tasty antique
Originally uploaded by renfield.
say what?
I tend to look upon the chosen profession with a significant amount of disdain, having been a Japanese government bureaucrat myself. I know what it is like from the inside; the rickety metal desks, the endless paperwork bound with string requiring approval seals, the section chief fanning himself with one hand, holding his tea with the other whilst watching high school baseball on the tv and proclaiming how busy he is, how we're all going to be working all night to finish up, and how the most junior guy on the desk should fetch the delivery menus so that they can choose between sushi or ramen.
So when I was called upon to visit the Ministry of Finance, I deferred. I stalled, avoided, countered, schemed and scammed. But in the end, I went.
And it was beyond what I expected.
The halls were dark, dank, and not entirely clean. The air-conditioning was non-existent. The meeting room was a storage closet with one clanking desk fan on top of a cabinet that pushed stale air onto the back of my neck every ten seconds as it rotated.
The MOFers, representatives of the section whose sole purpose is to regulate the securities and finance industry, where...well to be kind, they were just plum clueless.
Did not have the faintest clue about what we were talking about. At one point (only about fifteen minutes into what ended up being a 90 minute meeting) she actually asked, with all innocent sincerity "What's an option?"
Now folks, I don't expect my mom to know the ins and outs of exotic credit derivative pricing, and to be honest I don't even expect the industry regulators to know that much, but at the very least, the basics, the fundamentals of trading and the securities industry should be well within their grasp.
Imagine if you will a World Series umpire asking the catcher "So, what happens when he gets three strikes?"
Needless to say I do not fear any potential retribution from this blog post because, though I know some people in the industry will read it, I seriously doubt anyone at the Ministry of Finance even knows about teh internets.
The highlight of the evening was walking back through the Ministry of Tax, a sweet post-war building that in its glory days (before it was gutted by zombie bureaucrats) must have been splediforous. At least it still had an awesome curved and carpeted staircase.
So when I was called upon to visit the Ministry of Finance, I deferred. I stalled, avoided, countered, schemed and scammed. But in the end, I went.
And it was beyond what I expected.
The halls were dark, dank, and not entirely clean. The air-conditioning was non-existent. The meeting room was a storage closet with one clanking desk fan on top of a cabinet that pushed stale air onto the back of my neck every ten seconds as it rotated.
The MOFers, representatives of the section whose sole purpose is to regulate the securities and finance industry, where...well to be kind, they were just plum clueless.
Did not have the faintest clue about what we were talking about. At one point (only about fifteen minutes into what ended up being a 90 minute meeting) she actually asked, with all innocent sincerity "What's an option?"
Now folks, I don't expect my mom to know the ins and outs of exotic credit derivative pricing, and to be honest I don't even expect the industry regulators to know that much, but at the very least, the basics, the fundamentals of trading and the securities industry should be well within their grasp.
Imagine if you will a World Series umpire asking the catcher "So, what happens when he gets three strikes?"
Needless to say I do not fear any potential retribution from this blog post because, though I know some people in the industry will read it, I seriously doubt anyone at the Ministry of Finance even knows about teh internets.
The highlight of the evening was walking back through the Ministry of Tax, a sweet post-war building that in its glory days (before it was gutted by zombie bureaucrats) must have been splediforous. At least it still had an awesome curved and carpeted staircase.
sangenjaya
This afternoon we headed over to Sangenjaya, the hip and cool youngin's neighborhood (kinda like the West Village or Noho).
We met up with Amy and Maya and had some shaved ice at an ancient ice shop that used an old ice shaving machine and blocks of what is probably real (natural, as in cut from a frozen lake in the winter) ice.
After the snack I went to the new dojo before dragging my broken and tired butt home.
We met up with Amy and Maya and had some shaved ice at an ancient ice shop that used an old ice shaving machine and blocks of what is probably real (natural, as in cut from a frozen lake in the winter) ice.
After the snack I went to the new dojo before dragging my broken and tired butt home.
open sesame
And now her little monkey brain is starting to figure out how the world works...once she unlocks the secret of the home security system, it's all over.
shibuya shopping
Visited Nishijima-sensei in the morning, who has decided that my name is now Renkoku Do-ei. I brought Tonchan, who slept most of the way there, and then sat patiently as we ate watermelon.
In the afternoon P and Ton and I went to Loft and Muji in Shibuya for some random shopping, had a late lunch in the basement of Seibu department store, and bought some sweet-n-sour pork and a deep fried pork sandwich for a porky goodness dinner.
In the afternoon P and Ton and I went to Loft and Muji in Shibuya for some random shopping, had a late lunch in the basement of Seibu department store, and bought some sweet-n-sour pork and a deep fried pork sandwich for a porky goodness dinner.
stupid versus ignorant
First let's define our terms.
Ignorant is lacking knowledge. Learn some, and you cease to be ignorant.
Stupid is lacking the ability to escape your ignorance. Dumb is dumb.
I remember a long time ago, when I was a wee tot, my dad gave me one of the many random Dad Talks one gets as a child that, whether intentional or not, molded my general outlook on life. I can't remember what I was complaining about, but it was something. Or more likely someone. He said: "Don't blame the average person for being average. It's not his fault: he's average. Remember what average is: in school a C is average. Think about the guy who gets all C's in school, and is probably pretty content with that. That's average, and that's pretty dumb."
This sent shock waves through my little monkey brain. C's! Good lord if I ever got anything less than an A- minus I'd have conniptions and my mom would have to use chocolate chip cookie dough to coax me out of my bedroom where I had retreated to bury myself in tears.
So for the past few weeks I've been studying up on FIEL. The Financial Instruments Exchange Law is a massive rewrite of the securities and related financial laws and cabinet orders in Japan. Massive is an understatement. And being legal text, it is written in the most impenetrable legalese mumbo-jumbo Japanese that I have ever written. And it's a bunch of cross-referencing articles and sub-paragraphs and follow-on ordinances and guidelines and framework implementations....total nightmare.
Past couple of nights I've been leaving work early (8pm-ish), walking up to the Starbucks-Tsutaya (Japan's version of Borders or Barnes & Noble crossed with a Blockbuster crossed with an HMV music store) on the corner of Roppongi Hills, and reading various FIEL books.
Last night a read a flimsy little paperback written by the politician who basically devised and architected the entire FIEL framework. It was good to get the perspective for all these confusing laws and directives. The basic concept is: evil financial and other companies take advantage of people and rip them off. Companies, especially securities firms, must be severely regulated. People, mom and pop investors, must be protected. And by protected we mean: ripping them off carries stiff financial penalties and jail time. Everything must be disclosed: when marketing, when selling, before signing a contract, when signing a contract, after signing a contract (cooling off), etc. And everything a company wants to do must be regulated, registered, administrated, approved, allowed, condoned, reported, documented, and verified.
The author throws in many key anecdotes from the go-go times of the early 21st century: Livedoor stock getting pummeled as the president gets arrested, the TSE freezes up because it can't handle the trading volume, Mizuho mis-trades a huge order and sends the market into chaos, Murakami makes a bundle with his fund on insider trading, promises of huge gains by punting foreign exchange only to be cheated and swindled by back alley hoodlums...scandal, deception, criminality.
The poor people! They bought Livedoor stock in good faith, and lost money! They must be protected! The poor people! They bought New Zealand Dollars and Prussian Thaler and Tibetan Srang, and lost money! Even though the guy on the phone said they would probably make money! Oh, the poor, common man!
Granted, there has always been and always will be criminal element who will explicitly deceive people. Con artists and swindlers abound, especially when a badly written law makes what they do technically legal yet massively amoral. So kudos to the politicians for closing loopholes and making things that look, act, trade, and feel like a security, a security.
BUT, and here's the real problem: people are stupid. Not ignorant; stupid.
If you didn't know anything about Livedoor; had no idea about the company, didn't read any research or have a view on the sector, let alone a coherent, diversified investment plan, if you simply bought it because everyone else was buying it and it just kept going up...and then you lost money? Well then you're a stupid investor and you get what you deserve. You don't need protection from a lying company president or colluding securities firms or falsified documents. You need protection from yourself and you should probably cede control of your bank account to the nearest pachinko parlor for gambling, because that's all you're doing.
