Internet vs Television

Thursday 24th September

AM

Least: At about 9:00am, I woke an realised that I still didn't have the internet and that I had to go to work. The short break, while nice, was hardly relaxing. The internet problem consumed the whole boring morning, first with a call to our service provider, then a call by Rosie  to NTT. NTT had an English line, however each painful and useless step had to be translated into in Japanese the back into English with a reply. The incredible lack of imagination of the people at NNT meant that even when we had discovered a possible solution, they continued on their same robotic path. They organised to send a team around to help, which we later cancelled.

Most: At close to 11:00am, our internet connection came back to life. It is amazing how much the world turns on the internet when you're not connected. Messages were piled up and AMPM was three days in arrears. I also noticed that Sydney had suffered the indignity of a dust storm and that 33% of Japanese men sit down while urinating. What a wonderful age we live in.

PM

Least: At about 6:30pm, I once again found myself being harangued into attending a workplace function at Nakamozu. The aggressive pitch of the boss, left little room to refuse and demanded a phone call if I couldn't attend. It is particularly galling, considering if I went I would probably have to pay for food and drinks, while acting as a caucasian English test dummy for creepy students. Further, to attend, I would have to make a detour on my way home from Wakayama on Saturday. That is not going to happen and there will be no phone call.

Most: At close to 9:30pm, I arrived home and unlike most nights, I did not turn on the TV. Having traded the crappy TV in for a HDD LCD monitor, I no longer have the tempation to watch the complete drivel that is Japanese TV. If I don't get sucked into the crazy world of online gaming, I should have much more time on my hands to read or actually go outside. I've almost forgotten already what I used to watch, and that was only days ago - and I think that speaks volumes about the rock bottom quality of television in Japan - they don't even have a sticom.

The Rush of Rush Hour

AM

Least: At 9:45am, I surfaced in Kyoto after walking for several hundred metres underground in an unknown direction. The smug blandness of the shops above meant that a few minutes later, I was walking straight past my destination. By the time I asked a tissue-man the directions, I had walked seven hundred metres too far. It was not the first or second time I have been lost in Kyoto - it was the third. There is something strange about the orientation of the city that I just can't put my finger on - it's probably just me. I'm yet to love Kyoto.

Most: By 8:20am, I was being swept along with the wild Osaka rush hour (see stolen photo). Even on my local train, a constant ribbon of people walked through the train to get to the first carriage in the hope of saving a few precious seconds. By the time I reached underground the ribbon had turned into a wide black suited flood of people clopping along in their dress-shoes. Most people seemed to be in robotic mode as if they make that same dash to work every day - I'm sure they do. When I reached the Midosuji platform at Namba, thousands of people were waiting patiently in line to board the next train. Seconds after stepping into the carriage, people began pushing themselves after me and I was helplessly moving with the crush. At the first stop I only saw one person step out of the train  - four or five joined the mayhem.

PM

Least: By 5:20ish, I was trudging back through the Midosuji station beneath Namba. Although my head was down, I heard my name being called by a strangely familiar Japanese voice. It was my boss from one of my schools. Immediately after some minor pleasantries, she began piling on the pressure for me to attend a drinks party for work on Saturday night. I replied with a lot of erring and mighting then went on my way. Thankfully, I have far more interesting plans for Saturday night which will make it impossible to attend the threatened work function.

Most: Some time after 8:00pm, Rosie and I walked in to the previously mentioned T's Kitchen. We planned to stay for a single drink and a snack, however, it wasn;t long before events overwhelmed us. Just as I as emptying what I assumed would be my last beer, a middle-aged Japanese guy in the corner piped up. The first thing he said to Rosie was aimed at detecting her marital status. As it turned out, the man was a real estate agent and had to of his minoins with him. In the hour and a half that followed, we spoke to the three agents and drank more and more beer. For some reason the agents insisted on buying us sashimi. The food, though was to no avail and did not prevent the beer hitting its target with devestating accuracy. It was a long and windy trip home.

A Tale of Two Slices

AM

Least: 8:05am, I was assaulted by the acrid smell of burning toast. What I still cannot explain is why one slice was incinerated, while the other survived to be eaten. My only thought is that because the two slices were from different factories, they had different compositions. One probably had twice the level of sugar than the other, making it dangeously flammable. The boring experiements will continue.

Most: Between 11:25 and about midday, I recieved a near-presentation about the history of post-war politics of Japan. My student did admirably well in explaining the surge to the left after Japan's defeat then back to the right, and now slightly back to the left. It is clear though, that the current situation just after the election is unlikely to last too much longer than four years. According to my lesson, the DPJ has made too many compromises to get to power and shifted too far to the right for its rightwing candidates to escape the clutches of the LDP.

PM

Least: At about 9:20pm, I arrived at Wakayama station to discover that my train was not leaving for another 18 minutes. The journey back to Tezukayama seemed to take forever and was punctated by a series of maddening delays. I missed my local train by seconds at Mikunigaoka, only for my hopes to rise then be dashed by a second train flashing past (actual photo right). Even after I boarded my local train, it seemed to crawl to Tezukayama. The last blow came after I left the train and had to wait for trains at the crossing. Frustrating and boring.

Most: At about 7:00pm I unwrapped a huge tub of KFC and offered it to the small crowd at a staff and student party in Wakayama. The surreal surroundings, a pinkish office on the 6th floor of an office block and the guests including schoolgirls in sailor suits made a potentially tedious event mildly interesting. A series of bizarre pizzas were unveiled and a tableful of assorted and cheap Japanese fare tempted guests. Between one of the awkward silences, were were required to introduce ourselves and give an interesting fact or two - one rather important guest chose her recent purchase of exercise equipment from tv as her nugget. Conversation did not move on too far from there. Near the end of the night, no less than twelve photos were taken, the peace signs were irrepressible and I missed my train.