Archive for November, 2006

In my life

I feel like my posts have been severely lacking. Let’s see if we can’t remedy this…

There has actually been some activity in my life as of late. Unfortunately for me, none of it is exciting or even good. Lots of things are changing in Osaka.

Darya left on Wednesday. In my head, she’s just on vacation or something of that nature. I’m not a fool, though. I know she’s gone, just like Kate and Natashia, and soon Jacob. I hate that I suck at the whole making friends thing. I think this may be the worst departure for me, however, as in sooth, she was the first friend I made in Japan. The whole living together thing will do that to you. I don’t know; we just clicked. It was cool. I’m starting to get a little bummed.

In other news, I must figure out living situation. Jacob is set to leave in February, which gives me a little less than three months to decide if I want to stay in the house, or if I want to move out on my own. There are pros and cons to lots of things; I’m not quite a Gilmore Girl or anything, but I do take these factors into consideration. I’ve been offered a place with Rob and Alex, which would be cool since I sincerely like the gents and get along with them…but there comes again the living with boys thing and potentially another visit from my parents. Although, I have thought about just not telling them the minor detail of my living situation. We’ll see how that goes.

Then there’s the job thing. I’ve finally hit the apathy feeling. It isn’t the teaching nor is it the students — it’s the company. I’m starting to care for the company less and less, and I’ve recently discovered an advertisement that appeals to me. However, I have only just put in my request of a contract evaluation. Rob and Alex advised to just go through the motions and see what happens from there. After all, jobs for English teachers in this country are a-plenty so I’m not want for employment oppotunities.

It’s just a matter of finding what’s right for me.

And isn’t that the name of the game lately. I’m not the only one playing. I find it amusing how Japan is more or less an excuse for recent graduates to put off their real lives for a while. On some level, I know that’s what I’m using it for; but more than that it was my desire to wander the desert. I don’t think I’ve become any better at making decisions, but I am trying. I’m trying lots of things.

I’m trying.

With the departure of so many faces, I’m starting to think I ought to take up some more hobbies. In the same publication of the job opportunity, there was a notice for free Japanese classes given by the Red Cross. Free is good. I can do free. I also need something to take the edge off my violence as the weather has become colder and Fight Club has been meeting less and less.

I hung out with Rob last night. He’s keeping me update with Veronica, and hanging out with him in general is just a good ol’ time for me. I am seriously liking this season SOOO much more than last season. The show has saved itself in my eyes. I don’t know what it was about last season that just didn’t do it for me, but it was enough for me to decide purchasing of such is probably unlikely. Although, last season did contain an appearance of The Master Joss Whedon…and had a sort of Cordelia/Willow reunion.

I am about to admit something that brings me great shame. I’m losing my touch with the ‘Verse. I put it in my head to watch an episode and had a moment of discombobulation. I looked at the menu and thought, “Huh. I forgot that episode was on this disc.”

I’m so ashamed.

Hence, I have taken it upon myself to watch it all over again. Although, on the bright side, Jacob’s friend Jamie asked me a Serenity question that I didn’t even have to think about on our train ride to work yesterday. It kinda redeemed my episode slip. Then again, the question wasn’t that hard. Please. “When does Zoe tell Jayne, ‘You want to leave this room. Right now.’?”

I watched The Message tonight, and that was a dumb move considering my mood lately. Yeah, there was a tear. Literally. I freaking love this show. It still breaks my heart that there isn’t any more. It is by far the finest thing I have ever watched.

I got somewhere in my fic…sort of. There’s a page. That’s so much better than the nothing I had there before. It kills me that it’s such slow going. Hopefully, this upcoming trip home will inspire something in me.

Speaking of which, yeah, totally looking forward to the home thing. I’m formulating a list of things I WILL do whilst I’m home. Like drink Pepsi. Did you know that people in this country don’t know me by that name? It’s amuses me ‘cuz long ago Natasha scrawled it on my dictionary, the one I use at work, and once in a while a co-worker will read the name and I’ll look up all kinds of surprised that they know me by that monicker and realize that it’s ‘cuz it’s on my book.

