tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91225072012-01-07T10:21:00.211+09:00A look at life in Japan through big, round, gaijin eyes. Relfections on life in Japan, America, from the faceless streets of Tokyo. Let's blogging!Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.comBlogger1591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1172030583664376612007-02-21T13:01:00.000+09:002007-02-21T13:03:03.873+09:00

Me and My Grandma Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Grandma has been through a tough year, and with me in Tokyo I don't get back to Yamanashi nearly enough to visit. When I do, it always reminds me how lucky I am that even though I never had any grandparents growing up, I had one in Japan and I never even knew.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1170936994373812492007-02-08T21:03:00.000+09:002007-02-08T21:16:34.390+09:00

I have been at work for over 12 hours today. This is not really unusual. Recently I spend too much time at work. Makes me want to... I dunno, go back to the old days when I was a fake teacher, or take up writing again などなど.This is a picture of me at work during a meeting last week. I look busy. Notice the lack of smile and the ridiculous facial hair. Seriously, what is wrong with me? What am I

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1157050115452217952006-09-01T03:36:00.000+09:002006-09-01T03:48:35.453+09:00

Top row l-r: Me, Juri, British Chris, Yoshiko?, JojiMid row l-r: Kim, Masa, Andy, Colorado guy, Lt. MikeBottom row l-r: Jeanie, Fusai Masa, AKA Bourbon, AKA Night Sports Kuro Banana Master (brains=miso soup)Me and Ju

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1156758117172152532006-08-28T18:24:00.000+09:002006-08-28T18:41:57.206+09:00

As time goes by, despite my reluctance, I am starting to feel more and more attachment to this city I live in: Tokyo.Despite the outrageous cost of living. Despite the trains that stop right when the city wakes up.Despite the anonymous crowds of faces. Despite the despair of the salarymen.Despite the hodgepodge archetecture. Despite the hodgepodge fashion.Despite the absence of green. Despite the

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1155659122801696582006-08-16T00:59:00.000+09:002006-08-16T01:27:37.456+09:00

Today at work, an American coworker and I were discussing Greek mythology, which in turn led to a discussion of the Theory of Evolution and the science of Intelligent Design. Intelligent design points to the fact that infinitessimal changes in the value of certain fundamental forces and important numbers in physics would lead to a universe where stuff went flying apart and nothing would work

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1155559154714649392006-08-14T21:10:00.000+09:002006-08-14T21:39:26.456+09:00

One of the things I would miss a lot if I went back to the States is all the quality sweets in Japan that aren't sold back home. No way in America that green tea or sweet bean flavored chocolate lasts very long. I have to say, I am a big fan of wagashi, or flavors such as kuromitsu (molasses...sort of) and kinako (soy flour). Even familiar stuff like KitKat bars can have a new twist. My all time

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1155482545189030652006-08-13T23:53:00.000+09:002006-08-14T00:25:22.666+09:00

The Ainu are the indigenous people of Japan, and may be closely related to the first peoples to migrate to North America. Like all minority groups in Japan, they have had more than their fair share of problems caused by ethnic Japanese. Though they once lived over all of Northern Honshu and Hokkaido, their culture is now largely restricted to a few small areas of Hokkaido. Much moreso than Native

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1154746298508861602006-08-05T11:33:00.000+09:002006-08-05T11:51:38.566+09:00

When you're too lazy to write: photo blog.Dotonbori, Osaka, May 2006Bamboo at Kodai-ji in Kyoto, May 2006Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari Jinja, May 2006

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1154628010253965672006-08-04T02:07:00.000+09:002006-08-04T03:00:10.373+09:00

As of today I've been in Japan for 4 years. To put that in perspective, I've been in Japan longer than I was at Georgetown or in high school. I've been in Japan for my entire adult life thus far. I would rather go to Yoshinoya than McDonalds, and I'd rather go to Kappa Sushi than either. I think of myself as a gaijin, or foreigner. I bow on the phone. I don't know how to introduce myself in

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1149264634240852662006-06-03T00:52:00.000+09:002006-06-03T01:10:34.283+09:00

The other day my colleague was goin' on about how he had done a ton of chin-ups at the gym over the weekend and how pumped his biceps were and how he felt like a tough guy, so I told him about a friend of mine who could do one-armed pull-ups pretty easily in high school. Duly impressed, my coworker told me that he had seen a website that shows how to train for one-armed pull-ups. A quick google

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1148716533753660272006-05-27T16:19:00.000+09:002006-05-27T16:55:33.833+09:00

Shh... listen. Do you hear that sound like sand slipping through an hourglass? Have you felt the years falling in the whipser of the rain? Do you know that hours pass between each of my heartbeats? Have you ever seen a minute flicker like a firefly in the night? Do you believe in seconds?I'm never on time, so I think I'm gonna build a time machine. You'd never have to worry. I wouldn't be late

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1144887278080629392006-04-13T09:14:00.000+09:002006-04-13T09:14:38.176+09:00

Pizza and Government Originally uploaded by bonitsky. One of the benefits of living in Tokyo is access to all the spoils of the global economy. It's one of the things that makes Tokyo a different beast from the rest of Japan.Even my new, still-scared stiff coworkers can't resist a pizza lunch. 20 people, 8 pies from Dominos, and viola... grass-roots internationalization. The Japanese Diet

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1144193301577070262006-04-05T08:28:00.000+09:002006-04-05T08:29:14.593+09:00

九段下の夜桜 Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Illuminated cherry blossoms. Nighttime hanami is called "夜桜" (literally night cherry blossoms).

