had an excellent day at work. The first seminar was superb; the doctor showed in detail movies about an eye-related illness and cutting into the eyball to repair the damage! Wow!!! The second doctor talked about immunology... and suddenly I was very sleepy. All in all, it was OK. I ate three obentos so was happy. Cooking dinner now.

My "Train Girl" got on the same train again this morning. She met my eyes, we smiled, said hi. Then when we got off at the same station, she hung back and we chatted all the way to her next train. I wanted her name, so I gave her mine. And wouldn't you know it, it starts with an M: Megumi. So now we have: Mayu, Maya, Masami, Miyuki, Megumi, Kyoko, Kanna, Kayo. That is pretty darn cool.

We Are The World (for Haiti) - YouTube Version

Holy Fuck, this makes my skin go all goosebumpy! Wow!!

I prefer the YouTube version to the "official version", because it's made by ordinary people like you and me.

 

Sent Maya a kmail from Kobuchizawa to see if she was free to meet me for coffee @ Starbucks Southern Terrace... and she came out! We had a good hour long chat. It was good to chat with her again after a couple of weeks. We talked about ballet, physics, perfumes, novels, crowded trains and the like. An enjoyable exchange for giving up my bath time at the gym. Heading home now.

A Tropical Getaway? That's Complete Bull!

Tonight I decided to skip my 693katsu dinner (tonkatsu=pork cutlets) after my workout and bat, come back to my station, Shinozaki, and eat at the Cheap Chinese Chain Choint above McDonalds.

Well it is fairly obvious I didn't make it to Bamiyan, by the photo you WILL see on your monitor. After all, what kind of host would I be if I ignored the latest guestburger, arriving today all the way from... you guessed it: Hawaii!

This burger has an interesting flavour that I cannot quite place. Egg-on-face (of burger) is nothing new to this seasoned burger/deli afficionado. But the sauce... it leaves one pondering life with the eyeballs up and to the left in the eyesockets.

Slightly but not at all coyingly sweet it left me thinking deeply about the foods and wondering exactly what the connection is. Just because the flavour is subtle and unknown to me does not mean there is a connection. I mean one might expect slices of pineapple or poi or even dolphin perhaps, in between the patties, but one would be mistaken.

I look forward to getting Matt's take on this mysterious proteinaceous neo-bovine guestburger and hope that he might perchance be able to shed some light on this burger's unplaceable gustatory sensation.

I McLove You!
(OK Sis, give it to me...)

Cam Gib Eht

Quit Yer Wining!

Ah.... you gotta love those snobby French who will go to no ends to destroy their good name!

Do you like Pinot Noir? Have you ever enjoyed the brand, Red Bicyclette? If so, what do you think?

Here is what the law in France thinks about Red Bicyclette sold in the USA by E. & J. Gallo...

***************

Feb 17 2010 5:14pm EDT
A Note of Fraud, With a Sour Aftertaste
The outrage.

French authorities have cracked down on 12 wine producers and traders who pulled the old switcheroo on American wine company E. & J. Gallo, labeling the local swill as 18 million bottles of pinot noir, a more expensive varietal. The BBC said a judge said the group had repeatedly and deliberately misidentified the wine, which was sold in the U.S. under the Red Bicyclette label.

Authorities became suspicious because the volume of the groups sold as pinot noir exceeded the pinot noir output of the Langedoc region. Some producers who participated in the scam weren't even pinot producers. Their defense: They substituted wine with pinot-like properties.

The judge in Carcassonne, in the southwest of France, handed down suspended prison sentences and issued fines ranging from $1,500 to $247,050. He said the scam had severely damaged the reputation of the Langedoc region.

That may be true, but no one in the U.S. seemed to notice. There were no complaints from consumers of Red Bicyclette, a popular U.S. brand.

The Best "Cuppa" in the Multiverse (Blog Version)

Sorry to repeat myself here, but the blog I posted through my keitai with phoos showed up in the photo section, not the blog section. Well! Now I know if I want to post a BLOG from my keitai, NOT to add photos!

So here it is once again in case you missed it or care to read it again, in slightly larger font.

It was a good "timing experience". This took exactly the length of time from my station to Shinjuku station, or 35 minutes of continual thumbing. Now I know how much longer it takes to write blogs of substance on my keitai! Thanks, Universe!!

