where i work

Well, now that i`ve been working there for a year, i thought i might finally post a couple pictures of the building in which i work. Almost a full year into my "career" at Berlitz, i feel that my teaching has improved, my motivation has remained high, and overall, i have little to complain about. Life is good. The building itself is an odd shape and has a beautiful atrium in the lobby with lots of plants and trees (that they ripped up and began re-modeling shortly after i took these photos! - i`ll post new pics when they`re done.) Our "school" - or office, rather - is on the 15th floor and has a nice view of the interconnected shopping centers that make up Senri-Chuo (just north of Osaka). It`s especially nice to watch the sunsets from the teachers' room. We are up high enough that on clear days i can see Osaka Business Park (OBP), and i can see the tower in which Ulala works. I can`t quite see our apartment building, though.







And as always my time flies, slips, and zooms past me and out of my grasp and leaves me feeling rushed and incomplete. And also feeling guilty that i give so little time to hobbies like language study and blogging (as well as my new hobbies like guitar and the gym - that`S right! i joined a freakin' gym! ack!). Ergo, in a New-Years-Resolution-based effort to blog more and better i will be including the following footer to my *hopefully* weekly posts. Who needs or has time for full sentences anyway, right?

Symian is: working hard or hardly working
Currently Reading: The Postman Always Rings Twice
Currently Listening: The Cat Empire - "The Cat Empire"
Kanji of the Day: 西　セイ／サイ／にし

Evita de Pan

One from the vaults. When Ulala and i were in Argentina back in December '07 we had a nice dinner one night at the restaurant of a boutique hotel near our apartment. In the foyer of the hotel there was this massive portrait of "Evita" that looked to be some sort of mosaic. Now, images of Eva Peron are somewhat commonplace in Argentina, along with Ernesto Guevera and Diego Maradona, so i didn`t give it much thought except to wonder at the strange texture. But just as i was taking a closer look, one of the staff said in English quietly and with what i can only describe as reverence, "It is made of bread. All bread."

A Strange Brew

Found this at the Seijo-Ishi supermarket near my house the other day. HAven' tried it yet. can't decide to go with "hot" or "cold."

A good night`s rest

So we finally got our new bed delivered and built on Sunday. It`s much, MUCH more comfortable! We were so excited about the new bed that we almost couldn't sleep! It`s much higher than the old beds, too. Now we almost have to climb up into it. We still don`t have any double sized sheets or duvets but that`s OK. We did get the box sheets for the mattress. Now if you`ll excuse me, i have some napping to do...



And here is the reason we got this bed. Perfect for tiny Japanese apartments, but a hell of a way to wake up in the morning!

Hiking in Oiwadate and Maruyama

Last Sunday Ulala and i joined Phill and his friend Tomoko for a walk in the woods... and hills, and swamps, and, well, we got lost a couple times but the views were awesome and the company great. We had a nice lunch at the top of a small mountain. And, due to the cold and light snow early in the morning, we saw only one other person the whole four and a half hours. Also, we didn`t know it was hunting season until near the end of the hike. Ignorance is worry-free bliss.

Bar Names and Other Randomness

Just another smattering of signs from the random platter of oddness and laughs that surrounds me everyday here in Japan.

Luminarie 2008

Luminarie 2003 was one of our first dates. So despite the crowds we still try to go every year. We missed last year since we were in Argentina but this year we managed to go on the last day it was open. =)