hey all,
So it has been a little rainy this weekend, and I'm "on my own" like in the song, hence the title.
I have turned in my final project, so fingers crossed for that. It came out to a heavily edited 58 pages.
I already beat Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Shorter than I thought, but pretty interesting and fun. The used game that I'm playing through right now is infuriating and amazing: Dragon's Dogma. It came out almost a year ago, but I heard pretty decent things about it (basically the same situation as Deus Ex). The combat is really nice, the story and quests are kinda mundane. Overall the game play is smooth, but the lack of fast travel really sucks. Every time you need to go from one end of the map to the other, you sigh internally. And if you fall to your death or get a sword through you before you get to your goal, you might be facing hours of lost game.
Next week we're having a Thanksgiving party at school, and we have Friday off, which is nice. I am beat.
Cheers,
Showing posts with label Weekend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekend. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Two Trips, Lost in Translation
hey all,
I wish I could take credit for the picture below, but it is not mine.
The peak in the middle, after the steep drop coming from the right, is the first peak of Kaerazu no Ken. Then there is the double peak to the left of that, and then the triple peak to the left of that.
Those peaks took us about 3 hours to get through. But I get ahead of myself.
View September 2012 Trip in a larger map
The first day was pretty similar to the last trip, but with a much shorter hike the first day: only about 1hour. The next day, we woke up at 5, and hiked for about 8 hours before reaching our lodging for the night.
(I should warn you that there is some profanity on one of those videos.)
Then a nice long rest, a good meal, and then we were up at 4:30 for the last day. Another 7 hours or so took us back to the gondolas, buses, and trains headed back to Tokyo.
The hike was pretty unremarkable, except for that 3 hour stretch of Kaerazu no Ken. That was some white knuckled, if-I-slip-now-they-won't-find-my-body climbing. It was really foggy, so visibility was low, plus there were the extreme ascents and descents and strong winds to contend with. The fog also kept condensing onto the chains and nearby plants, which the wind would whip and splash into our faces. Thankfully we had decided to stay at the lodges instead of camp, so our packs were relatively small and light, since we weren't carrying tents, sleeping bags, gas stoves, or dinner supplies.
I wish I had some good pictures of us going through this area, but it is not the kind of place that you just rest and stop to smell the roses. But here is one I took.
The fog makes everything hard to make out, but behind Michi there is no or less a straight drop. Behind me is a narrow rock face (which on the other side of that there is a sheer drop), and that rickety steel ladder crosses a straight drop.
Last week was also relatively uneventful.
This weekend, we went to a famous resort on the beaches of Zushi, which is just an hour or so away from our apartment. Her parents belong to some club, and we were able to stay there really cheaply.
Earlier today, we watched The Dark Knight. I kept glancing at the Japanese subtitles below, and they seemed to be doing a decent job of keeping up, except in one place.
In the subtitles, it says "You know what chaos causes/makes happen? Fear" instead of "You know the thing about chaos? It's fair." In other places, such as the end where Harvey makes a speech about fairness before Batman takes him out, the translation follows the English pretty well. Not sure why the translator chose to do that, but hey.
One more week, and then we will head over to a zoo at work.
Cheers,
I wish I could take credit for the picture below, but it is not mine.
The peak in the middle, after the steep drop coming from the right, is the first peak of Kaerazu no Ken. Then there is the double peak to the left of that, and then the triple peak to the left of that.
Those peaks took us about 3 hours to get through. But I get ahead of myself.
View September 2012 Trip in a larger map
The first day was pretty similar to the last trip, but with a much shorter hike the first day: only about 1hour. The next day, we woke up at 5, and hiked for about 8 hours before reaching our lodging for the night.
(I should warn you that there is some profanity on one of those videos.)
Then a nice long rest, a good meal, and then we were up at 4:30 for the last day. Another 7 hours or so took us back to the gondolas, buses, and trains headed back to Tokyo.
The hike was pretty unremarkable, except for that 3 hour stretch of Kaerazu no Ken. That was some white knuckled, if-I-slip-now-they-won't-find-my-body climbing. It was really foggy, so visibility was low, plus there were the extreme ascents and descents and strong winds to contend with. The fog also kept condensing onto the chains and nearby plants, which the wind would whip and splash into our faces. Thankfully we had decided to stay at the lodges instead of camp, so our packs were relatively small and light, since we weren't carrying tents, sleeping bags, gas stoves, or dinner supplies.
I wish I had some good pictures of us going through this area, but it is not the kind of place that you just rest and stop to smell the roses. But here is one I took.
The fog makes everything hard to make out, but behind Michi there is no or less a straight drop. Behind me is a narrow rock face (which on the other side of that there is a sheer drop), and that rickety steel ladder crosses a straight drop.
Last week was also relatively uneventful.
This weekend, we went to a famous resort on the beaches of Zushi, which is just an hour or so away from our apartment. Her parents belong to some club, and we were able to stay there really cheaply.
Earlier today, we watched The Dark Knight. I kept glancing at the Japanese subtitles below, and they seemed to be doing a decent job of keeping up, except in one place.
In the subtitles, it says "You know what chaos causes/makes happen? Fear" instead of "You know the thing about chaos? It's fair." In other places, such as the end where Harvey makes a speech about fairness before Batman takes him out, the translation follows the English pretty well. Not sure why the translator chose to do that, but hey.
One more week, and then we will head over to a zoo at work.
Cheers,
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Trip to White Horse Mountain
hey all,
Like many of our trips, this one was transportation heavy. It involved taking a train for 3 hours, a bus for another 30 minutes, and riding various ropeways/gondolas, before we even got to hiking.
View July 2012 Trip in a larger map
The map shows our route from Tokyo to Mt. Shirouma, which is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan.
Getting to our first camp site involved about 3 or 4hours of hiking, some of it through snow fields.
We think that Michi got a little altitude sickness on the first day, which I can tell you from my perspective was frightening as anything. She seemed to recover pretty quickly, and we got some of the staff of the lodge to help us to get there. They even gave us free food and put us up in the staff room for the night.
