This will be a rather reporting email about what  I've been up to the last several days.Ý If you don't care about that go  down the the bottom where this symbol ----> is and there is a pretty  interesting, funny story there. ÝÝÝ Okay, trying to make this  very brief I will start on last Tuesday...just kidding.Ý  Wednesday-Friday...I had my mid-year JET conference.Ý It was all about  workshops, and eating lots of Japanese food...oh yeah and the onsens...Ý I  was a moderator for one workshop for my group of 30 people so that was pretty  cool.Ý So my Thanksgiving was spent there. How was that for  brief? ÝÝÝ Saturday, a few of my friends  went to another friend's house in a big city for a Thanksgiving dinner...about  30 people attended (what is up with the number 30?)Ý It was a good  time...we even had a few slices of turkey, which is pretty rare in these  parts.Ý Everyone had to bring food and I was pretty stuffed... That too was  brief. ÝÝÝ Sunday morning, (for time  purposes I won't mention how I was late) my town offices left at 6:42 am on 4  buses in route to Tokyo.Ý 3 things.Ý Lunch on a boat that went up and  down some water way (forgot to ask which one), visited an aquarium (much better  than Mystic for you in CT...there was a walkway that was completely surrounded  by a huge tank...so fish were going over head...that was strange because it  looked like they were flying...the fish here are pretty much the same but some  are very different and a whole lot bigger...okay now I will get out of this  sidenote), and then off to visit a TV station (watched filming of a show >from  above)...across from this building was a replica of the Statue of Liberty...it  was about 5 stories high and next to the water...looked like the real thing  other than size and people were taking pictures like it was about to fade...of  course I didn't because in my rush that morning I forgot my cameras...oh  well... ÝÝÝ So now I am back and getting  ready to leave for Guam...for no other reason then because I want to...going  with a few friends...be back on Saturday... ----->Okay, here's the situation.Ý You  go into Mister Doughnut, or Dunkin and there is a line of (let's say) 4  people.Ý The person in the front orders 6 doughnuts...no big deal so  far.Ý Okay, each doughnut is wrapped individually...wrapped in the  Christmas gift sense...with tape. Then 2 are placed in little bags of their  own...so now we have 3 little bags...wrapped like gifts...these in turn are  placed into a bigger bag and with tedious precision...placing tape on all  corners of course.Ý So now we have one order...and it only took  10minutes...Next in line...Life in Japan.. ÝÝÝ Which reminds me...this  country has got to be the most environmental hazardous in the world (and you  thought it was evil America).Ý "I am no green-thumb"---a quote  >from my friend Jason...didn't want to tell him that term meant if he was good at  planting or not...but this place is really bad.Ý Each cookie is  wrapped...well everything is wrapped beyond control...packaging is probably the  backbone of the economy.Ý Needless to say there is waste beyond control,  which isn't a good thing when they burn their garbage...plastic and all.Ý  Many times I will be driving down the road and notice something on fire...a pile  of rubbish in someone's backyard.Ý A couple of times when I ride the train  at night I notice a few "campfires" in the distance.Ý So there  you have it...don't breath the fumes.