JB #1 : Mt. Nantai, Nikko - 20140524

FIRST, I have to tell you that.. I am definitely... definitely... DEFINITELY NOT an expert, but I have to admit, I like to hike mountains casually. No heavy and special equipments, no properly specialised clothing, no 'formal' experiences ... NO. I just have cheap-discounted shoes, normal backpack, and cheap easy-dry cloth. Luckily, Japan provides me massive chances to do casual mountain-hike. The tracks are mostly known, with precisely predicted hike time, proper huts at the stops, and proper direction signs. In short, it is not suitable for hikers who love to get lost. 
Mountain-hike is kinda a 'hip' outdoor activity amongst Japanese. If you think that fashionable girls and women can only be weak and afraid of sun light, than your thought will be totally invalid here. Mountain-hike is an outdoor activity for everybody. By everybody I mean... EVERYBODY. It is not only for healthy men at their prime age (let say 18-55), but also for kids (I am serious here..kids like kindergarten age), men and women (yup, even for those women who wear high-heels and fake eyelashes on normal days), and elderly (60++).  No kidding, guys... NO kidding !!! I know.. I know, shame on us who said we are too weak to hike mountains. We are defeated by kindergarten kids, grandpas, and grandmas.   

Anyway,

On May 24th, 2014... after such a pretty long break since my last hike (what the heck did I do to waste my time before??!!), I and my crazy-best-buddy decided to hike Mt. Nantai (男体山) at Nikko, Tochigi-ken. After checking several possible weekends, we went on that day which was predicted as a perfectly bright day (which was luckily true!!).

We used the Tobu Nikko pass which is available for Tobu Skytree Line from st. Asakusa to st. Tobu-Nikko. This pass also cover the bus fare around Nikko (click here for more info). The journey started from Kita-Senju at 6.31 a.m., the earliest train available, and we reached Nikko around 8.20. We waited the Tobu bus at stop 2A for 8.48 a.m. bus. We arrived at the Futara-san Jinja Mae stop (二荒山神社前バス停) around 9.30 am.

        

The front gate of the Jinja

 

                           

After the front gate with Mt. Nantai as the background

The hike is basically divided into 3 courses (according the information from the Jinja); a 40 min hike of pines-covered dirt track, a 20 min car-road track, and a final 180 min of keep-changing track. In total it is a 4-hour hike on average speed (the time usually includes some short rest-stops).    

 

The first gate for the hike

After paying entry fee for ￥500, we started our hike at 9.55 a.m.The slope was nice, covered by dense planted pines (or might be cedar, I am not sure), although at some parts it was quite sharp. We did it kinda slowly but surely with one short-drinking-stop and reach the car road after 20 min walking.

 

                 This is where we got out and met the car road,  though no car passed by 

We walked around 20 min on the asphalt. Afterward, we reached the next gate and that was where all the fun begun !!

 

The gate to the final stage (feels like playing an RPG)

   

The course was started with some dirt stairs for around 10-15 min, followed with sandy-rocky track for another 10-15 min. I have to say, I HATE stairs.. like A LOT !! And sand-ft-small rocks is my weakness. I couldn't handle it well, so I was kinda slow on the first 2 challenges. However!! After we reach the 6th stop （六合目), it turned to be a lovely lovely LOVELY course. It was a rocky-humid coniferous forest. Well, I will just show you guys some pictures since I can't describe how lovely it was (at least for me and my buddy).

 

It was like a tropical forest at the beginning, with several weathered woods

(oh, that's my best-buddy) 

 Afterward, the track became more and more rocky

(yup, that's me. Credit pictures to my buddy)

 And, it was suddenly an open air. Who wouldn't fall in love to those beautiful rocks?

We can even see the Lake Chuzenji and other mountains.

The course was a constant rocky track until we reached the 8th stop （八合目）. There is a small altar beneath the rock at the 8th stop. Afterward, it was another 5-10 min rocky track where it suddenly turned into a wet-muddy dirt track (again), with a constant sharp elevation and some snow left.

