Golden week

4 days without work.
1 rental car.
1 David.
1 Michiko.
2 small suitcases.
2 ipods.
1 ipod car adapter.
1 small bag of juice and snacks.
2 pairs of new and pretty funky sunglasses.
4 cameras.
1 tube of sun lotion.
2 big smiles.
1 beautiful, grand and spectacular Hokkaido with endless roads to explore.

...Golden Week is here!!

Michiko and I

Lush Hokkaido greens

The sun was on our side

This is Hokkaido

I have so much in my life which is worthy of jumpin for joy over. I am so lucky.

We made it to Shiretoko.

Shiretoko Pass

We were even lucky enough to drive through some mist. One of my favourite weather types.

Even back in Sapporo with time to go admire the Sakura (Cherry Blossom)


What a delightful time! I still have two days in Sapporo before I return to work on Saturday. Time to kick this sore throat. Fighters game tomorrow evening.

Please take a moment to look over my pictures on Flickr.

Many thanks, and as always...lots of love to you all.

Back track, forward track, which track? my track?

I have come around to the conclusion that this blog, wonderful as it is, shall only be updated as and when I feel inspired to write something. Going on that fact, I think that works out to about 4 entries a year. The rest of the time I am here but not here at all, which is the way I like to be :D

Looking back through my past entries I noticed that I have wrote nothing since my parents visit. "Time for an update David", I hear you cry. Well cry no longer, here it is (sheesh I am building this up a wee bit too much!)

So the winter has come and now is on its way out. It has been a glorious season to live through. Temperatures this year were a touch higher than last year, but that didn't stop the snow! We had spectacular amounts as always. Which lined the way for countless days snowboarding.



Waking up with a shiver tingling and dancing down my body before the heating kicks in, making a hot cup of tea and opening a fresh packet of biscuits (some including chocolate chips, if I have them) to dip as i drink. Warming my undies, socks and vest next to the stove, then wrapping up tight in layers of clothing. Putting on a hat, scarf and gloves then stepping out onto the street outside my apartment to be instantly blinded by white snow covering everything in sight.
That is a morning I never get tired of!
David, how about a snow themed painting?

Now those mornings are passing and in turn opening the way for a different type of magic. Spring. Spring in Sapporo is not long, it only lasts 6 weeks, if that. Then it develops into a bright, glowing summer. I am sure this shall put a smile on my face too. Fingers crossed I get around to sharing it all with you.

Michiko has been living with me now for almost 4 months and what a delight it has been. We got off to quite a rocky start. I had not lived with anyone since my relationship with Abigail, down in Ehime.
When Michiko moved in, it was new for the both of us. She was finding it hard because her life was down in Osaka and she had very little here in Sapporo (aside from me). I was finding it hard because I had the past looking over me, and I did not want to walk the same path again. I have no regrets of my time in Ehime, none at all, but the way that chapter closed...yes, I do regret. Anyhow, we soon ironed out those bumps and have grown closer as of it.

I think she is beginning to settle into Northern life. We both know that this is not our final stop. She wants to move back to Kansai at some point and I could quite happily go for a stint in Kobe. We both also have a keen interest in Spain. This is all a fair few years off though.

To the future. Road trip around Hokkaido this Golden Week (and this time I promise to get the film. which I make, onto youtube), Fuji Rock Festival, Rising Sun Festival...and several more threats dotted around in between.

Oh, and also this July and October, I shall be running half marathons! One in Chitose and the second in Sapporo. I have been going to the gym about three times a week to run/swim/do weights, I am really enjoying feeling in shape and fit again. Once the last of the snow leaves, I will be able to get out onto the road and run. Tanoshimi!
Wish me luck, and keep an eye on my flickr around that time to see some photos.

I do hope that I shall be able to update this blog again within the next few months.

I miss you all, each and every one of you!
Please take care of yourselves whichever part of the world you might be in.

With love.

Oh how it has been a while, seasons have passed since i last wrote.

Good morning,
As I write this blog, from my window I am watching a magnificently dark cloud creeping in from the South and completely engulfing Mt.Moiwa. Engulfing her in a whirl of mist and shadow, i want to climb, i want to play.
Mt.Moiwa is about 550 meters in height, just thinking about the size and beauty of this cloud pushes my mind to explore sizes and shapes, of which it has never done so in the past. Hello Sunday, you are so kind. Time to go lose myself in the clouds as i attempt to climb to the top. Back before you can say "Badger"...?!?

Back. Ohyayo one and all. That was fun.

As always I have been extremely slack in my bloggerwritingness©, sorry.
I hope you are all well, smiling, singing, cheering, and dancing in what is a true blessing of life. I sure am!

Geeeeeeeeeebus, where do I start? Seriously, there are bound to be things i miss out...it has been so long! Check out my flickr pics too, these will fill in the gray patches..

September would be a good place I guess. September was amazing, like seriously dudes! It was f'king out of this world...why? For this reason;

My beautiful parents.

Yep, after almost 3 years over here in Japan, they came to visit!
And how amazing it was!
It had been about 2 years since I saw them last, so I was feeling a light sense of nerves running through my body as i traveled down to Tokyo to meet up with them. This was soon extinguished the moment I saw them appear through the gate at Narita. "I know this glow, i remember this feeling"

We soon fell back into the relationship of parents and son, great friends. I have come to truly cherish this as my greatest and most favorite relationship in my life.

Our adventures took us all through Japan, absorbing the county as we went.
Oh the journeys, oh the times we shared! How darn bloody fantastic it all was!
We spent 3 amazing weeks traveling from Tokyo down to Okinawa, via Nikko, Kamakura, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nara, Koya-San and I can honestly say that I loved every moment of it!

