log web page visits Blaaarrgh!: 11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004

木曜日, 11月 18, 2004

Thoughts

In a whirlwind of decision-making, we are... going home for Christmas. Apparently the stress of the sudden decision ("There are 4 seats left on this flight. We don't have a day to talk about this. We have ten minutes.") gave me a cold. But calling up Mom this morning before work was worth it.

The cold has finally come. Our beautiful luxurious stretch-out of autumn here has at last begun to curl itself into winter--just like we're tucking ourselves under the kotatsu, our first real bag of winter mikan bought this afternoon. At school, the heaters are scheduled to be fired up a week from tomorrow, and at home we are looking with distaste at using the multi-litre kerosene jugs that have weathered the summer empty on our balcony. But I haven't seen my breath in the kitchen on a morning yet, which is my definitive sign that the time has come for combustible fuel indoors.

R of Minakuchi and I were discussing this last night, that being jaded isn't really a mark of maturity, just of an unwillingness to take what positive things one can from a situation. I got very little studying done last night, but it is so good to have someone you know give you a kick in the butt sometimes. It is so easy, when you are left to your own devices, to spend a lot of time being critical, to imagine that you are becoming more sophisticated somehow by your command of negativity. It's interesting to get someone's heartfelt, yet kind, rebuke, and then to appreciate it sincerely because you agree with them entirely. Of course, that opens up a whole lot more soul-searching to do, but it was a moment of realization as I took note of the habits I've comfortably fallen into. Determinedly friendly and positive in every class, and nursing apathy, insecurity, and bitterness on the side. Tsk, tsk. What have you become, girl?

金曜日, 11月 12, 2004


One of The Wife's favorite students at the cultural festival.

Thoughts

Occasionally I think about the people that have influenced my thinking and start to wondering where exactly they are. Of course, there are the parents, but much of my thinking has also been influenced by friends. I was in one of these moods a couple of days ago and looked up a friend with whom I have let contact fall by the wayside. It is really unfortunate since he helped me find the joy in studying the science of computing as well as making physics enjoyable, which affected our performance more than was healthy. Anyway, it was good to see that he's apparently doing well. Hopefully we'll be able to reestablish contact, but it has been nearly four years since we last talked. He went off to Germany, and I to Japan. Regardless, I'm pleased he's doing well.

Also, a, "We're quite happy for you," goes out to the enigmatic Aku Ender or thedaniel, depending on where you come from. The Wife was quite surprised, but I explained to her that it was merely surprising due to the level of communication, and she conceded. He has been very busy with his project and so the most I get out of him is a few words, and the most he gets from me is a few disconnected thoughts with no context, so it works out well. We’ve been hoping he’d be able to make it out to us in Japan before we head off to wherever we end up next, and depending on what happens with The Wife and U of E we may stick around for another year or four. We wish him and his spousal analog, as people we don’t know are fond of saying, the best.

月曜日, 11月 08, 2004

Thoughts

Waifu here. I thought I would share this precious gem of advertising, while I am still thinking of it. I enjoy a cold box coffee au lait from our vending machines here at school, called simply ていねい珈琲 ("polite/proper coffee" or as the seal reads, "Refined Gracious Cafe Au Lait since 1996")... The box reads: "Meticulously selected beans luscious milk miraculously blended for your tasting pleasure."

Wow. I mean, just, WOW. I knew there was a reason I like this caffeine-in-a-box...it's not just a stimulant... it's a MIRACLE. From Kirin.

Thoughts

Well, today was certainly interesting. The Wife and I went to 南草津 for a bilingual musical performance that The Wife helped with. She did the English correction and even offered to revise the script so it would have things like conflict, rather than a droning about believing in one's self. It was, to say the least, mind-warping, like some stream of consciousness which falls back upon itself in a feedback inducing loop which concludes with a dance number to "Itsy-Bitsy Teenie-Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini." I only wish I had the vocabulary to describe it, though the subtleness of 面白かった、works well in this instance. The writer/director of this work had us pose with them for the press photos, which was equally unnerving, as I didn't do anything; I was merely there for help in making sanity checks. Upon returning home I fell into a deep sleep, my brain trying to reassert its concept of reality, then finished reading for my classes. The Wife continued her quest of watching and understanding 犬夜叉, and we are preparing to watch 陰陽師, or Ying-Yang Master, though Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Server defines an onmyouji as a diviner.

I think that's about all. We have some packages that have been accumulating things and those will be going out this weekend, so, if we have been in touch, you can expect some goodies from Japan, including Ninja Tea direct from Koga-cho, now Koga-shi. Ninja tea helps you flip out and kill people, if you were wondering.

水曜日, 11月 03, 2004

Thoughts

It has been a while since I've actually written anything, falling back on the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. Still, while the pictures do show where we have visited and what we have seen, there is much more to our stay here.

This is true of any community, but as you spend time in it, you grow to become a part of it. I finally got back to swimming after about a month of absence. The coaches at the pool were excited that I made it back, and within three days I was back up to three thousand metres in an hour and a half. I don’t know if that’s good or not, but it is difficult for me, especially with the goals that I have set for myself. I spent a fair amount of time attempting to communicating in Japanese that isn’t improving at the rate my English is degenerating. Still, people were glad to see me, and that is always a plus.

I got together with R from 水口 for studying. I brought my Kanji study along but didn’t get to it as I was finishing up some reading on software verification and validation, and then on the use of statistics in information theory. We ended up talking a lot more than studying, about a wide variety of topics. I always enjoy getting together with him, his points of view are, well, good to hear.

Japanese lessons on Friday were amusing, as my 先生 hadn’t been there for two weeks and neither had I, nor the other student. School, and opressive jobs taking their tolls I suppose. Regardless, we had fun laughing at how much we had forgotten in missing just two weeks. I have just enough ability to get some jokes, which is nice, but also just enough to know when people are talking about me, but not what exactly they’re saying, and that’s annoying. On our way home from 九州 We took the のぞみ新幹線 to 京都. I got up to use the restroom, and it wasn’t particularly clean when I got in, so I spent some time, with available tools, to clean it. After I left, an elderly lady entered. She asked me how to close the door, you push a button that says close in Kanji and English, and I showed her. Apparently things weren’t the way she liked it though, and upon returning to her seat, which was right behind mine, began to complain about the 外人 that used the rest room before she did, with her son laughing. *SIGH* I don’t really know what to say about stuff like that.

Classes are going well for me, and the first phase of my research project is coming to a close in the next couple of weeks. They’ve decided to use the computers for other things so I have to hurry up and conclude my measurements before they do so. I suppose it’s a good motivator. I’m really pleased with the initial results of it, and I’ve been working on a way to increase the channel capacity, but that’ll have to wait until next term. That’s about it for now. No great philisophical thoughts or comments on Japanese culture, just a general update on my life.