July 4
Hmm...let's see, I'm not sure but I may be in the doghouse via e-mail with a distant friend and my ex. I just made one cute little question to her about something and I got walloped with a huge NO! in response. As for the other guy, I received this rather terse letter of change of address in Japanese so I just answered in kind and told him I have the bottle of wine I was saving for him. I particularly care how I feel for either for them right now; that's their petty problem.
I had my second class with the oil company; this time it was with the A class, the cream of the crop. I guess it must be because of it being the first week of classes for them. The students sure didn't act like the A-team. A couple of them were sputtering their speeches like a couple of junior high school students. Then again, this has been the earliest I've ever been exposed to the oil group. I hope that things start gelling next week.
Well, after that interesting experience, I had lunch with the few remaining full-timers on staff and one pretty gabby rookie teacher who wanted to get the lowdown on the school. He's been here for a couple of years so he knows the politics that go with an English school. Hmmm...I'm starting to wonder if this exodus this time may take on a more potent edge.
Then afterwards, I went out to the bookstore to fish out some texts for my kids tomorrow morning. Man, I think this part of mynew job will be the least favorite but one of the most necessary.
Finally, I had my regular English circle with just one student. It was going OK for a while when an especially ornery and obnoxious idiot came in with his daughter and proceeded to harangue her about her future. Gad, if there is one thing I despise in middle-aged men here..
Man, I gather that I've been in a dour mood today. I don't know what it is...the heat, the fact that my new career is so far limping, the two e-mails and the loudmouthed guy during the circle or if it's everything put together. I just hope that things are better after a good night's sleep. It kinda helps that "Major League" is on right now; the scene where Wild Thing makes his entrance is arguably one of the best in a sports movie.
Arnie has come by for his usual promo jaunt for T3...well, let's hope that what he does best is what saves what remains of his career. I'm starting to get a little tired of the Austrian Oak, though, with his "I'm back" greeting. Well, in a good sign, it looks like th e movie has gotten some positive reviews. Perhaps he IS back.
Just a place to deposit my thoughts on life here in the Kanto and about anything else that sticks to my walls.
Friday, July 04, 2003
Thursday, July 03, 2003
July 3
Kinda of a belated Canada Day present but Vancouver got it s Olympics! Hooray for them. I just hope they can handle it better than Athens has or Montreal did. Isn't Montreal still paying off the debts from the 1976 games?
Well, I started the easly wake-up calls from today as the new oil company classes have begun at my school. To be honest, I don't particularly mind...I'm not at the age to roust about at night anymore and the students from the oil company have always been a good bunch. I had the first bunch today; not a bad group but the personal dynamics are still gelling.
Speaking of classes, I finally ended my classes at the other oil company. I don't regret finishing them although I did make a few fans over there. Once again, the materials and the fact that the students simply didn't seem all that serious influenced my decision to tell my boss that I won't be doing them anymore.
And speaking of bosses, I finally had that long-awaited (is there any other kind in my school?) chat with the assistant manager about my salary increase. I did get it, and things are pretty much locked in. I'm now free to pursue other opporunities on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Kinda of a belated Canada Day present but Vancouver got it s Olympics! Hooray for them. I just hope they can handle it better than Athens has or Montreal did. Isn't Montreal still paying off the debts from the 1976 games?
Well, I started the easly wake-up calls from today as the new oil company classes have begun at my school. To be honest, I don't particularly mind...I'm not at the age to roust about at night anymore and the students from the oil company have always been a good bunch. I had the first bunch today; not a bad group but the personal dynamics are still gelling.
Speaking of classes, I finally ended my classes at the other oil company. I don't regret finishing them although I did make a few fans over there. Once again, the materials and the fact that the students simply didn't seem all that serious influenced my decision to tell my boss that I won't be doing them anymore.
And speaking of bosses, I finally had that long-awaited (is there any other kind in my school?) chat with the assistant manager about my salary increase. I did get it, and things are pretty much locked in. I'm now free to pursue other opporunities on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
July 1
Happy Canada Day back to my fellow Canucks at home.
The last day of June was pleasant if humid as all hell. I started it by trying out a trendy restaurant with the expats in Roppongi. It's called ROTI, presumably its claim to fame is the rotisserie chicken (a rival to the Farm Grill, I wonder?). The place was certainly quite a bit smaller than I had thought it would be. It's not one of these dark sprawling restaurants with all sorts of nooks and crannies. Indeed, it's quite a bright place with two windows acting as half the walls for this somewhat small brasserie. I think half the tables were outside on the patio. I can only wonder what would happen if it rained. I tried one of their lunch specials for 1300 yen, a relative bargain in Roppongi. The chicken quesadillas with salad fit the bill quite nicely. However, what I'm really angling for is their all-day Sunday breakfasts; I'm such a sucker for pancakes.
Then, it was time to beat feet all over Tokyo for textbooks, one of my new duties as a freelancer. After a few hours, I was able to get somethng suitable for my late night class although the bill was quite a heartpounder. Luckily, my students were very willing to foot the bill. Speaking of food, I'm so glad that there is a doner kebab wagon outside of Tower Records in Shibuya. For just 500 yen, I can get a mightily satisfying pita stuffed with juicy pork and veggies...a good 34 yen less than a Big Mac set. I guess also that lounging in cafes will probably be my lot in life as a freelancer. I ended up staying at the New York Cafe around the corner from the doner kebab wagon for a couple of hours before I had to hightail out west for my lat e class. Still, overall, it was a good experience.
Today was my usual school day. I did my private class then went back to the school for my conversation class before coming back all the way out to Chiba for my final bout with that oil company. Nice students but I won't be going back there. I was just spending too many hours there twiddling my thumbs. Also, my idiotic boss took me aside today for a minute and asked me not to spread around how much I'm enjoying my partial freedom. Hmmm....that's a switch considering he was more than willing to throw one of our experienced and popular teachers to part-time before she decided to fly the coop.
Good heavens...another old veteran goes to that entertainment venue in the sky. Marble-mouthed Buddy Hackett has died.
Happy Canada Day back to my fellow Canucks at home.
The last day of June was pleasant if humid as all hell. I started it by trying out a trendy restaurant with the expats in Roppongi. It's called ROTI, presumably its claim to fame is the rotisserie chicken (a rival to the Farm Grill, I wonder?). The place was certainly quite a bit smaller than I had thought it would be. It's not one of these dark sprawling restaurants with all sorts of nooks and crannies. Indeed, it's quite a bright place with two windows acting as half the walls for this somewhat small brasserie. I think half the tables were outside on the patio. I can only wonder what would happen if it rained. I tried one of their lunch specials for 1300 yen, a relative bargain in Roppongi. The chicken quesadillas with salad fit the bill quite nicely. However, what I'm really angling for is their all-day Sunday breakfasts; I'm such a sucker for pancakes.
Then, it was time to beat feet all over Tokyo for textbooks, one of my new duties as a freelancer. After a few hours, I was able to get somethng suitable for my late night class although the bill was quite a heartpounder. Luckily, my students were very willing to foot the bill. Speaking of food, I'm so glad that there is a doner kebab wagon outside of Tower Records in Shibuya. For just 500 yen, I can get a mightily satisfying pita stuffed with juicy pork and veggies...a good 34 yen less than a Big Mac set. I guess also that lounging in cafes will probably be my lot in life as a freelancer. I ended up staying at the New York Cafe around the corner from the doner kebab wagon for a couple of hours before I had to hightail out west for my lat e class. Still, overall, it was a good experience.
Today was my usual school day. I did my private class then went back to the school for my conversation class before coming back all the way out to Chiba for my final bout with that oil company. Nice students but I won't be going back there. I was just spending too many hours there twiddling my thumbs. Also, my idiotic boss took me aside today for a minute and asked me not to spread around how much I'm enjoying my partial freedom. Hmmm....that's a switch considering he was more than willing to throw one of our experienced and popular teachers to part-time before she decided to fly the coop.
Good heavens...another old veteran goes to that entertainment venue in the sky. Marble-mouthed Buddy Hackett has died.
Sunday, June 29, 2003
June 30
Well, the Japanese media are having a field day trashing t.A.T.u. after the two kids and their Svengali-like producer pulled a fast one and suddenly cancelled all of their appearances for interviews and music shows. Not only that, they flaunted a police order not to film any footage of themselves in Ginza and Akihabara (although it was basically just a Handycam defying the order), and then finally at a press conference last night, the duo proceeded to act in a manner unbecoming of guests by openly yawning and cracking gum. Tabloid headlines like "Gimme a Break, t.A.T.u.!" and "Pissed Off at t.A.T.u." are screaming this morning. Geez, I guess that rebelliousness wasn't an act, after all.
