Maneuvering around the city

Starting at 10AM, I had three appointments to deal with today.
Since all of the destinations were around the Central Tokyo area, the best way was to take...

the subway!

Finishing up the last one in the evening, I took the subway back home to get some sleep.
Using the subway is the best way to maneuver around this city packed with cars!

I headed to office to check in for the overnight shift after about two hours of sleep... this time using the bus!
At night, when the cars are emptying out, they're quite useful too!

Going on and on...

Last night I had a lot of alcohol again, attending a welcome party with colleagues, inviting my former boss while I was a reporter at Kobe.
I slept on throughout the morning to get some rest before going to the night shift.
I have no time to rest tomorrow before going to the overnight shift, so today could be the only day I can rest my body.
I was drunk and my bosses were drunk too, but there were so many remarks that could have been some progonostications of my future.
How unpleasant it could be and how challenging it would be, I must go on...

P.S.

souvenirs from China...
the Japanese brand on the left was delicious, but the pseudo-Japanese brand on the right was... ah, forget it...

Entering a new stage...

Start of a busy week.
It could also be an important one for me to go on with my career.
Let's see where I'm standing on Friday when everything's over!

It's all over at Colorado...

sweep! alert message from CNN while I was in overnight duty...
pitcher Hideki Okajima almost blew it again bombarded with a two-run homer that tightened the match to a one-run game, but the Red Sox held on to win their fourth in a row to sweep the Series!

I still had a headache today.
I think it's coming from my aching shoulder and neck. I need to get my upper part of the body straightened out soon or I'm going to have a headache forever!

Not feeling well...

It's not good at all to work on weekends, but with a day shift to cover every Sundays, there's no way I can spend a stress-free weekend...

aftermath of the typhoon attack... but it was a crisp morning with sunshine!

I watched the third game of the World Series while I was on duty...

Matsuzaka-san's performance was not perfect... but just enough to earn a first ever Japanese pitcher's victory starting at the World Series!

And in the afternoon...

Meisho Samson was the winner of the Emperor's Cup (Autumn), capturing his 4th crown, this time with Yutaka Take... Admire Moon was no where in sight, and Pop Rock finished fourth with Cosmo Bulk following in fifth place...

I had a headache at night, and went right away to bed after taking a bath. I hope it gets better tomorrow, as I must go into the day shift starting off another pretty busy week!

Out of season typhoon attack!

As I repeatedly had mentioned, I just hate the rain, especially when it rains so strongly out of season.
A typhoon rarely attacks us on October, but three years ago, the 23rd typhoon crossed the nation killing nearly a hundered.
Today's typhoon (No.20) was not deadly, but very annoying. I got all wet after I attended an event held by an NGO at Kagurazaka.
To stay away from the rain, I took my car around today, but since the toll parking lot was 3 blocks away from the hall the event was held, a round trip to my car just got me soaked.
And the total parking fee I payed today was... 900+1400+1800=4100 yen!

typhoon alerts everywhere!

The best way to avoid the rain and get something to eat was...

to get some hamburgers going through a drive-thru!

At night...

Darvish was marvelous as he powered down the Dragons in the first game of the Nippon Series!

Taking some time off...

It was raining on and off as a typhoon was heading this way.
I tried to stay home as it was another day off, but I had to go to my workplace to gather things I can only get there.

But in the evening, I scrambled away from my office, so I didn't have to get all stressed up and took the rest of the day off.
I had a pleasant dinner and fun at night! I have work to do in the weekend and this is the only night I can spend my time privately!

heavy rainfall heading this way... oh I hate the rain!

Sniffing around...

At a research institute, I was sniffing around about volcanoes.

haven't seen a pyroclastic flow like this one in years in Japan... but maybe we can soon abroad!

As I was told to pursue a new mission three weeks ago, I had to go to work and spoil my day off.
With so many things to do, there ain't any choice but to do so.
But my new mission is quite challenging, and hey, maybe it was something I wanted to do for years after I left the Middle East three and a half years ago!

Moneygrubber!?

After overnight duty, I was beat enough to just go home and sleep. An appointment was cancelled today, and for my future, it could have been fatal for me when I think about my career, but it could have been a rescue boat when I think about my life.

In the afternoon, when I stopped by a convenience store, I bought these for

226 yen

But later on, I found the same type of bulbs at a 99 yen shop nearby... I was shocked I could have saved 122 yen! And I was even more shocked I had this kind of moneygrubbing sense in me...
Well it's better to be a miser than some dissipater!

