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So, I'm a non-paying member of a great many things. In fact, I'm a non-paying member of classmates.com. But I'm a paying member of the Roosevelt Alumni site. Thus, it only irritates me when classmates.com sends me a note saying my guestbook has been signed or whatever, and then if I go there, in order to see who signed I'd have to become a paying member.
And that's my very small and unimportant note for the moment.
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So, to all intents and purposes, I am self-employed. This ends up meaning that I am responsible for properly filing my income and expenses as tax-time rolls around. In Japan, we file in February. So, I pay for my National Health Insurance and Resident tax, which are figured based on the previous year's reported income. This year I added the Pension Plan to my official payments!
The Pension Plan will start returning my money when I turn 65. But the rules are you're supposed to pay for it for 25 years. I turn 43 this year. So, when I went to the town office to sign up, the man helping me was a little worried. He called the proper office and they said that, as I've been working in Japan since 1998, there was no problem with signing me up.
Enter the bills! The paperwork arrived while I was in the States. My choice was to have the payments automatically deducted from my bank account, so I went today to start the process. The clerk helping me was pointing out that I could pay monthly, for 3 months at a time, for 6, or for the whole year at once and get 3000 yen off. Then we hit a snag. He said there was this rather large amount to pay. I've developed a sense for when I really need to understand something. So I contacted the Tochigi International Center. The woman who usually helps me talked with the bank fellow and then explained the snag. As one is supposed to pay in for 25 years, the pension office solved the problem of my late joining with impeccable logic. They billed me for back-payment from my 40th birthday. Ah. It's no small amount, but not devastating. I've saved and could pay without wincing, though I twitched a bit. Now I'm officially in yet another system!
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Mom uses Netflix. I know, I know, lots of people use Netflix. That's why Hollywood Video down the hill from here went completely out of business. So, we requested the U.K. Life on Mars DVDs and set them up to come ASAP. Only, owing to my inexperience with the system, Vol. 4 arrived first rather than Vol. 1. *sigh* Mom had told me she'd seen the U.S. version, though. So I thought she would have a decent base to start from. But listening to British English was tough on her coupled with, I guess, an iffy sound system so we ended up turning on the subtitles.
That was actually interesting. The subtitles appeared under whoever was speaking, and when you could not tell who was speaking, started with the name of the speaker. Useful, that! Vol. 4, though, means the end of season 1. And Mom, after seeing half of episode seven, made a wonderful comment that I quickly wrote down in order to share it with whoever reads this. Except now I cannot find the piece of paper and probably won't remember it quite as well as I should. What DID I do with that paper? It was in my pocket. Darn, I'm stuck paraphrasing.
"This is a lot more serious than the other one. Sam is really distressed."
She clarified that the U.S. Sam seemed to be having fun and treating it as an amusement ride. And she also judged Gene Hunt as a jerk. No one take up arms, for that is exactly the impression you'd have of him for most of episode 7. Especially if that is all you see. Gene Hunt has to grow on you.
My flight back to Japan departs at 12:50 Wednesday. It's supposed to arrive some time after 4 PM at Narita Airport on Thursday. Gotta love the International Date Line.
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Happy New Year, and I hope everyone makes it home safe and sound. From Seattle, my best wishes to all who know me and all who don't!
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I am happy! I'm in Seattle. The plane flight was uneventful, though I spoke to many strangers (yes, I can hear you are shocked and amazed). My Uniqlo Heat Tech shirts are serving me well. Though I lent a pair of socks to someone whose feet were chilly, and they decided to test it out by sticking their foot in a freezer. Freezers are cold and this fabric is not magic, heheh. Just so you all know. The Heat Tech stuff makes lovely undergarments! It's machine wash cold and then, in theory, you lay or hang it to dry. I actually used a machine dryer. I wonder if that reduced their effectiveness....
So, the part about my being in Seattle is a hint. Anyone local, I'd be delighted to see you. My parents have free in-country telephone service! You can pm me if you want me to call you.
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Another trip to Ghibli! And arranging to go with other people was a bit tricky. Three of us live in proximity, so our part was easy. Choose a date and time, then buy tickets. We chose December 6th, 10A.M. and I spread the word to anyone whe might want to join us that the tickets would start selling on November 10th.
