Becoming a Superhero

Am I a superhero? Of course not! I’m nothing at all like a superhero. I’m not particularly strong. I can’t see through walls. I can’t morph into an animal. I can’t fly and I’m definitely not the bravest guy you’ll ever meet. I’m certainly not a superhero.

I’m not Superman or the Green Lantern, but I do find a definite appeal in doing things others can’t or simply don’t want to try. Like most people out there (not everyone), I do want to be noticed. If I were happy blending into the woodwork I probably wouldn’t have dedicated years to making hundreds of You Tube video blogs and writing hundreds of posts on blogs now defunct and still in existence. I’m not a superhero, but I do enjoy some amount of attention. That’s a natural thing!

Over the years I’ve done a lot of things to “get noticed.” Growing up I was definitely the class clown. In university I got into acting and had parts in several plays and made “interesting” music as a drummer in several indie bands. I then went on to be a professional dinner theatre, improv comedy performer and bar band drummer.

Now I am a teacher and I suppose that to is a way to perform. Everyday I get on a small stage for a captive audience and it is very important that I both educate and entertain them!

I suppose in a small way though, part of me does romanticize about the “superhero” aspect of existence. In a small, yet rather realistic way, I have been trying to achieve my own personal “superhero” status. In early 2008, when I first moved to Japan from Canada I promised myself I would run a full marathon that same year. I had never run a race distance over 10k, but vowed to do it. I suppose it was something to check off on my “things to do in life” list (My list is long and varied. Some other goals involve going to the North Pole and spending a summer drinking and camping my way around the countryside of Ireland!)!

I ran my first full marathon that Fall (2008). It was a slow time, but I did it! That was my goal. I realized I had completed something most people would never try to do. It felt good. I ran more races over the next few years and consistently made much better times with everyone.



Now I find myself in the position of running a 60k run to raise money for a charity (Running to Help Japan). I will also run the Osaka Marathon and maybe the Kobe Marathon (if I get into that race) this autumn. This particular goal feels good in many ways. Some reasons are selfless and some are selfish!

I realize that by running practically a marathon and a half is something most people will never do. Many marathoners would never do this. I also realize that there are many others who have run MUCH further distances. In the world of athletics, what I am doing is nothing outstanding. In the world of runners, I am no superhero. I’m just a guy running 60k.

In my little world though, amongst my family, friends and coworkers, it is special though. I suppose within my community of You Tube viewers and blog readers it is special. It is special because those who know me well; know that I am not really an athlete. I’m a regular guy, realizing a little later in life that I have become an athlete (sort of). I’ve come to realize a new potential.

I can also do something I have never done before; I can raise a lot of money for a good cause. At the time of writing this post, I have raised almost $2700 for Save the Children Japan and their relief efforts in the areas of Japan hit hardest by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. I am happy that this amount of money will make a real difference in the lives of Japanese children, but also have to admit that it makes me feel good about myself that I can do this for others. I suppose I am a little selfish in that regard.

This whole running thing has also captured my imagination in other ways. I am curious to see what I can make my body do. I know I have some intense stubbornness and mental fortitude, but once I lay down the base of physical training, I think I will be able to do some pretty amazing things. Again, not necessarily amazing compared to great athletes, but for me. I run for me.
I suppose now, I run for my son as well. He is only 10 months old, but I do run for him in many ways. I want to be more fit. When he starts running and playing outside I want to be able to keep up with him. I want to be healthier and fit to live a long and energetic life as his father. Also, I want him, when he is a little older to come to my races and look up to me. I want my little boy to see me as a “superhero” I suppose.

I have dreams in my own little running life. Next year I plan to run my first 100k race. I hope to someday run the Marathon Des Sables in Morocco (running in the Sahara Desert just seems so badassed!). I would love to run a big 100-mile race in America like the Western States 100. I would love to hike the Appalachian Trail and the Trans Canada Trail.

I have many dreams.

I am not a superhero.

In a small way I would like to be one though.


You can Follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev

Sunburned Shoulders and the Hanoi Hilton – Hanoi, Vietnam

Here we go, another Retro Blog. I wrote this one in 2003:

Sunburned Shoulders and the Hanoi Hilton – Hanoi, Vietnam
by Kevin O'Shea

It was my eighth and unfortunately last day in Vietnam. Within 24 hours, I would board a plane and soon have to face the reality of work. My whirlwind visit to Northern Vietnam had been an exciting and memorable one, but my final day in the capital city of Hanoi was more than I ever could have asked for.

I had visited Vietnam during my brief summer vacation. I was aware of the fact that the end of July was the height of the rainy season there, however, it made no difference to me. Personally, Vietnam was one of those mystical places that reached out to me. For whatever reasons, the lack of throngs of tourists, the fact that it has yet to be completely ravaged by globalization or the fact that it is just so beautiful, I simply had to see it. With a new job in Korea, I found myself in a position that made it financially and geographically possible to just “pop on down” for a short vacation.

