Thursday August 31, 2:35 p.m.

I think one of the biggest myths here about this country is that the Japanese diet is one of the healthiest. Anyone who says that is talking about something from perhaps 30-50 years ago. Sure, you still have tofu and green tea and seaweed but that's about it. Nope, thanks to the influx of American fast food over the decades and the fact that Japanese cuisine has its own artery-busting dishes, I'm afraid unless you're heading for the most ascetic existence amongst Buddhist monks in Kyoto, this ain't the place to become nice and slim.

Case in point: the buffet. Over here, it's also called viking. Yep, you heard it...just like that Hagar character in the comics. You hear it all the time amongst the folks here: "Hey, how about going to that viking in Shinagawa? It's got great roast beef." You can bet that it doesn't have anything to do with anyone in the Norwegian Embassy. I guess the term was coined as an easier substitute for smorgasbord. The Japanese linguists would've had major strokes trying to put that word into katakana.

Over the past several years, the buffet has insidiously penetrated itself into the Japanese culinary ethos. Anyone who still clings to the remains of the myth that the Japanese people are amongst the longest-living people in the world due to their diet will automatically be brought back to sobering reality once he/she goes into any large hotel in Tokyo. There are Chinese buffets, American buffets and the favourite amongst the ladies...the cake buffets. The hotel smorgasbords can ring up quite a cost from 4,000 yen upwards but during lunch, there are a lot of independent restaurants which offer lunchtime buffets for some pretty cheap yen. I, myself, hit a place called LAST in the modern complex known as Shiodome, just between the ritzy Ginza and the salaryman's paradise of Shimbashi. This LAST has a spread, calling itself a "country buffet" (yee-hah), which could also be called an ode to cholesterol. Fried chicken, fajitas, jambalaya, pizza, pasta...lots of stuff to stuff down...and that doesn't include the dessert tray. And all of it just goes for the measly price of 1,000 yen.

Thursday August 31, 1:45 p.m.

The last day of the month which means that I'm gonna be shucking out the yen today for the usual bills. Rent, health insurance and city tax among other things for the government...yeesh!

Well, Tokyo and Fukuoka were battling it out to see which city would get the so-called honour of being the national hopeful to try for the 2016 Olympics. The decision came down from the JIOC yesterday, and Governor Shintaro "Blinky" Ishihara and his cronies got the nod for Tokyo. But probably aside from them, the news was more than likely given a huge round of indifference or quiet grumbling. Apparently, what won Tokyo the possible privilege of hosting the Games was the ease of transporting the athletes to the venues. Still, I think a lot of folks are gonna be ruing the increased construction and maybe even higher taxes. Ah, but there I go again jumping too far ahead. The final decision by the IOC itself won't be made for another 3 years. And I'm fairly optimistic that Japan won't be getting the brass (or multicoloured) rings. For one thing, Beijing is getting the 2008 Games followed by London in 2012, and I frankly doubt that Dr. Rogge will be willing to give the Games to another large Asian city that quickly. I can see it easily going to an American or European one. Plus, I don't particularly want to have to share this already crowded city with thousands of athletes, their representatatives and media.

Back to more mundane matters, 001 was uncharacteristically in molasses mode last night. She warned me at the start of class that she was exhausted and it indeed showed. Still, as long as the jokes were pouring forth, she could keep awake. However, she'll be away next week so perhaps the longer absence will make the heart...and brain....grow fonder.

I sent off the missive to JJ about the status of any future lessons since I think that fax she'd sent a couple of weeks earlier was the equivalent of a "Dear John" letter. I'm not a huge fan of those indirect messages to save face. The "when in Rome" clause only goes so far with me, so I'm just asking for the straight situation.

I'm back here at the I-Cafe in Akihabara. The staff told me that there was only the VIP room available which is another 80 yen extra for the first 30 minutes. Well, I think I can afford that much since I have one of those discount tickets. The VIP room comes with an additional TV and printer for the user who wants to have that office feeling. I'll be here for about an hour and change before taking off. That still means I have a few hours before I see B2 and B2B so maybe another round on the massage chairs across the street may be in order.

Wednesday August 30, 4:25 p.m.

I think I'm gonna have to correct myself about the weather. Just when I thought 002's premonitions were coming true about the temps starting to make their inexorable slide into Fall, the last couple of days have been back to steamy Summer. The temps themselves aren't to blame; it's the humidity as usual.

It looks like this week will be the one for just night classes. I only had the juku group last night and even then it wasn't a full crowd. The Parisian pulled out suddenly although the boss let me have the full rate and Mr. Mild was also off on a business trip. Mind you, I did have Seven and The Siberian for 90 minutes each. A bit of a bonus from each one: Seven gave me some further souvenirs in the form of little cheesecakes and sweet potato pies...not sure what the occasion was; before I come to any conclusions, I'm much too old for her and she's already got a guy. Unfortunately, I'd completely forgotten about the cheesecakes once I got home last night and let them just sit in my bag until nearly noon today. I decided to devour a couple of them as part of my damage control. The other three sticks are now doing an emergency cooldown in the fridge; perhaps the extended time at room temperature may even enhance the flavour. As for The Siberian, we were able to get onto a good conversational hook so that we could last the 90 minutes without gasping for ideas. He'll be gone for the entirety of September due to his upcoming university training trip to Seoul. It'll be the loss of potential income of 12,000 yen in total but at least I get a bit of mental relief not having to wonder what I'm gonna talk to him about next. And at least, I've got a new student at Speedy's who'll be a 90-minute customer which means more money in the bank.

Today, I've only got 001 so it'll be a pleasant time. Just doing Passives with her today so it'll probably be another homer out of the park. Then, tomorrow night it'll be B2 and B2B for the first time in about 3 weeks.

I haven't heard anything yet from MB about catching "Superman Returns" this Sunday on confirmation but Skippy has given me the meeting time and place for that trip to the star-filled Korean restaurant in tony Akasaka after the movie. The Madame has contacted me about the following Sunday for lunch. I'm starting to notice that she's keeping a bit of distance from the others after that kerfuffle between her and MB all those weeks ago about her way-out spiritualism.

Ah, yes, a bit belated but Pluto did get that demotion, didn't it? Hm...a pity. The Japanese students always had a mnemonic system of remembering the planets in the solar system via kanji. Now, they have to drop the last kanji representing Pluto. I can imagine Jon Stewart and The Onion having a field day with this story. The Onion could do headlines like "Pluto Ousted Due to Size Issues....Plutonians Conferring with Viagrans for Help" or "Pluto Demoted...Invasion Cancelled Due to Humiliation".

Speaking of humiliation, that DA in Boulder, Colorado was eating some really meaty crow today about the John Mark Carr fiasco. She was getting some rather nasty calls suggesting that she be tarred and feathered and ridden out of town. But to her credit, she took the high road and owned up to her gambling loss...and besides, it did get rid of one wacko who needed to get put off the streets...whether it be in Bangkok or Boulder.

I think I may be one of the minority who actually enjoys seeing Bill Maher on Larry King. Whenever he comes on, I actually do stay tuned for the entire hour. I say that I am in the minority since I can't believe that he can be liked by the majority of Americans since he's gone on the record that he doesn't like religion or marriage or Republicans or Democrats. That's a big chunk of the US.

Monday August 28, 8:07 p.m.

Well, I see I've got a bit of time here. Decided to get dinner a little later since I wanna time it so that I don't have to end up smack dab in the middle of the last rush hour of the night. Besides, I've got virtually the entire day to sleep in tomorrow...well, then again...I do have "The Untouchables" in the morning.

I see The Emmys got done and done well, thanks to Conan. Perhaps David Letterman will be brooding a bit especially after that Oscar fiasco several years ago. "24" finally got its Emmy; mind you, I haven't seen anything after Season 2 (Chip Guy had been kind enough to lend me his box sets when he was still here). "Lost" is still lost on me...never really caught onto that one but then again, I think I had to be there from the very beginning and to stay there; not possible in my line of work. Alan Alda got his Emmy for "The West Wing" to add to all those he got for "MASH". I guess I'll be happy to see him on the show, once his episodes come here in about half a decade. Mind you, I'm enjoying perky Emily Proctor as Ainsley Hayes.

Looks like I've got that new business student starting from Monday. And since she's a 90-minute one, she should make up financially for The Teacher's absence.

Since I've got about half an hour before I finally do take off, I can actually do some ruminating, something that I haven't been able to do here since I usually use this blog just to talk about the daily stuff.

Over here, the musical genre of AOR (Adult Oriented Radio) or Adult Contemporary or Smooth Jazz or whatever the hell you wanna call it seems to be alive and kicking (or should I say, basking with a glass of Perrier?) Y'know....Bobby Caldwell, Boz Scaggs, Christopher Cross, etc. It's anything covered with a flugelhorn (a trumpet with a thyroid condition) or a Fender Rhodes keyboard, and often played on those old AM stations (woe be the DJ who dared play it on FM).

