Bad news? Good news?

I had to attend another training session for three days.
I don't know if this session will help me but since it's a necessity to attend, I can't withstand the orders as I'm just an employee of an organization.

After the session, I rushed to Shinjuku and had a pleasant time with my friends from my college years. We had a Kyoto style course dinner which was quite appropriate as the former capital was where we all met!

Just before I attended the party, I received news that my entry visa could be issued earlier than expected. I panicked when I heard this as I was thinking that I could leave at around the end of next month! I still have so many things to do!! It's of course better than receiving news that I won't get the visa for months, but oh, is this good news or bad news!?


dessert and green tea... woops! I forgot to film the other tasty meals!

My last visit for years...

It will be my last visit to my favorite place.

watching these horseys!


hello there!

It wasn't raining so hard as predicted and it made it easy for me to decide to head to Nigawa.
I didn't have the winning ticket at the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) as my favorite Admire Fuji finished 6th, but I was happy enough there was something to shout at. I don't think it will be easy to watch horse racing at either Dubai or Paris, but I might try at least once in the next three years!


stopping by the Osaka terminal before leaving to catch one last view of the city...

and having some tonkatsu!

Important weekend in Osaka...

It was a peaceful night, but that could make the shift work so painful as each time the sand man attacks I had to fight it off!
After returning home quickly, I slept for only about 40 minutes and rushed out to head for Osaka.
It was an important weekend for me and I wanted to do my best to make it a successful one.


Shin Osaka...

I went to meet my parents and they were really happy to see me different as always with a visitor. There's a lot of scary things waiting before us and I'm quite sure I can overcome any difficulties!

Another important visit...

I tried to sleep as long as possible, but until noon was the limit. I started cleaning up my room again which seems to take forever...
In the evening, after taking a walk to Shinjuku, I made an important visit again to the Shirogane area.

only the second visit to the Shirogane-Takanawa station... but in just one week!

I just don't know what will happen, but I just have to pray that things will be all right.

I went into my first overnight shift duty in about 8 weeks and I was already quite sleepy when I sat on the desk. I hope nothing bad will happen!

Sleepy because of drinks...

I really had too much shochu last night and though I was supposed to have another spree, I was half asleep at the table with half of the glass of Spumoni still remaining...
My room is not even close to being clean and I have so many things I still have to do to get ready to leave Japan, and I have so many drinking parties to go to!

Just one moment to relax... when I eat...

this kind of curry rice I will miss!

It was almost turmoil when I was sitting in the night shift, as news came in from China and South Korea one after one about DPRK's nuclear declaration. It's too bad I wasn't part of the reporting team, but surely the country I will be dispatched to might have the same kind of reporting to do in the future!

After the shift work, I hurried to Yotsuya to attend a drinking party with old friends... What time do you think I can go home!?

Alcohol frenzy!

Last night I was drinking over 1AM, and after returning home, I once again fought with books and magazines until 4AM!

After getting work, I fought with my PC for work and I just can't believe how much I lack in time! The day was over after attending a meeting and it was drinking time again. Beer, shochu, oh how much alcohol am I having these two days!? I have another drinking party tomorrow too!
Well it's a very precious moment for me to drink with many people now! I hope my liver will help me through this alcohol frenzy!

PS

in the daytime, I stopped by to get a beef bowl...
one of the happiness I can get here in Japan is beng able to eat a beef bowl with raw eggs... it will be impossible to eat raw eggs when I leave this country!

Time is so precious!

I was cleaning up my room until around 4AM in the morning!
And I haven't even finished cleaning up a third of all the books and magazines I have! Oh my...
It's now evident that I don't have enough time! Big trouble!

After cleaning up a bit more in the morning, I gave up and rushed to my office. I thought of grabbing a burger for lunch, but...

the McDonald's I have enjoyed for nearly 8 years was gone!
it was a convenient one with a drive thru and recently had become a 24 hours store, but it's completely GONE!

When I return to this city years later, I'm sure everything will look different. Oh well, that's Tokyo!

Time's running out!

I really need to do so many things, but time is running out!

I have to participate more in the editing process of the documentary about India which I have spent so many days to do research and filming, but it's just impossible! Oh, I wish I had more time!

Tonight was the only night without any drinking parties, and after doing a bunch of things at my office, I rushed to Shinjuku at around 9PM and do some shopping and then stopped by to get my favorite burger.

I'll miss this city!


collected all the catalogs I need!
I gotta decide which notebook to buy... I need a new one I could use for at least 3 years!


now the Double Whopper with Cheese meal was a hefty 1000 yen!
wow what a price hike!

Oh, I really have to clean up my room!!

