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In this continuing series, we cover my move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. We pick up the story outside the airport in Khabarovsk, Russia.

Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk is an amazing city. Museums with works from Picasso, Rembrandt and other masters. A bustling downtown area with cafes, a lively music scene and architectural triumphs. Then again, maybe not. We were far more interested in finding a hotel with hot water and never ventured into the city.

Outside of the airport, we were a bit flummoxed by the fact there appeared to be no taxis. We quickly learned that practically any Russian with a car is also a taxi for hire. After 5 minutes of egging each other on, Grae made taxi arrangements and we were off. Apparently taking in out disheveled appearance after 3 days of traveling, our driver suggested the Intourist hotel. We readily agreed.

During communism, Intourist hotels were set up for exclusive use by foreigners. Ours was fairly nice and, importantly, had showers with copious amounts of hot water. You can see a picture at http://www.lodging.ru/hotels/intouristkhab.asp. After having returned to humanity with one of the best showers of my life, it was time to brush up on my Russian skills.

I am a huge fan of ice hockey. During the eighties and nineties, many of the best players were Russians. In interviews, they almost always talked about learning English by watching television. If it worked for them, it would work for me. Not exactly.

As Grae showered, I flipped through the eight available channels. Sitcoms were a non-starter, but I eventually found a news channel. I see the images. I know what the images are. I hear the words being spoken by the reporters. I have absolutely no idea of what words go with what images. Okay, lets back up. What words do they use over and over? Damn, do they have to talk so fast? After 30 minutes, I have learned nothing, nada, zippo. My respect for Russians playing in the NHL has never been higher.

Might as well sleep on it. Yes, day three of the trip was finally done. My original prediction of a 2-day trip was out the window. Still, we were in Russia, so how much longer could it take? Pull out a map and take a look at the country. It is twice the size of the U.S.

Next When Stairs Attack

Since when is it OK to totally snub the winner of an NFL game, let alone the biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl? Well that's exactly what Mike Holmgren, the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, did on Super Bowl Sunday after his team lost the game. Not only did he not meet Coach Cowher, the longest tenured coach in the NFL, on the 25 yard line for a congratulatory handshake as scheduled, it was actually Cowher who had to go out of his way to find Holmgren. The moment finally took place in the Seahawks locker room, so I can speculate on who pursued who. At a time when he should be enjoying his much deserved win, Coach Cowher was chasing down a sore loser, because Cowher knows how it works. The deal isn't done until the handshake. It's tradition, a tradition rooted in good sportsman ship. A tradition that Holmgren dismissed because he was angry. What a great example, what a wonderful role model he was to all of the kids watching.

In 1995, Cowher and the Steelers lost the Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboy's under similar circumstances. Bad officiating, lot's of "if'y" calls, touch downs that really weren't. But when the clock expired and the game was over, Bill Cowher marched right into the center of the field and shook the victor's hand and offered a few kind words. He didn't slither out of the back door, he also didn't return to his teams host city and bad mouth the officiating. He did give a losing coaches interview in the locker room and was seen embracing his tear-soaked family, obviously broken hearted by the loss. Coach Cowher has given his respect, he has given his props, he has played by the rules, and yet, even though he is the longest tenured coach in the NFL, everyone in the media, on sportscenter, even the NFL itself refuses to admit that Holmgren snubbed Cowher because he was angry. I wonder if this story would have been bigger had it been Bill Belichick that got shafted?

Don't get me wrong, I didn't have any axe to grind with Mike Holmgren, not until he pulled this nonsense. I've always thought he was a stand up guy, I even pulled for him and his Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers in 97'. You see Mike has been around the block a few times. He's not some 35 year old hot-head who's never seen the inside of the Super Bowl. The man has been there twice not including this last appearance, walking away with one trophy and one heartache. For him to be such a veteran coach with so much big game experience makes this insult and lack of respect from him even harder to swallow.

The NFL is talking about fining him for the remarks he made to the home town crowd in Seattle, in which he insinuated that the referee's were responsible for their loss to the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. I sincerely hope they levy the largest fine possible on his plump "wallet". Because the statement is not true. The Seattle Seahawks had just as much chance to win that game as did the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it was a battle of coaching and Holmgren was definitely out coached by Cowher. In the waning minutes of both halves of the game, Holmgren was managing the clock like it was a pre-season contest, not the Super Bowl. Constant mistakes which ground away the clock and his teams chance to win. His kicker missed field goals, field goals that super bowl champ's MUST make, just ask the New England Patriots. His best receiver dropped nearly every pass thrown his way. His MVP of the league running back never saw the inside of the end zone. Holmgren started the game passing, yet when crunch time rolled around and the clock was going away, he thought it was a good time to start running the ball for 3 and 4 yard gains. Yet Holmgren takes the low road and calls the ref's out and points his finger of blame in their faces.