Over in Canada or the States, an HMV probably doesn't have an AOR section since anyone who braved trying to browse in front of one would be jumped and given a wedgie by the guys browsing at the Punk/Alternative sections. Well, over here, as they say, AOR is "big in Japan". Surprisingly enough, the sections are allowed to exist in perfect safety in the major CD stores. I think one reason is that there is still a sizable number of musicians who are or who have released AOR-friendly stuff. That would include artists like Yumi Matsutoya, Junichi Inagaki and Miki Imai. Sure, most of J-Pop is now crowded with J-R&B folks such as Orange Range and Ken Hirai or the techno idols represented by Morning Musume (although I think the countdown to irrelevancy for them is fast approaching zero), Kumi Koda and Ayumi Hamasaki. However, there is still that quiet, crooning corner of Japanese popular music that's not Puffy Amiyumi or SMAP.

One such band is Sing Like Talking...yes, the name sounds like something you'd see on one of those twisted English Japanese T-shirts. However, this is a trio led by the just-as-unusually-named Chikuzen Sato who started up in the mid-80s. To give the veteran J-Pop fans a time of reference...sometime around the beginning of the second big 80s idol boom of Miho Nakayama and Shizuka Kudo. However, I didn't discover these guys until the mid-90s. And it was purely by accident, too. I had been watching an episode of the long-running Fuji-TV music show, "Music Fair" and heard this group playing a tune which I liked enough so that I decided to look for the disc. As it turned out, I couldn't remember the name of the band so I had to guess, and as it further turned out, I found this disc which I had thought was the name of this band. Well, I was wrong...it was Sing Like Talking. And fortuitously enough, the album was titled "Discovery".

Sing Like Talking is the Japanese equivalent of TOTO, Chicago and perhaps even a bit of Steely Dan. The aforementioned Chikuzen Sato has a falsetto voice fronting a guitarist and keyboardist. And the music is firmly rooted in pop of the AOR variety...which means a lot of midtempo tunes and ballads backed often by a horn section or tinkly synths. Yup (and as I write this, I'll be standing up and raising my right hand like an AA recruit), I'm an AOR guy. And I like SLT. To be honest, as J-Pop goes, this band is quite accomplished in that they create some interesting hooks. For example, on the "Discovery" CD (released in 1995), the first track "Subarashii yume no naka de" (In a Wonderful Dream), the tune starts out like a down-home country ditty replete with horse clopping which then makes a sudden musical hairpin curve into a section which seems to be influenced by a sitar from a Beatles song during their ashram days before settling into its AOR self but as the song continues, there are some more weird veerings before it finishes off. In the first track from their previous release, 1994's "Togetherness", the song "Together" actually samples the first 20-30 seconds of an old Django Reinhardt tune "Diane" before things just explode into a funky heavy-horned uptempo number. And Sato and his boys also do interesting covers of 80s tunes such as Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time". I don't know of too many other bands who innovate this way in the J-Pop pantheon. Not to say that every song is hook-friendly. SLT is an AOR J-Pop band but at least it's one that a J-Pop rookie should look into.

Now, it's dinner time.

Monday August 28, 6:48 p.m.

The strangeness of this summer continues. I certainly don't expect the actual dates of the seasons and the actual climate to match up anymore but today it feels like Fall has gotten a head start on the arrival of September this Friday. It actually felt cooler and drier outside...although I still had to reach for those mentholated wipes a couple of times.

Well, my weekend was pretty nice. I had a couple of classes at Speedy's on Saturday. Farrah returned after more than a month away. She was out in Osaka for a week or so. She remarked that it was pretty depressed in more ways than one out there which is a big surprise for me. Osaka has always been the boisterous, rowdy kid brother to the uptight and straitlaced Tokyo, and so for me to hear that the home of the Hanshin Tigers, Yoshimoto Kogyo and the Japanese merchant has gone down on its luck is rather saddening. I remember being in Sapporo a couple of years ago and actually experiencing that sort of economic downfall in its downtown. Hope that the Kansai can get back on its feet. After Farrah, I had that musical student for her 4th of 5 classes. She's improved since her first class back last Monday. Those two were the only lessons at the school so Speedy and I ended up having some ramen together near the station.

Yesterday was even better in that I was able to get nearly 11 hours of sleep. I really needed it. I further pampered myself with a pancake breakfast. It was also a day without classes which also helped out in my physical and mental rehabilitation. Actually, the only thing for that night was meeting up with MB, Skippy, The Satyr, The Sylph and The Satyr's girl for dinner at this pizzeria called Savoy in Yutenji, a station on the Tokyu-Toyoko Line, west of Shibuya.

Skippy once again spearheaded this latest foodie outing. She first heard about Savoy from the lead Italian tarento on TV. And so I gather that if a native Italian can recommend a good pizza place out of all the Domino's/Pizza Huts/Saizeriyas in the Kanto, then this place has gotta be good. We did generate a good appetite walking up to the place from the station, though. I kinda wondered if Savoy were actually closer to Naka-Meguro Station. Still, it was interesting traversing all of the side streets. Yutenji reminded me of a smaller Jiyugaoka in that both were station-based neighbourhoods which were rather plain but were peppered by some well-to-do housing.

We finally got there some 10 minutes later. It occupied the first floor of this rather tony apartment building. Skippy had made reservations for the 6 of us but the wait staff, who were more Orange Range than Black N' White Penguins (as the name Savoy might connote), kinda gave us an initial "deer in headlights" look. Strike One right there! To be honest, I would probably say that the service as the dinner went on was more on the disappointing Royal Host side of things. Still, we were there for the good pizza, and on that part, we weren't disappointed. There were only two pizzas on the menu: Margarita and Marinara. We ordered two rounds of each. They were indeed delicious with one type being especially buttery good. The other dishes weren't up to the great standards, though. We also had a dish of prosciutto with balls of mozzarella cheese. I could taste the ham well enough but the cheese was just tasteless blobs. Well, at least the other 5 enjoyed the red wine. So, I can say that Savoy is definitely worth a first shot but considering where I live, I wouldn't be making the long trip there even for their good pizza. I'll save that love for Baker Bounce, that burger place in Sangenjaya. And certainly, the tab wasn't cheap.

Strangely enough, The Lady of The Class Act stated this morning that she and her hubby have been to Savoy a few times. She reflected what I'd experienced the night before: good pizza, ho-hum sides and sullen service. Speaking of whom, it was a pretty talky set of lessons today. It was just The Lady since her partner, The Matron, was out on some duty. Then, I had SIL who is usually more of the conversationalist than an actual student. Finally, I had that musical student from Saturday for her final one of five. Speedy and I were encouraged that she was very praising of our abilities; I certainly hope that she'll sign up for more. I was also happy to hear that my model lesson from a couple of weeks ago has decided to sign up for several more lessons starting from next Monday. On the other hand, I think that JJ is gone for good although I will send her a message asking what her intentions are; and now I'm kinda wondering about The Part-Timer...she's gone for at least a couple of weeks.

It'll be a pretty sparse week this week. I've only got the night juku classes tomorrow. The Teacher contacted me stating that she'll be missing for all of September due to her medical problems. That kinda sucks. And with 002 off in Hawaii, I won't have anything for most of Wednesday or Thursday aside from 001 on the former day and B2 on the latter day. Friday's also gonna be just a night venture starting with The UL.

Well, time for dinner...

Wednesday August 23, 9:57 p.m.

And another teaching day slowly comes to an end. 001 was her usual giddy self while 007 was his usual button-down self. Speedy informed me that the rival NOVA (our David to its Goliath) has pulled up stakes after a couple of years. Not only that but the NOVA in my neck of the woods has also closed down. Methinks that the largest English conversation school chain in Japan has overextended itself. I could've foreseen this from years ago. Even when I was part of the school, I was aware that NOVA was taking risks by building a tiny branch at the next station over, and that was a good decade ago.

The Satyr is back from his escapade in India. I was surprised that he got back so soon...unless Delhi Belly reared its ugly head (don't think too deeply about that remark). In any case, he's now in the loop for Skippy's next restaurant outing on Sunday. I finally got the details on the meeting place and time.

Wednesday August 23, 4:46 p.m.

Still have some minutes before dinner....

Let's see. Ah, yes..."Snakes on a Plane"...Samuel J.'s love child. From what I've heard from the resentful critics (who hadn't been given the chance to review the movie before general release last week), it was all ado about nothing. No big surprise there. I'm just kinda wondering if this movie will be his equivalent of a sofa-hopping moment on Oprah...nahhh, it's not that bad.

