July 8th, 2005
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A rare sort of day
Yesterday was the rare sort of day that brings back memories of accomplishment and security long since forgotten. I could not hope for a more fulfilling twenty four hours. I woke up early (and holding a grudge against humanity) to go to the swanky Grand Pacific Meridien hotel at Daiba for the 2005 Xfest, which is more or less a tiny little GDC just for pushing Xbox. It’s a bit of a ride, and it was hot, but the food was free, and boy was there a lot of it. I took full advantage of this and ate almost constantly, having a wholesome breakfast, lunch, and extended dinner with plenty of snacking during sessions. Several bottles of beer and glasses of wine were easily deflected by the large resevoir of beef and cheese in my tank, and I was quite content upon retiring for the day at six thirty. It was almost like being back at school, but tinged with the fatigue and frustration readily apparent on some of my coworkers’ faces.
But I wasn’t going to let anything ruin my enjoyment of a slow day of mixed lingual lectures. I nodded, listened, took notes and practiced my kanji, and in the evening took my sweet time unwinding amidst finishing Lunar 2 and watching the premiere of Densha Otoko (“Train man”), a tv drama based on a true story that strikes to the very core of so much that I am and what lured me here. I would describe its synergistic dynamism in detail with far less marketing-speak, but I have a half day off for a doctor’s appointment and packing to take care of.
There is an interesting video on the web. I think it’s worth a look.
