NaNoWriMo 2007 edition

With little notice I have started writing again for this year's NaNoWriMo. I completed it in 2005 and am again attempting it. For those of you not in the know, National Novel Writing Month is a global event where particpants try to finish a 50,000 word novel in one month. (You might want to give that website a little time. It's getting slammed at the moment coinciding the global start of the event. I expect it could go down completely at any moment.) It's much harder than it sounds. That's about the length of The Great Gatsby or Moby Dick. The event has also been described as a caffine and alcohol fueled exercise in futility, or conversely, a globally shared dip into insanity. What ever it is, I am well equiped this year with a better story, new CDs, a a new headphone amp, good tea, red wine, a slow month, and a reason to stay inside - a cold. Past expeience tells me proabably the most important thing will be a story that will nearly writes itself. My only worry at this point is that I don't have a title yet. It has left me directionless and restless. I will report the title to my readers as soon as I have decided on a title. People wanting to watch my run at 50,000 words in more detail can visit my profile page on the NaNoWriMo site. Anyways, I'm back to writing; I shan't waste my word count here!

Pictures Part 2

Extra Pictures

I'm going to be using extra pictures for the next couple of posts. It's been such a beautiful fall I wanted to share them. Starting with the one directly below, it was taken somewhere between the house and the car at a time I had my big camera with me. Several things came together for the image; such as the sun breaking through dark rain clouds. I never have to travel far from my house to see the seasons change dramatically. I mean, just look at that red tree, it's like it's on fire.

Fun Fun Fun Fun

Reporting on one's own birthday party objectively is a journalistic minefield. Not only because there was a huge, well attened party that I got to DJ at, but because I must admit I had such a good time! I had a handful of excited foreigners that turned a room full of "too cool" Japanese into a dancing machine. The music was a lively party mix with a focus on Canadain hip hop in the first half. I think the tracks that went off best were; Sean Paul's "Get Busy", a subwoofer-stressing Rockafella Shank remix, an 8min house burner by DJ Q and the last song before the band went on, "Hey Girl Hey Boy" by The Chemical Brothers, which I had quietly been sampling in thoughout the set in build up for the last number. Personaly, I liked Canadian MC Belly's "Pressure" and 1995's "I Wish" by Skee Lo which I recalled out of thin air from Junior High School dances. I hope that gives some of my readers that are curious but couldn't make it an idea of what I played. I was also happy to have Gwendolyn there to share her own brand of cultural exchange on happless Japanese men. (I promised not to reveal who the friend in the picture is because he has a job in a sensitive area.)



After my set and after the live band I set about smoozing with all the people I haven't seen forever; deep in conversation I missed by own birthday being announced over the PA, and nearly ignored the person I was talking to to look over there. Taken completely off guard - I had kept my birthday a tighly held secret - I stammered a couple of sincere thank you's in front of the audience before digging into my cake. In the above picture taken by my friend Chris, I can barely contain my happiness, just like my own students. I feel torn because my actual birthday the next day included a much quieter dinner with two Shikaoi teachers (and their lovely families) that had recently stayed at my house in Stony Plain. However, I won't deny how much fun it is to play your favorite music loudy for a over hundred of people at your own birthday party. (In an effort for turth, the event just happen to concide with my birthday; it was well-planned before anyone knew it was my birthday.)

Are you ready for me Weekend?!?!

Other than a couple of cold snaps it has been a very fine Fall. Slowly easing into Autumn has allowed the full glory of turning leaves been seen. There are bright orange, yellow, and red trees where ever I look with many yet to turn. It has been very clear the last couple of days and the details of the mountains, maybe not best shown in my shots, are easily visible, including, I noticed, snow on the mountains peaks today. Winter is indeed coming. There is also this one tree I pass on my way to work everyday that cracks me up; it has created a bright carpet of leaves around itself. I have also included a view from my office window that shows how nice it's been lately. It shows the wing of the building where the traditional rooms are. Lasty is a shot of some coffee milk someone gave my yesterday. I try to stay away from most sweets but it was a gift so happily drank it guilt-free and I must admit it it really hit the spot yesterday afternoon. This is my birthday weekend come up and I don't think I will be posting anything until Monday.

