Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Raining
Doh! I spoke too soon. It is now raining in Tokyo. From the weather forecast I saw earlier, it was suppose to stay hot/humid and partly sunny until next week. Oh well, I guess you can rely on the Japanese meteorologists the same way you can about the U.S. ones.
Slow times
Hot and humid days. This has been the theme for the past 2 weeks in Tokyo. Actually I believe last week Japan broke several high temperature records. I haven't seen any rain in weeks now, which I am not complaining but it would be nice for the temperature to go down so I don't have to abuse my AC units everyday. I haven't seen my electric bill yet, but I bet its through the roof.
As for my life, these days have been pretty quiet for me. This week was suppose to be really busy for me at work, but the projects that was suppose to go live got canceled due to miscommunication with the testing and deployment teams. I have taken advantage of this slow opportunity and the fact that I am allowed to work from home to focus on my Japanese studying. Yep, I started my Japanese "boot camp" recently. I got myself a 3 level intensive Japanese course. I never took any formal Japanese classes before, so even though I can somewhat communicate with the locals, my language ability is really rough around the edges. I am hoping this will assist me in building my foundation with the language. I also recently bought a pearly white Nintendo DS to help me study Japanese. I bought this elementary school game with it that helps me with writing and reading Kanji, the Chinese character part of Japanese writing. I found that this game coupled with my electronic dictionary have been effective in increasing my vocabulary.
I also had the recent opportunity to ball at the community center near my apartment. It was not bad but the best part was that it was FREE, which is really hard to find in Tokyo. There were two older guys and a couple of ghetto junior high school kids at the court shooting the ball around. I started out shooting with the older fellas. They were ok, but I ended up getting rejected when they telepathically decided to play 1 on 1 with each other. It was so random, I mean, they didn't speak to each other at all when they were laying their bricks and all of a sudden they were going at it while I was left watching on the sidelines like young English orphan in front of a candy store. I ended up intruding the junior high school kids on the other side of the court. Yeah, they were smaller than me and much younger, but I didn't care, I just wanted to play hehe. I asked to play 2 on 2 and they happily agreed. One kid thought he was a part of one of those And-1 videos, always doing spin moves and dribbling behind his back while he went to the basket. I have to admit, he had some pretty good dribbling skills for a junior high school kid, but his shooting was really weak. I on the other hand was rusty with everything. My shots were flat, dribbling skills were non existent but the worst thing was my stamina or lack thereof. These kids were running circles around me, but I was not about to let them win. My team did end up winning, by a large margin too, but it was mainly thanks to my team mate. I was glad that I ended playing with them rather than the older guys.
On a last note to this post, my working from home streak will end this Friday when I have to go to the office. There will be a big reshuffle in terms of cubicle locations, and I have to take my stuff and move to another part of the office. I was just getting used to my location too. The best part was that I was only steps away from the break room where I would go frequently to get free tea and juice. Oh well, I guess good things can't last forever.
As for my life, these days have been pretty quiet for me. This week was suppose to be really busy for me at work, but the projects that was suppose to go live got canceled due to miscommunication with the testing and deployment teams. I have taken advantage of this slow opportunity and the fact that I am allowed to work from home to focus on my Japanese studying. Yep, I started my Japanese "boot camp" recently. I got myself a 3 level intensive Japanese course. I never took any formal Japanese classes before, so even though I can somewhat communicate with the locals, my language ability is really rough around the edges. I am hoping this will assist me in building my foundation with the language. I also recently bought a pearly white Nintendo DS to help me study Japanese. I bought this elementary school game with it that helps me with writing and reading Kanji, the Chinese character part of Japanese writing. I found that this game coupled with my electronic dictionary have been effective in increasing my vocabulary.
I also had the recent opportunity to ball at the community center near my apartment. It was not bad but the best part was that it was FREE, which is really hard to find in Tokyo. There were two older guys and a couple of ghetto junior high school kids at the court shooting the ball around. I started out shooting with the older fellas. They were ok, but I ended up getting rejected when they telepathically decided to play 1 on 1 with each other. It was so random, I mean, they didn't speak to each other at all when they were laying their bricks and all of a sudden they were going at it while I was left watching on the sidelines like young English orphan in front of a candy store. I ended up intruding the junior high school kids on the other side of the court. Yeah, they were smaller than me and much younger, but I didn't care, I just wanted to play hehe. I asked to play 2 on 2 and they happily agreed. One kid thought he was a part of one of those And-1 videos, always doing spin moves and dribbling behind his back while he went to the basket. I have to admit, he had some pretty good dribbling skills for a junior high school kid, but his shooting was really weak. I on the other hand was rusty with everything. My shots were flat, dribbling skills were non existent but the worst thing was my stamina or lack thereof. These kids were running circles around me, but I was not about to let them win. My team did end up winning, by a large margin too, but it was mainly thanks to my team mate. I was glad that I ended playing with them rather than the older guys.