The next day, Michi decided to rest, and I went on to climb Mt. Shirouma by myself. It had started to rain the night before, and it kept up for part of my hike. There was also a lot of fog/low cloud cover, so the views were nonexistent. On the way back, however, it started to clear up.
The original plan had been to camp at the big pond, hike Mt. Shirouma, then camp at another spot just on the other side, then hike across to another ropeway/bus stop and then head home. So instead of camping on the other side of Mt. Shirouma, I hiked back, we made dinner, packed, and went to bed.
The next day, we hiked back to the ropeways and began our trip back to Tokyo.
The new hiking shoes worked out really well, and the crampons were definitely needed.
I've got the rest of the week off, so I have a whole laundry list of things to get done.
Cheers,
Like many of our trips, this one was transportation heavy. It involved taking a train for 3 hours, a bus for another 30 minutes, and riding various ropeways/gondolas, before we even got to hiking.
View July 2012 Trip in a larger map
The map shows our route from Tokyo to Mt. Shirouma, which is one of the 100 famous mountains of Japan.
Getting to our first camp site involved about 3 or 4hours of hiking, some of it through snow fields.
We think that Michi got a little altitude sickness on the first day, which I can tell you from my perspective was frightening as anything. She seemed to recover pretty quickly, and we got some of the staff of the lodge to help us to get there. They even gave us free food and put us up in the staff room for the night.
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| This flower is called Mizubasho in Japanese. I have no clue what it is called in English. It is ridiculously popular in Japan. |
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| Crampons! |
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| First big snow field |
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| Me at the summit of Mt. Shirouma |
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| mountain flowers! |
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| Part of the hike back to the lodge. |
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| Part of the hike back to the lodge. |
The next day, Michi decided to rest, and I went on to climb Mt. Shirouma by myself. It had started to rain the night before, and it kept up for part of my hike. There was also a lot of fog/low cloud cover, so the views were nonexistent. On the way back, however, it started to clear up.
The original plan had been to camp at the big pond, hike Mt. Shirouma, then camp at another spot just on the other side, then hike across to another ropeway/bus stop and then head home. So instead of camping on the other side of Mt. Shirouma, I hiked back, we made dinner, packed, and went to bed.
The next day, we hiked back to the ropeways and began our trip back to Tokyo.
The new hiking shoes worked out really well, and the crampons were definitely needed.
I've got the rest of the week off, so I have a whole laundry list of things to get done.
Cheers,
Monday, July 16, 2012
Return
hey all,
We're back safe and sound, and as usual, a full update will have to wait until tomorrow.
Cheers,
We're back safe and sound, and as usual, a full update will have to wait until tomorrow.
Cheers,
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Monday, July 09, 2012
Nostalgia
hey all,
This weekend was Michi's interview for the Eiken Pre-2. We're not sure if she passed or not. I guess she'll get the results in about three weeks.
We finally got our kitchen knife back from the store. We took it in the weekend before to get it sharpened, and the whole week in between was tough. Michi's old knife is about as sharp as the broad side of a barn, so cutting fruits and vegetables is not easy, and forget about chicken.
Yesterday we finally got around to making falafel. We had the ingredients for it a week ago, but weren't able to get around to it. We used canned garbanzo beans, and fresh grated onion and garlic, and of course plenty of spices. Once fried, the insides were softer than I remembered from the co-op, but still really good. It really took me back to be able to have that food again, and especially to make it from scratch (even more "from scratch" than we made it at the co-op). Although it feels like I've been enjoying something of a Renaissance at my current job, living at the co-op was also such a time. I learned a lot about life, school, friends, food, and work while living there.
Cheers,
This weekend was Michi's interview for the Eiken Pre-2. We're not sure if she passed or not. I guess she'll get the results in about three weeks.
We finally got our kitchen knife back from the store. We took it in the weekend before to get it sharpened, and the whole week in between was tough. Michi's old knife is about as sharp as the broad side of a barn, so cutting fruits and vegetables is not easy, and forget about chicken.
Yesterday we finally got around to making falafel. We had the ingredients for it a week ago, but weren't able to get around to it. We used canned garbanzo beans, and fresh grated onion and garlic, and of course plenty of spices. Once fried, the insides were softer than I remembered from the co-op, but still really good. It really took me back to be able to have that food again, and especially to make it from scratch (even more "from scratch" than we made it at the co-op). Although it feels like I've been enjoying something of a Renaissance at my current job, living at the co-op was also such a time. I learned a lot about life, school, friends, food, and work while living there.
Cheers,
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
1-1
hey all,
So I wasn't detained or put into handcuffs at the immigration bureau. I did have to wait 3 hours, but that is just a bit longer than average. I got the application in, and I was only missing one form, which nobody at the school, nor even Michi had heard of or seen before.
School is going OK, but as I mentioned, one of the unstable students has returned so the AM class can be a little touch and go.
Thankfully, I only had my group PM class after that, so I got a new packet printed out, plus I made a new vocab quiz, flashcards, and made two videos for my AM class.
Afterwards, I got to put in a few more hours in Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning. Still fun.
For anyone keeping track, now that I have finished reading Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos for the second time, I am making some progress on those education books, like Teach Like a Champion, Making Thinking Visible, and Visible Learning for Teachers.
I wanted to mention that Michi and I watched this really old Japanese flick (it feels like 1970's but was made in 1987) last weekend called Watashi-o ski-ni tsurettete, which is something like Please Take me Skiing. It is like your classic skiiing movie from the 1980's, but you can tell it is Japanese because the protagonists have a really tough ski course that they need to complete in order to save their company's butt. There is a romantic interest between the main character and an office lady that also happens to work at his company (of course). Pretty funny, worth seeing once, but Michi is obsessed with it now.
Cheers,
So I wasn't detained or put into handcuffs at the immigration bureau. I did have to wait 3 hours, but that is just a bit longer than average. I got the application in, and I was only missing one form, which nobody at the school, nor even Michi had heard of or seen before.
School is going OK, but as I mentioned, one of the unstable students has returned so the AM class can be a little touch and go.
