Tuesday June 14, 2:36 p.m.

Well, Happy 3,900th Entry! I think I'll make myself a grilled cheese.

Nahhh...I'll just go with the Roast Pork bento I got from the supermarket. It made for a nice change from the usual karaage that I usually buy...one cannot live on chicken alone. Not too bad...the pork had that char-siu consistency and taste although not to the same cloying level. I have noticed that I've gotten some American readers...not sure if they're from New York but I have heard that there has been a bento boom there. If so, this is the usual bento here in the local supermarkets. The meat will change of course but the rest of the sides are pretty much consistent: pink/purple pickled (say that 3 times fast) radish, some sweetened tofu skins with vegetables and the ubiquitious rice with seasonings. Makes for a good hearty and easy dinner or lunch. However, I've gotten lazy in my middle age and I don't bother with the nuking...just eat it cold. Or perhaps in these current conditions in the Kanto, I can just leave it outside for a few days and let the ambient radiation do its work.

That supposed annual dinner amongst the juku boss, Cozy and myself never came to pass after all. Not that I was especially ravenous to go for monjayaki, but it would've been good to have us come together so that the boss and I could discuss about our current shared dilemma concerning her guarantorship of my apartment. Cozy could've been a fine arbitrator. However, the night before, I got a call from the boss stating she wouldn't be able to make it out; apparently her husband had an "accident" of sorts. I asked as non-intrusively as possible about this accident. She tried to explain but after a few seconds she gave up and said that she would talk with Cozy directly by phone. I'm not sure what's up but the last few months have been rather strange on her. Again, she asked me to get her guarantorship canned and I said that I have been trying. But as we go into the summer, I'm sure the heat will go even higher on that note. In any case, Cozy contacted me a few minutes later to officially cancel the dinner. I'm seeing him tomorrow for his lesson, so I'll ask him what he thinks is up with his former classmate.

Yesterday, I had a fairly busy day with four students: The New Yorker, and then at Speedy's, The German, Miss Genki and Kirk. It was the usual struggle with The New Yorker although I did make things a lot lighter and more away from the book for her sake. My back-to-back-to-back with the final three students was also quite bouncy although more substantive. I found the respective topics of discussion interesting with each student. The German and I spoke on our favorite Japanese musicians and TV shows back 30 years, while Miss Genki spoke on her current love, "Glee" and "Spiderman: The Musical"; she positively jumped straight up when I'd told her that AK had seen it a few months ago. And with Kirk, he talked on the trials and tribulations of his job. He's definitely one cheerfully morose fellow. I get all kinds in my job.

It looks like I may have a couple of students coming back into the fold. I heard from the bossman that Mr. Swank has decided to have regular lessons starting from next Monday. I'm sure the first couple of classes will just fly by since we'll be talking on the past few months. Y'see, he, in his capacity as the owner of a tetrapod company, has been doing his part to save the ravaged Tohoku region after the quake and tsunami. I'm not even sure if we can fit any "Star Trek" into the conversation. Then, The OL contacted me to firm our first meeting for the 26th, after I finish with Yajima.

Ol' Sam has contacted me about his stay with me, and just landed me a bit of a bomb by stating that he was planning to stay at my place for 2 nights, instead of the 1. I've already made plans with The Movie Gang on Saturday so he is more than welcome to join us, but otherwise, he'll have to stay by himself watching TV. I know that sounds very cold but I distinctly remember him sending me mail asking to stay just for Friday night. In any case, I have to finish up the cleaning tomorrow morning after I finish with Cozy. I don't know what's up with 001's status. Will she come for her regular lesson tomorrow night or will I be spending most of the day at home again?

Saturday June 11, 3:13 p.m.

Three months since the big quake. I'm sure all of the channels will be marking this anniversary as they will for every month on the 11th for the rest of the year...at the very least.

The bossman is back in the house, as it were, and he's already counseling a young girl and her mother on a possible study-abroad opportunity in Canada. I've got The Intellectual in about half an hour. It'll be the only class here which is a bit of a pain since 20% of what I earn will go to transportation. Still, The Intellectual is good people.

It's been a rainy day with some heavy downpours earlier today. Not sure if that tingling on my scalp is a result of radiation-filled precipitation. It's deceptively normal out there. Escalators are back in operation and the subways seem to be operating at nearly 100%. And the supermarkets seem to be booming; even the supplies of bottled water haven't depleted any.

"X-Men: First Class", or as it is known here, "X-Men: First Generation", starts today in Tokyo. The Movie Gang is ready for it for next week. MB is probably watching Captain Jack Sparrow as I write this; he's probably the only one of us who is willing to still give him a try. But actually, Skippy did see it already but I haven't really gotten any indication as to what she had thought of it.

Friday June 10, 3:36 p.m.

Feeling pretty sleepy right now but then again The Shareholder can have that effect on teachers. He is so languid with his answers. Earlier in the day, I had Swank over at our new haunt in Arisugawa Park. I was supposed to have had The Godfather as well but he's cancelled due to work. It's always the case with presidents...cancellations are fairly rife with them.

I was able to get home in time to catch the premiere of Season 7 of "NCIS"...the one where Gibbs and the boys rescue Ziva. The reaction in the "NCIS" community of Mixi has been overwhelmingly approving with fans virtually squealing their love, especially for Tony and the boss.

Well, I'm off for the day but I'm just doing some blogging here before taking off for home. The weather has been fairly fine today...somewhat cloudy but not blisteringly hot, unlike in Toronto which got 40 degrees. The Anime King relayed to me that the high temperature did indeed blow off the top of the thermometer but then the bottom fell off and it looks like the low will be around a chilly 13. It's a wonder that Torontonians haven't collapsed.

Now, as for the picture, that's a bucket of takoyaki, or squid balls (no giggling, please). The bossman's wife was kind enough to give me one last night as an impromptu dinner. This was an especially good dose of takoyaki since the surrounding dough was moist and fluffy while the squid itself was tender, not rubbery.

Thursday June 9, 5:56 p.m.

All by my lonesome again at Speedy's. I've got The Carolinan and Mrs. Thursday. It should be a banner day for the latter lady since Season 7 of "NCIS" debuts here in Japan. She may be grilling me with a lot of questions about the season premiere. I'll string her along as I usually do.

Earlier today, I had lunch with former administrators at Speedy's, AK and Bay, at a place in Shinjuku called The Brooklyn Parlor (http://www.brooklynparlor.co.jp/) located in the basement of the Marui Annex department store. AK, being the honorary New Yorker that she is, of course recommended the bar/cafe/restaurant/bookstore. Yes, it is a multiple-use establishment, and a very handsome one at that. It is a wide space which looks like an underground bookstore except for all of the tables and seats interspersed throughout the facility. Very comfy and welcoming with the de rigueur jazz playing in the background. In the past, a lot has been said about Japan's passion for all these French; well, in these years, it looks like things have been shifting far across the Atlantic to The Big Apple. I had the Panini set which consisted of a large sandwich overflowing with steamed chicken slathered in a mushroom-and-cheese sauce. The three of us ended up spending three hours there talking about New York, and our own little worlds. Bay is heading back to Seattle the day after tomorrow, so basically that was the last time I see the lass in this country. Next time, probably Toronto. She did leave a good tip about using Yamato Moving for my big exodus to Canada.

Speaking of the hometown, I heard from Mr. TOEIC that Toronto may be facing 40+ degree temps today. Even for a meterologically hardened Torontonian like myself, that's just plain crazy weather over there. I hope my parents and niece are OK. Makes what I'm facing here pale in comparison.

