The Last Throes of June

Unlike the insurgency in Iraq, June is nearing a close. Actually as I write this it’s technically July in Japan, but since I got home late from making a few stops I’ll pretend like it’s the final minutes of June.

For me, June has been a busy month. Site wise, I’ve made some serious progress on my new main page design and hope to have something up in the next week or so. I wish I could’ve done more, but my life has gotten in the way. It’s rough having a social life. Also, I didn’t quite do all those posts I promised, sorry Bushkie! But, I promise I will get around to them soon enough.

I’m also happy to report that due to summer vacation, the high school I teach at will be off, allowing me to sleep late on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as well as Thursdays as I am now getting paid to sit on a train, thanks Leon!

This time is also good, because I get to choose my trailer and picture of the month for July. Still working on that, but no worries as it will be ready by the next post.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all my readers. I know there are more than I thought, probably about 10, and I appreciate you guys indulging my habit of talking too much. In July I'll continue my award winning blog and keep you guys updated on the happenings over here. Also, hope you like the new site.

Wisdom of the Day: be an adult and admit when you wrong.

Slippery When Wet

Yesterday was payday and at the moment being a little too tired from too much work, and a little too lazy, I have skipped the gym to continue work on the PC. It’s also a good day to be inside, as it’s smack in the middle of rainy season, that lovely time of year when it rains quite often, sightseeing is annoyingly muddy and being late is more accepted when say during mid-summer when the sun comes up at around 4:53AM and comes right through your window to tell you it’s time to wake up enough your alarm disagrees with me and thinks you still have another 2-3 hours.

Today was an interesting day, as it began with a slightly overcast sky, began to pour right before I finished my high school, broke for two hours as I was walking and now has began raining as I type this and kill time before my next private lesson.

Typically rainy season lasts from the middle of June through the middle of July, based on where you are in Japan, and even more interestingly, it doesn’t rain all that much. I’d say in an average year we only have 10-15 rainy days during this period. While this is still more than your average Japanese month, it never really qualified to me as a rainy season.

Here’s more interesting news. Today is the first day I’m using blogspot’s picture system. I’ll see how it goes. I think it might not work the way I want to, in which case these pictures will be hosted on geocities as usual. Blogspot is apparently offering 300MB of web space for pictures, which is amazing considering stingy Geocities/Yahoo only gives you 15MB. But they do give you 1GB of mail space for all that spam you’re going to get soon. Yes, you know who you are.

Wisdom of the Day: Bring an umbrella during rainy season

Addendum: Okay, I don’t really like the blogspot photos. Too easy maybe, back to geocities.

Drunken

Having polished off a whole bottle of Japanese whiskey with a few friends, not to mention some Shochu and Casis, I woke up this morning to a soft buzzing and a complete lack of enthusiasm for the a trip to the gym and the sun respectively.

Also this brings up a good time to mention that if you happen to pass out at your friend’s house don’t be angry if him and his girlfriend happen to paint your fingernails and toenails, and give you a half Abraham Lincoln beard painted on in your face in eyeliner. Nail polish remover is cheap and easy to find, by the way.

And you’re probably asking, where are the pictures? Sorry, none this time, I was sworn to secrecy. I also think Mayumi hates us. Sorry about that Paul.

Wisdom of the Day: Wisdom ain’t always wise

Early Change

I had some other ideas for the blog, but this will have to do. My lack of knowledge of CSS and Javascript are limiting what I can do in my free time, and my free time is being limited by the need to go to work, go to the gym, drink, play games and have sex. Therefore this is what you get. At least I changed that logo and created something, I think is cooler.

Last night we finally saw Star Wars in the theater, yet it still won’t be released in Japan for nearly two weeks. And still, no one can explain to me why. Can you? I still enjoyed it and found it to be better than Episode II and I, Episode I only being saved by the fact that Liam Neeson is an amazing actor who is rather underrated in Hollywood for stars like Tom Cruise.

