Friday, April 23, 2010
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
My Work
I have been concentrating a lot of my free time on studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 1. I took it this Friday, which means I now have to use my free time on something else. So I thought, why not write some of my thoughts on my blog since people want to hear from me.
However, a lot of my personal thoughts lately are related to my work. Even though my time is compartmentalized into "work time" and "personal time", my thoughts aren't. When I first got into the company and was told about confidentiality I thought Why hide my thoughts from others? If they genuinely want to hear about my work and they are not a terrorist I will tell them. I am not in a high enough position in the company to know any company secrets, as long as I don't reveal the names of clients. However, recently I have had a small part in projects that competitors that stumble upon this blog should probably not find out about. People have been cooperative as I have taken an interest in finding out more about the company, and I am happy about that. It's also a little frustrating because I feel like I could be making a contribution, but instead all of my time is spent on preparing quotes and native checking English translations of the President's company-wide emails. I am not allowed to work overtime. Even if I could it would lead to an increase in my workload, so I would still be in the same rut.
And that's about all I can say without giving away anything. I am pretty sure that the only people that read this blog are people that know me. So if you want to know more, please call me, or ask my parents for my email address.
However, a lot of my personal thoughts lately are related to my work. Even though my time is compartmentalized into "work time" and "personal time", my thoughts aren't. When I first got into the company and was told about confidentiality I thought Why hide my thoughts from others? If they genuinely want to hear about my work and they are not a terrorist I will tell them. I am not in a high enough position in the company to know any company secrets, as long as I don't reveal the names of clients. However, recently I have had a small part in projects that competitors that stumble upon this blog should probably not find out about. People have been cooperative as I have taken an interest in finding out more about the company, and I am happy about that. It's also a little frustrating because I feel like I could be making a contribution, but instead all of my time is spent on preparing quotes and native checking English translations of the President's company-wide emails. I am not allowed to work overtime. Even if I could it would lead to an increase in my workload, so I would still be in the same rut.
And that's about all I can say without giving away anything. I am pretty sure that the only people that read this blog are people that know me. So if you want to know more, please call me, or ask my parents for my email address.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Yakushima Pictures
There are lots of monkeys and deer everywhere. We got there on Saturday and drove to the south side of the island to set up camp. I brought my tent, and my friend and her family rented theirs. After that we did a little tide pool exploring.
On Sunday we hiked up to Mount Tachuu, round trip 8 hours. My friend hit her head and fell pulling a tendon in her leg. She is alright, but it meant we couldn't do any more serious hiking. I feel sorry for her.
On Monday we did a 2 hour hike to the Princess Mononoke forest and back.
On Tuesday we played in the ocean. Lots of fun for everyone.
Wendesday was back to Kagoshima. It turns out that everybody had a blast. Here are some pictures that my friend took.
This is one of the Cryptomeria japonica trees that this island is famous for.
The monkeys of this island are Macaca fuscata, but they are a subspecies unique to this island, Macaca fuscata yakui.
This is me at the top of Mount Tachuu.
On Sunday we hiked up to Mount Tachuu, round trip 8 hours. My friend hit her head and fell pulling a tendon in her leg. She is alright, but it meant we couldn't do any more serious hiking. I feel sorry for her.
On Monday we did a 2 hour hike to the Princess Mononoke forest and back.
On Tuesday we played in the ocean. Lots of fun for everyone.
Wendesday was back to Kagoshima. It turns out that everybody had a blast. Here are some pictures that my friend took.
This is one of the Cryptomeria japonica trees that this island is famous for.
The monkeys of this island are Macaca fuscata, but they are a subspecies unique to this island, Macaca fuscata yakui.
This is me at the top of Mount Tachuu.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
No new digital camera
Thank you for checking regularly and telling me that I have not updated my blog. My life and schedule in Japan ended up different than I intended, in a good way. However, I apologize for the burden it caused to those who checked month after month with no updates. Although I can't promise that this will change.
Golden Week is coming up, a bunch of public holidays from 5/2 to 5/6. I am heading to Yakushima, famous for monkeys, 2,000 year old trees, and tourists. Sounds like a perfect time to finally buy a new digital camera since my old one broke sometime last year.
Well I have been shopping around, so I decided to finish my research today and decide on one to buy. I was thinking about the C905i Cybershot. A very cool cellphone that does everything I want a cell-phone to do, including features that help it take good pictures like image stabilizing, auto focus, and xenon flash. As someone with no photography skill, these are things that I consider more important than megapixels. Whether the phone will work in Japan is an answer that varies from month to month when I ask at the local docomo shop, so its not worth the headache until right before I make a decision.