Actually, speaking of movies and going from the ridiculous to the sublime, I did borrow a DVD from Skippy during our soggy but nice trip to Ore no Hambaagu Yamamoto last week. It was "Deep Blue", that documentary film about ocean life. As a documentary, it was remarkably free from commentary, aside from some philosophical blurbs from Professor Dumbledore 2 aka Michael Gambon. It was visually stunning since the producers had filmed it from a purely cinematic point of view instead of the usual flat lighting that goes with a typical science film. And the music could've made John Williams stand up and take notice. However, I did watch it close to midnight last Thursday so even at 90 minutes, I was struggling to keep awake.

I've been enjoying my Desilu mornings (another reason that I haven't been getting enough sleep lately). "The Untouchables" with Robert Stack have been my breakfast companion for the past few weeks now. It's been rather interesting to watch not just as an unusually violent series for the 50s/60s but also as a showcase for these veteran thespians when they were just getting their acting chops. Today, it was the recently departed Jack Warden. Yesterday, I was surprised to see a young Conrad Janis (Mindy's father on "Mork & Mindy" )...with hair...playing a druggie drummer. I even saw Steven Hill, the first IMF leader from "Mission: Impossible" and later-to-be DA Shiff on "Law & Order", as "Legs" Diamond on another ep. Of course, I can't really share this information with anyone else since I don't know anyone else who has this much interest in ancient American TV.

Wednesday August 23, 4:20 p.m.

Well, I had my third session at Creambath Ebisu. I was taking advantage of that 1,000-yen discount that the salon had sent me to commemorate its 10th year in business. Never a cheap venture, I nonetheless decided to make the appointment for today at around noon. I gotta admit, though, that the scalp massage there certainly makes it worth every yen...all 7,925 yen. And it's nice to go through town with that fragrance imbued in my scalp instead of the usual sweat odor.

Yesterday, I had a pretty full day. I had 002 for her usual house call. She's heading for Hawaii this Saturday (it would seem that my students are coming and going to the Aloha State). Then some hours later, I had a full night at the juku. Seven had come back from her own little sojourn to Guam. She did the usual swimming, noshing and souvenir-buying. I even got yet another box of macadamia chocolates. I shared it with The Milds, the boss and The Siberian. Also, I got these so-called topless sandals or flip-flops. They depend on the natural stickiness to hold themselves to the soles of the feet. There's something grody about that fact but I don't think I'll be wearing them outside anytime soon. Just not a sandals guy.

My night was even longer than usual at the juku since I had to extend my lessons with Seven and The Siberian by an extra half-hour each to compensate for their recent absences. I did a bit of a faux pas with The Siberian when I'd mistakenly assumed it was the usual hour class but at that point, I was feeling so tired, I really no longer cared. And I've been doing this teaching biz for so long that I recovered with little problem.

I've got 001 and 007 for their regulars tonight. May need to load up on the caffeine to last the night. I only got 5 hours of sleep last night.

The JonBenet story is still making headlines here in Japan. That rather haunting face of hers is gracing a lot of magazines. And today, I heard that rather creepy secretly taped admission by John Mark Carr about he felt about her. Urk!

Tomorrow, I see The Madame for the first time in about a month. Not sure how much more in thrall she'll be to her spirit gods but I hope to have some form of normalcy in our conversation. I also have The Sisters of State later in the evening. Man, I hope The New Yorker will show a bit more of a blip in her proficiency or I may be losing another student soon. Anyways, it'll be the first time to be at The Tea Room in almost 2 weeks, so I'm sure the manager will be happy to see me.

Monday August 21, 8:40 p.m.

Well, I guess this is my 1600th entry. Not too bad, considering that I'm on limited access now.

I had my very first full weekend off in I don't know how many months. Thanks to JJ pulling out, perhaps permanently, I was left with a very lesson-less two days. But the timing was quite good since I could use that extra time to try to clean up the apartment before Movie Buddy came over for his semi-annual movie outing. My place, I'm proud to say, did look a lot more presentable. It was nice to have the company as well. We ended up watching three flicks of varying plots and quality. I'll give the thumbnail review since I'd like to be out of here in the next 10 minutes.

DODGEBALL: Kinda like "There's Something About Mary"-lite. Some laugh-out loud moments with some of the best lines from Rip Torn. This was the best of the three, and I'm happy to say that it was the one disc that I'd chosen.

THE BROTHERS GRIMM: It wasn't bad but with the usual chaos that accompanies a Terry Gilliam movie, and the unusual fact that the dialogue and sound were totally out of whack, it didn't particularly make for the best viewing experience. It's always nice to see Monica Bellulucci, though she was fully clothed.

HOSTAGE: This was kinda like a Subway sandwich of thriller movies: a slice of "Die Hard" here, a slab of "Panic Room" there with a layer of "The Negotiator" on top and some other ingredients from other flicks. Notable in that Bruce Willis actually had to emote more than smirks in his own genre.

Of course, our movie night wouldn't have been complete without the assist of the good folks at Domino's Pizza. Man, I didn't help my cause for weight reduction that night. I don't think I helped my electric costs either since I left the AC on for MB's benefit all night.

The Sunday was rather calm since MB had to take off in the late morning. I just vegged all day. In homage to the fact that "Superman Returns" had started its run on Saturday, TV Asahi showed a horribly slashed version of the very first of the Chris Reeve movies. Boy, if there is one reason that I'm glad that I invested in the DVD version...

Today, I got somewhat back to a normal Monday schedule in that I had The Class Act, SIL and The Part-Timer. Plus, there was a new temporary student squeezed between the latter two, so it was fairly busy. Certainly, I am happy for the cash influx. But now, I would like to get some din-din.

Friday August 18, 2:33 p.m.

I think I may have found a new hangout. I'm typing this from the Ai Cafe, a branch of this nationwide Internet cafe chain. Naturally, the lone Tokyo branch is in Akihabara. I got these coupons from one of these ubiquitious tissue guys in front of the station last week, so I decided to give it a shot. Well, the tissue pack had the coupons and a brochure on the place itself: private booths, booths for pairs (uh-huh), massage chairs, TV rooms, manga room, free drink bar, food menu, and even a shower room (not sure if the otaku will take the bait, though).

The place reminds me of a combination of a karaoke lounge and a manga cafe. I guess it's an idea whose time has come. I was a bit disappointed that my booth was indeed a booth, and not a separate room, but I'm being a bit choosy. The free coffee is a nice touch, though. I even got a shot of hazelnut in it. The only downside is that the booths are a bit tight to negotiate in. My "neighbours" have to do a lot of banging around before they get comfy. Anyways, I'm a member now so whenever I have some free time, I know where to go.

Last night, I met Skippy in Ebisu to try out this hambaagu steak place called "Ore no Hambaagu Yamamoto". We certainly earned our medals to get there, though. As soon as we got out of the station, the skies opened up and we made like Noah's Arks navigating the streets for almost 10 minutes to get there. Because of the diminuitive size of my portable umbrella, the left side of me got drenched while my right side stayed nice and dry....I'm sure there is a psychological explanation to this somehow.

Well, getting there certainly got some attention from the waitress, who immediately raced to get us some towels for me (half of me, anyways) and Skippy. "Yamamoto" is a cozy little eatery which seems to fit the bill for a lot of the restaurants in tony Ebisu. We were lucky enough to get the last table. We first tucked into an appetizer of fried squid in a dressing of basil and olive oil. Good start. Then, we got the main course which consisted of the famous Japanese version of Salisbury Steak bubbling on a hotplate and covered in the requisite demiglasse sauce. There were some interesting side veggies, too...a spot of roasted potato with mentaiko on it, and a long stalk of burdock root (gobo). But it was the hambaagu itself that merited a good rating from me. It actually did look like a regular burger in size and shape, but the trick was that the centre of it was occupied by a glob of melted Parmesan cheese. Nice. It wasn't exactly a bargain at 1500 yen but for an Ebisu eatery, it fit the bill quite well. It deserves a second visit...preferably in drier conditions.

I've got my opinions on the Jonbenet Ramsey case. I was surprised to see and hear how much coverage this notorious incident has been getting on this side of the Pacific. Even the subway kiosks were squishing Jonbenet's name in katakana on the banners. But then considering some of the kid murders that have happened over here, I'd gather that the Japanese would be interested in how the Americans handle one of their own pediatricides.

They may have finally got their man in this John Mark Carr (why do psychos always seem to have three names?), but now there may be some doubts to his story. As the CNN legal expert was saying, Carr may be a guilty psycho or an innocent wacko trying to get attention. Carr certainly seems to be playing the role to the hilt: blank expression (I guess being labeled as a deviant psychopath can do that to one) and ill-fitting clothes (including a Polo shirt buttoned right to the top...noone sane does that).

