42 degrees Celsius

Let me tell you what 42 degrees Celsius feels like: HOT!

It has been a scorcher around here for the past few days and I must admit that I am loving every second of it! The sun is bright, there is always a lovely breeze, and the heat has been browning my skin. Life is fantastic down under….

I am having the time of my life. It is easy to love Australia. In many ways, it’s much like home: big houses, cheesy TV shows, people love a coffee break, and most things are pretty expensive. The differences, well, refer to paragraph 1. But that’s not all. The aussie attitude isn’t just laid back, it’s easy-going. Their humour isn’t forced, and there isn’t that politically correct conscience all of the time. Yesterday, I read the bumper sticker of a construction company that said, “Our business is erections!”. Get it?

School is ‘brilliant’, like my new Irish friend Emily always says. The course is fulfilling my expectations and surprising me in many ways. Yes, I am learning some new techniques, which I crave so badly. But more than that, I am beginning to have an appreciation for the theory behind it, and a MUCH clearer understanding of the anatomy that underlies it all. We learned the simplest concept today, which I have been previously taught in both my undergraduate training and in some of my post-graduate courses. But I admit that I have never understood it as I did after our session today. I wish I could turn back the clock and go back to some of my old patients…..so many future ones will benefit from this…and isn’t that enough reason to attend this course?

Ok, I realize I am boring you with all my physio gushing. Here’s some of the other great stuff I keep smiling about:

The apartment where I’m staying is an 8-minute walk from Swan River. If you look on a map of Perth, you can’t miss it. After school, some of the girls and I often walk down to the shore, lie in the sand and let the sun kiss our skin. I was so relaxed the other day, as I listened to the sound of the waves, that I fell asleep! Oh, and what a nap it was!

The beach on Swan River

This is the view from the bridge I cross to get to the beach

Swan River near my apartment at sunset

Catching some sun

On Australia Day, we went out for dinner:
Australian beer named Hahn and fish-n-chips, what else!

This is me in town....SHOPPING!

Back to school

My stomach did a flip when I got my first glimpse of the university campus!

The view from my class....

Curtin is absolutely beautiful, the campus is spacious and so green! After a bit of confusion we found the physiotherapy building and met our instructors: Toby Hall and Kim Robinson. Besides their impressive resume and ‘physio fame’, I was thrilled to see their relaxed attitude, friendly demeanor and a sense of humour that comes easily, not forced.

There are people from all over the world: Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, India, Germany, Denmark, Canada (2 guys from Vancouver and me, of course), and a couple of Aussies too. Everyone seems open and friendly, ready to learn and make new friends.

Here are some of my classmates and I on campus.

The curriculum is heavy, but already on the first day, I can say I learned new things! The anatomy review was so clinically based, and the assessment tools we learned today are so easily incorporated into my daily practice! The upcoming lecturers are incredible! I want to bore you all with all the details, but really, only other physios will care. So for my physio family, look out for an email with more details on my program…..

Time to get to work and hit the books. The weekends will present opportunities for some fun so I’ll post some better pictures soon…..

Down Under!

I arrived in Perth at 3 am, paid almost $4 for a bottle of water and made my way to my apartment by taxi, where I woke up my roommates who kindly let me in. After washing my face, I crashed!!! My flights here were amazing. I have never flown a better airline than Singapore Airlines – the leg room, the food, the entertainment choice….I was actually comfortable!

The next day I met my roommates, three physios from Hong Kong. They are incredibly sweet and welcoming, and I was relieved….after all, it’s been a long time since I’ve done this roommate thing….

So we wasted no time and headed to Freemantle, Western Australia’s principle port, located at the foot of Swan River, on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

Disclaimer: the batteries for my camera weren’t charged so I didn’t take my camera with me. So sorry there aren’t any pictures….

The weather here is incredible, and I relished the sun on my face and bare arms as we strolled along the pier and visited the local markets. We had lunch overlooking the river, and I ordered the traditional fish-n-chips I’ve heard so much about…..it didn’t disappoint! The portion was HUGE and I’m from the Western part of this world, so imagine how big this was if I was impressed! Honestly, this was the perfect way for me to spend my first day in Perth.

Here are some first impressions:

- Everything is insanely expensive! But their money is colourful and beautiful
- The neighbourhoods look just like those in Canada
- The pace is so relaxed, unhurried, cheerful. The stores close at 5:30 everyday! Apparently, people here like having a life and enjoying the wonderful weather….go figure!

It’ll be easy to fall in love with Australia!

ARIMA Hot Springs aka I love Onsens!

