With the hot weather and the energy saving steps that are common these days, they changed the procedure for getting off some of the trains heading home. Usually the train arrives, the doors open, and the passengers get off. The train has to wait there for three minutes for another train to pass, and then it continues on. So recently, to keep the people inside comfortable while they wait, they set the doors to manual operation in order to keep the air conditioning inside the train cars.

So yesterday I was on this train coming home, and we were approaching the station, and I was standing right in front of the buttons to open the doors once we arrived. Behind me, people start lining up to get ready to get off the train. It’s a popular stop, so there are a lot of people, and they are all in a rush to get up the escalator and get to the gates before they become crowded. So there is a little urgency involved for some of the people behind me.

I casually glance back over my shoulder, and every single person was watching me carefully. It was a weird scene – like out of a movie. They are probably wondering if I’m aware of the new protocol, or if I know which button to press (they’re helpfully marked in English as well as Japanese, though), and if I’ll be too slow and cause them to be late.

I could make them all feel better by raising my right hand and hovering it over the button, but I decided to play out the drama a little bit. I keep my hand to my sides, and the train is getting closer and closer. There was some shifting over my right shoulder as somebody gets ready to reach over my shoulder if I’m not aware of the button. I look through the reflection of the glass and see everybody watching intently. And then the train stops, and I reach up and push the button, the door opens, and everybody rushes out of the train. And my small part in the everybody’s commute is quickly forgotten.

Another weekend has come and gone. This time, we gave the BBQ a workout and had a really good time with some friends and neighbors in Okubo. Saturday while Kuniko was working I spent the whole day cooking and preparing for dinner. There was a lot of stuff to do, actually.

I made carne asada marinades for the beef, a lime-based marinade for the chicken thighs, peeled fifty tiger prawns, made Mexican beans from scratch, cooked “Spanish” rice, made guacamole, salad, and homemade salsa. In between cooking I cleaned the house and got it ready for guests, and then about an hour before people were due, I started grilling.

The food turned out great, and I think everybody liked the food. I did the whole meal (except for the carne asada marinade) without cilantro, which turned out to be a good decision as one of the members of the party said they couldn’t eat it at all.

All of the members of the party had spent time with us before, but it was the first time for them to meet each other. I was wondering whether or not people would get along, but thanks to nine bottles of wine and plenty of beer everything went fine. People were talking and laughing with each other, telling stories, and the conversations went well on their own without much support from us. You never know what will happen when that many people get together for the first time. In this case, it went splendidly.

Next weekend we have another barbecue with Kuniko’s coworkers, and I’m planning on kebabs for that one. I’m loving grilling season.

After work yesterday I went over to the Hankyu department store in Kobe to see a model railroad exhibition that one of my students had set up. His display was on the third floor, so I went up there and found a rather large layout in N gauge. It has been a long, long time since I’ve seen model railroads running, but the basics are the same. They had built small towns, mountains and rivers, and the trains dutifully ran around and around while people watched. The trains were based on actual Japanese trains, and as the Hankyu train line also owns the department store, it was featured prominently.

One thing that was new to me was that they had several trains that had a tiny camera in the front, so while you operated you could enjoy watching a very high quality video image on a TV set in front of you. It was amazing how realistic the view was from the camera, and it really changed the experience of running trains. Great leaps and bounds of technology, I guess.

There weren’t a lot of people there while I was looking at the model railroad layout, probably because most people were still at work. When I was there, a couple of hardcore nerdy guys (I mean, besides me) were watching and talking with the operator, and strangely a girl in a high school student school uniform. When I looked up she was watching me, and then a few minutes later I caught her watching me again. I wasn’t sure what the deal was, but when I left I walked past her and smiled and nodded at her, and she gave me a big smile and a nod back. Somebody I knew before? A total stranger? I guess I’ll never know.

Back home in Okubo I knew Kuniko would be at a concert until late, so I went over to Swaad for the first time in a couple of months. The hot weather doesn’t exactly make me think of Indian food, but as usual they served up a great meal. I was chatting with the waitress and cook, and they were excited to hear that we’re going to India soon. The cook used to work in Delhi – so I hope that is an indication of the kind of food we’ll be eating when we get there….

Kuniko got back home around midnight, exhausted from standing for three and a half hours at the concert. She seemed to enjoy it, though. I’ll have to download the artist’s “Best Of” album for her…

Finally, tomorrow we’re having a party with three other couples at our place. It’ll be fun to see everybody hanging out together, and I hope that they enjoy themselves. I’m looking forward to cooking and cleaning all day tomorrow!

Tonight after work Kuniko is going to a concert to see this guy, so I’m on my own after work today. I’m thinking about dropping by the Hankyu department store in Kobe to see an exhibition of model trains that one of my students is helping with, but other than that it should be a pretty normal night.

