, next to the track. In the building, there is no women's locker room!!! There is a men's locker room, but the women have to change in the women's shower room/bathroom. The men have BOTH a shower room AND a locker room. I was furious when I learned this. I feel that as far as athletics go, Japan is stuck in the 1970s--maybe even before that. Although there are some girls who participate in sports and athletics, it is far less common here. Whereas in the United States, for most sports such as soccer or track there are just about even numbers of men's and women's teams (even if sports coverage in the U.S. is still utterly sexist). From what I've gathered, girls don't participate on sports teams when they are kids as often as in the U.S. When we went into the gym, at that time, we were the only girls. I did my best to do some good pull ups and lift heavy weights to make a point. Still, I feel that if I don't have a clear workout assignment, when amongst weights and gym equipment I just jump around, doing a bit of everything, but mostly just enjoying doing a pull up here, lifting a weight there, and testing things out. It was bright and sunny, and still only about noon when I left. I ended up falling asleep for a nap when I got back. Then, because Magali had given me the track team's webpage earlier, I finally worked up the courage to write them an email.

On Thursday morning, I had Kanji class. The professor switches topics very quickly and unpredictably, and I am finding this rather disorienting. But I am so glad to have Magali as a classmate. And I do feel that I am learning some, which is good. The Kanji class, if you might remember, is the one whose level I was fortunately able to choose myself. After class, I went to search for watercolor paper (and some gifts), since I have run out. I seemed to remember that at one of the stores in Sapporo Station I had seen large sheets of Arches watercolor paper. At the time, I thought the sheets were much too large. But I decided that since I could not find very large booklets of paper, this might be my best (only) option. It was actually rather exasperating trying to explain to the workers in the art section of the store. They didn't seem too enthusiastic about helping me, even if they pretended to be friendly. I kept trying to explain that the booklets they have are not quite big enough for what I need, and do you have any larger sheets? Eventually, the lady took out a binder of papers. Luckily, there were some Arches samples. Unfortunately, as I thoroughly felt each sample, none of them are very thick. This fact is still disappointing to me, because Japan has one of the longest and most prestigious paper-making histories. I guess I will have to find a specialty shop. As it turns out, they actually DID have a few large watercolor booklets, but the textures all felt a little fake and thin to me. Still, I settled for one. Hopefully it will work out alright. When I got back, I fell asleep for a nap again! By the afternoon, it was raining (it ALWAYS rains here). I told Becca that I was feeling that I should eat some fish. I can generally detect when my body needs a good dose of fish. My muscles start to get a little weak, I become a bit less coordinated, and I can't think as clear. I only get this feeling after a long span without eating fish, and I realized it had been quite a few months since I had eaten any. Because Japan is famous for seafood, and because there are pictures of salmon all over the place here in Sapporo, I mistakenly assumed that it should be a simple task to locate plain cooked fish. Not so. Apparently everything is either raw or fried whole (bones, eyes, skin, and all). I don't especially like either of these forms. All I wanted was a plain piece of cooked fish! Becca and I searched Sapporo Station for a while, but it did not seem promising. I think that I may still be able to find something (maybe 'saba misoni') but I felt I was wasting too much time and I didn't want to keep Becca so I conceded to just buy a piece of cooked salmon from the department store grocery store and eat it at home. I hadn't wanted to buy a piece of fish to bring back to the dorm, because my room is so small and cooking fish is so stinky. So I was pretty disappointed. But oh well! Eating the fish helped, I could tell in the following days.

