West Iron County Basketball 1984-85

billkralovec

 

I made a digital copy of an old (almost 31 years ago) VHS tape of my high school basketball team. I graduate from West Iron County High School, “the Wykons” in 1985. On the video tape were the following games:

  1. My dad filmed the fourth quarter of a regular season game against Iron Mountain high school in the Iron River Armory. We played our games there for years before a new gymnasium built in the new high school. It is appropriate that the new gym is named after our coach, Charles “Chuck” Greenland, who passed away a few years ago. This was the game featuring “the shot” which was my greatest moment in my high school basketball career. I made a last second shot to give us a 56-54 victory, giving the then #1 ranked team in the Class C Upper Peninsula of Michigan polls their first loss of the season. It was wonderful to hear my dad’s voice on the video. It was also great to see so many people at a high school basketball game. This was in the early 1980s before the internet and cable television was just starting, so people had more time to pay attention to high school sports.
  2. Next are the WLUC TV channel 6 news broadcasts of the game above and later in the season, we played Iron Mountain again in the first game of the district tournament. I enjoyed watching the sports segment on the 10:00 pm news program on the television station in Marquette, Michigan, the “capital city” of the Upper Peninsula. My sons were awestruck to see and hear me speak as a teenager and I won’t forget the look on their faces when they watched the video.
  3. Finally, there is the entire WLUC TV broadcast of the class C regional championship basketball game we played against Manistique high school. This was the unofficial Upper Peninsula championship game. We went on to the Michigan state finals, that season, finishing 24-4. I hope to find some more old VHS tapes that I can upload.

I want to thank my teammates, Dan Lewis, Brian Lewis, Jeff Shepich, Mike Nelson and “the scrubs”(Tom Anderson, Scott Bociek, Dave Puskala, Troy Brunelli, Matt Sherman, Kyle Erickson (RIP), Gary Sarafiny, Darren Bray, Bob Lindbeck, Ray Waite and coach Greenland. I have so many fond memories from our basketball team and the good times we had in high school.

Kralovec Boys Perform

billkralovec

24642206514_a6616b3063_z

Oliver is shown above (third from the left) in the recent school production of Grease. He was a member of the elementary school choir that performed several songs in the musical. Oliver’s costume was that of a “greaser” and he had fun with the 1950s hair style. The little guy put a lot of time into the rehearsals and the four performances. As he was on stage more, he became more comfortable, singing and dancing in front of large audiences. The performing arts gives young people the opportunity to develop self confidence and presentation skills. It also gave Nadia and I a thrill to see him on stage. Congratulations to Oliver, we are so proud of you!

24642207084_3f3f31d2b6_z

Earlier this week Owen had his turn on the stage at the middle school music concert. He was featured in the first ensemble. The four piece ensemble played the difficult, “Gonna Fly Now” the famous theme from the movie Rocky. He has been playing the trumpet for almost two years now. Owen is getting pretty good and I hope he continues to play. Music is good for the soul and being able to create your own music to me, a non-musician, is special.

24642210174_7fb4a460ce_z

Below is the video of his performance. Way to go Owen!!!!

Geocaching on the Yodo River

billkralovec

25059878942_44573586c1_z

Sunday afternoon we took the kids down to the Yodo River, one of the big rivers running through Osaka into the bay. There are over 300 geocaches along the shores of the river and people come from all over to see how many they can get in a day. We did a loop around both banks of the river and got a bunch, but not close to 300. The sun was out and despite the cold winds, it was quite pleasant to be outside. The Japanese love baseball and play all year round as you can see by the photo above. I also like to see the large number of bikes at the park. That is one of the reasons the Japanese are so healthy is that they get a lot of exercise, which is a suggestion for Americans to improve their health.

