tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-342909532024-03-14T03:05:46.753+09:00メリー クリスマロスMerry KrisMaroseChronicling my dastardly deeds and other shenanigans as an IT Specialist and (6' 3") foreigner living in Japan.
Also check out my archived posts from studying abroad at Sophia University years back.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-29733172663945696712013-08-13T11:24:00.001+09:002013-08-13T12:40:10.188+09:00Star Trek Into Darkness Summer Festival Japan Premiere Red CarpetWhen I originally heard Star Trek was being rebooted, honestly as a long time fan, growing up watching The Next Generation, I was more than a bit concerned about what would happen to the series and cannon. The result was far better than I even imagined, particularly with the cast's characteristics and personalities being spot on with the original crew. I even ended up purchasing the blu-ray when it came out (something I rarely do). And to be honest, the lens flares didn't bother me as much until I heard all the commotion about it, but whatever floats your boat for artistic license.
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Now, fast-forward to today. The next film in the new series, Star Trek Into Darkness, premiered in theaters in the US back in May... but I couldn't see it, because the film doesn't come out in Japan until 3 months later, August 23rd. It's now August, and I assumed there are probably some events (this is Tokyo after all), so I figured why not give a chance at entering a few, and see what happens.
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I won.
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Wait a minute... Holy cow. I won. What's further, the event is a special premiere red carpet event in Roppongi, with JJ Abrams (director), Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), and Alice Eve (Carol Marcus) attending. Plus, the 'contest' I won selected me as a part of a 20 person special 'Correspondent Crew,' which I believe means I get to maybe meet, greet, ask questions, and have an opportunity to have them sign something - enter 3-disc special edition blu-ray I bought. The cover insert has Kirk on the front and Spock on the back, so I'd much like to have them sign that. Then it will be protected by the plastic cover. Wish me luck!!
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By the way, this event takes place at the TOHO Cinema in Roppongi - my favorite theater in Japan. It looks like a space ship!
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Also, hooray for 10,000 views! Although I cannot take credit since it's been far too long since my last update... but I will certainly follow up this post! Stay tuned...Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-14294787172527317362012-12-07T17:49:00.002+09:002012-12-07T18:02:16.797+09:00Well Hello, EarthquakeWell, the last time I was active with this blog was with the 3/11 earthquake last year, so I guess now is as good a time as any to update.<br><br>
If you haven't heard, there was a rather large M7.3 earthquake off the coast of NE Japan, pretty much in the same spot as the megaquake last March. Wouldn't be surprised it it's an aftershock from last year - I think they mentioned those can go on for 10 years?<br><br>
Anyways, it was intensity 5- in NE Japan near the epicenter, and we felt an intensity 4 around these parts (central Kanagawa). The earthquake itself was eerily familiar to the megaquake last year. Started out slow, but just wouldn't stop. Then it got larger and larger, and kept going and going. A few things tipped over, but nothing major - everything here is just fine.<br><br>
I heard there's a Tsunami warning for as high as 1 meter. I imagine everyone in that area is being very careful. I also heard the bullet train stopped, I hope my train is still running. Guess we'll find out. EDIT: Sounds like the bullet train is running again, as is mine.<br><br>
In short - big earthquake, shook a lot and some things tipped over, but myself and everything here is fine.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-80230920169291358202012-03-19T15:43:00.000+09:002012-03-19T15:43:53.816+09:00Goin Home for EasterHuzzah! Just got the tickets purchased. I'll be in Minneapolis from this coming Sat (the 24th) and work at HQ that week. This trip coincidentally fell the week before Easter, so I'm taking the opportunity to go home for Easter for the first time in a few years. :DKurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-77991739227637381182012-02-22T16:05:00.001+09:002012-02-22T16:06:35.413+09:00The EyesBeen working a bit late... of late. I think its doing a number on my eyes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/HUe0b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="http://i.imgur.com/HUe0b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I don't know, can't really tell a difference though.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-68040277752661922192012-02-20T22:19:00.003+09:002012-02-20T22:36:33.156+09:00Behold, the Power of CheeseI believe I've finally stumbled upon something more than worthy of breaking the (very unfortunate) silence of my blog over the last several months.<br />
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So I'm walking through the grocery store stocking up on a few things and looking for dinner. I make the usual rounds through the produce, meat, deli and dairy, when suddenly...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/wQhv7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="http://i.imgur.com/wQhv7.jpg" /></a>Behold...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/hpu9g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="184" width="400" src="http://i.imgur.com/hpu9g.jpg" /></a>The Power</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/H6jOR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="134" width="400" src="http://i.imgur.com/H6jOR.jpg" /></a> Of Cheese</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/H5k29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="170" width="400" src="http://i.imgur.com/H5k29.jpg" /></a> </div><br />
Cheese! Real American Cheese!!! Not the crappy Camembert Cheese that looks and tastes like wax. Not the fake processed Kraft slices which taste a little bit better than the wax, but still lack that cheese consistency. Not the super fancy and super expensive stuff you could never make a grilled cheese sandwich out of. This is real cheese in just the right sized block packing, and in 3 good flavors to boot - Cheddar, Monetary Jack and Pepper Jack.<br />
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Then I say to myself, "Self... you've seen these cheeses before..."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/22V25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="http://i.imgur.com/22V25.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/Q9lL8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="http://i.imgur.com/Q9lL8.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Crystal Farms?! Wisconsin Cheese!? Made in Lake Falls, WI?!!?? Product of USA?!?! Halleluiah!!!<br />
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These are the exact brand of cheese I used to eat all the time back at home. These are also some of the exact cheeses I used to carry back with me after my travels to the USA once or twice a year. Now I can pick them up for five bucks at my local grocer? Alright, one of these days I'm gonna find Bush's Baked Beans lying around somewhere, I know it. I've already got Johnsonville brats.<br />
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Oh and a little news on the home front - my company is moving to a new location! So with me being in charge of dismantling and then reconstructing our entire IT infrastructure from scratch, its been more than a wee bit stressful. But hey, its good experience, and I'll know our new network like the back of my hand (at least I should after painstakingly pouring my eyes over the blueprints over a hundred times).<br />
