J163 Tuesday October 2nd
I was up at 11. The perpetual nap in the van the day before had done wonders for my overall energy level, and even my plentiful rounds of Halo 3 Multiplayer didn't drain my reserves.
I printed out the first study guide issued by E.T.S., makers of the G.R.E. exam. They provide a staggering amount of help materials for those who would take their test, materials I plan to use to study my heart out before December. I still need to register for the test...
The study guide is a lithe 20 pages or so, but it's the initial one. I printed it single-sided and took the pages, and a big roll of twine my Dad and brother sent me, in to work. It was a slow Tuesday, the best kind, one where I only had 2 classes, both in the evening.
Most of the day was spent in the break room. I worked some magic with a two-hole punch and a ruler, I made a series of holes in the stack of paper I'd brought with me. One deceptively long piece of twine, an hour, and a ton of geometrical thinking later, I held aloft my freshly-bound study guide. Zelda style. 'Cause that's how I roll.
For my break I decided to buy some paper at Ito Yokado. I'd been on the lookout for a new bag, something more satchel-like than my single-strap backpack. It was nice, and had served me well on Fuji and beyond, but it lacked in my one true vice - pockets. The poor thing only had two pockets, woefully inadequate given my mildly O.C.D. impulse to categorize everything I own. (For a real brain-twister, consider the fact that my apartment is still a mess)
There is a sizable bag shop on the first floor of I.Y., one that I will browse through every month or so. Today, I hit the jackpot. The only one of its kind, it hung from a display tree like a ripe pear. Light green, made of what felt to be agitated canvas, studded with brass rivets and snaps, and above all composed almost entirely of pockets. This was my bag. It was a bit pricey, about $40, but I considered it worth it. Not too big, not too small. Just right. I donned my new purchase at the counter, eliciting a smile from the shop keep, but they were quite all right with it.
I crossed the plaza and went up to the Daiso/Stationary level. The Daiso is a chain of 100 yen shops. Across the escalator-dominated core of the building from The Daiso is a stationary store. This floor is what I imagine the afterlife to be.
I picked up a ream of white printer paper, A4 sized, for my printer. E.T.S. had a bigger, math-focused study guide on their site that I intended to print as soon as I could, but my supply of papyrus was dangerously low at home. On the way back I met a student of mine who was out with a friend of hers. Meeting students in public is always a comedic situation. It's as if they believe I don't exist outside of the class room. That I have some sort of chamber in the school within which I recharge every night. Perhaps I sleep in one of the underused rooms? I could easily live off of the convenience food in the Lawson's next door.
Anyway, this has gone on far too long for a simple Tuesday. Sufficed to say, it was a good day. Little else of consequence happened beyond the acquisition of a Totally Sweet Bag.
J164 Wednesday October 3rd.
GAH.
Long day. 5 classes, the last 4 in the 4-hour block o' doom at the end of the day. Wednesdays kind of suck. Not in a horrible way, but a muuuuuuuuughrlgh way. One fantastically awesome ray of sunshine broke through the day, though, and that was the package that I got in the mail.
My Mom and sister had joined forces to send me a birthday package of extraordinary magnitude. I used my break time to dash to the post office and retrieve it. It appeared to be the victim of a (non-Psi U!) fraternity hazing, but it had survived. It could strut down the street, bearing its crumpled corners with pride, a young FedEx package on its arm, the envy of every DHL letter-sized envelope that saw it.
I crammed it into my bike's basket and made my way back to work. I wanted to wait 'till I got home to open it, dreading the bike ride home with a box the size of my (manly, hairy) chest open to the elements. But, then again, it was a package from home. I settled into my chair in the break room and quietly sliced the packing tape securing the crumpled corner. I pried the box apart as far as the cardboard would allow and took a peek inside.
Shirts! Yay! What could be ties, double yay! Something glittering gold in the artificial twilight...a word? The title of a hardback book? The word...."Red"? My mind went through a curious game of 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon. My sister loves books. I bought her a copy of The Lies of Locke Lamora last year as a gift. She loved it, and vowed to buy them all. The next book in the series was titled Red Seas Under Red Skies.
I needed to get that book in my dirty little hands now.
My pocket knife made quick work of the tape the package could afford to lose. A quick struggle with the laws of physics, and the tome was mine to behold. A ship, aflame, beneath firestorm-black clouds. A city, golden (but due to flames of rebellion or the gild of fortune?) shone in the background. The title glittered in faux-gold, stamped in historical strokes. It was, indeed, the book I thought it was to be.
The rest of my break saw me absorbed in the book. It was delicious. It satisfied a thirst I had thought long-forgotten.
As an indication as to how this whole thing works, the last day's material, Wednesdays, was only two lines in my paper journal.
J165 Thursday October 4th
Understand, readers, that I cannot tell you everything that happens in my life while I live it here. I am bound by many contracts, legal and social, to keep certain events and information under wraps. I do not betray any oath I have sworn by telling you I have, and keep, them, but it is something you should consider.
The events of today were...something upon which I shall meditate for quite some time.
J166 Friday October 5th
A busy day. Another 4-hour deathblock of classes. That's two in a week, for those of you playing the home version of our game. Red Seas did a good job of soothing my hurts, though. It is a cool balm, a raging storm, a lagoon of clarity, a karst of inescapable darkness. It is, in a word, awesome.
After work I joined Josh at B.B.A. I was originally only there to drop off the first episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 3, but hunger and need of the relaxing properties of alcohol won me over. I dined on salmon pasta and enjoyed a cool Asahi Super Dry. On the B.B.A.'s PS3, the only one I've seen outside of Akihabara in Japan, was a Gundam fighting game. I played a few rounds after consuming my dinner, but I knew I had to move along. Tomorrow was a Saturday, and that's never easy.
J167 Saturday October 6th
A busy day. 3 in a row, then 4. I made a bit of a mix up toward the end of the day; teaching with the wrong materials for one class. Luckily I did some student swapping fu and managed to fix the situation, but it was a bit of a shaky day for me. I tried to rest after work as best I could, but found little succor in the Internet.
I headed out to G-Bros for a drink and company, but little was going on there. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the week-reviews of my compatriots. The teachers for the biggest English school in Japan, Nova, are reporting some odd goings on. Claire and Genie's rent hasn't been paid for the month yet. I have a bad feeling about this. I distributed CDs full of photos, taken by the Crescent staff and given to myself and M-sensei at work, to those who had gone diving a week before.
New in the bar was a rather tall woman. Blonde. She was a new teacher to the area, working with what she said (if I remember correctly, I'm not really sure) was a branch of the government. She wasn't a JET, though, that was for sure. Her name was Brooke, and she was from New Zealand. We welcomed her to the gang, though the energy level for the bar in general was pretty low. The gang left, and I stayed a while to chat with the newcomer. She'd been a teacher in Japan before, but left for home for reasons. She was back again, hardly a week in the Land of the Rising Sun this time 'round.
After a short while I doffed my non-existent cap and powered my way back home. I enjoyed Halo 3, the first time in days, until 3:30 AM. Good times.
J168 Sunday October 7th
This was a terribly lazy day. Chatted online with friends, poked around the Internet. Played more Halo 3. I did some cleaning and straightening and made a nice dinner. D&D was the next day, and I did some prepwork for it. I sketched a dungeon, figuring the second adventure was good enough time as any to introduce the party to the eponymous subterranean architectural design philosophy. Man, I love my vocabulary. Eponymous!