And yes, I love you! - Cam

P.S. Hi Abby! You kinda inspired me with your comment to me in your blog...

***************************************

I'm on the train to Shinjuku early today to meet Mayu for coffee before heading to Kobuchizawa.

Yesterday was a great day. Why? Because it WAS. A continuous string of NOW moments that were enjoyable, Fun, challenging, chilly, hot, tasty, delightful, thought provoking, educational, and full of love, appreciation and gratitude for my friends, my family, my loves, my surroundings, the weather, and especially The Universe!

Valentine's Day doesnt have to be one of "those days" where we look upon it as a marketer's dream/ploy but a person's nightmare (overexaggeration but we all know what I mean). It can be a day like any other day in which we greet life with our arms spread wide in love and appreciation of everything around us. It can be what we make it to be. It can be fun whether single, or involved with someone, whether childless or blessed with progeny, whether with or without our pets, whether busy or bored, whether harried or relaxed, whether "in love" or not.

As I always try to do, the day can be as wonderful or as miseable or as ordinary as we choose to make it.

.... as WE CHOOSE to make it.

Just like every other day.

Yesterday I spent a great day wit Masami, but not because it was VDay. It was great because I was loving and enjoying every NOW moment (even when I bit my tongue and made it bleed then laughed at my lack of dexterity).

We choose.

WE.

Choose.

But still... even if we forget the marketing day as I did (I didnt evev think about VDay until I got home and Masami kmailed me to thank me for a great Valentine's Day!!!) we can still use this day as a MARKER, a physical reminder in our busy, hectic life, a day that is written on calendars, in our journals, blogged about, talked about, cherished and reviled... we can mrk this day as a day to offer immense amounts of love, appreciation, thanks and Gratitude to The Universe. For the Universe, unlike a cup of coffee, will never let us down, will never be watered down, will always be hot&spicy, forever a surprise and most of all a delicious learning experience. The Coffee depends upon the "barista", an outside, uncontrollable, external source of pleasure or disappointment, but The Universe depends ONLY upon us.

The Universe depends upon us.

Us...

So... if we want to hav that perfect "cuppa Universe" it is within our power to make it so.

Every single time.

Want to have a lousy cuppa U? Wish it so.

Want to have the most delicious cuppa U you've ever had? Make it so!

You control the taste.

You control it all.

All.

You.

You.

Now get out there and give the best Barista in the Multiverse the most love, appreciation and gratitude you possibly can for giving you EXACTLY what you ask for.

Every,

Single,

Time.

It'that easy.

You choose.

YOU.

Nobody else.

YOU!

I love you!
Cam

The Best "Cuppa" in the Multiverse

Im on the train to Shinjuku early today to meet Mayu for coffee before heading to Kobuchizawa.

Yesterday was a great day. Why? Because it WAS. A continuous string of NOW moments that were enjoyable, Fun, challenging, chilly, hot, tasty, delightful, thought provoking, educational, and full of love, appreciation and gratitude for my friends, my family, my loves, my surroundings, the weather, and especially The Universe!

Valentine's Day doesnt have to be one of "those days" where we look upon it as a marketer's dream/ploy but a person's nightmare (overexaggeration but we all know what I mean). It can be a day like any other day in which we greet life with our arms spread wide in love and appreciation of everything around us. It can be what we make it to be. It can be fun whether single, or involved with someone, whether childless or blessed with progeny, whether with or without our pets, whether busy or bored, whether harried or relaxed, whether "in love" or not.

As I always try to do, the day can be as wonderful or as miseable or as ordinary as we choose to make it.

.... as WE CHOOSE to make it.

Just like every other day.

Yesterday I spent a great day wit Masami, but not because it was VDay. It was great because I was loving and enjoying every NOW moment (even when I bit my tongue and made it bleed then laughed at my lack of dexterity).

We choose.

WE.

Choose.

But still... even if we forget the marketing day as I did (I didnt evev think about VDay until I got home and Masami kmailed me to thank me for a great Valentine's Day!!!) we can still use this day as a MARKER, a physical reminder in our busy, hectic life, a day that is written on calendars, in our journals, blogged about, talked about, cherished and reviled... we can mrk this day as a day to offer immense amounts of love, appreciation, thanks and Gratitude to The Universe. For the Universe, unlike a cup of coffee, will never let us down, will never be watered down, will always be hot&spicy, forever a surprise and most of all a delicious learning experience. The Coffee depends upon the "barista", an outside, uncontrollable, external source of pleasure or disappointment, but The Universe depends ONLY upon us.

