follow up interview

Eiko says...

It's a freezing cold, rainy December day, and it's just my luck that I had to go for a follow up interview at Shinjuku with Minerva English. I really shouldn't be complaining though, especially since this interview could very likely mean the end of my worries for finding a job. But I complain regardless because me and cold weather have an ugly relationship. When I say 'ugly', I mean really ugly. For example, my hands turn a grayish purple and its' soft look is replaced by a dry wrinkly one. My lips crack and consequently flake and bleed. My shoulders begin to ache, and they start hunching up. Oh, and did I mention my frost-bitten toes? Like I said, me and cold weather have an ugly relationship.

So, as I hurried in my heels through wind and rain, (I had stupidly left my umbrella at home), I felt totally under attack from all sides, not to mention nervous for the interview. To top it off, the company had also just recently moved to a new location which was an additional 15 minute walk away, and as you all know how women (me, in particular) are with directions, you could imagine how many times I walked around in circles ( in the rain, feeling ugly AND lost, hoping to get there on time) trying and somewhat failing to make sense of the map before finding the building.

Once at the Minerva office, warmer and relieved that I was 5 minuets early, I felt much better. I was interviewed after a short wait by two people. I remembered one of the interviewers from my last visit with them, and the lady that was sitting next to him was a new face. Rather than an interview though, it was more of an explanation of what position they were hoping me to fill, and what would be required of me should I accept the job offer. I really had no reason to be nervous as I had been...or so I thought.

Right around the end when it's usually the time to get up and say good bye etc, they handed me some flash cards and asked me to come up with a simple game while they got some manuals to show me. Memories from the demo lesson I gave came tumbling back and I went blank for a short moment. They had asked me to be creative and fun in front of all those 40+ year olds acting like bratty kids, checking to see how I would control a completely out of control classroom, and how I would respond to every teacher's worst nightmare! That was really horrid of them! But I quickly got a hold of my self, and started planning something simple, and kept reminding myself that this isn't a demo lesson, and they just want to see creativity. I did my best, and the man told me he was impressed. I heaved a sigh of relief, and headed out. Now waiting for to give an afternoon English class at Kinshicho, I'm expecting the call of confirmation. I can't help but hope that all the others they will be interviewing before they're final decision have something along the lines of a heart attack or a panic attack.

I'm getting this job!!

Oh, and BTW, Merry Christmas!! Forgot to say that in my last post.

P.S.

I like 'em Mc Cafes. I'm at one now, actually, as I type this post over my third cup of hot coffee.

Eiko says...

Updates on English teaching

Despite the demo-lesson being quite out of hand, thanks to the rowdy 12-13 year olds who were really 40+ year olds, and having a retarded contact lens torturing my left eye to tears, the company called me to schedule another meeting, this time with the Coordinator of the company. This is very good news, everyone. I might have a job in less than a week!

That aside, this past week has been very busy and quite exhausting mentally and physically. Therefore, I decided to treat myself to a shopping spree at some nearby clothes shops. The winter sales are on, girls! Let's live up to our reputation and shop till we drop!

Not...

Well...

Buy what you need and absolutely can't live without. When the entire clothes line fits that description...well, make sure you find yourself a very rich husband.

Engllish teacher?

Eiko says...

In the previous post, I mentioned how I quit my job at Gusto. It's definitely for the better that I did, since they were very uncooperative, but now I have found myself job-less and in danger of not being able to pay the very low rent that my place requires! It was time for job-hunting all over again! This time around I wanted a job other than your average part-time that pays shit money for shitty shifts that consist of shitty work. This left me with fewer options to chose from, and naturally, one of the options that stood out to me was English teaching. This was something that I really wanted to steer away from doing, but when you're out of a job, and you're desperate enough, everything and anything is a possibility! I found my self working hard on a resume and a general cover letter for English teaching and started applying on various sites that were looking for employees. I applied for at least 10 jobs, mainly revolving around English teaching, but I also threw out a few applications for other jobs that required a bilingual speaker. I realized that finding a good job is really a full-time job in itself! You need your resume looking good. You need a good cover letter, and you need to do a bunch of research. After people contact you and are interested in what you have to offer, you need to continually sell yourself, not to mention the interviews, mails and phone calls to attend to! And this is exactly what I have been up to these past 2 weeks.

Out of all the applications that I sent out, so far, 2 companies responded and contacted me. One was a position for a customer service in a real estate company. The other was a English Teacher position with Minerva. Both companies replied the next day I applied for the job, asking me to send my resume and to fill out a simple form for more details. The position for customer service is presently on hold as they reevaluate my resume, but Minerva called me for an interview as soon as I sent my resume, and so I went. After the interview, I was contacted for a demo lesson. Once again, I went. And man, I wasn't expecting what I experienced today, during the demo lesson!

Upon arrival, I am given, (along with the 4 others who were applying for the same position) a general class plan, and I am suppose to give it my own twist, and give this class to all the others in the room, including the interviewer and his assistant. Now, all of them are acting like 6 graders, with no clue whatsoever about English and who have short concentration spams. It was quite frustrating to deal with these 12-13 year olds who really are 40+ years old who are on their worst behavior. ( and who are also evaluating my teaching skills and my classroom control skills, etc. ) It was tough, and quite long, as I had to sit through the others who had role play the 'teacher', while the rest of the room were stupid, difficult 'students'. I left home at 11:30 and got home at 5:00. It was a full day, and I'm ready to treat myself now that the worst of it is over. I'm expecting them to contact me within the week. I'm up for some wine and chocolate! Now!!

updates

Eiko says...

Updates:

Contact Lenses
Bless my dear brother Yasu's dear heart for giving me those contact lens coupons! I now have 3 months worth of contact lenses, and I'm hoping to stretch their use for 5 months at least.

Quit my job at Gusto
Apparently, there has been a little misunderstanding between me and my former bitchy boss and my present fat boss, which actually isn't such a little misunderstanding. I had told my former boss that unless she gave me more shifts and could promise me at least 70,000 yen income, than I would quit. This freaked her out, and promised me that she would give me more shifts and that she would pass on the information to my new boss. But according to my new fat boss, this information wasn't passed on to him, and I continued to have only 2 shifts a week, with each shift consisting of 2-3 hours!! I told him to give me more shifts, or I'd have to start looking for another job. He said he couldn't give me more shifts (idiot!) and therefore, I told him I couldn't work for him anymore. I need to look for a new job all over again.

Christmas
It seems to me that all the Matsuokas (in Japan) are getting together for a massive family reunion for Christmas! Woooah! Enough said.

new computer post

Eiko says...

It's been a while since I've posted anything on Two out of Twelve, and you may be thinking that I've decided to move on from my blogger's life completely. Wrong. I only stopped blogging because I have been computer-less for the past few weeks and had no means to blog whatsoever. But that's all going to change now because I am no longer computer-less!

Just a few days back, I went to Akihabara--widely known as 'digital city' and also where all the 'otaku' perves gather from around Japan to find extra gadgets to add to their 'otaku-perv-collections and to stimulate and satisfy their otaku-perv obsessions. To clarify the beginning of the sentence above, I would like to change 'went to Akihabara' to 'biked to Akihabara'! It's great exercise, it doesn't cost you transportation, and it really only takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to get there by bike. It does suck though, when you have to bike through pouring rain, in which case it would take you 2 hours--speaking from experience here. Honestly, if I had checked the weather forecast, I doubt I would have even considered the bike ride. But I'm not complaining! I got what I needed, and I'd say the 2 hour bike ride on the way back through freezing cold rain was worth my purchase. I would have been ecstatic if they had a red computer to match the code color for my room, but this gorgeous blue is winning my heart over! I'm in love!

Check out my 10 inch, sexy baby!


