Weekly, I consume approximately:
18 cans of coffee: 1800 yen.
20 Kitkats: 1200 yen
6 bags of chips: 700 yen
3700 yen a week. Holy shit.
I do this because I like this stuff. But I want to stop. I'm eating and drinking more sugar than ever, and the chips are just something to do while I watch TV.
So what are the alternatives?
Popcorn. I bought a popcorn maker, but it kind of sucks. I can only put a few kernels in at a time or else it gets jammed up. I'm lucky it didn't catch fire the first time I used it when I put a whole cup in there. But if I take the time, I can make a nice bowl of popcorn, and with butter it's good tucker. So that's the chips sorted.
The coffee. Drink milo. Or tea! I'm sick of the restless, jittery feeling I get after lunch when , let's be honest, I've had my morning can of coffee, my morning tea can of coffee, and my lunch can of coffee, and I feel like a tweaker. I must find a way to bring milk to work. Keep it cold somehow. There are no fridges here at work because I don't know why. Maybe I will buy a flask or something.
The Kitkats. I can have one for lunch. A fun size one for 20 yen. What's the difference between having one, and having three? When I have three, I smash through the first one, chomp on the second one, and then I don't remember that I've eaten the third one until I reach for it thinking it is still on my desk in front of me. So I don't need three. Or two. I should just eat the first one slowly.
This isn't about health, really, though my sugar intake is pretty high. It's about relying on shit that is bad for me. So I can have my kitkat, and then maybe some nuts or trail mix. I can have my hot, milky cup of beverage, only it's milo or tea, and there's no sugar in it. I can have my crunchy snack while I'm watching TV, only it's popcorn and not chips.
So my weekly consumption now looks like this:
5 cups popcorn: 400 yen
6 Kitkats: 120 yen
1/2 bag of Milo: 200 yen
1 kg Nuts, trail mix: 1000 yen(?)
I have never seen trail mix here in Japan. I'm sure it's on Amazon, though.
At most, this is going to cost me about 2000 yen a month, probably closer to 1000. I will buy a small flask tonight for the milk, and it will have paid for itself in two weeks.
I ran 10 km on Saturday. Easily the longest I have ever ran. The first few kms were really hard mentally. I just kept telling myself that it's always like this, and everything will find it's own rhythm and the last half will fly by. Which it did. It took me 56 minutes. I assume that's pretty slow. I didn't buy any runners, but I should because I got a pretty big blister on the ball of my foot and maybe the sneakers I'm wearing now are to blame.
I fixed my motorbike up and I'm rolling again. I have an old BMX that I would like to do up to give to Willy some day. On Sunday I wanted to buy a stand that I could clamp the frame to to make working on it easier. I went to the bike shop down the road, and they had a "Display stand" with hooks for $40 that was not exactly what I had in mind, so I thought, and it's always when I'm in a shop that I have this thought, I'll check the internet! So I went home, and checked Yahoo Japan auctions. There was a nice proper stand with a clamp, used, for $100. I did a search for the stand on Goolge, and for new it goes for double that usually. Good quality, seemed sturdy, some good reviews, so I decided that I would bid, and see how it goes, though the auction had another four or five days to go. I'll check Amazon Japan first, I thought. Bang! New ones for sale for $105 dollars. Sold! Arrived Tuesday. Umm, winning!
Amazon is awesome. I order something on Thursday, it's on my doorstep Friday when I get home from work. If they let Australia have an Amazon, you guys can say goodbye to things called "shops" where they buy shit and put it on a shelf hoping that someone else will buy it off them for double what they paid for it. No. Actually, you'll need a place where you can go to try out the products you are thinking of buying on Amazon, which is basically the role shops here in Japan have now.
I was thinking of starting with the BMX rebuild tonight, by sanding down the handlebars and prepping for painting. I'll keep track of my progress on this blog.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Round 5 - Day 48
Ran 9 km on Saturday. Couple of shaky moments here and there, some thoughts of capitulation, but got it done in the end. Next week I get to run 10 km. I'm actually looking forward to it, and I might buy some new sneakers for the occasion, seeing as though the ol' Adidas' are getting a bit frayed. They have a massive heel too, which goes against what POSE running is all about, mainly keeping off the heel and running as if you were running barefoot. It's funny when you think of it, but humans went millions of years running barefoot, or certainly running with footwear that offered little protection, and then we invent sneakers and put 1 inch of foam on the heel, so now everybody runs making contact with their heel first, smashing the force of that impact up the whole leg. It seems natural to go back to what we used to do as cavemen chasing our prey. So I want to buy a nice pair of sneakers with as little heel padding as possible. Maybe not the five-fingers deal, but something close to that.
