Oxfam Do-Life

Done in 41!

2009-05-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

...hours and 19 minutes!

As many of you now know, we completed the Oxfam trail, #67 out of 103 teams to finish with all 4 people.

I'm very proud to have walked with such a great team. Like Deguchi-san said after, we couldn't have done it if any one of us was missing. Guy kept the spirits up for all of us, and had us enjoying ourselves even when we were walking through fog and rain in the middle of the night. Deguchi-san, despite injury, kept us walking a good pace through the tough final charge to Lake Yamanaka. Amol helped create a great story to keep our mind of the tough final stage, and helped make sure we all got to the finish line by walking the right pace.

Like Sergeant Slaughter says...

We all go home... or nobody goes home!

For myself, I think I brought some Sergeant Slaughter to the team. When we made the team, we were determined to finish with all four of us, which is no easy challenge. Many teams walk the wrong pace and lose a person to injury or exhaustion. Some teams run into personal issues, and lose people or break-up. All of these things are challenges we to ran into. None of us were saints on the course, I know I especially had some rough spots. We all worked together, though, to beat the physical and mental challenge the 100km through rain, fog, and injury entailed.

In addition to teams that warned me, though, there were lots of teams that I found very inspiring. It was great whenever our team ran into another high-energy team, because we both charged each other up for the next round.

Some teams that I particularly have to thank are (more to remember, as they might not see the blog):

The Soundtracks

Team Suzuki

Team Sunshine

All of these teams really helped make Oxfam fun for our team, and are the main reason I look forward to staying involved in the future.

The final, essential ingredient...

A big thank-you goes to the support team, which was really key to us finishing the race.

We had a great team, who all helped us out before and during the race:

Naomi (honorary captain)

Eri

Georgi

Mike

Mako

Mahbub

Our support team did a lot for us. They made sure we got to the event on time, they helped us setup camp and get the food and refreshments we needed, they stretched us out and patted us down after the hard stretches, they took the pictures, and helped make the enkai after.

They did a whole lot, and helped make it an event to remember instead of just a physical challenge.

I'm really glad you all supported us this year, and I'd be glad to support a team with you guys in the future!

Get those shoes on!

2009-05-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Well it's almost time to get a walkin'! Loads of thanks to all those that are supporting us and have been cheering us on all this time. I'm looking forward to the 100k, a little anxious for sure, but what the hell. It beats downloading and watching pirated movies on the good ol' mac. (DO NOT watch Baby on Board)

I just read an article forwarded to me by Amol, which talked about the positive aspects of pairing up charity events and physical challenges, a particularly interesting side note was that this OXFAM TRAILWALKER event is actually based on an old military exercise for Nepalese Ghurka soldiers when that part of the world was a British territory. I imagine those Ghurkas shaking their heads and swearing in Nepali when they find out that it's turned into an event of over 200 teams repeated in 9 different countries every year...for fun! They'd probably laugh if they saw most of the folks at the start line, beer bellied bankers, skinny IT nerds and tiny little asian women all stretching their legs in their "performance enhancing" tights and neon colored Nike Free tennis shoes. Indeed, laughable.

So why do it? While a small percentage of the participants MUST have have some kind of masochistic motive (I sometimes think I might fall into this category, just look at what I do for money), I'd like to think it has more to do with what those folks in that article were talking about, Challenge and Charity. Personally, I want to challenge myself to be a better person and break some bad habits/limits, whether they be physical, mental, or whatever. Charity doesn't sound too bad either, the Lord knows I could do with a few more Karma points. Although I won't be personally involved in helping anybody... but myself... and maybe a few teammates:), I really trust this OXFAM organization and am very grateful to be able to raise money to enable them to do good works and empower many individuals and communities around the world.

Hmm, I wonder what the Ghurkas would say about that??? Anyway, to the rest of the Do-Life boys and girls, See ya on the mountain!

Three days and counting...

