The Weekend Review - Ruminations...
This weekend went pretty well.
Enkai: Friday was the department work party. We went to a Chinese place in Kakogawa and then Nozaki and I met Kelly and a group of her coworkers for karaoke in Akashi. It was a much different crowd than I anticipated, but we had fun none-the-less. Nozaki is by far one of my favorite karaoke comrads in Japan. She's very animated and does a killer rendition of "My Love Will Go On" (Yes, Titanic, but she acts out some scenes and gets so into it - great performance). It made the night.
PEPY: On the ride home from the station, I also had an unexpected conversation with an aquaintance about PEPY, the volunteer program in Cambodia I am planning to take part in this December. My friend Jessica did the same program two years ago and really loved it, but I was surpised to hear this person describe it as more voluntourism. He said it was actually blatant the hands-on assistance they provided was not needed, but that it was good to see first-hand how their donations were helping. Each trip is understandably different, but one of the things I like about Habitat, for example, is that you get involved in the community and can see the effects of your labour (in a smile, a conversation, or in the physical changes you make to a community or for a family), not just the dollars. I think I need to do a little more research before my PEPY experience, but it was interesting to get another perspective.
Birthday Bash: Saturday was a relaxed day. I went to my friend's birthday party in Osaka at night. I'm getting better at finding random establishments in Osaka on my own, and in this case, the hunt was worth it. The birthday boy lives in a different part of the prefecture from me, so it was good to see him and some people from his neck of the woods, but the atmosphere of the venue was also superb. We met at a bar called Balabushka, which looks exactly like an American bar. I walked in and felt like I was back in Minneapolis (or Dundas, geez) with the wood floors, pool tables, spacious areas, and people standing around and mingling. It wasn't expensive, either. Considering it's close to the Shinsaibashi subway station, and there is a cheap capsule hotel/onsen a block away... I do believe I just found my backup plan to those long all-nighters I sometimes describe. We had a second pub/clubbing option last night, too, but I just said my goodbyes and took the last train home. I had a wonderful time, but I was glad to be in my bed when the sun came up and save the clubs or capsule for next time.
Sunday: I didn't do much today. I went to Tsutaya, a Japanese rental chain, sort of like Bluckbuster in America, but where you can also rent CDs and spent the evening watching three new episodes of LOST with Clam. Creepy, creepy, creepy... but the show is getting better.
So now, it's late on Sunday night, yet again, and I need to go to bed, but I just went to Miwa's for a while to chat (used her face steamer...oh la la) and got a call from home, so I'm awake again and playing around on the computer before calling it a night. We have midterms this week, so there's not much going on at school, but I think I am going to try to start reading the grad school prep books Joe brought me from America. Application time is coming up and I am starting to get nervous (and excited - woo hoo!), so I should take advantage of the time.
Running: I might also see if I can run at school during the day this week. I thought about signing up for another big run this summer, but Takiko reminded me that June is the rainy season here (not to mention the awful summer humidity and typhoon season), so I might just keep jogging and get serious about training for a big race this fall or next year. The Toyko marathon is in February or March, so that might be a fun one if I can find a new running buddy. I am definately not at the same level I was at a few months ago, and I can feel it getting harder to run with the humidy increasing, but it feels good to get outside and the endorphines give me such a high.
Anyways, this is a long, random post (sorry - easier than emailing sometimes), but all is well in my little corner of the world. Hope it's the same for you... time to call it a night!
Enkai: Friday was the department work party. We went to a Chinese place in Kakogawa and then Nozaki and I met Kelly and a group of her coworkers for karaoke in Akashi. It was a much different crowd than I anticipated, but we had fun none-the-less. Nozaki is by far one of my favorite karaoke comrads in Japan. She's very animated and does a killer rendition of "My Love Will Go On" (Yes, Titanic, but she acts out some scenes and gets so into it - great performance). It made the night.
PEPY: On the ride home from the station, I also had an unexpected conversation with an aquaintance about PEPY, the volunteer program in Cambodia I am planning to take part in this December. My friend Jessica did the same program two years ago and really loved it, but I was surpised to hear this person describe it as more voluntourism. He said it was actually blatant the hands-on assistance they provided was not needed, but that it was good to see first-hand how their donations were helping. Each trip is understandably different, but one of the things I like about Habitat, for example, is that you get involved in the community and can see the effects of your labour (in a smile, a conversation, or in the physical changes you make to a community or for a family), not just the dollars. I think I need to do a little more research before my PEPY experience, but it was interesting to get another perspective.
Birthday Bash: Saturday was a relaxed day. I went to my friend's birthday party in Osaka at night. I'm getting better at finding random establishments in Osaka on my own, and in this case, the hunt was worth it. The birthday boy lives in a different part of the prefecture from me, so it was good to see him and some people from his neck of the woods, but the atmosphere of the venue was also superb. We met at a bar called Balabushka, which looks exactly like an American bar. I walked in and felt like I was back in Minneapolis (or Dundas, geez) with the wood floors, pool tables, spacious areas, and people standing around and mingling. It wasn't expensive, either. Considering it's close to the Shinsaibashi subway station, and there is a cheap capsule hotel/onsen a block away... I do believe I just found my backup plan to those long all-nighters I sometimes describe. We had a second pub/clubbing option last night, too, but I just said my goodbyes and took the last train home. I had a wonderful time, but I was glad to be in my bed when the sun came up and save the clubs or capsule for next time.
Sunday: I didn't do much today. I went to Tsutaya, a Japanese rental chain, sort of like Bluckbuster in America, but where you can also rent CDs and spent the evening watching three new episodes of LOST with Clam. Creepy, creepy, creepy... but the show is getting better.
So now, it's late on Sunday night, yet again, and I need to go to bed, but I just went to Miwa's for a while to chat (used her face steamer...oh la la) and got a call from home, so I'm awake again and playing around on the computer before calling it a night. We have midterms this week, so there's not much going on at school, but I think I am going to try to start reading the grad school prep books Joe brought me from America. Application time is coming up and I am starting to get nervous (and excited - woo hoo!), so I should take advantage of the time.
Running: I might also see if I can run at school during the day this week. I thought about signing up for another big run this summer, but Takiko reminded me that June is the rainy season here (not to mention the awful summer humidity and typhoon season), so I might just keep jogging and get serious about training for a big race this fall or next year. The Toyko marathon is in February or March, so that might be a fun one if I can find a new running buddy. I am definately not at the same level I was at a few months ago, and I can feel it getting harder to run with the humidy increasing, but it feels good to get outside and the endorphines give me such a high.
Anyways, this is a long, random post (sorry - easier than emailing sometimes), but all is well in my little corner of the world. Hope it's the same for you... time to call it a night!
posted by Brenda Ann Elizabeth McKinney @ 5:38 AM
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