trip to Niigata

Kayo and her sister Mari invited me on a "one day trip" to Niigata. We left late at night, using a Youth 18 Ticket and got to Niigata in the early morning. Mari is a big fan of Japanese History so she talked us into going to a place where a Japanese Castle used to be. We took a local train (with me opening the window and hanging out as we zoomed past deep green rice fields) to a small station where we could walk to the site. We asked the local train station man if there were any restraunts in the area and he laughed at us, too small for that. We asked about atleast any convience stores and he said "I've heard of one over that way, although I've never seen it myself." We headed over that way, and found a small convience store where we got tons of food and ate it outside while watching ants scurry below us. Then we hiked up through a green mountain, along old overgrown paths. Semi bugs hummed in the trees, the summer sun burning our skin and sweat drenching us. At the top there was nothing but the top of the mountain, the castle was removed in the Tokugawa era long ago, but the view of the city below was beautiful. Glittery small town buildings cluttered together with puffs of green trees, leading to an endless gray-blue sea on one side. After that we made our way to a rocky seaside in litterally the middle of nowhere. Our guidebook said there was a bike rental shop, but it had closed years ago. We wandered around, seeing a few sport fishermen in the river leading to the ocean, and some huge electricity generating windmills. We stopped at a large local soveniour shop and got some drinks and sat and watched the ocean while drinking. After that we took the local trian back to Niigata for a wonderful sushi dinner. The only badmark on the vacation was the fight we got into about having fights. Its an ironic thing to have a fight about I suppose, and there were many causes, with the biggest being our sleep-deprived minds. It was quite a scene, two Japanese and a foreigner screaming in a sushi joint. That calmed down and we walked back to the overnight train and took it back to Tokyo. A blur of memories that arent quite captured here in the words I've thrown out of my head.

hot day trouble

Its super hot today, my brain is melting. I came to the internet cafe and the lady said all the seats were taken in Japanese, and so I said I'd wait, and she seemed surprized and said in a heavy English accent that the place was full. I said I'd wait. Her boss came over and told me to go away in Japanese because the seats were full, and I was busy checking my cellphone e-mail so I snapped at him without polite markers in my Japanese something like "shutup, I'm waiting" and so he asked me to leave the store. I said no, I was waiting to use the internet. He put his arms on me and pushed me to the door. I dont like people to touch me if they dont know me, so I pushed his arms off me and said something to the effect of "bugger off creep, dont touch me" in Japanese and he said he would call the police. I said something like "I'm not doing anything wrong so go ahead" in a very rude way because I was annoyed with this guy, and I dont like to be pushed around. He goes off and I hear him calling the police... I was surprized because I thought he was bluffing. A seat opens up, so the staff gives me a ticket to sit down and I do. The boss comes back and gets mad at her for letting me sit down for whatever reason, I suppose because it makes your argument weak to the police if I'm quietly using the PC in the corner. I use the computer. The police actually show up, one wearing a bullet proof vest and hand hovering over what I presume is a stun gun. I kid you not. The boss-man tells them that he's sorry but its all over with now. They leave, annoyed they didnt get to bust anyone. Wow. I almost got trashed by some Japanese cops.

living in the future

Sometimes I get a little silly and feel like I'm living in the Future so to speak. Although I'm aware of time as something more complex than that bonehead statement, it felt a bit like that today. First, I got a free phonecard from my company that I programmed into my cellphone, and this morning I called direct to America to talk to my mom. Direct from my cell phone to half way around the world for a couple of cents (uhh, I mean yen), that was kind of cool when I thought about it long enough. (As a side bit of info, my mom wasnt home. I didnt recognize who answered so I asked who it was, he refused to let me know on the basis that I had called there instead of him calling here, so I said who I was and he introduced himself as my little sisters boyfriend and stuff. Time flies...) And another bit of feeling like I live in the future happened later today, Kayo is visiting Australia for a few weeks, and for no real reason I called her with the TV-phone option from my cellphone. Pres a button and up pops Kayo in Australia standing next to her host-dad, and then a bit of a backyard and some other people in vivid video. I dont know, maybe I'm being a bit old fashioned, but I thought that was cool. (as another side note, I couldnt hear much of what was being said because a train came by on my side, right when she answered. Thats the disadvantage of "use anywhere" technology I suppose.) And as a bit of final from the future thoughts, I want to make sure everyone knows my cellphone is the "keitai" that is referenced in the scroll graphic on the sidebar. So yeah its pictures sent direct from my cellphone to an online album, please check it out as much as you want. Oh yeah, uh huh uh huh.

