waattse

Hello everybody

2010-04-23T21:58:00.001-07:00

Please be kind to one another.

My Work

2009-07-08T05:13:00.002-07:00

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.

Yakushima Pictures

2009-05-08T17:51:00.015-07:00

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.

No new digital camera

2009-04-26T02:42:00.004-07:00

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

Unsorted Photos

2008-02-24T03:10:00.005-08:00

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

Unsorted Photos

2008-02-24T03:10:00.002-08:00

New Years

2008-01-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

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!

Another Update

2007-12-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

It looks like these updates will be irregular. Sorry guys. You will get pics eventually too.

I hope my family likes the presents I gave them. Sorry I won't be there this year. The ticket is just too expensive. I really don't have the money right now.

Well its become really cold recently. It's hard to get up sometimes. Most Japanese apartments and homes don't have central heating. It's bound to get even colder though! This has put some hamper on my sight-seeing.

The Story So Far (Part 2)

2007-11-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

And two weeks later I`m back. Hopefully, my next posts will be more exciting stylistically instead of just a chronology. But for now I`m still playing catchup. Pics will also be coming soon.

Nov 3 was Ohara Matsuri. It`s a big parade where a ton of people walk down the main thoroughfare in Tenmonkan (which is the hub of Kagoshima). They all do the same dance. However, what is really exciting are the wide variety of costumes. Also, there are several half time shows (1/32 time shows, maybe?) featuring several different Taiko drum groups.

On Nov 10th I did a little sightseeing on Sakurajima which is a big mountain. It used to be an island until an explosion in 1913 connected it with the opposite side of the bay. I spent most of my time walking the Lava Trail. The trailhead is right next to the ferry terminal, so it was convenient. The trail is flat and not bumpy at all. I want to take my mom there. The green and orange of the small trees and shrubbery contrasts to the black lava shapes. The gentle sound of the waves of Kinko Bay adds a nice touch too.

I wanted to go to Kirishima on Nov 17th. Instead I got lost in my own neighborhood trying to find Ryuugamizu-station. Most people here in Yoshino don't appreciate that they live in a place with such natural beauty. Its a shame really. Still, it was frustrating to be lost for a whole day. Though I could have just turned around, I decided to get more and more lost out of my own stuborness.

I finally made it to Kirishima on Nov 24th. Yay! Kirishima is a beautiful National Park. I did a 5 and a half hour course that goes up and down several mountainsides. It was awesome! While riding the train back I saw two different schools of dolphins feeding while the sun was setting. Then on Sunday when I was walking with the missionaries from the local ward (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) I saw a large Submarine that had surfaced in Kinko Bay. The missionaries snapped a pic, so I'll have to steal it off them.

The Story So Far

2007-11-18T00:49:00.001-08:00

Well, obviously I have a lot to tell you guys since I've been in Kagoshima for one and a half months now.

I've been busy ever since I arrived, but I haven't been too busy. I still have had time to do some sightseeing. Though I still have many errands to do like buying a phone.

When I arrived I was staying in the company apartments for a week and a half. Before I even started working I was asked to be an interpreter from Japanese to English for a couple of Bhutanese students that were also staying in the company apartments. That was awesome! Of all the foreign countries I have an interest in the top two are definitely Japan and Bhutan. So that was an unexpected treat. Unfortunately, I'm not quite ready to be a freelance interpreter. But it was good practice for when I become one. So now I have two Bhutanese friends which is also awesome. They work in the Bhutanese Ministry of Agriculture and are now studying Agriculture at Kagoshima University. Wish them luck! Their Japanese seems to be coming along swimmingly.

(Tangentially, my sister Chelsey is going on a tour of SE Asia, including Bhutan this winter. Lucky!)

So that was cool. Then I started working. Work was awesome. I don't think I can say much about it though because of common sense and a confidentiality agreement. But I spend most of my day reading English reports and making sure that they correct English. My coworkers are all really nice, and I'm meeting lots of new people from many different departments everyday.

The next weekend 10/6 I moved to my apartment in Yoshino which is nice because its a lot closer than the company apartments. Its right by the Onsen (hot springs). Actually, I moved here because it is so close, but unfortunately I have not had time to visit yet.

The next weekend 10/13 was kind of a waste of time. I tried to get a lot of errands done and failed. Or rather, I got used to the pattern which would continue in future weekends that all errands take a ton of time here in Japan.

Next weekend 10/19 was the company's 50th Anniversary party. It was quite an extravaganza. There was Kagura (a traditional dance from the Heian period) and Gagaku (music) and lots of formal fun and drinking! (not for me of course.)

Next weekend 10/27 was a Halloween Party. It was way fun. I partied straight into the early morning and met lots of nice people.

More later

Miyanoura pics

2007-11-14T04:09:00.001-08:00

How's it going?

2007-11-14T04:02:00.000-08:00

This is the most common question I am asked. I am doing great! My job is wonderful, Kagoshima is beautiful, and I'm getting settled in well (slowly but surely). Let me show you the type of scenery available right outside my workplace. Miyanoura is incredibly beautiful and a great place for walking at lunch. Unfortunately, none of the pictures that I've taken (so far) of Kagoshima's natural beauty really do it justice. So please come visit me here in Kyuushuu!

Waattse introduction

2007-11-14T03:40:00.000-08:00

Hello! This is my blog intended mainly to keep in touch with people I know from around the world. I am working in Kagoshima, Japan. My blog is named after a bit of Kagoshima dialect. It is used as an adverb modifying an adjective and means "very". So you could say "waattse oishii", and that would mean "very delicious".

Sweet, so I don't know what format this will take yet. I don't know if I will write one long post every week or just write bits at a time. Also, I don't know if the subject matter will be related only to Kagoshima or if I will branch out into the wider blogosphere yet.

At any rate, "keeping in touch" also means that you guys write me. So post a lot of comments here please! Of course if you have something private to say you can email me. If you don't know my email address it is aselunar@gmail.com. Also, if you know anyone who should know about this blog but doesn't (like a long lost relative), please tell them. This blog is also open to anyone who found it by accident.