Monthly Archives: February 2004

Gum, taxis and confused panda

This week is exam week, which means that I get to sit at my desk and do nothing all week, an arrangement that seems strikingly similar to jobs I've held in the past (save the miserable year I spent working for the USDA, where my work week was dominated by incidents of exploding bags of cow shit, hydrochloric acid spills and torturous days spent locked in a tiny 8x10 foot concrete cell with a "particle...

Full Entry » || Comments (1) || Posted on: 02/24/2004 03:31 PM || [Back to top]

Chocolate

it's so weird. sometimes the smallest choices, made almost without thinking, can have the most unexpected consequences. There's a term used in the common language for this sort of phenomenon: The Butterfly Effect. Giving thanks at the shrine. Now the new Ashton Kutcher movie of the same name not withstanding, the basic idea of the "Butterfly Effect" is that the smallest of events can have impossibly large ramifications farther down the line. It is usually...

Full Entry » || Comments (1) || Posted on: 02/17/2004 03:31 PM || [Back to top]

Mochi made with hate

Wednesday was "Kenkoku kinen no hi", or "Foundation Day", here in Japan. Foundation Day, or "Kigensetsu" as it was originally called, started out as a religious glorification of the Emperor, celebrating the fact that the original Emperor Jimmu (ostensibly directly descended from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu) ascended to the throne of a unified Japan on February 11th, 660 B.C. Handa enjoys a mochi (actually Monju). It reads "Iwai", which means "celebration". Foundation day eventually became...

Full Entry » || Comments (1) || Posted on: 02/12/2004 03:31 PM || [Back to top]

For Paracetamol!

Okay, so I've been pretty lax about updating recently. I was busy - I had another "business trip"! Anyway, I'm tired and have to work tomorrow, so this is gonna mainly be a picture post, as I can't be arsed to write anything tonight. Just for the record, we did manage to find time to teach students as well. My man Parce was asking why we always look so clean cut when we drink. "Where"...

Full Entry » || Comments (1) || Posted on: 02/09/2004 03:31 PM || [Back to top]

Life goes on

I was visiting my friend's house earlier today and while we were cooking in her kitchen, I began to realize that it's the little things about this country that I love so very much. I think I understand now what Japanese mean when they say "living in Japan is convenient". Above you can see the dishwasher. This very compact, but highly efficient model slides in flush to seamlessly blend in with the rest of the...

Full Entry » || Comments (1) || Posted on: 02/04/2004 03:31 PM || [Back to top]

For pookiebear!

Mwahaha! Look in envy Stephanie - I finally ate a dinner that rivals yours! Sorry, sorry! I know I promised an update 3 days ago but... I've been busy! Busy doing what? I think we all know the answer to that one...! ;) Anyway, in addition to single handedly raising Asahi and Kirin's 1st quarter 2004 profits, I think I also managed to squeeze in a little actual learning as well. I do vaguely remember...

Full Entry » || Comments (1) || Posted on: 02/02/2004 03:31 PM || [Back to top]