Week 61 March 314 - April 6, 2014

This has been a busy week with our son Lynn, visiting.  Here are some highlights.

On Monday the 31st, we went to the Aso volcano.  On the way we stopped at a 400 year old cherry tree, to view to the Sakara (cherry blossoms).  They were still pretty awesome, although they are coming down from the peak.

We had squid on a stick.

Then on to the volcano.

It had been at level 2 alert (shooting rocks out, no approach beyond 1 Km.) but calmed down for our visit.  It was still quite different.  Our last visit had a large collection of blue green water with some some and sulfur dioxide fumes, but this time no water and lots of smoke.

Here is another, wider view, notice the coughing in the audio, there was a lot of that going on when the wind shifted.

There are a number of these bunkers around the volcano rim.

In case of a sudden eruption, you take shelter in them to avoid the rocks falling down, until safe evacuation is possible.

When we first entered the road up we were called back due to poisonous gases (I guess sulfur dioxide drifting over viewings areas).  We waited a while and eventually got to go up but after an hour or so, we were evacuated off the viewing area.  Mom was in the car in the parking area and Lynn and I had hided back into the old pryoclastic flow areas, but had returned just in time to have Mom pick us up on the way out off the mountain.

On the way off the mountain we took this picture of an old cinder cone in the area.

Finished off the day with dinner at a local ramen shop.

Notice the wonderful spicy paste in the spoon ready to be mixed in.

Tuesday April Mom's Birthday we took a hike up Mount Kinpu (spelling is Kinbo on the sign below, but Kinpu on Google maps) near Kumamoto.  It is a fun hill that many bikers use like Mt. Diablo and includes a hike from the parking lot to the top either by the switch back path or the straight up path, we took the straight up path up and the switch back path down.

It starts through a typical Japanese Tori or gate.

Notice the grade signs along the way, it really was that steep.

We finally got to the top.  Here is the Tori at the top.

First the view towards Kumamoto.

The Shrine on top of the mountain.

The view towards Shimabara bay and the Ferry terminal with the Shimabara peninsula in the distance and the volcano, Unzun the highest point.

We enjoyed our feathered friends at the top as we shot them with our legal cameras.

We took the switch back path back.

It has several view spots.

At the end of the day we had birthday cake for Luetta's birthday.

Wednesday we went to our Japanese class, our instructor had asked if he could take us to the Kumamoto Castle and it was fun to see it without the rain.

Here is Lynn and I with our Japanese instructor.

I enjoyed this detail of the castle, even if some scaled the stone wall with out being hit by an arrow the left part is protected by spikes pointing downward to impede their progress and on the right side there is an overhang that is very hard to scale around.

On the top of the castle and also on many of the traditional style Japanese homes your see these fish like tiles (just left of the modern lightening rod).

After our day we did our one hour English class at the International Center.  We were excited when a lady approached us and wanted to join our class, we were happy to let her join.

On the way home we stopped by some of the street vendors and bought.

I bought what I thought was chicken on a stick, but it turned out to be chicken skin, totally uneatable, so I survived on cotton candy and french fry's.

We also shared Takoyaki

and okonomoyaki

We were happy, but I was still a little hungry.

Latter that night we went to English class at the Stake Center which is always fun, and Lynn helped us.

Afterwards a person that I have met brought his telescope and we viewed the crescent moon, Jupiter and its 4 largest moons, and the beehive open cluster.  It was very enjoyable for me.

Thursday we got up early and headed over to Nagasaki via Ferry boat.  Luetta enjoyed feeding the seagulls on the way over.

We went to the bomb museum first, to make sure we saw that before they closed.  It was very interesting, but no photos were allowed.  The most striking part to me was the records of people and their experience on that day and it aftermath.  We all pray such a thing and in fact all war would never be again.

After that we went to the Peace Park and saw the main statue.

And read about is symbology.

We went out to eat for Sushi, here are some example of our menu.

Yes, that is me eating the fish head soup.

Afterwards it was eating but we drove up to Inasayama (yama is mountain) but is was raining and the top was covered with clouds.  This is one of the top three city nightviews in the world.  We rope the gondola ropeway to the bottom and back up to get some pictures.

We had to settle for photos of the mural in the observation tower to give us some idea what it would be like.

Friday we headed back to Kumamoto by way of Mt Unzen on the Shimabara Peninsula.  This is a spectacular volcano that had done major damage to Shimabara back in the 1990's.  It had pyroclastic flows over a period of 5 years that caused deaths and much damage.

We took a ropeway to the top of nearby Myokendake and view Unzendake.   This films the smoke that is continually released from the top.

After the major eruption in the 1990's this signs shows how much the mountain top was lost and how much has grown back.

Afterwards we visited a observation and museum building near one of the arms of the original pyroclastic flow.  It is amazing that they have built channels to contain the flow.

Here is a picture of what the pyroclastic flows looked like.

On Saturday we visited the Tsujunkyo Bridge with a friend that had been helping with Japanese by skype once a week.

They have these amazing reed figures at the entry area.

Here is the Bridge (via duct) in clean out mode.

And the group.

Here is a picture of the plugs they take out to let the water flow out sideways and clean out the main channel.

 If you are wondering how do they ever get these plugs back in the opening with high speed water coming out, the answer is the stop gates on the upstream side of the bridge.

This visit we added on a hike to the water falls just a ways down stream, it was beautiful.

That evening we had a wonderful meal of Yaku Niku (grilled meat).  You cook it yourself right at your table.