Breaking news... the fires we see every year in California may be quite different than ever this time with a federal state of emergency called!

satellite photo from NASA

On with the show...

I'm getting tired each day, as it was tough for me to wake up and go to work.
I was able to get home in the evening and get some sleep before going into overnight duty.
It was the thirteenth night of a lunar month when it is known as one of the best days to enjoy the moonlight.

ah, the moon seemed happy out there... (the 44-story building on the left is the one under construction I mentioned on http://hide3diary.blogspot.com/2007/10/joining-hands-in-prayer.html)

And today, Ocotober 23rd is the day...

to mourn in Niigata... three years on after the earthquake...

Winning at the end...

We all want to be the ones that win at the end.
Winning at the end erases all the ruinous performances in the past, and this multiple million dollar pitcher from Japan did just what he needed to remain a hero at the last game, after being a failure in Game 3.

together with a fellow Japanese middle reliever, the Sox reach the World Series where they will battle for the Ring against another Japanese player, "Little Matsui" of Colorado

Oh yes, but anyone could be a winner in the end unless we give up...
So who cares about the failures I produce now...
Because I'm not going to give up!!

Not convinced...

Another Sunday at work in the day shift.
Watching the Kikuka Sho (GI) was my only pleasure today.
But...

the winner was Asakusa Kings, the runner-up to Vodka at the Nippon Derby... the runner-up by a head length was Al Nasrain and in third was the most favorite of the race, Roc de Cambes

I think this year's three year old colts are one of the most floundering generations, and without the strong fillies around, I guessed the top finishers will be the colts that ran better in the spring. So I picked Asakusa Kings and Victory who captured the first crown in April, but I was totally wrong. Victory was terrible throughout the race and finished a very disappointing 16th (out of 18 colts). Well Al Nasrain did run quite well in spring and the other contender Dream Journey finished in a much better 5th position, but what the hell happened to Victory! Oh, I'm not convinced that I had it wrong... but without any payback I have to admit my mistake...

Exuberant!

It was impossible for me to imagine how vigorous I can be at night with a pleasnat time... but in the morning I was very very exhausted as the drinking party continued till about 4AM and I only had several hours of sleep.
I barely made it to the day shift as headaches from a hangover and drowsiness from lack of sleep had seriously hit me to the rock-bottom...

But while at work in the afternoon, the tide started to change and at night, I was exuberant as ever.
I even had the composure to enjoy dinner!

ah it's almost Halloween...

P.S..
The Giants were crushed by the Dragons who swept the Central League champions for the ticket to the Nippon Series.

haha!! we have the right to laugh!!
they shouldn't have agreed to adopt the playoff rule!!
haha!!

Miscalculation...

I decided to work at home. It was a day off for me again, but I had to finish up an important job before I go on, and I also wanted take a nap intermittently, so my messed-up and sloppy but comfortable room was the best place to work without distractions and tough seniors.

I had it all controlled while I finished the job I assigned myself to do by today, but before going to a drinking party starting before 8PM, I had to return six library books due today. When I went to the nearest branch library I was shocked to find out it was closed by 7PM... I had no choice but to run to the Central Library to return the books and that cost me a cab ride of 1700 yen!

yeah... it's open till 8 here, but not the branches... miscalculation...

I was late for the drinking party, but I was lucky many of the others were late too! Another miscalculation!

Stove league's on the way

Officially, it was a day off for me , but unofficially I had to work to keep my challenges alive to file a news story no one would care to cover.
I can't make anything sensational and I know my organization will not grant me any freebees, and I'm already uncomfortable working in an environment where reporters and producers with concessions and veins of ore keep winning.
With a transfer, my multiple and various lodes that are quite valuable within my nation have not helped me and without their power it's tough to find the lodestones that could grant me an international plane ticket.
Well, I'm not planning to become a snob and I will not let go of my lodes that will surely help me in the future as a journalist and maybe not as some temporary international dandy.

While the Dragons capture the first game of the second stage of the climax series, and the Fighters clinch the Nippon Series berth for the Pacific League, my favorite team is starting their surgical operations.
Stove league has started already with the other teams, and they've already decided to cut this man of merit.

today he said he'll quit playing ball if he's cut...
thanx a lot Andy!
we're grateful you've been with the team!

Exhausted as always...