My thing is that I think the Ramseys (all respect to the late missus) actually do have some responsibility in this sordidness. I've seen the footage of little Jonbenet traipsing all over the place heavily dressed-up and heavily made-up....just what were her parents thinking having their daughter looking like an 18-year-old 6-year-old?! I know that her mother was once a Miss Virginia but I think entering a little girl into the beauty pageant circuit the way she was is just plain wrong. Considering that the family had earned a high profile in the circuit, Jonbenet probably lived her last days with a huge "Pedophiles! Come and Get Me!" sign around her neck. Noone wins here.

Anyways, I've got the UL and the OL to teach in a few hours. Then, I'm totally off for the weekend. JJ contacted me by fax to say that she couldn't see me tomorrow. Her explanation was rather cryptic which set off some alarm bells...I think she may be severing ties with me. But this time, I'm gonna give her some time to see if she will contact me again instead of me contacting her immediately. I'll contact her again in a couple of weeks and ask her if she would indeed prefer to stop things with me. I much prefer a direct reply instead of this so-called face-saving indirectness.

Wednesday August 16, 9:33 p.m.

Just finished the official first class with my newest student at Speedy's, 007 (I've decided to transfer the number from that other long-absent president). He's an amiable button-down type; just a perfect match for his occupation as an accountant. He also happens to share the same birth year, blood type, and mother's birth year with me. And certainly from the first class, I think we may have the same sort of personality. Could be interesting. Quite a bit different from the happy-go-lucky 001.

Before the Speedy classes, I had lunch with MB and The Sylph in Omotesando. I finally fulfilled my long promise to take him to Hansen's...that hot dog place which sponsors those eating contests in which the skinny Japanese kid usually wins. I was surprised by The Sylph's arrival but she told me that she's now between jobs. In any case, the couple enjoyed their time noshing although they decided to go for the cheeseburgers instead. Afterwards, we took a quick look at Omotesando Hills. They also agreed that it really wasn't worth a second visit although The Sylph may be interested in getting a pair from Jimmy Choo's someday. We took a bend into a side street and ended up having dessert in a Royal Host (or Roi Ho as the young like to name it) for about an hour. The service was pretty substandard by our slacker waiter...he handed a cup of coffee which hadn't been particularly washed....even took a look at the offending thing before deciding that it actually passed muster. All I can say is that we'd been a trio of Osakans, he would've been fired on the spot.

It looks like Skippy and I will be having dinner in Ebisu tomorrow night at some hamburg steak restaurant that she knows. So I'll have to be hurrying to clean up the place between that and 002's regular lesson since I'll probably be out all day on Friday. I still haven't heard from JJ about the Saturday morning lesson, though. Speaking of Ebisu, I've made that appointment with Creambath Ebisu, that head massage place. I got a discount ticket from them to celebrate their 10th anniversary. It's still gonna cost me a pretty yen but I figure those guys are worth it. And speaking of Skippy, she's been going on the foodie bandwagon; she's already come up with restaurants to try over the next couple of Sundays.

Wednesday August 16, 5:07 p.m.

Well, the media dragged out the President and other flunky of that construction company whose crane barge was responsible for that blackout a couple of days ago. The two looked evasive (and terrified) when trying to explain the situation. Of course, before you could say "Shark!", the blood was in the water and the reporters went into a feeding frenzy, berating the saps about the situation. The worst thing (for the saps, that is) is that it wasn't the first time this had happened. More to follow, I'm sure.

That story almost eclipsed the one about Prime Minister Koizumi visiting Yasukuni Shrine yesterday...right on the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. 5 years ago, he had made a promise during his first campaign that he would very happily go to the shrine where several A-class war criminals had been buried on the 15th. Well, he did fulfill that promise...5 years later after annual hedging. Of course, there was a full court press surrounding the shrine along with the protestors. And of course, the Chinese and Korean governments launched their complaints with the respective (if not respected) Japanese ambassadors. But the furor was strangely muted, despite the fact that Koizumi finally got his date right....the thinking is that China and Korea are taking a wait-and-see attitude since Mr. Lionhead is leaving in less than a month and because they wanna know what the next guy is gonna do. But I think it's just the usual thing around the 15th: PM visits Yasukuni, people complain. Next....

Ah, next is that Princess Kiko has headed into the hospital to have her baby...well, actually, she's just getting ready to get ready to have her baby. The doctors aren't taking any chances despite the fact that she really isn't due for another couple of weeks. I've got a feeling that the Imperial Household Agency and the conservative elements are gonna breathe a sigh of relief...it will be a boy. I'm sure Kiko got her ultrasound results with a very positive sign for those who feel that the next Symbol of State should be an Emperor, and not an Empress. Otherwise, the media would've picked up more blood in the water, and once again all of those charts of Imperial succession would've been up on the newsdesks already.

Yesterday, since I had a full day off, I decided to finally take a look at Makuhari Messe, that convention complex in Chiba for myself. Actually, I've been to the area a few times over the years with The Beehive whenever we had our occasional celebratory lunches but have never explored the area in depth. Well, all I can say is that it's not the most easily accessible area by train...at least, not for me. It took me The Tozai, The Sobu and a bus ride to the centre of the area.

Like a lot of pop cultural artefacts in this country, Makuhari Messe is this Westernized patch of land given a distinctly Japanese twist. Sorry to disappoint all those cyberpunks but this part of Chiba has a very utopian, not dystopian, veneer. There is, of course, a large convention centre amidst a grand area of US-like sprawling shopping malls, gas stations, restaurants and branches of the big companies such as Sharp and NTT, and hotels such as The New Otani. But this Americanized neighbourhood was populated by a large number of families of distinctly Japanese descent and there were the flashes of very Japanese udon restaurants and the like. There was even a park as designed by the most average of urban planners and across this bit of green was a huge tract of apartment buildings and condos.

The first big place I took a look-see was Carrefour, the French supermarket. Actually, it's technically no longer Carrefour but an Aeon supermarket since last year. The French couldn't break the code of marketing success in this country and had to bail out. Still, there was a whiff of Gallic in the form of faux-French accordion muzak to go with one's purchases of corn chips and industrial-sized salsa. The supermarket itself took up the majority of the 2nd floor while the 1st floor had various little shops and a food court.

I guess in a way Makuhari Messe was truly designed for the international conventioneers although it's hard to imagine Shriners walking through this mini-technopolis. All the comforts of (an American) home were there. There was a Tony Roma's and an Outback Steakhouse if the hotel fare weren't up to scratch. I took a look through the various food areas and just decided to have my lunch at the Beckers burger shop in the JR station. I finally tried the poutine with my Chicken Burger. As poutines go, it wasn't too bad...the fries were nicely soggy in the meaty gravy (I could even see the fibres) and cheese sauce.The cheese and gravy balance was a bit off, though.

Heading home was again a bit of a trial. I didn't need to get a bus this time. There was JR and subway access directly back home but it was just that the trains in this part of Chiba had a very countryside schedule....one per half-hour...not very convenient. So I'm happy that I finally took a look at the area but I won't be going back for another second try anytime soon unless The Beehive decides to do another lunch there.

Monday August 14, 10:00 p.m.

Well, the Part-Timer got back from Vancouver all safe and sound...and very much in love with the city. In fact, she wondered why Speedy and I would prefer to live in this metropolis. Too complicated to say right now. Anyways, she's rarin' for a second look-see at Yokohama's Canadian sister city. I got some chocolate-covered blueberries for a souvenir which are quite delectable.

I was set up for a double model lesson tonight. I was getting rather tense having to set up for 2 business model lessons, not a particularly strong part of my repetoire. But as it turned out, my 2nd ML student had to cancel due to illness, and my 1st one was a decent sort...still not sure if she'll take the bait, though.

Anyways, I've got the day off tomorrow since even the juku is on holiday. I actually managed to survive not having to go to the bank for some fund replenishment. I was able to get some cash from The Part-Timer...not sure if that'll last me for a trip to Makuhari Messe.

Monday August 14, 5:43 p.m.

It's been an interesting few days. We had a teeth-chattering thunderstorm on Saturday which made my EIC lesson a little harder to hear than usual. And then today, we had a massive power outage across three prefectures including my Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa. And it was because some stupid barge with a crane slammed into some high-tension wires on the Edo River. Luckily, I'd already had my breakfast when the power went out between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. although I missed out on the conclusion to another thrilling episode of "The Untouchables". But I was back up and running by 8 a.m. so "Mission: Impossible" was no problem. However, a lot of commuters were out of luck for as much as 3 hours since it seemed to have been a little more difficult to get things back up to speed in the big city.