On the other side of the field Coach Cowher was planning his work and working his plan, devising plays that totally caught the Seahawks off guard, including the Rothlisberger TD that was subjected to review, even though the ball obviously grazed the goal line, the Willie Parker run that caught Seattle in the all-out blitz that gave Parker clear sailing once he cleared the line, the end-a-round from Randle El to Ward for the kill shot. All Bill Cowher calls, all at the perfect time, and all very very effective against an absolutey bewildered Seahawks defense.

I hope this piece winds up, somehow, in front of Mike Holmgren because I have something to say to him: "Mike, Mr. Holmgren, Coach, you lost the game not because of bad officiating, you lost the game because you are not as good of a Coach as Bill Cowher. He took you to school, so try to learn a few things from him instead of throwing a tantrum and disrespecting one of the greatest coaches in league history. I can only hope that one day someone shows you total disrespect at a time when you should be congratulated for a job well done. You lost. Live with it."

My congratulations go out to the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, but more than that, I want to extend my respect and admiration for a true class act, Coach Bill Cowher, a native of Pittsburgh, which has gotta make this all the more sweeter. Although I don't play football, or any sport for that matter, you will always be my head coach.

In this second of a two part series we're going to discuss Japanese Buddhist funeral customs continuing with the wake.

The next part of the Buddhist service is the wake. The service is presided over by a Priest. The Priest arrives at the location of the wake and is given green tea. At this time he speaks with the family to go over any last minute details. During this time the guests arrive and take their seats on the floor if at the home or in chairs if at a funeral home.

After everyone has arrived, the Priest turns to the altar, bows, lights incense and begins to read a sutra. During this reading the Priest gives a signal to the family to rise and go to the incense urn. From there they bow, offer up some incense, bow again and then return to their seats. After the family members are finished doing this, the remainder of the guests repeat the ritual until everyone has done so. The Priest then finishes the sutra at which time everyone bows at the altar and the wake service ends. Depending on the Buddhist sect that the members belong to they may then chant a "mantra". This is done in unison.

Even after the wake service is over, guests will continue to arrive in order to pay their respects. It is customary and proper for all guests to either attend the wake service, the wake itself or the funeral, but not all three. The family then gives each guest a present to show them their gratitude for coming.

That night the family stays in the same room with the deceased. In some sects a person who is not a blood relative of the deceased, like a son in law, may be asked to stay with the deceased for the evening. In other sects each next of kin takes turns staying with the deceased.

After the wake, the night before, is the funeral service itself the next day. At that time the body is transported to the temple and placed in front of the altar. A wooden tablet with the deceased name is placed in front of the altar. The name is assigned and inscribed by the Priest. It should be noted that the name given by the Priest could be different from the name the person had in life.

When it comes time to perform the service the Priest reads the sutra and part way through gives a signal to offer up the incense. This part of the service is the same as at the wake service, with each person taking part. The Priest then finishes reading the sutra and the people bow as he leaves the room. A representative of the family thanks the guests for coming after the Priest leaves.

After the people leave the casket is sealed. From there the body is taken to the crematorium where the body is cremated in what some consider a rather gruesome service where the body is partially burned, then taken out so that chop sticks can be placed with the body before cremation continues. After which, the bones, ashes and what's left of the chop sticks are placed in an urn and given to the family.

Sunglasses are fundamental in protecting the eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and eye damage. With the popularity of almost every imaginable outdoor sport such as snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking and golfing to name a few, the need for sports performance sunglasses is on the rise.

Much research and technology has gone into the making of sports sunglasses. The importance of having lightweight, durable, flexible and safe glasses is of special importance for the avid sports enthusiast.

First off you will want lenses that offer the ultimate in UVA and UVB protection. As UV light damages the cornea and retina causing future problems such as cataracts, macular degeneration, cancer of the eye or photokeratitis (sunburn of the retina), you will want lenses that have one hundred percent UV protection. The UV protection should be stated on the label, if it is not you probably dont want to buy the lenses.

