The Fish Market at Kure 

Kure

Last Sunday we piled into the car for a drive and headed down the coast to Kure. The town's fish market is a local tourist attraction and a small restaurant across from the main building of the Kuroshio Honjin serves a delicious tataki lunch. Signs of spring were everywhere, from the buds on the dogwood trees to the blooming plum trees, but it was still bitterly cold. Driving along Kure Bay we saw snow flurries. The tataki was delicious, then went to a coffee shop overlooking the ocean, that specializes in cake, ice cream and drinks made from strawberries. Ray wolfed down a strawberry ice cream cone, while Nobuko and I had cafe ole and strawberry cake. Braving the cold we hit the market and my wife purchased some dried iwashi, or large sardines. I was skeptical, but when when grilled up they were pretty tasty and great to munch on while drinking beer.

Walking in Kyoto

The next day we took the train up to Kyoto. I wanted to walk through some temples and gardens with Ray; my wife wanted to visit her sister and shop for some culinary delights to take back home. Consulting my copy of Judith Clancy's book on walks through Kyoto, I decided to go to Shoren-in. We took the subway out to Higashiyama. A ten minute walk brought us to the temple gate. On the way we met a group of about 30 kindergarten students and their teachers. Ray wanted to tag along with the kids and it was tough to get him to say goodbye. The temple, as the guidebook promised, was almost deserted. Ray perked up when he got inside and couldn't wait to get out into the garden. We met a woman and her mother from Matsuyama. They had escaped from a museum tour and were looking for a something more tranquil. Ray took a shine to them, especially the grandmotherly one, and wanted to walk with them. Her daughter told me I could purify Ray if I got him to stay underneath the temple bell while we rang it. Ray was more than happy to crouch under the bell and inspect the pipes that had been set into the ground to amplify the sound.

The women had to return to their tour group, so we followed them out of the garden to day goodbye. Ray didn't want to leave and ran back through the gate into the garden. I chased him down and we continued on to Chion-in. This is a sprawling, heavily-touristed temple complex that was bustling with people and tour groups. The temple gate and the main hall were impressive. We also hiked up to see the bell. It is the biggest in Japan. It's enclosed by a fence that is usually locked, but Ray and I were able to follow a tour group in and get a closer look. I was impressed by how thickness of the walls of the bell, and the sheer size of the casting.

After the guides shooed us off and locked the gate, we walked down the hill toward Yasaka Shrine. We reached a side gate, but Ray didn't want to go in. He said he was tired and asked me to pick him up. He quickly fell asleep and I had to carry him down Gion to the Hanky Department Store, where mom and her sister were waiting.

Over the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge to Kobe 

Road Trip

I drove up to Kansai with the wife and kid so I could make my yearly visit to the famous eye surgeon who reattached my retina and restored my vision about 7 years ago. We stayed at the Kobe Bay Sheraton on Rokko Island. Rates were cheap at the Sheraton and the island a bit removed from the bustle of downtown Kobe and has a large pedestrian mall and fountain complex that is perfect for kids to explore. The weather was balmy and we had breakfast outside in front of a Tully's while Ray fed pigeons and sparrows with crumbs from our bakery goodies. Across the way was a Subway franchise. That's what living in Japan has done to me: I yawn at sushi and drool at sandwiches.

The next morning I headed for a hospital in Sakai on the other side of Osaka. The morning commute through the Umeda station in central Osaka was impressive as I was processed and spat out by the Osaka subway system. I joined the zombie army of commuters, got caught in the current and was swept past my subway entrance through a series of underground passageways. It would have been impossible to retrace my steps, but I saw a different subway line up on the left, the Yotsubashi Line, and found I could transfer back to my subway of choice, the Midosuji, at Daikokucho.

I made it to the hospital on time. The waiting room for the opthalmology clinic was packed, all seats taken and people lined up, leaning against the walls, out in the hall. I got called in for an l eye checkup right away. I was thinking that my stay in the antechambers of purgatory might be short, but I had to wait almost 3 hours to see my doctor for a consultation that barely lasted 3 minutes. The good doctor peered into my eyes and pronounced that all was well. He scheduled an appointment for the following March and I was a free man in Osaka. I met my wife and son in front of the Daimaru department store in Shinsaibashi and we celebrated with Vietnamese food.

Here is the basic look of the Moodle front page. 

