How do they measure tsunamis?

Today, it said on the news that a tsunami would hit the pacific ocean side of Japan due to a 8.1 magnitute somewhere. Then later on, it was making announcements that a 10cm, 40cm, 50cm, and 1 meter tsunamis either "hit" this city or that.

Whenever they make tsunami announcements, I often see these really low "tsunamis". I thought a tsunami was a huge wave...so I have a hard time comprehending why they make warning announcements for a "10cm tsunami". If a boat passes by, that alone would cause more than a 10cm wave, right?

Any ideas on why they call a 10cm wave a "tsunami"?

Shower Bathroom?!

I went into a high-end department store the other day to use the bathroom and saw a sign that said "shower bathroom." I felt anxious poking my head into the stall not knowing what to expect! I mean, what exactly is a "shower bathroom"? Why would they combine a shower and a toilet? Why would anyone take a shower at a department store?

....I cautiously opened the door and found...a regular bathroom! Well, you wouldn't call it "regular" in the States 'cause it's one of those fancy wash-and-blow-dry type of toilets, but I was still relieved that there were no surprises.

The surprises with bathrooms are never-ending over here. What will they think of next?!

Finding my way around in Tokyo

Why don't they have street signs in Japan? I look to my left, my right and I see...skyscrapers, skyscrapers, and MORE skyscrapers. BUT no street signs.

I think people over here find their way around by remembering landmarks....my friend Santi once said the same thing to me. He was amazed that people gave directions like the following "When you see the McDonald's next to the Mitsubishi Bank, then turn left, keep going until you see Kinokuniya, then turn right into a narrow path once you pass the Starbuck's Coffee...etc. etc." Uhh...confusing?

For those accustomed to this method of finding their way around, it probably works fine...but I seem to still look for addresses, which isn't a smart way to find your way around in Tokyo. After many many episodes of getting lost, I've figured out that they have little metal plates with the zipcode-like information on the electric poles....so now whenever I get lost, I walk around looking for power poles and inch my way closer to the vicinity of where I'm heading. It works pretty well =).

Another sudden hike.

My classmate from Jr. High was suddenly in town, so we decided to go hiking. It was my second time at this place, my friend's first, and neither of us had any idea where the trail lead or how long it would take, but we went anyways .After walking through several tunnels, we came across a bridge that said "Bridge closed-Do not enter"...but luckily there was a narrow walkway to the side so we walked across.

We were pretty high up and there was a river down below....I could see it through the cracks on the walkway so I was a bit scared.

It was an overcast day, so it felt a bit gloomy, but being surrounded by nature felt good.
We kept walking and walking not knowing how far the trail would lead, but eventually we reached a town. I found this traditional Japanese house, so I had to take a picture of it! I always feel like I've slipped back in time when I come across these traditional homes.
We didn't want to walk another 2 hours to get back to where we started from, so we took the train back and went on another short trail that lead to a hot spring. The hot spring wasn't that great, but it still felt good. It might have been anywhere from 5-10 years since my friend and I last bumped into each other...can you believe the first thing he did when we met up was laugh and say "You haven't changed one bit!"? But what can I say, I really haven't changed one bit, probably someone who last saw me when I was 3 years old will still recognize me in an instant after 27 years. Whether that's a good thing or not, I don't know.

Halloween Party from last month

Thursday's Halloween Party.













Friday's Halloween Party.

We had our annual halloween party again this year. We always start off with self-introductions since some of the kids don't know each other. Some of the kids bring along their little brother or sister to the party and it's really cute watching all the kids squirming in their seats as they wait their turn to say "My name is xxx and my favorite desert is xxx."

Once we get through that, we sing a halloween song that they've been practicing every week. Then come the treats! For the staff, this is where all the chaos starts. All that sugar.

After pouring drinks, we start with the english-related educational games. Bingo, memory, pin-the-pumpkin's-nose, twister, etc. Once we tally all the points they've scored for the games, they take turns choosing their prizes. It's funny how the big brothers or sisters "order" their little brother or sister to take certain prizes. Cute, cute.

Now, to get through the Christmas party at the end of December!

Had to rub my eyes and do a double-take.

I saw the strangest thing today. I was about to drive out of the condo's parking lot, but I saw an old couple with a carriage walking past in my back mirror, so I waited for them to pass by. Then, when I backed up enough to see WHAT was in the carriage...I just couldn't comprehend what I was seeing!! A long-haired chihuahua!!

I've seen dog's with sweaters, hats, paw-shoes, and even a raincoat for rainy days...but this was the first time a saw a dog being taken on a walk in a CARRIAGE. My mind couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. I thought the purpose of taking a dog for a walk was so that the dog could actually GO FOR A WALK. What is the dog supposed to do sitting in a in a carriage??

While waiting for the light to turn green, I kept looking at the couple through my rearview mirror, and finally at some point they let the dog down so it could do its own walking....but I still just had to scratch my head and wonder about the logic behind the whole thing.

"Analyze Me"

Watched another movie last night. It's pretty old, but I was craving comedy, so went out and checked another DeNiro comedy out. I watched "Meet the Parents 2 " recently, and DeNiro was hilarious in that one, so I went with another one last night.

The intensity of how DeNiro plays his characters makes the movie all the more funny, because generally DeNiro seems to play hardcore tough guy movies, so the gap in character generates more laughs I think.

I also love Robin Williams movies...he generally plays off-the-wall hilarious characters, so when he plays serious roles, he makes that much more impact and those serious drama type of movies shine out. For example, "Patch Adams," "Dead Poet's Society," "Awakenings," and "Good Will Hunting" were all great movies.