Saturday August 14, 7:57 a.m.
Woke up at 6 and turned on the telly to see the highlights from the Opening Ceremonies. Yup, didn't miss all that much...just the usual idealistic images and the lighting of the torch. The Japanese team looked less goofy than they did at Sydney although I think the female athletes resembled a pyjama party contingent. A lot of people crab about how over-the-top the Americans are about their media coverage of their athletes. However, Japan is not really any different. Fuji-TV devoted 2 hours to just one athlete, a 15-year-old ping pong prodigy who used to cry up a storm whenever she lost a game. I hope her maturity has grown along with her talent. Every other station here has also devoted itself to some sort of Olympic cheerleading, complete with its own inspirational pop song.
I heard that these Olympics could be the dirtiest ever due to the drug infractions. Maybe the new motto could be: Higher, Stronger, Faster, Dopier?
Just a place to deposit my thoughts on life here in the Kanto and about anything else that sticks to my walls.
Friday, August 13, 2004
Friday August 13, 8:39 p.m.
A supposedly unlucky day but so far, so good. I hope the Olympics fare just as well. Since we're 7 hours ahead of Athens, I'll be fast asleep while the Opening Ceremonies are playing themselves out. I'm not too disappointed since the OC is merely a lot of pomp and circumstance but unlike Sydney, we'll be missing out on a good chunk of the Games daily due to the time difference.
It was another hot one today but relief may finally be around the corner. We may actually dip down past 30 on Sunday with rain. We can only hope.
Work was just in and out. I only needed to meet SR at the Tea Room for her lesson. We spent a good chunk of it chatting on ramen since she's a big fan of the stuff as well. Surprisingly, she's never been to the Ramen Museum. I told her to run, not walk to the place.
Well, the place is ready as it'll ever be for Movie Buddy to come and crash tomorrow night.
A supposedly unlucky day but so far, so good. I hope the Olympics fare just as well. Since we're 7 hours ahead of Athens, I'll be fast asleep while the Opening Ceremonies are playing themselves out. I'm not too disappointed since the OC is merely a lot of pomp and circumstance but unlike Sydney, we'll be missing out on a good chunk of the Games daily due to the time difference.
It was another hot one today but relief may finally be around the corner. We may actually dip down past 30 on Sunday with rain. We can only hope.
Work was just in and out. I only needed to meet SR at the Tea Room for her lesson. We spent a good chunk of it chatting on ramen since she's a big fan of the stuff as well. Surprisingly, she's never been to the Ramen Museum. I told her to run, not walk to the place.
Well, the place is ready as it'll ever be for Movie Buddy to come and crash tomorrow night.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Thursday August 12, 11:39 p.m.
Well, I woke up early and headed out to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau. I noticed that my timing was quite good as the subways and trains were a lot emptier than usual due to the O-Bon holidays. I could actually get a seat which is rare on a regular day even at the early time of before 7 a.m.
When I reached JR Shinagawa, I headed out to the East Exit and found a lot of English signs pointing the way to the bus for the TRIB. I'm sure with the numbers of gaijin from all over the Kanto, the signs were necessary. A ten-minute ride later, the bus stopped right in front of the entrance itself at 8 a.m. I never got a whole look at the building but from the literature and the floor guide, the place is supposed to be rather humongous.
There were already about a dozen people scattered about the entrance with a small fraction creating a small line in front of the automatic doors (the doors wouldn't open until 8:30). The first group seemed to be a group of Chinese and their representative lawyerly type.My first impression was that they made up the majority of the initial group. A Falun Gong member was trying to hand out literature which I politely declined. I spent the half-hour going through the Olympic issue of TIME.
Another much smaller line started to form in front of the second set of doors. At first I wondered if I were in the right line, but since the doors opened up into the same lobby, it didn't really matter. That point was further emphasized when the security guards finally opened the doors and there was a mad dash into the elevators and up the escalator; the lines were just a mere formality. As such, I just let the masses fly in while I checked out where I was supposed to go. The floor guide wasn't specific enough, so I went up to the second floor to the information counter where an older version of me gruffly handed me the appropriate form and told me to go to Counter A.
I was lucky in that I only needed to transfer my visa and re-entry permit into my new passport. There was none of that need to buy the purchase stamps so I could just head straight into the line. Things certainly looked pretty grand and modern inside this new Immigration Bureau. It had an airport terminal air about it...all pastel colours and sterility.
It was another 25 minutes of waiting. I started to reminisce about my times waiting in line at the TD Bank. However, at about 8:55, five minutes ahead of schedule, the shutters opened at the counter, and there was a small phalanx of uniformed women ready to take care of our needs. Japanese efficiency at its peak. Since I was 5th in line, I was fortunate that the phalanx consisted of 6 women. I just handed in my passports, the signed form and my gaijin card, and the woman gave me a slip with the number 2. I would wait until that number was called at Section 2 just a few metres away.
Wow, I thought. I would be the second person to get out of there. Not that easy, though. The counter started with 1 logically enough. However, then it spurted to 4 and then 17 and then...well,you get the message. I thought it was giving out a football play. One woman had a slight panic attack and asked what was going on. The woman who handled me told the surprised lady that the numbers didn't indicate order of service but instead the case number. I have to admit that the staff were very good. They were polite but firm and brooked no dissent. I harboured a brief fear that Case No. 2 would be the 50th or 100th person served. However, that fear was nullified when my number was called and I got my passports back. She asked me to confirm that the visa and re-entry stamps had been accurately written up and then she told me to report to my local city hall to register the change on my gaijin card.
So, a half-hour wait outside, another half-hour inside and 25 minutes of processing...I only had to endure Immigration for less than the length of an average movie and half of my TIME. Still, I'm glad that I showed up as early as I did. I don't think I would have been nearly as lucky if I had come later on.
Basically, that was it in terms of my business in Tokyo. I have no lessons to teach, so I just made my way back home. It was a bit funny coming back home to see that most of the shops and restaurants still hadn't opened yet. It almost felt like I were coming back from the graveyard shift. The heat was definitely back although the morning had actually been rather pleasant. We will break the record of consecutive days over 30 degrees today and probably extend it by several weeks. I could have gone over to City Hall today and got that updating of the card but I figure that one visit to bureaucracy was all that I could stand so I'm just gonna enjoy life and just clean up a bit at home. I've got Movie Buddy making a reservation at Hotel Allan this Saturday with DVDs which probably means that his girlfriend is busy with her buddies this weekend. I'm a bit reluctant to let him come over since it is the summer and my place simply isn't too comfy during the dog days but he is a good friend. I know that he'll probably sleep with the air conditioner on overnight since he's not too acclimated to the heat. I just hope that the AC doesn't rumble too loudly. Actually, we're also catching RIDDICK earlier in the day after my lessons with the kids. I've asked Skippy if she'd like to join us but I haven't received any reply. I kinda doubt that she'll tag along this time, though. MB said that he would also ask The Hawaiian.
Looks like the Olympics are on already 2 full days before the Opening Ceremonies. And Japan has gotten off to a good start with its women's soccer team. The ladies took good care of the Swedish team 1-0. However, after hearing that a lot of the infrastructure is still not in full operational mode, I am wondering how well the security and logistics will hold. Memories of Munich and Montreal (which is still paying off its debt from 1976) come to mind. But with no less than the US Sixth Fleet being a part of the security detail, I think it would take a pretty herculean effort by Al Qaeda to make any sort of dent in Athens.
Well, I woke up early and headed out to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau. I noticed that my timing was quite good as the subways and trains were a lot emptier than usual due to the O-Bon holidays. I could actually get a seat which is rare on a regular day even at the early time of before 7 a.m.
When I reached JR Shinagawa, I headed out to the East Exit and found a lot of English signs pointing the way to the bus for the TRIB. I'm sure with the numbers of gaijin from all over the Kanto, the signs were necessary. A ten-minute ride later, the bus stopped right in front of the entrance itself at 8 a.m. I never got a whole look at the building but from the literature and the floor guide, the place is supposed to be rather humongous.
There were already about a dozen people scattered about the entrance with a small fraction creating a small line in front of the automatic doors (the doors wouldn't open until 8:30). The first group seemed to be a group of Chinese and their representative lawyerly type.My first impression was that they made up the majority of the initial group. A Falun Gong member was trying to hand out literature which I politely declined. I spent the half-hour going through the Olympic issue of TIME.
Another much smaller line started to form in front of the second set of doors. At first I wondered if I were in the right line, but since the doors opened up into the same lobby, it didn't really matter. That point was further emphasized when the security guards finally opened the doors and there was a mad dash into the elevators and up the escalator; the lines were just a mere formality. As such, I just let the masses fly in while I checked out where I was supposed to go. The floor guide wasn't specific enough, so I went up to the second floor to the information counter where an older version of me gruffly handed me the appropriate form and told me to go to Counter A.
I was lucky in that I only needed to transfer my visa and re-entry permit into my new passport. There was none of that need to buy the purchase stamps so I could just head straight into the line. Things certainly looked pretty grand and modern inside this new Immigration Bureau. It had an airport terminal air about it...all pastel colours and sterility.
It was another 25 minutes of waiting. I started to reminisce about my times waiting in line at the TD Bank. However, at about 8:55, five minutes ahead of schedule, the shutters opened at the counter, and there was a small phalanx of uniformed women ready to take care of our needs. Japanese efficiency at its peak. Since I was 5th in line, I was fortunate that the phalanx consisted of 6 women. I just handed in my passports, the signed form and my gaijin card, and the woman gave me a slip with the number 2. I would wait until that number was called at Section 2 just a few metres away.
