Wednesday September 20, 5:20 p.m.

Well, it's been a while...about a week, I dare reckon. Like any other week, it's had its share of ups and downs. First, the downs...both of them professionally. Last week's model lessons were a split. Ironically, it was the one for which I'd planned over a few days that was the big failure. For that one, I kinda felt like the USAF plane after it had accidentally bombed the Chinese embassy during the Serb War...I had faulty intelligence. I had been told that the student in question had a better speaking ability when it turned out to be quite the opposite. In other words, that one hour was a test in pain and flop sweat. Not surprisingly, she canned the second model lesson. I wasn't too happy about that. Speedy tried to allay my frustration but unfortunately he has a bit of a tendency to make anything sound backhanded at times. However, the first ML was a homer out of the park; I just pulled out one of my own readymade lessons. The second downer was having to teach a couple of kids last night at the juku in place of the usual kids' teacher. The juku boss neglected to tell me a couple of key facts...one being that the mother always sat in on the class. Another kilogram lost unnecessarily. I held my gorge in although I did tell her that I wasn't too happy about how things developed; she felt suitably bad about it. Sometimes, she can be a real scatterbrain. Let's say this...I wouldn't be too kindly inclined if today were "Be Kind to Your Boss Day".

Between those two exercises in futility, The Egg and his wife came into town. Last Thursday, I went all the way to Narita's Terminal 1. Not surprisingly, AC001 was delayed by about an hour so I had time to check out the new mall sandwiched between the two wings. Yes, it looked like any one of those shiny shopping emporiums that have now liberally sprinkled themselves all over the Kanto. I saw a Thai restaurant, a ramen eatery and a conveyor belt sushi place along with the usual McD's and a Tsutaya bookstore. Not a bad thing to have while waiting for that flight.

When the Egg and Mrs. Egg finally came through the Customs barrier, it looked like the former gained some more yolk. Such is the passing of age. To rationalize it, there's more of us to love. For the past few days, it's been alternately getting on with my regular life and getting used to having two roomies. Strangely enough, it hasn't been too bad bunking on my sofa. I haven't had the usual backaches.

Right now, both Eggs are out of town. Off in Sendai to meet the in-laws. So I have my own place again for at least a couple of days. Then, my friends come back for two more nights at the Hotel H before taking off for The Great White North on Sunday. But in the meantime, I've got 001 and 007 tonight. 001 should be another funfest since she, 002 and the Baker had gone off on an onsen outing last weekend.

In the news, today is indeed Koizumi's last day as President...of the Liberal Democratic Party, that is. It should be a cakewalk for Shinzo Abe; even the media hasn't been too hyped up about the passing of the torch. Abe's accession to Prime Minister will be happening officially at the end of the month. I was reading in The Japan Times yesterday about Japan's No. 1 Elvis fan's legacy according to the international media. The best he could get was that he gave off a rock n' roll image. Otherwise, he was really just sizzle, no steak. And even Koizumi couldn't make it through his time as PM without an ewwwww moment...the one in which he was playing air guitar at Graceland in front of a bemused George Bush (Dubya must've secretly whooped it up at seeing someone else being called goofy for that week) and Presley clan. And here I thought that Koizumi's predecessor, Yoshiro Mori, took the cake when he had that cringeworthy conversation in English with Bill Clinton at the 2000 G8 Summit. Well, at least Koizumi had that rebel image (if only superficially); Abe just strikes me as being a cigar store Indian.

And of course, last Wednesday, the Imperial Household Agency proudly crowed the new name bestowed on the future heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The kid gets to be called Hisahito, which apparently means gentle. There was a bit of a hue and cry in the media since one of the hit singing duo, Yuzu, happens to have the exact same kanji as the little prince (though his name is pronounced differently). Also, the name can be said as "Yu-jin" which is analogous to the English "Eugene". So, when the prince eventually seeks higher education in an English-speaking country, he can invite his classmates to call him that. And his classmates can just paste the "Kick Me" sign on him as well.

Wednesday September 13, 5:31 p.m.

Well, I did look at that CNN Pipeline coverage of the original hours of the 9/11 attacks. I had originally caught it just when the 2nd plane hit the Twin Towers. So I managed to catch up in a way with the first 10 minutes of the bulletin. Judging from the coverage, it was a revelation that the CNN anchors couldn't realize initially that they were under terrorist attack even after that second plane had been sent careening into the building....even considering that first attempted attack in 1993 and then Oklahoma City in 1995. After that second plane, the reporters thought that it had been a second explosion from the first plane crash. Such was the mindset that the mighty fortress of the US couldn't be attacked.

