Altus and Chizuko's Webpage  



2004

December

Dirtbiking in Saitama  (36 images) - Travus' first time to see and ride a motorcross dirtbike! Goes without saying (though I will anyway) that he had a great time, and couldn't get enough time "in the saddle". Jim from CTS was *most* kind to invite us out for a day in the dirt. Found out that kids start as early as 4 years of age. Don't think I'll be putting Travus in the seat that soon, but it won't be long before father and son are out on the track more often!

Disneyland (48 images) - Chizuko took Travus for a full day (8am-8pm) of excitement at Tokyo Disneyland.

Hokkaido (63 images) - First trip of the season. What made this different was the fact that it was just Chizuko and I without Travus. We decided it would be good to get one trip in with just the two of us, as we had yet to spend more than 24 hours on our own since Travus' birth. Chizuko's Mom, Dad, and brother were more than happy to take care of Travus over the weekend (so much that if our flight was cancelled and we remained in Tokyo over the weekend, they still weren't going to let us see Travus!). Base was pretty low with only about 100cm at the bottom, and 150cm at the top. That didn't stop us from getting some *great* powder both days; albeit with some extra grass and twigs to deal with out of bounds!

Hokkaido Powder (73 images) - Shots of us in the powder on the Annupuri side of Niseko.  As you can see from the pics, base wasn't so deep.

2004-12-Christmas (100 images) - Travus was now old enough to understand (somewhat) the concept of Santa Claus and Christmas. He knew that he had to be a good boy in order to get what he wanted from Santa (Apple Pie, and a Shinkansen). No doubt we played the "Be a good boy or else Santa won't..." card often well before Christmas! His school (Buddy) put on a Christmas production, and Travus did his part in singing the Xmas songs (he practiced frequently at home singing out loud all the time!). Travus got a Electric motorbike (as he now loves motorbiking over all other activities!), an electric keyboard, and his most used toy now: a 3-wheeled kickboard.

November

Just now updating the page after almost three months.  Reason for the delay is I spent a lot of time trying to designing a new webpage using several blog services (blogger and movabletype).  After a *lot* of effort and redesign, I decided to stick with the old format (go figure).  If I updated this page daily, then a blog would be a must.

The only thing I'm doing different now is I'm using Google's free software:  Picasa.  Great piece of software for organizing photos.  Also has an easy "export to web" feature that now allows me to quickly create a webpage based off a custom photo album.  As a result of this, I'm now going to be posting pretty much *all* the photos I take going forward.  I know its a lot to look at (Mom and Dad), but am certain you'll prefer too many pictures to look at than too few.

Big trip of the month was to New Zealand!  This was a last minute trip I had to make for personal reasons.  Chizuko and Travus came as well even though it was for 3.5 days. 

Trip was as follows:

Arrived in Auckland on day one, and went straight to the bank.  That evening Nick and Jo were most kind to take us to one of the "top" restaurants in Auckland (pun intended as its also the highest restaurant in Auckland, as its at the top of the Sky Tower!).

Next day we drove to Rotorua and did the gondola to one of the local peaks; then proceeded to take a street luge down to the bottom with Travus!  That evening was spent at the Polynesian Spa, which is a natural hot springs resort (similar to Onsens in Japan).

On the third day we saw the sheep show at the Agrodome, and finished Rotorua off by viewing the natural hot springs (too hot for us to get in).  Best part of the day was chartering a helicopter to fly us around several of the lakes in the region.  Travus' and Chizuko's first time in a helicopter.

That afternoon we drove to Mt. Maunganui (a surf town of 100k people that I compare to Shimoda, but with more people) to see the ocean.

Last day we spent the morning at the beach, then drove back to Auckland to visit downtown.  We were on the plane the next morning.

Certainly a short trip, but didn't feel like it, as we were constantly on the move!

Now to use the fancy "export to web" feature in Picasa as follows:

PICTURES OF THE NZ TRIP

Two weekends after our NZ trip, we went up to the mountains for a little easy hiking (Travus is still getting his hiking legs built up).  Went to a place called Mt. Takao, which is about a 1 hour drive West of Tokyo.

MT TAKAO PICTURES

Next day Oliver and his son Rio came over for a "Boy's day out" (we told our respective wives to go off someplace else and enjoy doing their own thing for the day).

BOY'S DAY OUT PICTURES

Had a National Holiday on the 23rd.  I was able to squeeze in a quick morning surf session with Jason from work.  Afternoon was spent over at the inlaws.

OVER AT GRANDPARENTS PICTURES

Takatori Mtn. (24 images) -  Went to a small mountain (more like large hill) in Miura hanto called "Takatori yama". Used to be a spot that Robert, Yagam, and I used to rock climb at *years* ago (like 12-13 years back!). Took Travus up there to look around, as the weather was incredible with views to the horizon. Was also a pretty easy hike for Travus, but long enough to tire him out by the end of it.

October

Since I'm using Picasa now for the photos, will just link to the page first, followed by an explanation of the photos within.  This will most likely lead to less commentary, and more photos...
  • Buddy Undo Taikai - Travus has been going to a Sport school now for a few months, and his first Undo Taikai (Sports Competition) took place this month.
  • Halloween - Travus dressed up as a horse, which fits the animal in the year he was born (Year of the Horse).
  • Kieran's Wedding - Good friend of ours from work got married this month.  Never thought it would/could happen, but it did!  Congratulations to both of you!
  • Lisa's Stayover - The 2yr old daughter of one of our neighbors came over for a slumber party with Travus.
  • Tsukuba Mtn - Travus and I went up to a mountain about an hour Northeast of Tokyo.
  • Yagam's house party - "Brah" invited us and some others we haven't seen in *years* to his house for drink, food, and good conversation.
Biggest news for me this month is I've been granted NEW ZEALAND RESIDENCY for the whole family.  I won't go into details on how I got it, but suffice to say we're one step closer to having the opportunity to move to NZ someday.  There are no immediate plans to do so, but the option is now there.

September

  • Shimoda - Surfing, hot baths, and great food.  Great trip as always.
  • Wakeboarding at Kawaguchi-ko - Travus and I went up to the lake with some others from work and my brother.  Difference this time around was we could rent and drive a real wakeboard boat.  A bit expensive (60k JPY/day) but well worth it if you get enough people.

August

  • Yokohama Pool - Day out at a public pool in Yokohama.
  • Trip to Yamanaka-ko - Big family trip with Chizuko's parents and brother.  Was a *great* trip, and we did a lot.  Look forward to more of these!
  • Summer Fireworks - Fireworks are a *big* deal in Japan during the Summer months.  Photos of several firework displays we watched this month.
  • At the Beach - Various photos of us at various beaches this month.
  • Matsuuri - (festival).  My first time to attend the local Matsuuri in Chizuko's parent's neighborhood.  Was Travus' first time to dressup in the full kit.  He was *most* cute, and put all his effort into it!

July

HAWAII July 2-18.  This was our annual trip back "home" to Hawaii ("home" as in we consider it our second home now).  Though it seems as though this little tropical island is becoming more like a large city clog every time we go back.

Shawn and I, along with our families were the only members of the "surf posse" to be there this time around.  Seems like most of the others either no longer live in Japan, or don't have interest in surfing in Hawaii anymore (more like SE Asia it seems).

Robert, my brother, came out as well with his family.  Was great to have them there at the same time, as we could all hang out at the pool and beach together.  He even went out a few times for some surfing and took Lynn (his oldest daughter) out for a few waves.

Chizuko's brother came along with us, and it was his first vacation longer than 3 days ever I believe.  Needless to say he:  1) had a *great* time 2) will be taking longer vacations from now on!  It was certainly quite the good experience for him to enjoy lots of eating, shopping, activities, and beautiful scenery.

We got a great floor this time around at the Imperial of Waikiki condo of which I have a two week ownership in a 2-br/2-ba unit.  We were on the 23rd floor, and had great views of not only the ocean, but the Hawaii Hilton Friday night fireworks.

Goes without saying (though I will in detail anyway) that Travus and I (mostly I) did a lot of surfing.  He's large enough now that he can lie down on the board.  This makes it easier for me to paddle us into waves now, whereas before he could only sit up, and I had to use one hand to hold onto him, thus making it almost impossible to catch a wave.  Even though we had one bad wipeout (another beginner surfer ran into us), he came up fine, and wanted to go out for more.  I don't know if I should be worried now, because he want's to surf anything that remotely resembles a surfboard!  He even picked up body boarding, but doesn't like it as much as surfing (that's my boy!).

A big part of the trip for us was Altus and Marian coming out to see their grandchildren.  I know it was tough to get them to have to come suffer the hardships of staying in such a dreadful locale, but we couldn't keep them away from their grandkids (and us as well I'd like to think ;-).

The most important part of the trip (for me at least) was the celebration of our TEN YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!  I had a ring custom-made in New Zealand and shipped direct to Hawaii.  I took Chizuko out to Diamond Head Grill for dinner on our anniversary day, and surprised her on the beach on the way walking to the restaurant.  The Hawaii Hilton was even having their fireworks display while I surprised her with the ring.  She got all teary-eyed (me as well), so guess she was truly surprised and most happy!

Now for other various photos from the trip:


ALL HAWAII TRIP PHOTOS

mid May - June

Had to split May in half as we did quite a bit from the mid part on as well.

Right after getting back from Shimoda we celebrated BOYS DAY.  Similar concept to Mother's or Father's day except you celeberate your children besides just their birthday (sounds fair right?).  In addition to celebrating Boy's Day, we took the opportunity to celebrate Travus' second birthday again (even though it was in late April).  No surprise if I say it was the Grandparents idea!

Was also Mother's Day shortly thereafter so Travus was most kind to get Mom a huge bouquet of flowers and present for Baba (grandmother).

Next up was a trip to Hong Kong for the wedding of a former colleague of mine at the Tokyo office (who has since moved to HK).  Was a fantastic trip.  Stayed for three full days and got to see the town and eat a lot.  Was such a good trip in fact that we're going to do something similar again next year, but to Singapore for a long weekend.  We were concerned that perhaps Travus would start to get antsy in planes (being in his "terrible twos" and all), but we've had *no* problems traveling with him so far (knock on wood).

