Sunny, windy and cool.
Today was a good and bad day for me. I got up this morning, had a quick breakfast with my husband and then we drove back to the airport. We dropped off the car and I helped F do his baggage check in. He had a cup of coffee and then he went through security. I kept watch until he was safely through and out of sight. I was a little tearful, which surprised me as I'm not usually that emotional about things like this.
I went downstairs to meet Michelle. I had a glass of iced coffee which was terribly sweet. Very yuck. One thing that I really noticed this time in Canada is how difficult it is to find something to drink here. Everything either has sugar or sweetener or carbonation. It's so hard to find anything without. I can't say how much I miss my oolong tea.
I met up with Michelle and we set out. We went to Leduc first for cash and then headed out to the city. We had lunch at The Olive Garden and it was darn good. I haven't been there in at least 10 years. I had a wonderful dish of broccoli, chicken and mild sauce on pasta. Yum.
We went to South Edmonton Common and saw The Informant! with Matt Damon and Scott Bakula. It was a very enjoyable movie for me. It was nice to see a movie that I had to think through. Matt Damon was very good as always and it was interesting to see Scott Bakula again.
We did a few things after the movie. We went to Best Buy and I bought Persuasion, the old version that I love with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. I am looking forward to watching it. I'm hoping to show it to Katie soon. I'd like her to realize that there is more to life than Twilight! We also went to Costco and got Mick some things.
We drove back to Beaumont and had coffee in Tim Hortons, then she dropped me off at Van's. It was wonderful to see her again. We keep in touch throughout the year, but we rarely get to have facetime anymore.
The rest of the evening passed quietly at Van's. I played with Katie and Zach for a bit and then I had a late dinner. I probably wouldn't have bothered if it hadn't been for my medicine. Lunch was really filling!
I'm now downstairs watching Pirates of the Carribbean : At World's End. It isn't as good as the other movies, but it's okay. Orlando is nice eye candy.
Tomorrow I may go into Edmonton and do a bit of shopping. I do need to get a few new things for myself. I think it'll be a day in the mall by myself. That's kind of nice for a bit.
That's it for me. I'm going to channel surf a bit before bed. I might even get out my much delayed crochet, but I'm not really sure yet. Whatever I do, wish me luck! Night.
Showing posts with label Movies 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies 2009. Show all posts
August 8, 2009 - Saturday
Rainy at times, hot and sunny.
A good day. I got up this morning, showered, spent time on my computer, the usual. F took me out for breakfast and then dropped me at my school.
My first student came and went. Her progress is really making me happy.
After my first class I had an interview, so F came back to my school and we talked to the person. She's an interesting person, but there's just something I'm not sure about. I hope everything works out for the best.
F left and I had one more class. It went quite well.
When F picked me up again, we went out to the mall. We hit up KFC for some food. It was okay. Not great. While we were there I saw the husband of one of my ex-coworkers. He was with a woman...I think my ex-coworker, but I never actually saw her face. We haven't had much contact over the last couple of years and I'm fine with that. The phone is a two way instrument, as is email. Still, it was a bit strange knowing that they were out there.
We went to see G.I. Joe tonight. It was okay, not great, but not as terrible as it could have been either. The story was convoluted and the technology was big, but unlike Transformers, there were people underneath it all. Silly movie, good for people who want an action film and don't want to think much.
We came home via the grocery store and picked up something for a late dinner. We came home and ate, I watched Celebrity Apprentice tonight too. It was rather odd but I quite enjoyed it. I watched a few other things too.
Have no plans for tomorrow. Hubby isn't doing well these days, neck-wise, so we might stay close to home. Wish us luck with that! Night!
A good day. I got up this morning, showered, spent time on my computer, the usual. F took me out for breakfast and then dropped me at my school.
My first student came and went. Her progress is really making me happy.
After my first class I had an interview, so F came back to my school and we talked to the person. She's an interesting person, but there's just something I'm not sure about. I hope everything works out for the best.
F left and I had one more class. It went quite well.
When F picked me up again, we went out to the mall. We hit up KFC for some food. It was okay. Not great. While we were there I saw the husband of one of my ex-coworkers. He was with a woman...I think my ex-coworker, but I never actually saw her face. We haven't had much contact over the last couple of years and I'm fine with that. The phone is a two way instrument, as is email. Still, it was a bit strange knowing that they were out there.
