Big in Japan

Recently, J and I took a 10 day holiday in Japan. Ever since I studied japanese in high school it has been a dream of mine to visit that pearl of the east. I do, however, have a slight tendency to descend into panic attacks in large city crowds so was always rather nervous about the prospect of tackling Tokyo on my own. This year, a good friend happened to be living and working in Tokyo so I figured this was the perfect excuse to make the trip happen. This was helped by the fact that earlier this year I won $10,000 as part of a prize for excellence in research. For those of you who don't already know, Japan is famous for being extraordinarily expensive to visit so the injection of unexpected cash really helped me realise the dream. Part of my dream was also to try and experience an older more traditional side of Japan, the rural Japan you read about in stories rather than just the uber modern Japan you see on TV. Also, ever since I began snowboarding, the lure of lush Japanese powder has also become part of the appeal. Luckily for me, the 10 days we spent managed to contain a little of everything I wanted and was therefore absolutely perfect. What a fascinating, gorgeous, intriguing, beautiful, friendly, wonderful country! If you have ever thought you might like to visit Japan, my only advice would be do it, do it now, but start saving yesterday!

Our trip began by spending a quick night in Tokyo with our mate and then together all flying out at 5am the next morning to the north island of Hokkaido for 4 days of snowboarding adventures. While it was too early in the season for the conditions to be perfect and all the lifts open. There was snow, there were open runs and we therefore managed to have a tonne load of fun :)

While we were there, our mate invited another Aussie friend of his to join us for the weekend and luckily for us, he spoke fluent Japanese. This became super important when we entered a tiny local drinking hole and were confronted with a pack of rowdy drunken locals! J was great with them as usual, communicating in some way or another and impressing them with his tattoos, but having someone with us who could speak the language helped us be quickly embraced as friends rather than ignored as undesired foreigners.
After our fun in snow, we returned to Tokyo for another quick night before taking the bullet train out to Nagano, from where we took another small train out into the countryside. Here we stayed in a traditional ryokan hotel in a tiny hot spring village. Wow, what an experience! Great hot spring spas all through the hotel and the streets that we could soak in at will. We loved that we were expected to wear our cotton kimonos at all times and were given toe separated socks and wooden thongs if we wanted to walk outside on the local streets.
And the food! OMG! While the food all throughout Japan was generally amazing, the meals we were served as part of our stay in the ryokan were simply unbelievable. A 14 course dinner and an 11 course breakfast were standard, and we never got exactly the same dish twice in all 3 days of our stay. Truly amazing! Even though we could not identify half of what we were served, the flavours were absolutely incredible. Believe me when I say that you have not had japanese food until you have been to Japan, not a stick of sushi in sight! I miss japanese food already actually...
While staying in the village, one day we walked up into the mountains to see the snow monkeys that survive the freezing winters by hanging out in the hot springs there. That was an amazing experience - both walking up through the forests and past steaming holes in the ground and being surrounded by monkeys who couldn't care less that you were there invading their home.
We also had a great time walking around the mountains at the back of the village and discovering all the old abandoned temples and buddhist statues scattered amongst the rambling bamboo.
We absolutely cacked ourselves though when we found a 'tobacco diety' where we were instructed to leave a burning cigarette as an offering to help ensure our good health. Of course both of us could not pass up that opportunity!
After our great stay out in the countryside we headed back to Tokyo to spend our last night in the big city. We met some friends and squashed ourselves into the busiest metro line in Tokyo, got bustled across the totally crazy 3 way pedestrian crossing at shibuya, ate in a funky underground restaurant and ended the night drinking in an absolutely tiny (max capacity 10 people), ruby red, elaborately decorated, super chic bar where the beer was served in goblets.
All in all it was a fabulous trip that was worth every penny because the memories we created will without a doubt last as long as my lifetime :) xxx

blog off

I know i have been the world's worst blogger of late...there are many reasons for this.

1. I have been swirling around in a whirlwind of work/travel entanglement. It has been exciting & exhausting, fun & furious, frivillous & deeply philosophical. I have been through seattle, vancouver, klemtu, the great bear rainforest, amsterdam, paris and home again. I have hung out with grizzly bears, run 2 international workshops on 'imag(in)ing the nanoscale', and added some touches to J's tattoo with my own hand. In short, i have felt like I have had little time/energy to blog.
2. Facebook. I have shared news and photos (with captions) of most these adventures using this alternative online medium. Somehow I found time/energy for that! I deem this to be because of its more interactive and networked nature. I started blogging to share photos and stories of my travels with friends back home, and I have to say that facebook is allowing me to do that more easily of late.

