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This month, Coke and Pepsi have come out with new flavors. I don't drink cola regularly, but I'm always game to try the new flavors. Coke started first, with Green Tea Diet Coke with Catechin, a drink aimed at health conscious women in their 20s and 30s. Something I find peculiar, since most health conscious people don't drink Diet Coke. I love green tea, so I figured I'd like it. Unfortunately, the green tea taste is very slight, if there at all. It just tastes like regular diet coke, which isn't that good in itself, with a dulled aftertaste. Next up was Shiso Pepsi, which I tried yesterday. Shiso is a leag with a strong scent. If I look in my Japanese-English dictionary, it's called beefsteak plant, but it's taste and scent have nothing to do with beef nor steak. The latin name is Perilla Frutescens Crispa. In a news article about Shiso Pepsi, it was referred to as "Japanese Basil". Which, I guess is better than calling it Beefsteak Plant. After striking out with Cucumber Pepsi, and the absolutely horrid tropical blue concoction that came out last year, I wasn't expecting much. It actually ended up being rather tasty. They really captured the taste of shiso, a leaf I usually have wrapped around my chicken or some sugary Japanese dessert. It's got almost a minty aftertaste.  Mon, Jun. 1st, 2009, 10:02 pm
Touch '09!
 This weekend was my 4th year in the Tokushima Touch Rugby tournament and 2nd year organizing the teams from Shiga. As always, it was a great weekend. This year especially, because I actually contributed more than stable defense this year. In my first three years combined, I only participated directly in one score, getting a direct assist. 3 tournaments....1 point. This year, I had direct assists on 10 points and 1 score myself. 1 tournament...11 points. Our team fared better than any I'd ever been on as well. My first two years, I was on Shiga's B team. We had great A teams both years (one won the championship), and our B teams ranged from bad to average. My 3rd year, we suffered from a mass exodus of Kiwis, and we basically had no one left but 1st timers...mostly Americans. We didn't win until our last game. We didn't have an incredibly impressive record this year (1 win 3 losses, 4 draws), but we played much better, and ended the tournament 11th out of 21 teams. One of our most impressive feats happened in a loss. The team that ended up winning the tournament was stacked with Kiwis who play rugby proffessionally in Japan - a couple of them have even played proffessionally in New Zealand. The score at the half? Fistful of Funazushi (us) 2, Nga e Wha (or something like that) 1. Unfortunately, we made two bad passes in the 2nd half that led to a quick 3 points and we ended up losing 6-2. They may not have been playing with a sense of desparation the 1st half, but they certainly weren't taking it easy, either. We ended up in a 1st day playoff with them though, and lost again 5-1. The names of Shiga's two teams were Fistful of Funazushi and Biwako Basselopes. I made both of them. Funazushi is fish that is fermented 2-3 years before eating. Rotten fish. It's a delicacy in Shiga. Biwako = The biggest lake in Japan, located in Shiga. A basselope is a fictional animal - half bass, half antelope. I made the logo for it as well...Well, by made, I mean finding a picture of a bass and a picture of antlers online and putting them together. Still, it's pretty badass and the shirt got lots of compliments. Fistful of Funazushi's logo is also fierce, and is an original work of Shiga's own Kyle. Seeing as how I'm the most experienced player on our team (that in itself should hoist an army of red flags concerning our team's skill level), I refereed other games for the 2nd straight year. This year, I was actually a confident ref and controlled the game better than a lot of other refs. If I end up moving back to the States, I'd like to start up touch in my area. I find it a lot more engaging than other field sports and can be played by a variety of age/skill levels. I didn't take many pictures, but the ones I have are up: http://www.flickr.com/photos/atomicyak/ Thu, May. 21st, 2009, 11:23 pm
Swine Flu!
