Stellar Melon

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2010-04-27T18:56:00.001-07:00

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Chillin with L Mckiernan at SCHAP house

2010-02-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

Laura M and I are working hard to motivate ourselves and each other to do the many things that we each consider productive. It's an admirable effort thus far, but I fear that we've not managed to get as much done as we would have liked. Laura set an ambitious goal of finishing all of her chapters of actuary practice problems and finish the presentation on casava. So far she's done some Casava. I'm fairing better, for my two phone calls and short conversation have surpassed my less ambitious goals of having a short conversation. The End.

SCHAP house is a place you can go when you're feeling jaded or you need a hug or a nature's valley granola bar.

Party in Bayelsa

2009-12-31T13:07:00.000-08:00

just hanging out. i've got some friends here, so its nice, but i miss a certain someone! anyway, yenagoa is becoming more and more like home. I got to cook some vegetables today, and so for the first time in weeks I actually felt full. rice, peanut butter, even meat couldn't fill me, but veggies did the trick.

apparently me and cory need to have a little shift in mindset from going out and having fun in the field to being executives. pretty cool! in its own way.

I feel like the time for leaving is gone,or that it'll be gone soon. its hard to leave something the more deeply you get involved, and the idea of money is attractive, and i'm valued, and actually the fact that it would take so much effort to leave also makes me want to not leave.

but... also... i don't think i want to leave anyway! its a pretty unique/amazing experience. I do miss friends and family and certain things like gardening and sleeping, but i think i'm learning quite a bit and like being here, and seeing this totally different world.

M.alaria

2009-12-21T12:58:00.001-08:00

I've got it
Its like a headache. A light fever. General Ache.

I probably won't die though, which is the good news.

Nigeria

2009-11-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

I'm going to Nigeria, to the state of Bayelsa. I'm going to be assisting in rural community development. I will leave sometime after December 3rd.

Heading out

2009-07-14T14:39:00.001-07:00

I'm going up to LA to see my sister and hopefully visit with some other friends. Then on the 23rd I go out to AZ to see prof. From there I'll go to CO to continue with levels 3, 4 and 5 of my Qi Gong curriculum, which is gonna be awesome. And I'll ask prof. and Eva (my Qi Gong guide)what I should do with my life, but as of now I'm thinking of heading out to Hawaii to live on an organic farm for a few months. And hopefully visiting Japan on the front, back, or each end of that adventure.

Then what? Hydroponics? Travel through Southern Asia? Find an NGO to work with? I don't know.

I'm readying The China Study right now. Its about nutrition and has a lot to say about the current state of medicine and misinformation that is taught so vehemently in the U.S. today. Good stuff so far.

Tenative JC Strat

2009-05-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

Oh, goodness! It's strange going back to Palomar to take the classes that I tried to take 3 years ago, but was in too much of a hurry to wait the extra semester or two to get the prereques so that I could indeed take and pass the classes. But, that's how things go.
Here's the plan. Each course takes a semester. One of my Chem classes will have to be taken during summer, and since my Hawaii trip is making this summer look impossible, it will probably be next summer.

Over the next two years I will probably take: Physics, Physics, Bio, Bio, Chem, Chem, Chem,Chem, Chem, Psyche, Botany, Anatomy, Physiology, Chinese, Chinese, Chinese, Engineering.

Perhaps that was a confusing way to lay this out. Draw a grid with four rows and four columns. Number 1 to 4 across the top indicating the semesters chronologically that I will be at Pmar over the next two years. Cross out one of the "Chem"s. Now write the classes in from left to right and then top to bottom as if writing a letter in English, using the order that I wrote them above. You will be left with columns of classes that I will take in each semester. Then add another Chem at the right hand side of the second row (which should be full of Chems) to indicate that I have to take 1 extra Chem class during summer school. Nice work team! lol if someone draws the grid. I'll be stoked.
Let me note that the goal of this is to apply to an accredited school of Naturopathy, such as Bastyr or NCNM.

My other aspirations include learning to clone trees through hydroponics, and continuing to pursue massage and martial arts, and qi gong as well.

I'm with Travis two!

2009-04-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

What I am doing these days.

2009-03-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Ryan requested that I post from time to time, and so I will. Today I went disc golfing, which fits the recent trend of me hanging out with B before he sets off for Japan. Other than that, I'm putting quite a bit of time and thought into jujitsu as of late. Having graduated I've been able to go more consistently. I've made some progress and my progress has been recognized by my teacher who recently promoted me to first brown. I plan to work hard for the next year or so and hopefully test for my black belt before he gets stationed abroad. He says that he will be relocated by the army in early to mid 2010.

I've also spent quite a bit of time reorganizing and decluttering my/our living environment. I first took on my room and all that I had accumulated over the past couple decades. It is very nice now. Everything is in a sensible and accessible place (or in the dumpster), the setup makes the room feel spacious, it is a good environment for watching movies or drinking tea, and I am happy with the wall decorations and the 2 plants I have brought in to add some life.
I then took on the pantry. It is great now. I can see everything that I use, instead of having to search through piles. I adjusted the shelf heights to optimize functionality, organized, and even got rid of most of our expired foods.
I moved the tv to the living room and pointed the furniture toward it. I also hooked up my piano speakers to the tv for better sound.
I moved some furniture around in the game room and the guest room to the end that the pool table is free of obstacles and there is plenty of room for treatment/massage. The book shelves look nice in there now, instead of storage, the lack of tv gives the room the feel of a study.
I will finish that project, tidy up my sisters room, which i have been sleeping in, perhaps attack the garage, and maaaaybe the office. I really look forward to doing some stuff in the backyard. My garden is looking pretty good. I'd like to fill in the area behind the bbq to use as a sitting area and perhaps construct a japanese style shrine with a bell.
On the backburner is my plan for 'the big room', which involves filling the lowered area, at least in part, with tatami mats which could be used for practicing jujitsu.
Other things on the list are constructing a solar oven and perhaps elevating my garden.

Faith and I are doing well. She is quite busy with painting and work and has been excelling at both recently. She recently was awarded 4th place at a San Diego Portrait Society show, behind 2 of her teachers and one other man.

Inaguration in DC

2009-01-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving tomorrow to go to DC for 1 week. My mom managed to get tickets for the inauguration for faith and i and for herself, and she has also arranged for a few brunches and parties for us all to go to. It should be fun, and I look forward to doing some site seeing when possible. We'll also be meeting with some relatives residing over in that area of the country. Tonight, I hope to go to Barnes and Noble to get the penguin classics version of the Count of Monte Cristo, which seems to be the best translation, at least of the unabridged versions, and the abridged versions are said to be quite confusing and lacking in some of the most interesting content. I still need to pack, but if possible I will also update my flickr, something I haven't done since before soky was here in... Novemeber was it?

baby let's blog

2008-12-10T03:05:00.000-08:00

bay bee lets blog
baby lets blog

that's a song btw.

I have tentatively finished my research paper. thank the goodness.

Two more finals to go, and then i'm free at last, though almost certainly only temporarily. I'm looking forward to it all the same.

I feel like I can't write in this thing without mentioning Japan.

Wowzaz

2008-05-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

I just finished uploading the last of my Japan pics.. what an event!

Pictures!

2008-05-22T12:18:00.001-07:00

I just uploaded some more pictures from Japan, but there are still quite a bit left. I'll post again when I finish uploading them, probably pretty soon.

After getting my undergraduate degree..

2008-05-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

there are decisions to be made! I am considering getting a masters in education here at UCSD or getting ESL teaching credential, or both. I like the idea of teaching English as a second language. I've done it informally, and I enjoy it. It is also a job that would allow me to find work in foreign countries, if I so desired.

I read reviews of 'the house of spirits' on amazon, because I'm supposed to read it for my latin american history class. The reviews made me not want to read it. Apparently it's pretty two dimensional. I tend to read the reviews of people that don't like the books. I find them more informative than the 5 star reviews.

Just 5-6 more weeks until summer. How exciting.

things are good

2008-04-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to feel better, stronger, more awake. I still need to get more hours of sleep, but I have been exercising a lot and eating well, and it seems to have positive effects on my overall... condition? (choushi)
There are times that I'm still inclined to use Japanese words or, more accurately, the English counterpart of Japanese words appropriate to the situation. I noticed it in the sentence structure of the essay that I turned in yesterday too. Other than that, life in Japan is a distant memory.
Last night's Jujitsu class was fun. I'm starting to remember kata and the uke tori relationship, but it is a bit strange feeling. I'm used to training with a more practical/sport focus, not working towards the cultivation of greater sensitivity and awareness. I do think that my understanding of throwing techniques is better than when I left for Japan though. I have a better understanding of what it really takes to make throws work, and what is just there for decoration.
It looks like I will continue to have midterms and assignments pretty steadily for the next few weeks. I'm hoping make some time to get away for a weekend or two. I want to visit my grandma in walnut creek, my friends in Santa Cruz before they graduate, and some people and the bank in Los Angeles.

Hot weather

2008-04-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Everyday I'm surprised at how warm it is when I leave my room. I guess the perks of having the coldest room in the house are finally manifesting. Stay hydrated everyone!

Things that strike me as different than Japan

2008-04-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

At UCSD the passengers of the shuttle thank the driver as they leave the bus. In Japan the bus driver says thank you as each passenger leaves the bus.

When I was in an elevator a girl almost debated whether she and her friend should get in or wait for the next one, though it seemed to me that there was quite a bit of room left. They ended up getting in, but I think that the girl really didn't want to.

ps. our soccer game last night was epic. we were down 5-2 at half and came back to win 8-7. I contributed one goal, which is exciting because I rarely score.

Oh school!

2008-04-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Just a little longer...

I went to Jujitsu once last week. It was fun, but very far from my home. I'm feeling about sick this week, so I probably won't be going today. I went to soccer on Tuesday too, and the to a small pick-up game on wednesday. Soccer was fun, but I had absolutely no touch on tuesday. When I get my cleats back from bretton, i may improve. Is it the shoes?
we'll see!

Well, I'm home

2008-03-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

I have class in just under 3 hours, which is sorta cool. But, I'm not sure that I'm ready to start studying. I need to rest up a bit. My class schedule is pretty good though, and I think that I will have plenty of time to keep up with my studies.
I also need to think about getting a phone and a mode of transport. I may just buy a helmet and ask Maria if I can use her bike.
Final thoughts on Japan aren't really coming to mind right now.. It was fun and I'll go back. Shout-out to So-ky roommate ichiban! bonus.

hmmmmmmmmmmm... I'll think of something

nikko

2008-03-13T03:22:00.000-07:00

Nikko was really cool. It has in a wooded area. The buildings and sculptures were ornate and colorful. And the shrine part had a room which i think was the best shape of any room i've ever been in. It was great. Dan seems cool. Ramen time.