J169 Monday October 8th
Today was to be an epic D&D game, despite a few setbacks. K was unable to make it, denying us our normal play space of GEOS. Over fresh bowls of ramen, the group determined Big Echo, one of the nicer karaoke places in town (and literally next door to the ramen shop we were eating at) would suit our needs nicely.
We had a new player, Daniel, a newcomer from Canada. Amazingly, he had actually played 3rd Edition D&D before! He threw dice with friends in college, and though they never got beyond 3rd level, he knows the basics. Oh, the joys of not having to explain the basic concept of "roleplaying" to a player!
We booked a room for 3 hours at a reasonable price. Karaoke, for those of you who don't know, includes a rainbow of free drinks and somewhat affordable room service. We discovered the power switches to the T.V. and stereo system, and after closing the door we found the room to be quite sound-proof. The occasional thump of bass or vocal twang would sneak through, but we were the only ones on the floor. Our complimentary glasses never emptied of the free-flowing slushies the drink bar sported, and soon after we started gaming a steady stream of consumables were ferried to our room by a cute waitress.
The game itself went very well. I'm finding my DM's legs again, and find a group of, essentially, newbies to be quite fun to game with. Some of them are really settling into their party roles, while others are still taking their time. Still, no inter-party conflicts have arisen, which I find to be nothing short of miraculous.
Masaki brought a large dry-erase battle mat, printed with a massive grid of inch-a-side squares and protected from food and drink by flexible plastic. It is an invaluable gaming tool, and made communicating battle information super easy.
Toward the end of the adventure things got a bit combat-heavy, but no one complained. Nick decided to stay past Last Train, opting to spend the night at the local branch of Toyoko Inn, a national hotel chain of good reputation. We played until 11PM. The cost was a bit pricey, but when you factor in the utter privacy, the climate control, the food, and the free drinks, it was a hell of a deal.
After getting home I painted a little. An idea had been brewing in my head, a clever (to me, at least) application of tape to blank canvas, so as to crease a mask atop which one would paint. Removing the tape produces a preternaturally straight, clean, line of unpainted canvas. I was happy with the results, though I'm sure the idea can be further evolved.
Once again, I put in a few hours of Halo 3. I've noticed some rather awful graphical glitches, coming from my system hardware, rather than the game itself. Power cycling (turning it off and then on) will fix the problem...usually...but this evening it took me 4 tries to do it. Worrisome.
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Vacation Recap!
J110.1 Friday August 10th (Part 2)
My last post was written in the middle of the day, so a few more things happened. I met people!
On my way in to the Internet cafe, I struck up a conversation with an Italian gentleman by the name of Fabio. He used to be a table tennis player for quite some time, but now works for an advertising company. Hearing his Italian origins prompted me to mention my own heritage. For those unaware, I am 3rd generation Italian on my mother's side; my great-grandparents were born in Sicily but immigrated to America before my maternal grandfather was born. So, yay Italian genes!
I've noticed, however, that when I mention my Italian heritage to an Italian person, or someone similarly-descended, it's like I announce that I'm their long-lost brother. A switch goes off, and they turn from jovial, good-humored individuals to very generous, super-friendly people. They go from nice to amazingly nice.
Fabio and I had both purchased an hour's worth of time, and agreed to meet again once our time was up. I relished the air conditioned interior of my cubicle and the respite it gave my already-aching feet and legs. My last post was made at great leisure.
When my hour was up, Fabio was waiting in the lobby for me. We settled our bills with the staff and walked a while, exchanging stories. He told me of his life as a table tennis player for a team in Japan some years ago. I told him of my graduation from college and my job as an English teacher. When I mentioned I had no plans for the rest of the day, he insisted that I accompany him. He was in the market for some digital cameras, both for personal use and as gifts to friends, and we set about to find some good deals.
We walked back toward Akiba station, ending up in a deceptively large electronics store. Fabio educated me on the differences between several models, and while he haggled I browsed the laptop section. Japan's shops offer a large variety of portable computing solutions, and I've had my interest piqued by micro laptops. My current machine is a good computer, but it's somewhat bulky (as laptops go) and it's my only system. It's my link to the outside world, and I only take it out of my apartment when it's absolutely necessary.
I'd love to have a small, rugged machine that I could take with me when I go out. Nothing fancy. Nothing I'd be able to game on. Just something with basic internet connectivity, wireless if at all possible. A small platform upon which I could write, or check email, or display documents and other media to friends and associates. An actual mobile media platform. But not a micro computer. Not some tiny, 7-inch display thing that more resembles a chunky cell phone. A Sidekick or Blueberry would be nice, but either would be too small for my purposes.
The store I was in, and many others in Japan, offer many different models of small laptops. Their capacities range wildly; some use top-of-the-line processors, others use ones half a decade old. Some have only 10 gigabytes of hard disk space, while others boast quadruple that number.
Fabio suggested a few models, citing Toshiba as a good manufacturer. He also recommended another model, one that I scratched the name down, but I can't recall at the time of this writing.
Sorry, tangent.
Fabio purchased two cameras from the store, and we set out into the growing twilight. Akihabara is also known as Electric Town, so night never really comes. The sky darkens, of course, but the streets and alleys are lit by ten thousand shades of neon. LEDs blink from shop windows, warning passerby of alarm systems. Everywhere people check their email or the time from PDAs and cell phones. Akihabara is never dark.
We both felt the pang of hunger, and Fabio offered to buy me dinner at a nearby burger joint. This wasn't fast food per se; the hamburgers were actual grilled meat rather than a lamp-warmed discus of compressed "meat".
We chatted about life, as Italian folk so often seem to do. He shared some insightful advice with me, beseeching me to find my path in life and follow it with gusto. Being undecided about your future, he said, was a tragic thing. Find your goal, and then take steps to reach it. Common sense advice, perhaps, but something you don't hear every day.
In the middle of our meal, the seats next to us (we were sitting at a pseudo-bar in the middle of the eatery) two other foreigners sat down. They were both NOVA teachers from Canada. One, who's name I cannot recall (so let's call him Bob) was a self-proclaimed aboriginal Canadian, hailing from a reservation near Toronto. The other, Nick (that is his name) was of European decent, from a town near the reservation. They were friends, Bob having come to Japan with NOVA two or three years ago, and suggesting Nick come a few years after. Very similar to how I got this job, with my friend Tara suggesting I apply, given her overall happiness with the job.
Nick, Bob and I began to talk. Bob was leaving for Canada the next day, and was gearing up for a sort of last huzzah. Nick was along for the ride. They also work (in Bob's case, worked) in NOVA's Akihabara branch. They both were also unrepentant nerds, easily in my own league of fandom, which was amazing. They teach in a place that is so well-known amongst the Japanophiles of Earth that many would do...questionable things...to attain their position. Nick swore up and down that his post was attained through random chance, and that he in no way assassinated a high-profile target to get it. Honest.
Fabio had finished his meal by the time the two had sat down, and he decided to move on. We swapped numbers as he left; he was going to Kyoto, and wanted me to get in touch with him when I got there. I thanked him for the meal for what was probably the eighth time, and we parted ways.
Nick, Bob, and I soon engaged in full-blown nerd speak. Some of you may have experienced this phenomena. I know I've mentioned it a few times before, but I think I'd like to go into more detail.
Nerds know one another. There is a...sixth sense, I guess you could say...that we have developed. It's a survival mechanism, one developed so as to identify allies in a battlefield rife with hostile opponents. It's subtle things; body language, stance, eye contact. There are obvious signs, of course. One could wear a shirt proclaiming them to be a flaming Dr. Who fan, which is a dead giveaway. But those of us who must suppress our nerdity, lest it become a distraction or a hindrance to 'normal' social contact, must utilize well-honed, social minutiae, ninja-like in subtlety.
