Saturday, October 21, 2006

How to make friends.

Ways to become closer with male karate students age 6-14: start screaming in a loud feminine voice when you see a cockroach speeding it through the changing room and accuse the individuals in question of putting it there on purpose to scare the crap out of you (possibly unconsciously in order to bring out your feminine side too-which in my case is a trait rather faint, at given moments demonstrating itself via menstrual cycle and wanting to kiss boys).

Koalas, the moral examples.

Ha!
I had a grand weekend this weekend. I walked over 30 kilometres and considering that my current place of inhabitation is the third largest city in Japan with rather efficient and sufficient transportation system I view this as quite an achievement.
I walked three subway stations to get organic bread and sausages and a glimpse at potential Christmas presents and walked the same three stations back. Got home and ate like a pig and went down to Shin Sakae to see the boys where, as it has become a rather usual set of events, with Renchan we had a highly educational (if you consider any sort of information to be educational) yet somewhat bizarre discussion. This time it was regarding the 818 Stargate (I did want to write this blog right after the weekend, so that this information would be actual and possible to take into consideration and be acted upon, thus my appologies), the notion of which involved a very strong UV beam, the 17th of October, the Earth, alignment of the 1 and 2 universes (perhaps likely addressing the issue of parallel universes) and a preference for positive thoughts on this day (17.10.2006=> 1+7=8, 1+0=1, 2+6=8 and thats why 818 Stargate and not 345 or 987 or 123 Stargate, that is if anyone was wondering) in the attmept of making the world a better place. And thus it somehow justifies Renchan taking a day off on Tuesday and my decision of throwing in some positive prayers towards general and universal goodness of all straight after work at 5pm (the ideal, universally acknowledged best average time for everyone who is too busy or too responsible to take a day off was estimeted 5.10pm).

This morning, a Sunday morning, a sunny morning I walked two subway stations to purchase yesterday glimpsed Christmas pressies-yesh yesh Bero has already done her Christmas shopping b`cos she is super cool and indeed almost a thoroughly responsible and organized in her highly respectful post-graduation independence individual. The presents are lovelylovelylovely and I am so excited about giving them away on Christmas that it makes me even more excited about Halloween in two weeks cos have already sewn my Halloween party costume (I know, I know, its going to be for the kids!! yeah yeah yeah...)
On my way back I popped down the local Zoo and botanical gardens where walking for the rest of the day I exhausted my pphysical shell utterly, though looking at koalas I did regain my moral energy and am ready to continue a meaningful and valuable existence.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

About how I wanted to write about Kakuozan matsuri and ended up writing about something else.

On Sunday I have also bought a ダラブッカ (darabukka), a Turkish drum, so I can practice and so one day be able to join people by some fire or another.
I was slightly worried about possessing an absolute lack of rhythm in me however I decided to go on with the transaction anyway, for if I haven`t done so I would feel, well, not too much like some of those cheesy chain mail phrases say `Love like you`ve never been hurt...` or similar rubbish, I think I`d just feel stupid for not indulging in shopping in order to become cool. One should never allow for such a thing.
And so I bought it. And surely enough there was an email waiting for me stating `16 things that it took me over 50 years to learn`, an account written by Dave Barry, Nationally Syndicated columnist; ` Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that one amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.`
Cheesy it might be, but here, I give you all the 16 points, for on the whole, they do ring a wonderful, rather refreshing and indeed truthful, reflection:

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."
3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
5. You should not confuse your career with your life.
6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. (I wish I had!)
7. Never lick a steak knife.
8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 21.
12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.
13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)
14. Your friends love you anyway.
15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
16. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine . . . They start out as grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.
FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2030, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.

Project for Valuable Human Environment

I mark success!!!
I have decided, after I moved into my new house and realized that its surroundings very much resembles a nice peaceful いなか (countryside), to say `Hello!` to everybody I shall meet journeying out or back home.
I have been rather disappointed to note people failing to at least grant me a friendly glance (ok, a non-grumpy would do just fine too) and so I have set my mind to a `Project for Valuable Human Environment` (by Pokeron the Mountain Imp). The idea was to persist on greeting everyone in 向陽町 until they will all end up saying `hello` back to me.
After a somewhat fruitless beginning the day before yesterday (a Sunday, a day off, a sunny day, a warm day, a day of festivals) everybody who I met on my way home responded to my friendly salutation and I, very much satisfied about the positive development of my hypothesis (willingly admitting the lack of Hypothesis 0 and thus acknowledging a rather positive failure of it succeeding for any hopes of future research), happily hopped up the hill to enter my small orange house.
I indulged.