SAYONARA Japan!

Goodbye Japan!

It was hard to leave, since it was so much fun, well actually, it was really hard work, I was exhausted.  Or maybe I was exhausted from all the good times?  Could be....I was able to get caught up on expanding friendships which meant a lot to me. The weather was good old winter at it's mildest I think, it was lovely. The rain, the biting wind, the somber tone of the land, but those winds would sure blow, i would breathe deeply to take in the soul of Japan all around me.

Words blurred, until I was finally able to find individual words strung from sentences, the language fascinates me, but not as much as the written words in character. I love the faces of the people, stoic, strong and resilient.  I only wish I could have spoken myself what was on my mind at the time.




I was able to get my autographed poster from Chibi Yuki, a professional female PWC racer, I had serendipously met on the race course, in fact on the rescue board unforunately.  She's really a cool spirit.




How can I forget the bubbly Simon, my faithful language translator and instructor, and the ever organized Yoshi, the practical Kazu (our Elvis), and my Saito Sinsei, the Hot Products Guru.  His wonderful wife made me a pottery bowl, and sent home a gift basket of green tea, cup and teacup, which made me cry, not only for it's sheer beauty, but her hands toned the mud and she painted it, that is such a lovely thing to do for me, I will cherish it.  When I brought it home, my daughter Kyla was also deeply touched. We shall have tea!



Bun Freestyle, yep I got my autograph from Watanabe. I was practicing how to say his name over and over again.  He's quite the designer or should I say engineer?  Well actually he's the World Champion freestylist and he'll reign until October of this year.  He looked stellar in a suit that matched his stainless products in the Bun Freestyle booth, this year at worlds it should be a lot of fun when we all hook up again for the grueling week long event.


Pic I took of Watanabe last year when I saw him at Worlds, little did I know that in 24 hours he would take the center stage for first place at the podium finish.  Maybe he was looking to the future in this moment I captured, I wonder...


 

THE BOYZ.....Yugi, Eigi, Simon the Bard, and Kazu 'Evel Kneivel'....I am going to miss these guys, they are the best of people.  Y and E were great students to work with, and I'm sure I'll see more of them in the future, or hear good things about them.  As for Simon and Kazu....well...................timeless friends, we will pick up where we left off and nothing will change in between.





The illustrious John San Nicolas who heads up K38 Micronesia, had the good mis -fortune to be an observer at this event, which is pretty boring I'm sure when one doesn't speak the language and there isn't much to do, but true to character, no complaints, good spirit, and stayed the course.  All with a bad cold, it must be hard to live in paradise and exit into a real winter blues....and still stay stokked.  See you soon JSN and thanks for all the good spirit and support!



The Yokohama Boat Show is over...we're off the Hard Rock Cafe for our last Supper and autoraph sesh with biz....tomorrow a plane ride home, two days of recovery for sure and sorting through the trip of a lifetime.  Shakespeare said that parting is such sweet sorrow. no matter where I travel, the essence of where I had tread becomes a thread in the fabric of my soul.....