Higo Blog

May 20, 2004
1:30 pm
by: Adam

The Hunger

Right now I’m searching the net for pictures to make a complete phonics lesson, and while looking for “cheeseburger”, I stumbled upon this. Seeing this image has awakened the hunger. It is right before lunch so I will be eating shortly, but this will not satisfy my craving for some fresh grilled meat patties and cheese sandwiched between two crispy, soft buns, iceburg lettuce, grilled onions, and a slice of tomato. Might as well splurge and get a large vanilla shake and french fries.
According to the reciept, the thing in the picture is a 12×12 (a 4×4 + 8 patties and 8 slices of cheese, meaning it has a total of 12 patties and 12 slices of mouth-watering cheddar cheese) and cost a mere $10.15. I have only eaten a 3×3 personally, but many friends from high school as well as Justin and Kohei have downed a 4×4, and I think they were full. I don’t think that any one person is capable of eating a 12×12. It’s just not physiologically possible.
Actually, I think that a regular cheeseburger has the perfect ratio of every ingredient. I the beef and cheese overpowers everything else if you order anything larger than a double double.
If you haven’t eaten at In N Out burger, you are missing out. If you are a hardcore In N Out junkie, then you know the secret menu which includes but is not limited to the following:
4×4- 4 patties, 4 slices of cheese
3×3- 3 patties, 3 slices of cheese
animal style- mustard grilled onto the patty
protein style- lettuce serves as the bun
grilled cheese- self explanatory
These are all I remembered off of the top of my head, but you can find the rest here.
If you are truly down, then you have noticed that there are bible verses written on the packaging. If you are like me, then you have not bothered to look them up, but you can find them on the page hyperlinked above.

Posted in Food

May 19, 2004
12:06 am
by: Adam

Finding Big Buddhas

In my neck of the woods of Japan, finding a statue of buddha is an everyday occourance. They are everywhere, and not all buddhas capture my eye. This one, in Taketa-shi, was remarkable.

It blows my mind that I have been living here for almost two years, and I still haven’t found every spectacle within driving distance. I spend a good amount of time trying to find new wonderful places, and I am yet to come up dry. Frankly, I am worried that I won’t get to see everything before I leave, so it’s time to step up the pace of my expeditions.
Carved into a verticle cliff with two fierce companions at his flank, this Buddha looks ready to bring the pain with his upraised sword. The caves to the right of the carvings hold temples that are under repair. To get here from Kumamoto (it doesn’t matter from where, as long as you get to the 57), take the 57 East towards Oita City and follow the signs to the Fukoji Temple Magaibutsu Stone Buddhas.

Posted in Around Kyushu

May 17, 2004
9:58 pm
by: Adam

Oita’s Niagara Falls

After visiting the Oka Castle Ruins (in Taketa) I stumbled upon a sign that lead me to “Oita’s Niagara Falls”.

I guess it is kind of reminiscent of Niagara, but I was disappointed that they built a bridge across the top that acts as a dam, preventing water from cascading down the full width of the falls. It doesn’t seem like they even really needed to build it, in this specific spot anyhow. There is a perfectly serviceable bridge within view of this spot.
It’s really sad how the Japanese often mold natural spots into things that detract from the over all beauty when they don’t really need to. It is as if they need to put the stamp of man on nature, like a rancher brands his heard to make sure everyone knows that it’s his. I’m not against putting a bridge over the river, but I just think they could have done it in a more tasteful manner.

The area along the falls protected by the dam allow me to crawl into a pocket carved into the limestone on the edge to get a view of the water streaming over. On a side note, there are tons of fish in the reservoir next to the falls. If I have time, I am coming back with my fishing equipment.

Posted in Around Kyushu

May 14, 2004
8:26 pm
by: Adam

Blue Hentai Anime Tentacle Hermaphrodite

Hahaha, it will be interesting to see if anyone is disapppointed by this post due to the misleading title. I think that these blue worms are a likely source of inspiration for those, uh… creative cartoon monsters, but on to the monster annelids.

It is inevitable that on a nature hike with kids at English camp, the boys come across one of these shockingly blue iradescent nightcrawlers (mimizu in Japanese). They are then obliged to chase girls around with it, to use it as a whip on eachother (hee-yah! whoopshhhh! Oh wait, no, thats what an American kid would say…, and finally to throw it in the face of one of the counselors. No it wasn’t me. If it were my face, I would have made the little bastards eat it while teaching the others to sing “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I think I’ll eat some worms”.

These things are just nasty looking and big (about 3/4 of a foot- yes! I thought I forgot all about the standard measurement system after moving to Japan…. They move in an oozing manner, stretching out, and then scrunching their bodies forward among the humus and leaf litter. I have a feeling that they have few natural predators because they taste nasty or are poisonous. A hunk of easy to catch, brightly colored protein doesn’t tend to last long in the forest.