The sad, sad part of the this whole ordeal is that whilst the government pursues this fatalistic FIEL policy of "disclosure" and "transparency" and "investor protection", from the other side of the proverbial mouth we hear lip service about internationalization and what Japan can do to open itself up to compete with Singapore and Hong Kong let alone London and New York.
For starters: stop making it so damn hard for professionals to do their job in this country. In this day and age teh internets and Virgin Airlines, WHY would anyone trade Japanese stocks in Japan, where all off-market transactions have to be reported and publicly disclosed within five minutes of trading, when the exact same stock can be traded via Singapore, with no disclosure, negligible fees, and no tax?
What hedge fund, institution, or otherwise pro is going to put up with arcane bureaucracy of regulatory filing, xenophobic hostility to any and all attempted direct investment via LBO, and totally opaque regulators who are free to impose (or not) punishments as they see fit, with zero appeal?
The government has a grand plan for turning Tokyo into a 21st Century International City of Finance. The members of the requisite committee are mainly from the construction industry, and not surprisingly, their plan is based on massive building projects of modern high-rise offices, swanky apartments, and first-class hotels.
Never mind the complete lack of requisite lawyers and accountants, and don't even mention Japan's complete inability to come to grips with the pressing need for increasing immigration to bolster a rapidly shrinking workforce. And let's not forget tax law reform and some legitimate personal information protection laws. Trivia fact: a stack of business cards on your desk is considered a "personal information database" and must be stored safely under lock and key. And yet every year the national government publically releases a list of the top tax payers for the year, including such personal information as name, address, assets, income, and tax liability.
That's just stupid.
Ignorant is lacking knowledge. Learn some, and you cease to be ignorant.
Stupid is lacking the ability to escape your ignorance. Dumb is dumb.
I remember a long time ago, when I was a wee tot, my dad gave me one of the many random Dad Talks one gets as a child that, whether intentional or not, molded my general outlook on life. I can't remember what I was complaining about, but it was something. Or more likely someone. He said: "Don't blame the average person for being average. It's not his fault: he's average. Remember what average is: in school a C is average. Think about the guy who gets all C's in school, and is probably pretty content with that. That's average, and that's pretty dumb."
This sent shock waves through my little monkey brain. C's! Good lord if I ever got anything less than an A- minus I'd have conniptions and my mom would have to use chocolate chip cookie dough to coax me out of my bedroom where I had retreated to bury myself in tears.
So for the past few weeks I've been studying up on FIEL. The Financial Instruments Exchange Law is a massive rewrite of the securities and related financial laws and cabinet orders in Japan. Massive is an understatement. And being legal text, it is written in the most impenetrable legalese mumbo-jumbo Japanese that I have ever written. And it's a bunch of cross-referencing articles and sub-paragraphs and follow-on ordinances and guidelines and framework implementations....total nightmare.
Past couple of nights I've been leaving work early (8pm-ish), walking up to the Starbucks-Tsutaya (Japan's version of Borders or Barnes & Noble crossed with a Blockbuster crossed with an HMV music store) on the corner of Roppongi Hills, and reading various FIEL books.
Last night a read a flimsy little paperback written by the politician who basically devised and architected the entire FIEL framework. It was good to get the perspective for all these confusing laws and directives. The basic concept is: evil financial and other companies take advantage of people and rip them off. Companies, especially securities firms, must be severely regulated. People, mom and pop investors, must be protected. And by protected we mean: ripping them off carries stiff financial penalties and jail time. Everything must be disclosed: when marketing, when selling, before signing a contract, when signing a contract, after signing a contract (cooling off), etc. And everything a company wants to do must be regulated, registered, administrated, approved, allowed, condoned, reported, documented, and verified.
The author throws in many key anecdotes from the go-go times of the early 21st century: Livedoor stock getting pummeled as the president gets arrested, the TSE freezes up because it can't handle the trading volume, Mizuho mis-trades a huge order and sends the market into chaos, Murakami makes a bundle with his fund on insider trading, promises of huge gains by punting foreign exchange only to be cheated and swindled by back alley hoodlums...scandal, deception, criminality.
The poor people! They bought Livedoor stock in good faith, and lost money! They must be protected! The poor people! They bought New Zealand Dollars and Prussian Thaler and Tibetan Srang, and lost money! Even though the guy on the phone said they would probably make money! Oh, the poor, common man!
Granted, there has always been and always will be criminal element who will explicitly deceive people. Con artists and swindlers abound, especially when a badly written law makes what they do technically legal yet massively amoral. So kudos to the politicians for closing loopholes and making things that look, act, trade, and feel like a security, a security.
BUT, and here's the real problem: people are stupid. Not ignorant; stupid.
If you didn't know anything about Livedoor; had no idea about the company, didn't read any research or have a view on the sector, let alone a coherent, diversified investment plan, if you simply bought it because everyone else was buying it and it just kept going up...and then you lost money? Well then you're a stupid investor and you get what you deserve. You don't need protection from a lying company president or colluding securities firms or falsified documents. You need protection from yourself and you should probably cede control of your bank account to the nearest pachinko parlor for gambling, because that's all you're doing.
The sad, sad part of the this whole ordeal is that whilst the government pursues this fatalistic FIEL policy of "disclosure" and "transparency" and "investor protection", from the other side of the proverbial mouth we hear lip service about internationalization and what Japan can do to open itself up to compete with Singapore and Hong Kong let alone London and New York.
For starters: stop making it so damn hard for professionals to do their job in this country. In this day and age teh internets and Virgin Airlines, WHY would anyone trade Japanese stocks in Japan, where all off-market transactions have to be reported and publicly disclosed within five minutes of trading, when the exact same stock can be traded via Singapore, with no disclosure, negligible fees, and no tax?
What hedge fund, institution, or otherwise pro is going to put up with arcane bureaucracy of regulatory filing, xenophobic hostility to any and all attempted direct investment via LBO, and totally opaque regulators who are free to impose (or not) punishments as they see fit, with zero appeal?
The government has a grand plan for turning Tokyo into a 21st Century International City of Finance. The members of the requisite committee are mainly from the construction industry, and not surprisingly, their plan is based on massive building projects of modern high-rise offices, swanky apartments, and first-class hotels.
Never mind the complete lack of requisite lawyers and accountants, and don't even mention Japan's complete inability to come to grips with the pressing need for increasing immigration to bolster a rapidly shrinking workforce. And let's not forget tax law reform and some legitimate personal information protection laws. Trivia fact: a stack of business cards on your desk is considered a "personal information database" and must be stored safely under lock and key. And yet every year the national government publically releases a list of the top tax payers for the year, including such personal information as name, address, assets, income, and tax liability.
That's just stupid.
barf!
Well we thought Tonchan was okay, and when we got home she was in normal fine spirits so we fed her and put her to bed. Instead of the rice she always eats we gave her some udon noodles instead. She seemed to like it and ate the whole bowl (minus the amount she spread all over her face, the table, the chair, and the floor.)
But she just woke up crying and puked all over herself!
No fever, so we're thinking she was just stressed out from the weekend; she didn't eat as much as she usually does, and she was grumpier than usual what with all the random strangers fussing over her. P's just put her to bed and she seems to be sleeping okay -- was crying more from being tired than anything else.
But I swear my heart stopped for a second; the first time she gets REALLY sick I am doomed; don't think I will handle the stress too well!
But she just woke up crying and puked all over herself!
No fever, so we're thinking she was just stressed out from the weekend; she didn't eat as much as she usually does, and she was grumpier than usual what with all the random strangers fussing over her. P's just put her to bed and she seems to be sleeping okay -- was crying more from being tired than anything else.
But I swear my heart stopped for a second; the first time she gets REALLY sick I am doomed; don't think I will handle the stress too well!
obon
We took Tonchan back to P's village for the first time. It is the middle of summer, obon season, when you go back to your homeland and pay homage to your dead ancestors.