Dear those who still read this,

2008-03-12T10:46:00.001-07:00

Sorry for not posting as often as I used to. I've been having fun traveling around. Bretton came for the last 10 days or so, and we had a good time seeing Japan and eating way too much food. I'm just now uploading pictures of the places that I've been since coming back from Taiwan. There are pictures from hiroshima, hamamatsu (lots of pansies for nani), niigata, kyoto (including plum blossoms), and maybe some other places. The girl in a few pictures with So-ky is his sister, she was here for a couple weeks starting when I was in Taiwan. I think tomorrow I'm going to go to nikko, then the next day kyoto, then back down to kyushu for a girl i met's art show. I'm debating whether or not to sneak in a trip to hokkaido before ryan and mj arrive.

also, my replacement moves in tomorrow. I'm trying to do a bit of cleaning while i upload pictures. it is really late though, and if i want to go to nikko, maybe i should get some rest. I don't know if I'll be posting much. But I will probably keep posting after I go back home to America. I love America. I bought patriotic Adidas. mmm. i think when i get back there may be a content change. we'll see.

the godfather 3

2008-02-25T06:07:00.001-08:00

is a terrible terrible movie.

Its snowing quite a bit!

2008-02-23T04:58:00.000-08:00

Im in Kyoto and the snow is very pretty. I cant find the apostrophe on this keyboard. I just bought broken social scene tickets for bretton and I. they were about $55 each. Should I buy tickets to see animal collective and or pinback for the same price? feedback welcome! Also melt banana is playing with the locust for 35ish, that sounds like a must see. I like that you can buy the tickets at convenience stores. Lawson is leet.
I went to hiroshima yesterday and went to the a-bomb museum. It was interesting, but the audio guide was too emotional. Also, I wasnt that impressed with the okonomiyaki. Im thinking of going snowboarding in nagano. and also i should start trying to get to shikoku and kyushu, i want to see them both.
raul has been trying to fix my guitar playing form for me. i think it would be best if i started taking lessons when i get home.
i like it down here in kyoto, i dont count the days when im with the yamaokas, i just hang out and have fun.
im supposed to go back to tokyo tomorrow and hang out with soky, his sister, and keiko, but the snow is making trouble for the shinkansens. hopefully it will be cleared up tomorrow.

Back home in tokyo

2008-02-19T00:28:00.000-08:00

Glad to be back. I just got some Indian food with Soky and his sister. I'm just seeing some Tokyo sites with them and hanging out. I got my Japan Rail pass earlier today too, so now I can go anywhere in Japan, basically. I'll take the opportunity to visit some new places, and some familiar ones too. I think it'll be a really really great 6 weeks. A lot to do, and the freedom to do it.

I guess they let me in. here is my spring schedule

2008-02-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

hmm. i guess the weekly schedule isn't an image.
but i have economics of Mexico, contemporary Mexican history, something about history of Latin America, and economics of ocean resources.
i have 2 classes on mon-thur and one class on friday, with no gaps. It's pretty exciting.

Ni Hao

2008-02-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

So, wanna hear about my trip? 'A brief overview'. I arrived in Taipei on the 4th. My hostel their was dirty and the cigarette ash was bothersome. I got a thirty minute head, neck, shoulder, arm massage from a blind man and then went to bed. I woke up at night with a terrible headache, i think the root of the problem was listening to Sydney White too loudly on the airplane. I went to convinience stores to try to find medicine, but ended up settling for various kinds of candy. I did get back to sleep though!
The next day I went to a temple, walked around, ate lunch at a restaurant that happened to be playing 'What a Girl Wants', and then in an attempt to go back to Taipei main station I took a long bus ride to some city outside of Taipei, then another one back in, and finally hopped on the subway and got back to Taipei station. There, I tried to get the student rail pass, but I think that you can only get it at the airport, oh well. I bought my ticket for the next day, walked around the underground mall for a bit, walked around on the nearby streets eating local foods and also checking out their 'cold stone'. I then went to longshan temple/night market and walked around, and ate some more. Then back to the gross room for sleeping.
Early the next morning I left for Hualien. It was new year's eve, and when i got there the fireworks had already started, and i think that they are probably still going now, they never seemed to end. I guess, since everyone travels during the new year celebration time, there are no hotel rooms in most poplular spots, and even when their are available spots they are pretty expensive. That's what everyone tells me at least. So, the woman working at the information center invited me to stay at her house and I paid the same price as the night before, but for a clean room! I even used the shower!
The next day (the 7th), I took a bus trip from the hua lien station to the taroko gorge national park. It was pretty, the walls, or mountains?, were incredibly steep. On the way out to our first stop, we got into a bus accident! It was funny, in a way, but not too exciting. The tour was ok. On it, I met a group of Malaysians that are about my age. 2 spoke English well, and they were nice, I think I may actually see them again in Malaysia and or Enc. We ate at a sort of buffet do it yourself boil food then eat it place. Then I went back to the house I was staying out.
On the 8th I left hualien for taitung. When I got to taitung station I was supposed to take a bus to get to the actual city, but I just missed it. I was too stubborn to take a taxi (for some reason?) so I waited. But I didn't really know what I was doing. I've learned not to take advice from Taiwanese people that don't speak any English or Japanese. Sometimes it seems like we are on the same page.. but it is not the case. I eventually decided that I didn't really want to go to Taitung afterall and I went to the station and asked for a ticket to Tainan, the guy at the counter said Tainan? as if it was a bad choice or impossible, so i said, "Yuli?". This was the name of a town I had passed earlier that day. So I went there. Turned out to be a very small town. And while i was walking around it I was searched for a bathroom to use, a place to stay, and internet access. I found a Lan Cafe, but it was full. So, I kept walking. I saw these bridges that are famous enough to be on signs at the station, so i walked toward them. Then I akwardly walked toward some kinds playing with fireworks. Their dad called to me, 'hello' or whatver. He knew a little English from living in Austrailia, but he was fluent in Japanese from living and studying in Tokyo. So we talked, and he took me to look for a hotel. Everywhere was expensive or full, so we went back to his house for really good tea, corn grown on his land, and then a rice with various ingredients dinner. They eventually found a place for me to stay, but since the place didn't really have any rooms left, they set me up on a mat on the floor of the cafeteria. It was free, so it was great.
On the ninth, the man picked me up early, we drank so taiwanese coffee at his house, then went to get my ticket to Tainan. Since we had 40 minutes between buying the ticket and the departure, he quickly drove me to the nearby national park and we saw a small information center and then a waterfall, and then drove back to the station. So then I rode trains for 5 some odd hours, most of it without a seat :(, and arrived in Tainan around 3:15. There I called someone the wife knew from work, or something, and he came and picked me up.. on his scooter. It was great fun. We went to some festive street, and a old dutch fortress, then to eat. Unable to find a cheap hotel, I crashed here at this Internet Cafe for only about $8. I think I slept pretty decently. That is, I did get some sleep. So, I may do it again, we'll see.
Today is the 10th. I have to real plan. but that's no different than any other day.

Taiwan

2008-02-08T02:35:00.000-08:00

is crazy. can't wait to tell you all about it!

Great night!

2008-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yatto finals are over. To celebrate I went out for food and fun with a couple of classmates. It was fun and we ended up at a restaurant that had a picture on the wall of their L.A. location on Wilshire Blvd.!! That's the place Jeff bought kim chi cause the kitchen was closed and they couldn't make us any real food for an hour. How exciting. I can't believe I didn't have my camera, but at least I took a picture with my phone.

Wrapping things up

2008-01-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

With my last finals on Thursday, my study abroad experience is coming to an end. Part of me wishes I had decided to go somewhere else, but it has been worthwhile none the less. Now I'm cleaning up my room, and packing 3 bags. I think I'll try to go to Taiwan with only my backpack, and maybe my death from above 1979 hand bag. So, I've packed my backpack full of clothes for traveling. I'm also packing two suitcases, one of things that I don't need to use for the remainder of my time here, and one of things that I may need to use. Hopefully I can start sending things home with my friends before I actually come back, in case I have more than two suitcases worth of things. And I do. I bought a guitar for example.
I'm becoming more and more irritated with Japanese society and the way Japanese people act and think. I write about it fairly frequently in my notebooks. Though there are exceptions, Japanese versions of work, friends, marriage, family, academics, and maybe more, are all very inadequate from an American viewpoint. I'm really lucky to have been placed with Raul's family. They are fun, and atypical.

I'm studying for tomorrow's Japanese test

2008-01-28T05:02:00.000-08:00

and thinking that it is quite possibly the last time that I will have such an experience. I'm thinking about what I want to do, and all I know is that the degree I'm working towards won't be of any specific value in my future endeavors. Or at least that's my hope(though it may be of value as a generic Bachelor's Degree). So here are some recent ideas to add to the already long list: get a teaching credential, go to film school. I like the looks of this one. I also like the idea of using the internet as a way of communicating my ideas or distributing things (like movies, music, books, or whatever) that I make. I fear that I may be over-utilizing parenthesis, and I'm sorry.

I still haven't completely given up on Uncle Tio's, but I wonder about the enormous of amount of red tape that surely would make any business in Japan abnormally and unnecessarily cumbersome.

I'm looking forward to my finals being finished on Thursday. It's funny how much students dislike finals time, they seem to happen so frequently.
I still haven't really come to terms with my coming home early. I think that it is a good decision, but it somehow brings more uncertainty to my future. Or, it makes me re-evaluate my priorities, maybe. I think, though, that I have one reason for coming home that trumps all others, but somehow I rarely consider it when reflecting on my decision. In any case, at least I'll be able to get adequate sleep when I get back.

What else.. I'm leaving for Taiwan in 1 week, and I still don't know much about the country. I've ordered a guide book, and will read it vigorously when it arrives. I have booked my first 2 nights in Taipei. There are other places I'd like to go, but I'm waiting to look through the guide book before making too many plans.

Back to my future/career, I ultimately just want to be creative, and there is something compelling about the idea of having my creative works recognized and appreciated, but I'm not sure how important that part is. Maybe I'll just start making, and displaying what I make online so at least some people can see it. What I don't like about the idea of a prestigious film school, is all the politics and fronting that I imagine goes on in that business (and others).
When I listen to my favorite music, or see art that really strikes me, I often think that what really attracts me to it is both the maker's creativity and vulnerableness. I think that I am less worried about things like the way that others perceive me than the average man woman or child, but still often think that if I were to display any work publicly, I would at least to some extent have an audience's reaction in mind. I think that becoming completely vulnerable and honest is a worthy goal.
Now, I wonder if I need to find an occupation that best utilizes creativity, or settle for one that leaves me with the freedom to pursue all kinds of creative endeavors outside of work. Or... other options that I'm sure exist but don't feel inclined to think about or list at present.

Really, everyone go buy and or listen to Andrew Bird. He's great. If that wasn't a reminder it was spoiler, and I'm sorry, but that is just one of the unavoidable consequences of reverse chronology.

I think that I and others are unable to completely give up desires for wealth not only because of what our culture has taught us, but also largely because of a psychological dependence on comfort.

I think that once I'm home, I'll make a small book of pictures and writings from and about my travels/life in Japan. If anyone has any particular pictures or content that you strongly believe should be included, please let me know.

I think I'll finish studying for my test now. It feels very momentous, as it may be the last of it's kind. But at the same time, it is also somewhat pointless for the same reasons. I hope to do well, but don't imagine I'll remember even 10% of what I've studied today for any length of time. But that is academics for you...