Movie Buddy contacted me last night by phone to confirm his semi-annual pilgrimage to my home this weekend for another round of DVD viewing. He also hinted at getting together for lunch sometime this week since he's been off for a month (due to his cushy job at a junior high school) and is therefore going somewhat stir crazy. I think it might be time to introduce him to the wonder of the American hot dog at Nathan's.

Skippy also sent word that she's got another restaurant lined up for us in the next couple of weeks; some sort of brunch place out in Setagaya.

Wednesday August 9, 5:04 p.m.

It's been a rough time for my sleep over the past few weeks. For one thing, my midnights are often spent on "The Cartoon Network" catching the episodes of the latest incarnation of The Caped Crusader, "The Batman". Nothing ages one more when one realizes that this is the 4th or 5th version of a superhero one's seen on TV. "The Batman" is a straight takeoff from the latest Batman movie "Batman Begins" with a younger, funkier Bruce Wayne and an Alfred Pennyworth who's a lot more engaged in his employer's exploits. Then, there is the rather eerie theme song by The Edge. I can just see the fanboys on the forums debating this Batman show with the previous, more gothic version spun from the Michael Keaton movie. Discuss.

Then, there's the fact that my mornings start from 7 a.m. on Super Drama TV with the old episodes of "The Untouchables" and "Mission: Impossible". Mind you, it doesn't help that it's just too hot and uncomfortable in my bedroom right now. And the piece de resistance of my TV mania is that "The West Wing" is just flying all over the schedule on a nearly daily basis. Yup, the channel is still showing the 2nd season; each ep of the week is rerun 4 or 5 times a week, just to make sure that none of us miss out on seeing ol' Mrs. Landingham again. To think, we're another 5 years away from seeing Princess Leia's father become the next President...and Hawkeye Pierce become the Secretary of State.

Not sure what I'm gonna do tomorrow. I've got 002 in the morning at her apartment but then that's it. I'll be done by noon. Money is gonna be tight this month but I've never really gone through the Makuhari Messe convention area before. Most likely I'll bite the bullet and head on over....when it comes between money and an infrequent opportunity to see or experience something new, I usually choose the latter.

Wednesday August 9, 3:05 p.m.

Just recovering from the onslaught of Typhoon No. 7 today. Actually, it wasn't too bad. There was plenty of rain but no wind. It was the first deaf-mute typhoon I've ever come across. So, the noise levels were low along with the temps which is always a welcome thing.

Yesterday was probably the busiest day of the week for me. I had The Sisters of State back-to-back before the juku classes. The New Yorker is still struggling mightily along in the mysteries of Simple Past; her sister, The Carolinan, is still doing pretty well, though. My juku classes were down by one. Seven took a day off, presumably to enjoy some quality time with her beau at a fireworks festival. However, I did have The Frenchman, The Milds and The Siberian. The last guy actually got into a good conversational groove with me for the 90 minutes considering last week's teeth-pulling hour.

Today, I just have 001 at Speedy's. Looks like 007 is gonna be a perpetual scratch. That massive influx of admin staff is already showing signs of attrition. That one portly lady has decided to fly the coop after discovering that she's just not getting the hang of computers. A pity, since out of the entire group, she seems to be the closest to a professional secretary in demeanor. However, Speedy tells me that the other three are coming along nicely. I'm gonna try to get out of the school right after 001. Just wanna grab some dinner and go home.

I once again turned down another PH party invitation. She's planning some sort of BBQ on Saturday at her place. But I've got my classes at Speedy's and I think the weather is not gonna be too conducive for grilling outdoors anyways. Not that I would go in any weather in any event. I'm no longer into these huge parties.

Monday August 7, 4:17 p.m.

Well, that anorexic chihuahua I'd mentioned in one of my last entries last week to describe the dog days of summer has now reverted to its gargantuan Great Dane size. Yup, things have reached a certain equilibrium once more between the climates of Toronto and Tokyo. The former was at a more reasonable 28 C after a major heat wave the week before whereas we Tokyoites and expats are sweating profusely again at 35 C.

I guess this week is the start of my pseudo summer vacation. I say, "pseudo", since it isn't really by my choice. A lot of my regulars are on their real summer vacation which means that I don't have much choice in the matter. The Class Act are off in Hawaii once more while SIL is tending to her mother; even The Part-Timer is enjoying her time in Vancouver. I just have a special tonight....a young lady who'll be heading off to The Big Apple in a few days. I met her yesterday briefly while Speedy was waiting nervously for my true student, another EIC recruit, to show up. I'll just be doing a lot of final role-plays with her....not a really high student but there's no place like New York City to kick a tourist up to speed. I told her about some of the places I'd visited, and then I remembered good ol' Lindy's in Broadway...the home of the New York-style cheesecake. I definitely recommended it to the student. I also mentioned Egg Creams although it wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement. I think it's very much an acquired taste. In any case, I hope her visit there doesn't preclude any major tragedy such as mine...I was walking through NYC a couple of weeks before 9/11.

Speedy, his wife, and I caught "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" yesterday after our respective classes. We just hopped onto the Oedo Line and went up as far as Toshima-en...the site of the locally famous amusement park. There was also one of the more modern cineplexes there. As for Johnny Depp's latest, well....I guess it was OK. It was certainly better than the first one. Still, I thought it was lacking a certain something, and the Keith Richards-as-pirate act wore thin. But I was a bit surprised at the sudden act of treachery by one of the main characters but not at all surprised by the scene that was supposed to have been the shock cliffhanger ending. Well, I guess I should have my ticket ready for next year.

Afterwards, the three of us hopped onto the train again and headed to Higashi-Nakano and down Ginza Street (kinda hokey name but at least I can remember it...good for the commercial establishments there). The street was one of those narrow lanes which had a number of restaurants and small shops. Near the end of it was our eventual destination, a Korean restaurant called Insadong, named after the Asakusa-like area in Seoul. We hit paydirt with this place....we had some good bibimpap, kimchi and chijimi among other things, and the best part was that it was absolutely empty when we got there. Usually that would bode a bad tiding but in super-crowded Tokyo, we were very grateful.

Speedy and I talked a little about the return of pumpkin carving into public consciousness after a couple of years of dormancy. Apparently, The Baker had already beat me to the punch, thanks to an e-mail to him. I have to admit that Speedy didn't look too enthusiastic about it since any party would be a bit touchy in what is a residential, and not commercial, building. I reassured him that my thing had never been one of those wild parties. Then there was the concern about the mess...he's not quite ready to sacrifice his carpets to the eventual assault of pumpkin pulp and seeds. So it looks like any creation of Jack O'Lanterns will be strictly in the kitchen. Speedy said that he could make the announcement in the monthly newsletter but I think he needn't bother; with the small kitchen, I very much doubt that we could fit very many people there. A work in progress.

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.

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?!

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.

Wednesday July 26, 9:15 p.m.

Well, I guess my day at Speedy's was basically meant for dinner, chit-chat and e-mail....along with blogging. Not only did 007 once again dotakyan'ed, but my supposed model lesson student did a no-show. This isn't a common occurrence in the English teaching biz, but it does happen from time to time. The potential customer has a change of heart or has found another school more to his/her liking. The way it goes. However, Speedy may have another candidate for me as early as next week.

So, in actual fact, I only had the frustrating lesson with The New Yorker today. Tomorrow, I only have her sister in the evening but I do have two on Friday with the juku boss and The UL.

Back to my ruminations on Ultraman...

My first exposure to the Japanese superhero was back in the early 70s when I had gone on my first trip over here. It was the third Ultraman, Ultraman Ace, which was on the tube in prime time. The preceding Ultraman, New Ultraman, was in reruns during the afternoon. It was easy to fall for the hero as a (not-so-) little boy; all boys love huge dinosaurs and they love Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra in particular. So when a superhero alien comes by to battle the big and uglies, resistance is indeed futile, to quote a line from another successful sci-fi franchise. And just like those other franchises, Ultraman had the toys and goods to market. I remember getting an Ultraman book with the guide to all the monsters and the various weaponry and stances that the Ultramen used to defeat them. Then, there was a record that my mother had gotten me with the theme songs to Ultra Seven and Ultraman Ace. As with Star Trek and Doctor Who, the early Ultraman shows had their own instantly recognizable themes: vaguely military march in nature but geared to be sung by kids (kinda scary, actually, when you think about it). Nowadays, though, it seems that newer themes are being done by Johnny's Jimusho boy groups.

In the decades since, there has been quite a bit of Gorgonzola that has crept into the Ultra-merchandise such as an Ultraman exercise video (uh-huh...I guess the viewing boys and girls can get quite pudgy just watching their heroes) and even an Ultraman scat video based on the song stylings of the late Scatman John.