We went to see G.I. Joe tonight. It was okay, not great, but not as terrible as it could have been either. The story was convoluted and the technology was big, but unlike Transformers, there were people underneath it all. Silly movie, good for people who want an action film and don't want to think much.
We came home via the grocery store and picked up something for a late dinner. We came home and ate, I watched Celebrity Apprentice tonight too. It was rather odd but I quite enjoyed it. I watched a few other things too.
Have no plans for tomorrow. Hubby isn't doing well these days, neck-wise, so we might stay close to home. Wish us luck with that! Night!
July 18, 2009 - Saturday
Rainy all day, clearing at night. Hot and humid.
Today didn't start that well. When I went to bed, F got up. I couldn't sleep for a bit, but found myself awake again at 7:30 am. I rolled over and slept on. I got up, showered and got ready for work. We had breakfast at Gusto and then I was dropped off at my school.
Work was fine today. I had 3 classes that surprisingly all went well. In the first one, I showed the mother a letter about getting new textbooks and she was all set to pay me today! I haven't ordered them yet, but it's nice to know she's okay with it. In my 2nd class, the student was hungry so I fed her some cookies. We had quite a good class, one that was a little challenging for her. My last class was fun too. We talked about our homes and what our kitchens were like. In the middle today, I read 2 newspapers, did paperwork, prepped for Tuesday and later today and even took a nap at my desk.
After work F picked me up and we went to the mall. We had a quick and okay dinner at one of the mall places and then tore upstairs to the theater. He bought tickets while I got into line for the popcorn. We made it! The movie was long, but it was good. It was sad that a lot of the details were cut from the movie, but overall, I really enjoyed it. There was a lot of teenage angst in the film too, which was quite good, and a nice relief from all the seriousness of the plot. Oh, and in case it was too difficult to figure out the movie, it was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
When the movie let out, we came back to Tsuruoka and went to Cocos. We both had curry tonight. I don't usually have curry as it's served with rice but I decided what the heck. It was good, but a bit hot for me. I don't like too spicy food.
We came home and I watched House and then a British comedy show on WOWOW. It's very funny, but sometimes a bit shocking.
And that was my day. It's very hot and humid in my little corner of the living room so I think I'll move out of here and go to bed. My side of the bed is just under the window so I usually get a little breeze. Yay. Can't wait!
Night.
Today didn't start that well. When I went to bed, F got up. I couldn't sleep for a bit, but found myself awake again at 7:30 am. I rolled over and slept on. I got up, showered and got ready for work. We had breakfast at Gusto and then I was dropped off at my school.
Work was fine today. I had 3 classes that surprisingly all went well. In the first one, I showed the mother a letter about getting new textbooks and she was all set to pay me today! I haven't ordered them yet, but it's nice to know she's okay with it. In my 2nd class, the student was hungry so I fed her some cookies. We had quite a good class, one that was a little challenging for her. My last class was fun too. We talked about our homes and what our kitchens were like. In the middle today, I read 2 newspapers, did paperwork, prepped for Tuesday and later today and even took a nap at my desk.
After work F picked me up and we went to the mall. We had a quick and okay dinner at one of the mall places and then tore upstairs to the theater. He bought tickets while I got into line for the popcorn. We made it! The movie was long, but it was good. It was sad that a lot of the details were cut from the movie, but overall, I really enjoyed it. There was a lot of teenage angst in the film too, which was quite good, and a nice relief from all the seriousness of the plot. Oh, and in case it was too difficult to figure out the movie, it was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
When the movie let out, we came back to Tsuruoka and went to Cocos. We both had curry tonight. I don't usually have curry as it's served with rice but I decided what the heck. It was good, but a bit hot for me. I don't like too spicy food.
We came home and I watched House and then a British comedy show on WOWOW. It's very funny, but sometimes a bit shocking.
And that was my day. It's very hot and humid in my little corner of the living room so I think I'll move out of here and go to bed. My side of the bed is just under the window so I usually get a little breeze. Yay. Can't wait!
Night.
May 3, 2009 - Sunday
Hazy and hot, no rain.
Well, we had a great weekend. We went to Sakata last night after spending a good day together. The party was fun, and we had a great time with our friends and their other guests. I saw a lot of my old students, including a couple that I hadn't seen in years.
