Saturday October 21, 1:45 p.m.
Gonna have to speed-type this since I've got The Ramen Lady for her biweekly chit-chat within the next 15 minutes.
Well, The UL and I got a bit of walloping news last night at The Tea Room. The manager had wanted to tell me the day before when I was teaching The New Yorker there but she didn't have the heart. Apparently, after 10 years of serving up all kinds of tea and crumpets, The Tea Room is calling it quits in one week. One of my main haunts will go the way of the dodo. Maybe it was fate that all of the students that I see there (The Sisters of State, M+M and The UL) will be coming next week right up to the final day. Time to look for alternate venues. I'm gonna miss the ol' girl...I was there for 5 years starting with The Tea Room Ladies; perhaps I should let them know as well. I retro-figured that maybe The Tea Room's days were indeed numbered for the same reason that I always enjoyed teaching there: it was always so empty there except during lunch. The Tea Room would have been my final touchstone gone with Ichigaya aside for the fact that I'll be meeting The Coffeemaker and Tully at a Tully's there from next week.
On Thursday morning, I met The Polynesian for just the 2nd time. My first demo lesson with her was a few years ago...and I didn't hear anything back from her. Plus, MB and I thought she was a bit more flightier than her more button-down and down-to-earth sister, The Hawaiian. So I wasn't looking forward to particularly any big things that morning. But it seemed like the girl has become a bit more grounded and less burdened with the accessories. And her English is better since she'd spent 6 months in Perth with her sibling. So, there is hope.
And after The Ramen Lady, I've gotta head out the door for Kichijoji to see The Satyr and MB for the latest chapter in The Burger Tour Saga. Tonight's episode: The Village Vanguard...and no, it doesn't follow the legendary jazz joint in Manhattan.
Just a place to deposit my thoughts on life here in the Kanto and about anything else that sticks to my walls.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Wednesday October 18, 10:00 p.m.
A long day is coming to an end. From my 5:00 a.m. wake-up call to head over to Immigration to this blog entry after 001 & 007, I've had a day. Hmm...not sure but I seem to be in a midweek rut. The lessons with the Wednesday duo have been a bit sloggy. In the case of 007, I think it's just that the guy is pretty button-down to begin with, but with the usually vivacious 001, she's been rather exhausted due to work. However, a long-unheard-from student may be making the rounds once more. Farrah may be coming back into the fold but it probably won't be til the second week of November at the earliest.
I've made the official announcement of my heading back to The Great White North for the Holidays to the students and to some of my close friends (what few I have left...I've been quite the demolition expert). Sometime next month, I may have to impose on the juku boss to pick up any December bills. I probably won't be asking The Chipmunk since I've barely spoken to her in the last year.
Recently, my departure from Speedy's neighbourhood has taken a different route. I used to just board the Oedo Line and then transfer to the Tozai. However, in the last couple of weeks, I've actually gone with the bus whose stop is conveniently situated not too far from the school. It heads back to Nakano Station, and the Tozai Line usually starts out from there which means a guaranteed seat. But more than that, despite the extra cost of 100 yen, I rather enjoy being on a bus more than a subway...obviously more to see from the window of a bus....life whizzing by instead of a dark tunnel.
According to CNN, Condi Rice has reassured we Japanese citizens (and permanent residents) that the U.S. will protect us if push comes to shove where North Korea is concerned. Well, considering what's happened with Iraq over the past 3 years, I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up wearing a Kim pin unless I got out of Dodge really quickly.
A long day is coming to an end. From my 5:00 a.m. wake-up call to head over to Immigration to this blog entry after 001 & 007, I've had a day. Hmm...not sure but I seem to be in a midweek rut. The lessons with the Wednesday duo have been a bit sloggy. In the case of 007, I think it's just that the guy is pretty button-down to begin with, but with the usually vivacious 001, she's been rather exhausted due to work. However, a long-unheard-from student may be making the rounds once more. Farrah may be coming back into the fold but it probably won't be til the second week of November at the earliest.
I've made the official announcement of my heading back to The Great White North for the Holidays to the students and to some of my close friends (what few I have left...I've been quite the demolition expert). Sometime next month, I may have to impose on the juku boss to pick up any December bills. I probably won't be asking The Chipmunk since I've barely spoken to her in the last year.
Recently, my departure from Speedy's neighbourhood has taken a different route. I used to just board the Oedo Line and then transfer to the Tozai. However, in the last couple of weeks, I've actually gone with the bus whose stop is conveniently situated not too far from the school. It heads back to Nakano Station, and the Tozai Line usually starts out from there which means a guaranteed seat. But more than that, despite the extra cost of 100 yen, I rather enjoy being on a bus more than a subway...obviously more to see from the window of a bus....life whizzing by instead of a dark tunnel.
According to CNN, Condi Rice has reassured we Japanese citizens (and permanent residents) that the U.S. will protect us if push comes to shove where North Korea is concerned. Well, considering what's happened with Iraq over the past 3 years, I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up wearing a Kim pin unless I got out of Dodge really quickly.
Wednesday October 18, 5:36 p.m.
Just finished my tofu dinner. I've gotten used to eating the curds, slightly flavoured with soy sauce. It helps that I'd eaten the lion's share at LAST so I wasn't all that hungry. But I'm just concerned about my sleep levels. Coffee would be kinda nice.
Thursday should be an uncharacteristically busy day...perhaps thankfully. I've got The Polynesian...The Hawaiian's sister. Actually, some years ago, I had an abortive first lesson with The Polynesian. Things didn't gel between us and MB had warned me that she was kinda flighty. So, I'm not meeting her with any big expectations here. Then, I've got another sister...The New Yorker. She's been pretty loyal...not particularly proficient in the English language, but loyal. And then in the evening, I've got B2....maybe B2B, although he's been busy.
I've also gotta think about what I'm gonna do with that new duo, The Coffeemaker and Tully although I won't be seeing them for another 10 days.
Just finished my tofu dinner. I've gotten used to eating the curds, slightly flavoured with soy sauce. It helps that I'd eaten the lion's share at LAST so I wasn't all that hungry. But I'm just concerned about my sleep levels. Coffee would be kinda nice.
Thursday should be an uncharacteristically busy day...perhaps thankfully. I've got The Polynesian...The Hawaiian's sister. Actually, some years ago, I had an abortive first lesson with The Polynesian. Things didn't gel between us and MB had warned me that she was kinda flighty. So, I'm not meeting her with any big expectations here. Then, I've got another sister...The New Yorker. She's been pretty loyal...not particularly proficient in the English language, but loyal. And then in the evening, I've got B2....maybe B2B, although he's been busy.
I've also gotta think about what I'm gonna do with that new duo, The Coffeemaker and Tully although I won't be seeing them for another 10 days.
Wednesday October 18, 4:03 p.m.
Well, as of 9:15 this morning JST, I was no longer a visa resident in this country, living 3-year-to-3-year. After 10 months of waiting, I became a Permanent Resident in Japan. Well...I think the term waiting is a bit harsh. Actually, it should be more like 10 months from my initial application with brief periods of wondering. So, it was just a matter of getting up with the roosters and then heading on down to the monolithic Tokyo Regional Immigration Centre, waiting in a line with the rest of the applicants for about an hour. Then, I was told to purchase an 8,000-yen revenue stamp from the convenience store on the 1st floor before handing it in on a form. Some 10 minutes later, I got my passport back with a stamp saying that my permanent residency started today. No need for an interview or any other interrogation techniques; it was just like my previous visa renewal processes. But now, I no longer have to grovel for visa sponsorships which helps me somewhat. However, it doesn't mean that I no longer have to head out to Shinagawa. I still gotta renew rentry permits and when my passport runs out, I will still need to head out to the TRIC but at least the frequency of my visits will fall even further. And of course, sometime next week, I'll have to head on out to City Hall to register the change in my status.
Still, it was a small burden off my back. And I guess I can consider the permanent residency a belated birthday gift. Any other rewards were purely culinary: a Sausage Muffin set at McD's and then a buffet lunch at LAST in Shimbashi. The 8,000 yen for the Permanent Residency was a bit hefty, I had initially thought. But then again, I rationalized it by thinking that I've just paid something less than ichi-man to be able to stay here for the rest of my life. Not a high price to pay.
My day and night yesterday were generally fine despite it being the busiest day of the week. But I came down with a major allergic attack during The Beehive's session which elicited a lot of tissue from the ladies. I was still sniffling something awful until after lunch when I decided to sacrifice my 1400 yen to get some Benza Block Cold Medicine. Thankfully, it kicked in at the beginning of 002's class. My juku classes were their usual OK works of art. Jolly called in to pull off another dotakyan and The Milds pulled a sudden surprise weekend trip to Korea. Mrs. Mild had wanted to consult with The Siberian about his time there about a month ago. But man, the Milds aren't the greatest at retention. It was a bit of a tooth-pull trying to get any sort of application out of them. Not surprisingly, they gave me some more Korean dried seaweed as souvenirs.
I've got 001 and 007 tonight although I'm not sure if I'm in the best shape. Not because of any more sniffles but instead because of the early morning call today, I'm feeling pretty sleepy right now. I could use with a bit of joe.
On a totally different note, that part of the media covering the J-Pop industry is having a bit of a time talking about the defection of one of that local boyband, KAT-TUN. Apparently, one of the boys, a Mr. Akanishi, has rather strongly wanted to follow his desire to study overseas. After just a little less than a year of stardom, I'm slightly surprised that Johnny's Jimusho decided to let the kid go but it's supposedly for about 6 months, so not too long. The band's name comes from the first letters of each of the band members' last names, so Akanishi was the "A" (in a weird way, it reminds me of the "5 Neat Guys" from SCTV). So, with his departure, KAT-TUN may now become K'T-TUN. Sounds a bit Klingon, to me, although I don't think the remaining members will start wearing forehead ridges. Mind you, being a Johnny's band, they may as well sound like Klingon opera considering how little I like SMAP or Tokio.
Speaking of celebs, Speedy had his own sighting. And it was quite a catch, too. Over the weekend, the head honcho caught a glimpse of actress/model/Amazoness Norika Fujiwara during a bit of filming for her latest TV drama near Tokyo Station. Hubba hubba. Of course, with a lady of her stature (literally AND figuratively), her minders were also on double time. One of Speedy's colleagues was trying to snap a pic of her on his cellphone camera when a whole bunch of these guys started to block said colleague's view like a football team's defense on a hapless quarterback. But Japanese minders don't compare at all to a Mike Tyson posse. For one thing, bothering a Japanese celeb doesn't carry the risk of bodily harm.