On Friday, I attended my grammar class, then my lecture in the evening. Perhaps the most exciting news is that the track coach emailed me back! I had asked if there was any possibility that international students could also participate in practices. Although he warned that I must be seriously dedicated to join, I was very happy to hear that it seemed it would be okay for me to attend! I was admittedly intimidated by his response and the dauntingly large time commitment that I felt was expected. I know how many hours are spent dedicating oneself to a sport, and I was unsure if I would be able to replicate this now that I am supposed to be so focused on my main goal--research. I shared my misgivings with Magali (and Becca the night before). She encouraged me just to go try. Becca had reminded me the night before that I constantly talk about track, and it would be ridiculous for me not to try. It is true, I love track so much. But I also had a secret worry--my track experience at St. Olaf was so dear to me. The past summer was such a difficult transition for me, losing something so important to me, and I worked hard to set my mind towards moving on. After arriving in Japan, I have been making progress to accept that my dear track days at St. Olaf are beyond me. Though I should always keep trying to run, I know that things are never going to be the same. So the notion of reinvigorating something that is so dear to me was not only daunting, but also something I was not entirely sure was a wise idea. Maybe it would be a step backwards, into something that I will never truly be able to recreate. I thought to myself, perhaps I am grasping too hard at a memory from which I should really move on. However, I think that the fact that I start to GRIN just reading or thinking of a track workout answered my question about whether or not I should go. I love track. I will have to remember to keep a level head, to realize that this is a different team and a different experience, but nonetheless a chance that I know many of my teammates would consider me a fool to pass up. Because I have lectures on Wednesdays and Fridays, I asked the coach if I could go to my first practice on Saturday morning, and he said that would be fine. After my lecture,  it was stormy, rainy weather. Magali and I were planning to meet after our evening classes (at 6:30PM) to go to the gym together. The weather was so windy and frightful, but I biked back hurriedly from class to change into running clothes. I packed a little bag with a spare pair of shoes (you have to change when you enter the gym) and decided to run into the night towards the gym. I didn't want to bring my bike, because I hate getting it all wet and I wanted to run a bit. Boy was it tough, forging onwards in the dark through the strong wind, the cars splashing past at high speed, and the cold thin rain. It was also uncomfortably running carrying my bag. I looked absolutely insane.  As I neared the gym, I could vaguely see Magali in the distance. I was happy to see her. She is actually very ambitious as far as workouts go, and so I had a great time. Regrettably, I have lost almost all of my muscles, and so doing abs was a stark reminder that if you don't use it , you lose it. I felt so weak, knowing what I used to be capable of. But I intend to regain my muscle. I passionately discussed track and field races with Magali, who also runs. I may have overdone it a bit with the lifting that we did, especially considering that the track coach wrote that the prescribed email for Saturday would be 2x6x200m. (Meaning basically, run 200 meters 12 times fast). I told Magali I was especially nervous because I haven't run a track workout since May. My legs are not in shape in the least. Certainly not in sprinting shape. But as with most things in my life, I feel like it comes down to me just jumping in. The run back was equally frightful. I popped into the grocery store to grab some dinner supplies, and felt awkward wearing my running tights and soaking running clothes from the rain. But since I am a foreigner, at least I am living up to the expectation that I will be weird.

Saturday morning's practice was at 9:15AM. I was very nervous all night, and I had trouble sleeping. I didn't want to oversleep and miss the practice! All week I had been waking up around 6:30AM, so I knew I was tired.  Even so, I woke up early to eat a little cereal, then I put on my running clothes. I could feel the nervousness and anticipation in my limbs. It was a very tough moment, and I kept telling myself, "just go, just go, just go." I had to remind myself that there would be no harm in scoping things out. The misgivings I described above kept floating in and out of my head. I walked out the door, locked it, and headed to my bike. Once the track was in sight, I would not let myself turn back even though I was scared. I parked my bike, and walked through the gate onto the grass by the dirt track. There were some members in warm up suits, and after standing for a moment looking out of place, I asked someone if this was the track team (knowing that it was) and to my relief, the runners who trickled in were all friendly. A girl arrived, and this made me much more relieved. She was very friendly and spoke some English, though I did my best to speak Japanese. Because of the hard rains the night before, the dirt track was covered with large puddles. Runners were trying to scoop the water away with shovels, mop it up with rags, and push it away with rakes. It seemed a rather futile process, but I grabbed a shovel and tried to help. The Hokkaido University track, as mentioned, is not the normal surface but good old dirt. It's real beat up looking, and doesn't have any lanes drawn. But oh well! I warmed up with the girl I had met, who turned out to be a distance runner. She pointed out the only female middle-distance runner (and 800 runner). I introduced myself to her. Then I was pretty much left on my own to to drills and strides. Although everyone met to start practice at 9:15AM (standing in a circle, making announcements, and bowing), there was