24547445424_fb4d4a94f9_z

As I have previously written, geocaching is a great excuse to get outdoors, spend time together as a family and explore new areas. The river banks are for public use in Japan and one finds sports fields, golf courses, bike paths, fishing spots, etc. We are passing over the Nagara bridge, just outside the central business district (photo above)

24551304903_84dbbf830f_z

Above are the old locks that carried boats between the Okawa and Yodo rivers. Because of dams and levees to prevent flooding, the two rivers had a large difference in elevation. They are no longer used and city officials have turned them into a sort of outdoor museum.

24810443969_8b3a1e7775_z

A highlight for me was crossing this train bridge. The tracks are under construction so no trains are crossing, but Oliver was really frightened to cross, thinking a train would come. There is space on the side and it is safe, so it was a managed risk situation. We made it across with no problems.

Thanks to Josep for driving and Pico and Bernie for helping us find so many geocaches!

 

 

Tateyama Ski Trip

Tateyama Ski Trip

billkralovec

24970947346_6c1619b5b1_z

Owen goes down the hill!

I am finally starting to feel a bit better after last week’s influenza. I was well enough to accompany the students on our school’s annual cross country ski trip. The students learned how to cross country ski at the Tateyama National Youth Outdoor Learning Center. It is just outside of the Tateyama national park, which is located on the far north eastern part of the Japanese alps. The park is famous for the giant snow walls that tourists visit each spring.

It has not been a great year for the skiing business on the main island of Honshu because of a lack of snow. Fortunately for us there was enough snow to be able to ski and students really had fun throwing snowballs, making snowmen, etc. Snow brings out the kid in everyone! The government run center is set up for school groups and so it was a perfect place to bring a large group of adolescents.

24366636884_116b8f2f8d_z

The view from the center looking across the river valley.

This was my first visit to the Nagano / Japanese Alps region and I hope to explore more of the region during my stay in Japan. Below is the view of the mountains from the city of Toyama on the Sea of Japan coast. Of course the highlight for me was spending time with Owen. He gets along so easily with others and is such a positive young man. It was a pleasure to watch him interact with the other students on the trip. A big thank you to Baba sensei for organizing the trip and allowing me to be a chaperone.

24701748440_c1039f984e_z

 

 

 

 

Small Moments

billkralovec

I am trying to capture those small moments in my life that may seem insignificant, but as I get older and my world gets smaller, they become more important. By smaller, I mean family and friends become more important than accomplishments or the outside world.

Last week was Nadia’s birthday. We celebrated with cake and kid champagne. The kids made really nice cards and we started a tradition of making a big sign. Happy birthday baby – I love you!

23984929032_b3e569d039_z

As you can see, I am definitely pushing the boundaries with my cultural comfort. This was the first time I wore a mask. I always thought when I saw Asians wearing a mask I thought that it was because they didn’t want to catch a cold, but actually it is reverse. You wear a mask when you are sick and the mask prevents others from catching your cold or flu. I have a cold/mild flu today and didn’t want to spread my illness. My glasses kept fogging up and Tomomi helped me get it situated so it didn’t happen.

 

24185936103_faced5e6be_z

Last Saturday morning I had to take Owen to the train station to go to his soccer game. He had to be at the station before 7:00 AM and it is one of the ways I can show my love for him is making sure he gets up, has his bags packed and see him off on the train with his teammates. I really enjoy the morning times when it is just him and me! He is growing up and becoming a young man and I am so proud of him. More on his soccer season in later posts. He is shown crossing the street on the way to the Kita Senri station as the sun was coming up.

24445134109_f0a3babd43_z

The “hair fairy” has struck!

24813151315_476abc0c21

 

 

 

 

 

Family Journal: Cold Snap Hits Japan

billkralovec

24222152379_cdba540a66_z

A cold snap has struck the islands of Japan this weekend. It was -2C in Osaka yesterday for most of the day with a cold wind making it feel even colder. One feels the cold here even more because Japanese homes are not insulated and there most do not have central heating. One needs to heat room by room. We also have the extra special touch of no hot water this morning when I desperately need a bath to warm my core.

Ocean is shown above on our bike ride to Daiso last night. She is such a trooper! It turned out to be a really nice ride with her with the almost full moon and Orion in its full constellation glory. Ocean is doing an astronomy unit at school and it has sparked her fascination for space and the night sky.

