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So when’s the next podcast? I’m thinking of doing it in the next few days. I haven’t recorded my life for a while so I need to write down the main stories and figure out how to ramble them off within 30 minutes. haha. So what’d ya do for New Years? Well, pretty typical with a twist. Drank a lot with friends, of course, had a nice temaki sushi dinner on New years eve and then planned a party in Second Life for ten friends from around the world (80s dance party, lights, psychedelic dance floor, fireworks). After the party we followed New Years west for a couple more hours until I collapsed at 5:00 just before Moscow. The next day we did the proverbial one hour osechi visit with the family at my mother-in-laws and then stopped by a shrine for my yearly campfire smoke soak; clapped hands, threw 20 yen, folded the omikuji, took some photos. Went home, finished my thesis, sent it in, drank a little sake, and crashed. Today I am off for a couple bridal fair weddings and then out to our friends in Akashi for a kaki party and more festivities into the night. Tomorrow afternoon is another bridal fair and another night of baby sleep. Next week should be a fresh start. Now you can understand why it might take a while to put together my thoughts for a podcast. Holiday Greetings! With the year winding down and many changes happening in everyone’s lives both good and not so good, we’d like to send our best wishes to you and yours.
Here is a story I hope will make us all remember how good life can be no matter where we are located or how distant we might think we are from each other. There once was a boy who lived in a time with candy and toys. His parents and friends loved him dearly. Everyday he would come home to warm meals and a soft bed. Christmas was his favorite time. It was when all of his family would come together. He would receive presents and money, eat fantastic food, and sing and dance to his grandpa’s harmonica; what a joyous time. The next year he began to experience a change though. His parents began fighting, his friends were moving away, and his grandfather passed away. Christmas was not the same that year. There was no family gathering, no great food, and no singing or dancing with grandpa. That next year his parents divorced and there was never another Christmas as warm as once before. The only thing that made him feel as if he was spending a wonderful Christmas as he had had as a boy was when he played his harmonica and learned to cook that fantastic food himself. That was 25 years ago. Now that boy is living in Japan, playing his harmonica, and cooking fantastic food. He might not be with his family, but those who share in the delight that swims in his head during this time can share with him how wonderful this time of the year can be. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Looks like this Christmas is going to be a little slow for love hotels. With the 1,000s of lost jobs and about a 10% price hike in food prices this past year, Japanese will be tightening their belts. And who gets it first, the girls. Yes girls, you. The biggest spenders on the block. Sorry, you won’t be taken out for expensive meals, be given diamond rings, bea ble to take my credit card out and buy yourselves coffee and cake at Nishimura’s coffee…uh…scratch that last one. What I’m trying to say is that these are trying times…I think. I mean, I don’t see any of it really, but I hear people are really struggling outside of my bubble. I heard from a friend of a friend that one guy lost his his job because the company was cutting back. I, on the other hand, just got hired. My wife tells me that cheese is really expensive now, but we have a drawer full of cheese in the new fridge. Hmmmm. I heard that beer prices have gone up 3-5%, but we were just given a case of Suntory Super Premium and I saw the Daily Yamazaki convenience store having a sale on beer for 100 yen per can. Hmmm. So it’s a rocky Christmas. Does that mean Kai and I can’t get a Wii? Probably not. On with the show.
I haven’t got a clue. Yeah, I’ve been really busy doing weddings but the universities are only paying around 250,000 yen combined. All together, it’s not enough, according to my wife. Money has been tight and to talk about it in the house just makes problems. On a lighter note, I got hired at Kangaku this week. Yeah, great. Well, they’ve said there is a possibility of a four year contract in 2010. We’ll see. For the next year though I’ll be a part-timer again making the same as this year. Crap. Another year of fighting to make money. So what am I going to do? Well, for starters I’m going to be looking for advertisers on this blog and making it something. I’m also going to be working on professormerryman.com too. I’ll be advertising web design again and beginning to sell some builds in Second Life, doing some teacher training and maybe even a private or two. That’s the plan. If anyone has any better ideas, let me know. With Masters in hand, I seek employment. Merry Christmas. Do I really want to make a podcast? hmmm.
It’s not like applying for a job at the local eikaiwa, that’s for sure. I’m in the process of finishing a Masters (this month), getting 3-5 publications in order, two presentations (JALT and ETJ should work), a manual, an article, and a syllabus to teach a 20 minute lesson plus a few recommendation letters. It’s not easy. Do I even want to be a full-time professor? Do I want to deal with bureaucracy and miscommunication, long hours and meaningless meetings? Well, if I want to get a stable job that pays more and gives me enough time to spend with my family then this is really the only choice. Plus, I love the possibility of being able to research education and technology. It’s been a busy year. There are still a few more months to go. Pardon my lack of posting, I’m still around.
I got back last night from a trip to Tokyo and a presentation at JALT. Roppongi ate us alive. I had never heard of the Nigerian touters (Australian word, I think). The presentation went well; got a couple job offers. Yay! I met some great people in the three hours I was actually in attendance. I wish I could have stayed longer but I had a date with John in Roppongi via Shinjuku. Just like the old days. I’m totally censoring this post and will even have to censor the next podcast. Actually, I don’t think I could even say what I did because it shames even me, but that’s what having fun in another city is allllll about. Let’s just say, HUGE beautiful Brazilian woman with big tats, a pole, and 4,000 yen glasses of champagne. Enough said….well…one thing should be said. I never touched her. So I took the night bus up and the day bus back. I took the more expensive 7,600 yen double decker up. It was nice. And then took the same bus back for 5,000 during the day. Go figure. So for about 15,000 I got a trip up to Tokyo, less the 400,000 yen we spent at the bar. We…haha…they spent. My night out summarized: Did someone say recession? |
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Cheers.
Peace.
so uhm yeah, greetings from an half irish half arabic guy that lives in germany! ah and start making more podcasts, like 3 a week 
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