2009-05-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Finally, the D-Day is here. Do-Life will be walking 100km on Friday, 22nd May. And yes, we are definitely looking forward to complete it with a bang.. :-)

As Evan mentioned, the key is to keep walking and I agree. We all have trained and worked hard so far, and I am sure that we'd not only finish, but will also meet the time target we have set for ourself.

A big THANKS to our support team. Thanks for being part of Do-Life and taking time from your busy schedule to be there for us from start to end. ARIGATOU..!!!

On a last note, I'll just say, "LETS DO IT..!!!" ^_^

One week to go...

2009-05-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

So it's one week to go before the event, what am I thinking?

To be honest, I'm excited.

The longest stretch of the trail I've walked so far is 55km, 70 if you count our detour, but so far Oxfam seems to be a lot like fatherhood.

As in thinking about it seems hard, but once you start doing it, you find that even though it is hard, it's also a lot of fun and nothing you can't handle if you just keep rolling.

It's also a lot like fatherhood in that your wife usually ends up working harder than you do.

I'll be enjoying myself on the trail, while Eri & Naomi will be buzzing around with the support team like a bunch of busy bees, making sure we all finish in good spirits. All I can say is if you have a young baby, and want to take a weekend to walk 100km with the boys, it better be for charity.

So how about the boys, the 3 others on the walking Do-Life team? I'm really glad I've done it with them. They've taught me what I do well and not so well, and like any real team, I can pass the baton when I need to. It seems that we've now all caught the Do-Life bug, and everybody's ready to finish by midnight Saturday, which is really great.

I think if we all listen to each other when we're saying the right things, we'll be finishing the race in good time to take a bath before bed-time Saturday. When you're doing it for Charity, that's the real gold medal.

White T-Shirt Party - Over 30,000 yen for Oxfam!

2009-05-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

Great times & Great art!

Hey there, we'd like to send a big thanks to everyone who came to the white T-Shirt party last Saturday, it was a great time!

In addition to the fun, we also raised over 30,000

yen for Oxfam, thank you everyone for your generosity!

Do-Life does Dinner

Most of the people here know Amol's an expert in curry, but I bet ve

ry few people knew the rest of the Do-Life team could cook so well!

We didn't plan it, but it turns out we had a perfect four course meal:

I made peanut butter cookies with my wife (dessert, though we had it first!), Deguchi-san made a great minestrone soup, Guy made Hawaiian sushi with spam as an appetizer, and Amol made his fire-throwing curry to top the dinner off!

It was a lot of fun to see everyone's specialty, and we're all glad everyone enjoyed the food so much!

White T-Shirts - a new art medium

This was actually my first white T-shirt party, and all I can say is the shirts speak for themselves! We'll definitely be carrying these on the hike to remember all of your support!

Team Logo - Unveiled!

The final big event of the evening was the official unveiling of our Do-Life team logo!

All of us on the Do=Life walking & support team will be doing our thing in style at the main event, and do lucky white T-Shirt goers became honorary members when they won their very own shirt this weekend!

Climbing the Cloud-Catcher - 雲取り山

2009-05-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Kumotori-san - The Cloud Catcher

Over Golden Week we took a trip to the highest mountain in the Tokyo Prefecture - Kumotori-san.

Kumotori-san means "Cloud Catcher" in Japanese, and if you check out the photos, you'll really see what I mean.

We were literally walking in the clouds for most of the trip!

Home Sweet Home

Our hiking plan allowed us to spend one full day on the mountain, which allowed us to make a nice two day home on the mountain.

As you know, nothing beats home-cooking, and Guy was our master-chef for all our major meals!

Making Dinner the First Night

Sites to remember

It was an amazing hike with a lot of great sites and adventures, but one that really sticks with me is the amazing bridge leading to the Mitsumine Shrine at the end of our hike.

There's nothing famous about it, but it's amazing what you can find in the Japan country side!

First Annual Do-Life BBQ!

2009-04-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Great Times in Tachikawa!

We just want to thank everyone for the great time we had in Tachikawa this past Wednesday!

