I guess ive been in Takahagi for a couple of weeks now? Its been alot of fun really :) The beach is a bit like Mt Maunganui or Mangawhai Heads (for you kiwis) - mellow surf, clear water and white sand. Well, the sand seems more grey on the cloudy days and sometimes a bit golden, depending on my mood perhaps?
Weve got really warm water - like 25deg!! and theres been some nice waves now & then too - mostly small waves (2-3ft), but theres a good break right in our swimming area, which we take advantage of before & after work virtually every day :)
Ive been trying some new tricks surfing on the rescue board too - standing up & walking to the nose of the board, headstands, paddling the board backwards into a wave & standing up and also paddling sitting on the board. Funtimes in small surf!!
I think i mite be a bit outa practice with being in bigger waves like we often get at home?. But it feels like its not that long to go til il be back for the NZ summer??
We had a visit from the Yakusa (Japanese mafia) recently too. They heard that something was going on at the beach, so they turned up in 3 luxury buses for their version of a company day out. They were all pretty happy & didnt try to do any ninja tricks on us, even when we warned them (politely) against swimming too far out of their depth. phew!! I got to use a couple of my now standard phrases in Japanese to warn a couple of Yakusa guys, but they just looked surprised to hear a gaijin speaking japanese :)
Ive been getting a few rescues recently too, so thats been a bit of excitement - a few Japanese bikini girls even! :)
Today was the most rescues for me for a long time - 7 people (all by rescue board, for you lifeguards out there). Plus 5 yesterday and 2 tube rescues a few days ago - more than i managed last summer in NZ!!!
Some might call this being a rescue-slut.... maybe theyre right??? ;)
Ive been patrolling (or playing?) on the jetski a bit here too, but no rescues on that yet. Just blat around and yell a few words of Japanese out to people & hope they understand me? ;) Theres a few Brazilians around too (immigrant workers), but i have to speak Japanese to them as well since i dont know any portugese (yet). Havent seen anyone playing capoeira on the beach yet tho... maybe il have to visit some Brazilian beaches... :)
(theres a couple more photos online from here now too)