But some of my friends put off buying their tickets until payday with the inevitable result that at least five people who wanted to join us could not. *sniffle* Ah, well. Oh, and two people secured 12P.M. tickets, instead. That works! The museum rules are, though, that you can only use your 10 o'clock ticket until 10:30.
We Tochigi people all woke up by 6:30 as our intent was to hop the 7:30 train, stop off and pick up a special weekend fare ticket, and go! Well... one of us gets on at an earlier stop. He caught his train, but we missed ours. So I asked him to please buy the tickets and hop on our train. The trains were delayed already by fog this morning; visibility was a hundred feet or so. When we reached that station, the guy with me hopped off, saying ticket buyer was waiting for us. I ran after him thinking he'd had an e-mail as our train pulled out, with ticket buyer inside. But we all managed to end up on the same train at the next station.
When we had to change trains, someone had to use the toilet, so we missed our connection. And then we missed our next one by a near minute. Boy, were we late. We met up with the other 10A.M. member and eventually the last two in our group joined us. WHEW!
We had a lovely time. The mini-movie was about Mei and the kitten-bus. My ticket has frames from Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea.
After Ghibli, we enjoyed a Mexican lunch, wandered through the park occasionally petting strange dogs, and finally parted company with the others to ride the trains home. I'm rather worn, hah!
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So, I live in Japan. This creates interesting complications in my fandom life. Namely, sometimes I don't even hear about things until a year after they've aired. And I didn't start hearing Life on Mars mentioned until this year. Probably because of the U.S. version, but I digress. The nice part is that the U.K. version made an appearance in Tsutaya Rental shops! And because on my connection, downloading is still a pain and I have other things to get, I waited for it to go to cheap rental. And finally it did! Yay!
I went to the Interpark Tsutaya near my house and rented the first two volumes and found I liked Life on Mars very much. So I rented the second two and still liked it. Then I went in to rent the next two. Life on Mars was GONE. I thought it might have been moved to a different shelf, but could not find it. So I went to the counter. The following conversation took place largely in Japanese.
"Hi, I can't find the DVDs for Life on Mars. Can you help me?"
The guy looked in their computer database. "Ah, the CDs are over there in the music section."
I nodded calmly and said, "I'm looking for the DVDs. It's a television program."
He took this well, looked again and asked me to write down the title. I did. And then he said, "We don't carry that."
"I just rented it here last week," I pointed out sharply.
This made him a bit nervous. You know how unpredictable we foreigners are. But another employee came over to help look. Whatever she read on the computer (likely the Japanese title) sent her out to the shelves where I'd been. The DVDs continued to be not there. But she finally found them in the office. Life on Mars had been leased by Tsutaya, and the lease was almost up. They were getting ready to send the series back to the distributor. Fortunately, they still had volumes 5-8 and allowed me to rent those.
I really like the series. But they were getting sent back. Hmm. So on Friday the 27th I went back to return 5-8 and rent 1-4 again while I could. I looked up one of the managers who talks to me frequently and he said, "Ah. We already returned those." I blinked and pointed at the line on the DVD case which said the lease is up 12/31. But 1-4 were already gone.
I decided I liked the series enough to buy the DVDs. Preferably Japanese editions because, you know, subtitles for my Japanese friends who need those. But it turns out they're not available in Japan. Well that was quite a fact to have to swallow. I asked, "What are the distributors going to do with these DVDs, then?" He didn't know. Then he asked me to wait and phoned around to some of the other local branches. Happy day, the Moka Tsutaya still had theirs! I asked him to write me a note explaining that I wanted to rent volumes 1-8 so I would not have to go through all these explanations again. He did, which was very kind of him, and I trotted straight off to the Moka branch.
I'm decently acquainted with the layout of that store, so went to the likely shelves and, sure enough, they were still there. But THEIR lease end date says 11/30. Hmm. No sense wasting time. I grabbed all eight and headed for the counter, where the young woman started scanning them in and then said, "Oh but you can't rent all eight of them."
I whined in English, "But I have a note!" and held it out. Like most Japanese, especially when they don't know you, she did not have the courage to try to deal with ye old unpredictable foreigner (especially one with a note from the manager of another branch) and explain the probable simple fact that these DVDs were supposed to be sent back on Monday. She gave in and rented them to me.