 Yesterday after 3rd period, I went back to the teacher's room and everyone was scurrying about, mumbling about the swine flu. A student at a university in the prefecture came down with it and they decided to close down all the high schools in the prefecture. Coincidentally, in the 1st - 3rd periods, I explained the word "relieved" to students using this example:
You must hand in your homework today, but you didn't do it! You wake up, and you think, "Oh no!" My teacher will be so angry! You go to school, but nobody is there. A student in Northern Shiga got Swine flu, so no school today! You are relieved!Out of the 120 students I taught in those 3 classes, there is probably at least 1 who didn't finish his homework for an afternoon class. The example fit perfectly (except it ended up being southern Shiga - not northern). Hopefully that student remembers the word, "relieved". So the students were sent home after lunch on Wednesday and they won't come back until next week Wednesday. It makes things a bit tricky since it was right in the middle of midterm exams at my main school. They're postponing them a week, but I'll have to see what that does to the rest of the schedule. My plane ticket home is for right after the last final exam. Hopefully, exams don't get pushed back a week. I'll have to get creative with my scheduling if they do. Two separate English teachers asked me if I was alright. It was a bit disconcerting, because Japan is often known for attributing bad things to foreign entities. It's good that they showed concern, but I get the feeling they view the Swine Flu as a foreigner's disease and that's why they asked me. Yeah, it's possible they asked other Japanese coworkers if they were feeling alright. Possible...I guess. STDs are another common "foreigner's disease" that soiled the purity of Japan. The most absurd form of exporting blame came when I was watching a TV show that featured a Japanese man who stole women's underwear in the neighborhood. He loved stealing women's underwear and he had gathered hundreds of pairs. It was quite the fetish. This television show had a doctor on the show that explained that panty theft/panty sniffing was European in nature and that the missionaries brought the act to Japan. Japan, the country of vending machines with used women's underwear. Japan, the country of every schoolgirl fetish known to man. There was nothing (I forget the word because my English skills are dwindling) about what they said, but it's easy to look at it through the lens of the importation of impurities/exportation of blame. Thu, May. 7th, 2009, 02:26 pm
Golden Week is over, and they let me know when I came into work by poking and prodding me, taking two of my most vital fluids, and sticking cold metal objects against my bare chest. Enjoy it while you can, employee medical exam day only comes once a year, kiddies. How did I do? I lost a tenth of a centimeter heightwise, which means in 1,722 more years I won't exist on the vertical plane anymore. I lost a kilogram, which renders the last statement completely moot. My blood pressure is 125/66. That 125 is classified as pre-hypertension. Of course, I had just drunk two cups of green tea before the test, so that may have had an effect. When they measured my stomach size, they asked me to breathe out and took the measurement when I was full of air. Fair? I think that's cheating. Even so, I was 1 cm less than last year. I peed in a cup and had some red stuff extracted from my arm. I only teach one class today and it's not until the last period of the day. During Golden Week, I had two BBQs, two festivals, and a reggae party. Pictures from the festivals can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/atomicyak/ Movies from the Shinoda Fireworks Festival in Omihachiman can be found here: If you don't want to watch them all, just watch number three. That one's pretty hot. All in all, a good Golden Week. Now I'm back at school on a grey cloud ceilinged Thursday, looking forward to teaching again.
It's Golden Week now - 5 days off in a row!
We had our first BBQ of the year. Neal was back in town, bringing in Eric and Tomoko from Tokyo, Hitomi and Taka from out of the Shiga woodwork, a few other Japanese friends, and newer JETs. An interesting phenomena happened - something that happens now and then at BBQs, but seemed to be magnified last night. The changing of music. Despite being a small BBQ, 4 or 5 people offered to play their IPods on our speakers. My music gave way to Kei's music, which fell to Eric's music, which transitioned to Ryan's music, before being replaced by Neal's music. It's not necessarily a pet peeve of mine - on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being deplorable actions, 5 being neutral, and 10 being amazing awesome actions, I'd put the practice somewhere around 4.2. It's just interesting - people always feel more comfortable with their own music on, and it's amusing when someone's music is on, he (for some reason only guys change the music at a party) is the only person who seems to be physically enjoying it. Everyone else is always pretty oblivious. Bobbing his head up and down, dropping a comment about the music into the conversation....Something to ask everyone else to focus a little bit on the wonderful sounds emanating from the speakers. Thankfully, everyone's music at least hit a certain listenability mark. I only had to institute one rule, barring Neal from breaking out his Kid Rock. Everyone thinks their musical taste is the best, and I'm no different. It's just interesting that something that happens usually on average once a party became the norm yesterday. Does it build on itself? Someone plays their music and there is an instant urge to play your own? It's strange, because it's never occured to me to ask someone at a party to play my music. Does it display a psychological need to express ourselves to others? It's like there is secret desire that once your music is put on everyone will comment on how awesome it is, affirming your great taste.
Anyway, we're off to another BBQ right now (leaving our Ipod at home), and then hitting up the Shinoda Fireworks. They're supposed to be really good, but despite being in town, we've missed them the past 3 years. I'll see how photogenic they are.
Tomorrow is a Children's Day Taiko festival in Otsu. If two years ago is any indicator, they're going to try to get me loaded up with sake. After all these BBQs and festivals, I have my yearly health check on Thursday. Nice timing.