When this sense pings, when we catch the vibe, we begin tentative contact. An initial probe, to see if our reading is correct. One usually starts with a quote or reference to something nerdy, but not something super-obscure. This is testing the waters. A Monty Python quote will do, or if you're not adept, something from Star Wars. Most people have seen these media, and have enjoyed them, but nerds have a fundamentally different response to these stimuli. Non-nerds will laugh and say "Hey, that's from Monty Python, isn't it? That was a funny show."
A nerd will say something like "Funny, but I find the Cheese Shop sketch to be better." or "Dude, Star Wars was awesome until the second trilogy."
Success! Initial contact has been established! Warm up the engines!
What follows next is something akin to when a modem connects to the internet. You know that high-pitched squawking your computer made, and then that hissing sound? Well, nerds are like that. We engage in this...information exchange. Through carefully selected references, commentary, and conversation branching, one can communicate volumes about their particular style of nerd. Some nerds only enjoy science fiction, others fantasy. Some enjoy mostly books, while others are suckers for movies. Some enjoy tabletop gaming, or board gaming, or only video gaming. Some enjoy one of these intensely, while others sample from them all.
This establishes common ground. It lays the ground rules for the conversation. You know what to and not to talk about. If you like the latest Star Wars trilogy (and the devil take you if you do) and your newfound friend does not, you know not to talk about it, lest you actively detract from the conversation.
This is what Bob, Nick, and I did. For about 30 minutes, we talked at rapid speed, informing one another of our own tastes, likes, and dislikes. We discussed many things, mostly politics, and decided to quit the eating establishment and get some fresh air. We wandered Akihabara together, finding the RPG-specialized Yellow Submarine. Come to find out, Nick is a very, very big tabletop gaming nerd. This was a joy to discover, as I have been hurting for a good RPG fix, and have made little progress getting a group together. He and I share a love for many systems, though his knowledge is far more deeper than mine. I'm more of a breadth guy, while Nick's love of a few systems has granted him very intense knowledge of those handful. I, for one, salute him. Plus, he really likes Exalted, and that makes anyone awesome in my book.
We walked and walked, talked and talked. At a model shop, Bob and Nick had to call it a night. There were plans a-foot to rent movies and watch them with friends before Bob had to leave, and I didn't wish to interfere with their merriment. I decided to call it an early night, even though it was hardly 9 PM. I'd been walking all day with a full load, and was in desperate need of sleep.
I decided to return to the Internet Cafe. They had sleeper cubes, and was lucky enough to get one for the night. It was around 4000 yen for 12 hours, enough time to let me sleep in the next morning. Showers were available, but there was some sort of...difficulty...that I couldn't quite understand. My Japanese still is far from perfect, and many Japanese people aren't able to speak at a low enough level for me to understand them easily. Nevertheless, I found a place to sleep for the night.
A sleeper cube is a simple thing. It's a little longer than a normal cube, and instead of an office chair, it has a tiny futon. The futon rests on a large wooden cabinet and can ratchet in the middle, allowing the user to surf the internet from a relaxed, reclined position.
No sheets, blankets, or pillows were provided, but that was no problem for me. Something relatively soft and an air conditioned room was perfect for me. I used my handkerchief as a blindfold; the lights were dim, but still bright enough to make sleep difficult. I woke up several times through the night, but always managed to get back to sleep soon. In all, it was a restful night, and I was ready for the next day's adventures.
My last post was written in the middle of the day, so a few more things happened. I met people!
On my way in to the Internet cafe, I struck up a conversation with an Italian gentleman by the name of Fabio. He used to be a table tennis player for quite some time, but now works for an advertising company. Hearing his Italian origins prompted me to mention my own heritage. For those unaware, I am 3rd generation Italian on my mother's side; my great-grandparents were born in Sicily but immigrated to America before my maternal grandfather was born. So, yay Italian genes!
I've noticed, however, that when I mention my Italian heritage to an Italian person, or someone similarly-descended, it's like I announce that I'm their long-lost brother. A switch goes off, and they turn from jovial, good-humored individuals to very generous, super-friendly people. They go from nice to amazingly nice.
Fabio and I had both purchased an hour's worth of time, and agreed to meet again once our time was up. I relished the air conditioned interior of my cubicle and the respite it gave my already-aching feet and legs. My last post was made at great leisure.
When my hour was up, Fabio was waiting in the lobby for me. We settled our bills with the staff and walked a while, exchanging stories. He told me of his life as a table tennis player for a team in Japan some years ago. I told him of my graduation from college and my job as an English teacher. When I mentioned I had no plans for the rest of the day, he insisted that I accompany him. He was in the market for some digital cameras, both for personal use and as gifts to friends, and we set about to find some good deals.
We walked back toward Akiba station, ending up in a deceptively large electronics store. Fabio educated me on the differences between several models, and while he haggled I browsed the laptop section. Japan's shops offer a large variety of portable computing solutions, and I've had my interest piqued by micro laptops. My current machine is a good computer, but it's somewhat bulky (as laptops go) and it's my only system. It's my link to the outside world, and I only take it out of my apartment when it's absolutely necessary.
I'd love to have a small, rugged machine that I could take with me when I go out. Nothing fancy. Nothing I'd be able to game on. Just something with basic internet connectivity, wireless if at all possible. A small platform upon which I could write, or check email, or display documents and other media to friends and associates. An actual mobile media platform. But not a micro computer. Not some tiny, 7-inch display thing that more resembles a chunky cell phone. A Sidekick or Blueberry would be nice, but either would be too small for my purposes.
The store I was in, and many others in Japan, offer many different models of small laptops. Their capacities range wildly; some use top-of-the-line processors, others use ones half a decade old. Some have only 10 gigabytes of hard disk space, while others boast quadruple that number.
Fabio suggested a few models, citing Toshiba as a good manufacturer. He also recommended another model, one that I scratched the name down, but I can't recall at the time of this writing.
Sorry, tangent.
Fabio purchased two cameras from the store, and we set out into the growing twilight. Akihabara is also known as Electric Town, so night never really comes. The sky darkens, of course, but the streets and alleys are lit by ten thousand shades of neon. LEDs blink from shop windows, warning passerby of alarm systems. Everywhere people check their email or the time from PDAs and cell phones. Akihabara is never dark.
We both felt the pang of hunger, and Fabio offered to buy me dinner at a nearby burger joint. This wasn't fast food per se; the hamburgers were actual grilled meat rather than a lamp-warmed discus of compressed "meat".
We chatted about life, as Italian folk so often seem to do. He shared some insightful advice with me, beseeching me to find my path in life and follow it with gusto. Being undecided about your future, he said, was a tragic thing. Find your goal, and then take steps to reach it. Common sense advice, perhaps, but something you don't hear every day.
In the middle of our meal, the seats next to us (we were sitting at a pseudo-bar in the middle of the eatery) two other foreigners sat down. They were both NOVA teachers from Canada. One, who's name I cannot recall (so let's call him Bob) was a self-proclaimed aboriginal Canadian, hailing from a reservation near Toronto. The other, Nick (that is his name) was of European decent, from a town near the reservation. They were friends, Bob having come to Japan with NOVA two or three years ago, and suggesting Nick come a few years after. Very similar to how I got this job, with my friend Tara suggesting I apply, given her overall happiness with the job.