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1143993508607994422006-04-03T00:50:00.000+09:002006-04-03T00:58:28.710+09:00

L-R, Me, Mike, WendyPhoto courtesy of Jason Collin (for more pics from the Tokyo Ultimate Hanami, see his site--which also can be found in the links section)

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1143805029501110062006-03-31T20:37:00.000+09:002006-03-31T20:37:09.606+09:00

Hanami 2006 Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Iyo-iyo hajimatta！

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1143791609432233912006-03-31T16:53:00.000+09:002006-03-31T18:19:25.833+09:00

[Photo taken 3/17] Tokyo Sunset on a Windy Day Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Spring is here, and the wind has been blowing. Normally once the temperature rises in the Kanto plain, the cloud of smog and haze that lingers over Tokyo makes Fuji impossible to see except in the early morning. But this year the wind blowing out toward Tokyo bay has been so strong, I've been getting a good

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1143604194988645682006-03-29T12:49:00.000+09:002006-04-03T00:35:21.720+09:00

Reunion Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Yesterday I met up with Saito-sensei, the teacher with whom I team-taught for 2-and-a-half years at Fujimidai JHS back in Yamanashi. He was in the tokyo area for an invitational basketball tournament. Some of his students were playing for the Yamanashi team. Saito-sensei introduced me to one of his favorite German restaurants in Yurakucho, where we

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1143386188851951602006-03-26T23:44:00.000+09:002006-03-27T00:16:28.970+09:00

Haruki Murakami is my favorite Japanese author. From his famous works of fiction like Norwegian Wood and The Windup Bird Chronicle to his short stories and essays, I almost never fail to be profoundly affected by his work.Certain thematic elements crop up again and again in Murakami's body of work: loss, or more specifically, the disappearance of something important (often of a woman); memory;

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1143212991142177892006-03-25T00:09:00.000+09:002006-03-25T00:09:51.283+09:00

Grand Opening Originally uploaded by bonitsky. In Japan, kaika, or the opening of the cherry blossoms does not officially happen until a certain designated tree comes into bloom. So even if all the other trees have blossomed, they are considered still closed. So this tree is not in bloom. Don't try to say it is. Liar.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1142954851696127312006-03-21T22:53:00.000+09:002006-03-22T00:27:31.916+09:00

Today Japan won the World Baseball Classic, meaning that the names Ichiro, Matsuzaka, Nishioka, Satozaki, Uehara, and all the rest will head straight to the Japanese sports pantheon hot on the heels of Olympic Figure Skating gold-medalist Shizuka Arakawa. Tomorrow the lead story on the front page of every Japanese newspaper will run a picture of the team tossing legendary manager Sadaharu Oh into

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1142057494043941192006-03-11T15:05:00.000+09:002006-03-11T16:38:55.413+09:00

[December 2-3, 2005]Having spent an exciting night in Naha, we were anxious to see some of the Okinawan countryside. So we rented a car and headed north, away from the creeping cityscape of the Southern tip of the main island of Okinawa. Despite the slight chill in the air, we were hoping for waves, sand, and sunshine.Our first stop turned out to be Katsuren Castle, another UNESCO World Heritage

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1141962262800727492006-03-10T12:44:00.000+09:002006-03-10T13:18:07.590+09:00

HP+250 Originally uploaded by bonitsky. To promote the upcoming game Final Fantasy XII, Square-Enix released a limited edition "potion" health drink at convenience stores throughout Japan. For the novelty alone, I picked one up while I was buying lunch today. There are 6 different collectable bottles, and though I'm sure an unopened box would fetch a nice lump of gil on ebay, I just had

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1141461405196250172006-03-04T17:36:00.000+09:002006-03-05T00:42:55.083+09:00

Consumerism on the March Originally uploaded by bonitsky. The new Omotesando Hills shopping center has to be seen to believed. Tokyo's newest monument to the consumer is a newer, posher (if possible), more chic sibling to Roppongi Hills. Designed by the same controversial building firm, Mori Building, it is truly a marvelous symbol of what it means to be Japanese in Tokyo. Of course, the

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1141389899983830282006-03-03T21:44:00.000+09:002006-03-04T05:34:07.306+09:00

WBC-CHINESE FANS Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Despite the support of the Chinese fans in attendence, who were clearly out-numbered but raucously supported their team--especially when they amazingly tied up the game at 2-- four costly errors and no relief pitching send China spiraling down to a huge deficit. WBC-ICHIRO Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Clearly the big draw of

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1141380088856794392006-03-03T19:01:00.000+09:002006-03-04T05:15:25.986+09:00

FOUL BALL! Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Top of the first, the first foul ball up over the screen bounces off the stairs behind us and is carooming right back into our outstretched hands--when it lands in the plastic box from which the bento girl is hawking her bento boxed dinners 3 rows above us in the aisle. The ball bounced over her head and into the large plastic crate she was

