Didn't get in much practice yesterday, so today I went to the newly-formed University Student's practice. Naganuma-sensei was in a good mood and gave us a taste of what basic practice used to be like in his time: 2 solid hours of basic cuts, 5 sets of 10, in deep DEEP stances, full swings from back to front. I tell ya, kids these days; a couple of the students had to stop and rest, and all of them werepanting and dying after an hour. I felt vindicated as the old man in the room, and even Naganuma-sensei was giving everyone grief.
I will most likely not be able to raise my arms tomorrow.
I will most likely not be able to raise my arms tomorrow.
Quite an exciting iaido practice. about 30 minutes in, a girl who had come to check out iaido was sitting quietly on the side, when all of a sudden she let out a little moan, her eyes rolled back, and she fell sideways out of her chair. Everyone ran over and she was shaking like she was having a seisure. I grabbed my towel and someone put it in her mouth and held her down so she wouldn't smack herself into the floor too badly. Kanae-sensei grabbed her cellphone and ran up to call an ambulance which arrived about 10 minutes later. By then the girl had stopped shaking and seemed to be sleeping, and when the paramedics came down she was awake and could stand up and walk out by herself. Not sure if it was a seisure or if she just passed out (freaked out by stress of sitting by 15 people swinging swords?) but anyway practice was strangely relaxed after that as everyone gave a big sigh of relief that she seemed ok. As for my towel, it was covered in blood (I think her mouth was bleeding a bit) and sacrificed to the greater good, so sensei said maybe I'd get a Suimokai towel in exchange for my quick action.
In true GIVE YOUR MEAT fashion, I stuffed meself silly at Roberto's BBQ. Seems not only did his lovely wife Debbie go on a mad Costco run, but via some inside connection they managed to purchase steaks on the US Army base. So the grill was choking with mega-pound, 2-inch thick steaks, we all ate like pigs, and washed it all down with brownies, toffee caramel bars, and icecream. It's good to be American sometimes.
Yesterday in the stunning 30C heat Kevin and I wandered Shimokitazawa for a couple hours checking out the freakshow. Finally made our way back to my place, where Hiroko's mom was waiting with Kevin and Zareen's summer yukata that grandma hand-stiched for them. Very cool. Don't think Kevin and Z will be around for the Azabu-jyuban Summer Festival this year, but maybe I'll rent out Lucky for a couple hours for my birthday, traditional wear if available.
Yesterday in the stunning 30C heat Kevin and I wandered Shimokitazawa for a couple hours checking out the freakshow. Finally made our way back to my place, where Hiroko's mom was waiting with Kevin and Zareen's summer yukata that grandma hand-stiched for them. Very cool. Don't think Kevin and Z will be around for the Azabu-jyuban Summer Festival this year, but maybe I'll rent out Lucky for a couple hours for my birthday, traditional wear if available.
No more studying! Spent all weekend in Starbucks, cramming arcane financial tax facts, blocking unsuspecting fellow 'buckers with my stealth cell-phone jammer, and shooting hazelnut lattes like a heroine addict with a fist full of syringes. Took the test in an Ocha-no-mizu test center yesterday. Finished in an hour and actually I think I might have passed. Get the results in a few days. Typical; computerized test but they probably print my answer sheet and fax it to the Japanese Securities Dealers Association for grading or something.
Iaido last night was all practice for the festival at the end of June. I am utterly hopeless; I can't even sit down and bow correctly let alone do the kata. At least if I can keep my eyes focused straight ahead all is not lost.
After practice I hooked up with the work team at Outback for Yu-Ching's good-bye: she's off to make her way at Amazon Japan. Good luck!
Iaido last night was all practice for the festival at the end of June. I am utterly hopeless; I can't even sit down and bow correctly let alone do the kata. At least if I can keep my eyes focused straight ahead all is not lost.
After practice I hooked up with the work team at Outback for Yu-Ching's good-bye: she's off to make her way at Amazon Japan. Good luck!
Studying at Starbucks every night this week after work, and I'm sure I'll be there all weekend, too. The same high school girl was sitting in front of me two days in a row. She was mildly amused when I showed up again tonight and said "tadaima (I'm home)", but her smile soon faded as she wondered why her cell phone wasn't getting any reception. Little did she know that the pencil case on the table between us housed not only a mechanical pencil and a green highlighter, but also a made-in-China, totally illegal cellphone blocker. 4 fresh triple A's and that thing kept the desk on the third floor of Starbucks undisturbed all night.
Stopped into Lucky's for a quick dinner of the usual: eggplant with miso and ricebowl curry with grilled garlic. Entertaining the wacky idea of renting out the whole place (well okay maybe just the back rooms) and having a big old birthday party this summer...but first things first; gotta get through this damn test on Monday, and then practice iaido like mad for the yearly enbukai end of June.