On a last note to this post, my working from home streak will end this Friday when I have to go to the office. There will be a big reshuffle in terms of cubicle locations, and I have to take my stuff and move to another part of the office. I was just getting used to my location too. The best part was that I was only steps away from the break room where I would go frequently to get free tea and juice. Oh well, I guess good things can't last forever.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Welcome party recap and food news
Yesterday, I had my welcome party. I was pretty much left in the dark on the actual plans until 10 minutes before. The whole day I was pretty busy with work and skipped lunch. It turns out that skipping that meal was a bad mistake.
The party was held at a restaurant called 音音 (Sound Sound) in Shinjuku. The restaurant was about a 10 minute walk from my office building. As you can see from the pictures above, the place was pretty elegant. I came with the first wave of people. So we started the night early. I let my co-workers order my food and drinks. This proved to be a fatal mistake. I was handed beer after beer. the food that was ordered was non-oily and non-absorbent. This combination started my demise for the night. When the second wave of people came, they quickly ordered Japanese sake. Of course in Japanese culture, you cannot refuse anything that is given to me. The guy offering me the sake was very happy go lucky and was very eager to find out how strong I was. By the time the 3rd and final wave of people came to the party, the volume of sake increased and my happy go lucky friend soon started to order various sake from the different regions of Japan. The one from Aomori prefecture was like a dagger to the heart. I was quickly finding myself laughing to every joke regardless if I really understood it or not. I also found myself speaking Japanese, not knowing if I really made any sense. Yep, I was trashed. There was suppose to be a second party at a club in Roppongi, but I could barely walk, so I said I couldn't do a nijikai and we all went home. I honestly don't know how I made it home. I did take the train home, but it is a fuzzy memory to me.
This morning, I was paying the price. My head was spinning and my stomach was in shambles. Thank god I have the opportunity to work from home, or else I would have had to use a sick day. I was happy that I survived my first nomikai as a "salary man". I know there will be more of this in the near future, so I have to be more smart about it next time. I definitely need to eat bigger meals beforehand and not to mix any drinks.
In other news, I finally went to a kaiten sushi near my house.
Oh yes, Kaiten sushi. I love sushi, especially when it is cheap. I'm always on a quest to find the best kaiten sushi. The quality at this place was decent, but that was because I was comparing it to the quality found in rural Japan. The service was outstanding and the chef was really friendly and talkative. They even gave a 10% off coupon for the next time. I was impressed with the service and will be coming back.
I also tried out a Thai restaurant near my apartment. The restaurant is located in a small alley. The only reason why we found the restaurant was because my friend spotted the Thai flag hanging outside. The restaurant also had the menu outside. The price was not so reasonable. I was going to try the restaurant sooner or later, so I decided to indulge myself and take a chance. I was greeted by a Thai lady with really bad Japanese. I knew I would be getting authentic Thai food so I ordered a lot. It turned out to be a mistake. The food was shit. The spring roll appetizer was really small and bland. The curry was too oily and Tom yum soup lacked flavor. I was very disappointed but at least I know now and will not be going back to that place.
Finally, I found a community center near my place, actually about a 15 minute walk that has an indoor basketball court. The best part is that they do not charge an entrance free. The big draw back though is that the court is only opened Monday through Saturday from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. Luckily, I work at home some days, so I think I may drop in when things are slow hehe. Now I just need to buy a basketball and get some friends to play with and I'm set. I guess the latter is easier said than done. Is there anyone in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo who likes to play basketball and is free during 12 - 1??? Please leave a comment :D
The party was held at a restaurant called 音音 (Sound Sound) in Shinjuku. The restaurant was about a 10 minute walk from my office building. As you can see from the pictures above, the place was pretty elegant. I came with the first wave of people. So we started the night early. I let my co-workers order my food and drinks. This proved to be a fatal mistake. I was handed beer after beer. the food that was ordered was non-oily and non-absorbent. This combination started my demise for the night. When the second wave of people came, they quickly ordered Japanese sake. Of course in Japanese culture, you cannot refuse anything that is given to me. The guy offering me the sake was very happy go lucky and was very eager to find out how strong I was. By the time the 3rd and final wave of people came to the party, the volume of sake increased and my happy go lucky friend soon started to order various sake from the different regions of Japan. The one from Aomori prefecture was like a dagger to the heart. I was quickly finding myself laughing to every joke regardless if I really understood it or not. I also found myself speaking Japanese, not knowing if I really made any sense. Yep, I was trashed. There was suppose to be a second party at a club in Roppongi, but I could barely walk, so I said I couldn't do a nijikai and we all went home. I honestly don't know how I made it home. I did take the train home, but it is a fuzzy memory to me.