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1141379949497324322006-03-03T18:59:00.000+09:002006-03-04T05:31:28.720+09:00

World Baseball Classic Originally uploaded by bonitsky. First batter, Ichiro Steps in. It's the second game of the entire tournament, and I got free tickets in the press section, 20 rows behind homeplate, on account of a favor I did for a friend of a friend. Somewhere up above, one of my other coworkers is peering down at the action from the upper deck, in the seats he paid for. Tickets

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1141151539650711102006-03-01T03:16:00.000+09:002006-03-01T03:39:16.380+09:00

On Saturday, I went back to Yamanashi to participate in my second 寒稽古, or cold weather training. My shihan explained: In sports you practice where it's warm during the winter, so you don't get injured. In the summer, you practice where it's cool, so you can have your best performance. You are training to become the strongest in your event--the best player. But in budo, you are training to make

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1140158504361799672006-02-17T15:12:00.000+09:002006-02-17T15:41:44.683+09:00

Despite the fact that Japan has yet to capture a medal in the Torino Olympics, media coverage here is still just as overblown as in the rest of the world. I think it's just a little more annoying.From the　over-playing of the 平原綾香 (Ayaka Hirahara) theme song 「誓い] ("Vow"), to the fact that pretty much only events where Japanese athletes are competing are shown, I am already sick of watching Torino.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1139642687778291392006-02-11T15:03:00.000+09:002006-02-11T16:24:52.160+09:00

Juri is off to Okinawa with a friend today. Which reminds me, we went to Okinawa in December. Sorry, forgot to mention it.Okinawa is situated in the Ryukyu Archipelago, south of the main islands of Japan, and was an independent kingdom before becoming part of Japan. Home to a large US military presence since the US invaded and captured the main island in the waning days of WWII in 1945, in many

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1139332288217794462006-02-08T01:58:00.000+09:002006-02-08T02:11:28.296+09:00

Last week I came down with good ol' influenza. While it was good for a couple days off from work (and allowed me to watch my Steelers win the Super Bowl on a live satellite broadcast) having a fever of 103.8 is pretty crappy. Especially when you find that out after walking to the hospital in the rain, in the middle of the winter. Anyway, it's not really conducive to blogging.While I've been busy

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1137969385524918272006-01-23T06:01:00.000+09:002006-01-23T07:36:25.646+09:00

Last week I went up to Nagano, home of the 1998 Winter Olympics, with some Japanese friends from Yamanashi for 2 days of snowboarding in the village of Nozawa Onsen, at the northern tip of the Japanese Alps. Being a weekday trip, the slopes were wide open. Fresh powder snow was silently falling all around. Snowboarding is a sport I've taken up since I've come to Japan. As a sport, it has an image

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1137360624470206062006-01-16T06:25:00.000+09:002006-01-16T06:34:05.066+09:00

Sweet Moses. Best game I've watched since the first Pats' Superbowl win. Pleeaaaase Jerome, don't do that to me at 6 in the morning when I've stayed up all night to watch you play. Last thing I need is to get fired for sleeping through work AND have the Steelers lose on an impossible fluke. I had just called my dad to celebrate the victory when Jerome Bettis almost fumbled away the game right as

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1137299362172595442006-01-15T12:27:00.000+09:002006-01-15T13:29:22.343+09:00

Could this be the end of my favorite website? Congratulations to P-chan, my boy and 同級生 (classmate) from Gtown, on landing a sweet new job working in the high-powered world of hardcore financial reporting. This should not be confused with his night job as a big player in the high-rolling, er... still-wristed world of hardcore pachinko playing.Good luck in your new job man! I hope you remember

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1136828600221986722006-01-10T01:50:00.000+09:002006-01-10T02:54:26.316+09:00

One of the things about Tokyo is that the area around every big station and shopping area teems with part-timers trying to hand out flyers and free giveaways to passersby. Inevitably, 90% of the folks are handing out little packages of tissues (that have printed advertisements on the package), which actually come in handy for some people, considering that a few public restrooms require you to pay

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1136614156022748402006-01-07T14:20:00.000+09:002006-01-07T15:09:16.080+09:00

I've just finished a book I borrowed from a friend called Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell, about making rapid inferences in "the first two seconds of looking." The book is about the power of the unconscious mind, and though it does little to explain how to improve your own powers of rapid cognition, it does by example show how there are instances where you

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1136417265347400562006-01-05T08:01:00.000+09:002006-01-05T08:27:45.420+09:00

Yesterday was one of those days at work that made my more experienced (American) coworker shake his head and say, "Even after all these years in this country, sometimes it still doesn't make any sense."So New Year's is a big thing in Japan, and the whole country pretty much shuts down (with the possible exception of retail and service jobs...sometimes) from the 29th of December to the 3rd or so

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1136279635700561902006-01-03T18:13:00.001+09:002006-01-03T18:19:55.310+09:00

明けましておめでとうございます！Happy New Year! 2005 was a year where I finally grew up--got a "real job," started to feel like I needed to spend a little more time in the gym--and started to find that doing so was increasingly difficult. In 2005 I said goodbye to people I have grown to care about in Fujiyoshida, and to the profession of teaching, at least for now.I accomplished a lot of things I'm proud of