The Kuroda family had several deaths this past year, so lots of new spirits to welcome back. The main house was done up properly to welcome all the pending guests, so we visited early and paid our tribute.
Tonchan was quite excited all weekend so she didn't eat much and was a bit grumpy, but I think she had fun.
I had a fantastic allergy attack, the likes of which I haven't experienced in years. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to have a runny nose, stuffed and groggy head, sore throat, and puffy itchy eyes. The air purifier in the room helped, but the weeds, pollen, and dust didn't help.
We took the bus up, and Tonchan started crying soon but with a little breast milk she fell asleep.
We decided to take the train home, since if Tonchan had any issues we could easily get off the train and deal. She was okay on the train and we got home with minimal fuss.
The Kuroda family had several deaths this past year, so lots of new spirits to welcome back. The main house was done up properly to welcome all the pending guests, so we visited early and paid our tribute.
Tonchan was quite excited all weekend so she didn't eat much and was a bit grumpy, but I think she had fun.
I had a fantastic allergy attack, the likes of which I haven't experienced in years. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to have a runny nose, stuffed and groggy head, sore throat, and puffy itchy eyes. The air purifier in the room helped, but the weeds, pollen, and dust didn't help.
We took the bus up, and Tonchan started crying soon but with a little breast milk she fell asleep.
We decided to take the train home, since if Tonchan had any issues we could easily get off the train and deal. She was okay on the train and we got home with minimal fuss.
nishijima sensei
This morning I went to see Nishijima-sensei to consult with him about taking the precepts. He decided that my Buddhist name will be Renkoku Mudo = "lotus valley, no path" and he will write my rakusu for me.
I will most likely do the precepts ceremony at the end of our yearly retreat, thus ensuring the salvation of my everlasting soul...or whatever.
I will most likely do the precepts ceremony at the end of our yearly retreat, thus ensuring the salvation of my everlasting soul...or whatever.
walk this way
Recently (call it the past couple months) I have been walking home from work. Late in the evening the oppressive heat and humidity is slightly more tolerable, and since I get no exercise as of late, it's a good 45 minutes of activity 3-4 times a week.
In order to maximize the geek factor of a simple walk, I had to get myself a pedometer.
I've settled on Omron's HJ-113. I could have gone ubergeek and stepped up to the HJ-710IT but the software is Windows only and besides, not entirely sure how much statistical analysis I can get out of my daily walks home.
At the very least I am shooting for the Walking Holy Grail: 10,000 steps a day. My strategy for achieving includes always using the stairs to go up or down less than two floors at work, skipping the taxi when I can walk, and getting up to talk to people instead of using the phone.
Do my pedometer antics make me pedantic?
In order to maximize the geek factor of a simple walk, I had to get myself a pedometer.
I've settled on Omron's HJ-113. I could have gone ubergeek and stepped up to the HJ-710IT but the software is Windows only and besides, not entirely sure how much statistical analysis I can get out of my daily walks home.
At the very least I am shooting for the Walking Holy Grail: 10,000 steps a day. My strategy for achieving includes always using the stairs to go up or down less than two floors at work, skipping the taxi when I can walk, and getting up to talk to people instead of using the phone.
Do my pedometer antics make me pedantic?
yoshida party
Went to Yoshida's place and as always there was tons of good food. Tonchan didn't nap much because she was so excited. After feeding her we went home and she fell asleep as soon as we walked out the door and stayed pretty much dead all night, slept in pretty late this morning too.
she loves books
she loves books
Originally uploaded by renfield.
The Tonchabeast when hungry cannot be easily sated! Combine a months-old habit of eating paper with the ability to sort of crawl and add a low bookshelf of kids books. The results are books all over the floor and a mouthful of soggy paper.
And of course the book is her favorite and mine: Where the Wild Things Are. Wild Things indeed!
life is good
life is good
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Happy birthday to me! Mama sent me this awesome t-shirt. And P got me some great books including Oh Daughter! and Crazy Festivals of Japan.
meat coma
The weather looked like it would hold, so I fired up the BBQ and began the grillin'. Eventually the rain started coming, after some lovely thunder and lightning, but by then we had piles of pork, lamb, and chicken, as well as the occasional potato and corn cob. Various children raced about wildly as their parents sat bloated and smiling, and slowly the meat piles receded.
A few photos; no meat, mostly family.
A few photos; no meat, mostly family.
jolly jumper
The latest in child torture devices. She loves it, for 10 minutes. And then she totally freaks.
carnage
First of all, it's just too goddamn hot. 'Nuf said.
Went to check out a couple more international pre-schools for the Tonchalizer. Big schools, small schools, English schools, Japanese schools...lotsa options. Guess the most important things are:
* does the schedule work for us?
* do they have room for her?
* are the teachers cute and from New Zealand?
My daughter's education is massively important, obviously. The carnage I can imagine her doing with a box of pencils and a bottle of glue...she's got my genes, so I'm sure she'll be one of those unique kids who requires lots of "quite alone time" in the corner with the restraining belt.
Speaking of carnage, who pulled the bottom out from under the markets? Man I haven't seen it this ugly since the post Y2K internet bubble popped and I was sitting on some really expensive Cisco and Yahoo. Nikkei dropped like 2.4% today, which isn't too bad because it was never really up all that much. But yikes the rest of the world is feeling it.
This isn't any subprime fallout, this is your basic, run-of-the-mill over-reaction stupidity. All the talking heads on CNN and BloombergTV tell everyone the subprime shakeout is squeezing the big lenders and for some reason all the couch-traders and soho day traders think it's somehow relevant, and start selling out of everything, chasing the bottom.
Ah, but we can't blame retail, because the "professionals" have been caught with many a pant leg around the ankle, eh. The intelligence of crowds, they say?
At least I bought some reasonably cheap dollars...could have done better but I don't exactly sit around all day watching the FX tickers and punting currencies. I sit around all day reading Japanese securities law and punting term sheets and product descriptions and making little charts with arrows.
It's actually kind of fun, the whole "product structuring" thing; if only I actually knew what I was doing. I think my main job is to keep all the interested parties in the room from killing each other, find the one thing we can agree on, and drill on that until we have a workable product that
a) makes money for us and the client, and
b) keeps everyone out of jail.
Of course a is easy if you ignore b, but all that money isn't going to buy you much more than smokes and tv privileges in prison.
I honestly believe that the law is meant to be followed. Just sometimes the rules are hard; incomplete, a bit vague, kinda out-dated. All the more reason to scrub it down, figure it out, do the right thing, and come out shiny. Clients love it, regulators love it, and I can proudly tell my mom I am not perpetuating vast evils and carnage.
At least not at work.
Went to check out a couple more international pre-schools for the Tonchalizer. Big schools, small schools, English schools, Japanese schools...lotsa options. Guess the most important things are:
* does the schedule work for us?
* do they have room for her?
* are the teachers cute and from New Zealand?
My daughter's education is massively important, obviously. The carnage I can imagine her doing with a box of pencils and a bottle of glue...she's got my genes, so I'm sure she'll be one of those unique kids who requires lots of "quite alone time" in the corner with the restraining belt.
Speaking of carnage, who pulled the bottom out from under the markets? Man I haven't seen it this ugly since the post Y2K internet bubble popped and I was sitting on some really expensive Cisco and Yahoo. Nikkei dropped like 2.4% today, which isn't too bad because it was never really up all that much. But yikes the rest of the world is feeling it.
This isn't any subprime fallout, this is your basic, run-of-the-mill over-reaction stupidity. All the talking heads on CNN and BloombergTV tell everyone the subprime shakeout is squeezing the big lenders and for some reason all the couch-traders and soho day traders think it's somehow relevant, and start selling out of everything, chasing the bottom.
Ah, but we can't blame retail, because the "professionals" have been caught with many a pant leg around the ankle, eh. The intelligence of crowds, they say?
