...to go the extra mile...

Would You Trust This Face? :D

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 06:20:31 GMT

Inocchi, the new and highly approved of family man, has become Japanese's newest insurance salesman. ^^ So cute!

You can probably find his poster in every single post office across Japan. And of course his commercial is no less adorable. ^^

Image Troubles

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:57:36 GMT

:( I was going to try and post a few pictures of my current life here in Japan, but I'm having some real issues with imagehosting. :( Not just my own photobucket account, but images loading everywhere I go in LiveJournal. Anyone else having problems?

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:18:52 GMT

Japan, Gifu - highest point
Originally uploaded by lizalou42.

Lots to see! Some new pictures are up. Click here for my newest set of pics from this autumn. For the new pic themselves, start in the middle and work your way up. Included in this set:

1. Kat's visit (Arashiyama, Kyoto, Tojinbo)
2. Spring & Nancy's visit (Ryoanji, Uji, Byodoin, Fushimi Inari) NEW! start here
3. Kaoru & Toshiyuki kino (Shirakawa, a village with old-fashioned thatched roof houses.) NEW! start here

Byodoin was one of my top "must see" places. I finally made it there. ^^

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 11:34:20 GMT

Oh my! Tonight's Gakkou looks at fencing! And it's hosted by Inocchi and Miyake! I want to see them in the uniform! I want to see them fence! XD

HOT! Wow...

*poke*

Miyake the Elder makes a pretty good fencer. :D

I did a little fencing a loooong time ago. :)

Parallel Existence

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:45:59 GMT

I just found this.

For anyone really curious about what my work and life has been like in Japan, check out this website designed and maintained by my co-workers:

http://jtjapan.com/

It's very detailed, but very easy to follow. I'm sorry I wasn't able to make something like this myself. XD

A Disappearing Act

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:10:33 GMT

Hey, I'm back. :)

Mmmmm... I should admit something. You know those kids who run around the house, wreck it, then deny it and point their fingers at each other? Well, I was never one of those kids.

Thus, I freely admit, I broke my host's internet. >_> My bad.

Well, I think I did anyway, but my host blames our mistakes on the old box. ^^

That old box was replaced today, so I'm back online. What's happened in the last five days? Let me see...

Wednesday, I moved. Took less than a day. Let me introduce you to my host sister and brother. ;D

Kaoru, on the right, was my student, now, she is my roommate. :D She and her husband work at a cram school, leaving in the middle of the afternoon and working late into the evening. But we find lots of time to relax and just chit chat.

Thursday and Friday were days for adjustment. Friday evening, I had dinner with some good friends of mine.

Saturday, Kaoru and I ran errands around town. Then, she took me to a local culture festival.

Saturday evening, my hosts and I watched "SP". Seems they were already anticipating the new drama as they usually watch the late night drama at that time. It was delayed a good half hour, having to make room for the volleyball championship.

Sunday, we woke up early and headed towards Shirakawa-go, a real-life town showing off old style thatched-roof houses. On the way there, we stopped at a Family Mart. Lookie what I saw: :D

I'll be uploading quite a few pictures soon, so look forward to it!

Update/Rant

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 07:47:35 GMT

So, now I'm finishing up my packing even though I'm not 100% sure if I'm moving tomorrow or not. =/ Things are very uncertain right now. Nobody knows what's going on or what any of us jobless people should do. A friend of mine went to a General Union meeting yesterday; they say don't worry about moving, it may not be necessary. I'm thinking, I don't want to pay another month's rent which might be doubled since I don't have a roommate. =/ I've already made plans with my Japanese friend and her husband to move in with them tomorrow. She will come early in the morning. She's been really nice about this catastrophe even though she lost a lot of money herself. =/

I don't want to burden someone unnecessarily, but I have to admit, I LIKE the idea of moving into their house. They live way out of the town limits where I can calmly enjoy my life even more than I already have been living in a rural town outside of Kyoto. It'll be MORE calm. I won't be bored. I won't be lonely (they work evenings). I know how to take care of myself in that sort of situation. I LIKE that kind of situation.

So even come tomorrow, I don't even know where I'm going to be on November 1st! XO

On the happy geeky side of things, I have a V6 concert report in the works. ^^ It's been really fun to write, but it's not even half done! XD = Details I don't want to forget because it was the best night of my life!! XD

24-Hour Countdown Continues... Past the Launch

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:19:34 GMT

^________^

I wanna go again. XD

Hours: Negative seven.