So, I've um, made sure I have my own copies of the series, and am pretty relieved about that so I can watch them at my leisure and share them with my Japanese friends who'll be able to read the mostly accurate subtitles. I've also downloaded the U.S. version, which has much mock-worthiness in the first episode. It might've sat better if I hadn't only recently seen the original. I will struggle through it, and hopefully enjoy it.
Also have seen Ashes to Ashes season 1 and 2. Can't wait for 3! Life on Mars' Japanese title is Jikuu Keiji 1973. 時空刑事
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Human characters are, as usual, poorly rendered by CG. Why is it always so?
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So, I've learned what the multi-key on my cellphone does! No more randomly shutting off manner-mode.
Shin-influenza has struck the Kanuma Kindergarten where I work on Wednesday and Thursday. At a rough guess, 1/3rd of the students I usually teach came down with it. I wonder whether I'll manage to get vaccinated in time or not? It swept the household of one Saturday student, a lady in her late fifties. She told me that Tamiflu really knocked down her fever.
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Very odd that I remember so much of this one. Clearly deviated from another song, haha, I cannot find it though I've tried.
"Tralala boom dee ay
I met a boy today
He gave me fifty cents
to go behind the fence
He pulled my pants down"
(I suspect lyrics between here and the next)
"My mother was surprised
to see my tummy rise.
My father jumped for joy
because it was a boy."
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So, I rented this movie... and had to deal with commercials.
The first starts with a quote: "The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes." -- Benjamin Disraeli {Prime Minister of England]. Well, there seem to be a few people who can act and there are a few faces I know in it. But in the story, scientists create monsters and a war goes on. Don't know much more, except it looks like a shoestring budget movie. I suppose I could research... The Japanese title seems to be "Biocreature Rising" while the 'real' title is "The Absence of Light"
The next commercial is more professionally done and involves the charming Emma Caulfield in a movie whose Japanese title is "The Dark Water: Beginning of Panic". Then the official title says Deadly Inheritance. But to track it down the title ends up being "In Her Mother's Footsteps".
Then there's a movie with a Fraser in it. This one bores me already. Oh. He's not a Fraser. His name is Jeremy London. "Kiss and the Scandal". Ah. The net says the real titles is "Kiss me Again."
It's like a steady run of B movies. Next is a camping horror. Man with an ax, bouncing boobies, screaming. And then people start attacking each other insanely. They're being possessed by some alien force. Though why.... "SF panic" the Japanese fellows says. Has actual kanji for the title. 地球に襲来する日 The real title seems to be "The Orb".
The movie I rented is titled 186. Or its real title: "EVER SINCE THE WORLD ENDED" yes, all uppercase. So, I shall see that.
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Er... no. I mean, not as such. I have noticed that a number of fools want a soulmate so badly that they end up with some loser who needs a parent-figure. They are unable to distinguish a need for a really good head-shrinker from "S/he needs me we're perfect for each other!" I've decided there's no such thing as "the one who got away." There is, instead, such a thing as "I need a head-shrinker because I have not resolved my past stupidity. Plus, you know, mid-life crisis!"
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So... a while back I went swimming at a river with a friend and her offspring. The place we went is in Nikko and really out there as in hah-hah MY CURRENT housing is not in the boonies, it pretends to be! But now there's Joyful Honda and the FKD Interpark Mall nearby.
So, we went swimming at a spot below an inn that's been closed ever since the owner died. My friend and her family had stayed at that inn before. We chatted bemusedly about "Wouldn't it be nice to live out here and maybe run the inn?"
I can already hear the screaming.
Yesterday, a former student and I drove all the way there and I wandered around taking photos, including one of the carved and polished wooden um... phallic symbol.
Then we drove up the road until we found a neighborhood KOBAN (where the neighborhood policeman lives) and asked the startled fellow if he could tell us how to contact the owner because I wanted to live there. Boggling, he asked if I meant permanently. I explained that I really needed more information before that question could be answered.
So, he called the owner's number while we waited outside and was told to g'head and give us the contact information. The owner is a Mr. Watanabe.