a lot of time allocated for warming up. The workout itself would not begin until 10:30AM. I've always been someone who can warm up pretty quick if need be (though if I anticipate it, longer warm ups are good). So I shuffled around a lot, repeating most of the same things. It felt very odd to be doing drills. I even, I am embarrassed to say, had trouble remembering my old routine. I also was nervous about getting in people's way. I wanted to make sure I appeared to know what I was doing, at least a little. I was very nervous (though deep down, excited for the challenge) about the workout. I knew I was in no great track condition. Usually I also do cross country in the fall, and so by the time fall track rolls around I've got a bit of endurance under my belt, even if the track muscles are lacking. I've just been jogging around over the summer. I tried to explain this to the runners, but the Japanese season does not line up with the American track season, so I don't think they quite understood my apprehension. I told the middle-distance runner I would do my best! She said I should try the first set, then see how I felt. No one told me what pace the 200s would be, so when we started, I just took off with her. As it turns out, she had lifted the day before, so her legs weren't feeling especially quick. This probably saved me. I was able to stick with her, though I could tell my speed endurance was pitiful. There was 15 whole minutes of rest in between the sets, though! I've always forced myself to recover pretty quick, so this saved me too. I did the second set as well. Everyone was really nice. After the workout, some of the sprinter girls (there is only a handful of girls on the whole team, maybe 6 compared to a heck of a lot of guys) introduced themselves excitedly. They are all so friendly. Hanako-san, the middle distance runner, explained to me that for Sunday's practice we would not be meeting at the Hokkaido University track, but in fact about a 35 minute subway ride away at a track with a real surface. She told me to meet her at one of the subway stops along the way at 8AM. After practice, I biked back to the dorm, ate lunch, met Becca to do some grocery shopping, and then at 3PM we were scheduled to go to Mao-san's apartment to cook together. By this point it was raining, yet again. My plan was to cook apple pie, since her kitchen has a microwave oven. As it turns out, she lives in one of the buildings just across from me. Because the other apartment buildings are being renovated, currently she gets to live in a family size apartment all to herself, and for cheaper rent even than my 200 yen a month. Becca and I gaped at all the glorious space she has compared to our broom closets. We are considering just saying that we are married and moving in, ha! Becca and I got to work on the pie, while Mao-san and Diao-san, who also came over, started cooking so many different vegetable dishes. Mao-san's refrigerator is chock full of all sorts of fresh vegetables. I had written out a recipe for the pie filling and crust, but as it happens, Mao-san did not have a measuring cup so I ended up mostly guessing, after some failed attempts to measure things in plastic containers (all in metric measurements). I get a little sheepish cooking in groups, and I think I probably cook much more intelligently and efficiently on my own, but I think I did alright. Becca cut up the apples I brought, and after I finished the dough for the crust she flattened it into the pie pan while I started cooking the ingredients to go in the filling (mostly sugar). I was so excited, because it looked great. We put it into the microwave oven, and all the correct lights went on, and it began to bake! Meanwhile, Mao-san and Diao-san were finishing up the vegetable dishes (I think that they cooked all vegetables specifically because Becca and I don't eat meat! That was so kind of them!). Nana-san and her roommate, Wao-san, arrived in the meantime and we all sat down to eat. Mao-san is such a great cook. I admired how easily she shifted from cooking one dish to another. The food laid out on the table looked spectacular. There was an egg-tomato dish, stir fried carrots/onions/peppers/potatoes, battered tofu, fried squash "balls", soup, and rice. I am so grateful to all the many people who have shared meals with me so far---it has been a true treat to try meals from China, Japan, and my silly psuedo-American dishes as well. Diao-san has been closely observing my American recipes, and I'm really proud to say that she has picked them up! I found out that a few days later she attempted an apple pie, and from the picture it looked amazing. I told her, won't her family be surprised when she returns to China and can cook them the most famous American food of all, apple pie. Anyways, the meal was just as delicious as it looked. And just as we finished eating, the oven rang--the pie was done. I was so excited. We put it on the table (I must say, it looked quite beautiful), cut it up into 6 big pieces, and were about to begin when I remarked that I ought to have picked up vanilla ice cream since that is often how it is eaten. Mao-san said that she actually had ice cream in the freezer, and she shared this with us. So we had a true American apple pie for dessert. Nana-san asked us a little more about the Fulbright Program, and if we received stipends. When we told her we did, and that it is funded by the U.S./Japanese governments she pointed out that she was therefore eating apple pie courtesy of the U.S. government. We all talked for quite some time, about the upcoming election, my extreme dislike for the platform of the republican party, health care in the U.S., China, and Japan, and many other things. It is such a wonderful feeling to learn and share about other countries in such a friendly, kind environment. Before we knew it, it was already past 8PM. Since I had another early morning practice the next day, I needed to head back to my room. We all departed, with promises to cook together again. I told everyone to think of their favorite fruit and that I would bake a pie for them.

