October 2009
Engrih in Daikanyama
Thu, 2009-10-22 13:00 | by Erin
I work at a data center in up scale Daikanyama in Tokyo. The area is know as a holly land of shopping and high priced fashion. The irony is that you can walk into this store and purchase a coat that elsewhere is probably 100 to 200 dollars less, and they cant pay some one to print sentences that make sense on the window.
Last month they showed everyone that they "Love Do Do!"
This month "I am coat mania!"
Last month they showed everyone that they "Love Do Do!"
This month "I am coat mania!"
I can sleep
Wed, 2009-10-21 13:00 | by Erin
I have been really tired, I rested most of the day Saturday and Sunday but still felt really tired. I had a brutal late rugby game under the lights on Sunday which resulted in multiple bruises and a slightly strained neck. Still I did not sleep well, that night or Monday night.
I read a little bit about sleeping better and I found the trick that seems to work for me.
In Japan we take a hot bath almost every night except in during the summer months. A hot bath is usually pretty relaxing but when your bouncing a 10 month old baby and her louder almost 8 year old brother is yelling his A, B C's it can be hard to relax.
I read about taking a ice bath to sooth sore muscles and help speed recovery and increase your ability to fall asleep. Draining the tub to refill it with cold water every night is not really a option either. So my solution was after passing the baby off to Mom and kicking out the 8 soon to be year old I did the following:
I read a little bit about sleeping better and I found the trick that seems to work for me.
In Japan we take a hot bath almost every night except in during the summer months. A hot bath is usually pretty relaxing but when your bouncing a 10 month old baby and her louder almost 8 year old brother is yelling his A, B C's it can be hard to relax.
I read about taking a ice bath to sooth sore muscles and help speed recovery and increase your ability to fall asleep. Draining the tub to refill it with cold water every night is not really a option either. So my solution was after passing the baby off to Mom and kicking out the 8 soon to be year old I did the following:
- Returned to the hot bath and relaxed for a short time, maybe 3 - 5 minutes.
Daytime Drinking
Thu, 2009-10-15 13:00 | by Erin
Day Time DrinkingI was down in the office at a data center that I work at frequently. There was a bag of cans on the floor getting ready for recycling. I took a closer look and noticed a couple of cans of Coke, and some energy drinks, but then I saw 3 - 4 500ml cans of beer.
Apparently I am not the only one frustrated with our current situation, or maybe some one was just "enjoying there work" a little more then the rest of us.
Either way it was not me!
Erics First Soccer Match
Tue, 2009-10-13 13:00 | by Erin
Eric had his first soccer match today. It was actually 2 matches each with 15 minute 1/2's.
I love my son and after replaying the whole match in my mind, I am positive of 2 things;
I played soccer when I was a kid and while I lacked the concentration and discipline to make me a great soccer player, I was not bad. I see in my son the same ability, he is bigger and stronger than the other kids (I was not), and when he puts his mind into the game he does well, but most of the time he is just running around aimlessly chasing the ball. Just like me.
When I played soccer as a kid, my dad was always there cheering me on from the sidelines. He was so loud about it that I frequently found it embarrassing. Then when 1/2 time came or the game ended, Dad would come along for a quick pep talk, some advice to try to help me get better. I never listened.
Now Eric is on the field and I did my best to control myself, though it was very hard, as even the Japanese parents were all yelling and screaming too. Just like my Dad I came to Eric and tried to give him some advice and telling him how good of a job he was doing.
I love my son and after replaying the whole match in my mind, I am positive of 2 things;
- Eric is my son.
- I am my Doug's (my father) son.
I played soccer when I was a kid and while I lacked the concentration and discipline to make me a great soccer player, I was not bad. I see in my son the same ability, he is bigger and stronger than the other kids (I was not), and when he puts his mind into the game he does well, but most of the time he is just running around aimlessly chasing the ball. Just like me.
When I played soccer as a kid, my dad was always there cheering me on from the sidelines. He was so loud about it that I frequently found it embarrassing. Then when 1/2 time came or the game ended, Dad would come along for a quick pep talk, some advice to try to help me get better. I never listened.
Now Eric is on the field and I did my best to control myself, though it was very hard, as even the Japanese parents were all yelling and screaming too. Just like my Dad I came to Eric and tried to give him some advice and telling him how good of a job he was doing.
Paradise Tea
Tue, 2009-10-13 11:40 | by Erin
Paradise Lost
I was in Lawson Station (a convenient store in Japan) and I wanted something besides a Coke. There was Pepsi Next, Coke Zero, Ginger Ale, and a long list of assorted Japanese teas and sports drinks. None of which looked like anything I wanted to drink.
I settled for a Paradise Tropical Tea. It was not so good, a strange soapy before taste, followed by a super strong jasmine taste after that. I hate paying for something and not eating or drinking the whole thing, but it was tough to swallow.
When I did finally finish the whole bottle I had a mild case of heart burn. This one gets 2 thumbs down.
Typhoon!
Thu, 2009-10-08 12:01 | by Erin
There was a little typhoon in the area today. It caused massive train delays and other problems.
I was able to make it work w/o a incident on time, but most of my co-workers live much farther from the office then I do and most of them were about 2 - 3 hours late.
On my way to the data center I snapped this shot of the bamboo trees outside the office. It was pretty windy I guess.
Rumble in the Ricebowl
Tue, 2009-10-06 12:01 | by Erin
Wow rugby is getting good. This weekend we faced Baku & Clover (you can read more about it here) and came away with a win thanks to a pair of tries from Toby and some hard grinding work from the forward pack and some good kick n chase by the back line. There was a bunch of other stuff going on at the same time. It was Chris "Feral" Fearon's last game with us and I brought Miku my niece to the game with me. So I was a little stressed and hurried and did not have time to enjoy normal post match activities...... like beer. Still the match was good, I had a good couple of runs and am perfecting my smashing through technique with true Matt Downer style.
Finally the Rumble in the Ricebowl is starting to heat up. The rumble in the rice bowl will be Australia against New Zealand in one of the last Bledsoe cup matches of the season. My team The Tokyo Gaijin Rugby Football Club is using this as a fund raiser, by selling promotional T-shirts and Polos. Check out the site, you can even buy t-shirts right there on line.
Finally the Rumble in the Ricebowl is starting to heat up. The rumble in the rice bowl will be Australia against New Zealand in one of the last Bledsoe cup matches of the season. My team The Tokyo Gaijin Rugby Football Club is using this as a fund raiser, by selling promotional T-shirts and Polos. Check out the site, you can even buy t-shirts right there on line.