Hyper Quit?

I had basketball practice yesterday like I do once every week since June and I think that may have been my last. Actually for the past couple practices, I've been less and less motivated to go. I thought maybe I didn't like basketball anymore, but yesterday I realized clearly that a select few on the team have made it less fun. I play basketball because I like the sport, its great cardio, but mostly so I can have fun with others who have the same passion as me. The select few on the team have been getting more serious which is fine by me, but over and over I hear them criticizing others even though they make the same mistakes themselves. Last night, I found myself getting criticized non-stop. I owned up to some of my turnovers and changed my play accordingly, but this one dude made it a huge deal and he actually made a lot more turnovers than I did. I'm a big believer of the term "practice what you preach" so this double standard I was given really bothered me. Its sad, because I really do like everyone on the team, and I get along with most of the players there, but if it isn't fun, then I don't think it is worth continuing. If I do ultimately quit, I don't know if I would want to find another team to join. This is the second Japanese team I've played with and both times, this type of situation situation has happened.

Luckily, I did find a couple of courts in my area, I think I may just shoot around whenever I feel the need to ball and hope to play some pickup games there instead.

Bon enkai season

The Bon Enkai (end of the year part) season has begun in Japan. I already had a small one but plan to be a part of a few more before the end of this month. In the U.S. people usually get worried about packing on the pounds from the family and friend get-togethers but in Japan its the year end parties where everyone indulges in fatty foods and drinks liters of alcohol.

Speaking of food, I went to a friend's birthday party last week at one of Ikebukuro's newest high-end Chinese restaurants and I must say I was pretty disappointed. I usually do not find bad food in Tokyo, but this place, at the particular price point which was about 100 dollars per head was terrible. The main protein course was too salty and the yakisoba took forever to get to our table (I think about an hour of waiting) and when it finally arrived, it was bland a cold. The service wasn't bad but it wasn't better than what you get at like a Denny's. The only positives I could find during my dining experience were the view, it was on the 59th floor and the dumplings. Not the best I ever had, but definitely juicy and tasty. Pictures of those two below. I do not think I will ever go back there again.

Gym + onsen = Awesome

This month a new gym opened up close by. It is much better than the previous gym I went to. The men's locker room doesn't have the constant stench of dirty armpits on a hot summer's day like my old gym. All the equipment is also brand new and the staff seems a bit nicer. The best part of the new gym though is the proximity to my place. I can finally walk to the gym as opposed of taking the train like I used to.

I also discovered an onsen (hot spring) last week. The place is also somewhat brand new being less than a year old. Yesterday, I made it a double event, going to the gym and then relaxing at the onsen. Let me tell you, it was awesome. The only drawback was that it seemed everyone in Tokyo decided to go to this onsen and I found myself squeezing myself next to a bunch of old naked men. I have always tried to go to the onsen when it is least crowded so I can take my time and have some privacy but unfortunately, with work and all, the only time I can go to this particular onsen is the peak time. After the onsen, I ate at their cafeteria which was pretty good and reasonable. They also served soft ice cream which I love.

I think I will make this a weekly thing. Work out and then unwind at the onsen. I won't lie and say everything has been good in Japan but these are the types of things make me happy that I'm living here.

Christmas wonderland

It seems every year Christmas in Japan gets bigger and bigger. Walking to the office in Nishi-Shinjuku for me is like walking in a Christmas illumination wonderland. Everything and anything is decorated with some ornament or is illuminated. Tokyo itself is already very bright but it really is refreshing to see everything decked out like this. I haven't decorated anything "Christmasy" since high school and do remember that it was fun putting up the lights and setting up the tree; however, it was a huge pain in the arse putting everything away. I feel bad for the people who have to clean up all the decorations after new years.

All nighter

It was a busy weekend. I was out on the town all night which I haven't done in quite some time. The day started out with a friend's wedding. It was really nice. The ceremony and reception was in Roppongi. After the wedding activities, I met up with an old friend that I haven't seen in a few years. It was really cool seeing him again. We hung out with a couple of his classmates until the trains started back up the next morning. We were all drained at the end, including my friend who had to quickly go to Narita in order to catch his morning flight back to the U.S. I am glad to say that he made it all right. Anyways, here are some of the pictures from that night:




The most unique Chapel I've ever seen.



Decor was beautiful, food was delicious, service was surprisingly sub-par.



Nice tasty drink while waiting in the lounge area.



View of the city from my table.



Lots of nice cars in the hotel. Too bad I don't own any of them.



Tokyo tower view with a Christmas twist.

Nice day at Komazawa park

Enjoyed a nice day at Komazawa park. There were a lot going on that day, including an Ultraman festival, half marathon, and a local college American football game. Fall is definitely in the air and I'm trying to take full advantage before it gets too cold.