Well, as of 9:15 this morning JST, I was no longer a visa resident in this country, living 3-year-to-3-year. After 10 months of waiting, I became a Permanent Resident in Japan. Well...I think the term waiting is a bit harsh. Actually, it should be more like 10 months from my initial application with brief periods of wondering. So, it was just a matter of getting up with the roosters and then heading on down to the monolithic Tokyo Regional Immigration Centre, waiting in a line with the rest of the applicants for about an hour. Then, I was told to purchase an 8,000-yen revenue stamp from the convenience store on the 1st floor before handing it in on a form. Some 10 minutes later, I got my passport back with a stamp saying that my permanent residency started today. No need for an interview or any other interrogation techniques; it was just like my previous visa renewal processes. But now, I no longer have to grovel for visa sponsorships which helps me somewhat. However, it doesn't mean that I no longer have to head out to Shinagawa. I still gotta renew rentry permits and when my passport runs out, I will still need to head out to the TRIC but at least the frequency of my visits will fall even further. And of course, sometime next week, I'll have to head on out to City Hall to register the change in my status.
Still, it was a small burden off my back. And I guess I can consider the permanent residency a belated birthday gift. Any other rewards were purely culinary: a Sausage Muffin set at McD's and then a buffet lunch at LAST in Shimbashi. The 8,000 yen for the Permanent Residency was a bit hefty, I had initially thought. But then again, I rationalized it by thinking that I've just paid something less than ichi-man to be able to stay here for the rest of my life. Not a high price to pay.
My day and night yesterday were generally fine despite it being the busiest day of the week. But I came down with a major allergic attack during The Beehive's session which elicited a lot of tissue from the ladies. I was still sniffling something awful until after lunch when I decided to sacrifice my 1400 yen to get some Benza Block Cold Medicine. Thankfully, it kicked in at the beginning of 002's class. My juku classes were their usual OK works of art. Jolly called in to pull off another dotakyan and The Milds pulled a sudden surprise weekend trip to Korea. Mrs. Mild had wanted to consult with The Siberian about his time there about a month ago. But man, the Milds aren't the greatest at retention. It was a bit of a tooth-pull trying to get any sort of application out of them. Not surprisingly, they gave me some more Korean dried seaweed as souvenirs.
I've got 001 and 007 tonight although I'm not sure if I'm in the best shape. Not because of any more sniffles but instead because of the early morning call today, I'm feeling pretty sleepy right now. I could use with a bit of joe.
On a totally different note, that part of the media covering the J-Pop industry is having a bit of a time talking about the defection of one of that local boyband, KAT-TUN. Apparently, one of the boys, a Mr. Akanishi, has rather strongly wanted to follow his desire to study overseas. After just a little less than a year of stardom, I'm slightly surprised that Johnny's Jimusho decided to let the kid go but it's supposedly for about 6 months, so not too long. The band's name comes from the first letters of each of the band members' last names, so Akanishi was the "A" (in a weird way, it reminds me of the "5 Neat Guys" from SCTV). So, with his departure, KAT-TUN may now become K'T-TUN. Sounds a bit Klingon, to me, although I don't think the remaining members will start wearing forehead ridges. Mind you, being a Johnny's band, they may as well sound like Klingon opera considering how little I like SMAP or Tokio.
Speaking of celebs, Speedy had his own sighting. And it was quite a catch, too. Over the weekend, the head honcho caught a glimpse of actress/model/Amazoness Norika Fujiwara during a bit of filming for her latest TV drama near Tokyo Station. Hubba hubba. Of course, with a lady of her stature (literally AND figuratively), her minders were also on double time. One of Speedy's colleagues was trying to snap a pic of her on his cellphone camera when a whole bunch of these guys started to block said colleague's view like a football team's defense on a hapless quarterback. But Japanese minders don't compare at all to a Mike Tyson posse. For one thing, bothering a Japanese celeb doesn't carry the risk of bodily harm.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Monday October 16, 2:53 p.m.
Did actually forget to mention a couple of other things. One is that after 10 months of waiting, the Immigration folks finally sent me that postcard telling me to come on down. Now I see if I finally get to become a Permanent Resident in my adopted home. It looks promising. The form postcard always has a list of the visas and their prices. Well, at the bottom of mine, there was a new stamp for "Permanent Residency---8,000 yen". Guess it's a small price to pay for relative security. Mind you, it means that I'm gonna have to head on out pretty early on Wednesday to Shinagawa.
I was also wondering about The Class Act. Both The Lady and The Matron have houses in Hawaii, and there was a rather sizable earthquake there yesterday. The governor has apparently labeled it as a disaster area. But at least for The Lady, some representatives from the area called her up this morning to reassure that aside from some crooked pictures, her second house is in good condition.
I also got a birthday wish from DTE, whom I hadn't heard from in several months. Looks like she's doing fine in Munich.
Did actually forget to mention a couple of other things. One is that after 10 months of waiting, the Immigration folks finally sent me that postcard telling me to come on down. Now I see if I finally get to become a Permanent Resident in my adopted home. It looks promising. The form postcard always has a list of the visas and their prices. Well, at the bottom of mine, there was a new stamp for "Permanent Residency---8,000 yen". Guess it's a small price to pay for relative security. Mind you, it means that I'm gonna have to head on out pretty early on Wednesday to Shinagawa.
I was also wondering about The Class Act. Both The Lady and The Matron have houses in Hawaii, and there was a rather sizable earthquake there yesterday. The governor has apparently labeled it as a disaster area. But at least for The Lady, some representatives from the area called her up this morning to reassure that aside from some crooked pictures, her second house is in good condition.
I also got a birthday wish from DTE, whom I hadn't heard from in several months. Looks like she's doing fine in Munich.
Monday October 16, 2:12 p.m.
Back at the AI Cafe in Akiba again. I just had to check my e-mail to see if my brother actually could come through with that ticket proposition. He was thinking of sending me an Air Canada ticket over. I kinda doubted that it could be done, and sure enough, there was no message for me. So in about an hour, I'll be sending my deposit to the travel agency for that Continental ticket.
I've had The Class Act but SIL cancelled out due to her mother's illness so I do have a few hours to kill before heading over to Speedy's. I've got The Part-Timer and 008 tonight.
After yesterday's stint behind the keyboard here, I met MB downstairs and we walked over to the Kanda area. Kanda is known mostly for its bookstores but there is also a small intense zone of ski shops. MB is getting that itch to hit the slopes again after his epiphany last season for the wonders of skiing. However, we decided to get some lunch at a local Freshness Burger. It was the first time for us to witness an empty Freshness Burger; since this branch is located in a commercial area and it was a Sunday, the place was a far cry from its Shinjuku cousin which is usually wall-to-wall people. We took another long walk towards Kudanshita. On the way, MB was talking about his hoped-for plan to set up a Role-Playing Game session sometime in the new year. That reminded me of my days witnessing the U of T RPG'ers; I rather blurted out that the guys there looked like the prototypical geeks. I don't think I offended MB with that remark but I'll consider it a long-delayed retaliation towards him and Frodo for snickering at me during karaoke all those months ago. Strangely enough, as we were walking through Kanda, we came across a small shop that was hawking "Lord of the Rings" RPGs. The staff there struck me as being folks doing a labour of love...very friendly and encouraging about their wares.
Last week, NHK was reporting on the fact that the Japanese economy had actually surpassed the legendary Izanagi econonic boom of the 60s which led The Land of the Rising Sun to its status as the 2nd-richest nation. The boom was so big that it actually got named after one of the founding gods of Nippon. Well, all of us viewers were rather gobsmacked at this news. We certainly aren't feeling any richer...folks aren't getting paid any higher despite this news. Perhaps it's an economic boom by stealth. Still, I think Tokyo is doing far better than any of its fellow megalopoli/metropoli.
Still, one sign that there could be an economic recovery under way is the fact that the Hollywood celebs are back doing their mondo bizarro Japanese TV commercials. Case in point: Scarlett Johannsen is now the spokesperson for Mt. Rainier Iced Coffee, following other pixieish stars like Winona Ryder and Natalie Portman. I'm sure she could have asked Bill Murray of "Lost in Translation" fame for some fatherly advice after his character's stint doing Suntory Whiskey commercials. Like Murray's character, Johannsen had to spout some English snippets while she's walking through what looks like the London Tube; unlike the previous spokeswomen, though...Scarlett is considerably more voluptuous. No idea whether she'll be making an appearance on Matthew Minami's program.
Mind you, Johannsen is following Kiefer Sutherland and Tommy Lee Jones on the Japanese ad front. Sutherland has been taking the piss out of his Jack Bauer character by trying to dismantle a bomb with a bumbling Japanese sidekick while munching on a Calorie Mate wafer. But the weird one is Tommy Lee. Mr. Suffer-No-Fools-At-All has been in a series of ads for Boss Coffee for the past few months as he plays an alien (no costume though...just craggy-faced him) observing Japanese life. He's had to take on odd jobs as an assembly line worker and an electronics store salesperson hawking the merchandise in Japanese. And lately, he's been a delivery man who's had the unfortunate luck to have his truck ticketed by a couple of rent-a-cops played by The Regulars, one of those goofball comedic duos. Never thought I'd see the day. At least, he doesn't have to spit out some non sequitur English phrases. He just glares at the cops. If only Clint Eastwood were younger...
Ah, what else is new? Well, I was watching "Aru Aru Daijiten", that Fuji-TV Sunday night program which features tips on self-improvement. Last night's program dealt with the physical age of one's body and how to lower it. The show has a panel of tarento to talk about the topic and often humilate themselves going through a battery of tests. I was rather amused to see buxom beauty MEGUMI, a 25-year-old member known more for her sassy mouth and two other assets than for any particular talent, realize that her body is more fit for a woman on the cusp of retirement. She wasn't really all that sassy after that.
The locals here have been a little edgy since neighbour Kim Jong Il set off that little pocket rocket last week. Kinda wonder how things are gonna go for the remaining part of the year after the UN Security Council finally brought the hammer down on North Korea. The ambassador for Kim naturally stormed out. I wonder if he's gonna stay out with a South Korean becoming the new Secretary-General.
Back at the AI Cafe in Akiba again. I just had to check my e-mail to see if my brother actually could come through with that ticket proposition. He was thinking of sending me an Air Canada ticket over. I kinda doubted that it could be done, and sure enough, there was no message for me. So in about an hour, I'll be sending my deposit to the travel agency for that Continental ticket.
I've had The Class Act but SIL cancelled out due to her mother's illness so I do have a few hours to kill before heading over to Speedy's. I've got The Part-Timer and 008 tonight.
After yesterday's stint behind the keyboard here, I met MB downstairs and we walked over to the Kanda area. Kanda is known mostly for its bookstores but there is also a small intense zone of ski shops. MB is getting that itch to hit the slopes again after his epiphany last season for the wonders of skiing. However, we decided to get some lunch at a local Freshness Burger. It was the first time for us to witness an empty Freshness Burger; since this branch is located in a commercial area and it was a Sunday, the place was a far cry from its Shinjuku cousin which is usually wall-to-wall people. We took another long walk towards Kudanshita. On the way, MB was talking about his hoped-for plan to set up a Role-Playing Game session sometime in the new year. That reminded me of my days witnessing the U of T RPG'ers; I rather blurted out that the guys there looked like the prototypical geeks. I don't think I offended MB with that remark but I'll consider it a long-delayed retaliation towards him and Frodo for snickering at me during karaoke all those months ago. Strangely enough, as we were walking through Kanda, we came across a small shop that was hawking "Lord of the Rings" RPGs. The staff there struck me as being folks doing a labour of love...very friendly and encouraging about their wares.
