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 Thanksgiving turkey dinner (photo credit: foodnetwork.com) Nov. 22,
2019 - A little taste of Texas right in the heart of Tokyo
On the occasion of their band's 5th
anniversary, the "New Departures" country band, featuring lead vocalist
Sanae Kuwahara, performed live at Little Texas, "The World's Smallest
Texas Honky Tonk" right in the heart of Tokyo on Thurs. Nov. 21, 2019. |
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| Every
life is a wonderful story worthy of being told. Every life is a work of art, and if it does not seem so, perhaps it is only necessary to illuminate the room that contains it. The secret is never to lose faith, to have confidence in God’s plan for us, revealed in the signs with which He shows us the way. If you learn to listen, you will find that each life speaks to us of love. Because love is the key to everything, the engine of the world. Here is the secret behind every note that I sing. And never forget that there is no such thing as happenstance. —Andrea Bocelli— |
I loved this movie and if you admire Andrea as much is I do, I think you might enjoy it as well. The movie trailer can be viewed here.
Nov. 13,
2019 - Austin, Texas sucks
Well.....not really. But my all-time favorite city in Texas, and where
I spent 4 years of my early life as a college student, has experienced
an astronomical growth rate over the past several years. In fact, it
shows up consistently on those "Best Places to Live" lists we've all
seen.So this poster, first shared on this site 4 years ago, is a comical, tongue-in-cheek attempt by locals to somehow stem the tide.
(Image credit: kamvasart.com)
Nov. 10, 2019 - Japan's Emperor and Empress draw thousands for enthronement parade
Emperor Naruhito & Empress Masako in Tokyo, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019
(photo credit: AP Photo/Eugene Hoshik)
Today Japan's new Emperor and Empress thrilled thousands of people in Tokyo and around the nation with a lavish procession through the streets of the capital city.
An estimated 119,000 people gathered around the Imperial Palace early in the morning and along the route with their Rising Sun national flags to secure a place for a good look at the Imperial couple and celebrate the historic occasion of the enthronement. It all occurred against the backdrop of the city's federal government buildings and the colorful fall foliage on an absolutely beautiful, sunny day.
The 4.6-kilometer parade started at the Imperial Palace and after about 30 minutes, the Emperor and Empress arrived at their residence on the grounds of the Akasaka Estate.
26,000 police officers were mobilized from across the country, and the motorcade consisted of 46 vehicles, including police motorcycles.
The Imperial Household Agency's parade vehicle which carried the Emperor and Empress is a one-off, Toyota Century convertible 4-door sedan reported to have cost nearly $750,000.
Oct. 31, 2019 - Off-season Mt. Fuji climber falls 700m to his death while YouTube live-streaming his ascent
On Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, an off-season Mt. Fuji climber fell 700 m (~2300 ft) to his death while YouTube live-streaming his ascent up the snow-covered peak. This page shows the terrifying 22-sec. video which captures his slipping down the nation's highest peak to his death. Over the past decade, I've read uncountable stories about uninformed or ill-prepared Mt. Fuji climbers who sadly met their maker because they didn't have a clue about the many dangers awaiting them when they attempted an out-of-season ascent. Let this be a sobering lesson for us all...Oct. 21,
2019 - Jose Altuve's
walk-off homer sends the Houston Astros to the World Series
For the 2nd time in 3 years, my hometown team Houston Astros have won a
trip back to the big dance... the WORLD SERIES!The video below captures beautifully the absolute pandemonium and on-field team celebration that erupted after 2nd baseman Jose Altuve from Venezuela hit the game-winning homer in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 6 in the American League Championship series. Go Astros!!
Jose Altuve's walk-off homer sends the Houston Astros to the World Series
(If player above is not visible, you can view video at YouTube here.)
Oct.
16, 2019 - Typhoon Hagibis death & destruction
I’ve been a weather geek ever since the age of 13 when I earned the Boy Scout
weather merit badge, and I suspected strongly and warned any of my
friends and colleagues within hearing distance that this would be the
strongest storm of my entire 28-year tenure in Japan.I was right. Typhoon Hagibis is the strongest tropical storm to hit Japan in 60 years and wreaked widespread havoc and destruction. While I am still reeling and gathering my wits a full 3 days after the storm passed, here are just a few of the sobering statistics so far:
- 74 deaths
- Over 200 injuries
- Around 140 landslides across the country
- More than a dozen rivers overflowed and 73 levees collapsed on 47 rivers
- Over 13,000 homes flooded & around 1100 homes damaged or destroyed
- Over 670 schools damaged
- Still more than 5000 people remain evacuated
- 1/3 of the Hokuriku shinkansen bullet trains (120 carriages) were inundated & damaged by the flood waters and there's no timeline of when they can resume service
- More than 200 people at a nursing home in Saitama Prefecture had to be rescued Sunday evening by boat and by helicopter
- Tens of thousands of households still remain without power or water service (Japan’s health and welfare ministry reported yesterday that at one time more than 133,000 households were without water supplies in 13 prefectures)
- Hakone, the famous hot spring resort just southwest of Tokyo, received nearly a meter (~39 in.) of rain in only 24 hours.
- Meteorological officials say up to 40 percent of yearly rainfall was recorded in only a day or 2 in many areas.
- Early in its formation near the Northern Mariana Islands, Typhoon Hagibis' central pressure plummeted from 992 hPa to 915 hPa (making it one of the world's most intense tropical systems of 2019) and it grew from a 60-mph tropical storm to a 160-mph Cat. 5 typhoon within only 24 hours, the 9th-most rapid intensification in recorded history.
As for me, I feel blessed to have gotten thru it unscathed. But let's be clear... it was a pretty stressful 24 hours for me, trying to keep track of the latest developments and refreshing my evacuation to-go kit, just in case like millions of others I was ordered to leave my home.
Within the next few days, I hope to compile an album of some of the website screenshots and photos I’ve collected from the Internet that paint a clearer picture of the trauma and destruction that just occurred. Please stay tuned...
Typhoon Hagibis elderly rescue, Kawagoe, Saitama
(Photo credit: NHK World)
Mar. 1, 2020 update - I finally finished my photo album: Typhoon Hagibis in Japan - Oct. 12-13, 2019
Oct. 5,
2019 - The Texas Food Pyramid
From the bottom up, pecan pie, Blue Bell ice cream, Texas BBQ, tacos,
chicken-fried steak, Mexican food, and of course, at the very top,
STEAK! 
The Texas Food Pyramid
(image credit: "Texas Dreaming" Facebook page)
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How much time does it take from the Mt. Fuji Yoshida Trail to the Kengamine Peak?
Apr 26, 24 11:01 PM
Hi Gary, I love your site as it is so informative. On August 1st, 3 of us will be attempting to climb Mount Fuji. My husband and I are comparatively fit -
How hard is it to get a Mt. Fuji mountain hut reservation at a higher elevation station?
Apr 26, 24 10:32 PM
Hi, I have some questions about reserving a hut on Mt. Fuji. I'll be in Tokyo a few days before climbing season and am attempting to climb on July 1st. -
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