Happy New Year everybody! 2009 has come and this site has entered the 3rd year. I sincerely appreciate your kindness and support, for I think this site couldn't have come this far if it weren't have been for you. So now, I'd like to announce the targets for this year which has become sort of an annual event. Regarding the mistakes I've made last year, I'll try making it short and clear this year :
Listen in silence while someone else is speaking until he or she finishes speaking.
Work hard (do not try to get away from hard work).
Face things with courage and confidence (do not be afraid to make mistakes).
Have patience to overcome hardship (don't be bitter about the mistakes I've made or when I've screwed up).

They all seem like targets for my mental. Well, to confess the truth, half of them are lines from the recap ep I saw at the end of last year... Hey, am I okay?

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Caterpillar

Although slightly, but I think I'm changing in a better direction. However, there are some people who never change, I mean, don't even try to change. Especially this particular one person, JoOusama. The toilet paper wars are now far behind. These days, she leaves the bare cores hanging on the holder almost triumphantly. And I've been complained and yelled at already from New Year. She made me open a bottle of wine because she didn't want any leftovers and then, she yells at me that I'm not working enough to carry the dishes back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room. She yells at me that she had to make Zouni (vegetable soup with rice cakes) from morning, only because I was going out.

You didn't make it only for me, you're having that for lunch, too. Why don't you learn a little from Mr. Obama?

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Caterpillar

There was something I left undone last year. It was to repair my VCR. Using a VCR may sound quite classic nowadays, but I wanted to somehow take out the tape that has been stuck inside the recorder for years, even if I eneded up getting myself a new recording device. So I carried the VCR to Cow's place yesterday, since he was familiar to mechanical equipments. And man, that was heavy... I think it weighed nearly 25 pounds! At least it was certainly heavier than Mikeco who had once weighed 19 pounds.

Thanks to the VCR, now I've got generalized sore muscle... It's got to my loose muscle from New Year vacation.

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Caterpillar

Yesterday, no, actually it was early this morning, I saw a shooting star for the first time this year. I've been in favor of shooting stars since seeing them several years ago, and I've been looking forward to this Draconids meteor shower, because the Ursids meteor shower at the end of last year couldn't be seen, due to bad condition. A little past 3:00 am, I caught a perfect sight of a short-tailed shooting star. Relieved by the sight of it that this year would be as good as the last, I went off to sleep.

It was later tiday, when this year's first grade race was run. Yes, the Nakayama Kinpai. I had a hunch that it was going to be my first win this year, though my wanted 3rd place horse let it slip away finishing 4th despite my brilliant call for the 1st and 2nd. Well, that's life...

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Caterpillar

Work starts from today. Eventually, I've wasted my whole vacation mostly frivoling around doing nothing, and I've been having a slight work-rejection syndrome since last night. Seems like I still haven't been able to break away from the holiday mode... I guess it would take another while to get used to the working mode.

I'll try to accept it as a sort of rehab period. Meanwhile, let me put a little bet on the Kyoto Kinpai.

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Caterpillar

I've started my work for this year, but the Nengajou (New Year greeting cards) delivered by ones and twos seem to tell that the world around me still could be in a holiday mood. I was writing replies to these cards when suddenly a question came up. Could I have sent a Nengajou to this person already or not yet? Now this was a good question...

I thought I knew exactly who I've sent to and who I haven't, since I've been writing them one by one in order. I used to remember completely when I was younger however, now I can't remember who I've already sent cards to at all. Actually, I feel so unsure of my memory that I feel more and more like I haven't sent them yet.

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Caterpillar

Cow has taken a look yesterday, at my VCR that I had carried having generalized sore muscle. He put it on the table where we usually have meetings with our clients, and started to check if it could be powered on. It was right then, when I heard a loud explosive sound saying Baang! I turned around to see sparks coming off. Whaatt?! After a while I heard another Baaang!! and my VCR went silent after that, not a move, no motor humming sound was to be heard any more... The capacitor seemed to have exploded, and my VCR got left at last.

The video tape that had been stuck inside has been collected somehow shortly after that, though it never will be played on that VCR again. I guess I'll just have to get a new recording device. But I'm afraid can't afford it.

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Caterpillar

It's the strange people series in a while. It happened yesterday, as I left my office for home and was on my way to the station. There wasn't anybody around, only me walking on the dark sidewalk. I was shivering from the coldness when I noticed an old man over his 70s, closing in from forward with his shoulders hunched. And as this weird old man passed me by, whatever has happened to him I don't know, but he suddenly cried out "I want money, you know."