The Godfather contacted me to once again cancel his lesson this Friday due to work. Looks like the next meeting will have to be next week. He asked if there were any way to catch him in the morning but with Swank and The Shareholder before him, that's pretty much impossible. In a way, though, I'm happy he cancelled since I would have ended up doing the traffic yo-yo amongst Hiroo, Nakano-Sakaue and then Tameike-Sanno.

Social plans are coming into place. I've confirmed meeting details with Cozy about this Sunday's meeting with him and the juku boss for a dinner of monjayaki. Monjayaki is the ugly stepsister of Osaka's okonomiyaki, which is probably a whole lot better known in the Americas. Monja is a plasticky goop of vegetables, small bits of meat and a whole lot of cornstarch (probably) which is fried up on a hotplate. It's gotten into the gaijin vernacular here as the representative word for vomit...sorry, no other way I could've said this. Anyways, we're meeting at Monzen-Nakacho Station since that's the closest station on the Tozai to the Tsukishima district which is basically monja town.

The other plan involves the Movie Gang. Looks like MB will be on his own to catch "Pirates of the Caribbean 4" since both The Satyr and I felt that the movie wasn't worth our 1800 yen. Felt kinda bad about leaving MB alone on this but in these currently difficult financial times, I don't think I can really afford to watch bad movies. Instead, we'll see if we can go for "X-Men: First Class" the following Saturday. I'm happily hearing that the reboot of sorts has been getting pretty good reviews Stateside; a relief considering that "Wolverine" was just a dog. With "Thor" getting similar reports, this may become a banner year (no pun intended to "Hulk" fans) for Marvel Enterprises.

Wednesday June 8, 5:22 p.m.

Forgot to mention that I watched "Bruce Almighty" for the first time via cable yesterday. Never caught it at the theatres, and despite it being one of the crazy Jim Carrey flicks, I think I was right in saving my 1800 yen. It was fun to watch Carrey mug like he usually does but it didn't strike me as being quite up there with "The Mask". Jennifer Aniston was basically the straight woman and wasn't really a partner in the movie.

Wednesday June 8, 3:22 p.m.

Nearly had a repeat of last Wednesday's rendition of Cancellation Day. When I got to Speedy's, I found out that 001 had cancelled tonight's lesson but the bossman's student did come after canning out of last week. Nice fellow...quite talkative but still has a way before he can come off with a truly polished presentation. In any case, I was finished as of noon.

It looks like I'll have another Saturday at Speedy's since the bossman will probably be recuperating from his annual 2 weeks of overseas business trip. It'll be The Intellectual again, and perhaps Ms. Prissy. Kinda bad timing since MB has just contacted all of us in the movie gang to catch either "Pirates of the Caribbean 4" or "X-Men: First Class" this Saturday. I can still make it as long as it's a night showing. For me, I will go for the mutant superheroes. I was rather let down by Johnny Depp last time.

I got a surprise mail from The OL, of all people. I hadn't taught her in a few years but it looks like she's up for another go-round with me. I had to let her know that this would be the last opportunity since I'll be going home for good at the end of the year. But if she's amenable to an afternoon lesson, then I'll be more than happy.

Well, now that I have the day off, I'll just enjoy the remaining time here at the I-Cafe and then head off for another quiet night at home. Tomorrow, I was supposed to be meet up with AK and Bay for lunch, but the latter may still have remnants of a cold so the thing could be called off.

Saturday April 9, 12:05 a.m.

Yes, still up since for the past hour I've been watching some political drama via CNN concerning the now-delayed shutdown of the US government. The only thing the coverage was missing was a John Williams soundtrack. But the important thng is that Yellowstone Park and the Washington Monument will be open for business today.

I spent some time at Metro Reference Library, one of my favorite hangouts in Toronto since after all these years, it remains one of the largest environments where large numbers of people can read or study quietly. It's also one of the most comfortable areas to read as well. There I managed to find a copy of Dave Thomas' "SCTV". In the 90 minutes I was at the library, I could only scan just the early years. To Thomas' credit, he doesn't hold back the bad stuff which included the disastrous guesting of Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson, and some of his run-ins with the various producers. My respect for him increased further when he admitted that he had been much to blame for some of the rancor that would inevitably occur amongst the cast, especially during the heyday of The McKenzie Brothers. But the surprising fact was on reading that Joe Flaherty and Rick Moranis didn't share too many sketches together because of Joe's resentment over the fact that Rick had never gone through the Second City process. In any case, it's a book that I would like to own.

I still had another hour before I met The Tea Lady so I killed some time at the Indigo branch at Yonge and Eglinton. Some tempting books to buy but I'm holding off til next week.

The Tea Lady and I had dinner at a Vietnamese place called Ginger. It's basically set up as a fast food joint whith one-dish meals. My choice of Curried Chicken and Fried Rice wasn't spectacular but at $6.50 including a Coke, I couldn't really complain. The Tea Lady didn't go on any major harangues although we talked on the quake and its consequences, and about her noisy Portuguese neighbours.

The movie of the night was "Limitless" with the rising Bradley Cooper. It wasn't an epic game-changing movie a la "The Matrix", but it made for a pleasant special episode of "The Twilight Zone". And there was one scene which had the entire audience literally squirming and groaning in their seats...something that I often relish and miss in the Tokyo cineplexes. Robert DeNiro phoned in his performance but his easy roles can often still beat a lot of other actors' more "earnest" approaches.

Saw Robin Williams' umpteenth appearance on Letterman tonight. Man, he is getting old! He's still got that manic energy but he's not racing around the talk show set like he used to do.

9:54 p.m.

I've enjoyed getting together with friends but it's nice to get a free day. Just stayed home although I stepped out out for half an hour to get some chocolates for tomorrow's lunch at The Dancer's place. Then it was dinner out at Zen with the whole family.

Toronto and Montreal had their final game of the season. One is heading for the playoffs, the other is out for the 6th year in a row. I'll give you a guess which is which.

Monday June 6, 4:39 p.m.

Some 6 hours ago, I was in that place to the right. That is Good Day Books near Ebisu Station, and I was there to have some books bought back. So, my move back home to The Great White North has gotten some slow legs by moving out of the cookbooks that never really got much usage over the years. The bookstore is different in that the whole place is devoted to English-language books only...something I haven't seen since Tuttle's closed in Jimbocho all those years ago. I'd read about the policy on book buybacks on their website the night before, so I knew that getting cash from them was pretty much impossible; their payback comes in the form of vouchers, good for an entire year. I was happy, though, that they took 8 of the 10 books that I'd brought with me. The only ones that they didn't accept were "The 9-11 Report" and "Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas". So I got my voucher for 2,100 yen; I may use it when it comes close to my departure or I may just give it to someone like MB or Skippy.

The summer is definitely hot on our tail. Very muggy out there although the sun is also out there. That extra sizzling on my bare arms could be radiation. I ended up having lunch at the Burger King in Ebisu Garden Place. Strangely enough, it's right beside Krispy Kreme. In fact, they're in cahoots with each other...no dividing wall between the two shops, although I can't even imagine anyone in this burg having a Whopper set and then getting a couple of those sugar bombs. That would be more like something in California. I just had a relatively miniscule Cheeseburger Set and have followed that up with a convenience store salad with a vegetable juice. Yes, I guess I'm trying to do something about my weight. I just can't let Mother Nature sweat it off me.

Sunday June 5, 4:10 p.m.