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But now that I have some cheese on my side, I think everything will be juuuust fine... hah.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-71759907559627458672011-09-21T18:33:00.002+09:002011-09-27T02:02:08.976+09:00Typhoon #15Its typhoon'ing like crazy over here right now. I can hear rain noise coming from the wall, as in horizontal rain. Yeesh.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRO4EqaAhxsz5yvSbBN1IAEfxyR7thBZkGxLIlBlWLJLIuw8UKLCsPoqyGS5zVQKS5BLtAnhyFHypIpsC1hj4qJT5o0ZFN1sKtzrD-unqYpvDpWI5kZFR_ESuLh9DiJancspxS/s1600/typh15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRO4EqaAhxsz5yvSbBN1IAEfxyR7thBZkGxLIlBlWLJLIuw8UKLCsPoqyGS5zVQKS5BLtAnhyFHypIpsC1hj4qJT5o0ZFN1sKtzrD-unqYpvDpWI5kZFR_ESuLh9DiJancspxS/s320/typh15.jpg" /></a><br />
Pow.</div><br />
This has really been a weird typhoon though. First it was heading north at a slow speed, like the one a few weeks ago that plowed through central Japan at a bicycles pace. Then it did a loop-d-loop over Okinawa, and messed up everyone's day I'm sure. Now it's making a b-line for Tokyo and up through NE Japan, picking up speed along the way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBqzZ3vprj3MKv8FM9JyAxzYPOzoQAgEFz860EM71U5W8WcYzpGSXH9dvcCAVkq6MfzgT8CfdLd9XlnRIgSWUdbBJ69emy2APRiMMccb4a078yZ5he8u9HMTy4iXIabTSxT9k/s1600/typh15b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBqzZ3vprj3MKv8FM9JyAxzYPOzoQAgEFz860EM71U5W8WcYzpGSXH9dvcCAVkq6MfzgT8CfdLd9XlnRIgSWUdbBJ69emy2APRiMMccb4a078yZ5he8u9HMTy4iXIabTSxT9k/s320/typh15b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Some of my coworkers tell me they haven't experienced a typhoon quite this strong in awhile either. Quite the year 2011 has turned out to be for Japan... whew.<br />
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Update: By the way, the typhoon ended very suddenly, right before I went home. It went from torrential downpour to just a little wind (absolutely no rain) in 30 min or so. Crazy.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-1962268171977007672011-09-14T23:11:00.001+09:002011-09-27T01:57:59.058+09:00Fuji SunsetLast week I left work a little bit after 6, and apparently it was perfect timing...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wJkQ6rK3cag/TnC1EONZaqI/AAAAAAAACyI/oyw-m4QGzMM/s912/DSC06436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="209" width="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wJkQ6rK3cag/TnC1EONZaqI/AAAAAAAACyI/oyw-m4QGzMM/s912/DSC06436.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YfXy29o42xY/TnC1GEiLLPI/AAAAAAAACyU/rfDHj4_JZzI/s640/DSC06444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YfXy29o42xY/TnC1GEiLLPI/AAAAAAAACyU/rfDHj4_JZzI/s640/DSC06444.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vHWnE8kOQmM/TnC1ErJShOI/AAAAAAAACyM/pThOYLnsSrY/s912/DSC06437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="129" width="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vHWnE8kOQmM/TnC1ErJShOI/AAAAAAAACyM/pThOYLnsSrY/s912/DSC06437.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-viYza8SPPaQ/TnC1Fav8qVI/AAAAAAAACyQ/vVc-bVf_550/s720/DSC06438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="263" width="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-viYza8SPPaQ/TnC1Fav8qVI/AAAAAAAACyQ/vVc-bVf_550/s720/DSC06438.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I gotta say, its a pretty cool thing to be able to see Mt. Fuji on your way to/from work on a clear day.<br />
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Update: I forgot one...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MzrEMDJQzlo/ToCupn7WI-I/AAAAAAAACys/YrSK5KIM1ME/s640/DSC06450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MzrEMDJQzlo/ToCupn7WI-I/AAAAAAAACys/YrSK5KIM1ME/s640/DSC06450.JPG" /></a></div>Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-31685346596360198852011-09-14T00:50:00.003+09:002011-09-14T01:05:20.549+09:00Disposable DiplomatsHave you heard the news? Japan has a new Prime Minister!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facenfacts.com/daily_img/14826_S_Yoshihiko%20Noda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="280" width="396" src="http://www.facenfacts.com/daily_img/14826_S_Yoshihiko%20Noda.jpg" /></a><br />
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Yoshihiko Noda</div><br />
You know who he replaced right? Koizumi? No no, he <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junichiro_Koizumi#Resignation">resigned</a> 5 years ago, waaay back in 2006, and was replaced by Shinzo Abe-san. Then Noda-san? No, a year later Abe-san <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinz%C5%8D_Abe#Unpopularity_and_sudden_resignation">resigned suddenly</a>, and was replaced by Fukuda Yasuo... who also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasuo_Fukuda#Sudden_resignation">suddenly resigned</a> a year later.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table><tr> <td align="center" valign="bottom"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxGTGNOkWiscu4ZmyRB7f6kY6rJWmcKP5vZ0-yj_Ungm2YOFdOwFqu8JhoXeBgLGSo8pN9xuX94pNn7HynLso_U1xIOcgD38FEC88OKVIG0uwoLQi1mamNXhJN3jsTlnR3v_9/s1600/koizumi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="166" width="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxGTGNOkWiscu4ZmyRB7f6kY6rJWmcKP5vZ0-yj_Ungm2YOFdOwFqu8JhoXeBgLGSo8pN9xuX94pNn7HynLso_U1xIOcgD38FEC88OKVIG0uwoLQi1mamNXhJN3jsTlnR3v_9/s200/koizumi2.jpg" /></a><br />
</td> <td align="center" valign="bottom"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmu5eh55edwLjxQSNyEHnzYzdIL-X4gHEhKy5dGlrp1thigW6SlT32uYRStDPntlSJNigDT7FrfX71WZl4FDjz2bI6IkJ7qYtwRW7VTTFrqN0CyazbcnKcWcfyoRQ8ZOzMr-o/s1600/0904_shinzo_abe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="166" width="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmu5eh55edwLjxQSNyEHnzYzdIL-X4gHEhKy5dGlrp1thigW6SlT32uYRStDPntlSJNigDT7FrfX71WZl4FDjz2bI6IkJ7qYtwRW7VTTFrqN0CyazbcnKcWcfyoRQ8ZOzMr-o/s200/0904_shinzo_abe.jpg" /></a><br />
</td> <td align="center" valign="bottom"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcVOokFjh_EwcD37-N2imYMAKGDJA26s3WxB_Ab8jyWDi6uxEYD_HNnYVc7fmyH8Lqs_tR_xnanj8AszczMjapo_LUDT8AcZbjK91gfFNvhAP5RRIz1QPf3HmaCftPN9LnpOF/s1600/Yasuo_Fukuda_%2528Cropped%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="166" width="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcVOokFjh_EwcD37-N2imYMAKGDJA26s3WxB_Ab8jyWDi6uxEYD_HNnYVc7fmyH8Lqs_tR_xnanj8AszczMjapo_LUDT8AcZbjK91gfFNvhAP5RRIz1QPf3HmaCftPN9LnpOF/s200/Yasuo_Fukuda_%2528Cropped%2529.png" /></a><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td align="center">Koizumi</td> <td align="center">Abe</td> <td align="center">Fukuda</td> </tr>
</table></div><br />
At this point I thought the next guy was going to be bald...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj066f5OClnq4EenhJ27yRFNc2a_mlLs9sP-T0bQrlkYKbSL4ZM3Z2drkJ4z1IckCEGjQNLOJ6qtLpNNNDhTn8HuL0bs-wTSqsMd7zBPPfEXHzYXLu_uD07iIzaKQ4BgFPopae2/s1600/taro2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="292" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj066f5OClnq4EenhJ27yRFNc2a_mlLs9sP-T0bQrlkYKbSL4ZM3Z2drkJ4z1IckCEGjQNLOJ6qtLpNNNDhTn8HuL0bs-wTSqsMd7zBPPfEXHzYXLu_uD07iIzaKQ4BgFPopae2/s400/taro2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
but it turns out <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aso_Taro">Aso Taro</a> had a full head of hair after all.<br />