We came back to the hotel room after the party. There weren't any second parties going on, so Fumihiko had another drink and I did some crochet. Such an exciting couple we are! I also watched Heroes which was fun.
This morning we had breakfast then came back to the room and had a nap. It was hard to get up afterwards though. We checked out and went to Hiyoriyama Park. It wasn't my idea. I didn't really want to go, but it was mostly okay. We walked through the park and then came upon a famous building. (See entry below this one.) It was used as the office in the film Okuribito (Departures) or as I like to call it, "The film that won the Oscar but doesn't have English subtitles." We took a guided tour (probably just for me as I don't speak Japanese) and it was quite interesting. I really DO want to see the movie now. We walked back to the car. I had told Fumihiko when we first got to the park that I didn't want to be outside long as I didn't have a sunhat, sunscreen and after 4 months of winter, no tolerance of the sun. It was between 11 and 12 when we were out. Not good for any sane pale person to be out.
We did a bit of shopping at Yamaya in Sakata afterwards, then tried to find a restaurant for lunch. Fumihiko's choice was packed, so I suggested a kaitensushi place that we don't have in Tsuruoka and I've always wanted to try. It was called Kappa-sushi. It was okay. It was one of the really modern conveyor belt/high tech places. You could either take food off the belt, or you could order it from a touch screen above our seats. The ordered sushi was delivered by a "shinkansen" train on a second belt. It was a neat idea really. All the plates of sushi cost 100 yen, so if it was an expensive type of fish you might just get one piece. I tried a few interesting types, avocado and shrimp...good, but more avocado please, and salmon and cheese. That was nice too. The cheese must have been cream cheese. Afterwards, I said to Fumihiko that it was a good place for families because a lot of different foods were on offer, and the tech toys made it fun, but, the sushi wasn't as good as our usual place. I'd also take a first time sushi tryer there as it has such a range of dishes. If they hated sushi they could still eat something.
We came home after lunch. I conked out for a couple of hours, and woke up just before 6. We decided to have dinner at Jiro and then go out to the mall. We did that.
Tonight at the mall we saw Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. It was really good. There are lots of interesting touches in the film. I like how he has a relationship with the priest...so many movies have a priest character as just that, a character....usually a jolly older man who quotes a few platitudes and then is never heard from again. Not his guy. As there was also an important priest character in Million Dollar Baby I can't help wondering if this is a motif that he likes. Fumihiko and I were talking about the movie for quite a while afterwards.
We stopped at Mosburgers for shakes (I needed ice cream and that was the closest they had), then watched a very little TV at home. We're winding down for the evening.
AND...when I went to the ladies room before the movie my neckline of my shirt slipped a little and I was horrified to see that I did in fact get sunburnt today. Ack. I was a bit worried earlier, but thought I was okay. I showed Fumihiko and he was a bit shocked. I think he thought I was wussing out on him at the park today when I said I shouldn't be out, but I wasn't really.
Anyway, that's it for me for today. Hopefully I'll be able to update tomorrow night, but you never know. Bye!
Well, we had a great weekend. We went to Sakata last night after spending a good day together. The party was fun, and we had a great time with our friends and their other guests. I saw a lot of my old students, including a couple that I hadn't seen in years.
We came back to the hotel room after the party. There weren't any second parties going on, so Fumihiko had another drink and I did some crochet. Such an exciting couple we are! I also watched Heroes which was fun.
This morning we had breakfast then came back to the room and had a nap. It was hard to get up afterwards though. We checked out and went to Hiyoriyama Park. It wasn't my idea. I didn't really want to go, but it was mostly okay. We walked through the park and then came upon a famous building. (See entry below this one.) It was used as the office in the film Okuribito (Departures) or as I like to call it, "The film that won the Oscar but doesn't have English subtitles." We took a guided tour (probably just for me as I don't speak Japanese) and it was quite interesting. I really DO want to see the movie now. We walked back to the car. I had told Fumihiko when we first got to the park that I didn't want to be outside long as I didn't have a sunhat, sunscreen and after 4 months of winter, no tolerance of the sun. It was between 11 and 12 when we were out. Not good for any sane pale person to be out.