It's been an unusual day. No problems with Yajima's lesson in Den'en-Chofu, although he was going along with the setsuden policy (electricity conservation) and keeping his air conditioner at 28 degrees C...things were getting a bit warm in the house, especially with a body like mine. Then I go over to The Jyuppies' place for their lesson, only to find out that the entire family has gone down with a cold. I'm not sure if Mr. Jyuppie was annoyed with me since I resolutely refuse to carry a cellphone but he tried to leave a message on my home phone at around 8 a.m. However, since I had to leave at 7:30 this morning, he had been under the impression that there was no way I could access my messages remotely, and so he didn't leave any message. And I thought that was Mom who had left the usual busy signal on my machine. In any case, I still got my full pay which was very kind of them, but I still feel pretty badly about accepting money for nothing, so I'm thinking of shipping some desserts to them from the usual department store basement, or depachika. I'll probably pay an amount equal to one hour's pay.

I had a similar situation back on Friday when I ended up waiting an hour at the Tully's in Tameike-Sanno to find out that The Godfather had to back out of his lesson due to his own illness. Y'know...I tell them to leave a message on the machine....ain't rocket science.

Last night, I watched "Casablanca" on DVD for the umpteenth time. At first, I had thought that I would finally get tired of watching the 1942 classic but it still held me with all of its style and quotes.

The weather has gotten noticeably muggier over the past couple of days, compared to the relative deep freeze we were all in about a week ago. It is definitely feeling quite moist in my home so I've brought out the fan. I haven't activated the air conditioner since I do want to pitch in my share for setsuden but the question is how long I can hold out in a 30-degree room with over 60% humidity.

What has also gotten hotter is all of the political insanity in Nagatacho. Last Thursday was supposed to be the big handover of the non-confidence motion against PM Kan by a group led by Opposition leader Tanigaki of the LDP. Instead, Naoto Kan pulls a fast one by giving a speech a few hours before the big moment and stating that he would resign....when recovery from the triple whammy disaster reaches a certain level. The non-confidence motion is rescinded and a number of folks in Kan's own party who had decided to side with the Opposition whipped back their resignations. However, that phrase...."reaches a certain level" got everyone screaming at Kan since it looks like a verbal hedge by the Prime Minister. Kan's little gambit may have backfired, and now it looks like he may be stepping down in late August, although the powers-that-be are trying to get him replaced as early as the end of this month. Of course, the folks in the Tohoku have been looking at this display with a mixture of anger and frustration.

I did get a reply from The Matron's husband about my request for guarantorship. Basically, due to his position as an attorney, he cannot do it. Well, things are not looking too good with my apartment.

And I even got more bad news from that restaurant, Enkobo, that would've been the site for our annual dinner with the juku boss and Cozy next Sunday. Apparently, the owner phoned me up to say that the restaurant has been reserved for some big party and so he's had to reject my reservation.

Thursday June 2, 7:21 p.m.

Since I ended up having a day off yesterday, I got back home and ended up watching that movie "Miracle" with Kurt Russell concerning Team USA's upset win over the Soviets in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. I just barely remember the real thing...basically, my memories of the game were seeing Herb Brooks exploding in joy and then Jim Craig with the American flag draped around his shoulders. I enjoyed it as a nice little timewaster before dinner, but was surprised that it had actually been released theatrically. I frankly found it to be better suited as a made-for-TV feature. Some good camera action during the game but the story was about as straight-arrow as a 1940s Knute Rockne feature.

Almost done for the night. I had that student of the bossman's. Really pleasant fellow and willing to speak out and ask questions. He and his colleagues will be heading out to Washington and New York late next week on a business trip so he's a bit nervous about interacting with the natives there. But he should be just fine.

Thursday June 2, 4:48 p.m.

Bay went home an hour ago, so I'm here by myself again at Speedy's until the bossman's student comes in an hour or so. I'm halfway through my day finishing with Grandma FON and The Shareholder. The two students are quite different in their demeanors. Grandma FON's lesson was 90 minutes but the class just flew by since she was just asking and answering away with abandon...the most ideal student. We didn't even have to touch the textbook...just talked on our respective trips, the quake and the non-confidence motion. As for the Shareholder, he was the usual 60 minutes but he is just so reticent to speak out that I was babbling at a couple of points in the lesson.

As for that non-confidence motion, Prime Minister Kan survived it much to a lot of people's relief. Now, those parliamentary vice-ministers and other officials who defied the governing party will have to face some measure of wrath from the DPJ. Not that they weren't expecting it; I figure that they will probably hightail it out with Kan's archenemy Ichiro Ozawa to form a new party. Still needless crisis averted.

Ms. Schmooze has just come in as the night shift. And she was kind enough to bring over some an-pan, sweet bean-filled buns. After having a rather large bento and this sweet, I will probably not need any dinner tonight.

Thursday June 2, 11:09 a.m.

A number of folks dread Rainy Season (known as tsuyu or bai-u in Japanese). It heralds the beginning of the energy-sapping mugginess, but at the same time, it's vital for the rice crops. But those folks now have an extra reason to fear puddles aside from them being breeding crowds for mosquitoes. Because of the radiation that's been pumped into the air and water from Fukushima, there are some fears that we may all have to be extra careful where we splash and expose ourselves to the elements. The Fuji-TV morning wide show even had a feature on how much radiation the average puddle could contain. Whether or not, the water is imminently dangerous is up to conjecture, but it's all about the perception. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of us ended up becoming shut-ins for the next month and a half.

Thursday June 2, 10:42 a.m.

Well, from a lessonless yesterday to a fairly full day today: I've got Grandma FON, The Shareholder, the bossman's student and Mrs. Thursday. I haven't gotten anything on the messages about my first student, so I think the ol' gal will be coming here on schedule after cancelling last week. I hope she's doing well.

The overall situtation in post-quake and mid-nuclear disaster Tokyo has been calm so far. A lot of the lights are still out in the subways and stores in the interests in energy conservation, but the escalators seem to have become exempt from the policy. For a while, I thought that I would be able to shed a few kilograms by being forced to use primitive stairs, but it looks like the government has decided to keep me portly. And apparently, the Cool Biz movement started up back in the Koizumi days has been upgraded to Super Cool Biz. For those not in the know, Cool Biz was started up by one of the ministers, Yuriko Koike, to actually encourage daily Casual Days during the summer so that there isn't as much stress on the air conditioning systems. So, folks came into work without ties and jackets....kinda like an Al Gore approach to casual wear. But with the current (no pun intended) electricity crisis, the national government decided to pull out all the stops and have employees everywhere come in stuff like Hawaiian shirts, Polos and....gasp....even jeans and sneakers. Everyone can look like the average Microsoft employee! But flip-flops and T-shirts are still verboten. That is, unless, things get really hot this summer and the government upgrades the sartorial version of the Homeland Security Alert to Mega Cool Biz....get those Speedos and bikinis ready. Then again, would the working class really enjoy seeing their middle-aged bosses in a thong?

However, the Diet is looking far from happy today. The Opposition is ready to hand in their non-confidence motion as early as this afternoon during the session. A few days ago, pundits and reporters would've just scoffed at the idea that Tanigaki of the LDP and his co-conspirators would've been able to pass this legislation; now, all bets seem to be off although it still looks like the motion will be defeated. A number of officials in PM Kan's own party have handed in their resignations and sided with The LDP to protest their boss' bad handling of the triple whammy disaster. The magic number is 82 or 85...the number of parliamentarians left to push through the non-confidence motion and thereby forcing Kan to either have his Cabinet resign en masse or to dissolve The Diet and call an election. Not surprisingly, the public are dismayed about this state of affairs, complaining aloud about how backbiting politics could overtake the recovery of a nation.

