If You Lived Here You'd Be At Hogwart's By Now

First and foremost I'd like to apologize for the short post yesterday.  I was really tired and hardly anything happened at work.  Our company president was in town, and after work he invited me to dinner so we went to a traditional Japanese pub-style restaurant and had many wonderful and raw things to eat.  I can't be certain I ate a raw octopus head, but I don't know what other portion of an octopus is spherical an crunchier than the legs.  There were no beak, ink sac, or eyes, but the texture was kind of like eating a baby's head.

Today we did a lot of cleaning and maintenance at work.  That is to say, I did a lot of cleaning and most everyone else did a lot of maintenance, until I finished with the cleaning and had nothing else to do but maintenance; then I got assigned an easy job.

After work I went to the grocery store and finally got my point card.  It's like a Marsh card or Kroger card, I suppose.  I scan it whenever I buy something and rack up points I might never use or receive coupons I hope not to lose.  It's a really cute card though.

The store staff was unsure how to sign me up for it.  I gave them my alien resident card, but they had never seen one before and were afraid it wasn't sufficient.  They asked if it was an insurance card, even though it clearly doesn't say anything about insurance and at the top says "Alien Resident Card" and "Ministry of Justice" and "Government of Japan" and has my picture and says I'm here as a Specialist in Humanities/International Services. Finally, though, they accepted it and then gave me the information sheet about the card saying what it's for and how to use it.  And they said "If you can read this, please read it at your leisure."  I thought to myself "ouch."  Then I thought to myself "Hmmm...I don't think I can read this."  Then I thought to myself "I wonder if bacon is still on sale."

I forgot to mention that the other day while I was out and about and discovered another temple at the top of another mountain, I also ran across a high school.  Now don't think that all high schools in Japan are like this just because I say "Here's a high school in Japan!" and show a picture.

But it does remind me of a wing at Hogwart's or maybe a lesser satellite school directed by Hogwart's but ultimately tended to by it's own administration.  I'm sure back in the ancient Harry Potter times, Japan had schools of wizardry too, and they probably looked a little like this one or possibly more Japanese than this and much more hidden, like at the top of a mountain or something.  I tried to make it a really artsy picture too, by capturing the lone woman sitting on the bus stop bench out front, but I think the artistry was lost somewhere in my inability to take artistic photographs.  However, the car in motion, frozen forever in time and space, added a nice touch in my opinion.







For all of my millions of friends in Vancouver, I would like to mention here and now that I will actually not be in Vancouver after all this spring/summer.  That is the one trade show my boss is not sending me to.  I'm not sure why--he said it would be kind of a waste, but the company is still going to have a booth there so I guess it's just that he doesn't want me to get into any Vancouver Trouble.

I tried to take a photo of the Nagasaki sun setting over the Nagasaki Bay over the Omura cityscape so I could show you what I get to behold on my drive home from work every day, but the photo turned out like this.  But I did nearly run off the road and tumble down a mountainside getting this shot, so please appreciate it.

PS - Mom if you're reading this I DIDN'T actually almost run off the road and tumble down a mountain; I almost veered into the other lane into oncoming traffic and then down a mountain.

PPS - Mom if you're still reading I didn't do that either; I was at a dead standstill in traffic when I took this.