A Hello Goes A Long Way

January 26, 2004

I have become one of those guys at work who say hi to just about anyone. I’m not picky. If our eyes meet for even a glance, I will in a formal or casual way greet you. My favorites include, “Heya”, “How’s it going”, “Good mornin’ sir”, “Hey”, or a very breezy headtilt if I don’t really know you. I take pride in the fact that for the first time in my life, I know and acknowledge a lot of people.

Back in the day, I would only greet my fellow friends and thrust an air of cold vanity to others. I would shower my loved ones and chums with witty anecdotes and sarcastic put downs. I would piss strangers away with nary a glance.

I have few good friends in Japan but the ones that are here, they’re here for good. I have no fear that they’ll one day abandon me into the shadows of loner-land. There are many people I know at work whom I wouldn’t really call a friend. I seldom have conversations with them and we’re more on hello/random chit chat terms. Mostly, we’ll talk about how some aspect of work sucks and have a fake laugh over it. These people can tell me they’re going home in a week and never coming back and I’d wish them fake good luck and cry some fake tears. They have no value in my life.

I’ve come to equilibriums with many of these people - we won’t become good friends out of a lack of common interest or we won’t become worse acquaintances simply because there ain’t much to lose. I like this equilibrium because it gives me a false sense of social standing and gives me more outlets to complain about the last shitty student I just had or how (problem) caused (duration of time) of (negative emotion).

Today I experienced what I will call, “Highschool Emotional Rollercoaster Syndrome” (HERS). This is when one day you’re saying hello to someone and the next, they walk by you as if you never existed. You may have even said hello to them only to have them walk by (or even through) you without even acknowledging your meager little existence. I’ve experienced HERS many times in highschool and hence its name. While I will not cry you a river over this HERS incident, I am disconcerted over this phenomena happening to grown up adults who sometimes show signs of HERS once their friend’s usefulness is used up.

Granted. There are many people at work who are fresh out of college and haven’t had a real full time job before (like yours truly). Their mental capacity is really that of a parent-leeching, class-skipping, happy go lucky who think they should get their way all the time. HERS is very evident in this social group. I pride myself knowing many consider me to be ages ahead in terms of maturity compared to these peers.

Anyway, instead of ranting on and on about some (expletive) who didn’t return a “heya” today, I’ll just warn you that the next time you show signs of HERS, I will spit into your mouth and make you swallow my tobacco soaked loogie. Goodnight.

Jerry wrote this in: Soapbox
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Moving Is A Double Edged Sword

January 21, 2004

I haven’t moved yet (Dennis). The woman and I are going to pick up the key tomorrow. We have to go visit the apartment to make some measurements. For you see, we have to buy a fridge, possibly a washing machine, and some other junk and we have to know the exact dimensions that can fit down to the micron.

I have to buy curtains.

Let that not slip by as a meaningless statement. Buying curtains has always been a privilege reserved for the mother or maybe even an older sister but I am at a point in my life where I have to buy my own fucking curtains. To top it off, I will be choosing curtains with the woman. Soon I’ll be choosing which rabbit wallpaper to plaster the baby room.

As much as I’m excited about leaving this shit hole I’m in and entering a great apartment, I feel slightly stressed. I’ve always been proud how I don’t stress out easily but I caught myself prancing around like an idiot pointing at stuff that needs to be boxed, stuff that needs to be dismantled, stuff that needs to be thrown out, and stuff that might be alive. I will be making my first of many trips to the apartment to move stuff on Friday. I’m going to try to haul as much stuff as I can via subway and if need be, we’ll have to rent a van or something to finish it off. Actually we’ll probably have to rent a van because there are two bicycles parked outside that belong to us.

I did a mental tally of things I need to buy and I’m going to be running a deficit greater than Quebec’s for the next few months probably. I was just getting to the point where money was being saved too. Crud.

