Tokyo, Top-Down View

The blog is dead, God save the blog.

2009-01-27T02:33:00.002+09:00

This blog served it's purpose--multiple purposes, actually. They have been:

Glimpse into one (more) foreigner's analysis of how things work in Tokyo
Sharing zany Japan stuff (ala http://www.engrish.com/)
Chance to share my life with friends/loved ones
Outlet for observations & the incessant analysis filling my brain 24/7
Documentation & info for expats doing an internet search

But I moved! [[How to move from Tokyo 101: The problem is getting rid of used items, which are generally NOT wanted in Tokyo. Stage 1) 2 mo. previous give/offloading stuff accumulated in 2 years to friends. Stage 2) sell remaining stuff & electronics via craigslist <== worked surprisingly well for me; price to move and it'll be GONE. Stage 3) mailed a LOT to avoid baggage fees, books, clothes, gifts, etc.]]

So I'm not in Tokyo any more. .. When I left, my friends joked "OK, so when will you be back?" I have no plans to be back. Not against it, but it depends on the job I manage to find. Wish me luck!

Thanks for checking in, and for the support over the years. If the time is right for me to start blogging again, post up here, and I'll post a link to the new blog at some point. Best wishes

Tokyo apartment entry-way

2008-10-15T17:45:00.001+09:00

Typical bachelor-pad entryway

What "only in Japan" items can you spot here?

PS I have a slew of photos piling up, promise! Be prepared for an series entitled "Tokyo Trash"

new hobby (lawyer version)

2008-10-06T13:18:00.002+09:00

I've been collecting a lot of information on college campuses lately. In fact, this blog blurb is a distraction, but I felt inspired to share after stumbling onto this photo:

[edit: photo removed]
Example of a late-90's era website: scientist bio

(I'm convinced this guy looks totally different in real life.. unfortunately.) Some observations:

Medium-sized schools that got their webpages up in the early days of the internet tend to let it show.
Schools with a regional view tend to forget that the internet is global
It is really easy to take a bad portrait
In extreme cases, it's possible for the geeky look to loop around on itself and be interesting and compelling. You can't fake that.
Smaller liberal arts schools tend to be arty and updated. Larger-sized schools tend to hire students from liberal arts schools to work in the "Office of website management" corner of IT, which the medium-sized schools can't afford.

EDIT:
Those close and more wise than me suggested that it's risky, or at least in bad taste, to post a photo (or perhaps, a link to the original page with that photo) of someone and describe that photo and website as "geeky" or "old fashioned." Not everyone is a photography hobbyist who makes fun of themselves quite as readily as I do--perhaps I am being insensitive to the plight of a guy who's been asking to have his photo updated for the past 9 years but every year gets told "No!"

What do you think? Is it unwise/unfair/uncooth of me to use such a personal example (a portrait) to make my point that "early/old websites really need to spend money to update their web-presence" ... even when that website is open to the public? Did I understate the fact that I like and find it interesting for people to have a distinct, unique fashion sense?

... related, perhaps more interesting food for thought: corporate photos are a tradition in many industries, and I'm sure a large fraction of employees would prefer to have more control about which photos get used & how their used. Are there employee photo rights? Should there be different levels of "photo use rights" depending whether the photo is in a collage in the lobby or used online?

Surgery update

2008-09-11T15:30:00.005+09:00

Certain family members are sick of hearing overly-descriptive details of my surgery process, but I thought I'd post a bit of an update anyway.

I still have pain. A bit of tenderness popped up, telling me that I must have over-done it. But it made me realize just how far I've progressed: walking like normal (full speed, no shuffle), hustling if I'm late for the train, even jogging now and then. More importantly, I'm on my bicycle every day. It's so much more convenient! 15 min from work instead of 35.

But I think the bicycle is what caused the tenderness below my scar to flare up. About three weeks ago my bicycle speed progressed from the Japan-standard "Mama Speed" to my more typical "he knows how to use gears and stuff" road speed. That makes normal road bumps harder, with less time to stand and lessen the blow of big ones. Since I have long legs, my seat is high. That means my body angles over, which puts a lot of pressure on the lower abdomen. And in addition the bicycle seat ... well, no delicate way to put it, it puts quite a unique amount of pressure on the crotch region. Which is the ingronial region.

Needless to say, when it started to hurt more about two weeks ago, I notched back the speed, taking it easy again. In addition to going slow, I've been riding as upright as possible. (Wish I had an adjustable handlebar stem.) The pain and tenderness is less as a result.

When it first appeared, I feared that the repair had failed, so I tried a few gentle abdominal "pushes" to look for the movement/swelling symptom that had been there before the operation: nothing. But if the pain comes back, of course I'll go see the doctor.

In general I feel a lot better, but obviously the body is telling me "You're not 100% yet." I'd love to play soccer in Tokyo again before I leave, but looks like that might not be possible. Maybe November? .. A lot longer than the 2 months I had originally hoped for. At least I can jog slowly--better than nothing!

... I should also mention: there's also an annoying surface pain, immediately at the scar. Could be a hair growing at a bad angle--it's kind of like a splinter, where the bark is worse than the bite. It sometimes occurs when I sit down, as my clothes settle. It occurs more strongly if I wear close-fitting undershorts instead of boxers.

It goes away if I lightly sweep away hair near the scar.. but that isn't always socially acceptable behavior. "OH, no, I had surgery, you see... really."

Spend $1080 at 7-11

2008-08-29T11:12:00.000+09:00

You know you've been Japan too long when you ... (see title)

Payin' the bills! Health insurance, phone, & .. national income tax

(Add the highlighted bits, divide by 100 to roughly get the amount in USD. And keep in mind that this is in addition to 83000JPY [$830] for rent, and that my apartment would be 1/3 to 1/2 this cost most places I'm likely to live soon. ... I'm dipping into savings to get by this month.)

By switching from full time to part time, I've stumbled upon new facet of Japanese culture that I'd previously been shielded from. Taxes and national health insurance are normally the responsibility of one's company. That's right, Japanese people don't have to file their taxes--and, they get national "you pay 1/3" health insurance. In your company, there's always an office somewhere that has people that push buttons and make forms work, and then later, magically, you get a paycheck and all the taxes & insurance are paid.

..unless you work part time. Then all that stuff becomes your business. And it sucks.

It could have been the stupidest thing I've done since arriving in this country, but 20 minutes ago I paid about $1080 (in cash, of course--this is Japan) at my 7-11. The clerk stuttered when politely reading the amount. One zero (at least) too many..

Why so much, you ask? Well, the income tax is calculated based on your previous year's amount. This incredibly stupid system means that if you go from full time to one part time job, you MUST pay double (or slightly more than double) taxes the first year you're part time. Or hire an accountant. Which you can't afford. Because you work part time.

I now appreciate why things don't change fast here. If you change, you get screwed.

Anyway... I paid my bills like a good responsible citizen. I don't want any trouble. And I know that the system won't change for me--my recourse now is to get an accountant who will file for my refund in the (very likely) event of my leaving the country. At the very least, I feel 100% confident that the system will refund to me some time next year at least half of what I just paid.

Tokyo Dome baseball

2008-07-30T12:48:00.000+09:00

Finally got a chance to mark off something on my "Gosh, I really should do that" list.

Baseball cocktails, anyone?

The structure was the first baseball dome built in Japan. Before seeking wikipedia just now, I hadn't realized it kept it shape via air pressure, but that certainly explains the super-strong whoosh you get when going out the door. (On entry they use forcibly rotating doors, but I guess they can't handle the mass rush of people going home.) To be honest, it looks newer (and bigger) from the outside.

Three interesting differences to American baseball & baseball parks. One is pictured above: beer girls. Actually the girl above is a wine and cocktail girl--the beer girls each have a half-keg strapped to their backs. They appear to be employed by the beer companies; You know to look for hot pink if you want Asahi beer, for example. There were also hot-dog girls and ice cream girls. They walk to the end of the aisle and bow before asking for orders.

Second interesting difference (which may only apply to the Yomuri Giants team) is what you get if you hit a home run (zoom in below on the cheerleader)

Ramirez! Ramir... I mean.. La-Mee-Ray! La-Mee-Ray!

Just what every slugger dreams off--a stuffed animal! (The animal does not get tossed in the crowd, more like on the ground to keep hands free for high-fives.) Ramirez was quite the star of the evening with multiple HR and RBIs; unfortunately I couldn't snap a video of the cute little dance he does in front of the TV camera with the team mascot when he scores a HR (at the end of the team line). ... Or the on-camera MVP interview that most folks in the stands waited for.

The third thing that was different was the "cheer" section. In the outfield were the supporters, all wearing the team jersey. Right-field was home team--and they really really won (after I arrived, their good luck charm). But left-field had a 100% full section, complete with trumpets and drums, and they stayed to the very last out despite the 8 run difference. .. Even more impressive, I'm told that the fans organize these things without any support or organizational aid from the team. No official "supporter section" tickets--they must reserve seats WAY in advance.

Not the target

2008-07-29T08:54:00.001+09:00

Something tells me I'm not the target audience for this train station poster:

Hello Bow-Infested Kitty
Sadly, not quite as bizarre as Blank Stare Kitty Wielding Jaws-of-Life, but the sheer number of bows she's sporting prompted me to take the shot.

In addition, there's food. To a non-Japanese person like me, it seems pretty out of place. Girl dressed like a princess: no problem. But beef bowl?? .. sponsor? Suggestions for house-keeping Mom?

Quiz: What does this ad motivate you to do? What do you think is being advertised?

Japan vs. world oil crisis?

2008-07-18T16:47:00.004+09:00

First, in case you missed it, check out a recent speech by a Nobel prize winner about how the US can and should be selling / running cars 100% carbon-free by 2018.

Second, since this is a Tokyo analysis blog, I'll reveal a recent observation I made: Japan is well-suited to survive a world oil crisis.

Don't mean to forbode, or dooms-day, or sooth say. I really hope our planet's transition from oil is smooth. (I'm also not going to start talking about global warming.) But oil is running out, and prices are going up. If there is a burp in productivity, prices will burp too. It makes sense to start thinking about how we can live on less oil.

And I've gotta say that Japan seems better off than the US in this regard. People are used to crowded living. The live-able land is as big as a US state, whereas the population is about HALF the US population. The fraction of power that comes from nuclear is pretty high, and the fraction of people that drive daily is small.

I think the biggest reason is cultural: Japanese people are still culturally aware of their feudal age, which officially ended only 150 years ago. People want to live close together--a holdover from the time when a village had to weigh land for rice patties over privacy, I think. "Crowded" has a connotation of happy and lively.

The result is super narrow streets that cars literally don't fit on--where would you park it anyway? And neighborhoods where it literally is faster go shopping at the supermarket by bicycle. The only vehicles guaranteed to run every day are delivery trucks and scooters.

Of course, the other benefit of having a shadow memory of feudal times is the ability to cope. You don't often hear Japanese people complaining about a late bus, or having to take the bus in the first place. ... I can't imagine there'd be much time wasted on a "Why did this have to happen to me" reaction if the flow of foreign oil happened to stop. They'd just say "Oh well". And then "So, who wants to walk next door for noodles?"

Benz cop?

2008-07-11T00:04:00.000+09:00

I did a double take from my bicycle when I saw this. It looked a bit like Germany, so many Mercedes.. until I realized that the lights belonged to a mini-sized toyota behind it.

... Sadly I was blind to the cars being on the wrong side of the road.. and the van saying PUMPKIN... oh well

Sneeze and a half

2008-07-10T08:18:00.003+09:00

In light of passing the week anniversary, today is 8 days since the procedure, thought I could spend a few words on symptoms and observations.

Short version: try not to sneeze. It hurts.

Long version:

Every day is a little different, generally with less and less bad stuff. Same as before the surgery, the mornings are better than the evenings. I got bruising, I got aches. Piercing pain tends to hit around 4pm.

A growing problem is the plastic wrap thing--imagine a big clear sticker. I imagine it was placed on my (shaved) skin at the end of the procedure by two people: one to stretch out the area and the other to apply it. At first, due to the swelling, it was pretty smooth. But now the swelling has gone down to about 25% of how it used to be, so the plastic is rippling and the edges are more stiff. I get a whole range of sensations; my hair is growing back but is trapped underneath the plastic. It's like beard itch and a bandaid slowly peeling off at the same time. ... The blood that had leaked and pooled under the plastic is now all dry--so that's also a bit odd. Looking forward to my appointment next Monday to get the plastic off and that stuff finally cleaned.

