Rough times

It has been a very rough few weeks here at our household, with health problems, a friend's sudden passing, another friend's childish behavior, and craziness at work. The one thing I find therapeutic is to come and brush Ichigo. She absolutely loves it and even falls asleep while being brushed. So cute!

Life with Ichigo

We always had pets (usually dogs) when I was growing up, and having a dog now after years of not living with one had made me realize how much they can change your lifestyle. Since Ichigo came into our lives, we get up earlier, come home earlier, go to bed earlier, and are generally more relaxed. I have taken a strict approach to overtime and I now stay past six (which is still an hour of overtime) only when absolutely necessary. Of course I don't think my colleagues look upon this favorably - they are all there from 7am to 8pm every day whether they are busy or not. I think that's ridiculous.

Anyway, I was a bit nervous about how R would do with Ichigo because he has never had a dog. It turns out I didn't have to worry at all - they are best friends and he is absolutely enamored with her. I dread the day someone asks him to choose between me and the dog...

New addition

Meet Ichigo! She is six years old. Up until a month ago she lived at a puppy mill where she was kept in a small cage with lots of dogs and had multiple litters of puppies. She was then taken in by a volunteer rescue group, and as of a week ago she is a member of our pack!

Can anyone explain this to me???

This commercial comes on TV every once in a while and it makes my skin crawl every time it does. Can anyone explain why on earth video of a guy wearing too much foundation cruising around Dubai is supposed to make me want to have him do plastic surgery on me?!?!

I have lots of things to blog about, but I found this topic to be the most pressing issue at the moment.

No excuses

It has been forever and a day since I blogged. I really have no excuse... I am going to make a list of the things that have happened since I last blogged so I can try to remember that I do have some things to blog about! If I am feeling ambitious I will try to write a post about each one in the coming weeks:

- Deenster and R got married! No ceremony yet, but legally we are hitched.
- Deenster and R bought a house! Well, a "mansion" technically. Deenster gets treated like absolute crap by the bank!
- Deenster works crazy hours on a huge project and sacrifices her social life! But on the bright side I got to go to Ireland twice for work.
- Deenster and R get rid of R's adorable car! A sad day even though we didn't use it much.
- And more.

Hope everyone is well!

Feeling bad

I have the flu. And I feel miserable. I am actually feeling a million times better than earlier this week thanks to the miracle that is Tamiflu, but I feel so weak. It looks like I will be off work until next Wednesday (due to company rules, though I am no longer contagious according to the doctor...if the company wants to make me stay home, fine, but it p*sses me off that I am made to use my vacation time even though the doctor has given me the OK to go back to work on Monday!).

Anyway, being stuck at home with too much time on your hands and not enough energy to do anything productive means thinking too much...about things you haven't accomplished, things you said you would do but haven't (this blog, for example!), etc., etc. And unfortunately a lot of frustration built up yesterday during the day and then I took it out on R in the evening when he got home. Some of my frustrations were valid - despite numerous conversations about housework the man cannot seem to do his share without being prodded and forced - ARGH! But some of it was just me being in an awful mood.

Anyway, now I just feel bad in general. It's a beautiful day outside, though (too bad I can't go out and enjoy it).

I am most definitely getting a flu shot next year!!!!!

Losing Kei

I finally read "Losing Kei" by Suzanne Kamata. Wow!! What a great read. The description of family life in Japan was pretty spot on in my opinion, and I liked how the herione didn't do much complaining about life in Japan but was quite accommodating until she couldn't take it anymore. I think those of you who have lived in Japan for a while and/or have Japanese inlaws or almost-inlaws will probably read this and be both amazed that it is so realistic and scared because of the very real subject matter (lack of joint custody and what happens in Japan when parents divorce). If anyone is interested in reading this, please leave me your email address in the comments and I will be happy to send you this book!

Desperately in need of sleep

I have never had problems sleeping. I have always been the one who can sleep anywhere...planes, trains, floors, literally anywhere. But for the past two weeks I have not had a single night of satisfying sleep. I either have trouble falling asleep or I sleep so lightly that I wake up in the morning feeling as though I have been run over by a steamroller because I am so tired.

Of course it doesn't help that things at the office have been busy and last week I didn't get home until 9:30/10:00pm. Eating dinner at that hour and trying to sleep well is impossible! OH, and then my boss had the gall to tell me that he wants me to get to the office earlier because "everyone else does." What a load of crap. So being stubborn me, I decided I will do my best to get there five minutes earlier than I do now...no more, no less. I am there on time and considering how many of my evenings the office gets they certainly don't need any more of my mornings than absolutely necessary.

Anyway, I should try to go to sleep now. Hope everyone has a great week!

This commercial always brings a smile to my face

Partly because I remember it and partly because it's just so sweet.

RIP

I grew up in the midst of the Michael Jackson mania. He dominated most of the airwaves of my childhood, and I remember several friends who decorated their binders and peechees (now there's a word you don't hear any more!) with Michael Jackson stickers. I was never a huge fan, but given the era I grew up in, it was impossible to *not* be a fan.

Despite all of the controversy and all of the bizarre stuff he did, the world has lost of its great performers. RIP. I hope he is in peace and happy.

