Sat. Oct. 25, 9:30 p.m.

Another bizarrely fun outing with the students today. This time, the mission was to get the Halloween shopping done for the upcoming Friday's festivities. But before that, we all had some lunch at this Hawaiian burger joint just across the street. It was the first time there for me. One of the students who came along swore by it, and we weren't disappointed. The burgers were quite juicy, but the fries could've been more plentiful and meatier.

Then, our squad went into Kinokuniya International Supermarket and picked up three pumpkins along with some goodies for Trick Or Treat before heading down the main Omotesando Avenue to Kiddyland for some decorations for the lounge. And finally, we all went up to this dessert place called Cafe Comme Ca. It really ought to have been called Cafe Decadence. There was a huge showcase displaying all of these unbelievably loaded pies and cakes. For one peach concoction, I wondered how many trees were sacrificed to provide the fruit for this pie. It was all so trendy. And certainly the kept company kept entertaining us with a lot of their non sequiturish English. Some great unintentional double entendres which would've made the producers of Three's Company salivate.

Finally, we took all of our purchases back to the school and took a small break before heading home.

Tomorrow, we may have another large group to catch Kill Bill. Should break my futility record for mediocre flicks.

Thurs. Oct. 23, 8:02 p.m.

A bit tired today after an interpreting session between my friend and his boss turned into a marriage counseling session. The first few minutes were especially tough as I got into some rather technical vocab which boiled over into some frustration from the boss about my friend's poor attitude toward work and his benefactors. It got better toward the end although there were some sparks here and there, once again from the boss who hails from Osaka (an important point when it comes to temperament). But the way it went, it certainly looks like the boss won this round. And I may have gotten a contract to teach some of his guys there although I'm not sure about the motivation factor among some of the employees. I certainly hope that my friend doesn't think I left him out to dry, but often the boss shot my interpretations down as soon as I relayed them. And to be honest, as I had mentioned once before, my friend can be rather iconoclastic.

Looks like there was some activity in front of my school today of a criminal nature. Apparently, as I was having lunch upstairs, my fellow teacher informed me that there was some sort of shakedown involving several police officers and three older men in suits. Probably another company scandal

The Japanese are getting the best of both worlds especially if they are baseball fans. Not only are they glued to the tube to see Matsui bat for the Yankees in the World Series but also they're looking to see if perennial underdogs, the Hanshin Tigers, can take it all in the Japan Series.

Thurs. Oct. 23, 5:33 a.m.

Yesterday was a fairly relaxing empty day for me. It's nice once in a while to be able to spend the middle of the week with nothing to do, although the loss of income is something that I'm always aware of. I was able to catch up on a lot of B5 episodes. When the series came out a decade ago, I, being a Trekkie snob at the time, couldn't believe these upstarts would ever have a chance of succeeding. And certainly, the pilot episode was no masterpiece of acting, especially on the parts of the top two officers. However, I've come to the realization that B5 has gone to places where none have gone before with its 5-year story arc and often very gritty storylines. Plus, the space battles are a lot better accomplished than on Trek.

Today, I have my regular oil class but then I have to step into a negotiation of sorts between my friend and his boss at their company. I really have no idea why he wants me there...well, I should say that I do know. His Japanese ability is pretty minimal...just some badly pronounced Osakan dialectic bits, and he needs to get across his ideas to the boss. His boss (and quietly, me) has wondered why he won't go for Japanese lessons despite the need for it in his job. I chalk it up to stubbornness on my friend's part and that he simply doesn't do well as a student. I can imagine him contesting any teacher on any point of grammar and vocabulary. In any case, I will endeavor to do my best.

Tues. Oct. 21, 4:24 p.m.

Just ina small lull between outings. I'll be heading out for my regular classes in an hour but I had a nice special lunch with my Tuesday morning crowd at one of the student's houses. My fellow teaching partner whom I've only spoken with on the phone twice and had never met in over 3 years of teaching was teaching the students today, and I was invited to finally meet him face to face.