Thankfully, I only had my group PM class after that, so I got a new packet printed out, plus I made a new vocab quiz, flashcards, and made two videos for my AM class.
Afterwards, I got to put in a few more hours in Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning. Still fun.
For anyone keeping track, now that I have finished reading Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos for the second time, I am making some progress on those education books, like Teach Like a Champion, Making Thinking Visible, and Visible Learning for Teachers.
I wanted to mention that Michi and I watched this really old Japanese flick (it feels like 1970's but was made in 1987) last weekend called Watashi-o ski-ni tsurettete, which is something like Please Take me Skiing. It is like your classic skiiing movie from the 1980's, but you can tell it is Japanese because the protagonists have a really tough ski course that they need to complete in order to save their company's butt. There is a romantic interest between the main character and an office lady that also happens to work at his company (of course). Pretty funny, worth seeing once, but Michi is obsessed with it now.
Cheers,
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Two More Days
hey all,
Two more days until the weekend. This week has been pretty tough. Last week two of my AM students were gone all week, but now they are all back, so I'm up to 9 students again. And of course, the two who came back are not exactly the best students. One is just in over her head and more or less lost, but the other is emotionally unstable...as in you tell him (or his mother tells him) calmly that he can't do something and he switches into maniacal laugh/cry mode. There isn't a day when I don't kick him out for disrupting others at least once.
In other news, I'm still waiting for my new passport. It was supposed to be here by now, and when I try to track the package online it just doesn't come up...the system can't find it. So I'm gonna have to call the yahoos at the US Embassy and see what is going on. And here I thought it would simple for once.
My next curriculum design class started on Monday. And there was much rejoicing. Actually, it should be an enjoyable class, but I don't really welcome the frantic pace that these classes always move at. They're only 4 weeks long, so there is a major assignment and major readings every week.
On top of that, the teachers at the school have got a lot of prep work to do so that the students can take a school trip to an aquarium. I've already laid the ground work by visiting the class last weekend, taking photos and videos, writing notes, etc. But I've still got the same prep. to do for my own class.
It has been over 25°C recently, so everyone is burning up before, during, and after classes. And it is only May!!! I don't want to see what July or August will be like.
Cheers,
Two more days until the weekend. This week has been pretty tough. Last week two of my AM students were gone all week, but now they are all back, so I'm up to 9 students again. And of course, the two who came back are not exactly the best students. One is just in over her head and more or less lost, but the other is emotionally unstable...as in you tell him (or his mother tells him) calmly that he can't do something and he switches into maniacal laugh/cry mode. There isn't a day when I don't kick him out for disrupting others at least once.
In other news, I'm still waiting for my new passport. It was supposed to be here by now, and when I try to track the package online it just doesn't come up...the system can't find it. So I'm gonna have to call the yahoos at the US Embassy and see what is going on. And here I thought it would simple for once.
My next curriculum design class started on Monday. And there was much rejoicing. Actually, it should be an enjoyable class, but I don't really welcome the frantic pace that these classes always move at. They're only 4 weeks long, so there is a major assignment and major readings every week.
On top of that, the teachers at the school have got a lot of prep work to do so that the students can take a school trip to an aquarium. I've already laid the ground work by visiting the class last weekend, taking photos and videos, writing notes, etc. But I've still got the same prep. to do for my own class.
It has been over 25°C recently, so everyone is burning up before, during, and after classes. And it is only May!!! I don't want to see what July or August will be like.
Cheers,
Monday, May 07, 2012
Aomori, Part 2
hey all,
This is going to have to be rather short as well. I have about 500 things on my to-do list, and like the mythical hydra of yore...you get the idea.
Michi and I made it up to Aomori station where we parted ways. She went to the wedding, and I went to Hirosaki, to see Hirosaki Castle.
Afterwards, we met up again and spent the night in Aomori City. The next morning we traveled to the Towada Lake area, which is famous for the eponymous crater lake, and for the Oirase River, which has lots and lots of waterfalls on it. We spent most of that day hiking the river trail.
The next day, we took a bus from our hotel over to the lake itself so we could ride the boat across the lake. Somewhat stupidly, we took a taxi back to the river so we could hike a little more. (There was some confusion about the bus stop we wanted, since it was apparently so obvious what this one bus stop's name was that nobody bothered to label it on any of the maps.)
We then started the Odyssey back to Tokyo. Just after we had exchanged our train tickets at Hachinose station, the staff announced that there was a stop signal for our train and they didn't know when it would get moving. We had to wait for 40 minutes or so before we could get on, and then it stopped for at least the same amount of time at Morioka station. We got off there, and waited for a Yamabiko bullet train, because that bullet train starts at Morioka and it has three free seating cars. That meant that we actually had a chance of sitting down during the 4+ hour ride back to our place. Luckily, we were able to get seats and the rest of the ride went pretty smoothly.
We didn't get back until around 10PM, three hours later than we had originally planned, but we made it back.
Cheers,
This is going to have to be rather short as well. I have about 500 things on my to-do list, and like the mythical hydra of yore...you get the idea.
Michi and I made it up to Aomori station where we parted ways. She went to the wedding, and I went to Hirosaki, to see Hirosaki Castle.
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| Some art/sculpture on the way to Hirosaki castle from the station. |
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| A still blooming cherry tree near the castle. |
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| Hirosaki Castle |
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| This is crazily delicious! It is mango flavored soda/jello with chunks of nata de coco thrown in for good measure. |
Afterwards, we met up again and spent the night in Aomori City. The next morning we traveled to the Towada Lake area, which is famous for the eponymous crater lake, and for the Oirase River, which has lots and lots of waterfalls on it. We spent most of that day hiking the river trail.
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| One of the many waterfalls along the Oirase River. |
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| The view from the hot spring at our hotel. Can you believe we paid something like $70 per person for these views? |
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| One of the views from a boat on Lake Towada |
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| Yet another of the many waterfalls on the Oirase River |
The next day, we took a bus from our hotel over to the lake itself so we could ride the boat across the lake. Somewhat stupidly, we took a taxi back to the river so we could hike a little more. (There was some confusion about the bus stop we wanted, since it was apparently so obvious what this one bus stop's name was that nobody bothered to label it on any of the maps.)
