April 30, 2005

I got up nice and late today. Even though I had over 12 hours of sleep, I know that it wasn't a good deep sleep. I was plagued by the usual vivid, and often violent, dreams of being chased. I know that I haven't really had a refreshing sleep when I can remember about 6 different dreams that I had throughout the night. Can't be hitting that whatever Stage 4 sleep that is the one that's supposed to refresh you. But it was good non the less. I demolished a bowl of the greatest breakfast of champions. I used to think that the greatest breakfast of champions was a room temperature beer and left-over cold pizza. But no. I have discovered the greatest thing here. I don't know what I didn't think of it back home, I guess I was just never inspired enough. You take a half of one of those desert tofu packs (they even come in better flavours back home as opposed to here that are all just really plain, it would be even better back home), put it in a giant bowl, add some cereal (I'm into the Tenney's Corn Pop things, they're like Corn Pops, but they're not), thinly slice a banana on top of the heap and then add as much soy milk (or milk if you're not a lac-freak like I am) as needed to be able to mix it all up into a fabulous mixture of breakfasty goodness. Also good with any kind of fruit of the softer variety (coconut or apples may not go over as well).

After breakfast I laid around for a bit writing and reading. Then Drlfan and I headed off on another adventure. I wanted to see if I could find an easy path to another train station that I know is around here. It's pretty much a straight shot from my place. It seemed like it should be on an angle, which explains my lack of success in the past to find an easy path (last time I tried was when I had the tremendous experience of remembering how to say "Where is the train"), but the railway curves so it's actually pretty much straight down the street to it. The surrounding area is a lot older than the other station. Everything is way closer together and on the other side of the tracks and over a bit there's these two giant old Japanese houses. They're totally intriguing. The one is about 3 stories high, maybe taller with the peak of the roof. The other is smaller. They've probably been there for a considerable amount of time. They're made completely out of wood and have some very small but very old and well established trees in their "yards". I couldn’t get any shots off as the sun was behind the building and was making nasty shadows, not good shadows that are fun to capture, but nasty shadows that make your shots all washed out. That and it was a really narrow busy street so Drlfan couldn't find a good place to stop where we wouldn't get hit, or at least slightly maimed.

On the way back to my area I found the actual Base. Oh yeah, I don’t think that I've ever mentioned that I live right by an forces base. Japanese, not American. The American base is evidently on the other side of Tokyo Bay from here, past Yokohama. I often wake up thinking that my house is about to be plowed into by an out-of-control, spiraling to its death in a burst of novice recklessness, helicopter. Either that or I'm going to be missiled as target practice, "Let's bomb the gaijin house". The helicopters on training maneuvers come very close to my house. So I finally found the base. And then just down from there I found the 63128th sign of the end of civilization. There's a Denny's.

That's really all I have to say. You may be expecting a rant, but really, it is beyond any ranting that I am capable of. It really just brings me to a quiet humility. A zen state of tranquility that goes beyond my despair.

I stopped at a park that's not even a block from my house and watched these 4 boys play. It started with soaking each other with the water from the water fountain, all complaining bitterly to the other that they got them wet, but none actually stepping away from the fountain. How great is childhood! I sat in the middle of the only patch of grass I have actually touched since arriving and watched them play the greatest game of tag EVER! The person who is IT is on foot, while the guys being chased are on their bikes. It was awesome. I got back home and finished that last of the ricey goodness that I made last night. I added chicken to it. It is the first meat I have cooked since arriving. Actually I guess that it's technically the second meat I've cooked as I went to that Yakiniku place last week. But it's the first meat I've cooked at home. Very exciting. Then I finished off my last assignment for one of my correspondence classes. I haven't done any work on them for well over a month. Baaad Michelley. It feels good to get one done and out of the way. Now I just have school paper work and 3 classes that are looming over my head. I'm procrastinating and so have only myself to blame.