A number of you have asked for a trip preparation and training update, so I’ll try to oblige. My application, background information and payment was sent to Alpine Ascents International, the guide service based in Seattle a few weeks ago. I’m working with a travel agent here in Japan to book my tickets from Nagoya to Kathmandu and hope to have that process finalized this week. Once that’s shored up, I will book my hotel in Bangkok. (Thank you Lockheed Martin for the 1,000,000+ Hilton Honors points!) Finding the “must see sites” and “must do things” are next on the list. Communication and safety are also priorities. Luckily for me, I have plenty of resources for personal safety and there are some great applications and podcasts on iTunes that are helping teach the basics of Thai and Nepalese languages.
Cardiovascular training is not going well, but there is visual evidence of a muscular group between my chest and belly button! A few of weeks ago I stepped in a hole while train running and tweaked my knee. I figured it would was minor and would be easy to tough it out. Unfortunately, that didn’t work. So I’m taking some time off from running. We’ll see if I can get back up to 30 miles a week quickly. Good news is the extra hour per day gives me more time to stretch, focus on core exercises, eat healthier, walk the city’s streets and practice the oh-so-difficult Up Dog - Down Dog transition.
Life
The Japanese seem to treat birthdays with more relevance than we do in the U.S…at least where adults are concerned. That makes dining out a lot of fun sometimes. (I'm getting good at "Happy Birsday.") Anyway, I was invited to a birthday dinner on Sunday night. The camaraderie was great, the food was good, the atmosphere was interesting and the staff’s celebratory song and dance was, well, much more thorough than some goofy chant at Chile’s. The entire kitchen and service was singing, dancing, chanting, running up and down stairs, shaking tambourines, etc. This went on for about 7 or 8 minutes and included a serious, somber monologue telling everyone to enjoy their their special day and have a healthy year. I filmed about 3 minutes of the madness until my hand got tired of holding the camera and the pictures started shaking. Unfortunately the file is too large to share so a photo of my fellow, aerospace expatriates and associated friends and significant others will have to do. CHEERS!
PS Don’t worry, people! I was not one of the 7 adventurers in Japan sent to the hospital today after eating blowfish testicles prepared by an “unauthorized” chef. Hey, if you ask me, those that go around eating the testicles of a poisonous fish are just askin’ for trouble!
PPS If you have any questions or suggestions or just want to BS, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email: beverage@xc4.so-net.ne.jp
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