As in any democratic country, the fourth estate wields a certain amount of power in society. Even more so in Japan...at least where entertainment and sports are concerned. In America, t.A.T.u.'s behaviour would've merely amused or bemused the folks there, but in protocol-conscious Japan, the Russians committed a faux pas of huge proportions. Perhaps, the girls' new name will be b.R.A.t. from now on. It should be interesting what the departure will be like at Narita today.
All in all, I'm not a huge fan of Japanese journalism...a large group of which are either beholden to the politicians or to hack editors. And the idiocy with which they handle international cele b inteviews borders on the surreal. However, I do wonder if there is a certain amount of naivete as well. t.A.T.u. has based its career on being delinquents. Perhaps in Japan, a lot of bands act tough but they're pretty mild in person. Other countries' punks probably don't fool around in that way. They are either true rebele (please imagine if the Sex Pistols ever came here) or they will keep the hellraiser attitude in public.
On the other side of the spectrum, I just heard Katherine Hepburn passed away. Good golly..another legend leaves the silver screen and just a number of days after Gregory Peck dies. There goes a woman who lived life defiantly to her own drumbeat. There was a Larry King episode a week ago which focused on Hepburn. I wonder if CNN had some inside information about what happened.
Well, the Japanese media are having a field day trashing t.A.T.u. after the two kids and their Svengali-like producer pulled a fast one and suddenly cancelled all of their appearances for interviews and music shows. Not only that, they flaunted a police order not to film any footage of themselves in Ginza and Akihabara (although it was basically just a Handycam defying the order), and then finally at a press conference last night, the duo proceeded to act in a manner unbecoming of guests by openly yawning and cracking gum. Tabloid headlines like "Gimme a Break, t.A.T.u.!" and "Pissed Off at t.A.T.u." are screaming this morning. Geez, I guess that rebelliousness wasn't an act, after all.
As in any democratic country, the fourth estate wields a certain amount of power in society. Even more so in Japan...at least where entertainment and sports are concerned. In America, t.A.T.u.'s behaviour would've merely amused or bemused the folks there, but in protocol-conscious Japan, the Russians committed a faux pas of huge proportions. Perhaps, the girls' new name will be b.R.A.t. from now on. It should be interesting what the departure will be like at Narita today.
All in all, I'm not a huge fan of Japanese journalism...a large group of which are either beholden to the politicians or to hack editors. And the idiocy with which they handle international cele b inteviews borders on the surreal. However, I do wonder if there is a certain amount of naivete as well. t.A.T.u. has based its career on being delinquents. Perhaps in Japan, a lot of bands act tough but they're pretty mild in person. Other countries' punks probably don't fool around in that way. They are either true rebele (please imagine if the Sex Pistols ever came here) or they will keep the hellraiser attitude in public.
On the other side of the spectrum, I just heard Katherine Hepburn passed away. Good golly..another legend leaves the silver screen and just a number of days after Gregory Peck dies. There goes a woman who lived life defiantly to her own drumbeat. There was a Larry King episode a week ago which focused on Hepburn. I wonder if CNN had some inside information about what happened.
Saturday, June 28, 2003
June 29
My student's wedding turned out to be an all-day affair. However, it was probably the most enjoyable wedding of all of the nuptial celebrations I've attended in 9 years in this nation. It was just the right combination of people, good food and fun stuff which did the trick for me.
The first party was held at a trendy little restaurant tucked away in an exclusive area of town called Shirogane. Until the subway line s started encroaching the area, it used to be quite difficult to access which of course had lent it its famed exclusivity. In fact, the women who lived, worked and walked there were known as Shiroganeze, basically the elite.
The food was great, the bride and groom were decked out in Japanese kimono while a lot of the guests were in their finest. A wedding here is always a great spot to see the women at their very best. The two companions I came with were themselves resplendent in a Vietnamese dress and a China doll dress. I opted for the usual suit and tie affair; a bit tough since it was rather humid.
We also had live entertainment in the form of a shakuhachi player; a shakuhachi is somewhat akin to a large recorder. As well, we also had some more contemporary fare in the form of a live band playing some bossa nova. As usual, with a wedding here, there was the customary bingo game with prizes.
Also, as with any major social event in the country, the main party was followed by a second party down the street at a place called Boheme, onother trendy little Italian bistro. We just hung out there for drinks for about an hour before heading what turned out to be our longest stage of the night, karaoke at the Big Echo just in front of the Meguro Station. Karaoke is pretty much a never-miss when it comes to thinking about where to head to next.
However, what was different about this bout of karaoke compared to all of the other trips to karaoke was the fact that just about everyone was eager to get their 2 cents in, as it were, for a song. We were getting steadily more aroused by all of the 80s party songs coming out like YMCA, Go West and even Copacabana. Heck, some of our more liberal fellows were getting into major dance mode. Even after 5 straight hours, we were quite willing to go at it further, but more sensible heads prevailed.
Finally, there were just six. The bride and groom, me and my two companions and a friend of the groom. So, now into my 10th hour of partying, I spent the last of those hours with the folks just noshing on a few more dishes (we majorly pigged out at the karaoke box) and nursed an oolong tea before making tracks for home. I was quite exhausted on my way back home and I've finally gotten back into my apartment at the relatively wee hour (for a man in his late 30s, that is) of 12:30 am.
Overall, I had a ball at this wedding. Considering that a lot of weddings consist of listening to boring speeches by the President of the company of the groom's father who should have no business at a wedding, and being stuck with a lot of people one doesn't know, the wedding I attended today was fun, cool and just down-home.
On a related topic, during the wedding party, t here was an underlying current of work and office politics which was inevitable considering that the bride and my two companions were students, and another former teacher made a surprise appearance. The teacher was telling me, or to be more accurate, making a pitch to me about taking a potential position at his private high school come January. He regaled me about the higher salary and lower hours, and also the revelation that yet another teacher will be jumping ship from our school to the high school. I was polite about it but in my mind, it was a no-brainer. The conditions might be better, but it is still a high school, and I made my mind long ago not to teach kids anymore. Unlike what he told me about me being a perfect fit for the school, I would have to say that I wouldn't be too happy there.
From the students, I got the usual complaints about the rookie teachers and even some classmates. It was a bit difficult to listen to, especially when I have no animosity against any of my students myself. However, that may be my Pollyannish side poking me with the hopes that everyone can get along. Just too many people in our programme for that to ever happen. And the gripes about students by students has been par for the course every year I was a full-timer.
The wedding itself set me back quite a few yen but it was worth it. In fact, the bride was quite worried whether I would accept the invitation because of the rather high price; another teacher had declined with the very straight-to-the-gut reason that it was just too expensive to attend. This rather rattled the bride, so she was grateful for my presence. However, for me, I'm always honoured if any student would invite me to his/her wedding. Yes, it is expensive and I certainly cannot afford to go splurging at this time, but on the other hand, I also appreciate the fact that this was one of the most important days in my student's life, and that she wanted me to share it with her and her friends. I think that factor outweighs any financial reason not to go. However, I'm not about to slag the other teacher for his reason not to go; that's his decision, and I can respect that. He could've been more tactful about his reply, though.
My student's wedding turned out to be an all-day affair. However, it was probably the most enjoyable wedding of all of the nuptial celebrations I've attended in 9 years in this nation. It was just the right combination of people, good food and fun stuff which did the trick for me.
The first party was held at a trendy little restaurant tucked away in an exclusive area of town called Shirogane. Until the subway line s started encroaching the area, it used to be quite difficult to access which of course had lent it its famed exclusivity. In fact, the women who lived, worked and walked there were known as Shiroganeze, basically the elite.
The food was great, the bride and groom were decked out in Japanese kimono while a lot of the guests were in their finest. A wedding here is always a great spot to see the women at their very best. The two companions I came with were themselves resplendent in a Vietnamese dress and a China doll dress. I opted for the usual suit and tie affair; a bit tough since it was rather humid.
We also had live entertainment in the form of a shakuhachi player; a shakuhachi is somewhat akin to a large recorder. As well, we also had some more contemporary fare in the form of a live band playing some bossa nova. As usual, with a wedding here, there was the customary bingo game with prizes.
Also, as with any major social event in the country, the main party was followed by a second party down the street at a place called Boheme, onother trendy little Italian bistro. We just hung out there for drinks for about an hour before heading what turned out to be our longest stage of the night, karaoke at the Big Echo just in front of the Meguro Station. Karaoke is pretty much a never-miss when it comes to thinking about where to head to next.
However, what was different about this bout of karaoke compared to all of the other trips to karaoke was the fact that just about everyone was eager to get their 2 cents in, as it were, for a song. We were getting steadily more aroused by all of the 80s party songs coming out like YMCA, Go West and even Copacabana. Heck, some of our more liberal fellows were getting into major dance mode. Even after 5 straight hours, we were quite willing to go at it further, but more sensible heads prevailed.
