tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63623052011-07-30T15:38:59.386-04:00<P>"Every destination is but the doorway to another, live the journey"</P> <img src="http://jaxanime.shadownet.ca/images/ME.jpg" alt="My Picture"> <P>I am a pretty average Canadian guy, about to move to Japan to teach English for a year. It should be an interesting journey.</P>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comBlogger941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-42255469924512392892009-09-12T20:57:00.002-04:002009-09-12T21:05:12.902-04:00

Saturday, September 12, 2009 (London, Ontario)It's been over a year since my last update, but I can still remember the feeling when I made it. Unfortunately the reason i can feel it is that I haven't felt that way very often since. My determination that day faded soon after, and I find myself waiting for Eureka again.How many hobbies is a person supposed to have? I have so many things I'm

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-77039733241964227742008-08-16T22:12:00.000-04:002008-08-16T22:13:29.531-04:00

8:30pm August 16, 2008 (London)I was reading Naked Empire the other day, and there was a single two word phrase that kept standing out to me. The Wizard's 8th Rule "Deserve victory". I've had those words stuck in my head now for two days. I get this feeling that as I think about them there is something I should be getting, something I am almost understanding. Ever get like that?Deserve

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-24290516074749281212008-04-29T22:41:00.002-04:002008-04-29T22:44:14.104-04:00

April 29, 2008 10:38pm (London)Hello everyone,My move to London did not go according to plan, and I need a bit of help. I'm going to give you a pretty abreviated version of what happened, you can get details from me the next time you see me or talk to me. We packed everything I own into an SUV to drive it to London, unfortunately we had a car accident on the way here.The car ended up sinking into

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-41212846167651722702008-04-19T20:29:00.000-04:002008-04-19T20:39:38.275-04:00

April 19, 2008 8:29 PM (London)Most of the decisions have been made. I was offered a job here in London, and I decided to accept it. It's only a part-time position with about 28 hours/week, but it is a way into the company so that I can get a full-time position when I get a chance. That would be my goal.I will be moving to London on April 27th, hopefully without having any difficulties in

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-37688239621395866752008-04-03T18:10:00.001-04:002008-04-03T18:11:41.352-04:00

April 3, 2008 6:08 PM (London, Ontario)Standing at the Crossroads Again I am almost finished college. I will have my diploma in less than a month. With that I have to make some serious decisions. I'm only going to think about the first one though. That is to decide where I will live for the next year. I see three options:1) Pembroke - Positives: I already have an apartment, and Pizza Pizza

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-25008605618493104522008-03-16T17:50:00.000-04:002008-03-16T17:55:48.497-04:00

March 16, 2008 5:50 pm (London, Ontario)I have to say that as I get closer to graduation I get more and more confused about the future. What do I want? Where do I have to go to find it? There are so many branches in the road ahead, and I don't know which one to follow. If I go left will I have time to turn around and take the right path instead? At 29 I am still young, but I feel old...like

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-67381347372578793012007-07-03T19:24:00.000-04:002007-07-03T19:35:19.984-04:00

7:24 PM July 3, 2007 (Pembroke)It's been a long time since I updated my journal. This is partly because there is very little going on in my life right now, and partly because I have no Internet at home.Living without Internet in Japan wasn't terribly difficult, I had a lot of other things going on to distract me. I find that being without it in Pembroke is dull though. I re-read old stories,

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-31598586701214822522007-02-18T04:39:00.000-05:002007-02-18T04:40:04.764-05:00

4:39 AM, February 18, 2007 (Pembroke)I got an e-mail today, and I'm really excited. In junior high and high school I had a friend named Steve. We lived a few doors down from each other on the base, and we basically had all the same interests. Steve loved reading fantasy novels, and playing RPGs. He introduced me to the Dragonlance series, and we spent entire weeks making maps of the old

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1166168617175848182006-12-15T02:42:00.000-05:002006-12-15T02:43:37.186-05:00

Friday, December 15, 2006 2:24 AM (Pembroke)So today was the last test for the semester, I went toa night club with a group of 8 girls from my programto celebrate. The night was going really well,everyone was having fun....until I caught some @$$holewith his his camera-phone up my friend's skirt. Hewas dancing behind her so she couldn't tell what hewas doing. After he got the picture up her

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1156061136735615642006-08-20T03:50:00.000-04:002006-08-20T04:05:36.746-04:00

August 20, 2006 3:50am (Pembroke)So my second week selling Pizza is almost at an end. The bar rush is chaos every night, with yelling drunk people and oddly flirtatious girls who can't get it through their heads that prices don't change no matter how low their neckline. It's hectic during bar rush, but I actually enjoy it to an extent. With everything going on at once it just flies by, and the

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1155016520227386732006-08-08T01:27:00.000-04:002006-08-08T01:55:20.240-04:00

Tuesday, August 8, 2006 1:27 AMI just finished my first day of work at the pizza place. I don't think I've ever worked so hard in my life. They didn't warn me that you can only touch the middle of the handle on the pizza oven door, so I burned my hand. My back is killing me, I think I have a blister on my foot. All to make less money in a full shift than I made before lunch at my old job.I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1154329080738827292006-07-31T02:12:00.000-04:002006-07-31T02:58:00.753-04:00

Monday, July 31, 2006 2:12 AM (Ottawa)I went to Barrymores tonight with some friends as a sort of going away party. It ended up being 5 of us, and I had a lot of fun even though the night ended too early for my taste.Lisa and Renuka were the first to leave, though they beat the rest of us by less than a minute. Renuka had to work the next morning and she was Lisa's ride so it had to be an early