I'm depleting my medicine cabinet pretty quickly. The anti-inflammatory diclofenac that I got when leaving the hospital ran out the third back home. Now I'm doing acetaminophen for pain and sometimes ibuprofen for swelling.

I can't laugh, can't cough.. and sneezing hurts. I've had two sneezing events since the surgery. One of them was a half sneeze--somehow I stiffled it. Yesterday I had a 3/4 sneeze, and it nearly knocked me out!! I had a throbbing pain for the rest of the day. ..if my procedure happened during the spring time, I'd definitely take anti-allergy (loratadine). Sneeze risk a serious deal.

... but I should add, not everything is bad. Not sure if it's due to stress relief, an unobstructed pathway now that my small intestine is where it should be, or the cleansing effect of hospital food, but ... well, hopefully I can be indirect about what I mean. Very efficient use of time on the toilet.

Edit: Forgot to mention two things. #1) There was some internal leakage during the procedure, resulting in dark coloration of the back/rear side of my right scrotal sac. (Same side as the hernia.) That discoloration is now gone. I wasn't checking it every day, but I guess it was the first bruising to appear and recover. #2) My Dad experienced numbness near his incision, but I never did. I can feel through the plastic pretty well.

Please do it at home

2008-07-05T11:11:00.000+09:00

There's a ad campaign to promote good behavior on Tokyo subways. Here's a snapshot I took just before my surgery.

Meaning? Here's what I think, either:

Please dance like Stevie Wonder at home.

or

Please clean your ears out (guy on right) at home.

What do you think?

Dating your nurse

2008-07-04T12:49:00.004+09:00

First, I want to say that my surgery proceeded normally, and I'm starting to feel better. My procedure was exactly 48 hours ago. I have some swelling and some pain when I move, but I feel lost better today than yesterday. If the trend continues, I'll be walking like normal in 5 or 6 days. (I'm still doing the hospital shuffle at the moment.) [I'll add a couple things in the advice post.]

But I have a new problem: I'm in love with my nurse.

... OK, not really "Love" but it sounds more dramatic that way. Let's just say, she's really cute, what's more she seems like a good person, and I'm interested in learning more about her and seeing her again.

This brings up two questions. #1 Is this some kind of patient-caregiver syndrome, like what happened in "Back to the Future" between Marty and his (future) Mom but in reverse? #2 How do you make that awkward first step at changing a professional relationship into a personal one?

The answer to #1 I'm leaving up to you guys. Am I being dumb? Please comment.

The answer to #2, I think, is to bring a little thank-you gift, like a fruit basket, next time I come to the hospital for my appointment, which is about 10 days from now. I'll print out the photo of me and her (taken by my request) and include my email on the back in case she wants to meet and practice English. ... We occasionally spoke about how to say different things that she often says to patients in English, so maybe that would be appropriate. (For examplle instead of "Please check your wound," to use "Please let me check your wound.") The point being, if she's interested she can write me. But if not, I'm just being thankful for the nursing staff who helped me out the past couple days.

Yes, I've been thinking about that. Could be I consider a nurse to be a good match since there are many nurses in my family, I dunno.

Inguinal hernia in Tokyo - advice

2008-07-01T16:24:00.005+09:00

In case some of my ex-pat comrades stumble upon this blog because they're going through the same thing as me, I thought I should journal a bit of the process I've gone through in the last few weeks.

If you Googled "inguinal hernia Tokyo" then chances are you've at least gotten a preliminary diagnosis. If not, here are some points:

Step 1, clinic. In Japan, you'll pay about a $50 fee if you go directly to the hospital without a referral letter. The idea is to promote preventive medicine and get more people to go to local clinics.
It can be almost any clinic; they're used to writing letters. Go to a clinic you're comfortable with. I was lucky to find a bowel/internal guy close to my apartment who advertises "English-speaking Doctor in Tokyo." (He's also on lists on embassy websites. (Check out US, Oz, and NZ sites)
Double-check health insurance coverage before you go. I'm part time thus on Japan National Health Insurance, which means no access to the "foreigner clinics" in Roppongi/Embassy part of town.

Once you've got a referral, there are some points that might speed up your hospital decision process:

This is fixed by surgery. Real surgery, anesthesia, sutures, battle scars, the whole bit. BUT NOTE: it's a common surgery with very low risks.
On the net you'll find information that endoscopic / laparoscopic / video camera procedures might seem like the way to go. Smaller scars, quicker recovery, etc. However, the truth is that method takes twice as long on the table as conventional mesh-type herniorrhaphy (aka hernia repair) with a slightly larger set of risks. (Though still low.) It isn't an every-day procedure in the US, and in Japan it's even more rare. If you really want it, you'll likely have to search or travel for surgery.
Most doctors speak so-so English, but most staff have broken English at best. If you have a friend / significant figure to help you, use them.
Seems like most hospitals have ID cards, looks like a credit card. Always keep that handy, it gets swiped a lot.
Important one: Surgeons don't consider this procedure to be a terribly challenging job--it's routine. So, if you go to a renown university hospital, you're almost guaranteed to get a young less-experienced person doing the procedure. A smaller, private hospital is more likely to assign an experienced surgeon when you ask for it.
Each time you leave the hospital you're likely to stick cash into a machine (as if buying stamps).

One more set of information, obtained with help from my anesthesiologist uncle:

The two common choices for anesthesia are spinal and general. Most surgeons have a preference for one over the other, but if not you might get to choose. Worth asking.
Spinal anesthesia involves putting your lower body to sleep by numbing your spine. A very thin needle is used to administer a single drug directly to the spine. The upper body is awake (& you too).
- Spinal is super cheap and has less risk of allergic reaction (when only one active drug), but when the numbness wears off most young guys go through a painful, messy, and potentially embarrassing episode with the urinary catheter.
- Some patients want to be able to talk with their surgeon during the procedure.
- Sedation is an option to help the time pass (and perhaps lessen anxiety) but then the prices jumps back up to the same as General.
General anesthesia involves drugs through the IV line. There's often a mixture of at least two drugs, one to put you 100% out and the other to stop all body movement.

General anesthesia is pricey, and a tube goes down your throat to ensure that the body gets enough oxygen. It's there for a couple hours, so the throat will hurt and you might be hoarse for a while. The plus side is that you're body is 100% stationary for the surgeon, and you get to simply wake up when it's over.

If you couldn't tell, I chose General. (It was the catheter that did it for me.)

When you get your check-in date, you'll get a list of things you should bring. Some of these things are unlike Western-country hospitals. In case your list is in a language you can't read, it includes: [[**See Edit coments]]

Slippers with rubber soles. Guess you might have to walk through .. liquid.
Cup for tea/coffee, if you want it between meals.
Pajamas.
Robe. My hospital seems to emphasize this point: no roaming in pajamas. I just bought some yukata for summer so I'll bring one to use as a robe and use zori as my slippers.
Kleenex / tissue.
Towels. My hospital has different level rooms; most rooms get towel changes but the cheapest ones don't.
Underwear / undershirts / socks / etc, enough for the whole stay. They don't do laundry, traditionally your family members take care of that.
Toiletries: toothbrush/etc, soap, shampoo/etc, razor. Too bad hospitals aren't set up like love hotels which (as I've heard) have all that complimentary.

It's a little bit like camping! Though probably anything you need is available at a gift shop or near-by shop. I've made my own supplementary list:

cell phone charger
laptop with movies & shows I wanna watch. .. so I don't have to pay for a TV rental card
AC cord for laptop
stuffed animal so I can mark where my scar is and not have to awkwardly point to my groin region all the time.
ATM card. They traditionally get payment at check-out. My bank's machine is even in the lobby! Credit card should also work.

That's it! If I have anything to add once it's all over, I'll edit my post and tack new advice below.

I check-in tomorrow. .. Yesterday's appointment with the head of anesthesia reassured me so much that I'm almost dreading the 9am rush hour more than the procedure.. Wish me luck

[[Edit: Comments after checking-out]]

My impression of my stay was as I expected or better. Part of that may be due to a room upgrade for the same price--as explained to me, the lower rate room I'd requested and they said would be available was full, so I was given the much better room for the same price. It included towel service, a cup for tea, and hand soap in the bath room. I was thankful for my shampoo, kleenex, and PC notebook with movies.

Also, I should comment that the swelling near my incision (which is a bit higher up on my body than where my hernia poked out) is substantial, and I was very glad to be wearing a loose / free form yukata on my way home. Perhaps my obi looked like crap since it was tied very loose, but without being able or wanting to use any abdominal muscles, my belly pooches out a LOT now. So.. not having to button trousers has been a very good thing. Loose boxers as underwear has also been great--worn high to reduce pressure on the critical zone.

As far as the procedure goes, everything went as I expected. I'd stayed up late the night before the procedure getting everything packed, and that combined with the many naps I'd taken immediately after the surgery perhaps lead to a hard time sleeping through the night. But the second night I slept great and woke up with no pain. Good stuff. ... Just as it was before the procedure, staying prone and lying down is the best way to be.

Best of luck to any of you going through this too! I'll make occasional comments about my recovery as time goes by so maybe you can gauge how long it really takes.

pre-hospital whirlwind

2008-07-01T15:11:00.004+09:00

Tomorrow is the day. Things have been fairly hectic lately. Or it could be that trying to keep a "normal" Tokyo schedule is a bit trying at present.

In the past 5 days I've prepared and given group seminar, waited about an hour for an appointment with my surgeon, had dinner with the lab to welcome a visiting student from my alma mater, met with friends twice, tried a new restaurant to keep things fresh, prepared an submitted a job application with cover letter and sample 600-word editorial on a recent nanotech paper, met with my anesthesiologist, filled in my paperwork for my June pay stub, signed a release on a court settlement from a car crash that was ages ago, sewed a new hem on my yukata so I can wear it in the hospital as a robe, and typed a blog entry.

(I left out a few things, but you get the drift.)

... What I really want to do at this point is document my condition, so I can read it later and ~~decide if~~ be reassured that it was all really worth it.

Right now as I type, the pain is not that bad. From when I wake in the morning until early afternoon I'm fine--I simply have a little ponch on one side of the lowest part of the abdomen when I stand up. It's totally gone with I lie down. (In fact, I've envisioned taking a photo of the area as pre-scar documentation, but.. uh.. still haven't figured out a non compromising pose to make...)

Eventually the region gets tender, as if someone had punched me hard enough to hit my pelvis bone. I self-consciously start protecting it. Then a nerve to other nearby areas (which need not be mentioned) must get activated, some kind of secondary effect, which makes me feel like I just got kicked in the groin.

I walk slow when that happens. Real slow.

I have a lot in common with the Tokyo retiree community these days. Youngins move faster than me, I don't ride the train at times when I can't get a seat, and when I do get a seat I make one of a variety of "coming in for a landing" grunts. (...I think a lot of it is psychological, because I really don't want to enlarge the herniation.)

So, despite typical surgery fears (general anesthesia, scarring, etc), cheapness (a bed for $300/night?!? damn!), and anxiety over inevitable cultural differences, I have good reasons to look forward to my surgery. All this will be fixed up soon.

I really look forward to the moment when I'm fit enough to play soccer (2 months?) and jog again.

fun with Jpn -> Eng translation

2008-06-20T23:19:00.004+09:00

Just wanted to share a bit of my daily goodness, obtained by translating this page regarding hospital readmissions from Japanese to English using Google's free translator. (And I'll date myself by admitting I used to do the same thing for fun using AltaVista..)

Re-examination of
The ministry said in principle with a reservation system. Book a visit, if not, can not be consultation during the day.
...
If re-examination
Automatic re-examination of the patient's procedure for accepting machines. Plane tickets to the information desk in consultation please.

Reception from the old machine votes and calling card is in consultation. Either you do not forget to KUDASAI.
Pass a physical examination and consultation vote calling card to put aside the old machine accepting the folder available please be transparent.
Accepting the aircraft surrounded by people who volunteer, and the patient was also embarrass immediate help.

So.. what would YOU do upon entering the hospital? Hint: it has nothing to do with voting. Or aircraft surrounded by volunteers...

nano-Energy

2008-06-20T14:12:00.002+09:00

I'm a bad, bad man.

I haven't posted here in too long. My threats to post interesting photos are lame...

So if you're not reading this, I don't blame you.

... HOWEVER, in my defense, I've been to job fairs, I've honed and re-honed my resume numerous times, I've been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia (no worries, mine's not too painful), I've experienced frustration & convenience within the world that is Tokyo health-care, and I've been trying to keep up with Japanese lessons and research all the while. You can try to make me feel guilty about not blogging, but it probably won't work.