My day yesterday was fairly pleasant as Tuesdays go. I had The Beehive...this time, we did get our old room back; the first floor of the bowling alley was looking pretty spanking brand new; the staff looked like their old sullen selves, though. Then, it was several hours of downtime just at Beckers the burger joint in Tsudanuma Station and then a Mister Donuts near Funabashi Station. The Mister Donuts had that classic American diner look but the music was this strange mix of Trance (interesting take on Queen's "We Are The Champions") and the "Superman Returns" soundtrack. Then, it was 002...which was fine as usual.

There was some more schedule jostling at the juku. Looks like I'll be starting an hour earlier next Tuesday with Seven because the boss decided to bring in a pair of twin kids for me to entertain for some reason. Thankfully, The Salaryman will be off in Bali so I have some off time to recuperate. I'm just having Mrs. Mild this month since hubby is really busy. Man, I almost strangled her last night since she had trouble with the just simplest samples of syntax...this, after over three years of teaching her. I was indeed glad that I didn't have The Siberian.

Well, I got a bit of a bombshell from GC out of Mie Prefecture. Looks like he'll be out of a job come December since the demographics for his client base have finally disappeared after over 12 years on the job. Man, that's rough. I gave him some advice and I think he has a 1 to 2-year safety net so hopefully, he'll have some lead time to get back on his feet. Speaking of old faces, I got my apartment partially ready for The Egg tomorrow. Man, did I throw out a lot of stuff today...including my 10-year-old pillow. Well, at least I got rid of the tick-and-mite colony.

But right now, I'm worrying about a couple of model lessons after 001 tonight. Keeping my fingers crossed but I'll be happy if I can just score .500.

Monday September 11, 5:39 p.m.

I had a pretty pleasant if sleepy time with The Madame yesterday, although things got off to a rollicking start (now, let's not get our minds into the gutter from what I've just written down). The two of us went to our usual haunt above Shinjuku Station on the 7th floor of restaurants. We decided to go for Thai, an unusual choice for The Madame since she's not one for spicy food but her need for Asian cuisine overrode all other factors. She was talking more about her quest for spiritualism in which her latest out-of-body experience had her empty body flailing away on the mat during her seminar. She even re-enacted her actions which, vertically speaking, kinda looked like a Warner Bros. cartoon character on acid. Then, we went all the way downstairs to the level below the JR level to a fancy food court known as The City Cafe. I'd passed by the place over the past couple of years without once setting foot inside it but I (with The Madame) finally took our steps inside. We were escorted to a table (basically, it was like one huge cafeteria) and we got our Bubble Teas. We ended up staying there for a good 3-4 hours; at one point, the two of us were in danger of just nodding off so we went for some rather strong coffee from one of the counters called Negishi, and drank it down with that teen fave of a chocolate-banana crepe. I felt kinda bad that I was starting to get sleepy in front of my friend but I rationalized it as being so comfortable in front of her that I didn't need to put on airs.

Quite a few changes in my work schedule. I finally got word about what happened on Saturday morning concerning the family of the two kids. I actually got the message from the father, and not the mother since it seems that she has come down with some rather debilitating pain after their trip to Europe. It looks like we'll be getting together on Sunday afternoon so I'll have to re-schedule The Carolinan's lesson back a couple of hours. And then, I found out from SIL that she may be going on another hiatus although she finished her message by asking me whether if another venue might be suitable. The Part-Timer is good to go, though, in the next 20 minutes.

I still have to get ready for Egg and his wife for Thursday. I figure that I'll be doing some major adjustments to the apartment on Wednesday and Thursday. Plus, I have two model lessons on Wednesday night that I'm prepping for. I'll definitely be suffering for my art this week.

Speaking of suffering, I've been keeping my promise to do the tofu-and-salad dinners so far, although I've got the loophole of reverting back to my old omnivourous ways if I'm invited to dinner (I did exercise that option on Saturday when I went out with Speedy and his gang). Interestingly enough, I've been pretty faithful so far and in fact, I don't even find the thought of regularly ingesting vegetable protein and just plain vegetables all that unappealing. I had a Wendy's Bacon Burger Classic for lunch, though. The Matron filled me in on a tastier variation on the tofu theme. She said that I should fry up a couple of slices of bacon extra crisp and then chop them into pieces and sprinkle them onto some unsuspecting bean curds for some mighty good flavour. One would think that bacon would be the last thing that a dieter would put on tofu but The Matron reasoned that the extra grease would have been rendered out during the cooking process. Well, I could always use an alternative from just soy sauce and sesame seeds.

