Samstag, 26. juni 2010
6
26
/06
/2010
02:43
So, Diethard made it to Tokyo, I assume. Many people offered their help which is highly appreciated!
The last news from him was that he visited the Takayam area (Japanese Alps).
From here he wanted to go to Tokyo to meet some foreign (maybe not only foreign?) bikers at a camp site. Accomodation for his last couple of days in Japan
should be ok according to what I heard from quite a few friends. He also got everything set up to get his bike (and himself) air-freighted to Canada.
So far, Diethard really enjoyed his stay in the (land-of-the-not-always-rising-sun", as I sometimes like to call Japan. He met many people, saw quite a few
places and was full of praise. With more time available there would have been much more to see, much more to experience - but who knows, maybe ......
some day, somewhere out on the road ......
we will meet again!
Dienstag, 22. juni 2010
2
22
/06
/2010
06:52
Well, Diethard is gone and our "regular" life continues.
Our farewell at the Kawauchi-interchange,
going for the highway direction Takamatsu.
We are still thinking of him and of course we will stay in contact. He managed to find a company shipping (by plane, of course) his BMW to Vancouver,
Canada. So darned expensive (something like Yen 400.000), but I understand he wants to be in the US as soon as possible since his return date for Germany will be around 18 September.
Elsewise, the heat and humidity is killing me today. Soemthing like 30 degrees Celsius, blue skies - despite the weather forecast which indicated clouds and
rain.
Lately you will not have found any school lunch pictures or comments here - simply because there was not too much to complain about!! 
Oh, our Hokkaido motorcycle touring for this summer has been more or less cancelled - there is just too much going on, besides I want to save some money, so
except for some minor touring (maybe to Kyushu again or some other nice Onsen-place) there are no plans at this time.
Sonntag, 20. juni 2010
7
20
/06
/2010
05:13
Well, Diethard left our place yesterday morning and he made it to the general Kyoto area. If anyone is interested, until Tuesday, 22 June he can be found
here:
Foundational Seishonen Yagaikatsudo Sogo Center Yuaino-oka Camp-jo
(more info here, it is camp area number 42:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-804.pdf#search='camping
Of course we will follow him on the Internet all the time until his return to Germany, which will be some time mid September.
The last "souvenir" he got from us is this:
I guess these Kanji characters describe him the best: always with a smile!
I am still looking for people who are willing to host him in the Tokyo area. He should arrive there on or around 25 June. His departure by plane for
Vancouver, Canada is planned for some time between 2 and 5 July depending on availability. He also still needs a crate for his bike and since they are so darned expensive I am trying to
come up with some alternative (any BMW dealer out there who got one he wants to get rid of???).
As always, any help and advice is highly appreciated - not just in the name of the biker-brotherhood!
More to come in the future ........
Freitag, 18. juni 2010
5
18
/06
/2010
11:03
Ok, so here we go. Let me write how it all began:
2 months ago (or so) I was contacted by a German who had questions concerning coming to Japan by bike. I tried to help him with as much information as
possible and also contacted quite some websites for assistance, like the HUB (Horizons Unlimited), the gaijin-bikers community and so on. To make it short, Diethard arrived in Japan and
came to my place down here on Shikoku yesterday:
Diethard on his BMW 800GS driving behind my car
Today we went for a meeting at Kawauchi Junior High School as well as to Higashidani elementary school. Television (ITV) and the Ehime newspaper were
present talking with Diethard and recording his meeting with the 6th grade students. Lots of questions were asked, lots of answers given, but more about this on my homepage at
http://virtulanguage.com (will give more information and details tomorrow)
Arriving at Higashidani elementary school
Freitag, 4. juni 2010
5
04
/06
/2010
03:49
Again, more than 2 weeks nothing to talk about on my Blog. Well, today the latest update(s).
The rice planting season has begun over here in the "land-of-the-not-always-rising-sun". Farmers are busy preparing the fields, with the little rice plants
and checking daily whether or not there is enough water.
The temperature has increased, it is now something like 27 degrees Celsius every day, so the ideal time for rice.
At school, lots of work with my one junior high and three elementary schools. But it is so much fun being together with the children.
In addition they started with the preparations for the new school building. From now on it will be noisy every day, steam-hammers ratteling around the clock,
trucks coming and departing and quite a few construction workers. In August the old school building will be destroyed, after it served its purpose for more than 50 years. Starting
September lessons will be held in so-called "pre-fab" buildings, well, at least we will have air-condition in them for the hot summer and cold winter months.
Elsewise - school lunch quality has improved. For the time being I have no reason to complain. Must be because the staff at the lunch center has changed
and they finally found someone who knows what he or she is doing!?!?
43 more days until hopefully another one of our dreams comes true - going to Hokkaido again. I would really love to have another great Hokkaido motorcycle
touring event with Tomomi - you never know how many more might follow. But of course it all depends on the Yen ......
Neueste Kommentare - Comments