Last week, NHK was reporting on the fact that the Japanese economy had actually surpassed the legendary Izanagi econonic boom of the 60s which led The Land of the Rising Sun to its status as the 2nd-richest nation. The boom was so big that it actually got named after one of the founding gods of Nippon. Well, all of us viewers were rather gobsmacked at this news. We certainly aren't feeling any richer...folks aren't getting paid any higher despite this news. Perhaps it's an economic boom by stealth. Still, I think Tokyo is doing far better than any of its fellow megalopoli/metropoli.
Still, one sign that there could be an economic recovery under way is the fact that the Hollywood celebs are back doing their mondo bizarro Japanese TV commercials. Case in point: Scarlett Johannsen is now the spokesperson for Mt. Rainier Iced Coffee, following other pixieish stars like Winona Ryder and Natalie Portman. I'm sure she could have asked Bill Murray of "Lost in Translation" fame for some fatherly advice after his character's stint doing Suntory Whiskey commercials. Like Murray's character, Johannsen had to spout some English snippets while she's walking through what looks like the London Tube; unlike the previous spokeswomen, though...Scarlett is considerably more voluptuous. No idea whether she'll be making an appearance on Matthew Minami's program.
Mind you, Johannsen is following Kiefer Sutherland and Tommy Lee Jones on the Japanese ad front. Sutherland has been taking the piss out of his Jack Bauer character by trying to dismantle a bomb with a bumbling Japanese sidekick while munching on a Calorie Mate wafer. But the weird one is Tommy Lee. Mr. Suffer-No-Fools-At-All has been in a series of ads for Boss Coffee for the past few months as he plays an alien (no costume though...just craggy-faced him) observing Japanese life. He's had to take on odd jobs as an assembly line worker and an electronics store salesperson hawking the merchandise in Japanese. And lately, he's been a delivery man who's had the unfortunate luck to have his truck ticketed by a couple of rent-a-cops played by The Regulars, one of those goofball comedic duos. Never thought I'd see the day. At least, he doesn't have to spit out some non sequitur English phrases. He just glares at the cops. If only Clint Eastwood were younger...
Ah, what else is new? Well, I was watching "Aru Aru Daijiten", that Fuji-TV Sunday night program which features tips on self-improvement. Last night's program dealt with the physical age of one's body and how to lower it. The show has a panel of tarento to talk about the topic and often humilate themselves going through a battery of tests. I was rather amused to see buxom beauty MEGUMI, a 25-year-old member known more for her sassy mouth and two other assets than for any particular talent, realize that her body is more fit for a woman on the cusp of retirement. She wasn't really all that sassy after that.
The locals here have been a little edgy since neighbour Kim Jong Il set off that little pocket rocket last week. Kinda wonder how things are gonna go for the remaining part of the year after the UN Security Council finally brought the hammer down on North Korea. The ambassador for Kim naturally stormed out. I wonder if he's gonna stay out with a South Korean becoming the new Secretary-General.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Sunday October 15, 3:03 p.m.
Things have finally cooled off here after Summer got its last licks in last week. Walking through the megalopolis has been pleasant, to say the least.
Yesterday, I saw The Carolinan for what may become a regular Saturday meeting for her lessons. We got into The Tea Room just when it opened. Before it did, though, we took a look across the street. There was a building which once housed a number of commercial establishments, including an AM/PM convenience store, a manga cafe and a small boutique. Well, the boutique is still there but the rest of the building (and I do mean all of the floors) has been wrapped up in police "DO NOT ENTER" tape. Well, The Carolinan and I got a bit curious and we crossed the street. Apparently, according to the notice that my student kindly translated, the building has been condemned due to structural disintegrity. Good golly...I wonder if it was designed by the defrocked architect Aneha.
After The Carolinan, I met a couple of former students at the station. The Coffeemaker and Tully wanted to brush up their English so they've hired me. We went to the latter's namesake cafe near the station. Since it was just a meet-n'-greet to assess their abilities and find out what they want to do, I didn't charge them anything for which The Coffeemaker seemed to be very grateful. They're both pretty high in level so it'll be a bit of a challenge; certainly, grammar won't be a priority. I'll start officially with them in a couple of weeks so I should have some sort of game plan and text by then.
Then, I met Movie Buddy and The Satyr at my station a few hours later. The Satyr has become, perhaps, the newest addition to our long-running pizza-and-a-movie pilgrimages. But he didn't follow up on the stay at Hotel Haruhiko. We caught a couple of fairly dire pics, Michael Bay's "The Island" and "Sound of Thunder"...the latter picture being a poster child for straight-to-DVD flicks. All of us were quite grateful that we hadn't shucked out the 1,800 yen to catch "The Island"in its original release. The three of us were kvetching like the guys on "Mystery Science Theatre 3000" about this dog of a movie. I think Scarlett Johannsen is one of those thespians who needs to have a good director behind her; she's really pretty to see but certainly didn't wow us in the acting department. The only interesting thing was having Ewan McGregor and Ethan Phillips being good buds on the movie....Obi-Wan, meet Neelix...Neelix, meet Obi-Wan. All throughout the movie, we were all throwing out titles of other movies that "The Island" must've cannibalized: "Minority Report", "A.I.", "I, Robot", etc.
As for "Sound of Thunder", it was one of those straight-to-DVD genre flicks. When the biggest names are David Duchovny wannabe Edward Burns and "I'll do anything for a buck" Sir Ben Kingsley, I knew that we weren't going in optimistically. The movie is about time travel and its paradoxes...stuff that's been explored before, better and more slickly in "Timecop" and any particular episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".
However, the last movie was quite good if rather cynical and depressing: "Lord of War" with Nicholas Cage. It takes a very jaundiced and fatalistic look at the arms industry through Cage's character...a guy who resigns himself to playing a devil on Earth...just because he can. I think Cage will never win another Oscar...he always plays the same character in just about every movie I've seen him in.
Well, gotta contact MB. He's out somewhere in Akiba walking around. It's a good day outside for that.
Things have finally cooled off here after Summer got its last licks in last week. Walking through the megalopolis has been pleasant, to say the least.
Yesterday, I saw The Carolinan for what may become a regular Saturday meeting for her lessons. We got into The Tea Room just when it opened. Before it did, though, we took a look across the street. There was a building which once housed a number of commercial establishments, including an AM/PM convenience store, a manga cafe and a small boutique. Well, the boutique is still there but the rest of the building (and I do mean all of the floors) has been wrapped up in police "DO NOT ENTER" tape. Well, The Carolinan and I got a bit curious and we crossed the street. Apparently, according to the notice that my student kindly translated, the building has been condemned due to structural disintegrity. Good golly...I wonder if it was designed by the defrocked architect Aneha.
After The Carolinan, I met a couple of former students at the station. The Coffeemaker and Tully wanted to brush up their English so they've hired me. We went to the latter's namesake cafe near the station. Since it was just a meet-n'-greet to assess their abilities and find out what they want to do, I didn't charge them anything for which The Coffeemaker seemed to be very grateful. They're both pretty high in level so it'll be a bit of a challenge; certainly, grammar won't be a priority. I'll start officially with them in a couple of weeks so I should have some sort of game plan and text by then.
Then, I met Movie Buddy and The Satyr at my station a few hours later. The Satyr has become, perhaps, the newest addition to our long-running pizza-and-a-movie pilgrimages. But he didn't follow up on the stay at Hotel Haruhiko. We caught a couple of fairly dire pics, Michael Bay's "The Island" and "Sound of Thunder"...the latter picture being a poster child for straight-to-DVD flicks. All of us were quite grateful that we hadn't shucked out the 1,800 yen to catch "The Island"in its original release. The three of us were kvetching like the guys on "Mystery Science Theatre 3000" about this dog of a movie. I think Scarlett Johannsen is one of those thespians who needs to have a good director behind her; she's really pretty to see but certainly didn't wow us in the acting department. The only interesting thing was having Ewan McGregor and Ethan Phillips being good buds on the movie....Obi-Wan, meet Neelix...Neelix, meet Obi-Wan. All throughout the movie, we were all throwing out titles of other movies that "The Island" must've cannibalized: "Minority Report", "A.I.", "I, Robot", etc.
As for "Sound of Thunder", it was one of those straight-to-DVD genre flicks. When the biggest names are David Duchovny wannabe Edward Burns and "I'll do anything for a buck" Sir Ben Kingsley, I knew that we weren't going in optimistically. The movie is about time travel and its paradoxes...stuff that's been explored before, better and more slickly in "Timecop" and any particular episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".
However, the last movie was quite good if rather cynical and depressing: "Lord of War" with Nicholas Cage. It takes a very jaundiced and fatalistic look at the arms industry through Cage's character...a guy who resigns himself to playing a devil on Earth...just because he can. I think Cage will never win another Oscar...he always plays the same character in just about every movie I've seen him in.
Well, gotta contact MB. He's out somewhere in Akiba walking around. It's a good day outside for that.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Wednesday October 11, 4:52 p.m.
Well, it's been interesting here over the past few days. Monday morning, Kim Jong Il decided to set off his newest toy, a bright and shiny nuclear bomb test somewhere in the mountains of his North Korea. Everybody took notice. CNN went on Red Alert as did NHK. The other commercial stations in Japan took a slightly more nonchalant approach in its coverage but by early evening, every station was focused on the Prime Minister's official response.
Speaking of Shinzo Abe, what a way for him to get his tenure started, eh? I bet Junichiro Koizumi was probably blowing out a breath of air from his hotel bed and muttering "Boy, am I glad I got out when I did." A true trial by fire for the new kid on the block. But in a way, Mr. Abe should send Kim a thank you. Kim's bomb test went off during Abe's fence-mending trip to China and South Korea. There's nothing like a North Korean crisis to bring enemies together. I bet a lot of that Yasukuni Shrine kerfuffle just got swept under the diplomatic carpet once that test got started.
Ironically, The Siberian got back for his first lesson last night for the first time since his trip to Seoul. His homestay family lives just 15 minutes away from the DMZ. They live on the tenth floor of an apartment so I mentioned to the lad that the family must a great view of the North Korean landscape. I got my souvenir of Korean nori. Man, that stuff blows any of the dried seaweed here out of the water (as non sequitur as that sounds). The Siberian enjoyed his first trip to South Korea so much that he plans to visit again with friends before the end of the year; that is, if there is even a South Korea...(just joking..)
As for the other folks at the juku, Seven has plied me with sweet goodies for the 3rd week in a row. She may be singlehandedly responsible for counteracting any benefits from my tofu diet. However, I'm more concerned about reciprocating her kindness. It looks like along with The Beehive, I'll probably be having her make a Jack O'Lantern on the 31st. The juku boss is wholeheartedly on board but I'm not sure if there will be much of a party since everyone is tightly restricted to his/her slot due to work. Jolly didn't show up last night for his lesson; perhaps, his business trip has taken longer than expected.