Finally, there were just six. The bride and groom, me and my two companions and a friend of the groom. So, now into my 10th hour of partying, I spent the last of those hours with the folks just noshing on a few more dishes (we majorly pigged out at the karaoke box) and nursed an oolong tea before making tracks for home. I was quite exhausted on my way back home and I've finally gotten back into my apartment at the relatively wee hour (for a man in his late 30s, that is) of 12:30 am.
Overall, I had a ball at this wedding. Considering that a lot of weddings consist of listening to boring speeches by the President of the company of the groom's father who should have no business at a wedding, and being stuck with a lot of people one doesn't know, the wedding I attended today was fun, cool and just down-home.
On a related topic, during the wedding party, t here was an underlying current of work and office politics which was inevitable considering that the bride and my two companions were students, and another former teacher made a surprise appearance. The teacher was telling me, or to be more accurate, making a pitch to me about taking a potential position at his private high school come January. He regaled me about the higher salary and lower hours, and also the revelation that yet another teacher will be jumping ship from our school to the high school. I was polite about it but in my mind, it was a no-brainer. The conditions might be better, but it is still a high school, and I made my mind long ago not to teach kids anymore. Unlike what he told me about me being a perfect fit for the school, I would have to say that I wouldn't be too happy there.
From the students, I got the usual complaints about the rookie teachers and even some classmates. It was a bit difficult to listen to, especially when I have no animosity against any of my students myself. However, that may be my Pollyannish side poking me with the hopes that everyone can get along. Just too many people in our programme for that to ever happen. And the gripes about students by students has been par for the course every year I was a full-timer.
The wedding itself set me back quite a few yen but it was worth it. In fact, the bride was quite worried whether I would accept the invitation because of the rather high price; another teacher had declined with the very straight-to-the-gut reason that it was just too expensive to attend. This rather rattled the bride, so she was grateful for my presence. However, for me, I'm always honoured if any student would invite me to his/her wedding. Yes, it is expensive and I certainly cannot afford to go splurging at this time, but on the other hand, I also appreciate the fact that this was one of the most important days in my student's life, and that she wanted me to share it with her and her friends. I think that factor outweighs any financial reason not to go. However, I'm not about to slag the other teacher for his reason not to go; that's his decision, and I can respect that. He could've been more tactful about his reply, though.
Friday, June 27, 2003
June 27
Well, the weather was back to sunny and warm again. And once more, my back was having mood swings.
I had my dinner tonight with my English circle and the boys from the oil company. Despite the popularity of the restaurant and our rather large number, we managed to get a good table, and the food was excellent. My ex was getting well lubricated on the local alcohol so she was in quite the ebullient mood tonight much to the amusement of most of the folks there; she certainly made an impression on the oil boys.
Also, I found out tonight from one of the guys that there is a remote chance that Tokyo may have its first programmed blackout on Monday although I'm not sure if the news had been made public. Due to some scandals involving Tokyo Electric with botched inspections and subsequent coverups, the majority of the nuclear reactors powering the Tokyo grid have been taken off-line until further noticed. Therefore, demand may overtake capacity and we'll be in the dark.
Charlie's Angels debuted today all over the world, and it looks like the movie will get a very mixed review. The reviewer for the Japan Times liked it but a local gaijin magazine didn't. However, this movie is probably going to fare better with critics than the Matrix Reloaded.
Well, the weather was back to sunny and warm again. And once more, my back was having mood swings.
I had my dinner tonight with my English circle and the boys from the oil company. Despite the popularity of the restaurant and our rather large number, we managed to get a good table, and the food was excellent. My ex was getting well lubricated on the local alcohol so she was in quite the ebullient mood tonight much to the amusement of most of the folks there; she certainly made an impression on the oil boys.
Also, I found out tonight from one of the guys that there is a remote chance that Tokyo may have its first programmed blackout on Monday although I'm not sure if the news had been made public. Due to some scandals involving Tokyo Electric with botched inspections and subsequent coverups, the majority of the nuclear reactors powering the Tokyo grid have been taken off-line until further noticed. Therefore, demand may overtake capacity and we'll be in the dark.
Charlie's Angels debuted today all over the world, and it looks like the movie will get a very mixed review. The reviewer for the Japan Times liked it but a local gaijin magazine didn't. However, this movie is probably going to fare better with critics than the Matrix Reloaded.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
June 26
It was raining kennels tonight. But it was cooler and dryer than it has been over the past few days, so we have some respite from the heat. And concerning the current soap opera that is being played out on my back, I was getting some major climaxes there over the course of the day, but for some reason, it's going through some very pleasant denouement righ t now. Hopefully, then, my back is slowly getting back to normal.
Well, my weekend will once again be a hodgepodge of social activities again. I've got my regular Friday circle meeting for dinner at a Chinese restaurant tomorrow. And then I have a student's wedding to attend with a couple of her classmates on Saturday. Not cheap but hey, it's an important date for my student and I'm just grateful that she invited me
Came home tonight and had dinner while viewing a MISIA concert DVD. Who is Misia, you ask? Well, she just happens to be one of the few singers in this country who deserves to be called great. She is this tiny bundle of energy from Okinawa or somewhere in southern Japan who has quietly created a very large and loyal following without any (over)exposure on TV and very few commercials. For most singers, talented or otherwise, they're usually pushed into making tons of appearances on the various music or even variety shows to push their CDs. Not Misia.
Misia's brand of music is hip-hop/house/R & B which often has a 70s disco flavor. The special thing with her is that she has a set of pipes which can knock one's socks off. Apparently, she got her inspiration as a child from the musical "Mama, I Wanna Sing!" (which explains her singing style) and the J-Pop band, Dreams Come True whose lead singer, Miwa Yoshida, also possesses a great voice. And in fact, a couple of years ago, the two did meet and collaborated on a minor hit song.
The usual question which I usually ask to myself when it comes to these real talents is if she can actually make it big in the States. The practical answer to that is sadly no...at least at this time. The current genre du jour Stateside doesn't particularly fit Misia's type of music; it would probably be considered to be more pop and even worse a novelty act (Wow! A Japanese person singing hip-hop? How cute!). Several years ago, a Japanese pioneer in rhythm n' blues, Toshinobu Kubota, tried to break into the US market with nary a ripple. It wasn't because he was bad. Far from it, Kubota is a very accomplished singer. It's just that there is plenty of the American product around. It would have taken Kubota a song with almost impossible appeal for him to get noticed outside of Japan. And I think that would be the case with MIsia. But then again, I think Misia is quite happy enthralling her local fans without the usual media influences.
It was raining kennels tonight. But it was cooler and dryer than it has been over the past few days, so we have some respite from the heat. And concerning the current soap opera that is being played out on my back, I was getting some major climaxes there over the course of the day, but for some reason, it's going through some very pleasant denouement righ t now. Hopefully, then, my back is slowly getting back to normal.
Well, my weekend will once again be a hodgepodge of social activities again. I've got my regular Friday circle meeting for dinner at a Chinese restaurant tomorrow. And then I have a student's wedding to attend with a couple of her classmates on Saturday. Not cheap but hey, it's an important date for my student and I'm just grateful that she invited me
Came home tonight and had dinner while viewing a MISIA concert DVD. Who is Misia, you ask? Well, she just happens to be one of the few singers in this country who deserves to be called great. She is this tiny bundle of energy from Okinawa or somewhere in southern Japan who has quietly created a very large and loyal following without any (over)exposure on TV and very few commercials. For most singers, talented or otherwise, they're usually pushed into making tons of appearances on the various music or even variety shows to push their CDs. Not Misia.
Misia's brand of music is hip-hop/house/R & B which often has a 70s disco flavor. The special thing with her is that she has a set of pipes which can knock one's socks off. Apparently, she got her inspiration as a child from the musical "Mama, I Wanna Sing!" (which explains her singing style) and the J-Pop band, Dreams Come True whose lead singer, Miwa Yoshida, also possesses a great voice. And in fact, a couple of years ago, the two did meet and collaborated on a minor hit song.
The usual question which I usually ask to myself when it comes to these real talents is if she can actually make it big in the States. The practical answer to that is sadly no...at least at this time. The current genre du jour Stateside doesn't particularly fit Misia's type of music; it would probably be considered to be more pop and even worse a novelty act (Wow! A Japanese person singing hip-hop? How cute!). Several years ago, a Japanese pioneer in rhythm n' blues, Toshinobu Kubota, tried to break into the US market with nary a ripple. It wasn't because he was bad. Far from it, Kubota is a very accomplished singer. It's just that there is plenty of the American product around. It would have taken Kubota a song with almost impossible appeal for him to get noticed outside of Japan. And I think that would be the case with MIsia. But then again, I think Misia is quite happy enthralling her local fans without the usual media influences.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
June 25
My back has gotten worse. It's even a chore just remaining sitting up and getting dressed is an exercise in pain. I bought some liniment just now and I've been popping the Tylenol but I have a feeling that I'm going to have to see a doctor pretty soon. Luckily (perhaps) I got that private class with the doctor's kids, so maybe he can help me out. I have a bad feeling that I may have a slipped disc. If that's the case, all that money I've been paying for health insurance for the past 8 years will probably go down the drain pretty fast. In any case, this hasn't been one of my more favourite weeks.
