grinch83's Blog

Well, it's only till September 6th and I start on July 16th and it pays a little above minimum wage but hey, I am happy. It sucks to be in Japan and it sucks even more to not be making it. Oh well.

I just started reading this book. Just a few pages in but I'm so glad I bought this.

When I was a child, I was into photography and drawing. Either I was constantly snapping pictures of my friends, classmates, cat, whatever or drawing drawing drawing. I was a better at photography than drawing. I think my passion abated when I dropped out of art school then lived in a homeless shelter for a couple of months. The years have passed and I still am interested in photography and drawing but the passion I used to have just won't reignite. I wonder and worry about my golden years. I hope i don't make it to retirement because I am scared of not having any money to live on, not having a job, being ill...

I am struggling to survive right now. Tokyo is not the place for me. It used to be a wonderful place back in the 80's. I could get a job. Employers were willing to hire me. They took a chance. Nowadays it's difficult. The economy is horrible everywhere. People with degrees, skills and experience have a tough time landing a job. I don't have a degree and only American employers value my skills and experience. I don't have the skills a Japanese employer wants.

Wish, wish, wish. Wish I finished college, wish I did well in math and science, wish I studied Japanese... Wish my parents were rich and left me a big inheritance. Ho hummm...

Aaargh! Japan sucks. I know I am the cause of all my problems. If only I didn't do this or if only I did that... aaargh. Aaargh!!!

If only I did well in school so I would have a good job and skills. Instead I played around till my mid-20's then went to study art (oh, why didn't I listen to my parents when they pooh-poohed my chosen field and suggested accounting or computer related studies?) only to drop out after a couple of years. I was a clerical temp and although things there were scary (no savings, no assignment, how am I going to pay bills) moments, I somehow pulled through. I was on week two of my six week assignment when my temp agency supervisor lets me know I needed to clear something up. Well... That sucked. Nothing to do but go back home.

"Home" sucks. I want to immigrate to Canada, Britain or Australia but in order to immigrate you must have special skills - if only I studied science! medicine, computer science... -. Aaargh. OR! Or if only I listened to my dad when he suggested I enlist. I would have gained a skill or retired with a pension and a skill. One of my classmates enlisted in the Navy and retired after 20 years. I didn't know that till he included me in an e-mail for his retirement party.

Oh. Poor me. hee, hee... aaargh.

 

So, I just read this article about a couple who got arrested for not tipping. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Time-In-Prison--70426052.html?yhp=1

At first I thought, "Whaaat?! Where the heck did this happen?" Then I read the article. The couple and their friends went to the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They had to fetch silverware and napkins for themselves and go up to the bar for refills. So it seems all the waitress did for the group was to take down their orders and serve the meals. The restaurant charges a mandatory 18 percent gratuity. The couple explained they why they weren't paying the tip to the bartender and he calls the police. The charges (theft) may not hold up in front of a judge.

How irksome that the police had to get involved. Can you tell that the establishment really values their customers?

Best to entertain at home!

 

 

 

I am the youngest. The first born is my brother who is ten years older then another brother who is 7 years older. When I was growing up, I didn't really spend time playing or interacting with them. Even as adults, we didn't converse. So around the time I took off to Canada in 1990 to present day, I was fine with us not keeping in touch. Well, circumstances dictated that I leave North America so here I am in Japan. I am staying with the brother who is 7 years older. He married a Japanese girl and they have three children (22, 19 and 14). I can't really stand my brother. We can have a conversation but he has a chip on his shoulder and I wish my circumstances weren't what they are (especially the finances) so I can stay in a hotel. His children seem really close to one another. We were never like that so to converse with him and his wife is a trial. He can speak Japanese but can't read or write it well. He works as a welder but that job may not last and so he is worried about finding work in another field. His wife is a nurse. We are only two years apart but from the needless "advice" she gives to me, I take it that she thinks I'm totally clueless. For example, she tells me what I must do to lower my cholesterol; lose weight and exercise. Duh. (I didn't ask her what I should do about my high cholesterol. She asked me about my medical history.) The woman cooks rice and noodle soup and tells me carbohydrates are good for lowering my cholesterol! 