Nick, Bob and I began to talk. Bob was leaving for Canada the next day, and was gearing up for a sort of last huzzah. Nick was along for the ride. They also work (in Bob's case, worked) in NOVA's Akihabara branch. They both were also unrepentant nerds, easily in my own league of fandom, which was amazing. They teach in a place that is so well-known amongst the Japanophiles of Earth that many would do...questionable things...to attain their position. Nick swore up and down that his post was attained through random chance, and that he in no way assassinated a high-profile target to get it. Honest.
Fabio had finished his meal by the time the two had sat down, and he decided to move on. We swapped numbers as he left; he was going to Kyoto, and wanted me to get in touch with him when I got there. I thanked him for the meal for what was probably the eighth time, and we parted ways.
Nick, Bob, and I soon engaged in full-blown nerd speak. Some of you may have experienced this phenomena. I know I've mentioned it a few times before, but I think I'd like to go into more detail.
Nerds know one another. There is a...sixth sense, I guess you could say...that we have developed. It's a survival mechanism, one developed so as to identify allies in a battlefield rife with hostile opponents. It's subtle things; body language, stance, eye contact. There are obvious signs, of course. One could wear a shirt proclaiming them to be a flaming Dr. Who fan, which is a dead giveaway. But those of us who must suppress our nerdity, lest it become a distraction or a hindrance to 'normal' social contact, must utilize well-honed, social minutiae, ninja-like in subtlety.
When this sense pings, when we catch the vibe, we begin tentative contact. An initial probe, to see if our reading is correct. One usually starts with a quote or reference to something nerdy, but not something super-obscure. This is testing the waters. A Monty Python quote will do, or if you're not adept, something from Star Wars. Most people have seen these media, and have enjoyed them, but nerds have a fundamentally different response to these stimuli. Non-nerds will laugh and say "Hey, that's from Monty Python, isn't it? That was a funny show."
A nerd will say something like "Funny, but I find the Cheese Shop sketch to be better." or "Dude, Star Wars was awesome until the second trilogy."
Success! Initial contact has been established! Warm up the engines!
What follows next is something akin to when a modem connects to the internet. You know that high-pitched squawking your computer made, and then that hissing sound? Well, nerds are like that. We engage in this...information exchange. Through carefully selected references, commentary, and conversation branching, one can communicate volumes about their particular style of nerd. Some nerds only enjoy science fiction, others fantasy. Some enjoy mostly books, while others are suckers for movies. Some enjoy tabletop gaming, or board gaming, or only video gaming. Some enjoy one of these intensely, while others sample from them all.
This establishes common ground. It lays the ground rules for the conversation. You know what to and not to talk about. If you like the latest Star Wars trilogy (and the devil take you if you do) and your newfound friend does not, you know not to talk about it, lest you actively detract from the conversation.
This is what Bob, Nick, and I did. For about 30 minutes, we talked at rapid speed, informing one another of our own tastes, likes, and dislikes. We discussed many things, mostly politics, and decided to quit the eating establishment and get some fresh air. We wandered Akihabara together, finding the RPG-specialized Yellow Submarine. Come to find out, Nick is a very, very big tabletop gaming nerd. This was a joy to discover, as I have been hurting for a good RPG fix, and have made little progress getting a group together. He and I share a love for many systems, though his knowledge is far more deeper than mine. I'm more of a breadth guy, while Nick's love of a few systems has granted him very intense knowledge of those handful. I, for one, salute him. Plus, he really likes Exalted, and that makes anyone awesome in my book.
We walked and walked, talked and talked. At a model shop, Bob and Nick had to call it a night. There were plans a-foot to rent movies and watch them with friends before Bob had to leave, and I didn't wish to interfere with their merriment. I decided to call it an early night, even though it was hardly 9 PM. I'd been walking all day with a full load, and was in desperate need of sleep.
I decided to return to the Internet Cafe. They had sleeper cubes, and was lucky enough to get one for the night. It was around 4000 yen for 12 hours, enough time to let me sleep in the next morning. Showers were available, but there was some sort of...difficulty...that I couldn't quite understand. My Japanese still is far from perfect, and many Japanese people aren't able to speak at a low enough level for me to understand them easily. Nevertheless, I found a place to sleep for the night.
A sleeper cube is a simple thing. It's a little longer than a normal cube, and instead of an office chair, it has a tiny futon. The futon rests on a large wooden cabinet and can ratchet in the middle, allowing the user to surf the internet from a relaxed, reclined position.
No sheets, blankets, or pillows were provided, but that was no problem for me. Something relatively soft and an air conditioned room was perfect for me. I used my handkerchief as a blindfold; the lights were dim, but still bright enough to make sleep difficult. I woke up several times through the night, but always managed to get back to sleep soon. In all, it was a restful night, and I was ready for the next day's adventures.
Friday, August 10, 2007
And now we go to Nigel, live in the field...
J110 Friday August 10th
Hah! Internet cafes rule! I'm an internet cafe high above Akihabara, having found it after nearly an hour of searching.
I've been hanging out in Akiba for most of the day, just walking around and checking out shops. It's kind of funny, but because I can't read Japanese, and they don't sell a lot of stuff that has English language options, I really can't buy anything in Akihabara. Nerd capital of the world. Go figure.
It's still fun to walk around, though.
All the lockers filled up at the train stationb efore I got there, so I've been lugging my duffel around with me. I didn't pack super-heavy, but it is a good 15 extra pounds of weight my shoulders and back could do without hauling around. Still, I'm doing okay.
I'm not sure where to go next. I want to hit Asakusa, a big temple district, and I'd like to get out to Gainax if I can. Gainax may have to wait until tomorrow, though. I also want to hit Harajuku tomorrow.
Tonight I plan on staying at a capsule hotel. I don't have reservations for a standard hotel, nor could I afford to stay at one. I've found some good lists of capsule hotels in the Tokyo area, which I plan to use tonight. Most of them have shower facilities, which will be essential to prevent an international incident.
If this post comes across as poorly spelled, I apologize. I don't have my normal spell checker on this machine, and the whole thing is in Japanese. I'll check it when I get done.
I bought an hour here, which will probably come out to be 600 yen or more, depending on the specifics. Drinks are free, but everything else is Tokyo prices, which is to say prohibitively expensive.
I've been trying to get in touch with Brain today, to no (current) avail. I figure he's probably still at work. I'd love to bum around with him tonight and/or tomorrow.
Anyway, I know this entry isn't as polished as mine normally are, but I figured I'd do the best with the time I have. I think I've got about 35-40 more minutes to go on the clock. I need to check up on hotels in Kyoto, either an actual hotel, a capsule, or a ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn).
Hah! Internet cafes rule! I'm an internet cafe high above Akihabara, having found it after nearly an hour of searching.
I've been hanging out in Akiba for most of the day, just walking around and checking out shops. It's kind of funny, but because I can't read Japanese, and they don't sell a lot of stuff that has English language options, I really can't buy anything in Akihabara. Nerd capital of the world. Go figure.
It's still fun to walk around, though.
All the lockers filled up at the train stationb efore I got there, so I've been lugging my duffel around with me. I didn't pack super-heavy, but it is a good 15 extra pounds of weight my shoulders and back could do without hauling around. Still, I'm doing okay.
I'm not sure where to go next. I want to hit Asakusa, a big temple district, and I'd like to get out to Gainax if I can. Gainax may have to wait until tomorrow, though. I also want to hit Harajuku tomorrow.
Tonight I plan on staying at a capsule hotel. I don't have reservations for a standard hotel, nor could I afford to stay at one. I've found some good lists of capsule hotels in the Tokyo area, which I plan to use tonight. Most of them have shower facilities, which will be essential to prevent an international incident.
