2007.02.26.
As Robinson Crusoe said: the second week on the island. We started to get used to this life. Let's see some pictures from our everyday life!
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There is rather cold, and there is no central heating here. The reason is partly the short and mild nature of the winter, and partly historical: maintaining of the samurai spirit. But everybody catches the cold! This small heater is our best friend.
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The most important feature of the uchideshi is (when not practicing, eating or sleeping) cleaning the dojo. I am sweeping in front of the dojo on this picture - I do it two or three times a day.
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Getting the dust away is also an important part of the cleaning procedure.
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Many people asked us by email, whether we can maintain our vegetarian diet and how. It is really simple. We learned here that we were suspicious, nasty people in the past. All kinds of food has a right for presumption of innocence, so we treat everything as meatless until the contrary turns out! In case of uncertainity: it is treated as vegetarian!
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Choosing the right food in the restaurant is also a hard task, and much more hard for health care professionals...
Our hosts were so diplomatic, that they organised the welcome party for the second week, so that we could pull ourselves together from the first shock. We were a bit familiar with the majority of the people until this time.
According to the common knowledge, Japanese people can't bear alcohol very well. I did not believe that they are so sensitive. In an other night, after drinking 3 dl of beer and several small glasses of sake in the pub, my old friend Ukai-san was too silent. Despite the cold, I found him sleeping without blankets in the middle of the dojo. He was snorring so loudy that i could not help laughing while taking the pictures.
Today was monday again, which means free day. We visited the famous Ueno-park, this picture is just as an illustration. There is so much to see here that you easily get overwhelmed.
Lighting an incence stick in front of buddhist temples is a widespread habit.
The other place to be visited today was the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. We got really tired at the end.