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Noticed how new guy Noda-san's name hasn't come up yet?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHyBK3zt8Iy_N_i7R8smtQYSZkwUhSNinZ4fJXbnQKFIWZJeSG14kYIzzz8VDRfOVNhrtSeO4EWUP8IWe6TYWNIjR9eA80hD9kbmtDV6cxvK-NqLTujzc-i7eyE4MnktFA-ca/s1600/Yukio-Hatoyama_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHyBK3zt8Iy_N_i7R8smtQYSZkwUhSNinZ4fJXbnQKFIWZJeSG14kYIzzz8VDRfOVNhrtSeO4EWUP8IWe6TYWNIjR9eA80hD9kbmtDV6cxvK-NqLTujzc-i7eyE4MnktFA-ca/s200/Yukio-Hatoyama_6.jpg" /></a></div>This brings us to 2009, when there was a rather historic general election that put the DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) in the majority over the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) which had been in the majority practically uncontested since the 50s (I'm probably exaggerating here, but that gives you an idea as to how big of a deal this was). So with a change of party, also comes a change in the Prime Minster. Enter Hatoyama Yukio... who <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Hatoyama#Resignation">promptly resigned</a> a year later after his approval ratings plummeted after a controversial decision to keep an American base open in Okinawa.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaO4ftIEnu7-GKFX9DtyB_0yykH2TUmroI7EjMXrb_ZQKSf6pNLgvpmBWrZlHXHRjZmwmQgOcWMKBeDepJZt4f7f_kv8r78DdpxfzGPJxIjAyIcuenXLFHhmvM-o5W-ZPsGae/s1600/naoto+kan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaO4ftIEnu7-GKFX9DtyB_0yykH2TUmroI7EjMXrb_ZQKSf6pNLgvpmBWrZlHXHRjZmwmQgOcWMKBeDepJZt4f7f_kv8r78DdpxfzGPJxIjAyIcuenXLFHhmvM-o5W-ZPsGae/s200/naoto+kan.jpg" /></a></div>And finally... no, not Noda yet, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoto_Kan">Naoto Kan</a>, the Prime Minister who was in office throughout the earthquake. However, because of disapproval in his handling the post-quake recovery, his popularity fell and many called for his resignation. At one point he actually proposed his own resignation, before the Diet put forward a vote of no-confidence, but the motion was defeated and he stayed in office... for a little while, until he resigned, and we finally get... Noda-san!<br />
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Couldn't quite keep track of that? Well don't worry, <a href="http://www.japanprobe.com/2011/05/31/german-newspaper-accidentally-includes-former-prime-minister-taro-aso-in-g8-leader-portrait/">neither could Germany</a>, when they accidentally put Aso Taro in the newspaper for the G8 Summit earlier this year in France (the one Kan-san attended).<br />
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So as you can see, Japan really likes to go through prime ministers. Going back to Koizumi, that makes the 7th prime minister in 6 years. No wonder nothing can ever get done. I suppose if Kan-san was really doing a horrible job handling post-quake Japan, then I guess we should have a new leader to run things, but I can't help but think at this point in the game it's only going to hurt the situation. I have to imagine people in Fukushima don't really care who sits in the big chair. They just want stuff to get done so we can move towards recovery.<br />
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But that's just the the revolving door of the prime ministers. Imagine how many other politicians throw in the towel on what almost seems like a regular basis. In fact, Noda's minister of trade, Yoshio Hachiro, resigned not even a week after being appointed into the cabinet. Seems he <a href="http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2011/09/12/gaffes-claim-another-japanese-minister-when-will-they-ever-learn/">made comments</a> on a town in Fukushima being a 'town of death' and joking about 'giving radiation' to a journalist. However, a bit of good news out of all this is that <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904353504576566070028034998.html">Edano is back</a> as his replacement! Edano was the primary spokesperson of the government during the earthquake.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BZCDAtz9lkgb9f5XLUgl9yh6V2ODyEYNCAfIHMEcEM5ez3nNLTvxWiVNmY-0khsLrfFp4CDvOqpN99l2ugGOs70BW28OldR6jwmaBl5Rp7LzKk67SmrWa7NuY3jR2K8kGoBZ/s1600/EdanoMusou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BZCDAtz9lkgb9f5XLUgl9yh6V2ODyEYNCAfIHMEcEM5ez3nNLTvxWiVNmY-0khsLrfFp4CDvOqpN99l2ugGOs70BW28OldR6jwmaBl5Rp7LzKk67SmrWa7NuY3jR2K8kGoBZ/s1600/EdanoMusou.jpg" /></a><br />
I like this guy.</div><br />
Anyways, I'm far from an expert on all this, and only really absorb the main topics and events from English resources (<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/">newsonjapan.com</a> is pretty amazing). I generally watch more variety shows than the news, but it just bothers you a little when you hear about resignations all over the place. As a result, my (naive) understanding of Japanese politics is, "If it doesn't work, quit." Often politicians resign under the guise of 'taking responsibility' for scandal/failure/accident. Perhaps this is rooted in the concept of 'saving face' and Japanese culture.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPzMcELLPreULMziA_9Rf4rpQlKVQuZMzCutuGVpEJtaEJivMYXgeE8utMMjC5lvpg6idieQJvHGWbFI4cbyH78bBSHTFLiy3B4F3LNpHDPOKz4VOXUkZdRx-Edkfwe9twVeb/s1600/higashikokubaru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPzMcELLPreULMziA_9Rf4rpQlKVQuZMzCutuGVpEJtaEJivMYXgeE8utMMjC5lvpg6idieQJvHGWbFI4cbyH78bBSHTFLiy3B4F3LNpHDPOKz4VOXUkZdRx-Edkfwe9twVeb/s200/higashikokubaru.jpg" /></a></div>Here's a good, and unfortunate example of what I'm talking about. I was watching SMAPxSMAP awhile back when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Higashikokubaru">Higashikokubaru</a> was on as the guest. Higashikokubaru was a former comedian (particularly known for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeshi%27s_Castle">Takeshi's Castle</a>, otherwise known in English as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MXC">MXC</a> - he was Kenny Blankenship!!) who became a politician. Kind of like Schwarzenegger, but you can take him more seriously. Anyways, after he became the governor of Miyazaki prefecture, he really turned the place around. Then there was an outbreak of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_foot-and-mouth_outbreak">foot-and-mouth disease in 2010</a>, to which an emergency was actually declared, and most of the cattle, swine, sheep, etc had to be slaughtered. After all was said and done, Higashikokubaru decided not to run for re-election, as a way of taking responsibility for the outbreak, even though nobody wanted him to resign.<br />
<br />
Sigh...<br />
<br />
What ever happened to sticking it through the hard times to do whats right. Isn't that what being a leader is? They're not there to be everyone's friend. They're where they are to make the right decisions in the best interest of the country.<br />
<br />
Alright, that's enough politics out of me. This is probably one of the reasons I watch more variety shows than the news. Actually, looking up information about Higashikokubaru-san, my mind has been <i>completely</i> blown away to find out he was Kenny Blankenship from MXC. Also, "Beat" Takeshi was the main host (durr, that's probably why it's called "Takeshi's Castle), or otherwise known as Vic Romano in MXC. This, changes, everything.<br />
<br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe width="400" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sWghNd1lpQE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Man, I love this show.</div>Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-27905817327140495432011-09-07T00:18:00.001+09:002011-09-07T00:20:19.216+09:00Japan vs NatureSo apparently nature has declared war on Japan or something. As if recovering from the earthquake wasn't enough, we just got hammered with the <a href="http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110906/ap_on_re_as/as_asia_typhoon">worst typhoon in 28 years</a>. Apparently its name was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Talas_%282011%29">Typhoon Talas</a>, which I just found out cause they don't use names over here, just numbers. So it was Typhoon #12 as far as I'm concerned. Plus this one decided to slow waaay down when it hit land or something (I heard mention of it being as fast as a bicycle?), and pretty much do all sorts of screwy things with the weather.<br />
<br />
I remember last week Thursday and Friday there was supposed to be heavy rain in the morning, so Thursday I planned ahead, left my bike at work and arranged so a co-worker would pick me up. Unfortunately, I didn't even need my umbrella. So much for 8mm/hr of rain. Same weather prediction for Friday morning, but when I woke up and looked outside that morning... it was sunny - and not just a break in the clouds or anything, it was a bright and sunny morning. I understand how typhoons can be somewhat unpredictable, but yeesh.<br />