On Sunday morning, bright and extremely early I awoke to prepare to go to my second day of track practice at the mysterious and far away sports center.  At 6AM, I made myself a bowl of cereal to make sure I wasn't running on an empty stomach. I curled up under my blankets while I ate, and made a checklist in my head for what to bring. The weather, as it has been for almost a week, was raining rather hard again outside my window. I put on some long running tights, a St. Olaf track t-shirt and some long-sleeve shirts, then my bright green raincoat (plus my baseball cap). In my backpack I threw a few extra clothes, just in case. I placed my precious sheet of notebook paper, with Hanako's phone number and drawing of the subway platform, carefully inside my bag. Then at 7AM on the dot, I headed out the door, not really confident in my ability to navigate the subway system, and not entirely sure I had correctly understood the directions. The sidewalks were almost empty on an early, rainy, Sunday morning, although there were a few early-risers here and there. I looked odd, I am sure, walking around in my raincoat, black tights, and running shoes. All of the runners on the team have nifty warm up suits that they wear to practice, with their tights underneath. They only wear the tights when actually at the workout. So I stick out quite a bit. I have no doubt that I looked strange wearing them walking about the streets and in the station. Japanese fashion quirks aside, such close-fitting clothes are rather uncommon--the trend of walking around in "leggings", which was so regrettably popular in the U.S., has yet to catch on here. I entered the station, wandered around a bit to get down to the subway, then made an educated guess as to the line I should take to reach the platform at the Oodori station where Hanako -san said she would meet me. Fortunately, I was correct. I made it there with about 20 minutes to spare, so I waited around, and wandered to the platform. At just about 8AM, Hanako'san hopped off the subway, then came over to meet me. I was so relieved. I hadn't wanted to cause any worry or trouble if we couldn't find each other. We got back on the subway, and it took about 7 stops to reach our goal, Oyachi. We got off and exited the station into the heavy wind and rain. It was quite a long walk from the station to the track, which turned out to be a Sports Center--the Atsubetsu Sports Center to be precise. It is a very large stadium, with a lovely track in the middle. I could feel the anticipation in my heart growing as we came nearer and nearer. You have to pay about 300yen to use the track, so we paid our entrance fee, then went over to a little area with a few cramped indoor lanes, and glass sliding doors looking out upon the track. There were many other teams there warming up, as well as some very young kids, perhaps around ten years old, all looking especially cute and practicing. Rinko-san, a sprinter, was joining us for the workout. The three of us warmed up together in the chilly weather. I explained that in Minnesota, it is probably already much colder. I hadn't entirely understood the description the day before, but I knew it had something to do with 600m. As it turns out, we were doing 3 sets of 600m+walk 200m, sprint 200m. It seems to be that there is never a "goal time" for these intervals, just go fast. I still feel as though there is so much time between the start of practice, warm up, and the start of the workout, so although I tried to pass the time doing drills and staying warm it was tough to keep thinking of things to do. Finally, it was time to start. The girls start at the same time as the guys, so we all walked over to the 200m start, lined up, and took off! I still had no idea whatsoever as to the time I should be aiming for, so I just tucked in behind Hanako and did my best to get my slow legs moving again. 600m felt tough, but not too tough--though I was definitely aware that my legs were sluggish and the times were slow (to my great shame, about a 2 minute 600). Then we walked back to the 200m start and took off sprinting. In between the sets there was a remarkable 15 minute rest. This is so strange to me, because 15 minutes is an immensely long recovery time--usually at the practices I am used to, the rest will not be more than 5 minutes. 