We did a bit of shopping at Yamaya in Sakata afterwards, then tried to find a restaurant for lunch. Fumihiko's choice was packed, so I suggested a kaitensushi place that we don't have in Tsuruoka and I've always wanted to try. It was called Kappa-sushi. It was okay. It was one of the really modern conveyor belt/high tech places. You could either take food off the belt, or you could order it from a touch screen above our seats. The ordered sushi was delivered by a "shinkansen" train on a second belt. It was a neat idea really. All the plates of sushi cost 100 yen, so if it was an expensive type of fish you might just get one piece. I tried a few interesting types, avocado and shrimp...good, but more avocado please, and salmon and cheese. That was nice too. The cheese must have been cream cheese. Afterwards, I said to Fumihiko that it was a good place for families because a lot of different foods were on offer, and the tech toys made it fun, but, the sushi wasn't as good as our usual place. I'd also take a first time sushi tryer there as it has such a range of dishes. If they hated sushi they could still eat something.
We came home after lunch. I conked out for a couple of hours, and woke up just before 6. We decided to have dinner at Jiro and then go out to the mall. We did that.
Tonight at the mall we saw Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. It was really good. There are lots of interesting touches in the film. I like how he has a relationship with the priest...so many movies have a priest character as just that, a character....usually a jolly older man who quotes a few platitudes and then is never heard from again. Not his guy. As there was also an important priest character in Million Dollar Baby I can't help wondering if this is a motif that he likes. Fumihiko and I were talking about the movie for quite a while afterwards.
We stopped at Mosburgers for shakes (I needed ice cream and that was the closest they had), then watched a very little TV at home. We're winding down for the evening.
AND...when I went to the ladies room before the movie my neckline of my shirt slipped a little and I was horrified to see that I did in fact get sunburnt today. Ack. I was a bit worried earlier, but thought I was okay. I showed Fumihiko and he was a bit shocked. I think he thought I was wussing out on him at the park today when I said I shouldn't be out, but I wasn't really.
Anyway, that's it for me for today. Hopefully I'll be able to update tomorrow night, but you never know. Bye!
Recognize this Building?
It's an old building that was used in the making of Okuribito. (Departures in English.) The film won Japan's first Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film earlier this year.
April 25, 2009 - Saturday
Rainy and cold, clearing later at night.
A good day. I got up quite early this morning and showered, then came back and watched Criminal Minds. It was rather good today. A little after 11 Fumihiko and I left and we went first to a convenience store and then to Gusto for breakfast. Fumihiko dropped me off at my school and I got to work.
I had a big break in the middle of my classes today, 4 hours, but I had brought my laptop to the school so that I could work on my movie column. I did all my paperwork first, then had a lunch break and then did my column. I'll re-read it tomorrow and hopefully it'll be fine. I'll likely tweak a bit more before I'm done.
With all of my writing and non-work things, I almost forgot about my other class! I realized time was getting short when I had 20 minutes left. I had to hustle. Still, that class was good too, so I was happy.
I finished up quickly and then Fumihiko picked me up. We dropped off my laptop at home and then went to the mall. We wanted to see a movie. We looked at the times when we got there and we had either 30 minutes or 40 minutes to get something to eat. We got the same thing, yakisoba and okonomiyaki and had a fast dinner. It meant that we were able to go to the movie that started earlier, Burn After Reading. It was typical Coen Brothers in that it melded comedy and pathos. Fumihiko was laughing out loud as much as I was, and after we dissected the movie a bit. I really liked it.
We came home via McDonalds for a quick bite, then watched Private Practice on the TV. It was good. I watched a few other things tonight too, especially Heroes and then the end of Singles.
I'm off to bed now as I'm really quite tired. Tomorrow, I'm not sure what we're going to do. I hope to take it easy a bit. Night!
A good day. I got up quite early this morning and showered, then came back and watched Criminal Minds. It was rather good today. A little after 11 Fumihiko and I left and we went first to a convenience store and then to Gusto for breakfast. Fumihiko dropped me off at my school and I got to work.
I had a big break in the middle of my classes today, 4 hours, but I had brought my laptop to the school so that I could work on my movie column. I did all my paperwork first, then had a lunch break and then did my column. I'll re-read it tomorrow and hopefully it'll be fine. I'll likely tweak a bit more before I'm done.
With all of my writing and non-work things, I almost forgot about my other class! I realized time was getting short when I had 20 minutes left. I had to hustle. Still, that class was good too, so I was happy.