Hiroshima weekend

Life is moving on as expected. Work is still kicking my butt everyday. The weather has gotten colder and I have gotten sick, again. As my grieving period ended and everyday routines getting established again, I looked towards Hiroshima for a new start.

Moving on

Its been really hard trying to move on and getting myself back to "normal" life. I've been doing things like going out and trying to clear my head and do something fun. Places that I went to in the past 2 weeks that I don't usually go or have not been to were Gunma-ken and Chiba-ken. Every time I return home though, I always expect Dondon to be right there and I end up getting emotional again no matter how much fun I had earlier. I have to realize that from now on my "normal" life will never return to the life I used to know 2.5 weeks before. That aspect right there depresses me whenever I think about it. It serves as a constant reminder to me that life can change in an instant and I should never take each day for granted and be thankful for what I have now.

Going back to distractions, one thing I did do this past weekend that I haven't done in a while was eat sushi. Its honestly been a while since I picked up a piece of raw fish at a restaurant. I think the last time I ate sushi was in the middle of September, at a new kaiten sushi place not to far from where I live. The cool feature that I never saw there was that they had a laser counter to count the dishes after you ate them and transferred the data into a hard ticket that you used to pay with at the front. All the other times I've been to kaiten sushi, the worker would come by and manually count which plates I had eaten and then write everything on a paper ticket. I thought the automatic counter was cool until my sushi experience yesterday. The place yesterday had touch panel LCD screens at each seat where you would order what you wanted. Moments later, the chef would bring out the desired freshly cut up raw fish on top of vinegary rice. It was pretty cool. I felt like I was in a scene of "Back to the future Part 2".

Grieving

Its been about a week since I last saw my best friend asking for belly rubs and lying next to me while I am working or watching TV. The grieving process has been really difficult... too difficult in fact. We had a funeral service for him and he was cremated. It was really hard to see all that, but with a family member regardless of species I would do anything for.

They say its best to remember the happy times I had with him. I did smile and laugh a bit when I looked at his old photos and videos that were taken throughout his life but I eventually broke down when I realized how he isn't here anymore. Even going out and trying to distract myself has not been an easy task. The cafe that he had the accident is located downstairs from my apartment and every part of the apartment complex and its green surroundings were all part of his walking course.

My life after my mom passed away and my new life in Japan always included Dondon. It breaks my heart and soul that he isn't around and that I lost him so early and suddenly. I tried my best to do everything to keep him healthy and happy so we would could share a long life together. I don't think I'll ever get over it, but I know it will take a while before I can adjust to it. My home isn't my home anymore without him in it.

Life is totally unfair... Completely devastated

Just as Dondon was getting better, there was a minor problem when the doctor was trying to feed him and the food got stuck in his throat. He later died today. I am in a complete loss of words. Now I know life is unfair. I had to deal with death 4 years ago, and now I have to deal with it again, and this time with my best friend. His 4th birthday was coming up (Nov 19th) too. God why?!?! Again? Not Dondon... he only gave people happiness... why do you have to take him away???

I found out about the complication when I was at the office. I was called and was told that his heart beat was getting lower. The phone was put next to Dondon's ear and I spent 20 minutes at the office yelling "Don't die.. you can do it .. please survive for us" Actually his heart beat did come up but atlas his body could not hold up anymore. I completely lost it and broke down in tears. Some coworkers tried to comfort me, but I had to pick myself up and quickly take the trains to go see my now dead best friend. It hurts even more after I was told he would get better. Man.. life is unfair. Honestly, Dondon was my everything, I can't believe he was taken away from my family in 3 days. This was just like my mom. I miss you Dondon. You were the best dog.. no... you were the best friend I ever had. Thank you for your happiness. I am completed shocked and stunned that you are gone. I will never forget you.




2005/11/19 - 2009/09/28

ドンドン、がんばって！

What a horrible weekend. On Friday, my dog, who is also my bestest friend in the whole world had an accident. He jumped and missed and landed on his head. I didn't see the whole thing, but I just heard him fall and when I looked at him he didn't move at all. I never seen him like that, because he has made a similar jump hundreds of times and when he falls he always gets right back up. We rushed to the animal hospital and on the way there Dondon became less and less responsive. It was really scary. We kept shouting and trying our hardest to get him conscious again. Luckily the animal hospital wasn't too far away and my illegal driving got us there fairly quickly. The doctor told us that he landed on his head/neck and he experienced atlantoaxial instability/dislocation in his neck. He also said that Dondon was lucky because if we had not brought him in so quick he could have died since the trauma severely slowed Dondon's heartbeat and breathing. The doctor added he has seen worse conditions with other dogs but he can't say if Dondon will make a full recovery. Luckily it seemed he did not fracture his skull or any part of his spine from the x-rays. The worst part of all this was seeing my best friend in pain and in a helpless condition. I honestly had the same feelings of what happened with my mom 4 years ago. It was and is still really difficult to handle. Right now, Dondon is still in the hospital getting 24/7 treatment. The doctor has said he is doing a bit better but it could be at least 5 - 6 weeks before he can even start to walk again. This is such a nightmare but I have faith in my little buddy. I am not religious at all but everyday I have and will continue to pray that he will come back 120% better!!! Dondon Ganbatte!!!