Andrew Bird

2008-01-28T04:59:00.000-08:00

I really like the two albums of his that I've heard. They are great. You should all hunt them down, or pick them up, and give them a try. 'Armchair Apocrypha' and 'The Mysterious Production Of Eggs' are the names.

Next week is finals

2008-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

I've turned in my report and done my presentation for "Econ". What I have left are tests for Japanese and Women's History. Each is worth only 25% of my grade, so I shouldn't have to worry too much. I also need to keep trying to write statements of withdrawal. The Tokyo Study center doesn't like the ones that I've turned in so far. The way they keep urging me to write it is a bit dishonest for my taste, though, so I'll keep trying different angles.

Lately I've been watching quite a few movies and practicing guitar in my free time. It's pretty enjoyable. I looked up Eric and Pete's dojo down in San Diego. The website is well made. I'm looking forward to going to classes there, anyway.

I have a great 2 months ahead of me. Then home. I often second guess my decision to come home, but I think it is the best choice. I can have adventures in the future, if I make that a priority.

So the tentantive plan is...

2008-01-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

Taiwan, Okinawa, Taiwan, short break or kansai or hokkaido. then hiroshima, kyushu, nikko with bretton. then shikoku, and another possible short break before ryan and mj show up. and i'll be doing kansai, hamamatsu, and wherever else they and travis want to go for a week or so before coming back to tokyo and hopping on a train home.

As soon as I learn exactly when everyone is coming, i'll start booking hostels and plain tickets.

Sometimes I get chills when I listen to a song that is really good/moving

2008-01-18T05:32:00.001-08:00

except this is the first time that the I go the chill, then stayed cold, then had to take a hot shower in an attempt to get warm again.

wow. i must have been really tired last night, cause that is some amazing english

game over man

2008-01-18T04:19:00.000-08:00

I bought a ticket home. I'll be back on Sunday March 30.
I'm also looking at plane tickets to taiwan for a couple of reasons.
First of all, tickets to okinawa are way too expensive, and I wonder if there is a boat I can take from taiwan or something. secondly, if i leave the country, i can come back as a visitor and take advantage of the japan rail passes. so, i'll be going somewhere out of the country, but haven't quite determined where yet.

(-10) degrees Celsius = 14 degrees Fahrenheit

2008-01-17T00:47:00.001-08:00

last night's temperature (or at least that was word on the street, it is unverified and i've grown skeptical). it's getting a pretty cold, i'd say.

CH ch ch change(s) in plan, kimeta. decided.

2008-01-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

to omou...
I met with the Tokyo Study Center today. It is looking like I will be home at the end of March, beginning of April. There are still a few procedures to go through, but it's pretty much decided. I was actually quite surprised that I wasn't really met with any resistance when explaining that I want to go back home. They were more interested in hearing why I wanted to go back than trying to change my mind, which was pleasant.
Thinking that I'm going to go home has made me already start to miss the things that I like about Japan. This is good, in a way, because I think it will help me make the most of the 2.5 months I have left here. And, it will let me leave Japan with a good impression, so that I may be motivated to come back and visit in the future, and maybe even continue my study of the language.
Soky is sorry to see me go, but he understands. I guess there are already people lining up to take my place.
Bretton comes at the beginning of March, then Erin, MJ, Ryan, and Travis (in alphabetical order) will come at the end of March. Hopefully I can change my visa to visitor status, so that I can take advantage of Japan Rail Passes, and do some heavy traveling.
I think I'll be heading to Nagano for some snowboarding on February 9th. From there on the plans aren't too... existent, but their in the makings.

ok. see you all soon.

ctrl+z ...maaaaash

2008-01-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

I miss home. I don't want to stay here for 7 more months. I'm going to talk to the UC Tokyo Study Center and see what they have to say.

False alarm

2008-01-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

I probably will finish out my stay here in Japan to the date originally planned, which puts me coming home sometime in August. I want to come home, but home will be there when I get there. I do enjoy my life here, even if I may like it more back at home. And if it takes me a little longer to graduate, I don't mind, I like UCSD and I liked my lifestyle last year.

Oo. the bread winner just came home from work. He brought me my cell phone bill. hooray.

Judo was particularly tiring today. I don't know if I need my sleep, different food, or if I'm just not back in the swing of things yet, but it was really exhausting. As for Judo, I'm making pretty good progress, and I'm getting decent on the ground.

mmm. mmmmm. I think I want a psp so that I can play tactics.
ok, can't think of much else to write. bbfn.

Juuudo

2008-01-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

I skipped Judo today, because I was very tired and sore from Monday's practice after a long break and general lack of sleep. I think that I will stop going to Shorinji. It is frustratingly boring.
I heard recently that my dojo back home is no longer, or at least will soon be disbanding. I guess it's sorta been heading in that direction, if you look at the long run, but it was still somewhat surprising. I don't mind though. I think it must have been difficult for my teacher to be dedicated to the dojo when he lived almost an hour away and had a family and job and everything else, so its pretty understandable.
I hope that everyone finds a way to keep training. I have a few options.
I might be coming home earlier than expected, I just hope that everyone who wanted to come can make it before I go. If not, Bretton, we will have to come back another time.
Being in Japan and living on my own has been great, but my school is just bimuyou (unsatisfactory maybe?). So i'll come home in time for spring quarter, or summer session, or second summer session. but if i don't find something structured to fill my time here, it seems that sooner makes more sense than later.
ok. thats all for now. the trains will stop soon, so i can get some rest :)

And i'm back

2008-01-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

Faith went home yesterday. Today is laundry, tomorrow school! yikes!
I'm debating whether or not to go back to school at Sophia next semester.
The school is very bad, i think.
Too much work and annoying things for the extremely small amount of learning.
Also, if i were to go back home, i could take classes at ucsd, art and music classes, and make sure i had an comfortable enough schedule next your to graduate and take seifu, and maybe even get a job.
there's a lot i want to do with my life. i wouldn't mind going to art or culinary school, and maybe i've had most of the experiences already. you know? I guess the problems with going home include leaving the apartment and roommate, and possibly having to pay back my scholarship. boo.
we'll see how this next month goes though, then i'll see how i feel about everything.

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T04:53:00.000-08:00

here we go again

Christmas!

2007-12-26T04:56:00.000-08:00

Well. I think I celebrated christmas less this year than ever before, but that's okay. Faith and my travels have been fun. We've been all around Tokyo, down to Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, and will still go see Osaka, Nikko, Kamakura. We've met some nice new people and seen some cool things. Hard to see it all though, so I know what I want to go see next time with my other friends. I haven't been eating too healthily this trip, and am starting to see the closeness of the connection between food and how I feel/energy level. I'd love to write more about the specific places we've gone, and I may in a week or so. Also, I've taken some fun pictures, and I'll upload them once I'm back in Tokyo. I sort of can't wait to go back to California and see my family, friends, and Faith again. Life in Tokyo is great, tiring, and trying. I'll be happy to go back and see everyone. Still, I'm glad to be rooming with Soky. I think we make daily life a bit more enjoyable for each other. He's a cool guy and we get along.
So back to Tokyo on the night of the 30th. A quiet new years, and then some day trips off to nature, and temples. Tomorrow will be a good day too, art museum, temple with all the gates and dinner with all the relatives.
ok. time for a japanese bath. its very japanese! teeeehee

Playing tour guide

2007-12-19T04:46:00.000-08:00

First of all, I was a tiny bit late getting to the airport to meet Faith, but then her flight came really late so it was ok, but unfortunately I was waiting at the wrong place, so I missed her coming out, she tried to call me but it didn't work out. When I realized where I was supposed to have been, I headed over and spotted her trying to rent a cell phone. At least we found each other.
We then got on a rapid train to Tokyo station, unknowingly, paid a little more than we needed to, and eventually got to my house. We dropped off our stuff, then went straight out for monja-yaki with some friends from judo, we were pretty late. It was fun, but Faith wasn't too hungry, since they had fed her so much on the plane.

Today we left home sometime before noon, went to the shop in asakusa-bashi that maria liked, then went to asakusa and ueno park, and then to north of ueno where we bought a couple cool things at the paper store. For dinner we made tacos with some of the dank tortillas that she brought. Then we exchanged gifts. Overall a very good day.

I'm still receiving cards from various people, I just got one from Nancy and Ken a day or two ago. It's always nice to get letters from friends and family back home, so thanks to all of the senders. Even the package that my parents sent was full of usefull and nice things like gloves and warm cloths, instead of instant rice and pasta (like last time). Well done.

What it is everyone?

2007-12-17T04:40:00.000-08:00

Today we did a lot of cleaning, I wrapped up some gifts, did some reading, and bought a couple ingredients for making macrobiotic style rice and miso soup. The house is exceedingly clean, though I'm sure we'll have to clean it again before the party on Friday. I'm still not sure exactly what the party is going to be like, or how it will relate to Christmas. It should be fun, in any case. Then that night Faith and I will board a bus to Kyoto, and from there we will somehow get to Kobe.

Faith arrives tomorrow

2007-12-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

So I'm cleaning up, and trying to finish a lot of reading. I like reading good books better than attending bad lectures. Apparently bretton can't find the cables for his DC either. Justin and B are being contacted. Still, I worry that it just wasn't meant to be.
I'll only have a house in Tokyo for so long.. so anyone who wants to take advantage of it, let me know.

maketa!

2007-12-13T03:10:00.000-08:00

I lost my match.. but oh well. It was strange, I couldn't think at all. There was this feeling that I only get one chance and I didn't know what to do or try. I felt like I was pretending to do techniques just to look like I was trying. I think I can do better. Well, back to practicing.

In other news, Faith will be arriving next tuesday! with the dreamcast! ..but really, it's very exciting, and I know that it will be very fun.

I just opened up the soy milk that we bought

2007-12-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

It tastes like soy beans.

Christmas is coming

2007-12-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Thursday I will partake in my first Judo competition. I doubt I will fare well, but if it depends a lot on the luck of the match-up. They are stressing kumiai a lot right now (grips). Basically, if you feel disadvantaged, get out of that position, and if you think you have the advantage, make attempt to throw right away. I've been told that practice and competition are two very different things. That everyone uses a lot more energy and that its harder to get off techniques in competition. I'm excited, and hope that I can at least try to do a throw or two. As one of my senpai told me, if you lose trying to throw, but get countered its not so bad, being on the defense and getting thrown is the worst. I'm excited, in any case.

Then, next week I guess I have some school work, but will mostly be planning for christmas, getting things ready for our party, and preparing for my trip with Faith
(!!). I've got most of it planned out, but am still working on where to go on New Year's Eve itself. Probably any shrine is fine, but I'll think about it.

Oh my! Birthday

2007-12-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

I am 21 sometime today. Finally I can buy a hand gun! Tomorrow, I will do things like cleaning, laundry, homework etc. (that is when i wake up today in 9 hours or so.) but, in an attempt to celebrate, I may eat things like french toast, nabe, dessert nabe for various meals. Not macrobiotic for those keeping score.
I've received cards and or gifts from various people and they were all very nice and made me happy.

hmm. can't really think of anything else to write at the moment. but I'll keep in touch.

Lots of momiji!