With the 40th anniversary of Ultraman, the tributes have been coming in on the satellite channels and other forms of media. But that's not apparently not the only Japanese superhero to get some accolades. I'm not sure if these other protagonists are celebrating exactly 4 decades, The Masked Rider (that's Kamen Rider to the locals) and The Power Rangers (at least, the original Japanese version...without the California boys and girls) are trying to keep up with the Ultraman celebrations. Kamen Rider has also had many different incarnations of the insectoid character, and there have also been many types of Rangers-type groups in day-glo uniforms.

And just like some of the actors and actresses on Star Trek, a few of the folks on Kamen Rider and The Power Rangers have even made that transition into regular TV dramas. The actor for the very first Rider has taken on the Shatner mantle and makes a number of appearances in the dramas and variety shows....although I have yet to hear of him actually cutting the ribbon at a new supermarket opening. And a ditsy tarento by the name of Tamao Sato was not too long ago the token Pink Ranger on one of the Ranger shows.

So, don't be surprised if you walk down the main avenue of Akihabara sometime this year and you see a whole bunch of life-sized Ultramen, Power Rangers or Masked Riders standing outside the various otaku stores. Heck, one day earlier this year, I was walking in the old neighbourhood of Asakusa when a little kid suddenly snapped from his mother's hand and raced toward something he'd just passed by. It turned out to be a larger-than-life figure of the original Ultraman, standing in the usual heroic stance of legs apart and hands firmly on hips. I'd say that Superman, Captain Kirk and GI Joe may have found their match in this country.

Wednesday July 26, 7:13 p.m.

On SuperChannel...oops, sorry, that should be Super Drama TV! (talk about changing to a more awkward title)...there have been a series of commercials before and after any of the Star Trek episodes talking about the 40th Anniversary of the sci-fi franchise. Scenes from what was apparently the Japanese version of a Trek convention pop up with a whole bunch of Sulu-types proudly showing off their movie-era and TNG-era uniforms. And the scary thing is that there was even the appearance of the Speaker of the Lower House of the Japanese Parliament, Chikage Ogi...herself a bit of a living symbol of pop culture run amok since she has retained her cosmetics regimen from her days as a member of the Takarazuka Troupe.

For that matter, Mission: Impossible is also celebrating its 40th. Although there is no rabid group of fans known as IMF'ers or Phelpies/Phelpers, I guess the release of M:I III must have taken care of any tribute although the Tom Cruise movie has very little to connect it with the original series.

However, over here, there has also been a 40th anniversary of sorts to celebrate for an icon that is just as recognizable to every Japanese man, woman and child as Mr. Spock would be to their American equivalents. It turns out that grunting giant superhero Ultraman is also getting its due.

For those folks who aren't into Japanese anime, manga or TV, Ultraman was the name of a benevolent silvery, goggle-eyed alien from a faraway planet who often came to the aid of the world...notably surprisingly resilient Tokyo (it was a good thing that the government did decide to take out that Godzilla insurance for all of its buildings)...when under attack by some gigantic alien monster. Taking host within a chosen young telegenic man, Ultraman set the mold for all of the other Japanese superhero shows to follow (including The Masked Rider and The Power Rangers) by popping up only in the last few minutes of the episode when the situation becomes critical; the host brings out some sort of amulet or ring and instantly metamorphoses into Ultraman. Ah, but there is an inconveniently strange reason for the brief last-minute cameo...apparently Ultraman can only battle the bad guys on Earth for 3 minutes before conking out, something that is signified by a beacon attached to his chest called The Colour-Timer (must've been the ancestral idea behind the bus for "Speed" ).

I gather that one of the factors behind a long-enduring TV series is the universe that generates around the show. That is certainly true for Star Trek and Doctor Who, and it also explains Ultraman's popularity. For one thing, every episode has a new monster. And the folks at Tsurubaraya (I think I got that right) Studios never limited their imaginations when it came to the nemeses. For every fire-breathing dragon and Barutan-seijin, there has been an evil cactus or meatball to threaten Japan. To Ultraman, silliness never eclipsed evil. At the very least, the monsters provided another action figure in the stores for the little kids to snap up; of course, that was after they'd gotten the Ultraman dolls. Of course, televised universes don't just consist of the enemy. Star Trek has its various starship classes, the United Federation of Planets and the characters. Doctor Who has The Time Lords, the various rooms and gadgets in the TARDIS and Companions. Ultraman, in its various incarnations, has been represented by various space-evil-battling organizations with acronymistic names filled with archetypal characters (wise squad leader, token woman, overeager soldier), and each Ultraman has its own unique abilities. Ultraman has his specium ray (horizontal left arm perpendicular and under a vertical right arm...presto...dead monster) while his replacement, Ultra Seven, had the feared Eye-Slugger, a sharp boomerang lodged nicely in the back of his head.

And as I've just mentioned in the last sentence, it is a band of Ultramen defending the Earth in what seems to be a mandatory tour of duty for the members of the Ultracorps. Just like Doctor Who, the hero changes periodically. The original Ultraman did his year of duty and then he was replaced by the more squinty-eyed Ultra Seven, followed by New Ultraman and then Ultraman Ace, and so on...each with his own distinctive look (FYI, after Ace, there was Taro, Leo and then Ultraman 80 before I lost count and interest). In 40 years, there are now probably more than 20 of these defenders in existence (like Trek, Who and even Bond, there were years in which the show in question didn't pop up for various reasons). And just like a reappearance of a Classic Trek character in a TNG episode or the reunion of Doctors Who, it is a rather big event (at least for kids and otaku) when Ultramen join forces in that extra-special ep to battle a decidedly powerful foe.

More later....

Wednesday July 26, 5:12 p.m.

Well, it looks like we've got a brief respite from the rain today. But the heat is back on full thrust. According to the weatherfolk, the precip will return for the next few days. Yesterday was just a sauna out there. My shirt collar felt and looked like it was marinated.

I had my last Beehive class before the summer holidays. And it was the last time to see Ms. Tulip before she heads out for Toronto. However, it wasn't in class but at her house. She was understandably tied up with some last minute moving stuff; her house certainly looked it. After the lesson, the remaining bunch of us (Ms. Travel is off in Portugal and Ms. Alp was off doing something else) held an informal lunch, thanks to Ms. Tee's thoughtful gesture of making a whole bunch of different sandwiches and rice balls. Tulip was her usual laid-back self although she admitted that it's been hard keeping her cool this week with all of the preps for the big move to Canada. In this heat, I couldn't blame her. The timing was perfect for me since The Teacher is now off for her holidays so I was able to make it out to the house. There was an impromptu free Sayonara Sale of sorts since Tulip was trying to get rid of a lot of stuff. I was able to procure some packets of coffee, a jar of caramel creme, and some huge bags of chocolate chips along with a few other doodads. Unfortunately, all those things added up to some serious weight issues, and in this heat, I really didn't want to marinate my entire shirt so I unloaded some stuff on Student 002 whom I saw right after lunch. Her class was also a breeze; I even got invited to her BBQ this Saturday. I asked 002 to keep my appearance a secret since 001 and their mutual giggly friend will be there. Should make for an interesting scene.

The juku classes were, in contrast, not all that satisfying. Kewpie, that first student who had seemed to be progressing in leaps and bounds, must've gotten pretty lazy in her studying since she was slow as molasses in her test. But I couldn't get on her case so much since she was also practicing for a piano recital on Monday. The Frenchman was OK although there's only so much I can do with him in just half an hour.

The slight tension between The Milds and The Salaryman came to a head. Nope, no fisticuffs were thrown. However, after the somewhat askew lesson last night, Mrs Mild called the boss to say that she would drop out if there wasn't a change in the class...namely, The Salaryman gets booted out. Granted, The Salaryman's ability is somewhat higher than that of The Milds and there doesn't seem to be any personal animosity between them. But I just couldn't help feeling a tiny bit that Mrs Mild was acting a bit selfishly about the situation. She's not the type to come up for a challenge. In any case, after some consultation between the boss and me along with the phone calls to the affected parties, we were able to get some sort of detente in that The Salaryman will now have his own half-hour late on Friday nights. Not particularly thrilled that I have to teach that late just before the weekend but it does mean that I can make that extra money. Another reason that I was slightly miffed at The Milds was that they had admitted to the boss that they preferred to be with McGirl. And the boss informed me that there was a small chance that the teen may be coming back into the fold. I have nothing against the girl but she's frankly an underachiever when it comes to my class. It's no wonder that The Milds appreciate her presence.

Of course, The Siberian was again absent due to his workload at university. The boss has finally broached the topic of perhaps letting the boy go. It's always been a case of just free chat with him whenever he could show up. I think I would rather have someone who actually needs my help.

