...in the land of the magical Himalayas. We're in Kathmandu, Nepal and wowsa! If you thought Beijing was busy, think again. We're here, we're talking to trekking companies and gearing up the Annapurna Circuit. It's fun and exciting. But this place has so many little sanctuaries as well, you can see how people get "stuck" at Base Camp for days longer than expected, "sipping hot chocolate, growing a beard". We've got a few days, but we're ripping to get on the trail. More later!

I'm not liking this 2 game losing streak by the GMen. Back into form against the Eagles this weekend - let's go big blue!

So perhaps you've heard... that the Chinese government censors internet traffic in and out of any computer within its borders. Their "off limits sites" include vehicles of dissident such as Facebook, YouTube and yup you guessed it, Blogger, the site which hosts our blog - so that's the reason for the radio silence.

Needless to say we're still here, still ok, and in fact doing very well. We're celebrating our last full day in China tomorrow with our first view and hike of China's actual Great Wall - a modern and man made (many many a man) wonder of this world we live on. We've been all over the east coast and can't wait to talk more about it, but until then... enjoy the recently posted pictures of our last weeks in Japan. That's one wonderful nation. Oyasuminasai... Sleep well.

As we sit on our 70 min trip from Ueno Station to Narita on the Keisei Line, our entire Japan experience flashes before my eyes, as if a part of me is dying. The images run chronologically: The delirium combined with enthusiasm at our first Japanese baseball game immediately after arriving in Tokyo, the awe inspiring lights of Shibuyu and Shinjuku, the entrance ceremony of the world's best sumo wrestlers, the harmonica-esque shape of Kichijoji 's outdoor food proprietorships, our first Japanese meal with not one word exchanged, our overnight bus rides, the teen dance and singing expo at Kyoto Station, starting a circle pit at the Osaka Rancid show, Casey's free personalized bowling ball - a gift from our karaoke joint, the glass eyed Kanazawa sushi chef, Kanazawa's unassuming Oyama Shrine, being dumb-struck by the atomic bomb museum, the quite walk through Miyajima, the view of the Kita Alps from our ladders in the Nakamura Orchard, exchanging words, looks and laughs with grandmother Nakamura, our first snow of the year-at 2600 meters-atop Jiigatake. I'd say we've seen more of Japan in this one month than many Japanese have seen of their own country. Doesn't it always end up like that?

But what are we really taking away? So many things, but, a just a couple boil up at this moment.

First, is something that I'm going to steal, from a fellow wwoofer we met on the Nakamura farm, Paulo Whitehouse. It goes something like this: "I love the countryside and I love metropolises, but I hate everything in between." I identified with that line immediately. And although on the surface it appears to be a total contradiction, it doesn't have to be right? It really boils down to character. Character of a neighborhood, a street, its people, its food, the community - what's it's really able to deliver and give to others. It's also about how you feel in those places. Suburbia is not my thing - regardless of how big of a house I can buy there and how "accessible" it is to whatever city. Exceptions, always, but as a rule... I'm a city guy, or a country guy.

Secondly, is about communicating on different levels. Annie and I entered Japan knowing one word of Japanese, Konnichiwa ... although we had no idea that you used it for Hello AND the greeting in the afternoon (morning, evening and night have their own). We left Japan knowing only a dozen or so additional words, but we made it. We made it because of the obvious ability to "get by" with hand gestures and nodding, but that's about it. And it's amazing how much you can understand just by facial expressions and the reactions of others. I laugh really does say a thousand words. On the Nakamura farm we did our best to get to know our hosts, it was difficult with only the mother of the house knowing a few bits of english and Annie and I knowing less Japanese. But even with that standing in our way, we learned a ton. Not only Japanese traditions such as at the table it goes rice bowl closest to you THEN miso soup bowl, you use the opposite end of your chopsticks to serve yourself from a common dish, and the proper way to pick up chopsticks, but also a couple lessons from Keiichiro-san, the father of the family said plainly and translated even more plainly that make you know these are good people and make you long to get to know them better.

1) You don't need money to raise a happy and healthy family, the environment that you create for your children and family is the most important thing you can do
2) Divorce is the single most disruptive thing that can impact a family, it's devastating

Those to anecdotes, plus the way he explain how to wrap the cellophane around the lilies, the smile he gets as he looks at the October foliage of the Alps, and the way he plays with his grandchildren, makes me know he appreciates life, the finer, most important points, and it makes me want to appreciate those as well.

So there you go, Japan... I'm sure there will be references, even further posts about this amazing country, but for now, we bid you adieu and move on in this incredible journey.

In Tokyo Annie, Emily and I spent a few hours in the Japanese War Museum or the rough equivalent of.  It walked you through the ages of the Japanese Military, with a major emphasis on World War II.  Among the exhibits was an entire wall dedicated to the back and forth communication between Japan and the US, attempting to agree upon terms which would end the War against Japan and thus preventing any further actions by Allied forces.  The exhibit basically aims to show that Japan did everything in its power to prevent the ordeal, short of agreeing to the Potsdam Declaration in its state.  The exhibit then moves on to the remainder of the War, which includes the dropping of atomic bombs on first Hiroshima, then Nagasaki, the first of their kind.

