Slightly off topic, but too important to not post.

下に、日本語版があります。
아래로, 한국어판이 있습니다.

In 2005 my Grandfather passed away from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease. He suffered from the disease for many years before losing his battle with it. It was a very painful progression to watch, and since his diagnosis my family has been active in supporting the Alzheimer’s Association and related causes.

Four years ago my family began participating in local Alzheimer’s Memory Walks. The first year we raised over $1,400. We immediately decided we wanted to aim higher for the next year and set our goal at a lofty $10,000. We fell short, but still reached a total of $2,400. Last year was a good year, but we still didn’t reach $10,000. We’re still aiming for that mark.

I sent this link to ask if you might be able to contribute to our goal or our personal mission as a family. I realize you are all probably busy and may give to other causes, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. Anything at all would be greatly appreciated, be it the donation of money or simply words of encouragement for my family and those who support us. Whatever the case, please know that we appreciate your support.

This year, I will not be able to join in the Alzheimer’s Memory walk, as I will still be in Japan when the walk takes place, so this year, I would like to support my family as much as possible.

Thank you again, so very much.

http://memorywalk2010.kintera.org/columbus/chimie45

日本語：

2005年に、私の祖父は、アルツハイマー病の合併症から亡くなりました。彼の戦いを失う前に、彼は、何年間も病気に苦しみました。彼の診断以来、私の家族はAlzheimer’s Associatonを支持しています。4年前に、私の家族は、「Alzheimer’s Memory Walks」に参加し始めました。

初年度の間、私の家族はチャリティーのために1,400ドルのドルを集めました。その次の年のゴールは、1万ドルの私たちの目標をしました。 私たちは、それゴールのお金を増やすことができませんでしたが、合計2,400ドルに達しました。昨年、再試行しましたが、私たちはまだ1万ドルに達していませんでした。
私たちはまだそのマークを目指しています。

私は、あなたが家族として私たちの目標か私たちの個人的な任務に貢献できるかどうか尋ねるためにこのリンクを送りました。皆さんが、たぶん忙しいとわかって、他の原因に与えるかもしれませんが、私は、尋ねてもよいのを計算しました。とにかく何でもよろしくお願いします、私の家族と私たちを支持する人に対するお金の寄付か単に奨励の単語であることにかかわらず。私たちがご支援に感謝するのを知ってください。

すみません、私には、警護が本当に難しいので、私はインターネットから助けを使用しました。（笑）

今年、私は、「Alzheimer’s Memory Walk」に参加できないでしょう、散歩が行われるとき、私がまだ日本にいるときです。それで、今年、できるだけ一家の暮らしを立てたいと思います。

本当に、ありがとうございました。

http://memorywalk2010.kintera.org/columbus/chimie45

한국어:

2005년에, 나의 할아버지는, 알츠하이머병의 합병증으로 돌아가셨습니다. 그의 싸움을 잃기 전에, 그는, 몇년간이나 병으로 고생했습니다. 그의 진단이래, 나의 가족은 Alzheimer”s Associaton을 지지하고 있습니다. 4년전에, 나의 가족은, 「Alzheimer”s Memory Walks」에 참가하기 시작했습니다.

초년도의 사이, 나의 가족은 자선을 위해서 1, 400달러의 달러를 모았습니다. 그 다음 해의 골은, 1만달러의 우리들의 목표를 했습니다. 우리들은, 그것 골의 돈을 늘릴 수 없었습니다만, 합계2, 400달러에 달했습니다. 작년, 재시행했습니다만, 우리들은 아직 1만달러에 이르고 있지 않았습니다.
우리들은 아직 그 마크를 목표로 삼고 있습니다.

나는, 당신이 가족으로서 우리들의 목표인가 우리들이 개인적인 임무에 공헌할 수 있는 것인가 아닌가 방문하기 위해서 이 링크를 보냈습니다. 여러분이, 아마 바쁘다고 알고, 다른 원인에 줄지도 모르겠습니다만, 나는, 물어도 좋은 것을 계산했습니다. 어쨌든 무엇이든지 잘 부탁합니다, 나의 가족과 우리들을 지지하는 사람에게 대한 돈의 기부인가 단지 장려의 단어인 것에 관계 없이. 우리들이 지원에 감사하는 것을 알아 주십시오.

미안합니다, 나에게는, 경호가 정말로 어려우므로, 나는 인터넷으로 도움을 사용했습니다. （웃음）

올해, 나는, 「Alzheimer”s Memory Walk」에 참가할 수 없지요, 산보가 행하여질 때, 내가 아직 일본에 있을 때입니다. 그래서, 올해, 될 수 있는한 일가의 생계를 꾸리고 싶습니다.

