Anxieties Everywhere

Thursday January 17, 9:36 a.m.

The latest translation is coming along slowly but steadily. However, I'm not a huge fan of TRADOS or at least the learning curve for me seems to be a right angle. I tried to send over a sample file to the boss only to be told that the file didn't have any translation along with the source. Well, I have 16 hours of solid work to prove that I was working on it! Something similar happened to me when I did my first translation on the software, so using another trick, it was able to pull through. I'm hoping that the same thing did the trick this time. In any case, the deadline for this one seems to be rather distant and amorphous so neither the boss nor I are particularly in panic mode. But I'm still unsure.

Japan has been having to deal with a couple of crises in the last few days. The new old Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, would only have had to deal with the usual economic woes infiltrating his country if these situations hadn't happened. But both ANA and JAL have grounded their Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleets like itinerant teens since the batteries on some of the planes have been turning into (smoke) bombs at the very least. Of course, Boeing stock has been going boing at the news....and that is in the bad way. And then there is the ongoing hostage incident in Algeria in which some Japanese nationals have also been taken, although I may have heard that some of them have been released.

Buried within all that is the 18th anniversary of the Kobe Earthquake. Some events will always be remembered....the people in Kobe and the surrounding region certainly haven't forgotten. And as someone who had felt a fraction of the Tohoku Earthquake a couple of years ago in Tokyo (and that fraction was enough to sear itself into my memory forever), I can attest to that.

At the end of this, I also have to mention that Conrad Bain from "Diff'rent Strokes" has passed away. To be honest, I hadn't heard anything about him for years so that I thought he had already left this mortal coil, but he was able to live a good long life. I had no idea that he was actually born in Lethbridge, Alberta. I used to watch the show with him, Gary Coleman, Dana Plato and Todd Bridges on Thursday or Friday on NBC. It's a pity that Bridges is the only surviving member now from that series.

Now that I know Bain's connection with Canada, I can understand a bit more about his brother, Hank, being brought into that old "SCTV" sketch involving the station and alien cabbages.

Heading into Winter?/Rogers on That

Friday November 23, 1:16 p.m.

It's been pretty balmy over the past few days, but it looks like we might get our first taste of Winter in the next few days. They're forecasting flurries or sleet over the weekend and into the next week. Just a shot across the bow before December arrives. Not sure when the big snowstorms are coming in.

I woke up this morning with the parentals grumbling that they couldn't get their TV Japan. I checked; it seemed as if a lot of the higher channels weren't coming through either. I waited in the hopes that the trouble would sort itself out, but when it didn't around noon, I sent a tweet to Rogers, and considering the bad reputation the organization has had, I was surprised when I got a friendly reply within 10 minutes of sending it. I don't think it was a bot. Anyways, I unplugged the digital box for about 30 seconds as advised, and after the TV reset itself, everything was back online and hunky dory. Cannot complain about that sort of service.

Looks like downtown Toronto is getting into Grey Cup fever. The rest of us in the burbs just have to take CP24's word for it. Apparently, Marty the Calgary Stampeders mascot was making his rounds, and after one failed attempt, finally got to enter the Royal York Hotel with a big bowl of fresh veggies waiting for him. Not sure if anything else came out of the other end during his walkabout; just hope noone was walking immediately behind, lest that person got the literal form of a politican's campaign speech.

To Crosley or not to Crosley?

Monday November 12, 2:22 p.m.

One of those really balmy days....after breaking the record yesterday for Remembrance Day highs (18 degrees C), we're still doing pretty nicely at about 16 today. But true to Toronto form, we'll be plummeting down to -1 degree tonight. Gonna be feeling for those commuters coming home late tonight as their metabolisms get royally screwed.

Now, as for the fractured title above, I've been rather interested in a certain portable record player for some time now. And with Xmas coming back soon, I have been thinking of plunking down some hard-earned cash on it. It's called the Crosley 6002A Revolution, and it's been out for almost a couple of years. I've been to the Crosley website with all of the specs. It's portable, can play the old 33" and 45" discs, and even has a USB hookup for both Windows and Mac. That last feature got my attention quickly since I still have my old dance remixes and Japanese records that I haven't been able to play for well over a decade. Would love to convert them onto digital.

I looked through the Net for some reviews but I had to actually check YouTube to find them; this, of course, was far better since I could see the Revolution in action. So far, I've listened to some fairly positive reviews. It is even more portable than I thought, and even with the caveats from one reviewer that the device should only be used for testing out discs before purchase, the sound is pretty good. Besides, my only intention with the Crosley would be to convert the discs over to my computer where they can find a new home on a Flash drive. At about $150, that's not too much to ask for.

