Friday January 30, 1998: 10pm
Well I had the day-from-hell yesterday. I'd rather not rehash it here, or anywhere for that matter. Ugh! Anyway, I was quite determined to make today a good day, but I only half-succeeded.
The good news is that when I listen to the Puffy CD (Puffy is a reeeeeally famous Japanese band) I understand at least half of what they're singing. Then when I look at the lyrics sheet, I almost get it all. I'll be karaokeing it in no time flat!
Saturday January 31, 1998: 2:30pm
Wow it is just soooo nice out today. I ran in just a baseball shirt. No no no, that's not what I mean.. I *was* wearing more than a baseball shirt - I meant that I wasn't wearing a jacket. Must be at least 10C out there! But the snow is still her e, how odd. It's been almost 3 weeks since the last snowfall I think.
Anyway I'm at work right now, to update my page and do some email. I'll probably even do some work too. But I don't want to be here all day because it's just too nice out!!
Sunday February 1, 1998: 2:15pm
Wow, so I turned on the TV to find the Australian Open Final, but found the Japanese marathon instead - at around the last 5K. OHman, the first guy finished in just under 2 hours 10 minutes. Jeeeeez! I mean, he went 20K/hr!! 5K/15min! The WHOLE way! I don't even think I could keep his pace for a km! It's incredible. I figure that my first marathon (hopefully sometime this year) will take me somewhere between 3.5 and 4 hours. If I'm lucky. Anyway, it looks quite emotional when you finish, he ll, even I was almost crying when the guy won!!
2 mins later
Woah just changed the chanel and I guess the womens' has just started about 5 mins ago. Gambare!! [give it all ya got!]
Monday February 2, 1998: 8:30pm
Awmannnnnn - no fair! In the mail today I got 2 tickets to Olympic events for free for being a volunteer, but one of them is for this Sunday, when I'm not even going to be there! No friggin' fair! And it's mens' Alpine skiing too!!! DARN!! And t he other event - well, it's the rehearsals for the closing ceremony. Fun, but not a *sporting* event. I'm somewhat bitter. Then again, I wasn't expecting tickets at all, so I should be happy with what I got.
Started reading The Color of Water by James McBride, and it's purdy darn good. I'm moving through my stack of books now - I just want to finish them before I leave because I know I'll never have time in school.
Tuesday February 3, 1998: 9pm
So I have this strategy I'm trying out: this week I try and wake up at 5:30 everyday ('cept Sat and Sun if I can help it) and next week I try and get up at 5. That way when I get to Nagano the next week, it'll be easier to get up at, whatever, 4.
This is what I'm hoping. Of course, what it seems like right now, is pure hell. So maybe I'm only stretching out the pain instead of dulling it. Hmmmm...
Wednesday February 4, 1998: 9:30pm
Tonight I started work on "kotobuki" - in reishyo style. Wow, it is soooo neat! There's a lot more lenience when it comes to style - it's mostly just strict in shape. Of course, the shape is sooo strange, the characters in reishyo d
on't remotely ressemble the characters as you'd write them today. But is it ever fun! I started off doing the character on practice paper, but after a few I started to do it on the bigger paper using huuuge strokes and lots of ink. Oh wow, and the last
one was OK so I signed it (my name in reishyo!!) and Sensei put one of the red stamp thingees on it!! Neat-o!
Thursday February 5, 1998: 8pm
Am I ever excited! Why? Why!!? Cuz I decided late last night that I'm gonna go to Nagano this weekend to go to the event they gave me free tickets for!! Yes, I'm GOING to NAGANO! For men's alpine skiing!!! Like, if I could pick out of all the e vents, this would be top 5, for sure. Cooool!! I spent a good part of my morning getting things set up - phoning Jason to check if it's OK to stay at his place - emailing Martin and Huayue to figure out this weekend for them (they're coming to Tokyo and staying at my place, but I won't be here in the end) and Sion to figure out if we'll meet somewhere on Sun (he's going to the event as well). Then I had to go to the travel agent on the 2nd floor to find out bus schedules - then reserve seats over the p hone and stuff - exciting exciting! Oh and let's not forget the bragging emails. Heh heh.
And also it seems that there are a bunch of available tickets for womens' hockey finals on the 17th, so Simon (Jason too? Geoff?) and I plan on being there. And there's a chance I'll also make it to some hockey game on Sunday after the skiing - pro viding the skiing is over and I can still catch my bus home..
AAAAAaaaa!!!!!
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