I'm becoming a monk, and climbing Mt. Fuji

There once was this boy...

Fuji San

I know what you're thinking...and yes, it's all true. All the rumors, all the fables, all the urban legends... No one has ever climbed Mt. Fuji and lived to tell the tale. I may or may not be the first. I'm taking no oxygen tank, probably doing it in sneakers, and I certainly won't bring a g-string...why would I? All the pictures of survivors are photo-shopped by the Japanese yakuza, and any friends you've had who have personally told you that they've been to the top are liars, so you should drop them as friends. as soon as possible, before they lead you down a route of deception like a tricky turn in mario kart riddled with banana peels that other players have strategically placed to prove to you once and for all that Luigi is better than Toadstool.

There is a word in Japan that has no English equivalent. I have grown to appreciate it more and more as my time here extends into buzz light-year, especially since effort, value, presentation, and service at work are taken to the highest level imaginable here, at least compared to any other country I've ACE ventur(ed) A to. It's literal meaning is something like, "the tireless man?" but it's meaning is something like "hello + thank you for your tireless effort" combined into one word :

otsukaresamadesu. 

This is a VERY important phrase for any of you thinking of working in Japan, so thought I'd make it a note.

It's literal meaning is not important, what it MEANS is "thank you for your hard work."

You will hear it EVERYWHERE! Salarymen shouting it at each other as they bow to say goodbye after a hard days work and hard nights drinking, teachers saying it to their students after a lesson, coworkers saying goodbye at the end of the day, colleagues thanking someone for their help in a small or large task, basically anywhere in the world of work where someone has helped someone else. You may sometimes here the slightly more casual お疲れ (otsukare!) when said between close, more casual coworkers.
It's very professional, very polite, and feels really good to say and have said to you after a hard days work!

Salmonella  Sickkkk

Lastly, for today, the next thing on my list of things to do is spend some time with the good ol monks of Japan. You are welcome to climb, or walk, to certain monasteries and stay with them/go through their routine or daily lives. My training has begun, which means I must disappear, yet again, for an extended amount of time. Sorry, I don't update frequently. There's always so much to say, but sometimes I just don't know how to say it or what to choose from. Health sucks, life is rarely boring now, my chin is up, and U.S. stocks are down XD

~Be water my friend