We then started the Odyssey back to Tokyo. Just after we had exchanged our train tickets at Hachinose station, the staff announced that there was a stop signal for our train and they didn't know when it would get moving. We had to wait for 40 minutes or so before we could get on, and then it stopped for at least the same amount of time at Morioka station. We got off there, and waited for a Yamabiko bullet train, because that bullet train starts at Morioka and it has three free seating cars. That meant that we actually had a chance of sitting down during the 4+ hour ride back to our place. Luckily, we were able to get seats and the rest of the ride went pretty smoothly.
We didn't get back until around 10PM, three hours later than we had originally planned, but we made it back.
Cheers,
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Aomori, Part 1
hey all,
I'll have to just say that we made it to Aomori, got to see some great stuff and eat and good food, and made it back to Tokyo. It is almost midnight and I've been up since 4AM, so I'm going to hit the sack. The pics and story will be coming soon.
Cheers,
I'll have to just say that we made it to Aomori, got to see some great stuff and eat and good food, and made it back to Tokyo. It is almost midnight and I've been up since 4AM, so I'm going to hit the sack. The pics and story will be coming soon.
Cheers,
Monday, March 05, 2012
Nara Story and Pics
hey all,
The story of Nara goes like this.
I had wanted to check out various places in Nara in 2010, when Brian came and visited me in Japan. However, he was pretty worn out from tramping around Kyoto, and really just wanted to head back to Yokohama and chill. So I didn't get to do any sightseeing that time.
Last year, Michi's parents visited Nara during March and went to see a festival called Omizutori. They gave us a few sprigs of semi-burnt pine branch as souvenirs. Her parents explained what would happen during the festival, most of which I didn't understand too well, but it sounded interesting and Michi was more or less determined to go.
So we booked a really nice ryokan, and started looking up places to see. The festival is held at night, so we got to spend a whole day and a half sightseeing, and of course got to see the festival as well.
Kofukuji's 5 storied pagoda was actually visible from the outdoor hot tub at the ryokan. We got to take in Todaiji, Horyuji, and one other temple whose name I can't remember right now.
You might want to view the video I took of part of the ceremony. It is not the most riveting but it does have its moments. I have to apologize for the really annoying Japanese people from Hiroshima that you can hear commenting on everything. I wanted to tell them to shut up, but...
The main "snag" is that I forgot my glove liners and winter hat in the bathroom at Nara as we were waiting for the train to Kyoto (and from thence, by shinkansen to Shinagawa). I don't know if I'll be able to get them back. If not, I'll just have to pick up a new pair of liners and a new winter hat.
Cheers,
The story of Nara goes like this.
I had wanted to check out various places in Nara in 2010, when Brian came and visited me in Japan. However, he was pretty worn out from tramping around Kyoto, and really just wanted to head back to Yokohama and chill. So I didn't get to do any sightseeing that time.
Last year, Michi's parents visited Nara during March and went to see a festival called Omizutori. They gave us a few sprigs of semi-burnt pine branch as souvenirs. Her parents explained what would happen during the festival, most of which I didn't understand too well, but it sounded interesting and Michi was more or less determined to go.
So we booked a really nice ryokan, and started looking up places to see. The festival is held at night, so we got to spend a whole day and a half sightseeing, and of course got to see the festival as well.
Kofukuji's 5 storied pagoda was actually visible from the outdoor hot tub at the ryokan. We got to take in Todaiji, Horyuji, and one other temple whose name I can't remember right now.
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| Nara is famous for these deer, among other things. They're viewed as messengers from the gods, and are quite tame. In my view, they are really boring creatures. They just stand there in the middle of the streets and sidewalks, waiting for people to give food to them. |
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| Todaiji, which houses the biggest bronze Buddha in Japan, is also the largest wooden building in the world. |
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| In Todaiji, there is this pillar with a hole in it. Those who are able to pass through it are supposed to achieve enlightenment in the next life. So it looks like I'm set. |
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| Some early cherry blossoms at Horyuji with a 5-story in the background. |
You might want to view the video I took of part of the ceremony. It is not the most riveting but it does have its moments. I have to apologize for the really annoying Japanese people from Hiroshima that you can hear commenting on everything. I wanted to tell them to shut up, but...
The main "snag" is that I forgot my glove liners and winter hat in the bathroom at Nara as we were waiting for the train to Kyoto (and from thence, by shinkansen to Shinagawa). I don't know if I'll be able to get them back. If not, I'll just have to pick up a new pair of liners and a new winter hat.
Cheers,
Monday, February 20, 2012
Fatigue
hey all,
The fatigue in the title has several meanings. I was planning a much longer, more in depth blog post about school, some news concerning Michi, and some pictures of a meal.
But then the weekend happened. We had a medium sized earthquake earlier today, not too far from Tokyo. No real damage, but still unnerving. Michi and I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey on Saturday and made homemade Gapao rice, a sweet-spicy ground chicken dish, originally from Thailand (I think).
I did a bunch of typing for work on Saturday morning, but managed to get some Battlefield 3 time in with Brian.
Today, I've been sorting through files on my computer, doing laundry, vacuuming, playing Skyrim and Battlefield 3, and I cooked my lunch for next week: mapo tofu.
That'll have to be all.
Cheers,
The fatigue in the title has several meanings. I was planning a much longer, more in depth blog post about school, some news concerning Michi, and some pictures of a meal.
But then the weekend happened. We had a medium sized earthquake earlier today, not too far from Tokyo. No real damage, but still unnerving. Michi and I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey on Saturday and made homemade Gapao rice, a sweet-spicy ground chicken dish, originally from Thailand (I think).
I did a bunch of typing for work on Saturday morning, but managed to get some Battlefield 3 time in with Brian.
Today, I've been sorting through files on my computer, doing laundry, vacuuming, playing Skyrim and Battlefield 3, and I cooked my lunch for next week: mapo tofu.