ALL HK TRIP PHOTOS

Lastly I've started putting Travus on a skateboard and taking him with me more often to Komazawa park for practice.  Have to say he *loves* the sport almost as much as surfing.  I now have another tool to keep him in line when he's acting up (such as:  "be a good boy, or no skating for you at the park tomorrow"!).  Note that skating is not the only thing he does at the park.  He has been known to do some "extreme bubbles" from time to time!


ALL KOMAZAWA PHOTOS

June surprisingly wasn't filled with as much activity as you'd expect.  Probably due to the fact that we knew we were off to over two weeks in Hawaii first week of July, so took it easy for most of the month.  Will just throw the pictures in from the month:


March - early May

Lumping up three months in a row as there are some ski shots that span two months, and just got back from our Golden Week vacation which I'll go ahead and throw in now.

Snowboarding season was over for us in March, but ski season was still going strong for Travus.  Even bought a pair of shortskis for myself so he and I could ski together.  This turned out to be a good choice [2Mb video clip], as now we can both go top to bottom together at a fairly consistent pace.

I took him up to Yeti (a ski hill on Mt. Fuji) a couple times to get him further accustomed to being on the snow and skis.  Best trip was up to Kurumayama (about 3 hours West of Tokyo) for a day.  Even got some fresh snow the following morning (this in mid-March).

April was a big month for Travus, as it marks his SECOND BIRTHDAY.  The week leading up to his birthday was filled with parties with lots of his friends, family (Chizuko's and Robert as well this time around),  and trips out to the zoo and park.

I think the present he loved most was the skateboard Chizuko and I bought him.  He hasn't stopped asking to play with it, and if he could, probably would have it in bed with him!

One thing that is of slight concern to me is that Travus doesn't enjoy watching children's videos anymore.  The only thing he's willing to sit down and watch in full are snowboard, skateboard, or surfing videos (his preference in that order).  In fact the first thing he said one morning  in May was:  "Daddy...snowboard DVD" (his way of saying he wants to watch one of the snowboard DVDs).  This was said about 10 seconds after he awoke!  He's quite insistent, and gets upset if we don't at least put it on for a few minutes for him to get his 'fix'! 

Am not sure if I'm supposed to be proud...or worried...

His speaking is coming along *great*.  He's capable of speaking mostly in rudimentary Japanese, with the occasional English thrown in.  Not complete sentences mind you, but simple stuff like:  "Change my diaper", "I'm thirsty/hungry/sleepy", "I don't want to do this, or go there" (his favorite saying!). 

"Terrible Two's" are starting to set in, but we find that taking the time to explain why he should/shouldn't do something generally works after the first or second times.  Also positive reinforcement when he does what he is told goes a *long* way.  Children (as Adults no doubt) love to be admired and will be (mostly) angels when showered with praise.

Another important part of the month was the preparation of his shrine before BOYS DAY (May 5th).

Before that date, we went down to Shimoda for Golden Week (as usual).  Waves weren't that great (as usual), and weather was on and off (again as usual).  Nonetheless we had a great time with family and friends.  Best part of the trip was the surf session I had with Travus.  Some shots:

ALL SHIMODA PHOTOS


Lastly two good friends of our got married.  Was quite a beautiful ceremony at the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi Hills.

February

More snowboarding this month.  Got two more trips up to Hokkaido.  One trip I went up solo the first day (without Chizuko and Travus) and was joined by others in a group that Sacha organized.  Was one of the best trips I've ever had in terms of consistent powder.  In fact the other group stayed up a total of 5 days, and one person in the group (a former ski instructor in France) said it was the best conditions she's *ever* had in her life!

Second trip we went to Rusutsu for the first time.  Have to say I like the mountain better than Niseko (didn't think that possible).  Reason being that the terrain is more consistent with steeper sections, whereas Niseko (at least Annupuri) has good sections, with quite a few flat parts that require a bit of slogging along.  Also the hotels are much more family-friendly.

Even though it was a better mountain, the conditions sucked for most of the trip (actually rained!).  Got better at then end.  So much in fact that we got snowed in at the hotel, and were a day late getting back to Tokyo.  Good for us, as conditions were markedly better that night, and the next morning!

Went up with Nick and his family.  Chizuko's Mom came along too, for more fun excitement with us and Travus at the resort.  Also got the chance to get Travus on the skis a few more times.  Have to say Travus really enjoyed his time with Miki (as she did as well!).

Snowboarding wasn't the only activity we did this month (though it is the one we enjoy most!).  Went out to Chiba one weekend and picked some strawberries.  Earlier in the month we went to Samukawa jinja (temple) to pay our respects and to wish for a healthy and happy 2004.

Travus also got the chance to spend some quality time with the grandparents both at their home, and ours.

ALL SKI SEASON PHOTOS

January

Snowboard season is upon us now.  We had two trips up to Hokkaido for three days this month.  Biggest event for us was Travus' first experience on skis at the ripe old age of 1yr and 9mo!

Some shots and vids from the first trip:
Some shots from the second trip (Chizuko's Mom and brother joined us):
 Will keep him on skis for another 2-3 seasons, then put him on the board when he's 5 years old or so.

Before heading up to Hokkaido, we paid a visit to the Shino cemetery, and paid homage to all our ancestors.

Lastly, his groucho marx pose and cowboy boots!


2003

December

NEW ZEALAND.  That was the big event of the month.  We were supposed to go over the New Year's holidays, but I had one of my co-workers transfer to our HK office, thus leaving me short-handed at the end of December onwards.  Thus we moved our trip to NZ ahead by 3 weeks.

As expected, our expectations were quite high, and they were exceeded.  Even Chizuko, being the more critical of the two of us couldn't find much at fault with the Country and its people.

Now for a complete recap of our trip:

Flew into Christchurch direct from Tokyo (only on Saturdays) and spent three days visiting our good friend Richard and his family and relatives.  The city has a population of about 500,000 people (including the Greater area suburbs), though you wouldn't know it, given how quiet the city is. 

Some pics around town:
After our visit there, we spent the fourth day of our trip driving up to Nelson on the northern tip of the Southern island.  Travus got his first chance to see sheep up close, and even had the chance do some shopping in Nelson at one of the skate/snow/surf stores (he put the helmet on his head on his own without us asking him to!).

The next day (our fifth day) we spent driving around the different wineries in the Marlborough region.  Have to say Highfield Estates was our favorite, as it had the best view across the whole valley.

That evening we spent in Picton, which is the town the ferries to/from the North Island depart/arrive from.  We took a highspeed catamaran to Wellington that cut the normal time (3 hours) off by about 45 minutes.

The next four days were spent with Richard's older brother Peter and his family in Wellington.  Have to say Wellington was the prettiest city on the entire trip.  Reminds us a lot of a combination of HK and San Francisco (without the crowds!).

Highlight for Chizuko was getting to visit her Sensei (teacher) from when she was a middle-school student.  Her Sensei emigrated to NZ years ago, along with her husband.  Was great for Chizuko and I to get to visit with them and enjoy their hospitality and great family.

After four days in Wellington, we flew up to Auckland (decided against the two days of driving it would take for Travus' sake!). for the remainder of our trip.

We stayed at a great hotel called "The Heritage" in Auckland.   Even though it was a Hotel, we were able to get a great condo-like room with full amenities for great rates.   That's the beauty of NZ, its so cheap down there versus the dollar (not so much now I might add when typing this in January!).

Auckland is a beautiful city. Reminds me of a mix of San Antonio (with the tower and "country-like" atmosphere), Austin (with the hills to the West), LA (with the urban sprawl, less the large Highways, but with the traffic),  and Seattle (being on the water with lots of Islands around).

Didn't do any exciting sports-related activities (as we'd normally do) as we were more interested in exploring and getting a feel for the cities and Country.

As I said, was better than we all expected, and am certain we'll be heading down there again next year (2004).

After the trip to NZ, we did a little snowboard gear shopping (even bought him little skis, which he *loves* to jump on; again, no prompting from me I swear!), lots of Christmas shopping!

Highlight at the very end of the month was making mochi over at Chizuko's parents house.  Was a lot of fun to watch Travus make his own batch!

November

Similar to October, just a bunch of little things going on, with no major event like a vacation or surfing/snowboarding (though I did manage to squeeze a surf day at Kamogawa just like in October).

Some shots from the month:

Lastly,  we had Thanksgiving dinner with friends from work, and managed to visit with other friends and family at the new Starbucks in Futakotamagawa (very baby friendly Starbucks, complete with children's playroom!).  Finally some cute photos of Travus eating Strawberries.

October

Major event of this month was the birth of Robert and Keiko's second child:  May!  Also Oliver and Tomoko had their first child:  Rio! 

Quite a few different activities this month, so will just throw out the photos with some explanations:


September

This was a much better month than the previous three because we went to Hawaii for two and a half weeks!  Trip was made even nicer because Chizuko's Mom and Aunt came along, and my Mom made it as well from Maui!


Also had Stu, JJ, Makiko, Tim, and another Tim (from England) all together on the trip.  All of us stayed at the Imperial of Waikiki condo, as I was able to secure them reservations in great rooms at a 40% discount (owners get a discount on rooms they reserve).

I say "owner" because we didn't stay at the usual place (Outrigger Waikiki Shore) since I had made a purchase earlier in the year of two weeks worth of a condo timeshare at the Imperial of Waikiki.  This is only a few hundred meters away from where we normally stay, so put us in the best place for us to be in Waikiki. 

The best part of the trip for me (besides the obvious surfing and being with friends and family) was the fact that TRAVUS LOVES THE OCEAN.  Makes me most proud as a father who loves the ocean so much to have a 1 1/2 year old that loves it just as much as me, and isn't intimidated the least bit to be in the water.  In fact he's probably a bit too enthusiastic in that we have to keep a constant eye on him, lest he run off into deep water!  He even enjoyed being paddled out on my board a 100m+ offshore.  Was quite the attraction on the beach as most people and especially parents couldn't believe such a young baby was unfazed by being in the water, much less on a surfboard way offshore!  He even FELL ASLEEP ON THE BOARD WHILE OFFSHORE!!  That's how comfortable he was to be on the board in the water (said as tear of joy falls down my cheek!) 