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1153179860559006482006-07-17T19:32:00.000-04:002006-07-17T19:46:32.186-04:00

7:32 PM July 17, 2006 (Ottawa)I haven't been very good about updating my journal lately. When things happen I think about doing it, but I'm usually at work where I can't access this site, or too busy dealing with the situation. By the time it's over I just don't want to think about it anymore.So here's a little update for you all.I after getting stuck on the never-ending wait list for Algonquin

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1149997104428038602006-06-10T23:36:00.000-04:002006-06-10T23:38:24.440-04:00

June 10, 2006 11:20 pm (Ottawa)I've been looking into the SCA for a few weeks to decide if I'm interested in joining, and which parts I might want to take part in. Today I attended my first actual costumed event.The weather was horrible. Naturally attendance suffered as a result, but I still had a lot of fun.Highlights:- I saw an old gamer I used to know from Pembroke. He's still insane.- I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1144198739994285502006-04-04T20:58:00.000-04:002006-04-04T20:59:09.033-04:00

Tuesday April 04, 2006 8:30 PM (Ottawa)Tuesday April 04, 2006 9:30 AM (Japan)I got the results back from my college application today, I'm on the waiting list again.Last time it was understandable, I delayed in applying because of other things going on in my life. By the time I applied the class actually said "wait listed" next to the name on the application form. That doesn't explain this

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1143067397098169642006-03-22T16:47:00.000-05:002006-03-22T17:44:32.076-05:00

4:47 PM March 22, 2006 (Ottawa)Today I'd like to express my appreciation to the customer's a deal with on a daily basis, and let you all know how much your patronage means to me. I have compiled a list of common misconceptions customers have, and as a service to the international community I'd like to dispel them for you.MYTH: You think illiteracy will not interfere with using online technical

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1141183680564778772006-02-28T13:43:00.000-05:002006-02-28T22:28:09.430-05:00

1:43 PM February 28, 2006 (Ottawa)I hope that everyone will take this all in the spirit to which it is offered. I am not accusing anyone of anything, I am not pointing fingers at anyone, no part of this is about being right and wrong. The fact is that somebody has been unintentionally hurt. That tells me that I wasn't expressing myself properly, so I'm just trying to set the record straight and

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1140411272899801122006-02-19T23:34:00.000-05:002006-02-19T23:54:32.930-05:00

Feb 19, 2006 11:34 PM (Ottawa)Some things in life are frustrating; customers, managers, co-workers, politics, Canadian winters, OC Transpo, and about a thousand other things I could not begin to recall off the top of my head. Do you know what frustrates me the most? My own limitations.I know somebody close to me is hurting, and I don't know what to do about it. Watching a friend suffer is

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1138500022753607422006-01-28T20:56:00.000-05:002006-01-28T21:00:22.766-05:00

I didn't get into school for January unfortunately, I applied too late and ended up on a waiting list. That list never made it as far as me, so I'm going to be waiting a bit for my triumphant return to college.Today I applied for Algonquin's Early Childhood Education (Intensive) program for September. Given the results of my testing with the school over the years there is little doubt I will be

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1130910853588631172005-11-02T00:32:00.000-05:002005-11-02T00:54:13.606-05:00

12:33 AM November 2, 2005 (Ottawa)2:33 PM November 2, 2005 (Shimodate)For the past few months I've put a lot of work into making sure my finances were in order. I've been paying off my student loans at more than twice the rate I did last year. I've been putting aside well over $200 a month by deliberately overpaying my taxes. I had a few possible goals in mind for the saved money.- I could pay

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1129307483742181742005-10-14T11:47:00.000-04:002005-10-14T12:31:23.756-04:00

October 14, 11:47 AM (Ottawa)October 15, 12:47 AM (Shimodate)It's an interesting time to be me right now. There's so much going on in my mind that it's hard to know where to begin.I hate being here. How's that for a start? I don't mean I hate living with Lisa, that's been pretty interesting so far. I just don't want to be in Canada anymore, and no...I don't want to go to China either. It's hard

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1127619778198507972005-09-24T23:29:00.000-04:002005-09-24T23:50:25.473-04:00

11:29 PM September 24, 2005 (Ottawa)I've made a point of reading some of the news articles I see on the BBC's international news page recently. Normally my focus is on Japan, but I read anything that has an interesting headline too just to see what's going on.Today I came across something that struck me as remarkably dumb:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4276912.stm"Banning gay priests because

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1124166070845858132005-08-15T23:50:00.000-04:002005-08-16T00:24:14.066-04:00

11: 50 PM August 15, 2005 (Gatineau)12:50 PM August 16, 2005 (Japan)I haven't written much in this journal since my return, and for that I must apologize. Unfortunately there hasn't really been all that much to say. I've been very absorbed with my thoughts, most of which center around a small city in Japan.I don't write as often as most of the journals I see online, but when I do it's generally

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1119321496153184302005-06-20T22:18:00.000-04:002005-06-20T22:38:16.160-04:00

June 20, 2005 10:16 PM (Gatineau)June 21, 2005 11:16 AM (Japan)They always say you can't go home again, that things will be different when you return. I know that was true to an extent where Ottawa was concerned. Things seem very different here since I got back, despite working for the same company I did for years before I left. My friends are different, they have new friends/girlfriends/