What else. Not a great deal, actually. Missed my X stretch on Friday because I was tired, but apart from that, did everything on schedule. Might even squeeze the stretch in tomorrow. Tired tonight, so I'll skip the workout and have an early night.
Watched "The Descent" last night. Holy shit that was scary. A good B-grade horror movie.
The kick bar, or kick pedal, or whatever it's called (the thing on my motorbike I have to kick over to start the engine) busted a couple of weeks ago. I was riding home from work in the dark and in the rain and I was waiting at a set of lights when my engine stalled. I ran out of petrol. I flipped the switch over to the reserve tank and tried to start her up again, but she wouldn't even turn over. I was a little worried. When it runs out of petrol it usually gives you a little warning by spluttering and carrying on, giving you a few seconds to switch over to the reserve tank. In most cases the engine does not stall. (BTW this is all normal procedure. Most basic (cheap) bikes don't have a fuel gauge - you just ride until the petrol runs out, switch to the reserve tank, then fill up at the next servo you see. You usually have about 20 km of petrol left). But every time it has run out I have been actually moving. This time I was at the lights and the motor just cut out dead. Got my attention. So as I was trying to start it up and it wouldn’t turn over, I was thinking, maybe it's not the petrol. Maybe it's something engine-y. Then, that concern suddenly became secondary, because the kick pedal (that's what they call it in Japanese) broke. It didn't snap, but a side of it at the joint sheared off, and a ball bearing fell out, and it just went limp. Things just turned to shit in about 10 seconds! No chance of being able to turn my motor over, and even if I could, the thing wasn't starting anyway! I pushed my bike onto the footpath.
I haven't felt this feeling since Uni, since my old Cortina. A churning in the guts. How the fuck am I going to get this thing home? Then I tried what I used to try with the Cortina - a jump start. I've never tried it on a motorbike, but it was my last shot. So I pushed my bike along as fast as I could, hopped on, put it in first gear, and let the clutch out and gave the throttle a turn. Yes! First go! Got home no dramas. Apparently it was the petrol.
It's not much of a job to fix it, I just need a new part. Checked Yahoo auctions and was the only bidder for a Honda CB400SS kick pedal and got it for about $25. (Interesting aside: EBay is basically unheard of here. It's all Yahoo auction. And no PayPal either. Bank transfer (like Bpay) or COD.) This was over the weekend, so I haven't got it yet. Next I wanted to take the old part off. I have no tools, and I remember growing up with a dad who never had any tools so I decided to do something about it. Actually, he did have tools. They were in a bucket which was black with grease and full of old nuts and nails, with a ratchet bit here and there, but never the tool you really needed to get the job done properly. So I bought some nice tools. And not cheap ones, either. Quality. Will and I went and got a tool box yesterday and put them all in there. I was going to get a big set, but that would be full of crap I would never use, like wire strippers and stuff like that, so I'm just going to buy stuff when I need it, and buy the good, expensive stuff. Kyoto Tool Company seems to be the best here. One ratchet (no bits, just the ratchet) was about $60. Bought that and a few bits. It did the job, so I'm happy with it. So now I'm just waiting for the kick pedal to arrive, and then I'll wip it on there and be riding again. The chill is out of the air, so it'll be nice to get on the road without freezing my tits off.
Yesterday Will and I gave the bike a wash, and I loosened a few bolts and got him to tighten them. These are the moments boys remember for ever, aren't they? Working on the car or the bike with dad.
When the weather is nice I'm determined to go for a long rode. I say that every Spring, but this time I mean it.
What else. Not a great deal, actually. Missed my X stretch on Friday because I was tired, but apart from that, did everything on schedule. Might even squeeze the stretch in tomorrow. Tired tonight, so I'll skip the workout and have an early night.
Watched "The Descent" last night. Holy shit that was scary. A good B-grade horror movie.