No, I don't know. As a matter of fact old man, I want money myself. It was too hard holding my laughing and I went home grinning.

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Caterpillar

I dropped by the supermarket to buy some prawns on sale. I packed 30 of them prawns, or should I call them shrimps because they were much smaller than I had imagined, anyway, I got in line at the cashier. The checker was a young man with a name tag on his chest that said Ro in Katakana. So he's a foreigner (probabaly Chinese) newbie. A little worried if he could get over my shrimps for their price had to be keyed into the register, I watched him work and as I had expected, he got stuck at me. He tapped in 10yen, 30yen(hey!), 27yen(why?) a couple of times, and then the display showed the letters thta read "Clear".

Now he's doing it all over, I thought, but before I knew the display started to flicker some letters that read "prawns 10yen"...he didn't know how to key in multiple 30 in the register.

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Caterpillar

After young Mr. Ro had keyed in "prawns 10yen" 30 times, he turned to me and asked, "Would you like a plastic shopping bag?" But as I knew that they'd take 2yen off when you say you don't need one, needless to say, I replied "No, thank you." Then the the small screen showed "-2yen", and in no time, Mr. Ro handed me the change and the receipt saying "Thank you."

I checked on the receipt he had given me, and though I knew I would, I couldn't help grinning again. Nice going Ro, I love it.

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Caterpillar

Yippee! It's going to be a consecutive holiday today and tomorrow! But it's only been a week since the New Year vacation. Not to mention that I'm personally feeling grateful about consecutive holidays, I also feel a little guilty when the interval is so short since the New Year vacation. Espscially when I realize that there are people who are working real hard straight through the year without any day-offs. Comparing myself to such people, I feel like I'm too lazy...

Well, I'll try to make the best of this consecutive holiday in order not to waste them.

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Caterpillar

I was waiting. Cow had told me that he would Skype me, so I've rearranged my schedule, launched up my computer and have been waiting all ready and set. Though he called in 53 minutes later than the time he had said he would. I've managed to keep him company at first, but all he kept saying was "It's cold." Excuse me. Did I open my schedule just to hear you say it's cold? As I took it out on him, he said it was fairplay in the sense that we both wasted time on uninterested conversation, and logged off.

Whenever he gets pissed off, he cuts off the line one-sidedly and runs back into his safety zone. You snake! Say your prayers!

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Caterpillar

After a consecutive holiday, I've had another slight work-rejection syndrome. Though I know, yes I know damn well I have to try my best at it. I put myself together and somehow made it to my office. But once I'm there, strangely enough my concentration lasted unexpectedly long, and I was able to get over hard work. Needless to say that it didn't bring much results as usual...

However, regarding the fact that I had less sleep last night (due to my work-rejection syndrome), my concentration might have been a gift of the workouot I've been doing in the morning recently. Thanks to the workout.

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Caterpillar

I overslept. I barely made it to work, but I was almost late... It all happened because I stayed up late last night. In fact, I was pretty tired and sleepy though I stayed up to watch the Anime of "Hajime no Ippo" and I couldn't wake up. However, it would become a big disgrace if I'd be late for work because I had stayed up late the night before only to watch Anime. So I've given everything I got in order to make it on time.

Still, it hurts me to know that they're doing something I want to watch on TV in the middle of the night, when I've lost a recording device. I mean, I think I really need one. So I'm thinking of getting a new one, but now that I'm finally turning my attention towards it, I've realized that there are several different kinds of them...

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Caterpillar

This morning, a woman who came on the train cried out "Why do you push me away like that?! It's dangerous, you know!!" The train was a little crowded but it wasn't packed. Perhaps someone who came on after her had touched her or something, without intending to push her.

Actually, I wanted to ask her back "Why do you talk like that? It could be even more dangerous these days, you know?" Though of course, I didn't...

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Caterpillar

An ambulance came to the house across from our office. The old man there seemed to have fallen ill. I think it was about a little past three in the afternoon. Then after about an hour, maybe the paramedics had judged it wasn't so serious. They left the old man in his house and went back without him. Another hour later, around 5 o'clock, the same ambulance came again. And after spending about 30 minutes, this time they left with the old man and his son.

I've heard recently that Japanese Paramedics are driven around by mildly ill patients, and that they're almost always in lack of ambulance cars and staffs. Well, what I've heard and saw seemed a little different. They didn't look so busy to me. I wonder why...