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1115746306389408392005-05-10T13:05:00.000-04:002005-05-10T13:31:46.446-04:00

May 10, 2005 1:02 PM - OttawaMay 11, 2005 2:05 AM - JapanWhat are pictures to you? A thousand words? Not unless I speak them.I took quite a few pictures wile I was in Japan. People ask me to send them to them all the time, either because they are curious about what Japan looks like, or because they want to use them on their own websites.I noticed the uneasiness I felt with this prospect for the

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1111987655190640262005-03-28T00:08:00.000-05:002005-03-28T00:27:35.193-05:00

March 28, 2005 12:08 AM (Ottawa)???????? (Shimodate)I'm mildly horrified to realize that I can't mentally convert Ottawa time to Shimodate time anymore. It feels significant, while holding absolutely no significance whatsoever.I've been home for over a month now. If you offered me a flight back to Japan leaving in 1 hour, I would be on it. Just give me time to get to the airport.My homecoming has

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1111986593387606432005-02-24T11:15:00.000-05:002005-03-28T00:09:53.386-05:00

February 24, 2004 11:15 AM (Ottawa)February 25, 2004 1:15 AM (Japan)It is so odd being "home". It all looks unnatural to me. The second I got off the flight in Vancouver I started feeling out of place.There are too many white people, everyone looks familiar. I can understand all the conversations around me, it is almost overwhelming. Information overload is the only thing I can call it. I was

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1111986224721723882005-02-24T00:56:00.000-05:002005-03-28T00:03:44.723-05:00

February 24, 2005 12:56 AM (Japan)February 23, 2005 10:56 AM (Ottawa)I can see dawn over the wing of the plane. I am not sure what that means regarding where I am. I am not in Japan though, and more than anything that is where I want to be.I want to wake up in 11 hours and have to rush to work. It would be an office day for me, but maybe I could do some Team Teaching. I always liked meeting new

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1111985642084789612005-02-19T17:41:00.000-05:002005-03-27T23:54:02.086-05:00

February 19, 2005 5:41 PM (Makabe)February 19, 2005 3:41 AM (Ottawa)I am no longer a teacher. It is hard to accept, but as of 31 minutes ago I have been unemployed. The best job I ever had is over.It doesn't feel real though, I am laying on the floor in my classroom writing this.I guess technically I have no right to be in here now, but I am not ready to leave. I don't want to let this stage of

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1108718408279321162005-02-18T16:24:00.000-05:002005-02-18T04:20:08.280-05:00

Feb 18, 2005 4:24 PM (Mito)Feb 18, 2005 2:24 AM (Ottawa)I went out to dinner with 3 out of 4 of my Japanese teachers last night. We spent several hours swapping stories about students and former teachers.It was great, they gave me chocolates as a going away gift, and a hand-drawn Dragonball Z picture. It's funny how everyone thinks that is my favorite show. I hate it. I just love the Dragonball Z

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1108718104275370242005-02-15T20:58:00.000-05:002005-02-18T04:15:04.276-05:00

Feb 15, 2005 8:58 PM (Shimodate)Feb 15, 2005 6:58 AM (Ottawa)Today was a great day. I got most of my final financial arrangements done in preparation for moving out. That has been worrying me a lot lately. No problem now it seems.My Japanese teachers offered to take me out to dinner tomorrow night. I am looking forward to it.The best part was when Meena solved 90% of my problems with returning to

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1108717708982995442005-02-11T19:57:00.000-05:002005-02-18T04:08:28.986-05:00

Feb 11, 2005 7:57 PM (Makabe)Feb 11, 2005 5:57 AM (Ottawa)I just finished saying goodbye to my favorite class. a group of 5 incredibly "genki" grade schoolers.Wakana: A very fun and energetic girl who likes to chase me around the classroom. She prefers to be called "Fish", but I have never been able to figure out why. She and her best friend Hitomi (Dish) keep trying to call me "Jam". They seem

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1108717003439572962005-02-10T15:24:00.000-05:002005-02-18T03:56:43.440-05:00

Feb 10, 2005 3:24 PM (Makabe)Feb 10, 2005 1:24 (Ottawa)Jen visited me again this past weekend, and we went on another walking tour of Shimodate.This time I showed her a big arcade, and an amazing shrine at the what I refer to as "my tree". I am glad I got to show her that, I found it back on March 22nd (I know because I wrote about it).The tree is massive and completely overshadows a small shrine

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1108716545947534282005-02-04T15:36:00.000-05:002005-02-18T03:49:05.950-05:00

Feb 4, 2005 3:36 PM (Shimodate)Feb 4, 2005 1:36 AM (Ottawa)*SCREAM*Stop the world, I want to get off.Things are happening so quickly now that I can hardly stop to notice it all.Just a few days ago I went to Tokyo with Jen. I finally got to see Tokyo Tower, get my souvenir, and take Jen on an Anime-Otaku tour of Akihabara. It would take pages to talk about it all.Now I am under pressure from

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1108715822357243582005-01-29T23:38:00.000-05:002005-02-18T03:37:02.360-05:00

Jan 29, 2005 11:38 PM (Shimodate)Jan 29, 2005 9:38 AM (Ottawa)There is a big party coming up with all the Peppy teachers in my area. Both the Japanese teachers, and the English speaking ones.Apparently there is a tradition at parties like this to put on a little demonstration. The Japanese teachers are going to do a magic show, a hula dancing, and a skit. They were upset that the English speaking