It's not a mac or apple, but I really could care less as anybody who knows me will testify how little electronic gadgets have a hold on me. I got this one for a very reasonable price though, and it's the latest of its kind. It will suffice for the nature of work I'd do on it which would mostly be translating, browsing the internet on the rare occasion, blogging, and watching movies. It's more than plenty.

So you can count on me blogging on a more regular basis. But until then, I want to assure everybody that my back is recovering, as is my foot. I can walk without limping and I've got freer movements as my back is healing up. A big thanks to all who have kept me in their prayers. My new fat boss, is no better than my skinny bitchy one though, and that sucks beyond words. My financial state is NOT cool, and you wouldn't want to bring up the topic with me, unless I address it myself, in which case you really would have hoped I didn't. I can go on forever about this particular issue in my life. I'll elaborate in an upcoming post.

Take care peoples, and watch your health. It's getting cold!

Peace.

killer pains

Eiko says...

People who know me even just for a week will confirm that I whine about having a back ache and that I need a massage. I had comments thrown at me that I'm such a whiner about it, or that I just like massages, but don't really have a back problem, or that I'm spoiled and don't really know what a back ache really is. Well, what I had then is peanuts and raisins in comparison to the huge amounts of pain that I'm being subjected to right now! It feels like a knife is slicing through my back and touching some very sensitive nerves in a very un-gentle way.

The pain started up 2 weeks ago, and at first I thought it would leave me alone if I ignored it long enough, but after 4 days, I had enough. I started doing some research on the internet concerning the problems with my lower back, and I started freaking myself out. After two hours of browsing symptoms and solutions, I decided, despite my unexplainable hatred for hospitals and their kind, to visit an orthopedic clinic to check out what's wrong with my back.

The clinic that I went to wasn't anything big, and the doctor that was running the place was nice and animated. What really made me relax and feel comfortable was the instrumental soundtrack of Tottoro playing softly as backdrop music. There's no way things could go wrong.

I waited 5 minutes before he called me in from the waiting room and asked me to sit down on an adjacent bed. He brought a stool in for me to rest my feet on, and as soon as I thanked him and my feet touched the stool, he right away pointed at my feet and said, "Ah hah! That's why!!" I jumped, and quickly glanced down to see what he was freaking out about. From the tone of his voice and facial expressions, I thought I had an extra toe or worse!

I may not have an extra toe, but according to him, the bone structure of my feet is horrible. Due to the bad bone structure in my feet, I have bad balance which affects the way I hold my self, and consequently, my lower back takes a hit. This easily explained my chronic back pains. Obviously, there's nothing much I can do about my bone structure. But he did advise me though, while giving me a quick massage, to build more leg and core muscles for better posture. I knew I had bad posture from before, but he said my posture being bad was an under statement by far! That drove things home. I was determined to start strength training as soon as my back pains and my foot heal up.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to happen any time soon, and this is no apple pie for me. I'm an active individual, and having to stay in a sitting position for long periods of time is not my favorite things to do. My daily schedule used to consist of me waking up and starting the day off with a Insanity work out, than take a shower, clean and organize the room, head out for a long bike ride, come home for a short break before work at Gusto, and maybe go out again to chill with friends until something past midnight. Now, I can't even do half of that. For one, walking is still difficult due to my strained left foot. Secondly, my lower back can't handle any physical exercise. I thought I'd give a light pilates a shot, but the moment I got into the '100' position, my entire back almost froze up with pain! I barely make my way around my work place. It's not so cool.

But speaking of Gusto and work, (and since talking about problems that don't have any immediate solutions is stupid) my new boss is as easy going as he is fat. What surprises me the most about my fat boss is how he can move so fast carrying all that excess weight! I'm delighted that he doesn't shout every word that he voices, and that he doesn't look constipated or annal. I think me and him will get along just fine, so long as he puts me in more shifts like I requested. We really shouldn't be having much for problems.

And that's it for now, because to be completely honest, my back is yelling out bloody murder, and my brain is fried from translating all day. I'll blog more in the next few days so keep in touch. Peace, ladies.

double rainbow

Eiko says...

Hiki showed this to me the other day, and I laughed so hard I thought I'd faint!

Apparently, Mr. DoubleRainbow (who's name is really Bear Vasquez) got tons of views on YouTube for this vid, and has become quite famous and loved for his genuine reaction to nature's beauty: "Oh, my God! It's a double complete rainbow! What does it mean? It's so intense! Whaaaa ha haaaa!"

He has since showed up on Jimmy Kimmel and confirms that he was completely sober 'this time'. And believe it or not, there are Double Rainbow T-Shirts! I would love to have my very own double-complete-rainbow T!!

And a big hand of applause to the fans who made this sweet little tune for Double Rainbow! Great job, guys!! I hear Hiki singing and humming this song around the clock! It's so catchy, I've got it running through my brain all day too. Love it!

morning activity and family

Eiko says...

Tell me, what are some of the first things you do when you wake up in the morning? Do you stretch? Do you check your clock? Do you do a quick mental rundown of the day's scheduled? Do you stumble your way to the bathroom?

Personally, the first thing I find myself doing is to automatically reach for my mobile phone and check the time. The second thing I do is to see how my back is fairing by stretching a bit. Stumbling to the bathroom is also among the first five things I do when I get up in the morning. And in the process of the first five things I find myself doing, I usually catch my reflection in either a mirror hanging on the wall, or a window. Not really for vanity's sake, but simply for the fact that there are mirrors and windows in my room, and I haven't been in my room long enough to walk around with my eyes closed.

Now, some people wake up looking amazing, and wouldn't be embarrassed even if, let's say, their pervy neighbor was snapping pictures of them from across the street and posting them on the internet, or showing them to their friends. Unfortunately, I'm not a member of this group of people. (Nor am I among the 'pervy neighbor' group, just in case you were wondering.) I am among the majority of people who wake up in the morning and look like they just woke up--sleepy, messy hair, heavy eye lids, slightly slouched shoulders, no make up, heavy steps,

--you get the picture.

On this fine morning, coming out of the bathroom and washing my hands at the sink, I glanced up, caught my morning-face in the mirror, and quickly glanced back at my hands. No use dwelling on the negative. But after washing the soap off my hands, I subconsciously caught my reflection in the mirror again, but this time around, I stared for a few moments into my very familiar face. Godamnit! How boring do you get!? Waking up to this every morning is a bit routine. But what can I do? Like it or not, this face will be mine, and something I'll just have to deal with. Uhhh,...no. Bad idea. I'm not convincing myself here.

"Dawnie," I called out to Dawn who was finishing up breakfast dishes,"I'm thinking bangs. What do you think?"

"Bangs are cool." Was Dawn's simple yet very straightforward answer--the kind of answer I appreciate, especially first thing in the morning when long explanations

of any kind bore me to death, and consequently do very little to help.

"Cool!" I said, as I quickly ran to the kitchen and grabbed the kitchen scissors. After all, there is no time like the present.

"I think it's time to do something about this...face" I said as I grabbed a handful of hair that was messily falling in my face and snipped straight across in one sweeping, confident 'SNIP'.

"Shit!" I happily exclaimed. I was satisfied with how fast it was done, and that it was fairly un-crooked for a first-thing-in-the-morning hair cutting session. I also looked quite different from moments earlier. I got what I wanted.

So now, I have bangs again. I'll most likely start regretting this spontaneous act, but the damage has been done, and I will just have to live with it.

That aside, our little apartment housed all three of my brothers' families! Did I say that right? Yasu's family obviously live here, as it's their apartment. Hiki and Angel and their two cutie-pies are visiting for a while, and Sam and Leika, with their 3 munchies dropped by for dinner! We had a very full and lively house, and I was highly amused by the ever growing Matsuoka Clan. I also realized all over again that my brothers are quite good looking. Each one of them is unique, charming and handsome in their own way, and it all made me smile. I've got beautiful sister in laws as well. Not only are they physically beautiful, but also have personalities that show confidence and maturity. Absolutely overwhelming!