At least I bought some reasonably cheap dollars...could have done better but I don't exactly sit around all day watching the FX tickers and punting currencies. I sit around all day reading Japanese securities law and punting term sheets and product descriptions and making little charts with arrows.
It's actually kind of fun, the whole "product structuring" thing; if only I actually knew what I was doing. I think my main job is to keep all the interested parties in the room from killing each other, find the one thing we can agree on, and drill on that until we have a workable product that
a) makes money for us and the client, and
b) keeps everyone out of jail.
Of course a is easy if you ignore b, but all that money isn't going to buy you much more than smokes and tv privileges in prison.
I honestly believe that the law is meant to be followed. Just sometimes the rules are hard; incomplete, a bit vague, kinda out-dated. All the more reason to scrub it down, figure it out, do the right thing, and come out shiny. Clients love it, regulators love it, and I can proudly tell my mom I am not perpetuating vast evils and carnage.
At least not at work.
crab, king of the ocean
Ah, the joy that is traditional gift-giving in Japan!
Every summer we send various people who have done us right a traditional summer gift, usually some tasty katsuo. In return, Momo's mom and P's childhood friend sent us a huge case of frozen, boiled king crab legs.
Oh, the mighty feast that ensued. Masa came over to help eat, and I diligently separated flesh from shell, resulting in a huge pile of crabby goodness.
After stuffing ourselves, we still had a massive pile of crabmeat leftover, so I made up a huge pan of crab fried rice for later.
Post-dinner I was feeling the food coma and dozed off on the couch for a bit. Crab power!
Every summer we send various people who have done us right a traditional summer gift, usually some tasty katsuo. In return, Momo's mom and P's childhood friend sent us a huge case of frozen, boiled king crab legs.
Oh, the mighty feast that ensued. Masa came over to help eat, and I diligently separated flesh from shell, resulting in a huge pile of crabby goodness.
After stuffing ourselves, we still had a massive pile of crabmeat leftover, so I made up a huge pan of crab fried rice for later.
Post-dinner I was feeling the food coma and dozed off on the couch for a bit. Crab power!
akiba
At Roland's behest, I spent the day in Akihabara with Madeleine Brand (and her posse) host of NPR's Day to Day.
They were working on a story about Japanese manga and anime's portrayal of environmental issues, and I took them around the hood to see all the standard stuff. Akiba was in full Sunday swing, with cosplay kids, street singers, cafe maids, custom doll shops and awesome action figures, robots and PC parts, comics and eclectic electronics.
With a mic in my face and the odd probing question, I waxed non-eloquently about a variety of anime and manga topics, so on some show in the future, I may very well make my radio debut!
They were working on a story about Japanese manga and anime's portrayal of environmental issues, and I took them around the hood to see all the standard stuff. Akiba was in full Sunday swing, with cosplay kids, street singers, cafe maids, custom doll shops and awesome action figures, robots and PC parts, comics and eclectic electronics.
With a mic in my face and the odd probing question, I waxed non-eloquently about a variety of anime and manga topics, so on some show in the future, I may very well make my radio debut!
soba
Before we headed off to Ginza, we stopped by Sarashina Horii for some soba. I went for the futouchi (fat, boonies style) which was seriously al dente and damn fine.
Checked out the antique faire at Matsuya, but besides the crazy old lady who sold me a nice kimono last time, and the crazy old lady and her husband who sold us the hand-made geta last time, wasn't much impressive stuff.
Checked out the antique faire at Matsuya, but besides the crazy old lady who sold me a nice kimono last time, and the crazy old lady and her husband who sold us the hand-made geta last time, wasn't much impressive stuff.
slob
slob
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Parenting is War. One of the many battles I lose: feeding. The Tonchabeast will not be sated. The Tonchasaurus will not be pacified. The Tonchalizer will not be satisfied.
I am entirely unclear as to how she managed to get food onto her eyebrows. Nevertheless, she ate everything (excluding the bits spread all over her face, arms, clothes, table, high chair, and floor.)
shinhinanomoto
shinhinanomachi
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Many nefarious dealings with The Shady in town, so after multiple debauchery nights, we required some quality seafood and fried chicken. A final bowl of salty sea slug finished off the evening meal before several bottles of champagne down the road.
A good time was had by all.
debauchery
Big Boss in town and the typhoon clearing out, so the whole team headed out to dinner. I came late because I had to teach at Honbu.
We took over the back room of 57 before heading up to Orange at Midtown. Vertical appetizers were a bit silly but the french fries with truffles was quality.
Sent the foreigners into the depths of sketchiness in Roppongi whilst the Japanese crowd went for late-night ramen and I dragged myself home at 2:30.
We took over the back room of 57 before heading up to Orange at Midtown. Vertical appetizers were a bit silly but the french fries with truffles was quality.
Sent the foreigners into the depths of sketchiness in Roppongi whilst the Japanese crowd went for late-night ramen and I dragged myself home at 2:30.
italiano iai
taikai done!
done!
Originally uploaded by renfield.
The taikai was a raging success. 250 competitors and the foreigners put in a strong showing. There was a big Italian/Belgian showing this year, and the son of the sensei in Rome won the 2dan division, Brian took the 3dan division, and Elvis took it home for 4dan. Considering I seriously have not trained for a year, I did okay. Won my first two rounds, then lost to Tominaga, whom I beat last year for the championship. But he ended up losing to Hoshina who took the top spot. That makes two for her, one for me, and two for him. So I better get back into shape for next year!
After the taikai we devolved into the standard debauchery.
palace hotel
Had a big work thing at the Palace Hotel. Net net, it went well, and the food at the end reception was of course awesome.
I dig the Palace Hotel. It is located, as you can imagine, across the street from the Emporer's Palace. It has the chill '50's stylish thing going on, but does smell like the fifties like the Okura does. That place just reeks of old politicians and gangsters and hair grease. The Palace is all class.
After the hotel thang I was supposed to go teach, but the building that Honbu is in had a blackout and so training was canceled. Random,but the building is older that several emporers so not surprising.
I dig the Palace Hotel. It is located, as you can imagine, across the street from the Emporer's Palace. It has the chill '50's stylish thing going on, but does smell like the fifties like the Okura does. That place just reeks of old politicians and gangsters and hair grease. The Palace is all class.
After the hotel thang I was supposed to go teach, but the building that Honbu is in had a blackout and so training was canceled. Random,but the building is older that several emporers so not surprising.
tanabata summer festival
summer festival
Originally uploaded by renfield.
P was at her junior high school reunion in Ginza, so the Tonchabeast and I took the bus back to Azabujyuban, had some chili at Cravings, and then walked home. As we passed Zenpukuji, there were little kids everywhere dressed for the summer. Must have been some elementary school kids' Tanabata special or something, because all the local teachers were dressed up in yukata as well and the kids were writing their wishes on colored paper and tying them to the tree set up just for that purpose.
budo is...technology?
The Viriginia crew has come to town for next week's taikai, so we all went out to dinner with Gosoke and the rest of them. The Big S was in fine form and after several grapefruit sours he stood up and declared, in his best English:
"You know Asakusa? I am shitamachi boy, I am slum boy."
I explained that shitamachi in English is more colloquially "the hood", so he explained "I am Asakusa is my hood."
He then proceeded to explain that even with a broken toe he can persevere:
"I am konjo, you know?"
Acutally no, no one knows that konjo means "to overcome hardship." But you are now known as Konjo-san. I then explained that he broke his toe by goofing off and playing karate fighter with another of our 59-going-on-12-years-old members. Good to be young at heart, even if old of toe.
Finally, when he saw an awesome display of the brute power of our American brethren (that grapefruit half never knew what hit it) he announced:
"Budo is...technology, not power."
Uh, "technique", big guy. Technique, not technology.
However it was too late; a new t-shirt idea was born.
"You know Asakusa? I am shitamachi boy, I am slum boy."
I explained that shitamachi in English is more colloquially "the hood", so he explained "I am Asakusa is my hood."
He then proceeded to explain that even with a broken toe he can persevere:
"I am konjo, you know?"