Wow, I thought. I would be the second person to get out of there. Not that easy, though. The counter started with 1 logically enough. However, then it spurted to 4 and then 17 and then...well,you get the message. I thought it was giving out a football play. One woman had a slight panic attack and asked what was going on. The woman who handled me told the surprised lady that the numbers didn't indicate order of service but instead the case number. I have to admit that the staff were very good. They were polite but firm and brooked no dissent. I harboured a brief fear that Case No. 2 would be the 50th or 100th person served. However, that fear was nullified when my number was called and I got my passports back. She asked me to confirm that the visa and re-entry stamps had been accurately written up and then she told me to report to my local city hall to register the change on my gaijin card.
So, a half-hour wait outside, another half-hour inside and 25 minutes of processing...I only had to endure Immigration for less than the length of an average movie and half of my TIME. Still, I'm glad that I showed up as early as I did. I don't think I would have been nearly as lucky if I had come later on.
Basically, that was it in terms of my business in Tokyo. I have no lessons to teach, so I just made my way back home. It was a bit funny coming back home to see that most of the shops and restaurants still hadn't opened yet. It almost felt like I were coming back from the graveyard shift. The heat was definitely back although the morning had actually been rather pleasant. We will break the record of consecutive days over 30 degrees today and probably extend it by several weeks. I could have gone over to City Hall today and got that updating of the card but I figure that one visit to bureaucracy was all that I could stand so I'm just gonna enjoy life and just clean up a bit at home. I've got Movie Buddy making a reservation at Hotel Allan this Saturday with DVDs which probably means that his girlfriend is busy with her buddies this weekend. I'm a bit reluctant to let him come over since it is the summer and my place simply isn't too comfy during the dog days but he is a good friend. I know that he'll probably sleep with the air conditioner on overnight since he's not too acclimated to the heat. I just hope that the AC doesn't rumble too loudly. Actually, we're also catching RIDDICK earlier in the day after my lessons with the kids. I've asked Skippy if she'd like to join us but I haven't received any reply. I kinda doubt that she'll tag along this time, though. MB said that he would also ask The Hawaiian.
Looks like the Olympics are on already 2 full days before the Opening Ceremonies. And Japan has gotten off to a good start with its women's soccer team. The ladies took good care of the Swedish team 1-0. However, after hearing that a lot of the infrastructure is still not in full operational mode, I am wondering how well the security and logistics will hold. Memories of Munich and Montreal (which is still paying off its debt from 1976) come to mind. But with no less than the US Sixth Fleet being a part of the security detail, I think it would take a pretty herculean effort by Al Qaeda to make any sort of dent in Athens.
Wednesday August 11, 9:14 p.m.
Got prepped for the long wait at Immigration by getting a couple of magazines. Looks like I'll have to wake up somewhat earlier tomorrow if I'm to get serviced early enough when the place opens.
The Biologist didn't seem too impressed with me today although I could be reading too deeply into things. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it were indeed the case. In any case, I just have one more lesson with her so if she can endure the last two hours, we won't ever have to worry ever again.
Some of my ol' buddies from the oil company contacted me tonight to see if I'm up for another get-together. Looks like the next meeting will be in mid-September.
I was reading through the new and improved METROPOLIS magazine to read an in-depth analysis of the current Bobby Fischer kerfuffle here in Japan. As a kid, I remember him as being the wunderkind of international chess. Too bad he ended up being a Hitler nutjob wannabe. To give some background, Fischer had been on the run from the US, which he has slagged to extremely far ends, at one point, publicly applauding the 9/11 attacks. He apparently had a match with his arch-rival Boris Spassky in war-torn Yugoslavia, contrary to US government orders. Since then, he's never bothered to return to answer charges for his "crime". However, one day, he entered Japan, a country that he had once treasured as a sanctuary, only to be indefinitely detained and have his passport revoked in what is looking to be an American ploy to drag the former chessmaster back home. The story is just begging to be told as a movie or an HBO special.
Got prepped for the long wait at Immigration by getting a couple of magazines. Looks like I'll have to wake up somewhat earlier tomorrow if I'm to get serviced early enough when the place opens.
The Biologist didn't seem too impressed with me today although I could be reading too deeply into things. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it were indeed the case. In any case, I just have one more lesson with her so if she can endure the last two hours, we won't ever have to worry ever again.
Some of my ol' buddies from the oil company contacted me tonight to see if I'm up for another get-together. Looks like the next meeting will be in mid-September.
I was reading through the new and improved METROPOLIS magazine to read an in-depth analysis of the current Bobby Fischer kerfuffle here in Japan. As a kid, I remember him as being the wunderkind of international chess. Too bad he ended up being a Hitler nutjob wannabe. To give some background, Fischer had been on the run from the US, which he has slagged to extremely far ends, at one point, publicly applauding the 9/11 attacks. He apparently had a match with his arch-rival Boris Spassky in war-torn Yugoslavia, contrary to US government orders. Since then, he's never bothered to return to answer charges for his "crime". However, one day, he entered Japan, a country that he had once treasured as a sanctuary, only to be indefinitely detained and have his passport revoked in what is looking to be an American ploy to drag the former chessmaster back home. The story is just begging to be told as a movie or an HBO special.
Monday, August 09, 2004
Monday August 9, 11:15 p.m.
My trip to the Embassy was short and sweet. Picked up my new passport. Now, the second phase is to head over to Immigration on Thursday.
I played it safe at Aoyama Twin for lunch. I just went to the local Subway sandwich branch. Then, I headed up to Shinjuku where i basically spent the next few hours just drinking stuff, reading TIME and prepping for the company class. As I predicted, I was nodding off pretty easily in the heat and humidity.
I actually saw the Prez for the first time in over a month. He was his usual garrulous self as he groused about The Iconoclast again. The class itself wasn't too bad; we had a good talk about the Ramen Museum.
Had a bit of an incident north of Tokyo in the Mihama Nuclear Power Station. 4 workers were killed by the steam leak but no radiation which probably explained the lack of extensive coverage on the media outlets.
Got e-mail from Skippy. Looks like she's back on her feet after her stomach problem from last night.
Well, tomorrow will be virtually a day off except for that one house call with the juku student. I won't need to leave the apartment until 8:30 in the evening. I figure that I'll probably use the time to scrub the tatami mats and air out the mattresses.
My trip to the Embassy was short and sweet. Picked up my new passport. Now, the second phase is to head over to Immigration on Thursday.
I played it safe at Aoyama Twin for lunch. I just went to the local Subway sandwich branch. Then, I headed up to Shinjuku where i basically spent the next few hours just drinking stuff, reading TIME and prepping for the company class. As I predicted, I was nodding off pretty easily in the heat and humidity.
I actually saw the Prez for the first time in over a month. He was his usual garrulous self as he groused about The Iconoclast again. The class itself wasn't too bad; we had a good talk about the Ramen Museum.
Had a bit of an incident north of Tokyo in the Mihama Nuclear Power Station. 4 workers were killed by the steam leak but no radiation which probably explained the lack of extensive coverage on the media outlets.
Got e-mail from Skippy. Looks like she's back on her feet after her stomach problem from last night.
Well, tomorrow will be virtually a day off except for that one house call with the juku student. I won't need to leave the apartment until 8:30 in the evening. I figure that I'll probably use the time to scrub the tatami mats and air out the mattresses.
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Monday August 9, 7:39 a.m.
Had my 6 hours of sleep...none the worse for wear although I'll probably feel it later on in the day. Woke up to 26 degrees and it'll head to 33, the 35th day in a row that we've been over the big 3-0. Serenity now! However, I think I'm getting used to life on the sun. I still need to buy some heavy-duty sunblock.
Just getting some a rather load of laundry done right now. One good thing about this weather is that I won't have to worry about rain. These clothes ought to be bone-dry within an hour.
The big news is seeing the Japanese Olympic team hitting Athens a few days ahead of the Opening Ceremonies. Yes, believe it or not. Athens is getting an Olympics underway this week.
I just have the Iconoclast's old company tonight for a class. Not sure what I'm gonna do after I get my passport. It'd probably be way too late to head for Immigration so I'll have 6 hours to kill all told. I'll definitely head for someplace frostily air-conditioned.
Had my 6 hours of sleep...none the worse for wear although I'll probably feel it later on in the day. Woke up to 26 degrees and it'll head to 33, the 35th day in a row that we've been over the big 3-0. Serenity now! However, I think I'm getting used to life on the sun. I still need to buy some heavy-duty sunblock.
Just getting some a rather load of laundry done right now. One good thing about this weather is that I won't have to worry about rain. These clothes ought to be bone-dry within an hour.
The big news is seeing the Japanese Olympic team hitting Athens a few days ahead of the Opening Ceremonies. Yes, believe it or not. Athens is getting an Olympics underway this week.
I just have the Iconoclast's old company tonight for a class. Not sure what I'm gonna do after I get my passport. It'd probably be way too late to head for Immigration so I'll have 6 hours to kill all told. I'll definitely head for someplace frostily air-conditioned.
Monday August 9, 1:19 a.m.
Another long day out. I met The Jazz Buddy for her lesson. Before she came, I was sitting in front of an obvious tourist couple from the States. They were considering about where to go in Tokyo. I would have helped them but they were taking some bites out of each other, so I decided that they should suffer by themselves.
JB entered just as the Bickersons left. She was actually rather on top of things yesterday and we had a nice talk on various kinds of music to wrap the lesson up. For lunch, I took her out to Foo Foo. She appreciated the fact that there was a Ladies' Set, the "Ladies'" part being the inclusion of a tiny mango pudding to go with her noodles and gyoza.