DJ Gig

This is something interesting to post about (even though I have known about it for awhile); Seeing as I was such a big success last time, I have been invited back to DJ in Shikaoi this Saturday Oct 27th at the Pure Malt Clubhouse - coincidentally, located across the street from me. Perhaps more of a coincidence - especially for my parents - is that the party neatly coincides with my birthday, at least if I want to carry on after midnight. This flyer has been hanging around town. It says it's for Sound Festival '07. I attended the previous two at the Pure Malt and they were great. This year I will be contributing. It happens I took this shot in front of the 7-11. (My name in the flyer maybe hard to spot: ブレア.) This means most people I deal with on a daily basis know about the gig, leading to a variety of questions, normally the funniest come from my students, who are shocked to learn I have a life outside school. I don't just go home and get into a coffin at 5:30 you know. I will be playing lots of funky beats hoping to raise the dead before Halloween and represent quality Canadian Hip hop. Details to follow!

A list of good news

With my birthday less than a week away, this arrived at the office for me. A custom-made Japanese tube-based headphone amplifier. I don't have time to detail its sound or how it has radically changed my life at the moment, let alone start to explain why I need an amp can only be used for headphones, but I do promise to write more about it in the future. In person, it's a real thing of beauty; a great example of Japanese engineering too.


At long last another live-saving, breakfast-giving shipment of kraft extra smooth peanut better. Compliments, as written, from my mother, and also my poor Japanese friends that travelled back from Stony Plain with it this month. I'm starting to forget a period existed where peanut butter grew on trees; where one didn't need to carefully ration peanut butter; where one could just go into a store and buy it. This present shipment should happily leave me set until after christmas.

My last bit of good news is also a wish: I'm not sick (at present)! My schools have been turned into fields of zombies with sick kids and teachers everywhere. Lets hope I stay that way. Strong wind today.

Halloween Events

Being an English teacher throughout the different seasons I get kind of bored talking about the same Western holidays over and over again to all my different classes. However, yesterday's special event consumed so much time and energy over the weekend it's worth mention here. As part of a PTA sponsored day, 100 elementary students visited the high school where older students had organized activities. I'm grasping for words here because we really don't have any such events in Canada. I find it akin to a large all day baby-sitting service but from the Japanese perspective it is an opportunity to have children from different classes and schools get to know each other and have older students learn leadership and organizational skills in a well supervised environment. With that as background, the English teachers were invited to be part of the day to run a Halloween theme room (complete with terrified small children). Here we had costumes and face painting, pumpkin carving and games. We also did the activity where you blindly put your hand into boxes labeled "Zombie brains" and "Eyeballs" etc. as the mind plays tricks on you with completely normal grocery textures. Some of the best facial expressions and quotes come from that station. Luckily we were horribly over staffed (11 teachers) for only 10 kids at a time. It made the hours and hours of volunteering fun. Lots and lots of good news today: normally I try to leave such posts toward the end of the week but I will share it with my readers tomorrow.

Grey Skies

Friday night - because I'm such a bundle of fun - I went to bed early because I was tired. My bed was calling me. Consequently, I was up too early this morning (much refreshed mind you). It was a blessing in disguise because the world had changed overnight into the Scottish Isles; complete with grey skies and chilly rain. I lay in bed, hoping to fall back asleep, too much on my mind, listening to the downpour. Including the picture above, I had also washed the dishes and cleaned the bathroom by 8AM. Running by 9AM and an afternoon of preparation in preparation for tomorrow. Not to worry; pictures to follow.

Ah Thursday: The only thing better than pesto pasta is leftover pesto pasta.