I almost felt like jettisoning The New Yorker this afternoon. Couldn't form a Simple Past question or sentence to save her life, despite the homework and the classes. Obviously, home study isn't a huge priority. I dished out a bit of punishment (although I didn't refer to it as such when I assigned it) in the form of having her write 5 questions and answers everyday for the next week.

Once again, 007 has pulled off another sudden cancellation. So I've gotten another few hours of nothing before my latest model lesson. I've got a potential student who says that she has nada ability in English. That's what they all say...and end up proving otherwise. I think that Japanese sense of modesty should have some limits.

Monday July 24, 8:59 p.m.

After last week's Marine Day, today was the more conventional day of seeing The Class Act, SIL and The Part-Timer. It looks like The Matron and her family had another great time in Seoul. A lot of the jabber between her and The Lady focused on how many fake Pradas and Hermes they could purchase.

Getting to Speedy's today for The Part-Timer, the bossman and I had a heart-to-heart about my availability. Looks like he's been singing the hiring blues. This last guy he hired for teaching seems to be turning into a clueless bust. I've sent out word to Movie Buddy to see if he knew of anyone who could come and help things out. As usual, it was like getting blood from a rock when it came to squeezing any more hours into my schedule. With my time at the juku and my privates with people like B2 and The Carolinan, I could only sheepishly offer late Friday nights. My problem is that I have a very empty Thursday morning and afternoon to fill up but of course, Speedy needs the nights taught.

I also did my fair share of shopping today as well, but I didn't have the luxury of gift certificates to cover me. I lost the left nosepad on my glasses some time ago and the exposed metal was stabbing that part of my nose something awful. The last straw was that I had to put some aloe vera cream and a bandaid there. The Lady suggested I try the Megane Supaa (Glasses Supermarket) near her home. That I did and was happy to get a new pad attached within 5 minutes for a measly 157 yen. However, I did fork out a lot more than that at Tower Records a half-hour later. Most of my money went to the latest book of the original Peanuts comics but I also picked up a Bonnie Pink CD....I'm not a particular fan of her latest release "A Perfect Sky" but I bought it anyways so that I could get over the 6,000-yen line of purchases and therefore get double points on my card. Still, financially, it wasn't the best move this month since it was a fairly lean period at Speedy's in June and I have those hefty premiums to pay along with the rent.

However, just before I feel sorry for myself, I'm able to stop myself since I know there have been a few bigger losers in the world of sports and entertainment last week. The really big loser was a fat comedian by the name of Yamamoto who was one-half of the veteran duo, Gokuraku Tombo. Apparently, he, all of 37 years of age, and an underage girl had a bit too much to drink in Sapporo and ended up having a little immoral fun in a hotel room. Well, the unchi hit the fan in the media, and he's been summarily fired from the huge comedy conglomerate, Yoshimoto Kogyo, faster than you can say Fatty Arbuckle. He is now persona non grata. His now-former partner, Koji Kato, who has been enjoying some solo gigs, broke down in tears on his morning show. However, the duo still had some current gigs on some pretty big shows, radio and TV, which now have a sizable hole. The one that I know the best is Fuji-TV's Saturday night variety show called "Mecha Mecha Iketeru" hosted by the duo 99. Gokuraku Tombo had quite a large role in that program and there were a number of characters created by them. I could imagine what the Yamamoto scandal must have done to last Saturday's edition. All of Yamamoto's appearances were probably roughly cut out and maybe there could have been a brief written announcement addressing the situation at the beginning of the show, or even 99 themselves could have come out on a dark set and very soberly apologized for their former colleague's actions, finished up with very deep bows.

The scandal doesn't just end with Yamamoto's ouster though. He was also a player on a somewhat gimmicky amateur baseball team called The Golden Golds, managed by a show business legend named Kin'ichi Hagiwara. On the night of the crime, Yamamoto had been drinking with two other players when they came across the wanton women. That guilt-by-association was enough to taint the team so much that last Wednesday, Hagiwara (or Kin-chan, as he is more affectionately known) tearfully announced the disbandment of the Golds. No ouster of Yamamoto, no suspension of the team from regular play for a year, not even the honoured resignation of Kin-chan to take responsibility. He decided to destroy the team in massive penance. Well, how Japanese....only thing is that he reneged on his promise yesterday due to the outcry of many of the fans pleading with him to keep the team together. There are a lot of relieved sponsors out there but I'm feeling just a little cynical and think him greatly hypocritical for going back on his promise.

Even the hallowed halls of sumo weren't immune to scandal last week. A Russian sumo wrestler did the unthinkable by not only attacking a couple of photographers Sean Penn sytle but also smashing a glass shower curtain in frustration while one of the higher-ranked wrestlers was inside. And to further add insult to injury, he dissed ozeki (a 2nd-rank sumotori, just under the level of yokozuna Grand Champion) Chiyotaikai by not bowing to him after a practice match and even glaring at him. This, my friends, even beats the Zidane headbutt...by a country kilometre. The Sumo Association couldn't even find a punishment in the rulebooks since the malfeasance had never been dared done. The Russian could only be suspended for 3 days from the Nagoya Tournament which had just been completed. But his oyakata stablemaster seemed to get the worse of the punishment by having his salary cut by 10%. I'm sure the Russian is getting a lot of unrecorded punishment from his superiors or even his fellow stablemates for bringing shame to the stable, though.

Well, almost done here. I've got another long Tuesday ahead of me. I've got The Beehive with Ms. Tulip's last appearance before taking off for Toronto and then there is 002 followed by another stint at the juku.

Monday July 24, 8:38 p.m.

Sunday was just my time with the kids. The Elder was in her sullen "Violet Parr" mode so I was quite happy that I won't be seeing her or her sister for the next several weeks. Then I was off to use some of those gift certificates that their mother had kindly given me as an Ochugen gift. I could only use the certificates at the long-established department stores such as Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi so I had figured that the products there would be a bit pricey. My aim was on a blender. Yes...a blender...I had been strangely entranced by a variety show whose tarento were making up their own frappes. Earlier last week, I visited the neighbourhod Yamada Denki to check out their wares. I could get a blender for the low, low price of 2,000 yen. The Takashimaya wares were starting at around 21,000 yen! Uh....I decided to buy some CDS there instead with the certificates.

I finally got that Yuming single called "Still Crazy For You". Nope, it's not a redux of Madonna's ballad from the mid-80s. Far from it. For some reason, the Queen of J-Pop and New Music decided to put out a swing jazz piece with the help of an old comedy-music group from the 60s called The Crazy Cats. She and the trombonist do this little duet which is just dripping with nostalgia about the old days....more of The Cats' old days than Yuming's since the Queen started out as an early 70s folkie. It isn't a well-sung tune despite the fact that Yuming herself had written the music and the lyrics. Her best vocalizations have long peaked and the trombonist is best as a trombonist. The charm lies in the tune and the chemistry between two oldtimers having the karaoke equivalent of a long-awaited drink in a bar that they haven't visited in decades.

The second disc is on the other side of the musical spectrum. It is Misia's latest called "Luv Parade". If Yuming is the Queen of J-Pop, then Misia is the Princess of Disco J-R&B. And the petite princess had been missing again for another few years. She seemed to have decided that balladry was her permanent niche in her career and coming up with songs for video games was her new sideline. Ugh! So I was glad to hear that she has come back with an upbeat number reminiscent of the happier dance days of the mid-late 70s. A few more like that and she'll back on the boards again.

Back to the blender again. Well, I guess I'll be getting that cheapo one at Yamada Denki sometime this week. Or perhaps I can get a few more features by buying the 2nd-cheapest one instead.

Monday July 24, 8:01 p.m.

I managed to get through the rest of Saturday fairly intact. I had 008 for her biweekly lesson. She's coming along fine but due to re-scheduling difficulties, I won't see her again until the end of August. I found out that she's also an Osakan so she was quite impressed when I threw some of the old neighbourhoods of my relatives. That EIC student was a no-show for her 2nd lesson although she had already paid for all 3 lessons so it isn't a case of escape. And then I had The Ramen Lady for her 2nd visit to the video. Problem is (or not) that she really doesn't like "Friends"; however, she has been quite happy to chat away. She has owned her own ramen restaurant not too far away from here. Her specialty is tsukemen, a more modular form of ramen in that one is given the noodles separately from the soup so that one has to dip them in to eat them.

Then I scooted over to JR Shinjuku to meet The Engineer and his new squeeze. I didn't find that out until they showed up at the East Gate. It was good to see that he was back in the dating game again after his rather brief first long-distance marriage. I had an even briefer phone conversation one time with his first wife; I didn't get a particularly good impression of her even with the short conversation we had so good on him. The three of us ended up going to a shabu-shabu restaurant just across from the station. The Engineer had earlier suggested the dish in his e-mail so I was looking up stuff on the Net during the free time that was supposed to have been for the EIC student.