I finished up quickly and then Fumihiko picked me up. We dropped off my laptop at home and then went to the mall. We wanted to see a movie. We looked at the times when we got there and we had either 30 minutes or 40 minutes to get something to eat. We got the same thing, yakisoba and okonomiyaki and had a fast dinner. It meant that we were able to go to the movie that started earlier, Burn After Reading. It was typical Coen Brothers in that it melded comedy and pathos. Fumihiko was laughing out loud as much as I was, and after we dissected the movie a bit. I really liked it.
We came home via McDonalds for a quick bite, then watched Private Practice on the TV. It was good. I watched a few other things tonight too, especially Heroes and then the end of Singles.
I'm off to bed now as I'm really quite tired. Tomorrow, I'm not sure what we're going to do. I hope to take it easy a bit. Night!
Re: Departures/Okuribito
A few days ago I mentioned that I wrote to the distribution company of Okuribito, the film that won the Academy Award this year for Best Foreign Language Film. I asked them if they would release the DVD with English subtitles on it. I got a response, but not the one that I was hoping for. Too bad. I'll have to buy this DVD from Canada when/if it is released. Sigh.
Still, the company did respond to me, so I give them credit for that.
Dear {redacted--Me}
This is the customer support for Amuse Soft Entertainment Company.
Thank you for your interest in "Departures".
Unfortunately, we're not planning to release the DVD with English subtitles.
Actually our contractual right is to only sell this DVD in this country
(coded NTSC region ♯2), we are so sorry that we don't have the right to
decide any specifications of this DVD.
We appreciate your understanding.
Best Regards,
Amuse Soft Entertainment Customer Support
{redacted} Name of person in company
Still, the company did respond to me, so I give them credit for that.
Dear {redacted--Me}
This is the customer support for Amuse Soft Entertainment Company.
Thank you for your interest in "Departures".
Unfortunately, we're not planning to release the DVD with English subtitles.
Actually our contractual right is to only sell this DVD in this country
(coded NTSC region ♯2), we are so sorry that we don't have the right to
decide any specifications of this DVD.
We appreciate your understanding.
Best Regards,
Amuse Soft Entertainment Customer Support
{redacted} Name of person in company
March 21, 2009 - Saturday
Sunny and warm.
A mostly good day today. I went to work in the early afternoon, then went out with my husband for coffee at Mr. Donuts. I promptly spilled most of it all over the table, myself and the floor. Ack. Can't take me anywhere.
In the evening we planned to go out and see a movie. We watched Die Hard with Vengence (aka the third one) on TV first and it was fun. However, after it finished, Fumihiko discovered boxing on TV. Bleck. He wouldn't leave until it was over.
We had dinner at a soba shop and then headed out to the mall to see Valkyrie, the latest Tom Cruise movie. I rather liked it. Because the majority of actors were British, the acting was good. It was a bit of a downer over all, but quite interesting.
We came home via a convenience store for some ice cream, then watched Private Practice. After that, it was time for Project Runway. Today the challenge was to make costumes for female professional wrestlers. It was silly and also fun.
After a bit of channel surfing and Ugly Betty, Fumihiko discovered that season 2 of Heroes is on Yamagata TV. ACK. I know this is the "bad" season, but I'd still like to watch it. Today we just caught the last five minutes.
And that's it. I'm yawning at my keyboard and it is way past time for bed. Catch you tomorrow! Night.
A mostly good day today. I went to work in the early afternoon, then went out with my husband for coffee at Mr. Donuts. I promptly spilled most of it all over the table, myself and the floor. Ack. Can't take me anywhere.
In the evening we planned to go out and see a movie. We watched Die Hard with Vengence (aka the third one) on TV first and it was fun. However, after it finished, Fumihiko discovered boxing on TV. Bleck. He wouldn't leave until it was over.
We had dinner at a soba shop and then headed out to the mall to see Valkyrie, the latest Tom Cruise movie. I rather liked it. Because the majority of actors were British, the acting was good. It was a bit of a downer over all, but quite interesting.
We came home via a convenience store for some ice cream, then watched Private Practice. After that, it was time for Project Runway. Today the challenge was to make costumes for female professional wrestlers. It was silly and also fun.
After a bit of channel surfing and Ugly Betty, Fumihiko discovered that season 2 of Heroes is on Yamagata TV. ACK. I know this is the "bad" season, but I'd still like to watch it. Today we just caught the last five minutes.
And that's it. I'm yawning at my keyboard and it is way past time for bed. Catch you tomorrow! Night.