Yesterday was a tough one for both commuters and staff on the Sobu Line. Apparently, there was another one of those jinshin jiko at Higashi-Funabashi Station, smack dab in between where I started out and where I wanted to go to reach The Beehive. Some person either fell onto the tracks or wanted to ensure that he/she ended up there. In any case, I had to join the mass exodus over to the Keisei Line to get to Tsudanuma. By the time I got to The Beehive, I was 20 minutes late...the first time in my 8 years with the ladies that I'd ever been late. No particular problems with the class itself. In fact, we all went off to lunch at a little bistro nearby called "Pot Au Feu"...thereby helping my rapidly shrinking wallet since the ladies always pay my way. I was the only male in the place but that didn't particularly sway me. Mrs. Jade and I had the Atlantic Salmon lunch. I was OK with it but Mrs. Jade was somewhat disappointed; the salmon wasn't a particularly thick slab of fish. Then, heading back home for a few hours, the Sobu Line once again had a 10-minute delay due to some technical problems.
Got that monthly call from Mom. Looks like she and Dad will be heading to Japan next month. Not surprisingly, she deterred me yet again from visiting the relatives in Osaka. But considering my dribbly money flow, she didn't have to twist my arm too much. At least I will save the tens of thousands of yen in Bullet Train fare. But the parentals will be coming here for a few days. In fact, Mom has assigned me the task of finding a ryokan so that the three of us can spend some quality time out in the woods somewhere. I've already started checking my sources. Mrs. Travel gave me some tips in Hakone, and 002 even told me about a couple of inns that she'd recently visited.
Well, I just have 001 tonight since 007 is off on some business trip. Then, I've got the entire day off tomorrow. I will definitely be using that filled point card for my 200 yen Subway sandwich.
It looks like that next DVD-klatsch this Saturday is an official go. And The Satyr will make it 3 along with me and MB. I think Domino's Pizza may be getting a winfall from us.
Well, it's been interesting here over the past few days. Monday morning, Kim Jong Il decided to set off his newest toy, a bright and shiny nuclear bomb test somewhere in the mountains of his North Korea. Everybody took notice. CNN went on Red Alert as did NHK. The other commercial stations in Japan took a slightly more nonchalant approach in its coverage but by early evening, every station was focused on the Prime Minister's official response.
Speaking of Shinzo Abe, what a way for him to get his tenure started, eh? I bet Junichiro Koizumi was probably blowing out a breath of air from his hotel bed and muttering "Boy, am I glad I got out when I did." A true trial by fire for the new kid on the block. But in a way, Mr. Abe should send Kim a thank you. Kim's bomb test went off during Abe's fence-mending trip to China and South Korea. There's nothing like a North Korean crisis to bring enemies together. I bet a lot of that Yasukuni Shrine kerfuffle just got swept under the diplomatic carpet once that test got started.
Ironically, The Siberian got back for his first lesson last night for the first time since his trip to Seoul. His homestay family lives just 15 minutes away from the DMZ. They live on the tenth floor of an apartment so I mentioned to the lad that the family must a great view of the North Korean landscape. I got my souvenir of Korean nori. Man, that stuff blows any of the dried seaweed here out of the water (as non sequitur as that sounds). The Siberian enjoyed his first trip to South Korea so much that he plans to visit again with friends before the end of the year; that is, if there is even a South Korea...(just joking..)
As for the other folks at the juku, Seven has plied me with sweet goodies for the 3rd week in a row. She may be singlehandedly responsible for counteracting any benefits from my tofu diet. However, I'm more concerned about reciprocating her kindness. It looks like along with The Beehive, I'll probably be having her make a Jack O'Lantern on the 31st. The juku boss is wholeheartedly on board but I'm not sure if there will be much of a party since everyone is tightly restricted to his/her slot due to work. Jolly didn't show up last night for his lesson; perhaps, his business trip has taken longer than expected.
Yesterday was a tough one for both commuters and staff on the Sobu Line. Apparently, there was another one of those jinshin jiko at Higashi-Funabashi Station, smack dab in between where I started out and where I wanted to go to reach The Beehive. Some person either fell onto the tracks or wanted to ensure that he/she ended up there. In any case, I had to join the mass exodus over to the Keisei Line to get to Tsudanuma. By the time I got to The Beehive, I was 20 minutes late...the first time in my 8 years with the ladies that I'd ever been late. No particular problems with the class itself. In fact, we all went off to lunch at a little bistro nearby called "Pot Au Feu"...thereby helping my rapidly shrinking wallet since the ladies always pay my way. I was the only male in the place but that didn't particularly sway me. Mrs. Jade and I had the Atlantic Salmon lunch. I was OK with it but Mrs. Jade was somewhat disappointed; the salmon wasn't a particularly thick slab of fish. Then, heading back home for a few hours, the Sobu Line once again had a 10-minute delay due to some technical problems.
Got that monthly call from Mom. Looks like she and Dad will be heading to Japan next month. Not surprisingly, she deterred me yet again from visiting the relatives in Osaka. But considering my dribbly money flow, she didn't have to twist my arm too much. At least I will save the tens of thousands of yen in Bullet Train fare. But the parentals will be coming here for a few days. In fact, Mom has assigned me the task of finding a ryokan so that the three of us can spend some quality time out in the woods somewhere. I've already started checking my sources. Mrs. Travel gave me some tips in Hakone, and 002 even told me about a couple of inns that she'd recently visited.
Well, I just have 001 tonight since 007 is off on some business trip. Then, I've got the entire day off tomorrow. I will definitely be using that filled point card for my 200 yen Subway sandwich.
It looks like that next DVD-klatsch this Saturday is an official go. And The Satyr will make it 3 along with me and MB. I think Domino's Pizza may be getting a winfall from us.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Sunday October 8, 1:38 p.m.
Well, unlike the meterological hell that was Friday night, today is downright gorgeous. But like Friday night, I'm typing this from the outside...this time, back at the Shinjuku Kinko's. I would've gone to the Ai Cafe but I figured that it was a bit too far away for me and probably filled with the otakus. Kinko's is somewhat more expensive but I'm currently the only one at a computer booth. Right now, as I type, there is some sort of cheerleader show outside of the Microsoft Bldg where this Kinko's is located going on. As I was coming in, there was a couple of men in eyeball masks entertaining the masses. Some rather odd activities to commemorate Sports Day.
Yesterday was a rare one for me in that I actually had a full day off. Having my hair cut and putting out the mattresses onto the balcony to air out were about as strenuous as it got on Saturday. I was even able to indulge in a long nap. However, I did have to plan for the kids' lessons this morning. Speaking of whom, The Elder was her usual queenly self while The Younger is showing more signs of laziness. I made my yen today.
Skippy called me yesterday to confirm for today's meeting in front of the Shinjuku Koma Theatre for dinner. It'll probably be a party of 5: myself, Movie Buddy, The Sylph, Skippy and The Madame. Strangely enough, we'll be going for Korean; The Madame can't touch the slightest thing spicy without going into a lather but somehow Skip was able to convince her that there is blander fare in the Korean menu. Just wondering if The Madame and MB are gonna get into another dustup about her spirituality again. If so, I'll just focus more on my bibimbap instead. Skippy was rather bouncy...or I should say even bouncier than usual...in our brief conversation on the phone. She had trip through Oz...thoroughly enjoyable for her (she could probably sludge through the infamous Smoky Mountain junkyard in Manila and still find some fun in that) although she did say that there was one moment of panic when she got temporarily lost in a national park.
Actually, I may have two full days of nada coming up this week. Tomorrow, being Sports Day, I've got a national holiday. And then because The Carolinan wanted her lesson to be shifted to this upcoming Saturday, I've got nothing on Thursday as well. But along with The Carolinan, I may have The Coffeemaker and her buddy for their first, so I can perhaps make some cash that day.
Although getting my haircuts isn't exactly a cheap thing, I was happy to get rid of the mop from my head. This time, it was the girl who took care of me for the whole hour. As in any tonsorial establishment around the world, she likes to gab, so I engaged her in any sort of talk under the sun. Luckily, there were the typhoon and that Keiyo Line fiasco to talk about. I would have mentioned something about the new Prime Minister, but I didn't get the feeling that she was the political type.
Speaking of whom, it looks like Shinzo Abe is getting started on his first big task. When Koizumi started his term, he set about pushing that reform with the post office. This time, Abe is gonna be mending fences...fences that got broken by his predecessor over the past 5 years. He's off in China for a dialogue with President Hu, and then he'll be going to South Korea to do the same with its president. Of course, North Korea, which ironically doesn't want to be left out of things despite its nickname of The Hermit Kingdom, is making noise in the form of a threatened nuclear test. Kinda wonder what the United States is talking about when it says that it "won't live with a nuclear North Korea". I wonder if I should get a flight out of here sooner.
Newswise, it looks like a few days after my little rant about the bandwagon-jumping nature of Japanese journalism, those guys have done it again. Drinking & driving has been pushing off the radar screen for the topic du jour of capsized trawlers. Apparently, there have been three of them over the past couple of days. And it looks like...all kidding aside and in all tragedy...there's been another suicide triggered by ijime (bullying). Some poor elementary school girl in Hokkaido decided to hang herself in her classroom after deciding that life wasn't worth living due to her ostracism by her schoolmates. Kids are often cruel but whenever these things happen, I ask myself with all the attention placed on the victim and the circumstances, why hasn't there been any (and I'm not asking for a lot here) focus placed on the so-called perpetrators? Obviously, there is the question of being considered innocent before being judged guilty (a legal theory about as empty of meaning and significance as beer bottles after a night in Shimbashi) but for once, I would just like to see some of those little brats get the spotlight on them and find out why they decided to hound a classmate to death. Are they just kids who went too far with their teasing or are they budding sociopaths who've claimed their first victim? Do they show any remorse or are they cackling inside? And what of their families...do they care that their children may have been responsible for abetting a kid's death?
Well, unlike the meterological hell that was Friday night, today is downright gorgeous. But like Friday night, I'm typing this from the outside...this time, back at the Shinjuku Kinko's. I would've gone to the Ai Cafe but I figured that it was a bit too far away for me and probably filled with the otakus. Kinko's is somewhat more expensive but I'm currently the only one at a computer booth. Right now, as I type, there is some sort of cheerleader show outside of the Microsoft Bldg where this Kinko's is located going on. As I was coming in, there was a couple of men in eyeball masks entertaining the masses. Some rather odd activities to commemorate Sports Day.
Yesterday was a rare one for me in that I actually had a full day off. Having my hair cut and putting out the mattresses onto the balcony to air out were about as strenuous as it got on Saturday. I was even able to indulge in a long nap. However, I did have to plan for the kids' lessons this morning. Speaking of whom, The Elder was her usual queenly self while The Younger is showing more signs of laziness. I made my yen today.
