Rurikoji, reflecting pool

Country roads

It was all I could do not to ring that bell

Prosthesis

Those clouds aren't going to make themselves

Say that you'll work for free and you can do anything

I just got back from the local radio station KiRaRa FM; I had stopped in a week and a half previously to ask about volunteer opportunities; we discussed various things that I could do, promos, working the board or helping with their sattelite broadcasts at Fuji Grand, the mall where I work. In the end, I left my name and phone number and they said they'd call me. Yesterday, I was just about to stop by the office to see how things were progressing and whether or not there would be any opportunities when they called me. It was an inopportune time as I was just getting my pants on in preparation for work (I've learned that pants are key to business success). But, with some difficulty, we arranged for a meeting today; I say with some difficulty because I struggle with business Japanese anyway, and trying to communicate over the phone while getting dressed just makes it more difficult.
I showed up at the station's office today thinking that we would just be doing more discussion about when I could volunteer and what I could do, but they tossed me in the studio to record a promo: "Rider's Cafe II, Speakeasy. Presented by Ube Bike." I was thrilled, but a little confused. Ms. Coppola must have done her resarch well; I felt like I was in Lost in Translation. After I would read it once, they would say something along the lines of "High tension! Low voice!" or "High tension! Tanoshiku (having fun)!" Eventually, we got it all sorted out, they were happy with the work and called it a wrap. On my way out, to my surprise, they presented me with a music gift certificate. I hope I can figure out what store it's for.

There is no nicotine in Japanese engergy drinks

I'd like to begin with an apology to all of those I (and Dansen, I'm dragging you into this as you pointed it out to me originally) may have mislead about the presence of nicotine in Japanese energy drinks or gums. On the back of the drink, the label reads nikochin san amido (ニコチン酸アミド), which translates as niacinamide, a variant of nicotinic acid, which in turn is the chemical name for Vitamin B3. So, as it turns out, these drinks (aside from the occasional presenc of caffeine), are non addictive and fortified with vitamins. I decided to do this research when after glancing at the amounts of "nicotine" contained in each bottle I realized that it would half to equal at least three cigarrettes, and in some cases upwards of half a pack, clearly dangerous doses. Couple this with no age restrictions on their purchase and it just didn't smell right. So, I hope to have set the record straight, and I apologize again to anyone who I may have confused.

Some general occurences

The new teacher came in on Friday. Her name is Beth - from near Chicago. After teaching social studies there for nine years, she said she wanted to see the world instead of teaching it. It's good to have a new face around. We don't know much about her yet, but she's got that "Midwestern friendliness" about her. We'll see how it pans out.
In other news, my boss is taking vacation next week and, thus, I'm working nine days straight next week. I get two four day weeks in a row after that as tradeoff, but I'm not sure if it's worth it, based on the severity of the cold I came down with yesterday.
I'd like to end this unfortunately telegraphic post with a quote from a student. I was doing a lesson on social porblems and asked about the causes of homelessness. His response: "In the United States, homelessness has many causes, unemployment and economic problems, drugs, alcohol, language barriers, and so on, but, in Japan, I think people are just lazy."

Civil servants are an exercise in confusion

The gas man came today. Rang the bell and got me out of bed, as is wont to happen when the Japanese world needs me to sign something or recieve something. He was so polite that I couldn't understand that he wanted in the house at first, so I tried to nod my way out of it and see if he would go away and let me go back to sleep. That didn't work. Eventually we figured out what was going on and he came in and tested all the gas appliances. After he ensured that they all worked he handed me a sheet with pictures of the types of apliances that might be powered by gas with the ones present checked off. "You have a stove, a heater and a water heater." I indicated that I was happy to be informed of this and he asked for my number because they didn't have one recorded on the form. I mentioned that I had a cell phone and he lept at the opportunity to record a number, I was a little hesitant because I dont know how long I'm going to be in Ube and I don't want Yamaguci gas calling me for the next several years. But, I couldn't really talk my way out of it, so perhaps I'm due to become the next Sam Bawden. Hoping (against hope I might add) that maybe additional information could get him to change the form, I offered him the number of the Osaka Nova head office. Showing him a sheet of paper with the information on it, he surprised me by taking out the company camera and asking if he could take a picture of it. After snapping that picture, he asked what time I started work at Nova, I directed him to my schedule which I keep on the wall (gotta have the memory failsafe device), and he again asked to take a picture. Having completed his bureaucratic tourism, he thanked me and left.