The kick bar, or kick pedal, or whatever it's called (the thing on my motorbike I have to kick over to start the engine) busted a couple of weeks ago. I was riding home from work in the dark and in the rain and I was waiting at a set of lights when my engine stalled. I ran out of petrol. I flipped the switch over to the reserve tank and tried to start her up again, but she wouldn't even turn over. I was a little worried. When it runs out of petrol it usually gives you a little warning by spluttering and carrying on, giving you a few seconds to switch over to the reserve tank. In most cases the engine does not stall. (BTW this is all normal procedure. Most basic (cheap) bikes don't have a fuel gauge - you just ride until the petrol runs out, switch to the reserve tank, then fill up at the next servo you see. You usually have about 20 km of petrol left). But every time it has run out I have been actually moving. This time I was at the lights and the motor just cut out dead. Got my attention. So as I was trying to start it up and it wouldn’t turn over, I was thinking, maybe it's not the petrol. Maybe it's something engine-y. Then, that concern suddenly became secondary, because the kick pedal (that's what they call it in Japanese) broke. It didn't snap, but a side of it at the joint sheared off, and a ball bearing fell out, and it just went limp. Things just turned to shit in about 10 seconds! No chance of being able to turn my motor over, and even if I could, the thing wasn't starting anyway! I pushed my bike onto the footpath.
I haven't felt this feeling since Uni, since my old Cortina. A churning in the guts. How the fuck am I going to get this thing home? Then I tried what I used to try with the Cortina - a jump start. I've never tried it on a motorbike, but it was my last shot. So I pushed my bike along as fast as I could, hopped on, put it in first gear, and let the clutch out and gave the throttle a turn. Yes! First go! Got home no dramas. Apparently it was the petrol.
It's not much of a job to fix it, I just need a new part. Checked Yahoo auctions and was the only bidder for a Honda CB400SS kick pedal and got it for about $25. (Interesting aside: EBay is basically unheard of here. It's all Yahoo auction. And no PayPal either. Bank transfer (like Bpay) or COD.) This was over the weekend, so I haven't got it yet. Next I wanted to take the old part off. I have no tools, and I remember growing up with a dad who never had any tools so I decided to do something about it. Actually, he did have tools. They were in a bucket which was black with grease and full of old nuts and nails, with a ratchet bit here and there, but never the tool you really needed to get the job done properly. So I bought some nice tools. And not cheap ones, either. Quality. Will and I went and got a tool box yesterday and put them all in there. I was going to get a big set, but that would be full of crap I would never use, like wire strippers and stuff like that, so I'm just going to buy stuff when I need it, and buy the good, expensive stuff. Kyoto Tool Company seems to be the best here. One ratchet (no bits, just the ratchet) was about $60. Bought that and a few bits. It did the job, so I'm happy with it. So now I'm just waiting for the kick pedal to arrive, and then I'll wip it on there and be riding again. The chill is out of the air, so it'll be nice to get on the road without freezing my tits off.
Yesterday Will and I gave the bike a wash, and I loosened a few bolts and got him to tighten them. These are the moments boys remember for ever, aren't they? Working on the car or the bike with dad.
When the weather is nice I'm determined to go for a long rode. I say that every Spring, but this time I mean it.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Round 5 - Day 42
Hey. Still working out. Day 42 already. Holy shit, nearly half way through. My next run on Saturday will be 9 kilometers. It's funny, but the 7 k run a couple of weeks ago was tough, but the 8 k run last week didn't feel so bad. Still hurts my right calf though, every time. I really should buy a new pair of sneakers. With the resistance workouts, my numbers are up there with where they were at the end of last round, which is nice. Now I can make some gains. Oh yea, there's going to be sequel to P90X this year sometime. "P90X:MC2" MC means muscle confusion. Looking forward to that. I should buy it, really. Give Tony some of my money.
I'm reading "The Hunger Games" at the moment. Really enjoying it. The next "His Dark Materials" maybe? They'll definitely make it into a movie. Let's just hope Nicole Kidman isn't in it. I have watched 127 Hours, which I loved. The Pat Tillman Story, not as good as the book I read about him, but it was good to find out more about him.
It's starting to warm up finally. We had a real cold blast a couple of weeks ago with lots of snow, but now it's nice and sunny, and I almost bought a chilled can of coffee this morning, though I think that's because it's so hot in my office. Will and Jo Jo are going great guns. Will's Michael Jackson fever has abated, thankfully not as severe as cousin Joshie's was. Back to Dinosaurs again. Jo Jo can say apple, bee, ball, mama (food), and hikouki (aeroplane) and he's trying to jump, which looks so funny.
The kick bar on my motorcycle snapped last week, and I'm thinking of buying a kick-ass set of tools to fix it up with, and anything else I might want to do later. Cheap = better than expensive, but expensive = quality, which also = good. Age old dilemma.
