>X-Originating-IP: [133.205.202.9]
>From: "Max Praver" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Nihon
>Content-Type: text/plain
>Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 02:30:16 PDT
>X-UIDL: f5dd17d94f3547ba2c3ee7a044bbac6c
>
>Dear Sensei,
>        I just wanted to write you a quick note to say hi and that life over
>here in Japan is fantastic. I am having so much fun and doing so much,
>it is unbelievable! My host family is great, the students are great, and
>the teachers are excellent as well. My classes are going well, too. The
>Japanese classes are intense but fun. I have to put most of time into
>them because between the two (Written and Spoken) they meet almost 10
>times a week!!! The other classes that are taught in english are going
>well, too. They are: Japanese society and culture right now and Survey
>of Japanese art-(Lots of field trips to temples and etc..) Anyway, I
>hope everything in Vermont is going well and I'll be in touch soon.
>Please tell Oda and Corson sensei that I said hi as well as the other
>Japanese students. Thanks again for all the help and understanding you
>gave me this past year. I greatly appreciate it. Here is my account of
>this past weekend when I hiked Mt. Fuji, please feel free to show
>others:
>
>Everyone wants to climb it once, but they would be fools to do it
>twice!!!    (Japanese saying about Fuji)
>
>
>Dear Friends-
>        This past weekend I climbed Mount Fuji! In consideration of all the
>different physical and mental aspects of the hike, it was the hardest
>activity I have ever done! No sporting event, aikido class, or school
>exam has ever drained my body of every ounce of possible energy,
>stamina, and pure sanity like this hike. I have never felt so completely
>abused and broken down when I was finished. Fuji had its way with me and
>again showed me the reality of how great and powerful nature really is.
>        The summit was over 12 thousand feet (about the size of the higher
>rocky mountains) and we pushed ourselves to reach that point by sunrise
>on the sixth. We started out at 4 in the afternoon on saturday and hiked
>a relatively easy path til about 6 then the terrain slowly became more
>difficult. We went on 3 more hours at a good pace, hiking our butts off
>until we reached our camp at 9. (A brief idea of the camp: VERY SMALL,
>TONS OF PEOPLE! I now feel I know what it was like for the people who
>were sent on the slave ships from Africa. I kid you not, I'm not
>exaggerating-watch the seen in Amistad and you will know how packed we
>really were) So you get the idea. Needless to say not much sleep was
>achieved.
>        Anyway, at 1 in the morning our psycho long haired hippie Japanese
>tour
>guide wakes us up and we have 15 minutes to get ready. Lets just keep in
>mind that its totally dark outside. Anyhow, we begin our hike to the
>summit knowing that the conditions are the hardest that we will
>encounter on this trip, we are completely drained, running on virtually
>no rest, the altitude has hit us all, many of us are sick and
>lightheaded with blurry vision, and to top it all off we can't see
>because it's the middle of the night. Now despite all this negative, the
>morale of the crew was phenomenal. People were pumped and wanted to give
>it everything we had to make our way to the apex.
>        The next four hours were the most grueling hours I have ever spent in
>my life time. We pushed ourselves well past all of our limits, many
>times almost rockclimbing straight up, but we finally did it. We made it
>to the top around 5 in the morning to be greeted by a howling (atleast
>40-50mph wind) and a beautiful sunrise. It was a feeling of great
>accomplishment and satisfaction.
>        Many of us were still sick at the top but seemed to put those feelings
>away to enjoy the brief but pristine and celestial moment at the top of
>the world. It was an unforgettable experience of hard work, relentless
>effort, positive dedication, and sheer will to beat the mountain. We did
>it and it will be something that probably will never be forgotten by the
>17 of us who made the climb.
>        I hope everything is going well in the states and I'll be in touch
>again soon.
>
>                 Max
>
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