hey all,
So my date last night went really well. We went to a park in Kichijoji Tokyo, whose local goddess is Ben-Ten, apparently a lonely goddess who likes to break up couples (according to Japanese legend, so Michi tells me). Michi and I have not broken up, but we are postponing our excursion to Yugawara. Nothing serious, just some circumstances beyond our control that I can't really get into here.
Anyway, we rented a swan boat and paddled around the lake a bit, and I gave her a drawing I had made: her climbing a rock wall in Ogawayama, with a Japanese style dragon-spirit imitating her pose behind her, and a stylized dog spirit wagging his tail at the top of the climb. Michi was born in the year of the dragon, and I was born in the year of the dog. Kinda silly and childish, but she liked it.
We walked around the lake afterwards, then had some yakitori (broiled chicken meat on skewers) at a restaurant, and went back to the park to sit by the lakeside for a couple hours. We had to say goodnight, as I had important things to do today.
Today, I did my usual indoor climbing event in Kinshicho. A couple first timers showed up, as well as some of my regulars. Fun as usual. When I first started climbing here in Japan, I felt that I was climbing really slow compared to how I used to climb, but today, I was blazing up the routes. In Ogawayama, I think I regained some of my speed and confidence. Although I have been improving steadily over the last 2 months, I feel like at first I was hesitating at crucial moments rather than just attempting a move and taking a fall if I fail. Most often a fall will help you figure out how not to do a particular area, and really isn't a big deal: after all that is why we are wearing harnesses, using ropes, and have belayers we trust in.
Overall, this weekend was great. I got to rock climb, and I got to spend a solid 5 hours with Michi. The more time we spend together, the more I like her. My friends and acquaintances know me as a really picky guy when it comes to just about everything, especially women, so I feel like this kind of experience is kind of like some kind of amazingly rare event, like being struck by lightning while reading a book about Benjamin Franklin. Wow, did that last sentence come out weird.
Cheers,
