Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Uh oh... (やばい。。。)

I've gone and done it again.

Four days sans post.

...well. Would you believe me if I said that I had that once-a-month tricky work schedule to deal with this week, and thus have been very busy for the past four days?

Well, you should, because it's true.

Really, you're lucky you're getting anything out of me at all, considering the long list of things I have to do before the week is done.

That said, let's not waste time with niceties, but instead get right down to business.

1. I have decided to go home for the winter vacation.

Because hey, when you don't know when you'll next have the chance, you better darn well go home and visit your family.

That said, it is kind of a pain to go to Arizona from Matusaka, especially in December. Because. You know. Airlines love to take advantage of the fact that everyone gets お正月 (oshougatsu, new years) off.

But hey. We do these things.

It's also a pain that I have to go all the way up to Yokkaichi to buy my reentry permit... which is really just an excuse for the Japanese government to weasel some more money out of the foreigner population. Though I can't really blame them for that, dead broke as they are.

Yea, it's more the driving up to Yokkaichi thing that gets me. Because, come on. Maybe I'll take a train.

... or not because it turns out that the gas it will take to drive there cannot possibly cost more than the train + parking at the station all day.

Not to mention the fact that I would have to wait. And, you know, be at the whim of inaka schedules, which isn't fun, let me tell you. (Why, yes, actually, I do still have dreams about single-car 函館 JR trains, why do you ask?)

2. I am going to Kyoto for the weekend, to spend my Halloween in style with Melon as the universe truly intended.

Oh indeedy.

More on that at a later time.

You know, when it's not ridiculously late at night and I'm not trying to rush out a post for the sake of my dear readers.

3. It has suddenly gotten ridiculously cold.

What, we have the hottest summer on record in over one hundred years, and then the shortest fall in succession?

I feel that, even if we separate our weather records out a little bit and keep it down to, say, one a year, the populace will somehow manage. Really. They will.

Because good lord, I am not ready for coat weather yet. This does not bode well for February. My planned outfit for tomorrow certainly does not fit into my image of October, oh no sir.

4. I tried to teach a student "No way, José" today.

Needless to say, there was a culture gap there which I don't think I quite bridged.

... is it perhaps because there is something inherently Southwestern-American to that phrase? I would believe it, honestly, though I thought it was more widespread.

Oh well, it was worth a go, anyway.

And that's all for now, kiddies--some of us have busy schedules to maintain, and that means getting to bed at a decent hour, don't you know.

This is Edo, signing off and wondering if real life is always quite this hectic.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Strange things in a strange land. (変な国に、変なもの。)

... except not really.

But sometimes we sacrifice accuracy for clever titles.

Which, really, is better than the other way around, don't you think?

Anyway, once again, I find myself somewhat strapped for expositional topics, and thus will fill this post with silly little pictures taken of small bits of my day-to-day life.

....and once again I fall into the timeless trap wherein the villain foolishly lays out his entire nefarious scheme for the hero before he can, in fact, complete it.

Drat.

Oh, well; at least in this setting, there's nothing that you, the hero, can do about it.

Allow me an evil chuckle. Moo ha ha.

Anyway, first things first. I promised you a picture of my BUCK-TICK goods, didn't I?


A handkerchief (which actually has more of a towel texture, making it a bit more useful in the long run, though you won't see me wiping my grubby hands on it) and two very nice wristbands that came as a packaged set. Note the lack of tote bag. Curse high demand and short supply!

I personally like the two-for-one wristband deal. Admittedly, two-for-1500 is a bit steep, but hey. Concert goods. What are you going to do.

I also like how they worked the skull in. Nice maintaining of the theme, guys.

Next... I never showed you that super-awesome earring tree I purchased during my excursion to Osaka, did I?



3 Coins is an amazing place.

That's right, I got this baby for 315 yen. It's nice, quality metal too. None of that aluminum nonsense.

...she says three days before it breaks. Oh, cynicism!

Goes with the decor though, eh? I especially like that it's literally a tree. Almost didn't buy it, but it was very cunningly placed in the shop (aka I had to stare at it while waiting in line to purchase my warm socks) and thus...

Oh you clever, clever marketing people.

Speaking of shopping...


I don't like yogurt. I think it tastes like poo, to be blunt. Thus, I take acidophilus supplements to keep my insides happy, healthy, and other good things starting with the letter h. (I think I abuse that joke...) However, I have not been doing this since coming to Japan, as I have not been able to find your average, run of the mill, acidophilus pills.

And so, sick of my stomach being unhappy, today I went out and found this.