Angry

R and I have a party to attend tonight and there is going to be lots of food, so when we got hungry around lunch we wanted to eat something light. Because it's such a nice day, we decided to go to the McDonald's nearby with outdoor seating and get just a single hamburger each.

After we ate I headed back inside with our tray to dump our garbage. As I approached the garbage can there was a woman with her back to me standing right in front of it. At first I thought she was throwing something away, but she was actually just standing there, so I said sumimasen (excuse me). She didn't seem to hear me, so I said it again. That time she heard me and looked back at me. Then she proceeded to take two steps back right into me, the whole time looking me in the eye!!!! The woman purposely walked right into me, in other words.

B*tch!!!!!!

I got angry and just pushed past her, but it bothers me. I have had these kind of things happen to me SO MUCH in Japan....the idiotic woman on the train who took one of my gloves that had fallen on the floor and purposely dropped it between the platform and the train (on the tracks!) as she got off, with me saying "Sumimasen!!!!" the whole time, for example. Oh, that made me angry!!!!! I have no idea why people do these things...generally there are people (99% of the time women!!!!) who I have had no previous conversation or interaction with. ARGH! This type of behavior would be unthinkable where I am from.

SO angry! Had to get that off my chest!

Vivir lo nuestro

I heard this song this other day in a Thai restaurant in Tokyo, of all places, and it brought back memories!



This was on a CD I borrowed from a friend way back when, and it is a fabulous version of this song. India looks great, but Marc Anthony looks like he belongs in Akihabara (nothing against Akihabara). Anyway, ignore the video and enjoy the song!

I'm alive.

Thank you, Illahee, for checking in! I am alive and things are ok. My lack of blogging has been partly because of my laziness, but mostly because it's been busy around here. Some of the fun has included:

- my birthday!
- crazy, crazy times at work, with lots of meetings starting at 6:30/7:00pm (which I absolutely detest), sometimes on the same day that we have had meetings starting at 8:00am. UGH. This week is another crazy week. Any suggestions on how I can get my boss/coworkers to realize that working efficiently is just as (and probably more) important than how many hours you are at the office?!
- studying for a test that I am supposed to take on June 7th. It's on financial concepts, and given that I am only 1/3 through the reading I somehow doubt it will even be worth my time to go. Better aim for the next test date in December (sigh...)
- etc.

When I list it up it really doesn't seem like much, but given that my job takes the bulk of my days and nights, that right there leaves me little free time. (Sorry to complain! But I am starting to get tired of work, work, work....)

I will try to be better about blogging! How has everyone been?

Fun bento site

I have been trying to take a bento to work once a week for both health/financial reasons. I did a little research on the internet for bento ideas and I found this site:

http://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/recipe/benri_recipe/index.html

Click through the pages to do a "bento simulation." Kind of fun!

Aprons

I am going to a cooking class with a friend today. I have been to cooking classes in Japan before and have generally not liked them because of the emphasis on doing everything "right": the "right" way to cut veggies, the "right" way to hold things, etc. But when my friend invited me I thought I would give it a try.
Cooking classes here require you to bring an apron, and I didn't have one so R and I went to the 100 yen store yesterday and bought one. The picture above is R modeling it in his pajamas.
How does everyone feel about aprons? I had never seen a person in real life wear an apron (even on fingerpainting day at school we wore smocks, not aprons) until I came to Japan. None of my female relatives wore them, and even if they did I'm sure they wouldn't wear one in public. But in Japan housewives wear them a lot...to the supermarket, to the bus stop to drop off their kids in the morning...etc. It seems to be one of the many "uniforms" Japan has. A lot of women in my office wear them all day at work, though I honestly have no idea why...the dirtiest things people in our office handle are their computer keyboards.
I grew up viewing an apron as nothing more than a symbol of female oppresion and outdated gender roles. But the lack of negative connotations associated with the apron here in Japan has forced me to reexamine that. I will never wear one every day, but I am no longer against wearing one when cooking something messy or when cleaning. I do think, however, that aprons should not be limited to women only, which is why we bought an apron that is unisex enough for R to wear, too. :-)

Hmmm...

Yet another high-level government official resigns. It's becoming a trend in this country!

http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=430200

I'm really not sure what is "borderline" about this at all. An elected government official sells $6 million worth of stock in a company his brother owns in a private deal at almost twice the market price, all while he is supposed to be prohibited from trading stocks because he is a ministry (of finance, no less!) official? Sounds pretty clearcut to me. I do find it funny, however, that there is no penalty for breaking this rule...

I might start taking bets: "Which high-level official will resign next?!" Anyone up for it? Ha ha.

Testing

Testing mobile blogging

Wonder what they'll do for Easter? :-)

There is a super old kimono shop near our apartment that is always empty. I am amazed that they stay in business.

I love walking by the shop, however, because of the display window:

Valentine's Day:

Halloween:

How cool is it that they have a Halloween window display?!?!

If I ever need a kimono, I am definitely going here.

Random things about me #22-#25

22. Japanese TV simutaneously disgusts and delights me. There is some great stuff, and some really awful stuff, and not much in between.

23. I *still* don't understand why central heating is not standard in Japan. Can someone please explain this to me?!

24. My ideal Saturday afternoon is a brand new magazine and a warm, frothy latte in a sunny, quiet cafe.

25. I miss my family and friends in the US and I am truly thankful for all the technological conveniences that allow me to keep in touch with them!