<br />
Anyways, originally the typhoon was supposed to rear its ugly face right through Kangawa, Tokyo, and up through NE Japan, but it decided to slow down and plow over Shikoku and western Japan instead. Perhaps that was for the better though, cause those guys up in NE Japan don't need anything more on their plate.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Talas_2011_track.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="278" width="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Talas_2011_track.png" /></a><br />
Pow</div><br />
Fortunately I seemed to have gotten through this typhoon mostly unscathed, as I didn't get caught in any downpours to/from work. Then again, as I was coming home Sunday night, after I got to Ebina station, got on my bike for 2 minutes or so down the road, suddenly the floodgates opened and a torrential downpour dumped on me out of nowhere (the ground was dry before then). I did have my umbrella, although it only kept my upper body dry. Still, I was just heading home, so I simply showered and changed right away.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-56545199723327915942011-08-22T09:25:00.000+09:002011-08-22T09:25:46.028+09:00The Rain... It's MagnificentOh man, the weather is beautiful out today. It's in the 70s, cloudy overcast, and rainy. It's magnificent. What a cool and refreshing, misty bike ride to work.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="400" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/seSmEnNgDcs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
In other news, my coworker Kevin is a big wimp, and called in a ride to work. Boo hoo, it's raining, I don't want to get wet out there. Bah :P<br />
<br />
Actually it's been rainy and cool all weekend, and I've been loving every minute of it. Sure enough, right after I write a post about it being hot out, the weather starts to cool... wait a minute, why didn't I post about that earlier?! Gah. Oh well, lookin forward to the 70s we're supposed to get this week.<br />
<br />
Come on Fall, here we come... (please)Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-45798753457678964062011-08-19T19:30:00.002+09:002011-08-22T09:33:30.662+09:00A Little Update in This HeatYou know its hot out when you turn the shower on, and the water goes from warm, to cold, and then back to warm water again. It doesn't feel as hot out as last year, but maybe thats cause I'm not walking outside as much as I bike to work now. Then again, all this energy saving by raising the temp on the A/C isn't helping either... but hey, thats reality. I just try not to think about the heat as much, and generally have a fan or A/C pointed my way at all times of the day.<br />
<br />
Anyways, a few weeks back the stars aligned and it just so happened that a bunch of people from the Japanee Student Association (JSA) from back at the U were in/around the Tokyo area, so we got together for a... reunion of sorts. I suggested maybe we could do a picnic in a park, and subsequently got nominated as the organizer... oh well. It was loads of fun, and most of all, so nice to see familiar faces again, people I have some history with, especially the common ground of good ol Minnesota.<br />
<br />
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fkmarose%2Falbumid%2F5638666760814675793%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br />
<br />
In other news, my company is <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110725005441/en/Proto-Labs-Files-Registration-Statement-Proposed-Initial">going public</a>! Thats pretty cool, especially since I get to be around since the beginning. In fact, on that note, I'm closing in on my 3rd year at Proto Labs. I can't believe I've been working for 2 years now. Boy time flies (when you're having fun, right?). Actually, I gotta say I've been quite enjoying my job. With time spent on both softare development and IT administration, the variety keeps things interesting. I'm learing a lot that way too, whew. Anyways, I wonder if I'll get any stock options. I'd certainly not mind that, especially since we're at over 400 employees worldwide now, and looking to raise <a href="http://www.startribune.com/business/126112823.html">$100 million in IPO</a>. I think we were at 300 employees when I started, and we don't plan on slowing down anytime soon either. :DKurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-214603182150352372011-08-16T23:01:00.000+09:002011-08-16T23:01:56.510+09:00M.U.L.E.Just found this. Must share.<br />
<br />
Behold... <a href="http://www.nesfun.com/play/MULE.htm" target="_blank">M.U.L.E.</a><br />
<br />
Best game (and soundtrack) on NES, yes!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.smithore.com/_imgs/machines/nes-mule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="261" width="400" src="http://www.smithore.com/_imgs/machines/nes-mule.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Wait... I need to get to bed... crap.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-65677078908914547212011-08-02T08:14:00.001+09:002011-08-02T10:16:33.008+09:00Still Still ShakingGot <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2011/0802/1224301719211.html">another aftershock</a> last night a little before midnight. It was an M6.1 about 20km underground off the coast of Shizuoka, 90 miles or so from where I live. We only felt a intensity 3, but it shook pretty well. Shortly after the quake I got a text message from a co-worker of mine who's visiting to help for a few months from HQ.<br />
<br />
"What the hell was that?!"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/images/area/3/20110802000210384-012358.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="327" width="400" src="http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/images/area/3/20110802000210384-012358.png" /></a></div><br />
Congrats Kevin, you just experienced a descent sized quake, as well as the freaky early alert system that makes it sound like the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcUWWGuZ6m0">apocalypse is coming</a>. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) my phone doesn't make that whoop whoop noise since it's a smart phone, but I do have an <a href="http://andronavi.com/2011/04/83816">app for that</a>. I just disabled that too, as there were so many false positives those few months after the quake. I should tweak the settings, but then again I don't need yet another app to drain the battery even faster.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I was watching TV at the time, and it went a little something like this...<br />
<br />
<iframe width="420" height="269" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0FmNlYPqmE4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
I wasn't watching NHK, but basically the same thing. The crazy part though - I didn't even budge. I just sat on my couch the whole time, and rode it out like a boss.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-66495506117010087462011-07-25T22:37:00.004+09:002011-07-25T23:51:52.299+09:00Nadeshiko Fever Continues...This morning I woke up to continuing news of Nadeshiko Japan, and the World Cup aftermath. It seems they're exhausting every story related to the team, all the way down to the hair bands, nail art and earrings they're wearing...<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" width="420" height="236" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/xjxdc0"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjxdc0_nail-art_webcam" target="_blank">nail art</a> <i>投稿者 <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/peakfloods" target="_blank">peakfloods</a></i><br />
<br />