But Mr. Watanabe himself was not at home and his wife suggested we try later. And we did.
He had questions such as how many people? One?! She'll be lonely. And how much would I be willing to pay for rent.
I wondered if it's livable, is there a bath and how garbage disposal is dealt with.
He offered to meet Wednesday morning in Kanuma near one of the train stations because his company is over there. I've suggested Thursday afternoon, because I'll be in Kanuma, anyway. I'm hoping to pay no more'n 5man en. And, of course, I wonder about utilities. There's a beat-up washing machine outside....
Mind, this is currently only a matter of interest to me. No way will I move there unless I feel it is financially all right.
Muah-hah.
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So, at about 10:59 AM Saturday there was a 4.4 quake in Tochigi. It rattled the room in which I was teaching. I trotted downstairs to ask the magnitude and my friend and her husband said "That was just a passing truck." I bet them a thousand yen. As you can see, I won. My students were cute about it.
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I just won't explain. It's too frustrating for words.
Aside from that, a rock chipped my windshield and now a fine crack is making its way across. I had some sharp stomach pains last week and feel a bit unsettled, now. These things are probably not related. After all, I couldn't sleep last night. And I TRIED!! I stayed in bed and did not read or get up to use the Internet.
So, I am standing in line waiting for the doctor's office to open so I can get some sleeping pills. I've an online friend who always howls about valium, but she doesn't seem to actually consume.
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I didn't expect to like True Blood. Whoopie, another vampire show with lone good vampires trying to save humans from evil! Hmph.
Well, some friends got me to watch the first season. Oh, there are many things to roll my eyes at. Still, the acting pleased me. I even went and read the books.
This left me annoyed with the Maryanne character as portrayed on the show. For one, she and Sam played happily together in the books. But HBO just wanted an excuse to show orgies.
I'm good with Lafayette staying alive and well... But Tara was the owner of a clothing store in the books. And her mother was dead, but that's all right that the mother part is different.
And then came Godric. In the show, he's Eric's maker. He'd seen the man's fighting spirit and appreciated him. Eric was dying, and Godric offered him a new life.
Godric in the book had the same physical description. But he had nothing to do with Eric. He'd taken to calling himself Godfrey. And he had a history of raping and murdering children.
Since it came up in the books that, though Eric's preference is to lay with women, his maker had prefered men and Eric'd been obliged to comply, fans declared that Godric must be gay! Well, he could be. Sure. But that point is presently moot. In the show, there is no indication of a sexual relationship. Father, brother, son. It's also not of great interest to me. Other people's reactions are.
But it was sad to lose him. Paralleling the book, Godric had decided to end his existence. The show Godric meant it to soothe and defuse the hate for vampires. But he hadn't thought things through. That the vampires in his nest and his own Eric would try to rescue him. He had to allow the rescue to stop the others from slaughtering the humans.
And then came the suicide bomber. Boom and so many injured and a few dead. The results allowed Godric to put his affairs in order and assign his successor. Only Eric and Sookie seemed to know that he was going to go through with it. Bill tried to avoid knowing. So she was witness to the final interaction between maker and child. To Eric's wail of loss and Godric's implacable resolution. Eric had to obey Godric, who sent him off. But Sookie stayed to stand witness.
And their final conversation was also poignant. Ah, Godric, we hardly knew thee.
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Whoopie! Whee! YAHOO!
SQUEEE!
It's just I can't think of anything more fitting to say!
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DBAD
http://fragbert.livejournal.com/442522.html
As with my friend who I got this from, I also already do what's on this, pretty regularly.
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Week of the Dead.
About 14 months ago, one of my adult students died in a car accident. His wife was about eight months pregnant. I lost touch with her after that, and she moved back to her hometown with her daughter.
She is here for Obon, though. I contacted her last week and arranged to meet today. I set the incense burning and rang the bell to greet her husband's spirit and blinked back tears. He was a nice fellow and his wife is nice, too. She's holding up under her duty to greet all those who come by to honor her husband's spirit. This Obon, as the one a year after his death, is important. So, many people will come to pay their respects.
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irritated
quixotic
loved
chipper
amused
devious
confused
pessimistic
ecstatic