Need an excuse to go to Kyoto?

As many of you know, I have been running and training regularly for the first time since I graduated high school and quit running competitively. Since then, I gained more than 60 pounds (about 27 kilograms), and slowly but surely my health had deteriorated.

After having cancer (did you know I had cancer? Well...I had cancer.) and my wife being only weeks away from having our daughter, I figured that it was high time to get back on the horse. I registered for the Kobe marathon, only to find out that my registration was filled out one day too late and that I wouldn’t be allowed to run in it.

Fast forward (or rewind as it were) to last September. I learned about a marathon in South Osaka and decided to enter it. When I went to register on the second day of registration, it was already completely full and again, I was disappointed by a lack of entry into the marathon.

Still dying to legitimately run a marathon, I came across the Kyoto International Marathon. I had to enter my name into a lottery and then wait for it to be picked out of a hat sometime between late September and Oct. 31^st. I got an email in early November that they had delayed the decision until the 25^th of November (facepalm).

So fast forward again to present day (literally – today). I received an email from the Kyoto International Marathon informing me that I was accepted into the race and that I will be allowed to run on March 11, 2012!

Now, why am I telling you all this? What is the purpose of me getting into a certified marathon? Why don’t I just jump the gates and start running?

The answer to the third question is simple: I like the numbers that we get for our shirts and I want one.

The other two can be summed up very simply. If you didn’t know, I had cancer and I want to run this marathon as a charity to a kids’ cancer foundation.

I have decided after much consideration that I have to give to a children's cancer charity in Japan. I have also decided that I can't forget where I come from and a camp that a certain friend of mine went to as a child and works at today; I have decided to split the donations between two foundations - the Children's Cancer Association of Japan and Camp CoHoLo in Nebraska.


The Children's Cancer Association of Japan (日本語のサイト)　is the only NPO in Japan dedicated to children with cancer. It provides support to families who have children with cancer in the form of counseling, moral support, in some circumstances financial support, they train volunteers for hospital work, and they even put on an annual summer camp for children. Their work began in 1968 and their work has positively affected thousands of families throughout the Japanese archipelago.


I was introduced to Camp CoHoLo (Short for Courage Hope and Love) by a friend of mine who I grew up with in Omaha, Nebraska. This is a short term summer camp put on for children who grow up with cancer and severe blood disorders. It has been an annual event that has grown from a one-week camp for 22 children to a split group for 6 to 17 year-olds over the course of two weeks. The camp counselors include a dedicated "volunteer staff at Camp CoHoLo [that] includes pediatric hematology/oncology physicians and nurses from the Nebraska Medical Center and Children's Hospital and Medical Center who maintain strict medication schedules and monitor the health of all campers." Camp CoHoLo received the Heartland Better Business Bureau Integrity Award in May of 2005 for their service to youth in Mid-America.

Personally? I don’t pretend that cancer is something that I think I can change. I don’t intend to. I don’t pretend that giving a donation to a group like Camp Coholo or the CCAJ will make anybody live longer. I don’t pretend about cancer. Period. I had it - I had a weak version of it and it sucked like nothing has ever sucked before. All I intend to do is to make the quality of life better for kids who really haven’t had a chance to be a kid because they were busy going through chemo or some other form of torture that comes with the territory of having terminal illness.

I’m not pretending that I, alone, can beat cancer. But with charitable donations, WE can make life a little more bearable for children that got stuck with it.

Please feel free to contact me on Facebook or Twitter (@Kobentino) to inquire about donations.

And by all means, feel free to come up to Kyoto on March 11 to cheer me on!

Ferrets, Cheese and other Ponderings

It comes as no surprise that Japan has been on a course of self-preservation since the late 1940’s.

With all they have been through, who wouldn’t try.

What is a surprise is their method, their ‘mode de opérationnelle’, their

‘modus operandi’, their ‘anwendungsmodus’, if you may.

You see, it has come to my attention that the Japanese plan to have their entire country and culture recognized by UNESCO.

For example:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/jp

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/state=jp

But this takes the red bean paste cake!

Now Japan wants its cuisine recognized by UNESCO.

Why?

Because the Mexicans did it, that’s why.

That’s right folks. The entire gastronomy of Mexico is right up there the with the French and Mediterranean diets. Yup. They are on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Which I think is totally awesome. After all who doesn’t like Taco Bell?

Yessir! Now when y

ou think of the greatest foods man has ever created, think Fajitas, Chimichangas, Spider Monkeys and Doritos.

Personally I am totally stoked! Cause,

nothing says lovin’ like a Spider Monkey in the oven!

But Japan??

What delicacies has Japan ever given to the world?
Nattou? Tofu? Octopus flavoured sticky things in a bag?

Certainly nothing that can compare to Doritos.

Granted Japan has Okonomiyaki, Sushi, Sashimi and… ….and Takoyaki.

All of which are very tasty and wonderful with beer (may Allah’s blessings be upon it). BUT, where are the Chimichangas???

But I digress.

Beer.Let’s forget about having our national cuisines recognized and get down to brass tacks.

You: “But Mike, food goes with beer.”

Mike: “Sure food goes with beer, but so do bicycle tires.”

And…

BEER SAVED MANKIND.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf3YvXM9j5o

Beer is the single greatest creation that man has ever creatively

Henceforth I propose that BEER be recognized by UNESCO.created!

Now let us all bow our heads in prayer.

Our lager,

Which art in barrels,

Hallowed be thy hops.

Thou will be drunk, And I will be drunk, At home as in the tavern.

Give us this day our foamy head,

And forgive us our spillages, As we forgive those who spill against us.

And lead us not to incarceration, But deliver us from hangovers.

For thine is The Ale, The Bitter and The Lager.

Forever and ever,

Barmen

Thank you and goodnight.

MikeyB

The following was brought to you buy the fine men and women at (insert favourite brewery).