If my memory serves me right, I think they even mentioned you could purchase the earrings Kawasumi Nahomi wears, and apparently still is, cause I just saw her on SMAP x SMAP with them on. One is a globe and the other is a plane, supposedly to represent international something or other.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://livedoor.2.blogimg.jp/domesaka/imgs/2/9/29dbef7b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="346" width="400" src="http://livedoor.2.blogimg.jp/domesaka/imgs/2/9/29dbef7b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Also, here's a little bit of random. I stop by Kana's neighborhood in Hirama this weekend, and there's a summer festival going on. Cool, what timing!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AGIHetclhLg/Ti1-hAioL9I/AAAAAAAACWI/6K6ZEwvqrsQ/s640/DSC05301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AGIHetclhLg/Ti1-hAioL9I/AAAAAAAACWI/6K6ZEwvqrsQ/s640/DSC05301.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TsXOOftGf-A/Ti1-nHkqHHI/AAAAAAAACWo/m5310JL9qVI/s640/DSC05326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TsXOOftGf-A/Ti1-nHkqHHI/AAAAAAAACWo/m5310JL9qVI/s640/DSC05326.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The butter/soy sauce corn and sausages were delicious.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CHkIjeVf2q4/Ti1-iNpvZcI/AAAAAAAACWM/uMX4LrhqEm8/s640/DSC05303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CHkIjeVf2q4/Ti1-iNpvZcI/AAAAAAAACWM/uMX4LrhqEm8/s640/DSC05303.JPG" /></a><br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LG68lbEXTPk/Ti1-lXvAHgI/AAAAAAAACWg/-43ZQVVQX-A/s512/DSC05318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="562" width="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LG68lbEXTPk/Ti1-lXvAHgI/AAAAAAAACWg/-43ZQVVQX-A/s512/DSC05318.JPG" /></a></div><br />
So we're walking though the neighborhood, seeing what food and such they're selling, when we start to hear drums off in the distance. We keep going, and the drums get louder. There must be some performance of some sort going on. Seems to be a parade of some sort. As it gets closer, we start to make out exactly what it is...<br />
<br />
SAMBA!!!!<br />
<br />
<iframe width="420" height="269" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VkXojGko6a4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
I like the old man with the cell phone came following the parade taking pictures. Come on dude, haha.<br />
<br />
So random! What is a samba doing in Hirama?!?Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-11995519963901842722011-07-20T11:07:00.030+09:002011-07-22T01:39:44.810+09:00Nadeshiko JapanAs I'm sure everyone knows already, they did it! The Japan Women's soccer team - Nadeshiko Japan - took the women's world cup!!<br />
<br />
I had heard they were doing pretty good in the tourney, and was bummed I missed some of their matches, especially the huge upset with Germany. So I was pretty psyched when I found out I could catch it late Sunday (Monday morning 3 am really). I was pretty exhausted, but stuck it out, and stayed up till 3 am to catch the game... then I fell asleep.<br />
<br />
Doh.<br />
<br />
I woke up a couple times during the match, and remember it being 1-1 at one point, but... that's about it. Then I woke up in the morning, turned on the news and saw they won. Hooray! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tootsierocha.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/nadeshiko_japan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="217" width="400" src="http://www.tootsierocha.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/nadeshiko_japan.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Sure wish I could have celebrated a bit more in the moment, but oh well. As expected, that's been THE news topic all week, and will probably continue to be like that for some time. How can you blame them though? It's a pretty amazing feat, and an awesome underdog story especially considering the state of the country after the earthquake and such.<br />
<br />
And sure enough, Nadeshiko Japan's return home was a total circus. All the news stations were standing by, ready to go live to the airport for the arrival. They even mentioned the crowd was supposedly as large or larger than when Lady Gaga came not too long ago.<br />
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<iframe width="400" height="330" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A0aJwkIoLwY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Actually from this video it almost seems like the news announcers are going more crazy than the fans who came to the airport, hah.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://amd.c.yimg.jp/im_sigg3Hjd8bmZv5FJTAZgQ1a9UA---x450-y284-q90/amd/20110719-00000024-mai-000-5-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="252" width="400" src="http://amd.c.yimg.jp/im_sigg3Hjd8bmZv5FJTAZgQ1a9UA---x450-y284-q90/amd/20110719-00000024-mai-000-5-view.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Man, that's a lot of luggage.<br />
<br />
Oh and right, they played the US, so this kinda brought up an interesting conflict of interest for my allegiances. Although with the US vs Japan, that's pretty much a win-win, right? Cause one team I like will win... although the other will lose, so I guess it's more of a win-lose... almost like a competition of some sort... Anyways, as much as I'm all for GO USA! I think I would have rooted for Japan. Its a cool story, especially with the underdog aspect, but also there's the whole thing where, if they lose everyone around me is sad, but if they win, I get to participate in the celebration (if I stayed awake for it). So...<br />
<br />
Nippon! Nippon! Nippon! :D<br />
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If only Samurai Blue (Men's Soccer) could stop choking when it counts. What are they, from Minnesota? >.>Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-35318568536131278512011-07-10T10:24:00.000+09:002011-07-10T10:24:39.935+09:00Still AftershockingJust had an M7 quake off the coast of NE Japan, which shook alot of the NE area at around intensity 4. They also issued a tsunami warning of 50 cm for the coastline of 3 prefectures up there. Didn't shake very much over here though, only around intensity 2, but it did shake for a good minute. Started with a little vertical shaking, then with some horizontal swaying. I thought I had been seeing a few more quakes in popping up in the area lately...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/images/japan/20110710100247491-100957.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="326" width="400" src="http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/images/japan/20110710100247491-100957.png" /></a></div>Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-31591144725208686372011-07-05T21:42:00.003+09:002011-07-10T12:05:12.826+09:00Visitors!It's been a busy couple of weeks. I've had visitors! Finally I get to show people around and use the knowledge and other goings on of Tokyo and Japan I've been learning for the past several years, two of which spent living here.<br />
<br />
Well two weeks ago I had some friends visiting Tokyo, the last leg of their tour of SE Asia before returning to Minnesota. I took them out for Okonomiyaki in Shibuya, showing them the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world and other craziness that is Shibuya after work on a Wednesday. Then I took them out to Yakiniku near Shinjuku on Friday before they flew back on Sunday. I finally fulfilled my dream of me (pasty white) showing around some (non-Japanese Asian) friends in Japan. For some reason all the waiters and cashiers tried talking to the wrong person...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/HQnAH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="http://i.imgur.com/HQnAH.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://i.imgur.com/CCvzz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="http://i.imgur.com/CCvzz.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Then last week my cousin (Brian) and uncle (Bruce) visited! Hooray for more faces I've known for more than a year! My uncle was here on business related items, but my cousin decided to tag along. They also decided to bring an extra suitcase for souvenirs, which means... free suitcase full of American goodies!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/xX12W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="http://i.imgur.com/xX12W.jpg" /></a></div><br />