2007-12-02T05:34:00.000-08:00

Can you find Raul?

probably one of my favorite photographs of all time.^

---

The first day I was here, I saw a lot of the Arashiyama momiji sites. Then yesterday, me, za parents and anjee went to toufukuji, which was natsukashi, which means nostalgic? It's the area where Raul's highschool was, and we met there daily when I came to Japan the first time. If you are extremely familiar with the video and photos that I took during past trips, you'll notice that a family mart has recently been constructed near the station.
After toufukuji, we walked to the grandparents/aunt and uncle's house. It was nice to see all of them, and I hope to see them a few more times before returning to America. Then we went to fushimi-inari, the place with all the torii (gates). That place is fun. I thought of a cool idea for a painting too. It is related to the gates and thus not off topic. After that, we got some soba then went back to the house to wait for raul. Juan, the uncle, showed us the stones that he makes paint out of.
Theeen we went to kodaiji, which is one of the temples that does 'light up', so that you can look at the pretty momiji colors at night. It was fun, and pretty. but! I prefer day. Night should be dark maybe? Also, there were many many people. It was like standing in a line at disney land. And since it is so painstakingly gardened, lit dramatically, parts are roped off, it really is closer to disney land than nature in feel. I also had the feeling of video games. Especially onimusha, just because I played that game quite a bit. I don't think I like the momiji in a way that can be enjoyed fully in the environment of light up. I would rather sit, and relax, or stroll in a less contrived environment to somehow enjoy the whole experience not just marvel at leaves being different colors. But still, its apples and pineapples in a sense, and I am still glad that I went to light up.
Today I had a leisurely morning and early afternoon. Did some studying. Then we went to a local temple. yappari arashiyama is saikou. I really like the areas near raul's house, they are pretty, more quaint and less crowded. For dinner we had nabe nabe and birthday cake. the white chocolate with writing has my name on it, for those who are rusty on their katakana. It was exciting to have my birthday celebrated (it's on the 9th).
Tomorrow is fun with anjee and haruka, then a late ride to shinjuku. then to school. I'll be extremely tired by the time I get home.
One of my goals is to learn to make tai curry. And I think I will attempt to do it in nabe form. I think that it could possible be the best culinary feat of all time. Not for difficulty or any particular deliciousness, just overall happiness bestowed upon the eater. Nabe is great because you take a delicious flavor, and just keep on adding substance to it, such that the sauce never really runs out. (Though I imagine it would tend toward zero given infinite appetite.) So, without knowing exactly how much you've eaten, you eat the serving, potentially of thai curry, of a quantity that can be determined at the end instead of the beginning of the eating period. how wonderful!

Kyoto

2007-11-30T04:25:00.000-08:00

This place seems like a small village to me now. I wonder how I will feel back in Enc. The leaves were very pretty, but it was still removed nature. I wasn't really in the forest, you know? It was sort of reassuring, that Tokyo wasn't such a bad choice. Well, except that having a family here, and doing fun things with them, and speaking japanese with them is great. But that is a different issue. I like my place in Tokyo, and while I really don't like the classes, I do like some other things. Judo is fun, for example. I dono. Its hard to say what path would be best, and it really depends a lot on criteria for judging. But, at the very least, I'm happy with living with Soky in Kameido. And I'm looking forward to doing all sorts of site-seeing over my breaks from school.
Today we walked all over arashiyama. It was pretty and I got some good pictures. The soba we had for lunch wasn't as good as I had hoped. I took some good pictures, so be sure to check my flickr. We saw a couple of places that I think I will take Faith. Tomorrow I will probably hang out with Anjee and I think the parents; we may go to tofukuji. Then dinner back home, pasta or nabe or something, I hear. Then Sunday Raul is free, and Monday haruka is free. So, all in all it should be a fun weekend.

Momiji in Kyoto

2007-11-29T23:28:00.000-08:00

I'm uploading pictures of the pretty colors, and simultaneously douji ni taking a nap.

nabe nabe

2007-11-28T03:32:00.000-08:00

We bought a nabe pot today. Then we made and ate nabe. I think we will do so most nights from now until spring.

Another Day

2007-11-27T06:40:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure how far I want to go with the Macrobiotic thing. I'll definitely read up on it, the book I ordered should I arrive soon. The thing is that I like delicious foods, but perhaps if this diet is truly healthy, I won't think of them as delicious in the future. I think my mind has a lot to do with what I think tastes good. I also wonder if when the fruit is sprayed with chemicals... if I wash it do they go away? I'd like to live healthily, I will do what seems best. I'm really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get lots of rest. Tomorrow Soky and I will spend our coupon for yodobashi camera and probably buy a router or switch, and maybe a nabe pot if i'm lucky. And then we will eat lunch with Anjee, I think we'll go to the soba place I went to a few months ago near Akihabara. It was tasty. Next weekend is a 3 day weekend that I am extending an extra day. I'm going to go to Kyoto and see the momiji (maple leaves) while they are pretty and colorful. It just wouldn't be right to miss it. I'll stay with Raul, and hopefully will see various familiar faces. I got my midterms back B's in Japanese and Econ. Pretty cool, now I'll stop stressing and embrace the B.

Today marks 2 years since Faith and I started going out. Yay us.

Pretty quiet around here

2007-11-25T03:07:00.000-08:00

Anjee went to stay with Keiko, and will probably stay with Wendy monday and tuesday night, even though we asked her not to. So, for the first time in what seems like quite a while, its just me and Soky here. At least we have each other though. Seriously, I think it is much better than living alone.
I'm talking to Chapo right now. He is in Saigon. He has really been enjoying his trip so far in malaysia thailand cambodia. Makes me want to do more traveling.

Today we did a tiny bit of traveling. Yokohama is very different from Tokyo and anywhere else that i've been to thus far in Japan. It actually felt more like San Fransisco that anywhere else. The embarcardero/fisherman's wharf especially. I'm glad we went.

Happy Sankusugibinguzu!

2007-11-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated thanksgivings. yay. There was much food, and even pumpkin pie. We didn't have turkey, but I didn't mind. Also, Anjee is here. hooray!!
I met the women whose granddaughter Maria babysat, and she was cool. She told me to try the macrobiotic diet, or at least convinced me to, and so I will. And if I actually research it to figure out what to do, I think that Soky will also give it a try. We get to eat brown rice and bread that doesn't have yeast, and also soba. But she told me to stop eating fruit! Oh no! i'll have to do some reading.
Thanksgivings was very different from previous years, but considering most of the people that I usually celebrate it with are out of the country anyway, it would have been somewhat different even if I was still back at home. OO, last night we played hide n' seek type games at the park, I think that their way of playing the games was less fun than when we used to play at glenn park etc, because there was a lot of hiding and searching, and less running and mayhem. The games lasted around 30 minutes, and still some people were left unfound. But it was still fun, even though it was pretty cold. I hadn't seen a lot of the Denny's crew in a long time, so that was good.
Tomorrow is Yokohama. We will go to a ramen museum, then china town, I think I will eat at both places, but I will get serious about this diet soon enough. Just need to do a bit of research, I think.
Recently I've really been liking Judo, but have been less excited about Shorinji. I like how in Judo we just practice things that I want to learn, or things that they want to teach me. Whereas in Shorinji it is already decided what everyone learns, or that is how it seems at least.
Well, I have quite a bit to be thankful for this year, and its nice to be reminded by this holiday. I hope that all of my family and friends back home enjoyed the holiday, and perhaps even took a minute to reflect on... blah blah... all that stuff. Its not too too cold right now, but it was freeeezing the last couple mornings. We bought one space heater, and may get another. I also sorta want to buy a nabe pot, and maybe a rice cooker. And, we need a router. nabe nabe!

Update!!

2007-11-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

So my sister is here. She managed to find a job and has been babysitting/speaking english with a two year old girl for the last few days. crazy.
Friday there is no school, and Anjee comes to visit, exciting. Also, that night we are playing some game whose name translates to something like betrayal person. I believe everyone but one person in the group is supposed to know that we are playing, it should be fun, but I don't really know what to expect.
These long days are tiring, but I really enjoy Judo. With the Uchi-komi and randori, hopefully I'll get good at a throw or two. I'm going to try to work on osotogari, harai goshi primarily, and also uchi matta, tai otoshi, and ippon seoi. I'm starting to see where Louis gets some of his throws/techniques. I also think I understand why they fall the way they do, and I should probably change to that style too. I think the Jujutsu way is fine for straight overs, but when you fall sideways, it is very easy to get crossed up.
shorinji is fun too, but I think me and the other foreign exchange students are all go to progress in rank at the same speed, and it has caused me to not put too much effort into learning. If I figure out how to do a kick or two by the end of the year, I'll be very happy. And the yawara variations are fun too. I miss Fudochi, but the hours of training I get to put in here can't be beat. I'll be a much more experienced martial artist when I return, and will feel better about working towards my shodan.
Saturday we will have a thanksgivings celebration. I think its a potluck. we'll see just how it turns out. I'm guessing that it will be fun.

here's maria in yoyogi park

A Postcard!

2007-11-20T05:50:00.000-08:00

The stamp is from America.
I got a great postcard from MJ, Travis, Cutter, and Ryan. Thanks guys!

s

more posting tomorrow.

Room all clean

2007-11-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

Maria comes tomorrow, and now there is room for the other futon. I came home after my midterm today to sleep. I missed shorinji and econ, but went back for Judo. A girl might join the club, oh my. Judo seems to be a mostly male sport, so I think it's cool when girls do it, especially in Japan where most people like to do what most other people do. I should probably start reading my econ books for the report I'll be writing at the end of the semester. We'll see. I much prefer not doing homework, but oh well. I'm going to have all of the Judo fellows, or at least some of them, over on Friday for a happy my sister's here party. Should be fun. Now its time for ice cream and sleep, in that order.

Juice Juice

2007-11-11T05:36:00.000-08:00

Soky and I bought about $60 worth of food today, it was pretty fun. We cooked some of it. I cooked a very large amount of soba, vegetables and chicken to take to school tomorrow. I also made raisins on a log and various creative forms of inarizushi. where there is usually rice i put banana or apple or jam with peanut butter. Soky and I are beginning to plan what to make for thanksgiving. We hope to have some company. Tuesday and Thursday I have my Japanese midterm. Maria comes on Wednesday. Anjee will being coming up from Kyoto the day before Maria leaves, I think. It'll be fun to have more people around. I'm still very tired, but hope to somehow become rested in the next few weeks. But I think that goal may prove difficult to achieve. I'm starting to work on t-shirt designs to submit to threadless, and am also compiling ideas for my new web-comic that I hope to be creating shortly.
Faith told me that she helped nani set up a computer, and that she checks my site frequently. So, i'm going to try to update more frequently for her. Hi Nani!! I hope you have a good time in Canada! Be sure to stay warm.

Speaking of which.. It's getting cold here too. I'm going to have to start layering.

Night night. happy 11.11.11.11.11 day.