By the way, I’d thought I’d give a little advice to Mr. Cruise after having watched his, shall we say interview, with Matt Lauer on the Today Show (not that I usually watch this sort of thing, but to see Tom Cruise make an ass of himself…). If you’re gonna join a phony religion, made up in the 50s to endowe it’s creator with money, who himself said if you want to make money create a religion, while at the same time ruining an amazing career in the cinema for someone who really can’t act, it’s none of my business. Just remember that Katie Holmes is holding out for you. Yes, Katie fucking Holmes. How you landed her is beyond me, and please note that there isn’t one person I know who isn’t throwing up at the idea of you two having sex. You don’t seem to be able to open your month and make sense without a script, instead you just go off on a tangent always related to Scientology and bitch and moan in a hypocritical way about drugs, money, etc. and yet claim you are all for people expressing their ideas, just as long as they agree with you. Also, if you are going to quote a piece of literature remember two things: 1) try to quote something that not everyone and their children and grandchildren have read; 2) quote more than the title.

So to sum up. If your name is Tom Cruise, when you give an interview only talk about your movies. That’s it. Thank you.

Wisdom of the Day: I think I’ve given enough wisdom today.

The Girls of Osaka: Part Dux

Back by popular demand, we have the Girls of Osaka: Part Dux. I have scoured my photos to find the best I have of the girls I think that you, my New York audience, want to see or maybe meet in the future. If you happen to visit me in Japan I will be more than happy to introduce you and we can all proceed to get thoroughly drunk together. Now without further ado:

Ai: former girlfriend of a good mate of mine and all around interesting person. Has trouble moving on and keeping promises, but likes to have a good time, which includes dancing and drinking copous amounts of non-sobering fluids. Do not contract to clean your apartment after you have a house party for 50 people, even though she promised she would to make up for the fact that she treated you like shit, as she will get lost in the fun and forget about you and refrain from apologizing as she’s too busy smoking the leftover cigarettes from the party. Not bitter.

Shizuka: great gal and a lot of fun. While her English isn’t quite perfect yet, her time in Australia has perfected her listening and she’s a master at pretending she’s completely lost on your conversation, while in actuality she’s catching everything and already wondering on a scale of 1 – 10 how much of a prick you are. Seriously cool and relaxed, Shizuka is the perfect hang out friend for any occasion.

Miki: a.k.a. Miki-pan (pan is Japanese for bread, and in a few other languages I think too, it was stolen by Japanese scholars when they were importing words from other languages) is a student at Berlitz. She’s very genki and is always great fun in class, not to mention an apt student and a fast learner. Her bread is another story. She runs a bread factory for restaurants in the area and her baked goods are second to none. I would marry her in a heartbeat if she wasn’t already married to Ryo (a very cool bloke and very funny), seen here hiding with Baba-kun.

Fumiko: my private student from way back and now officially my oldest private student, not in years but rather how old she has been studying with me. Works in a handkerchief company and part-time as a bartender. Is insanely fun to hang out with and does a mean karaoke number. Only recently watched Star Wars for the first time. I assigned the other movies for homework and am awaiting her opinions. Recently hooked up with her new boyfriend Yasu, who seems like a stand-up guy. I wish them the best.

Tomiko: what I can say about Tomiko? She’s one of my best friends in Japan and truly one of the most genki people I have ever met. Has tons of cute girl friends who she consistently forgets to introduce me to. In addition she likes my short hair and is well versed in all the local ¥280 Izakayas!

Akiko: already mentioned in a former post which I will not link to, find it yourself!, Akiko is a Berlitz student who is a lot older than you think. She’s also genki and fun to have in class, but somewhat of a tease and is to be avoided in any sort of more-than-friends-relationshipal-way. Looks great in a bikini, according to the pictures she freely shows to nearly anyone she meets.

Misa, Hiromi, Zen-chan (left to right): basically this is my best picture of my private student, Hiromi. Misa and Zen-chan are her friends, whom I know very little about so I’ll stop typing about them. Hiromi is older than you think, so don’t try to guess her age, but she looks great. Her job is an interesting little quirky of Japanese culture which I will only speak of in person in case her English drastically improves and she finds this site. Likes scuba diving, cooking and keeping her apartment dirty.