Last night while eating dinner Kuniko asked if it was OK to invite her coworkers here for some BBQ next weekend, so it looks like we’re starting to get social again. I’m looking forward to it – any excuse to grill is fine with me. I think we’re going to make kabobs. Anybody know any good sauces or marinades?

Yesterday one of my students returned from his holiday in Australia. I had helped a little bit with planning some events for him while he was there, and so he brought back some chocolates for me to thank me. He’s big into wine, so I steered him to a wine tasting event that was being held in Sydney while he was there, and he said that although it was his first wine tasting, it went well. He bought a bottle of Tomfoolery Artful Dodger 2008 Shiraz as a souvenir. He was surprised at the difference of quality between Australian wines that you can get here in Japan and the ones available locally in Sydney. それはそうだ。

Off to work in the heat!

The boost of energy I got from a week off of work seems to be fading faster than I expected. Despite going to bed at a reasonable hour (recently around 9-10 pm) we’re having trouble getting out of bed and going off to work. Luckily, my students seem to be facing the same problem. There’s even a word for it in Japanese – 休みボケ (yasumiboke).

One of the good points of coming back from a long holiday is that many of my students are returning from distant places, and I have been scoring some good souvenirs. I got chocolates from Hawaii, Japanese snacks from Kyushu, and some nuts from Thailand. It’s pretty nice to have so many international snacks around this week. Most of them I bring back to share with Kuniko.

This weekend we’ve got a party with three other couples, none of whom have met each other before. We’ve had parties with each of them in the past, but we thought we’d bring them all together in the same place since they all live in Okubo and they all are cool people. We’ll sprinkle in some tequila, frozen margaritas, and beer, and see what happens. I’m going to put together a Mexican dinner – rice, homemade beans (thanks, Mom!) and grill up some carne asada. Can’t wait…

During the holiday I had a chance to try another Indian restaurant that opened up in town. I was at Red Spanky the night before when one of the customers there told me about a new restaurant in northern Okubo. He drew me a map, and so the next day I hiked up there for lunch.

The first problem with this place is the location. It is off the main road (which is itself not quite a “main” road), and then hidden behind a strip of scary-looking snacks. If I didn’t have the map there would be no way of knowing that this place existed unless I walked past the snacks, and even at night few people will do that.

Once past the front door the place is nice enough. They spent a lot of money on the interior, and it shows. I ordered a lunch set, as that was the only choice available, and asked for spicy curry along with some other goodies. Unfortunately it wasn’t very spicy, but it was quite tasty. I had vegetable curry and that was really good. The curry turned out to be the best of the lot, as the rest of the food wasn’t very exciting. The naan bread was huge, but a little too chewy and not enough butter for my taste.

After lunch one of the cooks came over to introduce himself and talk about the restaurant. He was a really friendly guy and nice to talk to. The place is owned by a Japanese guy (who I think was sitting in the back of the restaurant while I was there) and the two cooks are from Nepal. They were trying to drum up business for the future, but I think I’ll wait a while for them to straighten out their menu before I go back. Until then, I’ll stick with Swaad.

Wow, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do! Wrapping up nine days off is no easy task, but luckily I didn’t do very much during the week, so I’ll give the bullet points first:

– Reading every day
– Catching up on my favorite TV shows
– Surviving a wussy typhoon
– Going to the dentist (finally)
– An aborted attempt at a deserted island trip
– A mind-blowing anniversary dinner at Chiro
– Good times at 穴婆 and Red Spanky
– Plenty of time to research lesson plans and class activities for work
– Trying another Indian restaurant in town

The deserted island trip turned out to be pretty disappointing. I mean, really disappointing. According to my research, once I arrived at the port in Himeji, there were plenty of choices for private companies and fishermen to take me out there. Upon my arrival, however, it turned out that there weren’t so many choices at all. I negotiated with a couple of different people, and they were all quoting prices way higher than anything I had even imagined. At first I figured I’d have to pay around 4000 yen round trip on the top end, which works out to about $50. I was surprised that the lowest price I could find was 25000 yen – around $300. For that price I could fly round trip to Korea – not just get a boat ride to a couple of islands visible in the distance.

So rather than waste the money I figured I should head back and re-evaluate, and that’s what I did. Unfortunately that day was not a good day for public transportation, and the trip back was plagued with delays and waiting. By the time I got home I was tired out, and I didn’t even make it out to the island. I’m already starting research into going somewhere else, though.

One of the highlights of the holiday was our 6th anniversary dinner at Chiro. We were able to get reservations and were welcomed by the staff as if we go there a lot more often than once a year. We ate big, with a big plate of antipasti, their delicious pizza, some chicken and some cheesy pasta that probably shaved a year off our lifespans, and of course a nice bottle of wine. They had saved us the best table in the house, sitting in front of the open restaurant, enjoying a beautiful view of the Akashi bridge changing colors through the evening. The sea breeze blew in keeping the restaurant cool despite a relatively hot day… it was perfect. I gave a small present to Kuniko for our anniversary, and she seemed happy with it, so that worked out pretty well, too.