work and such things

And yes. I am part of the rat race again. I am a worker bee... only not female... and bigger and stuff. Okay. You got the idea. I'm getting off track here. I like working again, it feels great to be back in the room with students teaching after about an 8 month pause of nothing. Of course the company I'm going with doesnt offer too many options for full teaching, but so far I'm really liking it. They got new books, which are better than the old ones and really make it fun for the teacher and student if used right I guess. My coworkers seem good so far, the students have been a blast, and the work area is cool. Thats about all I have to say about that I guess, dont hit your head against the floor with boredom please.

14th vlog - my old cellphone

This is my old Japanese cellphone. It's about 6 years old. I pulled it out recently and recharged it. It still works fine, although it has one small visual glitch on the display. I decided to play with it, and heres the true result. And yes, that's me screaming like a dying cow.

13th vlog - tanashi

Yeah, its been awhile. I heard the cries of the people who didnt want to spend the time downloading boring video logs, so my video blogging took a lunch brake. But I was thinking about it today, and if you dont want to download one of my video blogs, just dont do it. You dont have to download this, its your choice! I'm going to continue to videoblog from time to time, when the urge strikes me. In fact, I plan to upgrade to even larger files as soon as I get my hands on a better camera. Big! Big! Oh yeah oh yeah ... So anyway, about this vlog... I was walking in Tanashi with Kayo and Mari and I decided to do a sudden attack of nonsensical video blogging. So here it is, a blog walking the streets of Japan. We get to see a taxi, my friends hiding from the camera and someone ride past us on a bike. And thats (mostly) me talking in drunk sounding Japanese. Oh, the excitement!

on my way to Japan

I was having one of those love the world moments on my way back to Japan. That was mixed in with my grumpy reaction to most service people in Korea. (Something I noticed always happens to me while in Korea for some reason.) The train ride back to Busan (Pusan) was brilliant, lush green hills with slender bridges, rushed past my window and before I could write more than a couple of poems about it, I was already on my boat back to Japan. Last time, I couldnt get on to the main deck because the door from budget class was locked. This time I figured out that the door from first class was open, and I walked around the deck. It was wonderful, a hot summer sun with a strong ocean breeze. Perfect blend. And endless deep blue sea, endless, litterally dark blue stretching to every horizon. Standing up on the deck with the wind in my hair, I thought silly thoughts about how everyone becomes a foreigner when on international boats, because there is no imaginary boxes countaing our countries when far out at sea. Later that night I couldnt sleep, and I went out on deck again. The air was still warm, the wind was still just right, but now the stars were out. I've seen movies of people out at sea with brilliant stars but I thought it was a bit of movie magic, but its more than that. The stars, with out interference from cities and people, were sparkling solid chunks in the sky. They litterally looked like frozen fireworks hanging in the sky in a interwoven mess. I leaned against a life vest box and just looked up for a long time. Pretty stuff. Like I said I was in a love-the-world mood, which didnt change as I got on my bus to Tokyo (I decided to take the daytime bus because it was only $15 more expensive and I could sleep in my own bed if I did that) and it was so fun to watch the countryside roll past. The sun was out still, glowing on the endless bushes. In places I could see the wind blow patterns in rice fields, as we rushed along on huge highways cut litterally through mountains. Good times. Today I went in and got my assignment at work. I am stationed at Kita-senju. (I'm using army lingo if you didnt notice, pun intended.) I start work the day after tomorrow. Here I go!