정말로, 고마웠습니다.

http://memorywalk2010.kintera.org/columbus/chimie45

A little blue.

My life has been such a roller coaster lately, it’s really starting to get to me. I’ve just been really depressed again lately, which I guess shouldn’t surprise me.

I mean, I guess there are quite a few reasons for my foul mood lately, First off, it’s rained 10 out of the past 12 days. I don’t know if I’m depressed because of the weather, or the weather sucks because I’m depressed. I’d say it’s a little of both.. Theres a lot of fractionalization going on within the group of people here, which again, shouldn’t surprise me, but still, it really has been bothering me. People talking behind other people’s back and what not, I feel like the same shit that happened Freshman year, the same problems, drama, issues, are all coming back up again. The same old shit that always happens. I can’t help but think it’s my fault too, which to be honest, it most likely is… it was last time, so I can’t help but think it is this time as well. Last time when this happened though, when I fell into my worst, I found a person who was just what I needed to pick me up. I thought I had that here as well, this time around, but I think I might have been mistaken. A combination of all of these efforts, piled up on my history, along with the added stress of harder classes this semester, work that eats my soul, tighter finances, and well, you know. These factors all have just given me a even greater urge to want to go back to the USA. I want to get out of this country–don’t get me wrong, I still <3 Japan, I just can't take some of the shit that is going on here at this school any longer.

This title is more unique than the sum of the Japanese population.

Work lately has been rather drab, I mean, again, it’s not hard work, and it’s not that it doesn’t have it’s fun parts, it just seems to be interfering with my life more than it did last semester. Last semester there was the occasional party or dinner at 8:00 or something, which I generally would make it to just a bit late, but recently it seems I’ve been unable to go to events on a several-times a week basis. Which is rather annoying. Again, I have to work, and I have a great job, so I can’t really complain much, but you know, it does get frustrating–thus why I’m ranting.

Now, I don’t wanna get off on a rant here, but a friend of mine asked a question the other day about my opinion of Japan/Japanese people. I wasn’t going to say anything at first, but after a moment, I felt the need to express what has built up inside me for the past few months. To me, the Japanese are people who overwork while aiming at an underachieving goal. I don’t know how many people here at Saitama when asked what they want to do when they get out of college is “Work at a job”. Their life goal is to enter a company by the time they’re 23 or 24, and work there until they retire. It’s a group of people who are content with being one out of many, having no individuality at all. Even in their most obvious self-expression–fashion; hair styles, clothing, way of dress–while it is ‘unique’ it’s the same fashion every other person in Japan is wearing. Every guy has gel in his wild hair, same style of clothing. Every girl wearing a skirt with black leggings with the same frilly shirts.

Its no wonder Japanese are often so racist and forbidding to outsiders, Whites, Blacks, Hispanics even other Asians can never blend in–they can never be one out of a million, therefore they can never be Japanese.

This post led to a small discussion with a friend who had spent time in Japan as well, and we contemplated Japan and it’s pitfalls–

—

your response to [the] question was dead on! I totally agree with you on all of that. All of that stuff infuriated me while I was there, and STILL infuriates me. Also, Japanese guys treat their girlfriends like shit… And everytime I tried to bring any of that up to a japanese person they would get angry and defensive and say that America has a lot of problems too, or blamed it on their ‘tradition’ or ‘culture’. Cheap excuse. It was frustrating.

—
Every Japanese girl I know says they hate how Japanese guys treat them but there just isn’t anyone else to be with. That’s why foreigners are so popular. [With Japanese girls]

Another huge problem is the racism. I have lots of friends here who were born in Japan, they only speak Japanese, they’ve never been out of the country, in many cases neither have their parents, and they’re required to get a new alien ID every 4 years. Just because their grandmother or something was Korean. If any of your relatives wasn’t 100% Japanese, you’re not Japanese. I know several people who fit this situation exactly. They have a passport for a country they’ve never been to. They can’t even read the writing on the passport.

This country is infuriating. I mean, I love the language, I for the most part like the people, but the culture blows. I also dislike the rose colored glasses everyone in America is wearing about Japan. They think it’s a magical land of Anime funtime and chopstick Sushi.
—

I felt this was a topic I felt strongly about, so I figured I’d post it here.