Waves were so-so the entire trip (around waist-high) with only 3-4 days of shoulder to head-high surf.  Sadly (or luckily as I look at it) I was injured on the last wave on the last day (lucky because it was the last wave on the last day!).  Had a beginner drop in on me (after I had been on the wave for at least 5-10 seconds from the "outside") and wipe out.  His board came right at me and slammed across both my shins.  Heard the bone crack in my left shin, and had two nice parallel cuts (from the edges of his board breaking) that bled pretty good.  Luckily  it wasn't a compound fracture, and I'm able to put full weight on it.  Am certain there has to be a hairline crack, given the tenderness in the area, and the force of the impact.  Will have to do light training for the next 2-3 months while I work on getting a full recovery before snowboard season.

Now for lots-o-pics from the trip:


Lastly, Travus is 1yr 5mo old now, and still looking cute as ever (in fact I think cuter!).

August

Not a lot of activities this month given that the weather continues to be poor.  Did manage to get Travus out to a good park near Tokyo called Kodomo-no-kuni.  Has several acres of land that kids can play outside in nature, at a pool, or various rides.

Though its still way too early, did manage to get Travus on a bike, and skateboard given his excitement over them.  He isn't actually biking or skating, just siting/standing while we push!

Lastly, Travus and Chizuko went with her family to an onsen a few hours North of Tokyo.


July

Has been a pretty dismal Summer (weather-wise), so haven't had the chance to get out as much as we'd like to the beach and mountains.  The weather has been cool and wet for most of the month.  Did manage to do some things though, so am going to keep this month simple by just listing the photos with descriptions.  Note that this months photos are larger in filesize (~100k on average versus 50k) than previous months, as I'd like to have higher quality photos on the web to view.


June

Now for an update on some of Travus' traits/features:
  • Can use sign-language to denote:  when he is hungry, wants more food, wants to drink, is happy, "where is it?"
  • Has no problem walking up/down small sized steps.
  • Says: "Ma-ma", "wan-wan" (dog) quite frequently, but can say other words, such as:  "kore" (what's this/that?), Da-da (daddy), ne-ne (wants to sleep), poi (garbage).
  • Understands a *lot* of what we're saying to him.  Example:  Chizuko asked Travus (while looking *only* at him, and not pointing) to go to the other side of the room, get the yellow ball (among other toys), and take it to Daddy (I was sitting away from Chizuko and the ball.  He promptly did just that!  Many more examples, but that being the best thus far!  Note that this goes for both Japanese *and* English.
  • Still sleeps through the night for 10-11 hours.  Goes to sleep around 8pm and wakes up between 6-7am.
  • Gets about an hour nap in the morning, and one in the afternoon, whereas on the weekends he only gets one nap in the morning (as we're busy out and about!).
  • Can give either of us a kiss on the cheek when we ask for it either in Japanese or English.
  • Is absolutely fixated on anything that goes around (mostly wheels).  He'll drop whatever he's doing if he has the chance to grab anything that spins!
  • Can dribble a soccer ball, albeit at a walking pace.
At the beginning of the month Chizuko and her family went up to Nikko for a few days of vacationing.  Travus even got to drive a bit (well at least sit behind the wheel!), even though he should have been in the baby seat!

One weekend we drove  out to the CostCo in Chiba for some serious shopping and serious pizza eating outside.

In the middle of the month we went down to Shimoda again with friends for some even better surf and better weather than during Golden Week!  Travus really *loves* the ocean.  We had to constantly keep a close eye on him, else he'd run off into the pounding surf!  He even got his first surfing experience (I held him while lying down on the board surfing in on a small broken wave).  All that activity at the beach wore him down so much he fell asleep during Dinner (amazing given the fact that he is *always* good to eat food if he sees it!!).  One point of note:  the person who maintains a website with daily photos of Tatado beach snapped a shot of Travus and I down at the beach early one morning.

Some more pics from June:



May

As with every Golden Week holiday, we went down to Shimoda for some surf and sun.  Surf was actually surfable for the first time in many years during the holiday weekend.  Another bonus was that there were hardly any crowds.  A combination of fewer days off during the week this year, along with a bad economy (less people traveling) made for almost no crowds.  Highlight for Travus was the SeaWorld-like attraction in Shimoda.

On the way back from Shimoda we made a stop over at some friends at the NZ embassy.  Was good to see them again, since it had been over a year since we last saw them.  Next day was BOY'S DAY.  This is a big deal in Japan with the boys of all family's having a special celebration.  Chizuko's family came over and had a great time playing with Travus.

Some other pictures from May:
Hooked up with a friend from Australia that contacted me via this website.  He and his wife have a daughter a little younger than Travus, and they came across our website a few months back.  Turns out the Mike makes it up to Tokyo a few times a year, so I offered to take him surfing.  However, conditions were less than ideal, so we got some good food at Cardena's instead.  We'll make it out for some surf next time around.

Lastly, the only thing I did super-action-wise (not including surfing) was wargames(as usual!).

April

An activity for me this month was a solo trip down to New Zealand.  This was a "fact finding" mission that had to made, as we've been considering immigrating there in the future.  Because of this, we have some financial obligations down there now, that required some immediate attention to, thus my "emergency" trip down there.  The 10-hour flight was considered a bit too long for us to make with Travus at this time, thus the solo nature of the trip.  At least we'll know exactly where to go next time when we go in January for a week or so.

Main attraction of the month was Travus' birthday!  Some other pics of his birthday celebration:

In addition to his birthday, there were some other activities, such as swinging out in the park, enjoying lunch out at the park,  playing with his toys at home, and visiting with other baby friends.


March

Not a lot of sports activities to report for us this month, as our focus on the weekends have been Travus.  He did get to spend some quality time back at his Grandparents (on Chizuko's side) house playing with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle.  Some more pics of Travus over at the Shino home:

Perhaps the biggest highlight for Travus was the day spent at the Yokohama aquarium with Uncle Robert, Aunt Keiko, and cousin Lynn.  Lastly Kato-san was happy to come over and see Little-T a bit bigger than the last time she saw him!

February

Chizuko was most kind to let me head to Hokkaido twice for trips with the guys (she and Travus visited family and relatives while I was away)..  Picture I have of interest (besides the ones showing us in  awesome conditions, during nightskiing at  Annupuri) is the one of the airport the day we landed on the second trip of the season.  Almost didn't make the landing, as there was enough snow on the runway to cross country ski on.

On the third trip of the season, the three of us went up to Hokkaido together again, and stayed at J-First.  Was a great trip, as Chizuko was able to get some of the best powder of the season on the last day, while I took care of Travus (I went solo with the guys again for the fourth trip, so was more than happy to take care of Travus while Chizuko scored some great powder).

Also managed to get another day of  Strawberry picking with Robert (brother), and Robert (from work).

Finally lots-o-pictures of cute Travus and friends:

January

At the end of December - beginning of January, I took some time off from the office to take advantage of the numerous Japanese New Year's holidays to get about three weeks off in Hawaii visiting Mom and getting some quality waves in.  Was great to be back; especially since we missed going during the Summer due to the job change.  Stu, Tim, and Tetsu made it out as well, which made for some great surf sessions with the gang.

Travus was a fantastic baby on the trip.  He fell asleep *during* takeoff on the way to Hawaii, and slept until a two hours before landing!  He generally didn't fidget, and didn't require much attention.  The first couple days were rough, as we all were adjusting to a new way of doing things (different sleep times, different food, different activities, etc...).  

Biggest worry of the trip was Chizuko's milk production.  American restaurant food is horrendous, and served in too large a quantity.  She went down to producing about 50% of her daily output simply because the food being eaten was too oily, and unbalanced.  Once we got back in Japan and started eating normal food, her production went right back to 100% within 2-3 days.

Now for lots-o-pictures of the trip:

Once we were back, we wasted no time in getting packed for Travus' first snowboard trip!  Actually, he didn't snowboard; nor did I (that much).  Chizuko did.  I mostly took care of Travus, while she and the others got first tracks in the back bowls of Annupuri!  Not that I'm complaining, since I got a few good trips in last season on my own, while she was pregnant (refer to 2002 season photos below).  

The plan this season is that the first and last trip is hers to snowboard as much as she wants, while I take care of  Travus back at the hotel.  The second and third trips are mine to go solo on (while she visits with her parents during that time) in order to get some quality powder time in as well.  

Had quite a good posse on this trip.  Stu, Tim, James, OliverD, OliverM, SharonC, SharonL, Sacha, Jason, Danny,  Chizuko, Travus, and I went up for the weekend to Annupuri, and got some good snow (at least everyone else did) for the entire trip.  Wasn't super-fresh everyday, but plenty to go around the whole time.

Some pics:

Chizuko and Travus made it back for a visit with the grandparents (here in Tokyo), and even had the chance to make some mochi while there.  A good time was had by all.  

Note that Travus is 9 months old as of this month.  Three more to go until his first birthday!

Lastly, we made it out for some Strawberry picking, as it is the season to do so (Jan-Mar).

 2002

December

Big news is that Travus is now a baby model!  He appeared in three different magazines, and has even been paid for his efforts!  Some images from one of the magazines (images not compressed, so will take a bit longer to load):

Some non-model photos from the month:



November

This was a milestone month for Travus, as we introduced solids to him full-time.  He didn't hesitate the first time at eating gohan (rice), and has been quite good at eating a full meal at least once a day.  Chizuko has done an outstanding job in preparing him a balanced meal of:  rice, tofu, carrots, spinach, chicken, broccoli, tomatoes (his favorite), and fish.  Note that this is at every meal!  Travus eats better than most of us!  We also had the chance to put him in the pool for the first time.  He didn't mind the water (as he loves taking baths with us in the evenings before going to sleep) but wasn't too keen on the temperature.  We're most fortunate to have a pool about 100 meters (330 ft) from our apartment, which makes it easy for us to drop by on the weekends.

Now for some additional pics of the month:

October

Again, taking care of Travus, and taking lots of pictures.  We used to average about 30 shots a month, but now we average around 100 (both of us having digital cameras contributes to this higher number; not to mention we're crazy parents when it comes to taking pictures of Travus!).  