15 minutes I would say is more than a full recovery! So this, yet again, saved me. My legs are not in good enough shape otherwise. But I am determined to become fast. I managed, over my four years at Olaf, to work up some speed by the end of my career and I just hope I didn't misplace it permanently. The rain poured on and off as the dark clouds rolled by. During one rest, a rainbow actually appeared, only to be followed by more rain, and some sun showers to boot. I felt bad for the distance group, running 3k repeats in the rain. The wind on the backstretch was very strong, as well. In the end, I was able to keep up, and so I was satisfied. Workouts at Olaf generally included three parts, the running, the core, and the lifting. So far, practices here are mostly running. We don't all do core together. So I'll have to be mindful of this on my own. We cooled down, and headed back. By this time it was about 11:30AM. Hanako-san and Rinko-san took the subway back with me. I am so happy to have met them both--they are both incredibly kind and fun people. In fact, they asked me what kinds of foods I like to eat in order to organize a welcome party for me. We got to my stop, and I waved goodbye to them. It was not about 12:30. Magali and I had earlier made plans to try to bike to the ocean that day. Because track practice was so far away, I had told her we would have to wait until 1PM if I could make it back. Luckily, she had lots of homework to work on so it was okay. I felt bad nonetheless. I sent her a message to tell her I had returned, and asked if she was still up for a bike ride in such awful weather. She's really a trooper, because she said she sure was! So I stopped quick into a Mister Donut to buy her and I a treat, then speed-walked back to the International House in the rain to suit up. And by suit up, I really mean suit up. The stormy weather was the perfect occasion for me to test out my bright orange rain pants, which I had bought very cheap because they were XL and no one in Japan is XL (though curiously still too short for me). I just pulled the draw strings tight, and they were perfect. I wore these, with my bright green raincoat, my baseball cap, and my hiking boats. I looked ridiculous. But better ridiculous than soaking wet. Then I ran out the door to hop back on my bike. By this point, I actually hadn't eaten anything since my breakfast at 6AM. Biking into the strong wind, I could feel that my muscles were just plain out of gas. So although I was in a hurry, I didn't move too quick. I didn't make it by my 1PM goal, and was a little late which I felt so bad about. As I neared the International House 23 where Magali lives (quite a ways west from me) I spied her waiting under the bridge. She is such a cheerful person, I really enjoy speaking with her. I pulled up, apologized for being late, and gave her a pumpkin donut to eat in the rain before we took off. I told her about track practice enthusiastically, and she very patiently tolerated my enthusiasm. She plans to join in the spring, once her foot injury has some time to heal. I'm very excited for this. We took off into the rain, biking along the Shinkawa river. This is the same route to find the ocean that I took when I first arrived in Sapporo. The Shinkawa river/road starts off as a spindly run-off creek but grows wider the farther you go in the direction of the ocean. The rain and wind were so strong, and the cars zooming past in the streets were extremely loud. We moved down by the river path to bike, for some shelter from the cars, but the construction that begins about half-way on the route, and which I had run into before, was still there and still in the way. My legs were really tired from not having had a chance to stop moving, or to eat a meal, since early in the morning so that combined with the gusts of winds made it tough going. I felt so bad for Magali, because unlike me in my rain jumpsuit, she was only wearing a raincoat and jeans. She was soaked before we were even half way there. It became so windy and rainy that we could barely proceed forward. We stopped, not knowing whether to press on or turn back, and stood in the pouring rain on the side of the road indecisively. I knew from last time that we still had such a long way to go. Magali asked what I thought, and I admitted that we had best turn back. On a sunny day, such as the day I had biked there, it is about a 50 minute ride to the ocean going at a good clip. I knew that at the snail pace we were going into the harsh wind it would take us hours. Magali was also soaked, and I knew if we went too far and the weather did not improve she would be freezing on the way back. For both our sakes, we agreed that it was the right decision to stop fighting the weather and turn back. The wind was so strong at our backs that it literally pushed us homewards. I barely had to peddle to keep moving. We both looked forward to some warm tea (cocoa in my case) in our cozy rooms. When I got back, I had to laugh at how ridiculous I appeared covered in rain and mud. I parked my bike, went inside, and tried to warm up.  That evening for dinner, because I had many vegetables left over from going to Mao-san's house, I attempted to cook Soup Curry. I failed, I would say, because it didn't taste especially good. I was on the right track, but just when it was tasting great I added too much water. It's hard to save something once you've made it taste to thin. But it was a pretty good dinner nonetheless.
