Photo of the Day and a New Article!

Matador Travel picked up another one of my articles, and I'm happy as a clam about it. The article describes five common American gestures that can be misinterpreted in other countries...or my alternate title "Five Foreign Ways to Give the Finger."
Check out the article here.
Can you guess which country Wes is offending right now?

Photo of the Day

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day about why he had a baseball bat in the back of his car.

"For protection," he said.

I think I've been away from Tennessee for too long. I know that San Francisco isn't the safest place in the world (although Japan might very well be), but I rarely thought about violence while I was there. Walking home late at night I would often be afraid that someone would snatch my purse, but I can count on one hand the number of times I thought about being killed. I didn't know anyone that owned a gun. And except for the occasional can of pepper spray, I didn't know anyone that carried a weapon of any kind.

Being back here is strange because everyone I know is at least conscious of physical violence, if not downright scared of it constantly. I know more gun owners than I care to admit. People carry baseball bats in their backseats for protection. It's a different mentality. We're brought up to be surrounded by weapons, tools whose sole purpose is to cause harm to other people. It's not the guns themselves that bother me, it's the reasons that people have them. I'm not saying it's wrong to want to protect yourself. I'm just saying that I hate that we even have to think that way.

The Tennessee legislature just passed a law that says it is now legal for people to carry concealed weapons into restaurants. Public places that serve alcohol, that cater to families with children. Why? So people can protect themselves against the criminal element who carry their pistols everywhere apparently. I wasn't aware that shoot-outs at Chuck E. Cheese were common enough to require such wild-west-type legislation. I'm mistaken about a lot of things these days.

Until my friend told me about the baseball bat in his backseat, I never considered owning a weapon. I never viewed anything in my house as a weapon (except for rolled up newspapers. Cockroaches must be stopped!). This morning I dropped a cast iron skillet while doing the dishes. The first thought that ran through my head was "If someone were robbing me, I could bust open their skull with that thing."

Photo of the Day

While the new direction for The Amateur Fatalist is still up in the air, I'm going to try to keep up with the Photos of the Day. Now that I live in Tennessee, you're going to see a whole new cast of characters in my photos and stories. Might as well get the introductions out of the way. Blog world, meet my dad. Dad, blog world.

Photo of the Day

Welcome Back, Me!

It's been too long since my last post. I know that, and I'm sorry. I have settled back into Tennessee life, and am honestly happier than I've been in a very long time. In the coming days, I hope to get more online about my goings-on and whereabouts and what-have-yous. For now, though, I just wanted to share my annual "Ode to Spring" poem written in the throes of a barefooted romp.

The dock breathes with me
As we suck in our
First lungful of spring.
Sighing, elastic terra
Fading rigid lines
Becoming cool waves
Melting

Cherry blossoms sucker punch
Barren branches—
Blood red pops

Magnolia flakes spin groundward
Mockery
To the fading season

We exhale.

My toes dry in
A softly humming breeze
Spring song sticking
In the river’s throat
A thick overture of pollen and
Slow spun spider webs

We creak and heave into motion
From a dead standstill
Rising,
Waking from long hibernation
Fading rigid lines
Becoming cool waves
Melting
Into the flexing soil

Photo of the Day

Here it is, folks, your very last Japanese Photo of the Day. In honor of the long journey I'll take to get back home, I'm posting some transport photos. Expect a post later in the day saying sayonara.

I have spent more time on ferries this past year and a half that I care to admit. People who live on the islands get a hefty discount, which makes taking the overnight boat about 50% less than flying. 11 hours on a boat is often a bit tough, though.

My one and only helicopter trip to/from Aogashima.

And, of course, the main artery of Tokyo, the JR train line.

Inside a train at about 3 in the afternoon on a weekday. You don't want to see rush hour.

And this magnificent wonder is the machine that has gotten me around Hachijo for the duration of my stay. Oh, Blueberry, I will miss you so.

Photo of the Day

Tomorrow is the big day. It's my last full day in Japan before I move back to America. So this is your second to last Japanese Photo of the Day...until I get back to the states and rediscover some gems I can't help but share.

Today you are getting a final dose of Hachijo-jima. These are pictures I've taken around the island. It's sort of my final tribute. I hope you like it.

At our summer teacher's barbecue, everyone pitched in to help make a big batch of yakisoba. Nom nom nom.

Near "firefly river" is this huge torii gate that guards the entrance to one of Hachijo's shrines.

The incomparable Nanbara Coast

And, of course, a boat. At an intersection. Of course.

There is a garden full of birds of paradise near my house. When I used to go jogging, it was the thing that greeted me at the end of my run.

Hachijo's third volcano, the illustrious Hachijo Ko-jima:

I can't believe I've never mentioned Hachijo's famous glow-in-the-dark mushrooms. For a short period during the rainy season, patches of green phosphorescent mushrooms sprout in the forests up on Mt. Mihara.