March 20, 2009 - Friday
Colder, but clear and sunny.
I stayed up late last night, but I went to bed before my husband! I couldn't get him to wake up enough to go to bed, so I just left him on the couch.
I slept in this morning while Fumihiko took his mum off to the temple/shrine/whatever it is. I did manage to get up while he was gone, but napped on the couch. I missed the early news, so I watched it at noon. They cut it off. I really hate how NHK edits it, and then cuts it off so we can see a film of the Grand Canyon or something.
Fumihiko had seen a new restaurant when he was out with his mum so he wanted to try it out. We got there, but it was crowded. They took our number and would call when we could get a table. They called back a few minutes later and we went back to the restaurant. We had a very nice meal. We had grilled chicken with Japanese sauce (it was a little spicy, nice!), salad, soup and ratatouille, with a tiny bit of blancmange and coffee for dessert. The price was quite reasonable too. It was their first day of being open, so it looks like they might be a good place to keep in mind.
After lunch I wanted to go home and check the movie schedule, but Fumihiko just wanted to go to the mall. So, we did that. We found that a movie I wanted to see was on in 5 minutes, but I said pass. I didn't feel like rushing to get tickets, popcorn and drinks, and go to the toilet in five minutes. I hate missing part of the film too, so I think it was better not to go. We had some tea or hot chocolate in Seattle's then went off to the Across Plaza. We walked through one store and then looked through the bookstore. I nearly bought something there, but decided not to.
We headed back to the mall, got a great parking space, and then had a quick dinner at one of the mall places. Mine was fine. Fumihiko always expects too much and is disappointed!
We went to see Australia. It was okay. Hugh Jackman was great, Nicole was fine, but overall, I'm not sure I liked it. I did enjoy playing "Who was in Strictly Ballroom ?" though. I hoped Paul Mercurio would show up somewhere, but he didn't. Sigh.
After the movie we couldn't decide what to do, so we came back to Tsuruoka and went to my school to set the heater for the morning. I hadn't planned to, but today was a bit colder than the last couple of days. When we couldn't agree on a restaurant, we went to the grocery store and picked up a a few things. We came home and ate in front of the TV. I reheated some of the veggies from last night, so we did rather well. I was also happy to use up some of the food anyway.
Fumihiko put on some awful TV and was a bit peeved at me when I asked if it was the news, so I put on my headphones and tuned it all out. I have days where if I hear one more word in Japanese I'm sure I'll scream. Today was one of those days.
Anyway, things are fine. I felt much better after listening to some pop music. He's gone off to bed, and I'm blogging earlier than usual so I can get some sleep too! I have to work tomorrow afternoon.
*********************
Just wanted to post that today we asked about at a store if the DVD of Okuribito (Departures) had English subtitles. It doesn't. Now, let me get this straight, the film wins the Academy Award for best Foreign Language Film and it DOESN'T have subtitles available? Tasagare Seibei which was nominated (but didn't win sadly) was released with English subtitles. Japanese logic rules again.
Rather than just vent about it tonight though, I fired off an email to the company. I have no idea if they'll answer or just ignore my email, but thought it was worth a shot. The DVD isn't out at Amazon in the US yet. Worst case scenario, I'll pick it up next time I'm home, but really, should I have to?
Night.
I stayed up late last night, but I went to bed before my husband! I couldn't get him to wake up enough to go to bed, so I just left him on the couch.
I slept in this morning while Fumihiko took his mum off to the temple/shrine/whatever it is. I did manage to get up while he was gone, but napped on the couch. I missed the early news, so I watched it at noon. They cut it off. I really hate how NHK edits it, and then cuts it off so we can see a film of the Grand Canyon or something.
Fumihiko had seen a new restaurant when he was out with his mum so he wanted to try it out. We got there, but it was crowded. They took our number and would call when we could get a table. They called back a few minutes later and we went back to the restaurant. We had a very nice meal. We had grilled chicken with Japanese sauce (it was a little spicy, nice!), salad, soup and ratatouille, with a tiny bit of blancmange and coffee for dessert. The price was quite reasonable too. It was their first day of being open, so it looks like they might be a good place to keep in mind.