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1108715423811624662005-01-26T23:15:00.000-05:002005-02-18T03:30:23.813-05:00

January 26, 2005 11:15 PM (Tomobe)January 26, 2005 9:15 AM (Ottawa)I met Janine's replacement today, her name is Karla, and she is from Nova Scotia.She has been with Peppy for a year, and worked for Nova before that. She said changing over was the best thing she ever did, but mostly because she loves kids.At the Internet cafe I was looking for jobs again, and I found another one that interested

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1106660210708792422005-01-25T10:35:00.000-05:002005-01-25T08:36:50.706-05:00

January 25, 2005 10:35 AM (Shimodate) January 24, 2005 8:35 PM (Ottawa) Apparently I really meant I would werite every second day. I spent most of yesterday walking around with Jen. We called it exploring, but most of the time we were in areas we already knew quite well. I bought another Hikaru no Go video game for my PS2. I love some of the discount stores they have here! Only 1000 Yen!

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1108715157110080262005-01-25T04:02:00.000-05:002005-02-18T03:25:57.113-05:00

Jan 25, 2005 4:02 PM (Mito)Jan 25, 2005 2:02 AM (Ottawa)I hate office days. They are the one thing about working for Peppy that I can't imagine missing.Today I have to be in the office for 4 hours. I have been here for an hour and a half, and I finished the useful part of my work about an hour ago. I am adept at looking busy though, so at least I am not likely to get in trouble for the waste

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1106659856219216762005-01-23T21:00:00.000-05:002005-01-25T08:30:56.220-05:00

January 23, 2005 9:00 PM (Shimodate) January 23, 2005 7:00 AM (Ottawa) First day and I broke my post-a-day rule! In my defense Jen has been visiting all week, and I have been distracted as a result. I taught Jen how to play Go a long time ago, and she wanted to play again this week. She's improved a lot, but she says it is not a type of thinking that comes naturally. This brings me to today's

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1106659520980270242005-01-21T14:34:00.000-05:002005-01-25T08:25:20.980-05:00

January 21, 2005 2:34 PM (Shimodate) January 21, 2005 12:34 AM (Ottawa) On February 19 I will work my last day with Peppy Kids. Anyone who knows me here can tell you how upset I am at this prospect, but there is nothing I can do. Leaving will be especially difficult because it means saying goodbye to Jen as well. Despite our previous determination to leave some things unsaid, I told her I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1103968105627820652004-12-25T04:19:00.000-05:002004-12-25T04:51:19.060-05:00

December 25, 2004 6:20 PM (Yokohama) December 25, 2004 4:20 AM (Ottawa) Merry Christmas everyone! I am celebrating Christmas this year at Lisa's apartment in Yokohama. It is a considerably different area than Shimodate. Even the little suburbs of this city are bigger than Shimodate. Last night we went to an amusement park, it was one of my better Christmas eves. The two main highlights were

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1099565560592871292004-11-04T09:29:00.000-05:002004-11-04T05:52:40.593-05:00

November 4, 2004 9:29 am (Tomobe) November 3, 2004 7:29 pm (Ottawa) It has been an emotional roller coaster for me recently. I came close to getting my visa changed, and getting a promotion that would have had me living in a city much closer to Jen. They told me I was eligible, then told me I wasn't, then told me I might be, then I was, then I wasn't. The last couple changes went like this:

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1099565042928424862004-10-20T11:14:00.000-04:002004-11-04T05:44:02.926-05:00

11:14 am October 20, 2004 (Shimodate) 10:14 pm October 19, 2004 (Ottawa) Lisa's visit for the last month was certainly an adventure. It was not what I expected, dreaded, or hoped for. Basically I didn't anticipate any of it being the way it was. I spent a lot of the early days feeling vaguely dissatisfied because I wasn't spending as much time with Lisa as I wanted, and because she and Tanya

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1099564701631454052004-10-02T03:00:00.000-04:002004-11-04T05:38:21.630-05:00

October 2, 2004 3:00 am (Shimodate) October 1, 2004 1:00 pm (Ottawa) A lot can change in 2 hours. A lot can be said that needs saying. Wounds are healed and new wounds are suffered. It was a good talk, maybe long overdue. Will it make a difference in the long run? I don't know. For now though, it is good to have my Lisa back. My friend.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1099564549109134122004-10-02T00:55:00.000-04:002004-11-04T05:35:49.110-05:00

October 2, 2004 12:55 am (Shimodate) October 1, 2004 11:55 pm (Ottawa) Happy Birthday to me. I have been 26 for almost an hour. My actual planned celebration is on October 3rd at an amusement park with Jen and Ivy. Lisa and Tanya are still staying with me, but they can't afford to go. So we are going for dinner instead. The visit has been interesting, fun, frustrating, depressing, enlightening

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1094280752870330922004-08-26T19:57:00.000-04:002004-09-04T02:52:32.870-04:00

August 26, 2004 7:57 PM (Shimodate) August 26, 2004 6:57 AM (Ottawa) Things are looking pretty good for the future this month, I am optimistic. - My VISA has been renewed for another 6 months. - Things are going well between Jen and I, though Janine seems hell bent on embarrassing us. - Lisa and Tanya will be coming to stay with me for awhile in about 3 weeks. How long is unknown, at least

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1094280385372566512004-08-13T15:00:00.000-04:002004-09-04T02:46:25.373-04:00