The Universe depends upon us.

Us...

So... if we want to hav that perfect "cuppa Universe" it is within our power to make it so.

Every single time.

Want to have a lousy cuppa U? Wish it so.

Want to have the most delicious cuppa U you've ever had? Make it so!

You control the taste.

You control it all.

All.

You.

You.

Now get out there and give the best Barista in the Multiverse the most love, appreciation and gratitude you possibly can for giving you EXACTLY what you ask for.

Every,

Single,

Time.

It'that easy.

You choose.

YOU.

Nobody else.

YOU!

I love you!
Cam

A Valentine Greeting from The Universe & Cam

Yesterday I received the following memo from The Universe. It makes perfect sense to me, especially when I see the trials & tribulations, pains and hardships, suffering and sorrow of yesterday's NOW as lessons that have helped me to grow into an even better person today's NOW. They provide me with the ability to step into my fears and overcome future hardships so that I may strive to become an even better person tomorrow.

 

Tonight once I get my cleaning done here, I'll be heading out for the evening. I love the fact that for nearly 20 years I had basically only Max (Saturdays) and Mayu (evenings and Sundays), but now I have Mayu, Masami, Maya, Miyuki, Kayo, and Kyoko to learn about all these new NOW moments that will take me into my future. It sure keeps me busy, let me tell you!

 

But do I regret that I don't have much time on the internet anymore? Do I regret that I don't sit around my apartment with tons of free time to ponder? Do I regret that I rarely write long blogs (I write many from my keitai so still do write a lot as the ootnaboot thoughts come to me). No, I don't regret. I cherish. I am grateful. I am thankful.

 

Everything changes. Everything.

 

The internet and those bazillions of words I wrote over the past five to six years served me very well. They helped me to meet so many wonderful people out there far from me, people I love and cherish deeply. Through them I grew, I expanded, I felt joy and sorrow, I changed. 

 

Now, as my life has turned to a more "physical" fast-paced (frenetic?) phase, moving (running?) forward with the people around me, smiling, laughing, discussing, seeing and more... "I'm lovin' it!" Finally I can communicate with people right across the table from me, or behind me at the desk, or in a meeting, or at a bar, a coffee shop, a restaurant... I am experiencing a part of life that I have not yet had the blessing to enjoy.

 

So.

 

I.

 

Enjoy.

 

And I love it.

 

Everything changes. Everything.

 

I love the changes.

 

I love the growth.

 

And I. Love. You.

 

Tomorrow I'm away all day with Masami going to Yokohama. One of the managers at the company invited me to his daughter's art exhibit. She is really quite good. If I can get some images to share with you, I shall.

 

Then on Monday morning, rather than hang around here, I'm going to meet Mayu at Starbucks for late morning coffee before heading out to Kobuchizawa. It is supposed to snow so I may not get back at 9pm Monday night.

 

I work overtime on Wednesday, and likely will get to the gym at least once on either Tuesday or Thursday. Probably I'll be out for dinner with someone at least one night during the week and maybe again on the weekend. On Sunday I have a hair appointment so that will be an adventure. On the next Monday I'll be meeting Kayo in Shinjuku for coffee and then a walk to a ginormous bike shop because she is interested in looking at a bike for herself (she thought to get a mountain bike, but after she told me what she plans to do, I recommended a crossbike instead that should better suit her needs, so she wants to go with me to see crossbikes.) On Saturday Feb 27 we have an all-company all-day training seminar so that day's a full work day. And on it goes. It's a nice, fast-paced life keeping me very busy, and training me to learn to sleep with my Chuck Taylors on, and build up the skills for big-city-living, so that in the future if I have an option to move again to another big city for work, I can say, "Yes, I can!"

 

Because I'm ootnaboot on February 14th, I want to wish you all in advance,

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

********************************************************************

 

Think that it's fun, that you're guided, and that all is well;
that there's time, that life is easy, and that the best has yet to come.

