Drinking sprees

I went to see my friends who live in Kansai region last weekend. I really had such a productive weekend. I felt so happy.
First, I was drinking till dawn with prospective employees in Kyoto on Saturday. People were so considerate and fresh. I’m looking forward to working with them from next spring. But, we’re not young anymore. We were so tired that we nearly missed our station in the following morning :-(
After that, I went to Osaka to see my friends. They were my coworkers in the last summer internship in Kobe. Though it was only one year ago, a nostalgia ran deep when I had a drink with my mates.
Hmm, we are going to enter the work-force, but school days seem never to end.

Running

I trained for inter-lab Ekiden-race last night. It’s after an interval of one year to long-distance running. However, a mere 2 km running has tired me. The running course is an uneven land, especially last half; it’s precipitous road.
Even so, I was utterly fatigued. Hmm, am I getting old? I hate to admit it. Anyway I should train over and over and over!

E.E.Cummings

I really like this poem from Edward Estlin Cummings.
I heard it in the movie "In Her Shoes".

E.E.Cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)

i am never without it
(anywhere i go you go, my dear;
and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate
(for you are my fate, my sweet)

i want no world
(for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

How was the soccer game today?

An inter-laboratory soccer competition was taking place in Hyojogawara sports ground.
Sorry to say, I did so BAD, and we lost. But, that's OK! Win some, lose some.
Anyway, we have to renew ourselves in body and spirit. We have inter-laboratory baseball championship and road relay race next month. Take it easy:-)

Three days off

The second Monday of October is National Sports Day in Japan. This year October 9th is that day. So we have three days weekend.
I really enjoyed myself in this weekend. I had a great time watching movies and visiting my girlfriend's family. They invited me to her brother's wedding on next February. It's so nice. Very happy:)

What I saw on DVDs.

All wet

It is truly heavy rain today. The forecast calls for heavier rain through the evening because humid winds from typhoon and tropical cyclone flow along the edge of the autumn rain front.
I usually go to school by the motorbike. So it’s awful situation to ride my motorbike in such a heavy rain:(
My shoes are soaking! I want most-advanced rain gears.

Letter about nonpayment

I got a reminder notice from an electronics broker. I bought microcomputer from them in June. Though, I couldn’t pay out of our laboratory budget because we were on a tight budget at that time. So I asked them to spread out the payment.
I was going to but I forgot :'(
I should have treated money-related matters with care.

Feeling fine!

Yesterday, I came back from Kyoto. I attended the company orientation. In the evening, a party was held at a Japanese restaurant. There were 13 new recruits including myself. And we will join the company from next April. Everyone was good fellows, and unique in their own way. So I will fit in with them.

Crazy about a book

"The Alphabet of Manliness" is a mad book. The contents of this is invincibly stupid, but funny anecdote about manliness.
I found this book in BORDERS in ASU on my last trip. At that time, I didn't bought this because I hated having too much luggage.
Though, I regretted that I didn't get it. So, finally Ｉ ordered it via Amazon.
I'm really looking forward to receive it.

Go great guns?

I put forward my opinions at the meeting of our research project with a company.

I was relieved because my suggestion was favored by them. And we would be take out a patent on it. So I keep the idea under cover until it is patented :-)

My friend is an adventurer.

My friend Mr. S is a hitchhiker, who has been a lot of places in Japan.

Several days ago, his friend who lived in Hiroshima approached him with the offering to handover of motorcycle. So, he went to see his friend by thumb. Now he is riding motorbike for Tokyo. He has to arrive at Tokyo until October 2 because he will receive job offers. After that, he will return home by motorcycle for his plan.

I think there are two problems in his plan. One is long distance and the other is lack of riding experience. We live in Sendai. Hiroshima is about 700 miles away from Sendai. And he just received his rider’s license last month.

Anyway, it’s okay! I believe he can do that :)

Ain't I rain bringer?

It has been raining since last night. I heard the precipitation is reaching record levels for the last two years in Sendai.

Talking about raining, I'm rain bringer, I suppose :-)

I remember that it was always rain when I arrived in Arizona.
Jeez! Arizona is desert region, so it rarely rains there!
That's weird, isn't it?

Return

Today, my senior co-worker at our laboratory is just coming back from U.S. He studied at Arizona State University for a year. I think he would get valuable experience by studying and living abroad. I am grateful for everything he has done for me when I visited Arizona. Best wishes for many more years of success at his new environment.

Slimming water

Contrex, which is mineral water bottled in France, is the one of the most popular mineral water in the world. This French mineral water has been proving to be especially popular among women who want to be slim. It contains so much calcium and magnesium that helps increase beauty.

Yesterday, I drank it for the first time. But it didn’t suit my taste. I prefer soft water rather than hard water.

Attack by animals

Recently, wild animals frequently attack on human. There seems to be no end to hear the news about harm from bears, hornets and monkeys. So, we have to keep safe from the attack of wild beasts.
I think that there is not a sufficiency of food for wild animals in their habitat. As a result, many bears and monkeys come around human settlements searching for foods. That would have been caused by environmental destruction.
Sadly, we tend to act more brown than green.