3 boxes of cereal<br />
4 bottles of barbeque sauce<br />
1 bottle of ranch dressing<br />
1 giant Twins blanket<br />
1 U of M mug<br />
2 pairs of sunglasses<br />
1 trumpet mouthpiece<br />
1 bag of Twix<br />
<br />
...and TEN POUNDS OF CHEESE<br />
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Oh, glorious cheese. That's even better than the 6 lbs of cheese I got last time this happened when I studied abroad. I love cheese. So major Kudos to you guys for lugging that beast over here. It was all worth it for my brick of bacon cheese. :D<br />
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Anyways, the first day they spent touring a high school (jealous!) where they'll be having some sort of student exchange relation with. Then Brian came out this way on Tuesday, and I showed him around Enoshima island, one of my favorite spots in Japan. There's just so much to do in this place. Not only do you have the cultural standard temples and shrines, but the geography of this island is gorgeous, with a long narrow bridge jutting out from the coast leading up to the island itself. Then its up up up hundreds of steps to get to the top of the island, where sits a large lighthouse, complete with indoor/outdoor observation deck. And if that isn't enough, find your way down to the other side of the island and you can explore the rocky shore and caves. What a cool place.<br />
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After Enoshima we ran over to see Daibutsu (Big Buddha) and then Kamakura, where there are supposedly 250 temples (and one 72 year old taxi driver dude - you rock). Then we hopped on a train into Tokyo for some classic Karaoke. I emailed my friend about Karaoke the night before, and he manged to get together a dozen or so people. Sufficed to say, much fun was had at the Karaoke booth.<br />
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Brian then toured Tokyo on Wednesday, and he and his dad found their way back to my place where they stayed for the remainder of the trip. On Thursday they toured Hakone, and Friday I took them around Tokyo, on a rather busy schedule. We started out at the Tsukiji fish market in the morning, but unfortunately missed most of the hustle and bustle. There were still some shops open though, so it was worth it. After that we headed to Ginza, cause you gotta see Ginza, and were introduced to this really cool and very traditional Japanese restaurant - Ganko.<br />
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After Ginza we hopped over to the Imperial Palace, but the gardens were closed on Fridays. Since they came all that way though, I wanted to at least show them the park on the north side of the imperial palace. Unfortunately it was quite the long hike from the south portion (sorry guys!). After that we headed into Asakusa for some more sightseeing, and also stopped by a rice cracker store I frequent, before chowing on Okonomiyaki, which that area is famous for.<br />
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Finally we ended the day with Akihabara and the giant Yodobashi Camera (like Best Buy) there. I also bought some cool plastic Gundam models (theres another post coming), which I've been thoroughly enjoying.<br />
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Anyways, it was a lot of fun finally having visitors! Who's coming next?<br />
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Also Brian, when are you coming back!!? :DKurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-38114425357982302402011-06-30T12:51:00.003+09:002011-07-06T23:25:53.762+09:00Hot! Too Hot!Oh yay, it got into the 90's, touching 100 early this year. On the news they said it reached 96F in Nagoya yesterday, the hottest its been at this time of year in 20 years. There are also 5 times as many cases of heat stroke compared to last year as well. The good news however, is that we got through an incredibly hot day yesterday w/out cutting power. That said, they did reach 93.3% capacity, which is the highest energy usage post-quake. Let's hope we can keep it that way...Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-17184898209301469682011-06-21T07:48:00.000+09:002011-06-21T07:48:51.034+09:00Der Twains Ist Back?A paragraph at the end of <a href="http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110617&content_id=20633370¬ebook_id=20633584&vkey=notebook_min&c_id=min">this</a> article really does a good job of summing up exactly why the twins have struggled so much his season...<br />
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<blockquote>Gardenhire put out his 64th different batting order Friday due to all of the Twins' injuries. He has not used any one batting order more than twice this season, and the Opening Day lineup has not taken the field at home yet this season. But getting Mauer and Nishioka back should begin to make things easier on his filling out the lineup card.<br />
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"It's not easy, but you just have to kind of ad lib a little bit," Gardenhire said. "Kind of break the lineup up a bit and see what happens."</blockquote><br />
Yes, a different batting order ever game. In other words, the Twins haven't been the Twins since opening day. Just a tad bit of 'ad libbing' going on when you practically replace the team with the minor roster. Every year is the same story of battling injuries but this year has just seemed ridiculous.<br />
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But things are finally turning around! The Twins are 14 of their last 16! Finally nice to see Gardy pull some good ol Minnesota magic out of his hat again. It's also been really fun to see <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=15960461">Nishioka back</a> too.<br />
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Go Twins!Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-75933842281293404862011-06-18T09:04:00.000+09:002011-06-19T09:11:07.887+09:00International PentecostOnce again, far too long between posts, bleh.<br />
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Anyways, last week was pentecost, and my church decided to do an international theme for the service. We had readings and prayers in a wide variety of languages including Spanish, French, Malgasay, Korean, Chinese, etc, representing alot of the different nationalities we have at the church. Oh there was English and Japanese too, particularly for the English/Japanese bilingual sermon (that was way cool Takashi!). I contributed by singing Lobe den Herron (Praise to the Lord) in German! :D<br />
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Unfortunately the position of the camera and piano kind of drown out my voice a bit, but you get the idea. I've sung German in college before, and taken german in high school, so I think it worked out ok. I still don't get why 'den' is prnounced deen and 'der' is pronounced dehr, but whatever. It was fun, I look forward to my next chance to sing there again.<br />
