New used camera
Friday, April 29, 2005
I live on the 8th floor
The elevator only stops on floors 7 and 10, so I have to go up or down a flight of stairs everytime I use it. Just for the heck of it I decided to see if I could hold my breath from the first floor to the seventh floor. I am not sure why I did that. I am sure I am not the first to do so. But I am almost sure that I am the first person to spend five minutes blogging about such a stupid thing. Why would I tell people I did that? How could that help me in any way? Unless of course it is a plea for help - that's about the only reason I can think of.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Prostitues, fungal cream and grease.
"I really quite enjoy beating up prostitutes...basically." -my new roommate Leon.
Quotes can be so much more powerful without context.
Today is my Monday, I of course have nothing to do really except buy things. I had my first day of Jiu Jitsu here yesterday. It went very well. I need to learn some Japanese though. I have also ate fast food for 3 days in a row, and then today I had 3 donuts. I will be going grocery shopping in a few minutes and will thus be ending my record setting streak of greece indulgence. Working 40 hours a week makes things like grocery shopping difficult. The shops where I live are closed by 5. The latest one is open until 9, but they don't have any chicken.
Another streak recently came to an end a few days ago. Up until April 21st (my bday), I had wore the same pair of pants to work everyday - without being washed. The plan was to make it the entire month - no reason really - just to see if I could do it I guess. But then, with just over a week to go, I somehow managed to get chocolate on them. Dangit! I have to wear a suit to work everyday and I hate it. I think it is the corporate way of keeping morale low. Either way, my attempt to be different in even the smallest way was squashed, and by chocolate, go figure. But don't worry, I started a new streak and I am on day number 6!
The cool thing about having just moved to Japan is I can keep track of all these "streaks" really easily. Things are easy to remember. I am always thinking of things that I haven't done since I have been in Japan - and a streak is born.
For example, I haven't taken any type of pain killer. I forgot the Tylenol in Hawaii. There have only been a a few times when I wish I had it and with Jiu Jitsu there will probably be a few more. The problem is that everything is in Japanese, or maybe it's that I don't speak Japanese, one of the two. So my options are to basically get the cashier's attention, point to my head, grimace, and then point to a rack of bottles and hope for the best or to somehow figure out from an English speaking person what I need. Either way, I don't care enough to do it now because I feel fine. And if I get a bad headache I am definitely not going to want to head down to the pharmacy and hope that whatever they give me is for the actual pain. So maybe I will have a year long streak of medicine free living. I am, however, looking forward to trying out my new "eye drops." Fungal cream, ambesol, lotion, I don't care. I just hope it's not glue. I will let you know how it goes.
Quotes can be so much more powerful without context.
Today is my Monday, I of course have nothing to do really except buy things. I had my first day of Jiu Jitsu here yesterday. It went very well. I need to learn some Japanese though. I have also ate fast food for 3 days in a row, and then today I had 3 donuts. I will be going grocery shopping in a few minutes and will thus be ending my record setting streak of greece indulgence. Working 40 hours a week makes things like grocery shopping difficult. The shops where I live are closed by 5. The latest one is open until 9, but they don't have any chicken.
Another streak recently came to an end a few days ago. Up until April 21st (my bday), I had wore the same pair of pants to work everyday - without being washed. The plan was to make it the entire month - no reason really - just to see if I could do it I guess. But then, with just over a week to go, I somehow managed to get chocolate on them. Dangit! I have to wear a suit to work everyday and I hate it. I think it is the corporate way of keeping morale low. Either way, my attempt to be different in even the smallest way was squashed, and by chocolate, go figure. But don't worry, I started a new streak and I am on day number 6!
The cool thing about having just moved to Japan is I can keep track of all these "streaks" really easily. Things are easy to remember. I am always thinking of things that I haven't done since I have been in Japan - and a streak is born.