It has a number of probiotics within, including my desired acidophilus, along with some vitamin B compounds I may or may not need, but hey, what can it hurt.

We'll see if it works. Frankly, I don't think there's much that can replace my chewable, blueberry flavored supplements from Hi-Health, but... well. Beggars can't be choosers.

Or, well. Expats can't be choosers, anyway.

Also note the bright pink pair of nail clippers. I did not want a bright pink pair of nail clippers, mind you, but after much searching, they were in fact the cheapest to be found, and at the end of the day, my frugal nature always wins out.

And as a bonus, they have a nail file hidden inside, so they're not so bad.

And finally...


Once again I treat you to my rendition of omuraisu, because, really. There is nothing more delicious looking than a freshly cooked egg.

I mean, come on.

This is Edo, signing off wondering if you can get a placebo effect from supplements... especially supplements in such official looking bottles.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The weekend that ended too quickly. (終わりが早すぎの週末。)

And to further emphasize my point, I will right a very short post to tell you about it.

Saturday

Come home from work, make pasta -- Check.

Go to Yokkaichi with a co-worker for a night on the town -- Check.

Stay awake until around four in the morning -- Check.

Sunday

Wake up around noon -- Check

Drink coffee and attempt to eat breakfast -- Check

Fail to eat breakfast -- Check

Get all rocked out for the live -- Check

Drive to the station -- Check

Find the cheap parking lot with only a small amount of confusion -- Check

Arrive at the station way too early due to my inherent paranoia and wind up waiting for something like forty-five minutes for my train -- Check

Spend a good two and a half hours getting to Nara -- Check

Arrive and spend a while trying to find the concert hall with Melon -- Check

Find the concert hall -- Check

Rejoice because the goods line is nonexistent -- Check

Realize that there are no tote bags left; despair -- Check

Wait -- Check

 Wait -- Check

Wait some more; oh yes, they're late -- Check

Finally get into the hall and find our seats -- Check

Find out that the map in the lobby lied to us and that we are actually in someone else's seats -- Check

Get moved forward one row -- Check

Wait -- Check

Wait -- Check

What, half-an-hour late now? -- Check

REJOICE when the house lights finally go down -- Check

Have a BLAST for the next two hours or so -- Check

Leave in a daze -- Check

Manage to get some マクド, despite the delay having made me worry about catching my train -- Check

Scarf the マクド -- Check

Say good-bye and get on the train -- Check

Proceed to worry all the way home about making my connections, as every train is delayed -- Check

Finally make it home without issue -- Check

Spend entirely too long chatting with Melon and wind up going to bed too late -- Check

Monday

Spend an entirely uneventful Monday that just doesn't compare, other than the fact that I joined Fish Tank, the BUCK-TICK fan club (hopefully) -- Check

PHEW.

There we go.

Unfortunately, no pictures of the live, since they sort of frown upon that...

I have this though:



Sure, it's a picture of my flyer, but it's all I got.

Maybe I'll take a picture of my goods for you next time.

Oh, and that bitch of a last train home?


Yea, you'd be stressed out too, I feel.

This is Edo, signing off already eagerly anticipating the November live in Kyoto, and hoping her fan club membership comes through in time to get tickets for the next tour.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

A bit more in-depth. (もうちょっと詳しく。)

I really wanted to keep my advertising campaign going, but...

Well.

Let's just say that I know my audience, and that my audience would be slightly less than thrilled if I suddenly changed the focus of this blog to things not me.

...egocentric as it sounds, I promise it's true.

Be that as it may, BUCK-TICK still plays a very relevant role in my life, you know.

For example, I have been listening to RAZZLE DAZZLE on repeat ever since getting it on Wednesday. After being originally somewhat nonplussed by the entire thing, it has begun to grow on me, and now I have 5-starred (the iTunes equivalent of saying that you love a song, for the laymen) three songs. The number may grow.

The eponymous RAZZLE DAZZLE, for instance, is quite catchy.



I admit, with that voice, Atsushi could probably sing about poo for five minutes and I would eventually come to enjoy the song.

Then again, it's not so much the lyrics I mind (because they're actually quite fun and catchy, for the most part.) It's more the fact that their last two albums had a very nice rock-like feel, and that's, frankly, what I was expecting from this one as well. Instead, it has more of a dance, techno feel, reminiscent of Sexy Stream Liner or Mona Lisa Overdrive.

Which, in itself, is not a bad thing.

I just needed to get over the shock of it.

(Also, I admit, I don't much care for the remixes of the two singles... but hey. It's because they gave me so long to fall in love with the originals. That one's on them.)

That said.

Three songs so far.