I'm really interested in what's going on in the Middle East. Bush's Children of Freedom anyone? Cairo was portrayed as something it wasn't, and when Lara Logan got raped, fuck 'em, they don't deserve it. China and Bahrain are where it's at. I hope China falls apart, because the whole world is depending on this criminal Communist regime keeping 5 billion people ignorant and dirt poor so they can make our iPads for cheap, and that isn't right. And Bahrain, because there is a real chance that the revolution could spread to Saudi Arabia where we buy our petrol from and where they hang teenagers for being homosexual and stone women to death. $2 a litre for petrol will slow things down, that's for sure. Put things in perspective. Interesting times ahead, anyway. 2011, what a year, and it's not even March yet!
I'm reading "The Hunger Games" at the moment. Really enjoying it. The next "His Dark Materials" maybe? They'll definitely make it into a movie. Let's just hope Nicole Kidman isn't in it. I have watched 127 Hours, which I loved. The Pat Tillman Story, not as good as the book I read about him, but it was good to find out more about him.
It's starting to warm up finally. We had a real cold blast a couple of weeks ago with lots of snow, but now it's nice and sunny, and I almost bought a chilled can of coffee this morning, though I think that's because it's so hot in my office. Will and Jo Jo are going great guns. Will's Michael Jackson fever has abated, thankfully not as severe as cousin Joshie's was. Back to Dinosaurs again. Jo Jo can say apple, bee, ball, mama (food), and hikouki (aeroplane) and he's trying to jump, which looks so funny.
The kick bar on my motorcycle snapped last week, and I'm thinking of buying a kick-ass set of tools to fix it up with, and anything else I might want to do later. Cheap = better than expensive, but expensive = quality, which also = good. Age old dilemma.
I'm really interested in what's going on in the Middle East. Bush's Children of Freedom anyone? Cairo was portrayed as something it wasn't, and when Lara Logan got raped, fuck 'em, they don't deserve it. China and Bahrain are where it's at. I hope China falls apart, because the whole world is depending on this criminal Communist regime keeping 5 billion people ignorant and dirt poor so they can make our iPads for cheap, and that isn't right. And Bahrain, because there is a real chance that the revolution could spread to Saudi Arabia where we buy our petrol from and where they hang teenagers for being homosexual and stone women to death. $2 a litre for petrol will slow things down, that's for sure. Put things in perspective. Interesting times ahead, anyway. 2011, what a year, and it's not even March yet!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Round 5 - Day 4
What's up? MC&aHNY. We had a great trip to Australia. We all had our moments, but all in all, a lot of fun. Highlights? (no particular order) Shooting 79 on Boxing Day (holing a birdie putt on the last, and the footage posted onto Facebook), roast lamb at Auntie Pat's, driving through swarms of locusts on the way to Avoca, Christmas morning with Leigh and Tim and the boys, jumping off the boat in the bay, Puffing Billy, seeing Willy lose his mind at the zoo and museum, hearing the truth about Mikka's DUI, popping in to Uncle Mick's and Willy getting handcuffed and deputized, Willy at the beach in Coolangatta, JoJo walking like a champion, and actually trying to run once. Lots of great times and memories. Thanks to everyone who looked after us, especially Leigh and Tim and the boys, Stevie and Sarah, golf partners Shannon and Prentice.
This year is a big year. I want to try a lot of things this year. I have started another round of fitness, "Round 5 - Response Ability" which will culminate in a 15 kilometre run on Sunday, 10th April. I want to get real lean, too. I want to try to get a little "Paleo", which is a movement happening in America right now, which is about returning to how we used to live before we got all smart and shit. Lots of fruit, vegetables, meat. Few or no grains, sugar, or dairy. Also, and perhaps a little radically, no soap or shampoo! I'm going to give it a try. Apparently the first two weeks are rough, because the skin is so used to having it's essential oils and stuffed stripped away by chemicals every day that it overproduces, but once it gets used to that not happening, it sorts itself out. Of course I will still have showers and wash my hair, but just with water. And of course I will still use soap to wash my hands, because it's the most effective way to prevent colds and flue, but otherwise, let's see how we go. The last time I used soap and shampoo was... the morning of Tuesday, 11th of January. It's Saturday evening now. I'll give it two weeks. Unless I really start to stink.
Anyway, it's snowing! Yea!
Here's a pic of Will at Phillip Island.
