Things to Do in Chubu #1: Hiking Kinka Mountain at Gifu City

Things to do in Chubu #1: Hiking Kinka Mountain at Gifu City

(From the side of the park opposite the ropeway station)

 This is the park at the entrance of the east side of the park. It's more oriented toward locals and there is free parking! On the other side with access to the ropeway, parking is sparse and there are fees. 

 There is a shrine at the entrance to the park. This was waiting in the stone lantern.

 All kinds of little creatures to notice on the walk up, including my favorite family of decomposers: Mushrooms. I wouldn't eat these if I were you.

 Various trails are connected from that trail, this sign is directing us to Gifu castle, for those who really want to be on top! 

 The view from the cliff side of the trail where there is a fork partway up. This is on a basic, misty, smoggy day in the Gifu. Just recently I went up after the typhoon. For a spectacular view, wait for a typhoon to wipe the smog of the auto industry away.

 This is no "walk in the park." The first time you come you may feel like it is better for mountain goats. This is on the "cliff" side of the trail. You may have to crawl up on all fours. But it's worth it for awesome views and actually proably if you attempted a second time you wouldn't feel it so difficult.

 This is from a clearing near the entrance to the ropeway (for those who don't want to hoof it up the mountain like mountain goats). The tower is in the town I'm living in. This was on a basic smoggy day. Again, when I went here after the typhoon, you could see to Nagoya and you could even see the bay/ocean in the distance.

My favorite part: there is ice cream at the top. But in the fall there are also mosquitoes. So you should come fully clothed and fully prepared to protect your face, as you can see one got me right in my forehead. >.< D'oh.

I rate it a difficult hike for someone who has never hiked before, but unless you have a condition then it is totally worth preservering to get to the top!

(Untitled 1) Work in Progress

Untitled Work in Progress: Plot Synopsis

Genre: Young - Adult - Fiction - Realistic - Coming of Age 

Samren Trouillefou is living contently in his French town of Lourdes with his withdrawn widower father with the feeling that nothing will ever change when he enters his last year of high school. He soon finds himself jerked out of comfort and complacency with his village life when his brother introduces him to a British-French near his age named Elliott Thomas. Samren is immediately drawn to the stranger's intensity and disregard for the rigid tradition so revered by the town. What's more, due a business decision his father declares that the family will move to Paris. Additionally, his father promises that they will host an American exchange student for the year as a condition of the buisiness promotion.

What results is a story that explores the role of memory, coming-of-age, as well as identity as Samren is wrenched forever from his quiet country life in Lourdes and faced with growing up quickly among new and exciting: but at times challenging and dangerous influences and people.

Using this work without recognition of the author, especially without express permission, or using any part of this plots or character names is stealing and a violation of intellectual property rights. 

____

I'm so excited to be working on this story! Right now in my mind I usually refer to it as "Lourdes, August" but I'm not sure if by the time I finish the work that I'll feel the title is representative of the book. 

E-Published! First Edition of Pity Smacked!

Hello Blogspot World:

I have started a blog exclusively to follow my writings and fiction at http://maliaautiofiction.blogspot.com
It's for short writings, musings, and brainstorming writing exercises as well as for writing about the writing process and announcing any developments in full length completed works and such (if I can get to that point!) I did it in high school, I can't see why I can't do it now.

I have released my first ever full length novel's first edition. I wrote and edited this book during the time between eighth grade and sophomore year of high school. And I've chosen to e-publish this edition for kindle. Perhaps I will do print-on-demand available through Amazon once I've done a complete edit and overhaul. This will require getting back in touch with the characters to the point I feel I can accurately explore them on the written page. You really have to know your characters, even better than you know your friends. Hell, you have to feel and imagine for them. It's hard freaking work when you work a full time job. I can see why there's the stereotype that writers have to be holed up by themselves, and I'm just not that solitary of a person. Although I'm rediscovering passion for my projects.

It is imperfect, but fundamentally I think it's a great story so if you can see past little glitches, have a lot of time on your hands, and just want to see a story written from a young pure heart, this is the story for you. All original characters, and all original story line: 

This is available at Amazon.com kindle store. Kindle is functional on PCs, Kindles, iPads, and Macs once you download the software. http://www.amazon.com/Pity-Smacked-ebook/dp/B008CXL0TC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340989605&sr=8-1&keywords=pity+smacked

麦、グルテンのアレルギーって！？

麦・グルテンのアレルギーって！？
グルテンは麦のたんぱく質です～

健康のため、１、２年間ぐらい麦で作った品（小麦粉、麦、クッキー、ケーキ、ピザー、サンドイチ）から避けようとしています。

多くの人はこのアレルギーの可能性がわからないと思います。

たぶん避けたら、麦に触れたら病状が強くなる。今年、日本に来てからクッキー（得に同時にバッターや小麦粉、マーガリンの囲むことに触れたら、頭が痛くなって、鼻水が後ろに（のどに）出る。または、体がだるくなっちゃって、私の経験では一番ひどいのは熱！

