...into shape. I think.
Yes, having joined the Cult of Billy (Cult of Blanks after all would just...suck), I have come to the realization at just how frickin out of shape I was. OK, no surprise. I went from a fairly active job slinging around motor oil, antifreeze, and tires, to a basically sedentary job. Sure I bike to work, but that's hardly a work out anymore. Repeated warnings from my doctor, as well as a ever so slight tightening around the waist of my pants meant that it was about bloody time I did something about it.
Japan right now is in a big Billy Blank's Boot Camp craze, with people who wouldn't seem to need it working out. My cousin, two ladies from Tsuyazaki City Hall I met today playing tennis, the handball coach at school who sits behind me at work, all thin as rails, and all doing the circles. circle. circle. circle...
Even anime has jumped on the band wagon. I give you... Jin-Rok's Boot Camp for lulz. Its from Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei.
9/10/2007
A year in review.
It's been a while since I've posted, and if you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I usually do these review things.
So where am I now? How's life for me in Japan?
Back, almost 2 years ago, when I first started the ball rolling on my JET application, it was in response to an epiphany I had a year and a half previous to that. Then, I had stood in front of the ashes of my ancestors, having come to the realization that I wanted to live in Japan. My acceptance into JET was the first step towards that dream, and a year ago when I was at the park overlooking that temple where my ancestors lay, I felt a great sense of...accomplishment? Satisfaction? I felt I had come full circle.
So what then? Well, circle of course is a closed circuit, and so there is something to be said about the symbolism of a circle as a fixed track, and thus a poor (however appropriate) it is in describing someone's life. I guess the real question is, do I see my life as that symbolic circle?
Well, in one way I suppose it is an appropriate metaphor. My daily life is as ever routine. I go to work, do my lessons, come home, watch some TV, and read before I go to sleep. It's a comfortable, if somewhat boring existence. But then again, I've always been a bit of a stick in the mud.
But then again, I've added exercise to my routine (I've joined the cult of Billy Blanks), watch what I eat, and in general taken a genuine interest in developing my teaching skills. Its a bit of a revelation that the stuff they teach you at monthly meetings and seminars has a definite practical use in the classroom. I feel over the last few months, and especially over the summer, I've become a better ALT.
So then if it's a circle, lets instead think of it as a coil. A continuous ring, that takes me in cycles to some eventual goal. Heady stuff...or a silly metaphor depending on your point of view.
Indulge me the metaphor. What's the goal? I think, as always, it remains to live in Japan. This is something I am accomplishing, and as it stands, I don't see a real end. I don't know for sure if I will commit to the entire five years I can on the JET Programme. After all, things will eventually get old. And it also has the negative side-effect of prolonging any real decision as to what I will do with my life, something which I really shouldn't be keeping off at my age.
In the end, I think, I'll just keep on keepin on. It's what I do the best, and thinks always seem to work out anyway.
So where am I now? How's life for me in Japan?
Back, almost 2 years ago, when I first started the ball rolling on my JET application, it was in response to an epiphany I had a year and a half previous to that. Then, I had stood in front of the ashes of my ancestors, having come to the realization that I wanted to live in Japan. My acceptance into JET was the first step towards that dream, and a year ago when I was at the park overlooking that temple where my ancestors lay, I felt a great sense of...accomplishment? Satisfaction? I felt I had come full circle.
So what then? Well, circle of course is a closed circuit, and so there is something to be said about the symbolism of a circle as a fixed track, and thus a poor (however appropriate) it is in describing someone's life. I guess the real question is, do I see my life as that symbolic circle?
Well, in one way I suppose it is an appropriate metaphor. My daily life is as ever routine. I go to work, do my lessons, come home, watch some TV, and read before I go to sleep. It's a comfortable, if somewhat boring existence. But then again, I've always been a bit of a stick in the mud.
But then again, I've added exercise to my routine (I've joined the cult of Billy Blanks), watch what I eat, and in general taken a genuine interest in developing my teaching skills. Its a bit of a revelation that the stuff they teach you at monthly meetings and seminars has a definite practical use in the classroom. I feel over the last few months, and especially over the summer, I've become a better ALT.
So then if it's a circle, lets instead think of it as a coil. A continuous ring, that takes me in cycles to some eventual goal. Heady stuff...or a silly metaphor depending on your point of view.