Acutally no, no one knows that konjo means "to overcome hardship." But you are now known as Konjo-san. I then explained that he broke his toe by goofing off and playing karate fighter with another of our 59-going-on-12-years-old members. Good to be young at heart, even if old of toe.
Finally, when he saw an awesome display of the brute power of our American brethren (that grapefruit half never knew what hit it) he announced:
"Budo is...technology, not power."
Uh, "technique", big guy. Technique, not technology.
However it was too late; a new t-shirt idea was born.
BUDO IS TECHNOLOGY, not power.
- by Mr. Konjo-san
- by Mr. Konjo-san
only for parents
Testing my new cell phone's video capability, I present: Tonchan, sitting on the bed. And, not doing much:
gyokufukai
Today was the opening ceremony for Gyokufukai, one of the branch organizations under Suimokai. Held on the 33rd floor of the Kasumigaseki Building downtown, I was asked to demo.
First I started with the standard jinrai:
Link to this video on youtube
And then I did a basic yokoichimonji. I like this next video because I screw up. Actually, I did the cut once (not in the video) but was too far away so didn't cut the target all the way through. And then I got a little peeved, so you can see that I'm not chill and I tense up my shoulder and just biff the second attempt big-time. So finally I take a second to calm down and just do it like we always practice and it went worked.
Link to this video on youtube
Also, I'm using Salty's sword, which is a seriously wonderful piece of steel. 950 grams, perfectly balanced, cuts like a light saber. Thanks Salty!
First I started with the standard jinrai:
Link to this video on youtube
And then I did a basic yokoichimonji. I like this next video because I screw up. Actually, I did the cut once (not in the video) but was too far away so didn't cut the target all the way through. And then I got a little peeved, so you can see that I'm not chill and I tense up my shoulder and just biff the second attempt big-time. So finally I take a second to calm down and just do it like we always practice and it went worked.
Link to this video on youtube
Also, I'm using Salty's sword, which is a seriously wonderful piece of steel. 950 grams, perfectly balanced, cuts like a light saber. Thanks Salty!
crushed
Getting absolutely devastated at work. I think I've passed some magical point blimfark; before this point, no one really knew what I do, nor what I should do, so I wasn't really asked to do too much nor involved in too many new things except when obviously necessary. Beyond this point though, everyone expects that I know far more than I actually do (I talk well, or at least alot, which basically gives the same impression of being knowledgeable) and I am therefore asked to do and be involved in many, many things. Also, several truly reliable people are no longer with the firm, so I've taken it upon myself to get up to speed on various nitty-gritty details in areas totally beyond my expertise (which is what, exactly?)
Upside: huge amounts of interesting stuff of which I am key; learning new things regularly, lots of exposure to different senior management.
Downside: 13+ hour days, frequently operating outside my comfort zone, lots of exposure to different senior management.
Upside: huge amounts of interesting stuff of which I am key; learning new things regularly, lots of exposure to different senior management.
Downside: 13+ hour days, frequently operating outside my comfort zone, lots of exposure to different senior management.
july 4 celebration and demo
The US Embassy residential complex had their annual 4th of July celebration today and we were asked to demo iai. One of our guys is in a HOG (Harley Owner's Group) club and he and his teams always join the parade, and this year we were asked to do a demo.
We got to the compound at 8:45am and saw all the Harleys. Oh. My. God. There were two main groups: the first group all drove white Harleys tricked out with blue lights and POLICE stickers, and they all wore uniforms like American cops...sort of.
The second group drove tricked out bikes. And when I say tricked out, I mean tricked out like this. My favorite was the side car with a big gold buddha statue on it, but they were all amazing.
We wandered the compound a bit while everyone was setting up. It was basically America inside a big wall, in the middle of Tokyo. Very freaky. All the food stalls were run by large, well spoken military and their families, or large well spoken support organization (Lions, Free Masons, etc.) members and their families. Kids everywhere of course.
And it was really, really hot. We weren't demoing until noon, so we hung out and grabbed a little food, checked out the dojo at the rec center next to the pool, got changed, and prepped for our demo.
It went well, besides being really, really hot. Did I mention it was hot?
We did some kata, and then Elvis and I ran through some kumitachi. Not sure if people were into it, but at the end of the last kata when I deflect Elvis' cut and take his neck from behind, a couple of "OH! Got him!" came from the audience, and there was some nice applause. Never had anyone applause during kata when I "got 'im", but I guess that means they had fun.
When it was over, we changed out, got some more food, and took off. I didn't actually stay for the Harley parade because I didn't want to hang out for another hour in the heat, so I headed back to Hombu, dropped off my stuff, and met P and Tonchan at Roppongi Hills, then walked down to the DoCoMo shop to get a new phone. I have gone back to NEC after trying to Sony. I never should have cheated on NEC, my first and only true love. My new phone has 3D surround sound, a huge 3 inch wide screen, full internet browser, 3.2 megapixel camera, and superfast data.
We got to the compound at 8:45am and saw all the Harleys. Oh. My. God. There were two main groups: the first group all drove white Harleys tricked out with blue lights and POLICE stickers, and they all wore uniforms like American cops...sort of.
The second group drove tricked out bikes. And when I say tricked out, I mean tricked out like this. My favorite was the side car with a big gold buddha statue on it, but they were all amazing.
We wandered the compound a bit while everyone was setting up. It was basically America inside a big wall, in the middle of Tokyo. Very freaky. All the food stalls were run by large, well spoken military and their families, or large well spoken support organization (Lions, Free Masons, etc.) members and their families. Kids everywhere of course.
And it was really, really hot. We weren't demoing until noon, so we hung out and grabbed a little food, checked out the dojo at the rec center next to the pool, got changed, and prepped for our demo.
It went well, besides being really, really hot. Did I mention it was hot?
We did some kata, and then Elvis and I ran through some kumitachi. Not sure if people were into it, but at the end of the last kata when I deflect Elvis' cut and take his neck from behind, a couple of "OH! Got him!" came from the audience, and there was some nice applause. Never had anyone applause during kata when I "got 'im", but I guess that means they had fun.
When it was over, we changed out, got some more food, and took off. I didn't actually stay for the Harley parade because I didn't want to hang out for another hour in the heat, so I headed back to Hombu, dropped off my stuff, and met P and Tonchan at Roppongi Hills, then walked down to the DoCoMo shop to get a new phone. I have gone back to NEC after trying to Sony. I never should have cheated on NEC, my first and only true love. My new phone has 3D surround sound, a huge 3 inch wide screen, full internet browser, 3.2 megapixel camera, and superfast data.
sushi
sushi
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Took Eimisho out for sushi to thank her for writing my mu. We went to Rokuroku on the 6th floor of the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi Hills. Confusing building; when we got off the elevator we were in the Oak Door restaurant and had to walk past the bar and across the balcony seating to get to the sushi place. And of course no signs. I seriously think Roppongi Hills was specifically designed to confuse the hell out of you. But damn the sushi was fine!
soro
After class (huge showing, 11 on the floor at once!) went to Soro in Roppongi to check out the food and chat w/the owner about the demo we have to do on Saturday morning. Seems it's the American Embassy employee apartment's (several weeks early) fourth of July celebration, and for some reason we'll be doing an iai demo. Classic American; no planning no schedule, show up at 8:30, probably demo "first in the afternoon". Love that USA planning! Hopefully there will be some classic US style BBQin' tho, so Elvis and I are looking forward to that.
tokonoma
P1000912.JPG
Originally uploaded by renfield.
A proper photo of the mu displayed in the tokonoma at home. All bow down to Boba Fett!
6 months
P1000928.JPG
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Tonchan had some friends over to celebrate their collective 6 month birthdays. Actually it was more an excuse for moms to congratulate themselves on surviving, and for the dads to congratulate moms for surviving.
congrats salty
Salty took his Denshobu test this evening. I got to the dojo early and he was practicing cutting so I watched and gave him some pointers. I haven't cut in nearly nearly a year, but he's got a great sword -- light (only 950 grams) and well balanced-; perfect for both kata and cutting -- so I borrowed that and tried a few cuts. Managed to cut pretty well, especially since I haven't cut in so long.