I had begun planning and researching my trip to Vietnam several months earlier. I was very excited about the prospects of going somewhere so “cool.” It was to be a solo trip, but as things go, the plan changed. It began with one coworker asking if he could join me and in the end, there were five of us. This presented both positive and negative experiences, but anyone who has ever traveled in a group knows, “that’s the way it works.”

To begin with, there is no possible way that someone can absorb a country in eight days. No matter how small a country is geographically, there are simply too many experiences to have, too many people to meet and too many moments to process. For those reasons I had planned to target a small area of Northern Vietnam. I had eight days to see three major areas and the rest of Vietnam would have to wait until another visit.

This trip had more planning than most I make. I usually adopt a “fly by the seat of my pants” approach, but with limited time, I hoped to get the most out of it.

We arrived in Hanoi in early afternoon and decided to only stay the night. Early the following morning we were off to the “jaw-dropping” UNESCO world heritage site, Halong Bay, where more than 3000 magnificent islands jut out of the water in a dream-like way. From there, we trucked it back to Hanoi. We then hopped a train to the northerly elevations and hill-tribes of Sapa, a former hill station in the days of French Indochina. After a few more awe-inspiring days in the lush north, we would make the journey back to Hanoi.

With a population of roughly three and a half million people, Hanoi is the second-largest city in Vietnam and is home to the country’s Communist government. Hanoi sits only 200 kilometers from China. Once entering the city, the French colonial influence upon everything from architecture to cuisine was immediately apparent. Streets are lined with palm trees and dilapidated concrete buildings, painted in a rainbow of pastel shades. Hordes of people, cars and motorcycles seemed to coexist in a form of organized chaos. The “organized” part of this chaos quickly seems to disappear once you step from your taxi and are on foot attempting to cross the street.

We had all stayed at a guesthouse in the Old Quarter our first night in the city. The staff was friendly and quite entertaining, so we decided to go back. That evening we took one of the more helpful staff members to eat at a lovely little restaurant a few streets away.

We had one full day and night left in Hanoi. Until this point, we remained a group. We had ventured to Halong Bay together and then again on to Sapa. With one day left, we all wanted to do different things. Bernard and Andrew wanted to visit a Buddhist grotto several hours outside of town. Steve wanted to cruise around the city on a motorcycle. J.D. and I decided that we wanted to explore the Hanoi’s Old Quarter and see what it had to offer.

We woke up at dawn, which is always a good idea when traveling. It allows you to squeeze as much out of the day as you possibly can. The tooth-turning, lip-curling, high-octane coffee so common to Vietnam is another fabulous way to start the day. After a few mugs of the caffeine-enriched beverage and a fresh baguette, J.D. and I were off to wander the streets. We planned to hit several museums that day, but it was far too early for anything to be open. We explored the alleyways, observing women selling fruit, vegetables, coal and almost anything else you can imagine.

The shops were just beginning to open. It was still relatively cool during these early morning hours, but what started as a crisp feeling in the air began to change as the morning progressed. The sun was becoming more intense and the streets began to fill with a deluge of motorcycles spewing toxic clouds of black exhaust. We popped in out of shops as we made our way to the Hoa Lo Prison Museum. Hoa Lo Prison was dubiously named the “Hanoi Hilton” by American pilots and officers who were held there as POW’S during the Vietnam War. Men such as American Senator John McCain languished there for years. Only a small portion of the prison remains, but it makes a strong impact nonetheless.

As we walked out of remains of Hoa Lo Prison, we started up Hai Ba Trung towards the Temple of Literature. Making our way towards the temple, I could feel the intensity of the sun on my arms. I was wearing a tank top and had forgotten my sun block at the guesthouse, a cocktail for trouble. It was now well above 40°C, and I felt as if my arms had been laid across a hotplate. Within 20 minutes we were at the temple, where I was relieved to find some shade and a cold bottle of water.

We soon retreated to the sanctity of a pub for a bite to eat and a couple of much-deserved Tiger beers. It wasn’t long before we were pounding the pavement again, weaving our way through a series of narrow side streets, searching for Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Hanoi Citadel area.

As we entered the embassy district on the outskirts of the Hanoi Citadel area, the streets began to widen and the buildings appeared more upscale. The sun was intense as we entered the giant square in front of the Mausoleum. The size of square was impressive, and I can only imagine the tens of thousands of soldiers who have paraded through it over the years. Giant red flags emblazoned with a lone yellow star flapped ominously overhead, while soldiers with AK 47s watched us quizzically. At one point, in my naivete, I raised my camera to snap a photo of an impressive-looking white mansion. Soldiers quickly ran towards me, waving their arms frantically. I didn’t take the picture.

We wandered through this area for some time, but decided it was time to make our way back to the Old Quarter. My arms were officially burned to a crisp. We plodded along, shopping and sipping on a few beers as the afternoon soon faded into twilight.