Be-Plant

There’s a quaint little establishment right across the street from the University here. It’s a small restaurant that also has a bar. It’s a family owned place, though most of the people who work there are university students, all around my age. The place aims for a 70′s rock atmosphere, which I think it pulls of well. Because of the close location and the otherwise empty afternoons of us exchange students, we often end up at Be-Plant for drinks at night or to meet up for lunch with friends. Several of my friends from school work there, and as we’ve become somewhat of regulars there, the people who work there have become our friends. Last Sunday, the one day of the week Be-Plant is closed, Harrison and I went to Maruetsu, the local grocery. On our way back we noticed Be-Plant was having a cookout for the employees. We kept walking but as we got to the nearby crosswalk, the owner came running over and told us to come join them at the cookout. We were barely there for a minute when Harrison and I each had some sort of BBQ in one hand and a cold beer in the other. It pretty much just cemented my love for the local eatery. Harrison and I sat there for a few hours, and a few friends ended up joining us, and we talked to and got to know the men and women who served us on a (almost) daily basis. After a few hours, Harrison and I headed out, but none the less, the people there really made a good impression on us.

As I said earlier, we often head there in the evenings for a bite to eat and a beer to go with some fine conversation. Last night, (Tue) Harrison and I decieded we’d head over for a glass of beer, and we called up some friends and made plans to meet up with Lee Jiyoung and Jang EunHye, these two Korean girls we met the other day, and Carl would join up with us later. The evening was nice, I had a few Shochu and Ginger, Harrison had a few beers, and the girls complained about their water and tea tasting bad. (Sigh, Women…) Still, it was a nice evening, and I owe most of it to Be-Plant.

Spam

My spam comment folder is hilarious.

Here are two of the funnier comments. (Really, who is going to follow these links and things?)
——————————————-
hello,

Thank you for the great quality of your website, every time i come here, i’m amazed.

I would like to invite you to come and try the true black hattitude.will find a lot of stuff dealing with the black hattitude,

You can buy some black hattitude, rent black hattitude, steal black hattitude, or find
the ultimate black hattitude on our site ofblack hattitude.

have a nice day,

Mike Litoris

black hattitude

you’ll find here also some good black hattitude
——————
Everywhere it said “Black Hattitude” it had a link. Like, seriously, Sorry, I didn’t get the first 100 times what you meant– (also; steal?) and after you signed you hillariously awesome name, you just flat out said it again… and then again. Seriously guys? Try harder.

Second;
—————-
I stand here today humbled by the task before dofus kamas, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our cheap dofus kamas. I thank President dofus for his service to buy dofus kamas, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
—————-
What? I dont even know what this means. There were no links even. Just an awesome comment. If you know what this means, let me know.

Good Day

So I stayed up all of last night, completely unintentionally, but it just happened. I decided early on that today, Thursday, was going to be a good day. I would enjoy the day, even if it was raining, it’d still be sunny to me. I made an omelet with sausage in it, enjoyed the hell out of that, read some Cyanide and Happiness, and at around 7:30 I decided since Harrison had received his phone bill for the month, I should probably look to see what my bill is as well. I went to the Softbank website, to check out when my billing cycle ended, and to check my bill. It listed the possibilities, but said I needed to call Softbank’s support number to get the actual answer. I call in, manage to get to the English menu, struggle through the awkward terrible English of Softbank’s call tree (ok, it wasn’t -that- bad.) but I got to the option to check your billing cycle, and sure enough, I was on the 11th-10th cycle. Following that it said if I wanted to check this month’s due balance, I just would need to press 1. Sure enough, I pressed one.

“Your balance due for the period of 10/11 through 11/10 is….
six

hundred

ninety-four

thousand

nine hundred

and

ninety-eight

Yen.

WHAT – THE – FUCK. Most people probably don’t know the Yen to US Dollar conversion, however, you should be able to tell, that’s a truckload of money. For those of you keeping track, that’s $7714. Yea, my one month bill was more than my car cost. It’s 10 times more than my Detroit->Tokyo plane ticket. I could fly round trip to America -TEN- times for that price.

Surely there had to be a mistake, but because it was before 9 am, the support center was closed. I headed off to class very very worried.

Today is Thursday, it’s our composition class period in Japanese, which goes from 9am to Noon. My teacher is also one of my favorites, as she’s got a very nice and bubbly personality that makes class more enjoyable. When I got to class, I let her listen to the same message I heard, and she said she would give me extra time at the break to work out the problem. At the break, I called in, they said that the computer had not added in my unlimited flat-rate plan, and that I should not worry, my bill would be the normal level.

Thank God.

The rest of the day proceeded to kick ass as planned.

CDs

Now that I have a debt card (not exactly new, but still…) I just recently made my way to Amazon and decided to look for some CDs I’d been wanting. Japanese CDs are insanely expensive, as CDs in Japan run $25 from the bat, add import fees and shipping costs, and a CD is likely to set you back $50-70. So when I saw ‘New and Used from $15′ I jumped at the opportunity and bought all 3 of Nakashima Mika’s albums I didn’t have. Feeling pretty satisfied I returned to the homepage to notice ‘In Japan, Shop Amazon Japan!’ I headed over there only to find that the same albums I just bought were listed ‘Used from ￥360′ (about 3 dollars) and I wouldn’t have had to pay international shipping… DOH.