This morning, I was paying the price. My head was spinning and my stomach was in shambles. Thank god I have the opportunity to work from home, or else I would have had to use a sick day. I was happy that I survived my first nomikai as a "salary man". I know there will be more of this in the near future, so I have to be more smart about it next time. I definitely need to eat bigger meals beforehand and not to mix any drinks.
In other news, I finally went to a kaiten sushi near my house.
Oh yes, Kaiten sushi. I love sushi, especially when it is cheap. I'm always on a quest to find the best kaiten sushi. The quality at this place was decent, but that was because I was comparing it to the quality found in rural Japan. The service was outstanding and the chef was really friendly and talkative. They even gave a 10% off coupon for the next time. I was impressed with the service and will be coming back.
I also tried out a Thai restaurant near my apartment. The restaurant is located in a small alley. The only reason why we found the restaurant was because my friend spotted the Thai flag hanging outside. The restaurant also had the menu outside. The price was not so reasonable. I was going to try the restaurant sooner or later, so I decided to indulge myself and take a chance. I was greeted by a Thai lady with really bad Japanese. I knew I would be getting authentic Thai food so I ordered a lot. It turned out to be a mistake. The food was shit. The spring roll appetizer was really small and bland. The curry was too oily and Tom yum soup lacked flavor. I was very disappointed but at least I know now and will not be going back to that place.
Finally, I found a community center near my place, actually about a 15 minute walk that has an indoor basketball court. The best part is that they do not charge an entrance free. The big draw back though is that the court is only opened Monday through Saturday from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. Luckily, I work at home some days, so I think I may drop in when things are slow hehe. Now I just need to buy a basketball and get some friends to play with and I'm set. I guess the latter is easier said than done. Is there anyone in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo who likes to play basketball and is free during 12 - 1??? Please leave a comment :D
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Yakiniku
I finally indulged my 焼き肉 (BBQ) craving at Yoga today. Like I always say Good food + Good People = Good Times. I'm so full right now that I can barely move, yet I feel so satisfied. This time, I also tried different types of meat that I never ate before. One of them was raw beef mixed with egg, pork tongue, and pork intestines. Yeah it sounds nasty, but it was actually pretty good. Being a bit drunk beforehand also helped in my willingness to eat them hehe.
Most people have a day off tomorrow and some even a week due to Obon, but I have to work. Since I follow U.S. rules, I don't observe any Japanese holidays. I will choose to work at home for tomorrow and maybe the day after. The only day I really have to go to work is Thursday, because that will be the day of my welcome party. But I think I may go to work atleast 2 or 3 times this week. I just hope it doesn't get too hot, because that will definitely factor into my decision whether to go or not hehe.
I also have to open up my bank account tomorrow. This will be my 3rd attempt in opening up a bank account. I hope I can finally accomplish this task.
Most people have a day off tomorrow and some even a week due to Obon, but I have to work. Since I follow U.S. rules, I don't observe any Japanese holidays. I will choose to work at home for tomorrow and maybe the day after. The only day I really have to go to work is Thursday, because that will be the day of my welcome party. But I think I may go to work atleast 2 or 3 times this week. I just hope it doesn't get too hot, because that will definitely factor into my decision whether to go or not hehe.