Well, I just got back from a bit of research on the Internet concering back pain, and apparently a slipped disc is very rarely cause for surgery...at least in the US. Might be a bit prejudicial to say, but I think a number of doctors over here love to make some money on the side from their diagnoses for extra medicine or that big winfall: a date with a scalpel. On a better note, I found that one of those non-surgical remedies happens to be as simple as anti-inflammatory liniment which I bought today. It certainly feels a lot nicer right now. Plus, that aspirin is coming in handy.
Forgot to mention that I caught one of my all-time favourites: AIRPLANE! I remember seeing it back at the Golden Mile Plaza back in 1980 with my brother and just guffawing non-stop through the picture. The gags only elicit a fond grin now but I can still appreciate the humour in it. Since I saw it on DVD, I was able to hear the commentary by the creators; unsurprisingly enough, it felt like hearing a bunch of beer-swilling men in a basement rec room...just the types who would come up with this sort of film One point that the boys didn't mention that I thought should be mentioned is that AIRPLANE spawned off some interesting things: Leslie Nielsen's new career as a wacky comedian, the mini-genre of crazy comedy movies such as The Naked Gun and Hot Shots and the fact that otherwise serious avuncular leading men can do comedy.
My back has gotten worse. It's even a chore just remaining sitting up and getting dressed is an exercise in pain. I bought some liniment just now and I've been popping the Tylenol but I have a feeling that I'm going to have to see a doctor pretty soon. Luckily (perhaps) I got that private class with the doctor's kids, so maybe he can help me out. I have a bad feeling that I may have a slipped disc. If that's the case, all that money I've been paying for health insurance for the past 8 years will probably go down the drain pretty fast. In any case, this hasn't been one of my more favourite weeks.
Well, I just got back from a bit of research on the Internet concering back pain, and apparently a slipped disc is very rarely cause for surgery...at least in the US. Might be a bit prejudicial to say, but I think a number of doctors over here love to make some money on the side from their diagnoses for extra medicine or that big winfall: a date with a scalpel. On a better note, I found that one of those non-surgical remedies happens to be as simple as anti-inflammatory liniment which I bought today. It certainly feels a lot nicer right now. Plus, that aspirin is coming in handy.
Forgot to mention that I caught one of my all-time favourites: AIRPLANE! I remember seeing it back at the Golden Mile Plaza back in 1980 with my brother and just guffawing non-stop through the picture. The gags only elicit a fond grin now but I can still appreciate the humour in it. Since I saw it on DVD, I was able to hear the commentary by the creators; unsurprisingly enough, it felt like hearing a bunch of beer-swilling men in a basement rec room...just the types who would come up with this sort of film One point that the boys didn't mention that I thought should be mentioned is that AIRPLANE spawned off some interesting things: Leslie Nielsen's new career as a wacky comedian, the mini-genre of crazy comedy movies such as The Naked Gun and Hot Shots and the fact that otherwise serious avuncular leading men can do comedy.
June 24
I indulged in one of the perks of my career by joining one of my private classes to a housewarming party for a former student up in the wilds of Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. She has a very well-kept condo with her family and cooked up a storm of hearty dishes while we had a nice chat. Sure beats work. And the crazy thing is that I still got paid my regular fee though I didn't teach anything. One of the topics we ranted about was the overhype of Beckham during his time in Japan. One of my more gleeful students went on a rare bender decrying the stupidity in falling for this athlete.
In a very sad sign of the times in this country, a couple of rather heinous crimes have come to light recently in the news. One was the mass murder of a family in Fukuoka for reasons unknown; the father, mother and 2 children were all strangled and dumped into a local river. The other was the gang rape of a student by a rather notorious Waseda University circle. There have been arguably even more heinous crimes committed in Japan over the past several years but these two are still a sobering reminder that even this country is not all safe and comfortable.
Interesting. On the Dark Horizons movie website, I saw news about this new version of Battlestar Galactica so I checked out some of the images. I saw the popular Cylons and one Viper. However, I then saw Edward James Olmos, the cool Lieutenant from Miami Vice, as an officer. He and the rest of the supposed crew seem to be garbed in blue jumpsuits reminiscent of the guys on Enterprise. Uh-oh.
I used to watch the original back 20 years ago as a high school student, and managed to endure the repeated film footage of battle scenes. I did like the late Lorne Greene as Commander Adama; no idea if Olmos will be taking on that role. My favorite episodes from the short-lived series were The Pegasus with Lloyd Bridges as the legendary Commander Kane and the other one featuring Patrick Macnee as the head Cylon himself.
I indulged in one of the perks of my career by joining one of my private classes to a housewarming party for a former student up in the wilds of Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. She has a very well-kept condo with her family and cooked up a storm of hearty dishes while we had a nice chat. Sure beats work. And the crazy thing is that I still got paid my regular fee though I didn't teach anything. One of the topics we ranted about was the overhype of Beckham during his time in Japan. One of my more gleeful students went on a rare bender decrying the stupidity in falling for this athlete.
In a very sad sign of the times in this country, a couple of rather heinous crimes have come to light recently in the news. One was the mass murder of a family in Fukuoka for reasons unknown; the father, mother and 2 children were all strangled and dumped into a local river. The other was the gang rape of a student by a rather notorious Waseda University circle. There have been arguably even more heinous crimes committed in Japan over the past several years but these two are still a sobering reminder that even this country is not all safe and comfortable.
Interesting. On the Dark Horizons movie website, I saw news about this new version of Battlestar Galactica so I checked out some of the images. I saw the popular Cylons and one Viper. However, I then saw Edward James Olmos, the cool Lieutenant from Miami Vice, as an officer. He and the rest of the supposed crew seem to be garbed in blue jumpsuits reminiscent of the guys on Enterprise. Uh-oh.
I used to watch the original back 20 years ago as a high school student, and managed to endure the repeated film footage of battle scenes. I did like the late Lorne Greene as Commander Adama; no idea if Olmos will be taking on that role. My favorite episodes from the short-lived series were The Pegasus with Lloyd Bridges as the legendary Commander Kane and the other one featuring Patrick Macnee as the head Cylon himself.
Monday, June 23, 2003
June 23
A bit of a return to the old spending splurge of old, though I did hold the reins somewhat more tightly in lieu of my new spending diet. However, I think with a payment of 20,000 yen today from two different classes, I could treat myself a bit. Picked up a Hall & Oates' 12" remix CD (no snickering) from Tower and then got the DVD of that hilarious comedy of yore, Airplane; will always be a fan of the Zucker Brothers.
On a sad note, I found out that they closed down the World Magazine Gallery permanently when I stopped by for a bit of a read. There was a just terse English statement but the Japanese version had a full explanation about how the popularity of the Internet had a hand in its demise, which I think is a crock. The organization probably just couldn't afford all those magazines anymore. In any case, I greatly lament the loss just when I'm now a part-timer and would have appreciated the extra time browsing through the mags for free. As a result I also picked up a couple of mags at HMV along with the DVD. At least, I could use my point card and get a discount.
Having lunch at TGI Fridays today in the Ginza, I realized their 1000 yen lunch special is only a bargain if you choose the hamburger. I unwisely chose the chicken fritter which ended up to be this deep-fried hunk of very substandard fowl...and yes it was quite foul. However, it was a lesson learned.
Then I had started my new Monday night class with a former student and her colleague at his place all the way on the other side of Tokyo, a good 70 minutes away from my place by train. And it starts at 9 p.m. and finishes at 10:30. This is the latest class I've ever had so the commutes home will be a bit of a drag but at this point I'll take anything that's potentially lucrative.
A bit of a return to the old spending splurge of old, though I did hold the reins somewhat more tightly in lieu of my new spending diet. However, I think with a payment of 20,000 yen today from two different classes, I could treat myself a bit. Picked up a Hall & Oates' 12" remix CD (no snickering) from Tower and then got the DVD of that hilarious comedy of yore, Airplane; will always be a fan of the Zucker Brothers.
On a sad note, I found out that they closed down the World Magazine Gallery permanently when I stopped by for a bit of a read. There was a just terse English statement but the Japanese version had a full explanation about how the popularity of the Internet had a hand in its demise, which I think is a crock. The organization probably just couldn't afford all those magazines anymore. In any case, I greatly lament the loss just when I'm now a part-timer and would have appreciated the extra time browsing through the mags for free. As a result I also picked up a couple of mags at HMV along with the DVD. At least, I could use my point card and get a discount.
