Yeah New Kite!!

The main reason I come home of course is to visit friends and family, but it also provides me the opportunity to pick up buy some things. There are a few reasons I go shopping when I'm home. I'll buy something here either because I just can't get it in Japan, because it's cheaper here than in Japan, or because, while it may be available in Japan, for various reasons it's just easier to get it here. For example, I buy tacos when I'm home because it's exceedingly difficult to get a decent taco in Japan. I bought some new sneakers here because they are cheaper than in Japan. Last summer I had some work done on one of my guitars because it's much easier to communicate with the luthier here than it is in Japan.

Today's purchase falls into a combination of reasons number 1 and 3. I bought a new kite here because, while I'm sure sport kites are available in Japan (I've already bought one there), I haven't been able to find a shop that sells decent ones. My Japanese kite was purchased at Toys R Us, and after learning the basics on that kite, I have been itching to get something a little more quality.

Yesterday I did a little searching around on the web for a kite shop here on the Cape, and after sitting in traffic for a while I eventually found it. I ended up getting a nice kite within my price range that is leaps and bounds above my Toys R Us, beady eyed monster back in Japan. There was no wind yesterday, so today my friend Mark and I headed down to the beach to put the new kite through its paces. The wind left something to be desired, but I at least got a taste of what's to come.

This was the beach we went to. Love the view of Sandy Neck across Barnstable Harbor. It was an absolutely spectacular day.



Here's the new gear getting ready to take flight.



And here it is hovering above the beach.



Overall I dig the new kite. The controls are set up a little differently than any I've used before. I'm used to using proper handles on the kites I've used thus far, but this one has straps that you loop around your wrists and hold on to. This kite is very responsive, even in the weak winds that we had today. I'm anxious to try it out in some more consistent, stronger winds which will give me a lot more responsiveness and leeway in terms of maneuvering my rainbow machine.

Some observations on being back home.
Things I've missed:
-watching Red Sox games on TV
-The Daily Show
-Cape Cod in the summer
-not living amidst barking dogs, and hearing birds
-being surrounded by green
-the ease of familiar surroundings
-being able to communicate without any language barriers
-The Deadliest Catch (and the Discovery Channel in general)

Things I haven't missed:
-FOX News, CNN, et al.
-Cape Cod traffic in the summer

It's a short list.

I'm off to Vermont tomorrow until Saturday to visit some friends, relax by Lake Champlain, fly my kite, and possibly play a round of gold, all of which I'm really looking forward too. Hopefully the weather will be nice, thought the forecast is not promising. At any rate it will be good to hook up with some of my best friends who I haven't seen since last summer. Hopefully I've some pictures to post and some stories to tell when I get back. Happy 4th to all the American readers (by the way this is my first 4th of July in 3 years).