The next couple of hours was spent looking around the various stores in Shinjuku for a present for Gabby. I was finally able to get the lass an apron in the basement of Isetan but JB couldn't make up her mind by the time everyone congregated.
Seeing that both The Scarecrow and Movie Buddy declined the invitation I thought I would be the only teacher there. However, I was rather surprised to see The Songbird chatting with Skippy outside of Mizuho. Then, Jazz Veteran, OA and the Golfer showed up. OA said that the guest of honour and her boyfriend would be showing up late so we went ahead across the street to an aptly named place called The Piggy's Kitchen, a restaurant which specialized in pork dishes. I have to admit that the belated lunch didn't really spark my appetite and to be honest, I wasn't all that amazed by the fare. The pork didn't really grab me and the cocktails were rather on the light side. However, I did enjoy chatting it up with The Songbird for the first time in several months since her departure from the school. I was surprised when Gabby and the Kid came since they also dragged in The Rapper, another old former teacher. His appearance was a rather strange cameo though. During the time I was in the Boys' Room, he took a rather abrupt and, judging from the slight tension around the table, not the most quietest leave. He even left his pack of Luckys and lighter on the table.
Gabby, The Kid and OA were having one of their usual mock-bickering sessions. I can only imagine that there will be a lot of tears when Gabby finally takes off in a couple of weeks for Stateside. Another interesting development was that Skippy, our grand Poobah for this party, was apparently heaving chunks in the washroom according to the Songbird. She'd said that she was suffering from a hangover; I guess that the hangover still had a few kicks for her. In any case, she was out for the rest of the evening. However, JV, JB, The Kid, The Songbird, and I followed through on the second party at karaoke. The Maid later joined us there.
Well, this week will surely be quiet. Virtually everyday will only have one class except for Wednesday's lessons with The Biologist and The Office Lady. I gotta go pick up my new passport in the morning and then I have my regular company class in the afternoon.
Another long day out. I met The Jazz Buddy for her lesson. Before she came, I was sitting in front of an obvious tourist couple from the States. They were considering about where to go in Tokyo. I would have helped them but they were taking some bites out of each other, so I decided that they should suffer by themselves.
JB entered just as the Bickersons left. She was actually rather on top of things yesterday and we had a nice talk on various kinds of music to wrap the lesson up. For lunch, I took her out to Foo Foo. She appreciated the fact that there was a Ladies' Set, the "Ladies'" part being the inclusion of a tiny mango pudding to go with her noodles and gyoza.
The next couple of hours was spent looking around the various stores in Shinjuku for a present for Gabby. I was finally able to get the lass an apron in the basement of Isetan but JB couldn't make up her mind by the time everyone congregated.
Seeing that both The Scarecrow and Movie Buddy declined the invitation I thought I would be the only teacher there. However, I was rather surprised to see The Songbird chatting with Skippy outside of Mizuho. Then, Jazz Veteran, OA and the Golfer showed up. OA said that the guest of honour and her boyfriend would be showing up late so we went ahead across the street to an aptly named place called The Piggy's Kitchen, a restaurant which specialized in pork dishes. I have to admit that the belated lunch didn't really spark my appetite and to be honest, I wasn't all that amazed by the fare. The pork didn't really grab me and the cocktails were rather on the light side. However, I did enjoy chatting it up with The Songbird for the first time in several months since her departure from the school. I was surprised when Gabby and the Kid came since they also dragged in The Rapper, another old former teacher. His appearance was a rather strange cameo though. During the time I was in the Boys' Room, he took a rather abrupt and, judging from the slight tension around the table, not the most quietest leave. He even left his pack of Luckys and lighter on the table.
Gabby, The Kid and OA were having one of their usual mock-bickering sessions. I can only imagine that there will be a lot of tears when Gabby finally takes off in a couple of weeks for Stateside. Another interesting development was that Skippy, our grand Poobah for this party, was apparently heaving chunks in the washroom according to the Songbird. She'd said that she was suffering from a hangover; I guess that the hangover still had a few kicks for her. In any case, she was out for the rest of the evening. However, JV, JB, The Kid, The Songbird, and I followed through on the second party at karaoke. The Maid later joined us there.
Well, this week will surely be quiet. Virtually everyday will only have one class except for Wednesday's lessons with The Biologist and The Office Lady. I gotta go pick up my new passport in the morning and then I have my regular company class in the afternoon.
Saturday, August 07, 2004
Sunday August 8, 8:16 a.m.
Well, the Japanese soccer team got that 2nd championship in Beijing. Not surprisingly, there was a lot of hard feelings from a number of the Chinese over the victory. It was very much a case of letting the contingent of Japanese fans who had come over to support the team that they have neither forgotten nor forgiven the last century.
Speaking of partisan nastiness, what's up with this sudden attack on John Kerry's war record? Kinda smacks of disingenuousness. While I was on the Internet over at the Pan Pacific yesterday morning, I checked out JibJab's now-famous take on "This Land Is Our Land" with the paper cutout animation of the players in this election. Hilarious!
The Cartoon Network in their eminent wisdom decided to show all of the mere snippets of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as one little movie last night. Acting was still as hackneyed as in the live-action version but at least the fact that it was animated softened the blow. However, that same fact gave free rein and full creativity to how each of the Jedi Masters fight. All I can say is that Mace Windu is The Man! Also, in a bit of Boba Fett Origin homage, I got a sneak preview of the next big villain for Episode 3 in the very last snippet.
Another big exodus is on as the metropolises empty for O-Bon. I'm hoping that it will translate into a lot more room on the subways for the next week. It will be another sparse week for me. Mind you, I will have time to do things such as pick up my passport tomorrow. Then, I can use all of Thursday to head over to the dreaded Immigration Building in Shinagawa to transfer my visa and re-entry permit. It's a shame, really....there used to be the main office in Otemachi and a number of small branches all over the Kanto to assist foreigners. However with the depressed economy, everything had to be amalgamated into one mother of a complex a bus ride away from JR Shinagawa. Now, every foreigner in the entire Kanto has to converge there. It'll be back to early morning arrivals. I'm planning to bring a lot of magazines and crosswords. Lucky, I don't have any classes that day.
Well, the Japanese soccer team got that 2nd championship in Beijing. Not surprisingly, there was a lot of hard feelings from a number of the Chinese over the victory. It was very much a case of letting the contingent of Japanese fans who had come over to support the team that they have neither forgotten nor forgiven the last century.
Speaking of partisan nastiness, what's up with this sudden attack on John Kerry's war record? Kinda smacks of disingenuousness. While I was on the Internet over at the Pan Pacific yesterday morning, I checked out JibJab's now-famous take on "This Land Is Our Land" with the paper cutout animation of the players in this election. Hilarious!
The Cartoon Network in their eminent wisdom decided to show all of the mere snippets of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as one little movie last night. Acting was still as hackneyed as in the live-action version but at least the fact that it was animated softened the blow. However, that same fact gave free rein and full creativity to how each of the Jedi Masters fight. All I can say is that Mace Windu is The Man! Also, in a bit of Boba Fett Origin homage, I got a sneak preview of the next big villain for Episode 3 in the very last snippet.
Another big exodus is on as the metropolises empty for O-Bon. I'm hoping that it will translate into a lot more room on the subways for the next week. It will be another sparse week for me. Mind you, I will have time to do things such as pick up my passport tomorrow. Then, I can use all of Thursday to head over to the dreaded Immigration Building in Shinagawa to transfer my visa and re-entry permit. It's a shame, really....there used to be the main office in Otemachi and a number of small branches all over the Kanto to assist foreigners. However with the depressed economy, everything had to be amalgamated into one mother of a complex a bus ride away from JR Shinagawa. Now, every foreigner in the entire Kanto has to converge there. It'll be back to early morning arrivals. I'm planning to bring a lot of magazines and crosswords. Lucky, I don't have any classes that day.
Saturday August 7, 5:56 p.m.
Back from Yokohama. I'm glad that I could get my mind off of work for over 24 hours but I'm still exhausted from the heat and humidity although it looks rather threatening out there. Glad I got home when I did.
After my last entry, I spent a few hours back up in my room watching the Yankees on NHK Satellite 1 (it seems to have become a tradition with me and the Yankees and a hotel room...don't snicker). They managed to shellack the Blue Jays 13-4. However, I've been away long enough from the ol' hometown that I didn't really feel all that much pain seeing ol' Delgado and team get killed.
When I checked out, there was a rather long line of people ahead of me but it managed to move along quickly. Meanwhile, in the hotel's continuing campaign to bring a little Honolulu, there was a ukelele band playing Don Ho stuff.
My first stop was to head up the Landmark Tower up to their 69th-floor observation deck. It boasted the world's fastest elevator and it certainly felt that way as my ears approached explosive pressures. I took some quick snaps of the surrounding Yokohama scenery and then headed back down. Then, I took a bus to the uphill Foreigners' Quarter. The area certainly looked quaint with a lot of old wooden Western-style houses. There was the famous Foreigners' Cemetery whose headstones I could take pictures of without having to enter the place because the stone fence was so low. I walked down the main street for about half a kilometre before figuring that it was just going to be just residential stuff. Then I made the U-turn and took a quick left downhill to the trendy Motomachi district. Unlike the neon and chaos of Chinatown just a block away, Motomachi was all trendy and white. They had some high school girls directing traffic, too.
My final stop was up to the Ramen Museum. It was a bit of a disappointment in that the place was packed with people. I couldn't really appreciate the mock-up of old 50s Tokyo since there were so many people crammed in line for the individual restaurants. However, I did manage to find one place, Kurume Ramen, which only required a 5-minute wait. The way-more popular ones had people waiting for an hour! The ramen I had was of the thick pork bone broth variety. The place had that downtown stink but the soup was good. After that, I made a hasty way out and back to Tokyo which took a good 2 hours with all of the trains and transfers.