Having lunch at TGI Fridays today in the Ginza, I realized their 1000 yen lunch special is only a bargain if you choose the hamburger. I unwisely chose the chicken fritter which ended up to be this deep-fried hunk of very substandard fowl...and yes it was quite foul. However, it was a lesson learned.
Then I had started my new Monday night class with a former student and her colleague at his place all the way on the other side of Tokyo, a good 70 minutes away from my place by train. And it starts at 9 p.m. and finishes at 10:30. This is the latest class I've ever had so the commutes home will be a bit of a drag but at this point I'll take anything that's potentially lucrative.
Sunday, June 22, 2003
June 22
True to form, summer has indeed come to Tokyo in "person" as well as in tradition. I actually had to activate the air conditioner for the first time this year. But it was nice to see a sunny day.
My friend and I caught The Core at the neighbourhood theatre yesteday. It was one of those check-your-brain-at-the-door films: as long as you're not looking for any deep meaning or even deep science, you should be OK. Plus I gather that the actors involved must have seen this as a good paycheck as well as a bit of a summer-stock lark. In fact, several of the performers completely passed under the radar though they are famous names (Stanley Tucci, Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo), a fact that perhaps enhances their reputation as character actors. In any case, it was a good-enough flick for a summer blockbuster. Hilary Swank was the only one recognizable actor I could pick out although it was amusing to see Bruce Greenwood who had played JFK in Thirteen Days basically play the same character as the commander of the life-or-death mission.
Afterwards we got back to the apartment and just pigged out on some major junk food: Pringles, Domino's Pizza and Haagen-Daas while we scanned through a couple of DVDs: Goldmember and From Russia With Love. It's quite nice to go wild once in a while, especially after having been trying to keep the calories lower for a while. My buddy stayed over for the night and kept the air con on all night which makes me dread what my electric bill will look like next month.
This morning, we watched Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, the best of any of the Trek movies (and yes, I do realize that Patrick Stewart can act orbits around William Shatner) which saddens me that it's been 20 years since Khan was released and perhaps only First Contact has even approached the appeal of it. The relationships, the philosophical message and the battles all came together in a way that hasn't really been achieved in any of the others. And sorry to say, the only relationship in the TNG movies worth mentioning has just been the Picard-Data duo.
True to form, summer has indeed come to Tokyo in "person" as well as in tradition. I actually had to activate the air conditioner for the first time this year. But it was nice to see a sunny day.
My friend and I caught The Core at the neighbourhood theatre yesteday. It was one of those check-your-brain-at-the-door films: as long as you're not looking for any deep meaning or even deep science, you should be OK. Plus I gather that the actors involved must have seen this as a good paycheck as well as a bit of a summer-stock lark. In fact, several of the performers completely passed under the radar though they are famous names (Stanley Tucci, Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo), a fact that perhaps enhances their reputation as character actors. In any case, it was a good-enough flick for a summer blockbuster. Hilary Swank was the only one recognizable actor I could pick out although it was amusing to see Bruce Greenwood who had played JFK in Thirteen Days basically play the same character as the commander of the life-or-death mission.
Afterwards we got back to the apartment and just pigged out on some major junk food: Pringles, Domino's Pizza and Haagen-Daas while we scanned through a couple of DVDs: Goldmember and From Russia With Love. It's quite nice to go wild once in a while, especially after having been trying to keep the calories lower for a while. My buddy stayed over for the night and kept the air con on all night which makes me dread what my electric bill will look like next month.
This morning, we watched Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, the best of any of the Trek movies (and yes, I do realize that Patrick Stewart can act orbits around William Shatner) which saddens me that it's been 20 years since Khan was released and perhaps only First Contact has even approached the appeal of it. The relationships, the philosophical message and the battles all came together in a way that hasn't really been achieved in any of the others. And sorry to say, the only relationship in the TNG movies worth mentioning has just been the Picard-Data duo.
Friday, June 20, 2003
June 20
The World Cup was one year ago here but you would've thought it had never ended. David Beckham and his wife, Posh Spice, swept into Tokyo with all of the fanfare of a mix of rock star/head of state (I believe David is a soccer player of some merit). Hundreds of mostly rabid female fans at Narita Airport on Wednesday afternoon had their camera-laden cellphones thrust up into the air like technological Excaliburs to get a shot of their lord and master. Considering that David and Posh breezed through the gate and into the elevator inside of 15 seconds, a lot of people were left disappointed.
His timing in arriving in Japan was a godsend for the local media and, of course, for him since it was during the flight that it was announced that Beckham was dealt to Real Madrid from Manchester United.
If the Beckhams are thinking of running for public office after David's eventual retirement from the game, they are certainly getting a lot of practice at being heads of state right now. There was a reception for them last night with a lot of the Tokyo glitterati in attendance. And today, while the missus took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony of a posh new store in the posh neighbourhood of Minami-Aoyama, the hubby held a press conference at 11 with 300 journalists in the room. The piece de resistance of this event was having Becks unveil a 3-metre likeness of himself all done up in delicious milk chocolate.
Then, Becks continued his state tour with a visit to an elementary school near Ginza in which a whole bunch of kids were there to hear his pearls of advice. He took some questions from the kids (which were no worse than some of the inane questions asked at the press conference) and kicked a few balls from the soccer team for promotional purposes. Again, tons of media were on hand to capture the event live and a lot of office workers desceded upon the schoolyard en masse.
At this time, he is currently doing interviews at Fuji-TV where he was seen handing out presents of chocolate-covered almonds to his hosts. I'd say at this rate, the Japanese would be more than happy to vote Beckham as the new PM of Great Britain. Certainly, he's a whole lot more popular than the current guy.
On more mundane matters, I've finished off another week as a part-timer. Happy to see that I've been a pretty good boy with my budget. I've been far more successful with my financial diet than with my physical one. I couldn't believe how much less I spent on hobbies this past week. I hope this plan of austerity reaps some dividends for me by the time the next paycheck comes in. Also, the life itself isn't too bad. The extra time has given me more sleep and less stress (although my back is still not too good). And I may be picking up yet another former student of mine as a private.
Also, I managed to catch up with a couple of old movies. One was the Audrey Hepburn suspense, "Wait Until Dark". I'm a bit surprised with that one since here in Japan, Audrey Hepburn's career only goes as far as "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the suspense was a post-Tiffany release. To the locals, Audrey will always be the young gamine of the 50s and only that. As a suspense, it was an interesting concept of having a blind person fend off three criminals, and I could see how the Jodie Foster movie "The Panic Room" may have gotten some inspiration from it.
The other flick was one that I'd seen before, "The Caine Mutiny", Humphrey Bogart's last great movie before his death. It was also an interesting one to see certain actors cast against type, notably Bogie's role as the mentally crushed Captain Queeg. Then there was also Fred MacMurray (from My Three Sons) as the cowardly and treacherous Mr. Keefer. I'd say that the movie was ahead of its time in terms of plot direction. If it had been a conventional flick from the 50s, Queeg would've been revealed as a straight nutso villain, and the crew as the heroes...end of story. Instead, we got the "Gotcha" ending when the victorious yet spiteful defense lawyer, Lt. Greenwald, drunkenly castigates the celebrating crew on being just as guilty for not helping Queeg when he had asked for help. Certainly a sobering way to finish a Best Movie nominee that showed Queeg in a more complex light.
The World Cup was one year ago here but you would've thought it had never ended. David Beckham and his wife, Posh Spice, swept into Tokyo with all of the fanfare of a mix of rock star/head of state (I believe David is a soccer player of some merit). Hundreds of mostly rabid female fans at Narita Airport on Wednesday afternoon had their camera-laden cellphones thrust up into the air like technological Excaliburs to get a shot of their lord and master. Considering that David and Posh breezed through the gate and into the elevator inside of 15 seconds, a lot of people were left disappointed.
His timing in arriving in Japan was a godsend for the local media and, of course, for him since it was during the flight that it was announced that Beckham was dealt to Real Madrid from Manchester United.
If the Beckhams are thinking of running for public office after David's eventual retirement from the game, they are certainly getting a lot of practice at being heads of state right now. There was a reception for them last night with a lot of the Tokyo glitterati in attendance. And today, while the missus took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony of a posh new store in the posh neighbourhood of Minami-Aoyama, the hubby held a press conference at 11 with 300 journalists in the room. The piece de resistance of this event was having Becks unveil a 3-metre likeness of himself all done up in delicious milk chocolate.
Then, Becks continued his state tour with a visit to an elementary school near Ginza in which a whole bunch of kids were there to hear his pearls of advice. He took some questions from the kids (which were no worse than some of the inane questions asked at the press conference) and kicked a few balls from the soccer team for promotional purposes. Again, tons of media were on hand to capture the event live and a lot of office workers desceded upon the schoolyard en masse.