Mina: currently working on her Doctorate in Linguistics, which is amazing to me since I can barely speak English. Mina is a great conservationist and tells a good story. Has recently become interested in Star Wars and has enjoyed the original trilogy on DVD in preparation for Episode III (still two weeks away…). Will move to Montreal in a few months and leave the excitement of Japan behind. Now if she could just wake up on time…

Marie: while technically not Japanese, Marie does live in Osaka, therefore she qualifies for membership in this post and was very excited to join. Marie is from Quebec and speaks perfect French as well as English, with a French accent on any words that sound more French, for example France. Can dance well, likes traveling and borrowing my vacuum cleaner.

Michael Jackson Suits

I kid you not. On Saturday while walking to meet a few friends for dinner and some drinks in Shinsaibashi I came across this small inconspicuous suit shop in the Shinsaibashisuji Shotengai.

Now I know what you’re saying, what the fuck is a Shotengai? Or maybe you’re saying MJ Suits? Perhaps, he’s a guilty freak. Or, why are you looking at MJ Suits? Mom, do you need a new suit? I’ll buy it for you. Maybe, why are you shoe shopping in the Shaolin? I’m sure at least one of you is saying Michael Jackso…who? So all of your questions in asked order.

1. Shotengai is a Japanese word that roughly translates in covered shopping street. Imagine a street that isn’t so wide, on which cars cannot move and the sides are lined with shops of all sorts, kinds and varieties. Unfortunately I have not taken any Shotengai pictures in a while as they are rather common here and somewhat mundane. I hope the links help.
2. The Michael Jackson Business Suit which I found is displayed here. You apparently receive some sort of autographed paper stating that you are now the proud owner of a new Michael Jackson suit, which he may or may not have designed specifically for you or for your particular nationality. The suit does seem to have a bit of the MJ flair usually absent from your standard run-of-the-mill Giorgio Armani suit. Purple cherub boxers are not included.
3. Freak yes, guilty, I don’t think he’s as guilty as they say, but I certainly don’t think he’s as innocent as he has been declared. I’m sure he’ll vanish for a while now.
4. I wasn’t, just passing by.
5. No, Mom, no I’m fine. Please don’t get me any suits.
6. Shoes? A little illiterate are we?
7. Hmmmmm…..

Wisdom of the Day: be decisive and pick a color

ConAir

The Japanese Necktie Industry is in a bad place. As the summer rolls around the heat increases and all us Japan residents get a lot of heat humidity and most important, air conditioning. This year, Japan’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has instituted a policy strongly advising Japanese companies to relax their dress codes for the summer, dropping jackets and ties. His idea is that when the people dress lighter they can reduce their air conditioner usage, save money for the company in this time of economic uncertainty as well as high oil prices, and reduce CO² emissions to help the environment.

This idea sounds good on paper except when you introduce to a 6’4� 200 lbs hairy gaijin like myself. Today I went to teach a company, about 10 minutes away from my school on foot, which has put this policy into effect. Today’s weather was about 80 °F / 27 °C, and the air conditioning was set at 79 °F / 25 °C. I figured why not just open the windows, I’d sweat less. Meanwhile the necktie companies are screaming about how this will hurt their sales, I mean who really likes wearing neckties…

In my humble opinion, this lowering of air conditioning is only going to cause additional problems. 30 years ago Japan had no A/C and was fine, but they also didn’t have servers, desktops, fax machines, copy machines and all the other equipment that raises the room temperature and will overheat and die if not conditioned correctly.

But if anything, think of the students. If their teacher is all sweaty and smelly, will they really be getting their money’s worth?

Wisdom of the Day: Colder isn’t always better

Jedicraft's Batman Begins Review

FUCKING AWESOME!

Why are you reading this? Go see it! NOW!

Wisdom of the Day: GO SEE IT!!!

Izakaya Time

Izakaya, a Japanese word which roughly translates as pub in most dictionaries is actually far from any pub you will ever visit in any non-Japanese country, and believe me there are more than a few, by some accounts, many.

The best way to describe an Izakaya is a sort of Japanese dinner. It’s the place you go to to eat and drink and relax after work. It’s usually open very late or until the wee hours of the morning and serves a majority of Japanese style food. Everything thing from Okonomiyaki, Negitoro maki, Tonpeiyaki and Potato Fried to big plates of Sashimi and Karaage.

