I just had to chase a gigantic roach out of my room. D: What a way to spoil the evening. My only question is, how the heck did it get in?! DDDDDD:
Oh, and I'm 22 now. My birthday was on Sunday. *waves flag*
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: D:
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Photos Galore!
Okay, I know I've been kind of slow in getting pictures up. I've been too occupied with my new timesink, er, PS2. BTW, FFXII is pretty cool, but I can barely understand any of it. It has a very MMORPG feel to it - no more random battles! I love the atmosphere and the music, and most especially the voice actors (I don't know why English dubs always seem to fail, but bad memories of the laughing scene from FFX keep coming to mind). I like it, but it's really hard to figure out what to do, so I've been putting most of my energy into Okami instead... which just keeps getting better and better, although the fights are a bit too easy. But aaaaanyway, I have pictures! Like last year, I decided to organize my photos by day, and then write up a little HTML page explaining each day's pictures. This time though, the pictures are image-linked into the page, so there's no need to keep clicking on links and stuff. Hopefully they'll be easier to navigate this way, even though it'll take the pages longer to load...
All photos can be found here. In particular, I added workplace photos, apartment photos, photos from Sunday's excursion to the Osaka aquarium, and some extra pictures that I took on Monday. You'd better enjoy them because they took a long time to put together and kept me from playing any Okami tonight. D:
- Rindi
Current song: Shin Onimusha Dawn of Dreams - Soki Prologue ^ Soki Theme (sadly, the only awesome song on this soundtrack)
Current mood: Irritated
All photos can be found here. In particular, I added workplace photos, apartment photos, photos from Sunday's excursion to the Osaka aquarium, and some extra pictures that I took on Monday. You'd better enjoy them because they took a long time to put together and kept me from playing any Okami tonight. D:
- Rindi
Current song: Shin Onimusha Dawn of Dreams - Soki Prologue ^ Soki Theme (sadly, the only awesome song on this soundtrack)
Current mood: Irritated
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Too Excited For My Own Good
You've caught me in a serious fangirl moment. I went out yesterday and ended up tracking down Osaka's Den Den Town. Turns out I'd headed in the wrong direction on Sunday, and that's why I never found it... Anyway, I found it this time around and I got myself an early birthday present - a JPS2!
I've been seriously wanting a PS2 since IAP, but I put a lot of thought into whether I wanted to get a new PS2 and mod it, or what, since my main interest lies in rhythm games, and those are Japanese imports, for the most part. Pretty much, by the time I'd decided that I was going to go through with it, term was winding down, and I couldn't justify having something like that getting in the way of finals and my senior project and all that stuff. Because I just take that long to decide on things. D: And then, once the school year ended, I was kept too busy with my job and vacation to get one. Plus, Japan was coming up.
So then I figured I'd get myself a JPS2 if my apartment came with a TV. And hey, guess what, it does, so I went shopping. I ended up getting a FFXII/PS2 bundle pack from a used game shop for around the price of a standard black PS2 (about $175 or so - Japan is expensive D:). I figured a free game wouldn't hurt, even though I'd rather play/finish FFX. The PS2 itself is beautiful, looks and works brand new, has a goofy FFXII-related logo thing on it, and is amazingly tiny and light. I love it. I also got the game Okami (can mean Wolf, but is spelled like Big God), which is a 'nature adventure' featuring a wolf god that has to destroy a snake-demon by healing the earth. This is accomplished by using a paintbrush that does different things like putting flowers on trees and slashing at enemies. It's less goofy than it sounds. D: The artwork is beautiful - everything looks like an asian brush painting - and the gameplay is very entertaining, even though I'm still in the tutorial. Luckily, all of the text comes with furigana, so I'm usually able to understand between 50-80% of what's being said, although sometimes it gets harder and I'll only understand about 20% or so. I'm loving it so far though, especially the rumble feature, which is something I've never experienced before. I don't think FFX had anything like that... And well, I've yet to check out FFXII, so who knows what that'll be like. I seriously love the soundtrack too - it's so beautifully asian.
