Kyoto

This place seems like a small village to me now. I wonder how I will feel back in Enc. The leaves were very pretty, but it was still removed nature. I wasn't really in the forest, you know? It was sort of reassuring, that Tokyo wasn't such a bad choice. Well, except that having a family here, and doing fun things with them, and speaking japanese with them is great. But that is a different issue. I like my place in Tokyo, and while I really don't like the classes, I do like some other things. Judo is fun, for example. I dono. Its hard to say what path would be best, and it really depends a lot on criteria for judging. But, at the very least, I'm happy with living with Soky in Kameido. And I'm looking forward to doing all sorts of site-seeing over my breaks from school.
Today we walked all over arashiyama. It was pretty and I got some good pictures. The soba we had for lunch wasn't as good as I had hoped. I took some good pictures, so be sure to check my flickr. We saw a couple of places that I think I will take Faith. Tomorrow I will probably hang out with Anjee and I think the parents; we may go to tofukuji. Then dinner back home, pasta or nabe or something, I hear. Then Sunday Raul is free, and Monday haruka is free. So, all in all it should be a fun weekend.

Momiji in Kyoto

I'm uploading pictures of the pretty colors, and simultaneously douji ni taking a nap.

nabe nabe

We bought a nabe pot today. Then we made and ate nabe. I think we will do so most nights from now until spring.

Another Day

I'm not sure how far I want to go with the Macrobiotic thing. I'll definitely read up on it, the book I ordered should I arrive soon. The thing is that I like delicious foods, but perhaps if this diet is truly healthy, I won't think of them as delicious in the future. I think my mind has a lot to do with what I think tastes good. I also wonder if when the fruit is sprayed with chemicals... if I wash it do they go away? I'd like to live healthily, I will do what seems best. I'm really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get lots of rest. Tomorrow Soky and I will spend our coupon for yodobashi camera and probably buy a router or switch, and maybe a nabe pot if i'm lucky. And then we will eat lunch with Anjee, I think we'll go to the soba place I went to a few months ago near Akihabara. It was tasty. Next weekend is a 3 day weekend that I am extending an extra day. I'm going to go to Kyoto and see the momiji (maple leaves) while they are pretty and colorful. It just wouldn't be right to miss it. I'll stay with Raul, and hopefully will see various familiar faces. I got my midterms back B's in Japanese and Econ. Pretty cool, now I'll stop stressing and embrace the B.

Today marks 2 years since Faith and I started going out. Yay us.

Pretty quiet around here

Anjee went to stay with Keiko, and will probably stay with Wendy monday and tuesday night, even though we asked her not to. So, for the first time in what seems like quite a while, its just me and Soky here. At least we have each other though. Seriously, I think it is much better than living alone.
I'm talking to Chapo right now. He is in Saigon. He has really been enjoying his trip so far in malaysia thailand cambodia. Makes me want to do more traveling.

Today we did a tiny bit of traveling. Yokohama is very different from Tokyo and anywhere else that i've been to thus far in Japan. It actually felt more like San Fransisco that anywhere else. The embarcardero/fisherman's wharf especially. I'm glad we went.

Happy Sankusugibinguzu!

Today we celebrated thanksgivings. yay. There was much food, and even pumpkin pie. We didn't have turkey, but I didn't mind. Also, Anjee is here. hooray!!
I met the women whose granddaughter Maria babysat, and she was cool. She told me to try the macrobiotic diet, or at least convinced me to, and so I will. And if I actually research it to figure out what to do, I think that Soky will also give it a try. We get to eat brown rice and bread that doesn't have yeast, and also soba. But she told me to stop eating fruit! Oh no! i'll have to do some reading.
Thanksgivings was very different from previous years, but considering most of the people that I usually celebrate it with are out of the country anyway, it would have been somewhat different even if I was still back at home. OO, last night we played hide n' seek type games at the park, I think that their way of playing the games was less fun than when we used to play at glenn park etc, because there was a lot of hiding and searching, and less running and mayhem. The games lasted around 30 minutes, and still some people were left unfound. But it was still fun, even though it was pretty cold. I hadn't seen a lot of the Denny's crew in a long time, so that was good.
Tomorrow is Yokohama. We will go to a ramen museum, then china town, I think I will eat at both places, but I will get serious about this diet soon enough. Just need to do a bit of research, I think.
Recently I've really been liking Judo, but have been less excited about Shorinji. I like how in Judo we just practice things that I want to learn, or things that they want to teach me. Whereas in Shorinji it is already decided what everyone learns, or that is how it seems at least.
Well, I have quite a bit to be thankful for this year, and its nice to be reminded by this holiday. I hope that all of my family and friends back home enjoyed the holiday, and perhaps even took a minute to reflect on... blah blah... all that stuff. Its not too too cold right now, but it was freeeezing the last couple mornings. We bought one space heater, and may get another. I also sorta want to buy a nabe pot, and maybe a rice cooker. And, we need a router. nabe nabe!

Update!!