I think I reached a point during our little hang out where I just had to retire from all the awesomeness that I was being exposed to. For one, the population density was quite a bit too much, and the people that were populating the apartment were such complete human beings, with such alive children, I just had to excuse myself to give them all a bit more oxygen and space. That was a crappy explanation for why I retired to my room. In truth, I felt the edge of a cold sneaking up on me. The head ache, the runny nose and heavy feeling were all too familiar symptoms to me and I needed to rest up for work tomorrow. But it was great seeing everybody. I'm very blessed to have grown up with such a wonderful family.

Dad, Mom, look at what you have made! Be proud of this mess!

it's cold and I'm turning blue

Eiko says...

pain accident magnet

My BF left for the States a week and a half ago, and I still have five, long, cold days till he gets back! I miss him terribly. And ever since he's been away, I started using a pillow when I sleep, and my back problem is haunting me yet again. It's entirely my fault though, really, and I don't mean to place the blame on anybody but myself! Because despite my knowledge of how sensitive my back can be, and how it reacts to pillows, I continue to sleep with pillows! I'm an idiot.

That aside, I think I'm really a pain and accident magnet. Within the month, I've had 3 bicycle accidents, my back pain has returned, I got a nasty cold, and to top it all off, I also injured my foot. How this happened, I haven't the slightest idea. All I know is that I noticed the pain while walking to work one day. It's a sharp pain in my foot--as if I had strained a muscle. I can't put any weight on my left without feeling a very sharp pain, so in order to get anywhere walking, I have to look like an idiot and limp. After 5 days of this and my lower back is completely zapped! My foot being as unreliable as it is right now, and consequently haven't to limp really seemed to have a negative affect on my lower back, and I can barely stand straight without feeling sharp pain slicing through my back and shoulders. I thought working at Gusto was tough before, but now having to run around on a foot that won't support you properly and having a back that exudes pain, I get tired and annoyed twice as quickly. My boss and her unpredictable moods also get to me more easily. I might have to revisit the hospital I just got out of a few weeks ago for the car accident check up...

glad tidings

Speaking of my boss and work, I've got fantastic news! She just told me 2 days back that she'll be transfered to a Gusto in Yokohama and that our new boss will be coming in just two weeks! I couldn't believe my ears! I'm overjoyed! Of course, my new boss could be even more mentally unstable and freakish, but in order to pull that one off, he'd have to be a complete retard, and I highly doubt that the Skylark Company hires complete retards. I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but almost anybody could be better than my present boss. I guess we'll see soon.

And that's it for now. I'm gunna go make some hot soup to keep me warm.

It's so damn cold these days!

he calls it being 'appropriately selfish'

Eiko says...

Oooh, la la! It's been quite a while since I've posted anything on this blog! Lif has been keeping me quite occupied recently, and blogging is probably in the bottom 5 of my to-do list along side flossing and eating fruit, both of which are healthy and which some poeple swear by, but also is something I couldn't care less for. Yup. Blogging is definitely in the bottom 5 of my to-do list.

I've recently been trying to put a greater emphasis on exercising. I've been reading a few articles by Tom Venuto about health and fitness, and he said something quite interesting on the lines of making your health a priority in life. It's good to keep things in the right perspective and really knowing waht your priorities are. I think Tom got it right.

"There are fires burning all around you. I know. Kids are screaming, other kids need a ride to school. Spouses need attention. Bills must be paid. You're late on your tax return. Clients need service. Your boss needs you there now. There are phone calls to return. Information overload is driving you insane-there are books to read, TV shows to watch, news to keep up on. And E-mail! You're drowning it! Life is moving faster than ever before. How will we eer get it all done? Where will you find the time?

I know, I know. Almost everyone is feeling the same way too!

Here's what to do.

STOP!

In the middle of all the chaos! With fires burning all around you! Just STOP! Stop moving. Stop thinking. Take a deep breath. Take two more deep breaths. Center yourself. Now shift focus to what's most important in life.

Then tell yourself, "None of this stuff that's stressing me out matters-not one bit of it-if I'm sick, immobilized or dead. I want to look good. I want to feel good. I come first. I can only take care of my family and my business, and I can only feel good and look good if I've taken care of myself first.

Then calmly and quietly go take care of yourself. Go take a work out. Go take a stress relief break. Go calmly int o the kitchen to eat a healthy meal or prepare your meals for the entiere day, neatly pre-packaged if necessary, in anticipation of the hectic, fast paced day ahead. Go shopping and stock your kitchen with healthy foods.

Person life values are important. They are precious. They include things like your family, humanitarian endeavers and even your spiritual beliefs. So I'm not going to tell you what your values should be. That's your personal business. But I will tell you what ORDER yoru values should be in- your health goes first. Above all esle.

Is that selfish?

Yes.

But it's appropriately selfish. Being appropriately selfish is not about bucking your responsibilities. It's not about ONLY taking care of yourself. It's about putting your priorities in the right order. And it's one of the keys to great health, happiness and personal success. "

Now, I don't have any kids, and I'm not married, and I don't have any clients or important phone calls to return. I'm young and have my whole life ahead of me, and therefore, the time factor isn't really a huge issue as opposed to the "lethargic-human-nature" issue. But if I start letting my health slide now, and take my young energy for granted, and if I don't make health a priority and a habit while I'm generally free from any major pressing emergencies to attend to that life tends t toss in our path on a fairly unexpected, regular basis, it'll only be a matter of time before my un-checked lazy nature will have it's way with my life. My future will suffer, and I will suffer if I don't form the good habit of putting first things first, and health is definitely something I consider a priority in my life.

An interesting thought.

hit and run

Eiko says...

It was just yesterday that I got ran over by a car while riding my bike, and I've got the money to prove it, but apparently, no scars. Here's the long and short of it.

It was a lovely Friday, and I went on my weekly rounds to Lodge Home to help share their provisioned goods from the market with us. I had filled my basket full of fruits and vegetables and also some precious dairy products that are far too expensive to afford in Japan like sour cream and whipped cream and cheese, and was on my way back to my new apartment that I share with Yasu and Dawn. Now, I was being very careful riding my bike, because just the night before, while riding to Lodge Home for some fellowship and fun, despite my being absolutely alert and careful, I got rammed into by a motor bike! Yes, I was wearing my glasses. Yes, I had my light on. Yes, I wasn't speeding. And yes, I flew off my bike and have the bruises to prove it. My BF had given me an hour lecture about being more careful and to be even more responsible than I was being already, for every action that I take; to be the adult, not the child. Which is why, I was ever so alert and ever so careful to make sure that the events of the previous evening would not have to repeat itself due to carelessness on my part.

The light had just turned from red to blue, and even then, I looked both ways like they teach you to do in kindergarten. I'm glad I did too, because there were two cars that were coming from opposite me that had their blinkers on, which signaled that they needed to make the turn. Regardless of the fact that I could have just biked my way across the walk way since my bike was already on the road, ready to be on my way home, I patiently waited for the first car to make the turn and go by. The second car had to slow down for the first car to take the move, and since it was still at a distance, and since the driver saw me press against my pedal to get moving, I was under the impression that he would obey the traffic rules and stop his car, and wait until the coast was clear, and I was out of hitting range. But apparently, the driver was a complete idiot. Because despite the fact that he saw me making my way across the road, and despite the traffic rules, and despite the fact that there was no way in the universe that he would not hit me if he decided to NOT step on the breaks, (which wouldn't have been too hard to do being that he wasn't speeding or anything) he did NOT stop and ran right into me, and sent me flying through the air, with all the vegetables and fruits and such that was neatly secured in my bike basket.