Speaking of The Matron, I was grateful that The Lady did show up for the lesson today. When I got to the house, I had been informed by the housekeeper that The Lady had been under the weather but she did come during the latter half of the lesson.

Saturday September 9, 2:54 p.m.

Well, 40 years and nearly 6 hours ago, a little show made by a former cop and war pilot came onto the air being touted as a "Wagon Train to the Stars" and ended up becoming this geek-and-nerd magnet. Yes, "Star Trek" has just turned 40. I kinda wonder if any affiliate in the US or Canada actually put on "Man Trap" at 8 p.m. EST on the 8th. Sorry, William but I guess millions of people just won't get a life.

As for me, I guess I haven't been getting much of a teaching life this week. Not only did I not get to teach the OL or the UL on Friday but The Ace bailed out on me. But I should be grateful to him since he did so some 10 minutes after his lesson was supposed to have begun, which means I still get at least half-pay.

A big reason that I should get a new phone...I got this garbled message on my machine yesterday. All I could make out was barely a name and the fact that she was calling long-distance....and then, the line cut out. After a few minutes of going over, I came to the thought that it may have the mother for my two girls, The Elder and The Younger. The family was off in Germany from the 26th and I was wondering if they had gotten stuck there with the airflight in Europe being what it is right now. Well, the proof was in the pudding this morning when I decided to head out to the house anyways all the way from my humble abode in Ichikawa. Sure enough, after three doorbell rings and several rings on the phone, there was noone home. Well, as they say here, sho ga nai. I just headed over to Shinjuku to hang out for those two unpaid hours. Looking at the bright side of things, I did manage to pick out some Arm & Hammer Deodorizer at Tokyu Hands, the household goods store in the Takashimaya Times Square complex. With The Egg and missus heading out here on Thursday, I figure I need to do some major deodorizing of my apartment. I also did some research on some other possible purchases for the upcoming arrival...such as a new pillow and electric fan.

I decided to walk through the sea of humidity and have lunch at Hansens. Well, when one has had a frankly frustrating end to the week, one should get a bit of pampering. So I was happy to have my two hot dogs and fries. I just finished my lesson with Farrah...not sure if it'll be my last with her since she only signed for a 4-lesson block. I frankly think that she should be coming out here every Saturday to make things worthwhile. Now, I'm just waiting for the Ramen Lady who'll be here in about an hour. Then, I've got this dinner with Speedy, his wife and the secretary who's just gone on maternity leave.

Thursday September 7, 2:40 p.m.

Back at my other office in I-Cafe. I've got Fred Flintstone snoring in the next booth so things aren't as quiet as I would have hoped. Still, the two cups of complementary of blend coffee have helped.

A number of little tidbits here and there:

Looks like The Egg and I have caught a break in logistics. He and the missus are planning to come over here to the Hotel Haruhiko for a vacation next Thursday. It was gonna be a tricky thing to have the apartment ready for them since I usually have The Carolinan for her regular lesson on alternate Thursday nights. Well, she just let me know that she has to cancel the 14th which leaves me free and clear to not only get the place prepped but also to pick them up at Narita. The wife won't be here for all of their 10 days but it looks like Egg will be a roomie; it's been a while since I've had one.

002 was back from Hawaii. She and her hubby had a good time traveling the less traveled routes of the Aloha State so there was an influx of English in their dialogues but she was a bit down on herself that she couldn't get all that she'd wanted to say out of her mouth. Well, I told her that considering most of her days are spent here amongst native Japanese with only a once-a-week session with me, she's doing pretty well. My newest souvenirs were a can of SPAM (I do love my luncheon meat) and some shortbread cookies from Waikiki. The latter I've already devoured with my blend coffee.

Now I'm just twiddling my thumbs here at the cafe before I see B2. Not sure if it'll just be the lass tonight. I recall that B2B is off on business for the next little while. It'll certainly make my lessons easier.

JJ finally got back to me. Yep, I think that it's the end between us but at least she was gracious about it.