Anyway, I think that playing Japanese games will be a good way of working on my Japanese comprehension. Plus, I'll eventually get my hands on some Pop'n Music or Beatmania, and it'll be good times... Although the experience will be better when I get back home to my controller. :3
Erm, well, work is fun too, but why talk about work when I can be all 'OMG video gamezzzzz'? I'm such a nerd. XD
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: Super-excited
I've been seriously wanting a PS2 since IAP, but I put a lot of thought into whether I wanted to get a new PS2 and mod it, or what, since my main interest lies in rhythm games, and those are Japanese imports, for the most part. Pretty much, by the time I'd decided that I was going to go through with it, term was winding down, and I couldn't justify having something like that getting in the way of finals and my senior project and all that stuff. Because I just take that long to decide on things. D: And then, once the school year ended, I was kept too busy with my job and vacation to get one. Plus, Japan was coming up.
So then I figured I'd get myself a JPS2 if my apartment came with a TV. And hey, guess what, it does, so I went shopping. I ended up getting a FFXII/PS2 bundle pack from a used game shop for around the price of a standard black PS2 (about $175 or so - Japan is expensive D:). I figured a free game wouldn't hurt, even though I'd rather play/finish FFX. The PS2 itself is beautiful, looks and works brand new, has a goofy FFXII-related logo thing on it, and is amazingly tiny and light. I love it. I also got the game Okami (can mean Wolf, but is spelled like Big God), which is a 'nature adventure' featuring a wolf god that has to destroy a snake-demon by healing the earth. This is accomplished by using a paintbrush that does different things like putting flowers on trees and slashing at enemies. It's less goofy than it sounds. D: The artwork is beautiful - everything looks like an asian brush painting - and the gameplay is very entertaining, even though I'm still in the tutorial. Luckily, all of the text comes with furigana, so I'm usually able to understand between 50-80% of what's being said, although sometimes it gets harder and I'll only understand about 20% or so. I'm loving it so far though, especially the rumble feature, which is something I've never experienced before. I don't think FFX had anything like that... And well, I've yet to check out FFXII, so who knows what that'll be like. I seriously love the soundtrack too - it's so beautifully asian.
Anyway, I think that playing Japanese games will be a good way of working on my Japanese comprehension. Plus, I'll eventually get my hands on some Pop'n Music or Beatmania, and it'll be good times... Although the experience will be better when I get back home to my controller. :3
Erm, well, work is fun too, but why talk about work when I can be all 'OMG video gamezzzzz'? I'm such a nerd. XD
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: Super-excited
Friday, July 14, 2006
Blog Entry #201
Wow, it took me four years to make 200 posts. That's like 50 posts a year, or one a week. Hnnh. How's that work? I must've posted like, every night, back when this was new, because I know this poor old blog's gotten some serious neglect over the past year or so. I went and looked back at my first posts back in September of '02 and was horrified. XD I was such a chipper little freshmen, and I used emoticons like :'-( and ;) a ton. I haven't used those sorts of smilies in years (bwah, I can't believe I used to make crying faces like that). I wonder when I transitioned away. o_o; Anyway, the following entry is crossposted from Gaia...
