more pics from tsukuba

a couple of more photos from friends. because it's a clubman race so hardly ever gets on magazines. it's good to have friends around and taking photos.
it was the last race of this year. there was a big, big gap between 2nd and 3rd but it's still a podium finish.

i only started racing this year. in my last 22yrs of motorcycle riding i was never a person who would go for speed. i still think that if there wasn't zero engineering, if there wasn't kumagai-san (2nd on podium) working at zero engineering, i probably never thought about me racing.

a picture on the wall

i got a new year's card with woodcut japanese lady on the back... i really liked it and it's been hung on my wall last 10yrs.
just last week, i was told that the friend who mailed the new year's card past away november last year and someone is opening an exhibit for 1yr anniversory of her. so i went.
She was a silver accessory designer... and cute fine lady with lovely smile

something that I like about my country

a lot of people say, it's a beautiful country... no ague about it but i think when you come to something traditional, they are really beautiful.
everything is business nowadays but i appreciate people still carry out thisngs been done for long time.

my sister's wedding... nov 14, 2009

5hrs drive to Tsukuba

preparing to leave for tsukuba. 2 harleys and 5 people are pushed into the toyota for 5 bloody hrs trip. thanks to our friend, shiga-kun for driving all the way and back.

we got to tsukuba around 3:30am, put out my sleeping bag outside and closed my eyes. a guard came to woke us up at 5:00am for a stupid reason... so our suday started.

it was warm for november in tsukuba, north of tokyo.

got a photo from one of zero engineering customers' friend who came from fukushima and helped us all day. 3 harleys are headding out for the qualifying session.

having a good time with good people

i was asked to be an interpreter for an event organized by a city next to mine. i hesitated first because i had to do it for free but i thought about one of my friends who takes care of mentally disabled kids as her part-time job, i took the job.
it was a full day work, from meeting with city mayor to 2hrs newspaper interview... and reception party with beautiful dinner which i couldn't have because i had to come back for my real job.
Anyway, i was so glad that i took the job and met those sailors. i would love to see the city become the center of disabled sailing of Japan and Asia.


there was a lady from England, and she gave me that... knife-rest??? just like we have "chopsticks pillow." a beautiful gift, some 120yrs old... wow!

motivation and demotivation

about a week ago, i had a chance to visit my favorite place.

although i love my xr1000 and i still think that xr1000 has the best looking engine, nothing can beat the beauty of moriwaki monster... i am one of those people who wish to be born a few decades earlier.

my race already finished yesterday but i wanted to put my blog in time order.

me and my mate went to the circuit nearby for the last check before the race. and of course, there is a problem. the point picker roter broke... i have ridden the bike last 10years over 45,000miles so things are starting to give me a little shit like this. but it was lucky that happened not during the race!!!