A new beginning

I got the answer. It was already at night and now I think I can hit the road towards a new beginning. There's still so many difficulties lying ahead but I'll do my best!
It was raining all day. Strong rain did not wash things away but made me stay stong inside. With the strength given to me, I did what I had to do and I got it. I was bewildered when I heard the initial answer, but I had some kind of confidence that I can prevail in the end. I just couldn't let things crumble down to pieces!
I'm happy tonight. Yes I am. Let's see what awaits me from tomorrow, but I think I can get over many things from now.

I didn't have a clue what will happen when I was having this coffee...

it's always sushi I want to eat... sushi!

and I finished the night with beer...

A precious weekend off...

It's been quite a long time since I took a day off and spend my time freely. I really was concerned about cleaning up my room and of course my new job, but I had other important things to care about too.

It was a tough night to spend but I had to go through it asking the crucial quesiton. RSVP. But I didn't get an answer. And another day goes by. Another important and precious day. What should I do?

it didn't rain in day time, but it started to rain at night... still the city looks calm as always...


first time to go to a "family restaurant" in weeks!
I'll miss these kinds of food!

Starting the procedure!

It's about time, I can start going through the process of moving forward!
I finally went to a place where everything starts!


the embassy! the really crucial first step!

I also went to banks to get those documents for changing adresses, but I had no time to go to bookstores and computer shops where I must find things I would need when I start living abroad.
Oh, there's so many things to do... but you know what!? I'm going to completely rest myself this weekend, because it's my first day off in about 50 days!

PS
I had so many glasses of wine last night, but I think the tumeric ("ukon") pills helped me with the hangovers. The headache was not bad as I anticipated... maybe I'm really enjoying drinking right now as I know how precious alcohol is to me now!

Time flies...

I just can't believe how fast time flies... Maybe I really thought so because tonight I was at the farewell party with my colleagues entering our organization at the same year. We're quite older than when we were freshmen, but I think we're still very energetic.

I really shouldn't have... but we started early with red wine!

Time is really flying in the daytime as I really don't have much time to do personal things like thinking about how I'm going to clean up all the mess in my room and about the formalities I have to go through with things like my bank account and my belongings!
And you know... I have to study much more about Iran, but I have no time! Oh, I'm gonna regret this!

The Dark Ages...

It's known that the Dark Ages in Europe was from 476BC to 1000AD, but for me it may well be these few years... and especially today.

Each day I get so many words of congratulations and encouragement from my colleagues and friends...
It's too late for me to even think about what I really wanted and if this was my dream.
I never will say I'm an optimistic person, but it's so natural for me to view that humans are good in nature. So I just can't help myself believing in the innate goodness of man. (性善説 in Japanese and Chinese) which started in China just before the Dark Ages in Europe by Confucius and suceeded by Mencius...
If the internet was there two and a half centuries ago and anything happening in China was disseminated to the West, I wouldn't think the Dark Ages would have come in Europe and the Middle East would have better off without all the history of invasion and aggression, though Europe could have well been a country named something like Roma.

Believing in the goodness of man, my mental conflict started the istant I left the disaster section, where people believing in good were killed by natural causes and I just couldn't resist seeing that happening and it was easy for me to work the hardest I can to prevent such dangers by informing people about the great risks we face. After my transfer to the justice court press club two years ago, and to the International News Division last year, my beliefs are always in jeopardy.
Should I have said NO when I was told that I might have to do things that I really didn't want to do any more? So many colleagues and friends have encouraged and supported me with these new jobs, but should I have betrayed them?
I don't know... I just don't...

Some of the phone calls I get and some of the phone calls I have to do are really bitter and painful... I will let nothihg of these hardsihps take my life away, but I sincerely believe the goodness in mankind will someday save me...

PS
I didn't record the NBA Finals today (yesterday in the States), but I saw the initial score in the 4th Quarter, and I really didn't mind... I just sensed it could be one of the most humiliating game in the glorious history of my favorite team. It was something like that when my favorite baseball team in Japan was wipped three years ago in the Nippon Series.

When I was a child living in the US, the Lakers-Celtics rivalry was everything as I still remember watching nightmares that Larry Bird and the gang were attacking my team when I was thrashing about in bed with a high fever. But it was Boston's first victory in 22 years... Unbelievable... The Boston Garden looks just like it was 22 years ago. Unbelievable...
Well, next year, I firmly believe the victor will be different, of course with the same match-up in the Finals. I hope I can watch it in Iran!


so long to one of my favorite sports... for a while!

Growing sense of uneasiness...

I know becoming a foreign correspondent is one of the biggest success that a reporter can achieve.
Please... I know that...
But each day I get these information about all these things I have to do with this new job, the uneasiness grows without limits.
Yes, I know there are so many rewards that could be uncomparable to the hardship that I may face... I know...

having some Chinese noodles for lunch...