Yesterday was exciting. Matsunaga-san from HR took me to the Nara city office to get my gaijin card (required for anyone spending more than 90 days in Japan), and we had quite the adventure of winding through some frighteningly narrow streets to get there (there was a traffic jam, so Matsunaga-san decided to go down a sidestreet... would've been faster to brave the traffic jam, I think). His car is amazing - the GPS system is in full color, has like, every location in Japan programmed into it, and it even talks to you. Plus, when you put the car in reverse, the view switches to a camera in the back so you can see if you're about to hit something. Every car that I've been in while in Japan has at least had GPS, and it's quite sophisticated. Why don't we have this kind of technology in the States? ;~;
My workplace is amusing. There's 200 people working here, but the place is huge, so there are big empty spaces. So far, I have managed to get lost in the building at least once per day (never for very long, though). Every day after lunch they play the company song, and everyone gathers up and sings along (sadly, I do not know the words, although it does involve love and light and a green earth XD). After that, someone reads the company principles off a scroll and then gives a speech. I'm not sure what the point of the speeches are, although it may be about preserving the environment because one was about cars, and today's was about hot springs and the sun. Oh, before the company song part, there are stretches announced over the intercom, but of course, no one does them (why, Japan, whyyyy?). I'm glad that they only play the company song once a day (Hitachi had a two-times-a-day deal going on), but it's harder to giggle at when you're standing around with a bunch of other people who are singing along. Or maybe it's easier. o_o;
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: Blah
Yesterday was exciting. Matsunaga-san from HR took me to the Nara city office to get my gaijin card (required for anyone spending more than 90 days in Japan), and we had quite the adventure of winding through some frighteningly narrow streets to get there (there was a traffic jam, so Matsunaga-san decided to go down a sidestreet... would've been faster to brave the traffic jam, I think). His car is amazing - the GPS system is in full color, has like, every location in Japan programmed into it, and it even talks to you. Plus, when you put the car in reverse, the view switches to a camera in the back so you can see if you're about to hit something. Every car that I've been in while in Japan has at least had GPS, and it's quite sophisticated. Why don't we have this kind of technology in the States? ;~;
My workplace is amusing. There's 200 people working here, but the place is huge, so there are big empty spaces. So far, I have managed to get lost in the building at least once per day (never for very long, though). Every day after lunch they play the company song, and everyone gathers up and sings along (sadly, I do not know the words, although it does involve love and light and a green earth XD). After that, someone reads the company principles off a scroll and then gives a speech. I'm not sure what the point of the speeches are, although it may be about preserving the environment because one was about cars, and today's was about hot springs and the sun. Oh, before the company song part, there are stretches announced over the intercom, but of course, no one does them (why, Japan, whyyyy?). I'm glad that they only play the company song once a day (Hitachi had a two-times-a-day deal going on), but it's harder to giggle at when you're standing around with a bunch of other people who are singing along. Or maybe it's easier. o_o;
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: Blah
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Pera pera you ni natte iru mitai desu...
Whew, it's been a crazy couple of days for me. I had to meet a ton of people and learn all about Panasonic's history. There's been project introduction/discussion, learning all the company rules, setting up my computer, and tonight there was a welcome party, so I've been constantly on the move.
I'm staying at a hotel right next to the company right now, but I'll be moving to an apartment this weekend. I hear that the apartment is rather small. Too bad I'm being spoiled by my huge hotel room:
The company is actually located about halfway between Osaka and Kyoto, and my apartment will be in Nara. Hopefully I'll have internet, although everyone seems to be rather uncertain about it. *crosses fingers*
Oh my goodness, there's a world of difference in my understanding of the Japanese language compared to last year. I can understand virtually everything everyone says in normal conversations - I had no idea my comprehension would jump up that much from one year ago. It's been a huge surprise. Of course, I can also talk better, although I've forgotten several of the more complicated grammar points. I need to review those, but still! Everyone's impressed when they find out that they don't have to use English around me. XD I think this is especially so because there's an American that works in my group, and even though he's been in Japan for 2 1/2 years, he knows virtually no Japanese.
As for my job itself, well, it looks like I'm going to be working with robotics and their interaction with people and the surrounding environment. It sounds very interesting, but also very very difficult. We'll see how it goes...
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: Tired
I'm staying at a hotel right next to the company right now, but I'll be moving to an apartment this weekend. I hear that the apartment is rather small. Too bad I'm being spoiled by my huge hotel room:
The company is actually located about halfway between Osaka and Kyoto, and my apartment will be in Nara. Hopefully I'll have internet, although everyone seems to be rather uncertain about it. *crosses fingers*
Oh my goodness, there's a world of difference in my understanding of the Japanese language compared to last year. I can understand virtually everything everyone says in normal conversations - I had no idea my comprehension would jump up that much from one year ago. It's been a huge surprise. Of course, I can also talk better, although I've forgotten several of the more complicated grammar points. I need to review those, but still! Everyone's impressed when they find out that they don't have to use English around me. XD I think this is especially so because there's an American that works in my group, and even though he's been in Japan for 2 1/2 years, he knows virtually no Japanese.