I then proceeded to buy 3 Mr.Children albums, a B’z Album and an Ikimonogatari Album for like $19. Rock on–literally.

Japanese OCD.

It doesn’t really stick out to me anymore, as I’m so acclimated to the Japanese lifestyle after having lived here, and during these past 3 weeks bring all my Japanese culture back to me, and even at that, it should be no surprise when I say the Japanese citizenry as a whole are some very neat and organized people. I don’t just mean their obsession with cleanliness–there’s a sink at the door to McDonalds, just in case you wanna wash your hands of the corporate greed of a 7 dollar quarter-pounder… but I digress, I could go on about the Japanese cleanliness, but that’s not what this post is about necessarily. It’s more along the lines of Japanese order. Not only does society have a specific hierarchy, but there are rules, not just social norms, but rules for specific situations at specific times. You have to dress certain ways, talk certain ways, behave certain ways. Putting the Keigo post aside, I began thinking about this while at McDonalds, no less, when I heard the clicking of one of the staff’s shoes. She wasn’t wearing sneakers, work shoes, no, she was wearing heels. Big ones. Not just her, but all 3 of the women there were. They also were wearing the ‘Fast Food restaurant’ hat, and were wearing identical uniforms, which were much more done up than they ever would in America. When I worked at Burgerking, the rule was, BK Polo, Black pants, if your hair is past your eyes, wear a hat. That’s it. And that’s normal for a fast food restaurant in America. Japan’s work dress code is very strict, they have very set uniforms, which no one seems to complain, at least publicly, about. In America, there are places of work which have dress codes, you can’t wear shorts to an executive meeting, but at the same time, if they required McDonalds workers to wear heels, they’d be facing a lawsuit for discrimination. Maybe it’s a symptom of our society, or maybe it’s a symptom of the Japanese. It’s just amazing how organized everything is. Every job has a uniform, be it construction worker, police officer, office worker, train driver, taxi driver. Just to drive home the point, there are many thing which just -are- there’s no real rhyme or reason, no police out to enforce the rule, but there are some things in society that have ways about them. Such as condiments. (Really?) Yes. Condiments, it was one of the things I remember most about my time in Japan before. I was eating eel (which is delicious, by the way) and I reached for this sauce, its kinda like a mix between steak sauce and Worcestershire sauce, to put it on my eel. Everyone at the table instantly corrected me. That’s not the sauce that goes on that kind of food. Why not? cause it doesn’t. The elementary explanation left me dumbfounded. No one could give me a reason why they were objecting to me using that sauce, but they just were. I was stepping out of the single-file line of society, and they were scrambling to get me back in line with the rest of them.

(I’m sure this is one big rambling note, sorry)

Living here also reinforces how little America does for nature. Something like 2/3rds of the cars on the roads here are hybrids. All cars are within 5 years old, get over 30mpg. They recycle just about everything here. At McDonalds (sorry for another McD example, but I was just there…) at the trash receptacle there are 3 openings. One for burnable trash (paper, cardboard one for plastic: straws, lids, mixers and one for liquids/ice. My friend Masaya had 4 trashcans in his kitchen. One for Glass, Paper, Plastic, and Cans. Furthermore, he had bags in a drawer for other things like batteries and old electronics. It’s amazing how much they recycle–something like 65-75% of their waste, and how clean everything is. You’ll hardly even notice a cigarette butt on the sidewalk, let alone a bag or old can–and they have 10000x more public vending machines on the street and 1/100th the trash/recycling bins.

There’s so much attractive about this country and so much… strange about this country.

Cars

So if you’ve ever been to Japan, one thing that is very noticable is that all the cars look new. They’re all shiny, glossy, and nice. You never see old rust buckets–save for maybe a work truck out in the country. Comparing this to America, its strange, because you see a lot more clunkers hanging around the streets of Detroit that you ever would… anywhere in Japan. I brought this up with someone the other day, and they shined some light upon the subject. I was talking to an Australian, who had lived in Japan for a few years back in the early 2000s. She said she bought a used car, only to find Japan wouldn’t let her register it. The car was maybe 7-8 years old, still good condition, ran great, but Japan had deemed it ‘Not road worthy.’. It makes me wonder if Japanese people go out and buy new cars every 3-4 years… I mean, I guess when you have a transit system as complete as the Japanese system, it’s not as critical to have a car. I also would posit that by having such a far-reaching transit system, cars wouldn’t rack up mileage as quickly either?

Just a reminder,

For anyone who has the program, feel free to add me on Skype, Search for Chimie45, I should be the only name that pops up. Feel free to call whenever you want, as long as it’s within reasonable hours for me (Remember the +13/+14 hour time difference, please.)