I’ll try to recap some of the other events later this week. There is a lot to talk about with my students as well – the train crash in China may have some repercussions for my work and Kawasaki.

I had a nice long weekend – mainly hanging out at home, but we did get out on Friday night for Mexican food near Okamoto station. Me going to a Mexican food place in Japan is never a joyous experience. The bar is set impossibly high, and it really isn’t fair to rate the experience against a trip to Los Cuatros Milpas in San Diego or Bor Corona in Tijuana. This place had not only Mexican food but also some California dishes – ribs, burgers and mac and cheese (?). We tried a little bit of everything (except for the mac and cheese) and overall it wasn’t too bad.

The guacamole was too sour – a little too heavy on the lime juice I guess, but other than that the Mexican food was better than average. We had pork and chicken tacos, and they both were pretty good, and the quesadilla was good too (but really, how do you screw that up?)

As for the burger and the ribs, well, nothing special. I liked the ribs actually, but the meat in the burger was thin and lifeless. Too bad. So the final result is a solid B minus. We may or may not be back in the future, I’m not sure.

Timing is not on my side this week. Although today the rest of Japan is going back to work after the three day weekend, I have the next four days off. I was hoping to get outdoors and do some exploring, but a typhoon has hit our area, and right now the wind and rain are slapping every window in our house. There is no way I’ll be able to go out in that. So today, and likely tomorrow as well, I’ll be stuck at home indoors.

Hopefully things will blow off by Thursday and Friday – I’d like to get out and do some exploring and some shopping this week.

After work yesterday I met up with Yoshi for some dinner and drinks in Tarumi. I’m not a frequent visitor to Tarumi, but since Yoshi lives nearby he is always happy to show me around. We started at a small izakaya and enjoyed a couple of interesting dishes – a mix of yakitori, salad, and a strange dish with small pieces of toast, thinly sliced onions and thick slices of bacon. It was kind of like make-your-own BLT without the tomato. Everything went with the cold beer we were drinking, and the atmosphere was “traditional Japanese izakaya” which is hard to explain but a pretty good environment for drinking.

While eating Yoshi and I talked about his upcoming trip next week to Cambodia and Vietnam, and my trip next month to India. He’s very excited about his trip, and just a little nervous. I warned him not to drink the water, wash the fruit with your own bottled water before eating it, and try to spend some time each day doing nothing but relaxing. Sometimes vacations can get overcrowded with activities, and they end up seeming like work. He’s going with some coworkers who are pretty cool, so I’m sure they’ll have a good time.

Afterwards we figured we had another drink or two in us, so he took us to a kushi bar in western Tarumi that specialized in wine. With a couple of glasses of wine we had grilled zucchini, avocado, erengi mushrooms, and some sliced cheese. Although it was a lot of food it was fun to check out a new place and try some new wines. Too bad all this excitement was happening on a school night.

When I got home poor Kuniko was already conked out in bed – she had a very exhausting seminar – so we had to wait to catch up until this morning. We’ll go out to dinner tonight, though – it’ll give us another chance to bring each other up to speed on what we’ve been doing. Today is the last day of work for the next nine days – that’s always good news.

Tonight Kuniko will get back from her trip, and I’ve got one last hurrah of single life after work before things get back to “normal” around here. Yoshi and I will meet up in Tarumi for dinner and drinks. It has been a while since I’ve hung out with Yoshi – we went hiking back at the end of spring, but the heat now makes another hike pretty much impossible. Instead we’ll take it easy during the summer months and then get back to it once fall rolls around.

Last night I came home, fixed up some leftovers for dinner, and kept plowing through the new book. It is amazing how quickly time flies while I’m reading it… I guess that is a sign of a good book…

Yesterday at about 4 pm Japan time, it was midnight in California, and the long awaited new book from the Song of Fire and Ice series by George RR Martin was officially released. Between classes I fired up the Kindle application on my iPhone and was able to buy and start reading the book in less than a minute.

We are truly living in the future.

It’s a big book, so it’ll take a while to get through it, but so far what little I have read has been good. I should have plenty of time next week to delve as deeply as I’d like and really get into the book. Good timing, Mr. Martin.

Last night after work I met up with the two inspectors for tachinomi, as well as one of my students, Mr. Kase. He was eager to try speaking more English with more people, and he did reasonably well. We were able to keep the conversations going without too much Japanese. The more that Mr. Kase drank, the louder his voice seemed to get, however. I don’t think he noticed, however. After a couple rounds of drinks and some roast pork I headed home and left them to their conversation. I’m guessing it wasn’t a long one.

