July 20

A very pleasant if humid day today. I taught my kid and her father. It worked out very well and the doctor was OK if somewhat less able than his wife.

Then, it was off to see T3 with Movie Buddy and his friend. We had a bit of a glitch at the beginning though when the three of us had entered the wrong theatre (the one we wanted was next door) and only realized the error after the staff had clipped our tickets. Movie Buddy almost went into a fit but luckily the staff taped the tickets together; they seemed rather nonchalant about it as if this were a common occurence. MB fumed a bit about how the staff should've realized that we had walking into the wrong theatre when we entered the place just a half-hour after the movie had already started. However, I kinda think we should've just kept our eyes more open.

In any case, we were able to rectify the error quickly enough so that we could scoot over to the right theatre and get some decent seats. The movie itself was OK but a shadow of T2. It kinda had that Star Trek "Odd Numbered Movie" syndrome; it had potential but it just ended up being a prelude for something more. For that reason, I would like to see a T4.

Afterwards, we had some coffee at the local Starbucks followed by dinner at an Aussie pub in Shinjuku. It was sure nice to chug down a Crown Royal while tucking into delights such as fish and chips, meat pie and swordfish. I rather enjoyed the outing today so much that I just sent an e-mail to some of our soon-to-be grads to see if they want to be part of the Movie Buddy system.

And I finally got that CD I had been searching for. No liner notes but I'm not complaining after 15 years of looking.

July 19

Well, we're into a 3-day weekend...not that it matters a whole bunch to me since I'm half on holiday, it seems, anyways.

I had my usual oil company class yesterday morning followed by the usual lunch in the lounge with the teachers. It was quite bustling today there. We had no fewer than 7 teachers gabbing away. I kinda wonder if the Teachers' Room on the 4th floor will go fallow once more. However, it was nice chatting with the lads.

I stayed for another hour there and ended up helping a few students in the senior class while the assigned teacher was talking with the other students before heading out to Akihabara. I basically went out there really just to kill time more than anything else since I had my regular English circle in Ichigaya. The clouds were looking pretty threatening at that point. However, I indulged in some massage, courtesy of the showroom massage chairs in the Yamagiwa appliance shop; gave myself a good 20-minute treatment for free. Then I decided to spend most of the next 2 hours just scouring around for old CDs. But alas, it looks like the days of the late 80s and early 90s stuff may be coming to an end. A lot of the stuff I saw there yesterday were used copies of fairly current artists.

I returned to Ichigaya and headed over to the Tea Room almost 90 minutes early for the session, so I just indulged in my crossword puzzles and had my dinner until the first person came...a good 20 minutes late. Both women who came had just come back from trips, one to Vietnam and one to a local hot spring. The custom of bringing back souvenirs reaped good dividends for me as I got a pack of instant Pho noodles and chocolate from one lady, and then some more chocolate from the other.

After I got home, I got the notice from the neighbourhood post office saying that my CD had arrived. My 15-year search will soon be over. Actually, I received a most cordial letter from the distributor responsible for getting me the CD ove r the Net today. He seemed impressed that I would choose such an obscure artist amongst all of the current hitmakers. Well, I bent his ear a bit with my explanation. Maybe this will reap dividends for me here as well.

In any case, I gotta head on out for my kid class, and then I meet Movie Buddy and his friend to see Terminator 3.

July 18

My last class was a bit frustrating. I had a girl who had always been a bit of a problem with the other teachers, and up to that point, I really didn't have too much of a problem, but today, she completely shut down on me. The other women assured me that she's just a kid and that all teens act like that. Problem is that she's NOT a kid but a 20-year-old, and most teens don't join up with an English school for a whole year.

Caught The Bourne Identity last night. It was a good quiet spy flick much on the level of Ronin. I'm sure Robert Ludlum would've liked the way it was filmed although I had heard that there was some contentiousness during filming. Matt Damon may not quite have the charisma of a Tom Cruise or a Brad Pitt, but he can hold a film. As for Chris Cooper, I'm not saying that the Oscar winner phoned his performance in, but I think any number of actors could've had his part.

July 16

Ugh....had to battle an allergy which my medicine couldn't fight for me, and have my lesson with my Wednesday nighter. Nothing worse than teaching with a runny nose. The worst thing is having the allergy finally fade AFTER the class.