This year is a big year. I want to try a lot of things this year. I have started another round of fitness, "Round 5 - Response Ability" which will culminate in a 15 kilometre run on Sunday, 10th April. I want to get real lean, too. I want to try to get a little "Paleo", which is a movement happening in America right now, which is about returning to how we used to live before we got all smart and shit. Lots of fruit, vegetables, meat. Few or no grains, sugar, or dairy. Also, and perhaps a little radically, no soap or shampoo! I'm going to give it a try. Apparently the first two weeks are rough, because the skin is so used to having it's essential oils and stuffed stripped away by chemicals every day that it overproduces, but once it gets used to that not happening, it sorts itself out. Of course I will still have showers and wash my hair, but just with water. And of course I will still use soap to wash my hands, because it's the most effective way to prevent colds and flue, but otherwise, let's see how we go. The last time I used soap and shampoo was... the morning of Tuesday, 11th of January. It's Saturday evening now. I'll give it two weeks. Unless I really start to stink.
Anyway, it's snowing! Yea!
Here's a pic of Will at Phillip Island.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Round 4.1 - Day 111 - Done
Yesterday I ran 5 km non-stop, and today I'll do X-Stretch, and we be done.
We are off to Australia today and I can't wait to get out of this place. My work has been a pain in the ass and it's cold. My company has given every employee a handbook called "Bonding: 7 Habits". Every morning we have to read one of the 7 habits. This morning's was "Challenge". チャレンジ：不可能を可能にする。高い目標を掲げ、勇気をもって挑戦する。"Challenge: Make the impossible possible. Aim high, and fight with courage". Everyone feels so stupid saying this because it is so irrelevant to our experiences working at this company. Then the boss talked about how you have to keep going, even if you fail, never give up. I like to look around when he talks like this, and see everyone in my department. How would you describe the atmosphere? Downcast. Despondent. Sick of hearing this bullshit every fucking morning.
Rant complete.
This last week, I have been doing everything in my workout schedule except yoga. Yoga is probably the one thing I should be doing but I don't have time. Regardless, I'm feeling strong, fit and healthy. I did Chest & Back last Monday night and busted it up, and I was really sore yesterday. To get sore now takes a lot of work. Watching the Biggest Loser, I would love to have someone yelling at me while I workout. Maybe that will be the next home fitness DVD trend. Instead of "You are worth it, you can do it, do your best" stuff, we can have an instructor that screams at you. "You make me sick!" "Look at you, you fat piece of shit!". Just a hardcore asshole. That would be awesome. Anyway, Bob and Jullian just destroy these fat people. It's great to watch. The results they get are phenomenal.
I've been thinking about some New Year's Resolutions.
Number 1 is to improve my Japanese. Get my Level 1 in December '11. This is going to be a huge task, requiring a daily commitment. I have to find some motivation. At the moment I just want to get as far away from this place and these people as I can. Probably not the best frame of mind to begin from. But I find that a trip home does wonders, so before I go I'm going to draw up a study program and get going as soon as i am back. Lot's of listening, reading, and talking. I will need to get a tutor. You might think it's strange that even though I live in Japan, I need to pay someone to talk Japanese with me. I have to pay to have someone correct me if I make a mistake. That's the difference. I would like it to be a man, too. The words and style of male and female Japanese are very different, and because most Japanese teachers are female, a lot of foreigners who learn Japanese sound, well, gay. I have been thinking about working something out with Nori, I think I've mentioned it before, which I might do. But I think I should get a professional teacher. Maybe this blog will become more of a motivation for my Japanese study than for my exercise.
Number 2 is Health. Stop the stuff that does me no good, like chips, coffee, chocolate, and fucking around on the computer, and start doing stuff that makes me feel good, like golf, meditation, and ideally a new sport (maybe free climbing). I want to get fitter, stronger, and take advantage of my health.
Number 3 is finance. I have money in the bank. I have no debt. I have a good job. I'm in a great position to take advantage of the clusterfuck that is going to be 2011, I just don't know how. I want to spend the first few months learning about how I can kind of sew things up, and then maybe see someone or talk to someone about it.
Number 4 is Australia. I want to put a few irons in the fire regarding employment in Australia. I'm seeing someone when I'm down in a couple of weeks, so that's a good start. I will have to be careful not to let that be an excuse to slacken off with my Japanese studies, and my job here (this fourth year here has definitely been my worst here in terms of performance. I'm just lucky that it doesn't really matter). Still, the last three years has seen some huge changes in my life, so all things considered I'm doing okay.
Anyway, Will and JoJo have been sick all weekend, and I feel like I'm coming down with something, but who cares? We are outta here.