I especially enjoyed introducing them to Michiko. Michiko and I have been together for over a year now, and I really believe that i have found my rock. It goes without saying that my parents adore her, good job P! They could clearly see how much we care for one another. She is one of a kind, I cannot explain, she makes me feel so happy all the friggin time! We laugh daily, we smile daily, we have so much fun and share so much love together.

The trip closed with a bang! A bang in the form of a Radiohead gig in Osaka!!!! Those of you who know me best know how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE Radiohead, so needless to say, I was in my element at the gig! Singing away, wowing at every moment, losing myself in the music...all to the delight of Michiko who was stood next to me. Seriously....what a gig!!

After this gig, a few days passed by, I returned up to Sapporo, back into my apartment, into the cold, and into work again. Back to the old, but enjoyable flow of life in Hokkaido. Happy times continue to flow my way.

hmmm...ah yes, there was another trip down to Osaka, (Seriously I must keep the flight companies in business!) for a Sigur Ros concert! This was a different kind of gig to the Radiohead one. This was chance to see a mighty fine band make some heavenly, dreamy sounds. By the middle of the first song I was away. Soring high into the sky, drifting back and forth into and out of reality. What a show! What an experience.

Since then a few more months have passed by, several rainstorms have come and gone, the sun has risen and fallen each and every day and the winter snow has begun to fall. Weather.

I have been up snowboarding just once so far, but mark my word, there will be many more days of riding the powder! You can count on it, hehe.

oh oh oh....I got a promotion at work!!! I guess this is the first real promotion I have ever received, and it has made me smile a lot! Berlitz has always been a job I enjoyed, and now, to be rewarded for all my hard work it feels fantastic. This means I have at least another 12 months set out for me here in Sapporo! Wonderful! I have never been happier than I am here in this awesome city.

Now the final, and most important news to share...
Michiko and I are officially living together!!! wooooo! She moved up to Sapporo about 2 weeks ago.
I am over the moon, I am so lucky to have her.

Japan has changed me in so many many different and mind blowing ways, one of which has been my approach on love. I have learnt so much from past mistakes, I have learnt that I have truly been deeply unkind to others in the past. My actions once boarded on venomous, i am disgraced by some of my past actions. Yet here i am, a changed young man, blessed from the heavens with Michiko. She is a real keeper!
I love her.

I love you all too. Thank you for stopping by to read about my world.
Take care in all you do. Be proud of yourselves, I am proud of you.

Empty space

By the time you finish reading this blog you shall have changed, grown, evolved. We are forever changing, growing, evolving. It is all quite fantastic.
If you were not alive, none of this would exist. It is here all because you are.

All that surrounds us is empty. All that surrounds us is full of space. Empty space. Simply waiting to be filled. Delight. The space that is inside you is filled as you grow, every action in turn flows into that which has previously been experienced. Feel it change, feel yourself grow, smile as you evolve into something we are all truly proud of.

Love.


Tickets for the October Sigur Ros in show Osaka go on sale on the 17th. I shall be picking up a pair for myself and Michiko. Those of you in the area join us!

Gettin my Sk8 on~!

Afternoon one and all,

This shall not be the longest post I have wrote...then again I guess I am never really one for the long blog entries. This one is just to let you all know that I am alive...so very alive and still very much in love with the life I am having. It is just delight after delight after delight! ne! And isn't that just pure magic!
The sun is out and has been out here in Sapporo for a few weeks now. From time to time she leaves and the clouds move in to provide shelter. I guess she needs it. Is it is alright to refrer to the sun as she? We all need to take our moments where we allow our clouds to drift in and out of our lives. It is after that we can really radiate and make those who feel our light truly smile.
Following me?

The winter snowboard has been packed away now for several months, this means that my skateboard has come out and is starting to get some decent use. I am yet to really have a decent thrash on it, but riding down into Odori along the beautifully paved sidewalks is a treat in itself. Arms aloft, the air rushing past. Great!

I will try get out with my camera over the next few weeks and get some snaps or short movie snippets. Until then, have a look at this opening scene to a new skate movie which is came out a while back. I think this could stand as my favorite skateboarding movie.
Lakai's, Fully Flared skate video opening credits.



Skateboarding IS an art form! Wow!

I am taking a well earned weekend away from this coming Friday, I am off to Osaka to spend a few days with Michiko. Whilst we are apart time seems to jump in these 3 week bursts between our time together. I am really excited to see her again. Sure long distance is hard, but she is so very, very worth it!

I hope you enjoyed this post and the short video.
Thank you for shining over me, and if your clouds are in, then I am looking forward to you coming out to glow soon.

Nude

I simply cannot get enough of this song. Nude by Radiohead.

It is so amazing.

Michiko and myself will be off to their first show in Osaka at the start of October. I am already extremely excited!

The last time i saw them, i was somewhere in here...

...about 25 rows back. Glastonbury 2003.

Let the heavens bless the path you walk along.

What the hell is happening??

I have just finished reading the news on the BBC website and yet again the front page news for England is another murder of a youngster in London.

What is going on!!

I am so disgraced at the response of my country to the escalating crime and violence, which plagues all of England. It makes me sick in the stomach to see that these incidents are becoming more common.

Why? Why are the people of England so bitter towards each other? Why is there this growing minority who insist on treating others in this world so badly? Why do the English feel they must throw their weight around and hurt others?

It is amusing when I meet people from outside England, such as here in Japan. Many of them and others around the world, still have this impression of good old England with her fish n chips and cup of tea. The truth is becoming quite the opposite. I am saddened by England's steady slip into a violent, dangerous and depressive country, where rudeness is the the norm. Oh how I wish England was a happier country, where man had real respect for his fellow human-being. What does it take for a great leader to step forward and make the steps towards helping?

I am, and I shall always be proud of my nationality, but darn it something MUST be done to control this violence.

Rant over. Thank you.