Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Nervous Anticipation

Thursday 25th June=
1 Presentation for International Relations class
1 Kanji Test and several sheets of (pending) homework
1 Announcement on whether I made it into the Master's Programme

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Monday, June 22, 2009

splish! splash! splosh!

The rainy season hath begun in Tokyo and I am hereby embracing it! :)

Over the course of the last two weeks I have discovered that I absolutely love riding my bike back home in the rain!!!

Its like a speedy rain bath where you are not outside long enough to get hypothermia (well actually its quite humid so very little chance of that happening!) or get mud splattered all over the back of your legs/jeans etc.

Yet you can still enjoy the rain drops on your head, face...you get the idea. splish! splash! splosh!...nice to be enjoying the rain instead of bitching about it!

although, damp school bags are not as much fun, neither is day old wet laundry on the clothesline. But hey, small price to pay!

Also, very amusing to see little Japanese kids running around fully decked in their colorful raincoats, ponchos, boots, hats, umbrella's etc. Like someone splashed several rainbows all over little elves! cute!


'borrowed from flickr'

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Restless...

Have a foreboding sense of restlessness hovering over me for the last few days. Haven't touched the pile of homework, dirty laundry or clothes that need ironing...I will get to it...in due time. sigh.


I did manage to fish out the reading for next week's grad school class...where I have a presentation...it now sits on my bed waiting to be read. Soon. soon.

Last week I had my arbaito (part time job) so had a few killer days and then ended the week by getting greatly disturbed after watching the trailer for The Cove. Googled the matter and found even more disturbing info. The last time I felt so sick to my stomach was at the Atomic Bomb Memorial Museum. After such a long time I really wanted to be home, away from the horrors of the world.

On the way home on Friday I stopped by the sushi shop in Sengawa, make it a point to go there at least once a week. It was after lunch so the place was pretty empty and perfect for striking up a convo with the chefs and practicing my almost non-existent Japanese. Added a new word to my vocabulary. Lady at sushi place commented on how Fiji was 'rakuen'

me: rakuen?

lady: hai....mmmm...utopia!

consulted my denshi jisho (electronic dict.) and sure enough...

rakuen 楽園: a paradise

:)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Sidewalk wonders


On the way home today I stopped to watch a guy performing right outside Shinjuku station exit.



I am always amazed by the raw talent in this country, and the enthusiasm they perform with. Several stations have similar sights with random artists setting up and performing on the sidewalk. Yay! for music, its appreciation and these awesome performers!


there's some hiss in the vid and I DID accidentally cut the song off at a good part...but I like it anyway!

Sound of Music

Made a trip to the electronic store Bic Camera today to pick up some pending items on the 'luxurious necessities' list.

1. Electric Kettle
2. Earphones

The earphones especially were much needed as the ones I currently have are indeed a disgrace to music, but having gotten used to their inferior quality, I had forgotten what I was missing out on.

But after having browsed the shelves for several months now, trying to convince myself that I buying a new pair would be succumbing to consumerism, I finally made a purchase.

Street II Sennheiser earplugs. And boy am I glad I did. Couldn't wait till I got home so opened it up on the train and plugged them in...ahhh...bliss. I am sorry music, for not listening to you as you were intended to.



oh yeah, and got the electric kettle as well although that was a no brainer, cheapest one off the shelf. Also finally found a certain undergarment in my size (not in the electronic shop though hehe) and it was quite painful paying for it as it cost twice the price of the earphones and the electric kettle put together. >< But then, breast cancer would hurt much more.