As you noticed from the title, I definitely look forward to having another great BBQ next year.

Check out our photos on Flickr, once I get the group shots, I'll be sure to post them!

Raising the Bar - Thanks to you!

2009-04-25T05:55:00.001-07:00

We want to thank all our supporters who helped us climb our first fundraising mountain!

But when you climb one mountain, you gotta climb a higher one next!

We've raised the bar to 3000, and are going to work hard for your continued support!

Thanks for being part of the Do-Life team, everyone!

Tachikawa BBQ - Moved to Wednesday, April 29th!

2009-04-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone, I'm sorry I had the dates mixed up in my previous post.

Due to the rain this weekend, we will be moving the BBQ to:

Wednesday, April 29th 9am - After Lunch

Read below for the rest of the details, I hope to see you there!

Wednesday April 29th - Oxfam BBQ @ Tachikawa Park - 立川国営昭和記念公園

2009-04-23T10:03:00.001-07:00

What & where?

Hey there, as a change of pace this holiday, we're going to meet up at the Tachikawa Showa Memorial Park (立川国営昭和記念公園) this Wednesday!

Tachikawa Park Website

When & What?

Wednesday, April 29th, 9am - After Lunch

To beat the heat, we plan to arrive at the park when it opens at 9, enjoy ourselves, and then have a BBQ lunch. Read below for more details on the BBQ!

I've never been there, but it's a great looking park with a lot to do, and a 14km cycling course.
Hopefully the Do-Life team, and anybody who wants to join us, can do some cycling to build stamina for the 100k!

Feel free to bring anything you can, frisbees, badminton, whatever!

Who?
The park's a big place, so feel free to bring friends.
My wife Eri & daughter Naomi will be coming, so it's a good chance to meet some honorary Do-Life members.

Rain & BBQ & RSVP

There's a real chance of rain, so let's do the following...

If you want to come, give me an email I can reach you with on the day
Send to my gmail
We'll send out a go/no-go mail Wednesday 7am
Tell me the number of BBQ orders you want - 2000 yen per person
Two people can probably share 1 BBQ order
let us know if you're coming alone, but want to combine
We'll order BBQ sets from the park on the day, when we see it won't rain
try and bring your own utensils, Oxfam is also about staying green, after all :-)

So I hope to see you all this Wednesday, and lets hope the rain this weekend keeps next week clear!

4/10 Fight Night!!!

2009-04-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

One of the oxfamtastic 4 got in a fight last week... don't worry it wasn't on the street in the middle of the night... we'll save that post for another time, another blog :) No this one was a professionally sanctioned Mixed Martial Arts "SHOOTO" fight at "Shinjuku FACE," one of the popular fight event spots of Tokyo.

I wish I could report to everyone that this last fight ended with my hand getting raised at the end. What I can report is that is was one helluva brawl and I had a lotta fun! Unfortunately things don't always happen like you plan... Tyson said it best "everybody's got a plan, until they get punched in the face." No worries though, it seems like I might be getting another shot on June 6th!

Thanks to the folks that came to root me on! Amol, Evan, Deg, Andrew, Masa and his wife, Rod and Keith (also thanks to Keith for donating to Oxfam!) P.S. here's a link to the fight write-up and even bloodier pics... if you got the stomach for it!

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/miki-topples-ikoma-at-shooting-disco-8-16953

http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/event/8/Pictures-Shooto-Shooting-Disco-8-17111

Roaming Tokyo - Jimba-san to Shoto-san

2009-04-21T15:31:00.001-07:00

The world past Takao...

Just about every Tokyo resident has been to Takao at least once. It's a great place, but sometimes it feels like every Tokyo resident is there at the same time.

If you continue past Takao, though, and onto Jimba-san, the mood quickly chan

ges. You're no longer in Tokyo's backyard, you're into a rougher set of mountains.

Jimba-san, despite its crazy horse (see the Flickr photos), is a very nice place with lots of wide open grass for picnics and quick naps.

Continuing west to Shoto-san you start finding some steep inclines & rough trails.