Child Care and Moodle

The hardest thing I had to do this week was to convince my 4 year-old to stay inside. He had a cold and missed daycare, so I got to babysit him while mom went to work and ran some errands. Ray wasn't aware that he was sick and wanted to get outside for some scooter riding, a trip to the park, and a walk around the neighborhood. Luckily it was raining. I bundled him up, gave him an umbrella, and we hung around under the car port. Ray soon became bored with riding the scooter around in small circles and we headed back inside for some indoor activities. We watched a video, drank some orange juice, and then we took turns chasing each other around with cardboard swords.

At work I've been fooling around with Moodle, an open source class management system (CMS). In the interest of avoiding confusion, you could also refer to Moodle as a Virtual Learning System (VLS), a Learning Management System (LMS), or an e-learning system. Take your pick.

Moodle is OS independent. To use it you'll need a web server, like Apache, that supports PHP, and a database such as MySQL or PostgreSQL. Installation is almost automatic: all Moodle needs is an empty database to connect with.

Moodle is quite robust and has all the bells and whistles you 'd expect. All assignments, quizzes, and other classroom activities go into the database and can be graded automatically. It also supports forums, chat, and numerous other functions, which are referred to a modules. It looks rather plain, Your first impression is of a lot of text with minimal graphics. My students wouldn't like it because of a lack of multimedia appeal. Moodle can be modified to fit your audience though, and it is free. If you need something like this, and you have the time to kick the tires and take it for a test drive, it's worth a look. The Moodle website has documentation and classes to help you get started.

Mac Mini in the Living Room 

Mac Mini as Entertainment Center

Here's a good article from Anandtech on the Mac mini as a Home Theater PC, a computer that can replace your VCR, DVD player, and stereo. One conclusion is that the mini does better as a video editing platform than as a VCR or DVD player.


AnandTech: The Mac mini as a Media Computer

A real monitor and a proper desk would be better, but for now this works fine

Mac Mini Revisited

The Mac Mini has found a home in the living room. It uses the LCD TV as a monitor and is hooked up to the stereo for sound. The LCD TV only supports a resolution of 800 x 600 and is a temporary solution. My wife complains that the 800 x 600 resolution does not give her enough desktop real estate to view email or browse message boards. Garage Band 2 will work, but a pop-up message laments the lack of a higher screen resolution. iMovie HD is snippier and refuses to come out and play until resolution is at least 1024 x 768.

When we use the computer we put a small tray table and chair in front of the TV and have at it. The only problem I'm having is adjusting to a one-button mouse. I'm doing a lot of mouse clicks + control key to get the context menu to appear.

As someone who occasionally builds computers and is aware of hardware prices, I still feel that Apple charges top dollar on upgrades for memory, hard drives, and optical drives. When purchasing a Mac Mini, you can upgrade to a 4x Superdrive for 11,500 yen. On the Windows side, I can buy a top-of-the-line 16x DVD from NEC for 8,500 yen, but I'd have to install it myself and it would have a tray. I'm on the same bandwagon as the build-it-yourself geek over at aaronadams.net. Also noticed that some people are actually overclocking the Mini. It involves a soldering iron and removing resistors. Here's a performance report from Hardmac.com. Users who want a bigger, faster hard drive can check out replacement options and performance improvements here.

But I am still more than pleased with the Mini. I bought the iWork software for my wife. It arrived yesterday; I installed it and marveled at the way it localizes into English on my side, and Japanese on hers.

My Mac Mini Experience

Apple computer finally came out with a computer that I can afford. I bought it so I can play with the Mac OS and also for my wife to test drive. If she likes it, it will free up more time on the Windows PC for yours truly.

AnandTech has a good review, written from a PC perspective with lots of photos. You definitely need to increase the memory to 512 MB. I also got the wireless mouse and keyboard set so I could use it in the living room, where I can plug it into the stereo and a LCD TV that doubles as a monitor. I also upgraded to a 80 GB hard drive. The base configuration just doesn't cut it: one wonders why Apple doesn't offer the base model that doesn't scream upgrade me. I suppose they had their price point. I also would have preferred something a little more robust than the 32 MB ATI Radeon 9200. Why not a 128 MB ATI Radeon 9600 SE?

But there is much more to like than to dislike about the Mini Mac. Set up was a snap. It found the wireless Internet connection without hesitation. I set it up a 2-user, bilingual machine for myself and my wife: an English system for me and a Japanese one for her. The only problem I had was not putting things in the right place. In my zeal to set up iPhoto for my wife, I dragged a CD full of photos into the program to get started. Later I realized that I couldn't access the photos from my account. I had to delete the photos from her home directory and reinstall them into the Shared User directory. Now we can both access the photos from our separate English and Japanese versions of iPhoto.