There was a bit of pomp and circumstance when I came in. To the students, this was kinda like the meeting between Picard and Spock on that old TNG episode. So, of course, they let the two of us banter for a few minutes just to witness this piece of history. AFterwards, the whole group of us went over to the student's house where we engorged on a lot of savory homemade fare and a couple of sumptious desserts. There will be no need for any sustenance for the rest of the night. Plus, our hostess introduced us to a lovely green liquor made from bananas and other herbs which goes great with orange juice. Will have to pick one up on Saturday.

My first meeting with my partner was very cordial. He's almost a decade older than me and lives all the way out in Kanagawa Prefecture which explains why we have never met until now. He's a laid back fellow from Minnesota and we seem to share a mutual personality and appreciation of climate.

Looks like this will really be a slow and financiall poorer week for me. Not only did I have nothing for Monday, but it looks like my Wednesday nighter won't be able to make it out due to overtime. Basically, I'll have tomorrow off as well.

Mon. Oct 20, 6:39 p.m.

I see that senility can come quickly with the onset of age. Case in point: I went to my Monday student's mansion to find out that she is on a 3-day trip. Apparently, I had been mistaken in my scheduling which means that I'll have to reconfirm with her. That, and the fact that my airline student didn't make a request for a lesson meant that I had a free day. It wasn't wasted, though. Since I was in the area, I cased out Kinokuniya and Kiddyland to check out their wares before the big Halloween shopping blitz this Saturday.

After that, I just came back home for a rare Monday night. Just did some well-needed cleaning, including a set of curtains that hadn't been washed in nearly 2 years. The dust was probably the only thing holding them together. And got some cooking as well. Made a greasy and delicious fried pork sandwich. Can't be beat!

Sun. Oct 19, 8:15 p.m.

Pretty tired after a long day in Okutama. It was a good 2-hour trek by train over to Tokyo's last batch of wilderness. One of the teachers remarked that when she looked out from the 42nd-floor observation deck of Tokyo's City Hall, she was flabbergasted at how far the concrete jungle extended.

Well, she needn't have worried. Although it is officially a part of Tokyo, Okutama is just about a rural place of rivers and forests and hills as it can get anywhere in Japan. That teacher who made the remark from the 42nd-floor came with us along with six students. It was a typical Japanese BBQ with Korean BBQ beef and yakisoba being the main menu. The weather was perfect: sunny and that nice little level between cool and warm. It certainly was refreshing to breathe unpolluted air and see a babbling river beside our fire. And the convenience of Tokyo was still there. A lodge by the park supplied us with the knives, colanders, cutting boards and the grills.

Although I had a good time, one of the organizing students had also invited some of her friends from university. Now of course, it is within her right to invite anyone she wants. But I've never been great at socializing with a whole bunch of outsiders at once, so once again, I had to settle for keeping my distance from them. Luckily, the other organizer, Ms. N, is a natural "up-with-people" type, so she had a great time bantering. Me? I just enjoyed my lunch. The only thing was whether if I had offended the inviter by "snubbing" them.

Sat. Oct. 18, 11:03 p.m.

Had the morning class with the kids today; this time, it was the younger child who seemed listless although we did have a few lighthearted moments. Time to get a bit more creative. Luckily, the mother cancelled the class for next week.

Then, I met up with Movie Buddy in Shinjuku this afternoon, and met his ex. They are still good friends (unlike my situation in which my ex has seemingly decided to wash her hands of me), and the banter is still there. When she left, the two of us just had a browse through Kinokuniya before catching LXG.

LXG will probably be known as a small curiosity starring Sean Connery instead of the big classic it had hoped to be. It can be likened to Dick Tracy and Warren Beatty and their reaction . The atmosphere and the characters were there in good gusto but the writing and the pacing were sadly not up to par. However, I did like it a bit better than the critics who basically lambasted it.

Afterwards, MB and I had a quick burger and fries before heading down to Ginza and meeting up with the Actor and some other students at the 300 Yen Bar. All very nice but I do have to hit bed for that early morning wake up for the BBQ in Okutama.

