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.