At work I've been fooling around with Linux trying to find an optimum distribution for the average Japanese college student. Panther, the current Mac OS, is based on the FreeBSD 5.0 version of Unix. My first impression of the Mac OS was that it was an uber version of Linux with a slick GUI that didn't demand that the user learn how to work from a terminal. I haven't done much with the Mini besides surfing the net and writing email, but it's fun to use, and I like the fact that it's small enough so I can use it downstairs or carry it upstairs and plug it into the PC monitor.

Global Passport

Efforts to revive my cell phone having failed, I journeyed to an AU outlet in search of a replacement. I had used the old phone for more than two years. so there were a slew of new features to tempt gadget freaks. There are some differences in products displayed on the Japanese and English AU websites. I won't go over the individual phones, but here"s a list of the highlights.

• Most of the phones had QVGA screens
• Your average phone now does video clips as well as photos.
• 2 and 3 mega pixel camera models were replacing older models.
• Broadband WIN models have flat-rate pricing for Internet and email.
• Internal flash memory for storage ranges from 3 MB to 40 MB
• A few models had removable storage.
• On some phones you can print directly to a printer using the PictBridge systems, or you can connect the phone to your computer or TV so you can have your way with multimedia content.
• New models had FM receivers and stereo speakers.
• GPS navigation systems are available for use while walking or driving.
• Phones aimed at gamers or people who want to download and listen to music files.
• About half the phones were bilingual; you can choose either a Japanese or English interface.

There were also some Swiss Army Knife features of questionable value.

• Use your cell phone as a TV remote control and rule TVs in airports, public places, and at home.
• The LCD screen doubles as a mirror. Great for touching up makeup or adjusting contact lenses.
• Now your phone contains a small flashlight. You'll never be afraid of blackouts again.

Unfortunately features like a 3.0 mega pixel camera with removable storage cost money. I settled for the Sanyo A1305SA. It has a modest 340,000 pixel camera, but comes with the Global Passport stamp. This means I can use it in the U.S. and other countries around the world. The per-minute charge for usage abroad is pricey, but I won't use it that much and it will be much more convenient than hunting up a pay phone and fumbling for change or a prepaid phone card. The phone also includes a bidirectional English-Japanese dictionary and Chinese and Korean phrasebooks that talk. You simply press a button and the phone will ask, in perfect Mandarin, "Where's the restroom?" Unfortunately the phone lacks to ability to understand Chinese and will not translate the listener's response f or you. The A1305SA set me back $40. I received a $10 discount for using the AU points I had accumulated as a loyal customer for 2+ years.

Cell Phones and Cow Piss Don't Mix

I went out for a walk with my son, Ray, yesterday. It was gray, windy day and snow was probably falling higher up in the mountains. We found an old frisbee next to a vending machine, threw it around for awhile, and then threw some yen into the machine. Ray went for Calpis Water, while I went for a hot can of tea. Calpis is a popular drink in Japan, comes in plain and carbonated versions and is also mixed with shochu to make a chu-hai cocktail. The Japanese pronunciation of calpis is karupisu. Say it fast and is sounds like cow piss. Calpis doesn't get any respect from speakers of English even if it is does contain a healthy dose of calcium and helps lower blood pressure.

We started for home and took a short cut through some fallow rice fields. Ray had half of his calpis left and brought the can along. Just as we climbed out of the rice fields onto a dirt road, Ray said his was getting sleepy and asked me to carry him. I picked him up and he fell asleep clutching the can of calpis. We went through the bamboo forest and through some more rice fields to the entrance to our subdivision. Ray suddenly dropped the calpis. Not much was spilled, so I picked up the can and headed up the hill. I had to detour around by the park to pick up his scooter. We had parked it near a fence when we had started the walk. I woke up Ray, got him to stand on the scooter, put the calpis in my jacket pocket and figured I'd push Ray on the scooter for awhile until he came to full consciousness.

When I bent over to push Ray, the can of calpis shifted and spilled. I grabbed for the can and realized my cell phone was in the same pocket and swimming in a lactic-acid marinade. I pulled the phone out as quickly as possible and the video screen fragmented into horizontal lines and went blank before my eyes. The commotion woke Ray up. He observed that my pants were wet and scootered home by himself as I followed, dangling the phone in the air in the hopes of drying it out. Alas, the phone was dead and the next day I went down to the AU store for a replacement.