Although I am not religious...

God, help me escape and cut ties with my brother and his family. I need to move far, far, far away. Please help me leave this farming state (nothing against farming, I love my fruits and vegetables!) if not the country and live on my own.

 

I left Denver on the 1st of October. It's been years since I was on a plane. I went to Las Vegas once on a plane and a few times via Greyhound. Definitely my first trip since 9/11, so I was prepared for all the craziness with security. My flight was departing at 9 a.m. so I was there around 5:30 a.m.! I've heard all the horror stories about people still missing their flight even though they arrived at the airport a couple of hours before the departure time. The gal at the check in counter asked me why I was there so early and when I told her, she shook her head. I had locked both my suitcases so she attached the keys. I went through security which was at a good clip. I had to chug my water down. The homeland security guy told me I could drink it or empty it in the trash bin. I had on my jean jacket plus another jacket. When I was told to remove my jacket, I forgot about my jean jacket and I was puzzled when I was stopped. Good thing I had a shirt on underneath the jean jacket! Hee, hee... I proceeded on and I must say DIA is a pretty good airport. It has a wireless station. Free! I was on the internet for awhile then wandered around the eateries. I ended up eating some biscuits and gravy. After that, I felt like taking a nap, but I didn't want to end up missing my flight so I wandered around a bit then took a seat near the windows. Eyes wide open and mind in outer space...

When my flight was ready to board, I felt so relieved. I could finally take a nap! I had the window seat. 

The flight ascent was smooth. I was impressed. Years ago, I was on flights where the ascent and descent were like roller coaster rides. I was ready for a nap. Snooze... At one point, there was a bit of turbulence, so we swooped down but otherwise a good flight. LAX was sooo confusing. The AA flight attendant told me I had to exit the building to get to the Tom Bradley building but I saw this line which seemed to go to the Tom Bradley building so I got in line. Good thing, I asked the guy behind me whether this line was for the Tom Bradley building. He told me I had to exit the building and he was very good about the directions. LA was so hot!!! Whew. I finally found the JAL counter and then promptly got lost following the signs to the gates! Went through the homeland security checks again. This one slender gal with a long t-shirt and jeans had to wait to be patted down. She was in front of me and was still waiting when I finished getting my jackets, backpack, laptop and sandals. I put on my jackets, sandals and placed my laptop in my backpack and she was still waiting with a puzzled frown. When I got to my gate, I was disappointed to find the one outlet in the area already being used. There are charging stations but that was being used to capacity. I wandered around a bit. I think DIA is better than LAX in that there are wireless stations and eateries, things to do. LAX, at least in the gate/area I was in, had one overpriced cafe and one "shop" (goods in an open area; not a kiosk). Boooring. I was standing in line when I noticed the girl who had to be patted down. We chatted for a bit. She told me she bought her ticket a month in advance. I bought mine just a few days ago (!!!) and mine was cheaper. Thank you Travelocity! Actually both Travelocity and Priceline had the same price for the same airlines. I was very fortunate. I was able to get a cheap ticket within a week of my flight! The good thing about getting your ticket in advance is that you can pick your seat. I had no choice in mine. She had an aisle seat. I had the one by the window. I'm the type who has to go to the bathroom every other second so I was very worried. My seatmates did not go to the bathroom for the over nine hour flight! Well, I did sleep so maybe they went when I was asleep... however, I don't think so. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we got meals. I thought after 9/11 that airlines no longer served meals with silverware or meals at all.  How wonderful that my assumption was wrong!