 This will be my fourth year joining the Shiga Touch Rugby team(s) at the tournament in Tokushima (Shimane), and my 2nd year organizing it. My first two years, we had two teams. One was the competitive team and one was the beginner's team. I was always on the beginner's team. My 2nd year, the competitive team, filled to the brim with Kiwis and a few athletes from the US, won the championship. Alas, all our Kiwis went home after that year and we were left with just one Kiwi and a single team full of Americans who didn't know what they were doing. We only fielded one team last year and recorded just a single win. This year, we filled up the entire bus (28 people!) and we're back to two teams, which can probably be described as passable and beginner's. I'm on the passable team (although that's because of,1. The fact that EVERYONE on the 2nd team is a first timer, and 2. I chose the teams.) Anyway, our team name if Fistful of Funazushi. Funazushi is carp that has been fermented for 3-4 years in the ground. It stinks and is considered a delicassy in Shiga. I created our team name and our fabulous logo shown below was created by Kyle:  The other team is the Biwako Basselopes. A Basselope is a cross between a Black Bass, for which Shiga are famous, and an Antelope. How the antelope and bass first made love is a mystery, but their love child offspring is said to control the reside in the depths of Lake Biwa and holds magical powers. I created the team name and I stole the artwork for antlers and bass from the internet and put them together.  The tournament is in 5 weeks. That is when the world will see the true power of Fistful of Funazushi and the Biwako Basselopes.
http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/106964/Japan-Pays-Foreign-Workers-to-Go-Home“We should stop letting unskilled laborers into Japan. We should make sure that even the three-K jobs are paid well, and that they are filled by Japanese,” he said. “I do not think that Japan should ever become a multiethnic society.”The three-k jobs refer to きつい(Hard), 危険 (Dangerous), and 汚い (Dirty) forms of work. Due to Japan's plummeting working population, they have depended on foreign workers, mostly from South America to pick up these types of jobs. Japan is now throwing out the unwelcome mat, offering to pay $3,000 per worker and $2,000 per dependent to get get out and stay out. Workers who take up the offer will not be able to apply for another work visa in Japan in the future. The "Get Out and Stay Out" program provides a tempting amount of money to many workers who have recently lost their jobs or had their hours reduced. Many families may find it necessary to take the money and run even though Japan has been their home for 10+ years (or a lifetime for many children). Even those children born and raised in Japan, a product of Japanese school systems will never be allowed to come back on the work visa. It's another way for Japan to keep its citizenry pure. Not even the children or grandchildren of Chinese or Korean immigrants can be citizens of Japan. They've grown up here, lived their whole lives here, but can't vote. Assuming the economy turns around, Japan will miss the labor they are trying to shove out the door. They'll probably just reverse the permanence of what they are now doing, but Japan simply does not have enough of a work force to fill all the positions they need. That will only be declining in the future as well. They had a pretty good deal going on, bringing over workers who will do the jobs they don't want, while treating them like 3rd class citizens. It's kind of silly that some lawmakers' sense of racist national pride will take that away from them. And while one might think that this be at the forefront of the news, one would be mistaken. A member of the long-running boy band, SMAP (and countless TV shows) was drunk and naked in the park. Appropriately, this heinous act has been given priority over everything else. Fri, Mar. 27th, 2009, 02:30 pm
It's Me Again
It seems like every time I post here, it's my first time in a long time, so I never have a good place to start. Let's start with the basics.
Where are you now? The Teacher's Office at Hachiman Tech.
What do you see? A lot of desks, many cleaner and emptier than they usually are.
Why are they cleanier and emptier than usual? It's the end of the semester. 10 teachers have just been transferred.
Transferred? Yes, transferred.
More info, please. Japan's educational system plays this cruel practical joke on all of its teachers and staff. Every year, approximately 10-15% of the staff is transferred to another school somewhere in the prefecture. Teachers keep on file 3 choices of schools they wouldn't mind going to if they do get transferred, but that is often disregarded.
How much time do teachers get to prepare for their new school? 1 week. Since some teachers move across the prefecture, they have to rent new apartments closer to their school until they can make more permanent accommodations.
Are you serious about this? Because this doesn't seem real. Yup.
So even if a teacher is satisfied in his current position and thriving at his school, the Prefectural Board of Education will send him to a completely different school just for kicks? That's exactly what I'm saying. Yesterday, the 10 teachers found out they were getting transferred and discovered their new schools. One of the rugby coaches got sent to the worst school in the prefecture - and I don't think they even have a rugby team. He has no choice in the matter and will be at the school for at least the next 5 years, likely longer.
Whoa. Yeah, I know.
So what else you got going on? Well, Mayumi's birthday is tomorrow. About 20 of us are going out to Kyoto to eat some Brazilian BBQ.
Mmmm, that sounds good. Can I come? No. You're just a fictitious interviewer. Even if you tried to eat, the food would just plop onto the ground.