Clean Laundry for Christmas

Christmas Eve will be remembered for the great laundry room flood. We had washed down the roast teriyaki chicken with a nice Spanish red wine, eaten the Christmas cake, and opened the presents. I had retired to the couch and was examining a Lego airplane my son had created when I heard the sound of rushing water. I rushed towards the washing machine. The floor was covered with an inch of water and more was trickling out the washing machine the door. I turned off the machine, grabbed a towel, and began pushng water through the door to the bathroom, where there is a drain set in a tile floor.

My wife clattered down the stairs to see what was the matter, and helped me with the towel work. My son peered into the room from time to time and wondered why we were more interested in mopping up water than in playing with him. It took about an hour to restore normality. Then my wife hit the Internet and found a 24-hour service number for Toshiba washing machines. She called up a representative and was told a service person would come the following afternoon. The problem was diagnosed as a faulty hose. The service guy rigged up a temporary replay and said it would hold until a new part arrives next week.

Christmas Eve in Japan

Christmas goes down on Christmas Eve in Nippon. Of course there are presents; some people have Christmas trees, but Christmas cake and chicken seem to figure prominently in most peoples' plans. Your typical Christmas cake is layered, frosted with whipped cream and decorated with fruit, but chocolate versions are also available. Supermarkets sell a lot of roast chicken, but KFC and MosBurger are also eager to prepare your holiday meal for you. One of my enduring holiday memories is watching a housewife bicycle home from her holiday shopping with one kid behind her,another one strapped into a seat in front of the handlebars, and a Xmas cake and a bag of groceries balanced her lap.

On Christmas morning the decorations come down and the serious business of preparing for the New Year's Holiday begins.

Christmas Cheer

It's time for Holiday content on the Internet. As usual, JibJab's offering gets a laugh.

I'm also found of Rhino Records Xmas Card.

Running Around

I haven't been inside a bank for a couple of years, but yesterday my streak ended when I had to transfer some money. I spent a lot of time waiting and picked up a newspaper to kill time. All the major pc makers had great deals on their web sites and there were plenty of computers with LCD monitors in the $450 to $1100 price range. After the bank, I walked across the street to a big electronics chain, Yamada Denki. There were lots of shiny PCs with TV tuners and DVD burners going for $1600 to $3000. Most of there were packaged as home entertainment centers. Monitor sizes ranged from 17 in. to 26 in. With prices like these, I'm not surprised that Gateway is reentering the Japanese marketplace. The thing to do is to check out computers at the big electronics stores and then buy your choice, or something similar, at the manufacturer's web site.

Later my wife picked me up and we went for lunch at a French restaurant. I had some sort of sauted white fish, served over braised daikon, bok-choy, and a mixture of red and yellow bell peppers. It was delicious. My usual lunch is rice, vegetables, and a protein du jeour served in a gray plastic box. I chase it down with instant coffee. Note to those who must make do with instant: Go for UCC The Blend, Taste No. 117.

During lunch my wife got a call from one of her friends. Her computer went down during a lightning storm, but luckily she had insurance. Now she had a new laptop and needed to set up her email program. My wife immediately volunteered my services and we dropped by on the way home. She had a new Toshiba laptop with a nice clear, bright screen. I didn't have time to check out the specs and just set up her email and downloaded the free AVG anti virus program for her. Like a lot of people here, she said she was more comfortable doing email on her cellphone. They mostly used to laptop to play DVDs in the car.

I'd rather plunge my hands into freezing water and clean bushels of squid than input kanji and kana into cellphone email. There is a program that anticipates what you are writing and offers words and phrases as you type in characters, but I'll take a keyboard and a monitor any day. Most Japanese seem to get their first taste of the Internet and email from cellphones and not computers. This may change as the government is making a push to make sure everyone has access to a broadband connection to the Internet, but the cellphone remains the cheapest way to get connected.

Some views from my office window 

Monday

Monday is a day of sanity because I only teach one class and have plenty of time to sit around the office, fire up the coffee maker, and prepare for the coming week. It's the best of times and the worst of times at work. Yes, the junior college is closing in April of 2006 and I'll be out of job, but a 2-year notice sure beats one of the 2-week variety. The reduction in meetings and the end of student recruitment activities has also reduced my work load. No longer do I sit through meetings on how to publicize the school or when to upgrade the school network. When the board of directors announced the closing back in May there was initial panic and a lot of activity that was equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic after it hit the iceberg. No icebergs in this part of Japan; the school just ran into a rapidly falling birthrate and a trend toward schools that specialize in vocational training. Majoring in English in Japan has become the equivalent of saying I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I graduate.