 

The small altar at 8th stop.

(Another courtesy to my buddy)

 It was sharp, it was a bit snowy, but for sure, it was muddy

And YES... the dirt track was followed by another endless staircase to heaven (literary.. or probably it was due to my personal issue towards stairs)

 

The snowy stairs to heaven

After a long fight with the stair... VOILA!! A red-dusty-rocky open air appeared out of nowhere (OK.. a bit exaggeration here..but I want to keep it exciting through the whole story!!) The bushes are so low that we could see the whole surrounding panorama

 

(my buddy's picture)

Another angle of Lake Chuzenji

The last fight was a struggle to me, since I (like I said) am also not very friendly with sand-ft-small rocks. However, all the fight was worth!! The view from the peak is priceless!!!

 

Entering the gate of the peak, we were welcomed by the signs

 

I am not so sure what is this, but probably the Izanagi's plate?

 

And also about this one. Is it possible that this is the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi?

The sword that Izanagi-no-mikoto used to execute Kagu-tsuchi?  

 

Also, this might be Izanagi-no-mikoto's statue?

In short, this long story (half) ended as we reached the peak at 12.50 p.m. It was a paid-off-3-hour-hike. Why? Because of this

After half an hour lunch break, we descended the slope in 2 hours. Absolutely right in time to catch a bus at 3.46 p.m. in front of the Jinja. We took a relax seat on the station while waiting for the last train at 5.36 p.m. (which we could ride by using the Tobu pass without paying additional ￥1030). We reached Kita-Senju around 8 p.m. with fulfilled heart.

  Thanks Buddy !!!!

  

BDC #34 - Pica: How could we have appetite over non food items?

Yesterday was a boring day in the lab. I had done my to do list, but it was still a broad daylight. Kinda weird to go back home too early. Then, I re-watched 'My strange addiction' from TLC via youtube (I know.... I know... I am bad!! But, who cares?? I really didn't have anything to do in the lab!!). 
At the end of my surf, I eventually bumped to an episode of a person with a particularly disturbing appetite over pottery and cigarette ashes. I thought, "OK, human appetite has overcome real food!!" It was such a bizarre idea for me. 
I watched the whole episode with dry eyes and throat. It was highly disturbing, as the child started to mimic her mother's eating habit. I felt like slapping that person for showing her unnatural habit in front her infant kid. 
 
Suddenly, I remembered I saw a similar case from my own country, broadcasted in national TV, about a girl who loves eating red brick. It irked my sense and made me searched more about it. Later I found that it's one of eating disorders. 

If you love eating, licking, and tasting non-nutritious (but still edible items such as baking soda, starch, ice) and/or non-food items (such as chalk, clay, plaster, paint, glue, rust, coffee grounds, cigarette ashes, etc), and you have been doing it for at least 6 months in regular basis (at least twice a week), then most probably you are suffering an eating disorder known as Pica.

Pica is considered as a mental disorder phenomenon, a spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), where people would feel anxious and powerless if they stop their routine. Schizophrenia and autism patients, or people with poverty or childhood trauma history may also lead to pica behaviour. 

Pica acts may also happened due to cultural reason, called culture-bound syndrome. In some cultures, pica is practiced for medicinal purposes and may actually have some value. For example, people in some parts of Nigeria eat kaolinite (a form of clay) to combat diarrhea. The clay actually forms a protective coating in the lining of the intestine and binds bacteria there, thus relieving diarrhea.

However, most of the pica cases, which are unrelated to cultural or mental problem reasons, are happened due to mineral or vitamin deficiency. The easiest example is pica on pregnant women due to iron or zinc deficiency.  This deficiency sometime hooked together with the socioeconomic condition, create a new cultural behaviour. For example, pregnant women on some region in sub-Saharan Africa also eat clay as mineral supplement (check it here or here).