3:00 PM August 13, 2004 (Shimodate) 2:00 AM August 13, 2004 (Ottawa) I am terrified of something at the moment, and I don't know what it is. My heart is pounding with dread anticipation, that feeling in horror movies when the music changes and you know something is coming. There is something I need to do RIGHT NOW, but I don't know what it is. I feel that not doing it will be somehow disastrous

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1094280162410464352004-08-10T09:53:00.000-04:002004-09-04T02:42:42.410-04:00

Aug 10, 2004 9:53 AM (Shimodate) Aug 9, 2004 8:53 AM (Ottawa) It has been a long time since I wrote here, and it's difficult to explain. I can sum it all up with one name, Jennifer, but she needs explaining further. Jenifer and Ivy came to Ibaraki about 2 months ago to join our little Peppy team. Ivy is pretty cool, really sarcastic, and a lot of fun. Her apartment is right near a big beach so

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1094279377091928192004-07-22T15:58:00.000-04:002004-09-04T02:29:37.090-04:00

3:58 pm July 22, 2004 (Shimodate) 2:58 am July 22, 2004 (Ottawa) I can't believe how busy I have been lately!!! There was a big party at a bar in Mito on July 3rd to celebrate both Canada Day, and the American Independence Day. It was great, everyone celebrating together. The band was live, and Australian, which seemed appropriate to me. If you are celebrating the birth of two nations, why

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1088408271139334102004-06-24T21:35:00.000-04:002004-06-28T03:37:51.140-04:00

June 24, 2004 9:35 PM (Shimodate) June 24, 2004 8:35 AM (Ottawa) I boil. Not in terms of heat, though it has been uncomfortably warm recently, I boil in my stomach. I am in a mood that is something more than merely foul. Though it started calmly enough. A sort of funny irritation, usually laughed off when you discuss it with friends. I sent e-mails, trying to laugh. No answers came though,

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1088407574484736862004-06-20T10:32:00.000-04:002004-06-28T03:26:14.483-04:00

10:32 AM June 20, 2004 (Shimodate) 9:32 PM June 19, 2004 (Ottawa) Wow... It has been over a month since I wrote in my journal, just like the old days. I'm not sure why I have been so quiet recently, things are still happening, but I am usually busy when they do. So I guess it's a sign that I am more involved in life here now. It's less a vacation to write about than a home to live in. I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1083642223726825332004-05-03T23:37:00.000-04:002004-05-03T23:47:46.903-04:00

May 4, 2004 10:15am (Shimodate) May 3, 2004 9:15pm (Ottawa) All in all I loved my visit to Akihabara yesterday it was like stepping into a stereotype! High tech gadgets, videogames that westerners will never see, manga everywhere, overcrowding, neon lights, fashion trends that ravers would reject, EVERYTHING!!! I learned a efw lessons about navigating and surviving in Akihabara: - PDAs are

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1083641750695818082004-05-03T23:28:00.000-04:002004-05-03T23:39:53.966-04:00

May 3, 2004 4:03pm (Akihabara) May 3, 2004 3:03am (Ottawa) I find myself in Tokyo's high tech district today. COmptuers, cameras, TV, MP3 players, anything with buttons and batteries finds it's home here. I'm sitting in a rather unique cafe at the moment. "Lamm's Maid Cafe." It's a small restaurant in the cenre of Akihabara, they serve curry and desrt mostly. What makes it unique? All the

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1083641280225446452004-05-01T07:39:00.000-04:002004-05-03T23:32:03.606-04:00

May 1, 2004 7:39am (Shimodate) April 30, 2004 6:39pm (Ottawa) My story begins the day before yesterday, but in a way that never truly happened. I, along with around 30 other English teachers are gathered together in the conference room of a hotel who's name I cannot recall. This being Japan it is unlikely I would have understood the name if I could recall it in any case. The meeting has just

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1083261475946929252004-04-29T13:06:00.000-04:002004-04-29T15:30:24.670-04:00

April 30, 2004 2:07 am (Mito) April 29, 20004 1:07 am (Ottawa) This is the first entry I've written since arriving in Japan that was not first written out in my paper journal first. Mostly because I'm going to be sitting in this Internet cafe in Mito for the next 4 hours or so with nothing in specific to do. It was an interesting day though, so I'm going to say a few words. I was dreading

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1082117749067844112004-04-16T07:33:00.000-04:002004-04-16T08:19:48.186-04:00

April 16, 2004 7:53am (Shimodate) April 15, 2004 6:52pm (Ottawa) Life in a fishbowl. They warn you before coming to Japan that you will be stared at. You generally don't notice it though. At the moment I'm noticing it very strongly, I'm sitting at a train stop and some 14 year old (my guess) school girl is hovering around me. I was trying to draw a minute ago, but she kept leaning over me.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1082117394019357752004-04-07T17:22:00.000-04:002004-04-16T08:13:53.170-04:00

April 7, 2004 5:22pm (Shimodate) April 7, 2004 4:22am (Ottawa) I hit the Internet cafe again yesterday, and loaded up all the Instant Messenger programs as usual. Unfortunately Renuka wasn't on this time. I did get to talk to Chris again though. Sometimes it's very convenient that most of my friends back home are night owls. I also had an interesting chat with Tanya on MSN. Something feels

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1082117047379761832004-04-04T20:01:00.000-04:002004-04-16T08:08:06.593-04:00