Oh. Sorry, but I mean it is true.
No, you're right. I need some time alone now. Yeah, go ahead. Take all the time you need. Fri, Mar. 27th, 2009, 02:30 pm
It's Me Again
It seems like every time I post here, it's my first time in a long time, so I never have a good place to start. Let's start with the basics.
Where am I now? The Teacher's Office at Hachiman Tech.
What do I see? A lot of desks, many cleaner and emptier than they usually are.
Why are they cleanier and emptier than usual? It's the end of the semester. 10 teachers have just been transferred.
Transferred? Yes, transferred.
More info, please. Japan's educational system plays this cruel practical joke on all of its teachers and staff. Every year, approximately 10-15% of the staff is transferred to another school somewhere in the prefecture. Teachers keep on file 3 choices of schools they wouldn't mind going to if they do get transferred, but that is often disregarded.
How much time do teachers get to prepare for their new school? 1 week. Since some teachers move across the prefecture, they have to rent new apartments closer to their school until they can make more permanent accommodations.
Are you serious about this? Because this doesn't seem real. Yup.
So even if a teacher is satisfied in his current position and thriving at his school, the Prefectural Board of Education will send him to a completely different school just for kicks? That's exactly what I'm saying. Yesterday, the 10 teachers found out they were getting transferred and discovered their new schools. One of the rugby coaches got sent to the worst school in the prefecture - and I don't think they even have a rugby team. He has no choice in the matter and will be at the school for at least the next 5 years, likely longer.
Whoa. Yeah, I know.
So what else you got going on? Well, Mayumi's birthday is tomorrow. About 20 of us are going out to Kyoto to eat some Brazilian BBQ.
Mmmm, that sounds good. Can I come? No. You're just a fictitious interviewer. Even if you tried to eat, the food would just plop onto the ground.
Oh. Sorry, but I mean it is true.
No, you're right. I need some time alone now. Yeah, go ahead. Take all the time you need.
A few days ago I went to Costco in Amagasaki. The Costco has only been open a few years and it was my second time going. I went with my neighbors Dan and Christina, because they've got the hookup (a membership card). It's a strange experience going to Costco in Japan (I've never been to one in the States, but it's practically the same as Sam's). The building structure, the size of everything, and most of the products give you the feeling you're in the United States, but then it's filled with Japanese people. One big difference is that the food court is a happening place at Japanese Costco. They sell hot dogs, pizza, and drinks (free refills!). It's dirt cheap and the same type of thing you'd find back home, but you can't even find a seat. At Sam's back home, you'll see one or two families pigging out on popcorn and hotdogs, but most of the seats will be empty. Next, it's Japan, so most of the people are a lot smaller than I'd see at Sam's. I say most, because the percentage of fat people in Costco definitely exceeds the percentage in the general population. You can tell that the buy-in-bulk lifestyle has an effect on waistlines just by viewing the difference. It will probably be affecting mine as well.
What did I bring home?
*Green Tea (200 bags) Yeah, I can get green tea anywhere, but not at the bulk price.
*Tostito's Hint of Lime chips: 2 bags. Mayumi and I love them. So unhealthy...and so good.
*A big tub o' cashews. Probably my most expensive purchase.
*A bigger tub o' pretzels. This thing is just huge. I used it as a chair while I waited at the train station.
*A carton of blueberries. Why don't they sell them at regular grocery stores. WHY WHY WHY?
*Batteries. Boring, I know. But I'd feel bad if I left them off the list just for their lack of thrill.
Sunday I had graduation. I taught this year's graduating class a total of 3 semesters (trimesters, I guess), which is the equivalent of one year. 2 when they were 1st year students (Sophomores) and 1 when they were 3rd year students (Seniors). They were a good class....Fairly serious about their work and smart. The classes were a joy to teach and I'll miss the students. Now I'll only have 1 or 2 more classes from now until the beginning of the next school year (April 8th or so). Time to make more powerpoints!
I'm at home sick on a Saturday watching 24 (amidst Season 5), and it's got me thinking: Just how similar is my immune system to CTU? They both primarily serve the same function - to defend the body/country against unwanted assaults. Do I have a little Jack Bauer white blood cell, yelling DAMN IT CHLOE! jumping through all these hoops to catch my cold virus? Are there cells within my immune system that are pretending to be helping me out when they are in fact giving information to the cold virus? Is there a constant power struggle going on where each part of my body tries to be the decision maker? I can imagine my circulatory system being like, "We'll just send some antibody destroyers up, problem solved." Then the respiratory system is like, "That's not the right play! We're going to suck up all the bad guys, turn them into snot and phlegm and shoot them like missiles out of the body." Is my cold creating diversion after diversion, hoping my immune system never uncovers the true mastermind plot?