Now, it's kinda back to work. I've got to prep for the Jazz Buddy's class tomorrow.
Back from Yokohama. I'm glad that I could get my mind off of work for over 24 hours but I'm still exhausted from the heat and humidity although it looks rather threatening out there. Glad I got home when I did.
After my last entry, I spent a few hours back up in my room watching the Yankees on NHK Satellite 1 (it seems to have become a tradition with me and the Yankees and a hotel room...don't snicker). They managed to shellack the Blue Jays 13-4. However, I've been away long enough from the ol' hometown that I didn't really feel all that much pain seeing ol' Delgado and team get killed.
When I checked out, there was a rather long line of people ahead of me but it managed to move along quickly. Meanwhile, in the hotel's continuing campaign to bring a little Honolulu, there was a ukelele band playing Don Ho stuff.
My first stop was to head up the Landmark Tower up to their 69th-floor observation deck. It boasted the world's fastest elevator and it certainly felt that way as my ears approached explosive pressures. I took some quick snaps of the surrounding Yokohama scenery and then headed back down. Then, I took a bus to the uphill Foreigners' Quarter. The area certainly looked quaint with a lot of old wooden Western-style houses. There was the famous Foreigners' Cemetery whose headstones I could take pictures of without having to enter the place because the stone fence was so low. I walked down the main street for about half a kilometre before figuring that it was just going to be just residential stuff. Then I made the U-turn and took a quick left downhill to the trendy Motomachi district. Unlike the neon and chaos of Chinatown just a block away, Motomachi was all trendy and white. They had some high school girls directing traffic, too.
My final stop was up to the Ramen Museum. It was a bit of a disappointment in that the place was packed with people. I couldn't really appreciate the mock-up of old 50s Tokyo since there were so many people crammed in line for the individual restaurants. However, I did manage to find one place, Kurume Ramen, which only required a 5-minute wait. The way-more popular ones had people waiting for an hour! The ramen I had was of the thick pork bone broth variety. The place had that downtown stink but the soup was good. After that, I made a hasty way out and back to Tokyo which took a good 2 hours with all of the trains and transfers.
Now, it's kinda back to work. I've got to prep for the Jazz Buddy's class tomorrow.
Friday, August 06, 2004
Saturday August 7, 7:55 a.m.
Currently doing this entry from the Pan-Pacific in Yokohama. Pretty nice hotel but I gotta admit, though, that my room doesn't seem all that different from the place I had up in Sapporo a couple of months back and it was quite a bit cheaper. Goes to show how prices are in the Kanto...
Mind you, the amenities are rather nice; my room has a good view of the Minato Mirai area, including the huge Ferris wheel. Plus, the bathroom is quite generous: big bathtub, separate shower booth and toilet area. The staff are also very friendly although with this current Hawaiian campaign that they're on, I almost felt like I checked into Maui. It is definitely a higher-grade hotel in that a young lady took my little bag up to the room and explained everything to me...seemed a bit Stepfordian, though.
Last night, I just traipsed through Chinatown....I'm glad that they made that Minato Mirai Line; it certainly makes the trip down there a whole lot easier and shorter. Chinatown isn't all that different from my last visit there. However, it was rather difficult to find a place to eat since all of their specials start from 2 people, and since I was a solo, I ended up going to a buffet place near the station. Not bad...it kinda reminds me of The Mandarin buffet back in Toronto, although I'm sure some of the purists will probably blanch in horror. For me, though, the words "Chinese" and "buffet" will always go together like "Adam" and "Eve".
After taking that well-needed bath and shower, I retired a bit earlier than usual but got up pretty early. Had my breakfast buffet (yes, another buffet...but then again, I am here to enjoy myself) in the hotel cafe. Good food and service.
I'll be checking out in about 3 hours. I'll see if I can head up the Landmark Tower to the observation deck before checking out the Foreigners' Quarter via the Blue Line Bus. Then, after that, I'll check out Motomachi before making my last stop at the Ramen Museum.
Since we're entering the O-Bon festival from this weekend, the 40-km traffic jams have already started. Luckily, I'm headed in the opposite direction.
Currently doing this entry from the Pan-Pacific in Yokohama. Pretty nice hotel but I gotta admit, though, that my room doesn't seem all that different from the place I had up in Sapporo a couple of months back and it was quite a bit cheaper. Goes to show how prices are in the Kanto...
Mind you, the amenities are rather nice; my room has a good view of the Minato Mirai area, including the huge Ferris wheel. Plus, the bathroom is quite generous: big bathtub, separate shower booth and toilet area. The staff are also very friendly although with this current Hawaiian campaign that they're on, I almost felt like I checked into Maui. It is definitely a higher-grade hotel in that a young lady took my little bag up to the room and explained everything to me...seemed a bit Stepfordian, though.
Last night, I just traipsed through Chinatown....I'm glad that they made that Minato Mirai Line; it certainly makes the trip down there a whole lot easier and shorter. Chinatown isn't all that different from my last visit there. However, it was rather difficult to find a place to eat since all of their specials start from 2 people, and since I was a solo, I ended up going to a buffet place near the station. Not bad...it kinda reminds me of The Mandarin buffet back in Toronto, although I'm sure some of the purists will probably blanch in horror. For me, though, the words "Chinese" and "buffet" will always go together like "Adam" and "Eve".
After taking that well-needed bath and shower, I retired a bit earlier than usual but got up pretty early. Had my breakfast buffet (yes, another buffet...but then again, I am here to enjoy myself) in the hotel cafe. Good food and service.
I'll be checking out in about 3 hours. I'll see if I can head up the Landmark Tower to the observation deck before checking out the Foreigners' Quarter via the Blue Line Bus. Then, after that, I'll check out Motomachi before making my last stop at the Ramen Museum.
Since we're entering the O-Bon festival from this weekend, the 40-km traffic jams have already started. Luckily, I'm headed in the opposite direction.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Friday August 6, 8:16 a.m.
59 years today, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. NHK is doing its annual ritual of showing the Peace Park festivities. Something to never forget. Ironically, off in China, the natives are also letting the Japanese soccer team know that they will never forget (or forgive) events of that time. I'm not too disturbed by the booing and heckling though...probably just a regular day at Yankee Stadium for most opposing teams.
I met up with the Jazz Buddy yesterday in Shinjuku. She was pretty somnabulent as usual...just not too good in the mornings, I guess. Looks like she'll be coming to Gabby's farewell party after all, though. I got a bit of insight about the dynamics between Skippy and the rest of her fellows at the school. JB remarked that she didn't know really know her all that well but her impression was that Skippy tends to be a bit overbearing in her opinions and that she doesn't realize it. Sounds like a lot of other "leader" students from previous years. In any case, I'll be meeting JB on Sunday for another lesson and then spending much of the day with her before meeting up with the rest for the farewell party.
My first lesson with the QB's friend, The Programmer, turned out as much as I had expected. I met him in Ikebukuro and we went to the cafe in Libro Books...which is even quieter than the Tea Room. My assessment is that he doesn't really need regular lessons and I hinted that to him. He just needs some proofreading for his documents and some vocabulary if he asks for it...nothing really for me to see him that often so I'm quite happy to keep any meetings to a biweekly schedule.
Between my two clients, I had my occasional lunch at Foo Foo; the waitress screwed up my order and just got me that sole bowl of spicy ramen instead of the whole lunch but as it turned out, I was pretty satisfied with that sole bowl. Then, I did a half-hour on broadband at Kinkos since my computer was going through one of its uncooperative moods (my ScanDisk put it in its place last night). Amazing this broadband...kinda like going from a schleppy Edsel to a sleek Lamborghini.
Since I still had several hours before meeting The Programmer, I ended up catching Shrek 2 in Ikebukuro. Yes, lots of in-jokes for the blockbuster movie fan and certainly Puss n' Boots made quite an impression on the audience...though I can't really agree that Antonio was that much of the scene-stealer. All in all, it was an entertaining 90 minutes but I'm a bit leery about the plans to make Shrek 3 and 4 knowing The Law of Diminishing Returns of Sequels. It'd be a shame to see the franchise head the way of Rocky or Superman by overrreaching.
Well, I do my little mini-trip out to Yokohama today. Just have The Teacher a half-hour earlier than usual and then I head on out to the west. I still haven't packed but it's pretty easy. Lookin' forward to spending a luxurious night. Cotton pyjamas, a bathtub AND shower cabin, all rooms with broadband access...yes, I'm there. My big decision is to whether head out to Chinatown tonight for dinner (which may be crowded and expensive) or wait to do dim sum tomorrow afternoon.
Decisions, decisions....
59 years today, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. NHK is doing its annual ritual of showing the Peace Park festivities. Something to never forget. Ironically, off in China, the natives are also letting the Japanese soccer team know that they will never forget (or forgive) events of that time. I'm not too disturbed by the booing and heckling though...probably just a regular day at Yankee Stadium for most opposing teams.
I met up with the Jazz Buddy yesterday in Shinjuku. She was pretty somnabulent as usual...just not too good in the mornings, I guess. Looks like she'll be coming to Gabby's farewell party after all, though. I got a bit of insight about the dynamics between Skippy and the rest of her fellows at the school. JB remarked that she didn't know really know her all that well but her impression was that Skippy tends to be a bit overbearing in her opinions and that she doesn't realize it. Sounds like a lot of other "leader" students from previous years. In any case, I'll be meeting JB on Sunday for another lesson and then spending much of the day with her before meeting up with the rest for the farewell party.
