sábado
When you think things can't get any worse...
It is about time that I scare away some of the digital dust cumulating on this blog. When I have time to write, I am so idle that I really have nothing to write about. And when things are happening, I am so overwhelmed, overworked, and things are just too overhappening all over the place that I don’t have even a second to write about them. I guess my life right now is just like a Japanese toilet—you never know what you are going to get.
If you have never used a Japanese toilet, I guess you probably don’t know what I am talking about. Basically you can have a high-end toilet with the motion sensored seats that lift up automatically—you know, the ones with a bide, the special sound effects, and the controlled temperature. (No, I am not kidding or exaggerating.) If you get something on the other end of the spectrum, you will be on a “squatty potty” that may not be a whole lot fancier than a hole in the ground. But, even most of the low-end toilets now days have running water-- but you better pray to all 8th happy god—he’s in charge of the toilet paper. Now that you know the two ends of the spectrum, just know that you can get anything in between, and sometimes you have a choice (western/Japanese). Well, that is what my life feels like now.
Four weeks ago up to last week I was up north in the most luxurious hotel I have probably been in. I had a huge ‘heavenly” bed, a bath robe fit for kings, a great shower, tons of amenities (including FREE Starbucks coffee every morning!!) and room service/house-keeping. On the contrary, today I have come to the hill country and checked into a university dorm room… hmmmm… basically I feel like this is just half a step up from a jail cell. Basically if you took away ½ the square footage, removed the window, and added bars, we’d be in jail! Boooooooooohooooooooo… I am supposed to get changed to a different room tomorrow. The week in between I was driving back and forth from SANCHOUME to the east apartment hunting. Why all this instability, you may ask? Why not pick a toilet and stick with it?
Well, this moving around is partly for a summer program that I am a part of. It is my first job in the US since I came back from Japan. It is actually a really cool “gig”. I get to work with gifted munchkins, an awesome staff, and great curriculum. All the staff and all the munchkins live together for a week and spend from breakfast to bed-time together. The days are long, but I guess it is all worth it in the end. We get to do all kinds of activities, experiments, and projects. One of the most exciting thing I get to do with the munchkins is dissect a cow’s heart! (Cows must be really nice, because they have a big heart.)
The other part of my moving around is the possibility of taking on a more permanent job in H-MACHI. I think I found a new home after my two weeks in Jail. Who knows?
In any case, my life is pretty weird right now—and sometimes I wonder how real it is. My concept of time and distance is incredibly distorted right now. I kind of feel like I’m in MURAKAMI’S Hardboiled Wonderland… Like I am living two lives… Sometimes I doubt that I really lived in Japan and others it doesn’t click that I am still here. I am neither here nor there. I am either living in the past or in the future—but when I am here and in the now I am so obsessed with what is going on that it doesn’t really click. It is really strange.
Yesterday was actually real-time, though… and I was living in the moment. It was the most amazing day spent with my long-life best friend that I met in Kinder. I drove Fer from my parents’ and got pulled over. I got busted for an expired insurance and thought I was going to get written up. (In the US—at least in TX—auto insurance is compulsory.) I don’t know why, but he just gave me a warning. That is unheard of. Something that could have just ruined my whole day turned into a pretty happy moment then. My friend and I then met at a town in the middle of no-where between SANCHOUME and Austin. A little town called COLUMBUS. With the rain and all awkwardness, and the adrenalin rush after almost having been written up, we decided to leave one car at a WAL-MART parking lot and took off to H-TOWN. We had the best Armanian tabouli and shawarma at a hole-in-the-wall Lebanese restaurant that was awesome & checked out the area. We looked at some pretty ritzy apartments, checked out some ghetto ones, and then consulted with a potty-mouthed rude loser and were referred to “the right” place. I think I have found a home yo! After apartment hunting, we went out for some crazy American style sushi. It was so cheap and so tasty…. and the lady who works there is the sweetest!
Now I am in a whole different world. Not in the Westin bubble anymore, but certainly a bubble. I had only found out about the horrible Niigata Earthquake because I was at my parents’ for the week. The news from Japan is disturbing and I hope that everyone I know is OK and that Japan can recover quickly from this terrible tragedy.
Well, tomorrow will be a long day with a whole new group of munchkins coming. I better get some good sleep on my not so heavenly bed. OYASUMI. ¶ sábado, julio 21, 2007
If you have never used a Japanese toilet, I guess you probably don’t know what I am talking about. Basically you can have a high-end toilet with the motion sensored seats that lift up automatically—you know, the ones with a bide, the special sound effects, and the controlled temperature. (No, I am not kidding or exaggerating.) If you get something on the other end of the spectrum, you will be on a “squatty potty” that may not be a whole lot fancier than a hole in the ground. But, even most of the low-end toilets now days have running water-- but you better pray to all 8th happy god—he’s in charge of the toilet paper. Now that you know the two ends of the spectrum, just know that you can get anything in between, and sometimes you have a choice (western/Japanese). Well, that is what my life feels like now.
