The blog is dead, God save the blog.

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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?