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Best Friends Ever?

Well, the softer dreamier photos got firm "no thank you", so we're back to reality. I've been living down here with Graham for three days now, and yet my photos have not caught up to me moving down yet. Tonight, we remedy the problem.

So, on my last night I indulged in a bit of food:


First, a hellaciously huge steak - the beef here is so marbled with fat, Kobe style, that if you just cook it a little, and eat it still pink in the middle, it practically melts in your mouth. This giant steak is probably a quarter of the size of a big steak back home - the whole thing is less than half an inch thick.

After that, a big chunk of watermelon. As I finished the watermelon, Mori, his sister, and Satoshi showed up at my house for the last night of hanging out at my place. Upon seeing the watermelon, they decreed it was "too big" and "gaijin style" (foreigner style). I beg to differ.



So with a pretty big amount of cleaning left to do, and not a huge amount of time, I set about hanging out with Mori and co., burning CDs, listening to music, talking and playing with Neko.



When I mentioned how much cleaning I had to do, they did a funny thing. We kept sitting around for a few more minutes, and then Mori sat up and said "Ok, we clean with you." And just like that, Mori went from relaxed cat-player to cleaning machine.


This is the last thing you see before your house is cleaned in a flash of brilliant light.


Satoshi washed the dishes, sink, and stove while Mori swept and Hiroko vacuumed the bedroom.



I did the toilet, the shower, and the bathroom. You didn't think I stood around taking pictures, did you?

Rather than the four hours I had assumed, we were done in one. At around 1am we finished up, wiped the last bit of dust off the top of the fridge, and regrouped in my room.


Mori - perpetually on three or four hours of sleep, up at 5am the next day to haul in the nets.

After cleaning, Mori and Hiroko wrote messages on the inside flaps of the last box I shipped home. I wonder if I'll still be able to read them in two months when the boxes come.




I am a model for a company that carries boxes, or at least I was for a few moments.

The next day I was at the Board of Education office, getting ready to go pick up Dave at the airport, and I had my camera, so I decided it was high time to take some pictures. It has gotten to the point where no one even notices if I am pointing my camera around anymore. It is wonderful.


Except for Graham. He hasn't quite figured it out yet.


Tabo-san, my excellent boss. Ex-boss now, I suppose.




Futami-san, suffering from a stomach ache.


Off on the ferry to get Dave.

From there on, the day was incredibly busy and significantly less fun the second time around. Getting someone a new bank account, translating paperwork, and giving up the keys to your apartment are all much less exciting after you've done it once. At least I don't have to do it a third time.

That said, good news on the "awesome things I buy" front. Today, the stationary shop got my new custom hanko delivered from the manufacturer. A hanko, or inkan is the Japanese version of a signature. Here you use a stamp, in any number of shapes or sizes - with your name written in it. I have a crummy little one that I got when I arrived, but I craved a good one. Now I have one, with case.


Yes!

So, that means from here on out (all of two posts, if that) I can sign my posts for real. The stamp says Benjamin Duchac no in (Benjamin Duchac's personal stamp). See you tomorrow, if I can make it.
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posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 4:11 AM

While Mori yawns, Neko prepares to attack his head.
F    



posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 2:20 AM

i like how neko is scoping out your steak. very sly.

sarah    



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