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1135765550638495232005-12-28T19:18:00.000+09:002005-12-28T19:25:50.656+09:00

Juri and I made the trip home to the States to surprise mom and dad for the holidays. Good work Susie on keeping the cat in the bag.A week in New York and Connecticut has been hardly enough time, and somehow it is already over. I can barely fit into the pants I wore on the plane ride over. Good times.Happy Holidays, everyone.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1135097772156882112005-12-21T01:44:00.000+09:002005-12-21T01:56:12.180+09:00

Unless the commissioner of our league does something stupid, 2nd seeded, but top-ranked Stoles and their coach Paul N. (pictured) will clash against my surging Fujiyama Fighting Swallows this week in the semi-finals of the Pine Cheese Fantasy Football League Playoffs.The Swallows, whose explosive offense was second in points scored in the 12 team league to the Stoles, spit on Berg's Boobs 146-76

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1135014494968878102005-12-20T02:24:00.000+09:002005-12-20T03:01:30.906+09:00

Start lining up at your local Yoshinoya now. According to the official website, the famous Yoshinoya 牛丼 (beef bowl) is coming back now that the ban American beef imports has been lifted. Unlike other popular gyuudon chain restaurants, when the Japanese government banned US beef in December 2003, Yoshinoya declared it would not substitute what it felt was inferior tasting Australian or domestic

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1134928577808512902005-12-18T23:58:00.000+09:002005-12-19T02:56:17.896+09:00

The Tokyo Motor show is the diametrical opposite of the Tokyo Department of Motor VehiclesToday I had to renew my Japanese driver's license. I had tried to do it two weeks ago by going to the Driving License Center in Kanda and filling out the proper paperwork, but then I was told that since it was my first renewal, I had to go to a completely different place (a test center) and renew my license

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1134842684227217082005-12-18T02:51:00.000+09:002005-12-18T10:45:37.910+09:00

Is what Juri says every time I ask her, "So when are you going back to Hokkaido?"Not that I'm complaining, but she's been saying that every day for the last month--and I'm beginning to think she's not being completely honest with me. That and the fact that more and more of her stuff keeps arriving by post...

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1134637436086061772005-12-15T17:58:00.000+09:002005-12-15T18:03:56.106+09:00

Carefully study this video and all your questions about Japanese ettiquite will be made clear. Watch this and you can amaze your friends with your knowhow back home, or order like a pro in the back alleys of Tokyo. Don't ever say I don't actually post anything worthwhile about Japan!Maamamama...Otototo!

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1134489787441173562005-12-14T00:13:00.000+09:002005-12-14T01:03:07.533+09:00

Today it was announced that Hayao Miyazaki's oldest son, Goro Miyazaki, would be directing his first anime for Studio Ghibli (story). The story that he will bringing to life is based on Ursula K. Le Guin's classic Tales of Earthsea novels, and is tentatively called 「ゲド戦記」, or "The War Chronicles of Ged". The plot involves the travels of the Archmage Ged to find out who has disrupted the balance

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1134315961140622472005-12-11T23:41:00.000+09:002005-12-12T00:46:01.256+09:00

Life in Tokyo: guaranteed to be unbelievable at least once a day.Today I was at Meguro Station with Juri and my boy Koki on the way home from Ultimate. We had just grabbed a quick bite at KFC, about to go our separate ways in front one of the exits to the subway. Koki is saying how it was nice to meet Juri at last, and that whenever she moves to Tokyo for good, she and I should come join him and

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1130714851100878772005-10-31T08:18:00.000+09:002005-10-31T08:27:31.123+09:00

Just now, while eating my bowl of "Mickey's Magic" cereal, I was the most furious I've ever been at breakfast. I was completely livid. What could be so infuriating about little star shapes covered in pink and purple sparkly sugar (that turns milk a pretty color to boot)? Only one thing of course: the lack of marshmallows.Oh yes. Back a few months ago, there were marshmallows. But now, the (

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1130347185708226952005-10-27T01:55:00.000+09:002005-10-27T02:19:45.723+09:00

Tonight, Lotte finished off a 4 game sweep of Hanshin in the Nihon series with a 3-2 victory. Bobby Valentine's team outscored the Tigers 33-4 over the four game series. Except for the final game, the series was so lopsided, Hanshin fans accused the Marines of every dirty trick from corked bats and juiced balls to steriods on the hanshintigers.com message boards.Valentine became the first

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1130177035097712402005-10-25T03:02:00.000+09:002005-10-25T03:06:00.413+09:00

3am. Time to go running. I gotta break this stupid pattern. Babylon 5 is on. Cable TV is weird.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1130085336806164722005-10-23T23:35:00.000+09:002005-10-24T01:42:27.496+09:00

I am not gonna criticize Japanese baseball. Much. Now. Yes, there are ties. You can't boo players on the other team. You get flowers if you hit a homerun. After a single with less than 2 outs, the next player MUST BUNT or commit seppuku. Astroturf. Etc. But despite the fact that Benny Agbayani is good enough to be one of the most feared sluggers in the Japan Leagues (which means he walks every