Let there be internets

2007-11-09T05:23:00.000-08:00

I have internet in my home now. I'm extremely tired. I didn't sleep well for a couple nights, and then I slept well but for few hours last night. I stayed up late first doing homework, but then showering, washing dishes, and cooking much food for lunch today. I bring a ton of food to school everyday. It is enjoyable and delicious. I really like cooking. I went to Judo three times this week (each time, since wednesday was canceled). So I'm doing quite a bit of martial arts. Which is good I guess. Now I'd like to try to do more art/writing. I've decided that I want to be a writer, a song writer, a painter, a comic drawer, a t-shirt designer, among other things. Maybe I'll try my hand at ceramics and wood working when I get the chance. I don't like having to go to school and take classes. It gets in the way of fun, and probably makes me learn less Japanese, but I don't care about that too much. I've sort of don't care that much about Japanese anymore. I just wish I had more time for art, travel, reading?maybe, etc.
I have two friends who have web comics. I enjoy reading both of them. I found it funny that they both have posted recently about the problems that they are having, mostly internal, with continuing to create comics for their sites. I hope they figure out a good way to keep being creative, and that it is enjoyable and or fulfilling. I have a hunch that neither of them read this, so i'll consider talking with them directly.
I think I'll check out threadless, and then dedicate some time to cleaning up some of my drawings and submitting them as designs. If I get even a little bit of positive feedback, it may encourage me to do more creative things.
I'm trying to think of things I can do on a boat as well. I could write. Probably non-fiction would be good at that point. I could learn to play acoustic guitar. I could learn to sail :)
I really like some of the people that I have met here in Tokyo. I don't spend as much time with them as I did with my friends back home though. I would like to maintain friendship with them, and I hope that many of them will someday come visit EnC. (i somehow wouldn't be surprised if I lived there for many years to come). but i doubt that they will come, and our friendships will probably not really last for so long. Still, if I were to stay friends with at least 1, that would be pretty cool, I think, and far from impossible.
I don't particularly like Japan, I think. I know that I don't like Tokyo too much. But really, I think that the idea of Japan may have a connotation more negative than positive in my brain. I like some of the people, some of the places, some of the customs, but still, the way things are is frustrating.
shower power.

Daft Punk is playing at my house, my house

2007-10-25T19:39:00.001-07:00

Or at least i would hope so. Because on Saturday we're having party, and what's a party without daft punk? Difficult question to answer. So soky has invited a few Japanese kids, and they are all on the maybe list. I know that nobuko, a girl that lives near by, and two of the Denny's senmongaku kids are coming. Then, at least three from shorinji, and then also soky has invited three mercans, of which one is definitely coming.
It started as Soky wanting to have the maybies over, and to make mexican food for them, so I think it would be at least slightly comical if they didn't end up coming, but it will be fun in any case. When I invite people, they all ask if its a halloween party, i guess we should've thought about that. In the future, I will make sure that all of our events have themes. I think i may take themes from bro-house parties, improve them, and then call them my own, just for fun!.
Did I mention that my room is loud and bright in my previous post? It is. Or it still is. I have a 5 hour window for sound sleep, after that its more of a struggle.
ok. peanut butter jelly time. then studying. then shorinji. woo!

I have no internets at home

2007-10-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

I'll try to post from school, like I'm doing now. I have to go to shorinji though. So I'll just say that internet is very much a part of my daily life, and it is strange to not have it readily available for use in my home. Hopefully that will be taken care of soon. I also hope to find a place to do my laundry. People came over last night and we watched little miss sunshine in Japanese. The voice actors aren't as good as real actors, their voices are too generic, and they speak Japanese which just isn't nearly as interesting of a language as English. Also, using foul language is much more expressive and allows for more creativity in English. It was fun having people over though, and I think it will start happening more often.
Also, I met Johnny (maria's bf) for the first time last week. He's a good guy and I think he enjoyed is brief stay in Tokyo. We made some great food for dinner on Monday night. Pasta with chicken and veggies, a salad, and some garlic bread. It was great. Also, I've been eating a huge amount of food lately. I can't remember if this is how much I used to eat or not, but it seems like more. I just don't get full. I think I'm up to 5 meals a day, like they recommend, except I don't think you could call them "small meals". oh well. if i start cooking more, and packing sack lunches instead of eating out, it won't be much of a financial problem. I'm looking forward to seeing people when the come, maria in nov. faith in dec. travis and possibly erin in spring(i think march). and then my parents and possibly bretton next summer. Also, I'll try to get down to Kyoto to see everyone there in November, I hear Autumn is the best time for Arashiyama, where Raul lives, cause of the momiji. mmm.. maple trees? i think. ok.

My address

2007-10-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

5-44-19 kameido, koto-ku
Room 102
Tokyo 136-0071. Japan

Woo

2007-10-16T20:28:00.001-07:00

I just paid last months cell phone bill. 1372 yen. so 11.6 US dollars. What a deal right?

But first... you must find a man named hoshonin, he will give you a mirror

2007-10-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

I forget if this idea was first introduced to be me by B, someone on my trip, or if I thought of it, but that is not important. And the fact is,Japan is very much like a video game, and it is would only be logical that many people come to this conclusion independently, in any case.
Let's talk about role playings games. Generally, a young hero is trying to save the world, or doing something else that is fairly important, or at least worth doing. In order to accomplish his goal, and it is usually a boy, he most likely has to cover great distances by various means. Along the way he receives help from various people, some of them actually joining his party.
But what do you really do for 10-100 hours while playing this game? It could take much less time if the problem was easy to solve, but the hero is never equipped to do what needs to be done until the end of the game. He needs to acquire strength and skill at fighting, powerful items and weapons, and knowledge that allows the plot to progress. A good game will be enjoyable the whole way through, or poorly designed game will be boring, frustrating, and very similar to parts of daily life in Japan. And though trying and perhaps not worth playing, people like myself will sit through it, get their $50 worth and make sure it was in fact bad by finishing it in its entirety.
Things that make boring gameplay: repetition, useless/time consuming quests, repetition.

So let's say our young hero is looking for a place to stay. At long last, he decides on an apartment and would like to complete the necessary paperwork to finish the deal.
-Yes we can do that, except, do you have a guarantor? No? Please go find one.
-Back already? did you find a guarantor? no? come back when you have a guarantor.
-Is that you? did you find a guarantor? no? better go find one!
-Back already? did you find a guarantor? no? why don't you try looking at the school?

So on the way to the school you get to play the train mini-game. If you have good timing you can board quickly, if you show up and it is about to leave you have to mash run and hope get close enough before the cut-scene starts. If you don't make in time you have to watch the same cut-scene of a yellow train moving away every time. But its not a huge deal, you just wait a few minutes and the next train comes. Hope there's an empty seat! if not you can stand next to one and hope that the person you have chosen to stand in front of will be one of the ones to leave at one of the following stops. Note, choosing which seat to stand by isn't particularly fun, but you can't rest without a vacant seat, so it can be useful in replenishing your stamina.

So you get off the train. Walking through the train station is not too much of a game, when there are crowds in Japan everyone takes very small high frequency steps, which i find amusing. There is never a complete stop at bottlenecks. If there are twice as many people entering an area of the same size, as in, room is lessening, people just takes steps that are half as long.
When leaving the station, at the beginning of the game you have to use a ticket that you buy before use, but as you progress you can buy a card that holds money on it so that you have to actually make purchases less often. After you receive the ID Card, you can even go to special stations and receive an unlimited use commuter pass, which is worth the price if you commute frequently enough.
Anyways, you are walking out of the station, i guess walking around japan can be likened to that chicken game or frogger, but those games are oldschool and not really representational of life. I do often feel like i'm in a game like shenmu though, i think re4 uses similar gameplay, where your walking and some guy on a bike listening to his ipod comes whizzing by and you have to hit left and b at the right time or something like that or you'll get hit. This is fun, because you see other people having to do it too, and that makes in a cut-scene. Just the fact that people run so much in this country makes it seem game-like. They really want to get: to school, or work, or on the train, or across the street. I think that people in America would much rather risk getting hit by a car/hold up traffic, that sprint across the street in a business suit or high heels. But I'm not sure, I myself have to problem with running.
Anyways you're walking. In many places there are those capsule toys, arcades, and there are vending machines everywhere. These all remind me of games. Let's talk about vending machines. Many many games including shenmu, half life/cs, ff7 (right?), have made use of vending machines during game-play in one way or another. This is cheating because the games were trying to be lifelike, and now i'm saying that seeing them irl is game-like, but still.. it is? You rarely go to a restaurant, wait, order, eat, pay, and leave in a game. Also the act of putting a coin into a machine and then hitting the button is some what similar to playing an arcade game anyway. Also, if you obtain the SUICA card, you are able to make purchases without the use of coins, simply by using the magnet strip that is built into the card.

ok ok, i really should have planned out how i was going to do this better.
but yeah, you enter school.
-Yo, I just got out of my club activity. (says some NPC that looks very stereotypical such that they should be in said club)
-what are you doing here?
-a guarantor you say? try asking the man named Nakayama in building 2.

ok, easy enough.

-Yep, that's me, yes i think you should be able to get a guarantor... at that desk over there. Let me show you.
in-game cinimatic.

-hey guys, whats up?
-hmm let me take a look at your papers. I'll get my supervisor.

-hello i'm the supervisor.
-an exchange student you say?
-oh a Jasso scholar? congratulations
-and you have enough money to pay for the apartment?
-great then its settled! kano will explain what to do next

-yes, my name is kano, here is our insurance policy, please go to the real estate agent and see if this statement is ok.

unfortunately there is no teleport, i don't even get a steed (i have a hunch you may get one in late game though, which would be sick). so you walk, and ride the train, and go to the real estate agency.

-oh yes, this would work fine, have the man named kano fill out these forms. you best wait till tomorrow though, why don't you get some rest at the weekly mansion?

now, if you try to go to school without resting, you may find the doors unopenable.
while walking out of the real estate building you accidentally hit the action button and engage in conversation again.

-oh yes, this would work fine, have the man named kano fill out these forms. you best wait till tomorrow though, why don't you get some rest at the weekly mansion?

if you ever thought that NPC's saying the exact same thing over and over, it may be that you have just never been to Japan. Also. there are cases where you have to talk to them 7 times before you get what you were looking for and the plot can advance, no joke. so its never a bad idea to keep talking to people if you get stuck.

so you sleep, things happen, you go back to the school and talk to Kano.

-Great, that is great news isn't it. So now I can be the guarantor, just take this paper to the POST OFFICE, show them your ID CARD, and pay $76. They POST OFFICE is near the NORTH ENTRANCE. see you soon!

ok, i can handle this. walk around talking to ppl till you find the post office. take a number, buy the insurance. take it back to Kano.

-Great, here I'll sign that!

take the stuff back to the real estate place.

-Ok now you just have to sign these forms. Wait. Do you not have the magic red stamping HANKO? please go to the store 21 HANKO to purchase a HANKO. come back when you have it.
-What? you don't have a HANKO? I can't help you.
-You need a HANKO, try 21 HANKO, its to the West of here.

yes, what is legally binding in my village is not quite good enough here in tokyo.

-hello
-You say you want a HANKO?
You look strange. where did you get those clothes? you aren't from around here are you?
Oh really? your from the over there? we don't get many customers from over the sea.
What is your name?
-Bazubi you say? Strange name, I'll do my best.
-It's not ready yet, come back tomorrow at 1.
-It's not ready yet, come back tomorrow at 1.

So time to do other things, maybe go to the market and see if you can find ingredients for dinner. but you go back the next day and get the HANKO and go back to the real estate office.