To tide you over, check out an interesting whitepaper that does a fair job explaining what's important to many scientists these days. I'm very happy to field questions about it; to me it reads like a newspaper, but I admit my perspective is one from the inside... In fact, I'm curious what parts you find particularly sci-gibberish-y. (Please comment!)

Section 2.5 is especially relevant to my general area of research. You're allowed to skip over technical bits. In fact, I skipped over most of the "mineral extraction" sections--the author obviously needs to mention that due to his university. (Not to say it's not as important as Energy--it's all related--rather I don't know much about it.) ... Anyway, the author often gets back to general, overall info before and after new section headings.

That's all for now. Probability of future posts with analysis of Tokyo health care is rather high.

Sincerly,

Your non-diligent author, currently letting it all hang out. (.. of his lower abdominal wall)

US Politics

2008-05-20T16:34:00.004+09:00

In response to a post on a different blog, by my friend Dan.

I just read the Carter speech entitled "Crisis of Confidence" (thank you thank you PBS), and I agree that many of his words during that energy crisis are like *Doh* that's so true!! Carter said a lot of things that ring true today.

But.. Carter. ..Seems like a different time. I'd only ever seen clips of Carter in news on TV, or rather, impersonations of Carter. Certainly an interesting President, but ... not really effective--more a reaction to Watergate. If we look back, his conservation policies didn't play out--stability came by increasing production and foreign imports. (Dan says history is repeating itself, but I'm not so sure.)

I also recently watched the Ken Burns documentary on Thomas Jefferson. (... which, aside from occasionally agonizing voice-overs by one historian that I didn't like, seemed to do a good job at portraying Jefferson and his mysteriousness.. ) I wonder what Jefferson would be like if he were born today. If he were President, would he be like GW Bush or Clinton? It seems more likely to me that he was thrust into politics by chance. That his version of politics would anonymously, on a blog--if he even considered politics at all.

Maybe my interest in old presidents is because I'm creeping towards a career change. Or thinking practically about my future. Am I looking for guidance? Or maybe it's due to my perspective, as an American looking in from the outside? Or maybe it's because I'm pondering a return to Western culture, seeking some identity..

Whatever the case, this is a "Tokyo blog." I can comment on how politics seems to work here in Asia: Politics are for politicians. Most people just don't care, and couldn't bother. Things change only when it's obvious that they should change--when the situation grows pathetic--at which point they jump several steps all at once. They take their best stab at fixing it (and perhaps, if the non-political public is lucky, also consider what the future problem will be). ... and it stays that way. Until the situation grows pathetic again.

Perhaps it really is the Buddhist mindset: you have a fate. And sometimes your fate sucks. Deal. This is the only reason I can muster for why people can put up with so much crap here. Japanese people can truly deal with anything.

I have no doubt they could manage an energy crisis better than Americans.

Not because they'll find an alternative--Western mentality is much better-suited for that. It's simply that Japanese know how to cope.

... Americans have freedom, Asia has history. And the more I think about it.. Europe seems to have both. I just wish it wasn't so far away from friends and family..

the blog cycle

2008-05-07T16:17:00.003+09:00

To the folks who've been wondering "Is that man alive??", my apologies.

I'm alive.

My routine has changed, however, and I think the Reset has yet to settle out. I elected to cut my work schedule in half, in order that I could dedicate my full efforts on finding a new career. Having the time off has led to some good "after pondering nuggets o'truth"

If left to my own devices, I wake up late. .. Not because I hate mornings--more because I love evenings.
Blogs happen in cycles. The impetus and/or mission of a blog changes with time. In my case, when I suddenly had time to communicate on a more regular basis with my family, blog motivation went down.
I'm lazy. That's a huge reason why I do research with computers and I'm still in academia. I'm also scared of change and the hard bottom line.
"Business" is getting people to do things your way. Whether they (or you) realize it or not doesn't matter. Not necessarily related to "Success"--that's more related to the quality of your decisions.
I'd probably be most happy with the freedom & flexibility of working for a small company. But two problems with that are 1) I need to work for a big company in order to connect with said small company and 2) See above, re "lazy."

In addition to plenty of pondering & resume updates, I've been busy with Japanese lessons, LINUX upgrades, TV-watchin' (almost reached my limit there), back achin', and family chattin'. Of the Japanese lessons, Air Con Kanji has definitely been the most useful.

.. I have a number of interesting photos.. pester me with comments and I promise I'll post them

Smell the plum blossoms

2008-02-17T23:29:00.000+09:00

Been a good weekend to take some time and smell the plum blossoms.. (and do some laundry too)

It lives

2008-01-22T17:10:00.000+09:00

Sorry for the lack of .. well.. everything. :) If I had picasa for linux, I'd bloggin' up a storm, me reckons

Multiple Choice Test

What has Lance been doing?

Not flossing between meals.
Holiday frivolities with 3 year olds.
Phones! Phones! Garrrrr...
all of the above.

(I'll give you a hint: the answer is E.)

Ho ho ho

2007-12-17T16:54:00.000+09:00

Hello folks. It isn't my fault. I was powerless. My moves were forced. I was a slave to my environment. I didn't write anything on this blog in a long time. I blame Dr. Who.

And my lack of analysis of Tokyo life will continue. However, I point you to this news article about huge kites for oil tankers. Looks pretty darn cool. I want one.

busted

2007-11-06T20:07:00.001+09:00

Blown out. Busted. Bursted at the seam. Done broke.

That describes the tube of my bike's rear tire. Or "tyre" depending on how you translate from Katakana. (That is a joke for expats only)

.. In my search for replacement parts, I stumbled upon this detailed website showing the difference between US tube valves and Japanese ones. Yes, they're different. The kind with the metal pincher-clip ("French type," or perhaps also "English type" apparently) is most common in Japan.

.. I don't have firm evidence on the advantage of one over the other, but looking at the design I'd guess the French type wouldn't afford as high internal pressure as the "America type" (which is used on car "tyres," even in the UK), and neither as high as the presto type which is used only on expensive bikes.

What's your guess?

PS If you know a good source for strange bike tubes in Tokyo please comment!

PPS I put my love-quiz score in the comments below!

ISO Photo Mascot

2007-10-16T19:46:00.001+09:00

My family just returned home after a week-long visit to Tokyo. It was great to experience Tokyo through their eyes; they noticed more and more "only in Japan" details as their jet-lag wore off, and then of course it was time for them to go home.

One thing that we enjoyed doing was taking photos of a little stuffed bird, as a favor for an elementary school project in my sister's town.

Perched next to fortunes at Asakusa shrine

Yes, it's been done before. And yes the garden gnome in Amelie was funnier. And yes I'll have to carry it around where-ever I go. ...

But I'm considering it. Then the blog would be all thematic and stuff. .. & maybe it would help me to post more often.

What would be a good mascot? I wanna keep with the "Trying to make sense of Tokyo" theme. Any ideas??

I like Oprah...

2007-10-04T18:41:00.000+09:00

... and I'm in-touch-enough to admit it. Let's face it: she's really good at saying like it is.

Today I read Oprah on CNN. Soon after, I took a "love type" personality quiz.

.. about the quiz: I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

PS What does it mean, when "Oprah" is in spell-check?!?

Strangely enjoyable PSA

2007-10-02T14:24:00.000+09:00

I just witnessed some edutainment. Look for my favorite character in the PSA, "Annoying Loud White Guy Who Asks Why":

Of course, my second favorite character is "Inexplicably Non-Overdubbed Generic Asian Guy":

The movie is to announce fingerprint/photo requirements for entry into Japan from November 23, 2007. In general it's a very entertaining video. In a very disjointed and bad taste sort of way, the blunt "We're REALLY scared of foreign terrorists" repeatedly repeated message fits perfectly over the muzak light-jazz keyboard soundtrack. I also really like the non-tasteful random overdubbing.

(By the way, yes, it is a serious video. Check out the other channels at the website. TV isn't often quite this bad in Japan, but luckily web TV is.)

the future

2007-09-27T09:29:00.000+09:00

Autoblog: When you blog about your own blog.

Is my screen too wide?

I had this question just a few moments ago, and it struck me how pampered I am. All this stuff here on the internet used to just be information--sharing data & facts, aka networking. Now I can decide on polka dots vs. squares and font colors.. The scientist in me wants to take the data points from the past and project into the future.

20 years from now, the necessity to be literate will drop. The proportion of information in text form will be lower; the "good stuff" on the net will be more and more in other languages. (And I say "good stuff" to mean the open internet--not the easier to access but regulated regional net, which doesn't exist yet.) Video processing will be a generation better, so having your head float around the screen talking about your favorite video game level while said game is playing in the background won't be a chore to make.

... What do you think? What will be the next big thing for computers? How will we use them in 2027?

heart chunks.

2007-09-20T17:33:00.000+09:00

The heart is unlike the liver. When you give someone a chunk of your heart, that part doesn't grow back.

Not to say your heart can't grow--it just doesn't grow back into the same shape it was before. If having a good life means ending up with a big heart, then of course I'd rather have a big funny-shaped heart that a small pefect one.

But the question remains exactly what shape my heart will end up! C'est la vie.

Tokyo moment of Zen

2007-09-10T14:24:00.000+09:00

To copy a term from The Daily Show,

A little video, taken by me.

... Can you hold your breath for the whole escalator ride?

I just can't understand how someone thought an escalator was more appropriate than a concrete ramp.

well blow me down

2007-09-06T11:00:00.000+09:00

Must be typhoon season! My balcony had about 2~3 inches of standing water this morning, because the drain (which is shared by my washing machine--isn't your washing machine outdoors, on the balcony??) got clogged. I'll spray some mold-remover (HCl for all my chemist homies out there) down there after the rain lets up again.

And here's another little surprising experiment:

The prominent English/Roman words on the front are "Lot.DZA", "Cabernet Sauvignon", and 10% 500ml. What does that lead you to believe?

.. the biggest letters in Japanese says "SANGURIA" (Sangria). What does that lead you to believe?

... and finally, the beverage was located in the ... juice section of the convenience store. The full Japanese is "apple and grape Autumn Sangria". OHAYO is a milk company, apparently specializing in perishable beverages served in cartons. (Asahi and Kirin produce most beverages, so it's rare to find a different name--maybe OHAYO is a subsidiary, I dunno)

So is it alcoholic? Probably not. .. But that's the experiment I'm doing now. We'll see how much I enjoy work today...

Hello Jaws Of Life

2007-08-30T13:27:00.001+09:00

The blank look and huge scissors is a... calming effect??

And now for a Japan version review, were we sample brands made a little different to suit the unique taste of Japanese customers.

Max Air. ? It's not a product listed at MountainDew.com (ie, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew caffeine-free, Diet Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mountain Dew LiveWire, Mountain Dew Baja Blast, AMP, Mountain Dew MDX, or Dew Iced [apparently a flavor at Cold Stone--eww! bleh!]).

So.. how's it taste?

Tastes like a less sugar, slightly bubblier version of Mt. Dew. Less syrupy, and less overall Dew-taste. Still smells like Dew, but a definite step towards 7-up. I like it.

Hear ye

2007-08-28T14:57:00.000+09:00

In lieu of a real post, I direct you to http://www.japundit.com/ Good stuff.

tokyo-style auto-support

2007-08-21T09:45:00.000+09:00

Can't think of a better title at the moment. Definitely a "Tokyo Style" post, and definitely automobile-related.

Because, as everyone knows, the sound of a moped is "Bun Bun." I'll have to put a new onomatopoeia in Japan post soon.. my recent favorite is "bisho bisho." Any idea what that officially sounds like in Japan?

How rich people park.

They can afford the house with street access, but they can't afford to pay an architect to give them a full sized garage. They didn't do this by choice--the car's back bumper is undoubtedly 1cm away from the back wall. Of course there's the space issue, but there might be some kind of squirrely tax reason for why builders/owners do this because I've seen this a lot.. ..it seems to be the norm.

Lazy day off

2007-08-14T17:38:00.000+09:00

What do you do on your day off?

$4 at 7-11 (counting the beer, of course)

This is the not-oft publicized summer holiday of OBON. It is a day to remember your ancestors who have passed on. There is a traditional OBON dance, which I haven't actually ever witnessed, and old people go to cemetaries to cry. It's really pretty sad. Especially because the news photographers have the camera 2 inches from the folk's faces...

