ラス場所： Sumo Showdown in Vegas

Judging by the name of my blog you'd thunk I'd have at least one sumo post by now, but since we're in-between 場所 there really wasn't anything of note.

But....! Now all of the guys are in Las Vegas for an exhibition tourney and apparently whooping it up Vegas style in-between matches. You can see some decent pics

by clicking this link here.

Including, for some reason, tons of pictures of 琴欧州 (Koto'oushuu) and 白露山 (Hakurozan) fooling around in the pool. (Where's 露鵬 (Rohou)?)

Speaking of which... I was busy drooling over 琴欧州 in his cute little (actually probably not so little) Hawaiian print swim-trunks, when Erica burst my bubble by reminding me that we almost always see him wearing much less than trunks. Which is technically true I guess, but a mawashi's just not the same somehow.

I also love this pic of all of the rikishis sitting around playing blackjack, 普天王 (Futen'ou) looks pretty chuffed, I wonder if he just took 時津海 (Tokitsu'umi) to the bank? (That is 時津海 right?, I can only see the side of his head...)

And finally, a true shocker: Asa was apparently taken down by 栃東 (Tochiazuma) on day one... OMG!!!!

Review: Emma

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Title: Emma

Author: Jane Austen

Genre: Classics

Read: 7 Oct 2005





Comments: Here is, as I promised, my first review. (Although perhaps ramblings would be a more accurate description.)

Just finished reading 'Emma', and I quite enjoyed it. I find it difficult sometimes to accurately gauge the seriousness of various supposed breaches of propriety in these old novels though, since mores and customs have changed so much. The attention to various subtle distinctions in rank, and the absolute pride in snobbery and classism that everyone displays is also a bit jarring; and not really knowing very much about the period, (I find anyway) it's difficult to asses whether the author is in agreement with the sentiments of the characters or subtly parodying them.

Leaving that aside for the moment though; it was a very amusing and charming book and I particularly liked the long rambling speeches from Miss Bates, and the cheerful nastiness of Mrs. Elton, who was definitely a character everyone can love to hate.

Next on my list is 'The Intelligencer' (see below). I like to alternate classics with trash, as I think it gives a fuller appreciation of both.

Quote: "A young farmer, whether on horseback, or on foot, is the very last sort of person to raise my curiosity. The yeomanry are precisely the order of people with whom I feel I can have nothing to do. A degree or two lower, and a creditable appearence might interest me; I might hope to be useful to their families in some way or other. But a farmer can need none of my help, and is therefore in one sense as much above my notice as in every other he is below it."

Emma

Goog Niter!

P.S. re-edited to gel with my new format

Goog Niter

I am way too tired to write anything decent, but I should at least write something.

Tonight Erica and I met two cute English-speaking Japanese guys at the Tsutaya, and one weird yellow-shirted English-speaking dumpling. ??!!??

Oh, and we watched 'Chicago' and now I can't get 'All That Jazz' out of my head.

日本語のブロッグに挑戦！Let's Challenge!

初めての日本語でのブロッグに挑戦します！
Ok, I'm gonna try my first blog entry in Japanese!
トピックは。。。トピックは。。。
And the topic is... umm...
映画にしようかな？
How about movies?



おとつい、エリカちゃんとホラー映画のドーン・オブ・ザ・デッドを見た。普通はシュール系の映画が好きで、ホラーはあまり見へんけど、誰か（誰やったんやろ？）に勧められたから、ツタヤでブラブラしとって、たまたま見かけて、「まぁー見ようかな？」と思って、つい借りちゃったとの話。そして見たら、メッチャえぐかったけど、ユーモアもあったから、それなりに良かったかな。後は、主人公のビング•レームズがタフで格好良かった。

The day before yesterday Erica and I watched the horror movie 'Dawn of the Dead'. I usually prefer surreal type movies and I don't watch a whole lot of horror, but somebody (I forget who) recommended this to me, so when I happened to see it while wandering around in Tsutaya I picked it up. We watched it and it was pretty gross, but it also had some funny bits, and Ving Rhames was cool.

I am such a HUGE GEEK!

I spent the evening doing something I haven't done in almost 9 years... playing 'Magic: The Gathering'. I think I've finally crossed the line, I'm gonna have to sign up for my offical geek registration card now.

Oh, the shame!

(But I enjoyed every second of it.)

Colonel Mustard

I've been being so good this month and saving money, ($1000, Dad would be proud) but yesterday I went on a bit of a splurge in Sannomiya. I got a wonderfully awful yellow sweater, and (of course) some books from Tokyo Random Walk (the best English bookstore in the Kansai).
I got:
The Intelligencer, which is one of those 'literary thrillers'. I'm prepared to be disappointed, but I just can't help myself; I love these things even when they're really bad.
The Big Sleep, which should be a safe bet since it's a classic. Surprisingly enough I've never read any Chandler so I thought I'd pick it up while I'm on my classics binge.
Gifts by Ursula LeGuin, just because I love everything she's written, and it was ridiculously reasonably priced for an imported hardcover.
Nymphomation, I've never heard of the author (Jeff Noon) but the title caught my eye as did the fact that it's set in Manchester (maybe you should check it out John!)

I'm gonna be posting my reviews of things as I read them as well, so that's something to look forward to (or, for Kate, to avoid?).

Kate and Fat-top, Frank and Carpetta

Here is a picture of my beautiful nieces Claire: A.K.A Fat-top, Fat-sissy, and Claire-bear and Charlotte: A.K.A. Charlie and Carpetta. It's a bit old, but Kate has promised to send me some new pics of the girls so I should have them up soon.

Halloween Costume

I've decided this Halloween I'm going to go as Pippi Longstocking. I went to a few of the many socks-shops (We support your socks life!) in Kobe to find my 'longstockings' and got some pretty funky ones. I tried doing some pigtails too, but I think I'm gonna need to put some wires or something in 'em to get 'em to stick out. I wonder how they got Pippi's to stick out for the movie?

Census

Did everyone remember to fill out their census forms? Erica and I just did ours this morning. I don't know how the heck we're supposed to figure out how many 平方 meters our house is though... Also I was a little embarrassed that I neeeded to check up on a few kanji before I filled out my form...

クラゲ

Let's start this blog off right; with an inexplicable picture of a jellyfish!

PS- I lost the original jellyfish picture that was posted here and replaced it with another similar picture later

First Post

Hello everyone!