Got started on a couple of interesting projects from yesterday. One is my venture into the world of Pilates, that exercise regimen that a lot of the stars have been into. It involves a lot of stretching and yoga-like maneuvers. Tried a few moves last night before bedtime. Not too bad. The other project was a culinary one. My Monday morning student gave me some yogurt starter to make my own creamy version. I mixed the stuff with a liter of milk on Thursday and tried to leave it a warm spot (of which I have few right now) overnight. Well, it was still pretty watery when I woke up in the morning, so half-thinking that my foray into yogurt production would be a brief one, I just left it out all day to see what I would come up with. Well, luckily enough, by the time I got home, I was the proud father of a coffeepot of yogurt; the stuff just needed more time to gel since it wasn't too warm in my apartment.

I've noticed that I've been getting more spam now to the extent that I will probably have to check my e-mail twice a day just to prevent my in-box from getting swamped by the cockroaches of the Internet.

Fri Oct 17, 7:37 p.m.

For the first time in several months, I actually have a Friday night at home. Now that my Friday night circle is a fond memory, I can actually come home and perhaps even have a homecooked meal. And when there is an extracurricular event, I won't feel any guilt about cancelling anything. Basically, my Fridays will now end with my newest student at the tea room in the late afternoon. She's another former student of mine from the school, and since it IS a real lesson, I'm getting a lot more money from her than I did from the circle.

Looks like with the regular students on test week next week, I'll just be restricted to a lousy 6 hours at my school. Hmmm...I have to wonder about getting more new students if this keeps up. Well, at least I've got more hours at my Tuesday night juku and the two new students for now. Those referrals really do help.

My birthday has come and gone. I'm now a sprightly 38 years old. No major fanfare except for the usual gifts of clothing from the parentals, and a surprise gift of baked goods from my Wednesday nighter along with good wishes from my closest friends back home.

There's joy of sorts here in the baseball world as the Yankees made it to the World Series today. Everybody was rooting for Matsui. That's a nice bit of news to compensate for the bombshell announcement yesterday that the skipper of the Hanshin Tigers, the man who yanked the team from zeroes to heroes in one season, announced his retirement for health reasons. There is no joy in Osaka tonight, though the Japan Series is ready to go tomorrow.

There was another tremor, and this time it hit dead center in Tokyo but I didn't feel a thing. I was in Akihabara at the time which shouldn't have made any difference considering that it was a Shindo 4. However, my apartment quickly let me know via some fallen CDs and an entire shelf of books.

Well, I've got my kids for teaching tomorrow, and then I catch The Legend of Extraordinary Gentlemen with the Movie Buddy. I go there with some trepidation because of the ghastly reviews. However, MB is probably one of the most optimistic people there is. But afterwards, we head on down to the Ginza to the 300 Yen Bar (finally, a place that's even cheaper than the Farm Grill) to meet up with some of the other teachers and perhaps even some students.

It will have to be an early night since the next day will be the BBQ in Okutama with some more students and teachers, including those who will be imbibing at the bar.

Wed. Oct. 15, 8:03 a.m.

Well, strangely enough, I actually managed to save a little something according to my monthly budget. Perhaps onl y a third of what I saved last month, but considering that I had expected to be in the red, it's still a monumental achievement and I'll consider it another birthday present. Today is payday, so I wonder how much my old school will let me have this month.

After Monday's deluge, it's still cold and wet out there but without the histrionics. Got a morning class and an evening shot and a lot of nothing in between.

Monday Oct. 13, 10:11 p.m.

Looks like God decided to recreate Noah's journey to Mount Ararat today. The whole Kanto plain got deluged by a sudden supersquall...and true to my luck recently, it managed to hit while I was en route from my 1-hour lesson in Yokohama. I had quite the spray come into my face on the platform. And of course, the main victims in this storm were the commuters coming back home from their trips over this long weekend. My line was shut down in the afternoon. Instead of waiting and brooding at Otemachi Station, I just decided to do a bit of window shopping in the Ginza area for a few hours. I figured that even if the station resumed business, there would have been some major crowding on the subways for a few hours until things settled down.

So I decided to indulge myself at the Farm Grill once more. Sure enough, I had to pay the dinner price, and I did purchase a magazine and a Sinatra CD at HMV, but I figured that since my birthday is a couple of days away, I might as well enjoy my 38th a bit early. Sure enough, the trip home was much smoother and less crowded.

Still, I'm dreading the fact that when I do my monthly budgeting tomorrow, I will be seeing my first dip into the red since I went freelance. But I figured early on that that would be a probability.