Wednesday September 6, 6:27 p.m.

Last Friday when I was teaching The Ace, the newest student at the juku, during an exercise on the Superlative, he told me that he thought teaching to be the most unrewarding occupation amongst the group of jobs listed. Though I wasn't particularly hurt by the comment...I can definitely understand why he would say that....I did do some reflection on it.

My response to his statement (for which he suddenly turned slightly crimson when he realized who he was talking to) was a memory of teaching those junior high school kids on a hot July day all those years ago. Yep, that memory would be categorized as "unrewarding". Also, beyond my own experiences, I think teaching has become even harder over the years when taking into consideration some of the extreme forms of teenage rebellion that have happened in schools. I recollect distinctly about the observations that a teacher from the ol' school had had when he visited one particular junior high school in Setagaya Ward. There, he was witness to a bunch of sociopathic monkeys in a zoo while the teachers clearly had given up.

In the English-teaching biz here, I think I have said on occasion that it's a dime-a-dozen scam a lot of the times. A lot of so-called teachers just come here with very little in the way of experience or training to the big chains such as NOVA, just throw out some ready-made lessons haphazardly and then skip off to the next Asian country. To be honest, I could understand that some students wouldn't hesitate to get revenge by suddenly not showing up for lessons anymore. Also, and I am talking about my own circumstances here, the English-teaching biz is far from financially rewarding. Sure, I can sell my lessons for at least 5,000 yen an hour and there would probably be gullible folks who would pay that much for simple conversational practice but then again I'd also be paying my soul, wouldn't I (as corny as that may sound)?

Still, I really can't say that my experiences here over the past 12 years have been unrewarding. I've had my ups and downs, certainly, but I look at the fact that though my bank account isn't exactly bursting at the seams, I've been able to make friendships and other relationships that have been valuable because of my job. I'm not exactly running The Beehive and The Class Act like a well-oiled military machine but the ladies there (I think) enjoy my company just as a source of social interaction. Former students like Skippy and The Madame still continue to hang out with me because I could help them during their time at the ol' school. And I have current students like 001 and 002 who enjoy their lessons. So, from my angle, I'd have to disagree with The Ace. Teaching may never get me into that high income tax bracket and I may never see the end result of my attempts but it's been good for me as I near two decades in the biz.

Wednesday September 6, 5:07 p.m.

We've just got ourselves a future national holiday here in Japan. And not only is the nation celebrating on this gray day but the Imperial Household Agency along with some conservative Imperial experts are breathing a sigh of relief. Yep, as of 8:45 a.m., all of the television channels were screaming "IT'S A BOY!", some 18 minutes after the birth of a future Emperor to Princess Kiko and Prince Akishino. The media played it up like a royal coronation with Fuji-TV even having tons of flowers surrounding the news desk where the two anchors were dressed to the nines. And true to its insecure nature, the same media trumpeted that even CNN and BBC had announced the birth. Reporters and cameramen were solidly planted around various areas such as the Kanagawa-ken hospital where Kiko had given birth, and Nagatacho (Japan's equivalent to the White House or Whitehall). So TV was basically hijacked for the entire morning.

Of course, the royalwatchers had their cue sticks and Imperial Family tree charts out again showing what the new line of succession will look like. The Japanese Imperial Line may not be broken but there's sure gonna be a new kink in it. As for the newest arrival, the boy is automatically 3rd in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne after Crown Prince Naruhito and his brother, Prince Akishino. Pretty big promotion for a human less than a day old. As for the princesses...well, I guess they'll be back to smiling vacuously and lisping to the reporters.

Prime Minister Koizumi's reaction to the birth: "Great, eh?" as he passed by the reporters. The silence was deafening.

Meanwhile, CNN was on the other end of the emotional spectrum, mourning the death of The Crocodile Hunter. I couldn't believe how much the news channel was devoting to this oddball. You'd think that Mr. Irwin had saved the entire US population from mutant crocodiles in the sewers. I was almost expecting to see a picture of the Aussie draped in black while Soviet funeral music was playing in the background. Irwin may have been respected for his passion for animals but he'll always strike me as "having an excess of personality", and I'm sorry but I don't have much use for a guy who would dangle his own infant son in one hand while feeding a hungry croc with the other....that's going into Wacko Jacko territory. There has been talk about the Australian government offering a state funeral for the man....I'd think that Crocodile Dundee would be more deserving. Anyways, at least I have a better understanding of stingrays now.

