Red Bar in Miyamasuzaka

Here's a goofy cell phone camera pan at the Red Bar very near my office. I took it on Jan 25. I just created a Youtube account and this is my first upload. Yaaaay!!!

However the damn thing seems to have been clipped to just 4 minutes.

Ending words with an O

I've been in Japan all this time and in recent years I'm noticing back in the States (well, being Canuckistani I guess it is le sacrilege for me to say "back", but compared to Japan I suppose America seems sufficiently Canadian that it qualifies as a kind of "home turf") that people in the tech biz have a way of shortening a word and then sticking an "o "on its ass.

Examples

presentation -> preso
distribution -> distro (as in Linux distro)
algorithm -> algo
definitely -> defo

Any other major ones? Feel free to add them to the comments.

Fukutoshin Line

A new line is being built on the Tokyo subway, going to our station. Opening date is June 14.

As a result my life is going to get 200% better (not sure of the exact figure, I will admit).

It is going to run along the same route as the Yurakucho Line in our general area west of Ikebukuro. However past Ikebukuro into the city core it will just run directly below Meiji-dori to Waseda (hence Takadanobaba), Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya. All these places will be accessible without having to change trains! In fact Shibuya is my daily commute.

Yeehaw!

Toto Cafe

In the course of bicycling around our area last weekend I found another nice little cafe, the Toto Cafe.

It was around before, but seems to have reopened and is better and brighter. Not overly expensive and a nice place to park yourself to read and relax.

Nice cafe

In the course of bicycling around our area last weekend I found another nice little cafe, the Toto Cafe.

It was around before, but seems to have reopened and is better and brighter. Not overly expensive and a nice place to park yourself to read and relax.

Back to normal

We had a nice New Year's mid-day meal yesterday at home, cooked by Kasumi. Mio joined us.

Will post pics later... sorry I know I'm sounding like a broken record.

In the evening, the three of us went to Hie Jinja for hatsumode. We dropped by my office because I needed to pick up something. We then went to a Turkish restaurant right near my office called Anatolia. I love that place.

Noda-san party

Went to Noda-san and Tango-san's place last night for a shin-nen-kai.

Brought the obligatory wine and cheese.

Some interesting guests, including the woman who did the translation for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Sho-gatsu

Spent the shogatsu (New Years Day) celebration eating and imbibing at Kasumi's uncle and aunt's place in Shin-Yokohama.

Will post pics later.

A Happy New Year

A big countdown party at the home of my German friend, Roy (no relation, hehehe).

I took two bottles of Robert Mondavi, a Zinfandel and a Chardonnay (I think it was!). We bought them at the Bic Camera on Meiji dori for a freaking incredible 950 yen! I don't think it is that cheap in North America.

Will link to some pics after getting them up on Flickr.