I remember thinking, "What the hell is the idiot not stopping for when I'm already hitting the half-way-point of the cross way?" Then I remember thinking, "Damn it! I'm flying through the air!" Then I remember trying to get up and contemplating the fact that I had to pick up all the vegies and fruits and dairy products from all over the road, pick my bike up and get the hell out of the middle of the road so that I don't get run over by the next idiot who can't see a girl struggling on the ground, surrounded by scattered groceries.

The idiot who hit me appeared to be in his late 40's and was not apologetic in the least. In fact, he seemed annoyed and in a hurry to get the mess behind him. He did help me pick everything up though, so I'll give him that, although that's the very least he could have done. I remember him asking me questions like, "Are you alright?" I was like, "Dude, you just smashed me over with your car! Of course I'm not alright! Don't make yourself seem even more idiotic than you already made yourself appear by disregarding traffic rules and almost killing me." Anyhow, he pulled out 100 dollars and told me to go to the hospital and get my bike fixed. I remember insisting that I was fine, but I was referring to the fact that I wasn't in a puddle of my own blood and there were no visible wounds on my body. He insisted back, and I had absolutely no shame in taking his money and his name card. I was in way too much shock to think straight, and thinking straight would have been me saying something along the lines of, "100 dollars?! You are officially out of your mind! If I call the police right now, you will at least have your license revoked for a year, not to mention the fine you'll have to pay, if not time in jail! Don't be an idiot. 500 dollars and no less for the hospital bill that I may or may not have to pay, and for the scratch that you gave my bike which cost me 30 dollars!" But unfortunately, the impact of the crash, and the shock I was in completely fucked with my thinking process and all I could think of was getting home, and the sweet relief of being alive and whole with all limbs attached.

Anyway, after insisting that I get a check up, and handing me the money and his card, he drove off, and apparently, that is nothing short of 'hit and run'. But at the moment, while I was basking in the beauty of life and breath, and the money that was in my hand, I couldn't care less.

The fact that I saw no visible ouchies told me that going to work was totally fine. But I started noticing odd pains on my way to work, which increased through the night, and was quite uncomfortable in the morning. I'm determined to get it checked tomorrow, since the discomfort continues, and will be back here with the results.

gusto kitchen crazies

Eiko says...

I am now at Lodge Home, sitting at Sam's super awesome computer, trying to catch up on some blogging, but coming up completely blank.

For one, I'm too busy admiring Sam's computer, and secondly, there's so much that happened since my last post that I'm confused as to where to pick up from.

In a crisis like this, I junk all the rules and start from what first comes to mind.

Work Life

I'm working in the kitchen at Gusto, and words fail to describe the amount of insanity that's going on behind the scenes. There is of course, my crazy boss. I do recall saying something like how she seemed perpetually constipated and such, but if anybody had to be in charge of anything as hectic and crazy as Gusto, I'd say there's a legitimate reason to appearing perpetually constipated. It's that insane.

Starting with the food which is also a bunch of insanity. I'm sure it's common knowledge, but everything, and I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, (save the fresh salads, the negi, the white rice, the tofu, the decorative mint leaves that you see adorning your sundays and deserts, and the occasional slice of banana you get in the chocolate sunday) on the menu is frozen/packaged food. The pasta is boiled and frozen pasta, the ketchup rice for your omelet is packaged and frozen, and even the omelet itself is made out of what you call 'eguron'--whole, mixed eggs, packaged and frozen! All the sauces, including the pasta meat sauce and tomato sauce are packaged, and so are most of the meat. The maze-gohan is packaged, the udon noodles are frozen, the soups are packaged, the cakes and deserts are all frozen and packaged, the vegie dishes are also composed of frozen vegies and what not! Everything is heated with either the microwave, or the oven, or the electric stove. And get this...we use our hands, and directly touch your food...all the time. Don't worry! It's not that we do dirty things with our hands!! Every last one of us, (myself included) are clean freaks and are absolutely paranoid about keeping our hands germ-free! We even wear plastic gloves to the toilet so we won't have to expose our hands to anything that will give you a stomach ache. Totally.

Now you might think that working with all this frozen/packaged food would be easy and sweat free. Well, it's definitely not sweat free, and it's most definitely not easy. Mainly because having to make the vast variety of dishes that 5-7 groups of people randomly order at the same time with just 4 people during lunch or dinner time, is never a piece of cake. Orders are streaming in and special requests are always thrown in at the most inconvenient time. If you can't make 3 dishes at the same time while working the washer, you won't ever catch up with the orders. The insanity never stops.

My boss expects me to remember every dish I make the first time I make it, and also where all the ingredients/sauces/frozen foods are, and since that is very difficult to do when you're amongst so much confusion, I am often yelled at. I have considered yelling back, but that would most definitely make me lose my train of thought so I refrain from such action. I also kind of think my boss has a legitimate reason to be as constipated looking and cranky as she is. I mean, if I had to be in charge of all that... stuff...I would have already gone bonkers. The day I am able to move like a food producing machine like she can, and she stops yelling at me, I think we could even have a very decent conversation, and we'd probably get along just fine.

My co-workers seem to be very decent individuals, though I have yet to actually have a conversation with any of them. There's no way you can actually have time to talk amongst all the confusion during work time, so it will be awhile before I get to know them at all, much less remember their names. The only conversations that stands out to me that I had with my co-workers is when it was pouring rain outside, and one of the waitresses announced that a half naked foreigner had brought me an umbrella and was wondering when I'd get off. 'Half-naked-foreigner' could no one else but my BF. He'd be shirt-less come hell or high waters! Anyhow, later on while I was getting out of my food-smelling work clothes, another waitress, after lingering on the fact that the foreigner that brought me an umbrella wasn't wearing a shirt, asked what kind of acquaintance he was. I was like, 'oh, he's my BF.' They were like 'ahhh, naruhodo.' And I was like, 'yup'. The next day, one of my dude co-workers brought up the subject. "I heard that you had a half-naked friend come over to bring you an umbrella..." Apparently, being half naked in Japan is a biggie. They can't seem to leave the topic alone. *shrugs*

Anyhow, not much more is coming to mind. I would post a picture of me in my work clothes...but on second thought, nah. It's really nothing special. I'm wearing the dorky hair net, and on top of that the chef hat, black pants, a collar T-shirt and a green apron. Very standard, nothing special or attractive. Yup. No pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I was suppose to post pictures of our new house. But since this is Sam's computer, I don't have any of those with me. That will just have to wait for next time. I'm calling it a night.

Long belated post...

P.B. says...

Here I am, staring at the computer in vain, doing my best to make up a proper post from my limited vocabulary. Right, vocabulary isn't the problem. It's because I'm uncreative. I could sit in front of a computer for 40 minutes, and still not even have a simple paragraph typed down. Okay, it probably takes so long because I'm playing computer games at the same time I'm trying to cook up a post; but it would still take me a good 20 to 30 minutes to write something.

Anyway, I'm not here to rant away about how stupid I am. I'm here because I wrote something like '...you can be expecting something from me after I come back(from the trip)', and what do you know? Three weeks passed without me posting anything! No excuses or reasons why I didn't post, I'll just get on with it.

So here are the best pictures we've got. We hardly took any photos on this trip and the ones that we have are quite junky. Blame that on Mom or our stubborn will that won the camera over!

At Tazawako.

Granny teaching us how to make a fire.

It's nothing compared to Sam's photography, but this is one of Mom's best.


This trip, we stayed home all day, watching movies, and taking naps and watching some more movies; the best way to spend a vacation. We did go out camping at Tazawako, though, and me, nonny, and Yuya had a swim in the lake. All in all, this trip was a relaxing one, and a one we all enjoyed to the full. Oh, and before I go, let me just list the movies we watched.

*Titanic.
We watched the shorter version. I still don't understand why 'Wose threw the necklace into the sea.