I had my first meeting with The Beehive yesterday in over a month. Looks like the ladies had a good summer. Five of them went off mountain climbing in early August. Our usual haunt in that Tsudanuma bowling alley was closed down due to repairs...not that the staff mentioned to us or anything. So we ended up going across the street to Ms. Perth's place. Ms. Jade was kind enough to bring some sweet corn-on-the-cob.

The juku gang was fine although it looks like Mr. Mild will be away on business for the next month. So I'm hoping for some big things from Mrs. Mild in terms of her ability. The Parisian will be away in a couple of weeks for a trip to Bali. And The Siberian is gonna be off to Korea this month. Still glad that I'm being paid by the hour instead of the number of students, though.

I only have 007 tonight. But it looks like Speedy is up the creek again...this time in the administrative department. Up until recently, it seemed like we had a plethora of secretarial help. But one of them just couldn't cut the mustard with computers, and now another one has pulled out due to a broken foot. With another girl on materity leave (did I say girl?! I meant fully adult woman), the red flags have gone up. I've even sent a plea to The Sylph via Movie Buddy.

Tomorrow will also be a pretty sparse day workwise. I've got 002 for her home lesson after her trip to Hawaii, and then several hours later I'll be seeing B2. Not sure what I'm gonna be doing in between. Maybe another trip to the I-Cafe may be in order.

Monday September 4, 9:46 p.m.

I had my first official lesson with 008 just now. She's a good student and things got off to a good start. Unfortunately, I probably won't see for her next lesson until the end of the month due to her work.

Anyways, going back to Sunday night, after "Superman Returns", Movie Buddy and I had a small snack at the local Excelsior's in Shinjuku. It was jampacked as it usually is on a Sunday afternoon. A couple of the usual boorish Shibuya gal-types tried to jump the line on us for a table but a kind staff member managed to make things right for us...this was according to MB; I was too busy munching on my Croque Monsieur to notice. MB seems to resemble The Entrepreneur in that both guys get rather throbbing headaches in the midst of smoke. Like a number of places, the non-smoking and smoking sections don't really have any differences.

We took the Marunouchi Line and Chiyoda Line to Akasaka where we did some walking around the neighbourhood for the better part of the hour before meeting Skippy and OA at Exit 2. It was nice to walk on a nearly deserted street by Hie Shrine. Since Akasaka is virtually only a commercial area, Sundays are a pedestrian's paradise. We almost got lost in the return back to the exit but luckily we got our bearings just in time to see the ladies pop out of the subway. It'd been almost a year since we've seen OA. She's been having her own time with work and a new boyfriend.

We only needed to turn a corner to reach Hyunboo, that Korean restaurant frequented by the hoi polloi near TBS Studios. According to Skippy, folks like the Korean singer BOA and other native Korean thespians have come to Hyunboo around the witching hour for some good hot grub. At first, we thought we'd entered the kitchen site but the orange-T-shirted wait staff led us into a long windowless room. It had the ambience of an airplane aisle but it was comfy enough. One wall was covered with tons of autograph cards of happy celeb customers including the aforementioned BOA. Skippy happily did the ordering for a round of BBQ pork, kimchi chijimi, a hot pot of spicy stuff and a round of beers to start. Man, the food was good and the beers had their uses. The final dish of spicy hot pot was delish but had our sweat glands working overtime. Another winner by Skippy. However, in a bad case of timing, Skippy didn't have enough funds and I wasn't exactly filled to overflowing with the yen either so I needed to replensish my wallet at the nearest 7-11.

We did a quick walk up Hie Shrine, thanks to some automatic escalators (we would never have made it up the steep stairs in our gastronomic condition), came back down and walked some more before ending up in Ark Hills, the hotel/TV Asahi Studios/Suntory Hall complex, for some coffee at a boulangerie. We had our Cafe Au Laits and watched as a ton of people came out of Suntory Hall after a concert had been held there. I got a feeling that the consecutive Sunday outings with Skippy have come to an end for a bit since I think the girl has kinda burned herself out. Besides, I'm meeting The Madame next Sunday for something. I sent her a birthday card last week but haven't gotten any reply.