My first lesson with the QB's friend, The Programmer, turned out as much as I had expected. I met him in Ikebukuro and we went to the cafe in Libro Books...which is even quieter than the Tea Room. My assessment is that he doesn't really need regular lessons and I hinted that to him. He just needs some proofreading for his documents and some vocabulary if he asks for it...nothing really for me to see him that often so I'm quite happy to keep any meetings to a biweekly schedule.
Between my two clients, I had my occasional lunch at Foo Foo; the waitress screwed up my order and just got me that sole bowl of spicy ramen instead of the whole lunch but as it turned out, I was pretty satisfied with that sole bowl. Then, I did a half-hour on broadband at Kinkos since my computer was going through one of its uncooperative moods (my ScanDisk put it in its place last night). Amazing this broadband...kinda like going from a schleppy Edsel to a sleek Lamborghini.
Since I still had several hours before meeting The Programmer, I ended up catching Shrek 2 in Ikebukuro. Yes, lots of in-jokes for the blockbuster movie fan and certainly Puss n' Boots made quite an impression on the audience...though I can't really agree that Antonio was that much of the scene-stealer. All in all, it was an entertaining 90 minutes but I'm a bit leery about the plans to make Shrek 3 and 4 knowing The Law of Diminishing Returns of Sequels. It'd be a shame to see the franchise head the way of Rocky or Superman by overrreaching.
Well, I do my little mini-trip out to Yokohama today. Just have The Teacher a half-hour earlier than usual and then I head on out to the west. I still haven't packed but it's pretty easy. Lookin' forward to spending a luxurious night. Cotton pyjamas, a bathtub AND shower cabin, all rooms with broadband access...yes, I'm there. My big decision is to whether head out to Chinatown tonight for dinner (which may be crowded and expensive) or wait to do dim sum tomorrow afternoon.
Decisions, decisions....
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Wednesday August 4, 9:51 p.m.
Had another good lesson (well, at least to me anyways) with the Biologist. And the lesson with the OL was fine as usual. Felt pretty drained, though, due to another scorching day. I'm counting the days before the Fall gets here, or more accurately, when Fall-like temps come to town. It probably won't be for another 6 weeks.
Looks like I've got my two students set for tomorrow: Jazz Buddy at 11 and then the QB's buddy at 7:30 in Ikebukuro which leaves me with 6 hours of nothing in between. Maybe I'll catch Shrek 2 somewhere after having lunch. JB has also consented to come for Gabby's farewell as well. Well, there may be hope.
Had another good lesson (well, at least to me anyways) with the Biologist. And the lesson with the OL was fine as usual. Felt pretty drained, though, due to another scorching day. I'm counting the days before the Fall gets here, or more accurately, when Fall-like temps come to town. It probably won't be for another 6 weeks.
Looks like I've got my two students set for tomorrow: Jazz Buddy at 11 and then the QB's buddy at 7:30 in Ikebukuro which leaves me with 6 hours of nothing in between. Maybe I'll catch Shrek 2 somewhere after having lunch. JB has also consented to come for Gabby's farewell as well. Well, there may be hope.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Tuesday August 3, 10:58 p.m.
Another quiet day today. My two classes went smoothly; it was nice to see that I still have the chops to teach. As expected, the final student didn't come but it looks like I'll be paying a house call next week to his apartment to do his class.
I've got another late day tomorrow starting with the Biologist. Then, the Office Lady said that she'll be showing up at the regular time. I'm not quite sure when the Biologist will be heading back to school. Most likely I have at least one more week with her before she takes off.
As I left to head off to the juku, I could hear that the cicadas were screaming very loudly. It's been quite the hot summer this year. In fact, I saw a couple of them just lying down on the ground soaking up some rays...really.
My "diet" of sorts seems to have worked too well. I was rather famished when I got back, so I dropped off at the supermarket and bought a small pack of fried chicken as a late-night snack. Well, I figure a little treat shouldn't be too bad.
Another quiet day today. My two classes went smoothly; it was nice to see that I still have the chops to teach. As expected, the final student didn't come but it looks like I'll be paying a house call next week to his apartment to do his class.
I've got another late day tomorrow starting with the Biologist. Then, the Office Lady said that she'll be showing up at the regular time. I'm not quite sure when the Biologist will be heading back to school. Most likely I have at least one more week with her before she takes off.
As I left to head off to the juku, I could hear that the cicadas were screaming very loudly. It's been quite the hot summer this year. In fact, I saw a couple of them just lying down on the ground soaking up some rays...really.
My "diet" of sorts seems to have worked too well. I was rather famished when I got back, so I dropped off at the supermarket and bought a small pack of fried chicken as a late-night snack. Well, I figure a little treat shouldn't be too bad.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Monday August 2, 10:01 p.m.
It was a quiet weekend...quiet enough so that I didn't really need to add any entry. Typhoon 10 managed to leave quite an imprint on western Japan...one place got 1000 mm in an hour. The other big news items were Crown Princess Masako's diagnosis of her depression as "adjustment stress" (going from a high-flying career as a member of the Foreign Ministry to the highly stultifiying role as future Empress can do that to one), and former PM Hashimoto's resignation as the leader of his LDP faction due to some sort of bribery scandal. However, I've also just heard that some raging sociopath stabbed 7 folks to death in Hyogo Prefecture. Nice to hear that the psychotic fringe is alive and well.
As for me, I was back in action after nearly 3 days of layoff. I wasn't too rusty; I just had my usual Monday regulars. Between lessons, I had some time to use my full HMV card to get a bossa nova CD and magazine for a discount and then visit The Maple Leaf for lunch. Not too bad in price; in fact, I think I may have been undercharged for my burger and Coke. And the place was almost deserted except for a group of nattering women. Then, I headed up to Shinjuku where I made my roost in that concrete plaza for about an hour. The heat wasn't nearly as bad as two weeks ago but I was still nodding off due to my lunch slowly digesting in my stomach. I'm happy to hear,though, that my relative culinary abstinence has had some dividends; my morning student remarked that my face looked a bit less Jabba-like.
Looks like the Quarterback's buddy is still up for Thursday. I'm not too thrilled about the time of 8 p.m. so I'm gonna keep the fib going that I can only meet him on alternate Thursday nights although the Curry Master and the SE are pretty much history. Ugh! I'm not too happy about teaching him all the way out in Ikebukuro, either. Memories of last year's weekly trek to Jiyugaoka still remain in my mind.
Had a slight snag with the travel agent concerning my reservations in Yokohama. She sent me a voucher via e-mail in the mistaken assumption that I could print it out. However, being the semi-Luddite, I don't have a printer. I just hope she can send it in over this week. But I think I should be able to just go up to the front desk and check-in easily without any piece of paper.
Well, tomorrow should be really light now that the Beehive is off for summer. I only have my juku classes and that's been cut down to 2 hours. As I figured, the final student has canned his class. The juku boss asked me if I could teach him on Thursday or Friday but that's pretty much out. All I need to do is send out some packages to the Anime King.
I still have yet to hear from Skippy about that farewell dinner for Gabby. From my end, the Jazz Veteran is the only one who said that she'll come. Movie Buddy has declined and Jazz Buddy & Arwen have yet to reply. I've always wondered if JB had something against Skippy. I've been told that JB has got a pretty dark personality compared to Skippy's "up-with-people" sunniness. As for Arwen, I just have no idea. Has she really gotten so busy that she can't even send one single letter or has she and 77 decided to cut off all ties with me and DTE? In any case, I think it's pretty inconsiderate of both of them.
It was a quiet weekend...quiet enough so that I didn't really need to add any entry. Typhoon 10 managed to leave quite an imprint on western Japan...one place got 1000 mm in an hour. The other big news items were Crown Princess Masako's diagnosis of her depression as "adjustment stress" (going from a high-flying career as a member of the Foreign Ministry to the highly stultifiying role as future Empress can do that to one), and former PM Hashimoto's resignation as the leader of his LDP faction due to some sort of bribery scandal. However, I've also just heard that some raging sociopath stabbed 7 folks to death in Hyogo Prefecture. Nice to hear that the psychotic fringe is alive and well.
As for me, I was back in action after nearly 3 days of layoff. I wasn't too rusty; I just had my usual Monday regulars. Between lessons, I had some time to use my full HMV card to get a bossa nova CD and magazine for a discount and then visit The Maple Leaf for lunch. Not too bad in price; in fact, I think I may have been undercharged for my burger and Coke. And the place was almost deserted except for a group of nattering women. Then, I headed up to Shinjuku where I made my roost in that concrete plaza for about an hour. The heat wasn't nearly as bad as two weeks ago but I was still nodding off due to my lunch slowly digesting in my stomach. I'm happy to hear,though, that my relative culinary abstinence has had some dividends; my morning student remarked that my face looked a bit less Jabba-like.
Looks like the Quarterback's buddy is still up for Thursday. I'm not too thrilled about the time of 8 p.m. so I'm gonna keep the fib going that I can only meet him on alternate Thursday nights although the Curry Master and the SE are pretty much history. Ugh! I'm not too happy about teaching him all the way out in Ikebukuro, either. Memories of last year's weekly trek to Jiyugaoka still remain in my mind.
Had a slight snag with the travel agent concerning my reservations in Yokohama. She sent me a voucher via e-mail in the mistaken assumption that I could print it out. However, being the semi-Luddite, I don't have a printer. I just hope she can send it in over this week. But I think I should be able to just go up to the front desk and check-in easily without any piece of paper.
Well, tomorrow should be really light now that the Beehive is off for summer. I only have my juku classes and that's been cut down to 2 hours. As I figured, the final student has canned his class. The juku boss asked me if I could teach him on Thursday or Friday but that's pretty much out. All I need to do is send out some packages to the Anime King.
