New Years eve

Wow.. I can't believe its New Years Eve already. Time has gone way too fast this year. I honestly felt that this whole year went like a blur. I guess it is true on what they say, the older you get, the faster time passes by. Damn.. that is depressing... Anyways, this will be the first time I am spending New Years in Tokyo. The other New Years eve I've experienced in Japan, I was either in Tottori or Yokohama. I don't have any New Years plan other than eating soba tonight and watching/recording all the New Year special K-1 fights and multiple hour music specials. I may or may not go to a Shrine/Temple tomorrow which is traditional in Japan to visit during at the start of the new year. Unfortunately, I will be working tomorrow, so my plans will all be dependent on how busy I am.

Speaking of work, my work laptop that I got back in 2005 started breaking down last month. I asked the IT guy to replace my laptop but made a request to get a non Japanese laptop as my work laptop used a US style keyboard. Whenever I type on a Japanese style keyboard, I always have countless typos and find myself spending too much time trying to find different characters like quotation marks. Luckily, he fulfilled my request, which I was surprised because other international employees that had similar requests got stuck with Japanese laptops; however, he replaced my laptop with a European equivalent. Its not the same as the US keyboard layout but most keys are in their similar location.

Finally, I have taken the next step in trying to play more basketball in Tokyo. Saturdays playing with the junior and high school kids are great, but I want more. I found a basketball club that plays somewhat near where I live on the internet. From their site, their ages range from mid 20s to early 30's. They rent out a Junior High school gym and usually play on Sundays which is perfect for me. I gave them a quick e-mail in horrible Japanese asking if they will accept a funny looking foreigner in their group. I am currently awaiting for their reply.

Christmas Eve in Tokyo

The city is illuminating brightly.
The sweat is running down my forehead from fighting old Japanese ladies trying to get the last of the "Christmas cakes".
The train is crowded with every other salarymen carrying a Christmas cake.
The line at the local KFC is getting longer.
The electronic TV guide is filled with 3 - 4 hour "Christmas specials" on every major broadcasting channel.
Its Christmas eve in Tokyo, wishing everyone to be happy and safe during the holidays.

For the love of ...

the Gym:

Christmas time, time for giving, time for receiving.. but most of all.. time for eating. Japan loves to eat, especially KFC and different variety of cakes during this time. This is where going to the gym is key or else I will soon see my body morph into Frosty the Snowman. Anyways, I was determined to go to the gym today after work. Its a good 15 minute bike ride from my apartment to the gym. I was a bit hesitant at first because at the time I was about to leave my apartment it started to drizzle. Well, in the morning Mezamashi TV (Japan's version of the Today show) said it may rain lightly today but it would mostly be cloudy. I took this to heart and took it up to faith that if it rained at all, it would be long after I was back home. Well, 5 minutes into my bike ride the rain started coming down harder. Luckily, I was equipped with my 5 year old rain jacket from GAP. Well.. I thought I was lucky until after I found out it had a few holes that I didn't know about and my clothes started getting wet. I peddled to the metal and reached the gym in record time before I was completely soaked. I knew I would be in the gym for about an hour so I hoped the rain would have calmed down if not gone away by then. Boy was I wrong. When I got out of the gym, it was pouring and the wind picked up strength as well. I manned up and tried to ride home as fast as possible. I was completely drenched when I got home. My immune system was hating on me but my body felt good from the work out. I hope I don't get sick. I used to never do this for the gym, boy has times changed.

the Dallas Cowboys:

Man.. they lost pretty bad on Saturday night. It was hard to watch the first half of the game, but even harder to see the Romo miss crucial throws to try to win the game.. that was before the Ravens had 2 consecutive 50+ yards for TDs which were too much for the Cowboys to overcome. I was demoralized after the game. I thought for sure their season was over, that is until Christmas came early and the Bucs and the Eagles lost today. This was the first time this season I was actually rooting for the Redskins. The Boys now have a shot to make the playoffs if they beat the Eagles next week in their final regular season game. I can't wait!

the Orlando Magic:

They are having a great year. Currently they are 20-6. They beat Kobe and the mighty Lakers on Saturday night. The Magic haven't done this well since Shaq and Penny were the main attractions. Like the Cowboys, I hope the Magic can get into the playoffs this season and do something productive.

Basketball:

I've been playing basketball once every week and I'm seeing myself improve. I'm still playing with the Junior and High school kids, so that isn't saying much. I want to play more basketball so I'm currently trying to find a place where I can possibly join a league or play pick up games somewhere in Tokyo. I found a couple of "clubs" on the internet but I feel weird just randomly showing up to one of their practices. I can just imagine it now "Hey... I saw you guys on-line.. my Japanese sucks and you probably don't understand me now, but can I play with you.. pretty please? Awww... common..." The best scenario is if I can find just a good place nearby that has random pick up games. Last time I played with a club/league team I was accused of not knowing "team basketball". Even now, when I play with the kids, I keep telling them if they are open to just shoot the ball. I hate it when they are driving in the lane and no one is near them and they just pass the ball to someone who is covered. The point of passing the ball is to get the most wide open shot possible. But I guess its a bit hard to satisfy that new concept, so even I sometimes pass the ball when I'm open to another teammate even if no one is on me so I don't offend anyone. Anyways, I love the game and its a great workout, so I don't mind adjusting my game. I really hope I can find what I'm looking for soon.

Money:

Remember I said it was time to buy dollars earlier? Well.. I was wrong.. NOW is the time to buy dollars. Man.. I am kicking myself now for buying too early. Oh well, I've never been good at predicting trends.

Quick update

Its been some time since I've posted an update. Not much to report to be honest. I did end up getting a new digital camera the other day. I got the new Canon 920is. So far I like it. I haven't transferred any pics I've taken to my computer yet, but I expect to post some better quality pictures in the near future. I managed to visit Disney Sea again this past week. Enjoyed some Mickey's Xmas shows and ate lots of junk food. I've been going to the gym pretty consistent these days, so I'm not hesitant to eat some "bad" food every now and then. On the job front, everything is going fine, not great but not bad. The economy is sucking and it seems lots of companies are laying people left and right, so naturally I am worrying a little bit about my future. My lease at my current apartment ends this summer and I'm currently debating whether to renew (which would cost me an extra month's rent to do) or move a bit further away from Tokyo and take advantage of cheaper rent. I have to be prepared just in case I find myself sweeping chimneys to make ends meet. Finally on a completely different subject, I find it amusing that a Japanese news program that is playing in the background now is doing a complete analysis on how George Bush managed to avoid getting hit by shoes. When I say complete analysis, I mean they are breaking down the incident by seconds, measuring the velocity of the shoes thrown from a 5 meter distance and the reaction time of an average 62 year old man. Wow....

Hilarious..

While walking through Shinjuku station this past weekend, I came across this poster. The message is very true but so funny....