The Lady pulled a dotyakan herself today but The Matron did arrive for her 90 with me. And SIL had another grand old time. Somehow, we got onto the topic of an old 70s idol by the name of Hiromi Go, one of the very early Johnny's Jimusho boy idols and precursor to SMAP and TOKIO. Now in his 40s, he's become one of those veteran celebs who only needs to show up on a show to get attention...he's just a bit of a bon vivant around town. He did have a bit of a comeback hit 7 years ago when he did his own cover of that Ricky Martin party song, "Livin La Vida Loca"...improbably called "Goldfinger 99" but mostly he's just popping about and doing ads for a spa called Takasu Clinic. But the weirdest thing happened to me today when I was on my way back to Shibuya Station when lo and behold I came across a small mob in front of the discount store, Don Quixote, and saw a camera crew. Two men stepped out of the store. One was a famous TBS announcer, and the other guy was none other than Hiromi Go himself. Man, I'll never admit it to The Madame but somehow my thoughts can be downright scary. I did send a report of my findings to SIL.

Well, things are kinda getting back to normal tomorrow. I've got the Beehive for their first after the summer vacation. It'll be my 8th year with them and knowing them pretty well by now, I've got a feeling that the talk will all be about their time off and the events of the day. Quite a few ranging from Princess Kiko's impending delivery of the heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne to last week's little quake to the impending retirement of PM Koizumi. Always stuff to talk about with these ladies. But just in case, I may run off some copies of The Teacher's articles. Of course, The Teacher will be away for the next month. But I still have the juku students. Well, The Siberian will be busy with his upcoming Korea trip but I'll still have my hours with the rest of them.

Monday September 4, 6:36 p.m.

The weekend was pretty good as weekends go. Saturday was just the meeting with the one M. The other M did a dotyakan due to an interview in Yokohama. So it was the just the older M with me at The Tea Room. Ever since her rather unceremonious departure from her company last year, she's been doing just some part-time stuff but it looks like she's been wise enough to save enough money to float for quite a while. And she apparently has saved enough to get one of those Nintendo DS units. Of course, she got the English training program software. I gave it a whirl as well. You have to use one of those things in a quiet room. Even in a place like The Tea Room, the ambient noise level was such that I had to have the Nintendo repeat its phrases a few times before I could dictate it down correctly.

Sunday was the day for "Superman Returns". MB was with me for that one. But The Satyr pulled out due to finances and Skippy had already seen it in a special preview. I'd probably say that it was not nearly as bad as the American critics had put it but not the soaring piece of magnificence that the UK guys made it out to be. It's a bit of an interesting pattern, to be sure. The Yanks and the Brits were split the same way for the Star Wars prequels.

Anyways, the movie started out nicely with the old theme of planet Krypton playing while we pulled back from the erstwhile orb itself before its inevitable explosion. And then that logo and that John Williams theme blared out. The opening credit sequence just about matched the 1978 sequence except that the credits and theme were shorter (for the more ADD-riddled audience for today...and the fact that the cast list is much more concise than for the original movie) and the effects were far better. No more of those firework sparklers and oil/water splotches.

In fact, I'd say that instead of a sequel, this new Superman came off as a bit of a remake of the Christopher Reeve flick. Of course, much has been said about how similar Brandon Routh is to Reeve (not that much, in my opinion) in looks. But certain scenes paid tribute and hinted at scenes from the other movie such as Superman reappearing in public after saving an airplane in 2006 while in 1978, the other Superman rescued a helicopter. Also, certain lines were quoted as well....which, in one of the final scenes, was rather poignantly handled.

What worked was those aforementioned effects; the plane rescue sequence, for instance, was the most thrilling aspect in the movie. In those three minutes, the falling plane and the incoming Man of Steel managed to date all of the effects in the 1978 version. Also, the relationship between Supes and Lois Lane has matured...or at least Routh's and Kate Bosworth's portrayal of them. I'd like to see a show of hands of people who went for the airsick bag during the "Can You Read My Mind?" sequence with Reeve and Margot Kidder. At least here, the 2006 pairing was a lot less gooey. And then there is the meaner, more embittered and just about psychotic version of Lex Luthor as played by Kevin Spacey. No goofy theme music, no lovably oafish sidekicks and almost no comedic repartee. This Luthor has got some major hate issues with Superman and is more than willing to bring out the violence and dark banter.