Think that the reasons that elude you will one day catch up, that the lessons that have stumped you will one day bring joy, and that the sorrows that have crippled you will soon give you wings.

Think that you're important, that you cannot fail, and that happiness always returns.

And think that you're beautiful.

I do.
    The Universe

 

 

And so do I.

    The Cam

Where's The McBoogers?!?

Tonight on my way home I stopped at McDonalds for COFFEE. At 120 yen and free refills you cant go wrong especially because the Japanese McD coffee is better than most of the coffee shops here including Overoastbucks.

Because Paula was talking about the burgers and the ethics of McDs I looked closely at the advertising that comes as a tray napkin. It was talking about the guest burgers. The next one will be a Hawaian burger followed by a California burger.

Anyway, the important thing was that they stated as plain as day that the meat is 100% beef with no fillers and no MSG or similar chemical spices.

Maybe thats why the meat is soooo good!

Ooh... falling asleep here in bed... Night!

I love you.
Cam

I Saw Stefnee Tonight

I was out wandering my work 'hood tonight after work to cop a feel of the surrounding fat o' the land, when who did I bump into, but Stefnee!

Hi Stefnee! What are you doing up there?!?

Come on down and let's go for a hug, a chat and a drink!

I love you!

Cam

I McHeart New York!

Mmmmmmm

The New York Burger is really good; it has dijon mustard like a deli sandwich and tastes great with lettuce, cheese and bacon. McCoffee is always good...

The Texas burger that was showcased as a cameo burger I didn't like when I tried it a few weeks ago on my way to Kobuchizawa; the BBQ sauce was too sweet. But it's gone now and the NYB will be here for a month or so after which tyey will bring in another Guest Burger.

Do other people around the world get these "novelty" burgers.

I McLove You!

Big Cam

New Cooking Video: http://tinyurl.com/yaheaps (Thanks Jen, I love you!!)

Are You a Hungry American? You're Not Alone...

It is always saddens me when I read about the sad state of America with respect to illness, hunger, death, disease, birth, education, employment and more. As Jen often says, how can the conservatives ignore this kind of stuff, and have a healthy conscience? The "world leader", the "world's #1 economy", the country with "the best medical technology"... often lags far behind many other lesser countries in the basics of humanity.

Here is an article from Medscape that may be of interest to some, and surely affects tens of millions of people in "The Land of (a Dearth of) Plenty"

************************

From Reuters Health Information

Biting Recession Leaves Ever More Americans Hungry

By Nick Carey

CHICAGO (Reuters) Feb 02 - The number of Americans receiving emergency food from the largest U.S. hunger-relief charity and its partners rose 46% from 2005 to 2009, according to a report released on Tuesday.

"Feeding America" said 37 million people, including 14 million children, needed emergency food aid each year, more than 10% of the U.S. population of 300 million. It based the figure on 61,000 interviews and 37,000 surveys of local charitable agencies.

That compares to 25.3 million people in 2005, when the group released its last quadrennial study.

"The findings of this study are nothing short of tragic," said Feeding America chief executive Vicki Escarra. "We have to find a way to feed people in the land of plenty."

The United States is the world's top corn and soybeans exporter as well as a major beef exporter.

Escarra was especially worried about the effects of hunger on children. It affects not only their health but their ability to succeed in school, she said.

Although the U.S. economy returned to growth in the second half of 2009 after nearly two years of recession, unemployment has remained stubbornly high at 10%. Feeding America reported last September that unemployment has played a major role in rising demand for emergency food.

"This is a real challenge for America," said Dennis Smith, director of the Northern Illinois Food Bank. "Hunger has become almost epidemic in this country."

The study also found that black and Hispanic Americans have been disproportionately affected by hunger.

Although each group makes up around 15% of the U.S. population, the report found that black Americans account for 34% of people seeking food and Hispanics 21%.

President Barack Obama has set a target of ending child hunger by 2015. Last year he backed a $1 billion annual increase in school lunch and other child nutrition programs.

22:34 Shinjuku

I just finished my DQPw/C and a coffee @ McDs.That's my dinner tonight.