On a personal note, I witnessed the return of my student to active duty. The Journo was back on his morning wide show. He didn't have a brace on his neck after his horrible auto accident back in early March; still, I'm not quite sure when he will be back to the juku. I'm happy that he's OK now.

Wednesday June 1, 10:31 a.m.
Well, it's definitely been one of those days. I come all the way out to Speedy's early this morning to find out that my lone two lessons have summarily cancelled. Mrs. Prissy came down with a cold, and so the bossman had sent an e-mail over to me that I got when I came in at 9 a.m. Then, the bossman's wife and I were fretting over the audio for the DVD player for almost 20 minutes since I may have needed it for the bossman's student (who is a president of a company, and considering recent events, we are trying to keep the presidential students happy) who was coming in at 10 a.m. Sure enough, right at 9:59 a.m., the call comes in from that very student to dotakyan...I think a certain record was achieved. I could just feel the adrenaline plummet from my system. So, I now have bupkiss for work although I did make the easiest 5,000 yen of the week since the bossman's student's cancellation was a on-the-day thing.
In other good news, I just found out that The Atlanta Thrashers have now become The Winnipeg Jets. Canada is getting another franchise....I think the capital city of Manitoba is throwing a major-league party right at this moment. I'm just surprised that Atlanta managed to keep a hockey team for eight years. Still, I was a bit surprised at the announcement only for the fact that during my time in Toronto, The Phoenix Coyotes were the favorite to revert back to Canadian status. Perhaps, they can become the new Quebec Nordiques. In any case, I'm happy for all of us Canucks since hockey is the ultimate sport up in The Great White North.
Meanwhile, Japan basically seems to be falling apart at the seams, both economically and politically. Supposedly, a non-confidence motion may be presented in Parliament as early as today against the increasingly beleaguered and heart attack-prone Naoto Kan and his administration. The current PM is not looking too good these days, and I mean physically; you can park Toyotas in the bags under his eyes. My two yen? Those idiots of the Liberal Democratic Party who are spearheading the motion are just playing politics at a time when this sort of thing should be the least important thing during this crisis. And may I say that all of this TEPCO incompetence took place while the LDP was in power? Not to say that the Democratic Party of Japan has impressed anybody here with its handling of one of the worst disasters to happen to any country at any time. But I have to agree with PM Kan about one thing; for there to be yet another shift in power at this time would be irresponsible and virtually suicidal.

Tuesday May 30, 4:13 p.m.

Nice if a bit windy out there today. The Beehive was complaining that it was downright cold this morning. But when I activate my cultural temperature translator, it was refreshingly cool for a Canuck like myself (and speaking of Canucks, may I say that I'm rooting for the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup finals this week).

Anyways, getting back to the topic at hand, The Beehive ladies and I had our monthly lunch together at a restaurant in the Morisia complex just across from JR Tsudanuma Station in Chiba. It was a place called Nishi-ya, and I had the hamburg plate special which you see here. It was the typical huge hunk of minced beef surrounded by rice, pickles, savory egg custard (chawanmushi) and miso soup. Very filling for a thousand yen. Got my money's worth, and I'm still feeling plenty stuffed.

I'm off for the rest of the day. I have yet to have any lessons at the juku since my return to Japan over a month ago. And according to the boss, it still doesn't look too good for June. She also stated that she appreciates my attempts to find a new guarantor although I am trying to draw things out as much as I can since I'm not optimistic of my chances. Still, I did send a letter to The Matron's husband this morning.

Friday April 8, 11:16 a.m.

Yesterday, I had another dose of how embittered relations between TTC and riders have become. Riding on the Eglinton 34 to Eglinton Station, there was a large scrum of people amassed at one bus stop. A couple of folks tried to get on via the rear doors...and these idiots weren't scheming teens but older adults....with one looking distinctly geriatric. Anyways, the female bus driver screamed with the power of a menopausal harridan, "DO NOT COME IN THROUGH THE REAR DOORS!!" This sort of anger would never emanate from a Tokyo counterpart but if it did, there would be an instantaneously crystallizing silence amongst the passengers. What I was surprised at when the TTC driver screamed was that the errant passengers, and for that matter, the entire ridership, just sullenly acknowledged then ignored her. The other eyebrow-raising thing was that the driver simply gave up and just drove on ahead. In past years, I recalled drivers refusing to move the bus until the target of their wrath either paid up or cursed his way off the bus. Sad state of affairs on the TTC.

11:28 a.m.
I met up with Ol' Sam and Ed at City Hall for dinner last night. After a bit of walking downtown, we ended up at Dunn's, a Montreal-style deli. What was notable was that despite its prime location near Roy Thomson Hall and The Royal Alexandria Theatre, the place was virtually empty. Ol' Sam appreciated the fact that we could stretch our legs a bit but I was a bit mystified that there was such a lack of attendance so close to the dinner hour. I could only assume (and hope for the restaurant's sake) that a hefty pre-show or post-show crowd regularly floods it. But the food was good. I had a typically thick Smoked Meat sandwich with fries, cole slaw and a pickle, followed by a slice of Black Forest Cake for dessert. It had been many years since I had that dessert so I wasn't about to let that opportunity go to waste.
The talk amongst Ol' Sam, Ed and me was far less otaku-ish than the night before with The Anime Court. It was more down-to-earth. Ol' Sam, like me, has gotten more cynical over the years, and he didn't hesitate to scoff at any opinion he didn't agree with. After dinner, the three of us walked over from the Theatre District all the way to Ed's condo by The Lakeshore which took about half an hour. I regretted not bringing my camera because I immediately saw some great opportunities for shots. We walked along King St. West and when we passed Spadina, I noticed a mix of grungy downtown and appealing gentrification amongst the architecture. I'd never walked along that stretch of road before since my impression of that part of downtown had never been all that positive. But a lot of those old edifices along the south side of King, including one that dated back to 1903, got a very nice sprucing up.
We turned south of Bathurst, and my regrets on not bringing my camera deepened as we went over the steel bridge spanning over the railways. The sun was setting and as I looked east, there was a gorgeous view of the huge agglomeration of skyscrapers with the CN Tower leading the chorus. A rather thick fog formed, and looking west, the combination of it, the sunset and the spanking-new condos thrusting out in the distance provided an eerie scene right out of "Blade Runner". I don't think I'll get that chance again.
Ed's condo was still undergoing cosmetic construction, so it was rather strange walking in a dusty, plastered corridor with bare unadorned light fixtures. But the suite itself was very nice and lived-in with a great view of downtown Toronto. His rent, though, was nosebleed territory. If I do decide to move back here permanently, I just can't see The Lakeshore as an option.
While Ol' Sam and Ed tried to figure out a mechanical problem with the former's gadget (and thereby introducing an element of otaku into the proceedings after all), I was able to check my e-mail. No alerts from anyone in Japan although I'd seen that there had been a major aftershock in the Tohoku area earlier in the day.
I also discovered that Ed has started making his own beer via microbrewery kit. Sam and I had a sample of his ale. Not bad but it was just a tad too bitter for me to down completely. Sam could drink his but the look on his face made it abundantly clear that Ed's pet project was a work in progress.
At about 9:30, Ed drove me to the nearest streetcar stop which was almost immediately across from the underground garage door. Luckily, within a minute a streetcar arrived to take me to Bathurst Station; it was a leisurely trip but I got to look at nighttime downtown. The streetcar got progressively more and more crowded as it went up Bathurst unitl it was basically at rush-hour levels by the time it reached the station. There were the usual yahoos walking along Queen West. I was grateful that the ride wasn't marred by any driver-commuter fights. Of course, I passed by the legendary Honest Ed's with its thousands of light bulbs strobing on and off, a scene that has now become rare in Tokyo.
Despite riding a streetcar, two subways and a bus back home, the entire trip took just an hour, a good 10 minutes less than my usual commute from Speedy's back to home. Gave me more perspective on the distances.