-great! you brought back the HANKO, you can sign these forms now.
-What? you can't read them? oh I see...
-Sorry I can't help you, you must find a person with the TRANSLATE ability.
-Go find someone with the TRANSLATE ability, good luck!

ok. so. i'm getting tired just typing this boring story, but I did all of this so...
luckily you only have to find someone who can translate a form like that, which is rare, if you want to know what it says. Instead I took it to Nakayama from building 2 and he gave me the gist and said it didn't seem too sketchy.
so I take it to Kano, and tell him that they want him to look at the forms, since he is the guarantor.
but wait...
-you want me to be guarantor, oh let me begin to tell you about all the things you must do before i can do that.
-what's that you already did all that stuff? let me check my files
-oh right, ok. lets see. there papers look fine, where is the thing i need to sign?
-let me call the real estate office
...
-yes you need to give me another form, you didn't bring it you fool, come back when you have the form.

greeaaat. go get the form.
go back to school the next day (even though there is no class)

-ah yes, its you from before. ok. i'll just sign that in 4 seconds, that was easy.

so you go back to the real estate place.
-oh that's funny, we already had that paper.
(i think the game designer thought it would be funny if i had to make those couple extra useless trips)
-just stamp sign and date these 12 boxes, and.. ok we're good to go.

ok, come back with your roommate SOKY on SUNDAY and we'll give you a tour.

wasn't that fun? i think the joke was originally that you they ask you to go back and forth question for useless items before you get what you really wanted in the first place, but it ended up being less funny and more tiresome.. which is symbolic of actually living through such experiences, of which there are many here in Japan.

I have to go to shorinji now. ttyl

Class was fun

2007-10-13T06:55:00.001-07:00

I went to shorinji kenpo class today, and enjoyed it quite a bit. For the first hour or so we warmed up and I worked on basics with the other new comer. Then the second hour I watched sparring. The third hour we moved down into the Judo room, and I progressed just a little farther in the basics. After class had officially ended I stuck around a bit and ordered a gi. I got the expensive kind and some of the people seemed to be in disbelief. but i like gis, i don't spend too much money on any other hobbies, and it wasn't that much more expensive, so i think it was a reasonable decision. After thaaat.. I sat around a bit and then this former sophia student, who apparently hadn't been to class for a year or so, asked me if there was anything I wanted to practice or learn. I told him that I wanted to learn shorinji's throws, and he actually showed me a few things. It was really cool, cause for the most part I just punch the air working on my basics. The stuff I did with him was very similar to danzan ryu, and I picked it up pretty quickly. He was a really cool guy too, apparently he was a elementary/junior high teacher for a couple years, but his body was getting into poor shape so he joined the army? That's one way to solve the problem huh. Hopefully he'll actually be showing from time to time, cause I feel like he could really be one of my teachers... since he is willing to teach me. There are a couple others too though, so I will learn in any case. I'd like to hang out with some of them more often, but everyone lives so far away from school, and in many directions, so it may be difficult to arrange.

next time. why japan is so similar to a bad video game.

My Sickness

2007-10-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

I started feeling less than satisfactory last Sunday. The night before I had played basketball until the wee hours of night, I was a bit dehydrated, and was tired from a combination of short and long term lack of sleep. I think some combination of these factors led to me getting a sickness that included headache, body-ache, fever, and various digestive problems. I also ate some lamb curry for lunch, and that may have had something to do with it. But I'm almost better now. I feel much better, but my stomach is still bothering me a bit. I still went to all of my classes but 1, though it was difficult to pay attention at times.
But, feeling better, i went to shorinji today and it was fun, and i'll go again tomorrow (saturday), from 3 to 6. I started a notebook that i'm pretty satisfied with, i hope to practice in my free time so that I can move through the basics at a good pace.
I have a couple more things to write about, but I'll leave them for another time.

Things about daily life

2007-10-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

I'm watching Arrested Development right now. My roommate is watching it for the first time, but this is my second/third in the last couple months, depending on which episode. It is way funnier this time though. I highly recommend watching it a second time.
Tomorrow I'm going to go watch the Shorinji Kempo club compete. I'm pretty excited. I know that at least 3 of them have a pretty good chance of winning. I think I'm going to try to start going to both shorinji and judo, hopefully I can improve my martial arts abilities a bit while i'm over here.
Tonight at 11:30 I'm meeting the Denny's crew for some basketball, that should be fun too. They are good people.
I started playing millia in guilty gear xx ac. i'm getting pretty decent, but maybe i'll try someone stronger.
Tonight we made really good food. I should have taken pictures. We made ground beef which we wrapped in lettuce along with some cheese, olives, mint leaves, and sour mikan juice. We also had some boiled carrots and broccoli. Yay, food. Yesterday we (mostly soky) made chicken tacos for his friend keiko. We are both looking forward to the new place so that we can have more people over more comfortably and have a legitimate cooking space.
I still haven't completely decided which classes to take. But I need to do that by Tuesday.
Living in this small area has actually been going really well. We aren't spending too much on rent, and we also buy food together, and cook it, so it's not too expensive. And we are keeping the room pretty clean. I'm a bit surprised really.
Hmmmmmm... I can't think of what else to write about.. but I'll attempt to post more often.

School

2007-10-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings, so far, about Sophia. I was placed in a Japanese class below where I thought I should be, but I was able to move up with out too much fuss, surprisingly. The teacher that was there on Tuesday was really good too, so that was nice. But for my non-Japanese classes, none of the teachers have been too interesting. One econ class had a somewhat energetic, so I'll probably take it. But I tried out about 5 other classes and they were all pretty terrible. I'm going to try out a history of western civilization class today and see how that goes. If its good I'll change one of my intl studies tracks to history instead of Japanese studies.

Let' see, I've also tried Aikido and Judo, the Aikido kids weren't to sharp, but the Judo club seemed like a good option. Today I'm going to try shorinji kenpo, which looked really cool when I watched a couple days ago. Other than that I may also drop into a Shogi club and or Music circle on Friday to see if I want to try one of those as well. So the campus and clubs and Japanese classes are all good, but the other classes aren't so stellar. Hopefully I'll be able to transfer the credits for my major, at least.

Post post post

2007-09-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow school starts. yikes. This has been a very long summer break indeed. I'm not sure if I am ready to study, but that shouldn't matter too much. I'm only supposed to take 3 classes a semester, how crazy is that? I'm thinking Japanese, something about Japanese civilization, and history of Japanese women. I think I can transfer those, except the language class, for major credit. Tomorrow I will also go to an aikido class and see how that goes. On a side note, I am noticing how much speaking Japanese has effected my use of English, and it is strange.
Tomorrow is also the day that I move into Soky's room. We are going to attempt to share a room here at the mansion for 3 weeks. eeg. scary. if we survive, we will be fine in the apartment. so its a good make or break kind of test.
I was going to go to ochanomizu today to look around used instrument stores and consider buying a new instrument to not practice enough, like i so often do, but the weather is poor, so the trip has been postponed to a yet undecided date.
I was somewhat looking forward to actually experiencing 4 distinct seasons. But I think that in Tokyo there are only 2. Two days ago it was summer, and yesterday was winter. In changed 10 degrees Celsius in 1 night. How strange.
oh, one more thing. apparently andrew levine is in raul's circle at kansaigaidai (his college). pretty cool.
okhaihaibaibai

Some good news

2007-09-25T03:10:00.000-07:00

Everything is going well with the housing. Tomorrow I will go back to Sophia, buy some insurance, and have them fill out the forms for becoming my guarantor. Soon enough they will transfer my homestay money back into my bank account, and I will make a huge payment for the new apartment on the fourth of October.
Takahashisan from the UC Tokyo study will try to get Soky and I cheap rooms here at the Mansion. It's usually really expensive. I think she will be able to get it taken care of, even if she feels bad asking the man here. So, we are lucky to have her on our side I suppose.
Soky seems to be doing a lot better already, just learning that he won't be at the dorm much longer seems to have cheered him up. It should be a good year.
Also. We wandered around the school a bit today, and when we were walking down the hallways of the clubs building we ran into some guys from the Aikido club. I asked when they practiced, and I will go check it out on Monday night. I'm a bit excited. I also learned today that I'm expected to take far fewer classes than I thought. Unfortunately, I told Sakabasan that I wouldn't be able to make it to tea ceremony tomorrow, and I will be really busy so I thought I should play it safe, but I am looking forward to being able to go with her to that in the future, as well. Tomorrow night though, I will meet with the guys I played soccer with before (they don't mind if I'm late, I think), and we will play some sport maybe? or just hang out? I invited Sokai too, and hope that he will come.
The new animal collective is really good too. osusume.
Can't wait for school?. naw, i still don't miss school, ha. but i am looking forward to various club activities, and am also looking into moving into the apartment, teching it out, and inviting people over for dinner and whatnot. I think it's about time to learn how to cook. and when i go back to UCSD, if my mom isn't too busy, maybe I can learn a thing or too from her.
Oo oo, I'm going to get a hanko too. Thats the red stamp you see on Japanese things, they use it instead of signatures. It may be expensive, but I'm looking forward to my katakana hanko (foreign word alphebet). I bet they don't make too many of them. I'm exited.
Alright, I'll try to have more positive updates in the near future. but no promises.

I think everything is settled

2007-09-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

I'm going to move in to a pretty sweet apartment in Kameido on Oct 21, with my friend So-ky from UCSB. There is an Ikea in Japan, so we are set on furniture. Also, I think we'll buy a dreamcast, so that covers everything else. We may end up sharing a Mansion room until then, which is pretty make or break, but should work out.
Yesterday I was playing the latest guilty gear arcade game, which I had done a few times before. Except this time I got dominated repeatedly by someone playing May, it was a learning experience.
Today I'll go to Sophia and see if they can get me a guarantor and what not.

ok. bbfn.

Housing update

2007-09-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I moved to room 819, my shortest move thus far. I can stay here as late as October 1st. Also, yesterday I found a place that I think I'd like to move in to. I'm not sure who my roommate will be. But I can figure that out afterwards. It shouldn't be too much of a problem. The place is in (Yappari) Kameido. its got 2 rooms and a kitchen for about 880 dollars a month, I think. Which is pretty good for Tokyo. Unfortunately that place won't be open until the 21st, so I'll have to figure out what to do until then. We will see...

I'm back

2007-09-19T03:31:00.000-07:00

in the Mansion. I'm living in Seth's room. Last night was Jerich's room. Next week I may move to Jameson's room. I have no idea where I'm going to live for the next year and it is frightening. I find this city lonely in general, and I feel like I have been saying goodbye to various people way too often for the last 2 or 3 months. Anyways, the prospect of living alone for the next year seems scary. Living in a dormitory doesn't appeal to me either, though. If I am unable to live with a host-family, and the previous one doesn't count :), I think I will choose somewhere that is nice and in a good location, even if it is expensive. I think that if it was too small to have people over, I would be sad. I also think that if I didn't have this Jasso scholarship, I would consider traveling around Japan until winter quarter, then coming back to UCSD and graduating. Life in Enc wasn't so bad. (although I would be returning to a different place.)
On a more positive note, life will be okay. I'm looking forward to joining a martial arts club, I miss human interaction. I think the way the humans, especially in Japan, don't touch each other stresses me out. That may sound weird, but there is something very refreshing about getting thrown around. On the other hand I really don't like hand shakes anymore. Bowing is easier, and Japanese people are terrible at shaking hands. Perhaps I will teach them. They have a poor sense of the rhythm, firmness, and duration. Maybe I need to take a step back and decide why these things are important, and then teach. In any case, if they think that they are going to make me feel more comfortable by offering out a handshake, well, at least their heart was in the right place.