I was practically dead today as it was quite a challenge to stay awake through overnight duty. Watching wired news from several agencies all night makes me really exhausted and I really lose any enthusiasm the next day to go on with my job.

BTW, the hottest wired news was...

that these two were distant relatives!? very funny!
I think I have tons of distant relatives... I hope they're not politicians!

Joining hands in prayer

I worked from 9AM as I went to an embassy, to a research center of an university, and to an international organization. That was enough to give me only about an hour+ to take a nap before heading to overnight duty.

On my way, I walked past a construction site in West Shinjuku...

this could be one of his last works!
Kisho Kurokawa passed away on Oct. 12...
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kisho_Kurokawa)

NOW they're in trouble!

I think everybody... well, at least almost everybody, thought of the result as a consequence of their own deeds, or it just served them right.

But WE must not forget that WE were the ones who helped them get carried away.
WE, I mean, WE as one viewer of entertainment programs, and WE as the media, and WE perhaps by the boxing and combative sports community.
Just like WE did when Horiemon was at his top gear, and "Satchee" Nomura was at her height, we just pull the ladder (a Japanese way of saying that we desert someone after helping him "climb the ladder" to success). WE all know they were finished off after being exposed by the prosecutors.
I bet the Kamedas could well be going to that course too. But we're not sad, are WE? WE can find any other new "star" that can entertain us, so whoever is thinking now that they've ruled the show biz world... BEWARE!

yeah these guys ruled the show biz world once... but what now!?

The lights are out...

Next year... next year...
The baseball season's over! Bye-bye!
　:'-(　 (T_T)
I'd already forgotten about the game... but when I started to watch the new serial TV drama...

uhh... what a spoilsport!

Central League Climax Series 1st Stage
Game 2
T 3 - 5 D (Nagoya Dome)
(Tigers eliminated from playoff)

And the winner of the Shuka-sho is...

Daiwa Scarlet...
not the one I anticipated...
Vodka finished third coming from behind...
and Bella Rheia finished fourth coming from way behind...

The flow of the race was best for the winner and runner-up!
The last 3 furlongs of four fillies finishing 1st-4th...
1 Daiwa Scarlet 33.9 sec
2 Rain Dance 33.7 sec
3 Vodka 33.2 sec
4 Bella Rheia 32.9 sec

So will they meet again at the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup to run for the real queenship, or will they run at different races!?
Anyways, watching the fillies run is much more interesting than watching the colts!

Hangin' by a thread...

With a loss to the Dragons, my favorite team is on a edge of a cliff. They will surely bring the young pitcher that is always a sure to kill tomorrow... Maybe with a low scoring game, like a lucky 1-0 edge, my favorite team might stay alive...

Central League Climax Series 1st Stage
Game 1
T 0 - 7 D (Nagoya Dome)
(Dragons lead series 1-0)

After finishing covering a part of the day shift, I went out to eat dinner in Shinjuku, and at home it was time for consideration...

About which filly will become the real queen of their generation!

With the miraculous Derby winner Vodka making it to the race after giving up running at Longchamp this year's Shuka-sho deserves to be the race for the title of queenship.
But the top favorite right now is Daiwa Scarlet, who beat Vodka at the Ouka-Sho for the win, who also captured the preliminary race, the Rose Stakes without a sweat.
And the best rider of Japan is on Bella Rheia, who finished 1/2 horse lengths behind Daiwa at the Rose Stakes and only a nose short of winning the Oaks.
These three fillies' betting odds were all lined up at 12/5 at 3:27PM today. Well, everybody knows it's a tight race for the top position between these three fillies!
But GI winners Robe Decollete (Oaks) and Pink Cameo (NHK Mile Cup) are contenders along with a handful of other fillies (I'm counting on Rain Dance and Zarema) ...

Let's see who will win the most exciting filly race in decades!

and I will bet everything on my favorite filly!

I don't get it...

Because he's the good guy, right!?
Not because he was the Vice President of the United States, right!?
Of course not.

I remember seeing him at the Kyoto International Conference Center a decade ago at COP3, leading a turmoil into some kind of compromise with other leaders, which I thought the Americans also vowed to take part in.
Well, am I mistaken?
Didn't the Americans turn down the protocol and be a selfish excreter of global warming substances!?
And this is all right for them.

I don't get it...

good for him... so what's his home country gonna do about it!

Getting refreshed...

Having drinks with pals!

drinking Belgian beer!
they all knew what I was going to do with this picture!
well, I didn't want to disappoint them! ;)