1:33 p.m.
I can make a lot of statements starting with the phrase "It's the first time in 16 years that...." when it comes to this trip. My first Canadian Spring, the end of the hockey season, the beginning of the baseball season, and now I can add my first haircut in Toronto.
This morning, I walked a mere 100 m from my door to a Chinese barbershop across the street. My mother was, of course, the one to suggest that I get a trim since my hair was getting rather scraggly. And the price couldn't be beat at $8 (700 yen in Tokyo, even cheaper than the vacuum-assisted discount barber chains there) which would make it a seventh as expensive as my usual haircut iin Ichikawa.
In a way, I felt badly about pulling the trigger and opting for the cut in Toronto. It's kinda like betraying the place that I've frequented for the past decade.
However, comparing this barber shop with my Ichikawa salon, aside from the price, was like comparing apples and armadilloes. I pay through the nose for my bimonthly tonsorial in Japan but the service is exemplary: friendly stylists, shampoo and scalp massage, and with free tea/coffee. When I went to this neighbourhood shop, the one fellow was nonchalantly slurping a cup of ramen. He was polite enough but there was no banter (not that I minded too much....I like my quiet time in the chair). The cut was very bare bones; no vacuum but no shampoo to wash the bits of hair. However, that is de rigueur in North America and as a kid, many was the time as I ran home from the barber shop while those bits of hair fell down my back and chest irritating me to no end.
I had asked for a trim...and I got a Marine buzzcut. A twentieth of me resembles Agent Gibbs from "NCIS". At least, it'll make for a conversation piece here and back in Japan.

Monday May 30, 2:01 p.m.

The effects of Typhoon No. 2 left this weekend a literal washout. The rains left the equivalent of a humane society's stock in dogs and cats; I didn't even bothering stepping out at all on Sunday, and just ordered in a Domino's Deluxe pizza. A Medium here with a salad and with a 500 yen discount coupon still set me back nearly $20. Such is the way of takeout food here.

Well, I was happy to come out of the subway station near Speedy's today and see sun and white puffy clouds for the first time in a few days, especially when the forecast called for clouds for the next few days. Beforehand, I went over to my favorite cheapo Chinese lunch eatery, Jukeifu, underneath the Maynds Tower in Shinjuku. I had the miso pork and cabbage with all of the gyoza and salad I could stuff into myself. All this for just 900 yen, or almost half the price of last night's Dominos. That might be one strategy to save money but get maximum culinary pleasure....hit the buffets.

My hump day today has been downgraded just like the typhoon. Cozy has cancelled his lesson today and Mrs. Prissy has re-scheduled her lesson to Wednesday. So, I've got The German, the bossman's student while he's away, Miss Genki and Kirk. Not exactly a free day but certainly manageable.

Monday May 30, 1:39 p.m.
Met up with The Bohemian on Saturday night in Kabukicho. Despite the notices on energy conservation in these uncertain times, the infamous red-light district has lived up to its defiant self and has continued to flash everyone. The Bohemian and I went to this basement izakaya called Wai Baru with the first two kanji hinting at a Japanese-Italian fusion cuisine.
The place itself was safe although I kinda froze for a tenth of a second when I witnessed a somewhat slinky young lady at the bar....what other services were they offering? And the fact that Wai Baru was located underneath a Thai massage place and a love hotel didn't help matters. But as it turned out, everything was kosher. The Bohemian surprisingly had gone through a discount coupon service known as Groupon some months ago to get us a dinner course at 54% off. Still, it cost us 2,480 yen a person. I mention

this since there was a worthiness gap between even this price and the fare that came out. Probably the biggest offender was the corkscrew pasta in the tomato and onion sauce...the picture that you see. Well, I don't think it was that offensive...just a little undercooked. It didn't exactly crunch when I bit into it, but I guess that al in al dente must've meant Al as in Aluminium. The rest of the dishes, which included the appetizer plate of stuff like liverwurst on toast, was OK and perhaps that all-you-can-drink option was well taken advantage of by the two of us, but in the end I thought

that the price was quite worth what we actually got. Of course, I didn't mention that to The Bohemian.

As for The Bohemian, the two of us spent our 2.5 hours there catching up since it had been almost 3 months since our last meeting. At one point, we got onto the topic of the recent spate of celebrity deaths in Japan, including the suicide of that young tarento, Miyu Uehara. The Bohemian made a very interesting comment as he shook his head in bemusement. This 24-year-old hung herself possibly because of her disillusionment over love; meanwhile, The Bohemian openly stated that he's pretty much a loser in life: no job in several years, still lives at home with his parents, no wife and kids, ane well into his 40s, and yet he's still plugging away at it. Not quite sure if I did discover a newfound maturity in him. A bit of pop psychology here, but I had come to the conclusion recently that my old friend is child-like, not childish. In a way, he reminds me of Thomas Jane, the Mentalist, in the way that he can be very abrupt in his questions and comments but without any intention of rudeness. Strangely enough, he didn't unintentionally waylay me at all during dinner but just when I thought I was actually gonna escape one of his stupid little barbs, he gets me on our way back to Shinjuku Station by remarking that I looked like I gained a ton during the past few months, and to add insult to injury, he asked me whether I could find clothes anywhere in my size. And I actually wondered why he couldn't find a girlfriend.

Saturday May 28, 2:06 p.m.

Finished with The Intellectual. As was the case up to the end of last year, the lesson went very swimmingly with a lot of talk on the justice system in Japan and the current state of affairs concerning Fukushima.
As for Fukushima, The Intellectual has been concerned about the veracity of radiation levels in the Kanto region. Now, before any of you start waving Geiger counters over my site, the official readings have the levels well below harmful levels. However, The Intellectual informed me that those readings were taken from instruments on roofs several metres off the ground while ground level readings were up to as much as ten times the levels taken on the roof. I heard that it was something like three times. But again, these are rumours. And during these emergency times, rumours run like scared wildebeest as do conspiracy theories. Again, I'm not very trusting of TEPCO or Kan's government but then again I'm not gonna start telephoning for air tickets like a madman. Frankly, if the government were holding out on us, we would already be dead or fairly close to it by now. But I'm still using my bottled water for drinking and toothbrushing purposes.

I had a pretty nutso Monday schedule coming up. From 3 p.m. onwards, I would've been teaching 5 lessons pretty much back-to-back. But thankfully, Mrs Prissy called in to say that she was gonna re-schedule her lesson over to Wedneday, thereby giving me a bit of breathing room.

Saturday May 28, 11:40 a.m.

Just heard about the passing of Jeff Conaway. I'd heard about his problems with drugs over the years and that he even ended up on "Celebrity Rehab". And then I read just a few days ago that he was in a medically-induced coma in hospital after being found unconscious. At that time, I thought that this was not looking good. And sure enough, I read on the BBC News scroll that he died.