On Monday morning I was finally able to sleep in. I woke up at the glorious time of 9:30AM instead of 6 or 7AM. During the day, I ran some errands, and went to the lab and studied some of the papers Koike-sensei has given me. At 2:50PM, Mao-san was to meet me at the lab so we could go together to hear the PhD lecture of a student from the Phillipines name Maricle-san who had come to Hokudai the same time as she had. We walked over to the building, which I had never been to before. We got there just before they were about to start. Maricle-san's lecture was on a long term experiment of clear-cutting and the CO2 emissions and time it takes to make up for these emissions by replanting. Her lecture was amazing. I should mention, by the way, that Maricle-san is about 5 feet tall and speaks with a Phillipines accent, using very endearing English phrases like "let us get the ball rolling." I was so impressed by her knowledge and her work. Afterwards Mao-san and I waited a bit for her to finish being questioned by the PhD panel. Mao-san wanted to say hello. Although I did not know her, I was so happy when the professors emerged and informed that she had "passed sailing." (I was not sure what phrase the professor meant to use in English, except that it was good!). After Marcile-san's lecture, we headed back to the agricultural building for a lecture with Koike-sensei on water relations and photosynthesis in plants. I enjoyed this lecture especially, and it was all around a good evening for higher education. After the lecture, Becca and I met at the Indian restaurant that we love. I managed to bike there all by myself again to meet her, even with my sore leg and butt muscles from the track workout. The waiter was happy to see us, and even the cooks recognized us. We were both especially amused when, after the waiter spoke to us a bit about part time jobs, he asked us if we were looking for one. We are not allowed to work, given our Student Visa status and it is also a rule of the Fulbright Program. So we explained that unfortunately, we couldn't. He told us it was a shame, because the place next door was looking for workers, and could we work maybe just once a week. We asked him what exactly the job was. It turns out it would be serving snacks and sake to old men at a bar! Though I was flattered to be offered the job, we both said no way! I'm sure it would be some experience, and to be honest I was just a tiny bit tempted, but I knew it would not be especially enjoyable. The waiter sure is a quirky guy. To make up for offering us such a job, he brought us free lassi (which he sometimes surprises us with). I sure do love that place!

On Tuesday morning I had a Kanji quiz. On Monday night after returning from the Indian restaurant I had done quite bit of studying, so it went smoothly I felt. It was obnoxious, however, to have soaking wet pants and feet yet again from my rainy bike ride. My bike tires spray me with water and leaves from the street as I ride, so I always look a mess when I arrive in such weather. After class, I bought some delicious "melon-pan" from the cafeteria bakery (it is actually becoming quite an addiction of mine). Melon-pan, by the way, is a circular buttery bread, with sugar cookie dough baked on top. It is wonderful. Because I was so nervous about the presidential election, after class and after paying my water bill at a conbini I planned to bike to Hokkaido Shrine to ask the gods for a favor and to express my gratitude for just how lucky I am to have a chance to be here in Japan, and for the happiness I have shared recently. I was so so so nervous about the election. Although the skies were grey, the rain held off for once. This made it my first visit to a shrine without (large) raindrops. I feel very comfortable at the beautiful Maruyama park outside the shrine and on the lovely, peaceful paths at the shrine. I have felt recently that I must get out of the city, and at least being at the shrine helped me to stay calm. It was not busy, because it was a weekday. I tried to make sure to bow in all the right places. I washed my hands and mouth before entering, then walked up to the main shrine to throw in a handful of coins. I bowed, clapped, and wished as hard as I could for President Obama to be re-elected and to express say thank you for all the wonderful experiences I have been privileged to have. The shrine is a home for the Japanese gods, but I thought, heck, they could maybe help! As I left, I bowed and made wishes at a smaller shrine to say thank you again. After passing through the gate, I walked my bike over to a bench under some trees, around whose feet were strewn a brilliant array of fallen leaves. I took out the "melon-pan" I had bought, and ate it peacefully under these trees. It was a really lovely morning, and I continued to feel grateful and humble. Then I biked back to the International House along the main street, observing some of the many bakeries I hope to stop at someday. I tried to finish up some things inside, and then at 4:40PM I had track practice. Since I can't come on Wednesdays and Fridays, key workout days for middle distance, I join the sprinters on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Because of the hard rain outside, the sprinters were doing a circuit inside the small gym. This involved jumping ('bounding') around the gym, running with a rope tied around your waste, and various other challenges. Gina, my teammate from track at St. Olaf, would have loved it. I am absolutely dreadful at jumping, as any of my teammates can confirm, so I was especially unskillful that evening. However, I hopefully redeemed myself when we did two 40 second sprints on the treadmill. I could jump on and off the tread mill no problem kudos to my coach Chris Daymont's awesome 5AM treadmill+elevation workout that comes once a year. (Most people probably dislike that workout--I LOVE it. It's so much fun, and such a challenge). I was able to run pretty fast, so I was happy with that. Afterwards, I biked back at about 7:30PM, grabbed some dinner, then went to bed.