We are off to Australia today and I can't wait to get out of this place. My work has been a pain in the ass and it's cold. My company has given every employee a handbook called "Bonding: 7 Habits". Every morning we have to read one of the 7 habits. This morning's was "Challenge". チャレンジ：不可能を可能にする。高い目標を掲げ、勇気をもって挑戦する。"Challenge: Make the impossible possible. Aim high, and fight with courage". Everyone feels so stupid saying this because it is so irrelevant to our experiences working at this company. Then the boss talked about how you have to keep going, even if you fail, never give up. I like to look around when he talks like this, and see everyone in my department. How would you describe the atmosphere? Downcast. Despondent. Sick of hearing this bullshit every fucking morning.
Rant complete.
This last week, I have been doing everything in my workout schedule except yoga. Yoga is probably the one thing I should be doing but I don't have time. Regardless, I'm feeling strong, fit and healthy. I did Chest & Back last Monday night and busted it up, and I was really sore yesterday. To get sore now takes a lot of work. Watching the Biggest Loser, I would love to have someone yelling at me while I workout. Maybe that will be the next home fitness DVD trend. Instead of "You are worth it, you can do it, do your best" stuff, we can have an instructor that screams at you. "You make me sick!" "Look at you, you fat piece of shit!". Just a hardcore asshole. That would be awesome. Anyway, Bob and Jullian just destroy these fat people. It's great to watch. The results they get are phenomenal.
I've been thinking about some New Year's Resolutions.
Number 1 is to improve my Japanese. Get my Level 1 in December '11. This is going to be a huge task, requiring a daily commitment. I have to find some motivation. At the moment I just want to get as far away from this place and these people as I can. Probably not the best frame of mind to begin from. But I find that a trip home does wonders, so before I go I'm going to draw up a study program and get going as soon as i am back. Lot's of listening, reading, and talking. I will need to get a tutor. You might think it's strange that even though I live in Japan, I need to pay someone to talk Japanese with me. I have to pay to have someone correct me if I make a mistake. That's the difference. I would like it to be a man, too. The words and style of male and female Japanese are very different, and because most Japanese teachers are female, a lot of foreigners who learn Japanese sound, well, gay. I have been thinking about working something out with Nori, I think I've mentioned it before, which I might do. But I think I should get a professional teacher. Maybe this blog will become more of a motivation for my Japanese study than for my exercise.
Number 2 is Health. Stop the stuff that does me no good, like chips, coffee, chocolate, and fucking around on the computer, and start doing stuff that makes me feel good, like golf, meditation, and ideally a new sport (maybe free climbing). I want to get fitter, stronger, and take advantage of my health.
Number 3 is finance. I have money in the bank. I have no debt. I have a good job. I'm in a great position to take advantage of the clusterfuck that is going to be 2011, I just don't know how. I want to spend the first few months learning about how I can kind of sew things up, and then maybe see someone or talk to someone about it.
Number 4 is Australia. I want to put a few irons in the fire regarding employment in Australia. I'm seeing someone when I'm down in a couple of weeks, so that's a good start. I will have to be careful not to let that be an excuse to slacken off with my Japanese studies, and my job here (this fourth year here has definitely been my worst here in terms of performance. I'm just lucky that it doesn't really matter). Still, the last three years has seen some huge changes in my life, so all things considered I'm doing okay.
Anyway, Will and JoJo have been sick all weekend, and I feel like I'm coming down with something, but who cares? We are outta here.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Round 4.1 - Day 103
I'm watching the American Biggest Loser. It's emotional. There was one lady, pretty fat, and when they did the weigh in I was, you know, disgusted, like I was meant to be. Then they showed a clip of an interview with her and she was talking about how her three year old son died of cancer. Man, if one of my boys died of cancer, I hope the only thing I did was overeat a little. So I kind of teared up when she was talking and they showed pictures of her and her beautiful son and she talked about how at the end they were sitting on the rocking chair in his hospital room and she fell asleep and when she woke up he had died in her arms. That's so sad, but is there a better way for a child to go? Safe in the arms of their sleeping mother? I'm emotional thinking about it.
There's a girl in Will's kindergarten class, she's just had a leg amputated because of cancer, and there's a fair chance she will die from it before she reaches Elementary school. I don't know. Kids with cancer. If you believe in God, and you want to try and convince me to believe in God too, then you've got to account for that. Explain to me why your God gives children cancer and why you think that's okay.
This lady was one of three contestants chosen to represent their area, and they had to run one mile, and the loser didn't get to go to The Biggest Loser camp. So they start the race, and half way through, she's screaming "Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm going to die!" The woman trainer, Jillian, I think her name is, is trying to get her going, pulling her, motivating her, but she wouldn't run! It was pathetic. So again, I'm disgusted. It's an emotional roller coaster, and that's why I love it.
