behold: mold!
Guy from Ken Corporation came this morning to check the apartment. Showed him the mold above the window in my room, as well as the crack in the bathtub, the sketchy bedroom door, and the crappy display on the apartment intercom. Cool guy, but he just reports back to the owner, so we'll see what ends up getting fixed. It's a buyer's market, so I have a bit of room to play hardball. Hiroko and I can give them the standard good cop (Japanese wife) / bad cop (foreigner husband) schtick.
i am a steak
Just finished Wall Street Meat by Andy Kessler. Almost makes me wish I was born 10 years earlier so that I could have seen the fun on Wall Street, instead of just catching the tail end of it from Tokyo when I joined Morgan Stanley 5 years ago. Oh well, maybe it's best that I missed it. Great read, though. Gives me a new perspective and more ammo for my cynicism.
sleep
Slept for 14 hours. Came home about 5pm feeling nasty, hit the bed, woke up at 7 this am. Still not feeling great, but getting a bit better. Hiroko feels just fine, for what it's worth.
yu-ching is cooler than me
Yu-Ching not only has a blog that's cooler than mine because hers is bilingual, she saw Keanu Reeves live and in person, shopping in Omotesando.
ugh...
Hiroko is finally getting over her cold...by transferring it to me. Throat is sore, head's a bit thumpy, body aches...
east?
I am considering renaming The Mightier Steed "east".
There is a small compass attached to the front of The Mightier Steed, just above The Speedometer Than Knows Nothing Over 60.
Whenever I look at the compass, it invariably says I am facing east. There are two possible reasons for this:
1) By some innate sense of direction, I subconsciously know when I am facing east, and only then do I actually look at the compass
2) It's broken
I'm leaning towards #2, but I do have a pretty good sense of direction, so you never know...
There is a small compass attached to the front of The Mightier Steed, just above The Speedometer Than Knows Nothing Over 60.
Whenever I look at the compass, it invariably says I am facing east. There are two possible reasons for this:
1) By some innate sense of direction, I subconsciously know when I am facing east, and only then do I actually look at the compass
2) It's broken
I'm leaning towards #2, but I do have a pretty good sense of direction, so you never know...
meat
Went to practice in Akabane in the morning because one of the new guys said he was coming. Didn't get a chance to do much other than teach, but did have a few words of wisdom from Naganuma-sensei -- some day I'll be as amazing as he, but not anytime soon.
In the evening over to Jeff and Ericka's for Yet Another Meat Fest BBQ. Ericka is bigger with child, the upstairs neighbors still scoff unpleasantly when we fire up the BBQ, the building across the way pounds on the window when we make too much noise at 8:30pm on a Saturday, and Jeff's pork loin is still to die for. Zareen had more than some red wine (that never happens, really) and we all watched 8 Mile, a lovely flick methinks.
In the evening over to Jeff and Ericka's for Yet Another Meat Fest BBQ. Ericka is bigger with child, the upstairs neighbors still scoff unpleasantly when we fire up the BBQ, the building across the way pounds on the window when we make too much noise at 8:30pm on a Saturday, and Jeff's pork loin is still to die for. Zareen had more than some red wine (that never happens, really) and we all watched 8 Mile, a lovely flick methinks.
fast=good
Got the scooter from Will yesterday after some initial confusion over which train station to meet at. It's a Suzuki Address. Supposedly 50cc, but the body is the same size as the 100cc Suzuki Address, which means it nice and long and stable and smooth and FAST. The spedometer pegs at 60 (kilos/hour) but there's plenty left in the throttle and the engine has a wicked squeal of combustion as it revs ever higher. The Angel of Death sticker on the back suggested a possible name, but I think for now, and in honor of the original Mighty Steed, this scooter is hereby named:
The Mightier Steed
Technically it's not quite mine yet. Will has to go to the Meguro Ward Office, unregister it and turn in the license plate, then transfer it to me and then I have to register it in Minato Ward and get new plates. (Actually, legally I'm wondering if the scooter was ever transferred to Will from the previous owner, but whatever...)
The Mightier Steed
Technically it's not quite mine yet. Will has to go to the Meguro Ward Office, unregister it and turn in the license plate, then transfer it to me and then I have to register it in Minato Ward and get new plates. (Actually, legally I'm wondering if the scooter was ever transferred to Will from the previous owner, but whatever...)
will nolan
He blogs. He geeks. He is also selling me his scooter. Not sure what to call it. Mighty Steed 2? Guess I'll have to get a feel for it before naming.
rain and pain
Truly stunningly mad hard rain tonight during practice. I was teaching the students' class and explaining to a new guy and the thunder is thundering and the lightning is lightninging (?) and the gym roof sounded like it was going to collapse under the pressure of the rain. Kinda neat.
We've started cranking hard for the tournaments coming up -- I'm not going to practice anything other than the forms inchuyo, yochuin, musogaeshi, migi-no-teki, and shiho for the next few months.
We've started cranking hard for the tournaments coming up -- I'm not going to practice anything other than the forms inchuyo, yochuin, musogaeshi, migi-no-teki, and shiho for the next few months.