For the test, he cut, did the 20 kata, and then we ran through 15 kumitachi. He's solid, and moves well, just got some issues with blade angle that he needs to clean up. And he needs to slow down sometimes; he gets too anxious at times. But he's good and will get better, and I'm glad to finally have someone in Denshobu now.
After the test we went Ninjin by Kanda station for some gnarly greasy Chinese food. Haven't had it in a couple years. Ah, sweet and sour pork, chili prawns, fried rice...so greasy, so gooey, so good. As expected, I didn't sleep very well because my stomach was gurgling all night...but it was worth it!
For the test, he cut, did the 20 kata, and then we ran through 15 kumitachi. He's solid, and moves well, just got some issues with blade angle that he needs to clean up. And he needs to slow down sometimes; he gets too anxious at times. But he's good and will get better, and I'm glad to finally have someone in Denshobu now.
After the test we went Ninjin by Kanda station for some gnarly greasy Chinese food. Haven't had it in a couple years. Ah, sweet and sour pork, chili prawns, fried rice...so greasy, so gooey, so good. As expected, I didn't sleep very well because my stomach was gurgling all night...but it was worth it!
pork, pork & natto
pork, pork & natto
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Went to Dorobushi for lunch and had the madly delicious pork, pork, and natto. P got the veggie special. Then we walked up to Omotesando to check out Suruga Isho, which was having a sale. Chatted with the architects about possibly building a custom TV stand book shelf thingie...mmm, custom furniture...
mu
mu
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Eimi-chan, whom I work with, has been doing Shodo (calligraphy) for 20 years. When I told her I had a tokonoma (display area) in my new place that needed a kakejuku (hanging scroll), she wrote this mu for me.
Mu is the first character in Mugairyu, and it means nothingness. Ooooh, deep...
father's day gift (early)
Last Sunday we checked out the Tiffany's in Roppongi Hills and P hooked me up with some sweet cufflinks:
Technically it's a bit early for father's day, but these are just too cool.
Technically it's a bit early for father's day, but these are just too cool.
late night training
Big turnout in class today -- 10 on the floor and so no room for me.
We started with some stepping variations:
ayumi ashi: normal stepping; left right left
okuri ashi: shuffle stepping; keeping the forward foot forward
yose ashi: bringing the feet together (back foot to forward foot) before stepping out again with the forward foot
The point is to focus on balance and moving from the center. It's far too easy to just be lazy and "kick" with the back foot, extending the ankle (technically contracting the calf muscle, since using a muscle meaning contracting it, not stretching it) and using that to push the whole body forwards. But it's a silly way to move; the lower leg muscles are pretty small, and with all the weight on the back foot, it's gotta do the double duty of both holding up the body and moving it forwards. Much more efficient to move from the center, basically move out with the hip (not the leg or foot) of the non-supporting leg. Imagine trying to keep the weight evenly distributed on both legs, then bend the knees to give the hips room to move, and push the right hip forwards. The right leg is connected to the hip and therefore steps out. The back (left) supporting leg doesn't "do" anything; it just sits there supporting the body, staying flexed. Since the hips are connected, if the center of the body moves then eventually the whole body including the supporting left moves forwards. Not really magical, but certainly not the kind of movement most folks these days are used to doing. With the strong muscles of the body (back, thighs, etc.) moving the whole body as one, it's easy to translate that into the sword, so cutting out far, fast, and strong is easy, without relying on the small muscles of the arms.
I certainly don't move how I want to move, but I can feel some progress and I can see how others are still forcing their bodies to move, pushing and pulling with small muscles, arms fighting legs, momentum carrying the body out of balance. It should be smooth and easy, but of course getting to that point is the hard part.
After class Salty and I ran through a bunch of kumitachi for an hour. He moves well on some kata, needs better timing on others. I feel like I'm stuck in tar sometimes, just not getting my arms and legs coordinated, but in general it's all working, kind of. Will be good if I can keep pounding away every week. Salty can almost keep up with me, but he's got serious limits on the speed at which he can react and I'm really not that fast, it's just that I have better (well not better, but more effective) timing versus how he moves against my attacks. But he'll get there, he just needs to be pushed. I'm lucky in that I spent alot of time working with the young and fast who weren't afraid to really rip into me, and of course Gosoke taught me all the kumitachi personally so having him knock my sword into my own foot is a good way to learn.
We started with some stepping variations:
ayumi ashi: normal stepping; left right left
okuri ashi: shuffle stepping; keeping the forward foot forward
yose ashi: bringing the feet together (back foot to forward foot) before stepping out again with the forward foot
The point is to focus on balance and moving from the center. It's far too easy to just be lazy and "kick" with the back foot, extending the ankle (technically contracting the calf muscle, since using a muscle meaning contracting it, not stretching it) and using that to push the whole body forwards. But it's a silly way to move; the lower leg muscles are pretty small, and with all the weight on the back foot, it's gotta do the double duty of both holding up the body and moving it forwards. Much more efficient to move from the center, basically move out with the hip (not the leg or foot) of the non-supporting leg. Imagine trying to keep the weight evenly distributed on both legs, then bend the knees to give the hips room to move, and push the right hip forwards. The right leg is connected to the hip and therefore steps out. The back (left) supporting leg doesn't "do" anything; it just sits there supporting the body, staying flexed. Since the hips are connected, if the center of the body moves then eventually the whole body including the supporting left moves forwards. Not really magical, but certainly not the kind of movement most folks these days are used to doing. With the strong muscles of the body (back, thighs, etc.) moving the whole body as one, it's easy to translate that into the sword, so cutting out far, fast, and strong is easy, without relying on the small muscles of the arms.
I certainly don't move how I want to move, but I can feel some progress and I can see how others are still forcing their bodies to move, pushing and pulling with small muscles, arms fighting legs, momentum carrying the body out of balance. It should be smooth and easy, but of course getting to that point is the hard part.
After class Salty and I ran through a bunch of kumitachi for an hour. He moves well on some kata, needs better timing on others. I feel like I'm stuck in tar sometimes, just not getting my arms and legs coordinated, but in general it's all working, kind of. Will be good if I can keep pounding away every week. Salty can almost keep up with me, but he's got serious limits on the speed at which he can react and I'm really not that fast, it's just that I have better (well not better, but more effective) timing versus how he moves against my attacks. But he'll get there, he just needs to be pushed. I'm lucky in that I spent alot of time working with the young and fast who weren't afraid to really rip into me, and of course Gosoke taught me all the kumitachi personally so having him knock my sword into my own foot is a good way to learn.
heavy load
Ah, the joys of parenting. For those without children and/or those not interested in stories about baby bowel movements, stop reading now.
So I was just about to get dressed to go to work when I heard a blood-curdling exclamation from P. Fearing the worst, I ran into the bedroom to behold...P holding a smiling Tonchan, attempting to remove Tonchan's clothes to reveal an absolutely overflowing diaper.
I helped pull the clothes off and jammed them in a bucket in the laundry room sink, along with the freshly-stained quilt that Tonchan was lying on. Back in the bathroom I held Tonchan as Hiroko stripped her diaper and hosed her down. Tonchan giggling and having a great time with all the attention.
It seems that if one has a stupendously large bowel movement, and then one rolls around on one's back excitedly, one's diaper is unable to contain the contents and one resembles a pig frollicking in its own feces.
Gotta love babies.
So I was just about to get dressed to go to work when I heard a blood-curdling exclamation from P. Fearing the worst, I ran into the bedroom to behold...P holding a smiling Tonchan, attempting to remove Tonchan's clothes to reveal an absolutely overflowing diaper.
I helped pull the clothes off and jammed them in a bucket in the laundry room sink, along with the freshly-stained quilt that Tonchan was lying on. Back in the bathroom I held Tonchan as Hiroko stripped her diaper and hosed her down. Tonchan giggling and having a great time with all the attention.
