Kokochi

A moment that I observed

I was just emailing my parents, forwarding a link to an interesting NYT article that my friend Sean pointed out to me. It's about blogging and teenage culture, a very different blogging experience/culture from mine. But still, anything about blogging that can help my parents understand what I do and why I keep yapping about it, I send to them.

Then I noticed something and also wrote the following:

"Actually, Dav and I just got home. And right now, we're both logged onto our respective laptops; he's on the sofa, I'm at the dining table. He's fiddling with his new Mac (we'll get to you soon about the isight) and coding new stuff, while I've been online with email, reading articles, and checking blogs. The living room is silent except for music coming from Dav's laptop and clickings from each of our furious typing...and an occasional meow from Wakame. Yet this is so normal and I don't feel weird about this. What do you think?"

And then I noticed that I wouldn't have really observed that 'moment' without the act of typing to my parents. I had that NYT article on how the internet is becoming so intertwined with our 'real' lives fresh in my mind, and it was the thought process of composing to my parents (vs. calling or sitting around the table chatting) that brought the observation to me. So although I miss my parents dearly, it's also nice to share thoughts electronically. Dav and I certainly did that for a long long time and although it was hard, we shared so much that we may not have otherwise. Plus it's all recorded.

And anyway, this beats just sitting around watching the tele because I know that after I post this, and Dav finishes what he's doing, then we'll cuddle up and share what's going on in our minds : )

Hackers and dim sum

Transcription by Anonymous:
Dav goes to a hacker's Dim Sum to meet up with fellow programmers to share, uh, whatever they share. I'm here to, uh, chow down some good food. I don't understand much, but am excited (?) about a "cyber plant" that someone passed around. It's supposed to grow better on a computer... Hmmm. I hope I'll learn enough to someday be able to say something. Cool ideas being passed around though. [Drawing of plant]

Dilemma

Last night Dav and I headed out to a friend's party. As usual, considering SF's difficult parking situation, we took the motorcycle. Dav is an excellent driver...I've seen him avoid the mistakes of inattentive drivers and he knows how to handle the bike. I love riding with him. Well, not even a block from where we live, we collided with a car. It's this dangerous hill that we go up and can't see the other side. In what can't be described other than immaculate timing, just as we came over the hill, a car from the other side was turning into a parking spot and was in the middle of our lane. That's why Dav didn't see any headlights as a warning as we were coming over the hill. Luckily, we were going slow, but not slow enough to miss the car.

All I remember was seeing headlights at a strange place, thinking 'hmm, that's not right,' then that slow-motion memory of falling off the bike. I don't know exactly what happened, but the inside of my right leg got bruised. Dav's legs are bruised too. We pretty quickly realized nothing was broken. For me, it was more the shock of the whole thing.

Dav, if you wanna add your perspective, feel free to since I was in the back and missed seeing much.

To brighten things up though, the guy in the car was actually on his way to visit our housemate! Our housemate had been packing his car and heard the noise, came running up, and was like, 'hey, I know you!' After the police took reports and we gathered our stuff, we shook hands with the driver and all headed home. I guess that's one memorable way to meet someone.

OK, so here is my dilemma. I obviously wanna post about this. It's not everyday that I get to show off scratches and a broken motorbike. But then I'm thinking of my parents all the way over in Tokyo and no way to come over and be reassured that I'm OK. You know what I mean? I know they will see this post...So I wrote them their very own note.

Transcription by Shaun:
Dear Mom and Dad,

Dav and I are fine so don't worry. Dav is a really good motorcycle rider, and he is always careful. This time was just Bad Timing. :-( So, don't worry, OK? I know it's hard when I'm so far away but rest assured we're not being foolish. Now I sort of know how mom felt with a sore leg.

Shaun, excellent transation. Arigato!

And another dot connects

: )

Sorry to have kept you hanging. It's the third morning of work. I guess I really needed to let it sink in, eh? So, I'm working at Six Apart, the amazing company that brings us Movable Type! Funny thing is, I had actually met Ben and Mena Trott, the creators, back in Tokyo when I first started Tokyo Tidbits. It's cool that I can link back to that moment when I wrote, "Totally new world for me..."

Little did I know how many great people I'd meet through blogging, how I'd begin documenting my what I'm doing for the first time (it's sure handy when memory gets foggy), how I'd discover that I rather like putting a window to my life online, how I found a nice home for a lost kitten now named Tutu, how I blurted my feelings for Dav to the whole wide world by mistake, and most importantly, experienced firsthand how cool the internet and emerging technology is. I want to continue learning and I found a great place to do that in.

So I'm off to work - ittekimasu!

scenes from work

We just went to lunch...

I'm up early today.

I'm up early today. Having a nice big hot cup of tea (with milk and honey) in my favorite mug that I got in Okinawa. The cats are up too...Wakame sitting on the table, Katsuo by the floor close by. I feel like a kid on the first day of school. I've been able to sleep in ever since I moved to SF and it sure feels good to get an earlier start with the day. Cuz you know what? I'm going to work! : )

As promised earlier, I will give details. I think I need to wait until I actually sit at a desk and start working. This opportunity is so cool that I still can't believe it. You'll see why soon; it makes so much sense since I've already been kind of involved from way back in Tokyo.

Happy Monkey Year!

	Quicktime 6.5 Movie (.3gp) Download free player.

Transcription by Anonymous:
Happy New Year to everyone [heart] Thank you for being supportive and bringing blogging alive [flower] - uh, my humble attempt at a monkey! [monkey]

[kanji transcription:] �����܂��Ă��߂łƂ��������܂��B
���N�ǂ����낵�����肢���܂��B

I've been reading other blogs and feel like I should, like many others, somehow summarize my year and make some profound comment. I do enjoy New Year's as a time to acknowledge the passage of time. I reflect on 2003 and create hopes for 2004. But it's more of a blur or a vague fuzzy feeling...nothing I could satisfactorily put into writing.

However, in my fuzzy reflection, I do feel profoundly grateful. If I were in Tokyo, I'd visit the local shrine with my parents, ring the bell to make my mark, and clap my hands to the shrine and say, "thank you." Since I'm here, at home with Dav and the cats, I feel like saying thank you to ...hmm, how should I put it: you, the camera, air, cyberspace, the world? I dunno. I just feel like doing a little ritual and may as well share it with you.

In the video you probably can't hear very well. I'm saying (as far as I remember):

Akemashite Omedeto gozaimasu. Happy New Year. I hope you continue to enjoy Kokochi. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Thanks Dav for taking the pics and video!

a celebration

Transcription by Anonymous:
Hi :) I have some _good_ news that makes these holidays nice + merry now...Mmmm. I got a job! More details later, but I'm stunned cuz it really feals like some force smiled at me know what I mean? So, I took Dav out to one of my favorite eateries! TEKKA (on Balboa). It's the closest to a =real= Japanese place.

tis a chilly night

So I am taking a bubble bath to warm up. Got a ducky, colorful confetti, and bubbles galore thanks to a bath set my brother and his wife sent me for Christmas. Different sorta bath than in Japan, but very relaxing all the same.

sidewalk art from the Mission