This Week's Faire

Well, whats gone on this week? Lets see.

One Sunday, one of my coworkers came over for dinner and we watched Battle Royale. She is kind of an anime and Japanese film buff so I told her she needed to watch and read Battle Royale. She liked the movie so the book is now staying at her house for a bit. If you do not know what Battle Royale is but are intrigued by a story of a class of students killing each other off on an island until only one is the survivor and can go home, Battle Royale is for you. I like Battle Royale.

On Monday, two things happened. I had my first honest to goodness Japanese lesson and I think that is going to help me a lot. I have been here long enough to get the basics of pretty much all aspects of the language but I want to learn more. I have been really getting into memorizing kanji and as it turns out, my memory seems to hold on to kanji very well. Today, I was on the train reading a sign for a restaurant and said to myself, "ahh, the kanji for bamboo," I have been having similar moments for the past week. When I am on the trains now, I am drilling myself with kanji flash cards. I like the memorization, it makes the time go by quickly, and I am learning. Oh yeah, the more kanji I know, the smoother my life goes.

Monday night Maya and I were supposed to go out for an actual date but she changed that to she and I going out for dinner with one of her friends tagging along. I like Maya and I like her friends but man, I like Maya a lot better when she doesn't bring a wingman along. I am beginning to wonder if there is a Japanese custom where women bring friends with them when they go out with a guy that they aren't technically dating. Its odd, then again, women here wear a ring on their ring finger if they have a serious boyfriend. Its not a promise ring, its like an "I've got a boyfriend" ring. For the longest time I just thought a lot of them were getting married really young but the other thing makes more sense now that I know thats what it is. Oh yeah, Maya is the one giving me my Japanese lessons too so I at least get her alone for those.

I went to Costco this last week and that was cool, I found out my membership still works so I think I am going back there this weekend to buy some shirts and whatnot. Its odd, that store makes me feel really at home. I am not sure whether its the fact that I worked there for so long or the fact that they sell a ton of American stuff but its relaxing to go there. Costco here is never very busy so its nice to walk through, its also much quieter at this Costco.

I am also looking for new books to read so if anyone has any suggestions, the suggestion box open. And Steph, I am seriously looking at our little friend.

Anywho, that is about it. I am jealous of all of you trapped in the snow, I am waiting for my rain to solidify. In the mean time, I stay indoors and look at fun new things I find on the internet. It turns out that a new Sims game is getting released in Japan on the Wii and as it looks now, it will not be released in the US. If you want to see what I am talking about and why I am now considering getting a Japanese Wii, go here. Just be warned, its in Japanese.