Stopped into Lucky's for a quick dinner of the usual: eggplant with miso and ricebowl curry with grilled garlic. Entertaining the wacky idea of renting out the whole place (well okay maybe just the back rooms) and having a big old birthday party this summer...but first things first; gotta get through this damn test on Monday, and then practice iaido like mad for the yearly enbukai end of June.
Whole lotta hype recently about Extreme Programming. Haven't tried it at work yet, but it seems to have potential...then again having some programming discipline in the first place helps, too.
It's official: nik & dave get married. Got the announcement yesterday so now we gotta figure out the logistics of getting out there and getting to/from Rhode Island. Remember I don't have a driver's license and haven't driven a car 5 times in the past 10 years. Think we'll be bummin' rides off of some of the other wedding guests or something...
I'm in serious study mode -- Japan Financial Registered Representative Level 1 exam is Monday -- spent a good 4 hours at the 'bucks last night cranking through corporate governance, bonds, and mutual funds.
I'm in serious study mode -- Japan Financial Registered Representative Level 1 exam is Monday -- spent a good 4 hours at the 'bucks last night cranking through corporate governance, bonds, and mutual funds.
Stevie put up some photos of the BigBeefyBirthday Party and the Pimps and Hos party afterwards.
Me, I went to iaido and we started practicing seriously for the yearly enbukai and competition June 30. I can barely lift my left arm.
Me, I went to iaido and we started practicing seriously for the yearly enbukai and competition June 30. I can barely lift my left arm.
Went to the monthly iai kenshukai (practice seminar) yesterday. It was in the gym of a school down the street from Akihabara Electric Town. People from all different Mugai-ryu schools came, and this seminar was specifically for beginners so it was really intense on the basics. Naganuma-sensei drilled us on the first 5 seated kata and 4 standing kata, and there were about 5 assistant instructors so we got lots of specific help and pointers.
After about 2 hours I and 3 others were called up while everyone else sat down in the back. We had to take off our swords, bow, put our swords on, do the first 5 seated kata, take off our swords, and do the final bows. I was tired and pretty nervous so I messed up the first sword bow, which Naganuma-sensei caught and smiled, asking "Blade out! You know that. You nervous?" which made me even more freaked so I did it again on the final bow and he said again "Blade OUT. Ren, you really are nervous aren't you?"
So anyway at the end of that he says "OK, these 4 have just been promoted to 3-kyu...even though ren can't bow to his sword correcly. Congratulations. Don't forget to pay the 7000 yen testing fee!" Huh? that was a promotion test? Uh, ok. So now I'm 3-kyu!
The whole seminar was 3.5 hours long and I really think I learned alot. I think I'm starting to get noto (sheathing the sword) and I almost remember all of the first 9 kata, but my arms and shoulders are killing me. And we've got regular Monday practice again tonight so I am hosed.
On Saturday we celebrated Jeff and Kevin's BigBeefyBirthday at Barbacoa. I think we put away several cows and a not few beverages. Beef sweats abounded and after dinner several folks went to Ed and Ted's annual Pimps and Hos party, but Hiroko was feeling a bit sick (sore throat) and I was beef-bloated so we just went home.
Last night finally watched Chocolat -- great movie!
After about 2 hours I and 3 others were called up while everyone else sat down in the back. We had to take off our swords, bow, put our swords on, do the first 5 seated kata, take off our swords, and do the final bows. I was tired and pretty nervous so I messed up the first sword bow, which Naganuma-sensei caught and smiled, asking "Blade out! You know that. You nervous?" which made me even more freaked so I did it again on the final bow and he said again "Blade OUT. Ren, you really are nervous aren't you?"
So anyway at the end of that he says "OK, these 4 have just been promoted to 3-kyu...even though ren can't bow to his sword correcly. Congratulations. Don't forget to pay the 7000 yen testing fee!" Huh? that was a promotion test? Uh, ok. So now I'm 3-kyu!
The whole seminar was 3.5 hours long and I really think I learned alot. I think I'm starting to get noto (sheathing the sword) and I almost remember all of the first 9 kata, but my arms and shoulders are killing me. And we've got regular Monday practice again tonight so I am hosed.
On Saturday we celebrated Jeff and Kevin's BigBeefyBirthday at Barbacoa. I think we put away several cows and a not few beverages. Beef sweats abounded and after dinner several folks went to Ed and Ted's annual Pimps and Hos party, but Hiroko was feeling a bit sick (sore throat) and I was beef-bloated so we just went home.
Last night finally watched Chocolat -- great movie!
Last night Hiroko and I took Masa to yakiniku and gave her a good feed. We were all meat-bloated and loving it. Nothing like excessive Korean BBQ to get the juices flowin'. Last I saw as I headed to bed was Masa slumped against the couch, controller in hand, deep into demon battles in Onimusha 2.
My man Steve Mollman just wrote an excellent article about mMode, wireless, and how cool tech is in Japan.
