Power to the People!
Originally uploaded by piroko_kuroda.
Raise yo' fist to show yo' solidarity against The Man! Disrupt The Dominant Paradigm! Clean diapers! More milk! Longer naps!
stereo crying
stereo crying
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Yuika came over to have lunch and hang out. She and Tonchan demonstrated their synchronized crying abilities by screaming in stereo.
tonchan tsuba
tonchan tsuba
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Yamazaki-sensei sent Tonchan this beautiful tsuba of flower petals and hearts. This will have to go on her first sword, as soon as she's big enough to start cutting!
gasshuku
Headed down to Tokyo Bay coast of Chiba for our annual gasshuku "stay and play." Met the gang at Tokyo Station and to the train for about 1.5 hours to Iwai Station, a nothing little town on the Chiba coast. During the summer the place is packed with sun and sea seeking tourists, but on a cold, rainy February day it's as dead as you can imagine. Some tried to get lunch at one of the two restaurants by the station, but the rest of us bought bento in Tokyo so we walked down to yado and ate.
Denjirokan is a traditional minshuku. Cheap, old and kinda rundown. The kind of place used by student groups and the like. We numbered 40 so they just gave us run of the main building; two floors of a series of interconnected tatami rooms, piles of futon, and bathrooms at the end of each floor. Communal bath (boys and girls separate, each seats about 5 at a time) was across the driveway, by the dog house. Communal dining room seats about 80.
Staying in the other building was a school karate team who used the small gym to train. We got the larger town gym down the road.
After checking in we piled into the minivan and went to the gym to train for a couple of hours, then back to Denjiro for a quick bath and change before dinner. As this was a beach town, the fish and seafood was fresh and delicious and we stuffed ourselves silly. I was pretty tired and had my own room (one of the benefits of being a sensei) so I went to bed early, but from the noise of things they carried on well into the morning.
At 5:30 am I stomped around the building waking everyone up to do some zazen. Nearly everyone came down and trudged through the dark rainy morning to the freezing cold small gym for a couple of short sittings before breakfast. Then we went back to the big gym and trained for a couple more hours before calling it a day at noon.
We mainly did kumitachi, with me teaching the beginners group and trying to plow through as many kata as possible in two days. I think everyone had fun and there was minimal damage done.
We had a good hour before our train arrived so again we piled into the only two restaurants in town. The old grandma running the small pub snack was flabbergasted when we arrived and we just asked her to make whatever she could, so she produced some rice pilaf and curry bowls and we took matters into our own hands, helping ourselves to all the bottled beer.
By the time we made it back to Tokyo the sky was beginning to clear.
Denjirokan is a traditional minshuku. Cheap, old and kinda rundown. The kind of place used by student groups and the like. We numbered 40 so they just gave us run of the main building; two floors of a series of interconnected tatami rooms, piles of futon, and bathrooms at the end of each floor. Communal bath (boys and girls separate, each seats about 5 at a time) was across the driveway, by the dog house. Communal dining room seats about 80.
Staying in the other building was a school karate team who used the small gym to train. We got the larger town gym down the road.
After checking in we piled into the minivan and went to the gym to train for a couple of hours, then back to Denjiro for a quick bath and change before dinner. As this was a beach town, the fish and seafood was fresh and delicious and we stuffed ourselves silly. I was pretty tired and had my own room (one of the benefits of being a sensei) so I went to bed early, but from the noise of things they carried on well into the morning.
At 5:30 am I stomped around the building waking everyone up to do some zazen. Nearly everyone came down and trudged through the dark rainy morning to the freezing cold small gym for a couple of short sittings before breakfast. Then we went back to the big gym and trained for a couple more hours before calling it a day at noon.
We mainly did kumitachi, with me teaching the beginners group and trying to plow through as many kata as possible in two days. I think everyone had fun and there was minimal damage done.
We had a good hour before our train arrived so again we piled into the only two restaurants in town. The old grandma running the small pub snack was flabbergasted when we arrived and we just asked her to make whatever she could, so she produced some rice pilaf and curry bowls and we took matters into our own hands, helping ourselves to all the bottled beer.