I think I’m hitting this mood ‘cuz it’s getting close to the holidays and I haven’t made it home yet, all this coupled with the fact that people are up and leaving…it kinda makes ya reflect and stuff.

I think I just needed to get some of this out there. Mostly ‘cuz I feel like my blog has sucked as of late. There’s one other thing…but that’s for a different post.

As you were.

Happy Thanksgiving 2006

A happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Mike, Jacob, and I decided that we should celebrate the holiday together by getting chicken from Costco, which is about the closest thing to turkey we could hope for.

Little did we know it was a national holiday in Japan as well. November 23rd is known as Labor Thanksgiving Day, which is pretty much Labor Day. Costco in Japan is not as popular as it is back home, one could race the carts down the ailes with ease, but today it was packed! I would almost liken it to Woodfield at Christmas. I had hoped to do a little shopping, but we ended up just trying to get in and out as fast as humanly possible.

It was a pretty good fare; Mike bought some corn, I helped mash potatoes, and we bought Tiramasu cake as well since we couldn’t find any pie.

We also introduced Scottish Steve to the Thanksgiving tradition, albeit with lots of substitutions and explanations like we also usually have cranberry sauce and stuffing, etc. He seems to like our customs as they usually involve him being introduced to delicious foods. Like brownies.

All in all, not a bad Thanksgiving. It was a little odd not having the usual fixin’s, but did the best with what we had and made it work. Besides, it’s not only about the food (though it is a factor), it’s about being thankful for all that we have. :-)

Upgrading John

I love John, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great computer. He’s been very loyal and good.

But I can’t pretend I haven’t been thinking of getting a new l-a-p-t-o-p. I’ve been considering a MacBook. I already got a name picked out — Jack, which for the record, is yet another variation on “John”.

I must ponder this some more.

What sayeth my gentle readers?

Celebrating a quarter of a century’s worth of living

Title derived in honor of Al’s post regarding the same subject

This was the first time I have celebrated my birthday in another country…while not on vacation, as halfway through typing that statement, I realized that I spent my 24th birthday in the Philippines.

Anyway, the point is, I just celebrated my birthday far from home.

I had anticipated it being kind of a drag. No lie, the people I’ve met here and have passed the time with are wickedly five-by-five…but things like this always reek “artificial” to me. I attribute this insanity to my stupid ass complex and my stupid ass belief that people spend time with my out of obligation, not desire.

I am slowly beginning to understand that 1) I am psychotic and 2) no, really, people like hanging out with me.

For the better part of the month, I’ve been asked about what I want to do for my birthday, or what I want. Now, I know that to the vast majority of you who read this blog know that it is generally impossible to get answers outa me when it comes to things like this.

Hiking was a possibility, or spending time in Kyoto for the Leaf Changing Viewing — which is apparently a big thing, but for me, leaves change colors in America, too, so I didn’t quite get the appeal. See how I’m a jack ass?

It ended up that Darya and I hung out doing a roommate kinda thing, and then a few of us went to dinner at Outback. I know that most everyone else likes going to the bars or something, but I’m lame. This is what makes me happy. This is the kind of thing I dig.

That and I’m not one about fuss.

Yeah, well, I shoulda known better. I guess in Japan, they do the birthday singing at a restaurant thing, too. (I was so hoping they wouldn’t.)

Darya got me Gilmore Girls Season 6 and RENT imported from North America, and Mike and Anna got me a 3,000 Yen gift certificate to Kinokuniya, the bookstore in Umeda that has a large foreign book section. Oh! And perhaps even crazier is the e-card I got from Jamie Martin, who bless her, remembers my birthday every freaking year despite rarely talking anymore.

