It's funny, but as I grow closer and closer to leaving Japan, I am starting to love it more and more (this is actually a well-documented part of culture shock, but anyway...). So it's a bit frustrating that I'm leaving. Yesterday, I was going down to a job fair in Tokyo to see if I could possibly get a job, or at the very least, to get some practice in interviewing. But there was a small problem. Namely, this. I was one of the unfortunate 2,000 people trapped on the Shinkansen for most of the day, and as a result, missed the job fair, which was a bit frustrating. However, event though everyone seems to think I should be mad, but it's hard to think that way. I was annoyed at the inconvenience until I found out exactly how bad it was, and that people died (nine at the moment). At that point, you really realize that there's nothing you can do sometimes. Sometimes life just happens to you. As much as I try hard to be a proactive person, and to work for the life that I want, at the same time, I have to remember to recognize that there is so much out there beyond our control. But end conclusion is that it seems like my time in Japan really is up for the moment, as a literal Act of God prevented me from interviewing for anything. 残念。
Anyway, on a less philosophical note, because I didn't make it down to Tokyo, after spending the rest of my day trying to get back to Hachinohe City in Aomori (where I had left from), I went to a taco party, and ate some great tacos. Had a good time hanging out with the Hach kids, and then fell asleep at Jody's while watching a scary Filipino movie. (After which I apparently talked about cookies in my sleep. God, I'm deep.) Then Jody decided to show us some of the Japanese dramas she's been watching lately, since none of us really watch Japanese tv. Hilariously, all of us got really hooked on the show she showed us, and had to eventually be kicked out. Of course, for added silliness points, all of us are leaving Japan in about five weeks. And NOW is the time we all decided to get hooked on the tv.
Anyway, here is a feature on the drama we were watching. It's called 'Zettai Kareshi' (Absolute Boyfriend) and is essentially a story about a woman who accidentally buys a perfect robot boyfriend for a million dollars. Hilarity (and romance) ensue. It's actually based on a manga that I had read a while ago, but I tend to get bored with manga before they really get anywhere plot-wise, as they tend to go on FOREVER. Anyway, the original was about some high school students, and I personally like this one much better. (Maybe because I have more in common with twenty-somethings than high-school students ^-~) As Japanese television shows, rather than going season by season, are usually a fixed series for a certain amount of episodes before they finish, I'm hoping the ten episodes of this will come out to a well-plotted conclusion. Yay drama!
Every once in awhile I have these moments where life is perfect, and I want to hold onto that experience forever. As I am getting geared up to return home, I am having more and more of those moments, as I try to squeeze the most out of my remaining time here.
Note: I lost my camera in Shikoku, so the two pictures here are stolen from a friend of mine, Mark Montgomery, who is an extremely talented photographer. You can find more of his pictures here.
So in between working on my resume, writing an article for the Aomori Rough Guide, planning a bake sale for our charity, Everest of Apples, and actually doing my real job, I have been watching a bit of TV lately. Specifically, I have been watching the new Doctor Who, and it's spin-off, Torchwood. Both of which are excellent (in an extremely cheezy way), and which everyone should watch.
Had a ridiculously good day today with some very good friends. Bit of backstory first though. Last week, I took most of the week off to do a backcountry avalanche safety snowboarding course. I spend a lot of time snowboarding, in particular at a mountain range called Hakkoda, which has two proper runs, and a whole lot of backcountry. I'm not really a good enough boarder to be doing so much backcountry, and last year there was a bad incident at Hakkoda where two people on a guided backcountry tour were killed by an avalanche, so we've always tried to be careful, and a friend, Melanie, had the idea of a few of us doing a safety course, and so we arranged for a guy, Dave, who runs an outfit in Nagano, Evergreen Outdoor Center, to come up and give us a basic safety course. We spent five days hiking around Hakkoda in snowshoes, digging test pits, camping, snowboarding, and learning a lot about snow, weather, and basic rescue techniques in the event of an avalanche.