Sun. Oct 12, 9:23 p.m.

A bit of summer crept in, if only in the form of humidity. Met up with Ms. N. today in Ikebukuro to do a bit of looking around at the Tokyo English Book Fair. First, though, we went to a spicy ramen place near the station. Really good stuff. Another notch on my restaurant stick.

Looks like Ms. N's invitation was well worth it. I was able to pick up a free inspection copy of a travel-based text to use with my very low students on Tuesday. My partner in crime just ended up browsing, and then afterwards, we just chatted at a Cinnabons for an hour. Looks like the craze for cinnamon rolls has definitely died down since their boom a few years ago. Plenty of seating.

Well, it looks like the other shoe has fallen where my Jiyugaoka class is concerned. Before I took off for Ikebukuro today, I had received a call from the one fellow stating that because of his team's failure to meet quota for the past couple of months, it looks like he and his mate won't have time to have classes until the problem is resolved. Hmmm....I wonder if this is a curse (I was getting quite a bit of money from them) or a blessing in disguise (the cost/performance ratio had never been that great). In any case, considering the culture here, I also just wonder if they're just letting me down easy and cutting me out, although I have to admit that I have some faith that they wouldn't do that. In any case, I'm going to assume worst-case scenario and keep taking offers for teaching.

Fri. Oct. 10, 10:28 p.m.

Another week has gone by. Started my long weekend early as my regular oil class had that training session out in Yokohama this week. So, I got my leisurely haircut (always enjoy that) in the morning. I finally informed my hairdresser that my ex and I had indeed gone splitsville since my former girlfriend was the one who had introduced me to her friend's hair salon. She gave her sympathies but she wasn't horribly shocked by it since she confided that she really didn't know my ex all that well, except through their mutual buddy. I received a particularly good shampoo and scalp massage this time out.

Then, it was just some lunch at the neighbourhood Subway (can't live on Big Macs alone, y'know) and then I headed on out to Shinjuku to see if I could pick up a crossword puzzle book at one of the biggest bookstores in Tokyo. Gosh darn it....no t only did they NOT have any puzzle books but they didn't have any interesting magazines. Well, luckily I've still got some mileage on my latest EMPIRE mag and the remaining puzzles. Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow at another bookstore.

After that aborted attempt, I returned to my school briefly until a couple of my students invited me for some coffee at the local Tully's. Then, it was back to the school to pick up one more student and a newly-escaped teacher before we headed off for a Chinese restaurant back in Shinjuku. My student, Mrs. O, chose the place, and it was a good choice. The decor, the staff and the food reminded me of the formica-and-lazy susan non-descript eateries from my Toronto Chinatown days.

One thing I found out about the divine Ms. O. She's always been a very up-to-bat student, always willing to speak in English, even outside of class, to her fellow students. However, she seems to have a bit of a forlorn side to her which came to the fore with the imbibing of alcohol. Odd, considering that the others had said that Ms. O became more of a spritely sort when drunk.

After dinner, we headed out to that dessert place that I've come to know and love in East Shinjuku. There, as was inevitable, the talk on what was wrong with our school with its dysfunctional staff bubbled out, especially when my former fellow teacher, a very good sort, announced that today had been his last day. He's going out of the "biz", so to speak, and entering a website planning company in Mita. The students once again lamented the departure of yet another good teacher. I, for one, have become rather inured by it all.

The long weekend (which doesn't mean all that much to me anymore now that my patchy schedule has become a regular thing) will be a fairly busy one. I don't have my kids tomorrow but I have my monthly circle with those two former students at the Tea Room. I kinda wonder what the reaction will be from the staff now that my regular Friday nighters are now a thing of the past. Perhaps I may catch Chip Guy sometime on Sunday or Saturday. The Sunday will be busy meeting Ms. N, another current student, in Ikebukuro for an English textbook fair at the World Import Mart. The holiday Monday (Sports Day) may actually be a work day if my newest student decides to call me up for a session. And in better news, I've got another former student becoming a new private student starting from next Friday.

