Entries this day: AM_meditation Early_to_Shiatsu Internet_search Jesse,_perhaps Lawson Malek's_reply Now_soml Pink_Cow_Vegan_night Shibs_with_Jesse Sweet_sweet_internet

AM meditation

12:56pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

I've been meditating each morning for the past couple weeks, right around 7am (though a few hours late yesterday). Using the Clairvision style of meditation, I've gotten about as much result as any other style: generally I tend to fall asleep. Have begun to begin seeing a bit of a difference between sleep and meditation-sleep, but maybe I'm just fooling myself and there is no difference.

Early to Shiatsu

12:59pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

Arrived early to my shiatsu lesson; 木村さん had his door closed, so I waited outside and painted in the sun. Well, drew while drawing warmth and light from el sol.

Today's lesson included giving shiatsu to a patient lying on their side. Pretty straightforward technique, once I learn all the steps.

Internet search

1:01pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

I contacted Andrew to see if I could chill out with them at (my old) work and "drink the sweet sweet internets," but Andrew is in Kagoshima today. I emailed Malek cause I don't have his phone number on my iPhone (yet), but he hasn't emailed me back.

Jesse, perhaps

1:03pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

I called Jesse to see if he was in the area to hang out. He's cleaning out his desk at his high school, where he's been teaching for a while (unless he changed schools during that time, and has been teaching there for a little while). He'll prolly be in Shibuya at about 3pm so we may hang out at that time.

Lawson

1:06pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

So right now I'm in my old Lawson convenience store, where I befriended some of the staff (two-thirds of whom have moved on to different jobs or different stores). Tsunashima-san still works here so I like to say HI to him on occassion.

Today, he asked, "how are you?"

"元気。おなかすいた。"

"hungry.." he confirmed.

"haha yes. genki and hungry."

I got a single うどん item, the name of which I couldn't read, but I saw it featured the most kilocalories per unit price.

Malek's reply

1:06pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

Malek just replied to my email.

Hi Rob,

Sure, my number is 090-xxxx-xxxx

Heading out now, will be back around 3:30 ish.

Cheers,
Malek

At 12:09, I had asked

Howdy

Hey Malek

How's stuffs?

I don't have your phone number on my phone or I'd just call you.  Would it be okay if I visit you
guys today just to say HI and use the internet?

I'll be in shibuya soon with nothin to do until 8pm dinner at The Pink Cow.  Hope to get some (free)
internet during that time.

Thanks!
Rob

Now soml

1:18pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

State of My Life Address

1. I've got a job interview tomorrow, and another one probably Thursday (I suggested Tuesday (today) or Thursday), but they haven't replied yet). The interview tomorrow after I passed the job application: Sign up for a website on our server and create a few pages, download and install a wiki and create a few pages, then install a set of themes and change the wiki's theme.

   The interview tomorrow will include a written exam and a PC building test. Good thing I've put together a few PCs. Hopefully I can apply my dusty 486 building skillz well enough to build whatever they want me to build.

2. I had a great art show (my second ever) this past weekend at ELF in Tachikawa. Intermittantly uploading pictures from that. Really glad to get Su Young's pictures from Saturday, a really hilariously fun time!

3. Slightly jobless since December, I've just started to more seriously start looking for work. I was blessed with 800,000 yen from my second clinical drug trial in Kagoshima back in early February. That money has essentially run its course.

4. The course run by the money includes plane tickets to and from Australia for a week long ISIS 101 retreat run by Clairvision school. The work should prove amazing and great. Kumi has just recently finished the same course in New York, and said it was pretty awesome. Kevin has done the course as well, describing it as "great and fantastic, etc,"

5. But, Kevin continued, "do you think it's prudent to go off to Australia for the course while you're looking for a job?" I've wondered and wondered the same question, and come up with the answer, "gotta go to OZ." As Kevin asked, I listened again for an answer. Go to OZ. I even did a coin-flip test. Go to OZ.

   That was the evening that I asked each man if he would still love me if I was making a mistake in going to OZ when I "need to get a job."

6. I wonder if that's what British Mike had read that basically turned him away from the idea of doing that type of personal growth work.