One of my very favourite things to do in Japan is visit an onsen. No, this is not something for tourists to write home about but rather a true Japanese experience, and I must say, to me, this is second only to eating in Japan.

An onsen is a hot spring bath that men and women frequent in Japan. I visited two last year and fell in love with them, so this year, Mike and I traveled a couple of hours by train to Arima, a town located up in the mountains, where you will find the oldest hot spring area in Japan.

We stayed at a Ryokan (hotel) named Gekkoen Yugetsusanso (http://www.gekkoen.co.jp/yuugetu/index.html), in a traditional Japanese room with tatami flooring and futons. We were served tea and sweets by a young woman dressed in a beautiful kimono. All the traditions and customs were preserved, where they bow, gesture gently, and close the sliding doors using the appropriate hand at each stage.

Our room had a separate sitting area where you overlooked a flowing river. You could open the sliding door and find yourself in a beautiful Japanese garden.


Then we changed into our yukatas, which are traditional wear for frequenting onsens in Japan, and geta, slippers worn with socks. This was truly my ‘Japan moment’ when I felt the most connected and the farthest from my daily routine. I could have twirled in that yukata for hours….

The onsens were incredible. There were three of them, including an outdoor one. Men and women go separately, of course, and I knew the protocol from my last visit so I enjoyed every minute of soaking in the hot springs…..Sorry folks, not allowed to take pictures in these areas for obvious reasons!

Dinner afterwards was fantastic. We enjoyed some of the best sashimi I have ever had, and the delicacies kept on coming.

I had four onsens/baths during my stay and if severe dehydration wasn’t a threat I would have had many more! The Japanese say that there is a double benefit when one enjoys an onsen (spa):

1. Tenchi Koka – location-change effect, where just by changing your environment and everyday routine you will benefit from the hot spring experience
2. Yakuri Koka – pharmacological effect, where one benefits from the minerals and other properties in the spa.

Combined, these effects help the body improve its natural ability to cure itself. Regardless, it was pure bliss and relaxation…I highly recommend that everyone visit a Japanese onsen in their lifetime.

Mike is just a little too tall for the room...

Happy bathing everyone!

Alo Brasil!!!

Fiquei sabendo que muitos de voces estao acompanhando minhas aventuras pelo mundo atravez deste blog. Fico feliz em poder repartir algums momentos com voces, mesmo estando tao longe.

Estou tentando colocar bastante fotos, assim, mesmo que eu nao tenha muito tempo de escrever, voces podem ver onde eu estou e o que estou fazendo.

Eu adoro commentarios! Por favor, sempre que voces vierem ver umas fotos e ler um pouquinho, deixe um bilhetinho pra mim. A melhor coisa do mundo e poder ter um pedacinho da nossa familia junto de nos quando estamos tao longe.

Beijos e saudades…….

Mais uma coisa, pros primos e primas: sei que muitos de voces entendem o ingles escrito (Judith, Alexandra, Luana, Cal, Carolina)….entao, continue lendo e bota um bilhetinho pra mim no final, ta bom? Tchau Tchau

Kobe

Kobe is a hillside community that overlooks Osaka. Some of you may remember that Kobe had an earthquake in 1995 that leveled entire neighbourhoods and killed more than 6000 people. But you would never know it when you see it. As soon as you get off the train, you see this incredible metropolitan city with mountains in the background. It’s definitely a place to stay, and not just visit.

The city shops are incredible. Every designer store you can think of from Louis Vuitton to Marc Jacobs, all nestled between smaller traditional Japanese shops. The moment you start walking along the streets and shops, you get soooooo hungry! The sweet smell of fresh pastries is EVERYWHERE, and the presentation of the goodies doesn’t disappoint either.

Our destination in Kobe was a little out of the ordinary. When I asked what Japanese people do when visiting Kobe, I was told they go to Chinatown. Yes, Chinatown. So guess where I wanted to go?

Mike and I on the path of self destruction as we proceeded to try just about everything the vendors had to offer...

Hope you enjoyed our brief stay in Kobe. Next on the hit list: ARIMA! aka "spa town"...

Japanese English

Some of you loyal readers may remember my previous comments on the Japan’s garbage problem and how I think the rest of the world should be a little concerned with the lack of the 3 R’s here, especially Mr. Gore. Well, I was wrong. I did find the 3 R’s in Japan, except, I think they have it a little differently than us:

RELATION

REFRESH

REDUCE

1 out of 3 isn’t bad

This translation atrocity is part of a phenomenon called, Japanese English, where the translations can be so bad, that even a native English speaker can’t understand the meaning. Foreigners here take every opportunity to point these out, and even buy t-shirts with this so-called Japanese English.