Right now I'm hoping my cold is around the 22nd hour or so, and everything is about to be wrapped up in the next episode or two. Inevitably, some of the cells that we grew so close to will have been lost. Some will have turned to the other side, and some will fall under the weight of their own faults. But justice and integrity will prevail as they always do within the walls of my immune system.
In Japan, representatives fro travel agencies often come into the teacher's room and distribute their business card (and sometimes flyers) to all the teachers. Well, all the teachers except the ALT. Why don't I get the business card? It's not as if I'd use it. Sometimes I get them when I'm not at my desk and they don't know it's me that's getting it. I usually just draw on it then throw it away. But I'm trying to get in the mind of the travel agent who avoids giving a business card to the ALT.
"Hmmm, I doubt the one person who TRAVELed half way across the world to teach here would have any interest in TRAVELing. Giving him my .7 yen business card would be money down the drain. I'll just stick to the teachers who have never left their hometown."
I don't know, maybe they have data that says we all use the internet or something. Wed, Feb. 11th, 2009, 08:43 pm
Gero!
Today was a holiday, so Mayumi and I went off to Gero Hot Springs. Gero Hot Springs is a name that Japanese people find funny, and for good reason. In other contexts, the word "Gero" means vomit. So it sounds like you're going bathing in vomit. Of course Gero has a different meaning. The kanji, 下呂 means "under bath", which makes sense because hot springs come from underground. Anyway, it was quite relaxing and the onsen itself was quite cheap. Good day! Tue, Feb. 10th, 2009, 09:31 pm
Long Hino Days
I like the sound of my thermos’ pop. The sound when you press down on the button, readying it to pour. It’s got a deep, satisfying noise that I would listen to over and over again if no one else were to be in the room with me.
A little taste of Hino High teacher fashion.
A male teacher probably in his late 50s with grey mussed hair. He is wearing those black wind-breaker type pants, – the type that make a “fffft ffffft” sound as you walk – a green flannel shirt (untucked), with a grey cardigan over it. This man has been on this planet for over half a century and still is at a loss of what to do when confronted with having to dress himself. Fri, Feb. 6th, 2009, 02:58 pm
Green Tea!
Anyone living in the States who wants good Green Tea? Go here! http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Japanese-Green-Tea/dp/B000WB1YSE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_topIt's made by Itoen, the best green tea company in Japan. I know it's really hard to find good green tea in the United States. Most bottled green tea is sweetened and even packed tea doesn't have the same tea. This version is Itoen's entrance into the American Market through Costco's "Kirkland Signatures" line. I visited the Costco in Kobe once and bought this version of Itoen's tea and it tastes the same (although one back can only make about 3 cups, rather than 4). When I last lived in Michigan, I would sometimes pay the 250 yen for a normal 250 liter bottle of Itoen cold green tea. I'm glad I'll be able to make my own cheaply in the States. Make sure to support it so they don't stop selling it before I get there.
Last night, I found out my friend, Hawkin, passed away from cancer last September. He had been fighting stomach cancer for years and I was lucky to see him perform for the final time with his band, Ska Syndicate, in October of 2007. Here's what I wrote after the show:
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Today, Mayumi and I went to see our friend Hawkin perform in his band, Ska Syndicate. He looked frail and aged, but he was doing great considering what he's been through.
I first met Hawkin when I worked on the Michigan Boat in Otsu, 6 years ago. My friend Emily and I went to a concert called "Ska Stock at Hiei", a Skatalites tribute concert atop the largest mountain in Shiga. We took a cable car up the mountain, but were unsure of where to go after that. As soon as we got off, we went up to a group of three people that looked like they were going to the same place and asked if we could follow them. The three were Hawkin, his wife, Pepe, and his friend, Rasbuta. Hawkin looked at my Skatalites shirt and grinned. He asked me if I liked the Skatalites and what my favorite song was by them. I went with Phoenix City and he grinned again. Hawkin is one of the biggest Skatalites fans there is, and his band covers Phoenix City. Hawkin, Pepe, and Rasbuta shared their food, drinks, and space with us while bands like Ego Wrappin' and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra played atop the mountain. Afterward, they gave us a ride home, playing their band's CD in the car on the way home. They gave us a copy of the CD. We met them a few more times before going back to Michigan - they came to my birthday party, we went to a Jamaican Bar (that unfortunately doesn't exist anymore) and we had dinner (okonomiyaki) at their apartment, where Hawkin put on a Skatalites live in Tokyo video and showed me his extensive Skatalites album collection.
