October 23, 2009
What was I thinking?
October 8, 2009
Sleeeeeeeep
It used to be so easy to sleep til noon on a Saturday and still catch most of the college football I wanted to see, but now that USC games show up at 7-9 am, that's out the window. I've tried recording the games and watching them later, but I always end up getting a text or seeing a status on Facebook or something that spoils it for me.
With my now twice a week English classes, the gym, basketball, and taiko (plus normal things like laundry, cleaning, prep work blah blah blah), there's not a single weeknight I'm not busy. Time to get re-organized and re-oriented I think.
September 24, 2009
Silver Week Travels
- Leaving Wadayama at 11 pm, sleeping at a rest stop somewhere in Yamaguchi at around 4 am, getting up at 8 to drive down to Kumamoto and not getting to the castle until 1 pm. Traffic was a beast in Kyushu.
- Kumamoto Castle was average at best, but the ramen down there was amazing. Also had horse sashimi and a horse burger before going into a volcano-powered hot spring up in the mountains.
- Fukuoka was drizzly, but we made it to the Ramen Stadium at Canal City and had a couple different kinds of ramen...super packed
- Also went to Mariona City for outlet shopping and I came back with 2 pairs of shoes, a jacket, a shirt and some undies for about $100...not too shabby. Also, AKB48 was doing a concert there for some reason.
- Ate hormone nabe, which was actually delicious, in Fukuoka, followed by 2 bowls of ramen...all after 10 pm.
- Hit up a foreigner bar called FuBar and saw my buddy Joel for the first time in 7 years.
- Ordered the Ramen Walker - Kyushu Edition
- Swung by Hiroshima for some okonomiyaki on the way back, got back to Asago at about 11 pm.
Names of ramen places eaten at:
- Daikoku Ramen (no relation to Daikokuya in LA)
- Daimaru Ramen
- Murasaki Ramen (Ramen Stadium)
- Ichi Ryu Ramen (yatai)
- Taiho Ramen
- Gensuke Ramen (Ramen Stadium)
- some random rest stop in Kita Kyushu
September 14, 2009
What on earth?
I was making flash cards for class and using some clip art CDs that one of my schools keeps on hand for such situations. I came across some rather questionable content, particularly since most of these pictures seem to be very childish and mainly intended for use in elementary school. As you can see, there's a couple of images of condoms included, as well as one of two people about to kiss. Just thought it was unusual for there to be sex education material.
September 11, 2009
Apparently I STILL don't know what I'm doing
They satisfy the kei class of cars in Japan, which means they have an engine no larger than 660 CCs. They're also often loaded with fertilizer/cement/plants/animals and driven by men over the age of 70. As one can safely assume, being stuck behind one of these on a one lane, no-passing road can lead to extreme ageism and road rage.
Anyway, I'm stuck behind this guy and contemplating passing him across a double yellow, on roads that curve with the mountain we're driving next to. I could do what I've seen young folks do here, and go into the right turn lane (remember, the lanes are opposite here, so this is like a left turn lane back in the States) and just gun it when the light turns green again, but I'm thinking maybe I can still make it. So I follow grandpa all the way into Fukuchiyama and get to the city abuot 8 minutes before my train actually leaves.
He turns off the road, and I gun it. Wouldn't you know it, someone with no business entering the road comes in out of a convenience store parking lot. There's no one behind me for at least 200 meters, but this jackass decides he HAS to go now. Again, very common in Japan. I brake fairly hard and basically sidle up right behind this veeeerrrrryyyy sloooooowwwwwllllllyyy accelerating hatchback. He's only on the road for a block or two (which agains forces me to ask why he felt he had to cut me off) and then I'm approaching the station. I search for a parking lot and find one, throw my jacket and camera bag over my shoulder, and sprint into the station. The clock reads 5:26, and I gasp at the gate attendant "did the 5:25 leave already?" He looks very slightly sympathetic and says "yes, just now." By missing the train, I now have the choice of waiting for the next one, which comes in an hour (putting me in Kyoto at 8 with a 9:30 return) or driving further towards Kyoto in the hopes of finding a station that has more regular trains, and hopefully a later last train.
I take a glance at the map, and notice that a Sonobe station is where the local express into Kyoto starts. I punch that into my phone's navigation system and I'm off. It's a good 40 kms to Sonobe, and it takes me about 45 minutes with traffic. I get there, park, and wander into the station. I call my friend and let him know it's going to be an hour later, but this way I can stay out til after 10. I'm looking at the platforms and train schedule trying to figure out what to do, then get on, throw my headphones on and go to sleep.
About 20 minutes later I'm woken up by a conductor telling me I have to get off. It's the last stop, he says, and I glance outside to see a tiny station with no people in it. This is clearly not Kyoto, and when I ask how to get to Kyoto from there, I'm informed that I went the wrong way on the line. I've now got to wait 20 minutes for the next train, go back the way I came PLUS the 35 minutes to Kyoto. Dinner is now moved back from 8 to 9-ish.
Eventually I get into Kyoto and everything's fine and dandy. We have some good food, a beer, and talk about old times and new. I get on the 11:30 local back to Sonobe, get in my car and drive the 90 minutes back to Asago, getting home at about 2. I suppose it's all a lesson in not rushing when you don't have to (like I did at Sonobe) and leaving earlier than you think you should, especially when you have to deal with septugenarian farmers driving oversized power wheels on one lane roads.
September 4, 2009
Move-in On Up!
My new car will be the Daihatsu Move X Vs, the next level up in the model line. It's got more leg room, an adjustable (forwards and backwards) rear seat to accomodate luggage and best of all, a split folding rear seat back (the Mira comes down in one piece). This will be much easier to fit snowboards and gear in, as well as a possible 3rd person, for both boarding and other road trips. It also has an audio jack for an mp3 player, keyless ignition, and a bunch of other fancy features I can't wait to try out.
Just got word today that the car is ready and while I'm going to miss my Mira, I can't to make the move to the Move.
August 18, 2009
Summer's Almost Over?!?!
July 8, 2009
Making Umeshu / 梅酒を作る
この間友達が梅を1キロ持ってきて「梅酒作ろう」って言った。砂糖、梅、酒をビンに入れて三ヶ月が経ったらおいし~い梅酒が完成!
Wash plums and puncture the skin with a fork so the juice will come out.