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1129978643332421342005-10-22T19:43:00.000+09:002005-10-22T19:57:24.963+09:00

Mom, are you still checking my blog? I've been away for awhile! But I promise that now that I have internet again, I'll be updating way more often than ever before. 3, 4, maybe 5 times a day! And I'll have more penguins! And... Also I think I'll always be wearing a headband! Because I don't care what they say, headbands make you look tough!The one thing I can promise you is that there will be no

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1126881715120610502005-09-16T23:45:00.000+09:002005-09-16T23:41:55.120+09:00

I'm going to be out of the office next week so I kicked a little butt with some overtime. And I realized that after 10pm, super duper bonus overtime pay kicks in. Now I'm almost making as much per hour as an eikaiwa teacher!Anyway, I applied for internet on 7/22 and cable is supposed to go in on 10/8. Maybe I'll be able to actually update once in awhile once that happens.Signing out,Bonikki (or

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1125655550822828762005-09-02T19:09:00.000+09:002005-09-02T19:05:50.826+09:00

The situation in New Orleans shows us that there's a thin line between civilization and chaos. America goes to war to "spread democracy" and yet now one of its cities has sunk into conditions that are just as lawless and horrifying as any in Iraq, I imagine. The destruction wrought by nature is something that is unavoidable and tragic. The destruction that men continue to wreak is revolting and

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1125395487937659072005-08-30T18:58:00.000+09:002005-08-30T18:51:27.963+09:00

Over the weekend I was 空手合宿 (karate camp) in Ito city in Izu. I was the leader for my room, which I shared with 5 elementary school kids.The only thing worse than a pack of normal elementary school kids when it comes to the sanctity of one's um... bum, is a pack of karate trained elementary school kids. Fortunately when it comes to avoiding the kancho, I am like Neo at the end of The Matrix. (

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1124872035761484352005-08-24T17:56:00.000+09:002005-08-24T17:27:17.340+09:00

Yesterday, my visiting friend Sarah asked in complete earnestness whether or not they reduce the amount of oxygen in Japanese trains. "You sit down and suddenly you're yawning. I slept for 12 hours the other night, was completely wide-awake when I boarded the train, and yet was knodding off within minutes of sitting down.... Could it be some sort of societal control?"Piped in my other friend Jay,

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1124443659383813162005-08-19T18:27:00.000+09:002005-08-19T18:27:39.386+09:00

My New View of Fujisan Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Seeing Fuji from far away is like seeing an old friend from whom you've grown apart. Very nostalgic.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1124442045297016022005-08-19T18:04:00.000+09:002005-08-19T18:00:45.376+09:00

I think if Bush could dissolve the House of Representatives and call for national elections if they didn't approve of one of his policies, it would solve a lot of things in America. Like politicians who campaign all the time when they should be working. I hate that.That reminds me, today we set a new record for quotes from the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy tossed around in a single afternoon.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1124180580533874262005-08-16T17:03:00.000+09:002005-08-16T17:23:00.570+09:00

A big quake rocked Miyagi prefecture in Northern Japan today. It also had my office building shaking in it's boots. Or on it's foundations. Or whatever. For over a minute. This was the second big quake I've felt since I've moved to Tokyo, the other being on the day I moved here, right after I had finished unloading my luggage.Earthquakes in Japan are really scary. Growing up on the east coast in

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1124099632263658492005-08-15T18:53:00.000+09:002005-08-15T18:53:52.286+09:00

Yeah. First hour of overtime. Here's to many more to come. Woo-hoo! And payday is tomorrow! And... I'm totally ready to go home.Anyway, quote of the day:Tsukato-senpai (in Japanese): "Strip! Strip! Strip!"My friend Jay, visiting from the states: "What's hey saying?"Me:"He wants you to see you take off your clothes." Jay: "Dude, what the hell?"Me:[To senpai] "He won't do it."Senpai: "What!? It's

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1123651655155665522005-08-10T14:25:00.000+09:002005-08-10T15:20:27.506+09:00

"Every day in this country I see at least one girl who is so hot I want to punch myself in the face." - my buddy Noah, last night over Indian food

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1123574411776999972005-08-09T16:37:00.000+09:002005-08-09T17:00:11.783+09:00

So after opponents the Upper House rejected his plan to privatize the postal system, Koizumi dissolved the lower house of the Japanese Diet yesterday and political hell has broken loose. It's cool because I happen to work across the street, 19 floors over all the turmoil. (In fact, I'm typing from my desk at work, which I'm not sure is a good idea... but I'm still waiting to be properly

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1122982456316796172005-08-02T20:22:00.000+09:002005-08-02T20:34:16.323+09:00

Is what I would say if I was at my place right now in Tokyo. But instead I'm in Nishikatsura visiting with Pete and the rest of the crew. I've been staying at Grandma's while I still have a few more days of work here. I start at CLAIR on Friday.Internet access is still a little sporadic for me at the moment, so bear with me as I make my transition to my new life in the BIG CITY. I promise some

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1122067972687265422005-07-23T06:29:00.000+09:002005-07-23T06:32:52.696+09:00

At 10am I move out of the Danchi, ready or not.Prognosis: cloudy with a chance of meatballs.I'm a little sad. I wish I had more time to deal with saying goodbye (and to get the rest of my stuff ready. 3 and a half more hours!)

