Friday, July 28, 2006

phoenix, az ----> l.a., ca ----> san francisco, ca

The only remotely interesting thing that lies between Phoenix and L.A. are these windmills--if that is indeed what they're called--which cover a good twenty minutes of the landscape as it shifts from the desolation of the desert to the rolling hills of California.














An artsy shot of an icecream stand in Old Town, Pasadena. The only reason I was able to take a shot like this is most likely due to the presence of Bobby's sister Kimi, who played host to us for our two nights in L.A. She's getting her M.F.A. in "painting with light."


















Our day began with a messy start--the biggest bird shit in the history of the world smacked down on Bobby's car as we were pulling out of Kimi's driveway and making our goodbyes. Thankfully, it narrowly missed Kimi and splattered down the entire length of the car and the pavement below. It seems a large bird in the Claremont area had a very rough night...


















Our daily dose of excrement exposure is increased further as we drive up the 5 through cattle country. Endless cows. I believe it was Tory who told me once that the gas produced by these millions of creatures actively contributes to global warming. Bobby can certainly smell why.













Thankfully, we've now arrived safely at Steph Teng's in San Francisco! Our evening's activities include dinner with an army of Piersonites and watching "She's the Man" on the huge white wall in her living room... Truly exciting.

Monday, July 24, 2006

ft. worth, tx ----> phoenix, az

Bobby drove us 15 hours across West Texan oil country, through a small corner of New Mexico, and into the Arizonia desert, arriving at destination Phoenix just in time for dinner after leaving Ft. Worth at five in the morning. Here are some photos from our trip, which was made much more enjoyable by listening to Jon Stewart's reading of America: Democracy Inaction and the BBC's radio version of The Lord of the Rings. Audiobooks = amazing. Great for anyone traversing many miles with little else but the radio to pass the time.











































Wednesday, July 19, 2006

road envy

I am finally learning to drive. Mrs. K took me out for a mini-lesson the other day, and I got to drive back from the courts after Bobby and I played tennis. It's quite thrilling, being behind the wheel for the first time and experiencing the power of a well-tuned machine and four wheels designed to take you wherever you want to go. I bet most of my friends of driving age in the U.S. will read this and think I'm silly--but think back to the very first time you turned on the engine. The first time you gripped the wheel, lifted your foot off the brake, the car slid into motion, you sped up a hill or down a road, or even parked in a space correctly. Didn't it make you feel powerful? I often felt that way when I rode my bike out in the road in Tokyo, getting to places in half the time it would take a car by weaving in and out of traffic and taking back roads. I never felt envious of people who could drive. But now, having done it for a total of about 30 minutes, I feel a small coil of jealousy growing inside me as I watch the other cars while sitting passively in the passenger seat. And all I can think is: Damn it, I want to drive.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Snow Falling on Cedars

My recent reading binge, for some reason, hadn't included a lot of novels. But last week at the bookstore, I picked up Snow Falling on Cedars (quite literally on a whim as the third book of a "buy two get one free" deal) and have been utterly captivated for the last four days.

The story follows the murder trial on San Piedro, a small and secluded island dedicated to strawberry farming and fishing which lies northwest of Seattle out in the Puget. Only ten years have passed since the end of World War II, and the trial brings to light the tensions simmering between the Japanese immigrants and the rest of the San Piedro population, in writing so beautiful I can't even do it justice here, so I won't try.

There was one passage, however, that really spoke to me in this era of war-mongering and xenophobia. It describes the Japanese islanders responding to FDR's Executive Order 9066, authorizing the mandatory relocation of approximately 120,000 Japanese immigrants and Japanese-American citizens living on the West Coast to internment camps in the interior.
They were loaded onto a ship while their white neighbors looked on, people who had risen early to stand in the cold and watch this exorcising of the Japanese from their midst--friends, some of them, but the merely curious, mainly, and fishermen who stood on the decks of their boats out in Amity Harbor. The fishermen felt, like most islanders, that this exiling of the Japanese was the right thing to do, and leaned against the cabins of their stern-pickers and bow-pickers with the conviction that the Japanese must go for reasons that made sense: there was a war on and that changed everything.
There are many things to learn from David Guterson's remarkable book. Though our current president would beg to differ, War is no excuse for injustice. And the pathetic press corps could take its cue from the fictional newspaper on San Piedro Island. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, its editorial page read:
So of all islanders--of all ancestries--the Review would seek as calm an approach as possible in this emergency. Let us so live in this trying time that when it is all over we islanders can look one another in the eye with the knowledge that we have behaved honorably and fairly. Let us remember what is so easy to forget in the mad intensity of wartime: that prejudice and hatred are never right and never to be accepted by a just society.
San Piedro is a small island with many unwritten rules. In a place where your actions are instantly known to all your neighbors, the inhabitants must think twice before antagonizing one another. In a place where everyone knows everyone else, tolerance must be learned or peaceful coexistence becomes impossible. And though many are loathe to admit it, our world today has much in common with the island setting of Snow Falling on Cedars. We are neighbors with everyone now, and the same rules apply to us.
...
Read the book. You won't regret it.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

"The Ten Commandments of cell phone etiquette"

Kudos to Dan Briody over at InfoWorld, for laying down the law on cell phone usage:
1. Thou shalt not subject defenseless others to cell phone conversations. When people cannot escape the banality of your conversation, such as on the bus, in a cab, on a grounded airplane, or at the dinner table, you should spare them. People around you should have the option of not listening. If they don't, you shouldn't be babbling.

