Remi's Farewell

In this last week I've had to say goodbye to someone who has become one of my best friends in these last 2 years. It was great to have him here. Together we climbed Hakusan, caught rock crabs, fought gundam wars, dug a 6-foot hole in the beach, travelled to Fukuoka for a day, survived a travesty, got harassed by the Penguin-Lady, made ridiculous movies, struggled with the 2nd level Japanese test, fought a duel under the sakura, drank over girl problems, saved each other's asses many many many times, created an awesome video game idea, witnessed the end of an era (NOVA), and once fought the evil creature only know as 'Kill'.

Over the last 2 years (from 2006, actually), I've napped a pic with my phone every time Remi bought cigarettes on the way back home from work. So here is my goodbye present for him, in chronological order:








The last one was 2008-05-30, the last day you could buy smokes from a vending machine without a special TASSPO card. Thus I guess we actually witnessed the end of two eras.

Good luck, Remington. Farewell. I'll miss you, buddy.

Culture tip #16

These cute little creatures are called teru-teru bozu. Around this time of the year you can see them hanging outside houses, and family-run stores. They are usually made by children who pray for sunny days. You see, it's almost the rainy season, and soon it will rain constantly for about 3 or 4 weeks. During that time teru-teru bozu acts like a anti-rain charm. They are said to bring clear skies.

Children make them out of cotton hankies and paper, and then sing this song:

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Make tomorrow a sunny day,
Like the sky in my dreams sometime.
If it's sunny I'll give you a golden bell

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day.
If you make my wish come true,
We'll drink lots of sweet sake

Teru-teru-bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day.
But if it's cloudy and the sky is crying,
I'll snip off your head!

Sometimes people will hang them in public of signs, or low cables in some kind of gentle act of guerrilla art. They are sometimes seen with an umbrella. And if they are hung upside down they are said to bring rain.


Here's the whole team. This was set up for a display selling umbrellas.

Animals are smarter than YOU!

This is incredible!



I am speechless...Makes you realize how little we understand about animal brains. The other day I heard about a lost parrot here in Japan reciting his address and name of his owner until he was returned. How weird is that?

Also there was the story about the dolphin who lead the pack of whales out of the sandbar maze. They kept getting beached and and some people were pushing them off the sand, then they would beach themselves again. This happened for a few hours until I lone dolphin swam in, squeek-squeeked at them until they followed him through the maze to the exit and the open sea. Link to BBC news

And not to mention my old dog, Dante, who I could say hands down was one of the smartest animals I've ever encountered...Outranking some humans, I know.

have you ever wondered...

How much is my dead body worth?

$4650.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

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Damn! Not worth enough! I swear some guy once offered me more than that just for my kidney! Geesh! What's the word come to now-a-days?! Screw this! Ok. If I die just throw my dead body into a swamp. That way some alien scientist in the distant future will find me all 'ice-man'-like, mummified with my credit cards and cell phone. That'd be more worth it than the 4000 dollars!