Friday, May 26, 2006
Walking Japan!
Japan, a country with over 10,000 years of history has become my single most beloved country outside my home country of Canada. Japan is a truly enchanting country with an incredible amount of culture, unparelled kindness, generosity and flair that beams their influence across the planet. I had the opportunity to be part of a Japanese exchange that sent me to southern Japan including Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto and many other traditional and thriving towns. I spent 2 weeks in September 2004 and absolutely adored the country. I then hosted a Japanese girl when she visited Ontario & Quebec, Canada on my side of the globe. I want to return in not so long for an extended trip to Japan and in the future would like to spend at least a year living over there teaching English. Combining my passion of international travel, culture and how people relate and work together in life, I have long been a major fan of CBS's The Amazing Race hosted by the globe trotter Phil Keoghan. The series just came to a dramatic conclusion as 11 teams raced to 12 countries around the world with best friends BJ & Tyler MacNiven. The race took the teams across South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia with their final country abroad being in and around one of the world's largest cities, Tokyo. Here the teams had to do many activities from finding clues inside the trademark capsule hotel, finding clues in a giant amusement park alongside Mount Fuji, carrying a Japanese woman to a traditional tea house and much more. In the end Tyler MacNiven and his best friend BJ crossed the finish line first back where the race began one month earlier in Denver, USA. They won the million dollar prize and claimed victory. I was extremely proud of them as they had played hard througout the race, and have a good solid humour spirit.
Tyler's 2000 mile trek across Japan
During the race including when The Amazing Race was in Japan it was mentioned that Tyler walked the entire length of Japan in honour of his newly found girlfriend. The pair met while the Japanese woman was on a trip visiting the San Francisco, USA in 2002. Over time the couple fell deeply in love and Tyler visited her in Japan in 2002, he fell in love with the country so much so that he made a return trip in 2004. A return trip with flair and zest, in 2004 Tyler walked from the tip to the bottom of the main four islands of Japan over 5 months concluding in July 2004. Taking in this massive adventure that led the then newly graduated Stanford student through the multifaceted exoctic world that is Japan and the Japanese culture and their lifestyle. Tyler got the entire adventure captured on celluloid as he makes his way literally step by step through the culture of his girlfriend's native land. Capturing truly spectacular scenery with beauty just beyond comparison or words the movie gives you a fantastic view into this vibrant Asian nation. The way the people interact, the hub bub on the Japanese news stations his walk caused and the entire cultural experience this young American immersed himself into is captured. There is a crystal clear difference between a tourist and a traveller, this is travelling! You can visit the "Hippies" profile as Tyler and BJ were nicknamed in The Amazing Race 7 here. Tyler's website on "Kintario Walks Japan", his documentary masterpiece on his journey. You can join the more than 500 people around the world who watch this film for inspiration, enjoyment and appreciation of the world and admiration. A fascinating journal Tyler has online is a great introduction to his trip. Admiration of a young man doing good for a troubled world. Check out the hour or so long experience "Kintario Walks Japan" here on Google Video complimentary of Tyler. Sayonara!
Teague Neal blogged on 10:38 PM
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Teague Neal
Oakville, Ontario
Canada
Toronto born Teague Neal has been published in The Oakville
Beaver, The Tattoo Teen Newspaper, and online at www.ReadTheTattoo.com and
He has been recognized by the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists
and the Suburban Newspaper Association. He runs his own blog at
www.teaguenealsplw.blogspot.com that been featured online at Home Base Holidays,
he is currently writing his first science fiction and mystery novel.
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