By the time we made it back to Tokyo the sky was beginning to clear.
drunj 2: electric bugaloo
Last year I got my drunj on, and once again bonus season was upon us, so it was time for my yearly beveragination.
We started tamely enough, with Yebisu pints and greasy chicken & chips at Finn McCool's. After a couple hours we migrated to the big Sapporo Beer Hall in Ginza for some liter-sized double-pints and basic beer hall debauchery.
When they closed that down and kicked us out we headed to Hiroo and took over Smash Hits for some karaoke goodness. I apparently did well enough with AC/DC's Big Balls and everyone's old favorite Sweet Home Alabama, but after the 3rd Tequila shot I passed out in the back row.
I didn't have my jacket and had many icecubes in my shirt, but somehow I walked down the street, got a taxi, and made it home.
Made it into work today about 1:30 and had a couple of painful meetings before begging off for home.
We started tamely enough, with Yebisu pints and greasy chicken & chips at Finn McCool's. After a couple hours we migrated to the big Sapporo Beer Hall in Ginza for some liter-sized double-pints and basic beer hall debauchery.
When they closed that down and kicked us out we headed to Hiroo and took over Smash Hits for some karaoke goodness. I apparently did well enough with AC/DC's Big Balls and everyone's old favorite Sweet Home Alabama, but after the 3rd Tequila shot I passed out in the back row.
I didn't have my jacket and had many icecubes in my shirt, but somehow I walked down the street, got a taxi, and made it home.
Made it into work today about 1:30 and had a couple of painful meetings before begging off for home.
line?
Mama loves this: the little walkway in front of my house has a white line painted on the side of the road. For what purpose, I have no idea. And for whatever reason, it mysteriously curves out and stops...right before the manhole cover. Did the line painter just miss? Run out of energy? Or is there some unknown purpose yet to be discovered?
kimono tonchan
P1000419.JPG
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Got the old kimono from Grandma's closet and was under orders to get photos of Tonchan wearing said kimono. It's just a wee bit too big, you think?
bjorn again
More beautiful weather, so we dropped Tonchan into the Bjorn and took a stroll up to Azabujyuban and Roppongi Hills. At Tsutaya we ran into Conan and his parentals, so we headed up to slide park and I rode the roller slide a bunch of times with Tonchan totally and completely asleep.
potato pancakes
potato pancakes
Originally uploaded by renfield.
Chiepon came over for dinner and at her request mama made potato pancakes, which we ate with the traditional Japanese dishes of grilled salmon in miso and tofu-spinach shiroai.
da bjorn
Debut of da Baby Bjorn. Loverly weather so wrapped up Tonchan in purple, pulled on the watermelon hat, dropped her in da Bjorn, and off we went to the healthy yummy breadstore in Ebisu. It being the day before Constitution Day, the rightists were out in full effect. Interesting way of showing one's love for one's country: blaring rightist music, disobeying traffic signals, marching in full riot gear including masks and hard hats, insulting the police and one's fellow countrymen at 150 decibels. Yup, patriots, the lots of them.
blue & white
Mama and I strolled up to Blue & White and as luck would have it they were doing a small showing of cool sashiko AND the owner Amy Katoh was there. Mama's been trying to catch up with her for weeks, so it was good that they got to chat. We bought some cool stuff for mama to use in upcoming projects, and headed up to Roppongi Hills for lunch and more shopping.
woikin
Dude, what is up with this year? Working like a madman since day one. Leaving the office between 9 and 10 every night this week it seems. Big Boss in town next week, and with the 3-day weekend we had to get everything ready by Friday evening. It's better than being bored and under-utilized at work, I guess.
Nice to be appreciated, though I worry about the gap between my actual ability and the expectations folks have for me. Nothing better than an impossible challenge to keep one on one's toes!
Nice to be appreciated, though I worry about the gap between my actual ability and the expectations folks have for me. Nothing better than an impossible challenge to keep one on one's toes!
jyuban date
Took Tonchan up to Jyuban for a wee date. We strollered up to the watch place next to Starbucks and I got the strap on my watch swapped, then we rolled down to Miri's and had a turkey sandwich before heading home. A bit windy, but we was all bundled up and warm, so no problems.
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