Great Week for Space

Well, all us Trekkies can proudly aim your phasers high. First off, I think millions of folks worldwide probably caught Fearless Felix Baumgartner making history by pulling off the highest freefall, breaking the sound barrier as he entered the atmosphere, and highest balloon flight, amongst other achievements. I think there was a scene that had been cut out of "Star Trek: Generations"in which Captain Kirk actually tried a similar stunt.

Then, there was the discovery that 55 Cancri e, a planet 40 light-years away from Earth, may actually consist of 1/3 diamonds. Kinda gives us further incentive to get that starship built, although even at Warp 1, it would be an 80-year round trip. I think Scotty, Geordi and Trip need to boost the dilithium matrix a bit more.

A Quentin Tarantino Bad Day

Thursday October 11, 12:23 a.m.

Yep, it was a QT Bad Day today. I use the famous director's name since like his movies, there was an ever-pervasive feeling of tension throughout the day with a brief flash of violence. Well, no violence but there was a ratcheting-up of tension via my translation boss in the morning.

The folks at Trados can learn a thing about trying to service people in the right way....like, say, provide a free instruction manual on how to use their translation software. I spent a lot of time and energy just to find a YouTube tutorial and download and print out a homemade 10-page manual that some fellow disgruntled purchaser had made. And yet, I was none the wiser due to my lower-than-average aptitude for computer software. I tried to make sense of the stuff on my new computer for a lot longer than I should have before sending out that SOS to my boss.

I think it was probably my first chewout by an employer in way over a decade, but then again my boss is so laid-back that his voice didn't even rise a few notes. However, it was plainly evident that he wasn't too happy with me over the phone as he walked me through the Trados minefield. For one thing, a major project was in the balance and needless to say, it most likely will be overdue although I did get three-quarters of it done by midnight. So, it was a race against the clock all day...that was the tension. Still, in my defense, I think the boss should've given me a lot more comprehensive training in the software than just a few verbal snippets here and there. According to some of the other complaints I've read, a manual is absolutely necessary. And I think it's a bit of a crime for them to charge us to attend video tutorials. I was thrown into the deep end...and I frankly don't swim.

Strangely enough, though, I did get the CD I had ordered through Amazon last week. That was the only bright scene in my day.

What the FAX?

Saturday September 29, 12:22 p.m.

Had a bit of a mystery when I got home yesterday and saw no less than 6 messages on the machine of which 5 were from the same number. One number I checked on the Net was 905-323-3900 which turned out to be some sort of spammyish enterprise. There was the usual give-and-take in the comments section with folks complaining about it while a few supposed folks who "work for the company"in question were defending themselves.

The other five were straight from the same number as I said. And all of them were made within a period of 40 minutes and left the same message of high-pitched fax wheezing. And my family has never owned a fax machine. It turned out that the number belongs to the X-Ray/Ultrasound clinic I had gone to a few days ago. For a couple of paranoid minutes, I thought the folks there were trying to tell me that I was in the late stages of a terminal disease. But of course, hearing the fax noises for each message that came within an average of 8 minutes of each other hinted strongly at more of a technological and communications breakdown. Plus, by law, clinic technicians are forbidden to give any diagnoses to patients, so I figured some receptionist dropped the ball. In any case, the clinic is closed so I left a message stating the problem. Annoying as hell, though.

Kanji Krunch

Wednesday September 19, 12:54 a.m.

It's been a bustling past couple of days. On top of teaching at the school yesterday, I've been getting my fair share of translation assignments, and the boss is hinting that a small deluge will be  driving in over the next few days. Not too bad, although at one point, my boss left me a message begging me to send over a couple of finished pages for his demanding client. No problems there.

Looks like my October may be having some further visitations. I've got my old students coming in and then my parents got the call that my cousin and her husband will be flying in from Vancouver around Halloween. Appropriate since after not seeing me for 30 years, they may get quite a scare when they lay their eyes on me.

My new computer has gotten a clean bill of health. My brother wasn't too hard on me but he did warn me not to use the Factory Restore anymore. Man, I'm just not getting along with technology.

Lazy Sunday

Sunday September 16, 3:20 p.m.

Yup, it's feeling a little more like Autumn today. Took a brisk walk around the neighbourhood...not too warm and not too cool. I finally got those translations off to the boss just a half-hour ago. I hope that these pass muster, although I sometimes have the feeling that it's really up to the editor's whims as to how words are put down. Coincidentally, just one second after I'd sent them, the boss sent me a message stating that this could be another buys week. Feeling tired enough as it is.