Jerry wrote this in: Japan
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The Big Clean

January 14, 2004

So the comments haven’t been working for several days now but I’m too busy lately to even begin to wonder why. I’ll be starting to organize shit to move into my apartment but in the meantime I have to clean this old dump for the next sucker. Sucker! I just might fuck dotComments and find something else. Or it might be my host… their website has changed and it doesn’t even look like they offer any services anymore. For safety, I just backed up my shit. Go figure.

Jerry wrote this in: Default
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A List of Very Uncomfortable Things

January 11, 2004

And more!

Jerry wrote this in: Default
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Infinitely Better

January 05, 2004

Since it’s been confirmed, here I am announcing that I AM MOVING INTO A NEW APARTMENT!!!

You don’t know how kick ass this is. My apartment now, as used to it as I am, sucks major ass. It’s comfortable and all but here are the major problems: the washroom is horrible because it’s always cold because there are uncloseable vents. The tatami mats are old and have attracted dust and all sorts of allergenic shit that killed me in the summer. The neighbor to the right has a really fucked up schedule and makes hacking coughy noises at 2-4am AND now he washes his fucking clothes at 2am too (the machine is on the balcony which totally rattles up the floor that I sleep on). The asshole kids outside who sometimes live in the foyer and leave their ciggie buts and cans everywhere. The lack of elevator. The high rent I’m paying for this garbage.

You gotta love the heartless corporation that I work in - it’s a company apartment so I KNOW they take a cut of my monthly rent and it’s a piece of shit.

So anyway, about the new apartment. It’s in a much more convenient area for Eri. Analogy time: If my apartment now is in Richmond, Eri lives in North Vancouver and it takes her a long time to get home. We both work roughly downtown. My new apartment is now located maybe at Lonsdale Quay. Don’t get the analogy? Well then you’re stupid.

The place is super close to Noda Hanshin station - the closest exit is seriously, 2 minutes away. That means no more freezing morning bike rides through the old folks park. There are so many stores and restaurants around. There’s a 7-11 right downstairs, a KFC around the corner, a JUSCO department store not too far away, McDonalds, a Japanese version of Blockbuster called Tsutaya, scores of coffee shops (much needed), and some more shit I’m sure. The rent is a tad more expensive (6,000 yen more) but the building is 2 years old versus the 16th century whorehouse I live in now. The size is about the same but I will have a proper bathroom and toilet, a smaller kitchen, and 1 big room instead of 2 smaller rooms. There’s also a huge walk in closet that has a motion detector that triggers the light (now that’s classy). There are 2 elevators. There are no tatami mats - it’s all wood flooring. There main entrance is coded so no stupid kids can loiter around. The walls are better sound proofed and there’s a cushion layer under the floor to prevent foot step noises. There’s a clothes washer set up plug thingy so no more laundry runs downstairs.

We were touring it yesterday around 5-6pm and since the place faces west, I saw the sunset from the balcony. Great view. It’s too bad Osaka is filled with nothing but concrete buildings. Had the western side been mountainy instead, I’d have one helluva view.

I think I’ll be moving in a fortnight and from how it looks, I might have to cancel Korea to free up some funds. More news later.

Jerry wrote this in: Japan
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Happy New Year Folks

January 01, 2004

We’re a little faster ahead here in Japan but yours will be in a few hours I suppose so happy new year. It’s a fresh slate for all of you with shitty things last year and it’s a chance to do even better this year if you had a great year last year. 2003 went by so quickly and I’ve not much to show for so this year I want to improve my Japanese more, take more pictures with my cool camera, and maybe do some more travelling.

So far, I’ve got Korea planned for this month and Eri and I were talking about maybe visiting New Zealand to see her old homestay family and to see what all the fuss is about down there.

I can’t wait for doom 3 to come out- it’ll definitely be THE video game of the year for me. This I already know.

I’m hoping to visit home maybe a bit later. I wanted to go back sooner but some unfortunate unforeseen circumstances caused me to use up my holidays rather quickly. My new batch will be here in April.

Anyway today I’m doing the temple thing with the girl’s family. See you soon pretties.

Jerry wrote this in: Default
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