One guy, before the mile run, said "I'm going to run and run no matter what, until my body gives out." Sounds good, but then when he collapsed ten meters from the finish line and lost, I thought, hang on, that's exactly what you said you would do. Why didn't you say, "I'm going to run and run, and finish first"? I am convinced being fat, and I don't mean a bit chubby, I mean so obese that you can't get out of a chair, is totally mental. Genes, DNA, whatever, might make it a little more difficult to lose wieght, but come on. 200 kilos? That's years and years of negligence and indulgence. Stop eating so much. Do some exercise. It's not easy, but neither is eating three pizzas, and they do that all the time. I would rather go for a run that overeat now. The last time I overate was when we went to a yakiniku restaurant for Jo Jo's first birthday, and I ate too much meat. That was in March, and I haven't eaten yakiniku since. The smell turns my stomach. I hate that feeling of being full.
So less than two weeks and we'll all be in Melbourne! Holy shit, it's gone fast. I'm going to have to get off my ass and book a round of golf and organize a night out with my mates.
I'm looking forward to a lot of things. You know what's a shock after living here for so long? Seeing people who are obviously in a lot of trouble but not really aware of it. Every time I go home it amazes me seeing stuff like junkie couples arguing in the street, or people begging for money. Basically, people with no shame. Here, shame is huge. There's too much of it. And the thing about people without shame is that they are so confident! It's like they've got it all figured out, but they still need two dollars for a bus ticket. I love it.
One afternoon a couple of years ago, I was getting a bus home from Knox, and I caught the wrong one, so I went the long way around Ferntree Gully before getting to Bayswater. On the bus a guy was drinking, a real bogan, chipped teeth, beenie, shitty beard, tracksuit pants, Collingwood supporter. The driver told him to get off the bus. The driver was Middle Eastern, so the drink guy denies drinking (even though he's got a can of Jim Beam and Coke in his hand) and said that because we were fighting in Afganistan the bus driver should be grateful to us Aussies and the bus driver stopped the bus and told him to get out and then the drunk guy called him a terrorist and the bus driver started screaming "You are rasicm! You are rasicm!" and calling the bus depot and the drink guy's yelling "I'll call the Cops!" trying to dial on his mobile phone, and meanwhile me and another passenger, a young woman, are just sitting there. She looks scared, and I am fuming.
I'd never done anything like this before, but I yelled, "Hey!", and they both looked up. "You!" I pointed to the drunk guy. "You're drinking, man. I can smell it. You shouldn't be drinking on the bus. You!" I pointed to the driver. "We just want to get home. Can't you two sort this shit out later?!" I managed to make them agree to sort it out at Boronia Depot and we got moving again. Then the drunk guy's like my best friend, saying stuff like "I was going to Boronia anyway," or under his breath, "fucking ragheads". The bus driver is talking to me like I'm going to back him up at the depot, saying "He is drinking, yes?", "He said racism, yes?" Yea yea. I got off at Boronia and caught the train to Bayswater and walked home. The point is, when I go back to Australia I find that I have very little tolerance for scumbags, and I'm worried that it might get me into trouble one day. I think it's because you just don't see them here in Japan, but at home they impact on just about every facet of your life. In shops, on the road, at a restaurant or club, they are everywhere. Drug addicts, losers, dipshits, racists, assholes, you name it. Last time I was down, it was impossible to walk past a talking scumbag without hearing the c-word. Impossible. Here, I can't remember the last time I met an idiot. But when I go home I am liberated by being able to understand and be understood, which is huge. Here I can yell "Hey, what the fuck are you doing?!" but if they answer back, I might not understand what they say, so that kind of makes you think twice before confronting anyone. You can't say "Hey! What they fuck are you doing!?" and then ask them to repeat what they said back to you because you didn't quite catch it and could they speak a little slower this time please.
2010. Not an eventful year for me. A trip to Hawaii, that was nice. I rode my motorcycle a lot. No golf, which is a shame. I might be able to squeeze a round in right at the end, though.
There's a girl in Will's kindergarten class, she's just had a leg amputated because of cancer, and there's a fair chance she will die from it before she reaches Elementary school. I don't know. Kids with cancer. If you believe in God, and you want to try and convince me to believe in God too, then you've got to account for that. Explain to me why your God gives children cancer and why you think that's okay.
This lady was one of three contestants chosen to represent their area, and they had to run one mile, and the loser didn't get to go to The Biggest Loser camp. So they start the race, and half way through, she's screaming "Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm going to die!" The woman trainer, Jillian, I think her name is, is trying to get her going, pulling her, motivating her, but she wouldn't run! It was pathetic. So again, I'm disgusted. It's an emotional roller coaster, and that's why I love it.