Will be heading out in a couple of hours with the family to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. We're supposed to be going to Congee Queen up near my old high school. I was a bit surprised at the choice; at first thought, I'd imagined that the restaurant was just the Chinese gruel equivalent of Dairy Queen, but according to some Net research, the place is a bona fide restaurant.

I've got a full day at the school tomorrow. I know the guy I'm subbing for. He's teaching the Business English classes, so things should be fairly straightforward.

On my Twitter account, I got followed by some Japanese idol/TV personality. Never heard of this young lady before, Ayumi Yasuoka, but apparently she's also a fashion director of sorts, although at the age of 24, I can't be quite sure how much of that is true. But I'm not exactly jumping for joy, since she "follows"over 10,000 people as she is followed by over 10,000 people. On her profile, she admitted that she pretty much presses the "Follow" button for just about everything..

Yasuoka is the one on the right. Apparently, the ladies are enjoying the wonders of roast beef.

Potpourri Entry of the Week

Tuesday September 11, 8:41 a.m.

Yesterday was pretty much devoted to translation. I got a bit of a good-natured chewout from the boss for handing an admittedly half-assed assignment, but it was very difficult...all of those pharmaceutical terms. Actually, my boss didn't even jump on me but he told me matter-of-factly that the editor really had to earn her pay with my hand-in. I apologized for the work but he kindly brushed it off saying that it was a learning experience and he knew how it difficult it was. In a way, he rather reminds me of that Warner Bros. cartoon bulldog....not the aggressive one who was always chasing after Sylvester the Cat, but the one who counseled the other cat like a good buddy. Still, I've been served....I'm gonna have to be at the top of my game. Fortunately, I did hand in something yesterday that I think is a much better product, and I will be getting a pretty big payday in about a month for another large product. And there is another much smaller and hopefully easier assignment for today.

I'll be taking off for downtown on somewhat of a TIFF journey. The Toronto International Film Festival is past the halfway point, so I expect that the celeb population is starting to peter out. However, I will be taking a look at the Hot Docs Cinema near Bathurst and Bloor since that's one of the venues, although in my case, I don't think I'll be lucky enough to catch any celebs. In fact, I'm more interested in seeing what food trucks will be there for lunch. If they've pulled out, I can just head over to The Thumbs-Up Eatery for a bit of Korean. Afterwards, I will walk over to Yorkville and see if the fishing is good there.

The big chewout I'm expecting to get is from my brother. I received that new laptop from him about 10 days ago, and I managed to destroy it over the weekend due to some stupidity on my part. Suffice it to say, my wonderful palette of software is no more. I've already sent him the bad news and going hat in hand to see if there is some way to salvage any recovery.

I've gotten some good news from my former students-turned-friends back in Japan. Two of them sent me a package of Kaki-P (a snack mix of rice crackers and peanuts) that I used to engorge weekly but haven't had in 9 months since returning to Canada....I can probably buy them here, but I'm not gonna shuck out a ton of cash and take the TTC all the way to the boonies to J-Town to get them. Apparently, they'll be heading over to France next month for a vacation. Then I received word from another student that she and her family will be coming to Toronto in October for a bit of a leafwatching. So it'll be time to put on the tour guide hat once more. Too bad they couldn't come over during the TIFF.

Apparently the Kanto area has been going through some major water rationing blues because of the extreme heat and the extreme lack of rain this past couple of months. One of the major reservoirs in Gunma Prefecture currently looks like a nearly-drained bathtub at just 6% capacity. The government had called a major crisis several years ago when the reservoir had been at 30% capacity, so things are pretty dire over there. I miss Japan but the summers are one thing I have been happy to do without. It was like swimming through atmosphere.

Computer Blues

Thursday September 5, 1:57 a.m.

I haven't had my new computer for even a week, and I'm already facing a hiccup with it. Looks my Samsung refuses to accept the product key for the MS Office, and for some reason it won't do downloads of songs due to some error somewhere. Ugh! I've called The Anime King for some assistance.

Although I taught a full day back on Tuesday, it was just a quiet day of translation yesterday with me meeting the boss and another colleague in our translating collective. The boss picked us up at the station and just drove us down to one of his working haunts for a brief hour about what's up with the latest work assignments. I'm in the middle of one such assignment and should be getting an editing job in the next couple of days or so.