Nice to know you can still find Japan's wild heart near the city, if you know where to look!

Breaking the limit!

2009-04-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Over 120,000 yen to Oxfam - thanks to you!

The team would just like to send a big thank you to everyone for helping us make our first funding milestone of 120,000 yen!

Your sponsorship will go a long way towards improving people's lives and futures in the developing world, and your support will keep us moving for the whole 100k!

There's still plenty of time to go, with some big team events coming up, so I'm sure this is only the first milestone we'll be breaking!

Thank you!

Sunday, April 19th - Let's get on the mountains!

2009-04-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post to say we'll be having a training hike this Sunday, April 19th!

Where?

Not entirely decided, but probably part of the Takao - Jimba range.

Where & When do we meet up?

Usual Do-Life rules, plan to be at Shinjuku at 7am :-)

Oxfam @ On The Spree - Over 20 Drinks for Oxfam!

2009-04-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

Over 20 Drinks for Oxfam - Thanks to you!

The Oxfam Do-Life team just wants to send out a big thanks to everyone who attended the party at On The Spree this weekend.

Thanks to your support, we were able to raise over 20 drinks for Oxfam, which is over 20,000 yen!

We won't forget your contributions on the mountain either, it'll keep us going long into the night!

Look forward to May 9th - White T-Shirt Party!

Keep May 9th open on your calendar, we're going to be having a white T-Shirt party.

It'll be another awesome night with great people for a great cause!

April 12th - Give it all to Oxfam!

2009-04-07T05:50:00.000-07:00

Twenty-six was a busy year.

My wife and I were married in Michigan (I was 25 when we married in Japan!)

We celebrated our first Anniversary in Japan, with an amazing group of friends and family.

My father left this world after providing many years of love, support, and joy to me and countless others.

My daughter turned one, showing just how much fun she has yet to share.

I also took on the Oxfam Trailwalker challenge with a group of good friends I'm proud to know.

As I already have so many good things in my life, I want to dedicate this birthday to Oxfam

Give it all to Oxfam!

I would be honored if help me celebrate my birthday through a donation using our...

Do-Life Donation Page

If you're kind enough to send a cash gift to me, I'll donate the full amount to Oxfam.

Help me close 26 with a bang, people around the world will thank you!

Buy me & Oxfam a Birthday Drink!

For those attending the Flair party this Saturday, you can also buy me and Oxfam a drink!

Don't leave before midnight!

April 11th - 'Do-life Flair Party' @ "On the Spree"

2009-04-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

Buy Oxfam a Drink, the world is thirsty!

Amol Bansode is dedicating this Saturday night at his bar, On the Spree to Oxfam.

Come to the bar, buy yourself & Oxfam a drink!

All the cash donations raised this weekend will be donated to Oxfam Japan, which is working hard to help make developing countries around the world independent.

When & Where?

7pm @ On The Spree

Here's the map to the location.

Get all the details you need from...

the Google Calendar event or...

the eVite

What to wear?

Something green, for Oxfam!

"The Last of the Tough Guys"

2009-04-07T04:20:00.000-07:00

Berry Rubin - "The Last of the Tough Guys"

My father, Berry Rubin, passed away Tuesday, March 24th. He was 63 years old and had lived with cancer for two years.

Why a Tough Guy?

My cousin coined my father "the Last of the Tough Guys."

The anecdotes leading up to that name are many, but the moment of inspiration seems to be the way he picked up the newspaper in the dead of Michigan's winter...

Michigan's winters are cold, and icy, and windy. When my cousin and I were in high-school, it was a morning ritual to head outside in the dark morning, and chip our cars out from under a layer of ice. We'd do this in full winter gear; hats, gloves, and thick coats.

On some mornings, in the midst of all this chipping and freezing, my father would saunter out in shorts and a T-shirt, with no shoes at all, to pick up the morning paper.

He'd then stand there and talk with us about whatever was on his mind at 6:45 in the morning.