Lavratorial separation

Volunteering is an amazing way to gain experience

Well, after asking around I found out where the community radio station in Ube is, and today I marched down there and talked to them. I told them I used to work at a radio station in America and was interested in learning about radio in Japan; they gave me a tour and we chatted some and I asked about volunteering here. It seems now that I might be able to get a volunteer position running the board there at KiRaRa 80.4 FM, and maybe even doing remote broadcasts at Fuji Grand. I gave them my phone number and e-mail address and they said they'll call, it's looking good, but we'll see how this pans out. I'm realizing that if I want to do this tough, I'm really going to have to work on my Japanese, so I'm going to try and find some radio vocabulary online.

Sunset over Fuji

Accented Graffiti

Muraltastic!

Discoveries Abound

If you'll forgive me a slightly prosaic topic, but I have a story about my toothbrush I'd like to relate. I've owned this particular toothbrush for nigh on three months now and it wasn't until recently that I found out it was electric. This happened when I dropped it and it started buzzing. After I finally figured out how to turn it off, I was quite taken with the novelty, and needless to say, since then my teeth have been getting twice the brushing. In half the time!

I'd probably eat here

Lit fountains are just plain awesome

Osaka-jo, imposing . . .

. . .and accessible

The main streets of Osaka . . .

. . .and its tiny back alleys - there's always room for a shrine.

Osaka

After what proved to be a quite irritating (nine hour I might add) bus trip some days ago I arrived in Osaka at the - usually unknown to me hour - of seven. I met up with Ed, whom I met in the airport on my arrival two-ish months ago. It was at his apartment that I would be staying; we made our way there and, after a restorative nap of seven or so hours, I was recharged and ready to take on the day. Having made a key for me, we went to Kyoto for lunch, er, rather dinner at this point. We went to the Gyoen, where I took some fairly unsatisfactory pictures in the failing light. After enjoying a light dinner at a Mom 'n Pop tendon joint (excuse the pun), we adjourned to the Very Berry Cafe, for a much needed hot cup of coffee and cold pint of beer. We returned to Osaka and engaged in a night out, Japanese style. By which I mean, staying out past when the trains quit running, which necessitates staying out until they start running, usually around five. But, as there's no real closing time in Japan, it's quite easy to do this. In fact it's even easier for those of us on vacation, viz. me and Ed; what I don't understand is the ability of the salaryman to accomplish this, and go to work the next day. The Japanese have a fortitude of spirit that is beyond my comprehension.
One of the goals of this trip was to meet up with an old friend of a friend by the name of Masanori. He had done a homestay with the Clarks, some friends of ours in Olympia, some twenty-six years ago. So, the next day we met up with him for dinner. A dinner of the most amazing variety at, according to Masanori, the best seafood restaurant in Osaka - Totoya. I have never before seen, let alone eaten, that many kinds of fish at one restaurant. We had fish fried, raw, boiled, deep fried, mixed with rice, and even staring at us while eating. It was the best meal I've eaten since coming to Japan, perhaps even all year (2005 that is). It was good to see Masanori, and we had a nice chat, half Japanese/half English; I even brought him some ubekama (sorry dudes, but local fishcake specialty company websites are gonna be 日本語 only).
The next day, being New Year's, we went out again, intending on staying out all night. Were we successful? I should say so. But first, I spent the afternoon checking out Osaka castle and wandering around Umeda (one of Osaka's two downtowns), I then met up with Ed, his girlfriend and a friend of hers and we struck out. After hitting a couple of places in preparation, we joined Ed's coworkers at Le (something French, can't remember) Jardin, a fancy-esque place on the top floor of a building in Namba (the other of Osaka's downtowns). It was a nice New Year's set up, chandeliers on the floor, outdoor seating surrounded by a moat, cheap bar, buffet, and another room with karaoke, DJs and, at the stroke of midnight, indoor fireworks. Returning home at five the next morning, it was successful.
I embarked home the next day, traveling this time by shinkansen (taking only two hours to Shin-Yamaguchi, thank god). Travel was good, but it's good to be back home - howevermuch I want to move. I went out for a few with Jim (my roommate) and came back home, glad to sleep on my own futon.