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Caterpillar

One of my acquaintance has told me a story about her English teacher in her school days. According to her, that teacher was already well advanced in years, and was hardly able to teach anything. Once during class, there was a time when he had told her to read out the text book in front of the whole class. Feeling nervous, she was checking with her friend sitting next to her where to read, when the teacher suddenly said, "That was good, thank you." Though she hadn't read a word yet...

It might explain why most Japanese can't improve their English skill, no matter how long they do it in school.

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Caterpillar

According to the forecast, today's Tokyo was supposed to get warmer than yesterday. I've been out on the balcony for a smoke just a while ago, but it was cold. Well, definitely not warmer. Brrrr.

Even in such coldness, a junk collecter's car was passing by. The announce blasted out of its speaker, "Unwanted TVs, refrigerators, PCs, CD players,..." The familiar phrase went on. "washing machines, motorcycles, charinko,..." Charinko? Charinko is a Japanese slang for bicycles. They were using proper Japanese, and why "charinko" all of a sudden? The junk collecter passed by leaving me further and further behind. Why Charinko...

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Caterpillar

JoOusama has left for Nagoya today, to go to a wake held for a distant relative. As she announced that she was going to make it a day trip and return home late tonight, since she had somewhere else to go on Tuesday (which is tomorrow), Tono suggested without a moment's hesitation, "Why don't you stay overnight?" That's a good idea, if it only works out. I'm sure Tono must feel more relaxed without her too. See. Everybody thinks so. Everybody but JoOusama herself.

Though his faint dream was crumbled away before her power. Needless to say, she rejected his suggestion in a flash. Nice try, but too bad.

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Caterpillar

The time has come for the first black president in history to be born. The name of Barack Obama has now achieved recognition here in Japan too, and his inaugural address will be broadcasted live on TV. Except that it's going to be around 2:00 tomorrow morning... That means, it's going to overlap with, "Hajime no Ippo (Anime)" Hmmmmnn, what am I going to do now? I'd certainly like to watch the president's address yet I also don't want to miss Ippo either...

Wait a minute, here. As a human being blessed with a chance to witness history, I'm afraid I have the responsibility to watch the inaugural address. Well, personally I think it would be ideal if they would spend the first 30 minutes or so on ceremonial protocols, so that the president's address would be aired from around 2:30...

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Caterpillar

After making all the fuss yesterday, eventually I've missed both the inaugural address of the new president and Hajime no Ippo. I hate to have to admit it, but I fell asleep... The moment I realized that I had fallen asleep, Miyata was about to lay the champion out with his finishing cross counter in Hajime no Ippo, and as I switched the channel hurriedly, president Obama was up to the last part of his speech, reciting from the words of George Washington. Both of them were about to end in a few seconds...

What a chance to witness history. Oh stupid me, stupid me!

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Caterpillar

I bought some cod chunks at the fish shop for my Obentou (box lunch). They were selling by measure, so I told the young man in the counter that I'll have a pound. I heard him saying, "No more, no less," as he was measuring the bag of cod. I searched in my pocket and found some change so I told him "Just the way you like it, no more, no less," as I handed him the money though unfortunately, a 100 yen coin had slipped off my hand and fell somewhere making a clinging sound... "Ha-ha, it's okay. I'll find it later," the young man smiled at me.

Sorry, I guess I've gone too far.

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Caterpillar

Does anyone know this guy called Shigemasa Yutaka? Some of you might recognize him if I tell you that he's the guy who sings "Sakuranbo" of Otsuka Ai, changing the lyrics all into the names of JRA jockies. He's not a professional comedian, but I happened to see him on TV, say around the end of last year, singing "Eda Teruooo, Ihda Yuji, Demuro," He crys out "Eda Teruo" again and again every time he comes to the refrain part, and it's been ringing in my head for some time now.

Eda Teruooo.

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Caterpillar

The temperature has dropped again since yesterday. As a matter of fact, it could have been too warm yesterday. Perhaps because it was so warm, I feel like I'm freezing today. In the morning, right around 10:30, we even had hail(Hyou in Japanese) in the area near my office. It's quite unusual to have hail in Tokyo. I crowed about how to say Hyou in English to my client sounding it out in perfect pronunciation, when he asked me "Then how do you say Mizore in English?" .... I goofed.

