My internet connection gets switched off this Sunday, as I leave my apartment here in Nagano for three weeks of travel before I head back to Seattle.
Despite the fact that my phone forces me to change each and every character I type from uppercase to lowercase, making an already tedious method of text entry almost unbearable, I plan to post occasional (short) entries during those three weeks of travel (thanks to Kevin Cameron’s Mobloging For Other People).
So, I’ve been sitting here trying to think of an appropriate icon or tag line for use with entries posted from my mobile. But then I realized that labeling the entries as such is really more of a “gee-whiz” reaction to new technology. In the end, it doesn’t really matter how the entry is posted.
However, if you’re interested, entries during the next few weeks that are only one or two sentences are likely posted from my mobile. Either that or I’ve got a lot of time on my hands. A longer entry probably means I’ve found an internet cafe.
Author: .
Gym Freaks
My gym has a campaign going (“campaigns” are big in Japan — big marketing pushes to get people to buy something). The artwork in one of the campaign brochures features an array of freakishly developed humanoids exercising, relaxing and socializing at the gym. Workout trends change so quickly. When did the rack become a popular exercise machine?
Thanks For The Memories
Wednesday was my last day of teaching English in Japan. And I couldn’t have spent the evening with a better group of people.
At Least It Isn’t Dark Like Seaweed
You know you’ve become fairly acclimated to life in Japan when you come home from a night of drinking with friends and realize you’ve got a piece of squid stuck between your teeth.
A Big Ham
I haven’t posted a photo of my niece, Joni Grace, since she was born last October. She appears to love mugging for the camera, so there are plenty of good shots to choose from (the photo above was taken by her father, John). I can’t wait to see the little bugger in person for the first time next month.
New People
I’ve updated the People in Japan photo album — added new photos and changed the album design. Sooner or later, I’ll get around to updating the other albums.
No SARS Cases Reported In Japan
There’s currently a SARS scare in Japan, following the discovery that a Taiwanese doctor who visited the country was diagnosed with the disease upon his return to Taiwan. However, it appears no one who came into contact with the doctor has contracted the disease.
I hesitate to post this information for fear of alarming some, but I figure any news of this back home will just make it sound worse than it is anyway.
There are still no cases of SARS in Japan. And an incident like this continues to be a threat not only here in Asia, but in any other part of the world where people travel.
My personal risk-assessment level (on a scale of 1-10, with ten being the worst) remains around three.
Is It Really That Time Already?
I’m off to my work farewell party, my mind reeling with the thought of a year which suddenly seems to have gone by so quickly.
Pana Wave Laboratory Photos
The Mainichi Daily News has a photo gallery of the Pana Wave Laboratory cult in Japan. What’s missing from these photos is the spectacle of the media hordes that are following the group around, recording its every move. (You can catch a glimpse of a pack of cameramen in a mirror in one of the shots).
Foot Onsen
At a foot onsen (hot spring) in Suwa last month.