At early morning

This morning, I returned home just before dawn because I was up all night crafting a presentation for a seminar. I rarely go out at such time in the morning. So, I really enjoyed a relaxing soak up rising sun.
It's nice to feel the crisp air of autumn. It’s fresh and cool! And, there was something glorious about rising sun.

Go to dental clinic

I went to a dentist for a routine checkup. She removed dental calculus from my teeth, and dental hygienist cleaned up my teeth. They said that periodic visits to the dentist are good for the teeth. So I make an appointment with the dentist every three month.
Many people have terrible childhood dental experiences. And it makes such people afraid of the dentist. But I liked dentist. Whining drill did nothing for me:)

What a pity!

Yesterday, I held a draw at a rental shop. I didn’t expect good result because it was a free lot. But, I won the second prize in the lot!!! My heart raced with excitement.
However I didn’t bring home nothing:'(
The prize was a multi-channel satellite music tuner. If I want to listen to music, I must pay 5,500 yen per month. In addition, it couldn’t save music as digital MP3, AAC and so on. If I could do that, I was glad to receive lucky prize. But It doesn't quite suit my lifestyle.

Accident on the road

I had a trivial motorcycle accident on the way to the bus stop. I'm sorry, the accident came of my carelessness.
At that time, I rode my motorcycle on the left lane of a three-lane section. Traffic of middle lane was slow. I was in a hurry and did not see the car which was turning right from opposite lane. When I saw the car come across the intersection, I braked hard my bike. But I toppled over because of rain-slicked road.
Fortunately, everyone was okay. But my motorcycle was broken. It could have been worse. If I took one wrong step, it would turn catastrophic accident.
I should have been more in control. And I regret I made such a mistake.
I'll take time out to get a grip on myself tonight.

Stay at home

Today, I was closeted in my apartment. So, I feel like I've lost one day. I spent time doing nothing. I didn't talk to anybody.
What a unproductive day!

The courier delivered keeping late hours.

Recently, I’m a night bird. I’m playing on my friend (in AZ)’s Play Station 2 late into the night. I borrowed PS2 from him. More properly, I was used as a courier of PS2. :D

Because he is going to return Japan from AZ, he will have to bring back many things. We can carry our baggage on the airplane up to 50 lbs. Enough? Actually, it’s light and not enough for him. For this reason, I took his PS2 my home :)

Visiting Arizona

Scottsdale
Originally uploaded by surlearbre.

I went to Arizona after visiting NYC. My co-workers and I visited my friend. He is former colleague at our laboratory. For now, he studies at Arizona State University. And he will be back in few weeks.

We went to see Old Main in Scottsdale. There were museums of Native American’s arts, many statues and souvenir shops. We bought gifts for our co-workers, family and friends.

It was second time to visit Old Main. Last time, I went Arizona in March and I stayed there 10 days. Those days I joined my friend’s laboratory. There were 4 people in that lab. They were kind to me and so considerate. So, we have come to be on a first-name basis.

We had a party time for joyous reunion on arrival night. We really had a good time. I felt connected with people who have various cultural backgrounds. I think tourism brings people close to people.

Autumn rains

These days, the temperature swings wildly from hot to cold. But day by day, it's getting colder.

And it has been raining for several days on end. A rain front is coming down to the Pacific Ocean and will bring wet weather to the east area of Japan.

It certainly is nice to know that the hot humid summer is over. However, as the summer passed, I wish it were summer.

Particularly, autumn weather is variable. There are similar sayings in Japanese and English. Many Japanese say “women are as fickle as autumn weather”. And some British say “A woman's mind and winter wind change often”. Anyway, they say that women’s mind change often. If I say that, my honey will take a few jabs at me. So, I dare say that human’s mind changes often.

Visiting NYC

Times square 2
Originally uploaded by surlearbre.

I attended the scientific meeting in NYC.
It's regretted, however, that I was not fully able to discusss my research in the meeting. But I guess it's OK. Forget it!

It was first time to go to NYC.
So, It was very exciting for me to explore the city.
I went to see the city sights,for example, MoMA, Brooklyn Bridge, City hall, Chinatown, Ground Zero, Central Park and Times Square.

And I really enjoyed my meal in NYC. I like sandwiches, bagels and hot dogs. Especially I love deli foods. There were many kinds of meals in a deli shop. They were fairly cheap but delicious.

I ♥ NY

Locking Out Drunks Ignites Debate

I read with interest the article about drunken driving.
It said that NISSAN is going to develop cars which can't ignite until we pass a breathalyzer test before firing up their engines.
Recently, accidents caused by drunken driver are increasing.
So, I hope drinking-driving accident will be decreasing with the popularization of blood-alcohol-testing devices.

Hello!

Today, I decided to blog in English!