in korea

It seems like I have finally got my visa. I went to the Japanese Embassy today and the application process was very fast. I filled out a form, stood in line behind an angry Iranian (who Japan wouldnt give an entry permit) and when it was my turn I gave my paperwork to the woman and I was told to come back the next day. Easy as that. One thing I noticed is the Iranian guy and the French guy in front of me all said "thank you" to her in Japanese when they were finished. I noticed that she was Korean, so I thought that was kind of odd, so when it was my turn I said thank you in Korean when I was finished and she seemed to appreciate that. The picture above is an old woman selling fruit at a small station in the middle of nowhere near where I got my paperwork package. I will be a working zombie again soon!

youth hostel thoughts

Its weird to stay in this youth hostel again. All the other times I've been here. (Including the three months before I worked here.) It blends all together, and being here seems to mix with the other times. This now is like the other nows (I mean, the other times that felt like now that arent now but were now) ...all very tripy ideas I guess. Meeting people, exchanging thoughts, moments passing.

While I was here Evan came from Japan to hang out. (He can be seen in the above "artsy blur" picture with my friend Young Im. Shes the one who was getting married last year, and so I waited in Korea to go to her wedding.) It was fun to hang out with Evan and show him around Seoul. I had a lot of fun, lets hope he did too.

I still havent got my Japanese working visa (my reason for coming here) so I hope that happens so. I dont have much time left.

going on a boat

In not too surprising because of the season news: its HOT! About half of my balcony plants have passed away due to the extreme heat. Often my little one room apartment turns in to an oven and starts to cook me. I can open my windows to improve airflow but its hot outside too. I can use the air conditioner (or as they say around these parts "aircon") to cool down my room, and it works magically, but that thing sucks energy like a depressed alcoholic drinks and I dont want a big bill. I gotta keep reminding myself I prefer too hot over too cold. In other news, I'm about to take a boat from Japan to Korea later this week to make my Japan work visa. A freaking boat as my mode of international travel. Cool Cool!
Some cool links:
Some of you (can you have "some" when talking about just two regular blog visitors?!) might know I'm a big fan of B movies. Well, check out the movie trailer for Negadon (via Japanese language page) The Godzilla (gojira, for you true diehard fans) influence is very clear. It also has gundam influence, and if you are like "huh whats gundam?" then let me say that gundam robot geeks are locally equivalent to starwars geeks in the supposed Western world. Nonetheless, I will buy this on DVD when it comes out. Without a doubt.
And how about a link showcasing my linguistic geekyness now? Personally I prefer the sound of the Cantonese dialect of Chinese, but mainland Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) is kind of cool too. And how about a 100% free multimedia site designed to teach the world Chinese, brought to you by the Chinese Ministry of Propaganda, my bad joke, I mean the Ministry of Education (is there much difference between the two?) It might seem like I'm taking the air out of this site (linese.com), but I'm not trying to. Cool stuff. Click Chengo for multimedia fun. Quick review: when I played with it the site was slow and a little glitchy, but the education methods were innovative and captivating. No one would argue the usefulness of Chinese in the future (well, someone might but I think they are silly so I'm not counting them!) I will be a heavy user of that Linese site once I get a computer again.

police box

Yesterday at about 1 in the morning I went out for a walk. (Something Ive been doing a lot recently.) I came upto a koban. This is hard to translate, its often translated into the odd English "police box" and its basically a mini police station. Mostly the cops in koban give directions to crazy old people and stupid foreigners. I think they can process small time villains too, but nothing major. Anyway, as I came upto the koban I realized no one was inside. The door was half open with a sign on the inside table that said (in Japanese ofcourse) "currently out on patrol" I stepped inside and took the picture that should be included with this post. I felt kind of like a vegetarian at a Meat Lovers BBQ so I didnt stay inside. I continued my walk. (Incidentally I've seen alot of late night "on patrol" koban, and even this one was still empty an hour later on my way home. I wonder if its really a patrol issue or a desire not to say "nobody's home right now.")

geeky glimpse

My computer is still in Korea. My friend is suppose to send it to me, but he still hasnt. And even though its broken, I miss it. Apparently I miss it so much that my mind has produced several grief reduction dreams. Each dream is roughly the same: mailman comes with a computer box shaped package. Hmm who is this for? he wonders aloud. Its mine! I declare ripping open the box and plugging in the computer, and it works! Watch out world, PC power is once again mine! {evil mad scientist laugh} OK yeah I know this is so pathetic that its almost scary.. .