An instant noodle Halloween

Had to buy this

I'm allowed to start celebrating Christmas now because the Japanese have already begun themselves. I bought an Ella Fitzgerald Christmas cd in April specifically for this reason. 'Tis getting cold now. I don't really know what 15 degrees feels like anymore because I've been thrown into such a temperature tumble since I got here. Either way, heat is required to be turned on in my apartment and I have to start wearing a coat outdoors.

Anyway, I noticed something quite comical on the train today. Not 'ha ha' comical though. Firstly, Japanese people usually carry a handkerchief with them to wipe the sweat from thier brow, face, or neck. Well, I notice a zitty-faced fellow wiping his face repeatedly with his handkerchief, but then preceded to keep it in his hand as he held the hand rail. It's like he was wiping down the hand rail and his greasy-assed face with the same towel! So gross. Not as gross as the smell coming out of my kitchen drain though. I'm going to try bleach to combat that. I can't find baking soda here.

Likerish Quartet Oct. 25 show time: 3am to 3:30am

Almost edible.

Reaching for the Best

Geeks, Gamers, and Babes! Oh My!

My friend Mark and I went to the Tokyo game show last Sunday. Many new games were on display, such as Street Fighter 4, Mirror's Edge, and Grand Theft Auto 5: Streets of Malawi (I made the last one up). If you wanted to try the games, you had to wait in a queue that was usually longer than my actual interest in the game. Things that did keep my interest were the spokesmodels. They politely stood in front of their respective booths, modeling with the company's brochure in-hand and making sure the attendants go home happy. Up close photographs were commonplace, and the rare conversation was started by some of the bolder perverts. If you're into cosplay, there were plenty of geeks dressed up as their favorite video game character, and more geeks snapping pictures. Oh! That's why the lines were so long for the bathroom stalls...

Triple-Decker Weekend

Tokyo Game Show
The Riff Randells at Rock Joint GB
Disney Sea (Disneyland B)

Detailed entries to follow.

Here's how I make spaghetti

My friend Mark took me up on the offer of staying on my floor so now he's here for 3 weeks. I used to work with him at Canadian Tire.

I befriended a bar owner in Shibuya and I can now call his bar one of my 'hangouts.' It's a bourbon bar and he plays great music. Too bad I don't really drink.

Next Sunday, Mark and I will go to the Tokyo Game Show and then watch the Riff Randells (a Vancouver band) play live in Tokyo.

I'm making lots of extra dough teaching more private classes. I seem to be getting a new student inquiry every week. One of them is a professional drum teacher and he offered me free lessons. I told him that I couldn't accept payment from him for my English classes if he wouldn't accept payment for his drum lessons but he said he loves to teach and doesn't want my money. I will keep you informed on my "salary to drumming skills ratio."

Tonight we're using garlic, canned tomatoes, red bell pepper, onions, tomato paste, mushrooms, and ground beef.

Chop that shit fine.

Make sure you COOK the beef.

Brown that meat. Who doesn't like browning their meat?

Set the meat aside for later use.

Clean the pan and heat some olive oil.

Cook the garlic and then the onions.

Toss in the mushrooms for good measure.

Add the tomato paste.

Then dump in the canned tomatoes.

I think these are whole roma tomatoes. They work well.

Get the noodles going at the same time.

Toss the beef back into the mix.

Sweeten the deal with some brown sugar.

Add some basil and or-e-GA-no. What the hell?

Salt and pepper to taste. Lots of pepper for me.

Balsamic vinegar for color and a touch of sourness.

Shit's done. Good because I'm hungry.

A dash a parmesan so that I feel like I'm eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Any other recipe suggestions?