On the way down to the Starbucks to teach my student, I decided to pop by the new Shiodome complex, yet another high-rise entertainment emporium built in the last year. It 's located next to the salarymen-and-pub soaked area of Shimbashi; quite a contrast. Looking into it, I see that it follows the Roppongi Hills example of lots of restaurants including the Oregon Bar and Grill but not a whole lot of shops.

Speaking of Roppongi Hills, my students told me that the complex may already have peaked in popularity. One of them said that her daughter had visited the place recently only to find a relatively small number of people going through the labyrinth-like nooks and crannies of the complex. My feeling is that having Mr. Mori design his baby like an amoeba may be counterproductive for the commercial residents. The place already has a reputation as a ritzy, exclusive mall. I don't think people would be all that willing to explore all of the cul de sacs if they knew of the expense. I could imagine some stores pulling up stakes in the not-too-distant future. At this point, th e only successful places seem to be the Virgin Theaters and the restaurants.

On a totally different note, my yeasr-long search for a CD by a certain artist may be coming to a happy end. I managed to find an online CD service which has a copy. I have the original vinyl album but since record players are pretty much a rarity these days, I had almost given up hope.

Let's see, I did decide to also purchase The Bourne Identity on DVD last night. I had caught it on the plane on the way back from Canada last year. The viewing experience on a plane is never that good but I did enjoy watching Matt Damon kick ass so I'd been waiting for th e past half-year for it come out. Will probably watch tonight after work.

July 16

I hadn't intended to check my e-mail so soon after my last check just last night, but I unconsciously activated the Outlook. There have been times that I've done things just on a hunch which ended up becoming meaningful for me, so I decided to follow through. Sure enough, it was one of those times. My good friend, Chip Man, and his wife had just sent the message that they're now the proud parents of a baby girl.

A nice slow Wednesday today. I won't be doing my class until tonight so I can afford to laze back a bit.

July 15

Another binge fest last night. In fact, I ended up at McD's twice, a breach of a personal rule not to visit the Golden Arches more than once a week. But I just needed a place last night to hang out before heading to mylate class. And sure enough, just by this poky little station, there was a McDonalds. Of all the places... Also in between visits, I visited my student's Chinese restaurant in the Kanda area. It was a pretty good place not spectacular, but the service was very good, thanks to my student. However, I did notice that somewhat concealed icy look from the first waiter who had met me at the door. I guess I just struck him as a typical lousy oyaji in for a quick bite.

That was the bad news. The good news is that I actually saved some yen on my new, supposedly rarefied, lifestyle. Even with a wedding and some outings, and the expenses that come with them, I actually netted something.

July 13

Woke up this morning earlier than desired because I was getting that distinctly dreaded feeling of throwing up. Well, not that far ahead but nausea was present. So I downed a bunch of baking soda with water to neutralize the acid that must've been bubbling in my poor stomach thanks to the 2 kg of beef I had ingested the night before with the students in Shibuya. Then I sat down in the doorway of the bathroom for about 10 minutes just to make sure that I was over the hump before getting back to bed. Luckily enough, it did the trick but I ended up feeling drowsy all day.

A few hours later and some rushed cleaning afterwards, Movie Buddy came by and we saw Angelina Jolie's TOMB RAIDER on DVD. The movie itself was OK but not a huge spectacle for me. There were just too many draggy exposition scenes interspersed with the action plus some herky-jerky pacing near the end for me to give it a thumbs-up. Hopefully, things will be better in the sequel.

Then, MB and I met up with his girlfriend a couple of stations over to go over to her friend's place for curry. Marilyn was chastising herself about her curry contribution all throughout the afternoon despite our encouragment. She even went so far as to say that it was a bunch of horsestuff. To be honest, in a way, it did have that color and certain chunkiness but it was actually pretty good when poured over rice. She was so relieved when we gave our compliments. Her friend made a somewhat more lighter and more vegetable-laden curry which was no less spicier. I unfortunately had the misfortune of chewing down on one of the green chili peppers which rendered my tonsils radioactive for a short while. It was a bit of a feast since we also dove into a giant fruit tart that MB had bought, and then we finished off with some takoyaki (deep-fried octopus balls) at the nearby mall.

