Tag Archives: Beppu

Sakura

Sunday afternoon, the day after my return, the remnants of the 4th Floor Team gathered together and went down to Beppu City Park to see the sakura, or cherry blossoms. We’ve lost 3 previous members: Ting is back in Hong Kong joining the legions of working stiffs and Arami and Yunji are now living somewhere downtown. However, we’ve already recruited two new ladies to the team though, so our numbers weren’t too depleted.

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Winding Down the Show

My date of departure approaches. I leave Japan on the morning of December 28th for a three month absence that will have me circumnavigate the planet by airplane – seriously. APU, bless its frosty heart, is doing all it can to make me desperate to leave. Winter so far has been unseasonably cold – we’ve had snow 5 out of the last 7 days, including the current tempest I woke up to this morning. I enjoy snow, very much in fact – but the snow I enjoy falls gently down to earth, accumulating into a beautiful silent white panorama as far as the eye can see. APU snow, on the other hand, on account of our ever-present hellacious winds, *never* accumulates. Instead, it prefers to stubbornly drive itself into your eyes, up your nose, and occasionally even into your ears. I don’t particularly enjoy this…

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It’s Windy Here

Underneath every aspect of APU life there has been one thing, one theme, one reality that is so constant that it simply cannot be denied. In fact, the existence of the thing of which I speak is so certain that it might as well be considered the genesis of Truth itself. That thing… is wind. Laugh not at this seemingly simple observation. I have heard of places on this fair planet that are what you might call “windy.” Chicago seems to be one place in particular that carries with it a sort of mythos of moving air…

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You Know You’re in Graduate School When…

…you find yourself making powerpoint slides on a Friday night… Gah. Anyhow, this is the life I lead these days. Tuesday afternoon is the last group presentation in Prof. Zhang’s Theories of Sustainable Development class, and it just so happens to be my group — big mistake. While all of my group-mates are intelligent and can satisfactorily articulate their ideas in English… well, for the scam we’re cookin’ they wanted someone who could take the heat and take it like a pro.

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Welcome Back to Reality – Shamisen-a-palooza

Well, as of now I should be back to the regular every-other-day or so cycle of journal updates. In regards to my complete blackout the past 7 days, let’s just say that I juggle a lot of plates around here, something I’m usually highly successful at… and that last week about Thursday I dropped one plate, then another, and then they all just came crashing down.

No worries though, it’s all sorted out now, and the DJ train be back on track, homey!

Today, being Wednesday, was shamisen day again with Ishikawa-sensei. Like a good little student I had practiced my shamisen every day last week (excepting Saturday…), and showed up at Ishikawa-sensei’s house confident that I could play the 8 measures ordered of me without too much effort. I seated myself, we tuned our shamisen(no plural in Japanese you know), and then like an expectant mother he waited as I tentatively gripped my bachi…

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I’m Not Dead, Just a Little Hungover

It’s been a crazy couple of days around here, I hope you’re ready for a massive journal! Thursday’s talk by Amartya Sen was interesting if you’re the sort of person who gets excited when Alan Greenspan comes on CNN, otherwise, it was pretty dry. Don’t get me wrong, I recognize the inherent importance of economics, and also the indisputable credentials of a Nobel Prize winner who also teaches at Harvard. Even with that in mind though, it was a struggle to maintain focus in light of the early hour. APU provided simultaneous translation via radio-headset for the Japanese students — I thought that was pretty cool. Moving on…

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Learning Curve?

It’s hard to believe it’s already October 26th. Has it really been three days since I last updated? Today was my inaugural shamisen lesson with Ishikawa-sensei. Lately I have gotten some requests that I take more pictures of my activities. You must understand that I’m walking a fine line between “adequate documentation” and “obnoxious foreigner with a camera.” To this end, I darest not disrespect Ishikawa-sensei by bring a camera today. To do so on the first lesson would be idiotic, perhaps after a few months and some steady gains, but initially, no way. However, rather than leave you out in the cold, my trusty sidekick Doctor-in-Training Walter was able to come up with a picture of my teacher.

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My Luck Knows No Bounds

As I was sitting in Beppu’s Concert Hall not too many nights ago, I decided it was time to take my life in a new direction. Previously, sport and the pursuit of athletic glory had been central themes in my life, driving forces if you will. While I would not trade a second of the previous 22 years of my life on the field for anything, such pursuits have left my body, knees especially, in shall we say ‘less than optimum‘ condition. In short, while the competitive fire will forever smolder inside me, I can no longer sustain the physical requirements. Thusly, whilst blissfully reclining in an inundation of aural euphoria, I decided it was time to pursue more cultivated ventures. Conveniently enough, one might suggest that I am currently residing in the land of ‘more cultivated ventures.

What to do? “Well, why not try my hand in a traditional Japanese art at the foot of a master?” I flippantly proposed to no one in particular. After some contemplation I decided my new-found paradigm shift would best be served by securing an apprenticeship in a classical Japanese instrument. After some background research, I chose the shamisen. For most people, such musings would have never matured any further than that, ‘yes, it would be neat to study the shamisen, wouldn’t it?’ — and then we all have a good laugh and forget it. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, I am not most people.

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The Aftermath

My first research presentation went off without a hitch, and the day ended up far more exciting than I ever could have predicted. Solely for matters of record, I submit to you the powerpoint file itself. As zipping it only reduced its size by a paltry 5%, I’ve left it as is.

( tentative-research-thesis-outline )

How much content you can derive without my riveting running commentary I do not know, but I’m sure some of you are curious. I should also note that when judged as a document outlining my focus of research and by extension my thesis, it is already sorely out of date. Treat it instead as an explanation of the themes I am chasing, the actual work waiting for me has since changed dramatically – see below!

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The Sushi Conveyer Belt Restaurant Adventure

Last night, as promised, Satoshi, Ting, and I hit the streets of Beppu to visit one of the greatest inventions known to man: a sushi conveyer belt restaurant! Now before we begin, I should clarify that there are two types of SCBR’s in Japan, differentiated by price. At the first type, plates whirrrrrr about in a variety of different colors, which signify different prices. These restaurants typically serve more upscale sushi and sashimi delicacies, but the bill can add up pretty quick. Furthermore, after several mugs of beer, you may no longer be able to distinguish between red, pink, and reddish pink plates, leading you to select the $8 ’emperor’s plate’ when you really wanted the $2 ‘lil fishie’ plate! This was not the type of restaurant we visited.

We went to the other kind, the everyman’s SCBR, where every single plate can be had for the flat fee of 105Y – tax included(~$0.92). Therefore, one can snatch any damn plate he feels like and still be able to immediately calculate his current tab. After having eagerly anticipated this event for an entire week, we arrived a little after 5:30pm Saturday evening. Early yes, but these places are ridiculously popular, and not 15 minutes after we got there every single seat was taken and people were queuing along the walls.

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