That'll have to be all.
Cheers,
Thursday, December 01, 2011
G4m3r
hey all,
Do any of you use Google's Chrome web browser? Michi has started using it, and I was tempted to give it a try, since I have a gmail account, blog through Blogger.com, and own an Android smartphone. My plan was to log on to this website, and type up this entry. BUT for some reason, Chrome wouldn't bring up the interface. I mean the program just hung there for a whole minute. Since when is a web browser designed by Google incompatible with a website owned by Google? That is like not being able to play a Blu-Ray disc (which was developed and backed mostly by Sony) on a Sony PlayStation 3. Anyway, I logged out and I don't think I'll be going back to Chrome any time soon.
I completed the penultimate assignment for my second curriculum design class last weekend, and got 29/30 on it. One of the questions I made was worded a little non-standardly, and I didn't include an answer key. I've got the last assignment due this weekend, and then I don't have another class until January 18th, which is a relief. The stress of trying to keep up with climbing, class, work, and yes, games, has been wearying. To top it all off, I seem to keep catching one bug or another every few days. Just after a week of taking medicine and when it finally seems to be getting better or even gone, I get hit with another bug which has me hacking, wheezing, and suffering with sinus headaches.
The medicine I'm taking is this orange powder that you place on your tongue and down with big glasses of water. It tastes something like rancid cinnamon: sweet and fiery, and then with a sour and somehow cloying aftertaste.
I've been putting in a few hours each day to one game or another. Skyrim is still incredibly fun, and such a broad experience. The number of characters and their viewpoints, wants, and the quests they give you really draw you into the game and make it difficult to stop: you keep saying "Just after one more quest..." And I've already mentioned the crazy fact that you can mine ore, take it to a smelter and refine it, take the ingots to a blacksmith and forge your own weapons, then take them to a grindwheel and hone them, then take them to an enchanting table, and put a magical ability on them. Apparently for those interested, you can also marry 60 different characters in the game.
Dark Souls continues to be challenging, but I have defeated several other bosses since my last post, and I have leveled up about 10 times and greatly improved my weapons.
I completed Batman, but I started the NG+, which is gamer speak for New Game +. This is basically where you play the game from the beginning again, but all the experience and gadgets, etc stay with your character. The upshot is that the game becomes much more challenging: since you start the game with so much equipment and power, the game designers make the enemies tougher, there are more of them, and some of the aids of normal mode are taken away. For example, in NG+ there are no longer any flashing marks above enemies heads to signal that they are about to attack, you just have to watch them carefully to counterattack or get hit and take the damage. The main motivation for going through the NG+ is to collect the Riddler trophies, which unlock artwork, extra maps to practice fighting and stealthing on, and which also let you rescue hostages who are scattered throughout the city.
I haven't neglected my reading, though. I finished T.H. White's Once and Future King, which I bought by accident while trying to buy it for my sister's B-Day. I also gave The Forever War a shot and greatly enjoyed that one. I'm currently reading Neal Stephenson's Reamde (that's how it's spelled, no typo there), and as usual I can't seem to put his books down.
Michi and I and my coworker went to a gym a little bit farther away than usual, and it was just a huge place. Not very long routes, but the sheer number and variety was impressive. But it takes over an hour to get there, and the train fare is pretty high, and INSERT ADDITIONAL EXCUSES HERE. Basically, it isn't very convenient and the quality of the routes seems to be a little higher at our usual place.
Cheers,
Do any of you use Google's Chrome web browser? Michi has started using it, and I was tempted to give it a try, since I have a gmail account, blog through Blogger.com, and own an Android smartphone. My plan was to log on to this website, and type up this entry. BUT for some reason, Chrome wouldn't bring up the interface. I mean the program just hung there for a whole minute. Since when is a web browser designed by Google incompatible with a website owned by Google? That is like not being able to play a Blu-Ray disc (which was developed and backed mostly by Sony) on a Sony PlayStation 3. Anyway, I logged out and I don't think I'll be going back to Chrome any time soon.
I completed the penultimate assignment for my second curriculum design class last weekend, and got 29/30 on it. One of the questions I made was worded a little non-standardly, and I didn't include an answer key. I've got the last assignment due this weekend, and then I don't have another class until January 18th, which is a relief. The stress of trying to keep up with climbing, class, work, and yes, games, has been wearying. To top it all off, I seem to keep catching one bug or another every few days. Just after a week of taking medicine and when it finally seems to be getting better or even gone, I get hit with another bug which has me hacking, wheezing, and suffering with sinus headaches.
The medicine I'm taking is this orange powder that you place on your tongue and down with big glasses of water. It tastes something like rancid cinnamon: sweet and fiery, and then with a sour and somehow cloying aftertaste.
I've been putting in a few hours each day to one game or another. Skyrim is still incredibly fun, and such a broad experience. The number of characters and their viewpoints, wants, and the quests they give you really draw you into the game and make it difficult to stop: you keep saying "Just after one more quest..." And I've already mentioned the crazy fact that you can mine ore, take it to a smelter and refine it, take the ingots to a blacksmith and forge your own weapons, then take them to a grindwheel and hone them, then take them to an enchanting table, and put a magical ability on them. Apparently for those interested, you can also marry 60 different characters in the game.
Dark Souls continues to be challenging, but I have defeated several other bosses since my last post, and I have leveled up about 10 times and greatly improved my weapons.
I completed Batman, but I started the NG+, which is gamer speak for New Game +. This is basically where you play the game from the beginning again, but all the experience and gadgets, etc stay with your character. The upshot is that the game becomes much more challenging: since you start the game with so much equipment and power, the game designers make the enemies tougher, there are more of them, and some of the aids of normal mode are taken away. For example, in NG+ there are no longer any flashing marks above enemies heads to signal that they are about to attack, you just have to watch them carefully to counterattack or get hit and take the damage. The main motivation for going through the NG+ is to collect the Riddler trophies, which unlock artwork, extra maps to practice fighting and stealthing on, and which also let you rescue hostages who are scattered throughout the city.