2. Thou shalt not set thy ringer to play La Cucaracha every time thy phone rings. Or Beethoven's Fifth, or the Bee Gees, or any other annoying melody. Is it not enough that phones go off every other second? Now we have to listen to synthesized nonsense?

3. Thou shalt turn thy cell phone off during public performances. I'm not even sure this one needs to be said, but given the repeated violations of this heretofore unwritten law, I felt compelled to include it.

4. Thou shalt not wear more than two wireless devices on thy belt. This hasn't become a big problem yet. But with plenty of techno-jockeys sporting pagers and phones, Batman-esque utility belts are sure to follow. Let's nip this one in the bud.

5. Thou shalt not dial while driving. In all seriousness, this madness has to stop. There are enough people in the world who have problems mastering vehicles and phones individually. Put them together and we have a serious health hazard on our hands.

6. Thou shalt not wear thy earpiece when thou art not on thy phone. This is not unlike being on the phone and carrying on another conversation with someone who is physically in your presence. No one knows if you are here or there. Very disturbing.

7. Thou shalt not speak louder on thy cell phone than thou would on any other phone. These things have incredibly sensitive microphones, and it's gotten to the point where I can tell if someone is calling me from a cell because of the way they are talking, not how it sounds. If your signal cuts out, speaking louder won't help, unless the person is actually within earshot.

8. Thou shalt not grow too attached to thy cell phone. For obvious reasons, a dependency on constant communication is not healthy. At work, go nuts. At home, give it a rest.

9. Thou shalt not attempt to impress with thy cell phone. Not only is using a cell phone no longer impressive in any way (unless it's one of those really cool new phones with the space age design), when it is used for that reason, said user can be immediately identified as a neophyte and a poseur.

10. Thou shalt not slam thy cell phone down on a restaurant table just in case it rings. This is not the Old West, and you are not a gunslinger sitting down to a game of poker in the saloon. Could you please be a little less conspicuous? If it rings, you'll hear it just as well if it's in your coat pocket or clipped on your belt.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Oh, snap

The Mighty Middle, on terrorism, America, and right-wing pussies:
Here's the thing. The people who want to kill Americans? They're still going to be here next year. And the next. And asymetric warfare is here to stay for quite some time. And we will get hit again. That's almost inevitable: we will get hit again. Just like the Israeilis and the Egyptians and the Indonesians and the Brits during the IRA war, or during the Blitz. We will get hit again. But the fact that we will get hit again does not 'change everything." It does not change who we are, or what we believe.

The panicky loudmouths on the right who hype the fear of terror, and use that fear as an excuse to attack American freedoms, are not the strong and steadfast in this war: they are the cowards. They're the gibbering hysterics who needed a slap across the face in the London Underground while German bombs were falling. They've had five years now to try and grow some balls, or at least a stiff upper lip. It really is past time.
Definitely a lucid and entertaining article worth reading.

Gelatinous sea cows & learning to let go

Opinionistas on the topic of happiness. Check it out, it's a good read. The following sentence, in particular, made me laugh out loud:
Reading [the New Yorker] is like joining a gym next to a professional ballet studio; no matter how many love handles you conquer on the treadmill, you need only walk home past the sea of twiggy nymphs with perfect hair to remember your status as a gelatinous sea cow by comparison.
But she goes on to discuss what happiness means to her, and ends with some advice that I, for one, should and will take note of:
Seething in pools of resentment and perceived injustice can be so fun - it’s part of the deliciousness of being right while others are wrong. But maybe the key to improving our own lives is to give it all up. Try not being right. Give it a whirl. Start with the little things, like not flicking off the asshole who cuts you out in the left lane or screaming at the political pundit on CNN. Before acting on impulses, consider that they’re just impulses, and you’re not right in the situation. Let it go.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

End of the IRS saga?

My bank account shows that the lovely minions over at the Internal Revenue Service have cashed the $36.00 check I sent with my completed 2004 return. (See below for details on the earlier episodes of this epic trilogy.)

Dare I hope this means all is well and I am no longer on the blacklist of evil tax-evaders who threaten the financial lifeblood of our federal government? We shall see...

the world is an expensive place

...in general. But the land of the rising sun seems to top it all. The speed at which I and my fellow Tokyoites burn through cash is simply unreal.