Skippy called me yesterday to confirm for today's meeting in front of the Shinjuku Koma Theatre for dinner. It'll probably be a party of 5: myself, Movie Buddy, The Sylph, Skippy and The Madame. Strangely enough, we'll be going for Korean; The Madame can't touch the slightest thing spicy without going into a lather but somehow Skip was able to convince her that there is blander fare in the Korean menu. Just wondering if The Madame and MB are gonna get into another dustup about her spirituality again. If so, I'll just focus more on my bibimbap instead. Skippy was rather bouncy...or I should say even bouncier than usual...in our brief conversation on the phone. She had trip through Oz...thoroughly enjoyable for her (she could probably sludge through the infamous Smoky Mountain junkyard in Manila and still find some fun in that) although she did say that there was one moment of panic when she got temporarily lost in a national park.
Actually, I may have two full days of nada coming up this week. Tomorrow, being Sports Day, I've got a national holiday. And then because The Carolinan wanted her lesson to be shifted to this upcoming Saturday, I've got nothing on Thursday as well. But along with The Carolinan, I may have The Coffeemaker and her buddy for their first, so I can perhaps make some cash that day.
Although getting my haircuts isn't exactly a cheap thing, I was happy to get rid of the mop from my head. This time, it was the girl who took care of me for the whole hour. As in any tonsorial establishment around the world, she likes to gab, so I engaged her in any sort of talk under the sun. Luckily, there were the typhoon and that Keiyo Line fiasco to talk about. I would have mentioned something about the new Prime Minister, but I didn't get the feeling that she was the political type.
Speaking of whom, it looks like Shinzo Abe is getting started on his first big task. When Koizumi started his term, he set about pushing that reform with the post office. This time, Abe is gonna be mending fences...fences that got broken by his predecessor over the past 5 years. He's off in China for a dialogue with President Hu, and then he'll be going to South Korea to do the same with its president. Of course, North Korea, which ironically doesn't want to be left out of things despite its nickname of The Hermit Kingdom, is making noise in the form of a threatened nuclear test. Kinda wonder what the United States is talking about when it says that it "won't live with a nuclear North Korea". I wonder if I should get a flight out of here sooner.
Newswise, it looks like a few days after my little rant about the bandwagon-jumping nature of Japanese journalism, those guys have done it again. Drinking & driving has been pushing off the radar screen for the topic du jour of capsized trawlers. Apparently, there have been three of them over the past couple of days. And it looks like...all kidding aside and in all tragedy...there's been another suicide triggered by ijime (bullying). Some poor elementary school girl in Hokkaido decided to hang herself in her classroom after deciding that life wasn't worth living due to her ostracism by her schoolmates. Kids are often cruel but whenever these things happen, I ask myself with all the attention placed on the victim and the circumstances, why hasn't there been any (and I'm not asking for a lot here) focus placed on the so-called perpetrators? Obviously, there is the question of being considered innocent before being judged guilty (a legal theory about as empty of meaning and significance as beer bottles after a night in Shimbashi) but for once, I would just like to see some of those little brats get the spotlight on them and find out why they decided to hound a classmate to death. Are they just kids who went too far with their teasing or are they budding sociopaths who've claimed their first victim? Do they show any remorse or are they cackling inside? And what of their families...do they care that their children may have been responsible for abetting a kid's death?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Wednesday October 4, 9:27 p.m.
Finished another day at Speedy's. I kept 001 rolling out into the aisles with my brand of humour since she was initially quite sleepy. It also helped that she aced her test of last week. As for 007, it looks like he was under the weather so he did a dotakyan. Ack...that's the way the cookie crumbles. During what would've been his class, I did have the chance to chat with Speedy's wife for a while in the kitchen as we dined on the last of Mr. Influence's apple pie.
Looks like the school managed to snag itself another new student. This one happens to be Mrs. Speedy's co-worker and has the same name (right down to the individual kanji) as 008. And she'll be coming on the same night as my own student. The intros ought to be interesting. However, the new namesake will be taught by one of the other teachers.
Well, gotta get home and get ready. I've got 002 and then B2 (maybe B2B will be back) tomorrow. I'm a bit worried about the weather for the next couple of days. We've got two typhoons coming in back to back. I do wonder about Jolly's little night BBQ on the 7th.
Finished another day at Speedy's. I kept 001 rolling out into the aisles with my brand of humour since she was initially quite sleepy. It also helped that she aced her test of last week. As for 007, it looks like he was under the weather so he did a dotakyan. Ack...that's the way the cookie crumbles. During what would've been his class, I did have the chance to chat with Speedy's wife for a while in the kitchen as we dined on the last of Mr. Influence's apple pie.
Looks like the school managed to snag itself another new student. This one happens to be Mrs. Speedy's co-worker and has the same name (right down to the individual kanji) as 008. And she'll be coming on the same night as my own student. The intros ought to be interesting. However, the new namesake will be taught by one of the other teachers.
Well, gotta get home and get ready. I've got 002 and then B2 (maybe B2B will be back) tomorrow. I'm a bit worried about the weather for the next couple of days. We've got two typhoons coming in back to back. I do wonder about Jolly's little night BBQ on the 7th.
Wednesday October 4, 4:49 p.m.
inshuu unten. It's translated as "drinking and driving". And it happens to be the media's current flavour-of-the-month. A couple of years ago, it was those diabolical revolving doors that caught the attention of everyone via journalists after one of them had crushed a little kid at Roppongi Hills. And then maybe a little before that, it was the roving n' marauding bears in the rural areas attacking defenceless farmers that were getting almost nightly coverage. Now, NHK and the other stations have dogpiled on the drinking n' driving bandwagon since that tragedy several weeks ago in which a drinking driver backended a car off a bridge into a river killing all of the children of a young family. It seems that just about any cab hack or salaryman who's had a bit too much to drink will get his (so far, the idiots caught have all been male) 15 minutes of infamy on the nightly news. A Tokyo police officer has even been cited for DUI despite his protestations that he hadn't drunk that much; the punchline was that he belonged to the section responsible for controlling drinking and driving. Today, we heard that he has been suspended for 6 months but that he plans to turns in his badge.
As usual, the tone in my voice may seem a little snarky. Let me confirm...I am being snarky. Not that drinking-and-driving isn't worthy of media attention. Of course, it is. However, my eyes start rolling because of the faddish nature of journalism in this country. DUI has probably existed since the first cars rolled off the conveyor belts at Toyota almost a century ago; certainly, drinking has existed for the entirety of Japanese history (my old professor told me that some ancient Chinese reports on the island of Wa [Japan] were liberally interspersed with the statement, "...and the people drank"). And obviously, over the decades, hundreds of people have probably died behind or in front of the wheel because of it. So, why is inshuu unten becoming the scourge we must fight today? And how long will it stay Public Enemy No. 1 before it gets bumped off by the next big story (killer tornadoes, anyone)? I think the best I can hope for is that some good comes out of this journalistic feeding frenzy while it lasts. As long as the media has its hot klieg lights on the issue, perhaps the government may do something or the folks may use more common sense after their umpteen rounds at the izakayas or nomiyas.
However, as much as one fellow hoped that the numbers of DUI will come down under this media glare, I don't think there will be much of a dent at all. For one thing, there is still much more of the feeling amongst the drinking and driving public here than in their American counterparts that they would never be caught. Probably a lot of the folks feel that they never drink that much to become a danger to others. And finally, there is just the fact that the Japanese just love alcohol. They can afford to wean themselves off of tobacco but take away their drink, and you've got trouble. I think as long as cars and alcohol co-exist, DUI will always exist in large numbers unless something no less than Prohibition gets passed. And then, the Yakuza, the Triads and the Russian Mafia will start mincing their hands in glee. But that's another story (to dogpile on)...
inshuu unten. It's translated as "drinking and driving". And it happens to be the media's current flavour-of-the-month. A couple of years ago, it was those diabolical revolving doors that caught the attention of everyone via journalists after one of them had crushed a little kid at Roppongi Hills. And then maybe a little before that, it was the roving n' marauding bears in the rural areas attacking defenceless farmers that were getting almost nightly coverage. Now, NHK and the other stations have dogpiled on the drinking n' driving bandwagon since that tragedy several weeks ago in which a drinking driver backended a car off a bridge into a river killing all of the children of a young family. It seems that just about any cab hack or salaryman who's had a bit too much to drink will get his (so far, the idiots caught have all been male) 15 minutes of infamy on the nightly news. A Tokyo police officer has even been cited for DUI despite his protestations that he hadn't drunk that much; the punchline was that he belonged to the section responsible for controlling drinking and driving. Today, we heard that he has been suspended for 6 months but that he plans to turns in his badge.
As usual, the tone in my voice may seem a little snarky. Let me confirm...I am being snarky. Not that drinking-and-driving isn't worthy of media attention. Of course, it is. However, my eyes start rolling because of the faddish nature of journalism in this country. DUI has probably existed since the first cars rolled off the conveyor belts at Toyota almost a century ago; certainly, drinking has existed for the entirety of Japanese history (my old professor told me that some ancient Chinese reports on the island of Wa [Japan] were liberally interspersed with the statement, "...and the people drank"). And obviously, over the decades, hundreds of people have probably died behind or in front of the wheel because of it. So, why is inshuu unten becoming the scourge we must fight today? And how long will it stay Public Enemy No. 1 before it gets bumped off by the next big story (killer tornadoes, anyone)? I think the best I can hope for is that some good comes out of this journalistic feeding frenzy while it lasts. As long as the media has its hot klieg lights on the issue, perhaps the government may do something or the folks may use more common sense after their umpteen rounds at the izakayas or nomiyas.
However, as much as one fellow hoped that the numbers of DUI will come down under this media glare, I don't think there will be much of a dent at all. For one thing, there is still much more of the feeling amongst the drinking and driving public here than in their American counterparts that they would never be caught. Probably a lot of the folks feel that they never drink that much to become a danger to others. And finally, there is just the fact that the Japanese just love alcohol. They can afford to wean themselves off of tobacco but take away their drink, and you've got trouble. I think as long as cars and alcohol co-exist, DUI will always exist in large numbers unless something no less than Prohibition gets passed. And then, the Yakuza, the Triads and the Russian Mafia will start mincing their hands in glee. But that's another story (to dogpile on)...
Wednesday October 4, 4:36 p.m.
A typical Fall day in Tokyo, I guess. Kinda gloomy with the threat of rain; still I don't mind the cooler temps.
Yesterday, the regular Beehive session had us chatting in the main tennis area on the 3rd floor of the building since apparently the floor was closed for something or other. So, while we talked in half-darkness, Miss Travel acted as the sub front desk staff for any other unknowing folks who had wanted a bit of action on the courts.