I may have also scored another job lead although I'm not sure what the asking price will be thanks to the help of Marilyn's friend. Keeping my fingers crossed.

My weekend has been a feast. 2 kg of beef which threatened to blow me up and then curry. But it doesn't end today. I'm heading out tomorrow to a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo where one of my students is working at her invitation. I kinda wish I didn't have to go alone, though. It's always so limiting when there is only one to order stuff from a Chinese restaurant.

Joly 12

Well, as I said in my last report, I should be pretty tired after my day and night of debauchery today. Actually, I don't feel all that bad; things were pretty calm although the conversation was starting to approach the salty area.

Yep, it was another hot and humid one as I started my day by teaching those kids. The younger sister was fine but the older one was rather out to lunch for some reason. I figure it was the usual annoying teenage emotional roller coaster. I kinda mentioned to the mother that the daughter was a bit "sleepy" today for which I received a very profuse apology. I think I should've just given the usual bland "No problems" instead.

I managed to speed over to Shinjuku after class to see Movie Buddy and watch Charlie's Angels 2. The sequel to the 2000 hit had more of everything: more unbelievable stunts, more skin (the Terminator-like emergence of the Angels in their birthday suits was a nice touch)....and more dumbness. This was absolutely a movie to not just suspend your disbelief but also to take that disbelief, put it into a catapult, launch it and blow it out of the sky with a high-powered rifle. A lot of the critics will take issue with me on this point, but CA2 made itself so dumb as to render it bulletproof from any harsh reviews. As MB pointed out, anyone giving this a bad review didn't come with the right attitude.
The movie also continued to add to its custom of pop culture riffs by spoofing CSI, the aforementioned Terminator and Cape Fear. And it took a little from Austin Powers' Goldmember by having a goodly amount of stunt casting. Luke Perry and that guy from Friends were back along with creepy Crispin Glover. However, Bruce Willis, Robert Patrick, John Cleese, Demi Moore and a nearly unrecognizable Carrie Fisher also popped by for a spell.
In a bit of a contradiction of my contention that CA2 is criticproof, I think that the movie suffers from Return of the Jedi syndrome in that McG tried to stuff in too much in less than 2 hours. Only Bernie Mac's outsized talent managed to keep him above water but having no less than 4 villains pretty much sublimated what could've become 2 interesting subplots involving Drew's character and Demi's Fallen Angel. All in all, I'm pretty certain that CA3 is inevitable.

Well, after that flick, Movie Buddy and I hit a Becker's burger joint for a little respite where he told me that his ruse to set me up with his friend at tomorrow's party was itself a ruse. He just wanted to keep quiet the fact that I would be meeting one of the staff members from my school at the party because she's been going out with MB. There's nothing wrong with teachers and staff per se but knowing that the grapevine at our school is especially ripe, the news just had to be kept quiet.

Then, I finally met up with two other teachers and five students for dinner at a hot pot restaurant. I managed to down a good 2 kg of beef so I'm feeling quite bloated right now. Breakfast will therefore mean just a lot of fruit. MB's prudence was quite wise; a lot of the talk centered around various possible relationships. I stayed sober and tried to listen. However a couple of the ladies decided that their little talk was so private that they just moved themselves to another table for a short while. However, I think I'm pretty much in the know as to what they were talking about since a former teacher let me in on a secret some months earlier.

Anyways, time to take my shower and hit bed.

July 11

Well, didn't have to wait long before the heat and humidity came roaring in. My air conditioner is now on full power. Luckily, today was a short day in that I just had one class in the morning and my Friday night circle was cancelled. I just had lunch with the full-timers in the school lounge and then went off to Kinokuniya to find a couple of t exts before getting home in the form of a limp dishrag.

Tomorrow, I've got a pretty full schedule. After my class with the doctor's kids, I'm catching Charlie's Angels 2 with the Movie Buddy in Shinjuku. With it being out for 2 weeks and T3 hitting the shores tomorrow, I think we should be able to get in with little fear of huge lineups. But then again, in this burg, one can never tell. Then, I'm off to have dinner with some students and teachers at an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu place. Don't know how long that's going to last but with the fear of the cost having been bandied about and the fact that it's pretty hot, I have a feeling that we'll probably break up early.