Here are some of the other examples I have found along the way:

Even the pictures that accompany these two are funny. But I really don't know what it's supposed to mean (?)

This was on a garbage can in a park. CLEAN!

Lastly, I wanna see some comments people. I love that you’re reading the blog but I want to log on and get your perspectives as well. SO COMMENT!

Observations...

When I was 18, I went to France and was dragged to a half dozen castles, all of which looked the same after the third day. After that, I swore I would think twice before seeking out another castle. But Himeji is something else. It’s acclaimed as the most splendid castle in Japan, and after seeing it first hand, I have to agree.

We took a train to Himeji, and on the way, saw the world’s longest suspension bridge: Akashi Kaikyo. I thought of my friend Sean, who as an engineer, would certainly have wanted to stop to inspect the bridge. Once we arrived, you could see the castle from the train station. A 10-minute walk later and we were there…..

So instead of going on and on about how elegant the castle was (which is true), I will tell you what I was really thinking as we strolled throughout the gardens and took the tour inside of the castle.

I was intrigued, as I have been at every tourist destination in Japan, at the proportion of Japanese people visiting these sites. This is purely a guess but I would say that the Japanese outnumber the foreigners by 9 to 1. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “You’re in Japan, dumbass, of course there’s more Japanese people than foreigners”. My surprise lies in the sheer number of nationals who spend their time and money on these tourist sites. I often think we don’t know our own backyard. It took me almost 15 years before I went up the CN Tower, and even then, it was only because I had company from out of town! Still, this doesn’t seem to be the Japanese way. They tour around their country and take pleasure in the sites even more than foreign tourists do.

My second observation is more of a concern. Japan is the land of the rising sun, of women dressed in kimono standing beside harajuku girls on their cell phones, the land of sushi and sake…..but it is also the land of over-packaging. Everything you buy comes in an exquisite little package, which in turn is wrapped in colourful paper and tied with a bow, then placed in a box so you don’t damage its beauty, followed by a carrying bag and, sometimes, a second bag so the first doesn’t get wet on your way home. No one likes pretty packaged stuff more than women…but let’s put aside for one moment that it’s gorgeous….the Japanese don’t seem to recycle anything! Plastic bottles, paper, boxes, aluminum cans: all garbage! How can a country that is so advanced in so many other aspects not recycle? And think about it folks, Japan is a small country with 130 million people. If Toronto can’t find a place for its garbage, I am sure Japan is burning it all! REUSE REDUCE RECYCLE!!!!!!!!!!

Aside from this global warming concern (someone call Al Gore!), I love so many little things here…like when you walk into a restaurant and all the staff greet you. Yes, all of them, including the kitchen staff, and they do it again when you leave!

This is Ramen, a huge bowl of noodles served with egg, sliced pork, and bean sprouts. In Japan, it is considered good manners to slurp the noodles , to show appreciation to the chef. This was DELICIOUS!!!!!

Lastly, I am learning to pay attention….to the bikes so they don’t run me over, to the sites so I don’t get lost, to the customs so I don’t embarrass myself in a restaurant...

Here are some more random pictures to enjoy:

This is one of the places where Mike works, right beside the river. It's truly beautiful at night.

These were taken at the Ebisu Festival, around the corner from Mike's house. The fun at these festivals is eating vendor food like tacoyaki, pastries filled with custard and over-priced hot sake. The festival lasted three days.

Fascinations....

I have been in Japan for a week now, and I am still starry-eyed about many things, even though I have been here before. I think one of the things I appreciate the most is how accessible everything is. Almost every day Mike takes me on a day trip. We hop onto the train and a couple of hours later arrive at towns filled with shrines, castles, and temples. I find myself thinking of the VIA train back home. Is it as accessible for someone to do a day trip to Ottawa or Kingston, as it is for us here to visit Kyoto or Kobe? Accessing the city and beyond through trains, the subway and a little known mode of transportation known as walking, is the opposite of suburbia, where my car is my lifeline….

I am also enthralled with the shotengai, blocks and blocks of enclosed shopping, filled with every type of store, bar and restaurants you can imagine. The colourful lights are blinding, and if you hate crowds, this is not the place to be. It is a fine balance between strolling along while looking at the shop windows and simultaneously ensuring that your head is up so you don’t get mulled. I LOVE IT! It is this crazy city life that I am craving…..Japan is indulging me.

Another fascination I have here is with the food. Everything from the presentation to the flavours is pleasant. The other night, Mike took me to all-you-can-eat Kaiten sushi, where the sushi is presented on conveyor belts and you reach and take whatever intrigues your senses. I was in gastronomic heaven….