And so my cousin started calling him "the Last of the Tough Guys." A tough guy for the shorts and no shoes, and "last" for drama.

The Real Tough Guy

Of course it takes more than cold tolerance to be a real tough guy. Penguins live in the Antarctic, and nobody calls them tough guys.

These are the things that really made him a tough guy to me, and the people who knew him:

He never quit giving.

When it came to helping, no matter the time, distance, or effort, if somebody needed the help, my father made sure they got it.

He made a tradition of giving pastries to all the staff and patients of his physical therapy clinic, regardless of how his own treatment was going.

He never complained - outside of a restaurant.

My father, like everybody, had many setbacks. I never once heard him blame others for his misfortune.

At the same time, I don't think he ever ordered a meal at a restaurant without sending it back because it was too cold, even if it was glowing hot. Even if he didn't order anything, he made sure somebody's plate got sent back to the kitchen.

He always ended up positive.

My father, like everyone, got knocked down and depressed from time to time. He always bounced back to being positive quickly, and didn't get stuck feeling down.

I remember when I called him one weekend after he had been moved from the physical therapy clinic back to the cancer ward because his situation had deteriorated. He told me he had the clinic put in a bar over his bed so he could maintain his upper-body strength, which was what allowed him his mobility after he lost control of his legs.

The Last?

There's still tough guys out there in the world.

There's still plenty of people out there taking on their own personal struggles, and fighting hard even when the odds are against them.

There's still people helping others, and then going the extra mile to make it a gift of friendship instead of charity.

There's still people looking forward and saying "what can I do now?" instead of looking back with "what happened to me?"

So who's going to be the next "Last of the Tough Guys"?

They've got a lot to live up to, but I'm sure I'll meet that person some day.

The Oxfam Trailwalker is part of my trek towards the title, I look forward to hearing about yours.

Happy Birthday Amol!

2009-03-21T02:47:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Amol!

Glad your on our team, and spent your pre-birthday day on the mountains!

The Man Speaks

2009-03-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

From our resident professional athlete, some words of wisdom on training:

Yo What's up Do-Lifers!

Yeah, good hike. I'm glad that everyone already seems to be in good shape. How does everyone's legs feel? Rather than first having to "get in shape" we can focus on getting stronger and building on what we already have. 30K sounds like a good amount to be doing. I would also suggest doing a long slow jog (around 10k) sometime during the middle of the week to supplement training. Just be careful of shin-splints and make sure you're getting enough calories each day as well as your protein/carbs. This will ensure that muscle recovery is quick, and strength increases. Not enough food, your body will cannabalize muscle to make up for lack of calories = weaker not stronger.

Sorry if this sounds repetitive, 20-30k of hiking each week plus complementary training (jogging, etc) is a heavy workload for anyone, and I just can't emphasize enough how important it is to take care of your body nutritionally. If anyone has any nutrition questions or how they can supplement their training during the week let me know.

Guy

First Overnight!

2009-03-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Knocking out Checkpoints

With the three day weekend coming up, we're planning to knock out the the big middle section of the Oxfam trail, which will put us well on our way to knowing the whole thing, so we can do hikes in other areas.

We're planning a big hike, it'll be tiring but a lot of fun.

The plan is...

First Train to Hakone

We'll be taking the first train possible to Hakone, so we get a good early start.

We'll need to get to Hakone town, as the first part of our hike takes us around Lake Ashi.

Where & when do we meet up?

We are taking the 7am Odakyu Romance Car leaving Shinjuku arriving in Hakone Yumoto at 8:27.

I'll be at the station at 6:35 to pick up our tickets.

CP 3 - 4: Around Lake Ashi

This is 15k, mostly through the Hakone town, should be a good way to warm up the legs in the morning.

CP 4 - 5: Up, up, up! Then down!

18k, up the mountains to a temple, and then bouncing back down again.

We'll do a time reality check here as there's bus access to civilization for those who need to get home.

If things go well, we'll reach here between 4 & 6pm.