If this post comes across as poorly spelled, I apologize. I don't have my normal spell checker on this machine, and the whole thing is in Japanese. I'll check it when I get done.
I bought an hour here, which will probably come out to be 600 yen or more, depending on the specifics. Drinks are free, but everything else is Tokyo prices, which is to say prohibitively expensive.
I've been trying to get in touch with Brain today, to no (current) avail. I figure he's probably still at work. I'd love to bum around with him tonight and/or tomorrow.
Anyway, I know this entry isn't as polished as mine normally are, but I figured I'd do the best with the time I have. I think I've got about 35-40 more minutes to go on the clock. I need to check up on hotels in Kyoto, either an actual hotel, a capsule, or a ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn).
Thursday, August 9, 2007
okay, now for today
J109 Thursday August 9th
Ahhhhhh, vacation. That wonderful feeling of waking up and not having to go into work for the next 7 days.
7 days.
I did a lot today, in preparation for my vacation. I stopped at the ATM first, to get some monies. I grabbed lunch and ate it at the steps of the shrine again (I love eating there. So peaceful). I dropped off my dry cleaning, and then went to pick up a bus ticket. My first stop on my vacation is Tokyo, which I'll go to tomorrow morning. I couldn't quite figure out where to purchase a bus ticket, though. I couldn't quite understand the train station employees, and the Lawson's workers were trying to use a multipurpose console to see if I could buy tickets there. Luckily, fate smiled upon me. An American woman and her Japanese coworker stopped in to buy a snack, and I asked for their help. They work in Hitachi, as secretaries for some sort of nuclear research company.
The Japanese woman of the pair led me to the bus travel office, just a little ways down Heiwa street. I thanked her and her American counterpart profusely. They were catching the next bus to Kyoto themselves, so as soon as they showed me where the office was they departed.
I purchased an early morning ticket (the bus leaves at 7:30) and debated my next move. I decided to head into Ito Yokado and see what I could see there.
I wound up purchasing a new shoulder strap for my NERV duffel bag. The strap broke on my flight to Japan, and it's been a pain to lug with just handles. I also purchased a swimsuit, having no such garment here in Japan. It's a nice Airwalk brand, a little expensive, but well put together and festooned with pockets. Festooned! I ran into Greg, K, and Sylvia as I shopped, and we all exchanged pleasantries.
My final stop was the grocery store in Yokado. I've run out of a lot of food, and I haven't restocked much, given that I'll be out of the house for almost a week. Still, a boy needs to eat, so I bought some tofu, a few drinks and some breakfast food.
I biked home, enjoying the summer sun and lovely breeze. Thunder clouds were booming off in the distance, but they showed no signs of coming toward Hitachi.
I spent the next few hours playing Neverwinter Nights. I haven't played a video game, my DS notwithstanding, in weeks. It was wonderful to play something new and exciting. I've never finished the single-player campaign, and I must say it's rather fun. A little dated, but that's never a bad thing. I've also got Deus Ex installed, which I play once in a blue moon.
And that leaves us with now. I need to pack up my bag and get to sleep really soon. My bus leaves in less than 8 hours. My gizmos are charged, which is good, and my laundry's drying.
I want to let ya'll know that I won't be able to post for a few days. I'm not going to have regular access to a computer, which will mean I won't be online. Just remember; I am always in your heart, 'cause you all are always in mine.
That's right. I just said that. Because I'm awesome.
Ahhhhhh, vacation. That wonderful feeling of waking up and not having to go into work for the next 7 days.
7 days.
I did a lot today, in preparation for my vacation. I stopped at the ATM first, to get some monies. I grabbed lunch and ate it at the steps of the shrine again (I love eating there. So peaceful). I dropped off my dry cleaning, and then went to pick up a bus ticket. My first stop on my vacation is Tokyo, which I'll go to tomorrow morning. I couldn't quite figure out where to purchase a bus ticket, though. I couldn't quite understand the train station employees, and the Lawson's workers were trying to use a multipurpose console to see if I could buy tickets there. Luckily, fate smiled upon me. An American woman and her Japanese coworker stopped in to buy a snack, and I asked for their help. They work in Hitachi, as secretaries for some sort of nuclear research company.
The Japanese woman of the pair led me to the bus travel office, just a little ways down Heiwa street. I thanked her and her American counterpart profusely. They were catching the next bus to Kyoto themselves, so as soon as they showed me where the office was they departed.
I purchased an early morning ticket (the bus leaves at 7:30) and debated my next move. I decided to head into Ito Yokado and see what I could see there.
I wound up purchasing a new shoulder strap for my NERV duffel bag. The strap broke on my flight to Japan, and it's been a pain to lug with just handles. I also purchased a swimsuit, having no such garment here in Japan. It's a nice Airwalk brand, a little expensive, but well put together and festooned with pockets. Festooned! I ran into Greg, K, and Sylvia as I shopped, and we all exchanged pleasantries.
My final stop was the grocery store in Yokado. I've run out of a lot of food, and I haven't restocked much, given that I'll be out of the house for almost a week. Still, a boy needs to eat, so I bought some tofu, a few drinks and some breakfast food.
I biked home, enjoying the summer sun and lovely breeze. Thunder clouds were booming off in the distance, but they showed no signs of coming toward Hitachi.
I spent the next few hours playing Neverwinter Nights. I haven't played a video game, my DS notwithstanding, in weeks. It was wonderful to play something new and exciting. I've never finished the single-player campaign, and I must say it's rather fun. A little dated, but that's never a bad thing. I've also got Deus Ex installed, which I play once in a blue moon.
And that leaves us with now. I need to pack up my bag and get to sleep really soon. My bus leaves in less than 8 hours. My gizmos are charged, which is good, and my laundry's drying.
I want to let ya'll know that I won't be able to post for a few days. I'm not going to have regular access to a computer, which will mean I won't be online. Just remember; I am always in your heart, 'cause you all are always in mine.
That's right. I just said that. Because I'm awesome.
Monday, July 30, 2007
that is IT. I am POSTING.
J86 Tuesday July 17th
Everyone in Hitachi is talking about the earthquake. Little damage, and so far none of my coworkers or students have had any injuries or deaths in the family. Thank goodness.
J87 Wednesday July 18th
Same old same old. Busy day. Talked to Dad a little. Says that he will have E.J. over for a while, and that they'll be sending me a package for my birthday. Sounds awesome!
J88 Thursday July 19th
My pokemon collection grows. I've taken to playing it during my office hours, given that I now have some free time in the heat of the day.
J89 Friday July 20th
Josh invited me to hang, but I felt really drained. Today's Genie's (one of the Nova teachers) year anniversary in Japan, but I'm so wiped I didn't want to attend. I decided to drop by G-Bros for five minutes to give my congratulations and leave. Josh was there, with two of his own coworkers. I told him my plan, and he understood completely.
We had a short hang-out session wherein he told me of Beats of Rage. It's an open-source programming project where one can download (and add to) a side-scrolling beat-em-up ala Double Dragon or Final Fight. Decided to investigate later.
J90 Saturday July 21st
Busy busy Saturday! But, no biggie. I'm a pro, now. A cool, collected individual well-tuned to his students. No repeats of last Saturday's stomach distress, thank goodness. Managed to get an interesting article about a mysterious person in Japan.
The short-short version: a person (or persons) has been going around leaving envelopes of 10,000 yen bills the men's bathrooms of municipal and government buildings. Every envelope comes with a hand-written letter, in formal kanji, that bids the finder take only one bill, and use it to absolve past sins or further one's spiritual enlightenment and fulfillment. This has been happening for about a year, give or take a month or two.