Anyway, I was pretty impressed with my pre-painted WWII bomber model. If I read the literature correctly (big assumption), this was the bomber model in the early/middle part of the war. Seats 3. At least, the pastic version does. :)

Sand Salad

2007-08-13T13:07:00.000+09:00

Engrish constantly surrounds me, and I've grown immune to it. If it weren't bits of Engrish in the weekly customer email from www.jbox.com, I wouldn't have snapped a photo of this one:

At first, I thought it was a try at "We got beach food!" ... but now I realize what it really is. What do you think?

I'll post the real answer after a few of you give it your best shot ;) I think any Japanese people reading know it already..

Unit bath rapture

2007-08-08T08:57:00.000+09:00

If I haven't complained enough about my cramped, plastic, you-just-showered-the-toilet-paper bathroom, it's because I'm turning Japanese and I've realized that the best way to cope with a "less than satisfactory but admittedly functional" situation is to ignore it completely. (Turning Japanese also enables one to write overly-long sentences.)

But now I can shower while standing up!!

Before this weekend, I had no shower curtain. I had the idea to buy one when I first moved in, but I couldn't find anything to match my active/American/computer-geek/bad-taste type of style. I might have even seen the above selection at the store but passed, considering the crayon-sunbathers-on-beach-towels too normal for my bathroom.

But then I realized that I couldn't stand up while taking a shower. The splatter and spray of the water bouncing off my body would get everywhere, including my toilet paper. That's just wrong. My vision of toilet paper is "sterile", and damp soggy soapy mushy stuff does not qualify. I don't even like to use "previously wet" toilet paper--the tell-tale water wrinkles and rougheness decrease my bathroom experience.

So I got into the habit of "squat mode shower". This is the mode Japanese people use at onsen, while washing every last bit before getting in the super-hot natural spring soak tubs. Sit on your haunches, crouch over, and get to work with the soap & shampoo using the shower wand. (One advantage of this geometry is access to .. well, parts that are arguably hard to wash in a western style shower--thus the proliferation of shower wands.)

Improvized twist-tie technique

But now I can stand! I can use the wall mount for the wand! Makes washing the backs of my knees easier, and I can use both hands while washing my face/hair. Joy!

..and not to mention stylish! Wouldn't you admit, my previously mono-tone off-white unit-bath hell is now up there in the runnings for Best Unitbath Decor of the Year!?! To quote Borat, "Nice!"

Beef!

2007-07-15T12:19:00.000+09:00

Beef. As my American readers might remember (and my Japanese readers are sure to remember), there was a scare about BSE in the US about 2-3 years ago. BSE is "mad cow disease", and you can catch it if you eat bad beef. When the UK had a big mad-cow scare, the international response was to ban all imports from the UK. Most other countries followed suit. So when the same thing happened a while later to the US, the same thing happened. Most countries banned US beef, including the premium-priced market which is Japan.

But after most countries cleared the ban and accepted US beef, Japan has kept the ban in place. With every year that passes, it becomes clear that the BSE threat is just an excuse, but what's unclear is why. I can't tell if it's a political ploy against the company Yoshinoya (a fast food chain whose #1 main dish was US beef over rice--they still manage to hang on by selling pork over rice now), effective lobbying by Australian beef execs, or if it was a collective Japanese wish to be free of US Beef dominance. (Everyone agreed that US beef had "Clearly The Best! Better Than All The Rest!" kind of taste.)

So, I was amused to see this ad on the train recently:

Japanese baseball kids with HUGE HUGE HUGE steaks

The slogan is "BEEF DE GENKI" which translates between "Beef makes you strong!" and "Beef is Healthy". At first you might think that showing kids playing baseball is an innocent depiction of any active kid, and that serving a kid a steak whose mass is 1/4th the kid's body weight is excessive, but then you wouldn't be Japanese.

Japan's recent performance in baseball is a huge thing here. Baseball is solidifying it's position as the #1 popular Japan sport, having lost ground during the world cup craze a few years ago. Seeing Japanese stars excel in the US Major League makes Japanese people feel less inferior on the worldwide stage. (The normal feeling is "Of course we're inferior! If not we wouldn't have lost the war!")

BUT: most Japanese also see that kids are bigger now because they eat "western style food" more. All the current stars, for example, grew up in a time when suddenly US steaks were for sale. The above ad is supposed to scare Japanese parents into the idea that "If your kids don't eat US steaks, they won't have a chance at international baseball when they get older."

At least, that's my take on it.

MYSTERY!

What's this? (No, it's not beef.)

white bread 4th o' July

2007-07-04T11:13:00.000+09:00

It may be corny, but: Have a Blast this 4th of July!

I might be nutty, but: Me Likey High Fiber!

Beer makes you constipated

2007-06-27T02:03:00.000+09:00

.. or is it just "Too Happy"? ... You be the judge.

What the..

2007-06-25T23:13:00.001+09:00

Why did I take this photo? ... and what am I doing?!?

yummy music

2007-06-25T16:40:00.000+09:00

Just a shameless bit of commercial promotion from one of my favorite musicians..

Here at my work computer I don't have access to my photos, but.. at least you have alpacas orgling to enjoy.

Rainy season

2007-06-19T09:45:00.000+09:00

There is a period of time, from late May into June, when Japanese people talk about the rainy season. And sometimes it really comes down hard for 20 minutes or so. The husband in the above photo is going out to unblock the path of water flowing in front of his house.

Drain clogged near my front door

Occasionally, the rain comes suddenly enough, and the clouds are powerful enough, to produce lightening and thunder. And since rain in Japan is usually gentle, many people (most people?) are frightened by thunder. I remember being near a busy train station when one of these squalls hit, and I heard girls screaming after hearing thunder.

Of course, at times like these, I get the overwhelming urge to explain that in Texas, thunderstorms that last all night are common. And for me thunder is calming. (Of course, if a lightening bolt hits your house or the tree in your front yard, it isn't so calming. But in general, it stays up in the clouds, and has a nice effect.) .. Think of the beginning of The Doors "Riders on the Storm".

But I can't see why Japanese people insist that the "Rainy season" lasts for weeks and weeks. It does not rain every day, and it is not depressing like a Portland Oregon winter. There's sun. And flowers. And cool weather days. And the sky is clear enough (pollution-haze washed away) that you can see Fuji-san. And I like that.

view from work

Perhaps the big talk is people's way of expecting the worse, so that if they do happen to get hit by a steady week of rain, they won't get depressed. Or maybe it prevents people from having their picnic plans ruined. "Oh, can't do it then--it'll be the rainy season." It's like a social insurance safeguard.

Is this common to all countries? Do we all expect the worst, for a specific season? For people not living in Japan, can you think of something similar from where you live?

PS

2007-06-19T09:40:00.000+09:00

For a PG13 bit of wackiness, I recommend http://www.rathergood.com/looking/

The little train that could..

2007-06-14T13:21:00.000+09:00

.. go underground.

Ahoy, and welcome to what promises to be a burst of blog activity. As you might notice, today I uploaded a bunch of pictures that I'd like to blog about. And today is the first one, about trains.

Today I waited about 25 minutes at a train track crossing for a (legal) chance to cross and go to work. I didn't have anything important to do, so I took it as a chance to watch how Japanese people handled the inconvenience.. ..which quickly turned into watching folks from the neighborhood duck under the warning barrier pole and scuttle across.. and I mean literally scuttling old men amidst the students, office ladies, and even a foreigner with a bike helmet--who wasn't me! Only about 30% waited longer than 5 minutes .. If I manage to catch this on camera, and I'll it post up later.

The train line's traffic has obviously exceeded the originally intended capacity. Apparently, the solution is to dig some tunnels and draw some cartoons.

From 20070614 blog...

What struck me was the sad/happy faces both as text art and on the trains. Otherwise the PSA seems serious.

"Serious" is a relative term.. and in Japan the above faces are not considered cute or for children--their purpose is to describe the problem quickly without technical details. I like the concept, but the faces still get to me. I guess I'm still not Japanese enough. ;)

PS

2007-06-14T13:20:00.000+09:00

I got sick of the tiny tiny font and my inability to easily change it, so I switched over to the new Blogger style. It means I gots no more cool peek-a-boo comments. They're apparently possible, but it's a pain, and it's not clear to me if changing my "Page Elements" will hose my peek-a-boo hacks.. so.. I guess we'll live without them for now. Apologies to all my peek-a-booers out there.

where's my Erlenmeyer?

2007-05-31T15:27:00.000+09:00

Got a kick out of reading this today:

Who's the Scientist?

PS. Bonus points for anyone reading (without a PhD) who remembers what an Erlenmeyer is. (I mean, before you Google for it.)

Nothin Beats Meat

2007-05-25T23:41:00.000+09:00

Fire + Meat = Heaven!

I know that Japanese have a reputation for favoring fish over steak, but that could easily be due to economic reasons. (Fish is a LOT cheaper than beef, and vegetables too, actually..) But luckily there's a place I can fulfill my inner instinct for freshly cooked meat--Yaki Niku!

The above photo is proof of my addiction--I went to the restaurant solo. This might be par for the course in Korea (where this type of restaurant heralds from), but not in Japan. I'm hard core. .. or something.

Anyway.. snapped the shot, a little slice of Tokyo. Enjoy.

paper

2007-05-25T16:51:00.000+09:00

If you want a more sane version of Cheryl Crow's "use only one sheet of toilet paper" suggestion, how about:

http://thesecomefromtrees.blogspot.com/

.. but where do the stickers come from?

Place your orders!

2007-05-23T00:49:00.001+09:00

Hello! I'm writing from the blissful land of Home Internet. Much like the cell phone post, I get to use the internet before I know how much it costs, so.. I'm happy. ... and would you believe it, despite being an email addict since 1991 (no joke), this is the first time I've paid for internet access. (no joke.) So.. I guess that means I'm getting old. :)

Place your orders! I have too many photos and too many bloggish topics to choose just one, so please help me out! Post a comment if you want to see something.. photos.. wacky photos.. food photos.. non-photo-philosophy.. whatever you want. Here at T,TDV we aim to please.

Here's a little something.. uh.. to whet your curiosity..

Japan & WW2

2007-04-27T16:47:00.000+09:00

I just stumbled upon a thought provoking view of Japan. I'm curious to hear the thoughts of any Japanese people who read my blog.

Although I haven't seen the plaque in the photo, I expect it is still on display. I think most Japanese people don't think so hard about "Why", they think more about "How". ... so from my perspective, there are still many things they didn't learn from WW2. Of course, there are many many Japanese people who will feel bad if they see the plaque in the photo, because it goes against their personal philosophy. But most of those Japanese (the free thinkers) wouldn't actually take action to remove the plaque.. only a crazy guy would do that! (Whereas, in the US, the fight to have it removed would be in the news. ..and an even more liberal example: in Europe, the people who removed it would be heroes.) The majority of Japanese people would read it and say "Oh, yeah, whatever, I guess so.."

(At least, that's my opinion.)

New apartment: Quaint!

2007-04-22T10:44:00.000+09:00

Finally! A chance to update the blog. Things have been whirlwindishly busy the past few weeks--to be expected with moving an starting a new job, and all, but... not what I enjoy.

So yes: I moved! I have a 1K again (translation: 1 bedroom + 1 "kitchen", and to prove it 1 door in between), but this time I have two or three new Tokyo features!!

Shot looking through the bedroom

My "shoes off" area + storage, GENKAN 玄関

(My old apartment also had a GENKAN--not a new feature.)

My "not quite a kitchen"

(My old apartment also had 1 burner, but it had an ounce more counter top space. Not a new feature.)

So what's new? First up, a "Unit Bath"!

Shower while on the toilet, if you like!

My previous apartment had a seperate room for the toilet. Actually.. the toilet room took a lot of space, but I realize now it provided one important feature: dry toilet paper. Hopefully I won't ruin too many rolls due to stray showering.. Getting a shower curtain would help... (add that to the list)

And what else? The astute observer already asked--why's there a ladder? ==> Loft!

Shot looking back towards the kitchen

Floor 2: computers, underwear, and empty suitcases

Note the rail on the upper right--that's where the ladder hangs when not in use. (It's also how you trap people from being able to get down.) Eww... bad idea.

Taking a peak from the top of the ladder

The loft is empty now, but it'll be my little computer room soon. A bed would fit up here, but the girl who showed the apartment thought in summer it would get pretty darn warm up there (the angled roof is facing south). Also, I wouldn't want to navigate the ladder if I was extremely tired, or otherwise impaired, just to crawl into bed. .. also, I'm really groggy in the morning.

The ceiling light, and a window for light that tilts open

I'm on the 2F in a neighborhood of 2F, so the roof & skylight get a lot of sun. Nice!