For me, he'll always be Kenickie from the movie version of "Grease" back in 1978. I actually saw the movie on the big screen as one of the activities for my brother's buddy's birthday party. He played the 2nd banana to John Travolta's Danny Zuko. Basically, his career seemed to have consisted of playing supporting roles in big shows. Of course, he was in "Taxi" behind the big stars of Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito and Andy Kaufman. And then, he even got status in the later seasons of "Babylon 5". From greaser to hack to space security. If only the drugs hadn't got him...

Saturday May 28, 11:11 a.m.

Misty out there...quite pleasant and yet I had my umbrella out and open like a good Japanese resident. A Canadian would be laughed at for even bringing a brolley for mere spitting weather. I guess I've been here a bit too long.

Forgive me for the rant...but I have to say that the juku boss is still managing to make me call her a scatterbrain under my breath. She sent me e-mail the other day stating that her real estate buddy knew some guarantor agency to help me out of my predicament...a predicament that the boss started herself when she told me that she'd have to pull out of our guarantor arrangement. I asked her if she could introduce me to said friend. This morning, she sent me word that her friend doesn't know all that much after all. But she then suggested asking the husband of The Matron....my old Monday morning student whom I haven't seen in well over a year. Well, I'll contact him and see what he says. Worse comes to worse, at least it'll stall for more time before I have to try out the agencies.

Yesterday just had a couple of lessons...one was at Arisugawa Park Library in Hiroo, the new venue for Swank and me. Our space is considerably less trendy and drink-filled than our old place at Roppongi Hills but it's much quieter. I tried to see if I could get some lunch at the 5th floor cafeteria. The doors were open so I went in and checked out the meal ticket machines when a brusque kitchen worker spat out that I was too early. I didn't even see the sign outside the door stating that opening time was 11:30 (I was there about 15 minutes early). Didn't particularly like his former-bike-gang-member tone so I decided not to wait and had lunch at the local McD's instead. As for Swank, I helped her out on some of her writing samples. Good student but will need some help in conciseness. When I finally pull up stakes here for good at the end of the year, I may see if there are any Japanese students back in Toronto who might need a good proofreader.

Then it was up to Shinjuku Starbucks to see The New Yorker. It was one of the sloggier lessons since we were going into the more complex lesson involving the concept of honesty. Let's say this...the fluency gap between her and Swank is about as big as the biggest fish in a tall tale story.

Today, in about an hour, I've got The Intellectual here at Speedy's for the first time in about 6 months. He's only a Saturday student and since I ducked out of Saturdays last year, I haven't been able to see the guy. According to the bossman, who's been his current teacher, he's pretty excited to see me. I've felt pretty bad about him since I basically told him about my departure from weekend classes here at Speedy's at our very last meeting due to some bad timing.

Yep, it's just me here today since Mrs. Speedy is working. Kinda nice having the whole place to myself while the bossman is off on his business trip. I'll probably stay here for a couple of hours after The Intellectual's lesson before I take off for Shinjuku to meet The Bohemian for dinner. He's got some place in Kabukicho which features Japanese-Italian cuisine in an izakaya. I think that is currently the foodie trend in Tokyo.

I also got a rare message via Facebook from GC who lives out all the way in Owase, Aichi-ken. He used to make semi-annual pilgrimages over here up until about 10 years ago when he abruptly stopped coming and even having contact with me. I'd sent him a birthday wish and he responded by saying that he might have a chance to drop by Tokyo. I told him that he'd better hurry since my months are now numbered in The Big Sushi.

Thursday May 26, 7:04 p.m.

A bit of Japanese ingenuity when it comes to their ice cream desserts. This is an ice cream bar of sorts with the top half being the typical chocolate nuts-coated thingie but the handle is a chocolate sandwich. Something wonderful on the order of the making of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Still, when I look at it at this angle, I'm sure there will be some high school kids who'll start giggling uncontrollably.

The Carolinan came and went. She had to make a speech on the Kanto-Tohoku Earthquake; we were able to get a lot of good talk out of that and then did her exercise on Reported Speech. We also spoke on "Black Swan"; she actually takes ballet lessons on Tuesday nights so I was rather interested whether she would see it. She has heard from friends that they've either hated it or liked it which illustrates how polarizing it has been in Japan as well. She said that she'd see it when it came out on DVD.
I'm no longer alone here. Speedy's wife got back from work and I got a nice slice of pound cake and a cup of tea. She may be young but she's got that motherly instinct. It'll be another 50 minutes before Mrs. Thursday comes by.

Thursday May 26, 4:26 p.m.

Made the final confirmations with The Bohemian for Saturday's get-together. I'll be meeting him in Shinjuku's somewhat infamous Kabukicho district. However, our destination is quite benign. It's one of those trendy fusion restaurants called "Wa-I Baru Kabukicho"...the wa-i part representing Japan and Italy. It rather reminds me of last Thursday's Enkobo, that restaurant for La Fille's going-away party. The Bohemian managed to get some sort of coupon-based discount from Groupon so I'm supposedly "only" paying 2,500 yen for a course meal.

Bay left about an hour ago since she had a dentist's appointment. So it's just me in here until The Carolinan arrives in half an hour for her lesson. She may be rather surprised at the sparseness of the school but that's basically the new reality at Speedy's. However, the bossman's wife will be back from work by the time I start up with Mrs. Thursday.

Thursday April 7, 12:58 p.m.

Met up with the majority of The Anime Court and Automan last night for our weekly dinner. This week's target was Olde York, an English pub in the small Leaside area of town. The King swore that the best fish and chips can be had here. When we went inside, the place certainly reminded me of something out of "Coronation Street"; and the clientele was kinda reminiscent of a V.A hospital for British soldiers. I was slightly afraid that our wholly Asian group could be targeted but we were treated fine by our Asian-Canadian waitress.

I had the Clam Chowder...it was quite good and rich. There was even that faint whiff of the sea that I don't get from the Campbell's variety. Then, it was the Halibut and Fries platter that The King swears by. It was a very generous portion with a big slab of deep-fried fish on the one side of a long dish and a huge heap of fries on the other. Though the halibut was a bit dry, it still beat most of the attempts at Fish N' Chips I'd come across in Tokyo. I was feeling quite full by the time I finished but I braved the Apple Crisp a la mode, and surprising for my advancing age, I could finish it. I was stuffed but not to the point of becoming the first victim in "Seven". I figure that The Anime King has one or two more restaurants to show me before I finally head back.

Tonight, it'll be dinner with Ol' Sam and a friend of his that I've met over the last few Xmases. It's actually the latter's birthday so I figure I should chip in. It'll most likely be a downtown restaurant but since today's Jays game is an afternoon event, I shouldn't have any trouble getting home tonight. The Blue Jays have been impressing the folks with a guaranteed winning series against the A's, and maybe even a sweep by the time I head out. As for The Leafs, they've just got one more game this Saturday before their 6th playoff-less season in a row comes to an end. It's against the Montreal Canadiens, so perhaps the game will be notable as a wistful echo of a once-vibrant rivalry.

I read an article in The Toronto Sun written by a reporter who openly cried askance at a seemingly celebratory mood within The Leafs Nation over another failed season. I guess my long years in Japan have given me a certain detachment when it comes to The Leafs, but I'm also scratching my head. Perhaps it would also explain the disdain from non-Leaf fans that a lot of Torontonians have continued to come out to watch and accept mediocrity. However, the most pathetic thing I've ever seen concerning my hometown team appeared a couple of decades ago, perhaps before the semi-heydays of the Pat Burns years. The Leafs of that time had been pretty miserable, and for the game that I'd witnessed on TV, they had been shellacked. Near the end of the game, the Leafs finally got their lone goal, the goaltender probably only let it in due to complacency more than anything else. In any case, the Leafs suddenly celebrated as if they'd just won The Stanley Cup. I can't remember the reaction of the paying spectators but it could've been shock. I can't think of a more pathetic scene in major league sports when a terrible team celebrates ruining the opposing team's shutout.

