Wednesday August 2, 9:56 p.m.
Well, I'm still here plugging away. 001 was her usual fun self. Like 002 earlier in the day, she was thoroughly satisfied with the party back on Saturday. Looks like everyone is already looking forward to the okonomiyaki party. We've already gotten onto a running gag started on that day about the girls (001, 002 and The Baker) getting dressed as Bud Girls; however, for some bizarre reason, they would like me to put on the tube dress. I'm trying my darndest to dissuade them.
My model lesson student has now become 009...not a huge achievement as of yet since 007 has resolutely stayed away and I won't be seeing Farrah 008 until late this month. He's a pretty humble sort but I think he can do good things. I've got a feeling that he also won't be a firmly regular guy; he's in the accounting department of his company which will probably mean that come tax time or year-end adjustment periods, he'll be scarce.
Kinda strange thing, though. Last night, I got a message from The Hawaiian's older sister out of the blue. Some years ago, she had asked me if I would teach her. So I did one lesson with her at her workplace but nothing came of it. And at the same time, MB had warned me about her flighty nature. Therefore, I'm taking a cautious attitude toward her this time. If she does re-up, great; if not, no harm done.
The Wild Guy is doing OK back in his native Toronto. He's been hitting the pavement looking for a job. He's gotten offers but they're not the type of stuff he wants to be doing permanently. Still, he can still do them for the money until the next big opportunity comes up.
Tomorrow, I've only got B2 and B2B in the evening so I'm free and clear during the day. However, I've got another package heading for The Anime King and I'm the clearinghouse so I've gotta be up just in case.
Just a place to deposit my thoughts on life here in the Kanto and about anything else that sticks to my walls.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Wednesday August 2, 6:00 p.m.
I've got about 15 minutes before 001 comes in for her class so I best hurry.
If these are supposed to be the dog days of summer, then August came in with all the fury of an anemic & anorexic chihuahua. It actually felt chilly on Monday night. I don't think I'd ever needed to close my window overnight on any August 1 that I'd been here in this country...a place that brings summer and Hell all that much closer. It even felt pleasant to go to work yesterday. Well, things are getting back to normal today. I've developed my layer of moisture underneath my clothing. Still, it feels downright frosty compared to what I've heard about Toronto. A humidex of 47 C?!
I've got about 15 minutes before 001 comes in for her class so I best hurry.
If these are supposed to be the dog days of summer, then August came in with all the fury of an anemic & anorexic chihuahua. It actually felt chilly on Monday night. I don't think I'd ever needed to close my window overnight on any August 1 that I'd been here in this country...a place that brings summer and Hell all that much closer. It even felt pleasant to go to work yesterday. Well, things are getting back to normal today. I've developed my layer of moisture underneath my clothing. Still, it feels downright frosty compared to what I've heard about Toronto. A humidex of 47 C?!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Monday July 31, 8:45 p.m.
It certainly felt rather different for a July day this morning. For one thing, I had to close the balcony window last night as I slept since it was actually chilly! For another, the commute to see The Class Act also felt rather pleasant since it was very bright and, once again, chilly. If it hadn't been for the fact that July had already been pounded into my brain, I would've sworn it was more like late October. It did warm up by the afternoon but though the heat was there, it wasn't too oppressive. I only had to use just one menthol wipe today. I felt rather lightheaded at the thought. I knew that yesterday was the official final day of the rainy season but I never thought it would be taken to such extremes.
I also, alas, felt light-pocketed. This morning, I bit a rather large bullet and paid my advance income taxes and the first premium of this year's National Health Insurance. Ouch! And August is gonna be a lean month since a lot of my students are on vacation. I'm definitely gonna feel it tomorrow since The Beehive and The Teacher, two of my more generous benefactors, won't be around for the next month. Sapporo Ichiban for dinner, anyone?
The Class Act and SIL will also be gone for the next couple of weeks. And even The Part-Timer may be off next week (provided that she is able to get a ticket) to do a week in Vancouver. Basically, the lesson was answering her questions about the city.
