It's a beautiful daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

J139 Saturday September 8th

Forgot to mention: I chose the earlier option of my two renewal dates. My contract will finish on May 28th, 2008. I'm not sure of my immediate plans after my contract is complete, but more than likely they will involve a plane and America.

Saturday was a bit of an inverse to Friday. I had 5 classes scheduled, but I wound up teaching 6. No biggie, really; I'm used to Saturdays being packed and exhausting. After work I stopped by Ito Yokado and picked up a tremendous volume of food. Milk, juice, tea, cereal, lots of veggies, tofu, and a few healthy snacks (yogurt, raisin bread rolls, cheese). I cooked a delicious, filling dinner and got caught up on the acclaimed machinima series Red Vs. Blue. I'd watched the first three seasons, but after they started season 4 I lost track. I'd found a torrent with almost every episode, excluding the last 5 or 6 episodes, and had been watching them at night.

After my dinner had digested, and I'd watched nearly all of the RvB on my machine, I pedaled my way down to G-Bros. Bostian, a visiting professor at Ibaraki University and a Slovenian by birth, was having his farewell party that night, and had invited the gang out for revelry and song. I was feeling pretty drained, from the combined stresses of both Friday and Saturday, so I didn't join the karaoke group that was forming. Still, I had a few drinks and bid Bostian a fond farewell. He was a pleasant fellow, always smiling and cheerful, and I miss him now that he's gone.

J140 Sunday September 9th

Y'know, soon, I'm going to be out of catch-up material :)

Today was a day of much slack. I woke up for Gurren Lagann again, which was wonderful and action-packed. The morning half of my day was quite lazy, but towards noon I got in touch with Josh. He had missed the character creation session earlier, and we plotted to meet for lunch and discussion. I met him at Hitachi Station, so very convenient.

We walked 'round downtown Hitachi a while, just talking and geeking out. We sat a while at the plaza and discussed his character, but soon our conversation turned to other things. K showed up briefly on his bike, but was soon off to study and talk with Sylvia. Josh and I investigated the possibility of lunching at Namaste, an Indian restaurant that is perpetually closed. We sauntered across the big loop parking lot out front of the station, and were unsurprised to find Namaste locked up tight. No matter when someone tries to go, it is always closed. It doesn't look boarded up, but we've never seen it open.

We settled for Baskin Robins instead. It was the first ice cream I'd had in a while...months if I recall correctly. It was quite good. I had...something chocolaty, I think. I had a bit of a sugar buzz.

We decided to head to Wonder Goo, that place of media whimsy. A quick southerly train ride found us in Hitachi-Taga, and after a quick jaunt, we found ourselves entering the store of our dreams. One thing I will note about this particular Wonder Goo; it has an odd odor. Imagine warm humus, perhaps atop a warm slice of pita bread, left to sit in a warm place for an hour or so. It's not unpleasant, but it's very distinct and noticeable.

We browsed the racks of used media. Josh found a few items, though nothing jumped out at me. I saw my first in-store advertisement for Halo 3, renewing my on-again-off-again inner monologue on purchasing the game (and the system to run it).

After the Goo, Josh and I were feeling a bit hungry. Our lunch was several hours behind us, and we both were in the mood for good eats. Josh knew the way, on foot, to a Mos Burger, sort of like a McDonalds, but if the food was slightly better tasting and not as greasy. Also, it's a sit-down restaurant, rather than a fast-food joint. You just...order burgers and fries. Japan is weird. We both dined on chili-dogs, surprisingly delicious given the Japanese inability to properly emulate Western food. Over our spicy dinners we discussed character back ground and history.

After finishing dinner we headed to Josh's place. I hadn't been in a while, and further character creation required a computer. A long-ish train ride found us in Ogitsu, Josh's town of residence, and an invigorating walk found us at his place. I was happy to see it was about as junky as my own apartment; it was reassuring to find another person okay with living in dusty, cluttered bliss.

I introduced Josh to Red Blade, a D&D character generator program of impressive power and grace. We worked on his character throughout the evening, pausing to consume hilarious media. I had introduced Josh to the Berserk Abridged video series on YouTube. He had discovered the abridged series of Avatar, Yu Gi Oh (the original abridged series, and arguably the best), and Naruto. We watched these and more as the evening went on. We finished his character and started the walk back to the station; the last train was scheduled to depart Ogistu station around 10:40. We got there by 10:20 and learned that the train was delayed, and wouldn't be in the station for another hour. We walked to a near(ish)by conbini and purchased a late night snack. We continued our geek-fueled conversation until it was time to leave, and we bid one another farewell.

I do so love riding the trains at night. Japan isn't on the Daylight Savings Time system, so one becomes very aware of the changing day and night cycle of the Earth. Night has begun to fall earlier and earlier, and by 7 it was pitch-black. The trains cut through the darkness, speeding along their tracks very quietly, deceptively so given their bulk. They wind like snakes through grass, casting warm light wherever they go. You can see the shadowy outlines of mountains through the darkness, backlit by stars or by the moon. Clouds are awash in contrasting night-darkness and moon light, making a dramatic sky show of muted color.

My ride is too short. I wish I could ride a night-train for longer, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. I rode my bike back home and fell into bed, tired by happy. The day had been a good one.