Category: General

There’s an enormous 5 or 6 story black monolithic building next to the middle of nowhere (a.k.a Kurihashi, Saitama Pref.) that houses every indoor activity imaginable, and it’s called Round1. For 1,700 yen a head, Tony and I played arcade games to our hearts’ content for three hours straight while Andy played in an enormous indoor padded playground and my wife…well, I don’t know what she did. I was too busy playing video games to care.

Here’s a partial list of all the things you can do there. I’m just going to type until I get bored.

• 40 lanes of bowling
• 21 karaoke rooms
• darts
• three floors of video games
• slot machines
• UFO catcher machines
• food courts
• archery
• auto tenis
• curling
• more karaoke
• bb gun target range
• catch & frisbee
• virtual golf
• soccer, mini and kick tick-tack-toe
• auto ping-pong
• hoops
• tennis
• batting
• billiards
• badminton
• volleyball
• mini bowling
• robot rodeo bull (nobody used it)
• robot boxing (it was lame)
• indoor fishing (tsuri bori, don’t make fun if it, it’s fun: example)
• inline skating/minibike racing
• music rehersal studio
• massage chairs (example, from elsewhere)
• party room (byo hookers)
• massage and exercise machines

That’s it, I’m bored. Go to the bottom of the Round1 webpage and paste some of the katakana words into Google Images to find out more. (Japanese study tip #582)

“Why didn’t you take video?” you ask. Well, I tried. I ran out of tape in about 30 seconds and forgot to bring a spare, so we’ll have to go back again soon.

If anyone wants to go on a weekend, let me know. Seriously, if I’m free I’ll pick you up at Koga station and drive you there. I can fit a max of 4-5 well-behaved extra people in our minivan. I’m totally up for it, and my kids would love to meet you, as long as you’re not a dickhead. (If you are, no big deal. You’ll just have to find your own way back.)

Any real estate moguls reading? A friend of mine needs to sell her house, quickly. NOW. Maybe I’ll get her on a podcast to tell her story. Probably not. I’ve never heard of anyone having as much bad luck as she’s having. It’s the kind of story where you gasp with your eyes wide open, cover your mouth and and go, “NO…really?” She’s a strong person, just not a very lucky one. What happened to her is giving me nightmares.

Somewhere on the other side of the planet, somebody’s getting swamped with good luck that’s being sucked from her karma account. They’re in Fiji…no, they’re off the coast of Fiji, sailing a yacht.

The house is 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 2 story, 2 car garage, stainless steel appliances, gated community at Silverado Ranch. Asking $380,000. The houses in that area sure look nice.

Contrary to reports in the US media, only unless you live in a very, very small world, it is not the #1 news story around the world.

The Japanese media does the same thing–blows trivial, sensational news out of proportion when there are far more pressing issues the public should be aware of. Like, for example, how Bush is sending more troops to Iraq quite possibly because he really wants to send them into Iran.

I used to stutter quite a bit. Lately I’ve noticed it’s coming back. The reason might be because recently I started to think about it again–how I used to stutter but don’t anymore.

It’s always been worse when I speak a foreign language. There’s a timing to it, like waves on the beach. I have to be speak carefully, trying to ride the crest of the stutter wave instead of getting bowled over by it. It also depends on with whom I’m speaking.

I’m no longer embarrassed to admit I stutter, but I certainly don’t like when it happens. Especially when I’m having a conversation with someone who isn’t aware I have a problem. It was rough trying to hide it when when I was in my teens, but these days, the way I figure, anyone who’d hold it against me isn’t someone I’d want to be around anyway.

Just thought I’d throw that out there.

Last.fm is a terrific way to explore new and exciting genres of music. Just now I discovered that this “death metal” music I’ve heard so much about sounds like the grumblings my tummy makes when I’m hungry, singing along to a herd of pigs stuffed into car crusher.

Suddenly I feel the urge to crap myself inside out. Perhaps I should turn down the volume.

Honestly, the background sound is so clear I wonder if anyone will care what I’m talking about.

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I just checked her website for the first time in ages. She’ll be giving a performance at Shinjuku Art Place on Thursday, Feb. 15. (The day after my birfday. My 39th. Shee-it.) Anyone want to go?

Seriously, she’s the only artist in the world for whose original artwork I’d be willing to pay. …Is that grammatically correct?

It’ll be her and four others giving performances on the piano. Here’s the schedule. Opens at 6 pm, starts at 6:30.

And boy do they sound good. Hell, I could be reciting the dictionary on the way to work and people will love listening to my podcasts.

I really have to something about my sniffles. I’m completely unaware I’m doing it until I listen to the recording. They sound extra-specially juicy with these new microphones.

I have to say, what I like best about podcasting is the amazingly friendly people I’ve attracted to here. To me that’s all that matters. I’m still uncomfortable with the worldwide recognition that comes with the territory, but I certainly like the two-way conversations that are the result of me talking to myself.

What is the attraction to fame? Is it that your existance seems greater the more people think about you? I’ve never understood it. Whether I have one friend or a million, I’m still the same person…

I just finished reading parts I and II. The guy who wrote it seems OK; he just had too much to drink one night and things got out of hand.

Maybe a better way to put “don’t be an asshole” is “don’t lose control of yourself” while in Japan. Keep your cool if someone pushes you too hard getting out of a train. Brush off any sideways glances or insults to your heritage delivered to your face or under someone’s breath as you pass by. Standing up for your pride isn’t worth the consequences.

I can think of many occasions when I could have made the wrong choice and ended up in prison like that guy. Luckily, I’m what some would call a wimp, only I’m might proud of it. It takes a lot of strength to not give into anger, even if that strength isn’t widely recognized.

Tony would never let me play Nintendo DS, even though it’s his little brother’s game, so last weekend I bought my own. So far the only game I’ve played is Animal Crossing.

My friend code is: 5068-9763-8107

Town: Richland
Character: Pavster
Friend Code: 1933 6825 6090

Please don’t chop all my trees down or…well, whatever. Be nice to little “Pavster.” Or I’ll cry.

Update: There’s an online community for trading friend codes at http://www.animalcrossingcommunity.com/

If you’re friendly, able write a grammatically correct message, complete with proper spelling and capitalization and don’t use the phrase “lol”, contact me with your character name, town and friend code and if I can I’ll open my gates for you. I cheat like a madman and tend to have lots of bags of 99,000 bells, golden tools and such lying around.

On the other hand, if you can’t use English correctly despite it being your native language, that’s a sign that you should play Nintendo less and study more.