 

King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters

I remember listening to an interview and/or a review of this on one of the NPR programs. I enjoyed everything. The characters, the set up (who knew someone would take it upon himself to be an official validator of scores?), the game, the competition... I thought Billy Mitchell was a good guy at first but when he kept dodging Steve Wiebe (pronounced weebee) and sent in a video of his scores instead of playing live, my estimation of him dropped like a lead balloon. Earlier in the film, Billy goes on and on about scores set while playing live versus video taped. Steve kept trying to contact Billy and challenging him to a live game. It was awful when the referee, Walter Day, chose to use Billy's video tape score. Steve was busy playing Donkey Kong so he didn't get to see the video tape but he was told it was a one time play only. What the hey?

Blue Murder set 4

Never heard of this but I enjoyed the episodes in series 4. All of the characters are interesting. Certainly is a different atmosphere from Helen Mirren and her gang in Prime Suspect.

You Kill Me

Hilarious! Tea Leoni is all right. I think I caught her briefly in her television days. I've forgotten the name of the series and what is was about. Anyway, the story is about a killer who has to go to AA because his drinking is interferring with his killing! Hilarious! I loved it.

The Ice Pirates

Robert Ulrich as a space pirate. Funny story and it was good to see a sci-fi movie made in the 80's which was on par with Star Trek! I mean the special effects.

 

Do you believe in that we are here to improve our lives? I always think I am making the right decisions but in retrospect I have not. I've been here, in the U.S.A., since 1992. I came to study then in 1995, I was frustrated with myself and the field I chose so I dropped out of school. I went to the Netherlands for a week and came back to the states to pack up my stuff. Unfortunately, I am a hoarder.

(My mother told me that I am just like my father. He hoarded things too. Like newspapers, I mean every single issue! He would go berserk if he thought someone had tossed that day or some other day's paper. He hoarded a lot of stuff. I used to laugh and think no way am I like him. --- Yes, I am...)

So,  I couldn't part with my precious treasures but I didn't have the money to ship them back home. Finally, I put them in a storage unit. Well, 14 years later, I cleared out that unit. 14 years later, I could finally let my magazines (Archeaology, Smithsonian, Science News, Catholic Digest...) go. I took them to the recycle dumpster. It took me several days to clear out my small unit. Thank goodness for a couple of friends who gave me rides so I could take my trash to my apartment dumpster. My storage unit manager doesn't allow dumpsters. I asked if I could rent a dumpster so I could throw away my stuff straight into it. Well, it worked out because I had to take a good look at stuff. I had stuff I wondered why I kept! Unbelievable! Things like utility bills, used checks, clothes I forgot about... 

Anyway, my parents are dead and I am headed back home if I can get my passport renewed. The consulate told me to bring my passport and a document from my city office. Getting the document from my city office would be easier if my parents were still alive. I filled out the request form as best I could and I mailed it off three weeks ago.

I'm feeling resigned. I am grateful for the job opportunities I've had here. I know I've been lucky to have had the clerical jobs I had. I'm also feel lucky for the other jobs I had, like selling flowers. I think it was Thanksgiving as I recall one lady stopped her car and asked if I would like a meal. She was delivering meals. It was turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce.

I wish I made the right choice in the first place by clearing out my apartment and heading home. I have alot of "I wish I..." moments. I wish I did well in school. Did you watch "Wide Angle" last night? It was part 2 of "Time for School 3". The show follows 7 children in 7 countries every three years since 2003 when the 7 kids first started school. One of the children, Joab, started school at the age of 10 when the government decreed every child will be educated. He has managed to stay in the top ten (rank number 8) even with his mother's death and father's remarriage (abandonment). In part 1, I felt sorry for Neeraj in India. She loved school and wanted to study everything. Her parents were puzzled about giving her an education but allowed her to have one while she helped with the cattle. In this latest update, she is not in school. Another child, Jefferson in Brazil, caught my attention. Jefferson is growing up in a bad area but he is bright and soaking up everything he learns. In this latest update, he has finished 5th grade (he skipped a grade) but he is being held back. His principal and teacher fear he has not matured but his after school teacher fears he will be bored over repeating the same grade. His good buddy is a drug dealer so Jefferson's mother fears Jefferson may follow that path.