24-Hour Countdown Continues

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:25:11 GMT

Last hour before I leave. =/

...

*squee*

Hours: Seven, only seven... =O

24-Hour Countdown Continues

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 23:40:04 GMT

Looking outside, today is a "Good, good, good day!" XD

Now eating breakfast and watching some PVs to pump me up.

Hours: Eight.

24-Hour Countdown Continues

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:57:34 GMT

I didn't sleep very well! Too excited! XD

Hours: Nine. Nine? NINE?! Only nine now?! HOMG!

24-Hour Countdown Continues

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:51:47 GMT

Progress:

I'm foregoing dinner for this... XD

Oh, and for you graphic-designers: I compared the font used on the "Voyager" albums" and that's Helvetica I'm using there. It's a set! XD

Hours: Twenty-one

The Slime-Ass!!

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:24:40 GMT

At least read the bold text.

From JapanToday:

"4 top Nova executives offer resignations amid wage scandal

"Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 14:13 EDT

"OSAKA — Nova Corp said Thursday four out of its seven-member top management team have tendered their resignations. The company will hold an emergency board meeting Friday in order to decide how to handle the situation, the major language-school operator added.

"The four executives are believed to have decided to quit partly because President Nozomu Sahashi currently is nowhere to be found and unreachable while the Osaka Central Labor Standards Supervision Office and Nova's employees are turning up the heat on the company's management, citing Nova's non-payments of worker salaries as a major point of contention, industry observers say."

I rarely curse in public, but THAT @$$-wipe!! :GRARGH!! He's running scared. Jerk... XD

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:27:50 GMT

Oke, scratch that last entry, as the day has passed, my mood has gotten a whole lot better. :D

I dunno. Bumming around for the past five days, half-heartedly packing and waiting to get the news about the company left me listless.

Today, I'm like... Do I feel peace at last?

Non-stop V6 music, flipping through stuff, watching videos in the background, burning old CDs to brand, spankin' new DVDs is making me feel WORLDS better. ^.^

I'm not even letting the fact that the post office had ONE measley shipping slip get to me. I could only mail ONE measley package home when I really wanted to mail out about a dozen more. Ah well, here's hoping I can kick my own bum and get more of them out tomorrow. The post office promised they'd restock slips. :P

And the music and videos are making me excited for my concert. *claps excitedly* I love V6.

Is That Your Final Decision?

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:29:18 GMT

Yes it is.

I've decided I'm done with the company. Today was the latest date of payment promised, and we didn't get paid. Now our pay date is "indefinite", and I don't like that. Too many people in this company have been mistreated and misled, and I like that even less.

XP

Now if the guilt of abandoning my students would just go away, I can wake up and live in peace.

I'm not resigning however. I'm going to request ~~indefinite~~ leave of absense in hopes I can collect unemployment insurance. I've also decided that October 31st--*:GRUMBLE* my favorite holiday of the year--is the last day I'll be in my apartment. I just need to gather up the guts to go into my workplace and fill out the necessary forms. I wonder if anyone will actually see the form... @_o

I'm not sure where I'll be living on November 1st, but rest assured, I will have a place to go. ^^

I can't even get excited for the V6 concert... Well, I am, but-- mmmmh... I AM, but :ARGH!!! Okada, shoot someone for me. >.<

Japan, Kyoto - Ginkakuji

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:04:54 GMT

Japan, Kyoto - Ginkakuji
Originally uploaded by lizalou42.

Pictures posted from the first day of my time spent with friends Spring and Nancy in Kyoto last week. ^^

To be seen:

Ginkakuji (Golden Pavilion)
Ryouanji (famous Zen rock garden and grounds)

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:33:37 GMT

Just a question about LiveJournal users' usage as I'm aware that MANY people, including myself, haven't received notices in their email lately.

How many people use their "Inbox"? How many people rely on email notices sent to their private email addresses? What works best for people?

Personally, I use my "Inbox" to keep up with my flist and not my "Friends" page. I like the "Inbox" because it constantly updates when people make edits to their posts. I use my email to keep up with comments made to MY journal. Et toi?

(My?) Ken Doll

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:14:33 GMT

Does he look like Ken?