I still have yet to hear from Skippy about that farewell dinner for Gabby. From my end, the Jazz Veteran is the only one who said that she'll come. Movie Buddy has declined and Jazz Buddy & Arwen have yet to reply. I've always wondered if JB had something against Skippy. I've been told that JB has got a pretty dark personality compared to Skippy's "up-with-people" sunniness. As for Arwen, I just have no idea. Has she really gotten so busy that she can't even send one single letter or has she and 77 decided to cut off all ties with me and DTE? In any case, I think it's pretty inconsiderate of both of them.
Friday, July 30, 2004
Saturday July 31, 9:36 a.m.
Well, it's another end of the month. A couple of major fireworks festivals on tap tonight:the Sumida River Festival which is one of the largest in Japan up in Asakusa, and there is a neighbourhood one in Urayasu. The juku boss invited me to the latter; I politely declined as usual for the same reasons that I didn't go to the Yokohama Festival. It's one thing to have to head out to work on a crowded subway but to actually volunteer and scrum with thousands of other people in high heat and humidity is another.
Still not certain about the weather today although the typhoon is heading to the west. So, I'll forego doing the laundry and hanging out the mattresses for yet another day. Still have to scrub down the living room and the bedroom. It feels kind of weird having a full weekend without a single class. I don't have the kids for the next couple of weeks so my Saturday is completely free.
I watched the Animatrix a full year after the hoopla of its release. Chip Guy said the first half was worth the money, but I thought all of the nine featurettes added something to the franchise, fault-ridden as it is. The history of the formation of the Matrix was of course the best part, though it didn't skimp on the gore. Now I know what happened in that Blade Runner scene when replicant Rutger Hauer killed his "father".
That lesson with The Teacher took an interesting turn yesterday when I was slightly surprised to see her son at the table. Well, a boy and he's 8...which adds up to major DISTRACTION. And he fulfilled his end of the bargain very well. His mother didn't end up strangling him but he kept us on our toes. Plus, The Teacher decided to once again bring in literature with a lot of unpronounceable words.
My attempts to watch Shrek 2 were thwarted since the local theatre is showing the subtitled version only in the evenings and I wasn't particularly inclined to head back to the area so I'll have to give it a shot some other time.
Not quite sure how my week will shape up. It will be slow though. I've got my full slate on Monday but the rest of the week looks sparse. I'm especially wondering about Thursday. I've got Jazz Buddy in the morning but after that little snafu back on Monday, I'll have to see what happens there. Plus, there's the Quarterback's buddy for his first lesson in the evening. I'm not too sure about that one...his schedule seems perenially busy and I have yet to hear about time and place of lesson.
Well, it's another end of the month. A couple of major fireworks festivals on tap tonight:the Sumida River Festival which is one of the largest in Japan up in Asakusa, and there is a neighbourhood one in Urayasu. The juku boss invited me to the latter; I politely declined as usual for the same reasons that I didn't go to the Yokohama Festival. It's one thing to have to head out to work on a crowded subway but to actually volunteer and scrum with thousands of other people in high heat and humidity is another.
Still not certain about the weather today although the typhoon is heading to the west. So, I'll forego doing the laundry and hanging out the mattresses for yet another day. Still have to scrub down the living room and the bedroom. It feels kind of weird having a full weekend without a single class. I don't have the kids for the next couple of weeks so my Saturday is completely free.
I watched the Animatrix a full year after the hoopla of its release. Chip Guy said the first half was worth the money, but I thought all of the nine featurettes added something to the franchise, fault-ridden as it is. The history of the formation of the Matrix was of course the best part, though it didn't skimp on the gore. Now I know what happened in that Blade Runner scene when replicant Rutger Hauer killed his "father".
That lesson with The Teacher took an interesting turn yesterday when I was slightly surprised to see her son at the table. Well, a boy and he's 8...which adds up to major DISTRACTION. And he fulfilled his end of the bargain very well. His mother didn't end up strangling him but he kept us on our toes. Plus, The Teacher decided to once again bring in literature with a lot of unpronounceable words.
My attempts to watch Shrek 2 were thwarted since the local theatre is showing the subtitled version only in the evenings and I wasn't particularly inclined to head back to the area so I'll have to give it a shot some other time.
Not quite sure how my week will shape up. It will be slow though. I've got my full slate on Monday but the rest of the week looks sparse. I'm especially wondering about Thursday. I've got Jazz Buddy in the morning but after that little snafu back on Monday, I'll have to see what happens there. Plus, there's the Quarterback's buddy for his first lesson in the evening. I'm not too sure about that one...his schedule seems perenially busy and I have yet to hear about time and place of lesson.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Friday July 30, 9:21 a.m.
Had another major squall this morning around sunrise. True to the unpredictable nature of a typhoon, the sun was beaming when the skies opened up. There must have been a great rainbow somewhere in the Kanto.
I saw that friend of SR's who's over here for a few weeks in Shibuya last night. It looks like she's been enjoying her life in LA for the past year. She's even gotten one over me in that not only has she developed a taste for jazz but she's even gone to school and trained to become a jazz vocalist among other musical styles. Good for her. So just like talking with the Biologist about science on Wednesday, it was good talking jazz with her. She also kept me updated on a couple of other alumni who have also set up housekeeping in America. When we left the Cheesecake Cafe, the clouds opened up again.
Speaking of making moves to jazz, a former member of one of the late 90s J-idol bands has decided to challenge the challenging world of jazz vocalizing. She's still only all of 20 but HIRO decided to make the leap from synthesizers to bass/piano/drums. From what little I've heard so far, I don't think Diana Krall needs to worry just yet.
I got home and didn't feel much like eating. Looks like lunch did the trick yesterday. So I fired up the DVD player and put in the first SHREK. Since I bought the DVD just yesterday, I opened the case up to find a 300 yen coupon which I can use to catch Shrek 2. If it's playing in the cineplex near where I teach The Teacher today, I will probably catch it. I'm not sure though if the version there will be subtitled or dubbed. I read a review of the movie in one of the free English-language magazines. The reviewer was proudly curmudgeonly as critics usually are when they seem to be the only ones who actually hate a mostly well-received movie. He didn't like the first one, either, which pretty much made the review moot for since I still chuckled at a number of the scenes despite it being my 4th time to watch it.
I got an article via The Doctor about how America is finally waking up to the wonders of sake (at least the urban centers anyways...I really can't see any rednecks parting with their Budweiser or moonshine). The article mentioned the expression, "sake epiphany" a few times. I could just imagine "Sex in the City" making it the "it" expression of the year, if only it had lingered on a bit longer.
Had another major squall this morning around sunrise. True to the unpredictable nature of a typhoon, the sun was beaming when the skies opened up. There must have been a great rainbow somewhere in the Kanto.
I saw that friend of SR's who's over here for a few weeks in Shibuya last night. It looks like she's been enjoying her life in LA for the past year. She's even gotten one over me in that not only has she developed a taste for jazz but she's even gone to school and trained to become a jazz vocalist among other musical styles. Good for her. So just like talking with the Biologist about science on Wednesday, it was good talking jazz with her. She also kept me updated on a couple of other alumni who have also set up housekeeping in America. When we left the Cheesecake Cafe, the clouds opened up again.
Speaking of making moves to jazz, a former member of one of the late 90s J-idol bands has decided to challenge the challenging world of jazz vocalizing. She's still only all of 20 but HIRO decided to make the leap from synthesizers to bass/piano/drums. From what little I've heard so far, I don't think Diana Krall needs to worry just yet.
I got home and didn't feel much like eating. Looks like lunch did the trick yesterday. So I fired up the DVD player and put in the first SHREK. Since I bought the DVD just yesterday, I opened the case up to find a 300 yen coupon which I can use to catch Shrek 2. If it's playing in the cineplex near where I teach The Teacher today, I will probably catch it. I'm not sure though if the version there will be subtitled or dubbed. I read a review of the movie in one of the free English-language magazines. The reviewer was proudly curmudgeonly as critics usually are when they seem to be the only ones who actually hate a mostly well-received movie. He didn't like the first one, either, which pretty much made the review moot for since I still chuckled at a number of the scenes despite it being my 4th time to watch it.
I got an article via The Doctor about how America is finally waking up to the wonders of sake (at least the urban centers anyways...I really can't see any rednecks parting with their Budweiser or moonshine). The article mentioned the expression, "sake epiphany" a few times. I could just imagine "Sex in the City" making it the "it" expression of the year, if only it had lingered on a bit longer.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Thursday July 29, 1:43 p.m.
Well, we've gotten some brief but intense reminders that Typhoon 10 is nearby. There was a squall between 5 and 6 this morning, and during my rubdown and trip to the supermarket, the heavens opened up again in a big way but just as suddenly closed up as I walked back to the apartment.
I got a rubdown from a middle-aged gabby lady who I saw for the first time. Pretty good at her craft although there were a few wincing moments. At least I know the pressure points to influence the eyes (two points on the back of the neck). We had a running talk on some of the difficulty in handling foreign customers to the massage clinic in terms of the language barrier so I offered to help her, and by association the clinic, with any questions they may have with vocabulary. Hmmm...could point to some possibilities.
I also got the OK from the travel agent to transfer the cash for the hotel room which I'll do posthaste. Then I'll head out to Shibuya to meet my friend for coffee. Before that, perhaps I'll drop by Towers to see if there's any literature on Yokohama. The Japan guide book that I'd bought for Hokkaido surprisingly has zero info on Yokohama. I wonder if there's some sort of grudge match there.