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1121854464732778152005-07-20T19:01:00.000+09:002005-07-20T19:14:24.740+09:00

[The following is an exerpt from an email I sent to some of my best friends back in the States earlier today. Re-reading it, I thought it was interesting enough to post here]Sorry about the delay.So in the end, my passport never turned up. I applied for a new one, and aside from that not having turned up yet, I can't complain about how things turned out though. Being here but on vacation gave me

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1121731449459172672005-07-19T08:45:00.000+09:002005-07-19T09:04:09.466+09:00

Here's a list my friend Peter put up on his new blog (a companion to his homepage). I've got links to both of them on the sidebar over there. Since I'm going to be stuck here for a few more years, I thought I should make a few notes:#100: at my school they're just "tesuto" (and quizzes are "kuizu")#92: Amen brother! Preach on! (incidentally, I think this is somewhere in my top 10)#81: While on

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1121502091267485922005-07-16T16:45:00.000+09:002005-07-16T17:22:31.080+09:00

This morning I went to my local Tsutaya (think Blockbuster Video, except you can rent CDs and you can't rent video games) to return a couple of CDs that were technically due yesterday, and pick up the new Ketsumeishi CD which was coming out for rental (*not for *not the *not purpose of *not downloading the tracks to my IPod). As long as I got them in the drop-box before the store opened at 10am,

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1121230322917684982005-07-13T13:34:00.000+09:002005-07-15T10:49:11.030+09:00

I have a feeling this won't be the last time I mention that Tokyo ain't cheap. Thus, saying this is "part 1" sounds about right.Here's what I'm coughing over on Saturday to move into my new unfurnished apartment in Tokyo next weekend (Basic monthly rent: 120,000yen):礼金(key money):120,000yen敷金(security deposit):240,000yen７月分賃料(pro-rated July rent--from the 23rd~):34,840yen８月分賃料(August rent):

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1121015812745127612005-07-11T02:08:00.000+09:002005-07-11T02:16:52.750+09:00

Ironically, I don't think I could go home to the States if I wanted to at the moment. Here's what I'm missing:AMERICA! F***! YEAH!Since it doesn't look like my passport is gonna turn up, I'm heading to the embassy in the morning. Then I'm hopefully signing off on an apartment.Hoping for a better week than last week...

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1120621319234452472005-07-06T12:41:00.000+09:002005-07-06T12:41:59.246+09:00

(Since these aren't about nature, they're technically senryuu [川柳], not haiku.)パスポート落とした者は、ターミナル？[Do people who haveLost their passports end up likeHanks in Terminal?]おい！甲府のみんな。あれを拾ってくれ！[Hey, everybodyIn Kofu, would somebodyPick up my passport!]忘れ物はしない者は落し物[A guy who neverForgets the important stuffDrops important stuff]パスポート、何処か飲んでる？再会は？[Where is my passport?Is it drinking in a pub?I hope it

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1120117055527893582005-06-30T16:40:00.000+09:002005-06-30T16:45:59.220+09:00

As preparation for my new job, a fax I got today requests that I achieve complete mastery of my interpretation and Japanese abilities by August： 日本語能力と通訳技術を完全にマスターすること。　ＣＬＡＩＲでは、日本政府の大臣、政府次官、事務次官及び各国の大使館員、領事、外交官等政府的にもかなり高位な方々の通訳などが急に求められることもあります。このため、英語なまりのない発音や敬語など日本語能力１級以上の日本語能力が求められます。　８月までにもう一度自身の技能を練磨してください。 Which means something like:[PCs are requested to] attain complete mastery of your

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1120106223215363742005-06-30T13:15:00.000+09:002005-06-30T14:31:34.453+09:00

According to this study by scientists at the University of Georgia, in classrooms studied, "as temperature and humidity increased, achievement and task performance deteriorated, attention spans decreased, and students reported greater discomfort. Cooler classrooms created increased feelings of comfort, activity and productivity."I point this out merely because this week has been amazingly hot and

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1119862801866505942005-06-27T17:58:00.000+09:002005-06-27T18:06:21.983+09:00

Still no movement on the going home front...In other news:The people who brought you diggin on 12-year-old schoolgirls, the enshrinement of war criminals at Yasukuni Jinja, and the corporate antthink that values punctuality over safety at JAL and JR have decided to make their newest push for moral values in Japan: teaching kids to use their real names on the internet. Apparently if people use

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1119859690697744612005-06-27T17:05:00.000+09:002005-06-27T17:08:10.910+09:00

Generally I follow the unwritten rule that I don't leave school before the school librarian. Today it is so 蒸し暑い! (hot and humid) that I am seriously considering breaking the rules.Air conditioning saves lives. So I hear.Gaman. Gaman. Gaman.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1119284197291833132005-06-21T01:16:00.000+09:002005-06-21T01:16:37.346+09:00

Juri sent me a link to this game, which is almost as amusing as it is terrifying. My personal record is 52 creepy mutant tarako cupies. In case you were wondering, tarako is cod roe. Make sense yet?If you're still wondering where the adorable little infant/fish egg hybrid freaks come from, try clicking the image below to check out this page from Kewpie Mayonaise's homepage:The site is in Japanese

