PS

I mentioned below that I completed the race in 18:45. Here are two posts from 2 years ago when I hit a time of 22 minutes.

Post one.

Post two.

New Record..

Got 18:45 seconds on a 5k. Personal record. Details later.

What I am reading...

HEALTH CARE BILL PASSED HOUSE!

YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About the LIVE

I came late and missed my favorite band, CLB. But since I arrived at 6 or so there were lots of other acts on the slate. The above act was a particularly off-the-wall sort of act. It was kinda of a Yoko-Ono-esque weird for no reason artistic montage. Very cute girls dressed as doll-ghosts banged listlessly on broken machines while the boy counterpart who had a tattoo on his chest made lurching dance movements. Meanwhile a guitar player fed feedback into a speaker.

SATURDAY!

1. SATURDAY was busy for me. Woke up and did sprints in the park. Bicycled off to work. Finished off work. Did a private. Took a nap. Swam. Ate Indian food. Then went and saw some LIVE MUSIC. Biked home.

1a. The nap was definitely the highlight of my day. After I took the nap I felt like the kilah from Minilah.

2. Japanese have lots of bikes and everyone rides bikes. kids ride two or three to a bike. I saw some teenagers riding 4 to a bike. They thought it was funny. Saw a girl riding a bike goes 30 miles an hour. Her BF was pushing her behind with his scooter. Japanese takes to bike much like other people take to walking. So as you imagine there is a plethora of bikes out there. The names are the most creative part but to be honest they all look the same except with different names. Some of the names are whack funny cool. Check it out:

Like the cereal...


Very close to lifeless which is not such a good name for a bike..


Just like the dance by the munster of he same name!


Will post more J-bike pixs as they come to me!

A

My FRIDAY...

1. Today was my Nara College day. Woke up early and headed out to NARA. My trip out the NARA is really beautiful. As I leave Osaka the world becomes less gray and concrete-y. Lush green forests and rice patties appear and occasionally the sea peaks over the hill.

1a. I teach 5 straight classes and then head back. I am done by and back in Osaka by 3:30.

1b. My boss came and talked to me today. He asked me about my schedule next year frowned a little bit and then mentioned that he could see what he could do. Maybe I will be working two days he said. Or maybe none.

1c. The students are very nice but no so nice that you forget that they are teenagers.

1d. There are 40-45 students in a single room. It is an engineering school so most of the students are boys. There is a sprinkling of girls although. One class actually has 5 or so girls.

2. Jogging everyday.

3. Swimming too.

4. Studying Japanese.

4a. last Thursday I studied 2 hours with my tutor and then headed off to the Thursday free class.

4b. Left early. I have found something about myself that has to do with sleep or the lack of it thereof. I need that 7 to 8 hours or else I just go through the day like a Zombie. Sometimes I get a headache and then I just sit in bed surfing the internet. So I make a point to get as much sleep as I can.

5. So I am able to go to this class because the THURSDAY business English class ended. I got an email saying that she would like to start up the class again. I haven't heard from her since but that's ok. I have enough work as it is.

6. This weekend I will see a friends band. I will teach until 12. Then I have a private from 1 to 2. Then I will swim until 3 or so. The festivities start at 5 or so. Looking forward to going back to this live house. It is really nice and homely. For a long while I didn't go simply because I had NO MONEY to go. I was so broke that I couldn't even afford a subway ticket much less the $30 needed to see a band. But now things are looking up. Money from my UNI jobs are starting to roll in and I am picking up extra cash from side jobs as well.

7. Did I mention that I am practicing guitar...?