Feeling pretty stuffed after cooking up some cabbage and ginger pork. Hopefully, that'll tide me over way into the evening since I only plan on ingesting salad for dinner as penance for my three-day binge over the weekend.
Well, we've gotten some brief but intense reminders that Typhoon 10 is nearby. There was a squall between 5 and 6 this morning, and during my rubdown and trip to the supermarket, the heavens opened up again in a big way but just as suddenly closed up as I walked back to the apartment.
I got a rubdown from a middle-aged gabby lady who I saw for the first time. Pretty good at her craft although there were a few wincing moments. At least I know the pressure points to influence the eyes (two points on the back of the neck). We had a running talk on some of the difficulty in handling foreign customers to the massage clinic in terms of the language barrier so I offered to help her, and by association the clinic, with any questions they may have with vocabulary. Hmmm...could point to some possibilities.
I also got the OK from the travel agent to transfer the cash for the hotel room which I'll do posthaste. Then I'll head out to Shibuya to meet my friend for coffee. Before that, perhaps I'll drop by Towers to see if there's any literature on Yokohama. The Japan guide book that I'd bought for Hokkaido surprisingly has zero info on Yokohama. I wonder if there's some sort of grudge match there.
Feeling pretty stuffed after cooking up some cabbage and ginger pork. Hopefully, that'll tide me over way into the evening since I only plan on ingesting salad for dinner as penance for my three-day binge over the weekend.
Wednesday July 28, 7:39 p.m.
Home earlier than usual? Yup, sure am. The reason being that the OL cancelled her class. I'm getting the feeling that the summer holiday is upon us a lot sooner than expected. Tomorrow, I've got no classes and I only have The Teacher on Friday.
My trip to the Embassy today went well. I had all of the material needed in that large Purolator envelope that brought my birth certificate. I had been wondering if I would have to deal with some sort of government dweeb or icicle. I was lucky last time almost 6 years ago when I had an efficient-looking but amiable enough lady taking care of me. This time, it was a chatty youngish woman with a sympathetic ear for my longer-than-deserved plight to get that birth certificate. She seemed genuinely interested about this kerfuffle concerning birth certificates. In any case, Part 1 of the process took about 10 minutes; just making the official declarations, handing over the forms and fee (not cheap...12000 yen), and showing various examples to prove my identity. I had to pass the documents through a sliding tray which went under the thick glass barrier separating us. I rather felt like Hannibal Lecter. It sure was a far cry from the person-to-person experience of 6 years ago. I remember that that lady took me straight into the offices for the declaration. The only tiny snag was when I put down the same two references for both forms. Uh-uh...I had to put another set of names for the one other form, so I had to quickly jot down the information for The Anime King and my other friend back home. I sent the Anime King a heads-up and a meek apology in advance just in case the government decides to give him a call. I ought to be able to pick my passport in 2 weeks, after which I have to travel to the humongous new Immigration Bureau in Shinagawa to transfer all of the visas and re-entry permits into the new passport. That will not be fun.
After the Embassy, I still had a few hours to kill before seeing The Biologist so I had an early lunch in the Aoyama Twin mall. I came across a Chinese restaurant which served a pretty hardy lunch set for 830 yen. I went in...the somewhat fetid smell inside and the "faded glory" decor reminded me of my days back in Asakusa. But what got me was the boiled dumpling (sui gyoza) soup. Everything else was fine but that soup smelled and tasted like the fetid air inside the place. The gyoza itself was fine but the soup was absolutely vile. For that reason alone, I don't think I'll make a second visit.
I had some more time and since I had bought myself a one-day subway pass, I went up to Ginza to check out Yamano Music. Bad move. I went a bit crazy again on the money to buy CDs especially since my point card was close to the 50-point total to get that 3000 yen discount. However, I finally got to see that Michael Buble cover of "Spiderman" there which pretty much doomed me. The CD looks like it was a hastily made affair since it had Buble looking rather more like a NKOTB reject instead of the jazz cat that he is. Plus, after "Spiderman", there are several covers of "Sway"...talk about trying to fill up a CD. I gather that they couldn't get any more versions of the title song out in time. Well, thanks to a few more CD purchases, I hit the 50 mark and I ended up getting "Shrek" and "The Animatrix" for a mere pittance due to the discount.
I met the Biologist. Her first presentation was all over the place stylistically. I was a bit worried that she may have thought I was getting a bit harsh with her but I really wasn't. I tried to tighten her up a bit in her delivery and she was better for it the second time around. I also observed we seem to have a good rapport (not in that way) when it comes to scientific discussions. She's the only one in my long tenure here that I've been able to go into various scientific talks with.
Well, I didn't get that cancellation call from The OL until I got to the Starbucks, but I didn't care that much. At least, I put the one-day pass to good worth. So instead of munching on a cinnamon roll and chai tea latte as I would have usually done, I just headed home. When I got to the station, I pondered about having my dinner at the nearby Subways but the clouds looked pretty ominous and considering that there is a typhoon on the way, I decided to pick up a little something at the supermarket and hightail it back home. Tonight's dinner was eel on rice in continued homage to Eel Day along with another salad. According to the weather report, it looks like we'll be brushed by the storm starting overnight tonight and just keep on going throughout the day.
I do have the day off tomorrow but I'm also supposed to be meeting an old student of mine who's back from California. Hmmm..a typhoon is on its way and I'm meeting this student for just 50 minutes for coffee in Shibuya since she's headed out to her gig in a hostess club in Ginza. Something doesn't quite ring right here... If the weather is forgiving enough, I will go for that biweekly rubdown.
Well, my travel agent contacted me to say that I've got the room at the Pan-Pacific. More money down the drain but I'm glad that I pulled the trigger to go for that mini-vacation in Yokohama. The money is going to a good cause: me and my sanity.
Home earlier than usual? Yup, sure am. The reason being that the OL cancelled her class. I'm getting the feeling that the summer holiday is upon us a lot sooner than expected. Tomorrow, I've got no classes and I only have The Teacher on Friday.
My trip to the Embassy today went well. I had all of the material needed in that large Purolator envelope that brought my birth certificate. I had been wondering if I would have to deal with some sort of government dweeb or icicle. I was lucky last time almost 6 years ago when I had an efficient-looking but amiable enough lady taking care of me. This time, it was a chatty youngish woman with a sympathetic ear for my longer-than-deserved plight to get that birth certificate. She seemed genuinely interested about this kerfuffle concerning birth certificates. In any case, Part 1 of the process took about 10 minutes; just making the official declarations, handing over the forms and fee (not cheap...12000 yen), and showing various examples to prove my identity. I had to pass the documents through a sliding tray which went under the thick glass barrier separating us. I rather felt like Hannibal Lecter. It sure was a far cry from the person-to-person experience of 6 years ago. I remember that that lady took me straight into the offices for the declaration. The only tiny snag was when I put down the same two references for both forms. Uh-uh...I had to put another set of names for the one other form, so I had to quickly jot down the information for The Anime King and my other friend back home. I sent the Anime King a heads-up and a meek apology in advance just in case the government decides to give him a call. I ought to be able to pick my passport in 2 weeks, after which I have to travel to the humongous new Immigration Bureau in Shinagawa to transfer all of the visas and re-entry permits into the new passport. That will not be fun.
After the Embassy, I still had a few hours to kill before seeing The Biologist so I had an early lunch in the Aoyama Twin mall. I came across a Chinese restaurant which served a pretty hardy lunch set for 830 yen. I went in...the somewhat fetid smell inside and the "faded glory" decor reminded me of my days back in Asakusa. But what got me was the boiled dumpling (sui gyoza) soup. Everything else was fine but that soup smelled and tasted like the fetid air inside the place. The gyoza itself was fine but the soup was absolutely vile. For that reason alone, I don't think I'll make a second visit.
I had some more time and since I had bought myself a one-day subway pass, I went up to Ginza to check out Yamano Music. Bad move. I went a bit crazy again on the money to buy CDs especially since my point card was close to the 50-point total to get that 3000 yen discount. However, I finally got to see that Michael Buble cover of "Spiderman" there which pretty much doomed me. The CD looks like it was a hastily made affair since it had Buble looking rather more like a NKOTB reject instead of the jazz cat that he is. Plus, after "Spiderman", there are several covers of "Sway"...talk about trying to fill up a CD. I gather that they couldn't get any more versions of the title song out in time. Well, thanks to a few more CD purchases, I hit the 50 mark and I ended up getting "Shrek" and "The Animatrix" for a mere pittance due to the discount.
I met the Biologist. Her first presentation was all over the place stylistically. I was a bit worried that she may have thought I was getting a bit harsh with her but I really wasn't. I tried to tighten her up a bit in her delivery and she was better for it the second time around. I also observed we seem to have a good rapport (not in that way) when it comes to scientific discussions. She's the only one in my long tenure here that I've been able to go into various scientific talks with.
Well, I didn't get that cancellation call from The OL until I got to the Starbucks, but I didn't care that much. At least, I put the one-day pass to good worth. So instead of munching on a cinnamon roll and chai tea latte as I would have usually done, I just headed home. When I got to the station, I pondered about having my dinner at the nearby Subways but the clouds looked pretty ominous and considering that there is a typhoon on the way, I decided to pick up a little something at the supermarket and hightail it back home. Tonight's dinner was eel on rice in continued homage to Eel Day along with another salad. According to the weather report, it looks like we'll be brushed by the storm starting overnight tonight and just keep on going throughout the day.
I do have the day off tomorrow but I'm also supposed to be meeting an old student of mine who's back from California. Hmmm..a typhoon is on its way and I'm meeting this student for just 50 minutes for coffee in Shibuya since she's headed out to her gig in a hostess club in Ginza. Something doesn't quite ring right here... If the weather is forgiving enough, I will go for that biweekly rubdown.