Altus and Marian came over for a visit to their grandchildren.  We all had a great time, and was great to have three generations together for the two weeks they were here.

Some up-to-date stats on his 6-month birthday:
  1. 8.1 kg (17.82 lbs)
  2. 68.5 cm tall/long (growing approx. 1mm/day).
  3. Can almost sit-up on his own now.
  4. Always rolling over!
  5. Has spoken his first word!  First word was: OPAI (means breast in Japanese; as in give me milk!)
  6. Still sleeps through the night.  Generally goes to sleep around 7pm and wakes up around 7am (with a hot bath and feeding around 10pm; my only chance to see him during the weekdays).
Now for some pics:


September

As expected, took nothing but pictures of Travus this month.  Did manage to get out a couple times for some surf and wakeboarding, but in general nothing fantastic.  Have been spending most of my time taking care of  Travus on the weekends, and taking care of the new job on the weekdays.  Now for lots-o-cute photos of Travus:



August

Have lots of pics to put in for August, but first an 8Mb video of Travus' second two months:


Now without further adieu, lots-o-pictures of Travus for August:
Now there were other things we did than just take pictures of Travus (just barely).  Still managed to get out for some big air behind the boat up at Lake Yamanaka-ko.  JJ also has shown some massive improvement with bigger and better airs .  We were also most lucky to score some smooth glassy conditions for over 3 hours last time we went in August.

Also managed to score some massive surf down in Hesaura (very Southern part of Chiba).  Was around 1.5-2x overhead with clean howling offshore conditions.   Pretty much the whole posse made it out for some epic surf.  Was bummed out though, as I skidded


July

Some quick stats of  Travus:
  1. 6.3 kg (13.86 lbs)
  2. 63 cm tall/long (growing approx. 1mm/day).
  3. Can support his head now, and looks around a lot.
  4. Can roll over half-way.
  5. Articulates sounds a lot; often with more than one-syllable.
  6. Still sleeps through the night (8-9 hours) without waking.
  7. Takes 2-3 naps during the day (45 minutes each time; almost to the second!).
  8. Smiles a lot!
  9. Cries a *lot* between 5:30-7:00pm for no reason (perhaps because its getting dark at that time?).
Now for *lots* of photos of Travus for Family to "ooh" and "aah" at:

  • Normally I'd make a link to this, but it's *too* cute not to put up on the page directly:  A picture of Travus getting a sink bath!
travus01

It should come as no surprise (perhaps a bit) that we did manage to do some things other than take pictues of Travus to no end!  

A couple typhoons rolled into (or just by) Tokyo this month.  Got skunked on 2 occasions (small and choppy), but did manage to score just right on the third try.  Took Wednesday morning off to get overhead+ clean waves at the point break in Zushi bay (we call it the:  "Yellow Bus").  Was most good to get back out in some big surf.  

I really don't get out to surf as much as I used to, as I prefer to wait until I know its going to be at least overhead in size.  Anything smaller just isn't worth my time anymore, given my higher priorities.  Got to pick the winners when I can.

When I got back into work late Wednesday morning, after the best surf session of the year, I made my announcement to resign from the firm.  This was not an easy decision to make, as I had been working for this firm for just over 12 years.  After weighing the pros and cons, I made the decision to go work for another Investment Bank that I feel will be (if not already) the better firm and place to work going forward in Tokyo.  

Lastly some shots of our wakeboarding this month (still going every Saturday during the Summer!):




June

Should come as no surprise, but everytime I want to update the webpage, I have to go change diapers!  However, managed to squeeze together a 5min video of Travus' over the last two months.

5min (6.5Mb video) of Travus' first two months!

Given that Travus is commanding almost 100% of our focus these days, you will understand that most of the photos going forward are going to be of him!  Now to oblige:

Travus has been a fantastic child thus far.  The first month was quite tough; not so much because of him, but because we were uncertain as to what to do, as pretty much all parents are.  Once we started getting both him and us into somewhat of a set schedule of when to feed, change diapers, sleep, and bathe, its been quite easy!  He has since stopped crying as much, and our stress levels have come way down to almost the level they were at *before* he was born.  In fact he generally tends to be in a good mood, as he knows what to expect from us, and us from him.

Oh, did manage to get out with Stu for a Sunday of wargaming out at the Hachijoji field.  That was about the extent of my non-baby activities for the month!


May

This month has been spent learning how to take care of our newborn .  Certainly a lot of hard; rewarding work .  As all are aware, sleep becomes a rare treat for the Mother .  I've been doing as much as possible (changing diapers, burping, holding, etc...) when home in the evenings and weekends to give Chizuko as much help as possible.  Have even kicked her out of the room a few nights (just Travus and I together), so that she can get solid uninterrupted sleep in the evenings (Parents tend to wake at any little noise their baby makes).  

I've been most lucky in that I am a light/deep sleeper.  I wake at the smallest noises, but have no problems going back to deep sleep within 30 seconds of putting my head down.  This has helped a lot in that I don't feel sleep deprived, and can take up the extra slack when Chizuko needs the extra ...zzz's.

Regardless of how much work it is, for us now and going forward, the reward and satisfaction is deeply felt.  Nothing we ever do in our lives, whether it be success in work, play, or whatever, will ever compare to the responsibility and pleasure of successfully raising Travus to be a happy well-rounded individual.  He will be the living legacy to our lives; as we have been to our parents.   Through him and his future children do we continue to live on...

Travus sure is a trooper.  We went in for his 1 month checkup on 5/23, and everything checkout "A+" for him and Mom.  Travus now weighs 4.4Kg (9.68lbs).  Looking at him now shows that he has my eyebrows, and serious look, along with Chizuko's hair (thank goodness) and ears.  Am sure this'll change more going forward, but that is how he appears for now.

Mom came over from Hawaii to finally get the chance to see her children and two grandchildren.   Was certainly the best Mother's Day she ever had, as she had all her babies there !  Thanks Mom for coming over!

Stu and Kayo were most kind to come over and bring Travus some gifts.  Stu's Mom was especially kind to mail over some gifts for Travus as well.  Thanks Mrs. Lowe!   JJ and Makiko made it over as well to visit "Little T".

Exactly 31 days after a baby is born in Japan, it is customary to visit a shrine to have the baby blessed by the spirits, so Chizuko and I took Travus to Samukawa Temple, in Atsugi, for his blessing.  Even dressed him up in lace as is customary (suspect Travus isn't going to be too pleased with this photo when he gets older!).

Lastly, put together a 5Mb WindowsMedia video of Chizuko and Travus at the hospital.


April

No surprise, but the biggest news of the month was the birth of our first child:  Travus Taka Wilder Plunkett!  Have to say that Chizuko and Travus did an outstanding job throughout the delivery.  Chizuko was in labor for 26 hours!  Reasons for the long labor were:  1.  Was a totally natural childbirth (no drugs, no surgical procedures), and 2. His head was larger than normal (no thanks to my side of the family!!).  

Aiiku Hospital (where we had Travus) is quite famous for insisting upon natural childbirth, to such an extent that they regularly delay (i.e. refuse) to give drugs to women asking for them.  Only at the last possible moment do they relent to giving drugs, or performing a surgical procedure.  In our case, they were actually strongly *recommending* that Chizuko get drugs to speed up the delivery!  As noted, she said "NO", and went through it all naturally.  In the final hour, the doctor overseeing the delivery said that Travus' head was too large, and that he'd have to perform a episiotomy (a surgical cut to enlarge the opening).  Again, Chizuko said "NO", and gave birth to Travus shortly thereafter with no cutting necessary!  

Needless to say, I am most proud to have Chizuko as my wife and mother to our son Travus (this is the part where I get all misty eyed!).

Some pictures of the delivery and friends coming over:

Just before the birth,  we bought a Boy's Shrine (a Japanese tradition) and are proudly displaying on the mantle in the Living room.

Finally a last look at Chizuko's tummy a few days before .


March

Beginning of the month was our Niece's first birthday!  We went over to Robert and Keiko's house to celebrate her first birthday with a birthday breakfast meal .  She enjoyed opening the present Chizuko picked out for her .  She even did a Birthday dance for all of us.  After all the excitement she wasted no time in getting some sleep .  

At the end of this month was O-higan, which is the time of year for us to visit Chizuko's  family shrine and pay respect to all of her past relatives.  Quite impressive given the hundreds of years back we can trace by just looking at her family's shrine.

Another ritual at the end of this month was Hanami!  Some pics of the hanami we had out at Komazawa Park (thanks Ken for getting a *great* spot):

Only a few more weeks to go before our son is born...

February

Besides eating bread prepared by Chizuko , as a result of her taking bread cooking classes, the next big event of the month was (as expected): snowboarding in Hokkaido.  Had quite a large posse this time, with 20+ people going up for 3 days at the beginning of the month.  Wasn't too excited, as I had to miss the first day of the trip I organized, due to some work related problems.  However, was able to make it up Friday night (the first day) and squeeze in one hour of night skiing before the lifts closed.  As the first trip of the season, there was a tremendous amount of POWDER.  In the 20+ trips I've been up to Hokkaido on (which makes 60+ days in total), I've only had one or two non-powder days.  Not a bad ratio compared to anywhere else in the world.  Now for some pics from the trip:
 

Given the amount of time we spend offtrail (about 90%), it has become apparent that we need to practice safer boarding (just like with the helmets last season).  Haven't had the chance this season due to the limited number of times I'll be going (due to Chizuko's pregnancy), but plan on getting avalanche transponders for both of us next season, and if at all possible, will enroll in avalanche training, so as to reduce the risk of serious injury or death.

Chizuko and I signed up for parent's class this month.   Attended two all-day sessions, and learned what to expect during Chizuko's pregnancy and delivery .  Certainly most informative and highly recommended to all first-time parents.

Even though Chizuko was 7 months pregnant in February, it didn't stop us from getting out to visit Sea Paradise.

Two last pictures (no real comments about them, so just putting them up):  Robert, Lynn, and Keiko joining us for breakfast at Saint Marks (near our house). Chizuko with a new pillow to help her sleep better.
 

