Entries this day: Plan Today test zzz

Plan

8:25am JST Wednesday 23 April 2003

To do today

text Ayana about Genki I
study Japanese
write Japan update about cherry blossoms
write letter to ma
go through pile on desk and pile on floor
consolidate Janette's letter
snail to janette
snail to Jackie
snail to Abbey
snail to Dad
send Japan update about cherry blossoms.  Make sure Dru is on the list.
purchase small travel toothbrush for use at work
purchase more flashcards.  get a lot.
write down that which Koko taught me today.

Today

8:41am JST Wednesday 23 April 2003

Today I saw a man systematically washing three traffic cones before he put them on the sidewalk in front of his store. It seems they are washed with care each day.

2:38pm

Also today:

I had walked to Tsunashima station to purchase flash cards, but the store was closed. That's when I saw the cat washing traffic cones.

I jumped on the express train toward Okurayama, but the express doesn't stop there, so I had to take the local train back one station.

While walking from Okurayama to the International Lounge, I found another stationery store. This seemed to be a sole proprietorship since the guy behind the counter was older and a bit sneezy/sick. I figure an old cat wouldn't work at a cashier job unless he owned the place, and a cashier wouldn't work somewhere while sick unless s/he owned the place.

He had the exact cards I was looking for. But he also had some *better* cards than what I had been looking for! These were cards designed to be flashcards, all with a hole punched in one end and a key ring holding them together. I coulda gotten Hello Kitty cards, but they cost more for fewer cards. Sorry, cat; you're not that cute.

I bought two sets of these.

Met with Koko and she spent 2 hours giving me a pile of Japanese language and some kanji: push, pull, open, close, Sunday - Saturday, month names, telling time, and some common greetings.

Funny was when she asked a question in Japanese and I was like, "je ne sais pas" (sp!) and she recognized it as French.

My brain was quite full at the end of that. Then we yammered in mostly English for almost 2 hours.

At the end, she gave me a card that says in Japanese, "yo yo, cops, chill; we loaned our bike to this cat." and gave me the key to her mom's bicycle! Wowwwzers! And, gads, I don't have a gift for her in return, but even worse, I didn't pay her 100 yen for the lesson! Maybe the two hours of English yammering balances it all out. But I'll still get her (mom) a gift of some variety.

The tires were low on air so I walked the bike back home until I passed a bike shop and paid 250 yen to have him replace the equivalent of valve stems and air it up.

The locking mechanism was high on friction so I used a little vegetable oil to fix it right up.

Now I've got a bike!

3:19pm

Whoooooooo my bike is fast!! So fast compared to walking. Holy shit!

4:04pm

You know that rule "don't go shopping on an empty stomach?"

I broke that rule. But (!!!!) my bike is so fast that I'm already back from breaking the rule *and* have already eaten some of the evidence.

9:51pm

Fell asleep studying (that kinda thing happens when I study while lying down in bed) and I've just worked on cleaning the kitchen for a bit over an hour. Add that to the list of things I've done today but didn't actually plan to do. The crusty layers of hardened grease on the stove burner things is pretty disgusting. I've gotten one of them almost clean. Haven't really touched the other, but it's been soaking in hot soapy water for a while.

Frank is still at work and will be home probably in 20 minutes, assuming he gets out right at 9. Hey! It's well past nine. I'm silly. I dunno where Frank is. Matty left about an hour ago to return movies, but he's not back either. [shrug]

I finished my cherry blossom mass email and I'll be sending that out later tonight when I visit the internet cafe. Gonna first write one more letter to Gail from BBST as thanks for sending me red plaid flannel jammies ("jammy jams" as Matty calls them). I've worn them most nights since I got 'em.

test

1:14am JST Thursday 24 April 2003

Do you see japanese characters or just some messed up codes?

‚Ђ炪‚È

My work is at ‚©‚킳‚« and my apartment is in ‚‚Ȃµ‚Ü

I see hiragana. Nice.

But I still can't edit it with emacs.

zzz

3:17am JST Thursday 24 April 2003

Eeerg.

I have a sneaking suspicion that as soon as I get out of here (internet cafe) I'm going to remember that which I feel like I'm forgetting. Oh I remember one thing.

Okay. I hope that was it.

Good night, party people.