We lost touch, but when we returned to Japan, we immediately found out that Ska Syndicate was doing a show in Seta. Mayumi and I went to see Hawkin and Pepe, but Hawkin didn't show up. When we talked to Pepe after the show, she mentioned that Hawkin was having health problems. We later found out he had stomach cancer. He was slowly recovering , but this past summer he had a relapse. Only now it had spread to his kidney. He went back into the hospital for 50 days and just got released three weeks ago. Obviously, he'd had trouble eating and digesting since the cancer was in his stomach.
So today was the first time I saw him in 6 years. He wrote in his mixi (Japanese version of Myspace/Facebook) page this morning that he wasn't feeling that well, but he'd try to fight through it. When Mayumi and I got there, Ska Syndicate was on stage. Pepe was there playing the sax (Both Hawkin and Pepe play sax), but no Hawkin. We figured he must not have been feeling well enough to make it. After a few songs, though he was summoned on stage. A thin man before the cancer, he now looked tiny and frail. But he had a big grin on his face. He was back, doing what he loved. He sang a few songs and played sax on a few songs and sounded great doing either. He spent the entire rest of the set singing, dancing, and playing the sax like he used to. After he finished, he had to sit down and rest. I read in his blog after I got home that he had a period of two days this summer/fall where he nearly died. He said the thing that pulled him through was knowing he had this date for his band to play their concert. I've never met a greater lover of Jamaican ska. Hawkin and Pepe were happy to see us, though we could only meet with them briefly.
In his blog two days ago he wrote that he would be happy if he could just stand up on stage. He admitted that it would be nearly impossible to play the sax. But there he was, doing what he loved more than anything else.
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I hadn't been to his band's Mixi page for a while until last night, when I found out. I'm happy for him - he got to live his life his way and truly enjoyed what he did. Let's spin Phoenix City one more time for him.
Let's go for the encore while we're here.
Wed, Feb. 4th, 2009, 06:03 pm
FRAMESNAP!
I go to Yokaichi High School every Wednesday. When it's nice outside, I make the 45 minute bike ride and I considered sunny in the lower 40s nice enough. I get a small workout and some jingle jangle in my pocket. On my way home, I noticed that my bike didn't seem right. The balance seemed a bit off. I especially noticed up when I stood and pedaled on my bike. Finally, it happened when I was about 80% home. I was standing on the pedals, and the frame just snapped. My feet when skidding to the ground (2nd time in a week thanks to a broken chain). I looked down and the metal was just busted open. I had to walk my bike back into Omihachiman. Luckily I was so close to home - it only took me 20-25 minutes. I went in to the local bike shop and got myself some new wheels. They were nice enough to throw out the 1000 yen disposal fee for my old bike since I take my service there so often. Just last week I spent $36 on a new chain and new brakes. I was tempted to ask for the chain back since it was still new - I could've used it for a necklace or something.
My new bike matches Mayumi's Midnight Blue color. I also put a Jalan Jalan (the local reggae bar) sticker on the side of it, like Mayumi's bike. Hers is smaller because it's one of the little foldable ones, though. The only thing is I can't stand and ride very comfortably on this new bike, but maybe that's a good thing since it's what broke the old one. Mon, Jan. 26th, 2009, 07:42 pm
I'm back!
I need to breathe some life into this journal. It's on its deathbed and only one mouth and one chestpumper can save it. That's my mouth. That's my chestpumper. I had my last 3rd year classes last Friday. 2nd semester, my schedule was crazy busy. Until now it was moderately busy. Starting tomorrow, it will actually be light! What am I going to do with myself with all this spare time at work? Office hijinks, that's what! No, probably not. I'll probably just continue studying Japanese and looking like I'm working hard.