Saturday, after my session with JJ, I went off to the wilds of Funabashi since I got the invite from 002 for a BBQ. I did a quick pick-up of a Peach Mousse at a bakery in Funabashi Station and then went straight to her apartment. 001 and 002's hubby were already hard at work on the grill on the huge balcony (let's say this...it's bigger than my apartment). And 001 and 002's mutual friend, The Baker, was also there. It was a nice small party...just the type I prefer. Considering that both 001 and 002 are two of my giggliest students, the laugh levels were getting quite high....along with the folks there due to the imbibing of alcohol. The Baker quickly refreshed my memory on a promise that she'd made to me months ago that her mother, a baker by hobby, would produce some nice little apple pies. Well, the apples she couldn't get but the chestnuts she got instead still made for a luscious filling. 002's husband is a decent sort, as well...quite well versed in English. As the night wore on, I saw even more frenetic sides to 001 and 002. The latter lady, usually a bit of a shrinking violet, was a lot more sharp-tongued. I can only imagine what she must be like in a marital spat. 001 was also bouncing off the walls for most of the party except for the last hour when she looked like she was nursing a hangover.
Sunday was one of my rare total days off. I decided to follow my muse and bought myself a blender. The muse was from a variety show on TV which had tarento making up smoothies and other drinks for a fellow colleague. Well, I just walked about 5 minutes to the nearest Yamada Denki shop and purchased a cheapo blender for only 2,000 yen (compared to the tres cher blenders at the big stores for 20,000 yen). As soon as I got back home, I opened her up, sliced up a banana, put in some yogurt, milk and honey and let the whole mess rip. I came up with a pretty satiny smoothie. The really inexpensive book I got at Maruzen on how to make these concoctions boasted about how excellent a breakfast drink this Honey-Banana Smoothie is; packed with all that calcium, fiber and carbs. I can certainly vouch for the fiber...I felt really regular afterwards. And it was quite a tasty number as well. I had a repeat performance for breakfast this morning in lieu of my cereal.
Speaking of my mornings, it looks like my weekday morning TV habit will be Desilu-influenced for the next little while. The original Star Trek was made in the studio that Desi and Lucy had built for the first 2 seasons. Now that Classic Trek has finished its run on Super Drama TV, two more from Desilu are now playing, the original Untouchables and the original Mission: Impossible.
When I refer to the original Untouchables, though, I don't mean that 90s update with the guy from JAG....or even the movie with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery. Nope, this is the old ABC 1960 show with Robert Stack as rough n' tumble Eliot Ness. The shows have been on for the past few weeks now, and I've been marveling at how violent it was (for a 60s show, that is)....plenty of knifings and strafegunning on a prime time program. I've also noticed at the number of celebs who've come on. I've seen Peter Falk and Louise Fletcher and the late Jack Warden. This morning's ep, "Star Witness", had Jim Backus of Gilligan's Island fame. I've always known Backus as the bombastic millionaire Thurston Howell III, and minorly so as Mr. Magoo from the cartoons, so it was a bit of a revelation to see him as this terrified family man turning evidence against the Mob.
Geez, it's already close to 9:30. I'll probably be heading home in another half-hour or so. I had my bento dinner in the form of a salad and a half-hot, half-cold chuuka don (stir-fry Chinese stuff on rice)....the microwave at Speedy's is a very complex machine.
I almost forgot to mention that I'd bought the latest entry in The Complete Peanuts series. This book is 1959-1960, so Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy and the rest of the gang have finally evolved to pretty much their iconic selves....Charlie Brown is the perennial goat, Linus has become the philosopher and Lucy is the crab.
It certainly felt rather different for a July day this morning. For one thing, I had to close the balcony window last night as I slept since it was actually chilly! For another, the commute to see The Class Act also felt rather pleasant since it was very bright and, once again, chilly. If it hadn't been for the fact that July had already been pounded into my brain, I would've sworn it was more like late October. It did warm up by the afternoon but though the heat was there, it wasn't too oppressive. I only had to use just one menthol wipe today. I felt rather lightheaded at the thought. I knew that yesterday was the official final day of the rainy season but I never thought it would be taken to such extremes.