Shabu-shabu, for those not too familiar with the dish, is thinly sliced marbled beef quickly seared in a pot of boiling water or broth. The shabu-shabu name comes from the supposed sound (perhaps it's a translation of swish-swish) that the meat makes while it's being swished around in the liquid by chopsticks. This place was a little different in that the meat du jour wasn't beef but pork....good pork from a pig known as kurobuta (black pig). I ordered the course set for 2500 yen for each of us. The Engineer's girlfriend struck me as being quite young...she acted as if she had just come out of college. She reminded me in looks of Paddy's fiancee but she was far less outspoken which kinda added to that youthful trepidation. It was hard to read her initially...I wasn't sure if she were jet-lagged but it was hard to determine if she were having a good time with her dinner. I knew she wasn't too thrilled with the nankotsu (deep-fried cartilage) but then again, I wouldn't know too many folks from the hometown who would immediately dive for rubbery pieces of pseudo-bone from a menu. She's definitely not a purveyor of sushi or sashimi. In fact, it was her first time in Japan. I would have thought that the crowds would have absolutely overwhelmed her, and she did give the "nice place to visit" line but she did admit that she was a peoplewatcher, and there is no better place than Tokyo to do that.

Despite wondering if the young lady were gonna be able to get through the meal, I actually was OK with the course. I was quite full by the end of the meal. However, I don't think the restaurant will merit a second visit since I just thought the various dishes were off in taste in one way or another. The huge pork meatballs tasted as if they had gotten a little too much mirin, and the shioyaki pieces of fried pork were a little too fatty. The main course of shabu-shabu was OK but were on the light side. Despite being middle-aged struggling English teacher, I still retained some gallantry and paid for everyone. So The Engineer made the deal that he would treat me to dinner at one of Toronto's finest, Canoe, when I got back home this Xmas. He had my agreement on that.

We did a bit of walking in crowded East Shinjuku. The Engineer's girl may have been a people watcher but she also could fit in with the sapphic half of Tokyo's population since she made a quick beeline for the brand name shops like Coach and Tiffany's which weren't too far away. I hope that The Engineer is making enough money.

The three of us even did that beloved of Saturday night activities in the big city by heading to Karaoke Kan around the corner. Unsurprisingly, the lobby was filled with young'uns reserving their rooms. I felt my age like a beesting when I had to write it down for some reason along with my reservation. My "40" stood out like a sore thumb next to all the "20" littering the rest of the page. We didn't wait too long for our room to come up despite the crowds by the front desk. We would only be there for an hour, which I think for karaoke isn't quite enough. However, when we had asked for an extension, the front desk said that it was way too crowded to allow that. So we had to quickly go through the menus to get as many songs up there as we could. Luckily, The Engineer's girl was far from the exhibitionist type so it was just the two of us mangling our tunes. Now I could understand why my interest in karaoke has waned considerably over the years. I couldn't even stand my own voice during my rendition of "Sledgehammer". I think there should be a rule against lousy singers in a karaoke box like there should be a rule against ugly people prancing about in a nudist camp. So, perhaps my 20-year-long love affair with karaoke may finally have gotten its walking papers.

Wednesday July 19, 10:18 p.m.

Well, my whole day for Speedy is almost at a close. I had my second wind with 001. She always manages to brighten up the room with her sense of humour. And then I had my special student for his intensive to prepare for his trip to Oz. It'll be his first time overseas so he's pretty giddy. He's a lot lower than 001 but he's got the incentive to pick up the language.

Despite the fact that I'm paying the extra premiums, I'm somewhat buoyed by the fact that I may be getting some more students to help balance things out a bit even though we're hitting August...which is traditionally the O-Bon holiday season here. For instance, Speedy has gotten me another model lesson for next week and it looks like my two Saturdays a month will be guaranteed with classes as well. And The OL will be doing a special temporary with me while school's out for her for the summer....along with her sister, The UL.

And with that, I bid you a good night.

Wednesday July 19, 4:09 p.m.

Man, I hope I don't have to do too many of those crosstown round trips like I did today. Mind you, it didn't help that it was raining an entire pet store on the way there. After my session with that EIC student, I had to race out all the way to my neck of the woods to teach 002 for her weekly home lesson. I hadn't realized that the Toei Shinjuku Line could be so filled with stations so the local line was really poky. With the transfer to the Keisei Line, the one-way trip over there took 90 minutes. I took the express back but it basically turned out the same way. So I had a 3-hour trip for a 1-hour lesson. And I still gotta do 001 and a new temporary for his upcoming trip to Oz.

As for "Mission: Impossible 3" the other day after that little unneeded adventure over lunch, enh....it was an OK movie. As MB likes to put it, if you like to turn your brain off for a couple of hours, you should enjoy it. Aside from the title and theme music, the third outing of the intrepid Ethan Hunt was about as far away from the original series as the original series was from a Rambo movie. I don't ever recall Jim Phelps, Rollin Hand or Cinnamon Carter ever ducking missiles and firing automatic weapons. Then again, I certainly didn't expect to see Felicity firing any sort of weapon or having the Mother of All Migraines kill her. I guess I couldn't turn off my brain completely since I didn't seem to enjoy it as much as the others did (that little confrontation between MB and The Madame still bothered me); it was better than the over-Wooed M:I 2 but M:I 3 still suffered from an acute case of 80s Rambo/Terminator Envy...rather glaringly so since the original series depended so much on stealth and style. Still, there was a bit of the old stuff in the middle of the movie when the current team was doing its snatch n' grab of the bad guy in The Vatican. (Why would The Vatican be the place for a fancy tea party? Ah, I'm sorry....my brain was still on.)

After the gunfest, the five of us stepped out and met Skippy outside the theatre. She hadn't joined us since she'd already seen the flick for free with another friend. She was there to escort us to yet another destination on the Great Burger Tour. This time, our motley crew journeyed on the Chuo Line to Nakano. The burger place was not too far away from the station although it felt longer since the heat and humidity was oppressive. It was called Zatsu Burger, another one of those small places tucked in a side street. I did go again for the biggest burger on the list but this time I had an assist from both Skippy and The Madame. So, basically I actually just had a smaller burger this time around. It was good, though, with the avocado salad and home fries.

After dinner, we took a little run into Nakano Sun Plaza on the other side of the station. Nakano Sun Plaza is one of the landmark arcade malls which populate certain sectors of Tokyo. They strike me as being a little quaint since nowadays, we've become accustomed to the megamalls of Odaiba or Makuhari Messe. NSP is also famous since it's the home of Mandarake, the otaku haven for all things anime, manga and figurine. Skippy being our resident otaku was more than happy to take us along for a bit of a tour although The Madame was more bemused than amused. I would've been happier to take a further look but instead, we only looked at the one floor and then just headed to a nearby cafe for some coffee and dessert before finally splitting up at the station. Lucky it was Nakano Station since I only had to hop on the Tozai for home.

The week has had its ups and downs. Monday was a national holiday: Marine Day...no particularly significant thing....just another reason for the government to plunk a day off in an empty month. Tuesday was another busy one because of The Beehive, The Teacher and then the juku classes. Luckily they were all quite pleasant. However, from next week I'll be making that slow transition into summer holiday mode since The Beehive and The Teacher will be going off on vacation from August. Could be therefore tight financially next month, especially since I have to pay all that money for NHI premiums, Citizens Tax and the advance tax payment.

Wednesday July 19, 9:39 a.m.

It's been an interesting few days; "interesting", as in that "May you live in interesting times" curse. For one thing, the days finishing off last week have been sweltering to say the least. I think several places around the country broke some temperature records. And now, this week, Tokyo, at least, has been getting dumped with the last of the precip before Rainy Season is officially over. It's cooler but no less humid.

On Sunday, after my lesson with JJ, I rushed out to Shinjuku and met up The Madame, MB and The Sylph and The Satyr to catch "Mission: Impossible 3". We had a rather interesting lunch before the movie when The Madame, all of a sudden, started going off on a spacebound tangent with all of her mystical and spiritual beliefs, some of which involved E.T. She never raised that point with me in any of our private conversations but she decides to blurt everything out in front of a disbelieving and nonbelieving lot. MB wasn't going to have any of that and started poking some rather skeptical views across...a little more aggressively than I usually do, which got The Madame reacting a little more aggressively than she usually does. Basically it all ended up in a couple of minutes of tense awkward silence until The Satyr tried to alleviate things by gently changing the subject. I apologized to MB afterwards but he actually said that he enjoyed the exchange; I later found out from The Madame that MB had apologized to her and said that he was just joking. The Madame also apologized to me for her overreaction. I just sighed some frustration and relief and hoped that she now realizes that her weird beliefs won't impress a lot of people. Just a lot of unnecessary stupidity.