I have actually been asked to review a few academic articles about facebook lately, and the more I learn, the more I am (quite frightened, but mostly) amazed at the dynamic of how society adapts to and is altered by new technologies. It is truly fascinating. Think of life without the internet now. Life without the mobile phone. Without the home computer. Without the TV. Without the refrigerator.

What is life as we know it? Things will always be different tomorrow.

The constant change of not just society but nature in general has been stunningly brought home to me lately living here in Tromso. The leaves were bright orange when I returned from Vancouver. When I returned from Paris the mountains were covered in snow.
Light is visibly fading by the day. I get up at the same time and take the same bus to work in the morning but the colour in the sky and the reflections in the fjord differ everyday.
It is a truly beautifully magical place to stay.
I guess the joy of the blog is that you can ramble a bit more! In fact, you can actually write, i.e. you can explore ways of expressing yourself that do not have to be short and punchy and end with a :) or a :D or a :( or a :/ or a :*

But then this creativity in the use of written language is also fascinating...

blog. don't blog. just don't let it become institutionalised.

Institutionalisation inhibits adaption to the inevitable change of life on earth?
thought for today... xxx

the other side of a whirlwind of work/travel entanglement

butterblock mountain

Last weekend J and I went off for another little hike in our local area. We didn't leave home until 4pm but with the light still lasting well into the night up here in the arctic, we figured we would be alright. We headed out towards our local surf beach and stopped at a lake along the way. From there we began to climb and climb and climb. This is a shot from about half way up the mountain, looking back down towards the road, the lake where we started and our home fjord in the background.
From here you could see what looked like the remains of an old glacier high up in the surrounding mountains.
While we had a map and thought the path seemed obvious (see dirt track in first pic), once we approached the top, paths went off in multiple directions. After a while we realised that they were all probably just little paths carved upon the mountain by multiple little sheep feet. We eventually found the lake on top of the mountain that the map told us we were aiming for, but we did not appear to have come by the traditional route of course. This didn't really matter as the end point was the same. From the top of this butter block mountain, we could look out to where our fjord, Kaldfjord, meets a neighbouring fjord, Vengsøyfjord, and both flow out to the sea. On this day the meeting was blessed by a rainbow.
On the way back down we tried to follow the map indicated path and passed above our local surf beach. Once again, no surf to be seen.
We did see a little family of quail like birds though and that was really nice. Mina, who likes to think of herself as a great bird hunter was perhaps the most excited, although luckily for the birds she was on a lead at that stage so all potential for feathered heartattacks was fortunately avoided. It was a lovely little walk, even if J and I were both feeling rather drained on the haul up! I hope we can do it again before we are snowed out by the winter, but this weekend I am heading back to the walk from the last post to see if I can't find some patches of ripe and ready to pick blueberries :) xxx

Sunday Stroll

J and I had a rather hungover headachy thirsty lay on the couch watch movies and eat junk food kind of day yesterday. We spent friday night across the fjord with our new buddies, grilling and singing and dancing and seeing the moon for the first time in months (winter must be on its way!). This left us feeling a bit flat on Saturday. Thank goodness it was raining so feelings of guilt about doing almost nothing except consuming fat, sugar and hollywood movies were kept to a minimum. Today, however, we felt the need to do the Norwegian sunday stroll thing so we headed off into the drizzle to climb the mountain we see outside our kitchen window. It was a bit of a dodgy day but we didn't let that get to us and I loved that we got to walk up through a little forest full of bright orange mushrooms and masses of blueberries. I did not get any pics on the way up as it was too wet but when we stopped at the lower peak to the right of our kitchen view, I got a couple of snaps in before being rained out.