*Transporters.
We were thinking about watching Moulin Rouge, but we wouldn't watch another Drama, so we decided on this.

*The Notebook.
Everyone cried on this one(I and Yuya excluded).

moved in

Eiko says...

'Awesome' is the word for this past week, everybody! It's almost been a week since moving into my new apartment, and everything about the new place fits the description of awesome. I take that back. Almost everything fits the description of awesome. I said almost because we don't have air cons, and sweating it out in this heat isn't so cool. If we weren't as excited as we were about moving into our new place, we wouldn't have been able to move all our stuff in the car and out of the car, and then into the apartment, then up the stairs and into the closets in this effing heat without losing our marbles! We were literally sweating machines! Ironically, we ordered pizza for our very first dinner at our new place. The pizza was great, but it didn't really help the sweating factor. I remember being insanely full, hot, sticky, and dead tired the first night here. I took a shower, and sweated myself to sleep.

Since my first day of work is the 8th, there's plenty of time to check out the neighborhood and settle in, both of which I've been doing plenty of. We have a 業務スーパー nearby, as well as a few good second hand shops, family restaurants, a big 100 yen shop and a yamada denki, all within biking distance, and a Mini Stop right down the road. I'm loving the neighborhood.

The theme colors for my room are black and red, but if it weren't for the BF taking me to Ikea, and if it weren't for the super awesome oil painting he got for me in Thailand, I wouldn't be anywhere close to getting my room started on the righteous path of red and black. It's getting there though. It needs a lot of help, but it's getting there. I'll post the pictures in the next post.

I'm calling it a night.

me and aich at gusto

Eiko says...

Here are a few pics from the outing Aich and I had at Gusto--my work place now.

got a job

Eiko says...

On our way out from having some quality girl time together at a nearby Gusto, Aich and I noticed a billboard in the entrance way announcing the need for more workers. I thought of writing the shops number on my hand so that I could give them a ring later on in the evening, ( because believe it or not, I still was job-less) Aich reminded me of the modern convenience in my back pocket--the keitai! I hit my forehead with my palm in a 'Duh! stupid me' kinda way, and proceeded to take a picture of the whole billboard, with all the bits of information on it, and made a mental note to call them up as soon as I finished my night shift in Cafe Marche.

That evening, I called the shop, and had a civil conversation with the Tenchou. I was expecting a man to be on the other side of the line, mainly because I distinctly remember the Tenchou being male last time Boris and I applied for Gusto. Complications were in our way at the time so we ended up not working there, but I remember clearly how nice the man was, and how cool it must be working for him. I guess he quit or was moved elsewhere. Whatever the case, the new Tenchou was definitely not a man,...or a woman for that matter. I would say something in the middle of a monster and a monkey.

Anyhow, I got a interview scheduled for 9 AM the next day. This was the first indication that the Tenchou was not mentally healthy. I'm not in the best of moods in the morning, and in order to be there at 9 AM, I had to get up at 7 AM to get ready and looking presentable. That's a rather early start, and the sizzling hot, sweaty walk to Gusto didn't help my moods to lighten up very much. I got there and was told to fill out a resume at one of the tables, which I did, and after filling it out in the most attractive way I thought my resume could possibly appear, I rung the bell and waited...

Moments later, in the seat directly in front of me sits this woman, with no shape to her body whatsoever. Her face was gaunt, black, and wire rimmed glasses balanced on her nose in a peculiar way. A sharp bob that didn't compliment her face shape made her look stupid, and her not wearing make up made her look like a man. She had bony fingers that reminded me of an anorexic patient, and her mouth appeared to have 2 ton weights attached to either side. People like this woman and George W. B. keep the theory of Evolution alive! You see them and it's understandable as to why some believe that we have monkeys for ancestors! She also looked and acted perpetually constipated, which worried me since we all know how awful that can be. She also sat as if she had a stick up her ass, and so I thought I'd do her a favor and politely asked if I could lend her a hand in pulling it out. This kind offer on my part was not received so kindly. I just got the blank, no-emotions, constipated stare, and I gave up on helping her... until I realized that the woman sitting in front of me was the Tenchou of Gusto,the lady I talked to on the phone...who could very possibly end up being my future boss, if all went well with the interview. I was like, 'Damn it! Not cool!'

She quickly took a glance at my resume, lingered a bit on my TOEIC score, asked a few questions as to why I wasn't getting an English related job if my English was as good as it seemed, asked me a few questions about my past job experiences, and then pushed my resume aside and just stared at me. I was like....woah. Then she started threatening.

"Little girl, you may think you know what the word, 'strict' means, but you will never know the true meaning of that word until you've worked here, under me. Boys cry, and most of the girls quit within the first few months. You may think that work here is easy, but you're wrong. You may think that it could possibly be fun, but you're wrong. You may think that it's a glorious job that you'll enjoy doing, but you're wrong. The work here is not easy, it's not fun, it's not glorious, and it's likely that you won't enjoy it. We are quite hard on people, and proud of it. So if you do get the phone call of acceptance here, I want you to come to work knowing what you're getting yourself into."

I was like..."Uh, dudess, if you made me cry, that would make me a mega loser. I have better things and people to cry over, and you are the last person on the face of the earth that I feel like wasting tears on. Go figure! But know that I've worked in hard situations. I've got experience in cooking and waitressing, and I've been given the responsibility of taking full charge over one of my old work places,--cooking, working the register, serving the customer and the cleaning--all by myself! I'm good with customers, I'm a fast learner, and I don't whine. And although totally irrelevant, I'm fluent in English and have my TOEIC score to prove it. So, yeah, go figure again!"

I didn't care if I was bluffing 80% of everything I said! She annoyed me! Who on earth talks like that to a perfect stranger? Making boys cry isn't something to boast about! I wouldn't have any of it. I was determined to prove to this lady that I would not be one of her victims.

The interview was short and went smoothly. I was still sickened by everything about her. I even found a part of me hoping that I wouldn't get the job! She was a 100%, no non-sense phyco.

Yesterday, while recovering from a fever and a migraine, I get a call. I got the effing job! That phyco lady hired me. I have nothing more to say. My search for employment is over and I'm happy about that. Then a mental picture of her pops in my mind, and I feel like puking.

God, spare me from hell!!

like this

Eiko says...

Rule #1 Never be sappy or emotional or depressing on Two out of Twelve.

Enough said. Over.

Chocolate! Go!

kick ass voice & stripping old man

Eiko says...

Ladies and gents, my apologies for the absence. Once again, I have many excuses, but they're all lousy, so I'm not going to waste your time, or my precious finger energy by listing them up.

Knowing how word spreads faster than light here in JP TFI, I'm sure most of you have heard about how Dawn and Yasu and I are getting an apartment together. It's likely that I mentioned that at least twice somewhere on this blog. But whatever! The exact date is the 1st of September and fast approaching!! I need to start packing and purging....AGAIN! You know, I've been doing a lot of moving around recently--from T.O.M Home to Icthus Home to Lodge Home, and now I'm off to a brand new beginning with Dawn and Yasu and Kippins, and that's all within 10 months! But more than needing to pack and purge, ( which should be fairly easy since all the clothes and the stuff and the clutter haven't left the fit-cases since coming here ) I need to get my ass a damn good job! Okay, forget the 'good' part. I just need a damn job that doesn't pay poop. Pray that I find one.

The above was the updates. Below is everything else.

I've recently caught a pretty bad 夏風邪, and consequently, I sound like a man. No joke. A very sick man. Give me a ring, and you'll know what I'm talking about. You probably won't even recognize my voice.

I'll answer the call and you'll be like,

"Woah, FREAK! Give Eiko's cell back to Eiko!"

And I'll be like,

"Dude, (or girl friend or whatever) this is Eiko..."

And whether you believe me or not is something else.