For example, I haven't taken any type of pain killer. I forgot the Tylenol in Hawaii. There have only been a a few times when I wish I had it and with Jiu Jitsu there will probably be a few more. The problem is that everything is in Japanese, or maybe it's that I don't speak Japanese, one of the two. So my options are to basically get the cashier's attention, point to my head, grimace, and then point to a rack of bottles and hope for the best or to somehow figure out from an English speaking person what I need. Either way, I don't care enough to do it now because I feel fine. And if I get a bad headache I am definitely not going to want to head down to the pharmacy and hope that whatever they give me is for the actual pain. So maybe I will have a year long streak of medicine free living. I am, however, looking forward to trying out my new "eye drops." Fungal cream, ambesol, lotion, I don't care. I just hope it's not glue. I will let you know how it goes.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Why are they in such a hurry?
So I have been in Japan for about 3 weeks now. This is my first blog since I arrived. I just got internet this morning - a bday present from Mark. So I guess I will start my Japanese blogging by explaining one of the things I find unique about Japan. First of all, there are many unique things about Japan - especially for an American. But there is one thing that seems to be very unique and for some reason concerns me more than it probably should. And that is the actions of the elderly on the subways.
Sometimes the subways are packed, people can barely fit in the doors. For this reason, it is understandable for the old people to want to get one of the few seats. Even when the trains are not packed, often some people will have to stand. So it is completely understandable when an elerly person just cuts right into the line. I think it would be ideal if people would just give up their seats for them, but apparently that's not how it works. So maybe budging is a necessary evil, either way, I don't mind it.
But the problem comes when it's time to get off. Where are they going in such a hurry? It happens all the time. I spend my whole train trip standing just because I let some old lady sit in a seat. And what happens when it's time to get off? She cuts me off! It happens all the time - its usually old ladies. And it bothers me. I let them get there seats, that's fair. Now when the train stops, let all the people who are standing get off and then the people who are in seats can leave. I now make a point of not allowing old ladies to cut in front of me. So when I am waiting by the door, the train stops, and I see her sneaking towards the door thinking she can just walk right in front of me, what happens? That's right. I don't let her. I purposly block her. I keep just enough space inbetween myself and the people on my left and right so that the old lady can't fit through the crack. It happens everytime. As soon as the train starts to stop, out of the corner of my eye or in the reflection of the door I see a small figure closing in, like Yoda but faster, weaving and squeezing through any little spot, just to get right up to the door for a fast exit. But now I am the one doing the cutting. Because their legs are so short it looks as if they are walking really fast, but one of my steps equals three of theirs. So one simple sidestep and their route has disappeared.
So the moral of this story? If you are sitting in a seat on the train, let the people who are standing get off first. Remember, if you are 3 feet tall, speeding along trying to carelessly pass someone and that person happens to be 6 feet tall, what's going to happen when he cuts you off?
Sometimes the subways are packed, people can barely fit in the doors. For this reason, it is understandable for the old people to want to get one of the few seats. Even when the trains are not packed, often some people will have to stand. So it is completely understandable when an elerly person just cuts right into the line. I think it would be ideal if people would just give up their seats for them, but apparently that's not how it works. So maybe budging is a necessary evil, either way, I don't mind it.
But the problem comes when it's time to get off. Where are they going in such a hurry? It happens all the time. I spend my whole train trip standing just because I let some old lady sit in a seat. And what happens when it's time to get off? She cuts me off! It happens all the time - its usually old ladies. And it bothers me. I let them get there seats, that's fair. Now when the train stops, let all the people who are standing get off and then the people who are in seats can leave. I now make a point of not allowing old ladies to cut in front of me. So when I am waiting by the door, the train stops, and I see her sneaking towards the door thinking she can just walk right in front of me, what happens? That's right. I don't let her. I purposly block her. I keep just enough space inbetween myself and the people on my left and right so that the old lady can't fit through the crack. It happens everytime. As soon as the train starts to stop, out of the corner of my eye or in the reflection of the door I see a small figure closing in, like Yoda but faster, weaving and squeezing through any little spot, just to get right up to the door for a fast exit. But now I am the one doing the cutting. Because their legs are so short it looks as if they are walking really fast, but one of my steps equals three of theirs. So one simple sidestep and their route has disappeared.
So the moral of this story? If you are sitting in a seat on the train, let the people who are standing get off first. Remember, if you are 3 feet tall, speeding along trying to carelessly pass someone and that person happens to be 6 feet tall, what's going to happen when he cuts you off?
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