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1119149313697454312005-06-19T11:31:00.000+09:002005-06-19T11:48:33.716+09:00

According to an article on the jobs website monster.com, the fact that my workspace is organized according to my top-secret formula, helplessly messy according to the untrained eye, actually means that I'm better educated and bound to make more money than the neat freaks out there.Sayeth the article:There are a whole lot of messy-desk people out there. And it is especially interesting to learn

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1119101576419189822005-06-18T23:18:00.000+09:002005-06-18T22:41:44.600+09:00

Nothing is more annoying than people with little dogs that they carry around with them. Except for people who carry their little dogs around with them and dress the dogs up too. Since space is tight in Japan, a lot of people who have dogs tend to have little tiny ones. You'd think the fact that small dogs are plentiful would make it cheaper to get one, but last year there was a chihuaua fashion

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118980267210054282005-06-17T12:51:00.000+09:002005-06-17T13:04:39.360+09:00

My boy Paully 'the The' (as Rudy calls him) has started a new blog, called Cultural Returns. Paul will be looking at his own reverse culture shock going home after 3 years in Japan, while also documenting his new Japanese wife's adjustment to life in the US. It's a fascinating concept and I'm looking forward to reading it, especially since I'm presumably going to have to go back someday and go

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118940053824880592005-06-17T01:53:00.000+09:002005-06-17T01:52:21.976+09:00

It's almost 2am. I should be sleeping, but I've been up playing with some simple photo editing software I just installed. I've been able to do some good stuff. Like here I pumped up the lighting in the foreground (since Juri was totally backlit out), and now you gotta admit it's a lovely picture, if a bit grainy. 俺の自慢の彼女だぞ。(Amazing, considering I've never even read that book about attracting

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118934396884460912005-06-17T00:06:00.000+09:002005-06-17T01:31:24.516+09:00

Tempura Udon Originally uploaded by bonitsky. Udon is one of the reasons I'm gonna miss this place (Fujiyoshida).

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118733982537074052005-06-14T16:36:00.000+09:002005-06-14T16:37:49.646+09:00

Hehehehehe. C'mon. Click. You know you want to know...

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118729666465355562005-06-14T14:48:00.000+09:002005-06-14T15:14:26.483+09:00

I came across this article about manners, violence, and profanity in Japan while surfing through the blog at Vertical, an up and coming publisher of Japanese contemporary literature in the US (worth checking out). Anyway, given the strict tradition of manners in this country, which prompts older Japanese to take a deeply introspective view any time they violate some sort of moral code, (not like

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118713235161206322005-06-14T09:06:00.000+09:002005-06-14T15:16:58.646+09:00

The fact that one of the top songs in Japan right now is a techno song that samples the theme from Super Mario Brothers and is put together by three nerds who have chosen incredibly stupid (and meaningless) names for themselves (Nipopo, Anabebe, and Hanihohenihaa) accords with so many stereotypes about Japanese people that it's almost not funny. That being said, I can't stop laughing every time I

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118474262311711632005-06-11T16:16:00.000+09:002005-06-11T16:25:54.926+09:00

Best 990 yen I've ever spent.(I got the job I wanted.)

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118389530668671482005-06-10T16:42:00.000+09:002005-06-10T16:45:30.676+09:00

I just heard on the radio that the rainy season has officially started, and is expected to continue at least 4 weeks (until July 8th). That'll be the next time I see the sun. Great-o. At least I can start cultivating all those mold spores that I've been saving since last year's 梅雨 (tsuyu=rainy season).

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118218501207638152005-06-08T17:19:00.000+09:002005-06-08T17:15:01.826+09:00

Japanese names are written in kanji, the characters imported from China. Currently there are about 2000 kanji that appear frequently in everyday usage, and many thousands more that are more specialized. The cool thing about kanji is that they mean stuff, so Japanese names have meanings too.Most names are two or three characters long. Names are written last name first, first name last. In the past

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118046552891790102005-06-06T17:19:00.000+09:002005-06-06T17:29:12.893+09:00

I cut my hair and shaved off the top layer of skin for my job interview at CLAIR last Friday. Ridiculous razor burn on Saturday, just in time for a visit with my girl and another friend who I hadn't seen in months. In honor of the way I compromised my principles for the sake of the Man, my friend Pete (of Udon reviewing fame) sent me the lyrics to a song that I imagine I would know if I was 10

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1118037302361410122005-06-06T14:41:00.000+09:002005-06-06T16:13:14.533+09:00

It's not easy to find organic foods at the local supermarkets in Japan, since the average Japanese person seems to be more interested in how flawless a fruit or vegetable looks than how it tastes or what chemicals went into it. Still, I have sought out and found a variety of organic goods now and again--it's just a little harder than in the states, and even more expensive. I wish I could do more,

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1117514562534251322005-05-31T10:18:00.000+09:002005-06-06T17:15:37.973+09:00