I'm actually on my way to recovery, but in the hight of my summer cold, my head hurt, my throat stung, my nose was runny, my stomach was upset, and to top it all off, I was on my bloody monthly. I was also slightly emotional over a certain personal something, and all of that combined made a very miserable me. The worst part about the cold was my throat. I think what really gave my voice that extra husky, raspy touch was going to karaoke, and not just drinking the drinks and eating the snacks, but singing for 5 hours straight! If I didn't have a throat cold, singing for 5 hours wouldn't have given such fantastic results. Unfortunately, there was the throat cold issue. I had loads of fun regardless, but we must not forget the consequences.

Cafe Marche--The Unexpected Strip Show

We have an older customer who I'd agree to count as a regular. He drops by often enough, although mostly during the Friday and Saturday nights when we have the live music going on. He's 80-ish-years-old, and he reminds us of his age each time he drops by. Did I mention that I've never seen this man enter our cafe sober? He only drops by after he's drunk himself tipsy somewhere else. Anyhow, one Friday evening, he swings by Cafe Marche, tipsy as always, and orders a beer, and than another beer, and then whisky, and then wine and on and on and one he orders. I'd say it was less then 15 minutes until he started singing and clapping his hands AND dancing all over the cafe, trying to get the other customers to join him, and making little to no sense when he orders or tries to make conversation! His moment of glory (and embarrassment if he'd remember anything at all the next day) was when he starting stripping! I'm not kidding. He stripped! Thank the good Lord he kept the stripping to the upper half of his body. I gave Stephan a quick worried glance, but Steph was laughing his head off. I was like 'cool!' and quickly joined him. I mean, this skinny, genki yet crazy, old ojiiichan started taking his clothes off, stood in front of the stage where J.D. and the other band members were performing, and spread his arms wide, and began jigging, saluting people, and making a huge fool out of himself! The other customers had quite the show, and were laughing as well. I kind of felt sorry for the ladies he was trying to persuade to dance with him. Once the ojiichan realized he wouldn't get any luck from the customer ladies, he came over to me and began insisting that I dance with him. I had to give him the, no-can-do-I'm-working-talk. He was too high to be offended. Alcohol is indeed a magical beverage.

Dick in a Box

Eiko says...

It's waay to hot and humid to think straight, so blogging is completely out of the question. BUT!! Posting a You Tube vid isn't all that tough, and so here you go: Dick in a Box!!

If you need something to get you laughing like hell, watch this!

Akita Trip

P.B. says...

We will be going to Akita tomorrow and would be back by the 21st. I'm so happy that Boris will still be coming with us, even when all the other older brothers and sisters have abandoned us(shame on you!!). Well, I suppose it is okay traveling with only a few for a change. It makes it easier for everyone―More oxygen and space in the car, and makes moving more faster. Besides, Granny's cottage isn't big enough to house all of us.

Anyway, I think I wouldn't be able to post during our trip. We're going to bring the internet connection thingie there, but not so sure if it would work, but you can be expecting something about our trip after I come back.

That's about it. Mom and my good older sis is banging me over the head...
Good night. gtg...

kissing and pick up lines for idiots

Eiko says...

These two vids are hilarious!

Post #2 of summer vaca 2010

Eiko says...

The list of movies I watched during my 6 day vacation:

-After Life

Staring Christina Ricci and Liam Neeson, 'After Life' is about a young woman caught between life and death...and a funeral director who appears to have the gift of transitioning the dead, but might just be intent on burying her alive. My least favorite movie that I watched this week.

-Bunny and the Bull

A movie about a young shut-in takes an imaginary road trip inside his aparmtent, based on mementos and memories of a European trek from years before. A very quirky film with loads to get you cracking up! The charactor 'Bunny' reminds me of a messed up version of my dear bro Hiki. Loved this one!

-Man on Fire

It's an epic 2004 film staring dear old Denzel Washington, and I finally got around to watching it! It's about a former assassin who swears vengeance on those who commited an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect. This film is one of those rare gems that Hollywood produces. A must-see!

-The Italian Job

This film reminded me of Oceans 11, but had it's original twist to it. I must say, I loved Jason Statham in it! Classic movie, great plot, good acting! Loved it!

-When in Rome

A sweet 'chic-flick' with a touch of magic! Cute story, cute guy, cute plot! The perfect 'light' movie after something like 'Man on Fire'!

-Zombie Land

The BEST zombie movie EVER, across the board! I really enjoyed this one! A great comedy to sit down to and laugh your heart and waist line away to!

-Dear John

What can I say? Nicholas Sparks did it again with one of his sappy love stories that always sting... in a sad kind of way. It was realistic, sweet, sad DRAMA! I liked it though. Channing was awful cute in it.

The places I ate with Boris during our 6 day vaca:

-McDonalads

'Cmon! Mc 'D is classic! Regardless of the fact that it tastes like tasted c

ardboard, you have to go there at least once during a vacation, and we went like... 3 times! An all time favorite is the cheese burger and their coffee! A new favorite is their 'juicy chicken' that they sell for 100 yen per piece. It's a fairly new addition, and if you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it! You won't be disappointed!

You also gotta love their new Mc Cafe' designs! Quite classy if I may say so myself.

-KFC

They totally shrunk their 'Twisters', and their potato fries aren't worth eating, but their chicken is to die for, and so we ate there once. Delicious.

-Gusto

Only for their drink bar and for the fact that they are open 24-7! Went there twice and enjoyed many leisurely talks with Boris over their drinks.

-Cafe Marche

Steph held true to his word and let us eat for free at Cafe Marche for filling in a shift d

uring our vacation. It's a completely different feeling if you're in the cafe as a customer! Loved Sam waiting on me! Haha!

-Made pastas on several occasions. An all time fav!

All in all had a smashing vacation! Rested up, watched a great deal of great movies, cached up with my BEST friend, and am ready for the MOVE that will be happening first thing come September! We FOUND the PERFECT APARTMENT! It has a loft, and a balcony and plenty of space to breath and live! I can't wait to move in! Woo hoo!

And I need an effing job!!!

Drinking coffee at Gusto waaay past midnight!

On our way to Shibuya, we decided to take some pictures of our shadows!

Sushi night!

here, take my seat

Eiko says...

On the train back from Shibuya, all hot and sweaty and tired, squashed against strangers like sardines in a can, holding on to the bar for dear life in the moving train, I saw something beautiful take place.

The business man who was sitting in front of me started getting out of his seat, put his bag where his ass once was in order to keep the seat secure, and began shifting towards I-have-no-idea-what. I was clueless as to what he was trying to do, and tried to make sense of his actions. Moving out of his snug seat through human-sardines in a jostling train during rush hour? Honestly, I questioned his mental stability. Well, a few moments later I found out that he was probably the most mentally stable human on this train as I saw him leading a woman who looked around 7 months pregnant through the maze of humans against humans, and offered her his seat! She seemed to be exhausted and in pain, and I was so proud of that businessman for noting her in this crowded train, where everybody is smooshed up against everybody else. He just earned the 'Knight-in-shining-armor-title' of the day!

What I really wanted to know was what the HELL was wrong with all the big-time-Losers who were sitting closer to this obviously pregnant woman and didn't offer her a seat! She was literally the 'damsel in distress' desperately needing a hero! The pathetic part about it was that she was surrounded by able bodied humans who could have easily been her hero! There weren't any wild beasts or evil mythical monsters to fight off in order to rescue her from the pain she was feeling! All she needed was someone who was selfless enough to get back on their tired feet, fight back the pride, and offer her a place to sit. There should have been at least a dozen guys throwing themselves at her to lend her a hand! Unfortunately there was only one of them that cared enough. And he wasn't even sitting close to her!!

What a messed up world!

