Putting my affairs in order for a vacation

On Friday I went to Shimonoseki for to get re-entry permit. I marvel, yes marvel, at the wonders that a properly constructed beauracracy can present. Firstly, the reason I went to Shimonoseki was that the Ube immigration office only open for three or so hours on Mondays, and closed tomorrow. Arriving in Shimonoseki, I navigated the bus system and found myself in a near empty, very governmental looking building. I found the small sign directing me to the fourth floor, walked down a hall, past a kitchenette and some empty boxes. At the end of the hall there was an office that could have been staffed by twenty housing a single man watching TV and reading a newspaper. I was asked to fill out a form. I did so. He gave me the payment sheet and I tried to pay, but I was told that on needed to go to the next building where one could purchase payment stamps. I left, purchased the stamp, affixed it to the sheet and returned. He stamped my passport, bid me good-day and sent me out into the heat.
It was hot that day.
It's been hot every day lately.
It isn't even the hot part of summer yet.
On the plus side, I managed to get a little shopping done and meet up with my friend Stirling for a night of light drinking. Or heavy drinking. It could of been either. All I know is that I went home with my wallet looking like this:
This preperation ws not merely so I could explore Shimonoseki and deal with civil servants. I go to Korea this week. Dansen's in town for about ten days to get his Japanese work visa. Town here should read Seoul. I'd kick myself if I spent a year in Yamaguchi without going to Korea, it's so damn close. I had originally wanted to take the JR Beetle there and airplane back. that proved too expensive. I looked into Beetle both ways, but since I would have to take the KTX (Korean Shinkansen) to and from Pusan that also was two expensive. So it's up in the air for me come Wednesday.
Time to pack.

Every Spiderman's gotta have one

Eggs and everything

A shady spot for tired feet

Shimonoseki Tower. Is that the right name? I dunno the real one

Low tide

Do we still have these in the states?

Goin' home after a hard day at the plant

I swear I remember seeing this game during footage of congresional hearings on videogame violence when I was nine

Fashion Show

Sunset over Emura

Majime View at Night 4

Majime View at Night 3

Majime View at Night 2

Majime View at Night 1

I flagrantly broke a minor law today

Sure, I've been stopped by the police in Japan. Each time it has happened, bicycles were involved; once on an occasion of some, albeit minor, interest, and more recently for having a broken headlight. But, both times I was leto f with smiles and soft warnings to avoid repeating my transgressions. However, today was another story. It was raining, and I, not wanting to get wet, purposely made my ride home more difficult, but more comfortable by riding while simultaneously operating my vehicle and holding an umbrella. Yes, I joined all of the other bike riding citizens of Ube and risked a police stop and possible fine by keeping dry.
I will admit though that I was riding home from picking up my umbrella at the store where I forgot it a week ago.

New . . .

. . . and old

I find large birds a little unnerving

I've been kinda wrathful towards grapes

Rainy season has started in earnest here. Or so they tell me. There doesn't seem to too much extra rain going around, it's a little harder, yes, and a little more frequent but I'm not sure if a rise in the average humidty deserves a seperate distinction. When looking at the hirearchy of time divisions, season is a pretty strong word. Certainly it's not as long as a year, and perhaps a decade or an 'age' carries more emotional weight. Nevertheless, I believe that by their cyclical nature that a season certainly carries more punch, because while the psychological connections with decades and such may be more focused and stronger, a season's are constant, and within a cultural subset, these connections are generally the same for any given person, allowing a reference point that stands the test of centuries. So, yeah, I don't know if a couple of downpours is worthy of wearing the mantle of 'season'.
In other frustration I tried to drink a grape soda the other week. A couple lessons before break I was parched and headed over to the vending machine. The peach juice I like was in stock, but I decided to be adventurous try that grape-type beverage that I'd been dithering about whether or not to try. I purchased it, brought it back to the office, titled it back and only a trickle came out of the can. The can seemed heavy, and solid. I tried to drink again with equal success and decided to apply some suction. I then discovered that it was not liquid in the can at all, but a can full of 'jell-o' or a 'jell-o' like product. It is beyond me why a company could stay in business selling small mouthed cans of fruit jelly with no straws or spoons attached. I've learned my lesson about reading packaging and looking for pictures of spoons on the label (see right).
And, as I get into the swing of doing this as blogging and not just keeping an online journal, I'd like to add a link to a blog I found catalouging cats that look like Hitler.