On Wednesday morning, it rained, rained, rained. My goodness did it rain. I went to class, arriving soggy and on edge because of the election. I was still very apprehensive and closely watching the election results throughout the day. In my morning class, both Magali and a student from England asked me for news on the election. At that point, there were still maybe 5 hours left, and things were so close and nerve-wracking. I explained to them that I just could not understand how anyone could vote for Mitt Romney. I am still astonished that nearly half of Americans would support him. I tried to express this disbelief and frustration to Magali and the student from England. They were perplexed as well. Frankly, the fact that Romney was even considered a viable candidate, and that ANYONE can accept the extremist, conservative positions the current Republican party espouses really disheartens me. Romney and the Republican majority have insulted me as a woman, as a member of the middle-class, as an environmentalist, as a historian, and all around as a human. They have insulted my friends, and they have insulted other countries. While I can understand being displeased with President Obama (trust me, as an environmentalist, I AM displeased with him) but I cannot understand supporting Romney. I expressed many times that I feared for what would happen if Romney won. He does not appear to understand that a citizens have responsibilities to each other, and must support one another. Obama, at least, understands this. And even if Obama's environmental record is lacking, I was terrified what Romney would do to the land if he won. His party doesn't even officially acknowledge global warming! Please do not misunderstand, I do not approve of speaking ill of someone, but in my heart I was deeply scared for what someone who holds such anti-equality positions would do. Anyways, throughout the rainy day, I wasn't almost always damp. I went to Sapporo station to search for some souvenirs to send home to friends, wrote many letters, and ate quite a few sweets. Then came the wonderful news that President Obama would be re-elected. Thank goodness. The only better news would have been if Green Party candidate Jill Stein had won, but I'll take what I can get. In the evening, I attended my Field Bioscience lecture and shared the news with anyone who would listen. I enjoyed talking with Diao-san about the lecture afterwards, and then I biked back to my room (in the rain, yet again). That evening, I created my own invention of eggs and battered tofu on rice, with basil, for dinner. It was delicious, but I cooked way too much and did not want it to go to waste, so ate it up! While I cooked, I listened to Obama's speech. To be honest, many of the things he said made me upset (though definitely not as upset as anything Mitt Romney could have said). For example, I do not like when anyone becomes too nationalistic--I cannot stand speeches that glorify the United States. When Obama started off his speech, references the start of the United States as a colony, I was frankly insulted. I've had quite enough of hearing of the United State's beginning spoken of so ahistorically. To reference the start of the United States in such a way is to gloss over the whole violent history of colonization. I felt it was a smack in the face to the many native nations, many of which supported Obama with their votes in this election. Why not speak with some historical justice for once? I was also saddened that environmental issues came up so few in and far in between.