There's also a balcony/veranda, where my AC, gas on demand water heater, and ... WASHING MACHINE now reside. Not much space for anything else. I'm planning a laundry post soon, so stay tuned.

... so what else is new here? Quaintness!

Old folks playing morning croquet

Bakery and (mostly) pedestrian shopping* street on the 5 min walk to the station

*enlightened shopping. (There's a video game store, and a CD shop.)

Old Japanese house view from balcony

Note the sign where I can chain up my bicycle. I should add, there's a convenient 7-11 about 100 meters away (T: a meter is about a yard), and, luckily, it's not directly visible. (No glare from the sign at night) ... (which on second thought probably wouldn't matter since there's huge glare from a light illuminating the next building's exterior stair-case.)

So, that was the 1 hour blog post tour of the apartment. Any questions?

New office

2007-04-02T14:36:00.000+09:00

When they said "Ethernet configuration by hand" they weren't kidding.

New office--and I'm not talking about software. Windows: yes, I'm lucky to again have a window, but it's hard to see anything from behind the pipe ducting. The architects who designed this interesting building took the middle of the 3 words "Institute (of) Industrial Science" to heart..

Oh O-HANAMI

2007-04-01T09:16:00.000+09:00

Yes, I am back in Japan. Just in time for a unseasonably early OHANAMI, or cherry blossom viewing.
This is OHANAMI

The cherry trees blossom only for about 1-2 weeks, so the public parks get crowded on the 1 or 2 weekends of the season. One responsible person for each party arrives early, claiming a good spot by putting down their plastic tarp (usually blue). Then they wait a couple hours for everyone to arrive.

In many ways, one can make analogy to the state of one's brains after a 12 hour flight, and corresponding 12 hour time change. After traveling to the magical land, laden with your blue plastic baggage, you must suddenly plop everything down, claiming your space. Eventually, after enough time to recuperate, you awaken to find yourself surrounded by friends and beer, with flower petals in your hair polite enough to cover your dandruff.

What I'm trying to say is "Sorry for not posting in a long time. I'm almost over my jet lag. I've been busy (I got my visa & an apartment). Now resuming our regular broadcast."

Priority to Party

Yesterday's OHANAMI was pretty serious. I was in Yoyogi-koen, which is renown for attracting artistic-minded Japanese folks, even when it's not cherry blossom season. Despite it being much colder/cloudy than optimal, the place was packed, and there were even live DJ's spinning tunes. Impressive.

TTFN

2007-03-07T05:34:00.000+09:00

Tokyo: Ta Ta For Now! I'm gone, but I'll be back soon... Check the other blog, ReconstructionInMA, for updates!

I've been offered a job for a year, with a new research lab, in part of town I've never lived in before... it's exciting!

Until I get back, here's some of the food I'll be missing.. Please leave a comment if you want to know what any of these dishes are!

1

2

3

4

5

... am I the only one who wonders..?

2007-03-07T05:24:00.000+09:00

This lady had a video camera set up, pointing towards the only entrance to the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau, where visa & foreigner permits are issued. ... Does anyone else find this strange and disturbing?

So much for a routine..

2007-02-20T18:05:00.000+09:00

Most sincere apologies to everyone who's been checking the blog recently. Perhaps I don't need to say it, but my "routine" didn't last. I guess that means I should wait longer than 3 days before calling it a routine.

And maybe I take this paragraph to give a big "Booooo Booooo Booooooooo" to the Picasa and/or Blogger team at Google. There's a bug that prevents convenient posting of photos.. the process is still possible, but it requires many steps. (For me: export to a local folder to a smaller size/rotation, then add/browse each one using blogger's photo dashboard button) "BlogThis!" used to work, but at the moment it's broken, and the usually responsive/acknowledging tech support at Google are keeping mum. Boo. Grade: D - (just a hair away from F+)

So in retaliation, I've uploaded a bunch of fun Tokyo photos. Enjoy. (And don't forget to read the next post, which I also made today)

This is on the shopping bag from a "foreign super" [market] where one can buy expensive food items from around the world. Note the prolific hyphenation and non-standard English.

Yo! Baby I want you I need you!

This had to be documented. Never will I score under par again. Thank you, oh thank you, Nintendo Wii.

I didn't believe in demonic ducks until I saw their red eyes for myself! There's also some pretty strikingly yellow eyed ducks. (Sorry, hard to make out in this photo)

The plums are blooming early this year. Global warming = mild Tokyo winter.

"TuWeeN DoNaTsu" = twin donuts. Red bean paste "anko" with custard creme on top. Yum!

Bottled water in a can. Fresh! (It's for emergencies.)

4L of whiskey. ..at a super market. Liver say "Ouchie."

More questionable liquor. I've decided that if it comes in a paper box or a big 2L plastic jug, it's for industrial purposes only.

Charisma Tamago. Tamago = egg. I'm not sure what the Charisma part means. Maybe tofu.

Attack of the Ku Ri Su Pi Ku Ree Mu

2007-02-20T17:27:00.000+09:00

Attack of the 50ft Diabetes Risk-Factor

I'd heard that the super-sweet US chain store would be invading Asia soon, and apparently they arrived in Tokyo just as I was leaving in November last year.

It's the Not-Quite-USA

Look at those umbrellas--that's people winding around in line to get into the store! It winds around like a line for a roller coaster.

But: The line wraps around the building!! Not only do you have to stand in line in the rain to get a doughnut, but you have to stand in line in the rain to get a chance to stand in line in the rain to get one!! Wow.

The line was moving pretty slowly, and people leaving tended to have at least one dozen donut boxes (usually 2 or 3) so I assume they were getting goodies for the whole office. It was 10:30 am on a Tuesday, so .. ... or I could be wrong, and Japanese insulin companies are currently a BUY BUY BUY

I'm curious if the wise people at Krispy Kreme adjusted the formula to make the donuts better-suited for Japanese tastes, but I'm not patient enough to stand in line long enough to find out. (At least, in the rain I'm not.)

PS What does that building in the foggy background remind you of? Anything different about it?

Routine

2007-02-07T10:26:00.000+09:00

No hits on the quiz. Guess I wrote too many words last time, and no-one saw the photos. :P

The past few days I've stumbled into a routine: Mid-morning is email and blog time. Pre-mid-morning is breakfast, then Japanese at a coffee shop. That caffeine stuff really works! Wakes me up. But it makes my tummy hurt a little. (Official T.M.I. Advanced Warning!) It also seems to make me poop. So... I guess Mid-morning isn't just email and blog time. Ewww

20070207 daily Tokyo scenes

(The above ^^ is a photo album link. Goofy white box means photo album.)

What I Learned Today (so far) : the difference between ReeZaa and ReZaa. The first is light energy, the second is a primitive material. ... any guesses?

Track in Japan

2007-02-05T13:21:00.000+09:00

Back in Japn.. It is a strange feeling, to see my life and to see Japan in a different way. I tend to think of my life as being on a railroad track, going straight in one direction. I try to avoid thinking about the concept that life isn't like that--that the future can turn. The idea that my life could be bad even if I do everything "correctly" to make a good life--it's scary. Equally as scary, for me, is the idea that I could change to be anything I wanted, if I thought hard about who I am and what I want. I like the idea of a track--it keeps me from worrying (maybe that's also Japanese style, maybe part of why I like it here) But right now I have no track.. It wouldn't be bad if my railroad track had a choice between only two new directions, but it's frightening to think that the track is splitting into a million different tracks. "Now Entering Track Land"

Being here now, in this new state of mind, without a job or daily work requirement (which was my track), I can see that track--I can describe the track I was on. I don't speak Japanese very well, because on my previous track I didn't need it. It is difficult to learn kanji and new vocabulary, and I didn't _need_ it on that track, so I stopped studying. But now, I see so many tracks where it is better to have good Japanese ability. I want to understand more now. I can see many tracks I could take where I'd _need_ more Japanese. It makes me want to study more now.

But the part that is missing the most right now, to help me find the next track, is my concept of who I am. If I know 100% what I want, then finding the right job/track/etc would be easy. Even if it was a track with challenges, I would have less stress, because at least it would identify the challenges I should overcome. (Such as learning Japanese.)

Let's analyze the situation: my life. :) So far I've been studying science, because it seems to fit well with how my brain works. It is my nature to seek efficiency and to analyze (thus, I'm writing this paragraph). And, on the track of science, for people who love science, the biggest track leads to being a professor.

However, I am not perfectly suited to be a A1 professor, because I'm not great at research. I am not good at active learning, or studying, because in my life I either understood immediately or I didn't understand it very well. If I can see it, and it logically makes sense, then I usually immediately understand. For example, language is difficult for me, but geometry is easy. Politics is boring and complicated, but computers are exciting and complicated. ... The connection to being a professor is this: research is the process of actively teaching yourself. It is looking at a question repeatedly from all different angles until the answer is found. In this case, "different angles" means looking at the problem using a new background. Learning a new background means forcing yourself to understand the same thing in a new way--to speak a new language of science. Language. The active learning required to do that is the part of research I can't be self-assured about.

Also, I _tried_ to be a professor. I decided, "well, maybe I am good enough, perhaps without being able to do the big research stuff" and I applied to schools where research is less important. Not A1 research schools, but smaller universities and colleges. But even there I was not accepted.

... failure is stronger when one's heart is not behind the effort. ... Also, when the heart is not behind the decision to choose that track, one looks at "fringe benefits," or the extra things that your life gets from the job. For example, maybe a doctor gets bored with his work, but he continues because 1) it is good money and 2) he likes golfing on Tuesdays. But I couldn't see many fringe benefits from being at a small college.

I learned two things in my failed interviews. 1) Working a smaller university does not mean big money. It is hard work, for low money. [People take that track for reasons other than money.] 2) Working in a university is very much like being part of a business. In a classroom, it never seems like money is important--learning is most important, right? But the school is a business which needs to make money, and a professor has responsibilities to keep the business working. Teaching is a relatively small part of being a professor.

By listing those two things, I'm not saying that money is the most important thing for me. But I do think that money helps to make a comfortable life. I have strengths and a personality that would make me be happy in a job teaching students, but what about the rest of being a professor? The rest is business, which isn't exciting. Business means making money, and money helps.. So best idea is to find a job where my strengths are fulfilled, and the business part makes good money.

There is an expression "Follow your heart, and the money will follow." I think that only really works if you start your own business. I'm not ready for that, so for now I'll seek a job which could prepare me to do that.

------------

And now for something completely different.

Like a corndog... without the corn

There are a lot of bakeries near my friend's house. This is a "Hot Dog Stick," I think. The fried breading coils around the dog. It's like a doughnut, without the sugar, and with meat... and a stick.

Wiener Roll!

Complete with ketchup and mustard!

Compare this to the photo of the Chicago style hotdog below, to see why many people think this is funny. Plus, the above is a bakery item.

QUIZ!! What's inside this one?

Boston => Chicago => Tokyo

2007-02-03T10:39:00.000+09:00

Wow! I'm back. (And looking for a job) I'm still jet-lagged, and I'm still in shock.. ..but today I'm back on the internet, and I'll try to fix all the photos.

For now, here's what's been going on in my life, the past couple days:

The south part of Evanston, my "home town" north of Chicago. I'd forgotten just how big Lake Michigan is. It looks even bigger from 10,000 feet.

It's the airport version of a Chicago style dog. Tomato slices instead of wedges.. a little skimpy on the relish. (Skimpy onion I don't mind.) And I had to ask for celery salt. But it had a nice touch: a little charbroil-after-boiled effect. That was a redeming quality. Plus, they didn't go and try to put ketchup on there, and the poppy seed bun was pre-warmed in a steamer. Very edible. ...it'd been a long time since my last real hotdog.

Happy Puppy! (And no, I don't mean the video game website.) It was my third "You're back in Japan" moment.

... And for all those curious, the first was all the school kids in their uniforms commuting at 4:30 on the train. The second was realizing that while the price of almost everything in Japan is high, the quality is also high. ..and I think the value is better. Net result: higher quality of life. Maybe you've gotta live here to appreciate that. ...and I mean, it's true for 90% of the people here--the middle class. The middle class in Japan has a higher quality of life than the middle class in the US.

JA NE... time to get rolling. Hopefully the photos will work. (cross your YUBI)

hand truck

2006-12-04T11:03:00.000+09:00

In Japan, this is not how you move a box. Maybe because I am tall, it is much easier for me to use a hand truck, like this one.