Gasshuku
Got on the Odoriko 105 from Tokyo station and made it to Ajiro in Shizuoka Prefecture in about an hour and a half.
Ajiro is a dinky little seaside town known for its seafood and not much else.
We headed straight for the practice hall and started practice with about 75 people.
Practice lasted a couple of hours, and then the three people testing for 4dan and 5dan did the cutting portion of their test before we called it a day and headed back to the hotel, Ajiro Daiichi. Trying to beat the rush I dropped my stuff in the room, grabbed my towel, and headed down to the bath. Tanaka-sensei and Naganuma-sensei where already there, and Sano-sensei showed up a moment later. The water was nice and hot and kind of salty -- maybe they were using sea water.
Changed into our hotel yukata and headed to the dinner hall. Speeches, food, huge quantities of beer and sake, some karaoke, and more beer and sake.
Dinner ended promptly at 8, and most folks headed down to the bar in the basement for more drinking and karaoke. Most of the students headed back to their (my) room and proceeded to wage their own war against sobriety (a rousing victory.) Somewhere after midnight I dragged a futon across the hall into Otsuka-san's room and attempted to sleep, but Yokoshima-san was bellowing his trademark giggle up and down the hall and the students across the way were in full swing. Yokoshima-san, in his drunken stupor, stumbled into the room in which I was attempting to sleep and commented, in his thunderous voice "Someone's trying to sleep in here!" Trying is the operative word, thanks.
Later in the evening, just as I was embracing the sweet cloud of slumber, someone stumbled in and knocked the shoji sliding screen down. On top of me. I remember a feel of distinct heaviness, not from the lightweight paper screen, but from the body on top of it squishing the sleep from my skull.
After a couple of hours of sleep we got up and headed down from a 7:30 breakfast. I managed to get back into the bath to wash and wake up, and then we headed back to the hall for more practice. By now most folks were completely sleep-deprived, hungover, and/or voiceless from too much karaoke. We attempted to practice, I leading the students group, while Niina-gosoke ran everyone else through the basics and Naganuma-sensei ran the promotion exams.
The students were uninspiring to say the least. Most of them were so hung over they could barely stand, let alone swing a sword, but they gave it their best effort, and Shiokawa-gosoke watched and smiled.
When we finally ended in the afternoon, everyone was dead and hungry. We headed into town for a lovely meal of fresh seafood before getting the 2:17 train back into Tokyo.
Ajiro is a dinky little seaside town known for its seafood and not much else.
We headed straight for the practice hall and started practice with about 75 people.
Practice lasted a couple of hours, and then the three people testing for 4dan and 5dan did the cutting portion of their test before we called it a day and headed back to the hotel, Ajiro Daiichi. Trying to beat the rush I dropped my stuff in the room, grabbed my towel, and headed down to the bath. Tanaka-sensei and Naganuma-sensei where already there, and Sano-sensei showed up a moment later. The water was nice and hot and kind of salty -- maybe they were using sea water.
Changed into our hotel yukata and headed to the dinner hall. Speeches, food, huge quantities of beer and sake, some karaoke, and more beer and sake.
Dinner ended promptly at 8, and most folks headed down to the bar in the basement for more drinking and karaoke. Most of the students headed back to their (my) room and proceeded to wage their own war against sobriety (a rousing victory.) Somewhere after midnight I dragged a futon across the hall into Otsuka-san's room and attempted to sleep, but Yokoshima-san was bellowing his trademark giggle up and down the hall and the students across the way were in full swing. Yokoshima-san, in his drunken stupor, stumbled into the room in which I was attempting to sleep and commented, in his thunderous voice "Someone's trying to sleep in here!" Trying is the operative word, thanks.
Later in the evening, just as I was embracing the sweet cloud of slumber, someone stumbled in and knocked the shoji sliding screen down. On top of me. I remember a feel of distinct heaviness, not from the lightweight paper screen, but from the body on top of it squishing the sleep from my skull.
After a couple of hours of sleep we got up and headed down from a 7:30 breakfast. I managed to get back into the bath to wash and wake up, and then we headed back to the hall for more practice. By now most folks were completely sleep-deprived, hungover, and/or voiceless from too much karaoke. We attempted to practice, I leading the students group, while Niina-gosoke ran everyone else through the basics and Naganuma-sensei ran the promotion exams.
The students were uninspiring to say the least. Most of them were so hung over they could barely stand, let alone swing a sword, but they gave it their best effort, and Shiokawa-gosoke watched and smiled.
When we finally ended in the afternoon, everyone was dead and hungry. We headed into town for a lovely meal of fresh seafood before getting the 2:17 train back into Tokyo.
more for your money
Explain to me how this is going to help the US economy, even remotely...
Senate Passes $350 Billion Bush Tax Cut
John Breaux, D-La., failed in his attempt to repeal a tax increase on Americans working abroad. Those workers would no longer be able to exclude the first $80,000 of their foreign income from U.S. taxes, but they could claim a credit against any foreign taxes paid.