1:48 p.m.

There was another major aftershock off of Sendai a few hours ago. As usual, the Japanese are taking it calmly, although since March 11, any tremor now brings a self-inflicted level of fear. But the notable thing is that the news actually trumped anything coming out of Fukushima which can't be a totally bad thing.
America may also be facing a looming crisis of its own in the next 48 hours as a government shutdown appears likely. My only worry is whether Customs and Immigration officers won't be able to work. When I head back to Japan, I have to transfer via Minneapolis.

Thursday May 26, 3:21 p.m.

Whenver I've seen one of these pictures of a megaburger, I've usually tossed it off as some gag. However, Bay told me that such things do exist in....where else...the United States of America whose people seem to rate in 2nd place next to the Tongans in terms of obesity. The place is called The Heart Attack Grill...no irony of any sort in the name. Apparently, the menu items are named after cardiac surgical procedures and for good reason. The product and the result are the same. For someone like me who thinks that the Whopper at Burger King is a mighty amount, this restaurant, with branches in California and Texas, would wallop the Whopper. There is also plenty of YouTube footage since the news networks like to have a "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" segment to finish off the newscasts. The Japanese would probably just gape in awe....at both the products and the customers. The Americans would do the same...and then place a burger in it.

Thursday May 26, 11:36 a.m.

I'm at Speedy's all by myself...at least for another 90 minutes or so. Not that the bossman made it easy for himself to finally get out of here for this business trip. He even called me earlier this morning for some last-minute instructions as he was scrambling to get things packed. He isn't what I would call the most organized of fellows...so I can imagine some of the frustrations that former staffers like The Admin, Ray, Bay and La Fille had gone through interacting with him on a daily basis.

Speaking of former staffers, though, Bay will be joining me in our administration of the school for the next three Thursdays as a special guest staffer while she supposedly enjoys her holidays away from her home of Seattle. I'm grateful for the assistance...I'm not particularly good at juggling greeting, serving tea and starting a lesson.

We had one of the shorter reservations in Speedy history yesterday. The last Grandma standing, i.e. Grandma FON...the geriatric Force of Nature herself...had been scheduled to come in right now for her first lesson with us since early March, about a week before the quake, but just several hours after making the reservation, she called in to state that she wasn't feeling too well, so she's cancelled. Since she called in the day before, I don't get any payment for it unfortunately. It would've been nice to see her just for the fact of meeting her. She may have passed the octogenarian threshold, but she's got more energy and conversational ability than a number of younger students. Even a 90-minute lesson flies by with her in comman.

So, basically, I have The Shareholder followed by The Carolinan and Mrs. Thursday. The Carolinan is coming in a bit earlier than usual since she's off today. Mrs. Thursday is someone I haven't seen since my exodus to Toronto. I'm wondering how she's doing with her family; her husband runs the 7-11 just around the corner from us. The bossman was able to have one lesson with her during my absence. The two of them had a great time talking about professional wrestling...her family often goes to the States just for that event. When she's with me, though, we often talk on her 2nd-favorite pastime, talking about "NCIS". However, she's not a huge fan of "NCIS: LA". Noone can beat the Gibbs.

The juku boss sent me word yesterday that she spoke with a friend of hers who's in the real estate industry. And her friend reassured her that there were guarantor agencies out there who could take of my situation in 1 or 2 days. Well, whenever I get a message from the juku boss, she writes like she talks...all gloriously happy-happy. So, I have asked her to have her friend introduce one of these places to me. And then we'll see if I can still continue on til December.

I'm supposed to be meeting The Bohemian this Saturday for dinner in Shinjuku. Again, he's another fellow I haven't met since escaping to Toronto. Of all the folks I know, he's been the only one who's said that I would always have work here. I'm not sure if I can quite believe him now. And I may inform him that I will be heading back to The Great White North permanently when I see him.

The preparations for heading home have made their first baby steps. Last night, I started cleaning out my closets. I've chucked out my Playstation 1 games since I hadn't played them for many years (the Playstation itself went out with the trash last week), and I've sorted out the various English-language novels that I'd bought and received over the years so that I can give them to a bookstore with a buyback service. Not that I expect anything much more than an amount suitable for a Happy Meal or a small dinner. Good heavens...one of the books is the novelization of "Revenge of the Sith". I think for that one, he may be charging me to take it off my hands. I'm also looking at those flyers I often get in the mail advertising recycling services. They usually go straight into the can, but nowadays they're getting a lot more respect.

Wednesday May 25, 1:56 p.m.

It's another day off for me...and a day of good weather for the first time in a few days. Yesterday was mostly a cool, wet affair. Started off early....and slightly injured on Tuesday. Had Cozy in the morning since he couldn't make his usual Monday morning slot this week. I ended up stepping the wrong way outside of the Toyocho McDonalds and fell right on my knees...just the area that's been giving me pain for the last little while, so, quite a bit of staggered walking on the way to Cozy's office. Luckily, it was just a small scratch on the right knee and a small ripped hole in my trousers...was thinking of ditching that pair anyways.

It wasn't too awkward at Cozy's after I had asked him and got rejected for my apartment's guarantorship. We just acknowledged the conversation and gave mutual apologies for bothering with it. Still, I'm not sure what's gonna happen in the next several days or so.

The Beehive session had Mrs. Travel back. Despite Alp's concern about Travel's state of mind a couple of weeks ago, the head Bee seemed to be in good spirits. And the session itself went well; in these uncertain times, a good class is worth its weight in gold.

Then, I headed off to the business district in Tameike-Sanno...basically next door to swanky Akasaka to meet The Godfather for his second session. He's a good talker although he often struggles for the right words, and he loves his movies. We got into a lively conversation about the oeuvre of Christopher Nolan. I think I will lend him my novel of "Blade Runner".

During my time in Canada, the bossman at Speedy's has been having his own trials and tribulations since April. Of course, he has been working hard to keep the school afloat for the past 7 years and we've yet to really get into the black. Certainly, these past few months have guaranteed that we won't be doing that anytime soon. And then came this little crisis. The bossman fell into that trap that just about every president has done...took a customer for granted. In this case, it was The Patent Attorney. According to Speedy, he ended up cancelling the usually amiable PA not just on the day of his regular lesson, but apparently just left him hanging outside almost a couple of months ago. That definitely didn't sit well with The PA, who is one of our oldest students and also a client who has helped us out in various capacities, including buying a huge block of lessons. The bossman got a huge earful from The PA and then the silent treatment for several weeks. Well, yesterday, after a few exchange of calls, the bossman went over to The PA's office...hat-in-hand humble...to apologize. I got the call from the bossman this morning to hear that although The PA will continue on a much-reduced schedule to learn English, he did ask for money back equivalent to a year's worth of lessons. The bossman was babbling about how stupid he was about the whole situation. I won't disagree with him there, especially when things aren't too hot in this economy.

Have the day off today since 001 is not coming in. So, just staying in the neighbourhood in my T-shirt and jeans. I heard that the closest conbini to my apartment is closing down at the end of the month....which is a bit of a bummer. Now, it's just the two supermarkets 5 minutes away.

Monday May 23, 6:36 p.m.

I mentioned earlier today about that restaurant we'd gone to for La Fille's going-away party. Well, here are some shots from Enkobo, that little hole-in-a-wall izakaya just a stone's throw away from Higashi-Nakano Station. Definitely worth another visit but because of its size, reservations are highly recommended.