24589904745_d53b1790cc_z

I was a single dad this weekend. Mom had a girls’ weekend in Korea. We had a nice time together and I was proud of my cooking. I am becoming better in kitchen this year due to necessity with Nadia working and limited domestic help. It is nice to have her back! Below is Ocean pushing her bike up the hill in Kita Senri park. brrrrr…. Many parts of Japan were hit with heavy snow, it seems like everywhere except Osaka. Both north and south of Osaka saw significant snowfall.

24222152579_573fa7cd1f_z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Snowfall in Osaka

billkralovec

24413152041_55f0124a69_z

Osaka’s climate is similar to Atlanta USA so it rarely snows here. Earlier this week, we awoke to a thin covering of snow! By noon it was melted and gone but the morning was fun for the kids and for me. Above is a tsubaki flower, known as the “rose of winter” which is an apt name. They are a common garden hedge in Osaka.

It was strange to see our street (below) with snow cover. I love snow and if it is going to be cold, one might as well have snow. The word for snow is Japanese is yuuki. This is the third occasion in my time here that it has snowed and I am hoping for more.

23867352724_1aed7d81f1_z

The cold weather finally arrived last week after a pretty warm December and early January. As I write this, it is -1C in our suburb of Minoo. It will stay around the zero mark all day today. The cold weather will stay until Wednesday when it will go back up to a high of 12 C (54F).  Nadia is pictured on the way to school on Tuesday morning during the snow.

24413150791_ced43504b9_z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Japanese Tea Ceremony

billkralovec

I had the privilege of participating in our school’s tea ceremony class this week. In the video above, Maki sensei explains how to mix the matcha or powdered green tea. The ritual is very Zen, being brought to Japan 1,300 years ago from China. Each movement must be performed just so and is kind of a form of meditation. The idea of slowing down the mind and focusing on a mundane activity, lifting it to an act of beauty and calmness. I see it as a way of slowing down one’s life so it can seem longer.

The students were very patient and kind with my bumbling of folding of the napkin. Our school has a traditional tatami (tightly bound straw mats) room and it is used for such occasions. The first day Maki sensei wore a kimono, which is such a beautiful formal dress for women. We didn’t get to even see the tea on the first class, which is very Zen. On the second day we finally got to drink some warm tea.

24305764562_14687401e8_z

 Matcha tea is bitter and so it is always accompanied with a sweet. The rubbery but pleasant mochi wrapped around a sweet bean paste center, made a nice combination with the tea.

24046208849_f48a7893fa_z

I have a long way to go before I master the movements of the tea ceremony. Maki sensei studied for 10 years to become a sensei (teacher). We are fortunate to have her on campus. She teaches a tea ceremony class for SIS seniors and runs an after school club for high school students which is open to students from both schools. I would like to organize a workshop for OIS high school students with her sometime this spring.

A huge thank you to Maki sensei and the SIS seniors for allowing me to share the experience! I feel a bit closer to understanding this complex and different culture, al

 

 

 

 

 

A Splendid Start to 2016

billkralovec

24137212725_417a3e9953_z

We started the year in perfect fashion with a New Year’s Day bike ride through Tokyo. I highly recommend the Tokyo Miracle Cycling Tour  and I would like to thank Soshi, our guide for giving my family a deeper understanding of Tokyo and a memorable event. The city was almost deserted early in the morning and it felt like we were in a post apocalypse Tokyo. We rode through the skyscrapers of Ginza, the wide open gardens of the imperial palace, the shoppers in the electronics district and much more.

23841555530_2476ab960d_z

I noticed these roped tires in front of the sumo wrestling Kasugano training stable in the neighborhood of Ryogoku. They fill them with sand and pull them on the street in front of the building for strength training. We also visited the sumo stadium. I hope to go see the sumo when they come to Osaka in March. Below Soshi gave our group instruction on how to pray at a Buddhist temple.