Hmmm....I see a golden opportunity opening up for tourism in Japan, which has been in the doldrums for the past few years. Let's see....you've got three high-powered movies coming out: the star-powered Last Samurai with Tom Cruise, the Quentin-powered Kill Bill, and the Tokyo-backdropped festival darling Lost in Translation, all of which have something to do with various aspects of Japan. Perhaps with all of these references suddenly popping out into the world cultural ethos, there may be some interest brewing in visiting the Land of the Rising Sun. Ah....there is also the other festival darling Zatoichi.

Thurs. Oct. 9, 9:19 a.m.

Now that Arnie is the Governator, it's interesting to reminisce about his commercials for Japanese TV. He's lifted heavy kettles for no other reason than to hawk Cup O' Noodles. But I think what the US media would love to slaver over is the ad where he was dressed up as a bottle of vitamin drink (the stuff that keeps salarymen going after 13 hours at the company) while starring with then-It girl, Rie Miyazawa.

Tokyo has not been immune to the Schwarzenegger campaign for Sacramento. The media has also devoted time and space to the Terminator, giving full explanations about what a recall is. However, we're not new to celebs-turned-politicos. You might say that we're kinda jaded. Celebrities deciding to become part of government have been around for a long time. The Japanese Senate is chock full of former wrestlers, baseball players and actors. One ex-wrestler who is now part of his local congress refuses to take off his mask in session. And of course, both Tokyo and Osaka had comedians as simultaneous governors; one was pretty much ineffectual, the other was brought down by charges of sexual assault. Hmm...sounds familiar.

But, all in all, we currently have a leader who, for a brief time, went the other way. Junichiro Koizumi became a prime minister-turned-celebrity because of his eclectic personality and wayward hair. But I did say briefly. Now, one half of us believes that the former flavor of the month is now doing "politics as usual".

Wed. Oct. 8, 10:11 p.m.

Well, the Terminator is now in charge of the 5th-largest economy on the planet. Only in California. Susan Sarandon must be having a major migraine. I'll hold my judgement for next year. But the CNN coverage this afternoon made for a nice diversion on this cloudy and cool day.

It looks like the boom in new restaurants is in full swing under my subway station. The new grill chain, Pepper Lunch, was the first to open last week. I actually did try it on its second day. Yep, the decor certainly looks a lot brighter than the one presented by the old Dosanko Ramen greasy spoon that had been there for years. Food was decent enough as well. I had the combo steak and hamburger with bean sprouts and carrot slices. The gimmick is that the steak cubes are brought on a sizzling hot plate while still raw; the customer has to mix it around on the plate to cook them.

I'm not sure but it looks like the new conveyor belt sushi place may also be in operation a few days ahead of schedule. The decor looks slightly different but it seems essentially the same ol' place. Then, there is the upcoming new ramen joint across from it. The only thing I see identifying it as such is the big sign with the huge kanji for noodles.

Speaking of new developments, the relatively seedy street heading straight from the station entrance (a number of izakaya and little hostess pubs) has gotten a bit of class recently. One place that has been built up seems to be some sort of wedding planning office. The outside walls certainly have that appropriately pearly white sheen and there are some rather large picture windows showing what's going on inside. I wonder if they're following all of those TV stations in Manhattan. And a new apartment building has popped up down on the corner with some sort of large office space comprising the first floor.

Then there is the former company dorm just a few meters down from my place which got gutted earlier in the summer. Now, the inside has been altered to show more space and certainly more lighting. In fact, all of the lights in the entire complex have been turned on every night in apparent defiance of TEPCO policy. There is now some sort of French name over the entrance and new plants ringing the front of the building. Got no idea what it is now but I'm waiting to see who the new owners are.

Wednesday Oct. 8, 12:19 a.m.

Well, I got through my 9.5 hours of classes undamaged. I don't feel particularly all that tired, or at least as tired I thought I would be. But then again, I did ingest some chocolates and a vitamin drink just before my last round of classes in Urayasu tonight. Fantastically enough, all of the classes went pretty well.

True to the nature of my biz, I've gotten my share of cancellations. My Thursday night cancelled due to cold, and just now my Wednesday afternoon cancelled due to extra work. To be honest, I'm not all that disappointed. I can do without the long commute to either Jiyugaoka or Yokohama once in a while, and frankly, I've been getting the slightest sensation that things aren't going all that well with the pair.