What didn't quite work was some of the slow passages. MB mentioned that the ending of "Superman Returns" reminded him of the ending of "The Return of the King"....we didn't quite know when the movie would finally end. It just seemed to drag on for some minutes after the so-called climax. And speaking of that climax, MB also gave out a pretty astute point about the problem inherent within a Superman movie. Superman is supposedly so omnipotent that no villain could convincingly be a threat...unless that threat has the same powers (read: General Zod in "Superman II"). So the climax in this new flick wasn't really much of one. Not to say that the original "Superman" particularly succeeded in that regard either. Basically, it and "Superman Returns" and just about every first movie of every superhero franchise has a freshman jinx, not a sophomore one. For some reason, the first movie, whether it be the first "Spiderman" or the first "X-Men", hasn't been wholly satisfying. "Superman Returns" can also fall into this category. Brandon Routh is and will become a good Superman but he doesn't quite have the comic timing for Clark Kent down pat quite yet. Still, after so many years in development hell, I think we can give some kudos to Bryan Singer and look forward to the next adventure.

Thursday August 31, 2:35 p.m.

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

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

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

Thursday August 31, 1:45 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday August 30, 4:25 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday August 28, 8:07 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, it's dinner time.

Monday August 28, 6:48 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, time for dinner...

Wednesday August 23, 9:57 p.m.

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

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

Wednesday August 23, 4:46 p.m.

Still have some minutes before dinner....

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

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

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

Wednesday August 23, 4:20 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday August 21, 8:40 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday August 18, 2:33 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday August 16, 9:33 p.m.

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

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

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

Wednesday August 16, 5:07 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday August 14, 10:00 p.m.

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

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

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

Monday August 14, 5:43 p.m.

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

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

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

Wednesday August 9, 5:04 p.m.

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

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

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

Wednesday August 9, 3:05 p.m.

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

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

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

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

Monday August 7, 4:17 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday August 2, 9:56 p.m.

Well, I'm still here plugging away. 001 was her usual fun self. Like 002 earlier in the day, she was thoroughly satisfied with the party back on Saturday. Looks like everyone is already looking forward to the okonomiyaki party. We've already gotten onto a running gag started on that day about the girls (001, 002 and The Baker) getting dressed as Bud Girls; however, for some bizarre reason, they would like me to put on the tube dress. I'm trying my darndest to dissuade them.

My model lesson student has now become 009...not a huge achievement as of yet since 007 has resolutely stayed away and I won't be seeing Farrah 008 until late this month. He's a pretty humble sort but I think he can do good things. I've got a feeling that he also won't be a firmly regular guy; he's in the accounting department of his company which will probably mean that come tax time or year-end adjustment periods, he'll be scarce.

Kinda strange thing, though. Last night, I got a message from The Hawaiian's older sister out of the blue. Some years ago, she had asked me if I would teach her. So I did one lesson with her at her workplace but nothing came of it. And at the same time, MB had warned me about her flighty nature. Therefore, I'm taking a cautious attitude toward her this time. If she does re-up, great; if not, no harm done.

The Wild Guy is doing OK back in his native Toronto. He's been hitting the pavement looking for a job. He's gotten offers but they're not the type of stuff he wants to be doing permanently. Still, he can still do them for the money until the next big opportunity comes up.

Tomorrow, I've only got B2 and B2B in the evening so I'm free and clear during the day. However, I've got another package heading for The Anime King and I'm the clearinghouse so I've gotta be up just in case.

Wednesday August 2, 6:00 p.m.

I've got about 15 minutes before 001 comes in for her class so I best hurry.

If these are supposed to be the dog days of summer, then August came in with all the fury of an anemic & anorexic chihuahua. It actually felt chilly on Monday night. I don't think I'd ever needed to close my window overnight on any August 1 that I'd been here in this country...a place that brings summer and Hell all that much closer. It even felt pleasant to go to work yesterday. Well, things are getting back to normal today. I've developed my layer of moisture underneath my clothing. Still, it feels downright frosty compared to what I've heard about Toronto. A humidex of 47 C?!

Monday July 31, 8:45 p.m.

It certainly felt rather different for a July day this morning. For one thing, I had to close the balcony window last night as I slept since it was actually chilly! For another, the commute to see The Class Act also felt rather pleasant since it was very bright and, once again, chilly. If it hadn't been for the fact that July had already been pounded into my brain, I would've sworn it was more like late October. It did warm up by the afternoon but though the heat was there, it wasn't too oppressive. I only had to use just one menthol wipe today. I felt rather lightheaded at the thought. I knew that yesterday was the official final day of the rainy season but I never thought it would be taken to such extremes.