They also serve copus amounts of alcohol, mainly types of Japanese beer, and sake. I prefer nihonshu, by the way, shouchu is way too bland for me.

Anyway, tonight we experienced Supa Hyakuban, (roughly translated as Super Number-100) an Izakaya in northern Osaka city, known for it’s insanely cheap prices and loud, drunken and very Japanese atmosphere. Joining me this evening were the ever lively Carl (aka Kaze of many posts) and the beautiful but ever late Shizuka, who claims she will introduce to the even cuter Nana, next week, I’ll believe it when I see it. Shizuka, who studied English for a long time, defines an Izakaya so:

• And integral combination of western and Japanese culture coalescing in a uniquely Asian experience categorized by the large quantity of contentment and relaxation which is necessary to the continued market dominance of many Japanese products in the foreign market. Futhermore, the Izakaya represents the Japanese desire to be known as an individual amongst a large number of individuals who blend in together due to similar physical characteristics, interests and mindset. It is a vital component of Japanese culture, which’s affect on the general Japanese psyche cannot be underestimated.

And after five beers. Carl agreed:

• Yes. Umm, can we order more Tonpeiyaki? And why can’t you find a link for it?

Now I should get to sleep tomorrow because I have 10 lessons and a Mexican party in Shinsaibashi to attend. Don’t blame me if you missed last train.

Wisdom of the Day: Of course you want another round

The Great Internipponic Umbrella Continuum

I apologize for the title as it came to me from my current watching of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy� and my listening of the older BBC radio drama. Not that that has anything to do with this, but anyway. Japan is an interesting place in many respects. One that quite interests me is its treatment and handling of umbrellas, which can be summed up in this one easy line: “Need an umbrella, take an umbrella; have an umbrella, leave an umbrella.� This being rarely posted in front of the big pile of umbrellas that is left near the entrance of every office, store, shop, movie theater, apartment, etc. in Japan, which I refer to as the Great Internipponic Umbrella Continuum.

Many people here don’t carry umbrellas on a regular basis or even if the weather report says rain, they rather wait until the rain starts and borrow an umbrella from the nearly deposit of the GIUC. The idea is that no matter who takes it and uses it they will return it to another deposit of the GIUC where umbrellas are missing from someone who didn’t have one and took it, used it and deposited it at another GIUC deposit.

While some people go out of their way to buy fancy small Totes, or very expensive umbrellas with designs and custom handles, I don’t see the point. All the umbrellas that are lost or left behind are eventually reclaimed by the GIUC and recycled. Therefore I firmly believe that no one should spend more than ¥500 on an umbrella, which you can purchase as any convenient store, of which now on my corner there are five.

So as you can see I’m never without an umbrella and I never get wet. Therefore I was hoping someone could tell me why when I was meeting two very cute girls for coffee after my lessons, the sky opened up on me and he GIUC was nowhere to help…

Wisdom of the Day: Never Trust the GIUC

Batman Forever Returns?

Okay, that movie was merely alright, but the new version, Batman Begins, looks to be kick ass. With all all-star cast, an amazing director and some great looking special effects, I’m expecting it to kick the ass of the previous movies, not an easy feat considering I consider the original Batman to be in my Top20 greatest movies of all time, still didn’t buy the DVD though…

Anyway, Japan is stoked. Not only does the movie star their very own Ken Watanabe, but it’s got a definite Asian theme dealing with Bruce’s transformation, as well as a web site that kicks the ass of the American one with an amazing Flash dossier of the characters and the story. The most interesting thing is the advertising being done around Osaka. My camera isn’t good enough to get a great shot, but I was able to take this. It shows the area of Osaka castle being swarmed by a flock (is it flock?) of bats. Another shows Tokyo getting the same treatment. Not exactly what I was expecting, but cool nonetheless.

Batman Begins starts on Saturday here in Osaka, and I already have my tickets!

