Run by entry about Japan (and request for interested readers)
As the weather is getting colder, finally, I should write something about how Japan deals with heat. They do not have central a/c and tend to still wear long sleeves even in the summer. But, that would take more energy than I have this afternoon, and the rest of the week only gets busier from here. So...
Instead, the Japanese and being industrious. Case in point, they're fixing up the two-lane road that's on my route to base. First, they fixed the concrete barriers for the sharp curve. Then the pavement near a cross street. Today, they were repaving half the road.
Now, being a 2-lane, and detours being a nightmare in Japan (for another post), they have to make it a 1-lane and direct traffic. Still, in one day alone, they took a section of paving off on one side of the road, trucked that away, and had repaved with the rollers out to smooth when I went back by at 4:30pm. They may wait until tomorrow for painting, but they still have some light, and possibly will just finish it all today.
This, would never, ever, EVER happen in America. It would take weeks, months. I've seen construction that took years, like widening I-35 in Oklahoma city. Starting from downtown, it might only take a decade to go south and get out of the city limits.
But, the Japanese when they take on a task, like to do it well, neatly and quickly. So, that road crew had plenty of people to do the work, including those directing traffic. It might be a long day, but they will get to what is the end of the assigned task. Also, they will have neatened things up for the night, even if they have to move cones again tomorrow morning for painting the road.
Another completely different example was the beer festival we went to in Yokohama. There were tons of people, although also many beer vendors. Still, the lines were the fastest I've seen compared to several beer festivals from the states.
Me and Jedi did the get a beer sample, queue up in a long line for good beer, line takes long enough you're out of beer when you get to the front. Except, the Japanese were too efficient with their beer pouring, and after the second line we got to the front of well before we'd finished our sample, we milled around after instead. And the one really long line, had people directing the line so that it could snake through the crowd.
Now, this doesn't mean that the late working hours, or long work weeks that include Saturday are right. The Japanese do overwork themselves in some cases. Also, even more than the states, Japan runs on caffeine. You can find it on every corner in vending machines, along with the corner coffee shop in the cities.
Now, the request. In that I should suck up the energy and submit things, I was trying to find a few first readers or beta readers. Both are for things that have been revised once, but need another revision.
The first is a 60,000 word horror novel set in Rhode Island about three sisters and dark secrets in their family which is uncovered by the new residents of their house. (For the Charleston people, yeah, what went around the writing group a few years ago.) It involves sea magic that borders on Lovecraftian, and is more suspense than scary.
The second is an 18,000 word SF erotica novelette about a hidden romance that the two main characters seem not to be able to get themselves out of. (As a warning, it does involve an affair.)
Any help would be appreciated. Just would like a look from another set of eyes before setting down to do a second revision and edit. Ask if you want more description. I'd be more than willing to look at something of yours as pay-back.
Instead, the Japanese and being industrious. Case in point, they're fixing up the two-lane road that's on my route to base. First, they fixed the concrete barriers for the sharp curve. Then the pavement near a cross street. Today, they were repaving half the road.
Now, being a 2-lane, and detours being a nightmare in Japan (for another post), they have to make it a 1-lane and direct traffic. Still, in one day alone, they took a section of paving off on one side of the road, trucked that away, and had repaved with the rollers out to smooth when I went back by at 4:30pm. They may wait until tomorrow for painting, but they still have some light, and possibly will just finish it all today.
This, would never, ever, EVER happen in America. It would take weeks, months. I've seen construction that took years, like widening I-35 in Oklahoma city. Starting from downtown, it might only take a decade to go south and get out of the city limits.
But, the Japanese when they take on a task, like to do it well, neatly and quickly. So, that road crew had plenty of people to do the work, including those directing traffic. It might be a long day, but they will get to what is the end of the assigned task. Also, they will have neatened things up for the night, even if they have to move cones again tomorrow morning for painting the road.
Another completely different example was the beer festival we went to in Yokohama. There were tons of people, although also many beer vendors. Still, the lines were the fastest I've seen compared to several beer festivals from the states.
Me and Jedi did the get a beer sample, queue up in a long line for good beer, line takes long enough you're out of beer when you get to the front. Except, the Japanese were too efficient with their beer pouring, and after the second line we got to the front of well before we'd finished our sample, we milled around after instead. And the one really long line, had people directing the line so that it could snake through the crowd.
Now, this doesn't mean that the late working hours, or long work weeks that include Saturday are right. The Japanese do overwork themselves in some cases. Also, even more than the states, Japan runs on caffeine. You can find it on every corner in vending machines, along with the corner coffee shop in the cities.
Now, the request. In that I should suck up the energy and submit things, I was trying to find a few first readers or beta readers. Both are for things that have been revised once, but need another revision.
The first is a 60,000 word horror novel set in Rhode Island about three sisters and dark secrets in their family which is uncovered by the new residents of their house. (For the Charleston people, yeah, what went around the writing group a few years ago.) It involves sea magic that borders on Lovecraftian, and is more suspense than scary.
The second is an 18,000 word SF erotica novelette about a hidden romance that the two main characters seem not to be able to get themselves out of. (As a warning, it does involve an affair.)
Any help would be appreciated. Just would like a look from another set of eyes before setting down to do a second revision and edit. Ask if you want more description. I'd be more than willing to look at something of yours as pay-back.