I also, alas, felt light-pocketed. This morning, I bit a rather large bullet and paid my advance income taxes and the first premium of this year's National Health Insurance. Ouch! And August is gonna be a lean month since a lot of my students are on vacation. I'm definitely gonna feel it tomorrow since The Beehive and The Teacher, two of my more generous benefactors, won't be around for the next month. Sapporo Ichiban for dinner, anyone?
The Class Act and SIL will also be gone for the next couple of weeks. And even The Part-Timer may be off next week (provided that she is able to get a ticket) to do a week in Vancouver. Basically, the lesson was answering her questions about the city.
Saturday, after my session with JJ, I went off to the wilds of Funabashi since I got the invite from 002 for a BBQ. I did a quick pick-up of a Peach Mousse at a bakery in Funabashi Station and then went straight to her apartment. 001 and 002's hubby were already hard at work on the grill on the huge balcony (let's say this...it's bigger than my apartment). And 001 and 002's mutual friend, The Baker, was also there. It was a nice small party...just the type I prefer. Considering that both 001 and 002 are two of my giggliest students, the laugh levels were getting quite high....along with the folks there due to the imbibing of alcohol. The Baker quickly refreshed my memory on a promise that she'd made to me months ago that her mother, a baker by hobby, would produce some nice little apple pies. Well, the apples she couldn't get but the chestnuts she got instead still made for a luscious filling. 002's husband is a decent sort, as well...quite well versed in English. As the night wore on, I saw even more frenetic sides to 001 and 002. The latter lady, usually a bit of a shrinking violet, was a lot more sharp-tongued. I can only imagine what she must be like in a marital spat. 001 was also bouncing off the walls for most of the party except for the last hour when she looked like she was nursing a hangover.
Sunday was one of my rare total days off. I decided to follow my muse and bought myself a blender. The muse was from a variety show on TV which had tarento making up smoothies and other drinks for a fellow colleague. Well, I just walked about 5 minutes to the nearest Yamada Denki shop and purchased a cheapo blender for only 2,000 yen (compared to the tres cher blenders at the big stores for 20,000 yen). As soon as I got back home, I opened her up, sliced up a banana, put in some yogurt, milk and honey and let the whole mess rip. I came up with a pretty satiny smoothie. The really inexpensive book I got at Maruzen on how to make these concoctions boasted about how excellent a breakfast drink this Honey-Banana Smoothie is; packed with all that calcium, fiber and carbs. I can certainly vouch for the fiber...I felt really regular afterwards. And it was quite a tasty number as well. I had a repeat performance for breakfast this morning in lieu of my cereal.
Speaking of my mornings, it looks like my weekday morning TV habit will be Desilu-influenced for the next little while. The original Star Trek was made in the studio that Desi and Lucy had built for the first 2 seasons. Now that Classic Trek has finished its run on Super Drama TV, two more from Desilu are now playing, the original Untouchables and the original Mission: Impossible.
When I refer to the original Untouchables, though, I don't mean that 90s update with the guy from JAG....or even the movie with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery. Nope, this is the old ABC 1960 show with Robert Stack as rough n' tumble Eliot Ness. The shows have been on for the past few weeks now, and I've been marveling at how violent it was (for a 60s show, that is)....plenty of knifings and strafegunning on a prime time program. I've also noticed at the number of celebs who've come on. I've seen Peter Falk and Louise Fletcher and the late Jack Warden. This morning's ep, "Star Witness", had Jim Backus of Gilligan's Island fame. I've always known Backus as the bombastic millionaire Thurston Howell III, and minorly so as Mr. Magoo from the cartoons, so it was a bit of a revelation to see him as this terrified family man turning evidence against the Mob.
Geez, it's already close to 9:30. I'll probably be heading home in another half-hour or so. I had my bento dinner in the form of a salad and a half-hot, half-cold chuuka don (stir-fry Chinese stuff on rice)....the microwave at Speedy's is a very complex machine.
I almost forgot to mention that I'd bought the latest entry in The Complete Peanuts series. This book is 1959-1960, so Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy and the rest of the gang have finally evolved to pretty much their iconic selves....Charlie Brown is the perennial goat, Linus has become the philosopher and Lucy is the crab.