Like Django!!! -眩惑のジャンゴ- (Genwaku no django; dazzling django).



Don't ask me what a django is, because I have no clue. It can apparently be something related to programming in Python, any number of restaurants, a movie from 1966... take your pick. I'm not in a researching kind of mood at the moment. (Shocking, I know!)

I admit, part of what drew me to this song is the fact that it sounds suspiciously like Atsushi is saying "bippity boppity boo" during part of the chorus.

And then of course, there's my current number one, TANGO Swanka.



There was apparently some fun to be had in the naming of these songs.

Or simply some drinks in the stomach.

And hey, I'm not just being a blushing headbanging fangirl over here, this does relate to my immediate future in more ways than "it's what's on repeat in the car."

For I...

Am going to RAZZLE DAZZLE it up with Melon tomorrow in Nara.

And there's really just no better way to spend a weekend.

This is Edo, signing off with a bounce in her step and all those great pre-concert jitters in the stomach.

EDIT- It has been confirmed by both an internet search and Atsushi's emphasis of the line during the live: he is indeed saying "bippity boppity boo." (The fact that he spells it BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO is inconsequential.)

The live was incredible, as expected, by the way. Although, as always... much, much too short.

Melon and I came up with the idea of a BUCK-TICK festival. Like a regular weekend-long music festival, just... only BUCK-TICK. They have twenty-plus years of songs to work with, they could do it.

And man would I be first in line to buy tickets.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Just doing my part. (自分の役目を果たしてるわ。)

Because I am as much a devoted and loving BUCK-TICK fan as the next guy...

(Provided that next guy is actually a lady named Melon.)

I thought that I would get my own foot in on this little advertising campaign thingy-jobby.

Because, you see, today, October 13th, 2010,  is the release date of BUCK-TICK's new, fabulously named album, RAZZLE DAZZLE.


And really. How do you expect any other topic to compete with that for my attention today?

Especially since I'm off to one of the first lives for the album this coming Sunday in boonies-tastic Nara (though admittedly, not as boonies-tastic as Mie, since they're actually playing a gig there. Ah ha.)

Moo ha ha.

Here. We. Go.

...

... I say that like I'm going to be doing something more exciting than posting up music videos.

You can't say that I never excite you, though.



First, appropriately enough, we have the first single released for this album, waaay back in March:  独壇場Beauty (Dokudanjou Beauty, Unchallenged Beauty) .

... but I've written about it before, so please, don't let me bore you in the here and now with repetition and triviality.

Do enjoy the song and video again, though.

Because really. Those never get old.



Next, we have くちづけ (Kuchiduke, Kiss), which was released in September.

And not only is the song dreadfully catchy and wonderful, but I find the video to be terribly artistic and mesmerizing.
 

You can tell how emotional I am when I start using seemingly mismatched yet utterly appropriate words for emphasis instead of the traditional vulgarities.

...Unless you haven't read enough hoitery-toitey literature and are still trying to figure out what in the world I'm actually trying to say in the above statement.

Ahem.

Anyway.

... I've already written about this song to some extent too, haven't I.

I'm just making an absolute mess of my advertising campaign.

Perhaps I should have done it a bit earlier in the day, before my higher brain functions were compromised.

But let it be known that I tried, and that I enjoyed doing so!

...because Sakurai Atsushi is a gorgeous man.

Brain functions. Compromised.  

This is Edo, signing off with a song in her head and a live in her future.

Monday, October 11, 2010

A little, late, but... (ちょっと遅くなっちゃったけど。。。)

Oh dear. Four days, huh?

... that's not just late, that's me missing a whole post cycle.

...well, in that case, you can just pretend that your browser has somehow eaten the last post, and that it is, in fact, actually there for the rest of the world to see, and it's only your access to the internet that is keeping you from the brilliance of two days ago.

Ah ha ha, don't you remember, when I said that witty thing, about that silly event? Oh, it was so clever. I can barely stand to recall.

... Ahem.

Although really, once again my poor posting habits are entirely due to matters outside my control.

Er. That is to say. They are matters within my control partly, it's just that the fact that I have no time remaining after said matters really is no fault of mine.

Because as I've said to you time and time again, my life, around this blog, it does not revolve.

I thought I would muck with syntax a bit to drive the point home.

Anyway, the reason that this is not merely a late post is that I spent all of yesterday (quite literally) in...

Wait for it...

OSAKA!



Land of the free, and home of the weird! ...as I dubbed it yesterday in a moment of wit and remnant Americanism while riding the Loop Line.

(Yes, I did mean to take my own pictures, but, well... you forget to do those things when you're not a tourist, ok?)