I'm catching that Larry King "special" on the potentially untimely death of Roy of Siegfriend and Roy because of that tiger mauling. I'm gonna sound like a real heel here but frankly, I'm a bit surprised that Larry has devoted a whole hour to Roy...who is still alive, albeit in critical situation. They seem to already be treating him in the past tense. However, as famous as he is in Las Vegas, I just don't see him earning that much of a full court press.

Now that I have a much more emptier day coming up, I can just try and get some other stuff done. I still have yet to complete a translation request by my computer friend although he labeled it a quick request. I'm not too worried, though; if he had really wanted it quick, he would've been pestering me up the wazoo. I'm just worried about what he expects me of me on the 24th with this so-called interpreting gig between his boss and him. All I say is that he should've just taken Japanese lessons, but he must have sort of hangup about doing that.

Well, on Friday, I've got another dinner date with a group of students at a Chinese restaurant. Nice to be popular.

To my surprise, I caught both the guest of honour from last Friday's party and the expectant barely adult mother at school today. The girl wasn't showing at all but she i s only 4 months into the odyssey. But she does look a little different, now; maybe a bit more grownup. I would've liked to have spoken longer with them (just 2 minutes by the elevator), but with my schedule, it was pretty much futile.

Monday Oct. 6, 9:06 p.m.

I had completely forgotten that tomorrow will be the big showdown between Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis in the California recall. I'd shut off my satellite system for about a week to catch up on some B5 on my DVD that I haven't been watching CNN. Ought to be interesting and quite close, too. The Terminator got a last-minute wrench in the works with the allegations of him groping women over the years. Rather old news since everyone's been reporting on that for years.

Over here, the big news is that the police caught the scumbag and four of his compatriots who killed a 16-year-old and burned her body to a crisp in Chiba last week. The guy looks like a motorcycle gang punk but acts like a true sociopath. He apparently registered his marriage with the victim so that registering for personal loans would be much easier. Hope the guy gets the gallows.

I'm sure that a lot of commuters are hoping that the JR East folks get the gallows, too. Yet another snag on the line this morning caused a 4-hour hangup on one of the major lines crossing through Tokyo. This time, it was a 180-kg shovel which just ended up on the tracks, blocking the train. This makes it the fourth blunder in about 3 weeks for the station. JR has never been known for great service, but it's been an especially terrible month for the railway company. Ironically enough, the JR folks had just opened its newest jewel in the crown last Friday, the new and improved Shinagawa Station now open for Bullet Trains. I'm sure though that the majority of the commuters are hoping more for better service rather than more convenient connections.

Sun. Oct. 6, 8:47 a.m.

After all of the mania with the classes and the party, this past weekend has been marvelously calm and cool. A couple of the partygoers gave me thanks which was nice. Just made a jazz compilation tape and watched some B5.

Heard from my newest student that she probably won't be available tomorrow which suits me fine. I'll just have my regular Monday morning class and then I'll be free. It'll be a nice little segue into the 9.5 hours of teaching time that I face on Tuesday. I'm still wondering if it is the wisest thing to do, but I haven't done one of those in a while and the money will be good.

Just scoured through a new website about Tokyo events. I found some jazz clubs that the Madam and my Monday morning class may be interested in.

Sat. Oct. 4, 6:57 a.m.

Oh, the O. Henryesque ending crossed with a bit of Hitchcockian malice. Here I was yesterday ranting about my friend who wouldn't put out the money to pay tribute to our former student and friend and the fact that I would, and now today, I'm 15,000 yen poorer.

Two of our supposed confirmed guests didn't show up, so I had to pay their share of the tab as per the regulations of the course. Of course, I didn't mention anything to the others. Somehow, the Force was able to blur everyone's vision as I put down the money during cheque time. Our waiter who had been pretty dour because everyone trickled in instead of showing up at theappointed time was one happy SOB after I gave him the ton of money. Perhaps he had been expecting some sort of resistance since heand I knew about what was up. Well, at least everyone enjoyed themselves. And I'm still an appreciated guest there.
The secret will always stay with me.

One other secret that will remain that way for a little while longer is our knocked-up student. She couldn't make it to the party after all due to morning sickness. Ironically, she called up the Madam (one who loves to gossip) to send her regrets. She never realized since the kid just told her that she was just sick.