Rules: There are no rules, because there is no method of enforcement intact. Once the internet police get their act together and start punishing people with years of promised bad luck, then we can get into rules. Until then, write whatever you want, whenever you want. It may just be so much freedom that your head explodes. Who is this person that I call, "me"? 1. Let's cut right to the chase. My chest hair is in the shape of the Japanese kanji, "Kanarazu (必). You need somewhat of an imagination to see it, but it's definitely there. If this is the only information you sought when opening my note, feel free to close it now. I will not retract, change, or add upon this statement anywhere else throughout the contents of this note. 2. One time in high school, I was eating lunch in the cafeteria and suddenly had a nosebleed. My first motion was to look at the clock. It was 11:58. The next day at the cafeteria, again I had a spontaneous nosebleed, I looked at the clock, and again it was 11:58. I approached the next day's 11:58 very cautiously, but it did not happen again. 3. Random snacks my childhood: Microwavable Corn Dogs, Flavor Ice, Stale Triscuits, Cheetos Paws, Mr. Phipp's Pretzel Chips; Peanut Butter & Chocolate Granola Bars 4. Being a cog in a large corporation is not in my future. 5. The Justin Pool Fan Club (JPFC) was a regular addition in our Junior High newspaper. I made cards for all the members. 6. I have a dream journal. Lately, I've been slacking with it. 2007 was my most fruitful year, remembering and recording over 100 dreams. Remembering is easy. Finding time to write them down is hard. 7. I've had a lot of instances of future-telling in my dreams and it always leaves me wondering if it's a possibility, or if it's an instance of dreams having to come true every once in a while when the sample size is so large. 8. I'm like the grim reaper to institutions in Japan. The Japan Adventure Program (where I worked on a cruise ship and studied in Japan) went belly up a few years after I left. The branch of GEOS I worked at closed its doors 2 years after I left. The Hachiman Special Ed. school closed down last year. Am I the cause, or am I simply irreplaceable? I like to think it's the latter. 9. According to my family genetics, it's a wonder I still have hair. 10. When I was in elementary school, I could have told you the name, position, and stats of any baseball player - even the players who never played. I still remember who guys like Rafael Belliard, Garry Pettis, and Jim Walewander are. I was addicted to baseball cards and Sportscenter. 11. Speaking of sports, I still play too many sports video games. When I was younger, it was Tecmo Super Bowl, Tecmo Basketball, Arch Rivals, Ice Hockey, and RBI 2. I still play seasons on PS2. It's not a very productive hobby. 11b. I played Tecmo Super Bowl so much in college that Mayumi knows the touchdown song and sings it if she ever sees a touchdown scored in any football game or on TV. 12. I wish we didn't have a TV in my house. I love certain TV shows, but I've always been happiest without a TV. 13. I like to start off my summer BBQs with Appleton Rum and some Toots & the Maytals. 14. Aside from Appleton Rum, my favorite drinks are Green Tea and Brown Sugar Plum Wine 15. Speaking of drinking, you know I've had too much to drink when I start switching hats with everyone in the room, even (especially) strangers. 16. The first time I moved to Japan, I lost 30 pounds in the first 6 months. I gained it all back when I moved back to Fatland (USA). When I moved back to Japan, I lost the 30 pounds in 6 months again. No dieting, just better lifestyle. I've since gained 10 back, but it's still a nice net loss. 17. I quit braces in middle school. The orthodontist said I would regret it when I got older, but I have no problem with crooked teeth. I did, however, have a problem with that little metal key. 18. I can triple roll my tongue. I think I heard that 1 in 400 people can do that. Even stranger than having the ability is my ability to attract like-tongued people. The first time I moved to Japan, I discovered my roommate could do it. When I started teaching, 4 of the teachers who came in the same year (incl. me) could do it. That's odds-defying. 19. I never once dated a girl with good eyesight. What does that say about my physical appearance? 20. I've won a lot of contests in Japan. I won an Ipod Shuffle, a Nintendo DS, a bag of rice, and a coffee thermos. 21. When I was around the 5-9 age range, this was my MO on the toilet: After I pooped, I would take two pieces of toilet paper. I would scrunch them up into odd shapes so that in my imaginations they looked like different monsters. They would fight each other to the death. The loser had to get wiped and thrown into the pit. The winner stayed around for the next fight. Repeat 10-15 times, flush. 22. I'm one of the funniest people I know. I often make myself laugh just by thinking of something absurd. I don't think there is anyone I'd want to change brains with. 23. My favorite chain steakhouse is a big donor to the Republican Party. This is a source of frustration, but it's probably a good thing because I want to reduce my meat intake. 