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November 27, 2008
Surfing!
I went surfing yesterday. Actually, I went to the beach and fell off a surfboard a lot, but since I did manage to stay on a few times, I suppose I can brag about doing it. More importantly, I have been wanting to do this for a very long time and I finally did. Wow...must be a good week for things like that!
Of course, it was really fun. I grew up in San Diego and we went to the beach a lot when I was young, but mostly we were on a boogie boards. I did try surfing a few times, and the memories started coming back as soon as I found myself twisting around underwater. I was not very good then either.
I took a lesson from a surf shop in Shichirigahama, but we drove over to Enoshima to surf. I was surprised at how many people were out in the water on a weekday morning, but the sun was shining and there were some waves, so maybe it makes sense. But...it was REALLY crowded!
Anyway, I am going again next week!
Posted by Kirk at 09:16 AM | Comments (0)November 25, 2008
FIT for Charity 2008
While many of you in Japan took the opportunity of a three-day weekend to go leaf-peeping, I went and ran a 10K instead. No big deal? Yes it is...it was my first one!
The event was sponsored by FIT for Charity and included a 10K run, a 4K run, and a 2K walk. You can follow the link to learn more about the organization and who they are donating this year's proceeds to. As you may have read FIT is made up of financial companies in Tokyo and I am obviously not in that circle anymore, being unemployed and all, but I joined my former company's team so that was alright.
Anyway, I had to come up from Zushi in time to check-in before the 9am start. That meant getting on a train at 7am to commute for a 10K run, which seemed absurd at the time (sometimes I think that my life was a lot easier when I lived in Tokyo. This was one of those times.) In addition to the long commute, I did not sleep well the night before, so I was not exactly feeling my best. However, my goal was to not embarass myself and I still felt I could do that. Beyond that, I hoped that I would be able to run the entire 10K without stopping. And my absolute dream goal was to finish in less than an hour.
I have run 10K before on the beach, but I have never sure of the time or the actual distance (I have been told the beach is a kilometer long, but I have never measured it), so there was some questions in my mind. In addition, there has been a few times when I tried to do 10K and gave up, so I was thinking a little about that as well.
Happily, I did it in 56 minutes! I am not sure if that is a competitive time, but it was great for me and I am quite pleased.
Posted by Kirk at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)November 19, 2008
Clear, crisp and cool
Well, it was another clear day today. Other than going to the gym, I was not sure what I would do today, but after a look out the window, I quickly decided a walk was in order. And rather than try and figure out something new, I did the whole Kamakura-Enoshima thing again.
This picture is from Inamuragasaki...I know I have posted better ones before, but those probably they did not include a confused older Japanese man trying to figure out how to work his camera. So, there you go - something new. On the way, I stopped for a coffee in Shichirigahama and also signed up for surfing lessons. It might sound a bit serendipitous, but I had been meaning to do that for months.
In any case, I am headed back next Wednesday! I can't wait.
After all that, I did make it to the gym. And I also went and got my haircut. Very excited about that until I had to stand on the train platform for 15 minutes as a cold wind buffeted by practically hairless head.
Posted by Kirk at 06:46 PM | Comments (0)November 14, 2008
Reasons I like to live down by the beach
OK...so, lately, I have been moaning a bit about living down in Zushi and I should apologise, because that is absolutely the opposite of what I did in the summer when living on the beach was the ideal situation. Having said that, there are some bad points. A lack of a good coffee shop is one. I will save the others for some other time.
Although someone did ask me the other day why I go to Starbucks for a coffee when Tully's is so much better. Well, as soon as they open one in Zushi...I will be first in line!
OK...I was trying to stay positive with this post. And here it is...one of the reasons why it is good to live down here. Waking up, walking two minutes to the beach and seeing this:
Actually, seeing that, realizing it would be a nice picture and walking the five minutes back-and-forth from my apartment to get my camera and take the shot. I did that yesterday, but was too lazy to post it. No visible Mt. Fuji today.
Posted by Kirk at 08:37 AM | Comments (0)November 11, 2008
A reminder of warmer days
Well, it is starting to get cooler now. I had to put an extra blanket on the bed and I used the space heater for the first time. It wasn't that cold, actually, but I was sitting around indoors wearing my jacket when a t-shirt would have been more comfortable.
Anyway, here is a picture from when I was in San Diego last month. At that time, I really could not imagine cold weather. Funny, how that always seems to change so quickly. It is the same thing in March or April, when the idea of going out wearing shorts and a T-shirt seems impossible. Here's the picture:
November 10, 2008
Too long in Japan?
So, I am out in Tokyo on a Sunday night. No big deal, right? I even take the last train home...leaves Shinagawa at 12am and arrives at Zushi at 1am. Which makes my sudden 12:50 exit at Kita-Kamakura Station more surprising, especially as I had a green car ticket all the way home. Thirty minutes and 3,000 yen later I am still trying to figure it out. Scary.
Posted by Kirk at 12:27 AM | Comments (0)