After lunch I wanted to go home and check the movie schedule, but Fumihiko just wanted to go to the mall. So, we did that. We found that a movie I wanted to see was on in 5 minutes, but I said pass. I didn't feel like rushing to get tickets, popcorn and drinks, and go to the toilet in five minutes. I hate missing part of the film too, so I think it was better not to go. We had some tea or hot chocolate in Seattle's then went off to the Across Plaza. We walked through one store and then looked through the bookstore. I nearly bought something there, but decided not to.
We headed back to the mall, got a great parking space, and then had a quick dinner at one of the mall places. Mine was fine. Fumihiko always expects too much and is disappointed!
We went to see Australia. It was okay. Hugh Jackman was great, Nicole was fine, but overall, I'm not sure I liked it. I did enjoy playing "Who was in Strictly Ballroom ?" though. I hoped Paul Mercurio would show up somewhere, but he didn't. Sigh.
After the movie we couldn't decide what to do, so we came back to Tsuruoka and went to my school to set the heater for the morning. I hadn't planned to, but today was a bit colder than the last couple of days. When we couldn't agree on a restaurant, we went to the grocery store and picked up a a few things. We came home and ate in front of the TV. I reheated some of the veggies from last night, so we did rather well. I was also happy to use up some of the food anyway.
Fumihiko put on some awful TV and was a bit peeved at me when I asked if it was the news, so I put on my headphones and tuned it all out. I have days where if I hear one more word in Japanese I'm sure I'll scream. Today was one of those days.
Anyway, things are fine. I felt much better after listening to some pop music. He's gone off to bed, and I'm blogging earlier than usual so I can get some sleep too! I have to work tomorrow afternoon.
*********************
Just wanted to post that today we asked about at a store if the DVD of Okuribito (Departures) had English subtitles. It doesn't. Now, let me get this straight, the film wins the Academy Award for best Foreign Language Film and it DOESN'T have subtitles available? Tasagare Seibei which was nominated (but didn't win sadly) was released with English subtitles. Japanese logic rules again.
Rather than just vent about it tonight though, I fired off an email to the company. I have no idea if they'll answer or just ignore my email, but thought it was worth a shot. The DVD isn't out at Amazon in the US yet. Worst case scenario, I'll pick it up next time I'm home, but really, should I have to?
Night.
February 25, 2009 - Wednesday
Rainy.
Today was an odd day really. I got up to find Fumihiko sitting in the dark in the living room, using his computer. I wasn't a happy camper and told him I wasn't going to go to the doctor. I really did feel much better. He got angry but after a few minutes we both calmed down and decided to go! I showered first then off we went.
I was able to see the doctor after only a little bit, so we were rather glad. I got more pain killers, but managed to talk him out of the other stuff. I still had two packets of "shippu" so I didn't need more, and some of the stuff he gave me from before I didn't use at all, so...
We went and had lunch at Jiro. I had chicken and Fumihiko had a lunch special. We both enjoyed them. We then went home briefly, then headed off to the school. The prospective student arrived on time and we had a good chat. She's going to come and study with me. I'm rather pleased about that. However, her schedule will be quite changeable.
After we left the school, we went to Tsuruoka park to make our Hatsumode. I know it was a bit late, but today was the anniversary of my mother's death, and the anniversary of Fumihiko's father's death was only a couple of days ago. It was nice. The weather was bad so we had the shrine to ourselves. I was impressed because they had a card at the shrine on how to pray in English, Korean and Japanese.
We drove out to the Mikawa mall after this and checked the movie's schedule. There were two possibilities, the new Will Smith one, or Changeling, the Angelina Jolie movie. We decided to see the latter, but it didn't start for a while. We had some coffee, then went for bibinba! It was good. I haven't had any for years since I stopped eating rice. It was spicy and hot in temperature so it took a while to eat it!
We went into the theater just at the time of the film, got our drinks and found our seats. The movie was really good. It was almost unbelievable how they wouldn't believe the mother when she said that it wasn't her son. And of course, it's hard to believe in this day and age of CSI that the police wouldn't have done any kind of checking.
After the film, we sat and talked about it for a minute, then went to the bakery to get some nice bread. We drove back to Tsuruoka, back to my school so I could set the heater for tomorrow's class. It only has a 24 hour timer, so I couldn't do it earlier.
We bought some groceries for tonight's dinner and also for tomorrow night's then came home. Fumihiko put on something on the TV that looked horrible (woman in hospital, screaming and crying...yuck) so I looked up the telly and found that Sleepy Hollow was on. I made him switch to that, and we both enjoyed it. It wasn't the best idea to watch it while we were eating as there were a few gross scenes, but it was okay. I think Fumihiko liked it.
