Entries this day: Today japanese_lesson mostest_free_hugs

Today

6:11pm JST Tuesday 30 October 2007 (day 13733)

Good stuff at work; I got the list of files figured out.. I think I got them all.

Installed dotProject on my domain at /todo. Yesterday I installed a wiki at /wiki.

Now going to Japanese lesson. This is a trial lesson; we'll see how it goes. Someone didn't prepare, but has 30 minutes to do just that.

japanese lesson

10:23pm JST Tuesday 30 October 2007 (day 13733)

Before the lesson even started, I felt pretty much set to *not* join the class; I hadn't studied in preparation of the class, even though I had had nearly a week. The class (only three people) seemed a bit ahead of me, though I could conceivably catch up. Stuck with my original plan of not joining the class due to lack of funds right now, and lack of desire to work hard and catch up with the class. I hope I start tearing into the book on my own... sometime soon. yeah.. hmm; when might that be? I've got the book right here... hmmmm.

There were three guys in the class: Raymond (black, about my age), Jason (freckly, a bit younger), __never caught his name__ (French, in beteen ages). Jason seemed to be the best; he had the best pronunciation as far as I could tell. The French guy had really wack pronunciation, and the other guy was saying "ちゅい" for "つい" and I was like, what??, but the teacher never said anything. She got onto me for forgetting ん in 寒いんですが、 and for adding an extra ん in 難しいです。

Ah well; it was an okay class.

mostest free hugs

10:03pm JST Tuesday 30 October 2007 (day 13733)

Wow... Tonight I logged the highest rate of free hugs so far. 81 hugs in 75 minutes. The final 15 minutes was a real boost; I had been right at 57 hugs right near the 60 minute mark, and one more stream of people came across Shibuya Crossing. I thought I'll wait until this stream finishes and call it good even if I haven't recovered a hug per minute, cause at 45 minutes, I was at like 50 hugs, and I thought for sure that rate would maintain me through the hour.

Good luck was brought by British Mike and Eli from ultimate, who came up separately. Also, Chiemi from EV came up and chatted for a bit. I'm glad she's doing well in her new job and studying BATIC.

British Mike held the sign for a bit, and got nothing at first, but then two attack-hugs from two girls and aftershock hugs from their boyfriends while the girls bounced over to me. He was like, "now I gotta get me one of these signs!"

"See???"

I got my first disparaging comment about giving free hugs, a Japanese man came up and in English was like, "why are you copying Japanese?"

I was like, "excuse me?"

"I see Japanese people here doing this. Why are you copying them?"

"You do? Then where are they?"

"What's with this 'free hugs'? What happened to communication and dialogue? Do you want to debate with me? Come over here and we'll debate."

He was walking away before I really had time to say "no," and get back to offering free hugs.

Apparently, Megadeath performed at the なんとかセンター near Harajuku. I saw a Megadeath T-shirt, and later a guy came up and asked what I was doing. He told me he had just been to the show and said it was great. Said that the band talked about the fires in California.

Most of the hugs tonight where in the Good range, though I got one that I would call a WTF hug, but the girl just seemed so sad/shy/meek that all she could do was put her forehead on my chest and barely lift her arms enough to touch my kidneys.

Two German women seemed happy to get hugs. They're traveling around Japan. I met a group of four who were on their way to party for Halloween. They were like, "what are you doing?"

"Giving free hugs! What are you doing?"

"We're going to party for Halloween!"

And one was like, "I'll come back later; how long will you be here?"

"About 30 more minutes."

"Um, I'll get that hug now," and she got her second hug while she had the chance.