Now for the weird parts. One, the handwriting and grammar structure are very unique. They appear to be from the hand of a very old-fashioned, religiously educated man. The grammar is very formal and has structures only used by members of Buddhist clergy. Furthermore, the handwriting is getting worse. Shaky and sloppy. Mr. X, as he is called, is dieing.
Additionally, the envelopes have been found everywhere from Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, to Okinawa, the southernmost island chain. Envelopes have been found thousands of miles apart, but separated in time by mere days. Mr. X is logging a lot of frequent flier miles.
No one knows who he is. Is he real? Is he even a he? Is this money legit, or is it from illegal gambling or dealing? Is this an act of compassion, or a loyalty test? Very mysterious.
Anyway! Saturday night was to be very fun, indeed. Also, tiring. Went to G-Bros, as is my custom. After a big dinner (I was super-hungry) we all went to the beach to set off fireworks again. You can buy really good (and really bad; be careful) fireworks everywhere in Japan. We brought a couple of sacks of fireworks to the beach and proceeded to battle the elements to light them. A heavy mist had sprung up and was blown by strong winds. Nevertheless, we persevered, and were rewarded with a delightful light show of our own making.
After we'd fired everything off, it was getting late. Some of the others wanted to check out a haunted house. I decided to accompany them. I lugged my bike, along with Mike (from Amity, my company's sister school), K, Greg (the teacher I replaced) and M-sensei, my coworker. We crisscrossed Hitachi, finally finding ourselves at the foot of a steep mountain road that lead way up into the hills. Predawn light filled the sky with a misty azure light as we ascended, seeing many beautiful, silent vistas as we climbed.
We passed the ruins of what we assumed (and later confirmed to be) the haunted dormitory. We made it to a massive hillside graveyard on our descent, after climbing to the end of the road, and were greeted with a beautiful predawn view of the city. I took a few pictures, some of which contain Orbs, thought to be paranormal evidence of ghosts.
We climbed down around the edges of the graveyard, stopping to ring a massive brass bell and take pictures of a HUGE spider. We ascended the next mountain spur via a tall staircase, having seen a mysterious, citadel of a building at its top. We found it to be a government building of some sort. We rested at the top of this hill, and then decided to head for our respective homes.
I got home, covered in mud and grass and bug bites, my feet aching. I shucked my muddy clothes and took a shower. I collapsed in bed, drawing the shades tight, and sleeping. It was 7AM Sunday morning.
J91 Sunday July 22nd
I was a zombie all day. Didn't move much. Didn't eat much. Just kind of stared into space. Was super-tired. Got out long enough to see if I could buy the newest Harry Potter book, but was met with failure. I got back and gave Amazon a spin. Mind you, this was the first time I'd ever used Amazon. Realize that, for all my love of technology, I can be a luddite sometimes. I was impressed.
I ordered the book, in English, next-day delivery, cash on delivery. Totally sweet. I spent the rest of the night just vegging.
J92 Monday July 23rd
I wanted to go out, but I couldn't because I had to wait on my book. So, I stayed in again. All day. It wasn't, bad, though; gave me a chance to recharge a bit for the upcoming week. At last, at 8PM, my book arrived. I paid the delivery man and began to devour the book. Worry not, for I abhor spoilers as Evil does the Good Book. I got almost 3/4 of the way done before I slept.
Everyone in Hitachi is talking about the earthquake. Little damage, and so far none of my coworkers or students have had any injuries or deaths in the family. Thank goodness.
J87 Wednesday July 18th
Same old same old. Busy day. Talked to Dad a little. Says that he will have E.J. over for a while, and that they'll be sending me a package for my birthday. Sounds awesome!
J88 Thursday July 19th
My pokemon collection grows. I've taken to playing it during my office hours, given that I now have some free time in the heat of the day.
J89 Friday July 20th
Josh invited me to hang, but I felt really drained. Today's Genie's (one of the Nova teachers) year anniversary in Japan, but I'm so wiped I didn't want to attend. I decided to drop by G-Bros for five minutes to give my congratulations and leave. Josh was there, with two of his own coworkers. I told him my plan, and he understood completely.
We had a short hang-out session wherein he told me of Beats of Rage. It's an open-source programming project where one can download (and add to) a side-scrolling beat-em-up ala Double Dragon or Final Fight. Decided to investigate later.
J90 Saturday July 21st
Busy busy Saturday! But, no biggie. I'm a pro, now. A cool, collected individual well-tuned to his students. No repeats of last Saturday's stomach distress, thank goodness. Managed to get an interesting article about a mysterious person in Japan.
The short-short version: a person (or persons) has been going around leaving envelopes of 10,000 yen bills the men's bathrooms of municipal and government buildings. Every envelope comes with a hand-written letter, in formal kanji, that bids the finder take only one bill, and use it to absolve past sins or further one's spiritual enlightenment and fulfillment. This has been happening for about a year, give or take a month or two.
Now for the weird parts. One, the handwriting and grammar structure are very unique. They appear to be from the hand of a very old-fashioned, religiously educated man. The grammar is very formal and has structures only used by members of Buddhist clergy. Furthermore, the handwriting is getting worse. Shaky and sloppy. Mr. X, as he is called, is dieing.
Additionally, the envelopes have been found everywhere from Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, to Okinawa, the southernmost island chain. Envelopes have been found thousands of miles apart, but separated in time by mere days. Mr. X is logging a lot of frequent flier miles.
No one knows who he is. Is he real? Is he even a he? Is this money legit, or is it from illegal gambling or dealing? Is this an act of compassion, or a loyalty test? Very mysterious.
Anyway! Saturday night was to be very fun, indeed. Also, tiring. Went to G-Bros, as is my custom. After a big dinner (I was super-hungry) we all went to the beach to set off fireworks again. You can buy really good (and really bad; be careful) fireworks everywhere in Japan. We brought a couple of sacks of fireworks to the beach and proceeded to battle the elements to light them. A heavy mist had sprung up and was blown by strong winds. Nevertheless, we persevered, and were rewarded with a delightful light show of our own making.
After we'd fired everything off, it was getting late. Some of the others wanted to check out a haunted house. I decided to accompany them. I lugged my bike, along with Mike (from Amity, my company's sister school), K, Greg (the teacher I replaced) and M-sensei, my coworker. We crisscrossed Hitachi, finally finding ourselves at the foot of a steep mountain road that lead way up into the hills. Predawn light filled the sky with a misty azure light as we ascended, seeing many beautiful, silent vistas as we climbed.
We passed the ruins of what we assumed (and later confirmed to be) the haunted dormitory. We made it to a massive hillside graveyard on our descent, after climbing to the end of the road, and were greeted with a beautiful predawn view of the city. I took a few pictures, some of which contain Orbs, thought to be paranormal evidence of ghosts.
We climbed down around the edges of the graveyard, stopping to ring a massive brass bell and take pictures of a HUGE spider. We ascended the next mountain spur via a tall staircase, having seen a mysterious, citadel of a building at its top. We found it to be a government building of some sort. We rested at the top of this hill, and then decided to head for our respective homes.
I got home, covered in mud and grass and bug bites, my feet aching. I shucked my muddy clothes and took a shower. I collapsed in bed, drawing the shades tight, and sleeping. It was 7AM Sunday morning.
J91 Sunday July 22nd
I was a zombie all day. Didn't move much. Didn't eat much. Just kind of stared into space. Was super-tired. Got out long enough to see if I could buy the newest Harry Potter book, but was met with failure. I got back and gave Amazon a spin. Mind you, this was the first time I'd ever used Amazon. Realize that, for all my love of technology, I can be a luddite sometimes. I was impressed.