It seems that if one has a stupendously large bowel movement, and then one rolls around on one's back excitedly, one's diaper is unable to contain the contents and one resembles a pig frollicking in its own feces.
Gotta love babies.
bye bye japan
Papa and banAna came back from a few days in Kyoto and we had a final dinner at our place. They got us a wicked cool kairagi dish -- looks like tree bark and is perfect for a big grilled fish.
They took lotsa photos with Papa's sweet camera, so I expect to see some good stuff soon.
They took lotsa photos with Papa's sweet camera, so I expect to see some good stuff soon.
late night kumitachi
Feels like I hadn't been to the dojo in weeks because...I hadn't. Big turnout, lots of beginners, so spent most of the time on the basic basics, and thinking in three dimensions, trying to keep balanced front-to-back, left-and-right, and up-down. After class, ran through the kumitachi with Salty a number of times. We're practically the same height which is good. He's better than I am at a couple of the kata and I'm better at the others, so we train well together. He's smooth and trying not to muscle through his cuts, and his maai (distance and timing) is excellent sometimes, but he also sometimes doesn't commit, or gets too anxious. I guess anxious isn't really the word; one of the problems with knowing the kata is you know what you're partner is going to do, so you move understanding how he will move. But that's different than moving with him or in reaction to him. If I change up the speed or angle or timing a little bit, he gets totally thrown off, which is excellent practice for him so I like to keep him on his toes.
He trains alot and somehow manages to remember all the different variations of the kata, so it's good to go through them all and play around. Still not feeling particularly threatened, but I think if we keep practicing a few more times he'll loosen up and really start swinging for the fences. First time he clips me in the head will be good (for him at least) as that will show him were the timing and connections are. We played a bit with the habiki, but one of them is so beaten up it's about to snap in half, so we stopped and went back to wood.
After we trained, we went with Karachan to get some late-nite food and smacktalk until the wee hours. Sleepy at work today, but it was good to get out and do some training for a while.
He trains alot and somehow manages to remember all the different variations of the kata, so it's good to go through them all and play around. Still not feeling particularly threatened, but I think if we keep practicing a few more times he'll loosen up and really start swinging for the fences. First time he clips me in the head will be good (for him at least) as that will show him were the timing and connections are. We played a bit with the habiki, but one of them is so beaten up it's about to snap in half, so we stopped and went back to wood.
After we trained, we went with Karachan to get some late-nite food and smacktalk until the wee hours. Sleepy at work today, but it was good to get out and do some training for a while.
wake up!
The Tonchanbeast has a new game. At 8pm, when P puts her to bed in the crib, she goes to sleep fairly easily. Then, several hours later she gets all grumpy and wakes up and will only fall asleep again if P puts her in the bed.
Then about 3:30 in the morning Tonchan is awake. And bored. And wants to play. So she reaches out with her meaty little palms and starts smacking me in the face. And she reaches out with her meaty little feet and starts kicking me in the neck. If I roll over, the assault continues on the back of my head. If I open my eyes facing her she stops, smiles her evil little princess/angel smile, and gurgles something like "Daddy! You're awake! Play with me!"
I love my little Tonchasaurus. But I also need to be reasonably functional at work. So I give my little smiling bundle of love a kiss, grabbed my pillow and alarm clock, and went into the other room to sleep.
Sorry P, I am sure the ninjaTon launched a full throwing-stars attack that kept you up, but at least you can nap when Tonchan naps -- I have to stay awake (mostly) at work!
Then about 3:30 in the morning Tonchan is awake. And bored. And wants to play. So she reaches out with her meaty little palms and starts smacking me in the face. And she reaches out with her meaty little feet and starts kicking me in the neck. If I roll over, the assault continues on the back of my head. If I open my eyes facing her she stops, smiles her evil little princess/angel smile, and gurgles something like "Daddy! You're awake! Play with me!"
I love my little Tonchasaurus. But I also need to be reasonably functional at work. So I give my little smiling bundle of love a kiss, grabbed my pillow and alarm clock, and went into the other room to sleep.
Sorry P, I am sure the ninjaTon launched a full throwing-stars attack that kept you up, but at least you can nap when Tonchan naps -- I have to stay awake (mostly) at work!
sun day
Another beautiful day, so we headed to Shibuya and walked up through Harajuku. Checked out the crazy kids in front of Meiji Shrine, then walked down to get some gyoza for lunch. Did some shopping at Oriental Bazaar and picked up a nice indoor kimono (thick soft cotton, more like a robe) whilst papa got some knicks and knacks. Tonchan was gettin' hungry so we went to CrayonHouse for dessert and took a wee break on the patio. Hiroko had the tomato fantasy, and then we walked back to Shibuya, loaded up on supplies for dinner, and headed home.
eating saturday
Took a walk up through Azabu Jyuban, then up to Roppongi Hills, had random bits and bobs for lunch, then gelato,then came home for a short break. Later Chieponpon came over and we cooked and ate some more.
papa takes good photos
Tonchan-5-26-07
Originally uploaded by renfield.
happy Tonchan * (awesome camera + pro photographer) = great photo
happy birthday k
The K is twelve. OMFG that means in another year he'll be a teenager. Then he'll start driving, and working at the mall, and picking up chicks, and going off to college, and backpacking across India, and getting a job in Raleigh, and marrying an ambulance driver, and have 3 girls, and buying a boat, and coaching little league...
late night again
shibuya sunday
More beautiful weather so we took a walkabout in Shibuya. First stop at the department store so P could stock up on make-up girl stuff. So of course I pulled Tonchan out of the stroller and was surrounded by cute make-up counter ladies who all kept poking Tonchan and remarking on the quality of her skin (guess that's their thing!)
Then we wandered up to Omotesando and looked at Kimono stuff and finally got lunch at Crayon House. All you can eat healthy buffet; the chicken curry was excellent.
After stuffing ourselves silly we went to National Azabu to stock up on supplies for the impending visit of Grandpa, then cruised home for some quality afternoon sittin' around.
Then we wandered up to Omotesando and looked at Kimono stuff and finally got lunch at Crayon House. All you can eat healthy buffet; the chicken curry was excellent.
After stuffing ourselves silly we went to National Azabu to stock up on supplies for the impending visit of Grandpa, then cruised home for some quality afternoon sittin' around.
veggie indian
veggie indian
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Met Grand Poobah of Enlightenment and Genuine Sentient Brad and his posse of minions doing his bidding (well OK his wife Yuka and his psuedo-minion Bret) at Nataraj in Ogikubo for some killer veggie Indian food.
kanda matsuri!
P1000755.JPG
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Twas time for the yearly festival. Down in Nihonbashi in the area around Honbu Dojo, the festival is THE event of the year. There are several mikoshi that get carried around the various neighborhoods for three days straight. Our local route goes right past Honbu. This year we had over 20 people from the dojo helping to carry the mikoshi, and even Tonchan got into the mood, though I think the crowds kind of freaked her out a bit.
sleepy x2
Thursday evening was big night out. Friday turned out to as well. Didn't leave work until well after 8, and got to Honbu just as the monthly Friday meeting was ending. Had a quick chat with some of the guys, and then Gosoke wanted dinner so we headed down to the local grubbery and I didn't end up getting into bed until 1am again. Slept well into the morning today though, so methinks I'm all caught up on sleep.
Tonchan, however, doesn't seem to recognize me as she hasn't really seen me in a couple days, so she's just giving me the glassy eyeball stare.
Tonchan, however, doesn't seem to recognize me as she hasn't really seen me in a couple days, so she's just giving me the glassy eyeball stare.
habeas corpus 2
As has been pointed out in the comments, America is not the only country without habeas corpus. My current country of residence, Japan, is a fine example of this, as written in this NYTimes article (free registration required) about how it's common practice for the police to imprison suspects for weeks on end and torture them until they give confessions, even when they are innocent.
However, I resubmit my point: it is not the current lack of habeas corpus in the US that I bemoan. It is the fact that habeas corpus has been effectively repealed through a combination of a deceitful, power-hungry government, a failure of the inherent checks and balances, and a sheep-like populace too busy reading bibles and watching American Idol to care.
