--ditsy seeking machismo--

There should be a dating site where instead of listing your "selling points" people post their shortcomings. Most can agree there's a good side and a bad side to everyone. It's just that when people become attracted to one another they discover a negative quirk that they either can or cannot live with. When choosing to be friends with certain co-workers I find myself unconsciously choosing those that I can deal with their downside the best. Wouldn't it solve a lot of problems? It would minimize undesirable surprises and maximize pleasant surprises. Actually this goes against all human tendencies and innate desire. But I'm sure there's a guy out there that looks like a Zack Morris, doesn't know how to clean up after himself, expects a woman to cook, and loves cars more than anything. Nobody would mention this on eharmony.com; if this comes as a surprise, in the end there would be no matrimony for this man or there would be a foreseeable divorce. Isn't it good to know why in general you're not perfect? If it's acknowledged you're half-way there to solving it (although my shopping habits have been well acknowledged for years). At least it creates a window of communication where absence of recognition means it doesn't exist for that person. If acknowledged, what's annoying to some can be quite charming to others. People change; often times they don't. This site would be for all the unperfect people who are I suppose finished with their youthful flighty romance stage and ready to move on to a lifelong investment of their devotion. But I guess if you don't want kids, you can do whatever the heck you want.

Good Hunting.

F.Y.I

E-Dawg	2-Mar
Leedo Sensei	27-Sep
Queenie	29-Aug
Mrs. Rabbit	28-Aug
The Boy	10-Apr
Jack	21-Mar
Turkey Enforcer	25-Feb
La Femme Pirate	6-Apr

...for my information really...

Good Hunting (for a birthday present)

Small Talk

Small talk is just about as comfortable as a pap smear. Like visits to the woman doctor, getting my hair cut is something that has to be done periodically. I dread the questions, and as I emit my awkwardness it tends to unnerve those I'm conversing with. My experience has been that the more money I spend on a haircut, the more likely the stylist can hold their part and my part of the conversation. "Did you just come from work?" here we go... I feel bad at the end of it all, I take a quick glance at my new do and I dash out of there like I have a kid to pick up at daycare. I slam a huge tip and hope it makes up for a graceless thirty minutes or leave a little bit of mystery.

(sigh)

I need a blog muse.

..long time no see

Goodness I haven't written in forever...

I start to write but the inspiration fades a few lines in.

I can't wait to see everybody!! Well, I might not exactly show it when the time comes, but trust me I'm very excited to see you.

Not much to share about what's going on in my life..In terms of work, I'm finally at the point where I can call it my company and not just a company I work for. It's a freight forwarding company; I still don't know what that means but I've managed to get by without this understanding. I actually like my job. I have regular tasks as well as completely random tasks to keep it interesting. Even though the pay is kinda crappy, I see my self becoming more attached...by the lunches sometimes dinner, late house parties, free furniture, free salmon roe, my boss and I laughing ourselves to tears and control over the stationery. Then I see the old ladies that have been there forever, I wake up and I know I can't be them.

Good Hunting.

Writer's Strike

What is there to do?

I've been going through my list of Must See Movies:

'Jesus Camp' - I wish I had some people around me to discuss this movie with.

'To Be and To Have' - A movie for our teacher friends, or if you're in a bad mood but not up for hardcore happy.

'Fire' - by Deepa Mehta a controversial film banned in India about lesbianism. (Maju keeps asking me if I'm lesbian. I've thought about it but at most I'm a gay man in a woman's body.)

...and why is 'Better Luck Tomorrow' in the Foreign Films section at Blockbuster? oye vey.

Good Hunting.

what's the plan, ann?