I also, alas, felt light-pocketed. This morning, I bit a rather large bullet and paid my advance income taxes and the first premium of this year's National Health Insurance. Ouch! And August is gonna be a lean month since a lot of my students are on vacation. I'm definitely gonna feel it tomorrow since The Beehive and The Teacher, two of my more generous benefactors, won't be around for the next month. Sapporo Ichiban for dinner, anyone?

The Class Act and SIL will also be gone for the next couple of weeks. And even The Part-Timer may be off next week (provided that she is able to get a ticket) to do a week in Vancouver. Basically, the lesson was answering her questions about the city.

Saturday, after my session with JJ, I went off to the wilds of Funabashi since I got the invite from 002 for a BBQ. I did a quick pick-up of a Peach Mousse at a bakery in Funabashi Station and then went straight to her apartment. 001 and 002's hubby were already hard at work on the grill on the huge balcony (let's say this...it's bigger than my apartment). And 001 and 002's mutual friend, The Baker, was also there. It was a nice small party...just the type I prefer. Considering that both 001 and 002 are two of my giggliest students, the laugh levels were getting quite high....along with the folks there due to the imbibing of alcohol. The Baker quickly refreshed my memory on a promise that she'd made to me months ago that her mother, a baker by hobby, would produce some nice little apple pies. Well, the apples she couldn't get but the chestnuts she got instead still made for a luscious filling. 002's husband is a decent sort, as well...quite well versed in English. As the night wore on, I saw even more frenetic sides to 001 and 002. The latter lady, usually a bit of a shrinking violet, was a lot more sharp-tongued. I can only imagine what she must be like in a marital spat. 001 was also bouncing off the walls for most of the party except for the last hour when she looked like she was nursing a hangover.

Sunday was one of my rare total days off. I decided to follow my muse and bought myself a blender. The muse was from a variety show on TV which had tarento making up smoothies and other drinks for a fellow colleague. Well, I just walked about 5 minutes to the nearest Yamada Denki shop and purchased a cheapo blender for only 2,000 yen (compared to the tres cher blenders at the big stores for 20,000 yen). As soon as I got back home, I opened her up, sliced up a banana, put in some yogurt, milk and honey and let the whole mess rip. I came up with a pretty satiny smoothie. The really inexpensive book I got at Maruzen on how to make these concoctions boasted about how excellent a breakfast drink this Honey-Banana Smoothie is; packed with all that calcium, fiber and carbs. I can certainly vouch for the fiber...I felt really regular afterwards. And it was quite a tasty number as well. I had a repeat performance for breakfast this morning in lieu of my cereal.

Speaking of my mornings, it looks like my weekday morning TV habit will be Desilu-influenced for the next little while. The original Star Trek was made in the studio that Desi and Lucy had built for the first 2 seasons. Now that Classic Trek has finished its run on Super Drama TV, two more from Desilu are now playing, the original Untouchables and the original Mission: Impossible.

When I refer to the original Untouchables, though, I don't mean that 90s update with the guy from JAG....or even the movie with Kevin Costner and Sean Connery. Nope, this is the old ABC 1960 show with Robert Stack as rough n' tumble Eliot Ness. The shows have been on for the past few weeks now, and I've been marveling at how violent it was (for a 60s show, that is)....plenty of knifings and strafegunning on a prime time program. I've also noticed at the number of celebs who've come on. I've seen Peter Falk and Louise Fletcher and the late Jack Warden. This morning's ep, "Star Witness", had Jim Backus of Gilligan's Island fame. I've always known Backus as the bombastic millionaire Thurston Howell III, and minorly so as Mr. Magoo from the cartoons, so it was a bit of a revelation to see him as this terrified family man turning evidence against the Mob.

Geez, it's already close to 9:30. I'll probably be heading home in another half-hour or so. I had my bento dinner in the form of a salad and a half-hot, half-cold chuuka don (stir-fry Chinese stuff on rice)....the microwave at Speedy's is a very complex machine.

I almost forgot to mention that I'd bought the latest entry in The Complete Peanuts series. This book is 1959-1960, so Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy and the rest of the gang have finally evolved to pretty much their iconic selves....Charlie Brown is the perennial goat, Linus has become the philosopher and Lucy is the crab.

Wednesday July 26, 9:15 p.m.

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

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

Back to my ruminations on Ultraman...

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

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

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

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

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