At this time, he is currently doing interviews at Fuji-TV where he was seen handing out presents of chocolate-covered almonds to his hosts. I'd say at this rate, the Japanese would be more than happy to vote Beckham as the new PM of Great Britain. Certainly, he's a whole lot more popular than the current guy.
On more mundane matters, I've finished off another week as a part-timer. Happy to see that I've been a pretty good boy with my budget. I've been far more successful with my financial diet than with my physical one. I couldn't believe how much less I spent on hobbies this past week. I hope this plan of austerity reaps some dividends for me by the time the next paycheck comes in. Also, the life itself isn't too bad. The extra time has given me more sleep and less stress (although my back is still not too good). And I may be picking up yet another former student of mine as a private.
Also, I managed to catch up with a couple of old movies. One was the Audrey Hepburn suspense, "Wait Until Dark". I'm a bit surprised with that one since here in Japan, Audrey Hepburn's career only goes as far as "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the suspense was a post-Tiffany release. To the locals, Audrey will always be the young gamine of the 50s and only that. As a suspense, it was an interesting concept of having a blind person fend off three criminals, and I could see how the Jodie Foster movie "The Panic Room" may have gotten some inspiration from it.
The other flick was one that I'd seen before, "The Caine Mutiny", Humphrey Bogart's last great movie before his death. It was also an interesting one to see certain actors cast against type, notably Bogie's role as the mentally crushed Captain Queeg. Then there was also Fred MacMurray (from My Three Sons) as the cowardly and treacherous Mr. Keefer. I'd say that the movie was ahead of its time in terms of plot direction. If it had been a conventional flick from the 50s, Queeg would've been revealed as a straight nutso villain, and the crew as the heroes...end of story. Instead, we got the "Gotcha" ending when the victorious yet spiteful defense lawyer, Lt. Greenwald, drunkenly castigates the celebrating crew on being just as guilty for not helping Queeg when he had asked for help. Certainly a sobering way to finish a Best Movie nominee that showed Queeg in a more complex light.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
June 17
Kinda nice double-whammy day. First I find out that my buddy had given me a 10,000-yen bill yesterday not just to cover his expenses with me giving the rest back to him, but in fact, he gave me the whole amount as a partial advance for my potential new student. Then I started getting some compliments from various students about my slow but steady slimming.
Well, my social calendar is starting to fill up which is fine for me, but a bit worrying too considering that I'm not making all that much money. Luckily, I've been able to maintain a good budget so far.
Some more TV reminiscing. Lately, I've been catching reruns of that ol' chestnut, Perry Mason, every weekday morning on the satellite Super Channel. It was definitely a product of its times: virtually all Caucasians, Perry always won and didn't have a single problem (outside of obvious weight gain and smoking...but then again, I did say that it was a product of its times) and the usual overwrought, hackneyed acting.
However, in this age of moral ambiguity and depressingly human antiheroes, it is kinda nice to turn back the clock to a more innocent (or naive) time. Perry Mason was notable for the stolidness of (Canadian...yeah!) Raymond Burr in the lead role, and his tete-a-tete with Hamilton Burger. Also, just the overall film noir quality and that famous theme song gave the show that touch of class. I just came off from the always fun "Jump The Shark" website where I found out that the show had quite a fair share of diehard fans and sneering detractors. But the big shock for me was finding out that the actor who had played the craggy DA Burger, William Tallman, was kicked off the show for smoking pot at a nudist colony. Gah...get that image away from my mind!
I did catch a special episode this morning, the supposed one of only two times that Mason had ever been seen losing a case (well, actually, he later proved that the defendant was indeed innocent). Of course, the director played it up to the hilt. It actually started with the darkened courtroom just before the "shocking" verdict came in.
More on the old faces bandwagon. Last night, I caught a Biography of Burt Bacharach. I recall vaguely having watched some of his TV specials. I have to forgive him for writing "What's New, Pussycat?", but pretty much the rest are classics. I actually got to listen to that burned CD of the Elvis Costello/Bacharach collaboration of a few years ago. To be honest, I'm gonna have to let it grow on me. I didn't hear a single tune that really got my attention.
Finally, I have to say that my back is slowly coming back to normal, thanks to Aspirin and those heating pads. Man, I will really have to be careful.
Kinda nice double-whammy day. First I find out that my buddy had given me a 10,000-yen bill yesterday not just to cover his expenses with me giving the rest back to him, but in fact, he gave me the whole amount as a partial advance for my potential new student. Then I started getting some compliments from various students about my slow but steady slimming.
Well, my social calendar is starting to fill up which is fine for me, but a bit worrying too considering that I'm not making all that much money. Luckily, I've been able to maintain a good budget so far.
Some more TV reminiscing. Lately, I've been catching reruns of that ol' chestnut, Perry Mason, every weekday morning on the satellite Super Channel. It was definitely a product of its times: virtually all Caucasians, Perry always won and didn't have a single problem (outside of obvious weight gain and smoking...but then again, I did say that it was a product of its times) and the usual overwrought, hackneyed acting.
However, in this age of moral ambiguity and depressingly human antiheroes, it is kinda nice to turn back the clock to a more innocent (or naive) time. Perry Mason was notable for the stolidness of (Canadian...yeah!) Raymond Burr in the lead role, and his tete-a-tete with Hamilton Burger. Also, just the overall film noir quality and that famous theme song gave the show that touch of class. I just came off from the always fun "Jump The Shark" website where I found out that the show had quite a fair share of diehard fans and sneering detractors. But the big shock for me was finding out that the actor who had played the craggy DA Burger, William Tallman, was kicked off the show for smoking pot at a nudist colony. Gah...get that image away from my mind!
I did catch a special episode this morning, the supposed one of only two times that Mason had ever been seen losing a case (well, actually, he later proved that the defendant was indeed innocent). Of course, the director played it up to the hilt. It actually started with the darkened courtroom just before the "shocking" verdict came in.
More on the old faces bandwagon. Last night, I caught a Biography of Burt Bacharach. I recall vaguely having watched some of his TV specials. I have to forgive him for writing "What's New, Pussycat?", but pretty much the rest are classics. I actually got to listen to that burned CD of the Elvis Costello/Bacharach collaboration of a few years ago. To be honest, I'm gonna have to let it grow on me. I didn't hear a single tune that really got my attention.
Finally, I have to say that my back is slowly coming back to normal, thanks to Aspirin and those heating pads. Man, I will really have to be careful.
Monday, June 16, 2003
June 16
There's nothing that ages a person more than a bad back. Well, I got aged more than a good side of beef over the last few days. My lumbar has been feeling knifed which has made any sort of attempt to stand up or even absorb the inevitable shaking on a subway an exercise in pain. I'm not a religious person by any means but I would be willing to give tribute to the Aspirin God today thanks to the wonderful quick-acting efficiency of pain relief. I'll be going to the next step of a hot shower and then a heating pad.
Today, I also got to add a new restaurant to my repertoire of Tokyo eateries when a friend of mine invited me to a cake buffet at the Tokyo Hilton in Shinjuku. I first thought it somewhat odd since over here cake buffets usually attract the opposite sex. However, I was happy to find out that there were enough savory dishes to relax even the manliest of men. The cakes were also excellent...perhaps even better than those of my beloved Farm Grill. And when one sees bread pudding AND accompanying sauce at a buffet....well, nothing more needs to be said. Another fringe benefit was that the guy who had invited me may be getting a new client in the form of his president. Ahhh...those word-of-mouth referrals.
Reflecting on my 4th Monday on part-time status, I realized that I was able to pull off this trip to the cake buffet because of my new schedule. Again, money is a concern at this time but the main thing is that I could enjoy myself during a time which otherwise would've been spent potentially teaching a boring class with boring material. I can't say that it's been too bad. However, I am tempered by the fact that I will have a regular Tuesday schedule. Glad I could get that self-indulgent stuff out of the way.
There's nothing that ages a person more than a bad back. Well, I got aged more than a good side of beef over the last few days. My lumbar has been feeling knifed which has made any sort of attempt to stand up or even absorb the inevitable shaking on a subway an exercise in pain. I'm not a religious person by any means but I would be willing to give tribute to the Aspirin God today thanks to the wonderful quick-acting efficiency of pain relief. I'll be going to the next step of a hot shower and then a heating pad.
Today, I also got to add a new restaurant to my repertoire of Tokyo eateries when a friend of mine invited me to a cake buffet at the Tokyo Hilton in Shinjuku. I first thought it somewhat odd since over here cake buffets usually attract the opposite sex. However, I was happy to find out that there were enough savory dishes to relax even the manliest of men. The cakes were also excellent...perhaps even better than those of my beloved Farm Grill. And when one sees bread pudding AND accompanying sauce at a buffet....well, nothing more needs to be said. Another fringe benefit was that the guy who had invited me may be getting a new client in the form of his president. Ahhh...those word-of-mouth referrals.
