Entries this day: Dream Meeting Reika Today Work distractions

Dream

8:04am JST Thursday 12 October 2006 (day 13350)

Carla asked me to make 20 photo copies of a form that had been mostly filled out except for name, a registration for attending a party she had coordinated at Pink Cow. She then asked for 4 more un-filled out registrations. The copier was an old stereo, so it couldn't do double sided copies, and the movie we were watching on the TV I had moved in from the restroom was put near the stereo/copier, so I decided to wait on the copies until the movie was over.

Time came to remodel the restroom, and someone asked who had taken down the suspended ceiling supports, and I was like, "I did, to get the TV out," and he was like, "well put them back," but the rest of the men on their weekend training had already put it back; that guy was just being a bossy wuss.

I went back to the copier and made the 20 copies, and then was trying to work out which way to orient the paper to get the double sided copies to come out right. I realized I should have made a little mark on one corner of a sheet, but I didn't actually know where the paper tray was. I realized it was a dream, so I could just manifest the pages as done.

or I could just wake up and not worry about it, which I did.

Meeting

3:55pm JST Thursday 12 October 2006 (day 13350)

Met with Tariq et.al. in Shibs for our semi-weekly game planning thing. Things seem to be going well, and I'm impressed with Tariq's vision. It would be cool if the game actually amounts to something that brings in a few dollars.

Reika

3:56pm JST Thursday 12 October 2006 (day 13350)

Met with Reika at 11 for an hour in the bookstore for our bi-weekly lesson. She's a bit worried about an interview she's got coming up; I don't know what they'll ask, but I figure basically asking why she's going and where she'll live and if she's a terrorist.

(she's not)

Today

11:57am JST Friday 13 October 2006 (day 13351)

Yesterday I went to Softbank in 渋谷 and met Sone, who spoke decent enough English to explain the mystery. They are not offereing a phone and iPod combined. They're offering a discount iPod if I buy a phone.

Oh.

That changes everything.

Also went by Tokyu Hands to find popsicle sticks. They had them, in the baking section, 50 in a pack for 304 yen. Basically 6 cents per stick.

I was like, "naw naw naw, I need a thousand sticks."

She explained they didn't have a thousand in stock, but that they could get it by...

"Naw naw naw naw; I ain't buying 10000 popsicle sticks in 20 packs of 50. I want a BOX of 1000 sticks."

Finally the idea made it across the gap and she called someone at a number in her catalog. It took about FIVE MINUTES of discussion to get a price back. I don't know what they were talking about, but she kept saying 10000 sticks. and she kept saying 20 and 50.

So basically they were talking for five minutes about the exact same thing already available here, and it took five minutes to get a price. 5000 yen.

I was thoroughly unimpressed with the amount of time wasted getting a simple answer (especially one that was only 15% lower on a price that was 300% too high in the first place.) I was like, "is that it?"

yes

Okay thank you bye.

Cripes.

Work

11:53am JST Friday 13 October 2006 (day 13351)

Yesterday I got a chance to chat (again) with a woman who's a computer programmer for the JR Line!! I'm quite impressed with the whole concept, and enjoy asking her questions about the train system.

My last three students knew the meaning of 奇々怪々. (It's a rare word in Japanese which I happened across in Hitomi's dictionary some months ago.)

distractions

12:09pm JST Friday 13 October 2006 (day 13351)

After work I told her I kissed Miki on Sunday. I layed out every distracting woman in my life right now:

janette, with whom I've connected mo' deeper than any other woman ever

Ami, one of my students who I'm sure I could get, but it would only be feral

Paige, tall brilliant beautiful genki in Jordan, but who won't email me back

Madeline (rar), in US who may come to Japan

I told her about the impersonation of Eri, and how Eri has not contacted me back since she said, "I didn't write that."

I cried, and would have cried a lot more had we had time before last train.