Indulge me the metaphor. What's the goal? I think, as always, it remains to live in Japan. This is something I am accomplishing, and as it stands, I don't see a real end. I don't know for sure if I will commit to the entire five years I can on the JET Programme. After all, things will eventually get old. And it also has the negative side-effect of prolonging any real decision as to what I will do with my life, something which I really shouldn't be keeping off at my age.
In the end, I think, I'll just keep on keepin on. It's what I do the best, and thinks always seem to work out anyway.
7/03/2007
Paging Dr. House.
Just like it's not paranoia is they're really out to get you, it's not hypochondria is you're actually sick a lot. Well, since I've come to Japan (almost a whole year now if you can believe), I've gotten sick a couple of times, had a small asthma attack once, but otherwise been fairly healthy. However, my asthma means that as a general rule, I go to the doctor at least once a month. Now, my abuse of the Japanese medical system aside, this means that for the most part I catch problems early. Consider my high cholesterol, a problem which emerged while I was here, and then due to prompt treatment, is back to normal.
But back to my current problem. After a weekend being cooped up in the house, I got to the doctor's today. After drawing some blood, some initial testing may indicate that I have whooping cough.
Holy fucking shit.
Really it's more annoying than anything else. I haven't been told to quarantine myself or anything, but the wiki article seems to indicate that this is pretty damned contagious. Well, I'll take care to keep a towel or something I can cough into. In the meanwhile, I have some meds (good ol' Azithromycin) to cure me up. Lets hope that it doesn't actually take 100 days to cure, as the Japanese name would seem to indicate (it's called "100-day Cough" here).
But back to my current problem. After a weekend being cooped up in the house, I got to the doctor's today. After drawing some blood, some initial testing may indicate that I have whooping cough.
Holy fucking shit.
Really it's more annoying than anything else. I haven't been told to quarantine myself or anything, but the wiki article seems to indicate that this is pretty damned contagious. Well, I'll take care to keep a towel or something I can cough into. In the meanwhile, I have some meds (good ol' Azithromycin) to cure me up. Lets hope that it doesn't actually take 100 days to cure, as the Japanese name would seem to indicate (it's called "100-day Cough" here).
7/01/2007
Yippee-ki-yay Motherfucker!
Went to see Die Hard 4.0 (or Live Free or Die Hard, as it is marketed in the US and Canada). Can I say... awesome!!!! The last time I got to turn off my brain and sit back and ENJOY an action movie was xXx, and as entertaining as it was (no, it wasn't a good movie, but it was definitely entertaining) Die Hard 4 delivers more in and in spades. About 20 minutes into the film the action starts, and it basically doesn't stop until the end. Plus, John McClane's daughter is a hottie. And the evil chinese hacker chick is a hottie. OK, so the F-35 is stupid. But who cares?
Just awesome. This is one for the DVD collection.
Oh yeah, Happy Canada Day motherfuckers!
Just awesome. This is one for the DVD collection.
Oh yeah, Happy Canada Day motherfuckers!
6/24/2007
6/16/2007
Only in Japan
Here's an interesting find from the land of the rising sun...
Yes, that is indeed Ice Cucumber flavoured Pepsi. It does smell something like cucumber, and the taste holds a hint of cucumber, but other than that it's pretty Pepsi-like. FYI, cucumbers are meant to evoke a feeling of coolness, hence (I assume) this odd flavour.
The other treat is a salted ice-cream bar. Yes, salted. Actually, there's a well documented connection between salty and sweet, like chocolate covered pretzels. Or... well, maybe not so well documented. Anyway, it's surprisingly good.
Also, perhaps I just wanted to test out my new camera.
Yes, that is indeed Ice Cucumber flavoured Pepsi. It does smell something like cucumber, and the taste holds a hint of cucumber, but other than that it's pretty Pepsi-like. FYI, cucumbers are meant to evoke a feeling of coolness, hence (I assume) this odd flavour.
The other treat is a salted ice-cream bar. Yes, salted. Actually, there's a well documented connection between salty and sweet, like chocolate covered pretzels. Or... well, maybe not so well documented. Anyway, it's surprisingly good.
Also, perhaps I just wanted to test out my new camera.
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