Silver week and autumn festivals

Its another time of the year where holidays coincidentally fall consecutively next to each other forming another holiday period called "Silver Week". This was the first time I heard of such a week and I was later told the next time I would see this happen again is 5 years from now. Unfortunately, my silver week will be spent in front of my work laptop. I am sort of jealous of the rest of my co workers getting to go travel and have a relaxing time but at the same time, traveling now is hell. All over the news they mentioned how backed up the highways were due to traffic jams. I already experienced driving through traffic and it is not fun. I'd actually rather pay extra to ride the shinkansen or fly to a destination. One place I really want to go to that I haven't been before in Japan is Hokkaido. I really want to eat the seafood and relax in the hot springs there. Hopefully I can take my own silver week in the near future.

Finally, with the summer festivals coming to an end, it seems that the autumn ones are coming out in full swing. Going through Shinjuku this weekend, I saw a bunch of people prepping for a festival.





I didn't stick around too long for it to start but I am hoping that an autumn festival will pop up near my neighborhood soon.

Welcome back NFL

I'm so excited that football season has officially started. Dallas Cowboys did well today against Tampa Bay. I was a bit concerned during the first half, but the team pulled together in the second. I hope the Boys will do well this season and not choke at the end like they have been doing for the past few years.

As for active sports, yesterday I was out on the basketball court for over 5 hours. 5 hours?!? Needless to say, my legs are really sore now. I have to go to the office today, and that 1.5 km walk from the station to the office is not going to be pleasant. The executive staff from the U.S. will be at the office today so there will be a beer party at the end of the day. I don't want to stay at work too late as the last episode of Buzzer Beat is on tonight. A Japanese drama about basketball... its perfect for me. :)

Weekend Recap

The past weekend was pretty good. Unfortunately I didn't have Monday off, but I had limited exposure with work during the weekend. On Saturday, I went to shoot some pool in Shinjuku. The place was crowded as always. While going there, I was supposed to meet up with a friend in front of Studio Alta, but it seems everyone in Shinjuku was meeting up there so we had to ad lib and meet at the next closest landmark that we both knew. After the meet up confusion we headed to Bagus for some drinks and pool. My friend is pretty good and consistent with his shots which as a result I have rarely beaten him. So, I came up with a strategy to increase my winning percentage. We usually order drinks here and there while we play, but I was going to speed drink him to get him intoxicated, however the plan backfired and I did the walk of shame again leaving the pool hall. After the pool massacre we headed to an izakaya for dinner. On Sunday, I had the opportunity to hang out with the basketball leader. He came over with his wife. I introduced them to Costco and picked up some cheese and wine and brought it back to my place. They stayed over for like almost 7 hours. It was chill. Conversations were good but my Japanese was seriously struggling. We ended the night by going to a good ramen restaurant they recommended.

Be careful of new sandwiches

After the gym, I hit up KFC. I don't usually go to fast food restaurants but for some reason I was craving something fried. I saw that they were promoting a new sandwich. I have no idea what it was called, but it looked like a spicy chicken sandwich of sorts. My naive thoughts started to kick in thinking with a poster of the new sandwich that big, it must be good. It also looked a lot healthier than some of the other sandwiches, so I ordered it. When I got the sandwich, it literally smelled like my dirty gym socks ... or maybe it was because my gym bag with all my nasty clothes was next to me. Anyways, the sandwich was a big disappointment. It tasted like Korean Bulgogi gone bad, but they tried to cover up the funkiness with some less funky lettuce mix. I finished it because I was starving, and honestly during those times I eat just about anything that is in front of me. After the horrid sandwich, I was left definitely unsatisfied. This prompted me to go back to the cashier and order something I know I'd love, boneless chicken tenders. That thing was finger lickin' good and it hit the spot but as far as my junk food intake was concerned, it was a big no no. I don't think I'll go to KFC for a while, but the next time I'll make sure to stick with the classics.