To stand in that museum and read, along side of hundreds of other Japanese, was a pretty moving experience.  To know that the actions of your country's government and military, in two simple actions, is responsible for the deaths of over 280,000 people, with tactics never before seen in the history of mankind, is humbling.  It was difficult and my immediate reaction was... I want to stand on a box in this room and apologize.  Dumb, I know, but that's raw emotion.  And yes yes yes, there are many considerations, Japan was not being an "angel", forced laboring, other mass murder, and deaths as result of the causes of the War, but at that moment, it's as if the dropping of the atomic bomb, regardless of whether it was invoked or necessary, was the single worst thing anyone could do.

We wanted to know more.  So we included a quick trip down to Hiroshima, to take in the environment, the A-Bomb Dome and the Atomic Bomb Museum.  I tell you....that place will knock you on your ass.  Not only seeing first hand the utter and total destruction caused by a bomb with this much power, heat, residue, but also how the War up to that point was impacting families of Hiroshima and other cities and towns in Japan and then the aftermath of the bomb and how difficult it was for Hiroshima to get to its feet once again.  The museum has interesting macro-level information as well as micro, very individual stories and how webs of people were impacted by the events of August 4, 1945.  A couple things are very vivid: the stained white walls with black rain, the melted coins from people's pockets, the hand drawn pictures of the scenes of melting flesh and people jumping in rivers done by survivors, and Yuichiro Sasaki's photography exhibit - outlining the days and years in Hiroshima after the bomb was dropped and how difficult it was to actually decide what to do with parts of the city which are now dedicated to memorializing that faithful day.

So....lead by example America, disarm and believe that others will see the light and follow suit.  If you can do that Barak, then you'll be deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize.

From half way around the world we are celebrating the new arrival of Lila May Sumner- born on October 3rd at 7 lb. 11 oz. We are so excited to meet her in person next August but until then Skype will have to do. We love you Ms. Lila- sleep well- for your parent's sake.

So it seems that Mother Nature and the good folks of planet earth are having it out with Japan at the mo.  Not only did the main island receive its worst Typhoon in 10 years earlier this week (it came right through Nagano prefecture, where we're currently farming), but we also experienced an earthquake last night!  Well when I say "we" I mean, at roughly 4:10 AM JST this morning I woke up and felt a rattling... a bit of a hum and shake.  Now, at the time I couldn't tell you if I was dreaming, awake, half way in between or what, so I recorded the thought and went back to bed.  6 AM rolls around, Annie and I are up early to do a hike on our day off and I ask "Annie - O, did you feel the ground shaking last night?"  "Nope" was the response.  So I said, must've been a dream.  But I couldn't let it go, so after breakfast I googled "Japan earthquakes 2009" ... sure enough... look at this ish: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/3/20091010041944391-100414.html

It wasn't an f-ing dream!  So there you have it... two natural phenomena in less than a week.  Phfeww... I say let's get them out of the way now and keep them harmless.  And yeah, no eruptions.......... yet.

Well I do, big whup, wanna fight about it?  I remember staying up late nights watching tape delayed sumo tournaments on ESPN2 throughout high school and college.  It fascinated to me.  The size, the strength, the outfit (or lack there of).  What else I was drawn to was the candor and demeanor of the wrestlers.  No matter if in victory or defeat these giants  be gentle(man).  They'd help each other up, keep a straight and mellow face, and go about their business - kicking ass.  I'm sure it all starts with the polite, subdued Japanese culture, add to it aspects of traditional sumo and and I've always admired the individual athletes for how they carried themselves.

So after knowing that Japan was a stop on our world tour, I knew exactly what I wanted to do, if provided the chance - watch a sumo tournament.

Come to find out, you can get sumo tickets at your local convenient store.  Talk about convenient, is there anything you can't do Family Mart!?

So after a few emails with our Tokyo host, Emily Erwin, we were in business.  We had a box for four at day 11 of September's 15 day tournament.

First, the box.  It's a one and a half meter by one and a half meter square raised floor space, with four pillows.  There are no seats, so deal.  Great view of the doyo, but not spacious to the point of comfortable.

So, what I wasn't seeing growing up watching these shortened televised broadcasts was everything that happens in between the 10-30 second matches - two biggest things being the ritual and the showmanship.

In addition to traditional entrance ceremonies, personal colors and outfits, each wrestler goes through upwards of 6 min of ritual before each match.  Traditional stances, throwing salt onto the doyo, drinking water, washing up ... all of it very interesting to see, because each wrestler does it a bit differently.  And this is where the showmanship comes in.  These rituals are also a time of the dudes to intimidate, stare down and basically 'get into the head' of the his opponent.  And boy does the crowd love the show.  Yokozuna (highest ranking wrestler) Asashōryū was a standout... bending lower than his opponent, staring him down in the pre-match stance practices, and his energy, really got the crowds support.  In an event which has lots of down time, if you're NOT into the ritual, that showmanship is just what you're looking for.


So, we did it.  Went to sumo, crammed into our box, had our bento boxes and watched giants, scantly clad throw each other about.  It was..... AWESOME. Check out the Tokyo pics to get a taste.