I forgot to mention. Someone killed themselves in the Mansion today. So if I start referring to it as the haunted mansion, I'm still just talking about the kameido weekly mansion, so try not to get confused. I don't know any details, because I decided not to care, please try to do the same.

The reasons that my host family was bad are fairly interesting, but I don't feel like writing about it right now. Sometimes it seems funny, other times just really unfortunate, and still other times it just seems tiring to talk about. They gave me a set of rules that they wanted to me to sign, and my friend made a copy. I'm not supposed to show people/distribute the rules, but I'm not sure about Seth. Basically, I'm probably not going to eat cornflakes again for a while.

I'll probably update again soon. furusato wo yoku omotteiru kara.

Today is the prison break

2007-09-17T15:19:00.001-07:00

I will explain later

You aren't going to believe this

2007-09-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

The other day when I was walking through Kameido station, I saw The Rock. I was too embarrassed to ask for an autograph though.

Alright, time for a post.

2007-09-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

We go on the roof of the mansion sometimes, and it's really fun. I like it up there. There is a great view, the breeze feels nice at night, and it is pretty much the only communal space we have here.

On Friday, I went to the elementary school. It was very fun, and the kids were cute. I visited a 3rd grade English class. We played a game that was aimed at teaching them the names of 4 or 5 fruit. They did a dance, practiced a basic greeting, and got our autographs.

Friday night everyone had to work late, so we didn't end up doing the big meal or whatever we had planned. I'm referring to the plan the I had made with the salary men from the ramen shop. Anyways, I ate there, and the guys gradually funneled in. I went back to one of their homes out it Saitama-ken. It was quite an experience. The city itself reminded me of the towns that line the freeways in the central valley. At first I could only think that it was like vista, but when my mom mentioned the central valley I realized that that was what it really reminded me of.

When we got to his house, I met and talked with his wife and son for a while then went to sleep. Mamechan, as the salary man is called, snores violently, and I wasn't able to sleep well.

After a tasty breakfast we drove about an hour out to Mt. Tsukuba. We rode up to the peak in a cable car. The view wasn't as good as it could have been, because it was overcast. He wasn't really into hiking I suppose, but we missed the ride down, thus having to wait 20 minutes, and I took advantage of the opportunity to walk around a bit. The mountain itself was very nice and tranquil. I greatly enjoyed my brief stroll.

On the way back to his house we stopped for lunch. I found it funny that he chose to stop for ramen of all things. I guess he just rally likes ramen. When we arrived back at his house we were to take naps in his living room. He napped, but I felt awkward and either embarrassed or vulnerable or something, and thought it would be to strange to fall asleep in his living room while his family was going about their daily routines. Also, his earthshaking snores probably would have prevented me from falling asleep had I tried.

For dinner he and his wife prepared a feast that included tempura, rice with mountain vegetables, cucumber salad, yaki-tori (chicken), inarizushi, edamame, and miso soup. It was great. But for some reason the wife didn't eat with us, and I felt a little bad about that.

The man also has three daughters all about the same age as me. One I saw briefly during breakfast, I said good morning. One I saw standing in a room looking the other way for a moment. The other, I did not see. That was the extent of my interaction with them. I talked to the brother more though. He is an astro-physicist in graduate school, studying something about sending radiowaves light years away to learn about space.

Today I met with Sei Sensei for lunch, she took me to a delicious Japanese style restaurant. The table we sat at was in an enclosed room with a tatami floor and a small mantel type area with a wall scroll. It was cool. She showed me some pictures of her family and young daughter, maybe a year or 2 old? I'm not really sure. Afterwards I studied a hung out with binodo and anji (those are the katakana versions of their names as I understand them.) We went to a couple markets, ate some foods, went on the roof, and shared some music.

I've been asked what a salary man is by a few people. It is a word to describe the basic white class worker in Japan. It is the equivalent of a company man. Someone that general works for one company for their entire career.

Future post preview

2007-09-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a Japanese elementary school, it was fun. Tonight I am going out with my salary-man friends, and will spend the night at one of their homes in the suburbs, and do sight seeing tomorrow.

I'll be sure to talk about it afterward.
Also, I'm meeting Sei sensei for lunch on Sunday.

Not much longer

2007-09-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

My class ends in less than a week, and I'll be moving to my new home on the 14th.
To think that my room here is smaller than my bedroom back home is very strange. I think that I will really enjoy living in my room back home while I finish out my stint at UCSD.
My collection of juice cartons is growing with each day, I still haven't decided what to do with them all. Tomorrow, I plan to drink milk, just for fun.

Yesterday I was invited to go get korean food in shinookubo, a korean area. Me and seth went, and jay treated us. He had won a jackpot at pachinko, believe it or not. We had yakiniku, some chicken stew type dish that he described as sweet and korean alcohol called souju (i think) for those who were drinking. It was all tasty.

We then moved on to part 2, another korean restaurant, where we ate live octopus. It was only the sliced up tentacles of a small octopus, but still quite an experience. Those suctions are pretty amazing.

Part three was a classy bar on the 25th floor of the prince hotel in downtown shinjuku (the business center of tokyo). He had a $200 (retail $30) bottle of whiskey that they were holding onto for him since he had not finished it during previous visits. I really enjoyed walking into that classy establishment dressed in my traditional encinitas garb.

The view was very impessive, and the fruit platter delicious. The mango was particularly tasty. Jay is a very interesting guy, a hard worker and a bit of a high-roller with his mind set on entering korea's parliament and reforming international trade agreements. Seth is also good people, a cs major who is serious about comedy. I think he'd like to pursue some sort of performance career, but i'm not sure.

If I never go back to a bar like that, I won't mind at all. Classy isn't really my scene. But still, it was quite enjoyable, and I'm very glad that I went.

ha, i think she saw me take this picture.

I'm uploading some pictures to my flickr.

2007-09-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

The pictures are of:
Some of my fellow classmates and I making then eating curry on the roof of the mansion.
A couple pictures of class and then a picture of another curry meal.
A gathering at a classmates apartment for yakiniku and socializing (he doesn't live at the same place as the rest of us.)
Many many pictures of my walk around rogoku sunday morning.
Another paint/drawing

here is the video of the band i went to see last week.

A summary of the last few days, and possibly analysis

2007-08-27T07:29:00.001-07:00

On Friday I took a nap and slept for many hours. It was nice, but still I don't feel fully rested. On Saturday I went to Ueno with a fellow UCSD student. The highlight was seeing a sculpting class in session in a room at a temple we visited.

Some of the people were very talented. We also went to a graveyard, various small temples, a Japanese paper shop where I bought a couple things, and we ate lunch at a French restaurant.

On Sunday, I met a friend that I had met at the concert I went to. Her name is Ayako and she lives only one station away from me, so that is cool.

We walked around her town a bit, ate some lunch, then met with her Senpai Yudai. I looked at his ipod and was very excited to see bands like !!!, animal collective, built to spill, CAN, modest mouse, pinback, and others. Their circle is very unique in this regard. It is unfortunate that they spend four years getting good at playing music, but that it is basically impossible for them to form successful bands due to common japanese music tastes. We roamed around a bit, then eventually met another of her senpais and the four of us went to a Thai restaurant that I have been meaning to go to.

It was tasty, but not better than I'm used to. I thought it was funny that their relationship to each other was kohai senpai, and that the were explicitly not friends. In America if two people choose to hang out with one another, they generally refer to each other as friends. (in case you didn't know?).
While the day was enjoyable overall. It is unfortunate that it is so difficult to hang out with people in Tokyo. I'd like to be able to just sit somewhere and hang out with them, but our rooms are all very small, and there is a severe lack of public space. The heat only further lessens the appeal of trying to find a urban place to loiter, even if such a place exists.

Today I went to a place where you learn about what to do in case of fire or earthquake.

(boy in my class on the way to bousaikan)

It was interactive and enjoyable.

(jerich eating pizza)
Afterwards I ate lots of pizza, returned home, did some homework, then painted another picture. Here it is.

I was talking to the Gazzy man

2007-08-23T03:23:00.000-07:00

He said that he was going to write a short story about bears, and that bears are cool. I then read about bears on wikipedia. Then I did this painting.

now i'm cutting up a kimono obi i bought in hopes of making a bag. should be interesting..
ps it didn't work out

also, did you know that the seal families closest living relative is the bear?
apparently 25-30 million years ago a bear decided to swim more than usual.
Also, bear worship is thought to, at least by some, be the world's oldest deity.
Currently the consensus seems to be that panda's are more bear than raccoon.
There is allegedly a blue bear in central Asia, but it has NEVER been photographed.
Wow
Bears don't actually hibernate.
A bear market gets its name from the fact that bears generally appear to be gazing downwards.
Bears are cool.

The hyaku en store

2007-08-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in class we read about the stores here in Japan that sell everything for 100 yen, I'm sure you are all familiar with the concept. I had been to many of these stores before, and did most of my souvenir shopping at them during previous trips. Still, I was inspired to go to the hyaku en shop near my mansion. At first I went in just planning to look, but things for so inexpensive, that I ended up buying quite a bit. Which happens to be exactly what the man in the listening practice said. I bought a few practical items and a lot of art supplies. I bought crayons, colored pencils, water colors, calligraphy ink and stone, brushes, paper, thing you put paint on before applying to brush, needles and embroidery thread, and maybe one or two other small things. It was fun. I colored and painted. I must go to school now.

I took this picture today

2007-08-22T01:16:00.000-07:00

To clarify, this picture has not been altered. Also, I didn't notice the question mark until after I took the picture.

Faith's latest work

2007-08-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

take a look.

As for me, I've been studying for tests and watching Arrested Development. Very funny, but the season 3 narrator is a little annoying. I look forward to my homestay.

Kodokan

2007-08-19T04:41:00.001-07:00

I believe that is the English spelling. The Kodokan is the 8 story dojo in Tokyo that serves as the world capital of Judo. I went there today and yesterday. It was pretty cool. Yesterday I watched some kata practice. Watching people struggling to learn Kine Katsugi was somehow nostalgic.

Today I went back and watched elementary and middle school students, and I think adults as well,compete in competition. I was there for about 6 hours, I think. It was very hot. I saw some good techniques, but overall was not inspired to want to join a judo club. I may reconsider once school starts, but I think I'd prefer a different martial art. I saw too much of the things that my teachers work to teach out us at jujitsu back in encinitas. Still, it was very interesting, and I was glad to see so many children practicing Judo. I thought that was the coolest part. Also, that they were able to compete at the Kodokan must have been pretty exciting for them. I forgot to put my battery in my camera before leaving today so the only was able to take pictures with my phone. I do have pictures from yesterday though, and can probably upload the phone pictures if I try to figure it out for a while. Just imagine all of the stands full and the mat space divided into six rectangles for competition.