The juku session was OK. That little kerfuffle between the boss and me last week has been patched up. Seems like the boss had a bit of an argument with her mother and her hubby and some of that frustration leaked out onto me after classes last Tuesday night. She was profusely apologetic. Seven was back after a sudden absence last week due to a cold. She seems to be in the habit of giving me food every week. Her stuff is good but I'm starting to feel a little guilty...as well as fatter. Also, Jolly put last week's lesson to good use and actually invited me to a BBQ party on Saturday night. Yep, you heard me...at night...somewhere near Tokyo Disneyland. He got a little quiet when I'd asked him whether his girlfriend would be joining us...hmmm, a little problem in Paradise? Again, I'm not too big on parties but perhaps as long as I put on my teacher's mask, I can endure it. And then, Mr. Mild came back to class after being away for a month. I was privately glad that he was back since his wife frankly had a tough time being by herself. The boss told me that The Siberian had called her to cancel out of last night's session due to a cold. The joke's on both of us; I had forgotten that he was back from Korea...I hadn't done anything to prepare for him. Mind you, I never prepare for him since his "classes" are just hope-for-the-best chat sessions.
I just have 001 and 007 tonight. So, pretty straightforward. But it looks like I may have some more students coming into the fold. The Coffeemaker got back to me and said that Saturday mornings might be good for a session. It looks like my Saturdays are getting pretty busy now with Speedy and the kids and the occasional M+M kaffeeklatsch. Speaking of whom, one of the Ms asked me about the 28th for the next meeting.
A typical Fall day in Tokyo, I guess. Kinda gloomy with the threat of rain; still I don't mind the cooler temps.
Yesterday, the regular Beehive session had us chatting in the main tennis area on the 3rd floor of the building since apparently the floor was closed for something or other. So, while we talked in half-darkness, Miss Travel acted as the sub front desk staff for any other unknowing folks who had wanted a bit of action on the courts.
The juku session was OK. That little kerfuffle between the boss and me last week has been patched up. Seems like the boss had a bit of an argument with her mother and her hubby and some of that frustration leaked out onto me after classes last Tuesday night. She was profusely apologetic. Seven was back after a sudden absence last week due to a cold. She seems to be in the habit of giving me food every week. Her stuff is good but I'm starting to feel a little guilty...as well as fatter. Also, Jolly put last week's lesson to good use and actually invited me to a BBQ party on Saturday night. Yep, you heard me...at night...somewhere near Tokyo Disneyland. He got a little quiet when I'd asked him whether his girlfriend would be joining us...hmmm, a little problem in Paradise? Again, I'm not too big on parties but perhaps as long as I put on my teacher's mask, I can endure it. And then, Mr. Mild came back to class after being away for a month. I was privately glad that he was back since his wife frankly had a tough time being by herself. The boss told me that The Siberian had called her to cancel out of last night's session due to a cold. The joke's on both of us; I had forgotten that he was back from Korea...I hadn't done anything to prepare for him. Mind you, I never prepare for him since his "classes" are just hope-for-the-best chat sessions.
I just have 001 and 007 tonight. So, pretty straightforward. But it looks like I may have some more students coming into the fold. The Coffeemaker got back to me and said that Saturday mornings might be good for a session. It looks like my Saturdays are getting pretty busy now with Speedy and the kids and the occasional M+M kaffeeklatsch. Speaking of whom, one of the Ms asked me about the 28th for the next meeting.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Monday October 2, 5:47 p.m.
My Saturday ended at Speedy's with a sudden invitation to dinner by the bossman himself. I joined him, his wife and some old acquaintances of his to yet another Korean place in Higashi-Nakano. This one is called Sonam and it has the honour of having seven of its dishes highlighted on the recently departed show "Dotchi ni Ryori Show" (Which Dish do you Choose?) on NTV. So, Speedy couldn't resist a pedigree like that. The place is small, even smaller than Insadong, the other eatery we'd gone to some weeks ago. However, the dishes were well worth the force yoga position I had to take on that tatami mats. Some really crunchy kimchi followed by the main dish of boiling pork bones with bits of meat and collagen falling off of them. It tastes better than it sounds, believe me. And then I finished up with some kalbi kuppa, that zesty soup with rice, veggies and beef.
Sunday was basically a time out from teaching for which I was eternally grateful as we entered October. Today was another regular Monday. I had The Class Act and SIL for their regular slots. The Class Act won't ever let me live down the fact that I didn't really help in asking for directions during our whirlwind gourmet tour of Seoul. I think my goof was even mentioning that I was going to try and learn a bit of the language. Well, I think if they were truly pissed off with me, they would've had me banished from the magic kingdom already. Instead, The Lady is already thinking of having us try out this steak place, appropriately called The Oak Door. SIL was her usual giddy self. We actually got through the 90 minutes without having to go to an article; we just smoothly transitioned from talk of her mother and relatives to some of the oldies music.
I was able to use some of that commuting time between SIL and The Part-Timer to use the remaining gift certificates to get my niece a couple of presents: an Anpan Man doll and the Cat-Bus from "My Neighbour Totoro". Gotta get that squared away and sent out for her birthday.
Another thing to get squared away...my air ticket back to The Great White North for Xmas. Man, does Air Canada love to gouge! Basically, all I will afford after the ticket and presents for everyone is...nothing. Well, I'm now heavily considering taking the painful yet cheaper route through the US.
My Saturday ended at Speedy's with a sudden invitation to dinner by the bossman himself. I joined him, his wife and some old acquaintances of his to yet another Korean place in Higashi-Nakano. This one is called Sonam and it has the honour of having seven of its dishes highlighted on the recently departed show "Dotchi ni Ryori Show" (Which Dish do you Choose?) on NTV. So, Speedy couldn't resist a pedigree like that. The place is small, even smaller than Insadong, the other eatery we'd gone to some weeks ago. However, the dishes were well worth the force yoga position I had to take on that tatami mats. Some really crunchy kimchi followed by the main dish of boiling pork bones with bits of meat and collagen falling off of them. It tastes better than it sounds, believe me. And then I finished up with some kalbi kuppa, that zesty soup with rice, veggies and beef.
Sunday was basically a time out from teaching for which I was eternally grateful as we entered October. Today was another regular Monday. I had The Class Act and SIL for their regular slots. The Class Act won't ever let me live down the fact that I didn't really help in asking for directions during our whirlwind gourmet tour of Seoul. I think my goof was even mentioning that I was going to try and learn a bit of the language. Well, I think if they were truly pissed off with me, they would've had me banished from the magic kingdom already. Instead, The Lady is already thinking of having us try out this steak place, appropriately called The Oak Door. SIL was her usual giddy self. We actually got through the 90 minutes without having to go to an article; we just smoothly transitioned from talk of her mother and relatives to some of the oldies music.
I was able to use some of that commuting time between SIL and The Part-Timer to use the remaining gift certificates to get my niece a couple of presents: an Anpan Man doll and the Cat-Bus from "My Neighbour Totoro". Gotta get that squared away and sent out for her birthday.
Another thing to get squared away...my air ticket back to The Great White North for Xmas. Man, does Air Canada love to gouge! Basically, all I will afford after the ticket and presents for everyone is...nothing. Well, I'm now heavily considering taking the painful yet cheaper route through the US.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Saturday September 30, 3:43 p.m.
Already the end of the month. Oy vey! Had the kids this morning. The Elder was her usual lackadaiscal self...had her usual sullen argument with Mother before meeting me. It was the first time seeing the Younger in 2 months. She has sprouted a couple of more centimetres and may have put on a kilo or two of muscle onto her shoulders, thanks to her new physical regimen of volleyball.
Spent the last couple of hours in the smoky Doutors cafe near Speedy's. And in less than half an hour, I've got The Ramen Lady for another 90 minutes of aimless chit-chat. I am gonna lend her my X-Men DVD as promised from last time. I don't know if she's gonna like it much; she doesn't strike me as being the sci-fi blockbuster type.
Speaking of X-Men...a relative neophyte can't come up with a complete review of a movie in one sitting. So, I'm back to this movie. After gurning through the memories of yesterday's viewing of "The Last Stand", I have to admit that though X3 was entertaining enough, I think a lot of it was due to some sleight-of-hand editing. After going through the various scenes in my head, I've come to the conclusion that the entire movie was made up of quick appearances of characters without really any deep scenes. I mean, The Phoenix was referred to as such only once, and Famke Janssen was basically the mutant version of the secret weapon...came out when finally needed and not until then. In fact, if I had the opportunity to make up the credit list of cast, I would've done it this way:
X-Men 3: The Last Stand
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Sir Ian McKellen (the only performers to get anything to chew on)
Guest Starring: Kelsey Grammer, and the kids who played Kitty Pryde, Iceman and Pyro
Featuring: tons of other mutants
Special Appearances by (ie cameos): James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin and Rebecca Romijn (as Ozzy Osbourne's daughter...er, I mean, Mystique)
And: Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier
Quite a different lineup and focus compared to the first movie, eh? Mind you, I did enjoy Grammer's slight invocation of Frasier during a fight scene. All that was missing was a nice retort from Wolvie.
Despite the fact that the X-Men should probably end here, I've got the sneaking suspicion and millions of dollars of box office money backing me up that there will be an X4 in the not too distant future.
Kinda strange that after catching X3 yesterday for the first time, the DVD will be released Stateside next week...
Already the end of the month. Oy vey! Had the kids this morning. The Elder was her usual lackadaiscal self...had her usual sullen argument with Mother before meeting me. It was the first time seeing the Younger in 2 months. She has sprouted a couple of more centimetres and may have put on a kilo or two of muscle onto her shoulders, thanks to her new physical regimen of volleyball.
Spent the last couple of hours in the smoky Doutors cafe near Speedy's. And in less than half an hour, I've got The Ramen Lady for another 90 minutes of aimless chit-chat. I am gonna lend her my X-Men DVD as promised from last time. I don't know if she's gonna like it much; she doesn't strike me as being the sci-fi blockbuster type.
Speaking of X-Men...a relative neophyte can't come up with a complete review of a movie in one sitting. So, I'm back to this movie. After gurning through the memories of yesterday's viewing of "The Last Stand", I have to admit that though X3 was entertaining enough, I think a lot of it was due to some sleight-of-hand editing. After going through the various scenes in my head, I've come to the conclusion that the entire movie was made up of quick appearances of characters without really any deep scenes. I mean, The Phoenix was referred to as such only once, and Famke Janssen was basically the mutant version of the secret weapon...came out when finally needed and not until then. In fact, if I had the opportunity to make up the credit list of cast, I would've done it this way:
X-Men 3: The Last Stand
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Sir Ian McKellen (the only performers to get anything to chew on)
Guest Starring: Kelsey Grammer, and the kids who played Kitty Pryde, Iceman and Pyro
Featuring: tons of other mutants
Special Appearances by (ie cameos): James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin and Rebecca Romijn (as Ozzy Osbourne's daughter...er, I mean, Mystique)
And: Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier
Quite a different lineup and focus compared to the first movie, eh? Mind you, I did enjoy Grammer's slight invocation of Frasier during a fight scene. All that was missing was a nice retort from Wolvie.
Despite the fact that the X-Men should probably end here, I've got the sneaking suspicion and millions of dollars of box office money backing me up that there will be an X4 in the not too distant future.