As for my job itself, well, it looks like I'm going to be working with robotics and their interaction with people and the surrounding environment. It sounds very interesting, but also very very difficult. We'll see how it goes...
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: Tired
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Feels Like I Never Left
Hey guess what? I'm writing this entry from my hotel room in Osaka, Japan. I had a lovely flight over thanks to being upgraded to business class (haha, I feel so spoiled) - a far cry from the lameness that was last year's flight.
I remember when I first arrived in Tokyo last year and was wowed by the hills and rice paddies as I rode into the city center from the airport. This year was different, as Kansai Airport is already in the middle of the city, so the limousine bus that I took to the hotel went straight onto the highway.
Ah, good old urban Japan:
It's funny. As we got off the highway and down into the little streets, I got the strange feeling that I'd never left Japan at all. I guess all of suburban Japan looks pretty much the same when you get down to it. Same little streets, same little houses, same convenience stores and vending machines. It was rather comforting to be confronted with something so familiar. Quite different from last year's experience.
My hotel room is quite lovely and rather typically-sized for a Japanese hotel room:
I have a good view of massive urban sprawl right outside my room:
At first I thought the hotel had a pool, and then I realized it was an outdoor chapel:
Oh yes, in case you're wondering where the pictures came from, I got a digital camera as an early birthday present! Now I can take terrible pictures of myself whenever I want!
Seriously though, this camera is totally awesome. It's tiny compared to the one I was using last year and the pictures are amazingly high-quality. For example, check out our hamster Pico (link because the picture is huge). You can see every hair on his body! 0.0 Other hamster pictures can be found here. <3
Okay, I should sleep now. I pretty much passed out as soon as I got settled at the hotel, but I'm feeling sleepy again. Will write more when the opportunity presents itself.
- Rindi
Current song: Pop'n Music 12 - Totsugeki zenkaiten! [PRETTY MIYABI]
Current mood: Sleepy
I remember when I first arrived in Tokyo last year and was wowed by the hills and rice paddies as I rode into the city center from the airport. This year was different, as Kansai Airport is already in the middle of the city, so the limousine bus that I took to the hotel went straight onto the highway.
Ah, good old urban Japan:
It's funny. As we got off the highway and down into the little streets, I got the strange feeling that I'd never left Japan at all. I guess all of suburban Japan looks pretty much the same when you get down to it. Same little streets, same little houses, same convenience stores and vending machines. It was rather comforting to be confronted with something so familiar. Quite different from last year's experience.
My hotel room is quite lovely and rather typically-sized for a Japanese hotel room:
I have a good view of massive urban sprawl right outside my room:
At first I thought the hotel had a pool, and then I realized it was an outdoor chapel:
Oh yes, in case you're wondering where the pictures came from, I got a digital camera as an early birthday present! Now I can take terrible pictures of myself whenever I want!
Seriously though, this camera is totally awesome. It's tiny compared to the one I was using last year and the pictures are amazingly high-quality. For example, check out our hamster Pico (link because the picture is huge). You can see every hair on his body! 0.0 Other hamster pictures can be found here. <3
Okay, I should sleep now. I pretty much passed out as soon as I got settled at the hotel, but I'm feeling sleepy again. Will write more when the opportunity presents itself.
- Rindi
Current song: Pop'n Music 12 - Totsugeki zenkaiten! [PRETTY MIYABI]
Current mood: Sleepy
Friday, July 07, 2006
Panic Panic
So much to write about and so little time. AniBos was amazing, and I still haven't written anything about that. Diving in Roatan with my dad and littlest sister was also fantastic, and I have to write about that. But guess what, I'm off to Japan tomorrow. And by tomorrow, I mean, today in a few hours. I should sleep. x_x
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: Soooooo sleepy
- Rindi
Current song: None
Current mood: Soooooo sleepy