But yes, Osaka! My second favorite place in Japan, after Kyoto of course. Probably my number one when it comes to 雰囲気 (funiki, atmosphere) though. These people are hip and happening. I always give the example of walking down the street with my senpai at 3 am on Halloween night, and having everyone we passed by shout out "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" and wave.

Because that's the kind of place that Osaka is, guys.

Not to mention that 大阪弁 (Osaka-ben, Osaka dialect) is pretty much super-concentrated Kansai dialect, so that's always fun times when you're a little linguistic nerd like I am.

Anyway, I went to meet up with a friend who currently lives in Kyoto, so we could spend the day shopping and end it all with a fancy dinner to celebrate our new jobs.

I am very proud to say that I only bought these:



Which were, as expected, a little tight on my modestly sized (yet apparently still huge in Japan) feet:



and a rather cute earring tree, both at the 3 Coins Shop, and thus both a good bargain.

...the dinner, of course, was quite a bit pricier.

But hey, that's what we do when we're feeling classy in good company.

Per usual, it was a little sad to leave one of my old haunts and head back out into the uncharted wilds of Mie, but such is life, after all.

And now if you will excuse me, I am off to do my laundry, as real life has kept me away from more things than the internet.

This is Edo, signing off with sore shoulders, sore feet, and a lighter wallet, but a mind full of happy Kansai memories.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Schedules are pain. (予定って面倒くさいや。)

...well, they're not, really, but when you set them for these non-essentials, and then start feeling guilt for not meeting them, they really are rather bothersome.

"Why Edo!" I hear you cry. "Why not just meet the schedule, then? It'll save you a lot of grief in the long run!"

...

Have I introduced you to this thing I have called a real life? In which I must work and take care of all my personal needs?

Yes.

The leftover time is often not sufficient to sit in front of my computer, conjure up a witty entry of sufficient length and then get it down into the internet before I am invariably off to the next, probably rather important, bullet point in the greater schedule that is my life.

So there.

For now, though, have a bit more of my cooking ventures to amuse and entertain you:


I call it.... Lemon Butter Caper Asparagus pasta.

Because that's exactly what it is.

And I am not one for false advertising.

Unfortunately, I underestimated the amount of pasta in the bag I had, and wound up with far too little sauce for my noodles. Alas.

The leftovers were slightly better, as they sat overnight in the fridge, soaking up the flavors, but still. I would have been better served by having a better grasp of what that bag of rotini would have looked like on my plate.

I hope you notice the aesthetic efforts I went to with those two little asparagus bits on top there, though.

Aaah, asparagus. One of the finer vegetables in this world...

All side effects aside.

I had the remainder of the bunch yesterday, steamed with salt, as part of my dinner, and it was just as tasty.

I really wish it wasn't so expensive/tiny/in massively short supply this time of year.

As a last little look into my life for the day:


I was thrilled and amazed to discover the other day that they DO, in fact, sell Listerine in Japan.

Oh, happy, happy day for my teeth.

Still don't sell Crest, but you can't win them all.

This is Edo, signing out with healthy teeth and fond asparagus memories.

PS- And of course, a very happy birthday to you, Grandma! How many of you bloggers out there can say that your grandmother is a loyal reader, eh?

Monday, October 4, 2010

Tasty, convenient food. (おいしくて、便利な食事。)

Because really, when you're living on your own, that second part is pretty darn important.

You never realize what a pain most recipes are to prepare for until you have to do your own shopping in your own free time.

...this blog is slowly turning into "Edo complains about how tough the real world is, with a slight Japanese flavor."

But hey. I think that's secretly what most blogs are anyway, so really.

Anyway, last night, though I had originally planned to go to マクド, rain and laziness kept me indoors all day long, thus inspiring a moment of genius and inspiration in the kitchen.

Or, well, really, a moment of genius on the computer, followed by a moment of inspiration between my room and the kitchen, succeeded by any number of moments of sheer culinary ingenuity in the kitchen itself.

Just to keep things straight.

First of all, I went searching the internet for simple and quick recipes, since I, as mentioned, was not leaving the house.

I found a recipe for a potato and zucchini frittata. Ah ha, I said.

Now, first you must understand that I have always be a skeptic of the frittata. I belong to the Spanish tortilla side of the debate, and have always thought that frittatas were the cheap and easy way out.

But as you may have already figured out for yourself, when one is living alone and on a budget, cheap and easy starts looking pretty good.

So, I thought, why not. I have eggs, I have potatoes, I have zuchinni.

But hey, nix that zuchinni. I don't like it so much cooked unless there is a crispy, crunchy coating involved.

