Mini-Puffy!

No, it's not a breakfast cereal, rather I found a half-dozen mini-Puffy CD Singles at Book-Off a while ago and since I'm staying home recuperating, I thought I'd give them a listen. If I can figure out how, I may even embed a tune for you to hear.








Here are 3 minis with their incredibly cute covers & corresponding back covers.








And here are 3 more! Hard to believe these things sold for 600-1000￥ for 2-4 songs back in the late 90s, but damn the tunes are addictive! Fortunately, they only cost me 100￥ each!

Surprisingly, this full-sized CD from 2007 only has 3 songs but sells at a premium price (only 300￥ for me though!)



To date all my previously YouTubed Puffy videos have been yanked by the InterNetzis and I'm sure these will be done so soon as well...so be sure to watch them asap.

I'm Beet!

It's been a rather exhausting week, I must say. The toughest part of the week has been getting dressed in the morning! It's a darned good thing I'm right-handed or I'd be going to work pantless!











But I did make it to work daily and each of my students have signed my cast. They all complied with a certain amount of pleasure at committing such anarchy. You see, casting ones' signature on a cast is unheard of over here so the kids (& adults) participated in their graffiti gleefully!

I've had a major change in my weekly schedule as well for I now teach Business English to 21/54 intermediate students out in the sticks on Thursdays & Fridays (the other 33 are beginners taught by others.) It's both challenging and fun and I also escape a handful of kids lessons! One of the guys made me a convenient scratching stick out of an umbrella shaft!

But best of all, my final lesson tonight was with one of my long-time high school private students who provided me with a present.Last spring, I acquired some seed packets that came with Mitsuya Cider. Another student & I sowed them in the little cup provided. The herb I planted never sprouted, but the
カブ (kabu=turnip) that she cultivated came to fruition and 3 hearty shoots shot up. Knowing they'd die under my watchful eye, I gave them to the aforementioned Yuki to tend to during Golden Week. She transplanted them to her granny's garden and low and behold, I'm now the proud owner of a couple white カブ!

Happy Canada D'eh!

I hope everyone is enjoying their back bacon and maple syrup sandwiches while watching fireworks over a few strange brews.

Happy 142nd Birthday Canada, may you live to be at least 143!

I taught a handful of students "Oh Canada" today and their rendition actually brought a tear to my eye (unless it was the insufferable itching under my cast...)


So join Canuck icons, Wolverine & the badly animated Bob & Doug in a few cold ones, why dontcha!

When Salamanders Ruled The Earth!

My keitai email's namesake, おおサンショウウオ, (giant salamander) was espied today walking the streets of Kyoto. All the flooding has caused them to venture out of the rivers.
Here's a few details:
涼求め、鴨川をのそのそ
オオサンショウウオ
　特別天然記念物のオオサンショウウオが１日朝、京都市北区の鴨川・北山大橋近くに現れた。体長１メートル以上の大物で、浅い川をのそのそと歩く姿に、通りがかった人も足を止めた。
　近くの杉本聖讃（たたえ）さん（66）が午前７時すぎ、散歩中に見つけた。川の段差があるところで落ちてくる水流を背中に当てながら、行ったり来たりする様子に「人間と同じで、暑さがこたえるんですかね」と杉本さん。
　市文化財保護課で調べ、現地に生息しているようであればそのままにし、けがをしている場合は保護する。
For those of you who aren't fluent in Japanese, click here to learn more of our endangered friend!

Fractured Fairy Tales.

It's official, I've been disarmed! I finally made it to a clinic today (you'd think there'd be at least one open on a weekend), my arm slung in the shabby looking homemade sling that Alex improvised from two towels. My pathetic guise allowed me to jump the queue and my Doc hammered away looking for a twinge of pain. He found one and referred me to a bone doc. After a few Roentgens (no such thing as X-rays here, only レントゲン) a mini fracture was discovered on my ulna.


What have I learned today?
A plaster cast is referred to as a ギブズ (gibusu), derived from gypsum.
Traffic accident investigators take an incredibly long time to come to an inconclusive conclusion.
It's true what they say about that itch that you can't quite reach being incredibly annoying!
And I look cool in a cast!

It's Pandamic!

While the dreaded Swine Flu has been deemed pandemic, you'd swear that the Ailuropoda melanoleuca contagion has infected Japan. Following are several more examples:

Suntory's Oolong Tea has begat the dreaded Pandao!








Though harmless in appearance, some of these strains such as this chrystalline クリスタル風マグネット attach to your fridge with alarming ease.




Another example is this はさむマグネット which appears to be an ordinary magnetic money clip but who knows what insidious uses it may have?










This ペッパーケース is normally used for pepper but I'm sure some contain dangerous spores!






This appears to be naught but a
シリコンおかずカップ or silicon cup used for side dishes, but we all know what silicon ensues, don't we? Yes, Horta!





Rather than let your snacks go stale, one can use this clip to seal the bag. Handily, there is a monthly counter attached to the
スナッククリップ to see when it expires.



Don't be fooled by these yummy-looking items, for they are inedible マグネットクリップ and are advisably used as fridge magnets not for sating your sweet tooth.



Kirin Green Tea has come up with these にぎにぎ生茶パンダ先生, spongy little creatures gnawing on tea leaves! I only see five! That means one has escaped!








My apartment has been infested with smaller versions of the insidious critters. So far I've only captured 4 of them but I hear that there's a dozen of them!


I recommend you acquire one of these 生茶パンダ・メタルアクセサリー to use as a charm to ward off the above! I only have the one, but it's worked so far.










If you search the tube (YouTube that is), there are some documentaries on this disease.

Here we have Ghibli's パンダコパンダ
The Adventures of Panda and Friends, the opening theme with English subtitles:



And an episode:


The above has been a public service announcement hoping to keep the infestation at bay. I hope I've been successful...

Oh Snap!

I'm not sure what I did to piss off Karma, but she struck again with a vengeance! My brand new bike arrived today (unassembled as I feared) but a quick 20 minute walk to my local repairman remedied that. Out of guilt for getting him to put together my majestic steed gratis, I bought a new basket (overcharged I suspect) and another lock, for I didn't trust the one I got with it. Only a little over 15000￥, for the bike, but add up the accessories and tag on another 8-9000￥. Still far cheaper than the cheapest crappy bike in the Department stores.

So I rode my new wheels with pride and wouldn't ya know it, en route to Bridge, I was cut off by a moronic woman who drove straight into the intersection without looking or stopping first, prompting me to brake quickly and consequently fly arse over handlebars, landing on my left elbow. The lady asked if I was ok (大丈夫?) and I responded that I wasn't sure whereupon she sped off without another word before I could get a license or any info! CHARMING!

Stunned, I walked into a nearby conbini did a precursory check of my injuries, bought a drink and sat on the curb in the shade. A phonecall to a friend deemed useless (Curses: our relationship is purely one of exchanging sarcastic quips back & forth, impossible to be serious) but after 5 minutes, two separate Good Samaritans came by to offer advise and provide me with a cold ice-filled towel. I couldn't have been that out of it, for I contemplated asking the Samaritaness for her #! It took me an hour to walk home, soaked in the tub f-or a bit and then lay down and watched cartoons for awhile.

The poorly photographed swelling has gone down considerably and (the aforementioned) Alex and a friend came over with a Happi Setto (yay-Pikachu--I can play with it in the tub later!) and we watched Fargo. Now I sit here blogging with my right hand and moping!



Man, and you thought Earl had it bad!