Steam and Clouds

I finally got out of town today AND I saw the sun!

I headed up to Xinbeitou relatively early this morning, despite a late night coughing fit. The town reminds me a lot of any Japanese onsen town, but it was enjoyably different nonetheless.

My first stop was the park in the center of town, where I took some great pictures of the warm river running through town, and even dipped my own toes in. I headed up the hill to find Di-re Valley, or Hell Valley, a steaming valley of awesomeness, but sadly it was closed for some reason.

Luckily, I can read a map.

I figured out that one of the roads circled up and around the back of the valley, and sure enough, I made my way up the hill to see what I could see. I couldn't see everything, of course, but again, I got some great shots of the steam rising out of the valley.

I then treated myself to a hot soak in the Public Hot Springs in the middle of the park for a mere NT$40... basically about a buck and half. CHEAP! I jumped around the 4 pools like the baby bear of the three bears, before I found the middle temperature pool to be "just right". It was really nice, and made me feel like I was a kid at Glenwood Springs again.

Afterwards, I had great luck and jumped right on the bus to Yangmingshan National Park. I still can't believe the way Asia manages to run public transportation up the side of mountains. And I travelled all around town today for a total of US$3. Awesome.

I took another shuttle bus over to Xiaoyoumeng to see the steam vents carved out the side of the mountain, and was a bit freaked out when I realized the trails were completely covered by clouds. But they cleared after a few minutes and I got some more great shots of the steam. I then foolishly left my camera, which was graciously recovered by a wonderful man named C.C. We ended up becoming quick friends as we climbed the trail up to Xishingshan, and he even asked about this blog! So we took a picture together to document the fun.

I enjoyed hiking the trail up to the peak, and clearing some of the cloud cover to see the sun! I do wish, however, that the trails, while very clearly marked, weren't paved with stone stairs the whole way, since by the end of 5 km my knees were aching for some good old-fashioned dirt. I didn't have a PB&J packed today, but I did eat a peanut granola bar at the top for good measure.

Much of the way down was in the cloud cover and looked like something out of the Mists of Avalon. It was the first time I've felt pure deafening silence in a long time. I loved it.

I caught a bus back to town, and realized along the way that the clouds had cleared enough to see the top of 101. So I hurried across town to go up the world's fastest elevator and second tallest building. It's really a superb building, with great views, and it's by far one of the nicest designs of a skyscraper I've seen. The resemblance to bamboo growing is pretty cool. And it's awesome to stand outside at 390 m above the city.

I grabbed a quick Indian dinner at the food court downstairs, as well as my favorite here in Taipei... boba tea! Shocker of all shockers... I discovered they have Dunkin' Donuts here in Taiwan, but I'm holding out two more weeks till I get home. I waited this long, after all...

After all that hiking and sunshine and walking through town, I'm beat. Good thing, since I have to be up at 5:30 to catch my bus to Sun Moon Lake in the morning. I'm not sure when I'll have internet again, so this might be the last update until I'm back in Japan. Enjoy!

Elections and Challenges

Sometimes, when I least expect it, lying on my bed or checking my e-mail, I hear this crazy mumbled drive-thru speaker sound coming out of my stove. One that's not exactly faint. And, even more disconcerting, it has surprised me a few times as well through the fan in my bathroom when I'm nakey-snakey in the shower.

To the extent that when I heard it the first time I jumped out of the shower and ran around my room saying "Hellooo?!" because I thought there a stranger had broken into my room.

And the second time I jumped out of bed and under the table because I thought, "Maybe this voice is an emergency alert system warning me of an approaching typhoon or earthquake". I mean, it is in Japanese after all. And we have had two of each in the past month.

And by the third time, I wondered where this sound was coming from and poked my head outside only to hear a voice shouting over a megaphone. And apparently, that megaphone is so powerful that it permeates the vents in my shower fan and the hood of my stove... hence why it sometimes scares me at inconveniently random times.

So after a few days of confusion, I finally understood what was happening.

See, it's election time here in Japan, and they do things a little differently. First, there aren't set election times. The emperor (I think, maybe it's the Prime Minister or someone else) dissolves the Parliament/Council/Congress/legislative-body whenever he decides he's had enough of the current administration. Which is pretty cool when you think about it. And then elections are held 6 weeks later. 6 weeks. Can you imagine? What if Obama only had 6 impromptu weeks to campaign for President? That would be simultaneously frightening and wonderful (since 2 years of campaigning is nasty overkill) and even more awesome if he were to have succeeded in spite of that.

Anyway, my point is that when I got here, apparently the high man in charge dissolved the government and now people are running for office. With only 6 weeks to put together a campaign.

Now, I can't tell you much about our candidates here since a) I don't speak Japanese and b) I'm pretty sure I can't vote even though I'm a registered alien; however, that hasn't stopped the campaign from coming after me. Mostly in the form of mumbling voices in my room, but also the occasional flyer distributor at the station.

But in truth, people aren't really allowed to campaign like in the States. They're only allowed to put up posters on designated signs that have been placed around the community, and only then in their designated numbered square. (It took me a while to figure out what those random signs were for around the neighborhood until the pictures started appearing). However, they are allowed to ride around in vehicles with loudspeakers on the top, waving out the side with their campaign managers and speaking over the megaphone. And I don't really understand this.

Especially, because, in case you've forgotten, I don't speak Japanese.

But every day, there they are, riding up and down Symbol Road or platforming at the station spouting off what I'm sure are similar campaign speeches to those we hear in the States. Except 6 weeks ago, they had no idea there was going to be an election. And here they are, running a campaign, and it ends today (I think).