Four weeks ago up to last week I was up north in the most luxurious hotel I have probably been in. I had a huge ‘heavenly” bed, a bath robe fit for kings, a great shower, tons of amenities (including FREE Starbucks coffee every morning!!) and room service/house-keeping. On the contrary, today I have come to the hill country and checked into a university dorm room… hmmmm… basically I feel like this is just half a step up from a jail cell. Basically if you took away ½ the square footage, removed the window, and added bars, we’d be in jail! Boooooooooohooooooooo… I am supposed to get changed to a different room tomorrow. The week in between I was driving back and forth from SANCHOUME to the east apartment hunting. Why all this instability, you may ask? Why not pick a toilet and stick with it?
Well, this moving around is partly for a summer program that I am a part of. It is my first job in the US since I came back from Japan. It is actually a really cool “gig”. I get to work with gifted munchkins, an awesome staff, and great curriculum. All the staff and all the munchkins live together for a week and spend from breakfast to bed-time together. The days are long, but I guess it is all worth it in the end. We get to do all kinds of activities, experiments, and projects. One of the most exciting thing I get to do with the munchkins is dissect a cow’s heart! (Cows must be really nice, because they have a big heart.)
The other part of my moving around is the possibility of taking on a more permanent job in H-MACHI. I think I found a new home after my two weeks in Jail. Who knows?
In any case, my life is pretty weird right now—and sometimes I wonder how real it is. My concept of time and distance is incredibly distorted right now. I kind of feel like I’m in MURAKAMI’S Hardboiled Wonderland… Like I am living two lives… Sometimes I doubt that I really lived in Japan and others it doesn’t click that I am still here. I am neither here nor there. I am either living in the past or in the future—but when I am here and in the now I am so obsessed with what is going on that it doesn’t really click. It is really strange.
Yesterday was actually real-time, though… and I was living in the moment. It was the most amazing day spent with my long-life best friend that I met in Kinder. I drove Fer from my parents’ and got pulled over. I got busted for an expired insurance and thought I was going to get written up. (In the US—at least in TX—auto insurance is compulsory.) I don’t know why, but he just gave me a warning. That is unheard of. Something that could have just ruined my whole day turned into a pretty happy moment then. My friend and I then met at a town in the middle of no-where between SANCHOUME and Austin. A little town called COLUMBUS. With the rain and all awkwardness, and the adrenalin rush after almost having been written up, we decided to leave one car at a WAL-MART parking lot and took off to H-TOWN. We had the best Armanian tabouli and shawarma at a hole-in-the-wall Lebanese restaurant that was awesome & checked out the area. We looked at some pretty ritzy apartments, checked out some ghetto ones, and then consulted with a potty-mouthed rude loser and were referred to “the right” place. I think I have found a home yo! After apartment hunting, we went out for some crazy American style sushi. It was so cheap and so tasty…. and the lady who works there is the sweetest!
Now I am in a whole different world. Not in the Westin bubble anymore, but certainly a bubble. I had only found out about the horrible Niigata Earthquake because I was at my parents’ for the week. The news from Japan is disturbing and I hope that everyone I know is OK and that Japan can recover quickly from this terrible tragedy.
Well, tomorrow will be a long day with a whole new group of munchkins coming. I better get some good sleep on my not so heavenly bed. OYASUMI. ¶ sábado, julio 21, 2007
martes
The Westin Bubble
Haven't posted in ages because I am living in a bubble-- a Westin bubble.
I am learning a lot but have a full schedule with limited pee breaks.
I think this is what they call baptism by fire...
I guess I am a sink-or-swim type learner anyway-- whatever that means. I've always worked well under pressure. Tomorrow I get to dissect a heart... Wooooooooooooooheeeeeeeeeee
It is such an awesome experience... I get to work with really wonderful people, a well-thought out curriculum, in a super fancy hotel. But, yeah, it is challenging and the hours are reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllly long. I still have energy at the end of the day (sort of) but my feet just can't make it! I am actually wearing tennis shoes to work!
Well, hope to have more time to say more next time... I will be doing this "gig" for three more weeks after this one... so by the time I get it down to a T it will be time to go look for an other job.
Boooooooooo hoooooooooooo! ¶ martes, julio 03, 2007
I am learning a lot but have a full schedule with limited pee breaks.
I think this is what they call baptism by fire...
I guess I am a sink-or-swim type learner anyway-- whatever that means. I've always worked well under pressure. Tomorrow I get to dissect a heart... Wooooooooooooooheeeeeeeeeee
It is such an awesome experience... I get to work with really wonderful people, a well-thought out curriculum, in a super fancy hotel. But, yeah, it is challenging and the hours are reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllly long. I still have energy at the end of the day (sort of) but my feet just can't make it! I am actually wearing tennis shoes to work!
Well, hope to have more time to say more next time... I will be doing this "gig" for three more weeks after this one... so by the time I get it down to a T it will be time to go look for an other job.
Boooooooooo hoooooooooooo! ¶ martes, julio 03, 2007