January

The New Year started with the usual cleaning of our house shrine , which Chizuko does a great job of maintaining.  Also put a good-luck wreath on our cars.  This was the first year we got to put one on Chizuko's bimmer .  No New Year's celebration would be complete without o-seichi, which we had plenty of !  Lastly we paid a visit to our local shrine to wish for a happy and healthy 2002.

A few days later, Nick was most kind to have us over to his house for some fantastic food .  Earlier that morning, we made our way to Samukawa Temple to get blessed by the priests for continued health and happiness.  This time around it was for the three of us!

Following day after Nick's party, Robert and I made it out for a quick day trip via Shinkansen to the Maiko Ski resort in the Yuzawa area.  It had dumped snow for a few days prior, and when we got there on the 4th, the snow was deep, and the sky blue !  Was absolutely fantastic conditions.   We managed to get a lot of off-trail boarding in, as the patrol could have cared less about us going under the ropes!

JJ celebrated his (not to be disclosed) ??th birthday which Makiko, Stu, Kayo , Chizuko and I attended at the Outback Steakhouse.  Highly recommended to try at least once for the "Blooming Onion" which is a deep-fried whole onion.

Biggest surprise of the month was the departure of a good friend from the trading desk .  He decided to move on to bigger challenges, which we are sure he'll surmount.  Certainly our loss, and the other firm's gain.

January isn't the same for us unless there is some Strawberry picking involved, which we certainly did twice.  Once out in Chiba and another time in Miura-hanto.

Now for what I'm sure everyone has been expecting:  Pictures of my first trip to Hokkaido.  Chizuko has been *most* kind to encourage that I go up to Hokkaido a few times this season 

First trip was Jan 18-21, and was organized by Oliver, whom did a fantastic job of getting us not only there, but back, when flights were getting canceled out of Chitose.  We stayed at the Niseko Scott on the Hirafu side of Niseko.  Good hotel in that it is *on* the slopes.  You could most likely board right into the dining room if so inclined to. 

Now for some photos (would have taken more of everyone, but in general there were 4-5 separate groups of people boarding on various parts of the mountain):
 


A few quick notes about boarding this season:  First a few of us carry snowshoes now, so that we can go most anywhere without worrying about a hard hike out.  Hiking by itself is okay, but without the shoes in knee+ deep snow can be quite the pain.  Second most of us carry radio transceivers now in order to communicate when in the bowls.  Lastly some others (not I yet) have purchased avalanche transponders.  Very smart idea given that 90% of our time is spent off the trails.  I haven't got one yet, but plan to soon.  Will let you know what model we end up getting shortly.

Finally for those who want to see what Chizuko's tummy looks like .  Then there's a sonogram of our baby's heart .
 
 



2001

December

Like to point out, that I'm no longer using the IXY Sport Elph camera from Canon, which uses APS film.  Not that it isn't a good camera (quite the contrary), but that I now have the camera I've been waiting for:  a water-resistant; shock-proof digital camera!  It's called the G-bros, from Casio .  Though the resolution is only 1.23 Mega-pixels, it still takes good enough pictures to warrant it's use, if having a snow/waterproof/shockproof camera is more important than higher-resolution.  Note that all pictures going forward in this page will have been taken with this camera.

As is usually the case for this time of year, Chizuko, baby, and I went off to Hawaii for 10 days of the 3 "S's":  sun, surf, and shopping.  Had the pleasure of JJ and Makiko's company on the trip.  A friend of JJ's from England; a fellow named Dave, met us there as well for the first half of the trip.  For the latter part, a buddy of ours from Tokyo, Tim made it out for the latter portion.  Best part of the trip was that we got to meet mom for the first time since Chizuko became pregnant, so Grandma got to say "howdy".  Another highlight was that she was on here way to Maui to move into her new home, which makes her an Hawaiian now!  Also makes it easier now for us to see her more often!  Looking to seeing you at least 2-3 times a year now Mom!

Before the trip Chizuko and I went to the hospital for a routine checkup to see that everything was going okay with the baby and her , and to get the sign-off for her to fly to Hawaii the following day .  In the process of the check, we did a 10 minute sonogram (3Mb AVI FILE) , and discovered (and there was no mistaking this if you know what I mean) that our little "it" is now confirmed to be a "boy".  This made it easier, and more justifiable to buy little surfer shorts and T-shirts for him.  We're still in the prolonged process of deciding what to name him, so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to email me with them.  Am certain we won't know until shortly after he is born!

Now for some photos in December:
 

Once back to Japan, it was now time to party!  Peter from the NZ embassy was most kind to invite us over for a Christmas lunch , as was Ken for a Christmas dinner . 

Chizuko came over to Ebisu one day , and we went off to the Shinagawa aquarium to look at some amusing fish . 

Then on Christmas eve, Robert, Keiko, and Lynn came over to open presents.  Some pictures:

A friend from the office was most lucky have his wife give birth to a most cute baby-girl named "Grace" on Christmas eve!  Quite the present from Santa!

As if this wasn't a busy enough month, finished it off with a two-day trip to Naeba.  Chizuko and baby were MOST kind to let daddy go snowboarding with Ken, Kiri, and Ayako .  Was my first time there, and was most impressed with not only the snow conditions (POWDER; video of Kiri ripping up some powder at the bottom of a tree run we just took [3Mb AVI FILE] ), but the terrain as well.  However, was lonely to not have Chizuko and baby come up as well .
 

November

Now many of you may have been wondering why there haven't been many pictures of Chizuko recently, as her and I are normally inseparable during the weekends.  Well, we had a birthday brunch at Roy's (near Ebisu) for her on November 4th, with many friends, and she made public the fact that she is PREGNANT! (picture of her wearing a rap on Inu-no-hi: dog day) .  Yep, there will be another super-hyperactive sports fiend to add to the planet's population next year!  Expected due date is April 24th, 2002.    Some pictures of the party:
 

Have also got back into playing survival games this month, as the weather and temperature are perfect for playing.  We now limit our playing to the second Sunday of every month, as there is a large group of players that gather at a field along Tamagawa river to play (about 20+ on each team).  Some shots from the last game:
  Final highlight of the month was a trip down to Shimoda.  I took a Friday off from work, and Chizuko and I headed down to a public-subsidized Ryokan ( called Q-kamura ) at Yumigahama (about 15 minutes South of Shimoda).  Rooms were nice, and food was fantastic .  Chizuko even got the chance to wear a nice yutaka .  On the way back home we stopped of at a Mikan (orange) orchard and did some Mikan picking .

Lastly, a photo of my desk , so that Mom and Dad know what it looks like once again.

October

Suspect most of ya'll reading my updates are getting bored with the same story.  During the Summer, it's either surfing or wakeboarding, and during the Winter: surfing or snowboarding.  Well, I actually have a new sport to put down:  MOTORCROSS . Ian was most kind to get us setup for a day of dirtbiking out at this motorbike park up in Saitama.  Pretty good deal in that 12,500 JPY gets you your choice of either an 80cc 2-stroke, or 250cc 4-stroke offroad bike for 6 hours of heart-pounding, bone-bruising excitement.  Everything except your t-shirt is provided for (helmet, boots, pants, gloves, and lunch).  However be sure to bring plenty of water, as you're likely to get dehydrated quickly.  This month, and September for that matter, had a *lot* of rain.  Pretty much every weekend had at least one day with crap weather.  However the weather just after the rains cleared made for some spectacular shots .  Another new activity for me going forward will be "yachting".  In Japan a license is necessary in order to operate *any* kind of motorized watercraft (this includes jetskis).  Stu, Collin, and I parted with about 90,000 JPY (~$700 USD) for 4 weeks of classes and practicals .  Thank goodness we all passed, otherwise we may have not been so keen to pony up that kind of cash again for a second stab!  Now we can start to work on tow-in surfing!

Now for the usual splurge of wakeboarding/surfing/rollerblading photos:
 


September

Mostly wakeboarding and surfing this month. Conditions for surfing turned out to be better in general than wakeboarding conditions.  The lake was colder and less smooth than usual, whereas the weather was quite warm and waves large for surfing.  Chizuko and I did manage to do something other than surfing/wakeboarding.  We went to a large zoo out near Mt. Fuji (Chizuko would have you believe I'm the one to her right!) .  What is unique about this park is that you're allowed to drive your car through the park and see the animals up close (some even come up to the car).  Another highlight of the month was the Tamagawa fireworks .  We had a few good friends come over to watch it with us.  Not quite the large production we put on last year, but a quiet affair.  Besides, we had just got back from wakeboarding that afternoon, so didn't have time to prepare anything.  Following are pictures from the month:
 


August

Really only one activity this month:  WAKEBOARDING.  Went every weekend this month with the usual Hawaii gang:  Stu, JJ, Makiko, Chizuko, and I.  Of course Robert, Keiko, and Lynn made it up for most of the weekends as well .  Stu came back with a new Krown (Sin) board from Canada.  We all gave it a try and liked it so much (more rocker) that JJ and I went off and bought ourselves new Krown boards as well.  I got this years 140cm 1Down4Up , and JJ got a 135cm Brotherhood .  Very good boards with fantastic graphics.   Some photos of our days:

One thing I'd like to point out similar to what I've mentioned below about snowboarding:  HELMETS..  We've all started wearing helmets while wakeboarding now.  Granted you're falling on the water, but it doesn't take too hard a fall on the water with your head to knock you out or give you a serious headache.  Last season I usually had a sore neck and headache from the wipeouts I had.  This season, I'm jumping higher and harder, and having harder falls, but absolutely NO pain in the neck or head because I'm wearing a helmet at all times.  An absolute must for all levels of experience while wakeboarding.

Wakeboarding wasn't the only  activity we did.  We did manage to make it down to Shimoda for a weekend of surfing .  Granted the waves weren't too great , but at least we had some good eating at this new restaurant we discovered, called the Asian Kitchen , down in Shimoda.  Also took a day off and went Blueberry picking with Chizuko .  Got some great shots of Mt. Fuji , and some beautiful flowers that we found at a flower park near Lake  Kawaguchi-ko.