So my sister is here. She managed to find a job and has been babysitting/speaking english with a two year old girl for the last few days. crazy.
Friday there is no school, and Anjee comes to visit, exciting. Also, that night we are playing some game whose name translates to something like betrayal person. I believe everyone but one person in the group is supposed to know that we are playing, it should be fun, but I don't really know what to expect.
These long days are tiring, but I really enjoy Judo. With the Uchi-komi and randori, hopefully I'll get good at a throw or two. I'm going to try to work on osotogari, harai goshi primarily, and also uchi matta, tai otoshi, and ippon seoi. I'm starting to see where Louis gets some of his throws/techniques. I also think I understand why they fall the way they do, and I should probably change to that style too. I think the Jujutsu way is fine for straight overs, but when you fall sideways, it is very easy to get crossed up.
shorinji is fun too, but I think me and the other foreign exchange students are all go to progress in rank at the same speed, and it has caused me to not put too much effort into learning. If I figure out how to do a kick or two by the end of the year, I'll be very happy. And the yawara variations are fun too. I miss Fudochi, but the hours of training I get to put in here can't be beat. I'll be a much more experienced martial artist when I return, and will feel better about working towards my shodan.
Saturday we will have a thanksgivings celebration. I think its a potluck. we'll see just how it turns out. I'm guessing that it will be fun.

here's maria in yoyogi park

A Postcard!

The stamp is from America.
I got a great postcard from MJ, Travis, Cutter, and Ryan. Thanks guys!

s

more posting tomorrow.

Room all clean

Maria comes tomorrow, and now there is room for the other futon. I came home after my midterm today to sleep. I missed shorinji and econ, but went back for Judo. A girl might join the club, oh my. Judo seems to be a mostly male sport, so I think it's cool when girls do it, especially in Japan where most people like to do what most other people do. I should probably start reading my econ books for the report I'll be writing at the end of the semester. We'll see. I much prefer not doing homework, but oh well. I'm going to have all of the Judo fellows, or at least some of them, over on Friday for a happy my sister's here party. Should be fun. Now its time for ice cream and sleep, in that order.

Juice Juice

Soky and I bought about $60 worth of food today, it was pretty fun. We cooked some of it. I cooked a very large amount of soba, vegetables and chicken to take to school tomorrow. I also made raisins on a log and various creative forms of inarizushi. where there is usually rice i put banana or apple or jam with peanut butter. Soky and I are beginning to plan what to make for thanksgiving. We hope to have some company. Tuesday and Thursday I have my Japanese midterm. Maria comes on Wednesday. Anjee will being coming up from Kyoto the day before Maria leaves, I think. It'll be fun to have more people around. I'm still very tired, but hope to somehow become rested in the next few weeks. But I think that goal may prove difficult to achieve. I'm starting to work on t-shirt designs to submit to threadless, and am also compiling ideas for my new web-comic that I hope to be creating shortly.
Faith told me that she helped nani set up a computer, and that she checks my site frequently. So, i'm going to try to update more frequently for her. Hi Nani!! I hope you have a good time in Canada! Be sure to stay warm.

Speaking of which.. It's getting cold here too. I'm going to have to start layering.

Night night. happy 11.11.11.11.11 day.

Let there be internets

I have internet in my home now. I'm extremely tired. I didn't sleep well for a couple nights, and then I slept well but for few hours last night. I stayed up late first doing homework, but then showering, washing dishes, and cooking much food for lunch today. I bring a ton of food to school everyday. It is enjoyable and delicious. I really like cooking. I went to Judo three times this week (each time, since wednesday was canceled). So I'm doing quite a bit of martial arts. Which is good I guess. Now I'd like to try to do more art/writing. I've decided that I want to be a writer, a song writer, a painter, a comic drawer, a t-shirt designer, among other things. Maybe I'll try my hand at ceramics and wood working when I get the chance. I don't like having to go to school and take classes. It gets in the way of fun, and probably makes me learn less Japanese, but I don't care about that too much. I've sort of don't care that much about Japanese anymore. I just wish I had more time for art, travel, reading?maybe, etc.
I have two friends who have web comics. I enjoy reading both of them. I found it funny that they both have posted recently about the problems that they are having, mostly internal, with continuing to create comics for their sites. I hope they figure out a good way to keep being creative, and that it is enjoyable and or fulfilling. I have a hunch that neither of them read this, so i'll consider talking with them directly.
I think I'll check out threadless, and then dedicate some time to cleaning up some of my drawings and submitting them as designs. If I get even a little bit of positive feedback, it may encourage me to do more creative things.
I'm trying to think of things I can do on a boat as well. I could write. Probably non-fiction would be good at that point. I could learn to play acoustic guitar. I could learn to sail :)
I really like some of the people that I have met here in Tokyo. I don't spend as much time with them as I did with my friends back home though. I would like to maintain friendship with them, and I hope that many of them will someday come visit EnC. (i somehow wouldn't be surprised if I lived there for many years to come). but i doubt that they will come, and our friendships will probably not really last for so long. Still, if I were to stay friends with at least 1, that would be pretty cool, I think, and far from impossible.
I don't particularly like Japan, I think. I know that I don't like Tokyo too much. But really, I think that the idea of Japan may have a connotation more negative than positive in my brain. I like some of the people, some of the places, some of the customs, but still, the way things are is frustrating.
shower power.