Today (Thursday morning), I attended my Kanji class. I received the results of my quiz from Tuesday--49/50! I was very pleased with it, because we had so many words to learn. Immediately after class, I was to meet Koike-sensei at 10:30AM in the experimental nursery to help plant seedlings for the start of a shade tolerance/CO2 experiment. My class ends at 10:15AM, so there wasn't much time to make it there. I ran into Becca outside of the International Student Center, though, and I was so happy to see her I couldn't help but chat for a few minutes. Then I had to speed off to make it to the nursery. Because I knew there would be little time, I wore my forest work clothes to class, and felt even more like a goof ball. I made it to the nursery before Koike-sensei, right at 10:30AM. I was nervous that perhaps I was in the wrong place. But after a few minutes, I looked up to hear Koike-sensei call "Jamie-san!" cheerfully as he crossed the bridge to the nursery, wearing his bright blue rainboots. The weather in the morning was warm, and brilliantly sunny. It was so beautiful out. We had all expected rain, and so had brought rain gear, but there was no need for it. In fact, it was so warm I actually felt a little overdressed for once! There were three types of seedlings, Oak, Beech, and Maple, all only about a foot tall, with their roots wrapped in cloth. We needed 18 of each to plant in the open-air CO2 experiments. There were puddles and mud everywhere from the week's heavy rains, so I was pretty dirty by the end, but it was very fun. Although I did not truly assist much more than cutting the twine off of the seedlings and handing them around, it was nevertheless a wonderful feeling to be a part of a research experiment that I will hopefully be able to assist with long-term. Afterwards, we all carried the supplies and cloth wrappings back to the agricultural building. I never quite know what the agenda is, or when/where things are meant to end. As you may remember, the nursery is actually right behind the International House, literally a stone's throw. So after finishing planting, I had hoped to walk back to my room since it is so close to finish up some readings. However, Koike-sensei just kept on walking, never officially dismissing us, so I felt it would be rude not to help carry supplies back. After that, he still kept on walking, and I pieced together that we were headed to lunch. I was still covered in quite a bit of mud, all over my pants and boots (and as I learned later, my hat). But I certainly do enjoy and appreciate so much when Koike-sensei takes us to lunch. He is such a friendly and caring professor. I am not sure what kind of sea-creature I ate for lunch, although I have a suspicious feeling it was sting ray. Not something I necessarily had planned to eat in my life. Still, it was such lovely sunny weather, and I felt so welcomed and grateful, and enjoyed speaking as best I could in Japanese with Koike-sensei. By the time I got back to my room, it was about 2:00PM. Grey clouds were unfortunately beginning to roll in. I tried to finish a few things up, then I decided to at last take a little nap. This usually becomes a strong temptation when my room is chilly, and my blankets are warm. Then, at 4:40 I had track practice. Sometimes I feel very sluggish and lazy to leave my warm room to go out into the grey, chilly night. Still, once I just get out the door, I enjoy things greatly. It can be the same with me as far as running goes. You just have to get through the tough step of putting on the running clothes, and then you have no excuse not to head out! As I biked, the closer I got to the track, the more the corners of my mouth started to upturn into a smile. At practice, I did the sprinter workout even though it involved hurdles. As my teammates know, I have a bad relationship with hurdles. In fact, I loath them--not the jumping over them, I've never actually done that, but the "hurdle mobility" exercises. These involve lifting your legs over the hurdles, and squatting under them. I've always been ashamed of it, but I am not flexible at all. So it was also a great ordeal for me to crawl under the hurdles. Today's workout, however, only involved "mini" hurdles, and so it would not be such an ordeal--or so I thought. As it turned out, the sprinters were working on stepping extremely quickly over the mini hurdles. I've done some drills like this before, but not often, and certainly not for a long time. The first exercise involved jumping with both feet at the same time over the hurdle. I was so bad at it, it was really embarrassing. But I didn't let myself give up, even though I was dreadful at it. The next set was stepping fast over them, so fast that I couldn't even get a good glimpse of the footwork. I gradually got the hang of this, but I felt bad for my partner. We divided up into partners to watch one another and give feedback. She was very patient with me, though. Finally, we got to something I can handle--running over hurdles that are more spaced out. I felt pretty good about my runs through them, and maybe in some small way I was able to show that I do, in fact, know a little bit of what I am doing. I tried to explain that, though I try to join sprinters, coordination-wise I am not skilled enough, and this is how you can pick me out as a middle distance inclined "long sprinter" as I prefer to call myself. Still, I really do find the few girls on the team to be so friendly. And some of the guys on the team tried to encourage me when I was having a tough time with the mini hurdles. We ended with a couple 120 meter sprints--this is something I know how to do! Run! So that was a relief. Then we threw some medicine balls around. After that, I cooled down with two of the sprinters, who are both so cheery and enthusiastic. They really enjoy learning new English vocabulary from me, and of course learn so much from them as well. I am so happy to get to know them. Their friendliness and openness is a huge relief, and I cannot begin how happy it makes me feel. I hope that I can become fast again, and that I will be able to contribute to the team, and help encourage them as they have encouraged me.

P.S. In case you are wondering about how my banjo playing is coming along, I can now just about play the theme song from the Beverly Hillbillies (a great show, if you don't know of it.) Of course, I play it more slowly for the moment than the original.