Wisdom of the Day: Buy the DVD

Hot Days, Hot Nights

Well it’s officially the summer in Osaka. Besides June being an indicator of this, we have the traditional, yet unwelcome Osaka humidity. While, in a general sense, the Osaka climate is similar to that of New York City, we have a few striking differences. For one we receive no snow in the winter, only occasional flurries. Second while the temperature is relatively similar in the summer months of June, July and August, the humidity level reaches the high 90th percentile.
But thanks to Japanese technology the air conditioning level of every convenience store, language school, gyodon shop, train car and electronics store is close to freezing. Thus a typical Osaka day goes something like this:

1. Walk to train, be soaked in sweat by the time you reach the station
2. Dry up during your ride
3. Resweat during your walk to work
4. Dry up again at your office, while still retaining that lovely sweatful smell
5. Leave the office with a sore throat from 8 hours of fast temperature change.

Now only if they would make stronger throat medicine, all my problems would be solved.

Wisdom of the Day: Karaoke is bad for your teaching career

Stuff & Junk

Going through my house today I found a lot of stuff and junk. Yet what is stuff and junk? The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition 2000, defines stuff as:

3. Informal a. Unspecified material: Put that stuff over there. b. Household or personal articles considered as a group. c. Worthless objects.

And junk as:

1. Discarded material, such as glass, rags, paper, or metal, some of which may be reused in some form. 2. Informal a. Articles that are worn-out or fit to be discarded: broken furniture and other junk in the attic. b. Cheap or shoddy material. c. Something meaningless, fatuous, or unbelievable: nothing but junk in the annual report.

In my case it’s a large assortment of things from books I’ve finished, games I no longer play, old lesson plans for high schools and universities, a splattering of CDs, DVDs, and at least two cassettes, don’t ask. But as I look around my house I wonder where all this stuff came from. I rarely buy things like that, I try to throw away as much as possible and keep my house as tidy as possible, okay not that tidy but better than Doug!

My point is how do we accumulate so much stuff. Even people I know, who focus hard to elimate the junk in their lives (especially Mom) cannot escape from the never ending mount of stuff and junk that piles up in their houses. My situation is somewhere between conditions blue and yellow, but still it’s something I should keep an eye on for the future.

Wisdom of the Day: Shoe boxes take up more space than Playstation games.

Osaka Nights

Well not as exciting as the title may imply, Osaka is quite a decent city for night life. Clubs, bars, Japanese style restaurants called Izakayas, karaoke boxes and love hotels, Osaka has basically everything you would need for a good night over the weekend. The main problem comes from the trains system.

Japan has one of the most extensive and best run train systems in the world, with the exception of the occasional accident, but this is possible on any train system. The strangest thing about this train system is that is stops. Around midnight every night all the train lines in Japan shut down for about 5 hours, forcing commuters to bicycle, walk or take a taxi home. The reason for this is rather unclear. I’ve heard a large number of reasons ranging from an olde cultural Japanese morality code trying to persuade people to go home early to the Yakuza’s political lobby group creating work for the taxi front companies.

So what to do if you miss the last train? Well, if you don’t have to work the next day, or don’t mind being half-asleep and hung-over at work (99% of NOVA’s staff) then you can brave the nightlife and stay out all night. But be warned, that hot girl you’re kissing might be more than you bargained for!

Wisdom of the Day: If it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck, it’s probably a new-half.

No Pictures this Time...

I think that many people viewed Tuesday’s post, but no so many commented. But that;s okay, I’ll keep posting for you’re reading enjoyment, although a post every now and then is appreciated to show you care or tell me what you think. I should have the girls of Osaka, part 2 up next week sometime.

Anyway, as some you may have found out the pictures seemed to go down at times with a message indicating that they would be back in an hour. Basically I have the pictures hosted on geocities, using the web space previously allocated for the old web site. The bandwidth limit per day on a free geocities web site are really small. I can only imagine that if I had many readers no one would see the pictures.

I’ve also said the new site is coming. And it is, don’t worry. I doubt you are. And once I finish it I will have a new domain name and a new host, with no ads and lots of space and bandwidth. So be happy!

Wisdom of the Day: If pro is the opposite of con, then isn’t progress the opposite of Congress?

The Girls of Osaka: Part 1

As part of my on going service to the English speaking community back in New York I feel committed to bringing you the finest in educational services to increase your knowledge about Japan, it’s culture, it’s people and it’s lifestyle. So, I am please to present my first in a series about the girls in Osaka who I have known in my time here. This week we present the girls I haven’t seen for a while.

