If I were a superhero, my super power would have to be my uncanny ability to destroy computer hard drives. No... no, that's not it at all. Saying that I am known for my talent at killing hard drives does not do my skills justice.
I am known throughout the free world as the motherfuckin' slayer of hard drives.
As such, I've lost many, many computer files over the years.
While those saved games of Starcraft back from 2000 are likely lost forever (turned that HD into an analog desk clock a long, long time ago *insert devilish grin*), I am loathe to abandon hope for any of my lost and/or missing photographs.
Years later I find myself still in the recovery process of many of my digital and scanned pictures.
Recently I've been able to recover several hundred photographs from my last trip to Japan. Now, this trip was five years ago, and the camera this then-college student was slinging pales in comparison to the fun little gizmos I now have ready at my beck and call. Still, in retrospect, I'm fairly-well amazed at how some of the pictures turned out.
So, here's the story...
It's the summer of 2004. I was working at the time as a Project Assistant for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Being a career student and all, I was still finishing up my final few semesters at University. The job I had with the IACP began as an internship, and when I didn't want to leave (the pay was too damn good!), the boss, John, hired me on as a full-time employee. I spent a few more months at the job, learning about all manner of Int'l Think Tankery goodness. I eventually realized, however, that if I planned on finishing my four-year degree in anytime under a decade, I'd have to once again focus the entirety of my mental prowess on ma' learnin'.
Much to the chagrin of both myself and my miscreant co-workers, I gave notice: come Fall semester I was heading back to school full-time.
Being the boy genius that I was (still am, proud to say), I planned a month-long trip to Japan, following my departure from the IACP.
Being the 'artard that I was (still am, sad to say), I decided it would be bitchin' to not only sprain both sides of my right ankle three weeks before my trip, but to also fracture most of the small bones in said ankle, and pop the foot completely out of the socket. The sickening POP! that resounded from inside my swollen limb was truly the most entertaining moment of the evening. After that it was all down-hill.
Did I mention that I managed to produce this injury at 1a.m. on a weeknight while playing a game of drunken frisbee golf? Yeah... that's how I roll.
Pathetic.
Anyways, I spent the following three weeks in a cast, about four days of physical therapy, and then I was off to good 'ol Nippon.
My physical therapist was more'n pissed that I had booked only two sessions with her, almost back-to-back. She asked why only those two days, and what I thought I could accomplish with my leg after that paltry amount of PT?
I told her I was going to hike Mount Fuji in a few days.
She laughed.
She saw the look of dead seriousness on my face.
She stopped laughing.
Fast-forward by about three weeks. I'm still in Japan. I've spent most of my hard-earned. I'd been shrine robbing twice (story for another day), gone to all the hackneyed tourist traps, attacked wild deer, attempted to assault wild monkeys (bastards with their opposable thumbs!), and was felt-up by about 800 lilliputian women who'd never seen red body hair before... no complaints here. Just sayin'.
Now, here before me looms Fuji-san.
I purchased some sundries from the grocers next door to the Fuji-Hakone Guesthouse where I had dropped off my gear (amazing B&B with an indoor/outdoor volcanic hotspring bath). Among the supplies I grabbed, the most peculiar was a package of squid jerky. I really... I really never have learned to make sound judgment calls.
Apparently squid jerky isn't all-too trustworthy. I got food poisoning. Felt the effects about halfway up the mountain.
So, here I am now... food poisoning, hiking up Mt. Fuji on a fractured and still-swollen, sprained ankle, throwing up every-so-often. I'd spent much of the proceeding three weeks in Osaka, which is at sea level. So, by the time I reached my destination that evening (the final hut before the summit) I had a nice 'ol case of altitude sickness in addition to my other ailments. This means more vomitus.
I somehow managed to continue snapping photographs the entire time I was summiting the mountain. After a few hours R&R in the hut, I began my final ascent to watch sunrise at 4:00a.m from the summit. This was on the last day of Obon Festival, so if all was quiet, you could hear the sounds of festival performers banging away on drums at the base of the mountain.
The pictures taken during my ascent were taken on my Olympus Digital. The descent (sunrise) pictures were taken using my 35mm Canon SLR. They're the ones that sorta' look like oil paintings. I switched cameras at the summit as the battery in my digital camera froze, forcing me to switch (luckily) to film.
Anyways, if you've read all this, you've earned 'em. Enjoy!
Fuji-san Ascent:
After a few hours enjoying the spectacular sunrise from the summit (with many trips to the summit warming hut for soba and cocoa), I began my descent off the mountain.
