Jot-List

• I’ve seen 3 incidents now, in the past few months, of old guys just peeing whereever-the-hell at my stop called Oji-Koen.  Like, how could they not pick a better spot?  Or wait until they find a restroom?  Admittedly, public restrooms are very hard to find when you’re just wandering around town (so are trash cans, for that matter).  But these guys just pee into bushes at 6-point intersections, or onto a 2-ft.-high concrete wall on a slanted walkway I take to get home, or in this little circle with little metal horse-kiddie-ride-things partially covered by concrete walls.  What the hell?  They look around suspiciously while they do it.  As well they should, you know?  As for the pedestrians that happen upon this indecency?  Well, they’re Japanese, so they don’t say a word.  They look down at their feet, walk around, and act like they saw nothing.
• Saw Akiko today for the first time in 3 years.  She was my language-partner-slash-jazz-mentor during my freshman year at UGA.  She’s now married, pregnant, and busy as crap.  She’s still the most down-to-earth Japanese person I know.
• I can’t bring myself to play any video games except Pop’n Music and shmups.  I feel like I don’t have time for anything but instant gratification.  HELP!  I started FFVI a while ago but I can’t turn on my Super Famicom these days!
• Planning on finally visiting Tokyo during Golden Week.  I’m gonna stay for 3 days, hopefully, which is enough time to hit the major shites…sites.  If I go, it’ll mark my first and probably only Shinkansen ride too.
• Currently reading Bakuman, the sort of new manga from the Death Note writer/artist duo.  It’s really good slice-of-life stuff.
• Going to a shinkan konpa on Monday for the jazz circle I entered.  Shinkan konpa is just a party to get to know new dudes.  I’m a new dude.  What I want out of this circle experience is interaction with Japanese people, notification about jazz lives around Japan, and practice playing jazz drums.
• Recently been inspired to really get into music performance after seeing a guy here named Erik who does solo performances with a laptop and a drumset, plus my boi Greg doin’ it big on stages across Georgia.  Can’t wait to get back home and get into live stuff.
• I’m very glad I have little homework here in Japan, because I seldom have time to do even the slightest amount of studying at home.  This is after all a once-in-a-lifetime exchange program.
• I put a few new photo albums on my Facebook profile.  Check them out at your convenience