Posted in Creatures

May 13, 2004
5:41 pm
by: Adam

They Call Me DJ Bruce

I just rediscovered I Know Where Bruce Lee Lives (AKA The Ultrainteractive Kungfu-Remixer), after not having seen it for six years. The music reminds me of some of the music in Kill Bill (especially “Victory” mode), and the German sound bytes are priceless! Now I know how to say “I’m gonna send you to Hell!” in Doitsu-go. This site goes hand in hand with Giant Robot‘s Bruce Made Tapes graphic.

Regarding Kevin’s thoughts on Kill Bill– although I don’t disagree with him, I love the movie just the way it is. I was far too engrossed in it to lend any attention to any thoughts get in the way of me enjoying the experience. Before I watched it, I remember thinking that this movie is Tarantino’s Spaghetti Western, and so I just accepted it as it was and didn’t try to “count bullets” (like I usually do). I do think it would be interesting to see how the scene would turn out if it was choreographed in a manner authentic to real Japanese swordsmanship (not the Kendo-ized version, but rather the “two hands as one” Musashi interpretation).
The fight against the Crazy 88 really reminded me of the fight scene in the restaraunt in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, (and evoked memories of Hiro Protagonist’s showdown in the Black Sun) except for the gallons of blood and countless dismembered body parts in Kill Bill. It’s one of those scenes where there is so much gore that you can not help but laugh, and revel in the comic absurness of its over-the-top brutality. I experience the same type of laughter watching the Evil Dead series, especially when Ash smashes the possessed girl over and over with a 4×4 post (smack! smack! smack!) when she refuses to quit her insane laughing fit.

Posted in Uncategorized

May 12, 2004
8:18 pm
by: Adam

Takana

On the second week of April I was recruited to help process Ubuyama’s freshly harvested takana while on my way to the laundromat. I pulled into the parking lot and was surprised to find it being used as a loading dock. I swerved to avoid the scattered pyres of takana and a forklift with a full load (a vegetable that looks like a cross between celery, bok choi, and spinach) and proceeded to unload two heaping baskets full of wet clothes bound for the driers. A farmer approached me and asked for my help. Even though I had only met him a couple of times before, I dropped what I was doing and headed into the warehouse to lend a hand.
Inside I met many more of my students’ parents, all relaxing and eating some real country Japanese food. They served me some smoked cod that had so much salt on it, that it was almost painful to taste along with takana musubi and assorted tsukemono. They explained that this fish was a traditional food in Ubuyama. In the old days, before the 57 was built, they could not get fresh seafood, so it had to be heavily salted in order to survive the trip inland. When we finished eating, we got to work.

The okusans are taking an ocha break and shooting the breeze in between frantic shifts.

Continue reading →

Posted in Food

May 11, 2004
11:39 pm
by: Adam

Touring Central Kyushu

My favorite thing to do in Kyushu is to drive. I love driving in rural Kyushu for the following reasons:
*having the roads all to myself
*cutting around curve after curve after curve
*the rush of adrenaline I get from a well executed pass
*the smell of mountain air rushing in from my fully open side windows
*driving those neglected roads that no one else deems worth their time
*pushing my trusty Civic “Formula” Hatchback to its limits and taking care of it in return
*slingshotting out of a curve, pressing on the gas through the exit
*not having to use the break at all, controlling everything with the gas peddle (I do wish that I had a manual transmission, though)
*finding my way by using my compass and intuition, and occasionnaly my Super Mapple Kyushu Edition
*knowing that the music that I am enjoying at any particular moment is almost *certainly the first time anyone has ever enjoyed that particular piece in that *specific area (and most likely the last).
*discovering places that even the locals don’t know about or have forgotten.
*driving behind a skilled driver for a length of time and learning more about *driving by watching and imitating them.
*driving in adverse conditions with full confidence in my abilities and the abilities of my car
*experiencing a sustained runner’s high while driving (Although I have never had one when I was running, go figure).
*achieving a meditative state through driving
*learning kanji and new vocabulary from the roadside
*finding good places to sit down and read, hike, or explore
*seeing how many alternative paths there are to any one location
*looking for a good photographic opportunity
*seeing how many kilometers I can put on the odometer
*only losing traction when I specifically intend to
*splashing through a big puddle, shooting up a wave or rooster tail
*driving fast through a long tunnel
*remembering the location of speed traps and making mental notes of where the cops might be waiting in ambush
*narrowly avoiding running over/ smacking into assorted wildlife (tanuki, weasels, foxes, rabbits, wild boars, birds, caterpillars, frogs, snakes, etc…
*flashing the hazards for courteous, experienced drivers who let me pass
These pictures were taken today, with the exception of the Roman Aqueduct, during a 4 and a half hour long drive around Aso. There are so many roads to explore around here, and just not enough time.