Japan, on the other hand, never had a history of habeas corpus, so it was not taken away in a tragic bait-and-switch of political fear mongering and power grabbing.
I came to Japan 14 years ago knowing full well that I could be put in jail indefinitely for no reason. Hell, I was finger-printed like a criminal that day I arrived, and I am required by law to carry my Alien Resident Registration Card at all times. Failure to do so and produce such ID to the relevant authorities is cause enough for imprisonment and deportation. But I knew this coming here. I had no expectations of anything better.
Yet compare the current state of citizens' rights in the US now to 1994. You can be arrested for recording your precious American Idol so that you can watch it later at your convenience. You are breaking the law if you critique a news story in the context of journalism. You can be deemed an "enemy combatant" and held in a secret prison indefinitely, with no rights.
The consistent erosion of US citizens' rights through the Patriot Act, the DMCA, a co-opted Supreme Court, the "War on Terror" (whatever the hell that means) and an impotent Congress is a said situation indeed. And I have little hope that the next generation of politicians can or will do anything about it.
However, I resubmit my point: it is not the current lack of habeas corpus in the US that I bemoan. It is the fact that habeas corpus has been effectively repealed through a combination of a deceitful, power-hungry government, a failure of the inherent checks and balances, and a sheep-like populace too busy reading bibles and watching American Idol to care.
Japan, on the other hand, never had a history of habeas corpus, so it was not taken away in a tragic bait-and-switch of political fear mongering and power grabbing.
I came to Japan 14 years ago knowing full well that I could be put in jail indefinitely for no reason. Hell, I was finger-printed like a criminal that day I arrived, and I am required by law to carry my Alien Resident Registration Card at all times. Failure to do so and produce such ID to the relevant authorities is cause enough for imprisonment and deportation. But I knew this coming here. I had no expectations of anything better.
Yet compare the current state of citizens' rights in the US now to 1994. You can be arrested for recording your precious American Idol so that you can watch it later at your convenience. You are breaking the law if you critique a news story in the context of journalism. You can be deemed an "enemy combatant" and held in a secret prison indefinitely, with no rights.
The consistent erosion of US citizens' rights through the Patriot Act, the DMCA, a co-opted Supreme Court, the "War on Terror" (whatever the hell that means) and an impotent Congress is a said situation indeed. And I have little hope that the next generation of politicians can or will do anything about it.
big night out
Celebrating an excellent outcome to a potential mess at work, so we got a couple of private rooms at the swanky Citabria. I left before the second bar and got home at 1:30...
habeas corpus
Say all you want about the "war on terrorism" (sorry, at which point did Congress actually declare war? And against whom? But I digress), the fundamental issue is that habeas corpus in the USA no longer exists. It it now totally and completely LEGAL for the US government to arrest you, declare you a military combatant, put you in a military prison, not charge you with any crimes, and deny you access to: legal counsel, the evidence against you, a judge or jury. Oh yes and you can be held indefinitely. That means forever.
So, this is the great bastion of freedom and democracy?
So, this is the great bastion of freedom and democracy?
gorilla biscuits
Random walk down memory lane: I spent many a weekend evening checking out punk and hardcore shows at The Anthrax in Norwalk, CT. I am pretty sure I'm in the audience at this GB show, probably in the back as in '88 I was a mere sophomore and not stupid enough to risk death near the front in the pit.
When my daughter grows up and listens to whatever crap music she'll be into 15 years from now, I'll show her this and tell her to get over it, because her dad was straight up old school no foolin' sk8trBoi straight-edge hardcore back in the day.
When my daughter grows up and listens to whatever crap music she'll be into 15 years from now, I'll show her this and tell her to get over it, because her dad was straight up old school no foolin' sk8trBoi straight-edge hardcore back in the day.
too...much...meat...
too...much...meat...
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Kairi and Daisuke brought their parents over for some good old fashioned meat eating. Of course on the last day of a beautiful and sunny Golden Week, it rains. But fear not! We still fired up the BBQ and cooked far too much dead flesh. Sadly, the toilet's vent exhaust was right above the BBQ grill out on the deck, so the toilet is now infused with the pleasant odor of cooked meat.
Daisuke napped and then decided that a fun game is to press all the buttons on the stereo and DVD player. Kairi ran around, played various card games with ever-changing rules (ensuring that she was always just winning), fell over the couch a few times, and drew with my colored pencils. Mom and Dad and P took turns eating, holding Tonchan, and watching me run around with the other kids.
books and bread
After the TV arrived, we loaded the Tonchabeast into her chariot and bussed down to Ebisu. Sold some books and picked up my copy of Japanamerica at Good Day Books, then walked down to Arietta for some quality healthy bread and walked home. We detoured through Hiroo and grabbed a baked sweet potato, then stopped by National Azabu for some much needed supplies (salsa, corn chips) before heading home to enjoy the new TV.
akiba
Did the day in Akiba with Mr. Kobayashi and The Todd. Mission was to get a new television. Figured I'd go for a nice plasma, but given that 37" was more than enough, settled on a lovely Toshiba LCD that does 1080. We had all-you-can-eat shabu shabu upstairs and did some other wandering in the lovely weather.
The Todd headed home to play the GTA3 I gave him (it had an irrelevantly small crack on it so I couldn't sell the disc) and apparently ended up playing all night.
I headed back to Conan's house of video games to check out more Riot Act and other silliness before heading home for dinner.
The Todd headed home to play the GTA3 I gave him (it had an irrelevantly small crack on it so I couldn't sell the disc) and apparently ended up playing all night.
I headed back to Conan's house of video games to check out more Riot Act and other silliness before heading home for dinner.
midtown
Today, along with everyone else in Tokyo on Golden Week holiday, we checked out Midtown.
Not being built by Mori, it was everything that Roppongi Hills isn't; the layout is simple, office buildings and residence surrounding a central multi-floor mall of shops and restaurants, with a nice park in the back. The courtyard, approaches, and halls are all wide and straight, and even as crowded as it was, getting around was quite simple. Obviously the architects did not intend to purposely confuse the wanderer, forcing them to navigate a labyrinth like Roppongi Hills.
We checked out sweet array of Nissan Skylines, from the first to the latest:
wandered around the garden, and looked at the sweet "real furniture" at the expansive Muji. I am grooving on the shelving unit; it has living room potential...
Since it was too crowded to eat, we walked to (the totally dead and empty) Roppongi Hills and got some munchies, sitting in the shade by the pond, then walked home.
When we got home, we realized we left the digital camera in Midtown!
I took a taxi back to Midtown and asked at the information counter in the main building, right by where we were sitting. The woman I asked knew immediately what I was talking about as she was the one who received the camera when some good semaritan brought it in. Soon I had my camera back in had -- only in Japan can one leave a digital camera sitting outside on a bench and come back to pick it up 5 hours later!
gyoza time
Yuika and Kento and their parents came by for some mad gyoza eating. As always, we made way too many and ate way too much. At some point, Kento decided to attack Tonchan, wrestling style, but her ninja skills were formidable and she beat him back. Yuika suffered some collateral damage via the occasional boot to the head, but in general they all got along.
As Yuika executes a leg hold, Kento begins his attack...
...with a flying kick!
Kento goes for the pin while she's down...
...but Tonchan counters with a left...
...and a one-two combo whilst kneeing Yuika who goes for the double-team!
With Yuika KO'd, BattleTonchan finishes Kento with a left hook to the jaw!
Ultimately, the fight is declared a draw, and all settle down for some milk and a nap.
As Yuika executes a leg hold, Kento begins his attack...
...with a flying kick!
Kento goes for the pin while she's down...
...but Tonchan counters with a left...
...and a one-two combo whilst kneeing Yuika who goes for the double-team!
With Yuika KO'd, BattleTonchan finishes Kento with a left hook to the jaw!
Ultimately, the fight is declared a draw, and all settle down for some milk and a nap.
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