A Country File

The water level in the 'Sanctuary' has dropped, which is causing me a bit of concern, it all started when a load of trucks roared up the road last week and a whole gang of workmen got out, complete with all the massive earth-moving equipment they like to hang around in.

The problem apparently was that last year in the typhoon a mudslide had washed a load of trees rubble etc into the river. It meant a load of free firewood for us, and it also meant that some pipe that was always blasting out water 24/7 had to be shut off....in fact the consequence of the typhoon was calm at our place and lead to us making our forest, relaxation, hammock, zone or as we now call it ..the 'Sanctuary'.

It had become a great spot to hang around in, it felt like we had created someplace special, somewhere that you could cool off from the summer heat, relax, unwind, chill.
Even the workmen would come down in their lunch breaks and sit and eat their bento's in a place that a few months ago no-one would have given a second glance.

They did all that and at the end of the week they have effectively destroyed it....thanks guys.
No, consultation, nothing, and now the pipe is once again back blasting out water. And where just a few days before the stream trickled happily over rocks, giving life to all the plants and insects instead now lies a dying, stagnant, muddy, puddle....such is progress??!! in our world today....but never fear for I the countryside eco warrior will set forth today and attempt to right what has been done wrong and if i have to pickaxe the whole massive dam they have constructed then so be it!!


For those of you Countryfile longterm fans, yes, thats you that is..you will recall that back at the Tondo festival I overheard a rather nice comment about 'gaijin' from one of the old ladies in the village.Well last night was the villages Bon-Odori festival and Nicky overheard a rather distressing comment about 'gaijiin' that makes me a little sad..

It was from one of our students, a kid that we have watched growup, we know all the family, been to his house, etc etc in fact back before he was a junior high school kid he used to run up to me and fling his arms round me and say jon-daiski....get the picture??

Anyway so he's there last night with a friend, some kid I dont know, some-one who like many of the people at the festival last night come back once a year to spend time praying at the ancestors graves before scuttling back to the oh so convienient world of the city.
Nicky says 'hello' and he says 'hello' back and this friend says 'Is that your English teacher?' (yes she is) but Kazuki replies 'No, shes just a foreigner'.

I didnt hear any of this, I was busy chatting to some of the villagers who I havent seen for a while, like Moriwaki Denki Man, as we call him, who makes me feel a whole lot better about my alcohol consumption by being consistently the most p*ssed man in the village by a long way.

When Nicky told me what she heard I wanted to run up to Kazuki and tell him 'Your names Kazuki, my names Jon, but your friends name I dont know. I live up that mountain you live way over that mountain, your friend, I dont know. I live in Tonoga, you live in Kami Tomo, your friend, I dont know....in short Kazuki just who is the foreigner here??? Your friend who I dont know, you, from the next village, or me, the guy who lives up that mountain?? Who???

I wanted to say all this but I didnt, ultimately whats the point? True from now on I will view this kid in a different way, I doubt I will ever be quite as friendly to him again, and the family also I will be just that little bit more wary of....such is progress??!!? in our world today.

On a happier note, the beautiful weather of the last few weeks has meant we've been to the beach for the last three Sundays at Hamada, Festa de Rama and Oshima. Ive been up in the mountains with friends, out in the city with friends, been to bars with friends, been playing in the sea with friends, listening to music with friends, hanging out at the house with friends, laughing and enjoying with friends.

Friends come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
that is real progress in our world today.

'ello, well blue skies and soaring temps makes me one contented chappie and no mistake! though toiling in the fields has left my back a little red and sore...

last saturday was the first time in a long time that ive been able to sit by the river in Peace Park with a few drinks and the welcome company of friends.
Back when i lived in the city this was a near daily occurence, but times change so it was nice to sit and chill.

We then had a potato at SpudLove who are celebrating their two year anniversarry (two and a half years after opening??!!), then it was off to watch some bands at Sumatra Tiger, all good, though by this time my alcohol consumption had hit that point where i start to say all the things i have to say sorry for in the morning.... so sorry, all of you, though really i do think Pink Ballgowns would be good...

finally we went off to Ai no Haina?? in Dobashi though precise details of what happened there escape me though i do recall having to be frogmarched home by exasperated friends after i decided that i wanted to sleep in a park!!

the sun got me up nice and early the next day and after a brief stop to pick up Bobbi and our swimming attire it was straight off to Hamada. It's a lovely 1hour drive on route 186 to Hamada from our house, where we spent the day doing what everyone should at the beach ie not a lot, but soaking up the rays, swimming, and trying to get Bobbi to enjoy playing in the sea (didnt really work) .

Yesterday was spent getting the house cleaned, the fields cut, tomatoes picked, storeroom walls painted and wooden beams varnished, with enough time in between to sit and cool off with our feet in the stream in 'the forest relaxation zone'

We had a visitor in the evening, our neighbours nephew Kota arrived and promptly decided that he wanted to stay at ours for the rest of the time he`s staying in the countryside. We managed to persuade him to go home in the end, but only on the premise that he can 'come and play' today..

so I'm awaiting his arrival at least Bobbi will have someone to chase and play with all day while i carry on cutting the rest of the fields that I couldnt manage to do yesterday...

Nicky's off having a dress fitting so apart from the pets, kota, and some old man who is busy preparing one of our cemetary areas for Obon..I have the house to myself....

sun shine, blue skies..lifes good!!