Report from Greater Tokyo

It's random link time! Today we have the Yeti Sports site. There are two games there so far. In the first game, you get to whack a falling penguin with a cricket bat, the aim being to go for maximum distance. In the second, you get to through snowballs at penguins launched by a friendly orca whale, the aim being to knock them into the centre of a circular target carved on a handy iceburg.

My response to the age-old question on every new EFL-ers lips: Which is more beautiful, Japanese or Korean women? This question probably gets asked daily on most EFL discussion groups.

Seriously man, the most beautiful and attractive woman is the one whom you love (or fancy something rotten at least anyway). There is none other. It is all in the eye of the beholder. And you are that beholder, not me, not no one but you.

Woohoo! Job interview next Thursday. Of course, its only an interview, and I fully expect to fall flat, but at least its a start.

And the colours of my thumb? No green or yellow I'm afraid. Bits of dried blackened blood (aka gore) on the outside. A bit more trapped under the nail. The nail itself is in surprisingly good shape, all thing considered, but you can clearly see a whitish line where it got bent. I put another bandage over it, partly to make sure I don't catch it in anything, partly to avoid freaking out the kids. The doctors are finished with it, but it still ain't pretty.

Tomorrow the bandages come off my thumb. When we looked this time last week, it was a kind of blackish purple colour. Feel free to take random guesses at the colour of my thumb tomorrow.

Marginally related, but earlier this evening I got given a cooked dinner courtesy of Mrs Y. They live just round the corner, and it was one of them that drove me to the hospital while I was staring stupidly at the remains of my thumb. This came complete with 3/4 of a bottle of sake.

It is official. I will not be in Kawagoe-cho after the end of March. Not sure what will happen yet, but I've already started sending out the CVs.

I fell off my bicycle today. No cars were involved; just my own stupidity. The pain was exquisite. My thumb hurt so much I didn't even notice that my knee was bleeding. I'm just glad the lizard brain I got stuck with didn't start telling me to go into the foetal position and scream in pain until after the doctor straightened the thumbnail. Yes, the thumbnail got partly ripped away and bent backwards at a right angle. Did I mention that the pain was exquisite?

I will not be using chopsticks or a pen for some time. Not with my right hand anyway.

Lacie Products has produced a one terabyte hard disk drive. I want one.

Well, still sick. That's 3 sick days in a row used up now. Still, better not spread it around. Japan has a rule that if the doctor says you have influenza, you MUST stay away from schools for a period of 5 days. He didn't say I had that, but I wouldn't know the difference. E-Thug is today's random link. Only for really tough guys.

The Man Song is worth clicking on for a laugh or two. Sorry, no news on Japan today. I took the day off because of the Dreaded Lurgie.

Just came across this interesting line:

Firstly read some real (ie non Japanese) texts on Buddhism. You'll learn about moderation, being good, and respecting life. Then ignore the moderation and respecting life and add respect for authority; that is Chinese Buddhism. Now ignore all of that, sit cross legged and stare at the floor; that is Japanese Buddhism.

Of course, these days the seemingly real Japanese religion is Louis Vuiton, with a sideways nod to the cult of Prada.