He went to sleep around midnight, and I'm here at my computer again, thinking about the rest of my week. It's going to be busy.
Anyway, that's it for me for today. It wasn't a bad day at all, and except for the rocky beginning, it was rather nice to spend with my husband.
Night.
Today was an odd day really. I got up to find Fumihiko sitting in the dark in the living room, using his computer. I wasn't a happy camper and told him I wasn't going to go to the doctor. I really did feel much better. He got angry but after a few minutes we both calmed down and decided to go! I showered first then off we went.
I was able to see the doctor after only a little bit, so we were rather glad. I got more pain killers, but managed to talk him out of the other stuff. I still had two packets of "shippu" so I didn't need more, and some of the stuff he gave me from before I didn't use at all, so...
We went and had lunch at Jiro. I had chicken and Fumihiko had a lunch special. We both enjoyed them. We then went home briefly, then headed off to the school. The prospective student arrived on time and we had a good chat. She's going to come and study with me. I'm rather pleased about that. However, her schedule will be quite changeable.
After we left the school, we went to Tsuruoka park to make our Hatsumode. I know it was a bit late, but today was the anniversary of my mother's death, and the anniversary of Fumihiko's father's death was only a couple of days ago. It was nice. The weather was bad so we had the shrine to ourselves. I was impressed because they had a card at the shrine on how to pray in English, Korean and Japanese.
We drove out to the Mikawa mall after this and checked the movie's schedule. There were two possibilities, the new Will Smith one, or Changeling, the Angelina Jolie movie. We decided to see the latter, but it didn't start for a while. We had some coffee, then went for bibinba! It was good. I haven't had any for years since I stopped eating rice. It was spicy and hot in temperature so it took a while to eat it!
We went into the theater just at the time of the film, got our drinks and found our seats. The movie was really good. It was almost unbelievable how they wouldn't believe the mother when she said that it wasn't her son. And of course, it's hard to believe in this day and age of CSI that the police wouldn't have done any kind of checking.
After the film, we sat and talked about it for a minute, then went to the bakery to get some nice bread. We drove back to Tsuruoka, back to my school so I could set the heater for tomorrow's class. It only has a 24 hour timer, so I couldn't do it earlier.
We bought some groceries for tonight's dinner and also for tomorrow night's then came home. Fumihiko put on something on the TV that looked horrible (woman in hospital, screaming and crying...yuck) so I looked up the telly and found that Sleepy Hollow was on. I made him switch to that, and we both enjoyed it. It wasn't the best idea to watch it while we were eating as there were a few gross scenes, but it was okay. I think Fumihiko liked it.
He went to sleep around midnight, and I'm here at my computer again, thinking about the rest of my week. It's going to be busy.
Anyway, that's it for me for today. It wasn't a bad day at all, and except for the rocky beginning, it was rather nice to spend with my husband.
Night.
February 14, 2009 - Saturday
Rainy in the morning, clear at night.
A good day today. I got up, watched the news, then Criminal Minds before work.
Fumihiko dropped me off at work and then I got busy. I thought I had three classes, but one of them cancelled. I did my prep, got ready and then I taught! In my spare time I prepped other lessons and read the newspaper. At 5:30 I called Fumihiko and he came to get me.
We went over to Mikawa mall to see a movie. We decided that we'd see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It was really good. Brad Pitt was gorgeous and the story was sad and yet happy as well.
After the movie we came home via the grocery store. We watched both Grey's Anatomy and Project Runway together so that was nice.
It was a good day today. Let's hope that tomorrow is a good day too. Night night!
A good day today. I got up, watched the news, then Criminal Minds before work.
Fumihiko dropped me off at work and then I got busy. I thought I had three classes, but one of them cancelled. I did my prep, got ready and then I taught! In my spare time I prepped other lessons and read the newspaper. At 5:30 I called Fumihiko and he came to get me.
We went over to Mikawa mall to see a movie. We decided that we'd see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It was really good. Brad Pitt was gorgeous and the story was sad and yet happy as well.
After the movie we came home via the grocery store. We watched both Grey's Anatomy and Project Runway together so that was nice.
It was a good day today. Let's hope that tomorrow is a good day too. Night night!
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