YESTERDAY

5.30 Wake up, dress, drink a cup of strong Jasmine tea
5.45 On my bike on the way to the temple
6.00 Sitting in Zazen (meditation) in front of a wall
7.00 The gong - end of meditation
7.10 Biking through the fields
7.20 Arriving to the WWOOF house. Rachel is up preparing soba noodles for breakfast. Jason is still asleep.

Rachel and Jason are new WWOOFers from the USA who came February 5th. They have brought a lot of change into my everyday and to the WWOOF house. I.e. the WWOOF house is warm as they moved the wasps to sleep in the garage last Saturday.

7.50 A late start. We bike through the fields. I fall smashing some of the strawberries, the metal obento-box saves our breakfast. Thermos is also safe.
8.15 We arrive at the sea
8.20 Take a swim
8.25 Yoga. Ocean goes upside down - we are standing on the head
8.50 Breakfast: soba noodles, kimchi, daikon-leaves. Tea, strawberries and mandarin for desert
9.09 Late departure
9.30 Arriving at the WWOOF house
9.35 Jason and I weed the mushrooms that grow around the house. Find three. Rachel is in the kitchen
10.30 On our bikes again! We leave for the "base" 15 minutes too late
10.45 The biking course goes by the ocean. My coat, my gloves, my hat, my scarf one after the other go into the front basket. I think spring is coming!
11.11 Arriving at Himorogian
11.15 I wash my head. Laundry goes up to the balcony
12.00 Lunch
13.00 The family comes home
13.30 Departure. A journey to the spring takes 40 minutes by car. We discuss my presentation with Katsura-san during her driving
14.10 Visiting the shrine, filling very many containers with spring water
15.00 A walk up the mountain. Picnic with sweet-potato and mandarin
15.40 Departure
16.10 Stop-over in a plum tree garden. Trees are in bloom.
16.20 Another stop-over at a small place used for monthly concerts. Rachel and Jason play piano and sing as Katsura-san has a conversation with the man of the house
17.00 We come to Himorogian
17.15 I work on my presentation. On Saturday I will have to give a talk on my journey
18.30 Dinner: "Tofu-party"! (We received a lot of tofu as a present today)
19.30 I wash dishes
20.30 Departure. I cycle by the ocean. Full moon, cloud painted sky glowing above the breathing ocean. I stop several times to take in the view. I meet no one on my way. Just one dog
21.20 I come home. Rachel is cooking tomorrow's breakfast, Jason is watching a movie. Teatime with sembe
21.30 I would usually go to sleep here but not today. I borrow Jason's laptop to work on my PowerPoint
00.00 I go to sleep

NOW

We are making miso (a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the mold ) at Himorogian

TOMORROW

I leave