Summer's last days - random thoughts

Summer is almost coming to an end. The news programs all have been reporting that the autumn air should be hitting our region soon. I feel the difference already, however the nights are still relatively humid so I still leave the AC on at nights.

I bought a grill earlier in the summer but never got around to use it. I want to use it at least once before summer officially ends, whenever that is. I joined a new basketball team recently. I actually came up with the name, "Team Hyper Force". The leader of the team wants to do a BBQ sometime in the coming weeks. I hope to get some usage of the grill at that time. I've been to about 3 practices with this team so far. People are still coming in and out, so I'm not sure exactly who will be regulars but so far everyone that I met have been nice. The team as you can guess is brand new which is why I had an opportunity to name it. Our name is officially registered in our part of the city. The guy who organized it ultimately wants us to enter basketball tournaments. Honestly right now, we suck, especially yours truly. During the few practices, I've attended, I've been Mr. Turnover and the brick layer. There are a couple good players that I've seen but for the most part everyone is a little past "beginner" level, at least from my perspective.

Joining an official Japanese club/team near its inception is really interesting. I've never been a part of one before, but the feeling is exactly like a club that you join when you are in Junior High/High school. There are meetings within practices, self appointed leaders, and assigned areas of responsibilities. One of those practices, I remember I was shooting around with some other guys and then I heard a voice saying "The leader has called a meeting.. everyone gather around". So everyone stopped what they were doing and formed a circle around the leader. I've been watching some Japanese dramas taken place in a high school and the exact same things happen. Its really amusing.

Finally, I've been wondering what I should do with NFL FFL. I belong to two leagues, one of those leagues is free and the other one has a 20 dollar buy in. I always loved doing fantasy but this season I haven't been keeping up. I want to, but work has made my life pretty much one dimensional. The deadline to decide whether to be active or not in my leagues is later this week. Hmm.. what should I do? If I do join, I have to find out who the studs and sleepers are for this season. Got any hot picks?

Summer vacation part 2

Its been really busy at work. Everyday there is a fire drill. Its been crazy. Also found out last week that one of my coworkers got the "swine flu" so people who worked near him have to be tested. Luckily for me, its been so busy at work that I only ventured to the office once last week so I'm safe. Actually.. its been so busy that I hardly left my home office room and barely saw any sun light. I believe the only time I experienced the sun hitting my face was that one time I went to the office last week. Anyways, here is the second batch of pics from my summer vacation.

Yokohama -





Pics above were taken at a sky restaurant in Landmark Tower. Food was good, but views were better.









The Yokohama Ramen museum. It was pretty cool that they used a 1950's backdrop and had the ramen shops inside.





Chinatown in Yokohama. Its been a while since I last came here, maybe like over 7 years ago? Anyways.. lots of great restaurants, but I didn't see any bootleg CD/DVD stores anywhere.


Disney Sea -

My brother loved Disney Sea when he went there for the first time last year, so we had to make another trip. This place is always fun.










Roppongi Hills -





Views from atop of Mori Building. These views weren't cheap at all.


Tokyo Dome City -



This water show wasn't as magnificent as the one in Vegas, but it was nice.



Home of the Yomiuri Giants.


Odaiba -






Yep, people from the city of "obama" was there promoting the U.S. president and then their city.





Went to see Japan's newest Military Defense unit, aka Gundam.



It was huge.

Summer vacation part 1

Life has finally gotten back to normal, or at least back to the routine I was used to. Lots of things have happened in the past few weeks. It all seems like a dream to me to be honest. I wished and still wish that it never ended. I guess that is exactly the purpose of a vacation, to get oneself out of reality for a while. Anyways, I can't go into too much detail of everything because my work is starting to get hectic again, but here is part 1 of some of the pictures I've taken during my vacation:

Kyoto:



I love Kyoto.. it was cloudy that day but it was still a nice view.



This was awesome place. Lots of shopping and restaurants by the river. Its like Georgetown on steroids. I wish I lived near here.





I saw lots of people taking pictures of the reflection of the gold shrine, so I did the same.



I love Kyoto food.



Old school train that we took to get around Kyoto. Very different than the trains I usually take in Tokyo.






Last time I saw this tower was when I was in Kyoto with Nam back in 2003/2004. Memories.







Of course can't forget the shrines.



Osaka:



American village in Osaka. It was a cross between Harajuku and Roppongi.



I also love Osaka food. I love the Okonomiyaki here and in Hiroshima.


Matsue:





Like Kyoto Tower, I haven't been back to Matsue castle since I last lived in Yonago.



Fireworks during Matsue Festival. I really love summer time in Japan.


Of course a dream isn't complete without a rainbow:




I still have plenty of other pictures so part 2 will be posted up soon when I get a chance to take another break from work.