Fuji-san Descent:
Love & Peace
Happy Trails
As One
-T
I am known throughout the free world as the motherfuckin' slayer of hard drives.
As such, I've lost many, many computer files over the years.
While those saved games of Starcraft back from 2000 are likely lost forever (turned that HD into an analog desk clock a long, long time ago *insert devilish grin*), I am loathe to abandon hope for any of my lost and/or missing photographs.
Years later I find myself still in the recovery process of many of my digital and scanned pictures.
Recently I've been able to recover several hundred photographs from my last trip to Japan. Now, this trip was five years ago, and the camera this then-college student was slinging pales in comparison to the fun little gizmos I now have ready at my beck and call. Still, in retrospect, I'm fairly-well amazed at how some of the pictures turned out.
So, here's the story...
It's the summer of 2004. I was working at the time as a Project Assistant for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Being a career student and all, I was still finishing up my final few semesters at University. The job I had with the IACP began as an internship, and when I didn't want to leave (the pay was too damn good!), the boss, John, hired me on as a full-time employee. I spent a few more months at the job, learning about all manner of Int'l Think Tankery goodness. I eventually realized, however, that if I planned on finishing my four-year degree in anytime under a decade, I'd have to once again focus the entirety of my mental prowess on ma' learnin'.
Much to the chagrin of both myself and my miscreant co-workers, I gave notice: come Fall semester I was heading back to school full-time.
Being the boy genius that I was (still am, proud to say), I planned a month-long trip to Japan, following my departure from the IACP.
Being the 'artard that I was (still am, sad to say), I decided it would be bitchin' to not only sprain both sides of my right ankle three weeks before my trip, but to also fracture most of the small bones in said ankle, and pop the foot completely out of the socket. The sickening POP! that resounded from inside my swollen limb was truly the most entertaining moment of the evening. After that it was all down-hill.
Did I mention that I managed to produce this injury at 1a.m. on a weeknight while playing a game of drunken frisbee golf? Yeah... that's how I roll.
Pathetic.
Anyways, I spent the following three weeks in a cast, about four days of physical therapy, and then I was off to good 'ol Nippon.
My physical therapist was more'n pissed that I had booked only two sessions with her, almost back-to-back. She asked why only those two days, and what I thought I could accomplish with my leg after that paltry amount of PT?
I told her I was going to hike Mount Fuji in a few days.
She laughed.
She saw the look of dead seriousness on my face.
She stopped laughing.
Fast-forward by about three weeks. I'm still in Japan. I've spent most of my hard-earned. I'd been shrine robbing twice (story for another day), gone to all the hackneyed tourist traps, attacked wild deer, attempted to assault wild monkeys (bastards with their opposable thumbs!), and was felt-up by about 800 lilliputian women who'd never seen red body hair before... no complaints here. Just sayin'.
Now, here before me looms Fuji-san.
I purchased some sundries from the grocers next door to the Fuji-Hakone Guesthouse where I had dropped off my gear (amazing B&B with an indoor/outdoor volcanic hotspring bath). Among the supplies I grabbed, the most peculiar was a package of squid jerky. I really... I really never have learned to make sound judgment calls.
Apparently squid jerky isn't all-too trustworthy. I got food poisoning. Felt the effects about halfway up the mountain.
So, here I am now... food poisoning, hiking up Mt. Fuji on a fractured and still-swollen, sprained ankle, throwing up every-so-often. I'd spent much of the proceeding three weeks in Osaka, which is at sea level. So, by the time I reached my destination that evening (the final hut before the summit) I had a nice 'ol case of altitude sickness in addition to my other ailments. This means more vomitus.
I somehow managed to continue snapping photographs the entire time I was summiting the mountain. After a few hours R&R in the hut, I began my final ascent to watch sunrise at 4:00a.m from the summit. This was on the last day of Obon Festival, so if all was quiet, you could hear the sounds of festival performers banging away on drums at the base of the mountain.
The pictures taken during my ascent were taken on my Olympus Digital. The descent (sunrise) pictures were taken using my 35mm Canon SLR. They're the ones that sorta' look like oil paintings. I switched cameras at the summit as the battery in my digital camera froze, forcing me to switch (luckily) to film.
Anyways, if you've read all this, you've earned 'em. Enjoy!
Fuji-san Ascent:
After a few hours enjoying the spectacular sunrise from the summit (with many trips to the summit warming hut for soba and cocoa), I began my descent off the mountain.
Fuji-san Descent:
Love & Peace
Happy Trails
As One
-T