Also two friends of ours got married.  There was a bit of a problem with Gav's wedding.  Turns out some great Typhoon swell was scheduled to hit the Chiba beaches the day of his wedding!  As a compromise, we left around 3:30am that morning, and made it in the water shortly after Sunrise, only to get out a few hours later and make it back in time for his wedding in Tokyo.  Surf was great with overhead+ bumps coming in, and the wedding was fantastic; taking place at Stellato's near Ebisu station. 

Some snapshots of Gav's and Steve's weddings:
 


July

Finally got some GOOD surf at the beginning of the month!  A typhoon that slammed into Hong Kong and mainland China was most kind to generate some serious swell for about 3 days in Japan.  We hit the swell at about  12 hours after its peak, and were rewarded with some overhead+ sets out at Kamogawa.  Had a good crew along this time around to take advantage of every wave coming our way.

Chizuko had a great idea one day when there wasn't any waves to hit out in Chiba.  She recommended we go to Wild Blue Yokohama for some bodyboarding.  The wave pool there is open for bodyboarding only for the first 30 minutes of every hour and generates some shoulder size waves that always break the same .  Highly recommended for beginner bodyboarders, as they give lessons as well.  During the other 30 minutes, pretty much becomes less a pool,  and more a cess-pool of too many bodies.

June

Hawaii once again!  Went the first week of June with Stu, JJ, Makiko, and Chizuko.  The five of us stayed at the usual condo (Outrigger Waikiki Shore).  However this time around we went for an Oceanfront 2-bdr/2-bath unit.  Absolutely fantastic views of all the breaks in Waikiki.  It was quite a novelty waking up in the morning and just barely lifting my head up in bed to see what the breaks were doing.  Great weather as is always expected in Hawaii, however the waves were very small the entire time.  What we lacked in surf, we made up for in shopping and dining.  We all bought Surftech boards from SurfCo Hawaii, and have Dave to thank for getting us on the right boards.

Following are lots of photos of our trip:
 

A few weeks after getting back from Hawaii, Chizuko and I headed down to Shimoda for some even FLATTER surf (think I was cursed for the month of June to have no good surf).  However, Chizuko and I did get some golf in with Clay and Jim down at Shimoda C.C.

Last highlight of the month was the celebration of Kieran and my birthdays.  Many friends were most kind to treat us to dinner (not to mention endure our company!).   Best part was Chizuko baking a cake for me before going off to work in the morning!

April-May

Finally got back into playing survival games after about a year off from doing so.  Main reason for not playing for so long is that the field we used to play at closed down last year, and we were unable to find an alternative field that was fun enough to play at.  We were finally told about  this area around Hachijoji by Tamagawa river and Route 16.  Every Sunday there are several groups of people that play in a heavily wooded area by the river side.  There are usually several games going on at once, and have to say the fields are *much* better than what we used to play at out at Machida.  Needless to say we're back into playing (Robert and Stu posing in this photo) every other weekend now.  Also played paintball once out a a field in Gotenba .  Was great with the exception that most of the paintballs wouldn't break!  Basically had to go back to using the honor system when getting hit (calling yourself out).

Another big event was the wedding of co-worker, Mike, to his lovely wife Mari .  Was a great ceremony at the Westin hotel, and was attended by many of his fellow workers .

The Tokyo Water Ski Club kicked off the season with a black-tie formal party at the American Club.  Was a fantastic event, complete with a Jazz band.  Hats off to the organizers of the party!
 

And if that wasn't enough party photos to look at, also have one of Chizuko and friends at a party that Oliver was most gracious to throw over at his house (several weeks before the formal).  Also some pictures taken at a party that Ayako had over at her parents house (parents were present for the record).

One thing worth noting is that Robert took and passed his boat license exam, which means that he can now rent a ski boat for a full day up a lake Yamanka-ko for about 12,000 JPY (That's from 9am to Sunset).  Quite a large savings considering it costs  16,000 JPY/hour just to hire a boat with a driver.  Needless to say, we're going to be doing quite a bit more wakeboarding this Summer!
 

Totally unrelated to anything I'm writing about, but just so he has a picture on the net to show parents/friends:  a photo of Stu and his bike.
 

March

Biggest news of the month is the birth of Robert and Keiko's baby daughter: Lynn!  Chizuko and I are now an Aunt and Uncle, and our parents are now Grandparents!  Should come as no surprise that I'm going to now post a lot of photos of her from now.  First batch as follows:
 

Other than this, not a lot of excitement for the month of March.

January-February

Fantastic two months.  Am going to group them both into the same section this time around, since most of what we did was snowboarding (easier to lump all the pictures from all the trips together).

Before I get to the snowboard part, have to explain the first day of the year, Jan 1st.  Got a call from Shawn the morning of the First, and he was telling me how good the surf was the day before.  He and David went out for a few hours out at Kamogawa, Chiba.  Waves were well overhead+ and breaking cleanly.  He suspected that given the swell and wind direction that the First would be epic as well.  Given such good information, decided I couldn't pass up on some good swell for the first day of the year.  Jumped into the car, complete with its good luck reed charm affixed to the grill (a Japanese custom) , and proceeded to score some very large clean surf out at Kamogawa!  Only bad point of the day was that it was the first time for me to use my O'Neill 5mm wetsuit with hood .  Was not a pleasant experience, as the hood prevented adequate blood flow to my head.  Was constantly holding the neck rim open wide with my hand while waiting for sets to come in.  Will have to cut the hood off before I use it next.

Now on to Snowboarding.  There were a total of 5 trips for me and 6 for Chizuko.  All of the trips I went on I organized through N's Enterprise Japan (03-3463-4511; ask for Tonokata-san).  In general the service is excellent, and the prices reasonable.  On average each trip cost around 50,000 JPY, which usually includes air, bus, and hotel for 3-days, 2-nights, with breakfast and dinner included.  We mostly stayed at the J-First Hotel on the Niseko-Hirafu side.   Each trip averaged about 10 people with all of us snowboarding.  Most of our time was spent on the Annupuri side in the back bowls (refer to the map link below under Feb 2000).   For all but the last trip we had excellent powder conditions.  We were never in wont of more powder, as our knees generally gave out by the end of the third day!

Now for the pictures (in no particular order):
 

A few things I'd like to comment on about this season that separates it from previous.  First of all most of us were wearing helmets for the first time.  Strongly recommend if not for the protection, then at least for the warmth!  I can't believe how long we've been going on without helmets, given all the crazy terrain we put ourselves into (whizzing between trees at high speed with only inches to spare on each side, etc...) It only takes one serious hit to be hurt bad. 

There were also 2 cases of broken ankles.  This makes  4 situations that I've known of in the last two seasons where there have been serious ankle injuries.  The common denominator is STEP-IN BINDINGS .  I've been snowboarding long enough to witness numerous problems/injuries with any form of step-in technology that doesn't give you adequate ankle support.  If you want the ease of step-ins, with the support of traditional bindings, then there is only one real set of bindings I can recommend:  FLOW (www.flow.com) .  Quality is questionable at times, but so long as they don't break, they will certainly be the best bindings you can put on your feet.  Out of the group of people that went with us snowboarding this season, easily 75% of the people bought new FLOW bindings (some several pair).  Overall I saw over 15 people use them this season with no serious complaints except the occasional broken plastic buckle in the back or lost bolt.

Finally bought a new board for the first time in four seasons.  Bought a Donek Sasquatch .  Truly a beast of a board with a 28cm waist and 170cm length.  Quite the departure from my 151cm Brotherhood.  Not only did I obviously float better in the powder, but had much better turn control both on and off trail given the extra edge to work with.  Highly recommended!

2000

December

Another quiet month, with the exception of getting some great snowboarding once again at Nisseko (pictures coming later, as they haven't been developed yet).  Chizuko finally bought herself (using my credit card ;-) some FLOW bindings .  Great bindings, but questionable quality.  They are without a doubt the most comfortable bindings to use, only problem is that they keep losing parts while on the slopes.  About 5-6 people that I know bought 2001 FLOW bindings, and all have had problems with them losing parts are breaking.  For some reason, the 2000 models seem to have no major problems thus far (at least mine).

Oliver and Tomoko were most kind to host a party at their house, and invite a few of us along.  Was good eating and conversation .

Finally got a photo of me at my desk for Mom and Dad to see, so they know what it looks like where I'm sitting when we talk on the phone.

November

Rather quiet month for us, given all of the activity in October.  Went surfing twice, and scored some fantastic surf .  Even got the chance to surf with Shawn and Ken for the first time in about 6 months.  Have to say the surf was much better here in Japan in November, than Hawaii in October (even September for that matter).  Chizuko and I also did a little hiking, and were able to get some fantastic pictures of the leaves changing colors .  Even used one of the photos for this year's nengajo.

October

October was a very active month for us for a change, as it is normally a quite month relegated to rock climbing and hiking.  The beginning of the month started off with a trip to Shimoda with quite a large pose (around 30+ people).  Though the weather was mostly nice , the waves and wind didn't cooperate with us .  So had to settle for some rollerblading during the day , and onsen outside at night .  Onsen was quite nice given the fantastic views . 

Few weeks later, we were off to Hawaii once again for two weeks of surf and sun, with quite a few friends from work.  Given the large number of photos taken, just easier to list them below:

You'll notice in the pictures that I have a new board.  Ended up scooping up a 9'6 Vudu epoxy board from Hans Hedemann (a store in Waikiki) for a decent price.  Like it a lot, as it is wood veneer, and stronger/lighter than a fiberglass board.  Chizuko also took a few surf lessons from some fantastic surf instructors working for Hans Hedemann Surf School Highlyrecommended if you are a beginner.
 
 

September

Once again, a month of mostly wakeboarding.  Have to say this is now one of my favorite sports to do (just after snowboarding).  Not exactly the cheapest of sports to do, but sure beats the cost of buying and maintaining one's own boat.  $120 gets you a full day of wakeboarding and a driver.  If we were to buy our own boat, would take us about 4-5 years of serious use to recoup the cost (not including gas and maintenance). 