Takin' Some Time Off

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 02:15:18 GMT

I made my decision not to work. I called in yesterday, and I called in this morning. Last night I went to dinner with some friends and asked for some advice. They don't blame the instructors and agree with my decision to hold back and wait to see if the company pulls through. I have to wait until Wednesday/Thursday to see if more money becomes available.

The whole situation is more complicated than that paragraph makes it sound, but that's the gist.

I'm happily taking some time to re-organize myself, catch up on some things, and I have a few days to do it. ^^

What Am I Going to Do with Myself?

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 07:22:45 GMT

Oke, I called the Accommodations department in Osaka to get some info. They tell me my apartment is paid for, no problem.

No eviction?

Guess not.

Now there are three possibilities:

1) My neighbors are being evicted, and for some reason I'm not.

2) My neighbors are lying.

3) The company is lying.

... All of them are possibilities. I don't have the greatest trust in anybody involved here except for myself.

Whatever's going on, I still don't think I'm going to work past the end of the month. I've already got it in my head that I'm not going in to work tomorrow. Saturdays are too stressful. I took a look at the schedule, and my bet is that NONE of the other teachers will be coming in. They've all been calling in sick--off and on--the last few days. The result: my schedule will be all kids classes. I like kids, but they really don't know how to appreciate things... I'm to nerve-wracked to deal with them.

Latest News... Heard Through the Grapevine.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:38:11 GMT

Hi all,

I've been in Kyoto the last two days, meeting a few friends of mine from American and Singapore. It was a good time--

Until I got a call from a friend saying she's heard my neighbor and I were being evicted from out apartment at the end of the month. :(

Yeah, looks like my days in Japan quickly being whittled away.

Don't worry about me. Already, the friend who called to tell and comfort me offered her place as a solace. I plan to call the head office myself and see what's up. Then I'll talk to her to see what works for us. I'd hate to impose on someone for too long, as much as I'd like to stay in Japan longer. In my current state-of-mind, I don't plan on being with the company into November. Take advantage of me much more, and I'll be leaving before the end of ~~this~~next week.

In other news, Kyoto was great! I'll post pictures hopefully soon... I visited one of my "most want to visit" sites, Byodoin Hall, south of the main city hub.

--And I have GOT to stop eating this Thai chocolate... XD

Bangkok, Thailand

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:01:48 GMT

Hi all,

Here's a link for pictures from Bangkok, Thailand. The album is shown in backwards chronological order, so start at the bottom and work your way up/forward. ^^ Keep an eye out for amiarebel, my generous tour guide for a day.

For V6 fans, this could be a chance to play a little scavenger hunt. I saw a few places where they filmed some of the "Voyager" PV scenes and the accompanying photo shoot. :D

It's late and this took me several hours to upload, so I'm a bit too tired to comment on anything. I've barely started labeling them even... If you have any questions about the sites, let me know!

Happy Meme

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:25:39 GMT

I have a feeling I'll be posting a lot less on LJ than I normally do. Things aren't looking good for my job. I'm still working, but I'm almost working alone. Hope the students realize my efforts... =/

Anyways, I was tagged by sidh to do this, and this it's a "happy" questionnaire, I'm more than willing to perk myself up. ^^

List ten things that have recently made you happy.

Chronological order:

Having dinner with K's family, my first and only Japanese family dinner.

Meeting insomnikat in Kyoto.

V6 shop photos.

V6 calendars.

Meeting amiarebel in Thailand.

Receiving my V6 tickets in the mail yesterday.

H's b-day party last night, despite being so dead tired to be very good company. :.

My Sunday morning Chibiko class of 2-4 year-olds running around rampant and slapping or hugging my legs. ^_^

Talking to my parents on the phone half an hour ago.

Being tagged by sidh. XD

Notice any trends? -_- I'm so easy to read...

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 05:00:09 GMT

Hi All! I'm back.

Returned about two hours ago...

I'm tired.

I'd forgotten we'd signed up for an overnight flight. On our last day, we woke up about 8:30 and after a whole day of sightseeing, about two hours of sleep 24 hours later-- dude, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's just say I'm really tired. But I can't sleep. I don't like the idea of wasting a day that way.

So I'm staying up for a while at least...

I have a lot to share. But I want to catch up with stuff first. Gimme some time, I'll upload pics and share the experience... while listening to "Voyager" since that was the music that was in my head the entire trip. :D

Singin' in the Rain!

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:30:10 GMT

Dernit... :P