Just in case you really want to carry around me and momo, here's some wallpaper for your cell phone.
Finally got the rest of the various photos out of Kevin's digital camera. Ended up just putting his 1GIG microdrive into a PCMCIA adapter and sticking it into my laptop. Had to squish the photos down to a reasonable screen-viewing size, but anyway more photos from Joel & Aki's wedding and shots from the BBQ back at Hiroko's parents' place in Ibaraki. Hiroko's friend's daughter Momo was their and I just absolutely love her. I gave her a couple of English books; a book with all kinds of cool stuff to color and draw because last time she came over we were playing with coloring books alot, and a Dr. Seuss book: One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. She speaks not a word of English...well that's not true she's been watching Sesame Street and she had free English lesson from some local cram school so she says "thank you" and "hello! ren" and "cucumber" (cucumber?) and her mom was like "Oh great, thanks ren now I have to learn how to read these!"
She's only five, but she acts much more like an old man, which in it's own way is really cool. Unlike every other little kid, she doesn't like Sports Day; running around all day playing games. Ask her why and she sighs and says "tsukareru" ("it's tiring"). We always grill cloves of garlic and when I was showing her how to peel and eat them she looks up and goes "miso", asking for bitter-sweet miso bean paste to dip the roasted garlic in; just like an old man at a yakitori bar snacking on a little something and washing it down with a cold beer. We got into much mischief that day, but luckily we didn't get caught.
Got schooled again in aikido -- weather's getting warmer and it was a non-stop sweat-fest. Can't wait for the real summer practices to start; 35 degrees C and 90% humidity.
She's only five, but she acts much more like an old man, which in it's own way is really cool. Unlike every other little kid, she doesn't like Sports Day; running around all day playing games. Ask her why and she sighs and says "tsukareru" ("it's tiring"). We always grill cloves of garlic and when I was showing her how to peel and eat them she looks up and goes "miso", asking for bitter-sweet miso bean paste to dip the roasted garlic in; just like an old man at a yakitori bar snacking on a little something and washing it down with a cold beer. We got into much mischief that day, but luckily we didn't get caught.
Got schooled again in aikido -- weather's getting warmer and it was a non-stop sweat-fest. Can't wait for the real summer practices to start; 35 degrees C and 90% humidity.
Only 5 people in iaido last night, and K-sensei's wrist was pretty bad so she practiced with a lightweight wooden sword. But we got seriously schooled on the first 5 seated forms, which I still can't memorize, so it was good (except for the exploding blister on my left palm.)
Got some good advice on bugei.com's web forum boards about sword bags so I went ahead and ordered one from Bujin Design. Also thinking I should get another hakama as mine's kind of long...well actually the hakama's fine it's just that my legs are really short.
Had lunch with Jeff, showed him how to do bank transfers at the ATM (only withdraw and deposit are in English), and FX'd with him so I can save away some dollars...some day we'll get a 401(k) plan...
Got some good advice on bugei.com's web forum boards about sword bags so I went ahead and ordered one from Bujin Design. Also thinking I should get another hakama as mine's kind of long...well actually the hakama's fine it's just that my legs are really short.
Had lunch with Jeff, showed him how to do bank transfers at the ATM (only withdraw and deposit are in English), and FX'd with him so I can save away some dollars...some day we'll get a 401(k) plan...
Spider-man was, as expected, a sucess. Spike didn't like it, but he was outvoted, so my record is now 2 for 3.
Studied for the RR exam for a few hours at Starbucks with Rika, then went home, grabbed my wooden practice sword and walked up to the park to practice. Walking past the Korean embassy was a bad idea: stopped every 10 meters by a different cop. The third time I'm going "You got a radio! Tell the dudes up there I'm coming so y'all don't have to keep questioning me!" I guess it's better than being able to walk by a bunch of cops with a sword and not get stopped.
Jeff and Kev came over for some traditional home-cookin' and Hiroko whipped up enough food to even put those two into chicken-coma. Ericka's still in the states so we took the opportunity to feed Jeff non-meat foods: tofu and veggies and rice.
Also, he got a car now so we're gearing up for some Costco runs!
Studied for the RR exam for a few hours at Starbucks with Rika, then went home, grabbed my wooden practice sword and walked up to the park to practice. Walking past the Korean embassy was a bad idea: stopped every 10 meters by a different cop. The third time I'm going "You got a radio! Tell the dudes up there I'm coming so y'all don't have to keep questioning me!" I guess it's better than being able to walk by a bunch of cops with a sword and not get stopped.
Jeff and Kev came over for some traditional home-cookin' and Hiroko whipped up enough food to even put those two into chicken-coma. Ericka's still in the states so we took the opportunity to feed Jeff non-meat foods: tofu and veggies and rice.
Also, he got a car now so we're gearing up for some Costco runs!
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