Lazy Dazy
Not a terribly exciting weekend, but I’ll chronicle it here faithfully. Friday was Hugh’s birthday, which makes him the 2 billionth person I know who has a February birthday. I guess June is a popular month for knockin’ boots. Now that all of you February babies have had time to shudder at that thought, I’ll tell you that it wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary. We went out to a nomihodai in Ina, which had better food than Jo’s Matsumoto birthday nomihodai. After our allotted time had run out we left to go to Buenos Tempos, another little nightspot in Ina. Very little. Our group of ten had the place completely filled, which made for a very cozy evening. Jo and I were pushing for karaoke but it never happened on account of two very vocal naysayers, so we left around 2:30, feeling unfulfilled. I spent the night under Jo’s kotatsu, which has its good points and its bad. On the one hand it’s a low table you’re meant to sit under, so it’s not so easy to turn on your side if you’re lying underneath it. On the other, it’s a heated table, in an un-insulated house with paper walls in the dead of winter-I don’t mind sleeping on my back so much.
Sarah was going snowboarding up north with Carla the next morning so she and I got up extra early so she could get going and I could get a ride to the train station. Saturday was spent lounging around in my pajamas, except for a five-hour period in which I went out to the grocery store to get stuff for making dumplings, then returned and made the dumplings. Oh man, they turned out really exquisite; there are a bunch in my freezer right now.
Sunday resembled Saturday except that instead of making dumplings I went for a long walk in the park. I think after a long dry spell, my ability to make killer mixes is back. For some reason the iPod revolution put something of a damper on this innate talent, but I think it’s back. Check this killer mix-I guarantee this is a good time, but only if you listen to all the songs in precisely this order! If this doesn’t do it for you, I proclaim you a musical idiot and I feel sorry for you. (YES! My pretentiousness about mixes is back too!)
Jetsetter - Morningwood
One Way - Bloodhound Gang
Whatever Didi Wants - NOFX
Amazon - M.I.A
The Forrest Scares The Hell Out - Say Hi To Your Mom
Loose Leaves - Bright Eyes
Beaten Path - The Good Life
Wonderful People - Q & Not U
Bitches Ain’t Shit - Ben Folds
I Am Downright Amazed… - Atom & His Package
You Are What You Love - Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
Blood Red Summer - Coheed and Cambria
Burn, Piano Island - Blood Brothers
Married Girl - The Slackers
On Guard - Le Tigre
So Begins Our Alabee - Of Montreal
Lovers Need Lawyers - The Good Life
I Woke Up With This Song In My Head This Morning - Bright Eyes
Disclaimer: Obviously, many thanks go out to all the people who have hooked me up with these songs; I certainly don’t claim any great talent at finding good music. I’m just really good at putting good music with other good music.
Today was the big test day at school. All the kids had five periods of tests, tests, tests! I stayed late on Monday to help the English teachers record the listening tests for the first years and third years. Unfortunately, they always try to use this minidisk recorder, which absolutely never works. Never. The thing is the worst piece of electronics I’ve ever had the misfortune of encountering. However, every time there’s a test it’s always the same thing.
JTE: Sara-sensei, can you record the test this afternoon?
ME: Sure. Do you have a triple A battery for the minidisk player microphone?
JTE: (Ignores my statement.)
Later…
Minidisk player is not working. And…it’s not working. Still not working.
ME: (Timidly) Do you think the microphone needs a new battery?
JTE: (Astonished) I think the microphone needs a new battery!
ME: I think you’re right.
Anyway, this time not only did the microphone need a new battery, apparently the minidisk used was corrupt or something, so this morning I got to read the test over the loudspeaker! It was like being a DJ for the most boring radio show imaginable.
“And this just in, Koji can swim FASTER than Ken, but he CANNOT swim the FASTEST. Ichiro can swim the FASTEST; he’s in FIRST PLACE. And now, a word from our correspondent in the field. Tell me Hiroshi, WHICH is YOUR DOG?” Actually this was the most exciting thing I did all day. I can’t wait for the new school year to start. All right, I think I’ve bored myself to tears. Ja ne!
Sarah was going snowboarding up north with Carla the next morning so she and I got up extra early so she could get going and I could get a ride to the train station. Saturday was spent lounging around in my pajamas, except for a five-hour period in which I went out to the grocery store to get stuff for making dumplings, then returned and made the dumplings. Oh man, they turned out really exquisite; there are a bunch in my freezer right now.
Sunday resembled Saturday except that instead of making dumplings I went for a long walk in the park. I think after a long dry spell, my ability to make killer mixes is back. For some reason the iPod revolution put something of a damper on this innate talent, but I think it’s back. Check this killer mix-I guarantee this is a good time, but only if you listen to all the songs in precisely this order! If this doesn’t do it for you, I proclaim you a musical idiot and I feel sorry for you. (YES! My pretentiousness about mixes is back too!)
Jetsetter - Morningwood
One Way - Bloodhound Gang
Whatever Didi Wants - NOFX
Amazon - M.I.A
The Forrest Scares The Hell Out - Say Hi To Your Mom
Loose Leaves - Bright Eyes
Beaten Path - The Good Life
Wonderful People - Q & Not U
Bitches Ain’t Shit - Ben Folds
I Am Downright Amazed… - Atom & His Package
You Are What You Love - Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
Blood Red Summer - Coheed and Cambria
Burn, Piano Island - Blood Brothers
Married Girl - The Slackers
On Guard - Le Tigre
So Begins Our Alabee - Of Montreal
Lovers Need Lawyers - The Good Life
I Woke Up With This Song In My Head This Morning - Bright Eyes
Disclaimer: Obviously, many thanks go out to all the people who have hooked me up with these songs; I certainly don’t claim any great talent at finding good music. I’m just really good at putting good music with other good music.
Today was the big test day at school. All the kids had five periods of tests, tests, tests! I stayed late on Monday to help the English teachers record the listening tests for the first years and third years. Unfortunately, they always try to use this minidisk recorder, which absolutely never works. Never. The thing is the worst piece of electronics I’ve ever had the misfortune of encountering. However, every time there’s a test it’s always the same thing.
JTE: Sara-sensei, can you record the test this afternoon?
ME: Sure. Do you have a triple A battery for the minidisk player microphone?
JTE: (Ignores my statement.)
Later…
Minidisk player is not working. And…it’s not working. Still not working.
ME: (Timidly) Do you think the microphone needs a new battery?
JTE: (Astonished) I think the microphone needs a new battery!
ME: I think you’re right.
Anyway, this time not only did the microphone need a new battery, apparently the minidisk used was corrupt or something, so this morning I got to read the test over the loudspeaker! It was like being a DJ for the most boring radio show imaginable.
“And this just in, Koji can swim FASTER than Ken, but he CANNOT swim the FASTEST. Ichiro can swim the FASTEST; he’s in FIRST PLACE. And now, a word from our correspondent in the field. Tell me Hiroshi, WHICH is YOUR DOG?” Actually this was the most exciting thing I did all day. I can’t wait for the new school year to start. All right, I think I’ve bored myself to tears. Ja ne!