Reflecting on my 4th Monday on part-time status, I realized that I was able to pull off this trip to the cake buffet because of my new schedule. Again, money is a concern at this time but the main thing is that I could enjoy myself during a time which otherwise would've been spent potentially teaching a boring class with boring material. I can't say that it's been too bad. However, I am tempered by the fact that I will have a regular Tuesday schedule. Glad I could get that self-indulgent stuff out of the way.
Sunday, June 15, 2003
June 15
I heard some stuff about the next and last Star Wars movie. Apparently, Chewbacca gets his intro here and ends up rescuing the Skywalker twins and handing them off to Obi-Wan. Y'know, with all of these coincidental connections among the characters, I think they should be retitling Episode IV from "A New Hope" to "Small World, Eh?"
My rarefied week begins with my regular class and then I see some friends for a cake buffet at the Shinjuku Hilton. There goes my budget and my diet. Well, if you have to die, die hard.
I heard some stuff about the next and last Star Wars movie. Apparently, Chewbacca gets his intro here and ends up rescuing the Skywalker twins and handing them off to Obi-Wan. Y'know, with all of these coincidental connections among the characters, I think they should be retitling Episode IV from "A New Hope" to "Small World, Eh?"
My rarefied week begins with my regular class and then I see some friends for a cake buffet at the Shinjuku Hilton. There goes my budget and my diet. Well, if you have to die, die hard.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
June 14
Well, if you're gonna live here in Japan, it's always a major plus if you can get a master fisherman as your friend. My ex and I had dinner tonight at his place. He had gone out early in the morning to see how lucky he was out on the bay. Sure enough, he was able to reel in a lot of mackerel and two red snappers (how many people can do that back in Lake Ontario?) for dinner. When we got there, he was already hard at work scraping off the scales off of his catches before he eviscerated them and then made a whole mess of sashimi and other Japanese fish-based dishes. It was like going to a really good restaurant in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo (it's the area that has that huge warehouse of fish getting auctioned off) for a free meal. Just lovely.
That dinner certainly helped out with today after having my first class with the kids out in the west end today. They were both nice kids but the bottom line was that they were kids, one of whom was in danger of becoming a teenager. It was the usual gawky shyness and lack of focus. It was somewhat arduous, to say the least. I have rather mixed feelings about only teaching them sporadically. I do miss out on a regular source of Saturday income but at least I keep my sanity.
Some feeling of poignancy also seeped into me during dinner. Y'know, I've been living in the same increasingly cramped apartment for 9 years; I can't really have anyone over, except for my very closest friends, without getting a sense of embarrassment over the growing dowdiness of my pad. And yet, the fisherman and his wife were able to move from their old cramped place to a much bigger and nicer condo within a year. I asked myself, silently of course, "What the hell am I still doing here?" I mean, various students have expressed some surprise at my longevity in my current home, and I'm convinced that I am the longest-living resident in the entire apartment building by a long shot. Heck, my real estate agency hasn't even bothered for my guarantor's stamp for the last two lease renewals.
On the other hand, I also have to realize that I am lucky that I can still stay here without needing a guarantor's stamp. I also realize how very difficult it is for a foreigner, even for a stealth gaijin, to acquire accomodations in this country, thanks to the lousy custom of key money and an oft-xenophobic real estate agency and a few bad apples. And finally, I have a barnacle-like attitude when it comes to a residence.
The second source of poignancy was when my ex was leafing through the wedding album that the fisherman and his wife had decided to show us. She fell in love with the wedding dress so much that she asked if she could actually try it on. Luckily, the wife had the dress in her bedroom so she actually allowed it to be worn. When my ex came out wearing the dress and looking so happy, I must admit that my heart flipped a bit. Usually, that's the clump of cholesterol coursing through the aorta but this time, it was just a reflection of what could have been. Also, the fisherman and his wife related that they often had spats over the most insignificant things, and yet they looked completely at ease with each other. Basically, they were soulmates. So I wonder in my late 30s if my door of opportunity has finally shut for good. I don't know the answer to that question....yet. But I do know that I may be in for some episodes of poignancy as I struggle through a new phase in life financially, and also in terms of not having a partner that I could really share my life with. Maybe all of the past events in my life have shaped me to the extent that I'm just not the type to blast forward, I'm just not the type to have a soulmate.
Well, if you're gonna live here in Japan, it's always a major plus if you can get a master fisherman as your friend. My ex and I had dinner tonight at his place. He had gone out early in the morning to see how lucky he was out on the bay. Sure enough, he was able to reel in a lot of mackerel and two red snappers (how many people can do that back in Lake Ontario?) for dinner. When we got there, he was already hard at work scraping off the scales off of his catches before he eviscerated them and then made a whole mess of sashimi and other Japanese fish-based dishes. It was like going to a really good restaurant in the Tsukiji district of Tokyo (it's the area that has that huge warehouse of fish getting auctioned off) for a free meal. Just lovely.
That dinner certainly helped out with today after having my first class with the kids out in the west end today. They were both nice kids but the bottom line was that they were kids, one of whom was in danger of becoming a teenager. It was the usual gawky shyness and lack of focus. It was somewhat arduous, to say the least. I have rather mixed feelings about only teaching them sporadically. I do miss out on a regular source of Saturday income but at least I keep my sanity.
Some feeling of poignancy also seeped into me during dinner. Y'know, I've been living in the same increasingly cramped apartment for 9 years; I can't really have anyone over, except for my very closest friends, without getting a sense of embarrassment over the growing dowdiness of my pad. And yet, the fisherman and his wife were able to move from their old cramped place to a much bigger and nicer condo within a year. I asked myself, silently of course, "What the hell am I still doing here?" I mean, various students have expressed some surprise at my longevity in my current home, and I'm convinced that I am the longest-living resident in the entire apartment building by a long shot. Heck, my real estate agency hasn't even bothered for my guarantor's stamp for the last two lease renewals.
On the other hand, I also have to realize that I am lucky that I can still stay here without needing a guarantor's stamp. I also realize how very difficult it is for a foreigner, even for a stealth gaijin, to acquire accomodations in this country, thanks to the lousy custom of key money and an oft-xenophobic real estate agency and a few bad apples. And finally, I have a barnacle-like attitude when it comes to a residence.
The second source of poignancy was when my ex was leafing through the wedding album that the fisherman and his wife had decided to show us. She fell in love with the wedding dress so much that she asked if she could actually try it on. Luckily, the wife had the dress in her bedroom so she actually allowed it to be worn. When my ex came out wearing the dress and looking so happy, I must admit that my heart flipped a bit. Usually, that's the clump of cholesterol coursing through the aorta but this time, it was just a reflection of what could have been. Also, the fisherman and his wife related that they often had spats over the most insignificant things, and yet they looked completely at ease with each other. Basically, they were soulmates. So I wonder in my late 30s if my door of opportunity has finally shut for good. I don't know the answer to that question....yet. But I do know that I may be in for some episodes of poignancy as I struggle through a new phase in life financially, and also in terms of not having a partner that I could really share my life with. Maybe all of the past events in my life have shaped me to the extent that I'm just not the type to blast forward, I'm just not the type to have a soulmate.
Friday, June 13, 2003
June 13
It's Friday the 13th, but my luck wasn't too shabby today. I had thought it would be since today was my first payday since my reversion to part-time status. It wasn't as low as I had feared. But I realize that I'll have to be very careful about what I spend my money on. Basically, I'm going on a hobby diet. Let's hope that I survive the month.
I found another place with a good deal for lunch. It's the COCA Chinese eatery that I usually go to for dinner with friends. I was actually dong a bit of scouting for a future event so I went there for lunch and found out that they had a decent 1000 yen special. Soup, salad and five steamers of dim sum with dessert. For Japan, that's not too bad at all.
Spent some of the afternoon at the World Magazine Gallery in south Ginza. It looks like that that place will be second home away from home for the foreseeable future. When mags cost 1000 yen easily in Tokyo, it only makes economic sense to peruse them for free. Then I just browsed through two CD shops, Yamano Music and the Ginza chapter of HMV. As I was passing through the floors to head for HMV, I noticed the open massage clinic right by the escalator. Great way to market. I certainly wished that I could've been in that chair getting my shoulders rubbed. The only thing I mind a bit is that technician who gets overly enthusiastic for shiatsu.
Looks like my Friday circle is gelling nicely after all. My ex is adding her form of non sequitur-ish fun to the proceedings. Tomorrow, I meet up with her to head for a housewarming party the next station over.
Well, two American icons have departed this mortal coil. I never really remembered David Brinkley in his "Good night, David. Good night, Chet" days but I do remember having my pancakes on Sundays while watching This Week with David Brinkley. He always had that syncopated delivery which appealed to me.