But a rumor came out this month that Cybershot is putting out a new phone with the Android operating system. A new Cybershot phone could be better than the C905i so its worth waiting before I buy a new cellphone. What camera to buy in the meantime?
Today I spent the entire day (except for grocery shopping) looking at cameras online. I realize that I had been thinking small potatoes.
For example, a camera built into a snorkeling mask.
Or into binoculars.
Also the Sony NightShot would allow me to take pictures at night with no flash. However, the Sony NightShot is also rather frightening if you consider that there are weirdos walking around right now using its SXIR technology to look at mannequin nipples. If you are a mannequin, please consider that you only need to be afraid of people with cameras (unlike the fabled X-ray glasses where anyone on a sunshiny day could be your enemy).
All of these may be old news to some of you, but they are possibilities I hadn't considered until now.
Thank you to my friend who talked me into deliberating before buying a camera/cellphone in December.
Instead of thinking about which camera to buy, I am now considering how many cameras to buy. There are too many cool things out there, and I don't want to waste my money until I decide how many things I should waste it on.
Planning to enjoy a pictureless picturesque Yakushima,
lunar
Golden Week is coming up, a bunch of public holidays from 5/2 to 5/6. I am heading to Yakushima, famous for monkeys, 2,000 year old trees, and tourists. Sounds like a perfect time to finally buy a new digital camera since my old one broke sometime last year.
Well I have been shopping around, so I decided to finish my research today and decide on one to buy. I was thinking about the C905i Cybershot. A very cool cellphone that does everything I want a cell-phone to do, including features that help it take good pictures like image stabilizing, auto focus, and xenon flash. As someone with no photography skill, these are things that I consider more important than megapixels. Whether the phone will work in Japan is an answer that varies from month to month when I ask at the local docomo shop, so its not worth the headache until right before I make a decision.
But a rumor came out this month that Cybershot is putting out a new phone with the Android operating system. A new Cybershot phone could be better than the C905i so its worth waiting before I buy a new cellphone. What camera to buy in the meantime?
Today I spent the entire day (except for grocery shopping) looking at cameras online. I realize that I had been thinking small potatoes.
For example, a camera built into a snorkeling mask.
Or into binoculars.
Also the Sony NightShot would allow me to take pictures at night with no flash. However, the Sony NightShot is also rather frightening if you consider that there are weirdos walking around right now using its SXIR technology to look at mannequin nipples. If you are a mannequin, please consider that you only need to be afraid of people with cameras (unlike the fabled X-ray glasses where anyone on a sunshiny day could be your enemy).
All of these may be old news to some of you, but they are possibilities I hadn't considered until now.
Thank you to my friend who talked me into deliberating before buying a camera/cellphone in December.
Instead of thinking about which camera to buy, I am now considering how many cameras to buy. There are too many cool things out there, and I don't want to waste my money until I decide how many things I should waste it on.
Planning to enjoy a pictureless picturesque Yakushima,
lunar
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Unsorted Photos
I figured out how to work Picasa recently. So I decided to upload all the photos I've been promising. Sorry that they aren't captioned. There are more on the way too. I tried to cut out all the ones I shouldn't show like the ones that show company events, company building faces, personal pictures, or pictures of people who don't want their picture online. If I missed a picture that I shouldn't have put online let me know and I'll remove it.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aselunar/Japan02
http://picasaweb.google.com/aselunar/Japan03
http://picasaweb.google.com/aselunar/Japan02
http://picasaweb.google.com/aselunar/Japan03
Unsorted Photos
I figured out how to work Picasa recently. So I decided to upload all the photos I've been promising. Sorry that they aren't captioned. There are more on the way too. I tried to cut out all the ones I shouldn't show like the ones that show company events, company building faces, personal pictures, or pictures of people who don't want their picture online. If I missed a picture that I shouldn't have put online let me know and I'll remove it.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aselunar/Japan02
http://picasaweb.google.com/aselunar/Japan03
http://picasaweb.google.com/aselunar/Japan02
http://picasaweb.google.com/aselunar/Japan03
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
New Years
If you've talked to my family recently, they are probably worried about me. But despite a bit of a downer of a New Years, I'm doing great now! I went to Kirishima Hotel Onsen (hot springs) on the 30th with a couple of friends. Its huge! Quite the contrast to the crowded onsen we dipped in while waiting for the bus to come home. Like many Onsens, Kirishima Hotel Onsen doesn't let you take pics (not surprising), but here is some info from the web.
http://www.kirishima-hotel.jp/hotspring/index.html
It was awesome! I love onsens!
http://www.kirishima-hotel.jp/hotspring/index.html
It was awesome! I love onsens!
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