   I said it sounded great to be supportive, and before i read on your blog just how far your support
   group takes it.  i figured a few guys sat around getting practical advice from other dudes could be
   good- not for me really, but good if you need it.  what you have though sounds far more intertwined
   and dependant and emotional than i'd be interested in.
   

7. Ami and I are still doing our thing. She comes to visit about twice a week and cooks. I give her shiatsu and massage. We do more if time allows. She joined my art show on both days, and the Brazilian dinner on Sunday. I wonder if we're wasting time; I've told her I can't marry her and wanted to break up. She asked me please to continue with her, and now when I roll out to OZ, I'm wondering if I'm gonna have the same horrible feeling I got by not cleanly breaking up with Hitomi before my second PB voyage. I'm still not over that yet, and I don't want to repeat it.

   A big difference is that that was 100 days, and this is only 7 days. BUT, that was busy workin' and this is busy growin' and deeper sharin'.

8. My iPhone has changed the way I interact with the internet. I can upload pictures more easily, and I just now found the link to the story about Rei above via my iPhone.

9. My art looks so good at ELF that it's going to stay up for a while!! I've asked Ami to print some price labels for the different pieces which I will label this Saturday. Basically will give 10% of the sales to Mark, and help him drive foot-traffic to ELF in Tachikawa. Go go go!

10. In news from the shocking-but-true department, I applied for a job at NOVA, and have an interview offer. That's the interview which I requested to be either today or Thursday. If they offer me a position at a school close to where I live now, I'd be pretty likely to take it. Just depends on myriad other factors. Just wanna get sumpin, to start.

    Even if I don't work there, I have now discovered it's possible to get permission to work in a job other than what my visa specifies. Here, with my emphasis:

    Dear Mr Nugen
    
    Re: our telephone conversation.
    
    Could you please send us an updated resume including a cover letter to this address so that we can
    process your application. As I mentioned during our telephone call you will need to visit
    immigration and apply for "permission to engage in activities other than specified on your current
    visa" to enable you to work in this industry.
    
    You will probably require some kind of letter from us before you go to immigration so on
    successfully passing an interview with us we can provide you with such a document.
    
    Sincerely
    
    Darryl <snip type="remainder" />
    

11. Jesse just called; we're going to hang out in Shibs soon.

Pink Cow Vegan night

11:18pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

Ami, Megumi, Megumi, MichaelQTodd, Sachika, Shinji, Rie, Corrin (sp), and more. Lovely night.

Shibs with Jesse

5:45pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

Met up with Jesse near Gaba in Shibuya and wandered toward some food whereupon we happened upon Roscoe and Jason at a conveni! Hadn't seen them for days and days (3 years?).. Roscoe has just quit Gaba; he had become a manager of sorts and perhaps coulda gotten me a job, but he's going to focus on music, which he hadn't done in two years. I forgot to ask him about his judo (?) which he had been doing between lessons at Gaba. Cool to see them both so genki.

Jesse bought me a fish filet sandwich and a shake at a fast food restaurant and we chatted while watching people walk by and he told me about his new job as a minister/teacher up in Saitama. I'm super happy that he'll be doing that which he loves to do (preachin' the good word of the Bible), and super happy to get to see him before he quits visiting Shibuya as often.

His dad will be comin' for a visit this week (!) and I wished him the best for that. He said it'll be a bit weird. I hope it's great, though.

Sweet sweet internet

5:50pm JST Tuesday 17 March 2009 (day 14237)

I'm at my old work for the afternoon, slurpin' megabits of data, which included an invitation to interview with NOVA on Monday (they didn't even mention my request, but I don't really care to fuss over it); I happen to have the day off, so that works for me. I had just wanted it sooner than later, but whatevs.

I signed up for Zembly, but I can't really imagine what useful content I'd be passionate enough to create, so it probably won't go any further than having set up a domain name at zembly.robnugen.com/

6:34pm JST

Talkin' to Sho, asking about ways to get networked for an art show and how to find people to help promote, etc, etc... and he gave a simple, effective, obvious answer: go to events and meet the people who are interested in those types of events.

SO, I signed up for Michael Q Todd's healing event this Sunday which will feature speakers from a variety of healing genres: Qi Gong (sp), reiki, yoga, water fasting, etc, AND vegan meal. Sweet!