Yeah, SUPER messed up!! I mean, after witnessing this heroic act unfold before my very eyes, I wanted to celebrate the beauty of the moment with someone, and so turned to Boris who was squashed against me and began praising the kind business man who was such a gentleman--the only gentleman in the cart, apparently. Then Boris let out a long sigh as she shifted her heeled feet from side to side and said,

"That's exactly why I wanted to purchase one of those pregnant-mommy-tummy-suits! With one of those strapped on, and a bit of acting on my part, I would have a seat of my own by now!"

Well, Boris, at this rate, fat chance! If the businessman didn't notice the real pregnant lady, she would still be seat-less and suffering!

2010 summer vaca day 1,2,3,4

Eiko says...

Welcome to the first of my 2010 summer vacation post! The very one and only Boris is here to contribute to the fun, and together, we are wreaking havoc on the Adachi-ku night streets and loving every moment of it. We live a complete night life over here where we sleep half of the morning away, and laze the rest of the afternoon through with movies and naps and snacks, and we reserect from the zombie life that we lived all morning and come alive after the sun sets, and hit the streets--like vampires! Eff the Collins! They're #ussies! The Matsuoka vamps know how to rock the night life. I mean, my great grand dad knew how to party better than Edward, and I don't even know my great grand dad!

Whatever!

Day #1 (29th)

The Adachi-ku Hanabi taikai was the perfect kick start to my vacation! Since it was raining buckets all morning, not to mention the terrific wind that was blowing everything in it's path away, I honestly thought that they'd cancel it. But a few hours before the designated time, the rain stopped and they carried on as planned! Okasan ordered an amazing amount of sushi, and the home bought the drinks. Beer is the ultimate omatsuri beverage EVER--a definite must-have. As if that weren't enough, (well, there never really is 'enough' when it comes to food) J.D. made awesome fried chicken and even more sushi! You can't go wrong with stuff like that. Boris came in just time to enjoy the yummies! Kampai to an amazing vacation!

After we finished dinner, we went out to Gusto for a late night out. We chilled and chit-chatted over a drink bar until an ungodly hour, and finally got home at around 4:30 AM ish. Yup. I was serious about the "night-life" thingie.

Day #2 (30th)

Slept in, and had a brunch over a movie called "After Life". It was interesting. I think I liked my granola that I was eating better than I liked the movie. But than again, my granola was pretty damn good! Boris has a to-die-for recipe for the best granola that you could ever imagine eating, and she made me some of this kick-ass granola! I'm loving it!

Anyhow, after the movie, we napped. I was woken from that nap by Ken, who had a proposition to make:

-Proposition

"We have around 30 customers and we were hoping you would lend us a hand with the waitressing. Stephan says he'll pay you and give you a free meal from the cafe."

I think I mumbled something that resembled I'll think about it, and rolled over and continued my nap. After a few more minutes of Zzzzs, I rolled out of bed, and decided that it wouldn't hurt to have some extra vacation money, although my first thoughts were along the lines of 'no ways am I working a shift in the cafe during my vacation!' Well, I ended up agreed to taking the shift despite it being my vacation and Boris was cool enough to lend the cafe a hand too!

With the time we had before our shift, we made a tiramisu for the movie night we were planning with Dawn and Yasu, and then I ran Boris through the steps of waitressing at Cafe Marche, and got her outfit together. The steps of waitressing at Cafe Marche is nothing complicated. Just gotta keep your eyes peeled for the customers happiness, memorize your standard lines, be polite and SMILE!

Boris and I had the 6 to 8 shift, and I was shocked to enter the cafe that was jam packed with 30 customers! That's a ton of people considering the fact that our cafe looks packed with just 20 customers!

A secular band was performing, and all of his fans decided to show up! The majority of the fans were women, and for very understandable reasons. The guy was cute (although very short), and had this knock out wife and adorable child! They were by every standard, the 'looks' couple for sure. I guess the wife explained the male fans that showed up that evening.

Anyhow, it was hectic and confusing, but knowing that we were getting paid was very comforting. After our shift, we watched 'The Italian Job' over the tiramisu that boris and I made. Loved that film! We got to bed at around 2:00 AM. Not so late.

Day#3

Woke up fairly late, dragged ourselves out of bed and had a brunch over a movie called "Bunny and the Bull". I laughed so hard, it would have taken the place of an abs work out!! Very quirky, hilarious and sweet all in one film!

After lazing around a bit more, we walked to the only mall in walking distance, window shopped, and stopped by a Mc. D on our way back, which we stayed at till 10:30. Walked home and called it a night.

Day #4

No sleeping in today! Got up at normal time and went out with Dawn and Yasu to check an apartment that we had our eyes on for a while. It seemed like a dream when we found it online, but when we actually walked through the house, and saw exactly how fantastic it really was, I just knew we had to live there! I want it so bad! Pray that there are no complications in getting this baby!

Got back and watched "Man on Fire", another epic by Denzel Washington, over a brunch. Loved everything about this movie! It's a must-see if you haven't yet. After that, Went out for a bit of shopping and ate a meal at Cafe Marche with Boris. I appreciate the cafe a lot more when I enter it as a customer rather then the waitress. And that's as far as day 3 goes, because now, I'm blogging, and I'm not so sure about our future plans! Will update you all with more as it comes.

News:

I applied for Baskin Robbins! Pray I get the job! I neeeeed it!

tsukareta atsui yo~

Eiko says...

I just showered off an insanely busy night shift at our cafe! We had over 20 customers ordering the dinner sets, the alcoholic beverages and otsumami all at the SAME TIME--literally! Well, they can go ahead and order away, but it doesn't mean that they'll get what they want the moment they order it. Unfortunately, some seem to forget that we are merely humans running the cafe.

I got a lot of:

"Can't you see that we're thirsty? Where's the beer I didn't order yet?!"

"We're drinking here! How do you expect us to drink without any food?"

"I ordered 5 minutes ago! I'm hungry!"

"Dude, notice that you're among 20 + customers with only one of me, trying to serve y'all! Take a hint and quit waving your glass at me! I also only have two hands. Patience would be very appropriate."

is NOT what I said, although I might have felt like it at one point or another.

Instead, the words that I found myself repeating over and over and OVER again were,

「大変お待たせいたしました。」

「大変失礼いたしました。」

「申し訳ございません。」

Also, the air-conditioning decided to go on strike or something because they started acting up, and soon, we had many customers complaining about the heat! Hell! It was cooler outside than in our little cafe, and that speaks volumes! If it really was cooler outside, than the customers sure had something to bitch about. I mean, counting all the staff and customers together, there were around 30 people in the cafe, it's Tokyo, people were drinking and eating, there was live music that everybody was grooving and clapping and moving to, AND the cooling system went bonkers! BUT! Just imagine how hot it was for me, and all the Marche staff who were on duty! We were all running around, taking and serving orders, apologizing for late orders, wiping up messes, washing dirty dishes, and making sure the customers were happy, SWEATING buckets! I soaked my shirt through! Ew!!

We really need to do something about our air-con problem. Like YESTERDAY!

On a happier note, Stephan brought home a ton of mangoes and watermelons that are just what you want to eat on a sweltering summer day. It's fruit heaven here at Lodge Home. I'm loving it.

Rufus

P.B. says...

One rainy night, a stray cat came to our house, crying its head off. I gave him some fish to keep him quiet, then, what do you know...he came the night after that and the next and the next, crying away. So now he stays all day on our front door, in hopes of someone to pity him and give him some food. Well,he never gets disappointed and that 'someone' happens to be me. I claimed him as my pet cat, and even named him after one of my favorite actors―Rufus.




There were some suggestions of calling him Puss in boots, or Berúthiel( from The Unfinished Tales, The istari, Notes, who kept 10 cats as her slaves), but really, it would sound too odd if I called him 'puss' or 'beru' after the psycho Queen, so I'll just stick with Rufus.