And at night...

of course some alcohol... shochu!
with south Kyushu foods... mainly Miyazaki dishes!

PS
as you can see, I will be updating food and drinks I will probably miss when I get to the Middle East!

Doing whatever I can't...

Back in action at Tokyo without any days off after my long trip. I'm actually not back to my job, but rather starting to walk my first steps towards my new job. The induction course about the know-hows working as a foreign correspondent started today.

Returning late at night without eating any supper, I just couldn't resist doing what I wouldn't be able to do after I take my new job...

Buying plenty of beer!

the premium ones!
all right, I'm sleepy, but I'm going to watch the Lakers-Celtics game!

For lunch, I had something I haven't eaten for weeks

and maybe quite never at my new post!

I'm back... to get ready!

Yes! I'm back!
The flight was on schedule from Singapore and the place touched down at 5:18PM. I stopped by my office and I was still astonished to see the university student kidnapping incident in Iran was resovled, as the pictures was just arriving from Tehran.
My 41 day trip is over and now I must concentrate to get ready for my next mission... to become a foreign correspondent!

My first meal back in Japan...

yeap, it's always junk!
it's uncomparably tasty than the ones I ate in India!

PS
I'll update my diary next weekend! I'm too busy this week!
I've written everyday while I was in India, so it won't take long!
And... I miss the Euro 2008!

Transit

Stopping by Changi once again...

maybe for the last time for a long time!

a fresh juice to awaken my sleepy body!

I had hoped I could be working here... but that won't happen!
See-ya Singapore!

39 days

Since I arrived in India on the night of May 6th, it will be 39 full days that I'd spend as I was leaving late at night today.

I went to bed quite early, but I didn't have a good sleep as I had some nightmares and I woke up plenty of times before the sun rose.
When I finally woke up at 8:30 and turned on the TV, the noon news of Japan was filled with the M7.0 earthquake that hit the Tohoku Area with two cities observing the trembling scale of 6 plus leaving a couple of people dead. I hope the death toll won't rise...

After going on location for the last time, at least for me, I parted with my colleagues and had my free time until my flight at 11:10PM.
So to get some souvenirs, I went to the latest mall in Gurgaon, the Ambience Mall, which is quite close to the IGI Airport.



the mall... so modernistic!



and many places to play for kids! enjoyable!

I bought some souvenirs for my colleagues and friends at Big Bazaar...


the big store again...

stopping at the candy corner with so many imported ones!

but my choice was the "Made in India" ones!

I arrived at the airport at around 6:30PM, only to find out that I could not enter! The security stopped me saying I only can enter 2 hours before the flight! Ugg...

oh, so that's why there's so many waiting outside!

I finally sneaked in at around 8PM, but I hade to wait an hour and a half outside sweating enough to make me quite thirsty!


so I had my last coffee at the last Coffee Day I'll see in quite a while!

Looking for souvenirs at the duty free shop...
I couldn't find anything I'd like to buy...

especially these Indian Barbie dolls!?

The flight was on schedule, and when I called my office in Tokyo, I found out that the college boy backpacker kidnapped in Iran about 8 months ago was freed! Oh, what a bad timing... or was it a good timing!?

Last day...

It's my last "full" day in India. I will be leaving tomorrow at 11PM, so I still have about 24 hours to go, but it'll be my last overnight stay here!

I needed a new bag to carry a lot of tapes back to Tokyo and we decided to go shopping in the morning!

After taking a stroll through Connaught Place and not satisfied with the high prices of brand-name bags, we went underground...


first around the Connaught Place...

and then into the Palika Bazaar...

With many stores, it's jsut easy to say we would go to another store, so they try to pull you into the store and not let go of you until you make a decision to buy! The bag I bought in the end started with a price of 750Rs and then to 600 and finally to 400. I made a face of unsatisfaction and strolled off into the front of another shop about 30 feet away. Then a boy ran towards us saying 250Rs is fine! Of course I asked for a price of 200Rs and they agreed!
I bet the bag is worth less than 100Rs, but who cares...

200Rs for this! it would be about 1000 yen at Daiei in Japan... not bad...

thanks for the bargain... but I think it's only worth less than 100Rs in reality!

We stopped by the nearby Emporium




with multiple floors! much much bigger than the one in Bangalore!

I just bought some Darjeeling Tea packed in beautiful boxes...

We were filming at the ministerial area of New Delhi...

view of the city filled with green!

We finished our filming and it was time for me to talk about Tehran... each time I hear new things, it just makes me worried about how I could go through the hardship there... Maybe I just have to work like crazy and forget about my private life!

last dinner? I chose to eat some Thai green curry rather than Indian or Chinese food which I had so much of this month and Japanese food can wait until Sunday night!