This one is looking back down Kaldfjord and out towards the sea. Our house is nestled down there somewhere on the left hand side :) This second one is looking out along the road towards Sommerøy. There is a great little white sand beach down there about 20kms. J and I took the motorbike down for an afternoon with friends not so long ago, but today that was not such an appealing option for what to do with the day.
Down from this peak was a lovely little mountain lake. There was evidence of prior fires and I could totally understand why. On a nice day it would be a lovely place to stop and swim and spend some time. The Norwegians love an outdoor grill. They get a little wood fire going, roast a sausage on a stick and put it in some flat tortilla like bread. Luckily I have found one place in town that sells soy sausages and am now stocked up for such occasions. However, I still have not found a shop that sells tofu, how weird is that? Not a single one. Feel like I might be living in the middle ages...not helped when at the party the other night everyone was eating dried fish as their snack with beer. Strangely enough, I actually didn't mind it...
J and I had hoped to be able to then go on and ascend the higher peak that we see out our window to the left. When we got there though, we could not see any path traversing the gulch between the two peaks. After quite some debate, we decided to try and bush bash our way up. Here we are pausing in an amazing patch of blueberries about two thirds of the way up.
Mina learnt to pick blueberries while we were here. I gave her three little ones and within no time at all she had worked out that she didn't need me and was off stripping the bushes all on her own (see video on facebook). After this stop, things became quite a bit more hectic though. The ground was very uneven and you could not see the gaps between the rocks because it was all covered in bluberry bushes and ferns. It was very steep and very slippery in the wet and we were clinging to spindly trees to keep us from toppling backwards down the mountain. Mina decided she did not want to go any further so J went on a bit for a look and unfortunately, we decided we had to head for home. We will try the ascent from another direction another weekend though and I will post some more pics then :) xxx

Life - Wild

I have moved to a spectacularly beautiful landscape.


Rugged snow capped mountains shining in the midnight sun. Mountains drenched in flowers, berries and a multitude of feeding bugs. Sun reflected sparkling along the fjord. Fjord filled with fish jumping in the early evening. Fish that I can catch for dinner right from my front lawn. A seaweed covered shoreline covered in hidden mussels, crabs, sea urchins and coastal snails, all sought by fast flitting minks. Skies painted in squarking seagulls, sea eagles, ravens and ternes, crested by the occasional slow moving heron. They tell me otters reside on the other side of the fjord, and while I have not met them yet, I have watched porpoises slide on by between us. At least three kinds of jellyfish have also been seen blobbing along the water's edge. Reindeer wander the roads and stop traffic as they graze on people's lawns and pick through their gardens. They will be gone in the winter though when their Sami owners come to collect them and herd them inland. For now they are left to tend their short horned calves alone. Of course there are also people, good hearted, generous, simple-life loving people. How blessed I feel, by all of it.



I am currently reading 'The Road' and am even more grateful than ever for this abundant speldour of biodiversity with which i share my backyard.

Bergen Dog Walk - School Park

Today on our last dog walk in Bergen, we went to the same place that we went to on our first dog walk in Bergen. We call it School Park. I think it is officially called something like Storetveit parken but whatever. On the way today we saw a couple of gorgeous poppies out playing with the sun. So beautiful. As I was photographing them, one of my favourite creatures in the whole wide world, a bumblebee, flew in. He was so sweet bumbling and buzzing around in there. I couldn't see him after he crawled in, but I could certainly hear him! Busy little bee he was. And no wonder he flew in there! Look at that magnificent eye! The poppy stares back at us. The inside perfectly matches the bumblebee's fluffy body and colours too, a real safe haven with the feel of home :) Heading to School Park takes us past the secret turnoff to Sherwood forest. The dodgy little road takes on a covering of trees for a small section and Mina usually stops to ask/suggest we take the track to Sherwood. Today though, she got the 'not today' answer to her question and we pressed on to the park. On the way, we pass the local church, starting from the cemetary side.

It may sound strange but I actually love the cemetary. I like the reminder of my mortality. It helps me enjoy more of the small beauties of the daily dog walk. I also find this cemetary aesthetically beautiful, in all seasons.

They replant the plants around the gravestones to match the seasons, so that there are always living flowers. In the winter, they light candles in little lanterns so that they are shining in the darkness when we walk on those cold dark mornings. A local friend told me that it is often young school kids, around 16 or so that are hired for the work. She said she did it for a few summers and enjoyed using the lawnmowers and driving the little cart :) There are defintely worse things to do all day than plant flowers and contemplate your feelings on death.