I found this aqueduct last Friday when driving the 8, south of Taketa (Oita-ken). It’s strange finding works like these in the middle of nowhere.

This is Shiraito-taki, or in English, “white thread waterfall”. In Nishihara, way off the main roads I came across this stunning waterfall. Kyushu is full of beautiful waterfalls, and I often come across them on my wanderings.

Continue reading →

Posted in Around Kyushu

May 6, 2004
6:56 pm
by: Adam

Signs With No Meaning

Back at home, the majority of people are pretty good at giving directions by using street names. You need to be aware of street names, landmarks, and where things are because its an important part of the culture of California. Although driving is also the main way that everyone gets around in these parts, it’s not the same in Kumamoto or in Japan from what I have gathered trying to get my bearings for the past year and nine months since I got here. Most people don’t know street names, and some don’t even recognize the route 3, 11, or the 57 by their names. This would be like not knowing the names of the I-5, 405, or the 101 back home!

One of the reasons why people don’t remember the names is because they are stupidly marked. If a friend gave the directions to “take the 204 to Fukuoka, and you will find the place on the side of the road”, then you might well pick the wrong 204 and never find the place until you reached Fukuoka and realised that it might have been on the OTHER 204. Idiotic. I mean, you could clarify by saying “take the 204 to the right by the bypass”, but why should you have to. How hard is it to change the name of one of the roads?
My favorite road, the Milk Road, is also marked in a confusing manner. From its spawn point at the Yamanami highway (the 11) it heads off West as the 45 for about fifteen kilometers. Then, for no apparent reason it becomes the 12 for about a ten kilometer stretch, and then reverts to the 45 once again, terminating in Kikuchi (on the 387) after passing through the Gorge (a highly recommended drive!). This is why I think people prefer to use landmarks instead of street names to navigate. The only constants that people will most likely know of are the various legs of the Kyushu expressway, the 3, the 11, and the 57.
Landmarks work surprisingly well, but can also be confusing if improperly used in giving directions. If someone tells you to perform an action (such as turn, go past, etc.) at a conbini (convenience store) then you better get supplemental information. There are so many Lawsons, Family Marts, and 7-11s in close proximity to eachother that navigating by these alone is likely to get you lost.
My friend Jason Wians takes giving directions by using these methods to extremes. The first time I was coming to his house he said the following:
“From Aso, go towards the airport (in Mashiki). Pass the airport, and two or three signals after you will see some ostriches on the left. Turn left. When you see the Everyone (conbini) take a left. Keep going straight until you see some vending machines (this is like saying keep going straight until you see a tree) and turn left. Go straight until you see a hoikuen, and take the right just before you pass it. Take a left at the dog and a right after the old man, and my house will be on the left. Alright, good luck. Yeehaw! Texas rules!!! (which is how he ends every conversation that he has)”.
Well, I followed the directions and got there with no problems! Go figure. Had he used the street signs I might have gotten lost, as the “left at the ostrich” street and the next street are both called the 235 and run parallel to eachother for a great distance.

Posted in Strange Words

May 5, 2004
12:25 pm
by: Adam

View Full of Aso on the 45

Click the image to see a larger version.
This is my most recent attempt at a panoramic collage. I live ten minutes from this beautiful vantage point, perched along the Yamanami Highway in Northern Aso. People say that these mountains look like a sleeping Buddha. The Eastern (in the left of the picture) peaks of Neko-dake are the head, and the feet point to the South.
You can tell by looking around that this is a special place. If you imagine what must have happened on a geological timeframe to create the largest caldera in the world (the towns of Ichinomiya and Aso below in the valley lie in this caldera), and what forces must have erected the proud mountains in the middle it sends shivers down your spine. If you are interested in geology, seismology, or fields related to these I think that you would enjoy visiting Japan, bust especially Aso-gun in Kumamoto-ken.
I really like this picture, so I included a larger version below that I layered differently. A tip on photographing around Aso- the air is much clearer the day after it rains hard, like the day that I took these shots.

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Posted in Around Kyushu

May 4, 2004
7:20 pm
by: Adam

Kyushu Hitching Pics

Hitching at night time was difficult. I would not want to pick up someone who looked like this, but surprisingly people almost always stopped for us regardless of the time or the place. If you get stuck out in the country at night, though, you may have to set up camp.

This is my hitching partner, Mr. Jamie Mackay of Georgia. For some unknown reason, I prefer to introduce him as “James” (no one ever calls him that) to Japanese people.