April 4, 2004 8:00pm (Shimodate) April 4, 2004 6:00am (Ottawa) Different person, different Japan. I just got off the phone with Leisha. We were comparing our experiences since we finished training. In that time Leisha has joined an Aikido class, started Japanese lessons, visited other cities and made friends with a bunch of English teachers. Apparently there are man in her area. Quite the

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1081062675223276432004-04-04T08:49:00.000-04:002004-04-04T03:14:57.560-04:00

April 4, 2004 8:49am (Shimodate) April 3, 2004 6:49pm (Ottawa) I spoke with my father on the phone yesterday, and something he said got me to thinking. He told me that the job he's starting on Tuesday is part of a bigger plan he has for himself a few years down the road. The reason this got me thinking is that I've been concerned recently with time passing me by. I'm 25 years old, and that

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1081062540149153012004-04-04T08:17:00.000-04:002004-04-04T03:12:42.560-04:00

April 4, 2004 8:17 am (Shimodate) April 3, 2004 6:17 pm (Ottawa) I'm grinning ear-to-ear at the moment because about 10 minutes ago I experienced my first earthquake. It was pretty minor all said, but definately interesting. At first I wasn't sure what was going on, it just felt like a big truck driving by or something. Gradually it got stronger, and you could almost feel the ground

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1081062260207438532004-04-03T00:19:00.000-05:002004-04-04T03:08:40.700-04:00

April 3, 2004 12:19am (Shimodate) April 2, 2004 10:19pm (Ottawa) I called Renuka during her birthday party today, just as I'd planned a few days ago with Lisa. I think she appreciated it. I certainly enjoyed talking to her, even if we could only talk for 5 mins. My previous talk with Lisa on the phone was around 20 mins. Probably the best phone chat we've ever had. Our phone conversations

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1081061293890554582004-03-30T22:30:00.000-05:002004-04-04T01:53:16.090-05:00

March 30, 2004 10:30pm (Shimodate) March 30, 2004 8:30 am (Ottawa) Umbrellas. What is it with me and umbrellas? My training apartment came with one, but the only day it rained in Nagoya was the day I didn't bring it with me when I left in the morning. I had to buy one at a convenience store. It was a really nice one, though the price made it somewhat less enjoyable. When I packed for the

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1081061174878367832004-03-29T11:57:00.000-05:002004-04-04T01:50:48.153-05:00

March 29, 2004 11:57am (Shimodate) March 28, 2004 9:57 (Ottawa) While wandering the mall in Shimodate I met someone pretty interesting. Don't get too excited, it wasn't a girl. A guy at the book store looked at me like he'd seen a ghost. After I left the bookstore I was playing a game at the arcade and he came up behind me and started talking to me. In near fluent English no less! It turns

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1081062062783167072004-03-25T22:53:00.000-05:002004-04-04T03:05:03.216-04:00

Once again I must say I love old people in Japan. They are so amazing! Today at the train station an old man and woman started talking to me. Neither spoke a word of English, but I guess they were just extremely friendly individuals. The lady wore a very fancy kimono, and she said she was 72 years old. She didn't give me her name, but kept referring to herself as "Obaachan" which means "

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1079932898804262312004-03-22T00:16:00.000-05:002004-03-22T00:59:04.293-05:00

March 22, 2004 2:16am (Shimodate) March 21, 2004 12:16pm (Ottawa) Where to start... Sunday was my first day off since arriving in Shimodate, and I took it as an opportunity to explore my new "home". I spent about 5 hours walking all over the city, seeing new places, meeting new people, and visiting some amazing shrines. I had revelations galore regarding myself, my life, spirituality, and

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1079931802897788682004-03-19T22:32:00.000-05:002004-03-22T00:06:47.356-05:00

March 19, 2004 10:32pm (Shimodate) March 19, 2004 8:47am (Ottawa) I have just returned to my hotel after my second day as a teacher here in Japan. I taught 4 classes, the students ranged from 4 to 8. 4 classes in one day is a little above average for us here, but it wasn't nearly as tiring as I expected. The youngest class was incredibly hyper, getting them to follow all my directions was

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1079930908409842942004-03-17T22:47:00.000-05:002004-03-22T00:55:51.340-05:00

March 17, 2004 10:47pm (Shimodate) March 17, 2004 8:47am (Ottawa) Kombanwa from Shimodate, the tiny city in Ibaraki. Shimodate is my final stop here in Japan, this is the city I will be calling home. If you'd ever seen Shimodate you would understand what a frightening concept that is. The population is about 64,000, and to my knowledge I represent half the Gaijin population. The other half

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1079241754750684172004-03-13T23:27:00.000-05:002004-03-14T00:26:40.356-05:00

I spent last night at a night club, and to be honest I'm still not certain what my overall impression was. It was the goodbye party for the members of my training group. 6 of us went together to a club called J-Max, it was very interesting. On the stages around the dance floor there were pairs of women in matching outfits dancing together, and leading everyone else. One set had bunny ears and

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078654411791053792004-03-05T14:40:00.000-05:002004-03-07T05:16:35.936-05:00

March 5, 2004 2:40pm (Nagoya) March 5, 2004 12:41am (Ottawa) Three cheers for elderly Japanese men and women! I'm at another Japanese school today. A different one than last time, and I almost didn't find it. The map provided for me was worse than useless for getting me from the bus stop to the actual building. It used wonderful landmarks that don't exist, and told me to take streets that were

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078654180566229212004-03-03T14:45:00.000-05:002004-03-07T05:12:44.733-05:00