I ordered the book, in English, next-day delivery, cash on delivery. Totally sweet. I spent the rest of the night just vegging.
J92 Monday July 23rd
I wanted to go out, but I couldn't because I had to wait on my book. So, I stayed in again. All day. It wasn't, bad, though; gave me a chance to recharge a bit for the upcoming week. At last, at 8PM, my book arrived. I paid the delivery man and began to devour the book. Worry not, for I abhor spoilers as Evil does the Good Book. I got almost 3/4 of the way done before I slept.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Shake, rattle, and roll
J85 Monday July 16th
Monday was beautiful, despite the rain-soaked monotony of the previous day. All the pollutants had been swept from the sky by the wind and rain, and there were only a few clouds in the sky. It was gorgeous.
In the morning, whilst making my Internet rounds, I felt the first of the day's earthquakes. It wasn't much here in Hitachi, but elsewhere such was not the case. Several dead, hundreds wounded, and many, many houses leveled by the quake. My heart goes out to those struck by this earthquake, for to them it truly was a disaster.
However, uninformed as I was, I went about my day as normal. K and I met up around 2 to have Brush Club. Neither of us were too into it, given the beauty of the day, and we wound up shopping for the next few hours. We trundled up to Sakura City to investigate their 1000 yen shop, which had been closed down. Next to it, though, was a crafts store. For those of you who know me well, you know that crafting has been a favorite hobby of mine for quite some time. You may also imagine my poor Japanese skills making finding such a place difficult, if not impossible. So, sitting before me was a store filled with things that give me a tactile sense of joy.
I was a very happy boy.
After perusing there for a while, and hitting Sakura City's 100 yen store, we went back to the Ito Yokado food court for the Japanese Lesson. The crowd was small; only myself, K, Matt (the newish Nova teacher) and Bastion (A gentleman-researcher at Ibaraki University from...Slovania, I think? Awesome accent).
We pulled from a book I had brought with me, a grammar book that one can use to teach one's self Japanese. It was quite useful; we'd been running out of concrete linguistics to study in the Lesson as of late, and the group was starting to lose focus.
After the lesson we all parted ways. I myself headed back home to relax and play some Neverwinter Nights. I'd installed it the day before to help assuage my boredom, but repeated crashes and other frustrating bugs turned it into an unhappy experience. My intellect was stimulated, though, and I tackled the problem with renewed vigor. A few software upgrades and some quick prayers later, it seemed to work.
That evening, my Mom called to check up on me. She had heard about the quake, and wanted to make sure I wasn't under a building somewhere. I told her that I was fine, after which she informed me of the quake's damage. I told her I was ok, and that I loved her.
Then, not 10 minutes after I'd hung up, we felt two more earthquakes. These were stronger than the one this morning by a factor of two, easily. My entire apartment building wobbled, this time, and my toaster oven skidded off its perch atop my microwave (which is atop my minifridge, a perilous pile of potable preparation, I know, but space is at a premium here).
The first one was so strong I decided to pack a quick emergency kit. My backpack was hastily packed with some extra clothes, my journal, my lighter (always with me) my hankerchief, and a few other elements necessary should the world radically shift into a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic wasteland. The second quake came shortly thereafter, but was much smaller.
Nothing happened afterwards, to my relief, but my emergency kit was next to my bed all through the night.
I got to bed around 2AM, as is my custom.
This morning, there was an earthquake. Not big from where I was, just an extended wobble of my apartment, but enough to be felt. I heard that it caused quite a bit of damage elsewhere, though, which does make me sad.
Monday was beautiful
Monday was beautiful, despite the rain-soaked monotony of the previous day. All the pollutants had been swept from the sky by the wind and rain, and there were only a few clouds in the sky. It was gorgeous.
In the morning, whilst making my Internet rounds, I felt the first of the day's earthquakes. It wasn't much here in Hitachi, but elsewhere such was not the case. Several dead, hundreds wounded, and many, many houses leveled by the quake. My heart goes out to those struck by this earthquake, for to them it truly was a disaster.
However, uninformed as I was, I went about my day as normal. K and I met up around 2 to have Brush Club. Neither of us were too into it, given the beauty of the day, and we wound up shopping for the next few hours. We trundled up to Sakura City to investigate their 1000 yen shop, which had been closed down. Next to it, though, was a crafts store. For those of you who know me well, you know that crafting has been a favorite hobby of mine for quite some time. You may also imagine my poor Japanese skills making finding such a place difficult, if not impossible. So, sitting before me was a store filled with things that give me a tactile sense of joy.
I was a very happy boy.
After perusing there for a while, and hitting Sakura City's 100 yen store, we went back to the Ito Yokado food court for the Japanese Lesson. The crowd was small; only myself, K, Matt (the newish Nova teacher) and Bastion (A gentleman-researcher at Ibaraki University from...Slovania, I think? Awesome accent).
We pulled from a book I had brought with me, a grammar book that one can use to teach one's self Japanese. It was quite useful; we'd been running out of concrete linguistics to study in the Lesson as of late, and the group was starting to lose focus.
After the lesson we all parted ways. I myself headed back home to relax and play some Neverwinter Nights. I'd installed it the day before to help assuage my boredom, but repeated crashes and other frustrating bugs turned it into an unhappy experience. My intellect was stimulated, though, and I tackled the problem with renewed vigor. A few software upgrades and some quick prayers later, it seemed to work.
That evening, my Mom called to check up on me. She had heard about the quake, and wanted to make sure I wasn't under a building somewhere. I told her that I was fine, after which she informed me of the quake's damage. I told her I was ok, and that I loved her.
Then, not 10 minutes after I'd hung up, we felt two more earthquakes. These were stronger than the one this morning by a factor of two, easily. My entire apartment building wobbled, this time, and my toaster oven skidded off its perch atop my microwave (which is atop my minifridge, a perilous pile of potable preparation, I know, but space is at a premium here).
The first one was so strong I decided to pack a quick emergency kit. My backpack was hastily packed with some extra clothes, my journal, my lighter (always with me) my hankerchief, and a few other elements necessary should the world radically shift into a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic wasteland. The second quake came shortly thereafter, but was much smaller.
Nothing happened afterwards, to my relief, but my emergency kit was next to my bed all through the night.
I got to bed around 2AM, as is my custom.
This morning, there was an earthquake. Not big from where I was, just an extended wobble of my apartment, but enough to be felt. I heard that it caused quite a bit of damage elsewhere, though, which does make me sad.
Monday was beautiful
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Yesterday~
J72 Thursday, March 24th 2007
Thursdays are always a little tough. I usually don't have as much prep time as I normally do, thanks to a weekly meeting, and this morning I found myself getting in a tad later than I would have liked.
Nothing big to report, aside from the fact that two of my students had their last classes today. Both of them, Hiro-kun and Mo-chan, are amazing students. Mo-chan is in her last year of high school, and as such is starting to study in earnest for her college entrance exams. She won't have time enough for AEON and school. Hiro-kun is in a similar situation, only he has to study for tests that will let him become a Master's student at his university.
Both of them have good reasons, and I gave them nothing but encouraging words, but I was still a little sad to see them leave. Mo-chan even gave me a little goodbye card. It was terribly sweet.
Early morning tomorrow [EDITOR: So why are you still up, dingus?] at the university, handing out fliers and yelling at college students. Yay!