Robert, Keiko, Chizuko, and I took a few days off for a four day weekend out at the lake for some serious wakeboarding.  Weather was perfect, and the skiing really sapped us.  Could hardly lift my arms for a week thereafter!  Also made a trip to Fuji-kyu highland amusement park, which boasts to have one of the steepest and fastest rollercoasters in the world.  Have to say it was pretty good, as I got partial whiplash (not kidding here) while riding it!  Some pictures from our four day vacation:


Though our focus was on wakeboarding, did get a trip down to Shimoda for a three-day weekend with a large group of friends from work .  Waves were decent enough (waist to shoulder) to make the trip worth it.  Also was unfortunate enough to bump into not just one , but two of my most hated brokers .  Went down the week afterwards as well, and was fortunate enough to be a part of the Shimoda matsuri and fireworks .  Was most enjoyable.

Lastly, Shawn was kind enough to throw a BBQ party for family and friends .

August

Mostly a month of wakeboarding..  Only went surfing once on probably the biggest waves I've yet to surf.  A typhoon was coming right into Chiba, so the day before it hit, we went to Malibu for some 3X overhead surf.  Was a most humbling experience.  Have to say that its the first  time I've experienced tunnel vision while surfing.  The waves I was surfing were so large and critical, that I could only focus on my balance (was on a longboard, not a gun as I should have been).  I mostly recall the drops and the pops off the back.  Pretty much everything in the middle of the ride was lost to me!  Only bad part was I had my contacts come out while going through the rinse cycle on a particularly large cleanout set; thus had to come back in blind (Have -5.00 vision without them).  First time I've had them come out, and not exactly the best time for them to have done so!

Another highlight of the month was the yearly Fireworks display at Tamagawa near our house.  Invited a few of our friends over for dinner at the river while viewing the fireworks .  Was most enjoyable eating good food and sipping great wine during the display.

In addition to the fireworks, our neighborhood had the once a year matsuri (Japanese festival) .  Pretty similar to the City/County fairs back home in Texas.  Everyone gets drunk and does a lot of Country dancing (Japanese Country style that is).

As mentioned, was mostly a month of wakeboarding, so will just include a bunch of the pictures taken:
 

July

Chizuko and I picked up a new sport that we're most excited about: Wakeboarding.   Liked it so much that we bought boards and bindings.   I scooped up a LiquidForce SuperFly 138 with Hyperlite 3060 bindings.  Chizuko got a Hyperlite Essence 131 with Hyperlite HighBack bindings.  Good bindings, but Chizuko usually has a hard time getting out .  We bought all of the equipment from RNR Hawaii , which is a wakeboard shop and towing service based out of a Marine base in Oahu.  Highly recommended shop to purchase equipment from , as they're proficient in putting together packages for shipping to Japan.  Be sure to speak to Lance when ordering. 

Since we've been back from our trip to Hawaii, we've been going pretty much every Saturday to Lake Yamanakako near Mt. Fuji.  The outfit we go to is Sansui, and our driver/coach does a great job in giving us tips on how to improve.  Given that there are a lot of shops on the lake with towing service, you can usually find a good deal with a great boat for about 3,000 JPY/15 minutes of towing.  Best deal however is to go for an all-day session which gets you on the water 4 times for 20 minutes a session for 15,000 JPY.  You definitely end the day feeling exhausted. 

Got some big surf  this month.  Went down to Kamakura for some typhoon swell .  Highlight was when a Jonesy had his board snapped in two (note that this was *not* a highlight for him).  Though we may have not caught as many waves as we would have liked, at least Shawn and I had the chance to use the roof racks on our cars .

Sports asides, did get the chance to get out for dinner with friends, including a farewell party for a colleague from work.  Also got some quality kite time out at the river near our house with Shawn and family .

June

Most active month.  Finally bought the full kitesurfing kit .  My kite is a Naish 9 meter AR3.5 , and the board is a 6.5ft RRD .  Didn't get great conditions in Japan in June, but was able to get fantastic wind in Oahu during our trip there.

Just before our trip to Hawaii, our friends were most kind in treating Kieran and I to dinner to celebrate our birthdays.  Had a great dinner at the Monsoon cafe. 

Few days later, left for Hawaii for a week of water sports.  We also met up with Altus and Marian, and enjoyed seeing many attractions together , such as the USS Missouri .   Obviously did a lot of surfing, however, am not going to post more pictures of me surfing, as I know most of you are getting bored of seeing them.  Following are pictures of some of the highlights:

May

Highlight of the month was Golden Week.  This is when there are 3-4 National Holidays in a row, thus effectively giving the whole country the first week of May off.  True to tradition, most of the gang went down to Shimoda for a few days of surf  ( guys and gals )and golf.  Rather than stay at the usual minshiku (Japanese Inn) that we normally do, most of us stayed next door at the Tatado Beach Inn.  Much nicer place, as you get a courtyard to cook a BBQ in  for evening dinners.

First typhoon of the season came rolling in just after Golden Week.  Unfortunately, mistimed the day for hitting the waves.  Was a day late, and ended up with small surf in Kamakura .  At least I had Chizuko's fantastic cooking to look forward to.

Most exciting part of the month was the discovery of a place near Tokyo set aside just for kitesurfing .  Few weeks back, while driving around Miura-hanto, came across a group of guys that had their kites out at Miura kaigan.  After talking to them for awhile, discovered that one of the shops (Long Island) in front of the beach had worked out an agreement with the local fisherman (read bribe) so that only kitesurfers can launch from that point. 

April

More excitement this month.  Have to say this was more of a "social" month, as we were going to lots of parties, or having dinner with friends.  First big party was the yearly Hanami at Ken's place .  As usual, the weather was perfect, and the Cherry blossoms were in full bloom. 

Weekend after that, we went to Zest (Tex-Mex restaurant near our office) for a friends engagement party.  Weather was chilly but clear, and after a few margaritas, everything warmed up .  Following night, we had Shawn and Michi over for dinner (finally).  We've known them for many years, been over to their house for dinner numerous times, but had never had them over to our place for dinner.  Chizuko outdid herself with putting together a meal that would put the chefs at Cardenas (top-rated fusion cuisine restaurant in Tokyo) to shame.  Needless to say we stuffed ourselves, and were unable to finish the full 6 courses! 

Robert and Keiko decided to buy a new car to replace their van that was on the verge of spontaneous combustion.  They did good by scooping up a high-powered Suburu Legacy GT twin-turbo wagon .  Has approximately twice the rated power as my Merc, which has a larger displacement engine.

Given that April is smack dab in the middle of Spring, Chizuko continued to do an outstanding job of keeping the plants around our house looking great and healthy.  We also spent a day in Chiba at a huge flower farm picking flowers and strawberries . 

March

Not much excitement this month, mostly because its in between the snow/surf seasons.  Shawn finally received delivery of his new 2000 E320 wagon.  Had the chance to take it out for a game of golf with one of our favorite brokers. 

Unfortunately, the field that we were playing survival games on closed down, due to the fact that our well spent public money is going to be used to put a park in place of the field we've been using.  Sure it will go well with the park right next to it that nobody currently uses much.  Not all is lost though, as we found another field that has games twice a month out in Chiba.  Field is nice, however the rules are that you can only go out into the field with 300 rounds per game (versus as many as we could carry at the old field).  This works okay if the people you hit call themselves out soon after you peg them.  However, if you get a "zombie" (someone who refuses to die even after they've been hit repeatedly), this causes a problem due to the limited amount of ammo you have to use.  Shot of Robert coming off the field after getting hit.

February

Main activity this month, as expected for this time of year, was snowboarding. Went twice to Hokkaido.  First time was at J-First hotel at Nisseko-Hirafu.  Second time was on the Nisseko-Annupuri side at a pension called Yam-Yam (very quaint and rustic; recommend for those who like a quiet stay)..  Have to say that the second trip on the the Annupuri side was the best trip yet as there was lots of snow prior to getting to the resort; after which it was sunny weather most of the time.  Have been in more powder before, but this was best due to the plentiful powder and sun.  We continued to explore the off trail terrain on the Annupuri side, as it offers fantastic glade/bowl terrain.  In the past, we would normally drop into the main bowl to the right of the gondola (on the way down).  However, we discovered a new route that is actually in one more valley to the right (thus two valleys over from the resort).  Best thing is that the way down actually leads right back down to the bottom of the gondola, with no hiking out required!  Icing on the cake is that the resort doesn't enforce out-of-bounds rules.  However, we were in avalanche territory, so be sure to always check conditions before going, and ensure that everyone in your group is aware of what to do in the event of an avalanche.

Some pics of the conditions we had:
 


For the technophiles who read this:  scooped up a color screen portable phone from J-Phone .  Very nice phone as it not only has a color screen, but also allows me to send/receive internet email, and to browse the web.  I've setup a test page that is accessible from the phone at:  http://www2.gol.com/users/altus/phone.html   Haven't figured out how to get pictures to work yet, so for now it only contains text.

Another tech purchase, which is responsible for the pictures above was the new Canon Elph Sport Camera .  It's an APS film camera that is water proof down to 5m in the water, and is fog resistant in cold conditions (like snowboarding).  Was a great camera on the trip, as I didn't have to worry about it getting wet, and I could operate it with my gloves on, as it has large buttons.  Highly recommended for those who take photos during outdoor sport activities.
 
 
 
 
 

January

Big news for the month (actually for December) was that I was promoted to Vice-President within the firm.  Pretty excited especially since I've been working there for 10 years.  Other big news for the month is that we finally traded in our Honda CR-V, which was on the verge of death from overuse, for a Mercedes C-240 wagon .  Have to say its a far cry from driving a truck for the past 10 years.  Haven't got quite use to the comfort and handling! 

New Year's celebration was at Cardena's (fusion cuisine in Ebisu).  About 30 people from work rented out the restraunt for the evening and partied like it was 1999 (hold-up, it was).  Good thing I took a video, as I don't fully recall the whole evening.  Took a lot of video though, so have pretty much filled in the gaps! 

Dinner was fantastic, and the wine selection was perfect.  We started off with a white from Beringer, and a Merlot from Wolf's Creek, then finished off with a Cabernet from Beringer.  Needless to say: there was plenty of food and wine, as I had the hang-over of the millennium the next day!