The prevalence of pica is difficult to be estimated, not only due to the fact that pica is highly bound to cultural system, but also because not every people will admit they have an odd eating habit. Pica is usually observed on infants up to 36 months-old, and the tendency will decrease as the age gets older. However, around 10% of those will keep their pica habit until around 12 year-old.       


The complication of Pica is highly related to what kind of non-food item the patient eats. 

• Certain items may contain toxic substances and eating them can lead to poisoning. Certain poisonous material might increase the risk of complications including learning disabilities and brain damage. This is the most concerning and potentially lethal side effect of pica. Co-existing developmental disabilities can make treatment difficult.
• Eating non-food objects interferes the patient to eat healthy food, which usually lead to nutritional deficiencies.
• Eating objects that cannot be digested causes constipation or blockages in the digestive tract, including the intestines and bowels. Also, hard or sharp objects can cause tears in the lining of the intestines.
• Bacteria or parasites from dirt or other objects can cause serious infections. Some infections can damage the internal organs.

There is not specific guideline to treat patient with pica. We have to firstly determine the main cause of the behaviour. Looking at the bigger picture, we have to approach from various aspects; including developmental, behavioural, and environmental therapy along with family education. Sometimes treatment can succeed when the individual experiences negative consequences after eating a non-food substance, and then gets positive reinforcement for consuming proper food.

On the other hand, certain tests can be a good start toward determining physical treatment; including haemoglobin to check for anaemia, poisonous material level,  and gastrointestinal track test. As a first step, treatment should replace missing nutrients if applicable and address any other health issues.

 In short, if you  are OR you know somebody who might have pica disorder.. PLEASE SEEK FOR HELP.. for (at least) physical health purpose.
 
Reference
http://www.something-fishy.org/whatarethey/other.php
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-pica
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/articles/update-pica-prevalence-contributing-causes-and-treatment
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1284110/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070964/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-sense/201109/little-known-eating-disorder-is-the-rise

The Tale of a Boy in a Coffee Shop #42

The old lady just looked at the crooked-nose man in a gentle look.

"I am not in a hurry, dear gentlemen. You can take all the time you need."

The crooked-nose man looked at his partner and sighed once again.

"I don't think we actually have as much time as you think, Mrs. Lisdelle. However, indeed, I was the one who gave the offer." The crooked-nose man left his words hanging in the air. He slant his head to the left, thinking all the possibilities. Out of all, he was definitely not happy with any option.

"I prefer to explain it in short."

The old lady just stared at him in a deathly silence. However, the crooked-nose didn't back off the threat. He stared back at the old lady and continued his ice cold monologue.

"This group is notorious across 10 countries. The police across the continent has been practically chasing after them for nearly a decade. Even if they have been known well enough, strangely, the police still couldn't figure out how many of them, who is the master mind, and else."

The little boy stared at them as he listened to the story. His pupils widened and sweat started to flow out of his pores.

"I don't like this. Pizza owner, what are they talking about? Is the owner in danger?"

The middle-aged man didn't answer the young boy's questions. He wasn't sure either. Who are they actually? He asked to himself. The silence nearly killed everybody there with heavy tense.

The young lady looked at her grandaunt, wasn't sure what to do nor was it related to her too. Those men said something related to their family's inheritance. Should I help her? She was hesitant.

Finally, the old lady broke the ice-cold air, "Lynn."
  
The young lady grasped with surprise, "Yes, granny?"

"Could you please bring me a cup of milk tea? And... three slices of spinach pie, please?"
"Sure, in a flash, granny."

The young lady came back with a tray full of pies and a cup of tea. She put the cup in front of the old lady and the pies to each of them, the old lady and the gentlemen. The old lady took the cup and sipped it with composure.

"If... the police couldn't do much for this past decade, how will you help me, my dear gentlemen?"

The chubby man and the crooked-nose man looked at each other. Seems like they hadn't introduced their selves properly enough.

"We are, Mrs. Lisdelle, detectives from the headquarter," said the chubby man.

They sun rose higher as the clock ticking. The air got hotter and everybody in the coffee shop felt uncomfortable.