The other legend of note who has now passed into history is, of course, Gregory Peck. The tributes today have referred to his Atticus Finch as the defining role of his career, a fact punctuated by his lone Oscar win. And of course, I would agree with that except for the fact that I, sad to say, have yet to see To Kill A Mockingbird in its entirety. To be honest, Peck will always be best represented to me as the stolid Joe Bradley whisking Princess Anne off her feet in Roman Holiday. I've seen that movie four or five times while I have to admit that I have not seen any of Peck's other flicks. Well, there was a bit of McArthur here, The Guns of Navarone there, and I did catch his cameo in Other People's Money with Danny DeVito on the big screen, However, as I said, it was just a cameo and it was obvious that his best days were behind him by that point.
Barbara Walters will always be stigmatized by that perhaps mythologized question she has asked of her interviewees: "If you were a tree, which one would you be?" I'm not sure if Walters had ever interviewed Peck but if she had dared asked that question, and if Peck had indeed been gracious enough to answer it, I would guess that Peck would have answered "Oak" or "Sequoia", both solid, grand and American.
It's Friday the 13th, but my luck wasn't too shabby today. I had thought it would be since today was my first payday since my reversion to part-time status. It wasn't as low as I had feared. But I realize that I'll have to be very careful about what I spend my money on. Basically, I'm going on a hobby diet. Let's hope that I survive the month.
I found another place with a good deal for lunch. It's the COCA Chinese eatery that I usually go to for dinner with friends. I was actually dong a bit of scouting for a future event so I went there for lunch and found out that they had a decent 1000 yen special. Soup, salad and five steamers of dim sum with dessert. For Japan, that's not too bad at all.
Spent some of the afternoon at the World Magazine Gallery in south Ginza. It looks like that that place will be second home away from home for the foreseeable future. When mags cost 1000 yen easily in Tokyo, it only makes economic sense to peruse them for free. Then I just browsed through two CD shops, Yamano Music and the Ginza chapter of HMV. As I was passing through the floors to head for HMV, I noticed the open massage clinic right by the escalator. Great way to market. I certainly wished that I could've been in that chair getting my shoulders rubbed. The only thing I mind a bit is that technician who gets overly enthusiastic for shiatsu.
Looks like my Friday circle is gelling nicely after all. My ex is adding her form of non sequitur-ish fun to the proceedings. Tomorrow, I meet up with her to head for a housewarming party the next station over.
Well, two American icons have departed this mortal coil. I never really remembered David Brinkley in his "Good night, David. Good night, Chet" days but I do remember having my pancakes on Sundays while watching This Week with David Brinkley. He always had that syncopated delivery which appealed to me.
The other legend of note who has now passed into history is, of course, Gregory Peck. The tributes today have referred to his Atticus Finch as the defining role of his career, a fact punctuated by his lone Oscar win. And of course, I would agree with that except for the fact that I, sad to say, have yet to see To Kill A Mockingbird in its entirety. To be honest, Peck will always be best represented to me as the stolid Joe Bradley whisking Princess Anne off her feet in Roman Holiday. I've seen that movie four or five times while I have to admit that I have not seen any of Peck's other flicks. Well, there was a bit of McArthur here, The Guns of Navarone there, and I did catch his cameo in Other People's Money with Danny DeVito on the big screen, However, as I said, it was just a cameo and it was obvious that his best days were behind him by that point.
Barbara Walters will always be stigmatized by that perhaps mythologized question she has asked of her interviewees: "If you were a tree, which one would you be?" I'm not sure if Walters had ever interviewed Peck but if she had dared asked that question, and if Peck had indeed been gracious enough to answer it, I would guess that Peck would have answered "Oak" or "Sequoia", both solid, grand and American.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
June 11
I met up with those people from the Asakusa Incident on Monday. The main guy seemed tired, depressed and somewhat cranky. I'm not sure if he had been still feeling guilty about the other day or the two weeks in town have started to get to him. The other two seemed OK though. We had lunch at an American style bar & grill place beside Shinjuku Station; the food's so-so but since two of the three had a rather major breakfast buffet, I didn't think a real Japanese restaurant would've helped their stomachs any.
Looks like I've gotten myself another customer for my services. That's good to hear since I was rather chagrined to get a payment schedule for citizen taxes, several years after my last schedule, tonight. And I've got my national health insurance to start paying off from next month. Oooh, boy....I could really use a nice-paying group class right now.
Also, came home tonight to a rather powerful stench of rotting garlic and onion in my kitchen after having cooked up something the other day. That's the one problem with garlic; the smell could punch a hole through anything. I ditched the garbage downstairs for pickup tomorrow morning but I'm not sure if the aroma will repel the stray cats and crows in my neighbourhood or actually attract them.
I'm looking at virtually the next two days off outside of one regular night class and my weekly Friday night circle.
I met up with those people from the Asakusa Incident on Monday. The main guy seemed tired, depressed and somewhat cranky. I'm not sure if he had been still feeling guilty about the other day or the two weeks in town have started to get to him. The other two seemed OK though. We had lunch at an American style bar & grill place beside Shinjuku Station; the food's so-so but since two of the three had a rather major breakfast buffet, I didn't think a real Japanese restaurant would've helped their stomachs any.
Looks like I've gotten myself another customer for my services. That's good to hear since I was rather chagrined to get a payment schedule for citizen taxes, several years after my last schedule, tonight. And I've got my national health insurance to start paying off from next month. Oooh, boy....I could really use a nice-paying group class right now.
Also, came home tonight to a rather powerful stench of rotting garlic and onion in my kitchen after having cooked up something the other day. That's the one problem with garlic; the smell could punch a hole through anything. I ditched the garbage downstairs for pickup tomorrow morning but I'm not sure if the aroma will repel the stray cats and crows in my neighbourhood or actually attract them.
I'm looking at virtually the next two days off outside of one regular night class and my weekly Friday night circle.
Monday, June 09, 2003
June 9
Well, that meeting with friends turned out to be a non-starter due to some screwup in directions. I was quite explicit in telling the folks that I would meet them at Asakusa Station on the Ginza Line and even gave them directions on how to get there from the nearest station to the hotel. For some reason, they ended up waiting at another station completely, so I had to make some relay calls (No, I don't have a cell phone and no, even after this incident, I won't get one...not on my current financial status) and ask them to meet me at another exit. Well, I waited for 45 minutes for them to show up; they never did so I decided that was it. I didn't feel good about leaving them in Asakusa since I recommended the meeting place, but I'm not about to wait ad infinitum either, especially for people who can't take directions well.
I actually got a letter from Grandpa yesterday. He never sends one unless it's New Years (me and the relatives were never that close). However, he found out about the SARS situation in Toronto where my family lives, so he wanted to know how things were going. I had to get a message off to my brother who relayed it to Mom. So, looks like things are resolved although I'll still have to write a letter off to him. My kanji is so rusty.
Well, that meeting with friends turned out to be a non-starter due to some screwup in directions. I was quite explicit in telling the folks that I would meet them at Asakusa Station on the Ginza Line and even gave them directions on how to get there from the nearest station to the hotel. For some reason, they ended up waiting at another station completely, so I had to make some relay calls (No, I don't have a cell phone and no, even after this incident, I won't get one...not on my current financial status) and ask them to meet me at another exit. Well, I waited for 45 minutes for them to show up; they never did so I decided that was it. I didn't feel good about leaving them in Asakusa since I recommended the meeting place, but I'm not about to wait ad infinitum either, especially for people who can't take directions well.
I actually got a letter from Grandpa yesterday. He never sends one unless it's New Years (me and the relatives were never that close). However, he found out about the SARS situation in Toronto where my family lives, so he wanted to know how things were going. I had to get a message off to my brother who relayed it to Mom. So, looks like things are resolved although I'll still have to write a letter off to him. My kanji is so rusty.
Sunday, June 08, 2003
June 9
Caught the Matrix Reloaded again yesterday with a couple of friends. Looks like the mixed reviews back Stateside didn't scare anyone away. In fact, the movie scored the highest opening of any flick in Japanese history: 2.2 billion yen; sounds like a lot but it's actually about 25 million bucks US. I could understand things better with a second go at it and the FX still manage to thrill but the movie is still nowhere near as good as the first one.
On that update with my ex and the Friday night session. Looks like she'll be coming again; she and the other ladies got along after all despite all I had observed. Go figure! So she will not need my personal lessons. Well, that's fine. I'm meeting friends today anyways.
Caught the Matrix Reloaded again yesterday with a couple of friends. Looks like the mixed reviews back Stateside didn't scare anyone away. In fact, the movie scored the highest opening of any flick in Japanese history: 2.2 billion yen; sounds like a lot but it's actually about 25 million bucks US. I could understand things better with a second go at it and the FX still manage to thrill but the movie is still nowhere near as good as the first one.
On that update with my ex and the Friday night session. Looks like she'll be coming again; she and the other ladies got along after all despite all I had observed. Go figure! So she will not need my personal lessons. Well, that's fine. I'm meeting friends today anyways.