March 3, 2004 2:45pm (Nagoya) March 3, 2004 12:45am (Ottawa) I'm laying on the floor in a classroom right now, smiling to myself over my surroundings as I write in the journal that Renuka gave me as my going-away gift. Today I will be sitting in on an English class to see how they work. My assignment is to participate as a energetic student. I wonder if that will even be possible with the kids

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078653966548062942004-03-01T14:10:00.000-05:002004-03-07T05:09:10.750-05:00

March 1, 2004 2:10pm (Nagoya) Feb 29, 2004 12:10am (Ottawa) My trip to both the Nagoya Castle and an Internet cafe were cancelled on account of rain yesterday. However, after the rain let up I decided to explore a bit. I ended up at a pachino parlor. Pachinko is a kid of gambling game in a sort of arcade. Basically if you've seen "Plinko" on The Price is Right, then you've seen Pachinko.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078653881026096552004-02-29T10:06:00.000-05:002004-03-07T05:07:45.233-05:00

Feb 29, 2004 10:06 am (Nagoya) Feb 28, 2004 8:06 pm (Ottawa) I just met my room-mate, he seems like a nice guy. He let me borrow his cell phone to call home. Unfortunately my mother was out, but at least I got to leave a message. He's gone back to sleep now, and I'm waiting for the rain to stop before going to pick up Michelle. Afterall, visiting a castle is fun, but visiting a castle without

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078653810619203252004-02-29T07:12:00.000-05:002004-03-07T05:14:34.263-05:00

Feb 29, 2004 7:12am (Nagoya) Feb 28, 2004 5:12pm (Ottawa) I spent yesterday with Michelle and her new room-mate Leisha. We deided to explore Nagoya by subway. It cost 740 yen for an all-day pass, and we definately got our money's worth. Our first stop was at a Shinto shrine where they have an open air market on the 28th of every month. It was interesting to see the kinds of things they sell

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078653437871342302004-02-27T21:18:00.000-05:002004-03-07T05:00:22.140-05:00

Feb 27, 2004 9:18pm (Nagoya) Feb 27, 2004 7:18 am (Ottawa) I spoke Japanese to a perfect stranger for the first several times today. Asking for directions from people while trying to locate Michelle's apartment, and once explaining to a salesman that I only understood a little Japanese. "Koko wa doko desu ka" "Watashi wa nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu" Michelle seemed to find the second fairly

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078141392259729362004-02-27T08:30:00.000-05:002004-03-01T06:46:07.733-05:00

Feb 27, 2004 8:30 am (Nagoya) Feb 26, 2004 6:30 pm (Ottawa) I have just awoken after my first night in Japan. It is not the most pleasant sleep I've ever had, despite how tired I was when I went to bed. The "bed" itself is a Japanese style futon (a mat on the floor), which is exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately there were 2 factors preventing my proper sleep. 1) The pillow is a rediculously

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078141348541415252004-02-25T08:07:00.000-05:002004-03-01T06:45:24.030-05:00

And so it begins. I am currently seated aboard the first of the three flights which will eventually bring me to my new home in Japan. The last couple of days have ben very hectic, and emotional. Last minute disasters, goodbyes, moving, and a host of other issues that all had to be crushed in at once. My suggestion to anyone else planning to do this is to make sure everything is taken care of

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078141286623250632004-02-24T19:33:00.000-05:002004-03-01T06:44:22.123-05:00

It's very quiet here now. I sit alone in my Ottawa apartment with nothing but the hum of my refridgerator to eleviate the sense of sensory deprivation. My furnature is gone, my clothes and books gone, nothing of me will remain once Lisa and Renuka arrive to take me away. What then will become of this place? My first apartment, it's odd to think that kid that came to see it earlier may take my

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1078139950499708962004-02-21T00:46:00.000-05:002004-03-01T06:22:06.373-05:00

Some have doubted my claims that Fate is out to get me when it comes to this whole Japan experiene. Today I have another example of Fate's petty attempts at stopping me. About 2 hours ago the monitor on my computer died while I was in the middle of talking to Lisa about what I'm supposed to be doing for the 2 days between when I move the furniture out of my apartment, and when I catch my flight

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1077121990482935272004-02-18T11:30:00.000-05:002004-02-18T22:06:54.153-05:00

I was speaking with my friend Bryan today about an old journal I used to keep online. He asked me why I didn't transfer any of the old entries over to this journal, and why there wasn't even a link for it on this new site. Lisa recently asked me something similar, about why I didn't like people reading the old journal. Truth be told I don't really mind people reading the old journal. I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1076955292807279142004-02-16T13:10:00.000-05:002004-02-18T10:10:34.483-05:00

A friend from work has offered me free storage space on his FTP server for my pictures while I'm in Japan. That means I can add some pictures to my journal from now on. :) Things at work are a little strange right now. I'm used to having a lot to do all the time, but because I'm leaving a lot of the things I normally do are on hold. I can't exactly work on any projects that won't be finished

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1076608065880963002004-02-12T12:37:00.000-05:002004-02-12T12:51:41.170-05:00

With less than 2 full weeks to go before I leave for Japan, it suddenly seems I have a lot that needs doing. So naturally it's a Friday afternoon and I won't be able to do any of it until Monday. I visited the Japanese embassy today only to discover that their website is lacking about half the requirements for the Working Holiday Visa. So naturally I was not as prepared as I believed I was.