Recent expenditures:
18,000 yen to ship a box to Seattle
2,000 yen for a session of hot yoga
7,800 yen for presents
8,000 yen spent at the drugstore
5,000 yen to buy gloves and tape at a tennis shop

At this rate, I'll have nothing left to buy furniture and kitchen items for my apartment once I reach Seattle. Perhaps it truly is a good thing that I'm leaving Japan tomorrow. This country would very politely and with a lot of bows take every yen on my being if I stayed much longer...

boo! boo! boo!

渋谷の美味しい串焼きの店

こ の頃レストランでははずれが多かったんだけれど、昨日ママと渋谷のスペイン坂にある串焼きの店で夕食を食べたら、すっごく美味しかったよ!「串助」って 言うんだけど、とにかく旨かった!正肉はもちろん、つくねも、ねぎも、なすも、焼きおにぎりも最高だった。目の前で焼いてくれるし、お酒も美味しかった し、とにかくお勧めです。中でもレバー焼きは特に印象に残る美味しさだった。今度行ったときは、明太子茶漬けも食べたいな。。。結構大人っぽい店内で、お 客さんも若い人ばかりじゃなかったけれど、気にせずちゃレーンジ!

今月のホットペッパーに割引券が載ってるよ。今度渋谷のスペイン坂あたりでお腹が空いたら、試してみてね。

Sunday, July 02, 2006

www.nickdale.com


Excuse the shameless plug for a friend's website--check it out if you're into photography, or you went to ASIJ and remember Nick Dale.

The photo I've posted here is a self-portrait from his Contact page.

All the best, Nick.

Friendship Networks: The Purge

In my never-ending quest to reduce the amount of clutter in my life, I took the bold step of cancelling my Friendster and MySpace accounts this morning. This came after carefully considering just how many friends I am connected to solely through these networks. The number was triflingly small. After sending messages to these few with my current email address so they could get in touch if they were so inclined, I clicked the button "Cancel Account" not once but twice, erasing my online baggage by more than 50%!!! No more annoying email from Friendster or MySpace about this or that new feature. No more sketchy people trying to become "friends" with me. No more updating four profiles at once.

It was immensely satisfying. I highly recommend it.

...
If you'd like to stalk me in the future, please do so on Facebook and Mixi. (I'm a new convert to Mixi, which is an excellent community site if you speak Japanese. Thanks to my bro Colin for pushing me to try it.) And of course, you can always leave comments right here too.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

"dear blog"

From Josh's blog, hilariousness:

dear blog,

I have so much to say to you, but I'm struggling to find the right words.

I feel we've grown apart over the past month. It hurts to say it, but I think it's true. We can't keep living this lie. We could go on for months, years even, without saying anything, but that's no way to live our lives.

I feel like I give and give and give, and you just take and take and take. The love has to flow both ways, blog. A comment posted once a month just isn't enough for me; I'm not that kind of guy.

No, I'm not saying we should see other posters.

It's not that I don't still care about you. I do. But if this is going to work, I think we need to reaffirm our commitment to each other. I'm ready to do it, if you are. Are you? If you can't just say yes to that, then I don't know if this was really meant to be . . .

Please stop crying. I'm sorry! I love you.

Oh, blog! Let's never fight again!

I sympathize, Josh. I really do.

東京の毎日

来週の木曜日には飛行機に乗って、アメリカへ戻っちゃうんだ。ちょっと寂しい。でも今回大学卒業した後に、東京に来て良かったと思ってる。やっぱりリチャージするって言うか、日本人に生まれて幸せだなー、って思えるのが嬉しい。

今週はbefitting my last days in Tokyoのグルメな毎日。二日前は弟とママと以前よく通っていた四谷のとんかつの店で夕食を食べた。(前凄く気に入ってたハンバーグとかにクリームコ ロッケが無くなっていて、ショックだったけれど。時代が変わっていることに浸りながらひれカツ定食を食べた。実は弟が頼んだカツ丼の方が美味しかったんだ けれどなー。涙。)昨日は東急デパートの下で、米にこだわっている店からおにぎりを買ってお昼に。土曜日は表参道の食べ放題のBARBACOAでいっぱー い食べて、日曜日はうちで焼肉することになっている。来週はれいなと吉祥寺のいせやで飲むんだ。楽しみっす!

と言っても、私は毎日食べてばっかりと言うわけでもない。今週は毎日テニスしたし、明日はヨガもやるし。家では私だけ暇だから家事をまかされていて、洗濯 や皿洗い、お風呂と床の掃除とかに励んでいる。今日みたいに晴れてると、やたら洗濯物の乾きが早いので、一人で嬉しがったりしてる。

家事以外には、来週の旅立ちの前に買わなくちゃいけない物を集めたり、ドラゴンボール全五十二巻を読み終えたり、買い物しすぎてしまった故段ボール箱に日本グッズを詰めて、アメリカに送ったりしないといけない。やっぱり一週間しか残っていないと思うと、焦ってしまう。

そんな素朴な毎日だけれど、なぜか凄く楽しい。日本に一ヶ月しかいないからこそ、こんなごくふっつーな毎日もappreciateできるのかもね。