Oh and by the way..

2007-08-17T07:48:00.001-07:00

Sitting in seiza throughout the entire ceremony was possibly the most painful thing I've done to date. I must keep practicing.

Also I learned a couple nice phrases which I will correct after asking someone what they actually were... but from what I remember:
ichigoichie means- treating someone with kindness and respect (and putting your heart into making the tea), despite having never met them before.
and i can't remember what the second thing was at all. i will ask people tomorrow.

Sadou 茶道

2007-08-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

今日、茶道をしに行きました。とてもおもしろかった。五人のグルプでやってよかった。あの。。グルプは大きすぎると気持ちがかわると思います。茶道の生徒は本当にうまかったよ。いい経験でした。せひ、また行きたい。

晩御飯はよく行くラーメン屋にも一回食べに行きました。もう会った人も新たらし人も一緒に話しました。みながやさひかったで色々な食べ物を買ってくれた。来月の七日に一緒にお鮨を食べに行くよていです。楽しみです。

Today I went to a tea ceremony. It was very interesting. I was glad that we did it in groups of five, because I think that having too many people would change the feeling of the ceremony. The student that performed the ceremony was very skilled. It was a good experience. Without question, I would like to go again in the future.

For dinner I went back to the ramen shop that I frequent. I ate and talked with people I had met before, as well as with new people. They were all kind, and the bought me various foods (yay food). On the 7th of next month we plan to all go eat sushi together. I'm looking forward to it.

Perhaps the glass is just deceptively large...

Many people have contacted recently

2007-08-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

And they all seem to be somewhat concerned that I am not eating enough food. So, I thought it would be kind of me to revisit the topic. Firstly, after becoming hungry, I have started to eat more than before. Still, I don't really exercise here in Japan, so I don't think I should eat as much as I did before. Also, if i were to eat the same food and at the same quantity as I general did in Encinitas, even buying food only at grocery stores, I think I could end up spending nearly $100 a day. I will investigate this claim further, since there is no evidence whatsoever to support this claim, but don't think it is really that far fetched, considering a peach costs $10.

Anyways, I bought things like bread, peanut butter, bananas (as i said before), and also carrots which I have been eating in my room. I also frequently by inari at the markets which is a tasty tofu and rice thing. And, I drink at least a liter of juice everyday, so at least that hasn't changed. :).

I guess the thesis of this post is something like, when I get hungry I eat, when I'm full I eat less, and for cost and cultural reasons my diet consists of different types of food than it did before; please don't worry.

Time for more school fun!

Today..

2007-08-15T05:49:00.002-07:00

I bought peanut butter, bananas, and bread.
Then I took a bunch of pictures of me on a swing.

Here's a couple videos of the show

2007-08-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

Masaya's friend's band

the dub band

the fan

I went to a concert last night

2007-08-12T23:30:00.000-07:00

It was fun. The music was good, and I was glad to meet people who like the same music as me. My friend Masaya, who invited me to the show, will be going to UC Irvine this coming year. I'm hoping that some of my friends will be willing to hang out with him and take him to lots of shows. He has pretty diverse music tastes, and I think that he and Jeff should go to hard-core shows together. There was a girl at the show named Ayako that lives pretty close to where I am staying now, so maybe we will be able to hang out and practice speaking. She went to high school and stayed with a host-family in Ireland for three years, so she speaks really good english with and Irish accent. Its pretty awesome. All the people that I met last night were pretty cool, I liked them much more than the people from the futsal circle. I'll probably try to hang out with them when I can, even if I don't join the circle.

The show was at a cool place called Pink Noise out in the suburbs (I think). The town reminded me a bit of downtown Walnut Creek. I think maybe I've seen pictures of the venue before, but I haven't yet confirmed that.

Other than that, I had my first chapter test today. I think that I may have done somewhat poorly, but that I know what to expect and will improve on next one. Also, I think I'm losing weight, and may soon disappear completely. I can't wait for homestay meals, there is just something about buying all of my own food that makes me eat less.

The weekend already?

2007-08-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

During the week I never notice the passage of time. On the weekend however, I do acknowledge time. It makes me feel lonely and makes me analyze how far I've come over time and where I'd like to end up. Where I'd like to go with my Japanese as well as with my life. I have many options, and they would all be fine. I can't tell if my loneliness comes from missing specific persons, a type of person, or just any form of familiarity. I also wonder if my loneliness may in fact just be a feeling of smallness or lack of direction. To anyone reading this that thinks I am sad, I am not, and I don't consider this feeling bad, but notable. I think that it was my visit to the national museum in Ueno park that really got me thinking about the passage of time on a larger scale. I enjoyed the art and national treasures, but was most impacted by the archaeological collection. Also, the boy I was with (who happens to be extremely like Jesse Chapo) is really into ceramics. He spent the time between the school year's end at Berkeley and the beginning of the intensive language program working for food as an apprentice ceramic maker in Okinawa. How cool is that?

The moral of the story is, I will graduate from college so that my Mom doesn't become sad, but then I hope to never have to use my degree. I would prefer to do such things as study arts, crafts, martial arts. I'd like to do things like: make my own clothing, cook delicious foods for myself and others, study under various sensei of various crafts or arts. I like the idea of becoming proficient at something to the point that if I were to give someone something that I had made as a gift, it would be welcomed and hopefully cherished.

I consider myself artistic and able, I am also able to learn and willing to practice diligently. I think, therefore, that I could possible be accepted as an apprentice to someone, or that if I were to pay a teacher to teach me, I would be able to progress. Still, I don't know what I would want to learn, what continent I would want to do it on, or when I would like to do it. I think when is actually any easy question, to which my answer would be whenever an opportunity arises, and for as long as it seems like the right thing to be doing.

Somehow, it seems that what and where shouldn't be too important. You know? Where seems to also hold the meaning of who would I live near/with, but this is not necessarily true. And the question of what to study, again, I think, should be decided more by opportunity than stubbornness.

I'm glad that I'm in Japan for this school year for a couple of reasons. It gives me a great opportunity to learn Japanese. Learning Japanese is very important to me, although I'm no sure why. I'm not sure if there are other reasons. One plus may be the opportunity to join a martial arts club at school. I here they practice for 5 hours daily. However, I'm not yet sure if that is truly a good thing.

There is only so much time, and I do want to make sure I use it in the way I see best. I have a feeling that my time will be spent studying, training, speaking Japanese. Doesn't that sound great? There is something wrong with entertainment. I understand that even studying may be considered a distraction, but still I have recently been scrutinizing diversion in ways that I previously had not. Or.. maybe I had, I think I had, but never to any end. I think, though, that I finally understand why people like to work.

I think I'd like to sail the world with my Father. I don't know if that is a notion contrary to or in accord with my previously stated plans. I could certainly learn to sail, fish, cook, make certain crafts, etc. on a boat. I can't say with certainty that I would have a specific teacher present, but I also haven't decided if that is crucial or not. I have a feeling there are things to learn everywhere. And that disciplined practice, not to mention creativity and the ability to make use of knowledge gained through practice, may be more valuable than frequent instruction.
(not to say that my Dad has nothing to 'teach' me. but considering our relation I'd probably prefer to learn about him than from him. I would like to sit and play chess with him on his boat. It will make me happy when he doesn't go to work anymore.)

I also miss Faith. I think that love and discipline are not mutually exclusive. I don't know if I will miss her any more or less in the future, but I think that she is really good, and I hope that she will always continue to be a part of my life in one way or another. I'm almost certain that she will.

Time to study more Kanji. Tomorrow I will go to a Concert with a Japanese boy that likes somewhat similar music to me and will be attending UC Irvine starting in fall. He'll have to hang out with T-Pat.

I bought some books! (that i can't read)

2007-08-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

The Legend of Kamui, I think it's called in English, is a manga that I bought.
I also bought Miyamoto Musashi's gorin, five rings, in Japanese.
I will try to read them.

How did this happen?

2007-08-09T05:55:00.000-07:00

Today, I paid $20 dollars for really bad food, so that I could sit with drunk people. How did I let this happen again? From now on, I have decided to absolutely steer clear of such events. I honestly didn't think that I was attending such an event. But I was... and it was not enjoyable. I do like the people I was with, but we spoke no Japanese, and the food was terrible. Hmmm, I don't want this to become a complaining blog... but let me put it in the light, that such events will not happen in the future, and from here on out my food will be delicious, cheap, or in the company of Japanese speakers.

Truly it wasn't so bad, and I guess the money lost is a relatively small amount. Now I will transcribe today's class' reading, so that I can understand it better. In Japan I have become a good student, maybe I should have gone to high school here. :) jk?.

My Daily Life

2007-08-08T22:56:00.001-07:00

Currently my day is filled almost completely with the study of Japanese. I go to class each weekday morning for 3 hours. Usually afterwards I spend an hour or two figuring out where to eat, eating, then coming back home. I don't really consider it my home though, just the place where my things are. When I return home (the word is still convenient), I check various things on the internet and then begin studying. I study the things that I have learned that day, review things from previous days, do whatever homework I may have, look up the vocabulary words that will be used in the following days classwork, and study for the kanji quizzes that we have each day. Because of the immediately useful nature of Japanese in Japan, it studying doesn't seem like a chore. But still, the idea of actually remembering the myriad things that I am taught is overwhelming. I'm not sure how language is learned really, but I do think that is impossible to remember everything at once, and that my brain tries to determine what is important and remember those things. I hope, and hypothesize, that absorbing new language related knowledge is a skill that can be improved. So, in the future, perhaps learning will be less difficult. The only thing I can do, really, is read write and say sentences and words, and hope that they will somehow be absorbed.
While I study, I often communicate with friends and family over skype (michael.busby217), AIM (busbychan), and E-mail (mbusby@gmail.com or zombusbydenwa@ezweb.ne.jp for my cellphone). I also listen to music, write, draw, reflect, and occasionally update this blog. Sometimes I go out and socialize, like last night, but prefer to go do that only with Japanese people, so that I can practice Japanese. Also, when it is late and I have finished studying, I sometimes go buy dinner.
Last night was fun, but the concert that I wanted to go to was sold out. So my friend and I ended up just walking around, eating, getting ice cream, and talking. It was good for my Japanese, even if less exciting than seeing Cornelius. I think that each day I learn at least a couple words and or kanji, but think that I will have to learn at a faster rate if I wish to become proficient by the end of my stay. Maybe I'm underestimating how much i'm learning, but I have my sights set on being able to do more than hold simple conversations. I think, my desired level would be that of being able to remember new words and forms after being taught only once.

While here, on top of studying Japanese, I hope to study martial arts, see if I can do some fine arts just for fun in my spare time, and to travel all over Japan. Much of the traveling, though, I may postpone until my parents get here, and I change to a visitor's visa.

haha 1337

2007-08-06T03:09:00.000-07:00

When you sign up with AU, one of Japan's cell phone providers, you get to choose the last four digits of your phone #. So far I've seen 3 people (including myself) that have chosen leet. How cool we all are!

Woo concerts

2007-08-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

I hope I can find the venue.
info