My favorite shot of Hachijo Fuji! I was coming home on the overnight ferry, and woke up in time to see this amazing view of the island. It was the calmest I have ever seen the water. The ocean was like glass.

Guess which mailbox belongs to the foreigner.

These gorgeous hibiscus blossoms bloom everywhere in Hachijo. Bushes full of them line the main streets. Hibiscus tea and jam are sold at the store. And last year we even had a big hibiscus festival. I never get tired of seeing them.

One final shot of Hachijo Fuji. This time from Nanbara.

Me too, Doraemon. Me too.

Photo of the Day

Yesterday afternoon I was tidying up my computer files, and I stumbled across some pictures I took on my first trip to Japan in October of 2006. I visited my good buddy David, and together we explored Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. That was the trip that made me decide that moving to Japan was a keen idea.

I took this photo outside of the Daibutsu (Big Buddha) statue in Nara.

And this is Osaka Castle.

Finally, a view of Kyoto City from Kiyo-mizu temple. I thought that the temple with the city in the background sort of epitomized Japan.

I have a new category!

I just added a new category to the website: videos! In honor of that, I'm going to post a couple videos that have slipped through the posting cracks. I don't take video a lot, and the quality is always speculative, but it goes a long way in helping me explain just what the hell is going on. Click on the Video tag on the right to see more.

This gem came from my trip to South Korea last year. I visited a cultural village and caught this dance performance.


And now for some Japanese flavor! The short video below was filmed at the Sumo Grand Tournament in Tokyo this past September.

Photo of the Day (Aogashima Edition)

Last week I had the honor of teaching elementary and jr. high school in the smallest town in all of Japan: Aogashima. The population hovers around 170 and on the "stuff to do" scale, it sits somewhere just above 1. However, I had a great week. Why? Because the students were excited, the teachers were considerate, and everyone I met was kind and helpful. My minshuku (small, bed-and-breakfast hotel) kept me fed and happy. I wanted to share some of the photos I took during my week there. I'll also provide more travel info at the bottom of the post, in case you ever want a dose of small town life.

Here is a shot of Aogashima's double volcano. The island itself is one volcano, and this little one sits inside the caldera of it.

The volcano also has steam vents around one side of it. The steam is scalding hot, and is used to power the public sauna. It can also be used to cook food. Here I am checking out the pots used to cook with.

The entire population of Aogashima lives on one small part of the island near the school. The island's only harbor sits far away. Cameras record waves and weather, which then broadcast the images to everyone on the island. That way, you don't have to make the trip to the ferry if it's going to be canceled anyway. When the weather is really bad, the tiny ferry runs the risk of being slammed against the rocky cliffs. How do you fix that? Well, how about hooking it to a crane and lifting it up in the air till the waves die down.

Some of my elementary students gave me goodbye gifts. Since souvenir shops are lacking, most of my gifts were handmade island favorites: ivy bracelets, berry bouquets, and of course, ashitaba.

As my helicopter took off for Hachijo, a group of people gathered at the heliport to wave goodbye.

And here is the last view I had of Aogashima town before flying off.

How to Get There
First, you need to get to Hachijo-jima. You can take a flight from Haneda in Tokyo on ANA or a ferry from Takeshiba port. Once in Hachijo, you have two options. The first is the helicopter (recommended). Tickets can be purchased at the TAL counter in the Hachijo airport. The flight takes about 20 minutes, and leaves Hachijo once a day at 9:20 (be sure to check in half an hour before to keep your seat). Tickets are ¥11,500 each way. The helicopter seats nine. A cheaper option is to take the ferry. Tickets can be purchased from the ferry office at Sokodo Port in Hachijo. The ferry takes about 2.5 hours, and tickets are approximately ¥2,500 each way. The ferry is less reliable than the helicopter, though, since waves between Hachijo and Aogashima can be rough.
Where to Stay
I recommend the minshuku Aji Sai, but I can't find the direct phone number. There are a few other minshukus on the island, and all provide meals with your stay. There are no restaurants on Aogashima. There is also a free campground on the volcano, but be sure to bring your own food if you stay there. Call the village office for more information on where to stay: 04996-9-0111
What to Do
Definitely plan a day to hike around the volcanoes. Be sure to check out the trails that lead up from Aogashima town (where all the buildings are), because the trails there are well-marked and easy to climb. Also, sit for a spell in the volcano-powered sauna. Near the sauna, check out the salt shop where Aogashima's famous salt is manufactured. Since the town sits on steep cliffs, getting down to the ocean to swim isn't all that easy. You can splash around near the harbor, though. Keep your eye out for dolphins.
What to Buy
Aogashima is famous for two things: salt and shochu. The salt is made by slowly drying ocean water over the volcanic vents. And I can attest that it is delicious. The shochu (or aochu) is different from any other Japanese shochu I've tasted. It's hard to describe the taste, but give it a try.