CP 5 - 6: Through the mountains, hope there's a place to sleep

This is 9.5, and right through the mountains.

Considering time, though, only people who can stay overnight will be able to do this.

CP 6 - 7: Sun's up, back to civilization

We're planning only a quick nap in the night, so we'll be meeting the dawn walking over the mountian to get back to civilization, and the train line!

It's 16k, so it'll definitely push our limits.

All told, over half the hike!

If we get all this done, we'll have cracked over half the Oxfam in one hike, which will be a great accomplishment for our team.

Don't forget your way out!

You'll all want to take a look at this important map, which shows the access to the different checkpoints.

Oxfam Trail Access Map

First Hike - 3 Checkpoints 25km

2009-03-05T06:23:00.000-08:00

First Hike - 25 km down, 75 to go

Sunday, March 3rd we took our first hike

together, covering the first 3 checkpoints of the Oxfam hike.

We basically started in a sports field outside of Odawara station, and ended up in the city of Hakone.

Training for the trailwalker presents the extra fun of learning how to read the maps.

When you're hiking with 1000 other people, it's much harder to get lost in the first stages, when it's not so much a hiking trail, but more backroads past farm fields.

One major leg of the first checkpoint basically has you trampin

g past farm fields along an irrigation canal.

Things like the traffic triangle you see above, with my fine companions, serve as importa

nt signs of which way to go!

Landmarks

When put together a 100km hike through Japanese farmfields & mountains, you can't always count on signs to point the way. Sometimes you have to rely on the kindness of strangers.

Many years ago, Some kind farmer left his trusty blue pickup in the woods, knowing that his truck would one day become the scrapped car we would use to find our way through the forest.

Signs of Spring

The best thing about getting into the mountains this time of year is you really see the beginning of spring. The freshness of the world outside the city is always a pleasure to see.

One thing I particularly enjoy about Japan is the vast variety of wildflowers you can find, such as the suisen. They're traditional Japanese New Year flowers, and have a very fresh smell. The first time we had them delivered to our home, I though they were green onions with flowers and put them in the fridge.

In March, they're springing up all over the mountains, which is a great treat while hiking.

Planning the next!

Now the real trick will be scheduling hike #2, and the overnight.

We'll keep you posted!

First Hike! Odawara to Lake Ashi

2009-02-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

First Hike!

Now that you know who we all are, it's time for us to get started!

Our first hike will cover the first three checkpoints of the oxfam trail.

It should be a good starter hike to get everybody loosened up after the long winter.

Calendar!

Be sure to check out the Google calendar event, it's where we'll put all the latest info.

When, where & how?

This Sunday, March 1st, meeting at 7:45.

We'll be meeting at Shinjuku station by the Shonan-Shinjuku line.

We'll be riding car 1, so if you can't find us at the gates, wait on the Platform.

The train leaves at 8am so make sure you're there before!

Pirates?

As you can see from the photo, it appears there's a pirate problem on Lake Ashi.

We'll be sure to let you know more...

Roll Call - Amol Bansode

2009-02-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

Amol Bansode / अमोल बनसोडे

Age: 29
Occupation: IT - Investment Banking
Employer: Bank of America
Sun Sign: Aries
Where am I from: Pune - India
Country of Residence: Tokyo - Japan
Favorite Quote: One life, live it..!!

Intro:
Thank you for reading our do-life blog. I'm extremely excited to be part of this amazing team (as guy calls it 'Oxfamtastic Four' :P)

I did Oxfam last year (in 2008). It was an incredible experience. When I finished my walk last year, I had already decided walk again. 100km walk for good cause, I am in..!!! I find myself lucky to be able to walk with close friends. I know its going to be a superb experience.

We need your support, encouragement and best wishes to succeed in our goal..

About me:
Born and brought up in India, I've been working outside my country for more than FIVE years now. One of the best decisions I made as part of career moves was to come to Japan. I immediately fell in love with this country, its culture and people. The rugged terrain of Japan helped me rejuvenate my hiking habits. I love the getaways to mountains, and enjoy beauty of nature; another reason to do Oxfam.