And all I know is, when it comes through the vents in my room, it sounds like a chipmunk is mumbling to me in Japanese to watch out for the impending natural disaster. I mean, how am I supposed to know differently?

In other news...

I have my final dress for BBB in a few hours, which really is also my first dress since yesterday's run-through/block in costume was segmented into sections and more of a tech rehearsal. And today everyone has to be in costume, not just the new guys. And while it has been helpful, it is very surprising (and very un-Japanese) that last night was the first time I've done certain numbers with the other people in them. In addition to costumes, lights, and lifts for the first time. But I can't really be expected to know that I'm supposed to cross downstage of Mickey and the dancers between X and Y on 1 when I've never done that number with the other 15 people onstage before. So I didn't really feel too badly about those kind of notes.

However, I have been feeling very remiss about my performance of "All of Me". It's been a surprisingly difficult hurdle for me to overcome in this process. I know a lot of that is because it's been under-rehearsed (both in rehearsal and at home), but I've been letting a lot of the pressure get to me. Especially when I'm so strikingly different from the other 7 guys I've heard sing the song.

It has been a very similar process to learning the gospel number and most of the pop show from the cruise ship. I'm just basically so far out of my comfort zone and trying to do something new and foreign and not suck, without the guide of a voice coach or someone external and safe with whom I could work on it. Except that on the ship, at least everyone spoke English. And it was so new and so foreign that I felt any effort I gave was an improvement. And I had an amazing friend, Joshua, to coax and guide me through the scary stuff.

Here, I find myself constantly lost. I've been getting conflicting notes from the director (which are, of course, translated, and very literal and therefore that much more confusing). And I'm trying not to take it personally when I get told "you really sound bad and need to work on that" in front of the whole cast. Although I finally got some advice yesterday that encouraged me to act the song and not feel like I have to riff like the black boys, I haven't found the groove of the song yet. Which is also disappointing because singing "All of Me" in a big band style is more familiar than attempting a Gospel solo or singing Michael Jackson classics.

But, I am remaining positive and trying to make it work for me and my style. Which is what they finally encouraged me to do yesterday. To sing it more like me. And I'll get there. I just wish it would happen faster.

And the whole thing I'm trying to remember is that when we are challenged, we grow. The best work is when we have to fight for it. Working out of my comfort zone is helping me. And getting discouraged is the least positive way to come out of this experience. So despite all my doubts and insecurities and fears, I know that when I finally succeed, it will feel so rewarding. And I'll have done something I didn't think I could do before.

Now if I could just get there already!

It's a rainy day here and I just had a delicious lunch at the Indian restaurant in the station. I'm so glad I'm making new friends outside my cast here and Patrick will be a really great addition to my time here in Tokyo. And soon off to my dress! Wish me luck!

A Day On the Town/Farm

Despite going to bed rather early, I found myself running late for our 11 AM departure as a group to Asakusa today! Now this is mostly due to a retardedly retarded time waster I have come to embrace on the facebook called FarmVille. Now folks, let's just discuss. I have spent most of my life wondering how my grandparents survived on a farm back in South Dakota. I couldn't really understand the concept of plowing, planting, harvesting, and cow herding for a living. I honestly didn't find much merit in learning about it, and the only time I've found myself desiring a visit is during pheasant hunting season, just so I could walk the fields and be a part of the family. But now, in the midst of all the wonder to explore that is Japan, I find myself rushing home to check to see if my "crops" are ready for harvest yet! What is happening to me? Am I that bored? Or am I finally in tune with my genetics and embracing my inner calling to be a farmer (albeit a digital avatar one)? I don't know, but if you wanna be my neighbor... just send me a little gift of a rabbit or an avocado tree!

Needless to say, I forced myself to get out of the house and enjoy some of the stunningly beautiful weather we had to day. Finally, a cooler, sunny and clear day. For a few hours anyway. By late afternoon it was a bit hot and everybody got a bit zonkered. I ventured with Adam and Blair to Asakusa where we visited the Senjo-in Temple which is the oldest temple in Japan. We had a lot of fun taking pictures, getting our fortunes told (which all turned out surpisingly bad for some reason), and wafting incense over our bodies. We didn't have nearly as much fun trying to figure out whether or not we should put the cleansing water at the temples in our mouths or not (we were split 2 to 1).

We meandered through some of the old streets and had DELICIOUS soft ice cream, semi-delicious candied sweet potatoes with syrup and sesame seeds (i think), and deliciously-made, little hot-off-the-presses bean jam treats. We even found the strange raccoon/monkey/dog god who was supposed to be able to fly around on his huge balls. Yeah. It's that bizarre. We even visited the "golden turd" that is supposed to be the smokestack or something of the building that houses the Asahi brewery. We stopped in for some yummy beer and some not-so-yummy shrimp au gratin in a half-toasted bread loaf with an egg on top. (the egg obviously did me in). Then we slept on the train to Shibuya, did a little shopping (and checking my "farm" in the Apple store) and met up with the other singers sans Joseph at the Hachiko wall/gate.

Side note: I finally figured out that I wasn't crazy; I simply couldn't find the Hachiko statue at the station for the past 4 times I've been there because he was bounded off by construction siding. And we all secretly wanna see the new "Hachi" movie with Richard Gere and Joan Allen even though we think it's going to be really bad.

As a group we were beat and decided to head home where we tried the DELICIOUS Indian restaurant! I'm so thrilled to have a tasty place to eat near home. And then a surprisingly cool walk home before Farmville sucked up a few more hours of my life (as well as the movie channel, planning our Fuji trip, and talking to Jordan). So now I'm off to bed hoping our Fuji trip for this week turns out as planned. And a return to Summer Party and all all my friends tomorrow!!! I'm so thrilled!!!