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Oh my god! I felt so bad!

Unless you have already kicked some guy’s nuts as hard as you can, you can’t possibly know how bad I felt.

And unless you’ve been the victim of said crime, you couldn’t understand how bad he felt either.

Ouch.

At karate last night, after our test, I asked to spar with Use-sensei. (Our very sexy Tuesday night karate master who’s—oh so unfortunately—married with a 8-month old daughter.) So, we were sparring and it was fun. He was wearing the gear so the goal was for me to attack him and he was on defense. That’s not EXACTLY the way it ended up—he has now joined the Attack-Sierra-When-She’s-Not-Looking Club, but whenever it ends up with him on top of me, I’m okay with it.

He’s married, Sierra. Married.

But we’re just playing anyway…

So, I guess I was kicking his sides and back too much for what’s technically legal and so they said I should concentrate on kicking and punching his stomach/chest area more.

But… that’s really hard because he protects it so well. So, I’m concentrating hard and aiming for his front—I swear I was aiming high—and I landed my hearty kick right in his crotch. I kicked really hard. Not sort-of hard. As hard-as-I-can-kick hard. I play soccer. I kick hard. It completely crippled him. He dived to the gym floor in slow motion.

I just laid on the floor next to him, apologizing profusely and asking if he was okay, as all six of the other karate guys laugh, moan and groan sympathetically.

Then I asked, “I hope you don’t want anymore children?”

It’s awful. I can’t stop laughing as I write this. I shouldn’t be laughing. It’s serious.

Well, that was the end of sparring and I can pretty much guarantee no one’s ever going to want to spar with me again.

I’ve never said “Gomenasai” so many times in my life.

He was able to walk afterward. Then he had to ride his motorcycle home.

ごめんなさいうせ先生！

Matsuzono-sensei came up to me afterwards and said “blah, blah, blah, Rape, blah, blah, blah.” So, I guess if I ever need to use that kick again, I know how to execute effectively.

God, I feel awful.

In the car on the way home, Koichiro invited me over to watch the Japan vs. Iran soccer game that was on at 10:30 p.m. I couldn’t believe he asked me to hang out. I really wanted to, but I had already made plans with Rie. She came over and we watched Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. I fell asleep during the movie for a little while, but I woke up again and was a good host for the rest of the evening.

It's exhausting sparring.

Today, Koichiro left to go back to Iki island (his hometown) for Spring Break. He’ll be gone about two weeks and when he gets back Mama will be here already! Today I’m going up to the gym to have swim practice with Tanabe at 6 p.m. and Sunday I’m playing in a tennis match with Asagami-san. This weekend will go too fast!!

But I think I passed the karate test and I will be a purple belt soon!!!

On the offense,
Sierra

Peter sent me the pictures from his weekend on Kamigoto! So beautiful they are! He’s a wonderful photographer with a great sense of space.

Posting one of my favorites first. Looking up from beneath the akou tree (banyan) in Narao. 650 years old.

From the akou tree looking east, towards downtown Narao.

The akou tree looking west, with Narao’s shrine in the background and the library (not visible) on the left. Narao is beautiful.

Sierra looking at the fortunes that people tie on the tree and humbled by the silence and beauty of the old tree.

Giants’ toys. These huge concrete pieces are dumped in the ocean creating a wall which prevents big waves from reaching the bay/shores around the island. They look so small from a distance, but up close you realize just how massive they are. This picture kind of shows that.

Mini islands like these are scattered all throughout Goto.

The snowy weekend created some beautiful views of Kamigoto.

A better picture of the Great Road of Kamigoto.

My imagination sees this peninsula as a serpent rising out of the water and gliding quietly east. You can almost see the JET Foil (fast ferry) coming back from Nagasaki on the right.

The snow as it started to fall on Saturday morning. That’s Komeyama mountain and the view from my balcony.

My island. These mountains look like they were painted in—they are so perfect and beautiful.

As reflected in a mirror.

The beautiful shore Peter and I found while exploring. There’s lots of green moss and algae in the winter/spring, but it wasn’t here when I arrived in August, so it must die in the heat in the summer.

Video-chatted with Daniel again Friday morning. It was so hard to get out of bed, but his persistent IMs and video-chat invitations got me out eventually. He’s in his Air Force uniform. So cute!!

Bye Daniel!

And some more pictures that Peter sent me that I think are beautiful.

This is a station along the JR Matsuura Line in Nagasaki-ken. It’s so… Japanese.

This is Nagasaki, but I don’t know where. Doesn’t Peter have a good eye?

A little road in the inaka (countryside).

A garden in Nagasaki.

Bye!

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