Interests:
Hiking, Biking, Books, Movies, Programming, Games, PS3 and of course beer & scotch.. ^_^

Greetings

2009-02-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Hi. Everyone, This is Takehiko Deguchi, a novice for Oxfam. It is my great honor to be one of the members of the Oxfam do-life team. I have to confess that I am also a novice to "blog" in general so my posting/response could be slightly clumsy - apology in advance.

Roll Call - Guy Delumeau

2009-02-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

Guy DeLumeau
Age: 27
Astrological Sign: Leo
Zodiac Year: Rooster
Occupation: English Teacher/MMA Fighter
Location: 杉並 : United States
About Me
Hey Everybody! I'm incredibly psyched to be a part of this team and the great adventure that we will be involved in!

Interests
Surfing, Yoga, Hiking, Photography

Roll Call - Takehiko Deguchi

2009-02-24T14:16:00.001-08:00

Takehiko Deguchi
Occupation: IT
Location: Meguro-ku : Tokyo : Japan
About Me
A Japanese by nature/nuture

The wicked backspin caught you off guard. How will you play it off without losing your footing?
I will not try to play it off as we are all in the "matrix" by the end of the day - it does not really matter -

Interests
Classical music, rock climbing, reading books
Favorite Movies
Back draft "Semi-shigure" ("cicada chorus" - samurai movie)
Favorite Music
Enya
Favorite Books
Sharlock Holmes

Roll Call - Evan Rubin

2009-02-19T06:56:00.001-08:00

Hello there, this is Evan Rubin, leader of the Oxfam Do-Life team.

Leader?
It's easy to become the paper leader of an Oxfam Trailwalker team.
It takes about 10 minutes and a credit card, a lot like most things in life.

Becoming the leader of this Do-Life team, however, will require a lot more than that.

The guys I'm walking with are friends now, and by choosing to create this team, they're putting trust not just in our friendship, but also my ability to take 10 minutes and a credit card and turn it into something meaningful.

This blog is part of that experience, and I'm sure it will be one of the most valuable things I'll gain from the Oxfam experience.

What am I after?
I want to take many of the things floating around my life right now, and turn them into something concrete.

I want to take a group of friends, and through a journey that ends with a 100k hike, turn that group into a team.

I want to turn the word "leader" on an online registration page into the flesh and blood.

I want to turn a casual love of hiking and the outdoors into a lifetime experience and accomplishment.

What's my "everyday"?
Hiking 100k in 48 hours takes more than weekend training.
It takes an everyday commitment, even if it's simple.

So I'm taking the stairs to my 15th floor office every day after lunch.

How do I like it?
In addition to working the legs & lungs, I find it's the best way to work off a lunch and prevent the afternoon nap time :-)

Let's Get Started!

2009-02-19T06:01:00.000-08:00

Glad to see you
Welcome to the Oxfam Do-Life team blog!

Here we'll share our adventures, challenges and accomplishments as we take on the 2009 Oxfam Charity Hike.

Who are we?
We're a group of four friends, all from different walks of life, brought together by our love of challenge, nature, and doing something a bit different.

What is the Oxfam Hike?
The Oxfam hike is a 48 hour 100k hike over a vast variety of terrain.
You can check out the map here.

We'll be hiking up steep rugged mountains, past beautiful lakes, through forests, and even down the side of forest highways as we make our way from Odawara city to the finish at Lake Yamanashi.

Like most things in Japan, the hike is something that can only really be appreciated on the ground, which is why we're committed to providing photos as we train and do the main event.

What's it for?
Oxfam is a major charity organization helping developing communities throughout the world.

The Trailwalker event provides not just a physical challenge for the participants, but literally gets thousands of people involved fundraising for the Oxfam efforts throughout the world.
For those interested, check it out on the official Trailwalker page: Where the money goes

Why are we doing it?
Here's where things can get more personal, and each of us on the Do-Life team can speak out...