Texas Okra

2006-11-27T02:36:00.000+09:00

Texas okra. Just to prove my claim "Yes, we really do eat okra."

Sayonara

2006-11-24T08:04:00.000+09:00

Hello, hello. Happy Thanksgiving. The turkey is in my stomach, and my family has been in their "Turkey coma", so I had a chance to jump on the computer and start up the new blog. The new blog's name is Reconstruction in MA, and the link is also <-- over there in the sidebar.

Yes, things are changing... but I hope this isn't the last post on this blog. I reserve the right to return in the future. "Tokyo Top Down View" is my place for insight on Japan, and job permitting, more insight will appear at a future date. (That means I want to find a job where I am in Japan, at least as a traveller.)

But for now, gear down from Tokyo's urban zaniness and get ready for some New England countryside. Hope you enjoy the new blog.

Breakfast in America.. and Lunch.. and Dinner..

2006-11-22T13:14:00.000+09:00

Sorry to keep you all waiting.. my plans got derailed. I brought the laptop to Texas for my Thanksgiving trip, but I didn't bring the battery charger. We'll see if I can borrow a computer for a couple hours to arrange everything for the new blog.

Fine reading material from the plane

In Texas, most things are how I knew them--no big change. There's a lot of empty space here.. and a lot of food. Luckily I found a good cheap pair of sneakers to work off the calories. Suburbia has very cheap shopping, even if every store has the same stuff...

PS Today I saw the movie "Borat." Very clever! I think all foriegners in Tokyo would enjoy it also. But I felt a little strange enjoying it. Many of the jokes are against the US-- especially the southern US, where I am from, and where I was watching the movie. But maybe I'm safe because it seemed like most of the audience didn't notice the jokes enough to be offended.

Boom, I'm gone

2006-11-17T09:29:00.000+09:00

The weather in the Boston area is unseasonably warm, wet, and windy. Low, damp little clouds blowing across the sky. I'm sitting on the 2F of a farmhouse, windows open, and a breeze rushes across my leg as it props up the computer. The air smells of the old house's must, and also of grass from outside. This bedroom, double the size of my entire Nezu apartment, echoes from the sound of my typing, my Dad's voice downstairs, and the wind blowing through the trees outside.

On the flight here I couldn't rest--I thought a lot about Japan, my life, and what I want to do. I miss my friends in Japan very much. Where would I like to work? What job would I like to do? What is my goal for the future?

I don't know--except, I know, in the next 15 minutes my goal is to sleep. I've been up for 27 hours.

Coming soon: blog future, blogging as a coping mechanism, and "Reconstruction in MA"

PS More about Massachusetts.

alive.. and moving

2006-11-13T00:49:00.000+09:00

I hate moving. This photo represents only about half of my life. The other half is meeting as many people as possible in the short time remaining, and living in denial about the upcoming departure from the country I've called home the past two years.

Word of the week: *gack*

2006-11-03T18:32:00.000+09:00

I'm alive! I'm getting sunburned in Palau. More to come later!

Moving = Expensive, but.. SHOGANAI

2006-10-30T17:43:00.000+09:00

As many of you know, I'm moving back to the US soon. I've got a lot of quirky Tokyo photos that have been waiting in the wings, but today I'll post what's on my mind.

I'm used to things being expensive in Japan, but usually I justify the price because I'm getting something I enjoy. "Enjoy" and "moving" don't go together.

Step 1: Get price info to ship items back home. (Not everything will fit in my suitcases) For reference, 10 kg = 22 lbs.

Airmail M-bag (Printed Matter Only) 9000Yen
Airmail Parcel (Printed Matter Only) 2 x 4250Y = 8500Y
EMS expdited delivery (2-4 days?) 14000Y
Parcel Post Airmail (7-14 days?) 17650Y

That seemed pretty pricey, so I checked another option: the equivalent of UPS, Yamato kuroneko "black cat" service. I sent them email, but they never sent back to me. (First warning!) A week later I called, but they elected to call me back, in order to have the phone call in English. Next day they called, and I gave them the rough estimate of my boxes. (Roughly, 4 10kg boxes). Price estimate, by Air: 150,000 Yen!

... and finally, for comparison, checking out the price of the reverse trip, US -> Japan, using the good ol' US Postal Service:

So... for all those concerned, all options are expensive (SHOGANAI! = apathetic "What can ya do?"), but the Japan Post Office is the way to go. They have the cheapest option I can find, especially these days, if you consider that the Yen has been weak. (The price for 22lbs by EMS is about $118 USD, respectfully in range with $99.70 above) ... 20% more than I'm used to isn't nearly as bad as 240% the price!

Uhg.. these boxes are heavy. Kilograms are deceptively large, for a person accustomed to lbs! I'm off for the PO..

Metropolitan moment

2006-10-22T20:38:00.000+09:00

I went for a jog this evening, to shake the legs out after not having done anything athletic for a couple weeks. I often take a route through a nearby park, around a lake, then pass between a set of museums.

The last part of that route passes me by a wide plaza, which has a low, flat, long rectangular garden pool. (Think Washington Memorial, but smaller.) Jogging near the water, I suddenly heard piano echoing around, as if someone nearby had a portable keyboard. But as I jogged, the sound got richer and richer.

I was towards the end of my jog, and those who run will know that your brain starts to get real simple at that point. Thoughts usually consist of "Do I hurt yet?" "I'm sweating a lot," and "Where am I?" ..and perhaps some endorphins (the body's natural pain killer) were kicking in. The sound was mesmerizing--carried by the water and flittering through the trees--especially when the cello came in.

Eventually I realized it was a live concert, emanating from a museum across the street. The light turned "blue" so I sprinted across. It felt good.

Somehow, I was able to remember the name on the poster, and find this link. Thought I'd share.

Having stopped, it was hard to get back to jogging again. The right kidney said "I want to hear the music." But soon a light rain started falling--motivation to slowly jog home. It was a nice urban moment.

Racism in Japan

2006-10-20T10:08:00.000+09:00

Lance's Shortlist of "Well-known Things About Today's Japan":

Sushi
Lots of car companies
Lots of sex-crazed men
Not liked within Asia

The last one follows from WWII, and many neighbor countries feeling that Japan has never psychologically paid for war atrocities, and still have a superiority thing going on. Today's post is my take on that. (Short version.)

From what I've seen in my 2 years here, most Japanese people don't believe themselves to be superior, as a race. But they do believe themselves to be different. And within Japan, they like their way best.

Japan is an island, geographically and culturally. It's hard for them to see the logic of the rest of the world. So the rest of the world considers them sexist and racist. It can cause problems, for example, this foreigners' activist site. (The stuff there is true, but luckily not so wide-spread as to matter to 90% of visiting foreigners.)

But, like China, Japan is changing quickly. I keep wondering when Japan's Women's Liberation movement will take place.. divorce is on the rise, woman-owned business is on the rise.. In the 2020's I wager that some incarnation of women's lib will make the news.

In the end: the strangeness of Japan is a big reason why I like it. With homogony comes low crime, a high level of respect and courtesy, and a high quality of life. But I don't feel comfortable with the "obey elders even when they're wrong" concept (also known as the "never ask why" concept), and the "I'm a woman so I'll clean your dishes now" mental programming. For me the good points cancel out the bad points.

PS From the above website, an essay describing an American's experience on a socially harrowing Japanese bus trip. Having been "lost" from a bus trip schedule myself, I could really relate--sans married woman, of course. A great essay.

2006-10-16T18:10:00.000+09:00

Subway Ad Zaniness!

That's real fake hair stuck on the poster, folks!

I also like the actual-size replicas of Meiji chocolate (not pictured)

Click to zoom in, click to appreciate

I think the message is the following: Whales hate it when you burn garbage (all garbage in Tokyo is inscinerated), Polar bears get embarassed if a cigaratte sees them with acne, then Penguins get attacked, and finally Sprokets We DANCE! Of course, it's all a symbolic metaphor to say "If you smoke down here, we the Japanese collective will cast evil glares of derision at you, but we won't actually do anything about it unless we're wearing a MTA uniform."

I have no idea about this one.

What an appealing photo! Sign me up on the "Stick that thing up my nose" waiting list!!

One building over another

2006-10-08T13:48:00.000+09:00

What do you do when space is tight on campus? How can you circumvent pesky building preservation laws? ... The answer in Tokyo is to build your new building to physically encapsulate the old one.

New Over Old

Interconnectivity

When it's "inside" it looks different

Software is Amazing--Yay Hugin!

I'm so geeked out that my favorite generalized image manipulation program (GIMP) can expertly stitch photos together to make a panorama, with the plug in "hugin". (There are many other panorama plugins I could choose from if/when I use my LINUX machine.) Even though I didn't take care about the exposure or camera angle, it did a pretty good job, eh? I love the fish-eye effect, too! New toys! (Free ones at that!)

..I'm gonna go take some more photos now..

2006-09-27T23:07:00.000+09:00

Hair Product Resupply!

Been a year since I bought hair gel. Now, once again, I have my Long-Keep GEL Super Hard. But.. luckily, I found another handy product.

Morning Hair Fix Water

Sometimes the Japanese translation is all you need to know. Worth $5 just for the bottle.

Cars of Tokyo

2006-09-21T10:44:00.000+09:00

Subaru mini-compact

Subaru mini-compact

I strongly doubt this little buger adheres with Subaru's US all-wheel marketing strategy. They also make mini pickup trucks and vans. Small cars are honestly needed here because there's many roads where a medium size car won't fit.

A very sporty (looking) Toyota wagon

CLOSE UP: A very sporty (looking) Toyota wagon

"As enjoyable as communing with Nature is the comfort of cruising through the tree-line boulevard."

... Comparing with Engrish on t-shirts, I'm guessing that Engrish on cars goes through at least one grammar check by a native speaker. This gives me all kinds of ideas for my next car. ^_^

Smart! (designed by Mercedes)

a-hem, "Green" Smart, that is. I doubt this leaf laminate is supposed to be peeling off.

Cute matching interior

I'm guessing the interior was the motivation behind the zany leaf-pattern laminate. I don't know if these cars would be safe on US highways, but they are perfect for city driving. Wish I would see more on the streets of Tokyo. (I've only ever seen 3 in the 2 years I've been here.)

One Smokin' Problem.

2006-09-18T17:14:00.000+09:00

Click to zoom in--trust me!

Somehow, the news that smoking is bad for your health has not yet made it to Japan. Suckin' down a pack a day of vanilla flavored lung cancer is normal for many girls and guys--especially 20-something girls and any age guys. And apparently it's more-or-less expected on the job in the salaryman crowd and for construction workers.

It reminds me of recordings from old radio commercials: "I'm a doctor, and I smoke Philip Morris!" ... Time warp city! There's the whole "magic line" smoking/non-smoking section too--that is, if there's a non-smoking section at all. About 10% of places I go to have a smoking section. Only 1 is non-smoking--an American rotisserie place (Roti, in Roppongi, highly recommended!)--but they have outside seating where I've even smelled a cigar once.

I'm on a soccer team with a 50/50 mix between Japanese men and foreigners, and a few of the guys suck down a "to-ba-ko" in between games. That even shocks other smokers!

I'm sure some day that Japan's collective conscious will wake up and decide smoking is bad. But when will that be?

2006-09-16T15:21:00.000+09:00

You've got a straw!

LONG STRAW FOR DRINKING

... In case you were wondering what you'd use a long straw for..

2006-09-12T09:51:00.000+09:00

Quiz! What's this fruit?

Bonus Question!! What bodily fluid might it taste like?

ouch

2006-09-01T07:52:00.000+09:00

Where it hurts

concussion: n. 1.) An injury sustained after a blow to the head, where the brain has impacted against the skull, resulting in dizziness, headaches, and possibly many other worse things if it's bad enough. 2.) One of several annoying* injuries you can get playing soccer.

{*Annoying: when the symptoms exist but are not as obvious as visible blood [which hardly hurts in comparison], and so the game doesn't stop, and no one cares really, and even a doctor can't do anything about but say "rest--oh, and be careful." Other annoying injuries are broken bones in the foot.}

Unexpected head-butt at soccer practice, 3 days ago. It happened right at the end of the hour: it was quick, so no one saw it. And the other guy (very shy, quiet Japanese guy, & kinda weird) apparently wasn't hurt at all, so everyone just thought I was tired. ==>No pity! But it wasn't that bad: nowhere near strong enough to loose consciousness, and I got ice on it fairly quickly, and I took the afternoon off... and now I feel much better.