Senate Passes $350 Billion Bush Tax Cut
John Breaux, D-La., failed in his attempt to repeal a tax increase on Americans working abroad. Those workers would no longer be able to exclude the first $80,000 of their foreign income from U.S. taxes, but they could claim a credit against any foreign taxes paid.
rain rain go away
Getting a bit chillier these days, with a steady rainy drizzle. Went to practice and ended up teaching as Hohsina-san ran a mock-promotion exam for those testing this weekend. At the end of class two people ran through a mock exam in front of everyone, and at the end of the first one Niina-gosoke promoted him on the spot, after correcting some basic points about etiquette.
The Niina-gosoke ran the upper-ranks through his traditional hour of torment as we all got reminded just how lame we are.
The Niina-gosoke ran the upper-ranks through his traditional hour of torment as we all got reminded just how lame we are.
once again the magical joy that is the local japanese bureaucracy
So I finally got the police report filed correctly for my stolen Mighty Steed, and went to the local ward office to file an application for termination of taxes on the scooter I no longer own.
I had the form filled out already, including the police report number. Handed in the form and was out in a couple of minutes. Simple! I was half-way out of the office when I heard the guy running after me shouting my name:
him: Mr. Kuroda! Mr. Kuroda!
me: yes?
him: You forgot to turn in your scooter registration.
me: Registration? I don't have it. It got stolen with the scooter.
him: Your scooter was stolen?!
me: Uh yeah. That's why I have a police report for a stolen scooter referred to on my application to stop charging me taxes for a scooter I no longer have...because it got stolen.
him: [deep thought, furrowed brow] Oh...right...could you come back here for one second?
So we went back to the desk. I discovered something at this point through Socratic Logic:
He was a desk head because the other people in the office called him "Kakaricho" (Leader of a subsection/division; middle-to-low-level management)
Deskheads spend all their time Heading their Desks instead of actually Doing Work, so he was totally incompetent
All Deskheads are incompetent
Not the most beautiful logic but you get the idea. First he had to cancel the previous Mystery Transaction. Then he had to verify my police report by calling the police station. (At this point I realized that anyone can call the police station, claim to be a bureaucrat in a government office, and get all kinds of supposedly private information about anyone by inquiring into matters of police activity). Next he had to input a new transaction to process my application, then correct the date from the default (today) to the day the stealing took place, according to the police report. Then he had to print the transaction confirmation.
All along he had problems and the lovely part-time housewife with the blue apron and the nice smile kept coming over and going "Remember you have to hit the enter key here..." or "The second page gets stamped, the first page initialled..." Our belov'd kakaricho couldn't get the paper into the printer. She dropped it in and got it to print on the first try. Our hero couldn't go back to the previous screen. He called the helpdesk (5209, if you're ever in the ward office on an internal phone) and stared at his keyboard, befuddled, going "F 1? OK I'll try..." and attempted to hit both the 'F' and '1' keys at the same time with his left hand, while his right hand held the phone to his sweaty ear. I could see the F1 key, I could just reach out and hit it myself, I could just run away and put all this behind me, I could just wrap the phone cord around his splotchy neck and pull until his eyes bugged out even more...
I had the form filled out already, including the police report number. Handed in the form and was out in a couple of minutes. Simple! I was half-way out of the office when I heard the guy running after me shouting my name:
him: Mr. Kuroda! Mr. Kuroda!
me: yes?
him: You forgot to turn in your scooter registration.
me: Registration? I don't have it. It got stolen with the scooter.
him: Your scooter was stolen?!
me: Uh yeah. That's why I have a police report for a stolen scooter referred to on my application to stop charging me taxes for a scooter I no longer have...because it got stolen.
him: [deep thought, furrowed brow] Oh...right...could you come back here for one second?
So we went back to the desk. I discovered something at this point through Socratic Logic:
He was a desk head because the other people in the office called him "Kakaricho" (Leader of a subsection/division; middle-to-low-level management)
Deskheads spend all their time Heading their Desks instead of actually Doing Work, so he was totally incompetent
All Deskheads are incompetent
Not the most beautiful logic but you get the idea. First he had to cancel the previous Mystery Transaction. Then he had to verify my police report by calling the police station. (At this point I realized that anyone can call the police station, claim to be a bureaucrat in a government office, and get all kinds of supposedly private information about anyone by inquiring into matters of police activity). Next he had to input a new transaction to process my application, then correct the date from the default (today) to the day the stealing took place, according to the police report. Then he had to print the transaction confirmation.
All along he had problems and the lovely part-time housewife with the blue apron and the nice smile kept coming over and going "Remember you have to hit the enter key here..." or "The second page gets stamped, the first page initialled..." Our belov'd kakaricho couldn't get the paper into the printer. She dropped it in and got it to print on the first try. Our hero couldn't go back to the previous screen. He called the helpdesk (5209, if you're ever in the ward office on an internal phone) and stared at his keyboard, befuddled, going "F 1? OK I'll try..." and attempted to hit both the 'F' and '1' keys at the same time with his left hand, while his right hand held the phone to his sweaty ear. I could see the F1 key, I could just reach out and hit it myself, I could just run away and put all this behind me, I could just wrap the phone cord around his splotchy neck and pull until his eyes bugged out even more...
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