Sports sunglasses offer many excellent features in the design and overall shape that will ensure comfort, fit and safety to withstand the rugged demands of active sports. Features such as shock frames, shatterproof polycarbonate lenses, durability, ventilation and non-slip grips are at the top of the list when selecting youre sports sunglasses. The lightweight shock frames provide excellent coverage that will not bounce or shift during athletic activity. Used for active life-styles the sunglasses will withstand the extra tough demands of active sports. The lightweight frames offer comfort, longwearing and absorbing qualities.

The shatterproof polycarbonate lenses prove great for people needing high impact resistance in a pair of sunglasses. Polycarbonate is one of the newest technologies in lens materials. The material is similar to that used for bullet resistant glass in autos. Because the polycarbonate material is naturally UV absorbing, the clear lenses can even boast one hundred percent UV protection. Some polycarbonate is approved for use in safety glasses. The shatterproof lenses are lightweight, impact-resistant, durable and scratch-resistant; the lenses are virtually break proof, peace of mind for those high impact sports enthusiasts. The polycarbonate eyewear is the only eyewear approved for use with most Police and Fire Departments.

The durability of the lenses is another important quality of the sports sunglasses. Having lenses and frames that are scratch resistant, lightweight yet durable is necessary with the demands of some of the high impact sports. Polyamide is a popular material used today for frames, great because it keeps its shape even under stress. Both sunglasses and goggles offer excellent ventilation systems within their lens and frame designs. This is an important feature to eliminate fog and condensation during activity, ensuring proper vision and safety while at the same time blocking incoming harmful rays. Lastly the no-slip temple grips and nose pads (usually made of rubber) is a feature that goes without explaining. The need for sunglasses to stay securely in place during athletic activity (while providing comfort and non-distorted vision) can be crucial given some sport situations.

Having the proper sports sunglasses can have a profound effect on an athlete's overall performance. Not only do sunglasses and eyewear protect the eyes from harmful UV rays, but also athletes wearing protective eyewear, such as goggles with polycarbonate (shatterproof) lenses are spared injury. Face shields using polycarbonate are also used for baseball catchers, hockey, and football players. Its important to never substitute regular sunglasses during sports. Sunglasses for standard street wear are not made of the same safety materials as sports sunglasses and will most likely not hold up if under impact, the glasses could shatter or bend causing pieces of the frame or lens to cause eye or even face injury.

Sports injuries are not the only danger while participating in athletic sports. Ultraviolet light from the sun is harmful even in the winter. UV light contributes to diseases such as cataracts, cancer, and photokeratitis (sunburn of the retina). It is important for snowboarders and skiers to always wear tinted goggles or sports sunglasses, as UV bounces off snow even on the cloudiest of days, this is also true of anyone participating in water sports as UV bounces off water.

Goggles in an amber or rose tint can be used to enhance the snow shadows on a ski slope indicating ridges or bumps on the surface, helping snowboarders and skiers alike decide where to turn and maneuver as to avoid catching edges and falling.

Other useful features that are appealing to sports enthusiasts are the mirror coatings, polarized lenses and various tints. The available multi-color flash mirror coatings reflect light providing anti-glare viewing. Polarized lenses block the vertically-reflected light coming into the lens making them appropriate for use around water, snow and driving, Some of the popular tints available are gray, amber and yellow. The gray, smoke and gray-green tints are the most common of tinted lens. They block out glare without changing the overall color perception and are great for all-weather use. The Amber, or brown tinted lens are good for blocking blue light which is common on overcast days. Amber helps improve both the contrast and depth perception making them a great choice for changeable weather patterns. The yellow tints improve contrast and give a heightened sense of visual acuity, and are great for driving.

Manufacturers are now marketing towards sports-specific sunwear. Frames and lenses are available that are made specifically for cyclists, golfers, boaters, rock climbers etc. Of course there are sports sunglasses that appeal to a wide variety of outdoor activities. Look into the convenient and practical changeable lens systems that allow the wearer to use clear lenses for darker conditions, dark lenses for sunny conditions or yellow and orange for low light conditions.

In conclusion, whatever outdoors sport you participate in, its a good idea to do a bit of research on what specific sport sunglasses are most appropriate for youre particular needs. Always insist on one hundred percent UVA and UVB protection. Look for sunglasses or goggles with anti-fogging feature such as double lenses, anti-fog coating and wide vents. With all the wonderful technology and modern design features available your sport sunglasses choice is sure to enhance your sports performance.