Well, that's all from Icthus home. See you all later...

who's ur prince, sleeping beauty?

Eiko says...

Remember how I mentioned in several posts that I have difficulty sleeping? Some people call it insomnia. Some people believe that insomnia is all in the mind, and that people are blowing the sleepless nights waay out of proportion. Whatever. I don't really care what you call it. The point is that as an 'insomniac' you can't sleep for one reason or another, and apparently, I had it bad. But do take careful notice that 'had' is a past tense. I can sleep quite well these days, and I couldn't be happier for it! I actually set an alarm clock these days to make sure I wake up on time! Those who know me well, know that this is nothing short of a miracle! Happy!

But! The strangest thing happened the other day where I experienced sleep paralysis--something that hasn't haunted me in a while. I kept falling in and out of the paralysis state, and I couldn't shrug off the sheer terror of the moment. I just wanted to wake up. I just wanted to be able to breath. Unfortunately, I haven't found a way to control the paralysis. I don't even know if you can. It just hadn't happened in a while, and came as a shock to me--a bad shock. I always firmly believed that, although science seems to have an explanation for it, it is a very spiritual experience--and not at all a good one. I'm interested in anybody who has learned to combat sleep paralysis, physically/spiritually/mentally. It's something I've done some research on, but never really could find a concrete solution to. I'm just happy it doesn't happen so often anymore.

Whatever. We're not going to dwell on something as negative as sleep paralysis.

To end this post on a happy note, my summer vaca is coming up fast, and I can't wait! I'm hoping to spend some good quality time with the people that I love, and I'm hoping to make the most out of it. Boris, hurry up and get your act together!! We're going to have a blast this summer!! *wink*

changes

Eiko says...

So here's the news.

I am moving out of Lodge Home with Yasu, Dawnie and Kippins into an apartment, sometime in the next 2 or 3 months. It's been a great stay at Lodge Home, and I've learned many new things, as well as stashed extra experience under my belt for the future. I was also able to build wonderful friendships here, which I will miss terribly. BUT! I would be lying to say that I'm unhappy about moving out. I feel like my stay here has ran it's course, and I'm up for some change and excitement! Whoopee!

We haven't exactly decided on an apartment yet, but we're hoping to get it within the area--something not too far away. But first things first! Step number 1 is getting a job. Yup. I'm still job-less. Pray that I find something convenient, well-paying, with tons of cool co-workers, a boss that doesn't yell at me and that's within a reasonable distance.

I was with some of our friends' kids today so that they could attend a Bible class 'noise and racket free', and since the heat was unbearable, and also because my legs were sore beyond words due to some running I've been doing recently for exercise, I decided that playing games and/or engaging our minds in educational anything would be unreasonable, both for me and them, mentally and physically. Well, thank the good Lord for Disney cartoons, because today, they were salvation itself! We had a video tape of Tarzan in Japanese lying around, and since it happens to be one of my favorite Disney cartoons, and also since I haven't watched it in Japanese before, I decided it could very well be an exciting experience. It WAS! Especially when the song 'Two Worlds' began to play....IN JAPANESE! Somehow, I was expecting Phil Collins to be singing it. What was I thinking? I was stunned, just staring, unable to do anything else. I mean, whoever was singing it completely ruined it! Oh, well. The songs aside, I liked it. So did the kids. I think our favorite part is when the gorillas trash the camp!

Okay, Disney stuff aside, it's HOT! Just the fact that I'm breathing is a miracle! This miracle is called 'modern technology'. (a.k.a air-cons ) Yup. This is how we survive the summers in Tokyo. It's either your electricity bill or your funeral expenses. If you put it that way, it's pretty easy to make the decision to turn the air-cons on.

ice coffee black

Eiko says...

Obviously, I'm blogging a lot less than I used to due to my comp crashing on me.

And I'm living in the effing SAHARA! Worse yet, I'm living in smelly, stinky, humid Tokyo!! The weather is unbelievable! The only time any sane person would go outside is past 7:00, and this is what I've been doing to clear my head of the heat and

the kitchen and the cafe.

I take a walk down to a nearby park, lie myself down on a bench, and stare up into the darkening sky and let the evening breeze blow the stress of the day away, with my favorite music and the sound of dancing trees complementing the moment. It works wonders, and I always feel so much better after my little 'park time'. Of course, I do have the little nagging thoughts of Adachi-ku perverts attacking me during my times out, but so far, I've been spared, and either way, I think my sanity is top priority. Alone time is a must!

But so is friend time. Aich, Izu and I had a Word date (sharing quo

tes and stuff) at Jonathan's over a drink bar, which was lot's of fun and totally necessary. Living with these two Sagittarius girls makes life very exciting! In fact, I live with 5 Sages right now, and it's the most interesting thing ever. They are definitely there own species. Yup.

Me and Aich at Jonathan's

never to wake up again...wahhh

Eiko says...

Everybody, a tragedy happened yesterday morning. My baby laptop put himself to sleep, never to wake up again. The doctors (a.k.a Sam and J.D.) are trying everything, but I can tell by the look in their eyes, and the tone of their voices that my laptop has permanently moved on to 'the other side'. I think he was tired and weary of this world. I should have hidden that pistol more carefully. Damn it!!

Anyway, I'm in mourning now, and I'm planning on mourning for a few more days. I mourn the loss of the lonely nights which I used to spend with my laptop, watching a film, browsing YouTube, blogging, etc. It will take a while to get used to 'single life'. I don't think I ever will. Which is why I'm planning on buying a new one!! That is of course, after I get a job and save up for one.

Speaking of which, I'm looking for a job, and I've got a few options. Be nice, pretty please, and pray that I get a good one.

New Stuff:

*David Stine left for the States a few days ago, and before he left, we all had a bye-bye party for him over beer and whiskey and stuff. Will miss his strange ways and addicting humor. Have a great time over there, David!

*A good friend, Yuri-chan, came over, and me and Aich had a girls night out with her over drinks and yummies. I haven't seen that girl in ages! I hope you find yourself some good luck in Nagoya! Come visit us again!!

*Me and Aich are presently going through a highly addicting TV series known as, "Desperate Housewives", much to Kenny Benny's horror and disghust!! He finds the series repulsive. I don't know what he's talking about!! Aich and I managed to find time to squeeze in 3 full episodes today, despite the busy schedule and all! Just shows that you make time for what you really want and believe to be important. We're insane!

*The lovable Dawnie and Yasu and Kippins are moving in the day after tomorrow!! I'm happy beyond words!

Cafe Marche News:
The little stage that situates in the right corner of our cafe is living up it's worth! Aside from Up Country's weekly performance on Friday and Saturday evenings, we are staging a variety of other bands as well, both secular and TFI, amateur and professional.
The music is one of our biggest attractions, and when we have live music playing, customers flock!!! On top of the music, the fact that we serve alcohol is a recipe for busy nights for the staff at Cafe Marche. The other night, one of our regulars invited 7 friends to chill out at our cafe to the live music and food and drinks. The same night, we had a family who reserved 6 seats for a Birthday special. That night was crazy busy! Aside from these two groups--who ordered up a storm,-- we had our usual customers, who kept us, the floor staff, very busy! Around the second session of music, we had intoxicated customers dancing jigs, hitting on the waitresses, and singing along as if they were at karaoke! Keeping tabs on orders that people randomly yell at you from across the room, and remembering who yelled those exact orders, in the midst of live music and dancing and horny men being horny, is NOT the easiest thing. But whatever. It can be fun.

We have our insanely busy days, where all of the Marche Staff feel as if they are going to go nuts, and we also have our insanely slow days, where we feel like we are going to go nuts because of sheer boredom. But considering the fact that we've only been in business for less than 3 months, I'd say we're doing a great job. Keep praying for us! This whole thing is a new experience for us. It's very exciting.