We also rode around the Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park, the largest green space in the city. The police were preparing for the palace open day on January 2, one of only two days the palace is open to the public. The emperor and his wife spoke to 44,000 visitors. The grounds serve as the perfect exercise area. I am not a big fan of monarchs, sacred or otherwise, but it is good that the area is not developed with skyscrapers and roads.

24120708706_bb75ee5506_z

We are pictured at the imperial palace grounds.

Hibiya Park took a special significance as it was featured in my Visualizing Japan course. A thorough breakdown of the 1906 riots that were centered in the park was the second module. I was happy to inadvertently break the rules of the park and play football on the grass. They were off limits to people, but the signs were in Japanese and so we did not know it. A guard respectfully asked us to leave, but not until it was almost dark. I was happy to score one for the common person and use the park as my right as a taxpayer in Japan. I was in solidarity with the citizens during the riots who were protesting unfair train prices and police corruption among other things.

24137248495_a8928f9c62_z

Hibiya Park has probably changed a lot since the riots around the turn of last century.

Our last day in Tokyo was spent shopping in Ginza. January 2 is like “black Friday” in the USA with all the stores offering discounts. We got some good bargains on clothes at the Gap for the kids. We also ate extremely well during the trip and I recommend the Zest Catina (Mexican restaurant) and the Cafe Fredy for their french toast. I will be returning to Tokyo in April for meetings and hope to see a bit more of the biggest city in the world.

23769399149_81b25cd7c9_z

Nippon Bashi (Japan Bridge) underneath the famous Kirin. All roads in Japan are measured by their distance from this bridge in the heart of Tokyo.

New Year’s Eve in Tokyo

billkralovec

24010291611_ac56bdb7e5_z

Striking modern architecture is one of the pleasures of visiting Tokyo. The gold building in the middle is the Asahi beer company headquarters. Reflecting light, it looks like a mug of beer with a foamy head. To the right of it is the Asahi flame and to the immediate left in the background is the Tokyo Sky Tower. The building to the far left is the Sumida Concert Hall.

23464674134_c4d0748c23_z

Family pictured on a bridge over the Sumida river with the Tokyo Sky Tree in the background

To start the day, Nadia and Ocean took a rickshaw to some of the tourist sites near the Sumida river. We walked to the Tokyo Sky Tree, the tallest tower in the world to get some perspective on the city. The Sky Tree is a 634 meter high communications tower and tourist attraction. It is worth going up to the top to see the sprawling megapolis. Despite the crowds, it was only about an hour’s wait to get to the 350 m viewing area. There are also plenty of shops, restaurants and attractions in the lower floors.

23797196920_8c03917059_z

There is not a lot of drunkenness and fireworks in Japan on New Year’s Eve. The thing to do is spend time quietly with family and visit several of the thousands of temples and shrines to reflect/pray for blessings in the upcoming year. We saw lines of people all over and the temples have different themes, like mercy, love, money, etc.

I took the boys after midnight across the street to the Higashi Hongon temple. We watched and listened to worshippers strike the gong 108 times, representing the 108 vices of humans in the Buddhist religion. They had a fire going along with sake and snacks. The gong is on the top floor of one of the temple building and they had a live stream showing everyone taking their turn.

23797387230_1b5999eb15_z

Oliver at the Higashi Hongon-Ji

It certainly was a different way to spend New Year’s Eve, and at my age, excessive drinking is not really the way I want to spend the evening. Ocean had a headache so we had a low key celebration in the apartment with glow sticks and party hats. It is good to mark these events with children. New Year’s celebrations may be my favorite holiday as it is a chance to reflect on the year that passed and look forward to what is coming in the future. I can’t believe it is 2016. As a teenager growing up in the 1980s, I never imagined what it would be like in this century. I am happy and appreciative to be here and able to celebrate!

24066818376_69e2193bf9_z

Crowds line up to say their prayers on New Years Eve. The photo above is the Senso temple, the oldest and most important Buddhist temple in Japan. We touched the bell for good luck.

Happy New Year everyone!