Blogger still thinks I'm in Japan...Anyway, the reason I haven't blogged for so long is because there really isn't anything to blog about. Not that there was before, but there's really nothing to blog about. My social life is a Jessica away from flat-lining; I think my excitement peaked when Marc developed a love interest on Ugly Betty. The first two months I wouldn't call exciting more stressful, but I think I kept my cool. I gotta a job with 401-k and a nice insurance policy, a cute studio 3 min. away from work, and a car to take me there. Now I'm stressing over furniture, I can't decide on a color palate and Jessica is pressuring me. Work is okay even though I'm only an assistant and I have no authority what so ever but people think I do because I'm so scary and my job is basically to nag people. My social life is improving yet not my social skills. Tonight Jessica and I went bowling/billiards with the Mapili's + Minnie's brother + Vincent's Zambian friend later on (who talks more than Jessica by the way) and now I have somewhere to go for Thanksgiving. But I'm stressing a little since I have no confidence that I'll be able to talk to other people besides Vincent and Minnie. But even though I'm so socially awkward I'm almost retarded, I still don't feel the urge to try...yet..Washingtonians have made me like people more; maybe this was the perfect state to turn this cocooned misanthrope into the proverbial butterfly. Well maybe not but I just wanna say I'm glad to be here, and we'll see what happens (or doesn't happen) next.

Today...

...was exams day, so i decided to take the day off and go to the local onsen. It was nice; I warmed up in the fizzy bath, sweated out toxins in the Mongolian sauna, had fresh kiwi juice, and read some Orwell in the napping area. Then I decided to really treat myself and get a body+facial massage. I've never had one before so I thought it was high time... I won't go into details, but she was quite thorough; it really didn't make sense to me. The only massages worth paying for are back, hand, feet, and face (this put me to sleep).

This past month has been dedicated to 'leaving:' meet and greets, farewell dinners, buying boxes, corresponding with my successor, packing the boxes, sorting my things only to donate 3/4 of it, planning my exit strategy, and passive aggressively quibbling with human resources. Now I'm avoiding the task at hand: reducing the box count.

In order to avoid parting with bits and pieces of myself as it feels like I've taken to filling said void with spurts of positive procrastination. I've learned so far that Washington's official muffin: blueberry and the state motto: 'by and by'...that's my kinda state. By and by i've also come to appreciate the world of ordering starbucks' esoteric concoctions; i'm ready to visit any of the 618 starbucks in Washington and stump any newbies with a self-important order. Actually i'd rather get a regular coffee, but it's nice to know i can order a customized 760cal monster if i wanted to...or at least that i can understand the guy that does...Yes this has been my attempt to study the ways of the Seattleite. Now that i've learned a bit about the stereotypical i'm ready to be reeducated.

by and by the packing will get done...

Globetrot

Kiyomizu TempleJapan CountrysideSmall Kyoto TempleHimeji CastleHiroshima Itsukushima ShrineKyoto - Nijo CastleKyoto - GinkakujiKyotoWorld Square Train StationGreat Wall of ChinaSilk Road - Mogao GrottoSilk Road - MogaoTaj MahalEgypt - Abu SimbelGiza PyramidParthenonRome - San Pietro in VincoliChateau de Versailles"Sun King" Louis XIVMilan CathedralMilan CathedralMilan CathedralRome MonumentEiffel TowerArc de TriompheThe White HouseStreets of New YorkAccidents of NYStreets of NY

Twin Towers

my little trip around the world, and a side trip to the past. All for 25 bucks.

Leaving on a JET plane

Ok I'm not leaving for another two months, but i've already entered leaving mode. I'm already a little nostalgic and i haven't even left yet. Looking over my time here i've neglected to do things on my 'things to do in japan' list. My cure to an unfinished list is to simply make another one, but this time a reflexive one -to remember the good and later the bad; first "Things I'll Miss" list: cake. packaging. combini food. being popular. english power. festivals. aeon. my stores. izakaya. the vegetables. kotatsu. funky clothes. light speed delivery. vegetable juice. hair products. biking. my rent. train. portions. service. aunt. free tissue. green-tea-flavored anything. underwear. the scale. making powerpoints. protected comfortable living. eating rice for lunch. cell. conveyor-belt sushi. onsen. pointcards. the smell. being called annchan. living in a house. some teachers. being energy efficient. mooching. the @ key location. answering journals. military time. metric measurements. japanese game shows. helping my grandma. writing my name in japanese. lunch w/ coworkers. having contacts put in by my optometrist. jyagabata. Family Marts fried chicken. Moss Burger. Then there's the "Things I Won't Miss:" the mullets. the unspoken. movie delay. sounding dumb (well..) the music. creepy neighbor. indoor shoes. garbage rules. yelping dog. shutdown at 9. collectivism. the comb over (i just wont look at Donald). high-pitched greetings. some teachers. talking slowly. not using contractions. the apostrophe key location (shift required). recent obsession w/ internet for anything U.S.American. changing into bathroom slippers. the question 'do you have a bf?' windows 98. japanese pizza. stares. biking in the rain. being bored at work. the winter (this could be an issue)

