Most probably don't know but typhoon 10 (that's 10th for this year already, which is pretty high I'm told) just ran through the area last Saturday. So far in the year I've lived here I haven't seen a good typhoon yet--probably for the best.
The few things that might be notable from the weekend of the typhoon.. Its official I have been here for a year now. The longest I have been out of the USA almost beating my stay in Germay by x2.
I recently went to dinner with my Kendo coach, I brought a Japanese/American friend along to run translation and he was much more talkative than normal. He told me he would take me up to Kyoto this fall to see the city and check out the leaves changing and that my kendo has improved alot since last year, and that he's concerned that I stay for 3 year in Japan. Right now unless something wild happens I think 2 years will be enough for me. I'm spending far too much time chasing 2 rabbits and I won't catch either of them (a Japanese proverb- a person that chases 2 rabbit (has two passions in life) will catch neither (will not fullfill either of them)). He used an expression that I had heard before but never in conversation. You must sit on a rock for 3 years. This means that nothing good will come from a decision unless you stick with that decision for 3 years..then the magic happens. I can't imagine.
Finally, last weekend. As some of you might know I have summer break now (until Sept 1st) this mean that I should go to school everyday ( I usually only go until noon or so), but otherwise I am free and w/o classes. So I've been busy doing mostly summer things (parties, wasting time, having fun?, etc) so last weekend typhoon 10 rolled into the area and it was on Saturday I was supposed to go into the mountains with a monk and hike to see 47 waterfalls in one day. Well the typhoon made that impossibly dangerous so it was cancelled the very morning we were to go out. Instead we hike to the closest flood break, a sort of man-made falls, and did some takigyo (waterfall training).
This monk is nothing like you'd think monks are supposed to be, other than having a shaved head. Infact most of what I thought monks are supposed to be were thrown out the window after meeting a few of them here. They all like to drink (alot) and eat (alot) and I think they like women (alot, but not so much it gets in the way of eating or drinking) and finally they are very spiritual and passionate about being alive (which might explain why it's ok to have such vices).
So we get to the flood break, there are 3 holes that the water is streaming out of and falling about 7 feet down into the old river bed. The first hole was the mildest--the beginner hole, the middle one had the most power, and the final one had the best sound (more on that later). This is water off the mountain so its still pretty cold..but the ritual was simple. First you plunge your right knee into the stream. The important part here is that your aren't knocked off your feet at any point. Then your left goes in for a moment. Following this is your right arm then your left, then you splash water on your forehead, right shoulder, left shoulder, stomach, then finally our throat. Lastly your right should goes plunging into the water (very hard to do w/o the crushing sensation of litterally tons of water falling on you) then the left. As you plunge the left in for a second your rotate to the back of the falls then w/o leaving the falls your send your head into the stream..slowly because you will be shot out like a rocket if you go to fast; all of that was to purify you before the real cleansing begins. Then inching down your finally stop with the water pounding on the space just below your neck on your shoulders. Then as you get your footing settle and feel the rythm of the water your chant (in one breath)
YAHhhhhhhhhhhhhh...(this is a flat tone)
HEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy (this is a rising tone toward the sun, your arms raise up --very hard in the waterfall)
HOOOOOOeeeeeeeeee...(a falling tone and your arms drop down)
you do this a few times then step out of the falls. I promise that you will feel like a new person, younger faster and more attractive to the opposite sex after doing this. At least I did. I'm told that it is even more powerful at a real falls (remember this was a manmade falls) and in Feb. (Yes that's WINTER TIME!) when there are chunks of ice in the falls you do this and you will feel like a teenager again. Or go into shock and die.
A variation is to stop with the water pouring around your head (instead of going down on your shoulders) this causes a tube of water to form around your head and makes the accoustics even cooler. It is like surfing and hitting the sweet spot on the wave where the water curls around perfectly.
Finally the monk (Koshosan is his name), showed us another meditation (?) much like sword drawing where you watch the water and wait for the correct rythme and then cut through the water with your arm. 8 cuts in all and it was cool. There was another old Japanese man there (actually there was me, a guy from France, 3 Japanese about my age, a kid in highschool and then the old man and of course the monk). The old guy had done waterfall training many times and he was incredible. The 3 falls had the best sound and that the one he stood under the most it was great, next time I will pick up a waterproof disposable camera to take some pictures from, in and close to, the falls. I'm told the real falls that the training is usually done at is over a 12' drop (this .was only 7' and still felt like a ton). There was lots of singing and music and drinking (so much drinking, but I'm happy I never lost myself) and food. It was a weekend full and we never did what we set out to do.. I can't wait to try it again, the next time I heard will be in Sept.
On a more personal note, I learned that I am somewhat afraid of the power of my own voice. There were many times during the weekend we were called on individually to sing or make music or even just scream out and I had such anxiety every time it became my turn for such things. More than physical failure, there was almost a wave that broke the peace of my mind everytime I thought about raising my voice..but once it was done it was done and it settle back down again. Strange.
Well I've rambled enough, sorry no pictures this time, although I updated my blog pretty good last week if you haven't seen it.