Kinda strange that after catching X3 yesterday for the first time, the DVD will be released Stateside next week...
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Friday September 29, 2:54 p.m.
It hasn't been the greatest of weeks for me, professionally. That little misunderstanding at the end of the juku day is still unresolved. I did send that explanation and apology to the boss but I haven't heard a thing from her. And I'm starting to wonder about my current status working at Speedy's. Speedy has been a good and patient boss with me but I'm having my doubts whether I'll be there beyond the next couple of years.
The Carolinan was in good spirits, though, last night. Apparently, on Wednesday night, she and a friend had attended a megalong SMAP concert at the Tokyo Dome. Why anyone would subject herself to....ah, I'm being nasty. The Carolinan actually enjoyed herself...and she did get her money's worth. She paid 7,000 yen for what turned out to be a 3.5-hour concert spread over 6 hours. That's certainly better value than Madonna's tiny performance of 90 minutes for 10,000 yen. Arguably, though, Madge is the better dancer and singer...
I actually was grateful that I didn't have any work for most of Thursday. I found out on the morning news that due to a circuit switchboard fire in the bowels of Tokyo Station in the wee hours which shut down all of the commuter Keiyo Line, all those commuters (80,000 of them) decided to dogpile on my Tozai Line. I was surprised to see a bird's-eye view of Urayasu Station, a station that I know intimately, look like the SMAP concert audience. Luckily, I left home at around 4:30 so the problem was pretty much contained by then. All in all, a whopping 160,000 people got majorly screwed.
And for the first time in 12 years in my apartment building, I actually experienced myself and the residents of the other two units on my floor going into our respective homes at the same time. I think I could count on one hand the number of times that I've seen even one neighbour go in or out when I've done the same. And I've never seen two. Well, the one neighbour farthest from me happened to have just moved in. It looked like a family with the numbers. And then there is my latest next-door neighbour who appears a bit scruffy. He also has a penchant for slamming his door...a number of times. Well, I figured that I would, sooner or later, get a psycho as a neighbour
It hasn't been the greatest of weeks for me, professionally. That little misunderstanding at the end of the juku day is still unresolved. I did send that explanation and apology to the boss but I haven't heard a thing from her. And I'm starting to wonder about my current status working at Speedy's. Speedy has been a good and patient boss with me but I'm having my doubts whether I'll be there beyond the next couple of years.
The Carolinan was in good spirits, though, last night. Apparently, on Wednesday night, she and a friend had attended a megalong SMAP concert at the Tokyo Dome. Why anyone would subject herself to....ah, I'm being nasty. The Carolinan actually enjoyed herself...and she did get her money's worth. She paid 7,000 yen for what turned out to be a 3.5-hour concert spread over 6 hours. That's certainly better value than Madonna's tiny performance of 90 minutes for 10,000 yen. Arguably, though, Madge is the better dancer and singer...
I actually was grateful that I didn't have any work for most of Thursday. I found out on the morning news that due to a circuit switchboard fire in the bowels of Tokyo Station in the wee hours which shut down all of the commuter Keiyo Line, all those commuters (80,000 of them) decided to dogpile on my Tozai Line. I was surprised to see a bird's-eye view of Urayasu Station, a station that I know intimately, look like the SMAP concert audience. Luckily, I left home at around 4:30 so the problem was pretty much contained by then. All in all, a whopping 160,000 people got majorly screwed.
And for the first time in 12 years in my apartment building, I actually experienced myself and the residents of the other two units on my floor going into our respective homes at the same time. I think I could count on one hand the number of times that I've seen even one neighbour go in or out when I've done the same. And I've never seen two. Well, the one neighbour farthest from me happened to have just moved in. It looked like a family with the numbers. And then there is my latest next-door neighbour who appears a bit scruffy. He also has a penchant for slamming his door...a number of times. Well, I figured that I would, sooner or later, get a psycho as a neighbour
Friday September 29, 2:35 p.m.
Caught "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" this morning at the nearby Warner Mycal Theatres. Once again, I find myself being a little kinder to a superhero movie than some of the American critics or Egg have been to it. Certainly, I'm more inclined to be on MB's side. There was a lot more of the action in this supposedly final installment than there were in the previous two movies combined. I'm sure Halle Berry must be happy that she finally got to kick butt verbally and physically. Once again, as in X-Men 2, the more prominent stars got the bigger sections of the script pie, although with the necessarily huge cast, there were never going to be any major soliloquies. Still, it was too bad that Anna Paquin as Rogue, who was a key plot thread in the inaugural movie, gradually ends up as a cameo...and a depowered one at that. On the other hand, I thought it was just as well that the Cyclops/Marvel Girl relationship died an early and very concrete death. And really, even Marvel Girl & Wolverine never stood that much of a chance. It may be titled X-Men, but the trilogy has pretty much centered on Hugh Jackman with Patrick Stewart as the prerequisite Obi-Wan character.
Of course, "The Last Stand" is an ending and a non-ending of sorts. Those little teasers bracketing the end credits aside, I think the X-Men are done. But Hugh Jackman can now look forward to joining folks like Tom (well not anymore perhaps), Harrison and Tobey as a franchise man with a Wolverine series. And maybe Magneto would be worth a prequel. As for what I saw today, nope, I don't think the X-Men will hit the huge heights of a Star Wars in franchise rankings but it's stayed consistently good. I'd be happy to grab the DVD when it does come out.
Caught "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" this morning at the nearby Warner Mycal Theatres. Once again, I find myself being a little kinder to a superhero movie than some of the American critics or Egg have been to it. Certainly, I'm more inclined to be on MB's side. There was a lot more of the action in this supposedly final installment than there were in the previous two movies combined. I'm sure Halle Berry must be happy that she finally got to kick butt verbally and physically. Once again, as in X-Men 2, the more prominent stars got the bigger sections of the script pie, although with the necessarily huge cast, there were never going to be any major soliloquies. Still, it was too bad that Anna Paquin as Rogue, who was a key plot thread in the inaugural movie, gradually ends up as a cameo...and a depowered one at that. On the other hand, I thought it was just as well that the Cyclops/Marvel Girl relationship died an early and very concrete death. And really, even Marvel Girl & Wolverine never stood that much of a chance. It may be titled X-Men, but the trilogy has pretty much centered on Hugh Jackman with Patrick Stewart as the prerequisite Obi-Wan character.
Of course, "The Last Stand" is an ending and a non-ending of sorts. Those little teasers bracketing the end credits aside, I think the X-Men are done. But Hugh Jackman can now look forward to joining folks like Tom (well not anymore perhaps), Harrison and Tobey as a franchise man with a Wolverine series. And maybe Magneto would be worth a prequel. As for what I saw today, nope, I don't think the X-Men will hit the huge heights of a Star Wars in franchise rankings but it's stayed consistently good. I'd be happy to grab the DVD when it does come out.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Wednesday September 27, 10:18 p.m.
A bit of a rough...nah, more disjointed...night tonight. 001 did her test and actually passed again with flying colours but before the good news was realized, I had neglected to tell her about some of the additional things she could've done to boost her chances. Speedy had to inform her. I sent my apologies; I wouldn't have known what to do if 001 had actually failed. And as for 007, he was OK but the class didn't seem to flow too well for some reason.
I've got a feeling that Farrah, that Saturday afternoon student has flown the coop for good. She hasn't gotten back to us about signing up for more lessons. The sporadic nature of her attendance is a good factor in that. Ah, well...
My Wednesday morning was more of a Monday morning schedule with The Class Act and SIL on the block. Whilst The Lady and The Matron were back, SIL has made a permanent venue shift to Ueno-Okachimachi, my old haunt, so that she could be closer to her mother. Our new classroom was an empty office once used by her late father in an old building. It had all the trimmings of a presidential office: big, plush armchairs and sofas, stuffed birds and even a daruma waiting to have its eyes painted in. We did an article on the outgoing PM, Junichiro Koizumi. A lot of political vocab to wade through. In any case, the new venue doesn't have the serene ambience of the The Lady's tatami room but it'll do. Besides, the place is more convenient in that I have a straight beeline via the Oedo Line to Speedy's.
The rains have finally ended. I hope that my shoes have dried to a certain degree. I was thinking of catching "X-Men 3" with the subtitle of "Final Solution" here in Japan, instead of "The Last Stand". I kinda wonder if Fox Japan had been thinking of adding that extra allusion to Nazism. However, I think that I'll hold off on seeing it tomorrow. After some of my rather lousy luck workwise over the past 24 hours, I'll probably work extra hard for The Carolinan. Maybe, it'll be a Friday thing since I've only got The UL then.
A bit of a rough...nah, more disjointed...night tonight. 001 did her test and actually passed again with flying colours but before the good news was realized, I had neglected to tell her about some of the additional things she could've done to boost her chances. Speedy had to inform her. I sent my apologies; I wouldn't have known what to do if 001 had actually failed. And as for 007, he was OK but the class didn't seem to flow too well for some reason.
I've got a feeling that Farrah, that Saturday afternoon student has flown the coop for good. She hasn't gotten back to us about signing up for more lessons. The sporadic nature of her attendance is a good factor in that. Ah, well...
My Wednesday morning was more of a Monday morning schedule with The Class Act and SIL on the block. Whilst The Lady and The Matron were back, SIL has made a permanent venue shift to Ueno-Okachimachi, my old haunt, so that she could be closer to her mother. Our new classroom was an empty office once used by her late father in an old building. It had all the trimmings of a presidential office: big, plush armchairs and sofas, stuffed birds and even a daruma waiting to have its eyes painted in. We did an article on the outgoing PM, Junichiro Koizumi. A lot of political vocab to wade through. In any case, the new venue doesn't have the serene ambience of the The Lady's tatami room but it'll do. Besides, the place is more convenient in that I have a straight beeline via the Oedo Line to Speedy's.
The rains have finally ended. I hope that my shoes have dried to a certain degree. I was thinking of catching "X-Men 3" with the subtitle of "Final Solution" here in Japan, instead of "The Last Stand". I kinda wonder if Fox Japan had been thinking of adding that extra allusion to Nazism. However, I think that I'll hold off on seeing it tomorrow. After some of my rather lousy luck workwise over the past 24 hours, I'll probably work extra hard for The Carolinan. Maybe, it'll be a Friday thing since I've only got The UL then.
Wednesday September 27, 5:49 p.m.
It was a dark and stormy night last night...yup, one of the worst openings to a book in history, but pretty appropriate opening to this entry since it was a lousy ending to a day yesterday, both literally and figuratively for me.
As for the meterological meaning, well, the rains finally stopped this afternoon but not before both my dress shoes and sneakers got waterlogged. So I face another sloshy commute home. Had to buy a couple of pairs of socks to be dry at least for part of my day.