However, the smack was really hard!! Right between the eyes--I think the symmetry of it added to the pain. Remaining symtoms: the occasional headache, and as you can see in the photo, there's some red flecks on my forehead. The skin there feels rough & a little itchy today. (I never paid so much attention to my forehead before.) If it turns blue I wouldn't be surprised--that skin was really crushed!!

If e'er a more blatant cry for overseas blog pity there was, me eyes seen it naught.

2006-08-28T19:28:00.000+09:00

5 paperclips

For the past year, I've had an "equipment" research grant to pay for expenses. It's been really great: it paid for the conferences in Hawaii and Kyoto, and a computer. It's a fringe benefit that comes with being a researcher in most contries. (Now you know why we went to grad schoo.) But, like many things, in Japan it's strictly different.

The money expires at the end of August, so I had to spend it. ALL of it. To get to exactly a 0 Yen balance, I bought 5 paperclips for 1 Yen each.

Of course, the required beurocratic paperwork (in triplicate) came with a paperclip of it's own. (For free.)

In the US I never knew the details of my grant money, because wherever I was, the chemistry department always has a dedicated "buisness" office. They're experts at making the money slosh around. And I think that US funding agencies don't care if you don't spend all the money--in Japan, if there's surplus, they subtract that from your next grant. You didn't need that 1 Yen last time, so you won't need it next time... Pretty nutty.

"Camera Returned!" Story, Pt 2

2006-08-08T21:06:00.000+09:00

Need your help, folks!

With the help of a Japanese pal, I called the number for the guy who returned my camera. Upon 2 calls, there was no answer except for voicemail. After the second call, my friend left a brief message, explaining who was calling--but the voicemail cut off before completing the full effect of my thanks.

What should I do?

My friend suggests that I could simply send the guy a gift whether he wants it or not. (In addition to his phone number, I have an address.) Assuming I could find a service to do so, I was thinking a 6-pack of beer. Seems a fitting summer gift in Japan for a guy.

Other options include: B) nothing. The effort was made. C) Try calling back again at a different time of day. D) ____(your_suggstion_goes_here)____

"Camera Returned!" Story, Pt 1

2006-08-08T21:03:00.000+09:00

A couple posts ago, I announced the birth of a new camera. Today, I'm delighted to announce the ressurection of the original one!

It was returned!!... Only in Japan. (I think--post your opinion below!)

It was over 2 weeks ago that I lost my camera. That night was slightly rainy, and I was running to catch the last train... ...and somehow the camera (in it's black case) must have jostled out of my pocket. The next day I went back to the station, and with the help of a Japanese friend, I reported it lost.

By all accounts, this camera was gone, and I mean "bye bye" (to use a direct quote). We all knew it: the gruffy police man (who barked instructions about the lost item form), my Japanese friend, and even me.. we all figured it was gone. Heck, I even bought a new camera that day!

But lo and behold, I got a call from the police station yesterday. The camera was found! Come to the station!

We Are Serious Police Figures

I gathered my Japan Foreigner ID, passport, and the original box that the camera came in, with serial number, as instructed by the original gruffy policeman. But through the front door of the Yotsuya police station, past the plastic "police people" figures with moving LED banner sash, the lady behind the "Lost items" desk seemed ready to give it to me without all that. I guess my long description was detailed enough that they KNEW it was mine.

It's great to have it back--especially the photos! But who knows what they thought when they looked through the memory. Intermixed amidst typical snapshots--sunsets, friend's new baby, blurry party shots--were some of my quasi-artistic moments like the ones below. I wouldn't be surprised if they thought "What was he thinking?" "Does he really need this back?"

Semi-Artistic Subway Photo #1

Semi-Artistic Subway Photo #2

Anyway, I'm very pleased. We're all one happy family again. I'm abundently outfitted with cameras; my backpack floweth over.

My Camera Family: Older brother (left) and Younger brother (right).

Soon to come, Part 2: "O-REI." That's when I contact & thank the guy who returned it. Along with the camera, the police station gave me a form with his name & info. Apparently, in Japan the tradition in this case is that I give him a gift, worth 10% of the item returned. Cool eh?

Question: Would you expect this to happen where you live? I might expect it in a real real small town in the US, but not a big city!

31 with a bang

2006-07-28T14:32:00.000+09:00

With a summer birthday in Tokyo, I decided to invite a bunch of friends for a fireworks picnic party last night. Although there were a few tense raindrop moments, it turned out to be a very nice evening! (Thanks to all of you who attended!)

Of course, with the new camera, I HAD to take some photos. Looking over the photos this morning, I've discovered a few cardinal rules about fireworks. What follows is the result of a careful analysis.

Why You Shouldn't Photograph Fireworks

Fireworks happen at night. You didn't buy that $5000 reconnaissance camera, so you can't take photos at night. Remember that flash that always comes on? Well you can't use that for fireworks.
Photos don't move. No expansion, no fast-then-slow, no glittery falling things, no wandering after-effect spinny bits (which are my favorites)
They're far away. You're a sane person, and you elected not to sit directly underneath kilogram upon kilogram of speeding, fiery, gunpowder boom-ness for a reason. Sure, you can try the zoom, but I refer you to item #1.

Your hand shakes. For fuzzy bits, (above) it might look OK, but in general it looks weird (below). On the plus side, you're still alive, 'cause the leading cause for camera jitter is your heart beating.

You don't want to be one of those geeks who carries a huge tripod around. You're quite satisfied to be an entirely different kind of geek. (Namely, a type of geek who isn't strong enough to carry around said tripod.)

The tripod you ARE geeky enough to carry is too small. Still, the above was the best photo I got of the fireworks. After a while I kinda like the look of the people in silhouette at the bottom. If only I knew who those people where...

Everyone else is enjoying a pleasant outdoor experience, and you're staring at a small TV screen in front of your face.

...But, I wasn't the only one staring at a screen: a shot I didn't have time to grab was at 30 degrees to the right or left. You could see a sea of dim lights, as people tried to capture the moment on their cell phones or digital cameras. In Japan it's become second nature to grab the camera any time there's a touching moment. But in hind sight, I wonder if some things are better enjoyed with the electronic equipment turned off. Especially for something as difficult to capture as fireworks..

stork visited me

2006-07-21T17:27:00.000+09:00

Happy Birthday, everyone! As a gift to myself for finally going senile, I lost my camera and bought a new one. The camera is dead, long live the camera, and therefore we hereby announce a new family member. The differences are black and white.

And no, when I say "black and white" I'm not making a clever reference to the kind of pictures they take. I literally mean the color of the camera. Other than that, it's almost the same camera. ...But hopefully white is harder to loose. Same logic applies to the yellow case.

And I'll be sure and tell you when I do loose this one, so we can keep accurate records. Let's see.. I wrote about the previous camera on October 16, and I lost it 3 days ago. So it lasted 9 months. ... eh.. *gack* Even the euphoria from buying new toys can't quell that one. Well, one can hope that it turns up, but..

Since no camera is actually useful out of the box, I also picked up a SD Memory card. But this time I got a snazzy one which folds in half so you can read it in a standard USB drive. (In the see-through case, just left of the camera above.) All-in-one, multi-compatible stuff like that really geeks me out. ..In a warm and fuzzy good way, that is.

And, like last time, I also purchased a clear plastic sticker to protect the screen from scratches. The above shot is me applying the "PU-RO-TE-KU-TAA" to the camera. Ya see, when I loose my camera, I want the person who finds it to be able to peel off the protector and have a scratch-free surface. I'm just considerate like that.

...

In all seriousness, normally I wouldn't buy a camera so soon after loosing the last one, but tomorrow bright and early I'm going on a trip to the foothills near Mt. Fuji. Photo op! So I need a camera. .. Look forward to a picture-filled post next time! Cheers

オノマトペー, Japanese onomatopoeia

2006-07-11T10:53:00.000+09:00

If you know the green t-shirt I have (and love) with the above "hi jou guchi" emergency exit sign, then you know something I bought from a cool online store. It's a company run by an entrepreneurial American that imports wacky Japanese stuff to Japan fanatics, mostly back to the US. He's actually a good writer, and I was reminded by the influence he had on my image of Japan after reading the "store news" email that's sent to customers. Here's a snippet:

I've always been fascinated with onomatopoeia in Japanese, with the differences in how "sound words" work between Japanese and English. Animal noises like "woof woof" (in Japanese: wan wan) are different, of course, but the mechanisms are the same, as with other words, like "twinkle twinkle" (kira kira) or "drip drop" (potsun potsun). The Japanese also assign sounds to odd actions, which we would never think of creating. The "sound" of eyes looking left and right is "kyoro kyoro," and this term is applied to a guy who is being unfaithful to his girlfriend by looking at other girls. The sound of snow falling has a sound word, too, "shin shin" ("sheen sheen") which summons up pleasant images of whiteness outside a frosty window. There is a "sound of silence" in Japanese, too, which is "shiiin" ("sheen," with a lengthened vowel). When someone makes a joke that isn't funny, it's common for someone to crack wise by saying "Shiiin!" to highlight the lack of laughter from the first person's joke. It takes time to get used to concepts such as these, but it's all part of the wonderful mystery that is Japan.

The company is J-Box, and they have lots of interesting-to-strange stuff. But a word of warning: J-Box's parent site is J-List, which is aimed at foaming-at-the-mouth college boys. It's hard to find a T-shirt without some kind of sexual connotation. If you surf J-Box long enough you may be inadvertently switched to J-List.

Interestingly, because of the "over 18" content there, J-List is blocked to me from here in Japan, even though I can walk 100 yards to any convienence store and find worse! Still, J-Box is highly recommended. Especially when it comes to buying me gifts. :)

World Cup = OVER

2006-07-10T07:06:00.000+09:00

For me, the fact that it's over is more important than who won. :) Well, sort of.

Italians cheer, Frenchmen leer

I've been watching the world cup (especially the first round games, when the US Men's National Team still had a [theoretical] chance) at an English pub near my apartment. And because 1) the USA and Italia were in the same first round group, 2) I'm the only American strange enough to be a soccer fan, 3) my Italian officemate is a soccer NUT (like 90% of Italians), it's been a fun few weeks.

However, it's wrecked havoc on my sleep schedule. Today/Yesterday/Whatever, I slept from 10:30pm - 3:30am. That's a problem, because the game started at 3. My alarm was apparently sounding (loudly) for an hour from 2:30, but I was totally oblivious to it. For most of the games I would simply stay up without sleeping, but I was tired today from having played... soccer.

The final game tonight was OK, but not excellent. I missed the first half, which apparently was better. They got tired. We were tired, being 4am, so it was understandable. Eventually, with the score at 1:1, and the French star Zidane going insane (what a way to be remembered: responding to provocation with a blatant head-butt-to-a-tall-guy's-sternum), Italia won on free kicks. We were all celebrating Italia style (above picture).

But what was interesting to me was the below picture.

Photos with Italian Flag: 100Yen

Many Japanese were equally as enthusiastic as the Italians, and many people wanted to have photos with the Italian flags that instantaneously appeared after the last shot.

I'm not surprised by the desire to join the crowd, because after all I was rooting for Italia as well. (Why? They beat us in the first round. So now my claims that we had a hard group are justified--I can say "We lost to the world champions!!" I guess that's kind of like getting 5th or 6th place.)

The level of enthusiasm was surprising. Through the series, I noticed a lot of Japanese rooting for whoever was winning--the mood of the moment, and especially the passion of the Europeans watching was the main thing. I suspect "feeling the moment" was the reason that most of the Japanese kids there chose to watch at an English Pub. Japanese soccer nuts are moderately few, greatly outnumbered by baseball nuts and equal in number as F1 nuts, golf nuts, and tennis nuts. For my American audience, think hockey fans. (Diehard but not the biggest group.)

..anyway, the World Cup ended on a good note: the silver lining from being late for the game is that I'm awake. I'm off to work. Ciao

3 Tokyo Snapshots

2006-07-06T18:30:00.000+09:00

Indoor World Cup Mock-Field TV cafe

Wish I'd known about this before today! Also, wish it was closer to home for that dazed 6am shuffle back home.

Where's Japan-ish?

Zoom in to count how many "Only in Japan" items are pictured here. I count at least 4. (And no, it's not raining!) (... or even sunny.)

Green breath

And lastly, another Engrish gem. I found this one on the back of a restaurant's point card. (Very popular with new restaurants and hair salons, to cultivate steady customers.) Interestingly, the restaurant is about 1 month old, and not named "The Leaf"

push the button

2006-06-26T12:35:00.000+09:00

To stray slightly from Tokyo/Japan topics, I just wanted to express how much this bbc article reminded me of the "Space Madness" episode from Ren and Stimpy. (Stimpy is pictured above.)