I also have to open up my bank account tomorrow. This will be my 3rd attempt in opening up a bank account. I hope I can finally accomplish this task.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Soccer recap and Odaiba
I will cut right to the results first. We lost the soccer tournament. We tied a few games and lost the rest. The tournament was fun, but the fact that we were playing on a clear sunny day and 98 degree weather turned my stamina into dust, not that I had great endurance in the first place. Every time I stepped into the field, my shoes would start burning. I was really afraid that my shoes would start smoking when I started running. The teams that were at the tournament were supposedly beginners, but I had my doubts when they showed up with matching uniforms. It seemed like we were the only team that didn't have proper uniforms. Especially me, I was wearing my running shoes and basketball shorts. I didn't even have the proper socks and had to buy them at the store near the field. We were the only team as well that didn't have a real elaborate strategy. Our only rule was to "run and pass". As I mentioned before, we managed to tie a few games, one of them was I think was to the number 1 team that day. Our reward for playing so hard was to indulge ourselves at a 焼き肉 (BBQ) restaurant but because we headed out at an odd time (after lunch hours but before dinner hours) all the restaurants were closed. We ended up going to a Chinese-chain diner instead. I had a great time, and would definitely do it again. I definitely need to get into better shape though. I also need to get myself some proper soccer shoes. I am really sore right now and I can barely walk, but I feel great.
I've managed not to be lazy and have taken and uploaded some new pictures. So to end this post, here are some that I have taken in the past few days:
Though a bit fuzzy, this is a picture of the krispy kreme doughnut shop in Shinjuku. Its kind of hard to see but there is a huge line just to get into the shop. It honestly looked like one of those lines you see at an amusement park to one of the most popular rides. I like krispy kremes, but I have never seen a line like that before just to eat one. Also note that this was taken at about 9pm on a Thursday night, which is usually a less crowded off-peak time. I can't imagine how long the line is during peak hours.
I went to odaiba last night to see the fireworks. Here is a picture of the Fuji TV studio. Its a unique building and the sunsetting made the backdrop nice. No other real reason why I took this picture.
Here is the famous ferris wheel in odaiba. Its been a few years since I last saw this. It brought back some 懐かし feelings.
Finally the fireworks. I didn't go up close to the fireworks fearing the massive crowd by the sea, but I ended up getting a satisfactory view.
I've managed not to be lazy and have taken and uploaded some new pictures. So to end this post, here are some that I have taken in the past few days:
Though a bit fuzzy, this is a picture of the krispy kreme doughnut shop in Shinjuku. Its kind of hard to see but there is a huge line just to get into the shop. It honestly looked like one of those lines you see at an amusement park to one of the most popular rides. I like krispy kremes, but I have never seen a line like that before just to eat one. Also note that this was taken at about 9pm on a Thursday night, which is usually a less crowded off-peak time. I can't imagine how long the line is during peak hours.
I went to odaiba last night to see the fireworks. Here is a picture of the Fuji TV studio. Its a unique building and the sunsetting made the backdrop nice. No other real reason why I took this picture.
Here is the famous ferris wheel in odaiba. Its been a few years since I last saw this. It brought back some 懐かし feelings.
Finally the fireworks. I didn't go up close to the fireworks fearing the massive crowd by the sea, but I ended up getting a satisfactory view.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Sports..Sports..Sports
I just finished watching Dallas Cowboys beat the defending national champions Indianapolis Colts in football via slingbox. Sure it was just pre-season where the games don't count and Peyton Manning only played one series, but my team did technically win, which is all that matters hehe.
This is my first live action sports game I have watched with my slingbox and I was very impressed. For the most part, there was little video garble. Only the super high overview shots from the Goodyear, or other tire maker blimp was a bit fuzzy, but the game time view was near television quality. I am very happy with my investment.
In other sports news, I have a soccer tournament tomorrow. I haven't played soccer since I almost died playing with my coworker and his team back in March, so I'm a bit nervous for tomorrow. Soccer is actually one of my weaker sports, but I'm a bit more concerned that I won't get injured rather than winning at this point hehe. I also know that my stamina is pretty weak now, but I'm hoping that my plan in loading on the carbs tonight will give me some sort of chance to last through the whole tournament. I'll let you guys know how it turns out in my next post.
This is my first live action sports game I have watched with my slingbox and I was very impressed. For the most part, there was little video garble. Only the super high overview shots from the Goodyear, or other tire maker blimp was a bit fuzzy, but the game time view was near television quality. I am very happy with my investment.
In other sports news, I have a soccer tournament tomorrow. I haven't played soccer since I almost died playing with my coworker and his team back in March, so I'm a bit nervous for tomorrow. Soccer is actually one of my weaker sports, but I'm a bit more concerned that I won't get injured rather than winning at this point hehe. I also know that my stamina is pretty weak now, but I'm hoping that my plan in loading on the carbs tonight will give me some sort of chance to last through the whole tournament. I'll let you guys know how it turns out in my next post.
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