..but really i have no complaints it's been super sweet yet such a living soon cloys and i can't wait for my long dose of america.

good hunting.

Youth of Japan

Egypt

The beginning of our eight days in Egypt. We're 13hrs away from narita airport next to the Giza pyramids built approximately 4,500 years ago; this one by Khufu. Contrary to popular belief pyramids are not graves or tombs. Nobody was actually buried inside the pyramid, it's actually suppose to function more like a waiting area for the soul to accend towards the sun god Ra. And they were not built by slave labor. When the Nile flooded every year farmers didn't have much to do so they worked on the pyramid most likely in better conditions than working in Wal-Mart. Some excuses for missing work included drinking too much the previous blah blah blah I can go in deep due to excessive geeky research but i realized this could get annoying (although at some points i couldn't help myself) so here are some brief comments and photos out of the 450 we took... (It's not a new japanese perm, just windy)It was cold. We were going to go for a little joy ride but it started to rain! after our guide said it never does (maybe the climate change will make the sahara a huge oasis). At least the camel seems to be enjoying it. Ever wonder what the sphinx is looking at? - the KFC and pizza hut across the way.So before arriving i always wondered what Egyptian food entailed well this here is pretty much it. It looks like naan but it's referred to as eish bread here. You basically dip it in humus or eat it with a scoop of chopped vegetables. This green seaweedy stuff was good too. . . I have to say the best part of this trip was Abu Simbel, located in southern Egypt built by Ramsses II. Two days out of the year the sun shines inside to illuminate his statue and two other gods worshipped at the time. He's the only pharaoh that built a monument dedicated to his favorite wife Nefertari of equal size. We waited for nightfall to see the "Sound and Light" show, which had a cheesy ring but ended up being pretty amazing. You can see and hear how Ramsses II won the Battle of Kadesh right on the monuments he built to commemorate his victory and divinity. Another thing: this actually isn't the original location it was discovered. In the 1960s the whole thing was relocated to make way for the Aswan High Dam. The Felucca's make southern Egypt feel like your somewhere between Venice and Greece; you can sail quietly down the Nile without the buzzing motor. Crosses Christians graffitied onto various monuments.The sacred rock of goddess Isis located on Philae island. This was the first testimony of love, supposedly the reason the Christian Church hates it. Napoleon had to leave his mark and the coordinates of the temple. Hatshepsut's temple; a woman pharaoh who dressed like a man. There were only three woman who've ruled in ancient egypt, i think. A lot of her images were destroyed after her death. Her images didn't lie the sculptures even included the string for the fake beard. aren't they cute?Valley of Kings, this is amaaaaaaaazing. Unfortunately no photography allowed. A Nubian lunch rice with fish cooked in tomato-based sauce, pretty good. This drink was amazing, fresh guava, mango and strawberry; i got some jealous glances at my table.Since Ancient Egyptian history is so long, royalty from later dynasties would visit older one's ruins on vacay. This all used to be flushed with color, you can still see some on the roof.Ok maybe one of you knows what this second toilet is for. Most of the hotels we stayed at had them. My aunt asserts it's to wash your clothes; it does have a warm and cold nozzle. but I estimated it's a place to wash your feet for religous purposes. Give me some suggestions cuz this has been bothering me. The cottage-style resort we stayed at......quite nicethe veiw from our last hotel. i thought this was pretty cool.

Good Hunting.