Today is a pretty normal day – I should be home on time to work on leftovers and continue reading. This week is going to go by fast – I can tell already.

The heat is definitely on around here. Walking to and from work is a sweaty affair, and even just leaving my classroom and walking in the hallway of the building starts to get the sweat going. And to think that summer is only just starting.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been having some pain in one of my teeth in the back. I think it is time to finally head to the dentist to have them check it out. I’m sure it’s a cavity – I haven’t been to a dentist in years. I’m hoping it is something they can fix without any downtime at work, though. It is essential for me to be able to speak clearly. I guess the upcoming week off might be a good time to get it taken care of. Ugh, dentists.

Today Kuniko is off to do her study camp with the students, so I’ll be on my own for a couple of days. We’ll see what trouble I manage to get myself in.

Last Friday after work Kuniko and I met in Nishi Akashi to visit a Spanish restaurant that our neighbors had recommended. It was small, crowded and lively, and we sat between two big tables full of shouting drunken people, which made conversation a little difficult. I’m all for shouting drunken people – I have plenty of experience being a shouting drunken person – but in this small place it was a little too much.

Despite the rowdy atmosphere the food was better than average, and the paella (although a little too greasy) had excellent flavor. We also had avocado salad, and a duck confit that was quite good. They also had a strange wine system – 3000 yen for a 750 mL bottle of wine, but a carafe of the same stuff (500 mL) was only 1500 yen.

Saturday Kuniko was working and I spent the day at home cleaning and doing laundry. We had a little party of our own in the evening, eating leftover Mexican food and hitting the cocktails, and even making a drunken trip to Uniqlo. It made it a little tough to get up on time Sunday morning to prepare for our guests.

I had invited one of the people that works at OTC over for lunch with his family. I have worked with this guy for a couple of years now, and I figured it was finally time to have him over for some BBQ. I met him and his family at 11 am at the local station, and it was hot. He had brought his wife and two kids, and they were all very friendly, and not shy at all.

The kids were great entertainment as we ate lunch and sat around the table. They were completely honest about the food (which I thought was refreshing) and everyone laughed when the little girl said that Kuniko’s homemade bread was not delicious. But she still tried to eat it, which was cute. We played around for most of the afternoon, giving our living room a workout. The kids were pretty active, and our sofa became a jungle gym. The bar counter was also popular – the kids would climb up onto a bar stool and ask for a drink, and then I would serve then OJ or milk in little shot glasses. I’m not sure their parents were so thrilled with that, but the kids enjoyed it.

Finally we called it a day and walked them back to the station. The kids seemed to have enjoyed themselves, and the little girl was holding Kuniko’s hand all the way back, crying because she had to go home without Kuniko. Her brother was a little more proactive, trying to setup a time for us to visit this summer. The only person that wasn’t so friendly was my coworker, who looked a little tired throughout the visit, and didn’t seem to be too into lunch. Mysterious…

This week should be pretty lively. Kuniko will be on an overnight trip with students from Tuesday to Thursday, so I won’t see her until Thursday night. Tuesday I’ll go out to the tachinomi with an inspector and a student. Thursday I’ll meet Yoshi in Tarumi for drinks after work, and Friday Kuniko and I will head east to visit a burger and taco shack that we drove past by chance a few weeks ago. Then, the following week I have completely off from work – nine days in a row. Can’t wait…

This week is wrapping up! To celebrate the end of the week, we’re going to a Spanish restaurant that was recommended by Fukumi-san. The most interesting thing about the place is that it is in Nishi Akashi, the next town on the JR train line to us. We’re hoping that it will be good – we usually get our Spanish food at various places in Sannomiya. It would be fun to have a place closer to us.

On Saturday I have the whole day off, and no special plans. Sunday my boss from OTC is dropping by with his family for a light lunch. If the weather holds up I’m hoping to BBQ, but if it is pouring rain I’m thinking about busting out the Mexican food again. One thing I still haven’t learned how to do around here in control the weather.

But I’m working on it.

Wow, that was fun. Last night four of Kuniko’s coworkers came over for some Mexican food. It was the first time for me to meet three of them, and I had a great time talking with them and eating and drinking into the night. The food was a hit, and we even had shots of tequila and blended margaritas at one point, so you can gauge the party level from that I guess. We finally got to bed on the late side so I’m a little tired this morning. Today might be a little tough – we’ll see how it goes. Tonight Kuniko has a baking class, so I’ll be on my own with the leftovers (of which we have plenty).

I’m counting down the days until the new George R.R. Martin book comes out, Dance with Dragons. It is supposed to be quite a tome, but I’ve got a lot of free time coming up, so I should have a good chance to take it slow and enjoy it. Hopefully I can get a digital version over here in Japan…

Another rainy day outside – it looks like rainy season continues to hang on. Hopefully it will stop in time for our BBQ on Sunday…