That's all well and good since on Sunday, Movie Buddy will be hitting my place early for us to watch Tomb Raider on DVD and then go to a party near my place. MB is trying to set me up with a woman who just can't seem to grab a boyfriend. Hmmm...I'm frankly not too hopeful about this one.

Well, the big news on the front pages these days in Tokyo has been that murder of that 4-year-old toddler by the 12-yeas-old kid. Plus, there has been news from Okinawa of the murder of a teen by his classmates. I had been thinking for some time that the reputation of Japanese kids has been largely overrated. I just wish that fate hadn't proven me too right.

I caught part of an old Spielberg movie last night on satellite.: 1941. It is the first of his relative failures, and the movie has all of the sheen of his 70s/80s whimsy. I only saw the first half hour since I had an aerly start today and because the movie was a horrible print which managed to slash a lot of footage. I have very little patience for "Edited for TV". Anyways, from what I saw last night, I think the Bearded One was trying to go for a farce on the level of a "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" but didn't quite make it. Doing a farce even back in those days was hard to pull off and even "It's...Mad World" has dated rather badly.
The movie got slagged critically and fans stayed away but nowadays, it is seen as an underrated flick. Then again, even Spielberg's failures are fascinating to watch (check A.I.) I enjoyed watching it just to see who popped up. I knew about Dan Ackroyd and Robert Stack, but there was also Treat Williams, Ned Beatty and Dianne Kay (from Eight is Enough....good lord, what's she up to now?). Of course, John Williams' score was a perfect match for the movie. And to see Christopher Lee and Toshiro Mifune bickering like a couple of old ladies was worth the price of admission. Hmmm....I wonder about that next DVD purchase now. Speaking of which, I am also considering The Bourne Identity.

Joly 9

The weather here has been surprisingly cool. I can live with that but Ido wonder what is to become of this year's rice crop. Maybe we'll be having more of the Thai variety this year. I don't mind myself but I'm sure the more rightwing elements will be going nuts.

I had a heart-to-heart yesterday with a fellow full-time teacher who similarly has little love for the upper echelons of our school. He's also thinking about jumping over to the part-time side. Financially, he shouldn't have much to worry about since he's been saving much more than me. And he ought to enjoy the down time. We just talked about when he'll be pulling the trigger since he does have some holiday time coming up and he doesn't want to sacrifice that.

I just have the one private today and then two tomorrow.

July 8

Just got back from my night class. And I'm feeling pretty refreshed after a hot shower although I'm ready for bed. I'll tell you something...the fact that I have to teach at 2100 hours is not a great thing but I'll take those students over some of my erstwhile in-company students any day. It's always great when I know that my efforts are being appreciated. That said, I could use more students.

The only downside of that tonight though was that I had to cut short my reunion with my former students of 3 years back. It was sure nice seeing them if only for an hour. Hopefully, they will follow through with the promise that we would try to get together again.

I also indulged myself in a rubdown at the neighbourhood massage clinic near my station. It had been about a year since my last visit (my ex was providing the rubdowns during our relationship) but it was nice when the lead guy there recognized me and knew what I always wanted: neck and shoulders. It was also great that he was the one who took care of me; he was always a bit more of the soft touch unlike some of his underlings who believed the more Japanese spartan ethic of pressing til one blacks out.

Well, back to sleep and then an atypical leisurely rise for a Tuesday since I don't have that private class in the morning. Just one class at the school and then I'm back free. But then I'll have to prep myself for the trip to Ichikawa City Hall on Wednesday to inform them I want to pay my taxes from my freelance work. Don't want to end up being caught for tax evasion, after all.

July 6

A very slow Sunday. Just got up and then spent the rest of the day just lazing about and watching CNN. Not too bad. Only needed to get out to buy dinner from a convenience store 200 m away.

Saturday's kid lesson went better. The texts definitely helped focus the two of us, and instead of having the younger sister (who had to go to a birthday party), I was able to teach the mother who was an avid student in English. Then I had my usual monthly English circle.

I received a call from a blast from the past. It was from a former student of ours a couple of years back when the student body was a few years younger and a good deal more swinging. He asked me for a round of drinking with some of the school Alumni. I can attend for the first hour but then I have to head out for my late class.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.