Sunday we had a meal after Fast Sunday meetings of typical Japanese food, the method of preparing them was taught us by Akemi.  It was fantastic.

Here is the fried tofu.

Preparation of fried tofu.

Method of chopping cabbage very narrow.

Lynn thickens the special sauce for the fried tofu.

Katsu Chicken on a bed of cabbage and tomatos.

The finished fried tofu.

Our feast is spread.

 Itadakimasu

Sadly we bade Lynn farewell, here I stand in line at the airport with him.

Week 60 March 24 - 30, 2014

Because if is transfer week, preparation day moved to Tuesday, but we still skyped with our children on Monday.  The sister missionaries had a lady invite them to visit, but she is quite far away, so we gave them a ride.  We were surprised with a multi course dinner, part of which is shown here.  It is very traditional Japanese food.

On Tuesday we planned a bike ride but cut it short due to routing issues, but we did see our first cherry blossom photo of this season.

When we crossed one of the river bridge this picture shows the method to redo the rock work on the side, they literally  block the river out while it is in progress.

Here I am on the bridge with more Cherry trees in the distance.

A beautiful flower planting in the city.

Wednesday was Japanese class and English class.  In addition we had been invited to a Hanamirutaikai.  Here we are by the poster they made for the party.

It was on the 5th floor, and took this picture of the cherry trees.

On Thursday it was transfer day and we did a lot of transportation including finding one lost elder who got off the bus to soon.  The road to the local bus stop is lined with cherry trees and beautiful.

Friday was a red letter day, first we went to a local outdoor track and continued our Couch to 5K training program.  Another runner, asked if wanted to have our picture taken together in front of the Cherry Trees, and here it is.

And here we are getting ready to start to run.

, our son from California visited us.  Here he is at the airport with me.

Saturday was our visit to the Kumamoto Castle with Lynn, sadly it rained all day but us and a zillion others still braved it to see the Sakara Festival.  I love this close up shot of the blossoms.

And Lynn by with the main and secondary tower of the castle in the background.

Lynn with Harry Poppins.

Look at all the people out in the rain.

I had to take this picture fast before they saw me outside.

These two won't let us out.

In the main palace there was traditional music.

We finished out day by going out to eat ShabuShabu at MK resturant.  Here is the meat.

Then the veggies,

Put them in the broth pot,

Boil and eat.

All in all a fun day even though it rained a lot.

Week 59 March 17 - 23, 2014

This week we returned to visiting missionary apartments that are farther away.  We visited Beppu and Oita, it was enjoyable and interesting.
First of all I came across this interesting poem (by Rose Milligan) that talks about what we do in life and choosing the most valuable.  Now I don't have anything against house work and it is very enjoyable and healthy to have a clean environment to work in, and that is what our cleaning inspections try to inspire the missionaries to do, but in the end one must choose priorities in the right order.

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better To paint a picture, or write a letter, Bake a cake, or plant a seed; Ponder the difference between want and need? Dust if you must, but there's not much time, With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb; Music to hear, and books to read; Friends to cherish, and life to lead. Dust if you must, but the world's out there With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair; A flutter of snow, a shower of rain, This day will not come around again. Dust if you must, but bear in mind, Old age will come and it's not kind. And when you go (and go you must) You, yourself, will make more dust.

I love the twist ending, just think someday the dust you are dusting may be me!  I am gaining more intimacy with that idea from year to year.  But, I think me and my wife are trying to look beyond the mundane to the more valuable like being on a mission to serve the people we meet in Japan.  May the Lord help us to be of value, is our prayer.

I was astounded by the discovery of B mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation.

"The Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization 2 (BICEP2) experiment at the South Pole found a pattern called primordial B-mode polarization in the light left over from just after the big bang, known as the cosmic microwave background (CMB). This pattern, basically a curling in the polarization, or orientation, of the light, can be created only by gravitational waves produced by inflation. “It looks like a swirly pattern on the sky,” says Chao-Lin Kuo, a physicist at Stanford University, who designed the BICEP2 detector. “We’ve found the smoking gun evidence for inflation and we’ve also produced the first image of gravitational waves across the sky.”" quoted from Scientific American magazine 

This finding is key evidence for inflation after the creation moment (aka the big bang).  It is also a step closer to the idea of a multiverse, where cosmos are created in great numbers.  The concept of a multiverse allows God to be the one and only God of this cosmos while allowing for others, a very intriguing idea.

We visited Beppu on Thursday and after doing our work we treated the Beppu Elders to lunch, it was very yummy.  Each table had it's own grill and you cooked your meat and put it on rice to eat.

Then on the way to Oita, we stopped by the Beppu Aquarium,  It is near the bridge, shown here, over to monkey mountain that we had visited before and since it was raining an indoor activity was better.  Monkey mountain like so many mountains in Japan is very steep, it would be amazing to walk up them, O wait we have on Mt. Kinpu, and it was steep.

Lots of interesting movies of the aquarium.  Watch this guys eye!

This fish has very unusual fins.

We also watched an outside show of walrus.

Here I am communing with my wiskered animal friend, the star of the outside show.

Our conversation is confidential, but he told me the fish was excellent that they served at the show.

Friday morning we had a traditional Japanese breakfast at the hotel before going to the missionaries appartment for inspection.

On the way home to Kumamoto we passed through Aso and took a photo of the rim of the ancient volcano caldera that this town is in showing lingering snow on them.

Saturday we got to serve in the Fukuoka Temple which was very enjoyable.  All in all a very good week.