After work I headed into Shinjuku to meet Kayo at the Starbucks Southern Terrace. We talked for two and a half hours and then walked about 15 minutes to a ginormous (pay per entry) park in Shinjuku that she wanted to show me because I talked about how much I loved the serenity of Fukui. Kayo went to vet school way up in Aomori prefecture which gets more snow and lower temps than Fukui (but less humidity) so she knows what I miss. She was born here and just came back to Tokyo a few years ago. But once from Tokyo always from Tokyo. Just ask Mayu.

Anyway we talked about science, dogs, horses, cancer, nature, obedience training, education, death, life, personal views and a whole lot more. A body can say a lot getting a numb bum in STarbucks with one beverage for over two hours.

So we said our goodnights and promised to keep in touch (she wants to learn English informally which suits me fine since neither of us has time for formal weekly meetings). Then I came back out into the chilly night and over to McDonalds for dinner.

It's 22:30 so I guess I'll be getting home about midnight again, hitting the shower and passing out about 1am to get up about 6.

Life is zipping by and these little interlude NOW moments are what make this busy as hell Tokyo life kinda enjoyable. It's the meeting of the denizens of Tokyo that makes it worthwhile.

Let's see what the weekend brings, shall we? I don't know what's going to happen Friday and Saturday but I'm going to meet up with Masami on Sunday for coffee and chats. I imagine we'll wander somewhere...

I love my denizens!

And I love you!

Cam

Four for the Price of One!

I just got home. It's 4:20am.

Stuffing my face with sausages, eggs, sauteed vegetables and steamed other vegetables. I think I'll skip my triple espresso this morning, have a shower, shave, then hit the sack and get up again in... about an hour and a half?

The third best part of the entire adventure (eight hours on the train that normally takes two hours) was that they gave us ALL free cab rides to our homes. Can you imagine how much THAT must have cost? For me to go from Shinjuku to here by cab was $100!!!! Wow. But that's not the BEST part.

AND.... another fantastic thing (i.e. the second best part) was that I had a great long talk with the cab driver all the way home. We talked about buddhism, the Dalai Lama, China business, the food industry, Toyota, and so much more. He lived in China for five years and worked managing a food company over there that exports the foodproducts back to Japan. Very cool guy. We stopped at a Seven Eleven so I could get some food (the good food was all out thus I'm eating now) but I bought him (and myself) a can of hot coffee. We drove, talked and sipped coffee all the way back!

The best part was that I rode back with a woman heading in my direction and we chatted all the way back! Finally I said to her, "Well, out of this long ride, a really good thing is I got to meet a new person: you. My name's Cameron."

She introduced herself as Maya, and just as she was leaving gave me her business card as she got out and said good night.

So there you go! I only had to stay in the train for eight hours to meet someone new, have an amazing conversation with a former businessman cab driver, and get a free $100 cab ride all the way to my front door.

What an awesome deal!! You can't beat that!

Have a great day. Mine starts very soon... but first I must get these vegetable fibres out from between my teeth.

And maybe I WILL make that bedtime triple espresso to help me sleep.

Night!

Cam

P.S. I got to eat the first snow I saw this year as well. So I carried on an annual tradition. Four for the price of one.

Waylaid By Pixie Dust!

The train has been stopped... somewhere... for a long time now. We should have gotten back an hour ago but they are still inspecting the lines from the snow that started as we were pulling into Kobuchizawa. The latest announcement was that it will take some more time before they can start the train again... and its getting HOT in here...

I guess when we make it back I will just have to go directly home, skip the sento, cook dinner at home at midnight then have a shower after.

Its almost humourous to me because at this point where I am now there is no more than maybe 5cm out there. But that's the way it is in places where it never snows. Nothing is set up to handle it. Now if this were Fukui we would be laughing at those wimps in Tokyo for their entire systems to shut down at a mere 2-3 inches of powdered sugar like that you find on those mini doughnuts in the supermarket...

But here I am stuck.

Tomorrow is going to be a bitch in the trains as so many of the lines will be shut down or delayed... that means mine, which runs underground most of the way will be bursting at the seams as people do their best to cram themselves into the sardine cans...

The trials and tribulations of living on this side of the country...

I'm hungry. McProtein lasts but 10 hours is pushing it.

Ah the announcement said that we are over two hours delayed... and we still have to do safety checks at every station. I may not be able to get home tonight as my last train from Shinjuku is not that late...

Life... oh life.....

I love you!