Learning English

I learned a new word this week. I never remembered hearing the word 'skosh' before a couple days ago when someone said it a work, and then just yesterday, I heard it again. Skosh, skosh... Interesting... It's used just like the Japanese word sukoshi, which when said in conversational Japanese, is pronounced pretty much the same. Huh... I guess I must have heard it before, but just didn't realize it until recently. I like it. I'm going to use it from now on.

While I'm at it...

I guess I'd better post some pictures from Tokyo last month. I have a few more rolls, but I haven't developed them yet.

Tokyo Dec. 06

I did the coolest thing on Saturday

I got a $5 Polaroid Land camera at Goodwill the other day, spent a half hour making a battery pack for it, and stuck a $10 pack of film in it, and look what I got.

Botched Pola

The digital camera picture doesn't do it justice. I need my scanner.

Job Hunting Day 4:

Got a call from Amazon.com today. The first part of the interview was good, nice guy, seemed impressed. The second part was in Japanese, by a Japanese lady. It wasn't so good, and she didn't seem impressed.
Bad point: She asked my why she should hire me considering that other applicants were native Japanese speakers.
Worst Point: I said I don't know.

After the Amazon interview, I submitted a resume on a job site. An hour later I got a job offer to work at UPS (University of Puget Sound). It's in Tacoma though. Too far away from where I want to live. BUT, they are offering my $17/h, so I think I can be a bit picker and insist on a job in or around Seattle. I have an interview with them next monday anyway.

Job Hunting

Day 1: Edited resume, contacted a few staffing agencies. Got an email from a recruiter about a position at Amazon.

Day 2: Got an email to schedule an interview at a tech staffing agency on day 3. Got a call to schedule an interview with Amazon on day 4.

Day 3: Got a job on the campus of a very large Redmond software company. Waiting for Amazon's interview on day 4.

Some Jehovah's Witnesses just stopped by!

Lyle told me that some Jehovah's Witnesses have been coming to his house, and he's been leading them on, so just 5 minutes ago, two Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses stopped by looking for Lyle. He's unleashed a monster...

So you think I haven't been blogging

But you're wrong. There is a really big long blog all about the U2 concert last week. But I haven't finished it yet, so it's not here. Maybe I'll finish it this week.

I'm good though. Seeing lots of friends and such. But since it's 2am, that's all your going to get from me about that. And everything else. So bye.

Leaving (projects behind)

I've been packing a bit, but I still have things to finish. One thing on the list, which I've been working on for what seems like forever, is Mark's GoldWing. I got it running and re-did the brakes this summer, and more recently rebuilt the carbs, but the float bowl seals that came with the kits suck, and one float bowl leaks like crazy. And I'm supposed to fix it tonight? Shit. I pulled the carbs off the other night and resealed the gaskets so they'd not leak, or I thought so. I've gotten pretty good at taking them off and putting them back on again, but it's messy, and I don't really want to get gas all over right now. I thought I'd have that problem fixed, and I could just get the thing put back together, and let him tune the thing by himself. If you follow the instructions, it not extremely hard to do. It just takes patience. And I don't have any right now with 11 hours before I have to check in for my flight.

It's going to be really nice to be rid of that project. I like doing things like fixing motorcycles, but I'm not going to take on projects like that anymore. When your doing it for someone else, there are too many expectations, like that I'll get it done in a timely manner, or that once complete, it will stay running. With my own projects, I can tinker for as long as I want, ride it for a while, even running less than perfect, because I know that next time I have a chance, I can tweak something and get it working better. I also like to be able to switch projects while in the middle of another. Having 3 projects going at once is something that I learned from my dad, and is a liberty you can't have while working on someone else's things. So no more fixing things for other people unless I know it will be small, quick and easy. This one has ballooned out of control, and I'm glad to be rid of it.

Packing

Yea... What packing? I haven't done a single thing yet. I've thought about a few things, like how I'm going to get some beer into Japan with me, where I'm going to stick all my cameras so they don't break, and if Lyle has and extra futon I can sleep on until I can get my stuff out of storage. I'm also thinking about if I want an isle or window seat (climbing over people, or having people climb over me). I think I might pick up one of those funky flying pillows that goes around your neck so I can get an isle seat and sleep.

Maybe I'll start going through stuff tonight.

Right...

Packing

Yea... What packing? I haven't done a single thing yet. I've thought about a few things, like how I'm going to get some beer into Japan with me, where I'm going to stick all my cameras so they don't break, and if Lyle has and extra futon I can sleep on until I can get my stuff out of storage. I'm also thinking about if I want an isle or window seat (climbing over people, or having people climb over me). I think I might pick up one of those funky flying pillows that goes around your neck so I can get an isle seat and sleep.

Maybe I'll start going through stuff tonight.

Right...