From Al’s post dated Friday 17 March 2006:

I keep thinking, if it were her birthday, she’d probably know exactly how I was feeling right now, perhaps more so, because she hates being fussed about more than me.

I confess it was definitely weird, and I still dislike the whole fuss thing, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I anticipated, so that’s a definte plus.

So yeah, twenty five and still alive…that’s gotta count for something, right?

At least it’s not a kitchen table

See, there are times when I read fic and just gush and laugh and wish I could write.

From a fic that I actually really like:

After another hour of sitting by the pool, I made the announcement that I was going inside to make myself even more sexually appealing to her. Well what I actually said was:

“I think I’ll start getting ready.”

Straight. To. Hell.

Developing lingusitic feature

Written in response to Mark’s post nu zlnd ed sux

Lynne Truss, author of the humorous punctuation book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves had a similar grievance about text-speak in one of her chapters. At the time, I agreed wholeheartedly.

However, after some thought, I cannot help but remember this is just another development in language. I may not like or agree with it, but as those of us brainwashed — I mean educated by Dr. Aaron Smith of Illinois State University, we have a healthy schizophrenia about this. I recognize this as a linguistic feature, but as an English teacher (or faux-English teacher) I am generally apalled.

This isn’t necessarily my generation, however. I don’t always like this short hand system of writing, but I have been known to use it. When I read it in fic, it’s generally an indication to me that the story isn’t worth my time if the author couldn’t find the time to write out the whole word.

I cannot help but wonder, however, if during the advent of contractions, philiogists and other die-hard grammarians were feeling the same thing we are about SMS in formal writing.

So, backformation? How would we classify this? My linguistic knowledge seems to be atrophying.

Neighborhood watch

Actually, “friendly neighborhood parking guy” is part of the neighborhood watch. That would explain the glowing baton thing.

I saw him tonight for the first time in like two weeks. He spotted me a good ways away and waited until I was a little closer. I actually saw him wave off his friends to wait just so he could give me a high five and tell me, “Kiotsukete!”

So maybe the Avon lady doesn’t think much of us, but at least the neighborhood watch thinks I’m five-by-five.

Indian Summer

I don’t know if this is an Indian Summer, or if it’s just Osaka, but it’s been like as high as 70 here lately.

In November.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that it’s cooling back down, but I’m starting to lose my Chicago armor against the elements. It was finally around the 50’s again and I busted out my jacket. Heck, I was even considering my long wool jacket.

I’m such a wuss…

My faith is restored; teasers and openings

And I ain’t talking ’bout a Lehane.

I hung out with Rob last night after work, and he is downright AWESOME. Why is this, you ask? ‘Cuz he totally hooked me up with some good ol’ Neptune, California goodness.

Within the first five minutes, I turned to him, beaming, and said, “My faith in Veronica Mars has been restored!”

I was kinda disappointed with the way last season ended, especially with “He killed my father!”

But this season, WOW! I am psyched!! I don’t even watch Battlestar and I was giddy that Veronica used “frack” in a sentence!

I am such a geek.

The only thing I ain’t so sure about yet is the remix of the opening theme.

In other geekdom, How I Met Your Mother: unsure about my overall feeling of the show. I will say that I’m definitely NOT a fan of the teasers. I kinda liked how it was just credits then the show.

Guess I’ll give it time, hey?

Whedon Connections

That’s it. I should just start a new freaking category devoted to All Things Whedon.

I was watching an episode of Heroes and yes, I got the connection that “Forrest” was on the show, but more importantly, I noticed something incredibly insignificant to the naked eye but was a potential gem to geeks.

A wax lion in Micah’s bedroom.

It’s possibly a very thin thread, but in episode 6 “Better Halves” the scene where Niki wakes up in Micah’s room, take a look at the bedside table. If you speak Wonderfalls you may notice something incredibly familiar.

I did a little research, checking archives of Whedonesque, and Brian Fuller is a co-executive producer for Heroes.

How cool is that?