Today was not a day full of things I love, but I suppose writing a list is even more important on days like today - a day that started late when I slept through my alarm and then took a dive when I discovered sauce as I bit into the "meat and mayo" sandwich I had bought in a dash through the station conbini. Sauce... with tomatoes in it... which is not good seeing as I'm allergic to tomatoes. But I knew I wouldn't have enough time to buy anything else to eat and still get to work on time, and trying to do a morning of work (not to mention my morning commute along one of the most crowded train lines in Tokyo) on an empty stomach was not an option. So I ate the sandwich. By lunchtime my stomach was very very unhappy. Ugh. Oooooh, and then there was the old lady taking up the entire bagging counter of the grocery store as she not only bagged her groceries but also simultaneously removed all extraneous packaging (this is Japan, there is always LOTS of extraneous packaging) - As I waited for a clear spot of counter to put my groceries in my fabric eco-bag I watched in disgusted awe as she removed raw chicken chunks from their styrofoam tray and used the plastic wrap cover to wrap it all up (all this using her bare hands, though she did wipe them on the wet cloth set out - note to self never use the wet cloth to wet my fingers when I try to open a plastic bag... ugh, shudder!)
Ummm... right... so... things I love this Thursday...
- working full time - I LOVE being at the museum on a regular basis. Once a week just wasn't enough, I never felt like I knew what was going on. I also felt like it took forever to get any one project done. I currently have five projects on my hands (two different translations, one mindless, one artistic-ish, and one organizational) and three of them are almost finished. There is another project I will be starting with one of the curators on Saturday, a chance to try and put some of what I wrote about in my thesis into practice by revamping the English-language pamphlets (ie create a couple of brand new ones). I'm REALLY excited about this project as the curator I'll be collaborating with has made it clear that I will not just be translating, that we will be working TOGETHER to create the pamphlets, and that she wants my help on redesigning the Japanese ones too, as well as creating a bunch for kids (in Japanese). Very very exciting.
- bento-making - since I'm at the museum 5 days a week and not just one I decided I needed to start taking my lunch at least 3 days a week. I pulled out my bento box from the back of the cupboard and have been enjoying picking up little extras - like pickled plums and tsukemono, as well as re-usable plastic mini-cups for separating various types of lunch goodies. I'm nowhere near to making animals or cutesy anything out of my food, but I love having healthy and mostly home-made lunches!
- travel planning - U and I have decided to take a short trip over Golden Week. Museums don't close for holidays, so I had to be a bit imaginative when scheduling (yay lets work Tues-Sun, then have Monday off and do it all over again!) we do have 4 days to adventure off. After Umebossy posted about her "number" I got to thinking about mine, and realized there are only 9 prefectures I HAVEN'T been to: Akita, Yamagata, Niigata, Toyama, Fukui, Mie, Tottori, Oita, and Okinawa. With GW looming soon and only 4 days to travel we can't go very far but we've decided to head up to Niigata and maybe even check out Sado Island!
There, that wasn't so bad... and now I'm actually in a good mood!
Bravo! Sorry to hear about the surprise tomato attack. I had a similar Tuesday. It started off well with my 60 first year undergrads writing their final exam. Then half-way through the 2 hour exam, the fire alarm went off! We evacuated for 20 minutes - no one was amused, to say the least. Then, while I was carrying the exams to my office, I stopped at a campus cafeteria and got a new bubble tea that looked good. It was in a plastic cup with a plastic seal, so looked pretty secure, and I put it in the cloth bag with the exams. At my desk, taking out the drink, I immediately realized that the thin plastic cup somehow got cut at the bottom, which meant purple-coloured taro bubble tea was leaking onto the exam booklets. Attempts to get the remaining tea into another cup made my desktop sticky and sweet. And I hadn't even started grading yet! But none of this could stop me from smiling. Classes are over!!! And I won't have another class until September 2011!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear you're doing stuff you enjoy at the museum. Will look forward to hearing about your GW travels! love and hugs, C
Forgot to say: the old woman unwrapping raw chicken at the grocery store - is this something only old people do, or does it occur on a regular basis? Glad to hear you will steer clear of the wet cloths! love, C
ReplyDeleteEww! I've never seen someone do that at the supermarket. Fortunately I've also never touched one of those cloths.
ReplyDeleteHooray for travel plans and adding to your number! I've only ever been to Niigata for snowboarding, never actually seen it properly in another season!
Hope your day is ending better than it started :)
Sounds as if your job at the museum is going really well- which museum is it do you mind me asking?
ReplyDeleteI find writing my list really fulfilling in that no matter how crappy the week or day has been I can always think of something. Even if it is small things like cheesecake or reading a good book- always things to be thankful for!
We also have a trip planned in golden week- I am excited! We are off to a prefecture we have both been to before though (Shizuoka) but it means we will be close enough to stop by and meet Nay`s new bub. Plus onsen and seeing mt Fuji is always fun!
Such a shame about the tomato sauce. Tomatoes are in a lot of things- must be hard! Hopefully no more food surprises this week!
C - I have never, ever, EVER seen somebody unwrap and handle their raw chicken in the grocery store. I have seen people husk the corn or get rid of some of the extra wrapping, but not to that extent! Ugggggh!
ReplyDeleteTutt, tutt. Never been to Oita? And sooooooo much to do here! Not. But we do good onsen, quite a famous tarty night life in Beppu and well of course trouble, mayhem, chaos, Granny K and twat hub live on the Kunisaki Peninsular!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like full time is going well. I miss work - away from the house that is. Translating at home and teaching English in the next room not same as getting changed out of PJs, putting on some lippy and 'going to work'.
Bentos - saw book today on character bentos. I had a wee flick and realised that if I started down that road there would be no turning back. The kids will have to put up with anpanman (face only - gasp) very occassionaly.
Lulu - While I'm sure somebody could figure out which museum I work at, I've tried to be vague about it. So I'm sorry, but I'm going to avoid answering your question. Besides, it is a small and not well-known museum, I'm guessing you've probably never heard of it anyways! :)
ReplyDeleteI was going to give the list a miss this week, but then decided I should try and it really turned my day around!
Shizuoka is great! We were there with my dad for a long weekend a few weeks back. We had a wonderful time. The highlight was negitoro-don at the Shimizu fish market - WOW! And I love Kunozan Toshogu, of course! Hope you guys have fun.
GW – Actually I have been through Oita - after my homestay on Tanegashima in Kagoshima I took the bus/train to Beppu where I stayed only long enough to board a boat for Shikoku. I figure that doesn’t count though, and ever since the NHK morning drama a few years ago was set in Yufuin I’ve been wanting to visit myself… (although it is a toss-up now, as you paint quite the exciting picture – you could offer at least two “adventure tours” – exploring the wilds of Granny K’s room, and tracking the wild pachinko-playing hub! ;)
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