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1076314959518041942004-02-09T03:17:00.000-05:002004-02-09T03:32:20.826-05:00

I thought of and discarded about a dozen journal entries as I walked home from Barrymores this evening. It was an interesting, and eventful night. Even sitting in front of my computer now I'm not certain which of my ideas will come out. Let's start at the beginning shall we? I didn't really feel like clubbing tonight, but I had spoken to Lisa earlier and she told me that her little group was

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1075969619565351232004-02-05T02:54:00.000-05:002004-02-05T03:29:20.670-05:00

I write this less than a minute after handing in my notice to Convergys. I've been looking forward to teaching in Japan for so long you'd think that I would be fairly confident in writing my letter, and in handing it in. I certainly didn't expect to be so emotionally effected by it. It almost feels like a death, this feeling that something important is gone, and an uncertainty about what the

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1075825208056385822004-02-03T10:58:00.000-05:002004-02-03T11:22:47.326-05:00

It must be a surprise to my friends to see me posting this often, but I always told you guys that the only reason I didn't post before was because I had nothing going on at the time. All right, so I hit another roadblock in my road to Japan today. The requirements for my travel visa say I need a letter from my doctor stating that I am in good health. I am in very good health, and I just had a

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1075747137519253372004-02-02T13:09:00.000-05:002004-02-03T17:17:08.590-05:00

I've spent most of today cleaning up my apartment so that Jan can start showing it to prospective tennants. While sorting through all my old stuff to decide what to keep and what to throw out I came across an absolute gem. A computer diskette from the late 80s labelled "Diary Disk". It's an old Double Density disk, they don't even make those anymore. I didn't expect the it to be readable by

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1075737371185573972004-02-02T10:47:00.000-05:002004-02-02T10:58:28.216-05:00

You hear about stupid criminals on the news sometimes, or every now and then when Jay Leno feels like mocking them. You generally assume that these people are uncommon though, afterall not every criminal can be a brain-dead moron...right? I got a call from VISA this week telling me my credit card had been compromised, apparently they caught somebody else using my credit card number. So they

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1075575526947900232004-01-31T13:47:00.000-05:002004-01-31T14:02:12.733-05:00

One aspect of moving that I've always hated is that you spend a long time leading up to the actual move thinking about all the things you'll be leaving behind. I'm excited about the idea of being in Japan, but I'm almost afraid to leave Ottawa because of all the things I suddenly notice that I have going for me here. They say you can never go home again, and I know that's true from my own

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1075109181336143622004-01-26T04:24:00.000-05:002004-01-26T04:28:28.780-05:00

I have the following message for health food enthusiasts: "Screw off you grass eating loons, and let me enjoy my food." I'm getting truly sick of health fanatics and how they feel it is their moral obligation to tell me when I'm doing something that doesn't fit with this ideal they have of what is healthy. Are you my mother? Is it absolutely necessary to your continued existance that you

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1074688528100769312003-12-17T20:56:00.000-05:002004-01-21T07:42:19.293-05:00

For those of you that were concerned, I got my call back today regarding the teaching job I applied for in Japan. I got the job! At 5:56 PM this evening I received my call back, and got the best news I've heard in years. Despite not having a university degree, I now have a teaching job in Japan. A dream come true. Now it's all down to the grubby little details, and unfortunately one of

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1074688488450317782003-09-06T03:00:00.000-04:002004-01-21T07:42:44.280-05:00

I found myself feeling a bit introspective today. Sitting alone in my apartment trying to think of something to do, I couldn't help noticing how much my life mirrors this room. Generally my apartment is a disaster, it exists only to allow me to sleep between shifts at work. I don't do anything here except watch TV, play video games, and sleep. Amazingly pointless eh? Occasionally something

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1074688416685623612003-08-11T03:00:00.000-04:002004-01-21T07:44:24.390-05:00

I've got to say, I'm starting to feel a little nervous about the whole China thing. I'm still absolutely certain I wish to go, but I'm questioning my readiness to actually go. It struck me on August 4th I believe, that was when I really realized how close my planned departure time is. AUGUST...September...OCTOBER. I still don't know when I'm leaving, could be the beginning or end of October. I

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1074688373551635142002-11-30T03:00:00.000-05:002004-01-21T07:46:03.043-05:00

I have dreams. I suppose everyone does, but I wonder sometimes if everyone's dreams are as troublesome as mine. I don't refer to nightmares, but to those dearest desires of our hearts that motivate our lives. How could such things be troublesome? I have far too many. I want to be a writer, an artist, a teacher, a leader, to name only four of a multitude. I dream in technicolour, but I live in a

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1074688321150893382002-09-24T03:00:00.000-04:002004-01-21T07:46:53.123-05:00

There are very few chances in life for me to speak from romantic experience and be able to teach a valuable lesson. I've made a lot of romantic blunders, especially for a man that has only had 2 girlfriends so far. Near the top of the list of my romantic mistakes, is Catherine, and I think my experiences with her may be the only source of romantic wisdom I possess. Some of my readers may

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362305.post-1074688233295703592002-05-31T03:00:00.000-04:002004-01-21T07:47:47.810-05:00

Even when looking into a mirror, the face we see is not always our face as it is to others. Our perceptions about our own values, merits, flaws, and character all colour our visions of ourselves. Quite often if others could see us as we see ourselves they wouldn't even recognize the image. Such is definitely the case with me. I see within myself a great deal of potential, but I generally don't

Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05567911785137144483noreply@blogger.com