Above of course is the plate of sashimi but since this is an izakaya with a twist, there was also the takenoko gratin...bamboo shoots instead of potato or macaroni. Probably the surprise hit of the night.

Wednesday April 6, 10:29 a.m.

A hello and goodbye in local sports last night all at Harbourfront. The Blue Jays showed some true grit without their best hitter and good starting pitching by coming from behind and stealing a win from the A's. The worrying thing was that despite full houses over the opening weekend, Skydome looked virtually empty. I realize that it was a Tuesday night but that type of attendance can't be good for a major league team.

Perhaps a lot of those empty seats at Skydome could be explained by the Leafs game next door at Air Canada Centre. In what must be considered to be one of the most inexplicably bizarre rituals in organized sports, the perenially losing Leafs still get a loyal following via The Leafs Nation. This probably explains the visceral hatred that the rest of Canada have for this team....and Toronto in general. In any case, the team officially said goodbye to their playoff hopes when they lost to the Caps and when Buffalo won. It'll be another summer of wondering for The Leafs Nation.

In Fukushima, a light seems to exist at the end of the very long tunnel. One of the leaks has been effectively plugged in one reactor of the Dai-Ichi plant. As with any trauma, large or small, the initial shock and fright have now been supplanted by anger. Farmers and fishermen have started venting at TEPCO for losing their livelihood. The TEPCO brass could only gaze at their shoes and sheepishly intone apologies. I'm sure the suicide rate will spike this year, and a small fraction will probably consist of TEPCO management. However, the grunts who've had to enter the nuclear lions' den will probably become heroes at the risk of a lowered life expectancy.

As for me, I'm spending my 3rd Wednesday in a row in Toronto. Again that feeling of here being my reality while Japan is a fantasy has taken hold. I'm not sure what the extra week here will mean to me. It will feel strange not scary since it looks like the nuclear disaster has finally started to stabilize.

Tuesday April 5, 1:11 p.m.

I may have caught a small cold. My throat has been phlegming up on me since last night which got Mom making the Neo Citran and ordering me to gargle with salt this morning. I've never been convinced of the efficacy of this Japanese custom of the saltwater gargle.
The past couple of days have seen me keep things solidly at home, which isn't bad after a weekend of going out with friends. Plus, with this cold, I'd rather stay comfortable in my PJs. I only got one call from The Wild Guy confirming things up for the 16th but we may also get one lunch in before that. Tomorrow night will be the next outing with The Anime Court...I think it's fish n' chips.
I've only just passed the halfway point of my exile here but I still have this week, all of next week and half of the week beyond that before taking off. It's been a strange feeling cooling my heels all this time in Toronto although I've been happy to be with family and friends. However, this trip has forced me to think how much longer I can really stay in Japan.
As for the situation in Fukushima, it's settled down to become a plot out of "Apollo 13". TEPCO, along with international help, has been trying anything and everything to plug up the leaks. The Russians have sent a decontamination ship; I'm sure they've gotten a lot of hard-earned insight from their own nuclear disaster 25 years ago.
There's been an unusually happy confluence of organized sports in Toronto over the past ten days. The Blue Jays have gotten off to a great start, the local FC soccer team has been racking them in, and even the Toronto Maple Leafs may be ending their season on a high note although the chances of making the playoffs are virtually nil.

Monday May 23, 4:44 p.m.

Back over at Speedy's. Looks like The Godfather is good to go for tomorrow's re-scheduling. And I've got my two lessons in about a couple of hours. Since Ms. Schmooze is, at least for the meantime, the remaining administrative assistant we have here at the school, she's been struggling with all of the tech stuff that La Fille is a wiz at. For example, she cut off a student on the phone twice. Still the bossman's patience is approaching legendary levels.

Unfortunately but not surprisingly, Cozy declined my request to be my guarantor for the last 7 months of my stay in my apartment. He didn't give a particular reason for it although I'm sure we will discuss this tomorrow. He was also rather disappointed that I've decided to leave for good at the end of the year. However, he did invite me to talk about some sort of solution to my problem, but I'm starting to look at guarantor companies. Basically if they reject me, then I'll be leaving Japan a lot earlier than expected. There is no one else I can ask.

Ol' Sam contacted me. He and his family will be coming over on vacation from next week, but he did ask me whether he can crash over at my place in the middle of June. He's more than welcome, provided that I still have an apartment.

Monday May 23, 11:03 a.m.

The past weekend involved another DVD Night sleepover at MB's. Our movies de nuit were "Gamer", "Zombieland" and "Machete"....pretty much B-movies with an A-list cast. All of them had another thing in common in that they had fun premises but lost steam by the end. Still, I can say that I got to see Lindsay Lohan naked in the last movie.

Last night, TV Asahi showed the 2nd of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. "Dead Man's Chest" still had some good flavor to be extracted but "At World's End" was an overrated disappointment, and the 4th movie hasn't gotten any good reviews. Still, MB would still like to catch it although The Satyr is a bit iffy.

Monday May 23, 10:51 p.m.

Back on Thursday night, Speedy had the farewell dinner for La Fille at a place near the school called Enkobo right by Higashi-Nakano Station. It was just the five of us: the bossman, me, Ms. Schmooze, AK and the girl of honour herself. It was a pleasant neighbourhood izakaya on a side street although the fare was a bit more upclass. For example, the appetizer was not the usual pickled o-shinko but some crusty French bread with cheese covered in herbs and honey. Definitely not wa-fu. I'd say that the food was a bit of fusion and juxtaposition of Japanese and Italian dishes. The best dish was the takenoko (bamboo shoots) gratin. Who'da thunk that cooked bamboo would make an outstanding combination with white sauce and grated cheese?

The conversation inevitably turned to the not-exactly-lamented departure of Ms. Efficiency. Basically, with an all-you-can-drink option for 2 hours at Enkobo, the venting would have a lot of steam behind it, but in retrospect, everyone was pretty civil toward her although it was agreed that the lass has some complicated mental/emotional issues. I can only wonder if she has already picked some fights at her new job. Apparently, the bossman has hinted that a new person will be coming to help us at the school in July during the summer holidays hinting that she's a university student. The bossman remarked that she's a bit of a La Fille Jr.

The next day I heard from the bossman that the group had been young enough and strong enough to hop over to another bar. Plus, it helped that everyone there except me lived nearby. I decided that 11 p.m. was good enough for me and gave my good luck to La Fille, who will be much more dearly missed than Ms. Efficiency.

Monday May 23, 10:45 a.m.

Found out that The Godfather had sent me mail cancelling his lesson today and asking if it could be postponed to tomorrow. No problems with me; I'd been hoping that either he or Miss Genki would be cancelling since the hour's commute between Tameike-Sanno and Nakano-Sakaue between their lessons could be difficult to pull off during rush hour. So, at this point, I won't be having any classes until tonight.

It's looking like another light week as it has been since I got back. I've just got Miss Genki and Kirk tonight over at Speedy's, the Beehive and The Godfather tomorrow, and nothing on Wednesday since it looks like 001 is my sole customer and she won't be here this week. From Thursday, the bossman will be off on his annual 2-week business trip overseas so I'm virtually alone during the daytime. I've only got The Shareholder and The Carolinan there. And Friday will just be Swank and The New Yorker. However, this coming Saturday I'll be teaching one of Speedy's students and meet up with The Intellectual for the first time in almost 6 months since I opted out of Saturdays.