Anyway, so this Sunday, a few of us from the course, me, Melanie and Julia, decided that we wanted to get some practice in, and play on the (8 cms ;-;) of fresh powder that fell on Saturday. So we went out this afternoon, did some hiking, did some boarding (and skiing in Mel's case), dug a test pit (snow condition = stable, some sluffing) and generally had a fab time. It's really nice to feel like you really know what you're doing out there. And that it's safe not just because you assume it's safe, or there are a lot of other tracks (which there weren't) but because you know the mountain, and the conditions, and the snow, and you know what all of that means. So today the three of us were pretty impressed with ourselves, and got to have a grand old time feeling like experts.
Having kind of a difficult time typing this as my left wrist is in a splint. Typing right hand-only is a bit dodgy. Went snowboarding yesterday, and went down a trail I haven't been down this year, where they're doing a lot of construction of features. Unfortunately got myself into mogul territory, and while trying to get out of it, hit a ditch in the run. I jumped it, but landed badly, and slid my snowboard into my wrist. It's not broken, but it's pretty badly sprained. So I had my first trip to a Japanese hospital. It wasn't horrifying (I have heard nightmare stories), but it didn't leave me particularly impressed. They x-rayed my wrist, and when they determined that it wasn't broken, they wrote me a prescription for shippus and then sent me on my way. A shippu is a cold pack, and these might be medicated, but given that they didn't even stabilize my wrist, I was pretty annoyed. I went to the pharmacy, figuring I'd buy myself an Ace bandage, etc and do it myself, but when I tried to, it just hurt too bad and I couldn't do it. Anyway, so I went back to the hospital and made them give me a splint, which helps a bit, and was definitely necessary. I have to go back on Monday to pay my bill, and I think they intend to take the splint off then, but I don't think I'll be willing to give it back by then. They also actually wrote me a prescription for drugs this time, but I haven't filled it yet. I have not heard good things about Japanese medication, and I dislike medication enough without having to eff around with a powder that I have to measure out and take on a schedule I probably can't read. I'll probably get it filled tomorrow, but I'm not really in any major rush.
Been in a good mood lately, bit stressed out about money stuff, but that's pretty much always true. Still bolstered by my vacay, and planning things for my last year on JET, and how to tackle the real world after I am (most likely) booted from Japan's tetrapod encrusted shores.
So I saw the new MacBook Air yesterday, and baby, I WANT IT. My computer is already on it's way out, with no working disc drive, a cracked casing, not anywhere near enough hard drives space or ram, and too slow a processor. I realize the MacBook Air isn't necessarily more practical than the MacBook Pro for my usage (although slightly cheaper), but ooh, do I want it. Especially as I think I'm looking at two more years before going back to school, and that's long enough that I'm going to need to upgrade my hardware either when I start, or not too long after, because the programs I'll need will take a workhorse. Meanwhile, I want a lovely machine on which to run Illustrator, keep my pictures, music and television, make the new yearbook on Quark, play my games, and schlep with me anywhere I care to go. Definitely going to start saving my pennies now, and hope that I can buy it for my birthday. If I'm really lucky, they'll have a hardware upgrade and a price downgrade before my birthday comes around. Hoping to buy the external superdrive to use in the meantime when I'm in Sapporo, which should hold off some of the current problems and let me watch movies and play games again.
So it's Monday, but today was a national holiday, so it's the end of the weekend and it feels like Sunday. It's a little weird to think about the fact that a week ago I was in Cambodia (although admittedly about to get on a flight home). I'm back in Aomori, powder has been falling like crazy, I spent today snowboarding, and my main priority is staying warm while still managing to wear clean clothes. Rather than everything being a dollar, I can't even buy a small can of coffee for a dollar. Also, Thursday after I got back, I managed to rear-end a bus-type thingie while sliding on the ice (going apx 5 kms/hr) and I now have to pay for new headlight mounts and probably some other minor repairs (Can't get it looked at until I get paid though). Luckily the bus driver was all "It's okay, don't worry about it" and he didn't want to call the police (no damage to his bus) because my office had previously told me if I had another accident they'd find a way to confiscate my car.


I think the term comes from the northern part of England where I grew up. read more
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