Well, my travel agent contacted me to say that I've got the room at the Pan-Pacific. More money down the drain but I'm glad that I pulled the trigger to go for that mini-vacation in Yokohama. The money is going to a good cause: me and my sanity.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Tuesday July 27, 11:30 p.m.
Yup, it's official. I'm having one of those weeks. Well, my morning class was OK. The ladies will be going off on their usual summer hiatus starting from next week although this one will be longer than usual. I'll be facing nearly 2 months without their company or income; in fact, I won't be seeing them until the first day of Autumn. Hopefully, the temps actually conform to the seasonal change.
Nah, the off classes started with my juku. I'm forming an impression that one of the Beauty Pair is starting to get a bit jaded with the lessons. She started class looking glum and not too chatty. If it hadn't been for her still-engaged classmate, it could have gotten quite ugly. My second class was OK though the wife responded that the lesson was so-so; I think I know what she meant...she was referring to her own ability instead of mine. Still, I always get a little nervous when I hear comments like those. Then, my final class with my top student didn't seem to impress him all that much, but then again, he looked rather tired. It won't matter all that much anyways since he will be taking off for the States within a month. In fact, he may no longer show up for classes if his schedule gets any busier.I will get to go home an hour earlier but I will be getting 12000 yen less a month. On the other hand, the juku boss had asked me earlier in the day if I would start teaching her from September since it looks like the Curry Master will no longer be available for her lessons. Her English is badly fractured...she does need the work.
Another hint that I'm having a bad week is when I got my reply from my travel agent. I apparently misread the information about the hotels. I checked the last message and sure enough, I screwed up. Well, I made sure this time so hopefully by tomorrow night, that room will be duly booked.
Skippy got that date in lickety-split for Gabby's farewell party. She's slated the 8th. Lucky I've decided to just stay in Yokohama for one night only. Plus, I'm sure I will have some stories for the gang from Yokohama.
Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my bad luck will not permeate my trip to the Embassy tomorrow, but who knows? I may just get a hardcase there who will not accept the photos. I'm also hoping that the lesson with the Biologist will go as well as it did last week. No problems from her as of yet but I think she is a quietly demanding student.
I'm feeling pretty hungry right now but I'm gonna let my stomach suffer for another 6 or 7 hours. After the weekend of binge, I have to be a bit hard on myself this week and/or next week. Aside from a generous supermarket bento for lunch, I've been pretty good so far. Only had a salad and zero-calorie oolong tea for dinner. Mind you, the juku boss always gives me two sweet iced coffees during my lessons.
Yup, it's official. I'm having one of those weeks. Well, my morning class was OK. The ladies will be going off on their usual summer hiatus starting from next week although this one will be longer than usual. I'll be facing nearly 2 months without their company or income; in fact, I won't be seeing them until the first day of Autumn. Hopefully, the temps actually conform to the seasonal change.
Nah, the off classes started with my juku. I'm forming an impression that one of the Beauty Pair is starting to get a bit jaded with the lessons. She started class looking glum and not too chatty. If it hadn't been for her still-engaged classmate, it could have gotten quite ugly. My second class was OK though the wife responded that the lesson was so-so; I think I know what she meant...she was referring to her own ability instead of mine. Still, I always get a little nervous when I hear comments like those. Then, my final class with my top student didn't seem to impress him all that much, but then again, he looked rather tired. It won't matter all that much anyways since he will be taking off for the States within a month. In fact, he may no longer show up for classes if his schedule gets any busier.I will get to go home an hour earlier but I will be getting 12000 yen less a month. On the other hand, the juku boss had asked me earlier in the day if I would start teaching her from September since it looks like the Curry Master will no longer be available for her lessons. Her English is badly fractured...she does need the work.
Another hint that I'm having a bad week is when I got my reply from my travel agent. I apparently misread the information about the hotels. I checked the last message and sure enough, I screwed up. Well, I made sure this time so hopefully by tomorrow night, that room will be duly booked.
Skippy got that date in lickety-split for Gabby's farewell party. She's slated the 8th. Lucky I've decided to just stay in Yokohama for one night only. Plus, I'm sure I will have some stories for the gang from Yokohama.
Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my bad luck will not permeate my trip to the Embassy tomorrow, but who knows? I may just get a hardcase there who will not accept the photos. I'm also hoping that the lesson with the Biologist will go as well as it did last week. No problems from her as of yet but I think she is a quietly demanding student.
I'm feeling pretty hungry right now but I'm gonna let my stomach suffer for another 6 or 7 hours. After the weekend of binge, I have to be a bit hard on myself this week and/or next week. Aside from a generous supermarket bento for lunch, I've been pretty good so far. Only had a salad and zero-calorie oolong tea for dinner. Mind you, the juku boss always gives me two sweet iced coffees during my lessons.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Monday July 26, 10:00 p.m.
SERENITY NOW! Looks like it could be one of those weeks. I went up to the Shinjuku Andersen for Jazz Buddy's lesson. I figured something was up after she didn't show up for half an hour. It shouldn't have bothered me since I did have the company class just around the corner, but I was still doing a slow broil at being stood up. After 90 minutes, I considered her a loss and was thinking of some nasty message to send her by e-mail when I got home. I ended up sitting outside in the main plaza doing some puzzles when she finally showed up. Surprisingly, I held my tongue and luckily I did, since after profusely apologizing, she told me that she'd mistaken the time of our meeting for a few hours earlier and ended up waiting for me for half an hour while going through a summer cold. Well, I'm not about to kick anyone when she's down so we kept it civil. However, I just wish she could be a bit more with it.
Basically that was the only wrinkle for today. I met up with my Monday morning regulars after a 2-week absence. We spent a good portion of the lesson on the fact that I plumped up some after that 3-day food binge. The more prominent of the two went into mother mode and good-naturedly told me to ease off on the food. I will acquiesce to her order since I agree with her. I also got a bit of a treat in the form of a free ticket to watch "Fahrenheit 911" and a souvenir Galilean Thermometer. It's a pretty intriguing gadget. Based on Galileo's principles of rising temperature lowering the density of liquid, the thermometer is a half-meter tall tube filled with water and small carefully weighted glass balls of differently-coloured liquids with tags denoting different temps. When the temps rise, a ball rises to the top as well. The only problem is that the balls only register temps between 18 to 26 degrees which pretty much limits it as a particularly useful device. Ah, well...at least it'll make for a conversation piece if anyone ever decides to visit the homestead again.
Certainly it fulfilled that role at the company class.
Well, that rain that was threatening this morning never started...in Chiba, at least. But according to my morning students, Shibuya got majorly rained upon for a few minutes while in the other student's neighbourhood, it merely sprinkled. There's supposed to be that typhoon coming along but as yet, I don't see anything happening in the weather department.
I got a predictably quick response from my travel agent about that hotel in Yokohama. Her quote for the Intercontinental was quite reasonable considering its five-star status so I just pulled the trigger and asked her to book it. I'm committed now although considering that I probably won't be making all that money next month, I ought to BE committed. Well, I figure if my parents can go off for a nice cruise to Alaska at the end of this month, I ought to indulge myself. I certainly won't be putting out as much money as they have for their little excursion.
SERENITY NOW! Looks like it could be one of those weeks. I went up to the Shinjuku Andersen for Jazz Buddy's lesson. I figured something was up after she didn't show up for half an hour. It shouldn't have bothered me since I did have the company class just around the corner, but I was still doing a slow broil at being stood up. After 90 minutes, I considered her a loss and was thinking of some nasty message to send her by e-mail when I got home. I ended up sitting outside in the main plaza doing some puzzles when she finally showed up. Surprisingly, I held my tongue and luckily I did, since after profusely apologizing, she told me that she'd mistaken the time of our meeting for a few hours earlier and ended up waiting for me for half an hour while going through a summer cold. Well, I'm not about to kick anyone when she's down so we kept it civil. However, I just wish she could be a bit more with it.
Basically that was the only wrinkle for today. I met up with my Monday morning regulars after a 2-week absence. We spent a good portion of the lesson on the fact that I plumped up some after that 3-day food binge. The more prominent of the two went into mother mode and good-naturedly told me to ease off on the food. I will acquiesce to her order since I agree with her. I also got a bit of a treat in the form of a free ticket to watch "Fahrenheit 911" and a souvenir Galilean Thermometer. It's a pretty intriguing gadget. Based on Galileo's principles of rising temperature lowering the density of liquid, the thermometer is a half-meter tall tube filled with water and small carefully weighted glass balls of differently-coloured liquids with tags denoting different temps. When the temps rise, a ball rises to the top as well. The only problem is that the balls only register temps between 18 to 26 degrees which pretty much limits it as a particularly useful device. Ah, well...at least it'll make for a conversation piece if anyone ever decides to visit the homestead again.
Certainly it fulfilled that role at the company class.
Well, that rain that was threatening this morning never started...in Chiba, at least. But according to my morning students, Shibuya got majorly rained upon for a few minutes while in the other student's neighbourhood, it merely sprinkled. There's supposed to be that typhoon coming along but as yet, I don't see anything happening in the weather department.
I got a predictably quick response from my travel agent about that hotel in Yokohama. Her quote for the Intercontinental was quite reasonable considering its five-star status so I just pulled the trigger and asked her to book it. I'm committed now although considering that I probably won't be making all that money next month, I ought to BE committed. Well, I figure if my parents can go off for a nice cruise to Alaska at the end of this month, I ought to indulge myself. I certainly won't be putting out as much money as they have for their little excursion.