Frustrating. So I looked it up and it says "mizore; mixture of snow and rain." See. There isn't a single english word that stands for it..uh-oh. It says "sleet." But it also says "(meteorological)" next to it. That means it's only for experts. I think...

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Caterpillar

Asashouryu, the Yokoduna has beat Hakuhou in the final match and won the New Year Ozumo Tournament. I've been cheering him since I'm his fan, so it's great to see him as a champion again. I think Hakuhou is a very tough, serious-minded good Sumo wrestler full of fighting spirit, though I can't help myself from expecting a Yokoduna to have some star appeal, some spectacular entertainment. I think Asashouryu takes the lead in that point. The media has made the characteristic Asashouryu a good copy however, winning the tournament under the pressure as a Yokoduna, or in the storm of gossips about retitiring with an injured left elbow should be what's called, true strength.

Besides, I'm a Japanese root for the underdog. And I've seen tears shining in the champion's eyes. Congrats!

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Caterpillar

Yesterday's news reported that Mr. Sullenberger, the hero who landed a jet plane on Hudson River saving the lives of 150 passengers, has returned to his hometown. He sure was great. So I've thought of a simulation putting myself in his place; what would I be like if I were him.

Notice that the two engines have stopped > Oh, oh my God!! Get into a flurry > consult with the co-pilot what to do > the co-pilot seeks for directions in reverse > I panic > a miracle happens and I come across the idea of making an emergency landing > though fail to put the uncontrolable plane back into position > the co-pilot yells at me and I become frantic > I can't come up with anything, my head totally blank > all crews and passengers, I'm sorry, we're going down. Crash. If it were me, no one would have been saved...

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Caterpillar

I've tried another simulation, what if it were Cow?

Notice that the two engines have stopped > find out precisely what's going on > tell the co-pilot what's happening and ask his opinion > asked back for directions, goes into thinking mode > thinking > still thinking > thinks until it becomes a second before the situation is irreversible > just as you think it's gonna be over, leaves all command in the co-pilot's hands > the co-pilot who all of a sudden has become responsible for everything, go balls out and lands the plane safely > answer in interviews, "I just simply did what I've been trained to do," as if nothing had happened and becomes a hero. Though it was actually the co-pilot who deserved all the cheers and applause.

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Caterpillar

From the past two days, now you might have got the picture to what kind of persons me and Cow could be. Anyway, I was on my way to the station this morning, when I came across a building under construction. And I happened to catch a conversation of two workers, apparently Otchans (guys in their middle age). One of them was sort of giving directions or something which I couldn't hear very clearly, but the other was answering him in a buckish manner, "Yorokonndeee!"

"Hai, yorokonnde! (literally, with pleasure)" is a familiar phrase you hear in our well-known Daishou Group Izakaya chain stores. You will most likely hear them whenever you order or request something to the staff there. I didn't expect to hear it near a constructing building, though it turned out that it made me feel quite good.

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Caterpillar

One of my clients happened to pass by during my spare time between work, so I went out to say hello. "How are you? It's been pretty cold, huh? Oh, but you must be all right with that stomach," she said, and left me standing there. What? Am I supposed to be a preggy or somethin'? Mind your own business, will ya!

I wish you knew that you too, have spare tires. Well, I won't be beaten, though... The workout I've been doing since after the New Year vacation... don't seem to bring any good news yet.

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Caterpillar

Cow has complained about his simulation of the emergency landing. He says that he'd dare not "leave all commands" up to the co-pilot. Oh yeah? Then how would you react in such a situation? And here's what he said.

Notice that the two engines have stopped > find out precisely what's going on > tell the co-pilot what's happening and ask his opinion > the situation gets worse every minute > the co-pilot gets into a flurry > panics too, effected by the co-pilot > turn defiant, thinking that there's nothing to lose and go for broke, heading for the surface of the Hudson River. Additionally, he said he won't be thinking about the results at all at the point of taking the plunge. Well, it sounds better than mine. At least there seems to be a chance to live.

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Caterpillar

The English Karaoke party that I've written earlier is going to be held tonight.

I've announced that I was going to sing foreign songs in languages beside English, but the problem is that I've only learned one Korean song up until now. To make it worse, I haven't remembered the lyrics completely... Actually, I do know a few other foreign songs in Cantonese and Malay but unfortunately, the machine at the Karaoke box to which we're going don't seem to have them. Well, too bad. I guess I'll ask everyone if they have any requests. They'll forgive me for that, hopefully.

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Caterpillar