I haven't neglected my reading, though. I finished T.H. White's Once and Future King, which I bought by accident while trying to buy it for my sister's B-Day. I also gave The Forever War a shot and greatly enjoyed that one. I'm currently reading Neal Stephenson's Reamde (that's how it's spelled, no typo there), and as usual I can't seem to put his books down.
Michi and I and my coworker went to a gym a little bit farther away than usual, and it was just a huge place. Not very long routes, but the sheer number and variety was impressive. But it takes over an hour to get there, and the train fare is pretty high, and INSERT ADDITIONAL EXCUSES HERE. Basically, it isn't very convenient and the quality of the routes seems to be a little higher at our usual place.
Cheers,
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Last Weekend Before Moving
hey all,
We had a pretty relaxing weekend. We made some chili, and watched some "classics" on Japanese TV, including a really psychedelic one called The Girl on a Motorcycle, which stars one of Mick Jagger's flings.
Today we went rock climbing at Rocklands again. Michi did really well on the walls, climbing a bunch of simple routes with better and better form before moving on to some more challenging ones. I climbed a few simple ones, before trying my hand at some pretty difficult ones (for me at least: 5.10b/c's), and stayed at that level for most of the day.
I've had Lovely Day by Bill Withers stuck in my head since watching the movie 127 Hours again the other weekend.
It's such an amazing song, and the scene where it's used is just heart-wrenching. Something like the effect of the brainwashing that the protagonist of of A Clockwork Orange undergoes where he begins to associate torture, rape, and violence with his favorite piece of music, Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
Tomorrow, I return to work. Classes don't begin until the following week, but as I've probably said too many times: there has to be more planning and more order in what we teach, so that's what we'll be doing; planning and ordering.
There was a semi-large earthquake today around 4AM local Japan time, probably a 5 on the Richter scale. I was a little worried about my things back at my place, but when I got back today they were fine and nothing was broken or knocked over. I'm a little worried about the building that we're moving to, though. We'll be on the 8th floor, and it is not the newest building. It was probably built around 1979 or so. Younger than Michi but older than me. For the Japanese, this makes the building quite old, though.
Cheers,
We had a pretty relaxing weekend. We made some chili, and watched some "classics" on Japanese TV, including a really psychedelic one called The Girl on a Motorcycle, which stars one of Mick Jagger's flings.
Today we went rock climbing at Rocklands again. Michi did really well on the walls, climbing a bunch of simple routes with better and better form before moving on to some more challenging ones. I climbed a few simple ones, before trying my hand at some pretty difficult ones (for me at least: 5.10b/c's), and stayed at that level for most of the day.
I've had Lovely Day by Bill Withers stuck in my head since watching the movie 127 Hours again the other weekend.
It's such an amazing song, and the scene where it's used is just heart-wrenching. Something like the effect of the brainwashing that the protagonist of of A Clockwork Orange undergoes where he begins to associate torture, rape, and violence with his favorite piece of music, Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
Tomorrow, I return to work. Classes don't begin until the following week, but as I've probably said too many times: there has to be more planning and more order in what we teach, so that's what we'll be doing; planning and ordering.
There was a semi-large earthquake today around 4AM local Japan time, probably a 5 on the Richter scale. I was a little worried about my things back at my place, but when I got back today they were fine and nothing was broken or knocked over. I'm a little worried about the building that we're moving to, though. We'll be on the 8th floor, and it is not the newest building. It was probably built around 1979 or so. Younger than Michi but older than me. For the Japanese, this makes the building quite old, though.
Cheers,
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Last Weekend
hey all,
So Michi and I went through the house rules and came up with about 18 or so that we both agreed upon. As we talked about them and typed them up, we realized that this weekend would probably be our last weekend together at her apartment.
The original plan was to go rock climbing, but we ended up staying in for a little bit, and then went to see 127 Hours in the afternoon. It was even more hair-raising watching James Franco's performance on the big screen than on my laptop.
Next weekend, we are planning on trying to visit Matsumoto (should the weather hold out), and the weekend after that I'll be moving into the new room, and then the weekend after that, Michi will be moving in.
I've had some good chances to play with my new phone. Since it is linked up with my Google account, it is easy to check mail and to add events to my calendar, and I've already downloaded some Japanese study apps and a Reversi game.
Cheers,
So Michi and I went through the house rules and came up with about 18 or so that we both agreed upon. As we talked about them and typed them up, we realized that this weekend would probably be our last weekend together at her apartment.
The original plan was to go rock climbing, but we ended up staying in for a little bit, and then went to see 127 Hours in the afternoon. It was even more hair-raising watching James Franco's performance on the big screen than on my laptop.
Next weekend, we are planning on trying to visit Matsumoto (should the weather hold out), and the weekend after that I'll be moving into the new room, and then the weekend after that, Michi will be moving in.
I've had some good chances to play with my new phone. Since it is linked up with my Google account, it is easy to check mail and to add events to my calendar, and I've already downloaded some Japanese study apps and a Reversi game.
Cheers,
Monday, July 04, 2011
Weekend, and More
hey all,
The weekend was pretty good again. More apartment searching, trip planning, and rock climbing on Sunday. Somehow, I made it up a 5.11a/b without killing myself at the gym.
I also managed to shatter the bottom of my nalgene bottle by leaving it in Michi's freezer overnight with a bit too much water in it. There is currently a 10% outdoor gear sale going on at Kamoshika, an outdoor retailer, so I headed over there and picked up a metal water bottle and a new everyday backpack was well.
Michi has recently replaced one of her purses, and I think when we head up to her family's second house in a few weeks, I will suggest that we burn her purse and my old satchel together. They have both served us faithfully for many years, and deserve better than being thrown away.
For some reason, one of my student loans' interest rates has increased to 8.25APR, and I wasn't notified at all about the change or the reason for it. That prompted me to make some extra payments on my loans and change my strategy. Since I can't pick exactly which loan to pay off, I'll target the one with the highest interest rate and try to pay that off first. Hopefully by this time next year.
