boss

boss
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

the $280 for old jazz records I saw in town got me all cuckoo and seeing Yen signs. Turns out to be not quite as lucrative and easy as I thought. They dont buy from the public and when they they dont pay much. Oh well, a store clerk said to check out yahoo auctions. its not $280 but its still decent. Hidemi and I are putting a few up soon to see what happens. We were looking over the rules for what you can and cannot sell yesterday. No human bodies, blood, bullets, skulls, or used underwear unless you state clearly in the auction that they have been cleaned. Clean used undies, why bother right? You can sell used school swimsuits, but those have to be cleaned too.
My fake Japanese is getting better. I went to the store this afternoon to look for some brownie mix for the baked good sale were having Wednesday. I asked a girl at the store if they have burownee mixo and she led me to the right aisle and explained that they didn't and then told me how to make them. I nodded and said hai, hai, hai. I said "its hard" and "then I want cookies". I think she totally thought I understood. well, I guess I kinda understood. sortastood.
In other news, Ive been offered an administrative position at my school next year. M. Smith V. Principal. how crazy is that

big bang

godzilla and eve
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

I started a unit in science today about space. I had them come up with lists of things they knew and things that wanted to learn or have answered. One of them came up with the "who made the universe?" question and there was some great discussion and debate. One kid danced around and said "its easy for me, because Im a christian!" O boy...

scout

scout
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

this is going to be the cover of my first rock album.

number 1

number 1
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

grandpa wears funky shoes

grandpa wears funky shoes
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

funky shoe gene comes from your mothers fathers side.

nebraska 1976

nebraska 1976
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

wee me.

zoids

zoids?
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

I took my class to the science museum today. It was awesome. Lots of space stuff, stuff to play with, robots. The kids totally dug it too. They had this huge display of robot toys including these dinosaurs. I was crazy for them when I was a kid. You put them together and wind them up. The little gold astronaut comes out too. Ive been doing ebay searches for vintage zoids now...

hoopin aint easy

squaredcircle2
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

Weve been playing dodgeball during recess, and my students are crazy for it. We have guest players like the principal and the secretary and other teachers come down to play. Everyone goes nuts. Weve played it for a half hour every day since December. We came up with a rule that if you make a hoop with your arms and the ball passes through without touching you, your automatically it for the next round. Its called hoopin. Its not easy, and I keep telling them, well kids "hoopin aint easy"
Hidemi took me to a party with her friends. It was fun, but I spent most of the time listening for a few words or phrases that I understood. I go some things but spent most of the night lost. Its good for me though. Hidemi filled me in on what was going on most of the time.
We got a ride to the subway station in a friends car. He had one of those gps/map/tv screens in his car. Its TV when it doesnt need to give you directions immediately, then switches to a computer ground view of the city block and where to point your car. Very tron. Its all touch screen too. It talks and says things like next, make a left (in Japanese of course). It fest like being in a spaceship.

fiddlehead

bunny job
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

Hidemi and I made some funky sushi rolls last night. Fiddleheads, cucumber, oba leaf, asparagus and dipped em in chipotle dressing. We barbied some eringi mushrooms and tofu too. super tasty.

art

viewing
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

At school we have tonnes of square pieces of carpet that we put together into cubes. Our plan was to do some installations and sculptures around the school. We lured the principal out of his office and covered the wall and the door to his room. He was surprised. Then we moved it upstairs and my 3rd 4th and 5th graders put it together like this.

disposessed

disposessed
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

We went out for monjayaki last night. It always freaks me out to eat kinda raw fishy stuff, but it was tasty.
woke up at 4 am with the house a rockin. said "earthquake, wake up!" to mel and vanessa as one last tourist experience. It was a pretty good one too-5.2 at the epicenter, about a 4 in my hood.

drones

terror
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

the US is flying drones over Iran now to gather "evidence" of nuke building so herr bush can "expand the war on terror". why bother looking for evidence, just make it up again. Turkey is complaining about the recent "election" in Iraq, so as they are not with us, they are against us. who's next? ughhhh

vacation

vacation
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

At the supermarket checkout they put a bag or two in your basket. I always say "no bag please", which was one of my first sentences and I had a lot of practice with it. Last night at my local supermarket they didnt put a bag in my basket. I must be known as the no bag foreigner now. Hidemi said that not getting a bag is "rare". It made me think about my place in my little hood. Im the neighborhood foreigner.

my hair is getting long

my hair is getting long
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

besides work and study, Ive been growing my hair. longer now than its been since...

wings

drool

drool
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

Ive been terrible at keeping up with this thing. Im getting zip for comments so it seems pretty much like a waste of time sometimes. I was walking home the other day, and I thought about how I should be updating the blog with the stuff that happens everyday. Ive been feeling like the lost feeling of being new has been fading. Ive found a routine, and Im starting to understand more so I don't feel so dizzy anymore. I kind of miss that.
One magic moment that I failed to throw on here happened last week. It was dusk, and I was headed to the store for some grub. The neighborhood was alive with cars going by, a cat ran across the street, just barely missed getting hit. I walked past the tofu makers store and he was closing shop. A super hoss old datsun was idling outside the 7-11. It was cherry red and I tried to guess the driver through the window.
Its the small things that Ive been slowly starting to miss.
My friend Mel and her pal Vanessa are visiting from the states. Its interesting to have a familiar face to hang out with. They came to school with me a couple times this week to visit and she told my students about being an art director/set director. They were pumped, and she fell in love with them too.
Ive been teaching a unit on disabilities, and today was “wheelchair day”. I told them that I’d bring in some wheelchairs for them to experience a week ago and it was building up since then. All they talked about is how they wished today would come, and what great fun it’ll be.
So today was “wheelchair day” (will be updated tonight)

tastes like underpants

squid
Originally uploaded by freebeets.

Hidemi took me to see the shins in Harajuku last night for my birthday. It was an amazing show, and they delivered on their promise “to rock our socks off” since it was their first time in Japan. They played a great set and a cover of the magnetic fields strange powers. The opening band was this Japanese band the sparta locals. They rocked pretty hard too. After the show we sat on a bench and ate a dried squid. I’d been saying to Hidemi that I wanted to try one, or at least buy one and mount it in a shadowbox or something. She said that they taste like underwear so I finally went and chewed on one. Smells funky, but I guess it tastes ok. Way more like underwear than chicken, thats for sure.
On the topic of birthdays, I got a sweet email from mum, who reminded me of my 4th birthday... It was 1977 and 50 ft of snow (thats like 200 meters for you canadians) fell on Buffalo. Nobody could come to my party, but the show went on. Mum made the cake that I requested-purple with blue frosting, and we had the cats wear hats and join us at the table for ice cream. I dont remember any of it, but it sounds like a swingin party.
In other news, we went to a flea market last weekend in Tsurumi. It was held at a Velo track, so all the patrons were so broke. The crowd was one of the funkiest Ive seen-like the otb, but kind of like caricatures of down on your luck gamblers. 70’s trench coats and gold glasses, 20 somethings dressed in american “street gear”, limpers, spitters and drunks. Miles from your downtown moneybags shopping and shiny.
Im psyched about the velo though, and thinking I should get a track bike and see if I can get myself some track time