And, you know what, if I add an onion, I almost have a tortilla here.

And look at that, a whole bag of onions just dying to be used.

Did I say culinary ingenuity, or did I say culinary ingenuity?

So, basically I wound up making a very simple and toned-down version of a tortilla, using the instructions I found for the frittata (mainly, boiling the potatoes first, and not mixing the eggs and other ingredients together before cooking.)

And even though the non-stick state of my pan is dubious...


I succeeded mightily in my mission.


Yes, that's right. I flipped it by myself.

...this is probably because the volume and mass of the dish was about half of what I normally make back in America-land. Ahem. 

(Have I mentioned before how much I truly dislike having an electric stove? Just thought I'd pop that in here. Blech.)

And then, the finished product:





Voila.

Beautiful, no?

And delicious, though I must admit, not quite as delicious as my normal tortilla. I guess the thickness has more to do with the flavor than I thought.

Also the cooking method, I suppose. While boiling the potatoes is admittedly a much quicker way to do things, I cannot help but feel that I wind up sacrificing the flavor I gain by frying them up for an extended period of time together with the onions.

...oh, and that bag of onions? They're really quite small, which at first I thought didn't make much of a difference, but I think that actually they're a lot closer to shallots in flavor than I had previously suspected...

Which, hey, is not bad. But still. Just another "not quite" thing about my dish.

But the question remains.

Is it a tortilla-esque-frittata, or a frittata-esque-tortilla?

I leave it to you to decide.


Whatever it was, I managed that much in one go.

And that was only because I made myself stop.

Otherwise, I could have likely plowed right on through until the end.

And then have been (a) uncomfortably full and (b) lacking in a lunch today.

...sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't have been worth it all the same, though.

Something you non-foodies just wouldn't understand. Sigh.

This is Edo, signing off with a just barely resistible urge to make this dish again tonight.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

A collector of sorts. (なんとかの収集家。)

That "three days ago" thing on my little blog roll tells me that, once again, I have probably begun to aggravate my two most devoted readers.

And. Uh.

I really have no excuse.

Other than the fact that working for a living actually takes up  lot more of my time than studying for it ever seemed to do.

Or maybe it's just that I have a more set schedule now...

Or maybe it's that staying up until the wee hours of the morning isn't such an intelligent option when you have to be somewhere before 1:15 in the afternoon.

...admittedly, I don't on most days here in the working world, but there's all that "prepare your own meals" and "run errands" and "take care of yourself because you're an adult now, dagnabit" nonsense that fills far more of my free time than I would really care to admit.

It certainly makes me want to sit down all those kids rushing to be adults and say "come on, guys. Rethink this. Someone buys your toilet paper now, remember that."

Because really.

That's the kind of thing it comes down to, out here in the real world.

And it sure as heck ain't any easier in a rather boonies-tastic land where the only people you really know within a 50-mile vicinity are your co-workers.

HOWEVER.

That said, I've never liked life to be easy.

Moo ha ha.

I see you, life, and I raise you forty-seven!

Bring it on.

Anyway, ON TO THE MAIN EVENT.

As you may have guessed by my title, I have become a collector of sorts.

Of what sort? I hear you cry.


That's right.

Point cards.

(I actually took two pictures for your viewing pleasure, but for some reason blogger is not being helpful with re-orientation, so you're stuck with just the one for the moment.)

And this isn't even half of the amount I will have in, oh, say, six months time.

It also doesn't include the Book-Off point "card" I have on my phone, or the same I have for マクド (McDonalds)--though I haven't actually figured out how to get points onto the latter yet. There are coupons though, so never fear that my time was wasted in registering.

... as though you were. Ahem.

Anyway. Most of these are rather useless in the short-term (I think I need fifty stamps on the red one there for 1000 yen off, for example), but it's more about a sense of belonging than anything, if you can believe that.

Because, hey. Your average gaijin is not sticking around long enough to get a point card. Barring that, they don't understand enough Japanese to bother with trying to get one.

Therefore, by having a point card, automatically you are elevated one step above the average foreigner, possibly one step closer to actual, civilized human being.

Though I may just be talking out of my behind here.

Regardless, I feel this way, and since I'm the one with the point cards, that's what matters, isn't it?

Darn tootin'.

And before we say adieu for this evening...


A more recent batch of オムライス (omuraisu, omelete rice) to make your mouth water.

Because really, what is more beautiful than a freshly cooked egg? Look at that bright, beautiful yellow, my friends, and tell me that your stomach did not just rumble.

This is Edo, signing off feeling strangely hungry even though she just had a full plate of pasta.