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I hear its been quite hot over there, but we're still lucky to be in the 60s and 70s, more than likely thanks to the clouds and rain from the rainy season. Which means we're able to avoid planned outtages for now, so I'm counting my blessings. Also, I've only felt one significant earthquake since I returned from the US a month or so ago, so nice to feel a bit more stable. There's still talk of a huge after shock still on the way, but we'll deal with that when it comes I suppose. For now at least I'm well prepared with some of my furniture anchored down.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-7891596073119198722011-05-28T11:23:00.002+09:002011-05-28T11:59:10.685+09:00Super Typhoon<div><p>They've been saying on the news that the rainy season in Japan came a couple weeks sooner than usual this year. Well apparently it came with a major bang in the form of a super typhoon that's supposed to plow over okinawa today. But with the rainy season here, you know what that means...</p><p>Shogun! Bring out the umbrella brigade!!</p><p>I've determined that Japanese are, contrary to popular belief, descendants of the wicked witch of the west. Whenever it even so much as mists, every person in this country whips out umbrellas sometimes out of nowhere!</p><p>Ok actually theres an old wives tale in Japan that if you get caught in the rain you'll catch a cold. Apparently this is super effective (50 dmg!), because you can generally spot the foreigner as the only person in a crowd without an umbrella.</p><p>Here's an example - one evening on my way home from the supermarket, I was was waiting at a stoplight while it was a tad bit sprinkling out. In front of me stood a mother and her two young children, both huddled under their (slightly overweight) mom. When the boy got tired of trying to fit underneath the umbrella (which didn't seem that effective anyways), he stepped out for a moment, only to have his mom quite literally yell,</p><p>"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET BACK HERE! YOU'LL CATCH A COLD!!"</p><p>Now don't get me wrong, I commend her for being a good mother, it's just that from my position and given that it was barely raining it seemed somewhat silly. By the way, I had no umbrella at the time, hah.</p><p>You should see the scramble crossing in Shibuya when it's rainy out though. It really looks like two umbrella armies clashing against each other. I'll have to find and post a video later.</p><br />
Edit: Delivered!<br />
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<p>Anyways, although theres been a ton of talk on the news about generators and solar panels selling like hotcakes, so far no updates on whether or not we're going to be doing planned outages in the summer or not. The whole country is pretty much in full blown energy saving mode, with trains and stores cutting the lights still. I have a feeling we might just barely get by since the culture is incredibly cooperative, but we'll see. Fortunately it's still cool outside, so I'm trying to enjoy our current cool weather + electricity situation while I can.</p></div>Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-47574660056874486712011-05-19T08:27:00.000+09:002011-05-19T08:27:31.266+09:00Two Good WeeksWell I kind of disappeared for a couple weeks there, but for good reason. It's been a rough year for my family. We lost my mom's best friend less than a year ago, my grandpa 6 months ago, and my grandma just recently. It's been really strange being on the sidelines on the other side of the world. I can email, IM, and Skype till I'm blue, but that's still not quite the same as actually being there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; float: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaCDltayBcCKC7jKLSXnOaBgwWm-kNf73fpZ6jIrL3bpj2WIu1Gf9iE_jeDJDng9_69VaRdp9JZNaZgSqjkt6b0f9N_sbpFVUMWK84nhouSHiz0NKrg1AoPKndgpR6cATGmdY/s1600/DSC03138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaCDltayBcCKC7jKLSXnOaBgwWm-kNf73fpZ6jIrL3bpj2WIu1Gf9iE_jeDJDng9_69VaRdp9JZNaZgSqjkt6b0f9N_sbpFVUMWK84nhouSHiz0NKrg1AoPKndgpR6cATGmdY/s200/DSC03138.JPG" /></a></div>But I was able to be there for these past couple weeks, and it was really great. I haven't spent that much time in the US in over a year, and not that much time at home for a couple years. The last couple times I've gone home as well I was usually busy the entire time with family and/or holiday events, giving little free time. Combine that with the jet lag that I would usually get used to just before I went home again too.<br />
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This time was a little different though. And while in town, I was able to do all those American things I've been missing - like ribs, pizza, beer, ranch dressing, bbq sauce, buffet, tex mex, cereal, etc... I was also get some much needed shopping in, you know, at stores where the clothes and shoes fit me. I also stopped at the supermarket and bought a few things... like... 20 lbs or so groceries I brought home... What?! You can't get this stuff over here!<br />
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Also, all you can eat ribs!<br />
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And a good ole American barbecue. Drool...<br />
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And finally, we had a ton of brush and fallen branches from some recent storms, so we had a huge bonfire in our backyard.<br />
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Complete with marshmallows.<br />
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Yea, it was good to be home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3fa8gHW4EepBzHlLz8De15ofge_e_4DC4aVS54I_dL4sR0htio9pUOUDyzC31UkU3jJbqmhexyQXVzHoWpnlvMNejV06rp65d2CYXhjKkhE6TWMXXI52pdwognSr2KhB4Z17/s1600/DSC03170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3fa8gHW4EepBzHlLz8De15ofge_e_4DC4aVS54I_dL4sR0htio9pUOUDyzC31UkU3jJbqmhexyQXVzHoWpnlvMNejV06rp65d2CYXhjKkhE6TWMXXI52pdwognSr2KhB4Z17/s400/DSC03170.JPG" /></a></div>Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-32883064942222900302011-05-05T16:21:00.003+09:002011-05-18T22:50:22.023+09:00What a WeekThis past week has been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week">Golden Week</a> in Japan, but for some reason or another I couldn't/didn't quite put together any plans to go anywhere and do something. I decided to not take any vacation days, and come in on the Monday sandwiched between this year's golden week, saving what vacation days I may want for a return trip to the US in Thanksgiving or Christmas.<br />
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Well, perhaps it was a good thing after all that I was without plans for this golden week. On Tuesday afternoon I learned of the sad news that my grandma, after a long 4 or 5 year battle with cancer, passed away at home, surrounded by my family. I'm told they sang Amazing Grace, my grandma said she loved them all, and within half an hour she had gone.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gertiebessert/photos" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; "><img border="0" height="150" width="113" src="http://cdnphotos.caringbridge.org/1/0/8/1/108111/l.BlGbjRyfQkltnOAy.jpg" /></a></div>While I'm Indeed sad she's gone, and sad I couldn't be there with my family, at the same time I'm happy that she is at peace without pain, singing and dancing in heaven. I also had the means, and the time to get on a flight home the very next day, to be with my family. Within hours of hearing the news, I booked a ticket, packed up my things, cleaned up my apartment so it could sit for a week or two, and was out the door to a hotel near Narita Airport. Surprisingly the prices for tickets weren't too bad even though its Golden Week, but I bet that's because I left in the *middle* of GW. It's amazing how things seem to work themselves out like that.<br />
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So here I am, at home in Milwaukee, within 48 hours upon hearing of my grandma's passing. How grateful I am to be here. And of course I'm getting my fair share of reverse culture shock again (geeze, what's up with some restaurant staff being so rude???). Although I was very happy to be able to just jump in a car for the first time in half a year, and start driving it as if I had been every day. I didn't even have trouble driving on the right side of the road.<br />