Afterwards, most of our number faded to the four winds while four of us decided to put in some karaoke nearby. Movie Buddy joined us after his class. It was your conventional 2-hour songfest but it looks like our guest of honour showed how little tolerance she has for alcohol once again. The first sign was when she kept slamming her glass on the table like an irate sailor. Then, the Jerry Lewis pratfalls began once we started to head for the station. Glad I wasn't part of the detail to get her home. I already gave at the Y .

I've got my kids today. Man, I hope I can get through the 2 hours without going nuts. I feel so tired...and poor.

Thurs. Oct 2, 6:56 p.m.

Well, in the last 24 hours, I've had to put out a fire. Looks like that former teacher who had complained about the expense of tomorrow's party venue decided to give me a comprehensive, bulleted explanation why he has pulled out. I told him straight out that I didn't like his decision; his reasons were all negative: he hates 1) Shibuya, 2) crowded trains 3) getting ripped off financially 4) smoke-filled bars and 5) the comments that our dippy teacher makes. In other words, he basically hates going out. The man had stated in the past that he really disliked Tokyo life and that he shouldn't have to endure such horrors.

Now for the democratic rebuttal. Though I do understand his reasons (certainly, I'm no fan of getting ripped off or riding on crowded trains), this party is for a former student and friend who will be leaving for several months, and I think the slight expense of the party is immaterial to the sentiment of celebrating a good friend among good friends. Also, i f he doesn't want to come out because all of the social inconvenience, that is his right; however, he would have a bit of heart and perseverance to say goodbye to a friend. I think what really got me steamed was just the coldness of his response.

However, he did send a short letter later this morning apologizing again. I then told him that I appreciated the fact that he pulled out instead of inflicting us with his misery at the party. There's nothing worse than a determined party pooper. I kinda vented myself through an e-mail to the Madame. I feel rather bad about that but she understood how angry I got.

Well, in any case, I made the final confirmations to the restaurant, and now all that's left is just to show up. There could be a bombshell announcement by one of our former students tomorrow, though. In fact, it may be quite obvious even before she says a word. She has apparently gotten pregnant outside of wedlock in the past few months. A few of the guests for tomorrow know about it, including the guest of honor. The real shocker is that she is all of 20 years of age. There could be some awkward moments.

Wednesday Oct. 1, 8:40 p.m.

Midweek. I had my two classes today and found out that one of my students' ex-hubby got arrested for DWI and driving without a license after he had "borrowed" her Jaguar. And I thought such incidents of delinquent husbands were exclusively an American thing.

Speaking of the US, is it me or did the President's picture on the CNN website look noticeably more haggard? Let's see...Iraq is not going well, his popularity is sliding and now this thing about a leak. Hmmm...I'd probably have the Presidential Surgeon on speed dial if I were the Chief of Staff.

Since I had the morning off today, I took a look at the X2 DVD while I was ironing. Strangely enough, it's been already released although it has yet to make it out in the US. Not a whole lot of extras, but still after giving this movie a second look has strengthened my opinion that it is still the only movie this year that I've given a full nod to.

Well, two more days before the farewell party for one of my students. I have to ensure the final numbers tomorrow to the restaurant. In the you-can't-satisfy-everyone department, one of those invited got on my case for making the reservations at an izakaya that didn't give a great deal for a large group. Well, it IS expensive but I am considering it a special event, and over here special events and expense go hand in hand.

And speaking of restaurants, looks like we've got a couple of new eateries at the mall underneath the subway station. One replaced the greasy ramen place that had been there for years; it opened today as a small grill for hamburger steaks and regular steaks. It certainly looks a lot cleaner in there, and I'm wondering if I should give it a shot tomorrow since I'm coming home early. Then again, I think I ought to give it a couple of weeks of seasoning so the staff can work out any growing pains. The other place will be opening up on the 10th as a new conveyor belt sushi restaurant to replace the one that had been there for 3 years. In a way, it was a pity about the other one since in recent months, it had tried its best to get the customers back in through lunch specials but such was not to be, and such is the ruthlessness of running a restaurant.

Well, it's been 5 days since that quake. So far, so good....no major tremors.