24. I love teaching. If I can teach my students how to say something in English, great. If I can teach them to learn to want to learn on their own, even better. If I can show them how to disregard societal convention, that's the best. 25. I feel out of place at funerals, because I feel my thoughts on death aren't very compatible with modern society. I believe in being thankful for life, be it 1 year, 10 years, 30 years, or 100 years. If I died tomorrow, I wouldn't feel bad about it (if I could feel), and I hope nobody would feel bad for me. I got a chance to live and I couldn't ask for anything more. 26. I barely graduated high school. My GPA was 2.2(/4.0). I never did homework, because I knew (or could quickly learn) everything being taught. In Honors Algebra II, I had a 102% test average (there was always an extra credit question on the test) and I FAILED the class. Zero credit. In US Government class, I set the curve on every test except one and needed extra credit to pass. My biggest accomplishment was Honors Pre-Calc (even though I failed Honors Algebra II, they let me take Honors Pre-Calc). I needed a 98% on the final exam to pass the class and I got a 99%. This caused a certain level of disenchantment with the current educational system. 27. I've been published on McSweeney's here: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/monologues/12williamsmith.htmlAnd for 6 months, I wrote satirical blogs on Newgroper.com as former Japanese Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Fukuda, along with China's President, Hu Jintao, and NBA player, Stephon Marbury. 28. I'm an incredibly slow reader. I read quickly, but I often get lost in thought and it's pages before I realize that I wasn't paying attention to anything I read. One of the things I judge a good book by is where it takes my mind away from the book. 29. Is Chuang Tzu a man dreaming of a butterfly, or is he a butterfly dreaming of a man dreaming of a butterfly. I take this to heart more than most people, and take perceived reality with a grain of salt. 30. I do exercising (often the Wii Fit hula hoop motion) or stretching in the copy room while my copies are being made, but I suddenly stop when the door opens and another teacher comes in. 31. I like driving, but I would love to live the rest of my life in a place where I didn't need to own a car. 32. I spent a good deal of my childhood summer vacations watching game shows. You could watch them from 10am (Sale of the Century) until 6:00 (Joker's Wild) nonstop back in the day. Between those times included Press Your Luck, Classic Concentration, Bumper Stumpers, Wipeout, Shop 'Til You Drop, Supermarket Sweep, High Rollers, $25,000 Pyramid, Hot Potato, Name That Tune, The Match Game, and plenty of others I can't remember offhand. 33. I love walking alone at night and wish I had time to do it more. 34. I don't mind being far from friends and family. I love the time I spend with people and look forward to seeing everyone again, but I'm bad at the act of missing people. 35. I have many colorings hung on the wall of my house that look like they were done by a 4 year old or 6 year old. They weren't. There were mostly done by Mayumi or myself. 36. I like scratching my eczema. Is that so wrong? 37. I was Homecoming Prince my Senior Year in High School. Seriously? You couldn't think of anyone better? Basically what it meant was that I was to fulfill the duties of Homecoming King if anything were to ever happen to Joey Warren. Nothing happened to Joey Warren. 38. I'm convinced that "he" is a dirty word. People only call me it behind my back. 39. When I was in high school, I made drawings of random scribbles on paper and gave them racy names like, "Where Furnace Repairmen Scheme" and "Wyoming Nights", among others I can't remember. Only one was actually a picture of something tangible. I don't remember what the picture was of, but it was entitled, "Random Scribbles on Lined Paper". 40. In marching band, I had a cowbell solo at our halftime shows. 41. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. 42. I let my students decide my facial hair one month out of every year. 43. I like to challenge myself at the karaoke box, but it usually ends up an epic failure. 44. My first car was an '85 Toronado. It was a big brown tank that got 13mpg. It's name was Cletus. I hung a box of Good n' Plenty candy in the rear view mirror because I read a study that the smell of black licorice turned women on. It never worked. My 2nd car was Jasper, the Amazing Horseless Carriage. 45. I don't like recreational biking, but I love biking as a means of transportation. 46. My Sports Teams are usually very bad because I'm bad at sports and usually recruit like-skilled players. My HS Basketball teams, The Atomic Yaks, the Severed Llama Heads, and the Saber-Toothed Mud Puppies were all at or near the bottom of the league. My touch rugby team, The Biwako Boozers were the 2nd worst team, but like the STMP, we had the coolest shirts and most fun. 47. I have a 3rd nipple. Actually, it's just a nub, but it's right between my nipples. If the mood is right, I will let you feel it. 48. I'm agnostic. I feel most comfortable with the basic tenants of Buddhism, but I don't agree with the worship of Siddartha Gautama. I really like Taoism too (not so much the alchemy side of it). I support most people's beliefs as long as they provide some sort of acknowledgment that they don't have a monopoly on the truth. 49. I love buying clothing with absurd English and it saddens me to know my job is counter-intuitive to my hobby. 50. When I was a Sophmore/Junior in high school, I played MUD's virtually nonstop and had no life. MUDs are Multi-User Domains - like an online text-based Dungeons and Dragons type game. I never played D&D, but this was close enough. My Mom hated that I tied up the phone line (dial-up!) for hours. 51. I have a Fast Food Hall of Fame. It includes, Panda Express' Orange Chicken, the Arby's Big Montana, Lotteria's (Japan) Tandoori Chicken Sandwich, and KFC's (Japan) Gozansho Chicken (with soy sauce and various spices) 52. The media frommy childhood that most influenced who I am today includes: The Muppet Show, Pee Wee's Playhouse, The Far Side, and The State. 53. I live in a great town, have a great wife, and have great family and friends. |
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