The following day, I was invited to a Nabe party by a friend of Mike’s named Aiko. Gatherings with friends are much like at home, and centre around food. Nabe consists of an array of vegetables, seafood, tofu, chicken and much more, cooked in broth in a pot situated in the middle of the table. We dug in with our chopsticks and enjoyed the food accompanied by rice and beer. I loved the intimacy of this meal, and felt privileged to be in someone’s home, enjoying something truly authentic. One more thing I want to say about this meal, was how courteous and welcoming my new Japanese friends were. They went through every trouble to give me a true experience, and made me feel like the guest of honour without the constraints and discomfort that usually accompany this position.

This is not even half of all the fixings...

You dig in right from the pot to your own little bowl....

The next day, Mike’s friends Aiko and Jun took me to Nara Park, where amidst the temples, gates and ponds you’ll find hundreds of deer. Yes, deer. These will literally trample you in search for a rice cracker. Apparently, in pre-Buddhist times, they were considered to be messengers of the gods. To me they’re scary ass little creatures.

Mike getting assaulted by the deer




The park is beautiful....

This is a five-storey pagoda on the park grounds. I am the little dot at the bottom.

Forgive me, I couldn't resist....we went to an okonomiyaki restaurant where you sit around an iron hotplate , chopsticks and spatulae in hand, and eat meat/vegetables/soba noodles in a cabbage and vegetable batter.......we drank hot sake with it and life was good....

Must go digest now.....

Konichiwa from Japan

I arrived in the land of the rising sun without incident. I had a short layover in Chicago where I was greeted with the usual American charm as they yell at service workers and bark as you ask simple questions. I honestly believe that everyone who comes to Japan should fly through the US to experience the sharp contrast between the extreme Japanese politeness and formality with the abrasiveness of the land of the free.

Osaka is just as I remember it from my last visit: full, colourful, hectic, with all the fixings of a large city and the charm of Japan. Food is everywhere, and you can easily spend most of your day trying different dishes and wondering why there is mayonnaise in everything.

I am reminded too of how dependent I am on Mike while here. There is little to no English anywhere, and the Kanji is completely indiscernible to me. I can't imagine doing what he did: moving here with the clothing on your back, without any formal training in the language.....Two years ago when he visited Canada I asked what the best and worse parts of living in Japan were...the worse being how much of a struggle doing simple things was, like buying cough syrup when you can't tell the difference between bottles and even when you get it home, you're still not quite sure of what you bought. As I watch him now, effortlessly navigate through train changes, conversations with store clerks and reading through menus, I notice he takes this ease for granted, and is reminded of the difficulties as he sees how lost I am....

We have spent the first few days in Osaka, visiting the local market (which is underground...imagine the hustle and bustle of a market underground!), shopping in the shotengai (arcades of shops throughout the streets) and eating upon around the corner.　The jet lag hasn't been too bad this time around, so yesterday I had the energy to visit Kyoto, a city about an hour and a half away from Osaka. Mike took me there last year, but you could never cover all the sites and experiences in a day, and so, we ventured there again. My Lonely Planet says that Kyoto, more than any other city in the country, "offers what a great many Westerners long for in Japan: raked pebble gardens, the sensuous contours of a temple roof, the tripping step of a latter day Geisha in pursuit of a taxi".....this is all so true! Instead of writing about it, I'll let some of my pictures do the talking for me....



This is a river cutting through Kyoto named Kamo...just 1 minute away from the hustle and bustle of the streets, you find locals fishing and enjoying the sun.


Anyone who's seen the famous movie Memoirs of a Geisha may recognize these streets in Gion. I spent the morning wondering through them, hoping to see some real life Geisha when out of nowhere....


Maiko, who are young girls training to be geisha, were walking the streets of Gion....a friend is seen adjusting the kimono. The contrast between the traditional make-up, formal dress and the friend's blue jeans is a small example of the dichotomies present in modern day Japan.

Choin Shrine

This is a traditional Japanese garden....


Walking through the streets you get these wonderful surprises when you look up and see a stunning Pagoda in the background. This one is Iasaka Pagoda.

These streets were lined with shops, a true dream for someone like me, who loves to look at trinkets and eat sweets. Mike and I ate so many free samples that dinner had to be postponed for a few hours. This climb up to Kiyomizudera is steep and a bit long, but the shops along the way distract you from it, and before you know it, you're before a World Heritage Site....

Kiyomizudera


This is Ryozen Kwannon, a large Buddha in commemoration of Japanese soldiers from WWII and for the establishment of a peaceful Japan. This is for Cam, a true WWII buff.

More pictures soon to come....Sayounara!