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Oh, and what was my first meal in the US? Golden Corral baby. Nothing like all you can eat unhealthy American buffet. Oh the ranch dressing, the toppings, the cheese, the pizza, buffalo wings, bbq wings, fried chicken wings, chips and dip, fish fry, potato salad, pasta salad, cheesy potatoes, cheese cake and ice cream!! Sure glad I was able to destroy my stomach on the very first day..... nah, it was worth it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gertiebessert/photos" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; "><img border="0" height="113" width="150" src="http://cdnphotos.caringbridge.org/1/0/8/1/108111/l.YKzAsppWYnBSLvho.jpg" /></a></div>Anyways, I'm not here for all of that (but am still enjoying what I can). I'm here because it's important for me to be here, for my grandma, and for my family, who were also very happy to see me. Actually, my house in Milwaukee is a rather unique situation where my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and 2 cousins all live in the same house. When I was in high school, that made 9 of us total (including me). But this was nothing new to my grandma who raised 7 children on the farm. So as my grandparents lived with us for... wow 10 years or more, we as a family were very very close to them. Having her gone is very difficult for us all. The distance, with being on the other side of the world and all, is also strange. I'm just so glad the world can be a small place after all if you make the effort.<br />
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More information on my grandma on her <a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gertiebessert">caring bridge site</a> for anyone interested.<br />
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Gonna miss you grandma.Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-84950280910337765002011-04-27T02:08:00.001+09:002011-04-27T02:09:13.890+09:00Jim "Paul Bunyan" ThomeI ran across this the other day. It must be shared.<br />
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<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="400" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/91SIu5EF6SE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Once again, Minnesota Twins commercials at their best. I suppose they're funny because it's mostly inside jokes and puns on different player characteristics, but they're always really good, every single year.<br />
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For those not as familiar with the Twins and who <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thome">Jim Thome</a> is, well, he is a beast. Currently Thome is in 8th overall for most career home runs with 591, which means he's in line to hit 600 this year. Now 40 years old, his long career in the majors, mostly in the AL Central, also has him holding the record for most home runs against a number of teams, including the Twins and the Royals I believe. <br />
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Basically, this guy is quite the power hitter, fitting for a comparison between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyon">Paul Bunyan</a> (which is also part of the Minnesota joke). Also note at the end of the commercial he points his bat toward the clubhouse saying, "Right down there." This is the exact pose he takes every time he gets to the plate. Yea, once again a Twins commercial managed to have me rolling.<br />
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By the way, here's two of my favorite Thome moments since he joined the Twins last year.<br />
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Thome hitting triples.<br />
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<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="400" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qf3sI7__O78" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Unfortunately they won't let me embed these (I'm working on it). But look at him go! Whooosh!<br />
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<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="400" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n8vCke2foxQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Also, hooray for baseball season!!! :DKurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34290953.post-33687972808085314192011-04-19T23:58:00.000+09:002011-04-19T23:58:53.883+09:00A Whole Year Already?!On April 12th, after several months of training, familiarizing myself with my company's systems and inner workings, I boarded a plane bound for Japan. Half a day later, I arrived on the 13th, and practically hit the ground running. Upon calling my coworker to let them know I arrived, I was told we had some issues with our firewall, and they asked if I could come take a look at it. Well I guess there was good reason for me to be here after all.<br />
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Now one year later, we've got almost twice as much machinery and computers, I have a new boss, and we have 10 more employees than when I started, making me far from the new guy (although I'm still the youngest). Work is really turning into a lively place.<br />
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One of my coworkers also closed the restaurant he was running down the street to work full time for us. Certainly necessary (when was he finding time to sleep???), but it was sad to see that place close. I did grab a few plates and glasses as memoirs though, and I got a cabinet out of the deal too. Still, I'm going to miss Kyu-Style!<br />
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Originally when I got here too, my girlfriend lived 3+ hours away in Tochigi, but her department was miraculously moved from out there in the boonies to HQ in Tokyo. Which means she also moved closer, to the same prefecture in fact. Now we're only an hour or so away. Boy does that make a big difference (much cheaper too!). This is also much much much much nicer than the 15 hour time difference. No more conversations limited to only good morning and good night.<br />
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I've also moved out from one <a href="http://marosu.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-apartment-and-better-this-time.html">horror story of an apartment</a> into a much newer, larger and awesome place (which I've still been meaning to take pictures of). I'm closer to work now, within biking distance, and really settled in. I've still got a few more things on my todo list, like get a bed, couch, bike, and <i>finally</i> build a new computer, but I'll get there.<br />
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This officially makes it my longest stay in Japan. Previously when I studied abroad I was only here for 11 months, so I've now exceeded that with a full year now. And what happens from here on? I don't know. I don't have any plans to go home any time soon, yet the idea of living here for good feels strange. I'm not against it, but I guess it's still kinda weird to call a foreign country home, as in permanent home. Then again, throughout college I was moving at the pace of about once a year, so I guess the idea of just settling down period is strange. How do you plan that far ahead...?<br />
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Well, so far things are going well, and I like it here. It's certainly more exciting, and my existence here as a foreigner is more special than in the US, so that makes the whole experience fun. So for now, until I figure out what to do next, I'm just going to keep going with that.<br />
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Sneak peak! On the 10th, the weekend before last, I did some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami">hanami</a> with some friends. I'll post more of it later, but man the sakura (cherry trees) were gorgeous!<br />
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Also, this picture of my girlfriend and I is apparently becoming somewhat famous on facebook. :D<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_eVe60ZXzm40/TazdBS41jFI/AAAAAAAACQs/S7tIViuIivI/s640/219842_10150160465158114_536763113_6482073_8050910_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_eVe60ZXzm40/TazdBS41jFI/AAAAAAAACQs/S7tIViuIivI/s640/219842_10150160465158114_536763113_6482073_8050910_o.jpg" /></a></div>Kurisuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10026059233233517452noreply@blogger.com4