It was dinnertime, and J.D. and I decided to end the day with a small parade of Tiger beer. We decided to sit at a lovely little restaurant on the edge of Hoan Kiem Lake. The Old Quarter looked beautiful at dusk. Everything seemed to have a bluish hue about it as the sky grew darker. It seemed like a fitting end to my first trip to South East Asia.

My eight days in North Vietnam had been wonderful. They were filled with islands, boats, trekking, good people, great food, a typhoon and a terribly sunburned pair of arms. I can’t wait to go back to Vietnam.



I wrote this story in 2003 after my 2002 summer vacation to Northern Vietnam.

You can follow me on TWITTER: @jlandkev

Here is the original link to the story.


Here is a video i threw up on my "jlandkev" You Tube channel this morning. The biggest beans you've ever seen!

Why Living Abroad Can Be So Great

There are definitely many benefits to living in ones’ native country, but there are also many benefits to living abroad (depends on the country of course). Learning about a new language and culture can be wonderful for a person’s personal growth. Opening your mind to new types of food and drink and the importance they have in another culture can be an amazing experience.

I think that the greatest thing about living in a different country for me is the fact that everything seems so interesting. This may simply be because of the fact that I am an incredibly curious and sometimes child-like (I find a great deal of wonderment in simple everyday things) kind of guy. A simple, quiet nighttime walk down a street in Japan leaves me excited. Everywhere I go; I’m packing at least one or two cameras because I always feel that there is something exciting that’s worth documenting.

I can clearly remember the first night I landed in Asia in February of 2002. I flew into Incheon International Airport in South Korea. The owner of the school that had hired me, picked me up at the airport and drove me to a “strange” Korean love motel where I dropped off my bags. I was then taken to a great galbi (yakiniku or Korean bbq) restaurant where I had to sit on the floor and eat for the first time in my life. I nervously and excitedly met my future coworkers and took in the thrill of a drastically new culture for the first time. Everyone spoke to me in a friendly way and I felt more energized and nervous than I could remember. I was then dropped off at my hotel and told that I would be picked up the next morning.

I will always remember the wonderment I had as I decided to go for a walk. I bought a bottle of beer at the convenience store located across the road from the love motel and wandered into a large local park. I sat down, drank my beer and thought to myself, “The adventure now begins.”

Almost nine years later, I am still in Asia. I’m now in Japan. I’m older and certainly wiser, but I have to admit that I am still, to an extent, filled with a level of wonderment! Although, these days I have been pining for home a lot more than usual, I still find the fact that I live in Asia….”cool!”

Check out a few random photos from the previous year in Japan!


A fireboat located close to my house on Port Island. I have never seen this boat in action, but it would be cool!


The small park in Sannomiya (behind the JR Sannomiya Station, know as Oppai-yama akaBreast Mountain) is a place where many indie bands like to gather and promote themselves in the warmer weather.




We Love Kobe!


Like most cities in Japan or anywhere in the world, Kobe looks great. Although I think I love the slow paced life of smaller towns more than big cities, I always love the bright lights of the big city at night.

Congrats Kanpei-san on Crossing the Eurasian Continent

Osaka born comedian Hazama Kanpei, better known as Kanpei-san is almost finished his around the world running oddessy. After 741 days of running he has crossed North America and as of yesterday, the entire Eurasian continent on foot. He is an impressive guy and someone I really admire as both a person and a runnner. During this amazing adventure he also battle prostate cancer. This guy is simply amazing.


Hazama Kanpei, aka Kanpei-san finishing his Eurasian Continent run in China!

This is one of his daily videos. It shows him finishing his Eurasian Continent crossing.


Check out his English Earth Marathon website.

Also, check Kanpei-san out on his You Tube channel. He uploads daily videos of his running.

Kanpei-san will now take a sailboat from Qingdao to Fukuoka. He will then run to Osaka where his journey will come to an end in January. I realy hope I have the chance to be in Osaka and cheers for him when he arrives!

A Rainy Summer

Lots of things happening around Japan in the last few days that are weather related. The massive rains that began last Sunday in the area I was in along the Sea of Japan ended up becoming quite deadly. My train may have ben delayed and really slow on my way back to Kobe from Kinosaki, but I suppose I was lucky just to make it back safely.

Death toll from Yamaguchi mudslides, heavy rain reaches 7
YAMAGUCHI - A female resident at a nursing home for the elderly that was hit by a mudslide was found dead Wednesday in the city of Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, bringing the death toll in the prefecture from mudslides and swollen rivers triggered by Tuesday’s torrential rain to seven, local police said.

Hundreds of police officers, firefighters and personnel from the Self-Defense Forces are searching for nine people who remain missing, assisted by three private-sector rescue workers dispatched by a group in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture along with three search-and-rescue dogs. Read More...


Here are some pictures of the beautiful little onsen town of Kinosaki, Japan. I was there for two incredible days with my wife last weekend. I suppose that to foreigners, this town is a living stereotype of what many people think Japan to have been in the past.







Kinosaki, Japan