--------------------------------------------------
[Original day written: Sunday, February 25th 2007 at 8:00AM]
J3.0
I'm in the Omiya train station (Omiya being the small city where the seminar house is). I walked from the seminar house to the station, taking lots of photos along the way. Snagged some LURVLY warm gloves, so now my hands are nice and toasty.
I'm at the Starbucks above the station, people watching and reading Perdido Street Station. What an amazing book! I read China Mieville's first novel, King Rat, in my Postmodernism class at GT. It was okay, but didn't find it jaw-dropping. Lisa and J.D. made mutterings that it was the best thing to happen to fiction since Scott Lynch and George R.R. Martin, but they were right twice, and thus I had to wait until I left the country before I started reading them ;)
I'm full of anpan [EDITOR: Red bean paste filled bread. Find some and eat it immediately, for it is delicious] and hot chocolate, waiting on Brain and Tara to appear from below, where the gates of the train station are in a constant state of flux. In and out, at all times, people are flowing from the turnstiles. I'm writing in this journal, which I just love to death. It's a grid-lined Moleskine that I bought at a Boarders in Atlanta for about $10. I wish I got a better pen, as the one I have now bleeds like a stuck pig, but it does alright for scratching down little notes. I'll make these better once I get the internet [EDITOR: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA GET THE INTERNET WHAT A JOKE].
There is so much art here: abstract designs and architecture is varied and constant. Tiles are laid everywhere. Everywhere there are signs of age. Some designs look to have been laid down yesterday, and not a dozen yards away is a building or a wall that dates back to the War.
J3.1
This Starbucks has played only American music. Sinatra and other 40s/50s stuff.
Every other group of young people could be a rock band. Style is EVERYTHING to the people I see. Hair in a variety of colors and styles, clothes with words, images, screens, and prints. Chains, zippers, leather, canvas, denim, laces. Everything is used, everything different.
Wish I had a "Bring Brack Brain" shirt. I wish I had another shirt, period. I've only got a grey sleeping shirt (not at all suitable for wear outside of the room) and a blue button-up short-sleeved shirt. I do laundry every day, sometimes twice a day, just to be sure I have enough clean stuff to wear. I have this Survivor/Curusoe thing going on, so that's one good thing I've got going for me.
Oh, hey, Brain!
And Tara!
J3.2
Oh, God, I am so tired. I'm at a restaurant in Harajuku [EDITOR: Cooler than you think, despite Gwen Steffani's best efforts] called the Elephant Cafe. I've been out with Brain and Tara ALL day. We ate lunch at a Hard Rock Cafe, after which we went to Akihabara [EDITOR: The first trip there of many!]. We trundled up and down the main street, going into and out of a dozen massive media stores. Every possible form of media you can think of. Books, movies, music, DVDs (T.V. shows, anime, etc.)
Tara bought a bunch of stuff (it was apparently payday yesterday for her), but I held back. I don't have a lot of money with me, so I'm waiting for my own payday and the Internet to satisfy my anime cravings [EDITOR: AHAHAHA AGAIN?] We went to Harajuku around 6 PM, where I bought a nifty scarf. It was getting a little colder, but thanks to my awesome flannel scarf my neck and face are as toasty as my gloves.
We waited for a long time for a table here at the Elephant Cafe, and even longer for service. I just want to sleep, I am so very, very tired. The other people at the table are other AEON teachers, foreigners, and.....I can't remember to write, I'm so tired. Oh, joy, we just ordered drinks.
J3.3
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Thursdays are always a little tough. I usually don't have as much prep time as I normally do, thanks to a weekly meeting, and this morning I found myself getting in a tad later than I would have liked.
Nothing big to report, aside from the fact that two of my students had their last classes today. Both of them, Hiro-kun and Mo-chan, are amazing students. Mo-chan is in her last year of high school, and as such is starting to study in earnest for her college entrance exams. She won't have time enough for AEON and school. Hiro-kun is in a similar situation, only he has to study for tests that will let him become a Master's student at his university.
Both of them have good reasons, and I gave them nothing but encouraging words, but I was still a little sad to see them leave. Mo-chan even gave me a little goodbye card. It was terribly sweet.
Early morning tomorrow [EDITOR: So why are you still up, dingus?] at the university, handing out fliers and yelling at college students. Yay!
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[Original day written: Sunday, February 25th 2007 at 8:00AM]
J3.0
I'm in the Omiya train station (Omiya being the small city where the seminar house is). I walked from the seminar house to the station, taking lots of photos along the way. Snagged some LURVLY warm gloves, so now my hands are nice and toasty.
I'm at the Starbucks above the station, people watching and reading Perdido Street Station. What an amazing book! I read China Mieville's first novel, King Rat, in my Postmodernism class at GT. It was okay, but didn't find it jaw-dropping. Lisa and J.D. made mutterings that it was the best thing to happen to fiction since Scott Lynch and George R.R. Martin, but they were right twice, and thus I had to wait until I left the country before I started reading them ;)
I'm full of anpan [EDITOR: Red bean paste filled bread. Find some and eat it immediately, for it is delicious] and hot chocolate, waiting on Brain and Tara to appear from below, where the gates of the train station are in a constant state of flux. In and out, at all times, people are flowing from the turnstiles. I'm writing in this journal, which I just love to death. It's a grid-lined Moleskine that I bought at a Boarders in Atlanta for about $10. I wish I got a better pen, as the one I have now bleeds like a stuck pig, but it does alright for scratching down little notes. I'll make these better once I get the internet [EDITOR: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA GET THE INTERNET WHAT A JOKE].
There is so much art here: abstract designs and architecture is varied and constant. Tiles are laid everywhere. Everywhere there are signs of age. Some designs look to have been laid down yesterday, and not a dozen yards away is a building or a wall that dates back to the War.
J3.1
This Starbucks has played only American music. Sinatra and other 40s/50s stuff.
Every other group of young people could be a rock band. Style is EVERYTHING to the people I see. Hair in a variety of colors and styles, clothes with words, images, screens, and prints. Chains, zippers, leather, canvas, denim, laces. Everything is used, everything different.
Wish I had a "Bring Brack Brain" shirt. I wish I had another shirt, period. I've only got a grey sleeping shirt (not at all suitable for wear outside of the room) and a blue button-up short-sleeved shirt. I do laundry every day, sometimes twice a day, just to be sure I have enough clean stuff to wear. I have this Survivor/Curusoe thing going on, so that's one good thing I've got going for me.
Oh, hey, Brain!
And Tara!
J3.2
Oh, God, I am so tired. I'm at a restaurant in Harajuku [EDITOR: Cooler than you think, despite Gwen Steffani's best efforts] called the Elephant Cafe. I've been out with Brain and Tara ALL day. We ate lunch at a Hard Rock Cafe, after which we went to Akihabara [EDITOR: The first trip there of many!]. We trundled up and down the main street, going into and out of a dozen massive media stores. Every possible form of media you can think of. Books, movies, music, DVDs (T.V. shows, anime, etc.)
Tara bought a bunch of stuff (it was apparently payday yesterday for her), but I held back. I don't have a lot of money with me, so I'm waiting for my own payday and the Internet to satisfy my anime cravings [EDITOR: AHAHAHA AGAIN?] We went to Harajuku around 6 PM, where I bought a nifty scarf. It was getting a little colder, but thanks to my awesome flannel scarf my neck and face are as toasty as my gloves.
We waited for a long time for a table here at the Elephant Cafe, and even longer for service. I just want to sleep, I am so very, very tired. The other people at the table are other AEON teachers, foreigners, and.....I can't remember to write, I'm so tired. Oh, joy, we just ordered drinks.
J3.3
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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