So my mom said, "You wrote a great Japanese essay!" and I was proud of myself until I recognized she couldn't read it. So here's a 適当 (sort-of/good enough) translation of what I wrote to the bigwigs at the Council of Local Authorities on International Relations (hopefully my future employers). I'm not ashamed of posting it (except that in English it looks like pretty lousy writing--hopefully it

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1116990725075875802005-05-25T11:59:00.000+09:002005-05-25T12:12:05.080+09:00

Below is the 2 page essay I wrote in my application for the position I'm applying for as a program coordinator for the JET program. It's in Japanese, so my apologies to those of you who can't read it, or view the text. Since someone might be interested (hi mom!) I'll try to slap together an English translation and post it as a comment. Thank you Juri and Arise for all your help in making my easy

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1116844887978727182005-05-23T18:27:00.000+09:002005-05-23T19:53:17.773+09:00

I was just flipping through the channels after I arrived home from work, moving up toward the 6:00 BS World News Update (not a joke) on channel 15 (which you can't input on my remote, which is numbered 1-12), when the end of the lame show on channel 12 managed to stun me for a moment. It was an annoying kids' variety show called 「ぶちぬき」 [buchi-nuki] which means "Break-in!" or maybe "Blow out!" (my

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1116639092418309832005-05-21T10:31:00.000+09:002005-05-21T10:31:32.446+09:00

The Kids are Alright Originally uploaded by bonitsky. I never realized how tiring it could be to actually be a teacher. Yesterday I had a day off and slept almost the entire day. My students bounced back a little quicker.After a very successful school trip, the kiddies are all ready to be full-fledged Japanese tourists some day. They've learned all the important points: follow your tour

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1116457606608657462005-05-19T08:06:00.000+09:002005-05-19T08:06:46.643+09:00

Greetings from Kyoto, where it always rains when I'm at the Golden Pavillion, Kinkakuji. After three days of running around with my students on guided tours, I'm just about ready to make a break...or to commit an act of guidicide.Must hang on... just one more day... must not... must...PUT DOWN THIS KATANA

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1116172582049099552005-05-16T00:50:00.000+09:002005-05-16T00:56:22.053+09:00

With Rocky and Tamami's wedding yesterday and my karate tournament today, it's been a busy weekend. I've got to be up in 4 hours to head on my 4 day school trip to Nara, Kyoto, and the Aichi World Expo with my san nensei (9th graders). Hopefully things will keep rolling smoothly: the wedding was a lot of fun and I won the tournament (my second 優勝 in three tournaments). I also won the 優秀賞 for an

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1116048064175799692005-05-14T14:21:00.000+09:002005-05-14T14:21:04.210+09:00

Congratulations to Rocky and Tamami! Kekkon omedemtou!

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1115891475988718812005-05-12T18:50:00.000+09:002006-05-17T15:03:28.703+09:00

Recently I've been tinkering with new stuff on the sidebar of this blog. Mostly I've put up links, but I've added a few pictures and things too. On the one hand, it's getting a little cluttered. On the other hand I think there are a lot of interesting links and things that I want to share. It's tough to balance between the two, but please bear with me while I work things out without making my own

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1115830678216563302005-05-12T01:57:00.000+09:002005-05-12T02:28:02.083+09:00

There are 2 reasons to go to Hokkaido (well, three if that's where you're gf is from), the northernmost and second biggest of the 4 main islands of Japan: food and nature. Unfortunately, in between skiing/snowboarding season and hiking/camping outdoor sport season are a few weeks of uninspiring grayness when the snow has melted but the trees still haven't put out their leaves. This time of year

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1115434654994006972005-05-07T11:57:00.000+09:002005-05-10T12:30:07.180+09:00

Last night I flew to Sapporo and took an overnight train to Hakodate with Juri. And...well, I think it was snowing this morning. If the good people of Hokkaido didn't have the best ramen in all the land, I would be in dire straits. As it is, a healthy breakfast of Hakodate shio ramen from the honten of the famous ramen-ya Ajisai is almost enough to make me forget I was at the beach two days

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1115253654817366922005-05-05T09:40:00.000+09:002005-05-05T20:49:15.133+09:00

There are no better ways to spend a day off than hiking... but the beach certainly is no worse!

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1115193138732529032005-05-04T16:52:00.000+09:002005-05-04T16:52:18.833+09:00

The best way to spend a day off.

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1115173501209085162005-05-04T09:57:00.000+09:002005-05-04T13:47:18.583+09:00

Like the end of a 花火fireworks show, it's time to throw everything else left over out there and move on with my life. It's been a beautiful sakura season, but this 特集 has dragged on longer than the flowers actually stay in bloom.Anyway I present the grand finale to the 2005 Sakura Special! Set to music no less! Well, lyrics at least...Hope your bandwidth can handle it!Click on the pictures for

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9122507.post-1114881727378797432005-05-01T01:53:00.000+09:002005-05-01T02:52:20.746+09:00

Sakura XXOriginally uploaded by bonitsky. Before I get to my rant, I wanted to answer a question about all the cherry blossom photos I've been posting. Oh,well, 2 questions. First, cherry blossoms are normally white and pink. The other colored pictures are me messing around with the settings on my camera (which is my cell phone). As for what's up with the sakura pictures in the first place: since

Gaijinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009615402114174277noreply@blogger.com3