Junko: my former private student and a flight attendant for JAL, Junko enjoys karaoke, dancing and generally having a good time. Though I find her rather cute, she always insisted that her sister was much cuter than her. I can neither confirm nor deny this as the picture I saw was rather blurry. Junko disappeared late last summer and I have had no contact since, I think her new boyfriend is teaching her English now.

Chiaki: another former private student and office worker, who slowly reduced her lesson frequency to nothing. Like Junko I believe she is still paying the monthly fee to my private lesson company, NLE. Chiaki likes clubbing, drinking and no doing anything that requires real effort or work. This is easy as her company’s president is her father. Hope you’re doing well Chiaki, and email me if you want a lesson.

Kana & Mitsu: friends I met in a bar, they are always up for a good drinking session, some karaoke or a crazy drunken gaijin bash. In the end Kana turned out to be a lesbian and Mitsu just vanished. There was no confirmation of a relationship between the two, just friends as far as I know.

Keiko: Keiko was actually one of the first girls I met here, although when I first met her she was rather geeky and not all attractive. A year can definitely change a person because the next time I saw her she looked like this. I saw her at my Christmas party last December as she is friends with one of students at Berlitz, but we’ve lost touch.

Mika: currently resides in Salt Lake City where, I imagine, she’s slowly turning into a Mormon. At the moment she studies, ummmm… pass. The last email I received from her indicated that she’s bored out of her mind and is looking forward to coming back to Osaka for a visit in the summer. See you then, Mika.

Naoko: bit of a gaijin hunter, Naoko is in love with New York, but if you’re short, bald or not have enough money she doesn’t want to even look at you, let alone start a conversation. Apparently fat is a turn-off as well. Last I saw her, she switched teachers due to a mysterious scheduling issue that never existed.

Sachiko: mid-20s, fit and cute, Sachiko is a resident of Bentenchou, or more accurately Minami Ichioka 2-Chome, just a block and a half away. She’s a bit strange, sick about 6 days of the week and a 100% confirmed gaijin hunter. To be avoided at all costs.

Shino: waitress at the Hilton Hotel café in Umeda, Shino is a single mother, pictured here with her daughter Sakura, who I imagine is looking for a new father for her kid. She’s nice, sweet, but a wee but demanding. She studied English in New York City for nearly two years, but spent most of her time at the beach and so now can’t really speak much.

Tomoko: fun, friendly and diligent student at Berlitz. Tomoko is an office worker/departmental assistant, but from her demeanor it’s clear she is very responsible, well-organized and probably keeps her boss in check. Current rumor is she’s dating her coworker from her class.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s edition. Come back next week for part 2. In the meantime, leave a comment and tell me who you think is the best in the group. My favorite you ask? It’s a secret!

Wisdom of the Day: An apple a day keeps the doctor away, a mango a day keeps the ladies coming back for more.

Finally... Party Pics

Finally after a long wait I present the party pictures from the fun and somewhat disastrous, yet great, May 14^th Party. Also included, my top Six favorites:

Kazue, Marie and Justin rock out with Nick (the other Nick) just out of the frame.

Don’t look at us, we’re Japanese! My proud manager Baba-san (I like to call him Baba-kun) stand with Miki Pan’s husband Ryo. Thanks for all the bread guys!

Nick(still not me), Justin and Ai strike a pose. Why didn’t you clean my apartment afterwards Ai? We had an arrangement. And you said you bake me a cake!

Ian arrives. Or did we just get back from a beer run? I’m confused…

(right to left) Ayako, Sayaka and some cute girl who’s name is either Yuri, Yuki or Ayako pose for a quick picture. It’s a pity Sayaka did stay for more.

The host himself. I bring people together, it’s just what I do

What do you think?
BTW: Some readers don't know that there are many pictures in some of the other posts that are simply links in the text that the browser reads as #null, but these are pictures, in the Bicycle Paradox: Part Dux, most of the words: impound are also links to pictures. So click and see.