As for the figurative meaning, I had another one of those linguistic misunderstandings with the juku boss last night which ended up with me sullenly making a quick getaway from her house. It all started when I finished my last class with Mrs. Mild. The Siberian was still away in Korea. Since the weather was just flailing away out there, I decided that I would stay until about 9:30 in the hopes that the rains would give me a bit of a reprieve. Of course, they didn't. However, at about 9:15, the boss came in with that somewhat shocked look and asked if she'd missed a beat and wondered if The Siberian would be coming after all since I was still in my room. I assured her that he was still in Seoul. She stepped out to take care of her regular student but then shortly returned and gave some sort of bilingual gibberish explanation which I basically took to mean..."Get out!" Of course, she said all this in her happy-go-lucky way. I didn't understand her for the most part but I thought she gave this rather cockamamie excuse about me cramping her and her student's style by remaining in the room. Well, it is her house...so I got ready to go. I didn't much relish going out in a driving rainstorm and just that lame reason got my Irish up. And since I'm the type to react first, think later...I started stomping my way out of the room. She asked me if I understood the situation. I told her point blank that I didn't but that we would have words next week and just gave a curt goodbye.
She got the "message" and then proceeded to leave three messages on my machine asking me to call her and apologizing for what had happened. I'm now in a better frame of mind so I decided to send over my own apology by e-mail since my very brief snap occurred in front of her student...admittedly, not a very professional thing to do. But I also tried to explain to her why I felt a little put out. I'll be awaiting the reply.
It was a dark and stormy night last night...yup, one of the worst openings to a book in history, but pretty appropriate opening to this entry since it was a lousy ending to a day yesterday, both literally and figuratively for me.
As for the meterological meaning, well, the rains finally stopped this afternoon but not before both my dress shoes and sneakers got waterlogged. So I face another sloshy commute home. Had to buy a couple of pairs of socks to be dry at least for part of my day.
As for the figurative meaning, I had another one of those linguistic misunderstandings with the juku boss last night which ended up with me sullenly making a quick getaway from her house. It all started when I finished my last class with Mrs. Mild. The Siberian was still away in Korea. Since the weather was just flailing away out there, I decided that I would stay until about 9:30 in the hopes that the rains would give me a bit of a reprieve. Of course, they didn't. However, at about 9:15, the boss came in with that somewhat shocked look and asked if she'd missed a beat and wondered if The Siberian would be coming after all since I was still in my room. I assured her that he was still in Seoul. She stepped out to take care of her regular student but then shortly returned and gave some sort of bilingual gibberish explanation which I basically took to mean..."Get out!" Of course, she said all this in her happy-go-lucky way. I didn't understand her for the most part but I thought she gave this rather cockamamie excuse about me cramping her and her student's style by remaining in the room. Well, it is her house...so I got ready to go. I didn't much relish going out in a driving rainstorm and just that lame reason got my Irish up. And since I'm the type to react first, think later...I started stomping my way out of the room. She asked me if I understood the situation. I told her point blank that I didn't but that we would have words next week and just gave a curt goodbye.
She got the "message" and then proceeded to leave three messages on my machine asking me to call her and apologizing for what had happened. I'm now in a better frame of mind so I decided to send over my own apology by e-mail since my very brief snap occurred in front of her student...admittedly, not a very professional thing to do. But I also tried to explain to her why I felt a little put out. I'll be awaiting the reply.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Monday September 25, 9:40 p.m.
Well, tomorrow will be the big turnover in administrations. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will hand over the reins to current LDP President Shinzo Abe...who will become the youngest head of state in the postwar era, all of 52 years of age (Japan more resembles Russia in its love of gerontocracy). I saw a picture of him and his wife, Akie, in today's edition of The Japan Times, and I just got an image of Tony and Cherie Blair. And to be honest, this could be the way of the new administration. But I also read that Abe is interested in applying an American-style presidential appointment system. Perhaps Akie will try to insert herself into things a la Cherie or Hillary Clinton....although I think there will be many more limitations in this society for a First Lady. In any case, it'll be the first time to see a PM's wife in several years, since Koizumi did his job as a veteran divorce. Speaking of him, what will he do from tomorrow? Maybe he'll just play his Elvis records for an entire week before hitting the road on a journey for a sighting.
Speaking of Elvis, it seems to me French Intelligence may have come up with the anti-Elvis thing by leaking that Bin Laden may already be dead. In America, it's the live Elvis sighting. Now there could be the dead Bin Laden sighting.
Well....I've finished my two tonight. The Part-Timer was her usual diligent self. She told me that SR is back temporarily helping out at her old company. The Part-Timer also mentioned that she's gone through The Creambath Ebisu Scalp Massage Challenge...and she's another convert. As for 008, she's turning out to be an ideal tonic as well as a student. She's just absorbing grammar and vocabulary like a sponge.
Gotta get going home. I've got another busy Tuesday.
Well, tomorrow will be the big turnover in administrations. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will hand over the reins to current LDP President Shinzo Abe...who will become the youngest head of state in the postwar era, all of 52 years of age (Japan more resembles Russia in its love of gerontocracy). I saw a picture of him and his wife, Akie, in today's edition of The Japan Times, and I just got an image of Tony and Cherie Blair. And to be honest, this could be the way of the new administration. But I also read that Abe is interested in applying an American-style presidential appointment system. Perhaps Akie will try to insert herself into things a la Cherie or Hillary Clinton....although I think there will be many more limitations in this society for a First Lady. In any case, it'll be the first time to see a PM's wife in several years, since Koizumi did his job as a veteran divorce. Speaking of him, what will he do from tomorrow? Maybe he'll just play his Elvis records for an entire week before hitting the road on a journey for a sighting.
Speaking of Elvis, it seems to me French Intelligence may have come up with the anti-Elvis thing by leaking that Bin Laden may already be dead. In America, it's the live Elvis sighting. Now there could be the dead Bin Laden sighting.
Well....I've finished my two tonight. The Part-Timer was her usual diligent self. She told me that SR is back temporarily helping out at her old company. The Part-Timer also mentioned that she's gone through The Creambath Ebisu Scalp Massage Challenge...and she's another convert. As for 008, she's turning out to be an ideal tonic as well as a student. She's just absorbing grammar and vocabulary like a sponge.
Gotta get going home. I've got another busy Tuesday.
Monday September 25, 5:37 p.m.
Well, The Eggs left for home yesterday. And so I'm left with a bit of Empty Nest Syndrome...to continue with the ornithological analogy. It was nice having the couple over for about 10 days, and the side benefit of their presence was a tidier and slightly roomier apartment. There's nothing like the impending threat of house guests to force me to get my act together domestically. So now I'm left with better access into my bedroom and a fuller, more compact closet.
There's also nothing like guests from abroad to bring a fresh perspective or a reminder about life in this zany burg. During our tour of Akihabara early in The Egg's trip, he was marveling at the wares in places like Sato Musen or Bic Camera or Yodobashi. He remarked that the variety of electronic goods and appliances makes any of The Future Shops or Radio Shacks back in Canada look like a Moscow GUM Store during a recession. He (and I) were especially impressed by the fridges of all things. Not only do they come in many, many colours but one brand in particular even has a special compartment which not only keeps things especially frosty (such as that birthday cake), but in a "Wow! Why didn't I think of that?!" moment, also keeps things such as tempura or beef stew warm or hot for late-coming-home Daddy.
During our time watching television back home at night (at our age, we've started becoming part of the sedentary generation), we came across the ubiquitious music video channels that liberally populate my SkyPerfect. As we watched folks like J-Pop princess Aiko (her songs all sound the same) and the current crop of J-R&B singers ( pale copycat pretenders of the American variety), I realized that Japanese music is in an identity crisis. Strangely enough, the so-called inferior aidoru factory of the 70s and 80s differentiated itself much better from what was hot in America and England. Now, there is a form of parity between J-Pop and American pop. It's fine that the Japanese artists are trying to emulate American song forms but the talent has been such that they'll never stand out internationally. Not to say that the producers have been trying to do that on a widespread scale (aside from Toshinobu Kubota, Dreams Come True and Hikaru Utada); they are basically just making the local population happy. In a way, despite the fact that Japanese artists have seemingly become more "serious" about their craft, their progress has come at the expense of uniqueness. I'm hoping that someday a form of Japanese music does come out that makes a big splash overseas and sets itself apart from Britpop and American hip-hop.
Another thing that got the culture clash going happened when the three of us happened to come across the tail-end of a "Densha Otoko" special on TV. The phenomenon of film and telly of last year which was born from a Channel 2 urban legend came back as this special. And it all seemed like last year's news. The otaku program earned wails of laughter from my two house guests as they witnessed the acting and dramatic arcs with all the subtlety of a William Shatner monologue. That's how the Japanese like their dramas...over-the-top. It's probably why I've stopped watching them.
Well, The Eggs left for home yesterday. And so I'm left with a bit of Empty Nest Syndrome...to continue with the ornithological analogy. It was nice having the couple over for about 10 days, and the side benefit of their presence was a tidier and slightly roomier apartment. There's nothing like the impending threat of house guests to force me to get my act together domestically. So now I'm left with better access into my bedroom and a fuller, more compact closet.
There's also nothing like guests from abroad to bring a fresh perspective or a reminder about life in this zany burg. During our tour of Akihabara early in The Egg's trip, he was marveling at the wares in places like Sato Musen or Bic Camera or Yodobashi. He remarked that the variety of electronic goods and appliances makes any of The Future Shops or Radio Shacks back in Canada look like a Moscow GUM Store during a recession. He (and I) were especially impressed by the fridges of all things. Not only do they come in many, many colours but one brand in particular even has a special compartment which not only keeps things especially frosty (such as that birthday cake), but in a "Wow! Why didn't I think of that?!" moment, also keeps things such as tempura or beef stew warm or hot for late-coming-home Daddy.
During our time watching television back home at night (at our age, we've started becoming part of the sedentary generation), we came across the ubiquitious music video channels that liberally populate my SkyPerfect. As we watched folks like J-Pop princess Aiko (her songs all sound the same) and the current crop of J-R&B singers ( pale copycat pretenders of the American variety), I realized that Japanese music is in an identity crisis. Strangely enough, the so-called inferior aidoru factory of the 70s and 80s differentiated itself much better from what was hot in America and England. Now, there is a form of parity between J-Pop and American pop. It's fine that the Japanese artists are trying to emulate American song forms but the talent has been such that they'll never stand out internationally. Not to say that the producers have been trying to do that on a widespread scale (aside from Toshinobu Kubota, Dreams Come True and Hikaru Utada); they are basically just making the local population happy. In a way, despite the fact that Japanese artists have seemingly become more "serious" about their craft, their progress has come at the expense of uniqueness. I'm hoping that someday a form of Japanese music does come out that makes a big splash overseas and sets itself apart from Britpop and American hip-hop.
Another thing that got the culture clash going happened when the three of us happened to come across the tail-end of a "Densha Otoko" special on TV. The phenomenon of film and telly of last year which was born from a Channel 2 urban legend came back as this special. And it all seemed like last year's news. The otaku program earned wails of laughter from my two house guests as they witnessed the acting and dramatic arcs with all the subtlety of a William Shatner monologue. That's how the Japanese like their dramas...over-the-top. It's probably why I've stopped watching them.