One guy, before the mile run, said "I'm going to run and run no matter what, until my body gives out." Sounds good, but then when he collapsed ten meters from the finish line and lost, I thought, hang on, that's exactly what you said you would do. Why didn't you say, "I'm going to run and run, and finish first"? I am convinced being fat, and I don't mean a bit chubby, I mean so obese that you can't get out of a chair, is totally mental. Genes, DNA, whatever, might make it a little more difficult to lose wieght, but come on. 200 kilos? That's years and years of negligence and indulgence. Stop eating so much. Do some exercise. It's not easy, but neither is eating three pizzas, and they do that all the time. I would rather go for a run that overeat now. The last time I overate was when we went to a yakiniku restaurant for Jo Jo's first birthday, and I ate too much meat. That was in March, and I haven't eaten yakiniku since. The smell turns my stomach. I hate that feeling of being full.
So less than two weeks and we'll all be in Melbourne! Holy shit, it's gone fast. I'm going to have to get off my ass and book a round of golf and organize a night out with my mates.
I'm looking forward to a lot of things. You know what's a shock after living here for so long? Seeing people who are obviously in a lot of trouble but not really aware of it. Every time I go home it amazes me seeing stuff like junkie couples arguing in the street, or people begging for money. Basically, people with no shame. Here, shame is huge. There's too much of it. And the thing about people without shame is that they are so confident! It's like they've got it all figured out, but they still need two dollars for a bus ticket. I love it.
One afternoon a couple of years ago, I was getting a bus home from Knox, and I caught the wrong one, so I went the long way around Ferntree Gully before getting to Bayswater. On the bus a guy was drinking, a real bogan, chipped teeth, beenie, shitty beard, tracksuit pants, Collingwood supporter. The driver told him to get off the bus. The driver was Middle Eastern, so the drink guy denies drinking (even though he's got a can of Jim Beam and Coke in his hand) and said that because we were fighting in Afganistan the bus driver should be grateful to us Aussies and the bus driver stopped the bus and told him to get out and then the drunk guy called him a terrorist and the bus driver started screaming "You are rasicm! You are rasicm!" and calling the bus depot and the drink guy's yelling "I'll call the Cops!" trying to dial on his mobile phone, and meanwhile me and another passenger, a young woman, are just sitting there. She looks scared, and I am fuming.
I'd never done anything like this before, but I yelled, "Hey!", and they both looked up. "You!" I pointed to the drunk guy. "You're drinking, man. I can smell it. You shouldn't be drinking on the bus. You!" I pointed to the driver. "We just want to get home. Can't you two sort this shit out later?!" I managed to make them agree to sort it out at Boronia Depot and we got moving again. Then the drunk guy's like my best friend, saying stuff like "I was going to Boronia anyway," or under his breath, "fucking ragheads". The bus driver is talking to me like I'm going to back him up at the depot, saying "He is drinking, yes?", "He said racism, yes?" Yea yea. I got off at Boronia and caught the train to Bayswater and walked home. The point is, when I go back to Australia I find that I have very little tolerance for scumbags, and I'm worried that it might get me into trouble one day. I think it's because you just don't see them here in Japan, but at home they impact on just about every facet of your life. In shops, on the road, at a restaurant or club, they are everywhere. Drug addicts, losers, dipshits, racists, assholes, you name it. Last time I was down, it was impossible to walk past a talking scumbag without hearing the c-word. Impossible. Here, I can't remember the last time I met an idiot. But when I go home I am liberated by being able to understand and be understood, which is huge. Here I can yell "Hey, what the fuck are you doing?!" but if they answer back, I might not understand what they say, so that kind of makes you think twice before confronting anyone. You can't say "Hey! What they fuck are you doing!?" and then ask them to repeat what they said back to you because you didn't quite catch it and could they speak a little slower this time please.
2010. Not an eventful year for me. A trip to Hawaii, that was nice. I rode my motorcycle a lot. No golf, which is a shame. I might be able to squeeze a round in right at the end, though.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Round 4.1 - Day 100
What I've done, to postpone my 5 km while I'm feeling a little vulnerable to the seasonal cold that's going around is to extend round 4.1 another 20 days to when I go to Australia. It comes to the pleasing number of 111 days. Triple 1, or, El Treus. Does that even mean anything? I was also a little worried because I had run out of Ventolin for my asthma, but I went to the doctors the other day and got the Japanese version of the same stuff. So I'm good to go.
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