And yes, I do have that episode on DVD.

2006-06-20T09:54:00.000+09:00

What's your pulse pressure?

At the post office they have a free blood pressure machine. But this one gave me a print out!! With a bonus graph--I love graphs!! I know there are nurses in the audience--zoom in to the graph part. Do you think my numbers are actually a bit higher than where the arrows (at the bottom) are? And what are the factors leading to high pulse pressure (pulse pressure = systolic minus diastolic)? I guess it's not high--and I'm not worried.. I just wonder if being tall and thin = high pulse pressure.

Maybe I have a small heart. Like the Grinch. Hee hee.

2006-06-17T12:16:00.000+09:00

When it's not raining in Tokyo these days, the weather is nice for taking pictures..

Photogenic Kyoto (again)

2006-06-08T18:52:00.000+09:00

What year is this again?

Nice hotel, nice hotel parking lot

Hotel Room Shot

Photos of hotel rooms are almost as thrilling as photos of food. YOU weren't there, YOU didn't stay there, YOU didn't eat it, so probably: YOU don't care. Sorry about that.

Hotel Room Shot 2

The Internet That Almost Worked

Hello Granite

Conference Fees Were High For A Reason

Kyoto's Beautiful River Restaurants

Sweets Store Window

Temple Roof Plants

Not sure why my eye automatically finds plants that grow out of roofs.

San-ju sangenjou

For religious reasons, they ask that you don't take photos of the 1000 Buddhas inside. But I thought the outside, where they have an annual archery endurance contest, was rather photo-worthy itself..

Ginkakuji 1

Ginkakuji is the "silver temple", to complement Kinkakuji, the golden temple. Apparently the couldn't find enough silver to plate it. Compared to Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji is smaller, less religious, and more tea-drinkin-time-feeling. It's a Kyoto top-4 attraction.

Ginkakuji 2

Ginkakuji 3

Ginkakuji 4

Ginkakuji 5

Shinkansen bullet train "Nozomi" back to Tokyo

Kyoto sidewalk sign

2006-06-03T12:20:00.000+09:00

What do you think it means?

"Please go up stairs"
"Please steer yourself upstairs"
"You'lls tear if you don't steer upstairs"

...

Unrelated rant: My Windows port of GIMP 2.0 won't draw straight lines with shift. *bleh*

The cure

2006-05-30T17:37:00.000+09:00

Cure for what ails you.

I made a mid-spring resolution to start cooking for myself more often. The arrival of an colleague from Italia has helped that goal drastically. He even taught me how to make a big mess in my kitchen, as pictured below:

der paster in der pan goin flipper flipper!

I discovered that one of the following is a cure for canker sores (inside of the mouth):

Fresh cooked pasta with broccoli and extra virgin oil
Spending all day at home cooking and eating (and jogging)
Fresh veggies

All Carrots Look Alike

I also happened upon a new mystery: Why do all carrots in Japan look like this one? Huge, triangular, and without skin.. It's bizzare. I just can't find a normal carrot. But the good thing is that mutant clone carrots are fairly cheap--by far the cheapest ingredient in the $5 salad pictured above!

umbrella condom +alpha

2006-05-23T15:37:00.000+09:00

Umbrella Condom: n. a plastic cover that fits over an umbrella, as to protect the inside of a building from drippy bits.

Umbrella condom dispensers are often located near the entry of buildings and moved to a place of prominence by the building staff whenever it's raining. Next to the free "kasa condoms" is the obligatory "kasa condom rubbish bin."

+alpha: adj. [Japanese marketing] a standalone suffix that designates "more than you normally expect."

Why alpha? No-one knows. But the dispenser at my conference's building has a previously unknown feature: it dispenses condoms with a blow. Air is blown to keep the condom open, facilitating easy insertion of one's umbrella, which can often be clingy and adhesive when wet.

No idea if these HDPE condoms are recycled, how I feel about the idea of a recycled condom of any sort, and how much electricity is required to continually blow condoms. But since this is the first time I've seen the condom blow, I'm guessing it is only associated with government positions. (This is a government/community building in addition to convention center.) Non-inflated dispensers are much more common, and cheaper I'm guessing.

PS Apologies if some feel this blog humor has risen to untenable levels of sophistication. We will return to normal broadcasting shortly.

a nice photo shoot

2006-05-19T16:28:00.000+09:00

Thought you may enjoy this photoshoot link I found. I'm going to go have my blood boiled at the roughness festival now.

Oh, lovely Engrish

2006-05-18T21:17:00.000+09:00

I was invited to a festival. From the website, does it sound nice to you? Here's a quote:

The Sanja Matsuri counted by one 
of the Edo three major festivals boils 
Asakusa people's bloods as a roughness 
festival of the Edo the greatest, and 
gathers one million tourists or more 
now every year.

The emotion of the downtown and shouldering 
person's heat pile up the atmosphere of 
the festival, the foreigner also participates 
in portable shrine Cats at the same time 
as being known to the Japanese whole country 
as Hana in Edo recently, and it is popular 
as a global festival.

2006-05-17T21:55:00.000+09:00

This is the scene.

I wish this had a smell-a-vision, or some way to guage the smell of this photo. It smelled like caked urine and sweat. The man's white pants were stained brown, but I think it was mud. (I hope it was mud.)

He must have been in the subway system to avoid the rain--though arguablely, the rain would have done this homeless man good. I'm guessing he'd spend just enough time in each station to avoid having the police called to remove him due to his smell. Yes, he smelled that bad.

Prior to his last-minute decision to board our train, I was sitting in the seat marked in blue. I noticed a 10Y coin on the seat, and I moved it to the side. (Not that I was expecting anyone to care if I took it, but I didn't need it, and it's kind of the Japanese style to not take things if they're not yours.) After the homeless man sat at the place marked by the green circle, I left. I lasted 5 seconds. I wasn't the only one who left. It was that bad.

The next stop, he left, and the air stirred by his motion gave us all a second wave of the stench. Definately "Ewww.. Grossness." Normally at this point, it'd be time to pity the guy and try and forget his body ordor.

But leaving the train, I thought to go back and see about the 10Y. Zoom in, and look at the red arrow. Amazingly, a man so far down in the dumps that he hadn't showered in at least a month not take the coin. I was amazed.

What do you think? Did he not see it? Was he choosing to smell like a toilette for other reaons? Would he have taken it if it was a 1000Y bill? ..Would I?

2006-05-09T21:45:00.000+09:00

Smell like a C O W

Hair Make ROPE Sometimes there's no need to write anything. Yes, that is a cow on my triple box of soap. (The soap is kind of moist and dense, like cheese or something.) And the Hair Make Rope sign is a beauty salon: Rope, for your Hair and Make(up) needs.

I like small cars

2006-04-27T10:44:00.000+09:00

I was doing pretty good, regular posts, and then.. Elevator-ness for two weeks. Sorry 'bout that.

night-time daihatsu love

I do like small cars. Lots of Mini Coopers here, teeny old classic kind and also the new, and these small Japanese cars.

U-Tokyo Front-Gate Smartness

Smart is a European car maker, and their 2-seater cars are very cute. If I live someplace where highway driving wasn't required, I'd get one. They are safe, but with enough speed I think they'd be little rolling bouncing balls. But at low, city speeds they should be fine. I mainly want one for parking convenience and fuel efficiency.

..Sadly, reducing the world's CO2 emissions is not on that list. Kind of pointless for developed nations to try and reduce emissions, because burning stuff is the cheapest/only viable way for undeveloped nations to stop being undeveloped. It's gonna get burned, one way or another. My reason is this: if you had to choose whether or not to use power to save a sick person, a baby or your grandma or example, even though you know that using said power will slowly put animal/plant species at risk, you're going to pick "person" every time. Anyway..

Small cars. Lots in Tokyo. Me likey.

2006-04-16T13:49:00.000+09:00

Elevator Notice

This is the elevator at my office. Today I noticed a notice.

What does this mean to you?

Thought I'd post this because it's a good example of daily life here in Japan. Actually, it's more accurate to say, "Daily life for those who can't read." If you saw this next to the elevator, what would you do?Obviously the first part is a date. (today) From the limited kanji I know, the next part on the first line I think says "middle of the morning." The rest I can't really read.

This could mean anything from "There will be a fire drill some time, approx the middle of this morning" to "This elevator is a death trap some time in the middle of the morning" to "Hey students if you are coming for the review session come up to 313 from the middle of the morning." Choices A and C seemed harmless enough so I just ignored the sign.

Welcome to illiterate life in Japan!

This bag of chips is all that and a.. ..uh..

2006-04-14T18:02:00.000+09:00

P O T A R I C H

I'm movin on up! Wow these potato chips are amazing!

Makes me feel like an Uptown Man

Super Cool User Diagram!

The bag is plastic, but it looks like solid gold! I really can't eat them. (Well, not just because they're cool--this is a one use type of deal, perfect for beer with your buddies, but I don't have the beer, and I don't have the buddies right this second.) At least I can appreciate this product's aesthetic beauty.

And that little POTATO guy.

A Sunday in Edo-Era Kawagoe

2006-04-12T11:22:00.000+09:00

The following text is from a pamphlet in English, from the Kawagoe City tourist information center, prepared by Barry Duell. (Not me--I just retyped it here because it's a good read.)

Kurazukuri - Clay-Walled Stores

In the past it is said there were more than 200 clay-walled stores in Kawagoe City. Now there remain only about thirty. However the 10 or so facing the main street as it passes through the north part of Kawagoe provide a scene from the past found in few cities in Japan today. To preserve these few remaining "kurazukuri," clay-walled stores, 16 of them were designated Cultural Properties by Kawagoe City in 1982.

One of the oldest clay-walled stores in Kawagoe was built in 1792. Known today as the Ohsawa family dwelling, it was designated an Important Cultural Property by the federal government in 1971 because it represents one of the few such buildings left in Japan from that period.

Clay-walled construction was used both to make a structure fireproof and to make it secure against intruders. Such a method of construction was used in Japan not only to make kurazukuri, but also to make storehouses, examples of which can be seen in and around Kawagoe.

Most of the clay-walled stores left in Kawagoe were built during the Meiji period (1868-1912). It was during that period, in 1893, that a large fire destroyed a major portion of central Kawagoe. The few buildings that survived were of clay-walled construction, including the kurazukuri now called the Ohsawa family dwelling, which encouraged the merchants in the area to rebuild in this style.

The architectural flavor of these shops reflects the style popular in Edo, now [called] Tokyo. In fact, Kawagoe today has the largest concentration of Edo-style kurazukuri remaining in the Kanto area. Many kurazukuri in Tokyo were destroyed during the Great Kanto Earthquake and resulting fire in 1923.

To build a kurazukuri, large stones were first pounded into the ground to form a solid foundation. Upon this was built a heavy frame of wood with bamboo lathing. The walls were made about 20 cm (eight inches) thick using a mixture of clay and fibrous material, and were protected from the weather by an outer layer of plaster. It took two or three years to build a kurazukuri partly because of the time necessary to properly dry the clay walls. The crowning feature of a kurazukuri was the "devil tiles" that were placed on each end of the roof ridge. These, too, were often elaborate. Merchants showed their wealth by building as large and fancy a structure as they could afford.

Most of the Kawagoe merchants that had clay-walled stores sold dry goods or cloth, or dealt in thread and silk cocoons. Other specialty shops sold such items as dyestuffs, "tabi" (Japanese-style socks that fit like mittens on the feet), fertilizer, grain, sugar, "sake" (rice wine) and soy sauce, tobacco, "geta" (wooden clogs), green tea, sweets, lumber, stationery, paper, metal goods, or charcoal.

Kawagoe's Kurazukuri Museum is housed in what used to be a tobacco wholesaler's shop. It was one of the first kurazukuri built after the Great Kawagoe Fire of 1893.

"Toki no kane" Bell Tower

Located near the Kurazukuri Museum is Kawagoe's "Toki no kane" Bell Tower which marks the time four times a day. The bell, now automated, rings at 6 AM, 12 noon, 3 PM, and 6 PM. It is said the bell tower was first built in the mid-seventeenth century by order of the Kawagoe "daimyo" or feudal lord. Located in what was then the center of Kawagoe, it kept the population informed of the time. The tower's bell was also used to warn the population of any fires spotted from atop the tower.

The tower was rebuilt in 1894, the year after the Great Kawagoe Fire of 1893 destroyed the earlier structure.

--prepared by Barry Duell