Just another day…

Yesterday turned out to be a unexpected semi-off day. I’d opened lots of lessons, but had no bookings between 1130 and 1645 hrs, and the weather was so nice, so I closed all the lessons and decided to go wander around. So wonderful right~ That’s why I haven’t been able to give up this ‘not real’ job for a ‘real’ one. I absolutely love the flexibility.

The only thing that was ‘unfun’ about it was probably that I was in heels. So I ended up reading in a cafe instead. And then had a nice, impromptu lunch with Tamami-chan, and finally finished reading Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman properly here at Roppongi Hills.


————- P.S.
so obviously I have no life and ended up playing with Picnik on Flickr and tried to make my pic look Lomo-esque. haha. Yes, sometimes I’m too free.
———— end of P.S.

I’d read it once before I left for Japan, but I was crazy busy back then, so I couldn’t really get into it. Or so I thought. Is it me, or is this collection of short stories just not as good as “The Elephant Vanishes”? I tried to like it, but it felt like it lacked something. I should probably try to read the original language versions, but I’m just so lazy. [oh, I checked out wiki, maybe I just prefer the pre-2000 short stories.]

The conclusion from yesterday, I have to figure out a better shoe strategy for myself. It’s silly to sit around inside reading on a beautiful spring day. I’ll admit I’m lazy that way though. :)

Totally unrelated, but I often feel the mass media in Japan is a perfect example of the power of the MASS media. Perhaps my understanding of how things work and also my language skills aren’t enough, but it’s amazing how the leading news on TV tonight is that of SMAP member Kusanagi Tsuyoshi running around stark naked in the wee hours of the morning today in some Tokyo park, in spite of the fact that there’s so much other major news today. But I guess the “principles” of reporting (proximity, scale, numbers) I studied so many years ago are still applied in this day and age.

The news broke late morning, and since then his agency has issued an apology and also withdrawal from all activities etc. I guess it’s not the best thing a pop idol can do, but harping on his ‘scandal’ and withdrawing from public activities, removing his TV and print ads (which seems to be the standard remedy for any entertainment scandal in Japan), I think it’s not really necessary. And honestly, I don’t care! Just serve him whatever fines and/or penalties he ought to suffer, then stop talking about it already. Seriously, there are more important things to focus on.

I guess it’s one of those things I find hard to adjust to here – people keep apologising over and over for things, or when I’m on the service side, I occasionally feel like it’s also expected of me too, if I so much as make a small mistake. I rather have one sincere apology, then lots of apologies and no changes.

Anyway, it’s a big mistake for me to watch the news, or read too much of it. It always reminds me that there is so much wrong with this world and all of us who live in it. But then again, I guess I should try to see it as a reminder to make each day meaningful in some way, even if my actions don’t have any lasting or long-term impact. I’ll try. Sigh. Yay. Let’s save the world :P