I've looked into more online colleges. The one that I've been looking at the most also seems to be the most expensive, so I'm starting to look at others. Since I already have an MA, I'm looking at certificates in curriculum design, which greatly reduces the price and course load. Still, the main one is around $5000 dollars and has all kinds of administrative hoops to jump through, but I've found another one for around $1400 that seems a bit easier to manage.
Cheers,
The weekend was pretty good again. More apartment searching, trip planning, and rock climbing on Sunday. Somehow, I made it up a 5.11a/b without killing myself at the gym.
I also managed to shatter the bottom of my nalgene bottle by leaving it in Michi's freezer overnight with a bit too much water in it. There is currently a 10% outdoor gear sale going on at Kamoshika, an outdoor retailer, so I headed over there and picked up a metal water bottle and a new everyday backpack was well.
Michi has recently replaced one of her purses, and I think when we head up to her family's second house in a few weeks, I will suggest that we burn her purse and my old satchel together. They have both served us faithfully for many years, and deserve better than being thrown away.
For some reason, one of my student loans' interest rates has increased to 8.25APR, and I wasn't notified at all about the change or the reason for it. That prompted me to make some extra payments on my loans and change my strategy. Since I can't pick exactly which loan to pay off, I'll target the one with the highest interest rate and try to pay that off first. Hopefully by this time next year.
I've looked into more online colleges. The one that I've been looking at the most also seems to be the most expensive, so I'm starting to look at others. Since I already have an MA, I'm looking at certificates in curriculum design, which greatly reduces the price and course load. Still, the main one is around $5000 dollars and has all kinds of administrative hoops to jump through, but I've found another one for around $1400 that seems a bit easier to manage.
Cheers,
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Weekend "Alone"
hey all,
So my weekend by myself has been pretty pleasant. I've done a few loads of laundry, skyped with my parents, played video games with Bri, had drinks with John, and gone indoor rock climbing with one of the foreigners who recently moved in to my guesthouse. So at least the flood of people moving in hasn't been all negative: I've got someone close by to chat with in English (who I don't also work with, which is important because I really want to keep professional and personal matters separate as much as I can), and in the same person I've got a workout/climbing partner.
Climbing also went pretty well today, although I think both of us weren't in the best form, but we still got in a decent number of climbs.
Michi and I talked some more. Things will work out. Having a weekend off to do other things and gather my thoughts and look at the situation has really helped, as well as the advice I've gotten from others.
I've got another week of work ahead of me, so I'm going to get to preparing lunches and tonight's dinner.
Cheers,
So my weekend by myself has been pretty pleasant. I've done a few loads of laundry, skyped with my parents, played video games with Bri, had drinks with John, and gone indoor rock climbing with one of the foreigners who recently moved in to my guesthouse. So at least the flood of people moving in hasn't been all negative: I've got someone close by to chat with in English (who I don't also work with, which is important because I really want to keep professional and personal matters separate as much as I can), and in the same person I've got a workout/climbing partner.
Climbing also went pretty well today, although I think both of us weren't in the best form, but we still got in a decent number of climbs.
Michi and I talked some more. Things will work out. Having a weekend off to do other things and gather my thoughts and look at the situation has really helped, as well as the advice I've gotten from others.
I've got another week of work ahead of me, so I'm going to get to preparing lunches and tonight's dinner.
Cheers,
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Enoshima, or In Praise of Spontaneity
hey all,
The original plan for today was to go rock climbing either at a gym in Tokyo or head over to Yugawara for the millionth time, but...Well, life happens. We woke up a little late, but yesterday I had realized on my to Tokyo that I had left the 2.8L of sweet and sour chicken I'd made sitting on the floor cooling next to my refrigerator. Two red peppers, 1 carrot, 1Kg of chicken thigh meat, 1 can of pineapple, ketchup, vinegar, and a whole lot of arrowroot starch...No way was I going to let that sit out for 36 hours and probably spoil in the meantime. 12 hours, yes. But 36?
So instead, I left before Michi and went back to my apartment and put the food in the fridge. We met back at Yokohama station and headed to Enoshima, which you can read about here or here.
If you go there, you will see lots of dragons everywhere, because of a legend that after an especially powerful earthquake, a 5-headed dragon popped out of the island (which itself had suddenly appeared) and started to lay waste to the surrounding villages and villagers. One day, the dragon encountered a beautiful goddess, and fell in love with her. The goddess, however, refused give her love to the dragon unless he changed his ways. From then on, he became a helpful dragon and stopped terrorizing and devouring the villagers.
In other news, I'm still in the process of renewing my visa. I sent them the papers they asked for, and they responded by saying that the type of visa I have is not the correct kind for the kind of workplace I'm currently at, so I need to change it. And, hooray, in order to change it there is even more paperwork that both my company and I need to gather, fill out, and mail in. I sometimes wonder if it might not be better for all involved if the Japanese just went back to beheading foreigners who crossed into Japanese territory.
Cheers,
The original plan for today was to go rock climbing either at a gym in Tokyo or head over to Yugawara for the millionth time, but...Well, life happens. We woke up a little late, but yesterday I had realized on my to Tokyo that I had left the 2.8L of sweet and sour chicken I'd made sitting on the floor cooling next to my refrigerator. Two red peppers, 1 carrot, 1Kg of chicken thigh meat, 1 can of pineapple, ketchup, vinegar, and a whole lot of arrowroot starch...No way was I going to let that sit out for 36 hours and probably spoil in the meantime. 12 hours, yes. But 36?
 |
| Yes, 2.8 liters of homemade sweet and sour chicken. When you get home at 7PM and arrive at work at 8:30AM, you tend to cook lots at once, and feast throughout the week |
If you go there, you will see lots of dragons everywhere, because of a legend that after an especially powerful earthquake, a 5-headed dragon popped out of the island (which itself had suddenly appeared) and started to lay waste to the surrounding villages and villagers. One day, the dragon encountered a beautiful goddess, and fell in love with her. The goddess, however, refused give her love to the dragon unless he changed his ways. From then on, he became a helpful dragon and stopped terrorizing and devouring the villagers.