Earlier in the summer, we all had been wondering whether Toronto was gonna have Summer of the Gun II after the shooting at the Eaton Centre and the Danzig St. massacre. It seems that the crazy season may end up as the Summer of Body Parts. First, there was the horrific Luka Magnotta murder of that poor Chinese student, then the murder of that Chinese woman here in Toronto by an ex-boyfriend, next came the torso that had popped up in the Niagara River. Finally, we just got another case today with a couple of folks coming across a decomposing torso in a suitcase floating in the water.

I will be heading out tomorrow to have that lunch at the Chinese restaurant that Ol' Sam took me and our other old friend last week. And then, I will see if I can get to the Bell Lightbox further downtown on the first day of the Toronto International Film Festival in probably vain attempt to catch some celebs. And tomorrow, I actually cook for the parentals for the first time. They are hinting that with their advancing age, they'll need a rotation now when it comes to cooking meals.

Vending Machines

Yup, cheap things can be had in Tokyo.

Saturday September 1, 4:09 p.m.

I've been back in The Great White North for 8-and-a-half months after my long odyssey in Japan, and to be honest, I don't have any huge regrets about coming back. Still, sometimes I get twinges now and then for some of the more convenient elements of living life in The Big Sushi.

Vending machines are one of those things. They seem to populate every nook and cranny of every urban/suburban/rural area, with the exception of the areas immediately surrounding restaurants. Whenever I needed a drink of some sort....whether it be a cola, iced coffee or an oolong tea, it didn't take long before I came across one or an entire bank of vending machines. The average price of a pop in the machine is around 120 yen, but in the theatres, the price can rocket up to 200 yen easily. On the flip side, though, there are some machines which offer generic pop for as cheap as 80 yen, such as the ones in the picture. I found those on the side street where my old student and friend, Cozy, had his tax accounting office.

"So, do we have to use solid maple syrup then?"

Then again in Akihabara, that bastion of the weird and wonderful in Japanese pop culture, vending machines can sell some fairly twisted stuff. For example, for Canadians on an extended tour who start missing the old flapjacks, they can get the liquid stuff from the local machine for the same price as a Coke. Really. I've also seen the same thing for ramen and curry udon. I'm a foodie but I guess I'm more on the conservative side; I will never have my pancakes in any other way other than solid.

Quiet Weekend

Jamie Bamber

Monday August 27, 1:45 a.m.

Well, I took a look at my analytics and discovered that there was someone looking for Jamie Bamber at the FanExpo, so I've decided to be nice and uploaded a fuzzy photo of him. He's definitely gone a lot more Californian in his hairstyle.

I've had my first totally at-home weekend in a few weeks. No one was calling me up to go out, and there were no Anime King trips this weekend. Next weekend should be a whole different animal, though, since it will be the Labour Day Weekend, and there is that mass migration to the Burlington Ribfest.

It was a good thing that nothing was going on this time around since I've been given my first massive translation assignment. Nothing but tax returns from Japanese to English. My due date isn't for several days, but the assignment editor told me that the client may want some partial uploads of completed stuff within the next few days. It's pretty arduous though. The big boss will be returning from vacation tomorrow so he may be contacting me about what my decision is about accepting that big hunk of translation software. Luckily, my brother has secured a new laptop for me so it's just a matter of waiting one more week.

I think I've also been lucky in that I haven't been contacted by the school for the last number of days. Again, I'm not particularly sure what the higher-ups there think of me since I have declined as many teaching assignments as I have accepted them. But as I've hinted, although the students are nice enough folks, I've never particularly settled in there all that comfortably.

Wired

Tuesday March 20, 1:52 p.m.

In the movie series of "Batman", both the Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan ones, the Dark Knight is forever brooding over his battery of computer monitors which blanket Gotham City as a huge sensor web.

I've come to the conclusion that I've become somewhat like the Caped Crusader in that aspect (except for the lack of pecs/6-pack, courage, confidence...pretty much anything that would make up a superhero). I've got 2 e-mail accounts and three accounts on different SNS and my blogging one, including one in Japan. My most recent acquisition is Twitter...and it's through viewing there that I realized that I've become this plugged-in person...remarkable, really, considering that I used to tell folks back in Japan that I was a Luddite. But then again in Japan, you just have to mention that you don't have a cellphone to be seen as a freak. There is always information coming into Twitter to the extent that it acts like my own CIA/NSA Situation Room. And I've rather designed it that way. I've joined the accounts for a number of the major news organizations in Toronto and around the world, and those for a few celebs in Hollywood and Japan. Perhaps in the near future, I won't even bother looking at TV....I will have already gotten the scoops.

Perhaps, I'm closer to Neuromancer than I dare admit. I did live in Chiba, y'know (inside joke).