Following morning,  Robert and Keiko came over to celebrate the first day of the year with us.  Chizuko spent a good deal of time putting together o-seiji (traditional New Year's food) for us.  Was quite good.  Afterwards we went  to the local temple to pray for heath, happiness, and good fortune.

Mid-month we went on our first trip to Niseko for the season.   First two days were okay with packed powder conditions.  At the end of the second day, it began to snow, so as by the next morning we had well over a foot of fresh powder!  Was truly epic.  We went over to the Annupuri side, and had 2km+ rides down with fresh powder every time!   Letdown of the trip is that we had one of our members get injured while boarding together in the trees.  We'll have to be more careful in how hard we go off-piste, so as to not injure ourselves (knock on wood; not tree).
 
 

1999
December

I just now (Jan 03, 2000) got my scanner to work after 3 months.  Had to wait until I got the latest version of Windows98 (version2) installed on my machine in order to get the UMAX Astra 2100U to work.  Turns out the 95 to 98 upgrade was missing quite a few drivers.  Now can start keeping this page up-to-date on a weekly basis.

Have been getting a mail or so per week from people I don't know with questions mostly concerning the Sony Ruvi camera, as I have two clips from it on this site (refer below).  To rehash:  Its a good camera to take short clips with, then to dub unto a VHS tape.  It takes two AA batteries, and is the same size as your typical 35mm compact camera.  Highly recommend for those that don't need all the bells and whistles of the most advanced video cameras.  Retails for about $400 in Japan.

For the others with non-Ruvi questions, please continue to feel free to ask what you may concerning life in Japan, etc...

Well, since the scanner is now working (as of Jan 03, 2000), am going to keep August-December brief.  Surf this season in one word: small.  Went a grand total of two times outside of our trip to Hawaii.  Biggest I got was shoulder in Chiba in early October.  Even Hawaii was small.  Didn't stop us from surfing twice a day though!  Playing lots of golf saved our days though.
 

September

HAWAII-We went to Hawaii in mid September.  Got the chance to visit Mom and Paul in Maui for a few days.  Highlight of the trip was kitesurfing for the first time .  Chizuko did a fantastic job her first time .  Certain we'll be buying full rigs next time we're in Maui.  An added bonus was we got to witness the rare sight of two turtles procreating (for quite a long time I might add). 

Mom was kind enough to purchase a  floral shirt for me.  Now keep in mind, I'm the "King of the Hill" Hank Hill type when it comes to wearing clothes:  boots, jeans and a T-shirt.  Putting on a shirt with a bunch of pansies on it took a lot of effort on my part .  Well, not only did I like the shirt, but I ended up buying two more in addition to the one from Mom.  Thanks Mom.

Our Hotel in Waikiki was the usual Outrigger Waikiki Shore .  Highly recommended as the best deal for accomodations in Waikiki in terms of getting a lot more than you pay for.  For about $200/night you get a 1-bedroom/living room condo with full kitchen; washer/dryer, and ocean-front view .  Half the condo is in the sand of Waikiki beach (can't get any closer without being in the water).  Note that this hotel is in the Heart of Waikiki (between the Hilton and Sheraton).

July

Purchased a digital camera (HP PhotoSmart C30 w/1Mb pixel resolution) for myself on my birthday (June 27th for those who've forgotten).  Was selected as Editor's choice from the ZDNet webpage .  Not a bad camera given the price of $400 when ordered from www.warehouse.com .  As expected, I've gone picture happy; taking more pictures than is necessary, however, I won't have to wait any longer in getting pictures from the camera to the webpage.  Thus should see this page updated more frequently. 

Now on to July.  Mostly golf.  Ashamed to admit this, but I actually like the game.  Even worse, my wife likes it to.  I remember all the times I made fun of the game and those who played.  No more ridicule , as I've now become one of "them". 

Chizuko did great on her first round ever, which was at Izu Shimoda Country Club on July 9.  She stayed up with me the entire round (that's not to say I'm any good).  During the Summer (6/1-9/1) you can play from 3pm until sunset for only 4,000 JPY per person at this club, which is quite the bargain given that its normally 20,000+ JPY for a round.  You can get 18 holes in if you're quick. 

Here's some shots of golf this month: 

Me posing on the 18th hole on 7/3/99.

Shawn with good follow through.

Chizuko getting ready for a hit of the fairway at Izu Shimoda Country Club.

Her follow through.

We celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary on 7/9 by going down to Shimoda for surf and golf.  Surf was small (around knee high), but golf and weather were great. Some pictures: 

Posing on the cliff near Shirahama.

The pension we stayed at.

July 17 - Dinner party at Jimmy's.  He and his wife were kind enough to invite the those of us from the trading desk to dinner at their new home.  Food was fantastic, as lot of effort was put into preparation of the 6 course meal.  Was much enjoyed by all.  Some pictures:

The master chef.

Posing after dinner.

Another pose after dinner at the table.

July 24 - Golf.  Chizuko and I called several golf resorts in Chiba to find which ones do afternoon golf.  Afternoon golf is where you only pay 5,000 JPY for 9 holes of golf after 2pm (Compared to 20,000 JPY for full-fare).  We ended up going to a place called Chiba Lakeside .  Fairways were in good condition, but the tees and greens were piss-poor.  Recommend you try someplace else.  Will let you know what we find.  Highlight was that I played well, however, downside was that I stepped into a drainage ditch on the side of one hole, and ended up slicing both my legs pretty well.  Was pretty well hidden, as it had a steel grate top covered with freshly mowed grass.  Not pleasant.

Picture of the battle wounds .

July 25 - Bonodori (Neighborhood Summer festival).  Our neighborhood had its Summer festival.  Was very pleasant.  Got a chance to see a lot of neighbors.  Best part was getting to see Chizuko dress up in her yukata.

Chizuko in her yukata.

Picture of us with our neighbor's daughter.

May

During the Golden Week Holidays (approx. first week in May), we were lucky to have Altus and Marian come all the way from Texas to visit us.  We took them down to Shimoda to get a sample of what we do during the summer.  Was hoping to get some surfing on the side, but no luck.  Was great to have the chance to visit with them, and show them our home and country.

Hawaii!  Went off to Oahu with Gav, and Kieran for a week of pure surf.  Was probably one of the best trips in terms of consistent waves.

Shot of me taking a right at Threes.

We surfed every day; sometimes twice.  Highlight of the trip was getting a few great rides on 4-5ft Sunset.  Downside was Gav snaping his board on a big set.  However, he ended up getting a great board shaped by Chris Voss.  Kieran did as well, even though he didn't break his board.  It's his nature to buy a board on every trip to Hawaii!

We also got a good deal of sight seeing done.

Snap of us on the deck of a submarine.
 
 

March

Shortly after our last trip from Hokkaido (next day to be exact), Chizuko and I moved into our new house in the Den-en Choufu neighborhood.  Funny thing is that we're now living approximately 400 meters from the place we used to live from 1990-1994.  However, the place we have now is much bigger, and much cheaper than the old house near by. 
 

February

A new activity that my brother (Robert) and I have picked up is Survival Gaming.  However, in Japan it is quite different, as we don't play with guns that fire large balls of paint.  Instead we us electric powered 1:1 replicas of real military weapons.  For example, I have an MP5SD6 (favored by Navy Seals), and an SG1 (a quasi multipurpose sniper rifle).  Most of the guns are made by Tokyo Marui, and are quite impressive given the authentic replication of the weapons, and the fact that they fire 6mm plastic bb's in excess of 120 meters/second at a cyclic rate of >300 rounds/minute.  Games are held every Sunday at a field in Machida, which is about a 45 minute drive due west from Tokyo.  On average there are 60+ people per team , and it is played just like in the US:  Capture the flag.  However, given that there is no paint to mark your target, it is up to the honor of the opponent to call themselves out.  Not bad unless you have a few bad apples that don't call themselves out frequently; making for a frustrating game.  Some pictures I've taken in up to February:

Group of us posing after a friendly game.   Note that most of the players are Navy personnel

Have a first for this page.  Last weekend went playing golf with friends from work, and took videos from my Sony Ruvi camera.  Then uploaded them from the camera to my PC via Connectix's QuickClip.  To view the movie, click the following: 

My horrible golf swing (1.2Mb file; this will take *long* time to load to your computer).

Snowboard season this year was very good, with over 5 meters  (18ft) of snow base at most resorts in Hokkaido.  We only went three times to Nisseko, but given the abundance of snow, this turned out to be enough for Chizuko and I.  Highlight of our last trip (Feb 27 - Mar 1) was hiking to the top of Nisseko and dropping down the backside bowl.  We were one of the first, so got all the powder we wanted.  Following is a video clip.  First on screen is Stu, then Chizuko, then Chris, then finally George. 

Powder run down backside bowl from the top of Nisseko (1Mb file) 

January

Has been a rather uneventful January, given that its that last one of this century.  Only went snowboarding once to Hokkaido (Nisseko as usual) for three days with a great group of people.  Don't have pictures developed yet (another reason from me to scoop up a digi-camera), however, on this trip had:  Chizuko, Robert, Keiko, Kieran, Stu, Gavin, Jackson, John, David, and Amy.  Powder was good on the first day, then turned *epic* in the evening.  Gavin and I were the last two in the group to stay up top to make the most of the powder.  Was shin to knee high, and our tracks were getting filled up and blown smooth by the time we made it back up top for more runs down. 

Picture of Robert and I at the top of Niseko Mtn.
 

1998

Not much for this year.  Will start at the end:  December.  Went up to Hokkaido for our first snowboard trip of the season.  Chizuko and I have decided to stop doing the 1-day trips to resorts around Tokyo.  Suspect the 8 years/seasons of doing it every weekend from Jan-Mar have finally caught up to us.   Besides, we suspect it will be more fun to just do 3 trips up to Hokkaido (total of 9 days for the season), given that there is usually powder conditions there, and the terrain beats anything in honshu.   Participants on this trip were  Ken, Kiri, Stu, Yoko, Chizuko and I.  Was perhaps one of our best consistent powder trips ever.  Some photos of the trip: 

Chizuko and I posing in front of the Xmas tree at the hotel we stayed at (J-first Hotel; highly recommended) 
Us on the bus on the way back (I'm taking the photo) 
 

1995-1996

1997