 |
| One of the pillars on the bridge leading to Enoshima. |
 |
| Mt. Fuji just barely visible in the distance. |
 |
| One of the caves and the candle/torch the give you to light your way. |
 |
| Turtle Rock |
 |
| One of the cooler dragon shrines on the island. |
 |
| There are tons of these eagles? around. They look like Golden eagles, but I'm not sure. |
 |
| Two pieces of fried whale meat, which I bought at a street vender and yes, I ate. Pretty good, but not sure if it justifies killing them. |
In other news, I'm still in the process of renewing my visa. I sent them the papers they asked for, and they responded by saying that the type of visa I have is not the correct kind for the kind of workplace I'm currently at, so I need to change it. And, hooray, in order to change it there is even more paperwork that both my company and I need to gather, fill out, and mail in. I sometimes wonder if it might not be better for all involved if the Japanese just went back to beheading foreigners who crossed into Japanese territory.
Cheers,
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Weekend
hey all,
Interesting weekend. Got to talk and play some Bad Company with Bri Saturday morning, and continued to play video games, watch movies the rest of the day.
Actually, the interesting weekend started Friday, because the ALTs received their pay checks, and we also had our monthly meeting. I don't believe I've described them yet, so I'll go ahead and do that here. First, we get out of work a couple hours early so we can go the the meeting, which is held either in city hall or the Board of Education building (it changes). Those last couple of hours are usually dead time: for the meeting we only miss one class, and we don't have to pretend to be busy after classes are finished. We aren't scheduled long enough after school to take part in club activities, so we can't fill the time with that. So we really don't miss much.
Anyway, at the meetings, all the ALTs gather together with our coordinator, and discuss any problems we've been having. Usually, everyone has the same problems, but a few people really just like to complain. I've already written this job off, so I don't usually say anything at the meetings. We also do presentations about how to teach certain grammar points. I have gotten some good ideas from some of these presentations, but sometimes they are a waste of time.
The highlight of these meetings is actually the drinking of alcohol which takes place immediately afterwards. This is usually lots of fun, but I've taken to leaving them earlier than everyone else, because they frequently devolve into complain sessions: all the complaints that don't get voiced to the school, the students, and our company, all the complaints about Japanese people, culture, food, etc, just come gushing out in torrent of negativity, which I really can't stand. Sometimes there will be one person voicing a few positive things that just get drowned out in the rising tide. The last thing I need when I'm imbibing an emotional downer like alcohol is lots of negative things flying at me like the monkeys in The Wizard of Oz.
This month's post-meeting imbibing was going pretty well, but I still left early because this time I didn't feel like drinking lots of wine and whiskey on an empty stomach.
Today was supposed to be a shopping day, but that got nipped in the bud this morning when Michi suddenly got angry at me. We've made up, but I see lots of fights like this in the future. It boils down not to personality, character, bad habits, or anything like that, but just the fact that I'm American and she's Japanese. I have to admit that these conflicts have lost some of their cuteness.
Anyway, we did end up doing the shopping, and even tying up a few more loose ends about future trips.
Cheers,
Interesting weekend. Got to talk and play some Bad Company with Bri Saturday morning, and continued to play video games, watch movies the rest of the day.
Actually, the interesting weekend started Friday, because the ALTs received their pay checks, and we also had our monthly meeting. I don't believe I've described them yet, so I'll go ahead and do that here. First, we get out of work a couple hours early so we can go the the meeting, which is held either in city hall or the Board of Education building (it changes). Those last couple of hours are usually dead time: for the meeting we only miss one class, and we don't have to pretend to be busy after classes are finished. We aren't scheduled long enough after school to take part in club activities, so we can't fill the time with that. So we really don't miss much.
Anyway, at the meetings, all the ALTs gather together with our coordinator, and discuss any problems we've been having. Usually, everyone has the same problems, but a few people really just like to complain. I've already written this job off, so I don't usually say anything at the meetings. We also do presentations about how to teach certain grammar points. I have gotten some good ideas from some of these presentations, but sometimes they are a waste of time.
The highlight of these meetings is actually the drinking of alcohol which takes place immediately afterwards. This is usually lots of fun, but I've taken to leaving them earlier than everyone else, because they frequently devolve into complain sessions: all the complaints that don't get voiced to the school, the students, and our company, all the complaints about Japanese people, culture, food, etc, just come gushing out in torrent of negativity, which I really can't stand. Sometimes there will be one person voicing a few positive things that just get drowned out in the rising tide. The last thing I need when I'm imbibing an emotional downer like alcohol is lots of negative things flying at me like the monkeys in The Wizard of Oz.
This month's post-meeting imbibing was going pretty well, but I still left early because this time I didn't feel like drinking lots of wine and whiskey on an empty stomach.
Today was supposed to be a shopping day, but that got nipped in the bud this morning when Michi suddenly got angry at me. We've made up, but I see lots of fights like this in the future. It boils down not to personality, character, bad habits, or anything like that, but just the fact that I'm American and she's Japanese. I have to admit that these conflicts have lost some of their cuteness.
Anyway, we did end up doing the shopping, and even tying up a few more loose ends about future trips.
Cheers,
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Dave's Lonely Weekend
hey all,
The original plan for this weekend got scraped. Instead of having dinner with Michi and watching a movie yesterday, I talked with Brian and played video games. Michi wasn't feeling well, so she didn't come up.
Today was much the same. Michi thought she might be up to the trip today, but still wasn't feeling well. I've been watching Goemon, Valkyrie and Blood: The Last Vampire. Really a pretty disappointing and lonely weekend.
Cheers,
The original plan for this weekend got scraped. Instead of having dinner with Michi and watching a movie yesterday, I talked with Brian and played video games. Michi wasn't feeling well, so she didn't come up.
Today was much the same. Michi thought she might be up to the trip today, but still wasn't feeling well. I've been watching Goemon, Valkyrie and Blood: The Last Vampire. Really a pretty disappointing and lonely weekend.
Cheers,
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