PLUM BLOSSOMS

Usually its the cherry blossoms that get all the hype, but recently i discovered how beautiful the plum blossoms are too. The plums bloom a bit earlier than the cherry trees and are almost as nice. So i took the time to venture out to Mitsu where they have the famous, (well i didnt know about it till this year) world plum tree park. Always find something new every year. The park is on top of a nice mountain overlooking the ocean and the neighboring cities of Taishi and Himeji. A pretty cool site from above, and also a nice place to take some pics and relax.

UPDATES ARE COMING ...

what we got on the chopping block ... graduation , sumo , and a bunch of other random things .. stay tuned ... its spring break and i got time !

FINALLY A THIN PHONE

Japan is the leader of phone technology, i will give it to them for that. But for small portable phones forget it. Phones in Japan have everything from video, camera, internet, mail, video games, mp3 players, etc. built in them. A good ploy by the companies to get those extra dollars or yen. So every phone has to be somewhat big in size to do all these functions. There isnt really a phone that is just a phone, its gotta be a utility weapon able to do everything. So over the years i have been missing the slim and small portable phones from back home. A phone where you can put it in your pocket and it wont bother you. But here phones are so big and bulky that sometimes i feel like someone is going to ask me, "is that a banana in your pocket?, no sorry its just a cell phone". So as of yesterday, I have been waiting for 3 years for a thin phone, and just the other day it finally came. So i had to grab one! So gathered up my electronic dictionary and my guts as my japanese still sucks and headed to the Vodafone store in town. I was determined to get this new Samsung phone which pretty much looks like the Motorola Razor, a bad ass machine. Its the gadgets i cant refuse em. Well anyways about 90 or so minutes later and a lot of guessing i finally came out a new owner of a pimpin new orange phone. aka ketai


fits in the palm of your hand and also in the pocket too


side by side, new orange phone and old ghetto blue phone

RUMBLE RUMBLE

Today there was a slight rumble rumble, with a earthquake rolling through, always a bit scary, but luckily this was just a little one. Or maybe it was the aftershock of the Huskies falling out of the NCAA tourney in overtime to UConn. Damn, the zags and now the huskies. Reminds me, i gotta make a earthquake kit, even though its um like 3 years late.

SUNNY DAY

The last day of school for the school year, which in Japan ends in March and starts again in April. Oh but what a nice sunny day it was! Until i watched the final score of the NCAA tourney, UCLA Gonzaga game. Damn lost it in the final minute. Better luck next year, bummer.

COMPLAINT GONE

Asked the teachers again about taking pics with the kids, and they said it was OK. Yipee! So sunday gotta take pics with the kids. Yeah, i guessed the teachers were just busy getting the kids in order for graduation. Asked Ueo sensei how it was going, and she said they couldnt sing, they were too quiet. Guess its singing practice. Ueo sensei was even nice enough to help translate my speech i had to do at the Kamae Center today. It was closing ceremony for the little ones. So yeah amazing, i think i only got about 5 months left, wow! And the questions are pouring in, "when you leaving?, can you stay longer? are you going to return back to America? do you like Japan? what are you going to do?" ... yeah time flies!! Just the other day i got here, and that was about 3 years ago, wow ... and in another 5 months i will be done ... its kinda like college, your a freshman, everything is new, and by the time you know it you are a senior and your graduating and your moving onto another stage of your life ... so whats that next stage? mmm .. not sure yet, will see whats out there ...

MINOR COMPLAINT

Sometimes teachers gotta loosen up, they are pretty cool most of the times, then sometimes they gotta be stiff. Asked my teachers if i could get a pic with their homeroom before they graduate next monday. And the magic answer??? No, they are too busy, ... geezzz .. OMG ... it only takes like 5 minutes. I am sure they will change their mind later, but it seems such a quick and simple thing, all they are doing all week is learning how to march into the gym and sit down and stand up. Kids dont need all week to practice how to sit down and stand up ... geezzzz, give me my 5 minute pic, how lame and this is my last year

FLYING A KITE

A couple weeks back was cruising around town with the neighbors and stumbled upon this little shop which turned out to be a mini fleamarket in a big old warehouse. Inside found this really cool kite shop. After living here all these years never even knew it was here. In Japan you can walk by something a million times and never even realize its there. There is always something new to see everyday, even in the old neighborhood. Enjoy the kites, this guy was awesome, some of these kites i would guess be from 5 to 7 feet tall, props to the artist ...

REALLY OLD SKOOL

Just was cruising the internet and saw this article on "a brief history of handheld video games" by engadget ... and i was like "hey!!" i used to play that game! i wonder if i still have it ... mmmm ... damn i was good at that football game - engadget.com

ITS HAMMER TIME!!

Eventually it had to happen, Hammer's back, and he's online! and he's bloggin! mchammer.blogspot.com

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY COME AGAIN SOME OTHER DAY

Damn, it rained all day, non-stop which isnt too usual, but just made things for a bummer day. Lucky the happy kids at Issai Nishi Elementary school brightened things up. Mmmm .. so whats better than rain? Snow of course! How about some pics from a freak snowstorm about a month ago, that is much cooler than rain pics, look at how handy those umbrellas come in use... どうぞ