We then go on up past the bell tower... that charming construction that rings at 10.00 and 10.30 on weekends, as well as all over the place on weddings, confirmations, religious celebrations etc. I love listening to them on lazy morning weekends, 10am is right about the time it starts to be okay to have bells ringing I think.

Finally we hit the park! A couple of retirement villages sit at the end near the church and a school lies at the other. Here is the path between the two...


Today being Sunday, people were really out and about. The group of guys on the soccer field in this shot were flying a model stunt airplane, and doing so very well I might add! Lots of tricks and turns and rolls.








They had a captivated audience!
I love that the woman had been picking flowers from the meadows of the park. As you can see, it is left rather wild, but that is for good reason! There is a rather rare bird species that calls this meadow home - so dogs must be leashed and all plants allowed to grow. Today I was lucky enough to see one amidst the daisies.
They make the craziest call when alerting you that their babies are nearby, really like an old school computer game firing sound, pyanng pow, pyang pow pow pow. So cool.













When it is sunny and warm, people in flats use the park as a backyard and heaps lay around with their shirts off in the sun, and why not?

Once we have done a lap around the park, we take the path back to the main road, which I always find most lovely when it is covered in snow...



















Along the main road we pass our vet clinic. The smells are just so intriguing that Moj thinks he would really like to go in! Mina is not so sure though... :)
And that is that - our regular bergen dog walks - school park, sherwood forest, slettsy lake and king's lake. How very appropriate it is that I finish this blog series, on our last walk in Bergen, the day before we leave for Tromsø. How crazy and exciting! J and I are all packed up and are waiting for the removalist to pick up our boxes first thing tomorrow morning. We will then pack the car, do the last run round of cleaning and carpet washing and we are out of here! We are taking 4-5 days to drive the 1800kms up the country. We will have the dogs and our camping gear and plan on taking some of the winding tourist roads along the coast. Personally, I am super excited to our see our new home on a fjord above the arctic cirlce, but also excited to enjoy the whole journey along the way :) Next blog coming to you from Tromsø...xxx

Dog Walk - Sherwood Forest

Today was a perfect day for taking the dogs for a walk in Sherwood Forest.
In reality it is a little, old and largely abandoned side track between two streets in our suburb. It is one of the places nearby where the dogs get to run free range and they love it as much as we do. The only downside with what we affectionately call 'sherwood forest' is that the track gets very muddy in the rain, which in Bergen, is very often. But really, that only makes me extra appreciative of sunny quiet days, like today, when the dogs and I can linger over all the lovely sights and smells of the sherwood forest track.
On our way to the Sherwood track, we go past my favourite house in our neighbourhood. In winter it is covered in snow with red green apples clinging to a bare branched tree in the front yard. In the spring, its lawn becomes a sea of daffodils. In summer, it looks like this!
One of the great things about this track is that its entrace is rather hidden and you really have to be looking for it to find it. Fortunately Mina is very good at finding it! One time she even started running up it again when we passed by on the way back.
You have to kind of scramble up the embankment for a while before you get to trot along a little worn dirt path.
Eventually you reach a high point where it opens up and you get a lovely view of the mountain over cute little grass roofed hut.
Mina loves wiling away the time in this lovely open meadow section.
Mojo, however, leads us down from the meadow back onto the dirt track.
The whole track is littered with small sections of old rock walls. I guess they were from the time when the track was part of one of the large farms that used to occupy the area - the area that is now covered with the houses of our neighbourhood. I think there is something really lovely and precious about moss covered rocks walls set amidst ferns in the shade of a forest.
After a while the dirt track turns into a cobbly stone path.
At the end of the forested part of the track you reach some old farmhouse buildings, with fences and 2 absolutely beautiful old trees. Their branches reach all the way to the ground to form a canopy on one side. Again, that is Mojo's fluffy bum leading the way.


That is the end of the forest track and we then head back out into reality.
We turn for home and here, you can go left and follow the main road back, which I sometimes do in the mornings if I am in a hurry and trying to jog with the dogs, but on lovely days like today we take our time and turn right to go up past the old folks home at the end of the park...
on by a sculptors studio...
and down past our local church.


This then leaves nothing left to do but to walk down

and home. xxx