普通に一回麦の食品に１週に一回触れたら、普通に問題ないです。少しはと頭に痛みは少しあるけど、そんなに重要な問題ではない。でも。。。今週。。。私が悪かった！

１）ピザを２回たべた
２）クリームチーズのクッキーを２回食べた
３）チョコパンを１回食べた

一回、二回目は問題はなかったけど、金曜日にチョコフランスパンを食べた後すぐ、耳が少し鳴き、仕事の後帰って、運動して、寝た。次の日、体がだるくて痛みがあった。風ぎみのよう。帰ってから、３８．５度の熱が出ました！下がらなかったから薬を飲んで、寝る前に３７．９度まで下がった。今日はまだだるいけど、熱はない。もう一回体験したくないけどなあ。。。

これからグルテンから避けていく！

耳と鼻づまりのある人、と耳と鼻づまり、アレルギーがあるみたいけどなんのアレルギーがあるかわからないと、ぜひ、グルテンフリー（麦の全品）を１週間、２週間避けてみたほうがいいと思います。そば、うどん、パンの代わりに：芋（さつまいも、ながいも、じゃがいも）を食べれるし、ご飯も食べれるし、アレルギーと鼻に対する痛みや問題がよくなる。

私の体験とは元気もアップできた。風は引かない。花粉症も今年かじらなかった。まえはのどや腸の調子が悪かったけど、グルテンから避けたから、その問題全部直った！少し努力と時間がかかったけど、元気が戻した～

また、薬と医者に行くのはいらなかった。

私は日本語がよくできないけど、人を助けたいから、質問があればどうぞ、たずねてください。

Heavily Glutened: FEVER

In a week of weakness, I consumed:

Pizza twice. Moderate and local pizzeria, but allergenic nonetheless.

My favorite bakery's cream cheese filled spongy cookie, twice.

A sesame and soy sauce garnished biscuit, twice.

Then my favorite chocolate filled mini-baguettes which my student gifts me every other week or so. And that was the last straw. 10 minutes later I had ringing in my ears.

The next day I felt normal, just a little tired, but after one of my classes suddenly had terrible aches and pains like the flu. Also noticed this pain above one of my molars which I get if I have dairy, or dairy-gluten combos which feels like tooth pain but I think it's my sinus. By the end of all my classes I was throughly exhausted and feverish, fever starting around 99 degrees and getting as high as 101! Also, a characteristic feeling where my sinus meets my throat like someone scraped it and post-nasal drip... 

Must be GLUTENING. >.< And after cutting it out for so long, it's only all the more clear when glutening happens. 

It's back to a hypoallergenic diet for me. Sweet potatoes, homemade chicken vegetable soup, and now I have the joy of homemade vegetable juices in my life. Carrot juice is creamy delicious! 

Still feeling like crap... tired and sore.

Go Ducks Inspired Bracelet

GO DUCKS INSPIRED BRACELET

Available for sale at my ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mautio

The body of this bracelet includes stars which are started with a combination of circular peyote with petals jutting out. They were then stitched together one by one and larger circular peyote with embellishment star flowers were made with emerald toned Czech firepolish beads. The bracelet is closed with a yellow duck button which was made in Japan. Very cute and shows "Oregon Duck" spirit: perfect for any fan of green and gold or duck and colorful beaded jewelry lover anywhere.

Video Review: Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

It's been a while. I guess nothing's happened that struck me with the inspiration to write these days, but recently it has. I'm always in the mood to watch any muckraking, inspirational, or health-educational film and just found one. Excited by the title, I searched for it and found it and want to share it with the masses on the internet.

It's a documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" As you can see. The image and trailer can be accessed at the page: http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/ and also leads to the online community known collectively as "the Reboot." It goes back to the time-tested practice of fasting to in effect "reset" the body.

For anyone who's followed my posting they know I have sporradic health complaints. I think I'm someone who needs a lot of variety in my diet. My last diet experiment had to do with avoiding gluten, and after avoiding it temporarily for a month or so I can tolerate even gluten containing foods in moderation (success!). For those who are severely overweight and experiencing mild to severe health effects from a processed or low plant food containing diet, I think this movie is a must see. Joe Cross (the director and main subject of the film) is your average younger-end middle aged man who finds himself 40 or so, overweight, and saddled with an autoimmune medical condition which for a time he chose to control with modern medicine: predisone. Another subject in the film has the same condition (chronic urticaria) the other man with the condition is a similar age but more overweight. Both stories are inspiring. My father also suffers from a chronic hive condition and he wears the same badge of metabolic crisis: what I would call "basketball gut." Or my mother says it looks like my dad's carrying triplets.

How is it that for all our advancements, technology, and wealth-- we are failing to fuel ourselves with the nutrients we need? Why does our food: that which we put in our bodies, fail to warrant the financial investment we're willing to make for clothes, tech devices, cosmetics, and everything else in our lives?

All in all I find the film to be a great inspiration. It goes where films which came before such as Super Size Me and other food-related documentaries don't go. It shows that there is a way to break the cycle and restore balance in the body. And also, that there's a way to do it without breaking the bank. Both the director/main subject, Joe, and the secondary character, Phil, loose their basketball gut and their western medications--while at the same time inspiring their families and communities to consider themselves undertaking fasts (Joe and Phil complete 60 day juice fasts), although for those who are facing more mild conditions and mild overweight, shorter fasts and maintaining balance in the diet is probably enough to consider fostering health.

A must see. I remember watching Super Size Me in my high school health education class. I think this film could easily take the place of that film as being educational and inspirational for people to suggest to their friends or family members.