Wisdom of the Day: Parties are great until you wake up

The Bicycle Paradox: Part Dux

I seem to remember someone telling me that the bicycle impounds in Japan are overcrowded and that only something like 40% of all impounded bicycles are actually recovered. After seeing the Impound I can see why.

As it turns out there is an Impound center a mere two minutes walk from my house, roughly five minutes from the station where my bicycle was taken from. After a quick survey of the area, I penetrated the perimeter. Inside a truck was offloading some new acquisitions, no surprise there. I entered the main office and was quickly seated by the attendant. After a few minutes of causal Japanese I stated that my bicycle was impounded near Bentenchou station. His face instantly changed to depression as he proceeded to tell me that the Bentenchou station impound was a 40 minute bus ride west of our current location, on a small artifical island that is home to the main Osaka Port Town. This means that the ride back to my place will be around 90 minutes, time I simply don’t have. On top it will cost me ¥2,500 (about $25) to get my bicycle back, expensive when considering it only cost me ¥5,000 in the first place!.

Apparently the theory behind the placing of the Impounds is that it’s so far that you’ll take care in the future not to park illegally. But from what I can see it’s not working as 60% of the people just buy new bicycles. It’s what I’m planning to do as well.

Wisdom of the Day: Be Reasonable!

Almost Home Cookin'

Well it's Saturday night and instead of my usual going out and drinking tons, coming home passing out, waking up late on Sunday afternoon, not going to the gym and basically getting nothing accomplished while spending a ton of money, I’ve decided to stay in to appease my fatigue and my wallet.

As some of you know I do cook a lot, but the majority of my meals are healthy yet fast and usually similar because I'm not the kind of person to spend three hours in the kitchen. Yet Tonight while walking home from the gym I decided to treat myself to a grandma style meatsauce with some pasta. While I can't get quite the same caliber of ingredients that grandma uses (ohh those are good meatballs!), it wasn't bad. I've gotten a ton of housework accomplished, I've replied to some old emails and I still have time to work on the new site design. Now there’s an accomplishment!

Wisdom of the Day: When you leave home you'll know what you're missing.

The Bicycle Paradox

As many of you know travel by bicycle is one of the most popular forms of transportation in many parts of Asia, and Japan is no exception. It never ceases to amaze me the pure number of bicycles on the road in Japan. One of my first memories of Japan is nearly being hit by a bicycle during my first day here when I was horribly jet lagged. It took me a while but I finally bought my own bicycle last February and I have never looked back. Here it’s common to ride on the sidewalks as the streets are slim and the sidewalks are rather wide. But this Tuesday I had my first taste of what I like to call the Japanese Bicycle Paradox (patent pending).

As you walk around Japan you will see a large number of congregations of bicycles, usually near big apartment buildings, popular restaurants and bars, large office buildings and most notably train stations. In fact some of these places have parking lots specifically for bicycles and charge well for the privilege of using them. But most people simply park on the street and risk the chance that their bicycle could be stolen (not really an issue when you have a piece of shit like mine) or worse, impounded by the city.

The problem is everywhere you look, every corner, in front of every shop and station is a big sign, like show above which states, very clearly in any language, don’t park your bicycle here. Yet the more signs they put up the more people park their bicycles there. I was unlucky enough to have my bicycle impounded on Tuesday from a place I thought there where no signs. Guess I was wrong. Not only that, but since I used a plastic/metal rope lock to secure the bicycle to a fence, I’ll have to buy a new one since they most likely clipped it.

Today is rainy so I won’t be making it to the Impound, but from what I hear it’s in Osakako, only a few stations away and it’s huge, apparently organized by station name and impound date. And it costs 20 bucks to get your bicycle back.

The situation is clear: there are too many bicycles and too many areas designated by the city to be a no parking zone. Let’s get to work boys, stop wasting money impounded the freaking things (according to my Japanese friend only like 40% of impounded bicycles are actually recovered) and sort out the situation.

BTW: you’ll notice I used the bicycle in the post instead of the more America bike and for good reason. In Japanese bicycle is jitensha, but the word bike in Japanese actually means a motor scooter or moped. Hope you learned something!

Wisdom of the Day: The things you put off until next month always need to be done around the same time as 50 other things.